Chapter 7
Jane's Talk with Renesmee
Renesmee's POV
I was so relieved to finally be here with Gino, and not to mention his new cousins; they were just so adorable – especially little Didyme. We bonded so well together; it was nice being around my own kind for once, though it was not in the most homiest place in the world. But the palace truly was beautiful – the marble halls glowed with such elegance and detail, it was like stepping back in time – as I explored on my own for a while that morning.
Over the course of the day nothing much happened, though I was too afraid to ask for anything; I couldn't understand how Ambrogio could do anything freely here but then again he was able to go outside during the day hours. But the most frightening thing was a talk I had with Ambrogio's older sister.
I stumbled upon Jane, as I was looking around the entrance hall; eyeing me, scowling at me but still swiftly approached me.
"Renesmee, come with me." She ordered.
Unable to think of a reason not to go, I just went in silence; Jane being physically fourteen, and I seventeen, you'd think that I would even feel slightly above her but I was far from it – in the world of vampires, your physicality was but a mask – Jane was superior to me in every way. Maturity, power, her gift was far more intense than mine, and as a vampire, she was undoubtedly faster and stronger than I could ever hope to be; and, in my eyes, she was even more beautiful than I was.
I followed Jane down into the dungeons of the palace; I wanted to run so badly but there was no point, for she could easily over-power me, and then we stopped in a large room – it almost looked like a jail, with cages on either side... or a torture chamber.
"What are we doing here?" I asked quietly.
"No reason," she began quietly, seeing a small grin on her lips I could tell she was enjoying frightening me. "You and I are just going to have a little private talk... in concerning my little brother's sanity."
Ambrogio was out with the hunting party, so I knew he couldn't hear me mentally screaming for him to rescue me. I simply looked at her, half expecting her to use her powers against me but perhaps she was just going to scare me with her words, or maybe perhaps she knew that Ambrogio would find out sooner or later if she were to harm me.
But Jane simply stared at me, "You might think this is all very amusing; personally, I normally take pleasure in torturing someone – so I admit that I am impressed that a Cullen has developed such a trait – but I have had enough of your little game."
"Jane, I swear I have done nothing wrong."
"Oh really! You don't think I don't know exactly what you're doing?" her voice then became disturbingly calm, "If you haven't committed such an act, then why are you here? It is bad enough that you torment my younger brother with your very existence; but you did not need to come here and smother it in his face."
"Believe me, Jane, it is almost physically impossible for me to even think about someone hurting Ambrogio; and I know that I have been hurting him, and it's killing me... it kills me... especially when it's me who is hurting him. But he has been hurting me too."
"YOU'RE LYING!" It was honest to say that Jane was not buying it. "Ambrogio showed me what happened; is he the one that asked you to leave your family so you could be together? Was it you that almost risked your life in order to try and keep him safe? I saw what that blonde vampire and pet dog nearly did to him; my brother did it to try and get it through that thick skull of yours that he only wants to keep you safe."
It was true; Ambrogio had been the only person who had even broken through the last line in my defence – Rosalie and Jacob – to harm me just to keep me where he knew I would be more than safe. Ambrogio genuinely had risked his life for me. But my trail of thought was quickly broken as Jane approached me; I was nearly about to burst into tears and I was ready to beg for my life – that was until I was frozen with fear when Jane stopped right in front of me.
Glaring up at me through her long curled lashes, "Don't you dare think for one second that just because you are a hybrid that makes you unique?" she hissed, "Or just because you are the only hybrid that has a biological mother? Ambrogio is a thousand times more special and precious then you ever will be..."
I nodded whimperingly, "I know."
"I love him, though not as his father before him; and if you think that by his confession will change everything well it won't!" I truly thought I was going to die when she took another step closer towards me, "You are spoilt and selfish; and if you have any respect for Ambrogio, or if you really love him, then you will be gone by morning."
And with that Jane hovered around me before storming off.
I was still frozen for at least a few more moments; perhaps she was right, maybe I was being selfish – selfish for just wanting to hear the words come out of his mouth. I walked back to Ambrogio's bedroom, feeling the tears swell in my eyes as I leaned back against the door; I tried my best not to cry for both Didyme and Orithyia were sleeping. As I sat down upon the bed, I began looking through the photo albums of Ambrogio's life as I was watching over Didyme and Orithyia sleep, but then silently the door swung open; with his eyes blazing a bright red, Aro stood as silent as the stone walls.
He stepped into the glowing beams of dust and light. Sparkling ever so slightly as the light faintly touched him; I backed away a little because deep down he just frightened me so much, other than the fact on our first meeting he sought to kill me but he was so scary in his peace and contentment.
"Good afternoon, my dear." He spoke, glided towards me with unbelievable grace that would put Alice to shame.
"Hello, Aro." I was a little intimidated to fully meet his gaze.
But smiling he offered me his arm, I hesitated at first but after a second longer I took it and we walked down the halls together.
"So how are you liking our happy home?" he asked sweetly.
"Well I wouldn't say 'happy' after what I had just encountered." My breathing was still affected by my fright.
Aro saw the faint tears in my eyes, and then I jolted slightly as I felt the back of his cold fingers brush down my face as he pushed a lock of my hair behind my left ear; Aro then crooned.
"Aww, my dear Renesmee; I am so sorry. Sweet Jane has become most protective of Ambrogio, but then again we all have; do forgive me if she has frightened you so." Aro pushed his frozen lips against my temple, "My Jane does mean well; but you should know that my son is so happy to have you here."
I looked at him. "Really? Because every time he... I know he just doesn't want me here."
Aro sighed. "That's true. He believes that life for you here is too dangerous, but just because he does not desire you here, that does not mean that doesn't desire you." We stopped, and he looked at me, grinning. "He loves you, my dear. Far greater than any words I could possibly say."
It was such a relief to know that he did love me. "Thank you, Aro. I really needed to know that but, still, I won't leave until he tells me personally."
Overwhelmingly his cold hands came to my cheeks, and his forehead rested on mine. "He will..." he breathed, "That I can assure you, my sweetling; he will."
Moments later and we heard the upper doors open, the hunting party had returned; as soon as I saw Ambrogio walk into the hall way, I could not resist but I just simply ran up to him and embraced him tightly. Forcefully burying my face into his chest and deeply sighed with relief when his arms wrapped around me tightly.
"I missed you too, Nesmee." He whispered.
Ambrogio's POV
I felt overwhelmingly warmed by the greeting comity, having just returned home from three hours of hunting; like fitting into the missing part of a jigsaw puzzle, Renesmee moulded perfectly with my body shape as I wrapped my arms around her tightly. I felt desperation in the embraced, but as I searched back I saw why; I saw Jane talking to Renesmee in the dungeons, scaring her but mercifully was not torturing her.
As Jane walked passed me to greet her twin brother, I darkly scowled at her. "Frighten her like that again, and I will torture you myself."
And, for Renesmee's sake, I promised to stay by her side until her family came for her.
