"Your majesty how was your trip? I trust it went well." Gianni was picking up the queen's coat and hat from the floor while shuffling frantically after her.
"I think it went rather well, thank you Gianni for asking. How was everything while I was gone, there were no problems right my dear?"
"No your majesty, no problems at all everything is in order."
"Good than get the guard, let them know I am home." The queen entered her throne room and sat upon her throne. She didn't have to wait long for the guard to file into the throne room, gather in a circle and bow down until she signaled that it was alright for them to rise.
"Rise, now my fellow guards it has come to my attention that there is a new threat coming and it will try to destroy us. So with that being said no vampire is to cross our gates and doors unless it is authorized by me. If you let any vampire in without my consent you will be destroyed, I don't care how loyal you are. For a vampire to enter my palace they must be identified and why they are entering. You must also tell me before they enter, I don't want any problems to happen within my walls. Security will be buckled and tightened, don't make me destroy you because I will if you can't follow protocol. You dismissed." At that the dozens of vampires exited the throne room leaving only the queen and Gianni in the room.
"Gianni, why are you still in here?"
"I, I was just wondering if there was anything you needed me to get."
"You know what Gianni I am pretty thirsty, tell one of the guards to get me a human, a fresh one that is still twitching I'm in the mood to play with my food. When you tell them come to the sun room I will be in there.
"Yes you majesty." Gianni retreated out of the throne room, leaving the queen alone. The queen stood and slowly made it to her sun room. The sun room was a circular room at the tip of her palace. It had a dome ceiling that shimmered like gold. The walls of the room were lined with windows that were slightly tinted. There was a balcony that you could go out onto to look over the main square of Volterra. From the outside the windows were nothing more than mirrors that reflected the market. In the center of the room was a fountain of what seemed to be blood. There were lounge chairs scattered around the room randomly, tables of books and bottles of perfumes. There were candles with dripping wax on the floor and any surface possible. Near a huge king sized bed cover in gossamer was a chest filled with beautiful jewels. The bedspread was a golden silk pulled so tight it looks as if it was never slept in.
Walking into adjoined double doors she quickly undress and pulled on a long silky cream colored full length dress that hit every curve perfectly. The neckline was a sweetheart style trimmed with sheer lace. Over the strapless dress she wore a silky robe to match. On her feet she slipped on shimmering slippers and walked to a vanity. She sat down and changed into what looked exactly like her when she was human. Though you could tell she wasn't human for there was no blood in her cheeks. She let her hair fall down her back in loose curls like when she was human. When there was a knock on the door she got p and slowly retreated back into the main room and simply said come in.
"Your majesty we brought the human you wanted." The two guards that entered held a young female human between them. The human girl looked frightened as would any sensible human.
"Thank you gentlemen that will be all, you may go."
"Would you like us to drain her for you, safe you from ruining that pretty dress?"
"I am well capable of killing a human without wearing it unlike some slobs, now go." Her voice rang throughout the room. The two guards dropped the human at their feet and quickly left the room after bowing. The queen walked slowly towards the human and knelt down beside her. She reached out and gently grabbed the girl's face within her hand and cradled it softly.
"There, there darling you don't have to be afraid of me, I won't hurt you."
"You're not going to kill me?" There were tears running down the girl's face, Isabella reached out and wiped them away as they fell.
"No my darling I am not going to kill you."
"Then why have you brought me here?"
"Because my sweet I need your help in defeating a very powerful enemy."
"Why me, please I just want to go home."
"And you will once you help me. I can see it in your eyes that you have not had an easy life my dear. I can make all of your problems go away."
"How?"
"Let's call it magic, watch." The queen ran her hand over some flowers in a vase and watched as the flowers died instantly, curling up, and the petals falling off the stem. Though as the queen ran her hand over the opposite way the flower came back to life and bloomed even more so than the way it was before.
"How did you do that?"
"Like I said magic. I can see right into your soul that you have suffered greatly, you have lost family, friends. If you help me I can make it so you see them again."
"Really?"
"Really, really my dear, I never lie."
"What do I have to do?" A devious smile spread across the queen's face.
"Nothing to extravagant, just sit there and look pretty. Gianni!"
"Who's Gianni?"
"A little helper of mine, she is going to help you get dressed and cleaned up." Gianni entered the room and walked towards the queen and gave a low curtsey.
"You call your majesty?"
"Gianni this is a guest of mine, you will treat her as you treat me. Help her get changed into clothes better than the filth she wears, clean her up and make sure she doesn't want for anything. Treat her as you would a royal, do you understand?"
"Yes your majesty. Come along. . . ?"
"My dear forgive me but what is your name?"
"Verna"
"Well then come along Verna lets go get you cleaned up." As the two human girls exited the room another guard came rushing into the room frantic.
"My dear Felix what has you so shaken up?"
"The Cullens your highness, they are here and wish to enter the palace."
"How long have they been here?"
"10-15 minutes, we weren't sure if you were busy so we haven't told you so as to not disturb you." Felix was suddenly thrown back into the wall, sure to leave an impression. The queen advanced on him and grabbed his throat; she then lifted him off of the ground.
"You know when I killed the other Volturi guards and spared you I thought I could count on you. I thought you understood by seeing your fellow clan members being destroyed. I told you to tell me right away if someone came to the palace ad you wait 10-15 minutes, and to top it off you can't even tell time. Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you."
"Because I have remained loyal to you after all these years, you need that loyalty."
"You're right; go tell the guards to bring them into the throne room. Let the Cullens know that I will be with them momentarily."
"Yes your majesty."
Cullen family
