AN: I do NOT own Twilight or any of its characters; no copyright intended. Twilight and its characters belongs to Stephenie Meyer, my characters belong to me. P.S. The whole speech behind Pliny the Younger's Panegyric story is not mine; no copyright intended!
I walked deeper into the elegant marble building and noticed an elevator and a large reception area with beautiful woman with long caramel hair tied in a bun, light brown eyes, and light bronze skin at a large desk. She looked like a model in tight secretary clothes.
"Um, ciao?" I say hesitantly. She turns to me immediately in shock, obviously I am definitely NOT supposed to be here. She glances behind me and around the room.
"What are you doing here alone? Where is Heidi?" Who is Heidi? Not sure, but thank the heavens that she speaks English. It was in a thick accent but English nonetheless.
"I am trying to see the owner of this necklace." I raise the necklace up from my bag and she gasps. She hold up on perfectly manicured finger and grabs her phone. She speaks rapidly in Italian and about an agonizingly long minute late I hear a sharp ding echo the room.
We both freeze. I could feel shivers run down my spine.
"Oh! Demetri! We have a lost lamb it appears." She smirks and gazes at me with a quick glance. This person, Demetri, pulls his hood down and walks into the room and frowns at us. He was pale and beautiful, dim red eyes, and his spiking mess of brown hair perfectly suitable for him. He looked about my age.
"Silenzio, Gianna. And... Who are you, mia bella?" Hs voice was very seducing but I didn't feel any real pull towards it. He was handsome just not to me in the sexual sense as most of the people I have seen around. I nod.
"I am trying to return something that was lost to one of your people." I held up the sparkling necklace between my fingers.
His eyes widened a fraction and he glanced between me and the necklace.
"I would really like to tal-" he interrupted me by gently swiping his arm towards the elevator and smiling.
"Follow me, please. Get back to work, bestiame." Demetri commands boredly at the secretary as he edged me towards the elevator. Gianna loses her smirk and frightfully sits back at her desk.
I swallowed nervously and followed behind him. The tension in the elevator was a little thick and he towered over me by a good four to five inches. I inhale to calm my heart rate.
The elevator moved up quickly till the telltale ding rang out. I followed behind Demetri quietly. Our footsteps echoed along the marble floors, I couldn't help but admire the statues and paintings lining along the walls and floors.
They were very old, a few centuries if not more by the style of creation. I wish I could study some of them. If my mom and dad had been alive today, they would have had a field day.
Demetri cleared his throat and I snapped back into attention. Two large doors stood in front of us. I felt my chest tighten and pull me towards it. The pull I had been feeling was stronger than ever.
I tightened my hold on the necklace and Demetri pushes the doors open. A delicate glow of the room's honey colored lights contrasted a lot differently than to the outside world's sun light.
Three men sat in three different ebony and golden intricately carved chairs, almost like that of thrones. The room was large. My heart was hurting by how hard it was beating in my chest. The men were so beautiful, all held filmed over red eyes and sat in a regal stance. The brunette man to the far left looked absolutely bored and dreary of the world around him, the middle raven haired man was smiling widely and in curiosity, and the white haired man was scowling like he hated everything and everyone.
My heart stopped for a second. I swear I knew these men...? I tilted my head to the side in confusion till I straightened into a stiff pole like position.
I knew these men alright, they were the men in my dreams; the ones who haunted me day in and day out for nearly half a decade. I tighten my fist around my bag strap.
'I made a mistake…Alice, I think you were right.'
The second I entered the room, all three of the men sitting in the throne like seats looked up.
"Masters, this woman has requested to see you." The raven haired man stood with a large growing grin.
"Did she now? Ciao, mia bella! How can I help you?" The man made my heart flutter in both fear and excitement. His voice was exactly how I heard it in my dreams but so much better. It was almost alarmingly happy.
I felt warm being in here with them but a little afraid of what these people could really do.
"I came to return something that one of your…" I glanced around to the three male guards in the room and still saw no woman. "…female guards dropped this. I tried to call her back but I don't think she heard me. So I came to you myself." I take out the necklace. The pale man with the black hair, I'll call him the raven king until I know his name, glanced at my fingers and held out his hands.
"How kind of you to return her necklace, mia bella. Sweet Jane has been looking for it desperately. Come," he ushered me up to the stairs. I slowly approached him and delicately dropped the necklace into his palm. Then backed away a few good meters.
He frowned a little in what seemed to be disappoint as I made no effort to touch him. Trust me, I really wanted to. I really did. But I also wanted to run, far away from these men and their many guards.
I took note of the beautiful room we were in and smiled at them. I looked up at the colossus deep emerald and ice white marbled room and noticed a carved banner along the entrance way above the large rich mahogany doors. It was very peculiar in deed as it was transcribed in Latin.
I tilted my head a little and recognized the saying immediately.
Nemo Est Supra Leges
"Nemo est Supra Leges… No one is above the law. A very compelling Latin maxim I would say. You know there is an interesting passage in Pliny the Younger's Panegyric for the Emperor Trajan, which praises Trajan precisely because he did not place himself above the law, at least not according to Pliny's glowing assessment. Pliny was delighted that Trajan did the same thing as a prince that he did when a private citizen; the same thing as emperor, as when he was the emperor's subject. There was clearly a difference between princes and private citizens and laws are written for private citizens, not for princes - yet according to Pliny, Trajan willingly subjected himself to those laws… oh, pardon me. I was rambling." I stopped when I noticed the immediate silence afterwards. The black cloaked guards around the room looked confused, impatient and...intense really. The men in the chairs were silent. Very silent.
I felt my cheeks run hot as blood filled my face in embarrassment. I turned back to look at the men with a small twits on the balls of my feet as I realized I was talking out loud but not giving them my respectful eye contact.
'I have got to stop talking without a filter.'
I held my breath and was surprised that the tallest looking man with the long deep mahogany colored hair held his head up higher than when I had first walked in, his eyes held a glimmer of interest. The raven haired man chuckled and folded his fingers together as he sat down.
"That is a very interesting logic, my dear. You are correct. Tell me what your profession is. A well thought out response like that must mean you are a teacher of some kind?" He asked yet it felt like he was almost mocking me. His voice was like warm honey caressing down my body but his underlining tone was that of mischief. He held a wide smile of excitement and his eyes shined like rubies in the sunlight.
I subconsciously gripped and pulled tightly onto my bag's shoulder strap, for some sort of comfort.
"I am actually an...anthropologist. History, culture, and government are crucial in every society that I have learned about." I timidly watched with guarded eyes as the blonde man's scowl lessened considerably and held more of a loosely neutral expression, almost like he wasn't understanding something. I decided to continue talking, hoping he would understand my knowledge.
"This place is very beautiful. The architecture of this room must be based on that of the Greeks' templum in the Archaic period, no doubt inspired by some of the first known built acropolises predating back to the 5th century B.C.E. of Greece." The two dark haired men smiled at my response, even if it was only a little for the brunette. The guards present looked alarmingly confused but kept up their stoic stance as I walked a little farther away from the three men.
Almost in a silent motion, I heard the tall brunette man who sat on his throne at the far left side of the room sit completely straight up. He kept staring at me like he was seeing something unworldly, and by the ever growing but still small grin forming on his perfect lips, it was the good kind. He held a gentle smile that looked like it hadn't made itself known to his face in a long time. I looked away in embarrassment but felt a smile come over my lips in return. The raven haired man smiled wider and noticed his companions' reaction.
"Very impressive. Tell me, bella, why have you, an anthropologist as you have stated, come to our humble home of Volterra? Surely returning my dear Jane's necklace was not your only reason to venture here?" I frowned, cringing a little at his words. I hated the way he called me "bella". It reminded me of the way Harford mockingly called me "dear girl" during all hours.
'Not entirely. I have been feeling a connection…a pull to come here to you three. Also! I've been dreaming of you for nearly five years!' Yeah, I am definitely NOT going to say that, I would look absolutely insane. I am a woman of logic and reason, dammit.
"No, I suppose it wasn't. I came here with an elderly gentleman named William Harford, my colleague, and another man named Enrico Bartollini. They were in one of your tourist group tours that attended here a few days ago and have been missing since then. I was wondering if you have seen him. Did he possibly leave somewhere after the tour?" A grin slowly over took the platinum blonde's face, not a nice one either… it was so cold and malicious... predatory in nature. I immediately knew they did something to them.
"Can't say I have, my dear. Is there any particularly specific reason behind your adventure to our beautiful city?" I cringe and bite the corner of my lip. Breathe.
I exhale and look the raven haired man in the eye. I felt courage course through me and it may as well have killed me right where I stood. I narrow my eyes at him and straighten my back.
"In fact, yes, there was. I came here and accompanied Dr. Harford as there were remains found near your "humble home" that had been discovered by Dr. Bartollini. I have personally examined them and have found the cause to be that of foul play. And it so happens that they suddenly disappeared afterwards… it seems suspicious to be honest." What I didn't tell them was that they were a little over five hundred years old, so it really was no foul on them…no one lives for that long. That was probably my biggest mistake.
'Why the hell would you say that!? That was NOT apart of the plan, you fool!'
I felt all my blood rushing, and it wasn't exactly in embarrassment. The courage fled me the second my lips stopped talking. Goodbye life.
'I think I may have really messed up. Yes, definitely said too much.'
All three men looked surprised, the blonde's expression morphed into absolute fury at my news, luckily he wasn't exactly directing his anger at me directly, more so at the ebony uniformed guards as he glared heated around the room. The brunette giant was still quiet and mostly expressionless but he now seemed troubled by my news. He subtly studied me then his companions, then glanced back at me.
None of them spoke for a few seconds. There was an uncomfortable silence that blanketed the room. The raven haired man no longer had a smile on his face but a simple tight lipped line and his scarlet eyes were unreadable. His brows were relaxed and he leaned back in his throne in thought. Eyes gazing at me with no hint of leaving his sight anytime soon.
"What to do now…" I heard the raven haired man say with an intrigued spark in his voice, he tilted his head at me and I just knew I needed to leave. Now.
The silent tension and confusion began to rise in me. Alice was right, I really shouldn't have tempted fate and came here. Just as I took a breath and open my mouth to apologize for my words, I could hear loud voices of chatter and footfalls coming close and decided against it.
The large doors swung open and the familiar brunette goddess of a woman walked through with an almost maliciously seductive smirk on her blood colored lip. She must be this "Heidi" that Gianna asked me about. She was the only one that had I had seen direct another group of tourists that Dr. Harford had been accompanying in a couple of day before. She elegantly strutted inside dressed in a short, skin tight azure colored silk dress, her stiletto heels clicking with her every step, and she hips swayed seductively. She looked like gold compared to my own state of dress. She seemed surprised as she saw me standing there in front of her, but it morphed into a hungry smile.
Tourists began to come through and I sighed in relief.
I glanced back at the three men and noticed they were staring at me intensely, my heart going a mile a minute. Ignoring the people flooding the room, I decided to book it. I slightly bowed my head to them in respect. Then, I slowly turned and walked past many travelers and out into the hallway. As the many tourists just about finished entering the room with a large man entering behind them in a black uniform, I couldn't help but get a shiver of fear run down my spine…like something bad was going to happen in few seconds if I didn't leave. The uniformed man was BIG, like pure muscle to match his 6'7'' height; he noticed me trying to escape and he looked like he was going to grab me till, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the brunette man...king? raise his hand at the guard, stopping him. He seemed to nod and act like he didn't care as I finally managed to slip past him last minute in the opposite direction.
I heard the raven haired man speak in a sweet, alluring voice as I walked(ran) away. "Ah! Heidi, my dear. I see you have brought guests~" It brought shivers down my spine.
"Aro, what are you doing?" I heard another seductively deep voice from the blonde man growl at the raven haired man, Aro, in a furious fashion but no answer was provided as I made it to the elevator.
I shook my head. It was foolish to come here. There were no more of those uniformed guards in the halls like when I first arrived, where were they? I quickly jogged into the elevator and pressed the cold silver button. The bright red G on the button lit up.
In that second, I felt the need to look up. When I did, I nearly became as stiff as a marble statue. I caught sight of Aro staring at me with a piercing gaze just before the "throne room" doors closed; they banged shut and I heard something… something muffled. Right. Behind. Those. Doors.
Screams. Screams of pain and horror.
I unfroze as the elevator doors finally closed on me. I felt myself shake a little and backed up into the elevator wall. My hand covered my mouth in shock. Maybe it was a good thing I didn't wait any longer for the tour group.
I hoped it was not what I think it was; maybe just my imagination. But if not, I knew what happened to Harford and his colleague. They were no doubt dead. Death was never a concept that scared me or disgusted me, but the moments before and how/who was causing it made the experience immensely terrifying.
I knew what a scream sounded like. Muffled or not. There was no trick of the ear to what I witnessed.
'I have to get out of here! Run! Now!'
I full on panicked internally and sighed in relieve as the doors opened up. I saw the Italian beauty of a secretary raise a brow at me, confused to say the least.
She opened her reddened lips but I walked past her in a hurry before she could say anything. I didn't want to stay here any longer.
Yet… the further and further I walked away from the ancient and beautiful castle, the more a small pressure began to build in my chest. It was like my heart and body didn't want to me to leave that place, they wished for me to go back to those terrifyingly beautiful men.
'Hell no. Dream men or not. Not worth dying for. I'll just call the police when I leave this damn city!'
So I tried to ignore it as best as I could.
RING RING
RING RING
I raise my brow and pick up my phone. Who could be calling at a time like this? "Hello!? Alice, this is most definitely not the time for chit-chat!" I pant as I turn towards the medical center.
"Avalon, tell me you didn't go into the castle!" I grimace. How the hell did she know about that?
"I would be lying if I said I didn't. I got to go. I think they may be after me now. I could probably lose them in the city." I hear her growl lowly in frustration.
"You won't be able to lose them. They always find their targets." I quickly enter the empty building, making my way up the stairs as fast as possible.
"Wish you had told me that before hand."
The whole building was dark except for the emergency lights of the building, street lights, and moon. I turned on the small over head lamp and gritted out into the phone.
God I'm about to sound ridiculous.
"Alice, tell me now! Are you, the Cullens, and the Volturi…god, I'm about to sound so stupid…are you guys vampires? I mean it Alice, tell me the truth for once! I know the truth no matter what you say!" I nearly scream into the phone. I was scared.
"How did you-alright, yes!" I froze as she sounded defeated on the other end.
"We are. I knew you would figure it out, just not this soon." I rubbed my temples, feeling a head ache coming on.
"So they are going to come after me? And… they killed this little girl who lays on the table, didn't they?" Silence.
"Yes…most likely. Who am I kidding? There is no doubt they will. Listen, I'm coming to get you. Stay where you are and keep hidden." Click.
The dial one beeped and clicked the phone off. Sweat beaded up and fell from my brow in exhaustion. I pull on my glasses and stuff my journal in my bag quickly.
AN: DUN! DUN! DU- *coughs violently* Hope you all liked it! We finally met the Volturi kings! Thanks for all the comments and love so far everyone, it means a lot! Please comment away! I tend to write more chapters when people comment! I love people's ideas and views! Tata! .3.
