I was staring out into the blue sky of my bedroom window. The sun was shining very brightly, and the sound of birds twittered in the air. Hmm...another bad omen. The sun disgusted me. Although my skin was slightly tanned, I hate the warmth and sunlight. That didn't matter much today though. A few days ago, I just come of age and became a woman and my parents had finally found someone whom I can be married off to.
In the Italian Bronze Age, no one took women legitimately. We were treated like slaves for men. The only thing what we were good for was being married off and connecting two great families together. Mother and Father, who are of the first class, had already decided whom to give me to. As Mother always said, "It is for the good of the family, and the good of the Volturi name." Of course, I was unhappy. But despite that, I tried to hide my dislike and did my best to make everyone around me happy. I didn't want anyone to hate me, for even though I was a woman, I wanted to be more useful than that.
I live in the palace, where Mother, Father, and I spent our whole lives. The palace was passed down, generation after generation in our family. It's in the middle of a small town of peasants and farmers. This small town is the only human settlement in the Southern Apennine Mountains. Our palace is the grand white castle that you can spot from few acres away, even out of the town. In fact, I think it's the only building in this whole town. Most of the peasants and farmers in this day and age have unified under a new culture known as Apennine. It's recognized by its pastoral and agricultural settlements. All I ever see are sheep and their shepherds out in the fields.
There was a great feast at the party. Both families, mine and my unknown fiancée's, were here today to celebrate the upcoming marriage. The palace was decorated with White Mountain lilies, and other exotic flowers. Even the pillars were stripped of their usual décor, and decorated with white flowers. The party guests walked through the big iron gates, and crowded the little stone walkway of the palace. I've never seen so many people at the gates.
I was looking down on the guests, from my balcony, for I was still changing into an evening gown to wear. My sullen eyes stared down on the people with much indifference. A fat, corpulent man was gulping down all the wine at the winery table. There were women in the crowd, gossiping with one another in their nasal, brittle voices. Hmph, tramps.
My wandering eyes stopped to stare at a man standing by the iron gates. This man wore a long black cloak, and was, as if carefully, standing only in the shadow made by the palace walls. His skin looked pale white, and had great contrast between his garments. But that wasn't what attracted my attention to him. He had the same exact face as my brother.
My body froze in shock.
Was it him? No, it couldn't be. He went missing fifteen years ago. But as I continued to stare down at the man, he just looked so much like my brother.
I have to see him.
As quickly as I could, I slipped into a silky purple dress, and tide up my long, wavy black hair into a bun. A few strands were still hanging out from the bun, but that didn't matter right now. I hurtled out of my room and ran down the hall. Surprised servants looked at me with their shocked expressions. The servants pressed up against the walls to let me through. One slave dropped a vase, and the sound of its shattered pieces echoed through the hallway. One of my maids shouted, "Milady!" But I ignored them. On the stairs, I skipped every step so I could get down faster. On the last one though, I tripped and fell flat on my face, onto the marble floor. My hands pushed my torso up from the floor, "Ugh…"
My hair was ruined, but what did I care. Swiftly, I got up again. When I reached the main entrance, I shoved the large wooden doors open and it hit the white pillars with a loud bang. The crowd assembled outside broke into silence, and stared at me with surprised expressions. Ignoring them, I lifted up my long flowing dress with my hands as I skittered down the white steps of the palace. Then I ran towards the gates.
He has to be there, he just has to be.
People scurried out of my way as I hurtled into the crowd. I passed the orchards, passed the terrace. As I finally reached the big iron gates, my feet came to an abrupt stop. There was no one here. My eyes darted around, left and right, trying to find the mysterious man who looked so much like my brother. I breathed in uneven breaths.
No…
Staring at the big white walls that surrounded the palace, I whispered in a voice full of despair, "Aro…"
My head sank down in shame and embarrassment. It was just my imagination. I was so stupid. This isn't me. How could I have rushed out like an angry bull, and come out here thinking that my brother was here? I'm making everyone unhappy because of me. Sighing in defeat, I returned to the palace.
Apologizing to the now sullen crowd, I introduced myself to them. They lightened up and greeted me with kind smiles. Even though I deserved no kindness, I returned their smiles with a sad one of my own. People greeted me here and there, glad that they got to meet the future lady of the house. There were tables of fruits and meat inside the palace walls. But I only grabbed a goblet of wine. My appetite was lost. Sipping a little here and there, I mingled with the party guests, and greeted some relatives I've never met before. My façade was wearing down; I was too depressed today. Usually, I would love parties. But this one signified my arranged marriage. After I've finished my drink, I set the goblet down onto one of the tables, and went to sit in one of the benches in the orchards.
Mother came up to me that evening and said, "Didyme, my dear daughter. You should be more happy. You are going to be married. Stop spouting your clever words, to entertain everyone else. You yourself must be happy. You are finally a woman, Didyme. Your nature was much better than your foul brother's. Come, come and meet your future husband."
My missing brother, Aro, had run away a few years ago. He's thirteen years older than I. Indeed, he was a demon. He had an evil nature. His greediness had always gotten him into trouble. Aro wasn't greedy for money however... it was for power. He was never content. But, I loved my brother still, and I hadn't seen him for fifteen years. For now, my best presumption is that he's dead. Oh, I missed him so much.
After everyone had went home, Mother, Father, and all the servants had gone to sleep. I lay awake in bed, thinking about my whole life: childhood, adolescence, and my new adulthood. I did not like it. I did not want to be married and given away. I didn't even like my fiancée. He was an ugly man with a stubborn face. Why did I have to be married now? Couldn't Mother and Father wait a few years, at least, for me to become… closer to this man? Though the thought disgusted me, at least it would make Mother and Father seem less ignorant. Filled with frustration, I got out of bed and decided to go out and take a walk in the orchards.
It's quite quiet tonight. The only sounds were the sounds of my footsteps upon the marble walkway of the orchards. I looked up at the starry night sky. There were many stars out tonight. When I reached the middle of the orchards, there were some fireflies floating just above the fountain. Water trickled down the stone fountain, making a quiet splash into the small pool. Sitting down on the edge of the fountain, I lifted my head and looked up gazing at the stars.
A few moments later, someone grabbed my shoulder. I screamed and, in a blurred motion, a white hand went up to cover my mouth. I looked up at the man with panicked eyes, and then I gasped in disbelief at who it was. He had black hair, and had father's face, except for his eyes. Mother's eyes were covered in shadows because of the darkness. He was smiling at me and whispered, "Hello Didyme." Then he let his hand off my mouth.
My lips twisted into a happy and surprised smile. It wasn't my imagination. He is here! My brother was here at the party after all. He's not dead! Aro had come back!
"Aro! My brother, what are you doing here?! You nearly scared me half to death." I continued to stare at him. It looked as if Aro had risen from the dead. The last time I saw him, he didn't seem this fair and beautiful. And, where he touched my shoulder, was still cold as ice. Something had changed.
"All in good time, dear sister." Then he grabbed my left hand and held it in his for a long moment. His eyes closed, and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. This was strange, he never usually did this.
"My brother, why are you holding my palm?" I tried to pull it away, but Aro held on to it very tightly. He was so… strong.
After a few moments, he finally opened his eyes, and smiled, "Nothing of course, Didyme." He held onto my hand, and smiled.
My mind was filled questions. Where was he in these past few years? Why did he run away? Why did he look so different? What happened to him?
And, as if he read my mind, he chuckled and said, "I was starting up a… group of my own, and I ran away to fulfill my dreams, Didyme. Forgive me if this made you unhappy." He laughed softly, "I know I look very… strange to you. But, I didn't rise from the grave." He chuckled darkly and then continued, "trust me dear sister, all your other questions will be answered in good time."
Aro gently tugged my arm and pulled me out of the orchards. We were heading toward the front gate in less than a second. How did he become so fast?
"Aro, where are you taking me?"
"To my home." He smiled back reassuringly at me.
"Shall we not tell Mother and Father?"
That stopped him short. He paused for a moment, and then said, "I don't think they'll be that useful. They are very old….." Then he started walking again. When we reached the gate, I was about to tell him that the gates would be locked but, as I looked closer, I saw that the locks had broken.
Aro and I marched out into the streets. I stared up at him in disbelief and asked, "Did you break the locks on the gates?" But he didn't answer.
In two seconds, he pulled me up and put me on his shoulders. My arms were dangling on his back, and he started running. My eyes widened at his speed. Everything as we passed by was so blurry.
"How long do I have stay until you take me home?"
Again, he smiled at me. "I'm not taking you home, dear sister."
My face became a cold mask, "…What do you mean I'm not going home?"
"You are living with me from now on."
He didn't seem to be lying, and he seemed very confident about it. My hands balled up in fists and I yelled at him, "What?! NO! Have you lost your mind, Aro? I don't even know where 'home' is to you. You take me back to Mother and Father!" I tried to shove him, and make him put me down, but that only gave me bruises. "Aro, put me down now!"
Aro glanced back at me but didn't break him pace. "I'm sorry but you have no other choice." He looked back at me, with his eyes only a few inches away from mine.
Then I gasped. His eyes… they were bright crimson red, the color of blood.
I whispered quietly, "My brother, what are you?" Aro stopped running and stopped in the middle of the street. There was a small hole in the ground; I cringed away from it. I'm scared of the dark. And the hole probably went a long way down too. He pulled me down from his shoulder and held me in mid-air above the hole. I looked at him in panic.
"Something that you'll become very soon." He smiled one last time, and then sank his teeth into the crease of my elbow. I froze in shock. What was he doing?! Had he become a cannibal?! It took only a second for a pain to creep into my arm. Then I was on fire. A high pitched scream escaped out of my lips. My elbow was on fire! It burned, and burned! I screamed at him, "What did you do to me?! Why am I burning?! Make it stop! Make it stop!!" Aro ignored my screams.
He dropped me into the small hole. I fell into the dark. I hyperventilated and screamed even more. I hate the dark, and the fire made it even more frightening. I couldn't stop screaming. As I continued to fall, the pain spread throughout my whole entire arm. Then, my body landed smack onto the cold, rough stone floor. But it was still dark. My gasps and whimpers echoed into the dark. Where was I? Aro landed next to me quickly. He picked me up again, and started running through the dark. I had no sense of where I am. All I did is scream.