Hi Guys!
I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to update, but this chapter is longer than all of my others so I hope that makes up for it. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I'm so glad you liked the last chapter and the fact that Milena stood up for herself, it was my favourite to write so far. Anyway I hope you like this one just as much!
Liv xx
Milena's Point of View –
I'd stayed in my room for the rest of the day. I was so confused, flicking from angry to upset every five minutes, the anger I understood but I couldn't for the life of me understand why my eyes kept filling with tears. It wasn't because of what Caius said, I'd heard worse, a lot worse and I knew it wasn't personal to me. He just doesn't like the fact that I'm human. Why I didn't know, seen as he must have been human himself at some point. It was Aro. Aro had upset me, but how? Why? I mean of course he would side with his brother of what, 3000 odd years. Why did that feel like a betrayal? I'd known the man for 4 days, I didn't know him, and he certainly didn't know me, so what the hell was going on? The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I got, so eventually I just gave up. Sinking into a hot bath, I closed my eyes, letting a song play on a loop in my head, trying to forget everything else.
When I woke up the next day I found an envelope on my pillow, my name written in the same beautiful handwriting as before, immediately recognising it as Aro's I tore it open.
My Dearest Milena,
Please forgive me for what happened yesterday. I truly had every intention of putting Caius in his place but had planned to do it once you were gone. I didn't think you knew what he was saying, and I didn't wish to tell you because there is absolutely no truth to it, so please do not upset yourself. I know I told you it was a bad idea, but I am very proud that you stood up for yourself, it was just unexpected, you are so wonderfully unexpected.
Again, I sincerely apologize, I would never do anything to hurt you.
Yours, Aro.
Yours. I reread the word over and over. Is that how I should think of him, as mine? Is that how he thinks of me? Of course, it is Milena! You belong to him remember, he made that abundantly clear, the voice in my head screamed. I quickly got dressed, throwing on a light blue sundress, and brushed the knots out of my hair. Leaving my room in search of the courtyard that Aro had shown me the day before.
After a few wrong turns and wondering if I would ever be able to remember where everything was I finally found it. The sun was hidden by a layer of clouds, but I could still feel its warmth on my skin. I was surprised to see the garden filled with herbs and found myself breathing deeper to absorb the smell. Running my hand through a rosemary bush as I passed, I allowed the scent to coat my fingers, before settling down on a bench set in the middle of the courtyard and opening my book.
"I thought I might find you out here." I let out a little yelp, surprised to find Marcus in front of me.
"I'm sorry I didn't know you were looking for me. Is everything okay?" He smiled slightly, sitting down beside me before replying. "That's actually what I was planning to ask you."
"Oh." I said taken aback by his kindness. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" He asked frowning. "I'm sure this must be overwhelming for you." I sighed, closing my book and placing it onto the grass. "That's one way to put it. I mean this isn't exactly how I expected my trip to go, but what can I do."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean nothing I do or say is going to change anything. I can scream and beg Aro to let me go but that's never going to happen; not if he's so sure that I belong to him. So, I know the best I can do is accept it. I have no control over any of this except my own actions and seen as actions have consequences I'm better to just get on with it, especially after what happened yesterday." I replied shrugging my shoulders, accepting my fate.
"Milena." He said softly, placing his hand on my knee. "You do know that no one here is going to do you any harm don't you?" His face was filled with such concern that I couldn't help my frown. "These consequences you're talking about, do you think that someone is going to do something to you?" I opened my mouth to speak but couldn't find the words. "My dear, you are perfectly safe here. If you want to be upset, then you can be. If it will make you feel better to shout and scream, then feel free. I promise that no one will lay a hand on you. Aro made it very clear that you are to be protected."
"Because I belong to him." I said bitterly, thinking aloud. Marcus sighed loudly next to me.
"Milena. Did my brother explain all of this to you?"
"Yes. He said that I'm basically his soulmate, and we're destined to be together, I was made for him and vice versa." I rattled off the basics of what Aro had told me, still unconvinced.
"Hmm, perhaps it would help if I told you what it's like from my experience."
"You have a Mate?" I said stunned. "Why didn't I meet them yesterday?" There was a long pause before he finally spoke. "She's no longer with us." He barely whispered, and now it made sense. He made sense. If what Aro had been telling me was true, your Mate is someone you are bound to forever, who you love unconditionally, who you love more than your own life. Losing them would be worse than dying, it would be like someone cutting off your oxygen, someone tearing your heart out.
"How?" I exclaimed without thought, wondering how on earth it could have happened. "I'm sorry." I whispered my hand flying to my mouth, realising how insensitive I had just been. "That was thoughtless, you don't have to tell me."
"It's alright Milena. It was a long time ago, long before you were born." He said calmly, gently tapping the hand that still rested in my lap. "That doesn't matter." He seemed surprised by my statement, or maybe it was the way I said it. His eyes fixed on to my own and it was like he was looking all the way through to my soul. "You lost someone." It wasn't a question, just a fact. A fact I wasn't ready or willing to discuss. "Hasn't everyone?" I said shrugging my shoulders, hoping it would be enough for him to drop it.
Thankfully he did, and we settled into a comfortable silence. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but for some reason Marcus's presence calmed me, so I was more than happy to just sit by his side, not saying anything. My focus fell on a bumblebee flying around the garden, I watched intently as it settled onto the lavender, gathering its nectar before going in search of its next source. "She was happiness." My head whipped round to Marcus as he suddenly spoke, breaking the peaceful quiet that had settled around us. "That was her gift, she could make anyone happy, walk into any room, talk to anyone and by the time she was gone everyone would have a smile on their face. She was my light. My everything. You know how new parents say you never know what love is until you have a child." I gave him a small nod, not confident enough in my voice to talk. "Well even that would pale in comparison to the love I had for her, it was boundless, all encompassing, unconditional love. Unlike anything I have ever felt, anything I will ever feel again. That is what it feels like to find your Mate, but I suppose until you feel that for yourself then my explanation means nothing. Am I right?" He looked at me with a questioning smile. "I'm sorry." I said, feeling awful that his heartfelt speech hadn't convinced me. "It's just that… Nothing never mind." I muttered, not even sure how to say what I was thinking. "No, it's okay. Tell me, please." He urged.
"It's confusing. I'm supposed to like him? Love him? Not be able to imagine my life without him? All he is to me now is this guy who's keeping me from my family. It doesn't make sense to me. I don't feel how I'm supposed to, from either angle. I mean I don't feel anything like you just described. But I don't hate him either, not like I should for someone who's quite literally holding me hostage. I mean I feel safe around him, protected, but that's crazy." I said, the words leaving my mouth in an unintelligible blur. "No, it's not crazy, my dear. It's the bond. You couldn't hate him even if you tried."
"Then how am I supposed to know if what I'm feeling is real? Surely, it's all just the bond, or whatever you want to call it."
"Oh Milena. It's not separate. The connection between you and my brother is a part of you. It always has been, except now you know about it. If you were a vampire, things would fall into place like that." He said snapping his fingers.
"Why?"
"Well firstly, because you would have known about the possibility of his existence, and secondly vampire's emotions tend to be heightened, we feel things more strongly. That tiny little sliver of safety and protection my brother makes you feel would be increased ten-fold if you were one of us." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "So, is that how it felt for you? When you met… I'm sorry what was her name?"
"Didyme." He breathed.
"That's beautiful." Marcus smiled sadly, and I suddenly felt an inexplicable sadness that I wouldn't get to meet this woman who had been so important to him. "And yes, that is how I felt. It was love at first sight if you will." I chuckled lowly, turning my attention back to the bumblebee as it hummed passed me. "You don't believe me?" He asked teasing.
"No, no I do. I just didn't really expect to hear that phrase come out of the mouth of a three-thousand-year-old vampire." It was his turn to laugh now. "But then I can't really use that particular sentence as reasoning." I scoffed, realising what he'd found so funny, and then surprised to find myself laughing too, only to stop when a raindrop landed on my cheek. "Come, let's get inside."
We walked down the corridor side by side, my footsteps being the only sound. Marcus seemed to glide across the floor and I found myself turning to check he was still there more than once. "I'm afraid I must leave you Milena, I'm needed in the court."
"Oh, of course." I said with a smile, trying to cover my disappointment at being on my own again.
"Can you find your way back to your room from here?" I nodded, even though in truth I wasn't entirely sure. "Thank you, Marcus, I'll see you later." I headed in the direction that looked familiar only to be stopped by Marcus's voice. "Milena?"
"Yes?" I turned back around and found him close behind me.
"I know it doesn't seem like it now. And it may not for a while, but you and my brother are very lucky to have found each other. The chances of finding your mate are infinitesimal and although it isn't under the best of circumstances you and Aro have. I just hope that you will give this a chance, for his sake and yours, because I promise you, life is better with your mate than it is without." My heart broke for him and without thought I threw my arms around him, trying to offer what comfort I could. He froze, seemingly stunned by my action but eventually hugged me back. After a minute I stepped away and found Marcus smiling at me. "See you later Marcus." I said heading down the corridor. "Yes, goodbye my dear."
After a good twenty minutes of wandering around the castle I finally found myself at Aro's Quarters. I went to push open the heavy wooden door but jumped out of my skin when I felt a cold hand on my shoulder. Turning around I saw Caius towering over me, his face menacing. "Good afternoon Milena. I thought you and I could have a little talk."
"That's nice Caius, but I think I pretty much said all I had to say to you yesterday." I attempted to move out of his grasp, but his grip on me tightened like a vice. "Then perhaps you can just listen." His voice was low, and he moved even closer trapping me between him and the door, his face merely inches from mine. "My brother may have taken an interest in you for now but believe me it won't last long. Not when he realises how disappointing it will be to have a weak little human girl as a mate, who doesn't have the capacity to rule beside him. Soon he will see you for what you are, a waste of time and energy. You are merely a speck of dust in terms of my brother's life both in its length and its importance. He will come to his senses soon enough and when he does I will enjoy draining every last drop of blood from your body, and even if he doesn't, if you ever dare talk to me the way you did yesterday again I will do it anyway." I didn't even have time to blink before he had disappeared from my sight. I ran to my room as fast as my legs would carry me, slamming my door closed and wishing desperately it had a lock. I slumped against it, dragging air into my lungs, suddenly thinking that maybe Aro couldn't keep me safe at all.
Aro's Point of View –
It was late when I arrived back to my quarters, I took the papers I was carrying to the library and laid them on my desk. I had thought I might find Milena but sadly she was nowhere in sight, quickly turning my attention to her room I listened intently. I had expected to hear the slow steady breaths of her asleep but instead my ears were filled with her rapid heartbeat, and near hyperventilating.
I rushed to her door and threw it open. She tossed and turned in bed, her hands fisting in the sheets as she dreamed. I moved swiftly, placing my hands on her shoulders to shake her awake. Her eyes were wide and filled with fear as her hands flew towards my chest to push me away. She scrabbled to the other side of the bed, putting as much space between us as possible. "I'm sorry Cara Mia, I didn't mean to frighten you, you were having a nightmare I just wanted to wake you up."
"Don't do that." Her voice was shaky, and her eyes never met mine, as she curled her knees up to her chest. "I… You can't just come in here. Please don't… Don't do that again. I… I…"
"It's okay Milena, I won't, I promise. I'm sorry." She hadn't even been this scared when she'd first woken up in the castle. Worry filled me like never before, she could barely even string a sentence together out of fear and I couldn't do anything to make her feel better. Not when I had no idea what had scared her so. It was then I decided to look through her mind, I knew she wouldn't like it, but I found myself uncaring. It seemed she wouldn't be opening up to me anytime soon, and I could wait no longer.
