Disclaimer: I don't own any Twilight Saga characters. I only own Tiara.

Chapter 10: Adapting

June 25, 1918 – Volterra, Pisa, Italy

I had spent the entire night in my room, trying to control my power. I saw them as little eager children who wanted to kill and attack. They didn't radiate from me, which I was very thankful for. They vibrated and moved, and right now, I could feel them flowing above my skin. I had tried to keep them in one place, but they were too enthusiastic to stay at one place. I had dragged them so smoothly and easily when Aro wanted to touch my hand, I guess if your life was in danger, you could do anything.

Aro had sent me a note, telling me to go to the combat house to start my training. Although my gift was powerful enough, he thought I would need to know the basic in combating. So I opened my closet which kept variety of dresses and others. It was tailor-made, the texture was smooth and fine against my fingers. I chose to sport a black leather pants, it was my first time in wearing pants, and it was more comfortable than I had thought. I slipped on a black Victorian corset blouse, and laced them easily. The pants showed my slender and long legs and I decided to slip on a black skirt that reached my ankles. I put on a pair of black combat boots that almost reached my knees. My bronze hair was pulled into a bun and I glanced at my reflection, looking at the new Tiara.

"I've never thought it will suit you. You look beautiful," Demetri told me with a smile and I looked at him through the mirror.

"I look different didn't I?" I asked and he just looked at me, gazing at me lovingly.

"You're still my Tiara," He said and I laughed softly, putting on a pair of black leather gloves.

"And you'll always be my Demetri." I whispered and pulled my energy away from my face and tip-toed to kiss him. "There will be a time when I can touch you without any fear of hurting you, I promise," I said determinedly and he held me in his arms but said nothing.

"It doesn't matter to me." He said softly and I wanted to cry. Everything was supposed to be fine. I changed into a vampire and we can live happily ever after. It was supposed to turn out like that. But fate seemed to really hate me. Now that I found a soulmate, they were putting challenge for me to face. I hope we could get through this together.

"I have to go," I told him and he kissed my forehead.

"I know," he said and placed a cloak over me, tying the knot. He pulled his hood over his head and I did the same before we walked to the building together. He said his goodbye and I entered it, easily opening the iron grills and slid them closed again. The windows provided us with lights from the sun and the building was empty of furnitures. There was a flight of stairs to the second floor but the rest was empty, giving us space to combat.

"Hello, there." Felix's voice was deep and intimidating if I was an enemy. I smirked. Demetri had told me that he was one of the most powerful vampires in terms of strength and his combat skills were undeniable. Anyone who challenged him had signed their warrants of deaths. I had remembered him restraining me when I first woke up as a newborn. That would mean his strength was stronger than newborns.

"First of all, no power. That's unfair," Felix said and took off his cloak. I copied his movement. "And…you're not fighting with skirt are you?" he asked and I laughed softly, taking it off.

"Now, that's much better," he said. "Newborns are stronger than older vampires because they still have their human blood in their system. But that's not the case with me," he told me smugly and I rolled my eyes.

"Attack me," Felix said and I looked at him.

"Attack you?" I asked unsurely.

"Yes, it's not like you're going to kill me," he said cockily and I felt the itch to use my power against him. "Remember, no power," he reminded me and I rolled my eyes. "Just follow your instinct," he told and I closed my eyes, imagining him as a threat. I crouched down, my lips curled back, baring my sharp-razor teeth and charged to him. It was something I've never felt before. He dodged easily which made me mad and I threw punches at him, kicked him and even tried to trip him.

"Vampires are predators. They have instinct to attack their enemies. But what you need to win a fight is a stable mind," he told and threw a punch at me which I dodged. Felix was throwing punches and kicks at me and with every dodge, I tried to attack him back.

"Newborns are easy to defeat because they follow their instinct. They do not think and that makes it predictable. You will learn how to fight in the not obvious ways, and you will learn how to read their attacks," he said and I nodded. At the end of the sparring, my highest achievement would be me kicking him square in the chest. He didn't fly to the wall of something but he did stumble a few steps back.

For one whole week, during the day I will train how to fight while at night I will learn how to control my power. Heidi, a beautiful and stunning vampire, brought us food from outside every two or three weeks. I was a special case since I was still a newborn and my thirst was stronger. Demetri told me to learn self-control, saying it would please Aro if he knew I wasn't like any newborn. Another guard came to my room once I drained a human teenager, to dispose her body.

I'd say I have adapted the life as a vampire rather quickly. It was like I had done this before. I grew accustomed to my new strength and speed and used it wisely when I was training with Felix. He was too superior, I had told him which he smirked cockily. The next day, he brought another guard and I defeated him easily. It was fun, the feeling of winning. I couldn't get that when I was fighting Felix so I better enjoyed it while it last.

July 16, 1918 – Volterra, Pisa, Italy

It has been three weeks now, since I was turned to a vampire. I wouldn't I have a complete control over my thirst, thus distancing myself from the humans employees in the castle. Humans are needed as secretaries, and when they need to interact with humans. Other than Heidi, Courtney was the only vampire that interact with humans the most. She has been here almost as long as Aro, and she changed her name a few times to avoid attention.

The Volturi was responsible in keeping vampires out of the humans' knowledge. I had followed them to dispose a group of newborns. I wanted to fight but Aro had told me to watch and learn. Like Felix had told me when I first trained with him, newborns are predictable. It was an easy task. Alec used his power to numb the newborns while the guards, led by Felix, disposed them. Jane tortured some of the newborns to get the information out of them, happy that she could use her gift. Jane was sadistic and I was sure she has a dark past, darker than me that had changed her into who she was now.

One of the smart newborns had noticed me, who stood still as a statue, watching them. He charged to me and I remained unmoved, not a single fear passed me. I dodged when he lunged at me and pulled my glove off before wrapping my bare hand around his neck. He screamed in pain and agony and a smirk played at my lips. I could feel the power, I was so powerful, like a queen. He was struggling, my gift was killing him slowly, poisoning and burning his every vein. I released my hold on him and he fell to the ground, breathless. Just one slap on his face and his head flew a few feet from his body and he dropped dead.

That was my first vampire kill. And I wasn't sorry. Demetri looked up at me and I wasn't sure what he was feeling. Was I turning into a sadistic vampire like Jane? I didn't mind that. But what if he did? What if he fell in love with me because I wasn't this person I was?

"We're done." Felix said and I nodded. We headed back to Volterra. I hadn't spent much time with Demetri with all that had happened. We shared a kiss, morning and night, and that was it. I was still afraid that I will lose into passion and hurt him accidentally. I couldn't bear the thought of hurting him.

"Aro has requested you." A guard told me the night we returned to Volterra. "He's in the library." He told and I nodded.

I checked on my reflection and made sure I was presentable. I made my wait to the library which was on the other turret, the opposite of the throne room. The castle was too vast for a human to travel, it was made only for vampires. I have never been to the library, I had thought I will spend most of my times there, once I've had a complete control over my power. I was greeted by a human secretary, Anita. I ignored her and could feel her stare on me as I walked to the library. She was amazed at how beautiful people in the castle were, and she knew what we were. She wanted to become one of us but as Jane had informed me, most of the human workers became desserts.

The library had large oak double doors and I gasped at how big it was. Every shelf was stacked with various book, from classic novels to dictionaries. I climbed up the spiral staircase that led to Aro's private study room.

"Ah, my precious Tiara." He said and handed me a wine glass filled with sweet red liquid; human blood. I took a sip and looked at Aro.

"What can I do for you, master?" I asked and he just smiled.

"I had seen Demetri's thoughts recently. You had killed a newborn when I had told you to just watched and learned." He began and my back straightened.

"He was about to attack me, master. I apologized if I had offended you by going against your orders." I told him clearly and bowed my head down. He burst out laughing at my words and shook his head at me with a grin.

"My, my, sweet Tiara. Certainly, you've learned enough." He said and held out his hand. "May I?" he asked and I nodded, pulling my glove off and he grasped my hand.

"Ah, yes, yes, just like what I wanted you to." He was grinning wickedly as he rubbed his hands, his milky red eyes showed that he was thinking hard. I slipped on the glove back to my hand, waiting for him to say anything.

"The Volturi is feared by all the vampires around the world, that what makes them obey our rules. You have a powerful gift, Tiara. And for that you need to be feared by others. Just like Jane and Alec." He said and I understood. He wanted me to be as frightening as the twins in my own way.

"The words will pass about your gift, and whenever they heard your name, they won't dare to challenge you." He told me, his eyes sparkled with excitement and I can see how power hungry he was.

"A gift can be developed over times, Tiara. Take your time in mastering and exploring your gift. After all, you know about it like the back of your hand." He said and I nodded.

"Yes, master." I said and he placed his hands over my shoulders affectionately.

"I have a friend that can help you, but I'm not sure if he's willing to help you if he knew your gift is so…destructive. But he can be a great help," he told and I nodded.

"You can visit him once you have a complete control for your thirst in humans. He is very…civilised." He said.

"You're dismissed." He told and without a word, I left. It actually intrigued me how I listened to Aro so well compared to anyone. I was told that Courtney has a gift to…tie us to the Volturi. Was I enraged at the thought of being manipulated? Demetri explained to me, that the Volturi has to stay strong to be the most powerful vampire clan in the world. It was the nature of vampires to rule and betray, and with Courtney's gift, we would never do that.

That explained how we, vampires with various personalities and powerful gifts, got along with each other so well.

I'm sorry for not updating, I went for a vacation with family, and we have to pay to have internet access…so, yeah. Next chapter would be the Perfect Reunion!

I'm still editing the next chapter! Going to post once the clock ticks midnight!

And the clothes, if you watch Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, it would be like Vadoma's outfit.