The Secret Keeper
Epilogue
It was an unusually overcast day that dawned on the city of Volterra, Italy. The perfect day for humans and vampires alike to roam the stone streets; milling around the shops, leaning on ancient buildings, and picture taking in front of the fountain and castle.
Many vampires arrived today, dressed sharply to impress the vampire royalty for this special event. At noon the bell tolled twelve times and the gates to the castle were opened for the guest who chose to arrive today to enter.
Upon entering this impressive domain, the guests glanced around in awe of the spectacular decorations that adorned the archaic hallways of Castle Volterra. The hallways were filled with the sweet aroma of honey and mint, and the candles along the corridor were today fully lit for the celebration, giving the castle a warm-rather than foreboding-atmosphere.
To many intimidated by these old vampires, it was a welcome change.
In awe of the grandeur, many had a hard time containing their curiosity for the event that was taking place today.
The crowning of a Queen.
No one knew who was being coronated, because the invite was so frank about the whole event it only left many of the guests here today perpetually confused.
The guests could only take the event at face value and be happy for the Volturi's new elite member.
Wandering back into the bedroom occupied by the new Volturi Queen, Isabella Swan, you could find her being primped and primed reluctantly. Sulpicia chatted on about the goings-on of the vampire world, while she curled and arranged Isabella's hair into a complex and elegant hairstyle. Meanwhile Athenodora was doing her makeup with a skilled hands, listening to Sulpicia chatter almost as if it was white noise to her.
Sulpicia had immediately taken to Isabella, but Athenodora had taken longer to warm up to the one person her mate and husband can't stand. Athenodora is someone Isabella respected, if only for her age. Due to the way Aro and the King's protected their wives, many didn't know that Athenodora was one of the first people that her brother Derek had ever created, thinking her a great beauty even as a human.
Isabella replayed her greatest strengths and weakness to her, but she was not impressed. Instead, Isabella had told her the story of how she was changed, which was a little fuzzy in Athenodora's head, which she knew because she was there. Derek had brought the human her home so that Isabella could tell him whether she would be a good vampire or not. She had approved, predicting that anything she chose to do in her vampire life would befit her more than the tragedy of her human one.
Derek, taking her word as law, had then changed her.
When she found this out, the quiet demure Athenodora had simply walked over and given Isabella a brief hug.
They were not close now, but they did share a mutual respect for each other.
Soon enough she was ready, and the guest stirred in excited expectation when the musicians in the Volturi's grand hall began to play.
It was a grand march song that accompanied Isabella as she glided down the isle of guests to the throne set up there. around it were three other thrones, where the brothers sat with the utmost poise and practice-like statues that would never stop enforcing the laws of the vampire world.
Perhaps this eternity long tenure is why everyone was so surprised that there was going to be a new queen.
This was not just any Queen of the Volturi, the mate and wife to a King-no, this was a governing Queen who may end up being just another voice to domineer over the masses of vampires that now roamed the earth.
The ceremony was performed and the new queen was asked to give a speech.
"My fellow vampires, ladies and gentleman, we are a very powerful race." She paused and looked up, making many people gasp at the bright blue of her eyes, which they had not noticed before.
"A powerful race that may never be endangered or extinct so long as mother earth prevails. We have a knack for avoiding death and prevailing through time, unchanging, unthreatened, and still possibly the world's greatest predators. We are not animals. We are strong, we are resilient, but we are more human than you might imagine.
We think, we feel, we love and we learn. We have the capacity to be kind, and the resources to be cruel. It is this cruelty that worries me most. For we are a race without competition for survival, but we do have a weakness. Our weakness appears in our own kind. For our kind, in their humanness, has an ability to seek destroy each other. We tend to avoid war, and confrontation, and death, but we cannot completely escape those troublemakers that seem to be keen on being the downfall of us all.
That is why, in a time where are numbers are great, it is more important than ever to have a governing system. To seek out these troublemakers, to punish or even destroy these weaknesses in our society that threaten their fellow vampires and the secrecy of vampire life. We live in the luxury of the shadows, but a few delinquents alone have the power to remove this luxury. This is also why my brothers and I have supported these ruling classes for so long. Though not perfect, Aro and his coven, as well as the Romanians for a time, kept the peace.
Peace. This is such a delicate thing in a time where we share the earth with some of the most destructive neighbors. My brothers and I have always kept a watch on all vampires, so we know firsthand their capability for worse crimes against their own kind than the humans could ever possibly achieve with every sadistic innovation they create.
Two weeks ago, I negotiated a deal with Aro so that we could keep the peace in light of this borderline tyrannical behavior. But all is forgiven now, and with the help of my brothers and I, we will remain at peace for centuries more.
A borderline has been set up so that the Volturi rule on one side and the Romanians rule on the other and a council that includes my brothers and I reside over the peace between not only these two very powerful covens, but also over all vampires.
So long as I live, peace will remain. Peace and love be with you and in you. Thank you."
There was silence for three long seconds, before the guests broke out in applause.
Aro stepped forward.
"May I welcome the new Queen to our coven, Isabella Marie Swan Volturi." Isabella turned, bowed her head, and a brilliant crown, not unlike the ones that Aro, Marcus and Caius wore, was ceremoniously placed on her head.
"Let us feast!"
Glass bottles full of fresh blood of every kind, even animal, was brought in. and the guests socialized with the kings as they made their rounds, guests laughed and drank, danced, and had a merry old time.
One vampire in particular celebrated, in relief and determination.
She danced and danced through so many ballads and waltzes, paying no mind to the guests around her.
She danced with her Edward, and at that moment, all seemed right with the world.
At least, she thought in earnest, she would make the world right.
And no one, vampire or otherwise, would get in her way,
She was Isabella Marie Swan Volturi, one of the oldest vampires, Head of the High Council for all vampires, Queen of the Volturi, and the third most powerful vampire of all time.
Basically, she ruled.
That marks the end of The Secret Keeper.
Thank you all for your comments and criticism, it has helped me so much on this long journey of writing and rewriting, being inspired and being discouraged, feeling hopeless, and getting this story back off the ground and dusting it off.
I am announcing that, come January 2016 I will post the prologue to the sequel of The Secret Keeper, called The Peace Keeper.
The Peace Keeper with have similar, little over a thousand word chapters and tell the story of the redemption of the Volturi, and the blossoming romance between Bella and Edward. Anyone who reviews this story I will PM a summary of the sequel, so review, please!
Thank you for reading my story, and I hope you will read its sequel. Thank you for sticking with me, and have a wonderful holiday season.
InkCrow