Do you know what's not fun? School, that's what. For those of you who tried to guess my age (all two of you), I'm a senior in high school over here in America as of right now. And I'm telling you, between homework, extracurriculars, and college essays, my time has completely escaped me. Ugh. I'm not even halfway done with this story! Well, I'm close to it I guess.

I have deleted the last author's note and posted this instead. For those of you who didn't take the odd hiatus to read through it, a few things:

Firstly, I have finished the trailer. The url is now on my account, under the section for this story. If you haven't yet already, be sure to check it out! Maybe I'll make an extended trailer once this story has been finished.

Secondly, I will be doing NaNoWriMo this year and will therefore not update pretty much at all during November xD I'm so sorry about this added distraction guys~~

Thirdly, I haven't updated it recently, but the Smackjeeves site will contain small bonuses from time to time. Check it out every couple weeks or so for thoughts I can't put into the story.

Finally, I have decided on a mate for Isabella! It is a male vampire that is not an OC. However, he was also not a part of the poll. You can have fun guessing, but I won't tell you if you're right or not! You'll just have to wait until he appears.

REPLIES:

Maiannaise: Sasha was just a little bit too greedy, hmm?

Arabella Whitlock: Read the AN above!

IAILA: I'm just calling you that from now on haha. Anyhow, Isabella just has a natural sisterly bond to whoever she feels is part of her family. And that includes a rather protective nature :3

Slytherin of the Sea: I have indeed changed the siblings' personalities a bit. As my earliest notes say, "Jane is not as violent due to Isabella's caring nature. Alec is a bit less acerbic."

Sandra46: Thanks for reading :D Also, sorry, but what does ofs mean? I have absolutely no idea .-.

Okay, we're done with that stuff, here's the story now!

There wasn't much that could easily annoy Demetri. However, there were, ah, a few things. Namely, hearing the same thing over and over again. As much as it pleased Demetri that his lovely mate could be so enamored by a simple thing as a metal tube with holes and buttons, he couldn't comprehend why she just kept. Repeating. The. Same. Thing. Over. And. Over. Again.

"Jane?" Demetri ventured. The blonde vampire paused in her repetitive exercise and put her flute down an infinitesimal bit. "What is it?" she asked. Demetri got vaguely distracted by her voice. He had been listening to the whistling flute sound for hours, and now her voice sounded even more like music to him than it had before.

"See, I love your music, and I love your enthusiasm," Demetri began. Jane raised an eyebrow at him. "But can't you vary your music a bit?"

Jane laughed slightly. "I've only got two pieces from Isabella, Demi," she said teasingly, as if she didn't understand what he was saying. Demetri groaned and leaned back slightly, covering his face with a hand.

"Jane, learn new music," Demetri said bluntly, to her complete amusement. She began to laugh even harder, barely keeping herself upright. Soon, Demetri joined in with her, and the two just laughed together for no reason except for Demetri's snide comment.

Jane opened her eyes slightly, slowly recovering from her laughing fit, and she gave her room a cursory glance. Much like Isabella, Jane had made a few trips out to bazaars and furnished the room. Demetri did have some say as well; his touch was visible in the style of the paintings on the walls and in the way the furniture was carved. Yet, the colors and beauty were all of Jane's taste. The two parts were complementary, much in the way the two mates were. They brought out the other's gifts beautifully.

The room was decorated in shades of gold and white and black, much to fit the carpet they got when they first got to the castle. The most common wood was ebony with ivory inlays that they had found, and Renaissance style paintings covered one specific wall. Jane had found a way to inlay golden patterns into the walls that looked sort of like stylized fire to cover the walls and the furniture, and Demetri had managed to get the patterns even onto the ceiling (no one asked any questions).

Jane stopped her admiring when she felt a pressure on her back. She turned to see that Demetri had gone behind her and was now leaning against her back. His chin was just under where her neck ended and he was staring straight at her. If she were still human, she knew she would be covered in gooseflesh from the contact, but all she could do was stare right back.

Demetri nuzzled her a bit more. "What was that you were playing on that flute of yours, anyways?" he asked, bringing his arms around and hugging her midsection. Jane leaned back into his embrace.

"A Mozart flute concerto. Number 1 in G Major."

"Mm," Demetri just hummed without really acknowledging what he said. Jane sighed slightly. "You have no idea what I'm saying, do you?"

Demetri just smirked slightly and shook his head merrily. Jane squirmed as his hair brushed against her neck as he did so. "Demi," she whined, prolonging his name as she tried not to chortle. She could hear his muffled snicker from behind her. She turned to him, flute forgotten in her lap.

Meanwhile, Alec was practicing his own pieces in his room. Unlike Demetri, Renata was enchanted by Alec's repetitive playing. She stared unblinkingly at his bow as it darts across the strings of catgut, at his fingers that fly across the fingerboard. When he finally ends the piece with a final flourish, Alec glanced up to see Renata, arms hugging her knees viciously to her chest as she looked at him with wide, wondering eyes.

"Ren? Are you okay?" Alec ventured nervously.

There was a moment of silence and then…

"Alec! That was amazing! Do it again! Do it again!"

Alec blinked at his mate's whole-hearted appeal. He froze before smiling easily and shaking his head. "If you insist…" he said teasingly. She nodded enthusiastically before curling back up and watching him play.

Alec played a different piece this time, but he decided to try something as he approached the song's end. Renata obviously loved the music he was reluctant to play, and although he was still ambivalent about the cello, he was willing to do anything to please his mate.

The male vampire took a deep breath and tried adding a melody of his own. He tentatively modulated into a new key signature and played on, gaining confidence as he did so. The cello hummed along, vibrating with the notes as Alec demanded more and more of it. His fingers flew over the wood, sounding harmonics and gliding up scales. Finally, when he ran out of things to try, Alec reluctantly ended the piece with a long chord, played on two strings.

"What piece was that, Alexander?" Renata asked. Alec grinned slightly at the name, the name that only Renata could use without being reprimanded.

"It started out as an unaccompanied piece by some German composer," Alec said, "but I made up the rest."

Renata openly gaped at him. "You made that up? How? Why?" She hammered him with questions. Alec had never heard her say so much before in his entire existence.

"Er, well, I—" He was thrown as he searched his mind desperately for answers. "I, uh, made it for you," he finished, realizing that his statement rang with truth.

He wanted to show Ren what he could do. He wanted her to appreciate the melody he created, to hear how much he loved her.

And he did. She looked about to cry from shock at his revelation.

"F-for me?" she whispered.

Alec scratched the back of his head, a nervous expression blossoming on his face. "Well, uh, erm, yes," he said haltingly. "Is that a bad thing?"

Renata was frozen before she launched herself at him. All Alec could do was quickly put his instrument down before she had completely knocked him over from the force of her embrace. Alec almost instinctively hugged her back, feeling her shiver next to him.

"What's wrong, Ren?" he asked quietly.

"I-it's just, no one's ever done that kind of thing for me," she said between tearless sobs. Alec blinked at the revelation.

"Ren, we have each other now," Alec said quietly into her ear. "I could make up an endless melody for you, one that would last days and days, just thinking about your voice, or your face, or your hair. I could do it, because you are what I treasure most in the world."

Renata shuddered again at his quiet passion. "Thank you, Alec," she whispered. The two stayed linked together in a lasting embrace.

Isabella stared at a passing dust mote. Aro had asked her to sit at the front desk as a first line of protection while the two of them trained Renata. Ever since the first training session that Isabella discovered, she didn't let Aro anywhere near her brother's mate without her. Although she understood Aro's reasoning now, she didn't trust him around her. And he understood her reasoning and knew her capabilities and let her do as she wished.

"E-excuse me?"

Isabella turned her attention from the dust mote to the faraway figure. The woman was standing on the far end of the hall. Her hair was a fine red the color of unripe strawberries and danced around her face. Her skin was as pale as the full moon that shone through the windows.

And her eyes glowed as red as a field of poppies.

Isabella became alert immediately. She set up her shield as discretely and quickly as possible before cautiously getting up. She never lost eye contact with the stranger.

"Yes, may I help you?" She cursed her own red eyes, a dead giveaway for any knowing soul.

The woman looked at her despondently yet hopefully. Isabella observed her facial features one more time; for some reason, the other vampire had traits that seemed almost familiar to Isabella.

"I-I need to see the masters. They need to know about me," the unknown vampire said quickly, biting her lip as though embarrassed. Isabella recognized it as a survival tactic: the vampire had picked up human traits to stay disguised. But why?

"I'm sorry, they are rather busy with running the castle, can I take a message?" Isabella asked coldly, standing up from behind the desk.

The woman rushed over to her and clasped a hand. "Please, I beg of you, let me see them! Let me see him!" she beseeched, almost sobbing, trembling with anticipation. Isabella blinked. Now that the woman was closer, she recognized the features immediately.

"Pardon, but are you Lady Didyme?" Isabella asked slowly. The vampire's eyes widened and she threw Isabella's hand back at her.

"How do you know of me?" she whispered. Isabella's eyes glanced over her petite form, her powdery complexion, her glistening scars, before making eye contact again.

"You cover the memory room," Isabella offered in response. Didyme let out an unnecessary breath.

"Then you must know why I need to see the masters," she said. Isabella closed her eyes and wordlessly let Didyme into the shield.

"Yes, I do," Isabella responded. "Nothing should be more important as of now." She took the other vampire by the hand and brought her down endless hallways, staircases, and doors until she approached the familiar ornate, Baroque style door. She pushed it open, making a loud groan that attracted the masters' attention.

"Please stay here while I inform the masters that there is a visitor for them," Isabella requested formally.

Didyme looked confused for a brief second.

"I want to see their reactions," Isabella admitted. Didyme giggled slightly.

Isabella walked in, throwing the doors open somewhat dramatically. The three brothers were pouring over papers, discussing certain paragraphs in fervent Latin. Aro, Caius, and Marcus glanced up immediately. Aro's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Isabella?"He asked. She never seemed to be the hasty type, and her throwing the doors open seemed more characteristic of her sister. Isabella tried to compose herself.

"Masters, there is someone here to see you," she said, trying her hardest not to sound too enthusiastic about their visitor.

"Well, tell them to leave until our appointed times. We are working on revitalizing Volterra," Caius said tersely. His white hair had been swept out of place and now stood slightly on end. Isabella deduced that their negotiations were not going very well. "We do not want visitors," he sneered in disgust, "as of right now. They are a distraction that we cannot put up with."

"Nay, sir, I believe that you would want this distraction, as you call it," Isabella said, not looking at Caius, but at Aro beside him. Aro seemed hesitant, but nodded a second later. Isabella bowed and stepped out, gesturing to Didyme beside her.

When the strawberry blonde vampire walked into the room, the atmosphere immediately changed. All three of the brothers were frozen in time. Caius seemed only shell-shocked, his eyes slightly widened, staring straight at the lost queen. Aro's mouth was open and slowly turning up at its corners, turning his gape into a silent shout of exuberance. Marcus…

Marcus was the most shocked of all. Shocked was an unacceptable understatement: his eyes flew open, staring straight at his mate, once thought dead, and his form was stuck between sitting down and standing up, as if he thought she was a mirage and that moving towards her would only make her vanish, even though moving to her side was the only thing he wanted to do.

Didyme was looking at Marcus lovingly from her spot by the room's door. Isabella looked on from her place by a pillar, her presence completely forgotten.

The five vampires stood stock-still until finally, after agonizingly long seconds, Aro was able to choke out a single word.

"Sister?" he whispered, wetting his lips unnecessarily as he stared at his younger sibling. Didyme's face lit up in a wide smile, her red eyes dancing and looking slightly glazed over, as if she was tearing up. She clutched her hands to her chest and gave a single, slight nod before laughing excitedly. The mood lifted; all three kings smiled and ran over from their thrones, paperwork forgotten and fluttering around the base of their chairs.

Aro had caught Didyme up in an embrace that swept her off her feet and into the air. He was roaring with laughter, she was giggling along with him. The chorus of glee was cut off only when Didyme landed on the ground, right in front of Marcus.

"Amor meus?" he said faintly, lifting one hand as if to caress her face, to ascertain that she was real. Didyme smiled and lifted the hand to her cheek. "Vivo," she simply responded. Marcus gave a breath of laughter, a smile stretching across his face, and he swept his mate into his arms. Isabella could see his age visibly slip away, the wrinkles smoothing out, the constant bored grimace replaced by a glow of joy. "Amor meus, amor meus," was the only thing he could seem to say. Didyme merely hummed in response, in her mate's arms again.

Caius was the only one who didn't join in the festivities. After standing by and watching the reunion, he walked over and joined Isabella, who gave him a surprised look.

"Won't you go join in?" she asked.

He shook his head. "As much as I love her as family and Athenodora adores her as a sister, I have no blood or mating bond to Dyme," he responded. Isabella noted the nickname with an internal smile. "Everyone loves her, and I expect I will be able to talk to her later." He glanced over at her and smirked. "Although, I might have to wait a long while. The gods know that Marcus has."

Isabella shook her head in somewhat grudging respect. "Only men could think that way about reuniting with a lover," she responded. Caius just chuckled at her exasperation.

Even if he is a king, Caius is still a man with man's thoughts, it seems.

Thanks for reading! I'll try to update again soon~~

~Shriayle