With her heels clapping on the tile floor, Saphira walked towards the throne room with Caius by her side. He was holding her hand and she felt it was a bit of a bad idea. He was so tense that his hand was holding hers quite firmly and it was just on the verge of pain. She figured in certain moments the vampires would forget their own strength and she would have to be careful, but at the moment she did understand Caius was worried. Especially since they thought they only had to deal with their previous lovers in regards to keeping her safe, but now two other vampires seemed to be now threatening them and that was perhaps is what has him worried. Saphira had not made up her mind yet on whether she would become a vampire or not, as she wanted to spend many days with them as a human as possible. Jane and Chelsea greeted them at the doors to the throne room and opened them for their queen and king. Saphira saw Aro holding the letter in his hands and Marcus looking at it over his shoulder. Caius lets go of Saphira's hand to stride over quickly to read the letter. Saphira moved over and stood in front of them as they look over the letter.

"This letter isn't all that threatening, they have written this type of letter before," Marcus said as he read the letter carefully.

Caius nods are a few minutes of reading. "I agree…I think Saphira could see it since this is just a simple letter."

Aro looked at Saphira who had her hands on her hips, looking at him expectedly. "Do you really want to read this?" Saphira nods. "Very well, but note they have sent these letters before so this might now be that much of a worry."

Saphira smiled. "You can't be too sure though," She said as she took the letter from Aro and turned it around to read it. The paper the letter was written on seemed to be a bit thick, though she didn't care for it at the moment.

There let reads:

Dear Volturi,

We are so very glad that you have finally found your mate. We find it amusing you all have a single mate, and not a mate for each of you, but it seems fate must have had a funny idea for you three. But it is even more amusing of the length of time that it has taken for you to even find this girl, and now that you have we would like to meet our queen soon. We have heard that she is not yet a vampire, so if we have a bite to eat with her body, do not be mad as we are simply doing what a vampire does when they are hungry.

We have already seen her from a distance, and we can see why you have fallen for her beauty. But her beauty will not stop us from taking revenge on you. While she has not had any involvement for the past, we do not care. We have found some new friends and we look forward to meeting your mate officially.

Vladimir and Stefan

Saphira read over the letter a few times, there was not anything odd about the letter, but she did wonder what they meant that they have seen her from a distance. She tapped her nail at the edge of the letter when she felt a flap. She glanced over, and saw there was a small gap with something inside. The kings were surprised she seemed to find something that they missed, but watched as Saphira tipped the letter slightly and she could see what looked like a photo coming out. But when the photo slipped out slightly, she felt her heart almost leap out of her chest. It was a photo of her parents' gravestones with the roses she had left behind. She pulled it out and there was a second photo, and she felt goose bumps over her skin, making her shudder. The second photo was of her car completely totalled from Riley. It was empty, but she felt this letter was definitely a bigger threat then what the kings thought. Saphira stared at the photos, only taking her gaze away when she felt a hand over hers and looking up to see Aro next to her. He had seen the photos and he was angry, she could feel it. But he looked at her and hugged her, Saphira didn't even realize she was trembling until she was against him.

"We did not see that, we were too focused on the writing itself," Aro said gently. "I'm…I'm sorry that you had to find those il mio amore, if I had seen them I would have only let you see the writing." Saphira said nothing as she felt angry, scared and sad as the photos brought up many feelings of the past.

"I told you we should take this more seriously," Caius said, growling softly under his breath.

Marcus frowned at Caius. "You are right, but we need to get more information now. We cannot jump to rash decisions."

"You're right Marcus," Saphira said, her voice sounded small and fragile due to how she was feeling. "We can't respond to those vampires with retaliation. I know you want to Caius, but they might want that. With you and the guard out of the castle, I'm left here vulnerable and they might be hoping for that."

Aro kissed her forehead gently. "Try not to worry about this today Saphira, go and relax," He said sweetly. "Allow us to discuss the next plan of action, and we will come to you for some more opinion later. I can tell you need to have time to think and relax. Go into the enclave and let your mind go blank." He kisses her again and Saphira smiled, the kings had beautiful ways of making her feel better.

"I shall try," Saphira said, moving away from him.

"Do you wish for my company?" Jane asked gently with a kind expression.

"No thanks…I actually would rather be alone for the moment," Saphira said as she walked towards the doors.

The vampires respected her decision as Saphira left the throne room. She was still a mix of emotions as she walked down the hallway. The enclave didn't seem so attractive right now. She forgot that she was hungry as she decided to head out into the garden. She had not yet actually been out to the garden to look at it properly yet so this was a good time. It was a huge garden in the private courtyard of the castle, the kings would be able to come out here in the sun with little worry about being seen, though they still may unlikely do so out of habit of keeping inside from the sunlight. Saphira looked over the rose garden, smelling them gently as she walked along the stone path towards the large fountain at the heart of the garden. It was a beautiful found, it was a flower shaped fountain with two dolphins either side of the middle column of the fountain and there were red floral shaped fountain spouts in the bottom of the fountain. It was beautiful and Saphira sat beside it, feeling droplets of water fall on her skin and hair. It was just what she needed to try and calm her emotions. She went over the photos that were sent in the letter to them, that meant that Stefan and Vladimir were in Forks at some point when she was there. And they must have found out who she was by observation or was told by someone who was close to the Volturi and were telling them this information. Saphira guessed it was Athenodora and Sulpicia telling them the information and these vampires were able to hang around Forks without being discovered by the guard. They clearly were very clever, and that was dangerous alone. Saphira didn't feel too comforted by that, but she knew that if they were caught, they would be punished severely, and probably put to death to ensure that Saphira was safe from these vampires. She did have confidence that the kings and guard would be able to bring justice and punish these vampires, but she knew that she also could not be too careful. But she was mostly angry about the fact these vampires had the nerve to take a photo of her parents' resting place and send it to her, that hurt they were being used as part of a threat and she was not going to let that go. There was no law in for vampires not to do that, but it was a threat to her and that was a punishable offence. She knew that.

"Well, well, taking retreat in the garden I see," An unfamiliar voice made Saphira straighten and look around. She stopped as she spotted a blonde female vampire standing in the shape of a willow tree. "It's nice to finally meet you, your highness."

Saphira was tense as she glared at the woman. "Athenodora? What are you doing here?" She demands. "You are not allowed to be here."

"Calm your nerves, I am not here to do anything to you," She responds with a smirk. "I am actually here to warn you."

"Warn me? Pfft, like I'll believe you!" Saphira snapped with a roll of her eyes.

"But you will listen anyway," Athenodora. "Actually I should thank you for taking the kings from us. We have never been more free."

"What do you mean?" Saphira frowned as she was surprised by the response.

She chuckled slowly. "Oh, they didn't tell you? Didn't you know that Sulpicia and I were more like prisoners then lovers in that castle because of Aro' concern about our loyalty. He used Chelsea to keep us content, and we were fools to even want to be queens after all these years."

Saphira wasn't sure what she was hearing was true. "You must have done something in order for them to keep you safe from the world."

"It's not something that we did, it is something that Didyme did all those years ago," Athenodora responds with a shrug.

She tilts her head as she had never heard of Didyme before. "I've never heard of her."

"Of course you haven't, why would you after what Aro did to her? She is Aro's younger sister and former lover of Marcus, she and Marcus were deeply in love many years ago and they were going to go against Aro's plans, but Aro found out and killed his younger sister."

Saphira could not believe what she was hearing, Aro would have told her already and she knew it. "I don't believe you."

"Of course you don't, you are firmly bonded with those three that you can't believe they would do something so heinous against one of their own flesh and blood," Athenodora said sincerely. "But my warning to you is, don't do anything that goes against Aro. He will kill you just like he did his sister. That is why myself and Sulpicia became prisoners in that castle, because he wanted to make sure we did not go against him either."

Saphira shook her head and stared at the water, feeling her heart ache as she heard these words. "I…I don't believe you."

The vampire laughed. "You should at least ask who she is. You might be surprised by the answer, don't say that I did not warn you. Being queen isn't all as glamorous as you think it is."

Saphira looked up and saw that Athenodora had gone. Saphira was not sure if she should believe that vampire as she was jealous of Saphira, but those words about Aro's sister was something she could not believe. But she was now curious about who Didyme was, and she may as well ask Aro when she sees him next. But she didn't want to go back to the castle for the moment, she made her way to a swing behind the fountain, facing towards a stone gazebo with climbing vines around the columns. She sat down and gently moved her legs to swing gently as she thought over what she has learned today. She no longer could have these days off as her relaxing days as this just has made it impossible. Saphira sat on the swing, staring at the gazebo with her mind going over everything, she didn't even notice the time going by as when the cool night breeze blew through her hair and made her shiver. She blinked and looked up at the moon rising over the castle walls, the stars were beautiful tonight, but she did not feel like it was beautiful. She heard someone walking up behind her and sigh, it was Aro. She didn't turn to him as he moved around and sat next to her.

"Saphira," He said gently. "I brought you some food, you have no eaten all day and I'm worried about you."

Saphira looked to his lap, seeing a tray with cheese, crackers and fruit. She smiled slightly. "Thank you," She said, grabbing a cracker and cheese to eat. "I honestly have not noticed."

"It would seem so, those photos shook you to your core," He smiled gently.

She breathed deeply, looking up at the moon. "That is not all."

The vampire frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Athenodora was in the garden today."

She felt Aro tense. "Was she?! Why didn't you come in?"

"She didn't do anything other then speak to me," Saphira explained calmly. "I have a question that she has put into my mind."

"Don't listen to her, she is jealous of you," Aro said, brushing a strand of hair from Saphira's face and tucking it behind her ear. "You should have come to tell us, she violated our home."

"Who is Didyme?" Saphira asked, looking at Aro to see his surprised and fearful expression. "Was she your sister?"

Aro didn't know how to respond. "She told you?"

"Is it true? Did you kill Didyme because she went against you?" Saphira insisted, she wanted to know if it was true.

He looked away in shame, and that was the answer Saphira needed. "Yes…I didn't want to tell you about her."

"But why Aro?" Saphira whispered, Aro flinched as the whisper was of sadness and fear.

"I…I was a greedy, power hungry vampire when I was young," Aro explained. "Didyme is my younger sister and I turned her sometime after I became a vampire. Her gift wasn't that grand, but she made people around her very happy. It was when she and Marcus planned to leave the Volturi, that I decided to remove her to stop trouble against me."

Saphira could not believe what she was hearing. Aro was admitting to killing his own sister. "Didn't you love her?"

Aro turned to her. "Of course I did, but I saw her as a problem then and…I deeply regret it. I didn't regret this until I yearned for a real mate, and I realized how wrong I was. She was given a proper burial instead of just a burning…her grave is at the bottom of the castle and I go there often. You must believe me, I didn't want to tell you because I worried that…"

"That I would fear I would die by your hand for disobeying you?"

He was shocked when Saphira interrupted and filled in what he said. "Yes. But you don't need to worry, you're queen and you are allowed to disagree. I think it was good that we did not meet you earlier, we had to mature and learn from our mistakes. If you were here when Didyme was here, you might have been in more danger then you are now."

Saphira breathed deeply. "And did you essentially make Sulpicia and Athenodora prisoners?"

"Is that how they saw it?" He asked in surprise. "Well, no. We kept them protected, because we didn't want them to be harmed. We had Chelsea keep them content, but I guess I can see how they felt like that. But you are free to roam if you wish."

Saphira took a bite of the cheese and cracker, thinking over what he had said. She looked at him with weary eyes. "You do understand that I…I need to know everything about your past? I don't want Athenodora or Sulpicia to come here and put these worries in my mind without you telling me first."

"I do, and I am so sorry," Aro said sorrowfully. "If I could cry, I would be right now. Athenodora had no right to tell you. If you are more afraid of me now, I understand and I am sorry that you are. It isn't your fault."

Saphira swallowed and grabbed another cracker and cheese. "I'm not afraid of you, I am more upset about those photos then I am about Didyme."

"Especially about your parents right?" He asked. Saphira nodded. "We are furious about that too, but we aren't going to strike out at them."

"So what did you discuss?" Saphira asked softly.

Aro smiled at her. "Eat first, and then we can go inside to talk to Marcus and Caius. They felt that only I should come out to you at the moment."

She could not help but chuckle. The kings were too courteous sometimes, but she loved it. It just was too adorable. She moved over to lean against him, which Aro was relieved about as he worried she would not touch him anymore.

"Thank you for being honest Aro…I would have loved to meet your little sister," Saphira said softly.

"I am sure, though she might have been angry at you for stealing Marcus," Aro responds. "And yes, I eventually told him what I did. He has not actually forgiven me for it, and I don't blame him. He still hasn't even with you here."

"I don't even think you've forgiven yourself for it, so how can he?"

"You're right," Aro nods, kissing the top of Saphira's head. "Thank you for…for not running away. It's not an easy memory to tell. But if you want to feel more at ease, I can take you down to her grave."

"I would like that, so I can bring a gift to her and acknowledge her," Saphira smiled, eating some more of the food. "And it would take a lot more to make me want to flee. I could not leave here now because I am home here."

Aro was pleased to hearing this. He noticed that Saphira was shivering, though she didn't seem to notice. "I think we should go inside, you're cold."

Saphira looked down at her arms to see goose bumps. She chuckled and looked at him. "Yes you're right, I could go for some hot chocolate right now."

"Sounds like a plan," Aro said as he stood up and held his hand out for Saphira to take.

She gladly took it and walked with him through the garden to the castle. "Il mio cuore ti appartiene sempre," Saphira said sweetly as she grabbed some grapes off the tray to eat.

Aro lifts her hand gently to kiss. "E anche il mio, ora e per sempre."

Translation:

il mio amore: my love

Il mio cuore ti appartiene sempre: My heart belongs to you always

E anche il mio, ora e per sempre: And so does mine, now and forever.