NOTE: I do not own or have rights to Twilight or its characters. The material is the sole intellectual property of its creator.
Chapter 36
One Coven … One Family
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body ...
1st Corinthians 12:14
After revealing his thoughts regarding my connections to Papa and Ben, Uncle Aro and I talked quietly in the garden for quite some time. For someone who was seen by most of the Vampire Nation as a conniving tyrant, he was nothing of the sort in his dealings with me. Warm, honest, and dare I say, loving are the words I would use to describe him. He didn't push the idea of Ben and I being a coven unto ourselves on me but rather gently led me to the conclusion. His manner of doing so reminded me a lot of Papa … perhaps it was due to the fact that both of them had aged wisdom in their favor.
As we continued to discuss the matter I shared my deepest misgivings about the idea. Namely that I continued to feel quite fluid about my place with both Ben's coven and Papa's family … I held no strong notion of belonging solely to one house or the other. Instead, I continued to feel more like the hub of some great wheel connecting and strengthen the bonds between all those that I loved; Ben to Carlisle, the Quileute Pack to the Carlisle's family, and the Volturi Lords to the wider Vampire Nation.
"I don't really understand these feelings Uncle; it all seems so hazy and mystical," I admitted to Uncle Aro, "Sometime it overwhelms me. Have you ever run across anyone else who has experienced this kind of thing?"
"I cannot say that I have," he sighed.
"I'm not insane … am I?"
This time he chuckled warmly, "I do not think so young one. I doubt you noticed it, but as you spoke of your feelings, I took your hand in mine. Through your words and our physical connection, I felt what you were describing. It is a force of almost gravitational proportions that exudes from you and binds the elements of your world together. It is a most unusual power indeed."
"Then how can I align myself with a single element of that world, to the exclusion of everything else." I asked him as I tried to imagine doing it; the thought of it nearly turned my immortal stomach inside out. "That just feels so … wrong."
"I am afraid, dear one, the best advice I have to offer comes from the pen of William Shakespeare: All the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players." He patted my knee affectionately as he spoke the words. "You will have to play your role dear child … and play it well too, if you wish to save yourself and your parents from destruction."
"I don't know if I can do it Papa," Sarah insisted from the shelter of Ben's strong arms. She returned to our apartments just shy of an hour ago and she bore the most unusual tidings. "I'm not sure that I can denounce you and Mama … no matter what Uncle Aro says."
"'Tis not a denunciation Milady," Benjamin soothed Sarah quietly. "You are simply acknowledging the fact that you and I … and of course Bart, represent an independent coven. This is not meant as slander against your mother and father and I'm certain they wouldn't view it as such."
I had to agree; the solution Aro proposed was both sound in its legality and true in its practice. Yet I could see in my daughter's face that it caused her considerable distress. In her there existed a boundless love that she freely and liberally shared with Benjamin, Bartholomew, Esme, me, her siblings, Billy Black, Jacob and Nessie, Abigail and the rest of the Quileute tribe, as well as Aro, Sulpicia, and Marcus. To commit an unloving act or to say an unkind word seemed to go completely against her nature.
"Kitten, no matter what words you have to speak before the High Council to secure your safety," Esme cooed, "your Father and I know the truth."
"I know Mama," she replied sadly, "but it still doesn't feel right."
"Your Mother is right Sarah," I told her as I watched nestle against Benjamin's chest for comfort, "Say whatever you must in order to secure your right to existence. We know the depth and breadth of your heart."
At precisely ten in the morning, word came to us that the High Council would convene in an hour's time to hear Sarah's case. Ben helped Sarah to ready herself while Esme and I got dress. Benjamin and I agreed earlier that it would be best for impartiality's sake not to wear the robes of our respective offices. Today, we were simply citizens of the Vampire Nation seeking justice from her ruling body.
When Jane arrived to escort us to the Council Chamber, we were as ready as we could be. We followed her in silence through the labyrinth of halls until we came to the massive oak doors that I knew so well.
"Jane," Sarah broke the silence just as Jane's hand brushed the door handle, "Will Uncle Aro, Uncle Marcus and … Caius, be here?" The names of her two uncles fell with great affection from her lips but her tone turned sour when she spoke of the third Volturi Lord.
"The Masters will be in attendance," she replied kindly, "but their roll is that or observers. All matters are to be settled by the Council."
We entered the chamber in reverent silence. The room itself always reminded me of the operating theaters commonly found in large 19th century teaching hospitals; semicircular shaped with a central stage surrounded by descending rows of theater like seats. The seat that I ordinarily occupied as Prolocutor remained vacant as I now stood in the center of the room with my wife, daughter, and son-in-law. Behind me, positioned on a dais and in full view of the assembled Council members were three gilded chairs … these represented the Volturi Lords. On most days when the High Council stood in session, the chairs remained empty as Aro and his brothers had better things to do that sit listening to Council debates. Today, however, the Lords joined the Council to hear our case.
"Order," Council Speaker Tobias called in his booming voice. One wouldn't think the man had such a commanding tone just from looking at him as he was quite unassuming. "Come to order, please." When the room fell silent, he turned his focus to me and those gathered with me. "Prolocutor Cullen, you ..."
"Speaker Tobias," I interrupted him as politely as I could, "I stand before this assembly, not as Prolocutor Cullen, but simply as Carlisle Cullen, a citizen of the Vampire Nation."
The room responded in a commotion of murmurs and raised eyebrows.
"Are you sure of this?" Tobias asked. He seemed to be a bit shocked himself.
"To do otherwise would imply that I and those with me expect to receive preferential treatment on account of my office," I insisted. "Under a proper rule of law, that would never do."
"As you wish … Carlisle Cullen," a faint approving smile turned up the corners of Tobias' mouth as he spoke. "We are here to determine if you violated the Code of Law by adding to the number of your coven members when you turned Sarah Cullen …"
"Excuse me," Sarah spoke up shyly. "I am Sarah Wiseman de Monte Virun … not Sarah Cullen."
"It would seem that I am unable to get anyone's name correct today," Tobias commented. He was slightly flustered, but his remarks coaxed a chuckle from the members of the Council.
"We are here to determine if, by returning Sarah de Monte Virun to her Vampire existence, you have violated the restriction on coven size," Tobias tried the introduction of the case again. "It is well established that your coven was one of a number of large covens over that excided the four member limit. It is also a well established fact that the High Council extended a grandfathered clause to those covens … including yours. At the time we offered this indulgence, the Council and the Volturi Lords made it clear that any grandfathered coven would not add new members to its number. What say you Carlisle in your defense?"
I took several moments to gather my thought before stepping forward to speak. "For those of you who are unaware, Sarah has a rather convoluted history. She was first made a vampire by a monstrous beast named Cane. He was an indiscriminate hunter who killed for the pleasure of it and flaunted the laws of the Volturi Court.
"My family and I took Sarah into our fold and guided her through her first newborn year. At the end of that year, she married her mate Benjamin de Monte Virun. She and Benjamin enjoyed six years of wedded bliss, during which time they and their son Bartholomew lived as an independent coven.
"A year ago, while on a trip to Peru, some rather strange events took place that changed Sarah from a vampire back into a human. Had she remained human, a mortal death would have taken her from us in one year's time. With much effort and diligent research I devised a way to re-transform her into a vampire.
"In doing so, I returned her to Benjamin's coven, not to mine. We had a great deal of contact with Sarah during this time; she is and ever shall be our daughter. However, she and Benjamin comprise their own coven with Ben as its leader. They do not fall under my direct authority."
"A most compelling story indeed," Councilor Schumer grunted from the far left side of the gallery, "but why did her mate not take charge of this … re-transformation?"
"If I may answer that," Ben spoke from behind me. When no one objected he continued, "I have never bitten a human for the sole purpose of making a newborn vampire out of them … every human I've bitten I've done so in order to feed. I did not trust myself not to kill my beloved in an accidental fit of blood lust. Carlisle, on the other hand, has much experience with changing humans. The choice was clear."
"A reasonable answer," Councilor Schumer concluded. "But now tell me, Benjamin," The elder German vampire continued, "do you fall under Carlisle's authority? Or are you, as he suggests, a coven leader in your own right?"
"We are old and dear friends," Ben answered honestly, "I respect his opinions and, indeed, I often seek his advice … but I am not subject to his authority. Sarah, Bartholomew, and I are our own independent coven."
"Well, I can't speak for my fellow Councilors, but I am satisfied."
A murmur of agreement rose from the assembly and for a single moment I entertained the notion that all was said and done. That happy moment ended abruptly when Caius exploded to his feet.
"Ask the girl to whom she belongs," Caius insisted in a venomous tone, "Let us hear from her own lips which coven she is party to!"
I watched with ill ease as all eyes now turned to Sarah.
I couldn't see them as they glared at me, but I could feel each and every set of eyes as they came to rest on me. It was as if a thousand tons on stone had suddenly been dropped on me; I couldn't move and I found it suddenly difficult to force air in and out of my lungs. Like the deer that we hunted in the forests around our home; I was frightened and I wanted to bolt for the nearest exit and run until I felt the danger was long behind me. But I couldn't run … all I could do was stand there like an idiot before the assembled Council members.
God help me, I pleaded mentally … what was I to say? But just when I thought my anxiety would get the better of me, a soft yet confident purring rose up within me and echoed through every corner of my mind.
"Be at peace child," my Lion's voice flooded me, calming my anxious spirit, "you are mine and I am yours."
My thoughts still reeled as I tried to gather them into a coherent response, but with my Lion's words, my heart was no longer troubled. My mind returned to the conversation that I had with Uncle Aro the previous evening; how I felt as if I existed to be a unifying force between the various people and ideologies in my world rather that a static fixture. It would be a simple matter to answer Caius' angry word with a contrived response; yes I belong to Benjamin's coven. The matter would be settled before the Volturi Court and the High Council. But it would be a half truth bordering on a lie.
"First and foremost," I began as a sense of calm suffused me, "I belong to The Creator; I am His and He is mine."
"You see," Caius seized on my words before I could continue, "from her own lips she admits to belonging to Carlisle's coven. The matter is settled!"
My sense of calm shifted to indignation as Caius twisted my words. When I spoke of The Creator, I referred, of course, to God not to Papa. A familiar growl rumbling from deep within me and it gave me the courage to speak out against Caius.
"Excuse me, but I was under the impression that I had the floor," I rebuked the hateful Volturi Lord in a confident yet respectful tone. "Perhaps if you spoke less and listened more, you might find some measure of wisdom with which to temper your impassioned hatred."
"How dare you reprimand me," Caius roared in anger, the raging forest fire that colored his voice in my ears reached inferno like proportions.
"Sit down and be silent, Caius," Uncle Marcus ordered sternly, "You were the one who insisted on hearing the girls testimony, so let her speak." After a few tense moments, I heard Caius plop down in his chair. Uncle Marcus addressed me then, "please continue child."
"The Creator I refer to is God Almighty, not Papa," I corrected. "I next belong to The Volturi Court and its three noble Lords. I belong to this High Council as well, and to my brethren of The Vampire Nation. I belong also to my husband, Benjamin, and to my son Bartholomew. I next belong to my parents Carlisle and Esme, and to my siblings. I belong to Elder Billy Black, and to Jacob and Nessie, and to the Quileute Pack and to the Quileute Nation and to all the First Peoples. I belong Zafrina and her sisters and to Siobhan, Liam, and Maggie. I belong to all those who call me friend and who offer me their aid and comfort and who accept mine in return. And lastly, I belong to myself." I paused for a moment before adding my summation, "All this, from Heaven to Earth and from Volterra to Hope's Keep, this is my world … this is my coven."
"That's impossible," Caius sneered. "You're lying to save your miserable existence."
"Be silent Caius," Aro warned his brother in a dangerous tone. When the raging forest fire said nothing further, Uncle Aro addressed me in the tender voice I came to expect from him, "Dear one, I am afraid I cannot allow you to, as the humans say, ride the fence, on this matter. A definitive answer is required."
"Wait," Uncle Marcus spoke in his usual soft tone, I could almost feel the gently breeze that echoed in his voice. I heard his chair creek as he stood, "May I approach you child?"
I nodded, though I had no idea what Uncle Marcus was up to.
"Aro isn't the only gifted one among the Volturi Lords," he informed me as I listened to him approach me at human speed. "Although it isn't as flashy as Aro's gift, my own ability does have its uses."
"What is your gift, Uncle," I asked as I held out my hand and waited for him to take it.
"It does not require physical contacted, child," he dismissed my outstretched hand politely. "My gift lets me see the relationships that exist between individuals. This is quite useful when sorting out questions of who belongs to whom. I watched you through the eyes of my gift as you spoke with such passion and eloquence about your coven affiliations."
"And," Caius insisted, impatience practically oozed from him as he spoke.
To Uncle Marcus' credit, he remained true to his usual calm and deliberate self; he answered the question in his own time.
"And …" Uncle Marcus began slowly, "never in my lengthy existence have I ever seen anything like Sarah. There is a glowing thread of intense energy that exudes from the top of her head and ascends towards the heavens, where it disappears beyond sight. This glowing thread of energy pulsates like the beating of a tireless heart and it creates an aura around her. From this aura, more threads extend. Many of those are connected to individuals in this room; to Benjamin, to Carlisle and Esme, to Tobias and to Jane, to Aro and me, just to name a few. Most of them however, extend outwards and beyond the walls of this place to, I suspect, connect to others that Sarah holds near and dear. It is … most unusual … and quite beautiful."
Murmurs rose from the assembled Council members as they discussed Marcus' insightful description. It matched, in many ways, what Uncle Aro felt as a 'force' connecting me to all that I loved. If Uncle Aro felt it and Uncle Marcus could see it … then surly I wasn't crazy … my coven encompassed all the elements of my world.
"So whose coven does she belong to," the static voiced Tobias asked, "Benjamin's or Carlisle's?"
"She belongs to both," Uncle Marcus answered, "and to neither." I could hear a mixture of delight and confusion in the whispering breeze of his voice. "She shares herself equally between the two with no cause for distinction. In fact, from what I can see, she is as much a part of the Volturi as she is Benjamin's coven or Carlisle's family."
"Perhaps that is your answer," Papa provided thoughtfully. "The only thing that Sarah has ever truly wanted is a family … a family to love and to be loved by. Now she has that … and so much more besides."
Another round of murmurs went up from the council members. When they quieted down again, Tobias spoke.
"The High Council will now deliberate on the testimony that it has heard. In the mean time Carlisle, Esme, Sarah, and Benjamin will continue to enjoy the hospitality of the Volturi Court. This session now stands adjourned."