I heard near soundless footsteps coming back up the stairs, so I looked up to see Corin ascending to the landing. When she reached it, she sat down beside me before speaking. "You are Liliana, correct?"

I nodded. "I prefer Lia."

"I'm Corin. We didn't have a chance to be properly introduced yet. I am glad to finally meet you. The coven has been speaking of you since Demetri mentioned your arrival in Volterra." I did not reply to her seeing as I did not really have anything to say, so she went on. "I know Aro can be hard to understand, but he does mean well."

"I can see that he's trying," I replied, finding that I did mean it, "but it's not working. It's not going to work. I'm not happy here. I don't like being controlled, told what I can and can't do. I can never forgive him for what he did, no matter how much he wishes it."

"It really is not all that bad here. You know, with time, maybe he will allow you to do more. He wants to protect you. We are vampires after all, and your blood is a scent we're not accustomed to. Mistakes can happen. It is best if we get to know you before you go on your own, at least while he decides to keep you human."

Corin of course was right. It really was not that bad here at the Palazzo. Aro had things set up nicely for me, and I did get to leave the room when accompanied. I did not have a death wish and would hate to be asking for one of them to accidentally kill me. Plus, Aro would most likely give me anything he could if I would ask. He cared about me. No, maybe it was not a nightmare like I was making it out to be at all.

I smiled at her. "You're right. I don't know why I've been so upset over all of this. Besides, it's not as if I knew my grandparents that well to begin with. I don't know why it had bothered me or made me angry with him. No, he did what he had to do, and I need to be okay with that."

"Of course, you do," Corin replied.

I felt warm as the two of us talked, questioning all the negative feelings I had towards Aro, Demetri and this place. Aro was trying to keep me safe. I should be content with that, so I was. I told Corin that even Demetri was playing his part, and I could not despise him for that either. He was following orders, and those orders were given for a very important reason. What was that reason again? To keep me safe?

It did not matter. I felt as if I wanted to apologize to him for yelling at him the previous evening. I made a note of it in my mind to do so when I saw him later. He deserved that.

Soon, the door below us opened and Chelsea appeared on the stairwell and came up halfway. She and Corin exchanged pleasant words before Chelsea said that we should go back downstairs. I said goodbye to Corin and thanked her for talking to me before following Chelsea down into the small library below. "You haven't had any breakfast yet, so we'll go to the kitchen so you can make something. Aro will be preoccupied for a while."

As we walked further away from the library and to the elevator, I started to feel some of the resentment come back. I had to second guess myself again. I absolutely should be angry and furiated at what Aro has done. How could I ever be okay with that?

"Is something wrong?"

I looked up at Chelsea. "I don't know. I thought I was okay and suddenly now, you mention his name, and I can't not hate what he's done. I don't care if he's trying to protect me. I don't need protection. And how am I supposed to trust him at all after all of this?"

She frowned before answering. "I have known Aro for millenia. He has always done what he thought was best. He is demanding and controlling at times, yes, but he is also very passionate about those he surrounds himself with. He does not choose his companions lightly, and you are much more than a simple companion to him."

We reached the kitchen, and I thought about what Chelsea said while making a small bowl of cereal. I sat down across from her at the table but had no appetite to eat. "You must know a lot about him then."

"I do," Chelsea replied. "Did he tell you why he formed the coven?"

"Something about keeping humans as well as vampires safe."

"It is much easier to live peacefully when those who would hunt you believe you cease to exist. Though there are some cultures who still believe in the stories of the vampire, most now think of it to be stories of myth and folklore. Were you aware that even pop culture has their own version of vampires?"

"I read Dracula many years ago, so yes."

"You should have Aro tell you more about that. I think you may find what he has to say interesting."

She was probably right. After all, Aro was not a terrible person. He had been kind to me thus far and maybe I should talk to him more and get to know him. After all, we were fated for things to happen in the near future. I was attracted to him, wasn't I? Somewhat? His voice was almost light and feathery though spoke no nonsense, and that was admirable. "Yes, I will ask him more about it. I do want to learn more about the stories he has to tell. I have to admit, he does fascinate me to some extent. After living for so long, I can't imagine what all he has seen."

"He has seen a lot of war and a lot of human mistakes. He learns from these. I cannot say he thinks highly of most humans, but can you blame him after seeing the mistakes they have made year after year, century after century?"

"No, I guess I can't. It would be frustrating to watch and not be able to do anything. Still, that doesn't excuse the mistakes he has made himself, does it?"

"Aro is still learning, as are we all."

"Can you tell me something? You worked closely with my grandfather. Aro says that he was aware of everything. Was he really okay with all of this? Was he okay with knowing what Aro wanted from me?"

Chelsea gave me a soft smile, and I could not look away from her face that simply glowed. "He was. He had hoped that you would be able to accept it all, but he did have concern for how you would take the truth when you found it out."

"I believe you, but even with everything, I still feel stuck." I looked down at my cereal that I had barely touched except for a couple bites at this point and sighed. "I really don't want this right now."

"That's okay. You can always grab something later if you get hungry then. You only need to ask."

"Right. I have to even ask to eat now, and that's somehow okay to all of you."

"I know it's hard right now," Chelsea said looking me in the eyes. "But please understand that Aro only has it this way for now to make sure that you are not harmed. He is scared of losing you again."

Something shifted inside me, and I understood her meaning. I would talk to Aro about it more. I wanted to get to know him more. Still, that did not change the fact that I wanted to find a way to escape this place. "Can you take me back to the room?"

"Of course. I'm sure Aro is ready for you to return."

Her words caused my heart to jump, and I realized that I did really want to see him, too.

A/N: Wow! Thank you for the reviews I woke up to. They really made my day and encouraged me to get this next chapter out even though I was working on my original novel all day! It is now 2:30am, and I hope this chapter left you well. All I know is that some things are about to go down, so put on your seat belts and get ready for the ride.

Always review! I always reply.