AN: Hello! I know I just posted chapter 1, but I got quite a few favourites and follows and chapter 2 was already ready, so I figured why not just put it up!

Before the story, however, I wanted to address a concern I got and this will be the only time I will be doing it, just in case anyone else had concerns about it. The concern was about the sexual content in this story, and this individual even cited the guidelines during this. Like seriously, can you say loser? Kidding!

But in all seriousness, there are stories on here that go into explicit detail, and honestly I doubt I'll be going that detailed. That said, you can have sexual content without explicit sex scenes, as there can still be an obvious hint to what might happen between two characters. Read or don't read, no one is forcing you one way or another.

On with the story!

Chapter 2: His Humble Sanctuary

We were led into the throne room, which had been transformed into a grand ballroom. Chandeliers glittered above, elaborate paintings framed the walls, and couples danced to their heart's content in the main space. We skirted around the edge of the room, watching the festivities.

Refreshment tables were set up along one side, half covered with goblets of blood and the other covered with an assortment of alcohol. I can certainly remember my delight when I learned vampires could drink alcohol, especially since it helped keep the cravings at bay.

There was a small, almost insignificant amount of animal blood available.

In his invitation, Aro had promised there would be some animal blood, and it was nice to see he kept his word.

My eyes flitted to the three thrones, finding the three kings lounging on them. As if knowing I would look, deep red eyes met mine, framed on a pale face, black hair falling loosely. His stare burned into me and I turned away with a jolt.

I stepped closer to Edward, my hand tightening on his arm. He looked down with a smile, and then bent and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

We might not be in love anymore, but I know without a doubt that he would be there to protect me.

"Freaked you out too, huh?" he murmured.

In a moment, I nodded, but before I could say a word, another voice greeted, "good evening. I am so pleased you were all able to come."

My body stiffened, but I turned to find Aro shaking Carlisle's hand, and then moving on to kiss the back of Esme's hand. He was moving through all of us, and although his lips were moving, I couldn't hear the words. He spoke to each person, and it was for their ears alone.

It was only when he reached Edward that I could hear more than the murmur of voices.

"It's always a pleasure, young Edward," Aro said, grasping Edward's hand and giving it a hard shake. Then his already wide smile widened. "Alas, trouble in paradise?"

With a growl, Edward ripped his hand from Aro's and stared him down, a nasty glare settling over his otherwise perfect features.

Aro merely chuckled and moved onto me, his eyes lighting up once he stood in front of me. "It has been much too long, bella donna." He grasped my hand and lifted it to his lips, placing a tender kiss to the back of it, all the while never letting his eyes drift from mine. When he returned my hand, he sighed. "How unfortunate. Still nothing."

I giggled and gave him a small smile. "No luck?"

"No, you are still a mystery," he murmured. Then he straightened and sent me a quick wink. "I must greet my other guests, but I would appreciate your company later on."

Wait, what?

I looked after Aro, but he had already moved onto another group. Surely that didn't mean what my mind first went to. It was a pickup line, albeit spoken much more formally, but this was Aro. He was an ancient vampire and probably didn't even know what a pickup line was.

When Aro was finally far enough, Edward turned on me. "What the hell was that?"

"Excuse me?" I asked, lifting my eyes to his enraged ones.

"You were practically flirting with him," he accused.

If I was still human, my cheeks would have flamed at that accusation. As a vampire, on the other hand, all I did was glare at him, my face a chilled mask.

"I wasn't flirting. Besides, who are you to lecture me on inappropriate behaviour? You're the one screwing other women," I shot back.

He growled. "Say that louder, why don't you?"

"Oh please, as if he didn't already see it in your mind," I retorted.

He rolled his eyes. "What happened to our united front?"

"It's gone, just like anything I ever felt for you."

I turned on my heel and made my way to the refreshment table. Mixing a drink equal parts animal blood and vodka, I surveyed the room. It seems like I wasn't the only one to leave my spot. Alice and Jasper joined the dancers, twirling in and out of the masses. Edward seemed to vanish as well.

My gaze flickered to the thrones and, although Aro was still playing host and mingling, I had the attention of another vampire king. His darkened features watched me, likely using his gift to read the lines of my relationships.

I scowled at Marcus and turned away, only for my eyes to finally find Edward. As soon as I laid my eyes on him, I scoffed. Of course he searched her out as soon as he could, just waiting for me to leave his side.

Tanya of the Denali Coven.

Granted, it could have been Maggie of the Irish Coven, or Catherine of the Northern Canadian Coven. It could have been any woman. Apparently the only one he didn't fall for was me. None of them had the human appeal he once loved, and having never seen it in them seemed to be an advantage.

But no, it was Tanya, and she was as beautiful as ever in her black sheath dress, a slit going up her leg, ending at her mid-thigh. Her molten eyes were focused on Edward, and Edward alone.

"Hello, Isabella."

I glanced to my right, toward the voice. Demetri stood there, hands in his pockets and a smile on his lips.

I smiled. "Just Bella."

Demetri chuckled and told me, "You look beautiful. Care for a dance?"

Was Demetri flirting with me? No, he had to know I was still with Edward, even if we were having problems. He probably saw me here alone and decided to be polite. That was the one benefit of the age of most of these vampires.

Chivalry might be dead, but so are they.

So I smiled and said, "Sure, though you should know I'm still not a very good dancer."

"Only one way to improve," he said, grasping my hand and pulling me into the masses. Demetri held me closely and led me through the dance. "See? You're not that bad."

"Maybe." I laughed.

He smiled. "He's right, your husband is a moron. As soon as you're away from him, you can smile and laugh again."

I froze, taking in the full force of his words. This wasn't fully Demetri's doing. He was only testing, trying to see what the truth is.

"He? He, who?" I asked quietly.

As the song ended, Demetri smiled and let go of me. "He is why I wouldn't dare make a move on you, no matter how tempted I am."

Demetri left me, and I was left to scan the room quickly, but I couldn't see anyone watching me. With a huff, I went back to the sidelines. Clearly this was someone who Demetri was intimidated by, and that only left a few options.

Three, to be exact.

After a few more dances with men I didn't previously know, I drifted to the door and slipped out. Thankfully Jane and Alec weren't guarding it like they were when I first came, so I could slip away for some fresh air. I was left to myself to wander the hallways.

Turns out, being left on my own wasn't a good place to be; I was lost within ten minutes. With how large this castle was, I couldn't really be blamed. Every hallway looked the same as the last. Maybe I could track my way back to the throne room, going off the smell of people, and the blood.

With a huff, I stopped walking and went to a window instead. I rested my hands on the cool stones of the ledge and stared out. From here, I could see to the very edge of Volterra, and the stars shining above. Something about this city seemed so peaceful at night.

Sometime before it was time to return home, I would need to explore the city at night. Even deep into the night, I could hear the soft melody of street musicians. It was gentle, singular, and I knew it couldn't just be the music from the throne room.

A chuckle sounded from behind me. "You know, this area is off-limits."

I spun around, eyes widening as I took in Aro standing no more than four feet away. I hadn't even heard him approach. He had an easy, carefree smile on, but then I processed his words.

"I… I didn't realize," I stammered out, and backed up until my back hit the stone ledge.

He waved my concern away. "No harm done."

"Well, um, I should probably get back," I said, trying to weasel my way out of this situation.

As I tried to walk off, Aro grasped my hand and pulled me back. I stumbled against his chest, and his other arm took the opportunity to wrap around my waist. He held me closer and gave me little choice but to look up at him. My hands were splayed across his chest, keeping as much distance as I could, which really wasn't much. Though his eyes danced with enjoyment, there had to be some ulterior motive. This was Aro!

If I was still human, my heart would have been pounding in my chest like a ticking time bomb. Even now, my unneeded breath came out in uneven bursts. His arm around my waist burned into my body, and I couldn't deny that he knew how to hold a lady. His free hand, now that it wasn't holding my hand, found a spot nestled in my hair, fingers brushing along the nape of my neck.

"What's the rush?" he murmured, his heated gaze bearing down on me.

I looked down, unable to keep looking into those eyes. "Please, let me go, Aro."

"Why?" he pondered, his soft, prodding voice acting as the devil on my shoulder. "Is there someone you love?"

I couldn't speak.

I truly couldn't speak.

What could I tell him? That I loved Edward? That was a lie, and we both knew it. Everything I loved about Edward disappeared with my humanity. Edward was still my husband though, even if we were having problems. No matter what, we were still married.

Maybe he could do this to me, but I couldn't do this to him.

As Aro' arm around me shifted, his fingers spreading and feeling the curves of my hip, I croaked out, "I'm married."

"To a man you do not love," he whispered, breath at my ear.

Gosh, when did he move? A gush of air leaves me at the feeling of his lips brushing against my ear. I flinch away and shift in his arms, but all that does is make him chuckle.

His fingers in my hair curl, holding me still as he pressed a light kiss along the side of my temple. Despite everything, a small sigh leaves my lips. This man cannot just let things be, not as he pressed another kiss to my cheek.

I tried to push away. "Aro, stop, please."

"I hate how he treats you," he admitted, and just like that my struggling stopped. "I saw it. He tried to pull away quickly, but I saw it."

Unable to stop myself, I looked down, clenching my eyes shut. Every dismissive glance, hook-up, and fight flashed through my mind immediately. With Edward, there was only ever a struggle. Through my humanity, we struggled because of our differences, and in my immortality we struggled with my loss of humanity.

I could only imagine what Aro saw. Out of these past five years, there were countless bad memories he could have latched onto.

Wordlessly, Aro let me go, submitting to only grabbing my hand. He led me down the hallway and through one of the doors. We entered into a grand room with bookcases lining the walls and a sitting area near a fireplace. Aro bypassed it all, leading me through another door that led to a bedroom.

Cue: my nerves.

"Aro," I said warily.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Have a seat."

With only a little bit of uncertainty, I let go of his hand and propped myself on his bed, legs dangling off I watched as he approached and sat next to me.

"So this is the great Aro Volturi's bedroom," I said appraisingly.

He chuckled. "Yes, this is my humble sanctuary."

I snorted.

What was humble about this room?

The room was massive, much like everything else in this place. Heavy maroon drapes covered the wide windows that took over the entire wall. There was another door, which must have led to the bathroom, and double doors that were slightly ajar, revealing a walk-in closet. A long dark wood dresser was pushed against another wall, with trinkets lining the top of it.

Then there was the bed we sat on, and my source of anxiety. King-sized and comfortable, and perfect for… well, not for sleeping.

I bit my lip at the thought.

"I would not force you," Aro said. He brought a hand up and traced the thin strap along my shoulder. "I merely thought you might want to feel appreciated for once."

My breath caught.

He was right, wasn't he? Edward didn't appreciate me, and even when we were intimate, he didn't make me feel appreciated. It was always like he could have been with any other woman and it would be the exact same for him. Frankly, he was probably with other women more than he was with me.

Aro was taking advantage of my misery, but he also would make me feel appreciated. It wasn't just from his words, but also how he held me earlier, like I was someone to be cherished. I was well aware that he probably was doing this to get under Edward's skin, but that didn't bother me as much as it probably should have. In fact, perhaps Aro and I could use each other.

"I do want that," I said.

Aro shifted his body, turning it toward me more, and his hand at my shoulder found its way into my curls. My breath came out fast at the contact, but I didn't dare close my eyes and risk missing this.

His mouth slanted over mine.

AN: I hope you enjoyed chapter 2 and enjoyed the appearance of Aro. Let me know your thoughts on his motives! Has he always been interested in Bella, is this just a ploy like she initially thinks? Let me know your thoughts on that, or any other part of the chapter. I also wanted to mention that I'll be responding to some reviews going forward. Always interested to hear your thoughts :)

For any Italian words I'll be sure to put the translation here in any chapters they're used (though likely we all know them from other Volturi fics).

Bella donna = beautiful woman

Love, MissTwilightWriter