This one is pretty short, but the next one should be up fairly soon too. It'll be sort of an outtake in Aro's POV, backing up to cover this same scene from his perspective.
"I am Aro," the vampire who had taken my hand announced, returning to his seat. "And these are my brothers, Marcus... and Caius," he continued, gesturing toward his right and then his left. He stared at Caius intently for a moment before turning back toward me again with his strange eyes. He was practically glowing with curiosity now, but held himself immobile. He seemed to be waiting for a response. My mind seized for a moment, straining to recall the phrasing of the some of the courtlier manners I had used as a human. The feel of the stiff uniform seemed to help.
"I am honored to have been granted an audience."
"And we are happy to welcome you," Aro answered pleasantly, settling deeper into his robes.
"But what is the purpose of the audience?" Caius asked. "We were told you have some valuable information."
I opened my mouth to begin, but Aro clucked his tongue. "Now Caius, our guest has come a great distance to see us, and during a time when travel is so difficult... at the moment I am far more interested in the tale of that journey, itself, than the reason for it. You must tell us every detail, Jasper, beginning with your journey through the United States."
Caius scowled, though he also was curious. I haltingly began the tale back in Colorado, unsure if they would be interested in that portion. But Aro nodded in encouragement. He seemed studiously uninterested in why I had made that journey, but this was their show. I was unclear as to who was really in charge here, if anyone. Aro was certainly the mouthpiece of the trio, at least, and he seemed to want this first. So I focused on the journey itself, leaving out my reasons for that journey and the gift I had to offer.
I spoke through the night, answering Aro's questions as they arose. He was interested in everything: the organization of the crew on the aircraft carrier, the highway system in the U.S., how the war seemed to be affecting daily life in the European towns I had passed through. He was especially fascinated by my airplane ride. Caius had several questions, too, though his curiosity was mostly confined to the technology and operation of the military forces I had encountered. I now regretted not making a more thorough study of the ship and its systems, so that I would have had more to report. It made sense, in retrospect, that the Volturi would be concerned with that type of thing.
"And now," Aro said when the sun had risen and I had run out of interesting things to say, "the reason for your visit." He glanced over at Caius. "Perhaps a more intimate audience?"
"Leave us," Caius murmured, sitting forward in his chair. The Guards that had stood at attention all night disappeared without a sound. Only the small female, still hovering behind The Three, remained. I wondered what her purpose was- perhaps an anonymous fourth leader? Aro's mate, considering how her attention seemed bent on him? Unlikely, since I could detect no romantic feelings... though those weren't always present in more serious circumstances. Whoever she was, she had certainly paid better attention to my account than Marcus, who was supposedly the equal of Aro and Caius. He had not offered a single question, or even moved or reacted emotionally in any way so far. He seemed to be nothing more than a statue, sitting and collecting dust for uncounted years. I had attempted, throughout my speech, to divide my eye contact equally between him and his "brothers", but I wasn't sure it mattered in his case. He seemed a million miles away.
"The information," Caius prompted once we were alone.
"And where does your journey truly begin?" Aro asked with a knowing smile. "Judging by your... complexion, it would seem you have had other adventures before this one."
I drew a shallow breath, wondering how they would take it. "I was an officer in the Texas cavalry during the... American Civil War. I was taken and transformed in 1863 by a vampire named Maria. She is an... active participant in the hostilities in Central America."
"The famed Mexican Coven," Caius scoffed. Marcus finally moved a portion of an inch.
"Yes. At the time she also shared the leadership of the coven with two other females, Nettie and Lucy, but they're both dead now." Aro's lips twisted in a miniscule smile at this, but he offered no interruption. "I have spent the past seventy-eight years fighting in Maria's army... serving under her lies. Like all her creations, I was taught that the earth is covered in wars similar to hers. That I had no choice but to serve her, or another like her. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I learned the truth- that 'The Southern Wars' are confined to a limited area. That most of our kind live free."
I paused, taking a quick moment to assess how my confession was being received. They didn't seem to be as surprised or upset as I had anticipated. There was anger boiling in Caius, but it didn't seem to be directed at me. The worst danger was averted, then.
"And now you have come here," Aro prompted.
"Yes. I had heard some rumors about the Volturi during my years of fighting, but I was never sure if there was any truth to the stories. I'm still sorting out the facts from the rumors and the lies, but I know now that the Wars are illegal and that the Volturi military – your 'Guard'- has made efforts in the past to end the conflict." I took one small step forward, standing as tall as I could. "I came here immediately to offer everything I know. Names and personal history of several of the major players. Details and casualties of battles that have taken place since 1863, at least the ones I've been involved in. I can show you the patrol patterns of Maria's army and the adjacent ones, too, as well as the places she most frequently sets up camp. I have intimate knowledge of Maria's priorities and connections, as well as the habits and common battle tactics of at least three other coven leaders." When they didn't respond, I forged ahead. "I know every inch of the local wilderness, stretching from the southern half of Texas down through all of Mexico and most of Guatemala. I've also done some fighting out in the Gulf itself. I can help your commanding officers plan the next operation. In my experience, attacking from the water is-"
"Let me get this straight," Caius interrupted. "You came crawling halfway around the globe to ask us to drop everything and mobilize the Guard to kill your creator for you?"
I blinked, taken aback. "This isn't about personal revenge. I came to offer information and my help so that your Guard can finally achieve an objective they've been working towards. So that the Southern Wars can finally be ended."
"And what help do you think you can offer us?" Caius challenged. "If it took you eighty years to realize that freedom had been a stone's throw away the entire time, then you're not particularly bright, are you? And what makes you so confident of our pardon in the first place? Ignorance is no excuse for nearly a century of breaking the Law!"
I stepped back, shaken, looking to Aro for help. Even if Caius was the final authority when it came to matters of trial, as I suspected he was, Aro did seem to balance him. Was I in danger after all, or was this a test? Aro was perfectly calm, motioning with his hand for me to defend myself. I turned and faced Caius' wrath again, swallowing my fear with an impassive expression. I was used to navigating Maria's spitting rages; this was something else entirely. I reached out with the lightest of touches, calming him down slowly.
"I do not deny that I participated in an illegal war," I said steadily. "But I never committed any illegal acts of my own. My presence was Maria's doing, and I conducted myself with all the honor left to me. I was instructed in the Law- at least as far as preventing human knowledge of our world- and I followed it to the letter. It was often my job to obtain humans for the newborns to feed on, and I never once left evidence behind that would have led their peers to discover us. I was careful to distribute my raids across wide geographical areas, and whenever possible, I took fugitives or other isolated humans. I conducted every mission with discretion, and held myself responsible for the adherence of those in my command to the Law as I understood it. And the minute I learned the truth about my position, I left without a backward glance. I could have taken that new freedom for my own, but I chose to come here instead. I knew it was a risk- that I might be held accountable for the role Maria had forced on me- but I hoped my intentions would be considered."
"And of course they will be considered," Aro said generously, finally coming to my rescue. "As will the timely information you have so thoughtfully brought us. But for now, let us address your other request."
"What request?" Caius asked. It had taken a surprisingly small effort to extinguish his anger; that was reassuring.
"I'm interested in enlisting," I answered quickly, willing the confidence back into my voice. "I know I have a lot to learn about our world, but I can't think of a better way to learn it than to serve our civilization as a member of the Volturi Guard."
"I see," Aro said neutrally. "And what are your qualifications?"
I drew a deep breath. "I've never lost a fight in seventy-eight years- on or off the field of battle. I was also a commander for nearly all of those years, second only to my creator. I've led soldiers into battle nearly a hundred times, under various circumstances, as well as countless smaller missions. I've managed newborns, planned and executed all sorts of training and discipline, and helped develop my army into the most proficient force the Wars have ever seen."
Caius snorted. "What makes you think you would be in command of anything here, should we grant your request?"
"I am content to serve in any capacity assigned to me."
"Your enthusiasm is most admirable," Aro said, choosing his words with care. "But you are so new to this world, in a way; do you not think it premature to commit yourself to this new purpose so quickly? The Confederate States of America, Maria of Mexico... forgive me, young Jasper, but you seem to have a bad habit of giving your loyalty to the wrong people."
"Not this time," I said firmly. "If I tend to give my loyalty a little too fully, it's because I'm a man who requires a purpose. Now that I've learned the truth about our world and have the chance to do something useful in it, I've found that purpose. I've come halfway around the world to fulfill it."
My answer pleased him greatly; Caius was unmoved. His disdain for me was obvious. I looked him in the eye, while trying to appear deferent at the same time. I remembered hating these kinds of games in my human life as well: buttering up the politicians and the pot-bellied generals who had long since forgotten what it was like to be a soldier, but who were convinced they knew everything about it. If I could get through this charade of an interview, I would hopefully never have to be in this room again; I'd be spending my time with the people who actually got things done. I returned Caius' stare, filling him with as rich a peace as I could conjure. "I am willing to prove myself in whatever ways are necessary. I don't know your chain of command or your customs... would a trial period of some kind be possible?"
"At least we are agreed on the matter of your ignorance," Caius bit off. "And as to our customs, perhaps it would have behooved you to discover before embarrassing yourself that positions on the Volturi Guard are not requested. They are bestowed."
I was saved from making a particularly undeferential response by Aro's laughter. "Do you see now, brother, why I guessed your attendance would be worthwhile?"
"Certainly," Caius grumbled, sharing a glance with Marcus, who finally raised his eyebrows a full inch in genuine amusement. And while Caius wasn't quite settling into the calm I had intended, he was obviously enjoying himself. If I was reading him right, he was practically grinning under all that vitriol. Maybe this was as calm as he got.
"Well, my brothers and I will need to council together to determine your fate," Aro pronounced, feigning an aristocratic disinterest. If anything, his focus on me was intensifying. "Before you leave us, are there any other... talents or skills to strengthen your application?"
I nodded, ready to play my trump card. "I am an empath."
But Caius' relative good humor vanished instantly. He turned his head slowly to stare at Aro in consternation. Marcus' change of heart was even more worrying; he was growing suspicious. "My gift would, of course, be at your disposal," I hastened to say.
"Offensive or defensive?" Marcus asked, his youthful voice filling the room with its music. He really wasn't any older than me. But he was also ancient; I could almost imagine his brittle stone visage cracking as he spoke once per century, little birds fleeing their nests in his dusty hair.
"What my dear brother means," Aro offered, "is to ask whether you sense emotions or influence them. Or perhaps both?"
"Both."
"Ah, how interesting!" he exclaimed, though he did not seem at all impressed by this. I was disappointed; I had hoped that revealing my gift here at the end would leave a stronger final impression. "Well, you had better give us a demonstration, young Jasper; a test, as you might say. Can you do... oh, let me see... fear?"
I stepped forward, unsure how hard I should hit them. Aro seemed to sense my hesitation. "Now come, don't be shy!" he urged. "Give it all you can. This may be your only chance to impress Caius, after all!" He chuckled to himself, seemingly delighted at his joke. He held his breath; even Marcus leaned forward slightly.
I nodded in agreement, closing my eyes. The closest thing in the room to fear was Marcus' suspicion and my own uncertainty; I took the negativity inside myself and darkened the tone as I spun it back outward, opening my eyes to focus again on my targets. I gritted my teeth in silent effort, stoking the fire of their fear until it came back around to my own heart. It grew more quickly after that. I inhaled their growing dread and breathed it out tenfold, straining until they began to squirm inside their robes. The female standing behind Aro's throne- I had completely forgotten about her- literally shrank, hiding herself behind it. Then I turned fully on Caius, fueling my effort with his own anger, and with my own. If this was my only chance and I had already lost it because of these petty games, he would at least know what he was missing. He finally gasped, flinching and looking away momentarily. Good. I stabbed him through the heart once more with everything I had, and then turned my attention back to Aro and Marcus for another five seconds before draining the fear away. I pulled it down as quickly as I could. It felt surprisingly good to stretch my gift like this; except for those initial bursts every time I started a battle, I was usually far more subtle than this. It felt like a rarely-used muscle was finally getting a workout, however briefly.
"Remarkable," Aro breathed, once he was able to speak again. But his fascination wasn't aimed at me; he seemed to be savoring the fear itself, trying to hold onto it... though that of course made it disappear all the quicker. Marcus, oddly, seemed to feel better about me after the demonstration. Aro finally stared at me again, burning with curiosity. "Most remarkable."
"Yes... well," Caius stammered, his eyes wide. He laid his hand on the arm of Aro's throne, and Aro brushed his fingers against it briefly... odd. Maybe they were the mated pair, then... though that still didn't explain Marcus or the girl. "A nice trick," Caius went on, gaining disdainful control over his voice once again. "I suppose it could have its uses."
"It's come in handy once or twice," I said, finally daring half a smile. There; this was exactly the tone I wanted to end things on. What was the protocol here, though? Should I wait to be dismissed?
Aro rose from his throne. "Thank you for a most informative meeting, young Jasper. My brothers and I must council in private now. Felix?"
The enormous vampire from before materialized behind me. If it wasn't for his scent and his curiosity, I wouldn't have even known he was there. He was also feeling an eager hostility toward me, which I decided was better not to reward with a reaction. Aro glanced between us, looking happier than ever. "Felix, would you and Gustav be so kind as to keep our guest company out in the third hall for a while... we'll call for you before too long, I think. Renata, you may join them."
The timid girl finally emerged from her hiding place, quite unwilling to walk past her kings, or emperors, or whatever they were. So long as they weren't the military commanders, I couldn't care less. I nodded in uneasy gratitude as Aro fully descended the dais this time, grasping my hand in farewell. The last sound I heard as I was led out of the chamber was his ringing laughter.
