Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings to Tolkien. Twilight to Meyer. Here endith disclaimer.
Chapter 4: Sidebar with Aro…this should be terrifying
Viewing my mate's discomfort granted me a certain amount of pleasure. No, I did not wish Sulpicia pain. My consideration for her, since our union, has grown into devotion one could classify as love.
But ever since the arrival of that…harbinger…my constitution has been more than disagreeable, so it brought me a secret inner-justice that my mate, the reason for his presence in my house, should suffer as well.
Also, the twitch of her elbow every few seconds quite amused.
Whilst the blue-clad creature gave his tirade of worthy punishments toward the past choices of my mate and Anthenodora, I stayed silent. On the outside, that is. Inside, the marvelous beast of immortality bellowed at every underhanded way the old crow insulted my sacred species.
Condemned to be outcasts of humans, indeed! I see nothing condemning in a reign of strength and power standing firm for more than three thousand years.
Finally, thank the powers, he ran short of hot air and returned to the corner. Once again, my fair lady took the floor and pleaded for the help of the most trusted in our coven and allies. Truly, Sulpicia had not spoken this many words in public for over a hundred years.
She abhorred an audience. Therefore, I was sure half the reason of her violent anxiety related to the speech making I somewhat forced upon her.
My guilt would make itself known once that crow left Volterra.
Peering across the study, I unwittingly caught those intruding, brown eyes boring into me. As if our unwelcome visitor could read my thoughts.
Think you can arouse fear in this ancient, dead heart, old man! You may quake the ground under the feet of this house's mistress, but never its master.
'I do not mean to cause fear, vampire lord,' a voice as deep and certain as a strong wind, his real voice I knew, formulated in my mind, 'I mean to seek forth the bounty your bloodline owes to the High Father. Know that if Middle Earth fails to stop this evil, it is only a matter of time before it passes through and is at your doorstep.'
At this, I could no longer hold the ancient gaze of the wizard. Wizard, the name Sulpicia said the men and elves of Arda called his kind. Fitting word for I doubt anybody in my chamber went without feeling the power of his presence once Morinehtar made himself known. Up until that point, I noticed no scent of blood or body emitted from his person.
Magic carried with this creature like smoke laced around fire.
I sensed it the moment he arrived in Volterra last night, putting the fright of hell itself in my mate and Athenodora. My brother's wife remained better with her composure this morning, but last night she screeched and fainted on the spot at first sight of the wizard.
That sight I could not hold a smile back from.
When Caius revived his ailing mate and the chaos was put to rights, Morinehtar began his tale. Several of the names, such as Eru and Morgoth, Marcus, Caius, and I recognized from first hearing the tale of vampire's origins from Sulpicia and Anthenodora.
Apparently, Morgoth had corrupted a creature not unlike Morinehtar who became his lieutenant. This Sauron of Mordor waged war on Middle Earth alongside his master some time after my mate's banishment. After Morgoth's fall, Sauron continued the campaign by creating a weapon of some sort.
Morinehtar did not speak in great detail about the weapon, and Sulpicia knew nothing about it. My curiosity still reached for details about it.
Continuing on, the people of Middle Earth believed Sauron defeated, but his weapon resurfaced again. This weapon, deliciously mysterious, I concurred to be somehow supernaturally jointed with its maker. What the wizard feared, for Middle Earth, was Saron's return due to the weapon's survival.
A meeting of the great powers of Middle Earth was convening in an elven kingdom called Imladris.
We would attend. True, I would rather slit the throat of the wrinkled crow than have him lead us to a world where vampires are considered damned. I am no fool though. Disagreeing to cooperate entirely would spell ill fate for myself and the empire I labored to create.
Of my house that will cross the barrier between the worlds: Sulpicia must attend as well as Anthenodora, therefore Caius is sure to come. My brethren and I dispute rarely, so I do not expect to find his attitude towards this burden to be any different than my own.
Of those I created, Jane was an absolute. My dearest one would voyage through certain death at my whim, and her twin, Alec, never left her without his aid. He too I counted on. The other gifted one I sired, Demetri, would not deny an order either. Renata would also be one of our quarry.
As for Marcus and Felix, their decisions would depend primarily on what Bella choose.
Felix would go with us, no matter her choice, but my brother's creation would sweeten the pot. Since her initiation into our coven, my guard possessed a burning infatuation with the younger vampire. Unluckily for him, Bella never recuperated the feelings. Most recent evidence of this was her very graphic threat explained to Rosalie Hale.
Bella. My brother's creation. Not since the new birth of Jane had my house achieved such an asset. Pity I must share her loyalty with the Olympic coven of vegetarians and that disgusting werewolf.
Would Bella agree to journey with us, I know Sulpicia's heart will bear itself a little comfort. Her addition to this venture was a particular request of my mate.
Even since Bella's second birth, Sulpicia had taken a special liking to her. She trusted the younger vampire more than any other of our guard. Not to the same extent of my mate, but I do trust Bella as well. Throughout the years of her service, Bella rebelled from us a bit, yet she never lied or threw aside any trust we granted her.
Yes, Bella may hate us to a degree, but she never hated us in secret while wearing the mask of a friend.
This rare type of honesty also played into my invitation to Carlisle and his coven…that reason as well as it would sweeten the pot for Bella to agree if her beloved vegetarian family went with us. This form of asking and manipulating her to do my will instead of outright ordering brought a combination of annoyance and amusement to me.
She honestly viewed herself equal to the leaders of the Volturi. Foolish child.
With some final words, invitations to Bella and the Olympic clan again to accompany us, and requesting everyone stay the night since there remained much to plan, Sulpicia ended her piece. I too thanked and dismissed them.
As they filed out, Morinehtar disappeared from his corner without getting up. Impressive yet not unexpected.
I stood and went over to my lady fair.
"My love," I quietly said to Sulpicia as I took her quaking hand into both mine, "Go to lye down. The hours have been very trying on you. This stress worries me."
Spotting her pale, soft knuckles with a kiss, my mate then nodded silently, seemingly relieved that the meeting ended. As she glided out, Anthenodora followed. Then I was left alone with my brethren.
"Aro," Marcus stood before me, the features on his face growing ever more darker, "For years, I've allowed my creation to be the tool of your work. Not this time, though. Bella will not go with you to Imladris. She and I will remain and watch over Volterra during Caius and yours absence."
My apologizes, I forgot to explain before why Bella's presence would entice Marcus to go. Ever since the needed elimination of my foolish belated sister, Didyme, her widower, Marcus, became more and more aggrieved as time passed. Because he managed to remain in the right mind and rarely spoke out against my ruling, I left Marcus to his grief and loneliness.
After he changed Bella, Marcus took noticeably more interest in her than anyone else. When she visited us, he watched her closely and tried to always be in her presence. Her refusing to stay in Volterra always put him in the foulest of moods; shades of behavior I hadn't seen in Marcus since right after Didyme's death. All these hints of abnormality came to climax when Marcus caught Felix pinning Bella to the wall, in attempt to show some "friendly aggression." It took Demetri, Chealsea, and myself to pry Marcus from killing one of our own.
After that incident, Marcus' concern for his creation shadowed into a sort of obsession. This also opened Bella's eyes to the truth. Before her departure, I was told of a new "rule" to follow in further requesting her services.
Marcus was to remain, at the least, twenty feet from her at all times, and, unless absolutely necessary, he was no longer to communicate with Bella directly.
Without voicing it aloud, I found no qualms with this "rule" and was happy to enforce it.
"Marcus," my voice kept its reason and calm, for I saw this getting out of hand very quickly, "As always, whatever Bella decides will be her choice regardless of either of our wishes. I simply invited her along out of respect of her many years of service to the Volturi as well as for the sake of my mate, who feels Bella's presence will benefit us."
"Do not lace your words with trickery at me!" Marcus demanded, his eyes pooling in darkness as they always did when his tempered flared, "You think that by inviting her beloved Cullen's with, then Bella's protective nature will call her to follow along. I see through your schemes, brother!"
"There is no trick in the truth that Bella is a competent fighter in case we find trouble awaiting us," Caius stood up, reasoning to Marcus.
This was unexpected since, out of the three of us, Caius dealt the least with Bella. Logically, he avoided her due to his preexisting wrath for werewolves. Not fond the flea bags myself, but for Bella's loyalty, I tolerated Jacob's presence with more ease than the other two.
Peering at his front and back, where we surrounded him, with displeasing eyes, Marcus then sneered, "How precious she must be to you both as to invoke this rally and praise. I wonder though, my brothers, if either of you would show Bella enough respect to allow her knowledge as to whom her former lover keeps company with these days."
My skin fell colder than its already icy composition. Had he held no more value, Marcus' words would promise a death sentence upon his head.
What he spoke of was Edward's new pet. A human girl he met a few months ago in British Columbia, where the Cullen's 'children' were now enrolled in secondary school. As history often repeated itself, so I've found, the eldest of Carlisle's creations seemed to be trying to rewrite his tragic history with Bella by putting a new human girl in as her understudy.
I knew little of the girl. From the photographs, she seemed pretty, for a human, young of course and of some sort of oriental descent. Her name was Alesha RuBrike, and Edward had yet to reveal his true nature to this poor creature. Of course, my last report on her was almost six months ago. Perhaps when we returned from this mess, I'd send out someone to gather me another one. Make sure Romeo hasn't let out the family secrets to his new Juliet.
This Alesha and her budding romance with Edward the foolish dreamer was information I pointedly kept from Bella within my means. My hand even went as so far as to negotiate with Carlisle to maintain my distance from Edward and his pet as long as none of the Olympic coven revealed the delicate situation to Bella.
Marcus, Caius, and I, up until now, agreed to keep this whole ordeal under wraps to both see how it played out and because of Bella's reaction. Although, unlike Marcus, I was quite sure she maintained no more romantic feelings for her once love, however Bella's acceptance of the news I was still less certain.
Ideally, she renounces all ties to the Olympic coven and joins the Volturi as a rightful and valued member. Realistically though, from our pasts shared, I see Bella choosing the rebel's road and abandoning both covens…or something to that effect.
Which is why Marcus threatening to tell Bella all that must be kept silent, on the eve of our departure to add, put me in a foul mood toward my brother.
"Hear me now, Marcus. The coven we all have labored to build as the power it is today may be upon the brink of danger. While I understand your position as Bella's sire, trust in that I will not take away any element that helps secure maintaining it," I rose to my feet and held my words as firm as a sharpened blade to his throat, "You are a coveted leader of the Volturi, brother, but creating trouble at such an inopportune as this may sway others to think you more a nuisance. I have no time for nuisances. My word remains as it has always been on this matter. Bella knows nothing about Edward's human and that will not change foranyone's sake…not even for you. What is your answer to this?"
He was silent. Like horsed jousters searching into each other's souls for weakness before the flag went up, neither of us wavered in our stares. Without looking, I knew Caius was waiting at Marcus' back. Holding off until a decision was acted upon to see if he would have to go for his brethren's blood if it came to blows.
Personally, I didn't wish to slay Marcus. He was a wise leader and still had many uses, but he wasn't irreplaceable and vital for the life of Volturi.
His blackened eyes cooled in their luster, and I knew my brother's decision. Before words took air, though, a quick knock came from the door followed by it opening before I gave permission.
Obvious lack of respect like that only came from one person in Volterra.
Bella swung open the doors, "Okay, here's the deal," and walked toward my desk with the presumptuous, determined stride she trademarked.
Sparing a quick glance to Marcus, I dared him to reveal our conversation and disobey me. Lowing his head a small notch and backing away from Bella to stand exactly twenty feet from her, I knew, for now, all was well.
"Yes, Bella dear?" her naive posture of stubbornness and strength, as if we were concurred foes granted a negotiation, lightened my mood a bit.
"I will go with you all to the Aadad place-"
"Arda."
Glaring at Marcus for correcting her, breaking a rule, she continued her speech to me, "Whatever…so I'll go with you guys to Arda and make sure everyone stays happy and safe. The Cullen's are in too. There will be some rules though, and they're non-negotiable. Rule number one, Jacob comes along."
Sitting back down to make myself comfortable, Bella tended to become long winded when she felt especially self-righteous, I watched Caius open his mouth to argue against this first point. He would end up loosing, of course. This and other 'compromises' on my part throughout the centuries gave Bella the illusion that she remained in power over her life. Her world away from us, with people she trusted who would never lie or hurt her again. This was the world I allowed her to keep as long as she proved useful to my reign.
Ever the foolish little girl, dear Bella.
AN: Another chapter to my wonderful readers! Please review. I'm so thankful for all your wonderful reviews. Especially glad you all like this new Bella. Please send more and I'll get the next one up soon.
