Alec left me after escorting me back to Aro's quarters. I stood there at the door, fighting the urge to not go in, simply because I knew I would have to eventually. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door slowly and stepped inside. Aro was seated at his desk and glanced up at my entrance before returning to his writing. That was fine. I had no desire to speak with him anyway.

I made my way over to the bedroom door, opened it, and went inside. Watching the sunrise with Alec had been helpful. It took me out of the downward spiral I had been falling into for a while. It allowed me to forget momentarily, but now that I had come back down here and seen Aro, it hit again like a pile of rocks being dropped on my chest.

I went over to the bed, pulled down the covers, and crawled in. Maybe I could sleep for a few more hours and escape for a while. It was worth a shot, but all I did was lie there. My eyes were wide open, and nothing was happening. It was frustrating, and I fought back a scream.

Why would my brain not shut off for just a little while? That's all I needed, a few more hours of silence and peace, and then I would be ready to deal with it all again. I stared at the ceiling, which was unblocked by the unexisting canopy of the bed before gazing behind me at the large, elegant headboard. I had seen it numerous times, but only a few times had I really taken in the design. The wood was intricately hand-carved and depicted angels flying about with people in the center encased by an oval frame.

I turned away, not even wanting to think about the meaning of what that design could be depicting, curled back up, and closed my eyes. Still, I could not fall back to sleep. I was tossing and turning, unable to truly feel comfortable. Eventually, I decided to give up. There was no point in just lying there in my thoughts. I needed a distraction, anything.

Sitting up, I grabbed my laptop, which hadn't been moved, and opened it to check the time. It was only eight in the morning meaning only an hour had passed since I came back down from the tower. I was surprised that Aro hadn't tried to come in and talk to me yet, but perhaps he thought that I was asleep. Then again, he had excellent hearing. Wouldn't he be able to tell that I wasn't?

Opening it up to play a few rounds of solitaire ended up being a horrible decision. While it was a distraction, every game I played ended up in a loss. I was tired of losing the game. I was tired of losing my family. I was tired of Aro trying to make me lose myself. I was tired of losing to him.

I closed the lid to my laptop before standing and walking to the door, preparing myself to open it and actually face the vampire on the other side. However, when I tried to push it open, the door wouldn't move. In fact, Aro had somehow locked it without me hearing the lock click.

"Seriously!" I yelled out before kicking the door hard with my right foot. I had to calm my breathing down. It wasn't a panic attack coming on. No, at this point, the frustration hit a maximum, and the anger was free to fly. There was no sound on the other side, so I assumed Aro must have left to go take care of something else; otherwise, I was sure I would have heard some sort of reprimand coming from him.

I kicked the door again before I started pacing the room. What I was feeling was too much for me to want to handle. The way he was taking over everything, the way he just killed the people I loved and cared about, the way he thought he could lock me up in this stupid building, in this stupid room. I finally let the scream out I had been trying to contain. I wasn't going to stay like this. I couldn't stay like this.

The door opened, not even a minute later, and I didn't need to look to know that it was Aro who had come back to the room from wherever he had been. He came over and too gently grabbed me and pulled me into him. I fought, hitting him over and over again and pulling away, but he only held me tighter. He didn't try to stop me. He just held me, and all too soon, my body was spent.

I sagged in his arms as I broke down, tears spilling down my face, barely able to catch my breath, and he just held me. This had happened once before, but now it was different. Now, I knew there was no hope, no chance to ever escape him. I was never leaving, and more than being struck with sadness and grief, more than being angry and frustrated, I was scared.

There was nothing I could do to stop him. He was stronger than me, more powerful than me; he had vampires with gifts that would use them with the simplest order from him. What was I except a small and weak human? He could take everything from me. He was taking everything from me. I missed my parents, and the realization that I would never see them again or my grandparents again or Emilio again all because of Aro and his stupid laws… "I can't…"

"Lia…" Aro whispered my name so tenderly as he allowed our bodies to sink to the floor. I noticed he paid careful attention to where his hands were placed, so they didn't come into contact with mine. It was something to me that he was abiding by our agreement even though I knew it must be killing him to not see inside my mind for once.

As hard as I tried, I couldn't stop my body from shaking. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. They just kept coming. I didn't try to get away from him like the last time we were in a position like this. Instead, I allowed myself to submit to his embrace. My face was flushed, body too warm, and being so close to the coolness of his own actually felt good.

When there were no tears left, Aro stood up with ease, still holding me in his arms, and he walked into the study, sitting me down on the sofa before sitting next to me. I kept my hands tucked in tight, just in case, but everything so desperately hurt. "Why are you like this?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Like what, my dear?"

"I don't understand you. You say I'm not a prisoner, yet you've locked me up. You say that you love me, but you keep me from the people that I love. You say that you promised my grandfather that you wouldn't hurt me, and you leave bruises on my skin. You say that you're thinking about me, but you kill the people I care the deepest about. I don't understand you."

The expression on Aro's face was unreadable, and he remained silent. He reached up and brushed a few strands of my hair away from where it stuck to the salty stains on my face. "This is all very new and difficult for me as well, Lia."

"Because you've loved me since I was four, which is basically pedophilia. And you have a wife, how is it new?"

Aro narrowed his eyes at me but did nothing else. "As I told you before, it's different for my kind. The bond was there, love did not come until later when I would hear the stories about you from Chelsea that your grandfather spoke of. However, there was a dire need to make sure you were protected from the start."

He sighed. "As far as how it is new, how much do you know about the history of Greece during my time?" I shrugged, so he continued. "It was very different than how your world is today. I lived in a time where I would not have given you a choice. I would have simply taken your mortality from you and anything else I wanted thereafter."

I shuddered at his words as I felt the perhaps non-intended threat in them. "But you didn't with Sulpicia. You courted her. You gave her a choice."

"Sulpicia was different."

"How so?"

"Because I chose her as a suitable wife, a companion, nothing more. She had no one to give her to me, no one to bind her to me. It was necessary that she come of her own free will and be changed of her own free will. I was not about to turn her into a slave as others might have had I not claimed her."

He paused, reaching up again to touch my face, brushing his thumb across my lip as his fingers trailed down my jawline. "On the other hand, if we were to go by the old laws, you were given to me by your grandfather. In my time, that would make you my mate, yes, but also my property to do with as I saw fit." He dropped his hand. "You know the sort of person I am, Lia. I have to fight the time I was born in and my desires just to keep you at my side. Truthfully, it was my sister who helped so well with Sulpicia all those years ago. It was impossible not to be affected by her gift though I taught myself to be immune."

I watched as Aro's eyes got a sort of faraway look in them, and I wondered if he was thinking about her at that moment. What I saw, however, was full of a sort of regret which he once told me he didn't get the luxury to have. Then I remembered something else he said only that early morning. "Aro?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"What did you mean when you said you wouldn't sacrifice my life as well? Who were you talking about?"

His smile didn't reach his eyes as it normally did. Instead, it was sorrowful, and it made my chest ache. "I made a mistake millennia ago."

"One that maybe you do actually regret?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I did what I had to at the time."

It was the first time the thought occurred to me that Aro may have had a part in his sister's death. Whatever that part was, it wasn't for me to know. I wiped away the bits of tear that had pooled at the corner of my eyes. "And what about this time? Did you do what you had to do this time as well? He didn't have to know. You could have left him out of it. You read my mind, so you knew that I had no intention of telling him anything about vampires in Volterra. Emilio didn't have to die."

Aro's eyes went wide, which shocked me, and then he asked me the strangest question. "Lia, what are the consequences should a human find out about vampires? What does the law say?"

Confused, I looked at him. Why was he asking this? We both knew that I knew the answer. "That they have to die."

"Yes, but what else does it say?"

I thought back for a moment. What else did the law say? I knew about vampires, but I was an exception. I was Aro's mate. The secretary they employed, Caterina, knew they were vampires because she wanted to become one, even though Aro was fairly intent on killing her when they tired of her, but the option was still there. Did that mean? I quickly jerked my head back up to meet his eyes with mine before willingly touching my hand to his because there was no way I could get the words out, just in case I was wrong.

All I grasped was the nod and then the words, "He's still alive."

I took my hand back before nearly shouting at him, though I reeled myself in from doing so. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried earlier before you went to the tower, but you said you didn't want to talk. You weren't a danger to yourself, so I let you go. When you came back, you still gave the impression that you needed more time, which is why I did not go to you right away and instead returned to my recording. Even now, I wasn't sure how to tell you until you brought it up."

"I want to see him."

"No," Aro replied shortly.

I began to stand, but Aro pulled me back down, so I was once again sitting in his lap. I started to struggle against him, but he held me tight like before. "Let me go."

"Lia, settle down. You can't see him because he is in the process of changing." I went still as Aro continued to speak. "Demetri told you about it when he took you to the house to get more of your things, do you remember? It takes days to complete, but even when he has completed the change, I cannot permit you to see him."

"But why?"

"Think about it, my dear. He'll be a newborn. The only thing on his mind will be blood. He would kill you before realizing who you were." I bit my lip softly as Aro spoke. "I won't keep you from him once he has control over his thirst, but above all else, you must obey me in this and not go near him until I say it is safe for you to do so. Promise me this."

Aro held out his hand for me to take, probably to make sure I wasn't lying to him, so I took it. "I promise."

He nodded and released me, so I could sit comfortably again on the sofa next to him. I was grateful and overwhelmed by the fact that Emilio was actually still alive, that Aro hadn't killed him like he did my grandparents. Perhaps, maybe, I even understood why he brought Emilio into the picture to begin with. I couldn't say he wasn't thinking of me this time. He was allowing me to have my best friend forever with me, jealousy or not on his part, and I now understood what those pointed looks at Emilio in the car had been about.

However, it also made sense to me that he thought nothing about Emilio and his wants and desires. He didn't give Emilio a choice. Aro wasn't really giving me a choice either, but he was hoping I would choose it on my own soon enough. Perhaps this was one way of him manipulating me to choose it on my own sooner than I would have otherwise, but I would leave that thought for another time. Now, I had to think about my friend.

"Emilio, he's going to lose it, you know? When he realizes what you did," I told Aro.

"Why is that? I'm allowing the two of you to be together after all, and I allowed him to live when I easily could have given him the opposite."

"I know, and I'm grateful. The thing is, you gave me my best friend, but in turn, you took everything from him. You chose for him to know without even realizing his goals or dreams. You stole that from him."

"Yes, he wanted to be a sort of doctor. A surgeon, wasn't it?" Aro asked.

I nodded. "He was going to medical school in Siena. He won't be able to do that now. He'll be stuck here just like me."

Aro hummed. "I have a friend. I've mentioned him to you before, Carlisle."

"Yeah, you said Marcus studied with him when he was living here, and Demetri said he practiced medicine?"

"Yes. The last we spoke was not on the best of terms, however, though I cannot condone his way of life, it does not seem to have weakened him at all. Perhaps, I could contact him and try to convince him to come. I can't see him saying no. Carlisle is the most compassionate man I have ever had the opportunity to meet. Besides, it would do well to have an update on that situation."

I glanced at Aro in confusion. "What situation?"

"It's nothing, my dear. Merely a curiosity of mine."

Knowing there was no reason to ask him about this situation again, though he did have his way of keeping information from me, which I now understood to be the fact that in his day, women and men weren't seen as equals, I decided to ask him something else instead. "When can I see Emilio? How long will it take for him to get control of his thirst? How long does it usually take?"

"It depends on the newborn, but most have their thirst under control within a year or so."

"A year?"

"It could be shorter as well. As I said, it depends on the newborn." Aro stood suddenly, and I watched as he walked to the door leading out into the hall. "I will go contact Carlisle now. The last we checked on his coven, they were living in a remote village in Alaska. It should only take a couple days for him to arrive, that is assuming we can still reach him by phone."

"Are you going to lock me in here while you're away again?"

"You've yet to eat. Why don't you go up to the kitchen with Renata and make something? I'll meet the two of you there shortly."

Like always, upon mention of her name, Renata showed herself by the door, and Aro kissed her forehead before disappearing from sight. I sighed. "It's still really creepy when you do that."

"My apologies, but if I may say something," Renata started then continued into a short little venting session, but I could tell she was truthfully upset. "It was even worse when you took off. I was terrified that something bad was going to happen to you. Aro said he had it under control. Demetri was tracking you, but you could have been hurt. What do you think Aro would have done then? What would I have done then? Do you not even think about anyone else?"

It was not the first time she had given me a lecture, and I was sure it wouldn't be the last. As much as I abhorred being there, Renata had kept me company every single day in some way or form, and even though she creeped me out with her stalker vibe with Aro and me, I had grown to like her and her little quirks. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you, but I really don't want to be here. Maybe if I could have contact with my parents at least and visit them, you know? And I know you're not blind. I know you see what he did."

Quick to defend her master, she replied, "He didn't mean to."

"No, he did," I said, correcting her. "The bruising maybe wasn't his full intent, he's used too much strength on accident before, but everything he did before I ran, he said he meant to do it. He wanted to give me a reason to run if I was really going to. Well, he did."

"Will you try running again?"

I shook my head. "No. Besides, he has Emilio now. I wouldn't put it past him to hold him over me to keep me here."

Renata had no reply, and we continued on our way up the stairs and to the kitchen. I grabbed some yogurt from the refrigerator, spooning it into a bowl I had taken from the cupboards and then grabbed the croissant that seemed to be waiting for me. I had always assumed that Caterina stopped by a local bakery every morning on her way to work to pick up breakfast for me. Whether that was true or not, whoever did, it was always fresh. In all honesty, it may have even been Chelsea or Demetri as they were regularly seen among humans.

I sat across from Renata at the small table and began eating. She at least had the decency to not look at the food in disgust like Aro always did. "So tell me," I said after swallowing a bite of the croissant, "Does Aro plan on having me escorted everywhere again now?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. You'll have to ask him."

"Is the coven from Peru gone?"

She nodded. "They left at dusk last night. Aro ordered them not to hunt anywhere in Italy when they left. Usually, it's just Volterra, but everyone knows that law. I figured when Demetri left the room that something had happened with you, especially once Aro said what he did. He told me on our way back to his quarters that Demetri sensed you running."

"That was nice of Aro at least to keep them from hunting while I had no protection," I replied, not really meaning anything by it, but I did rationally acknowledge the order he had given even if I had rolled my eyes at it.

Renata frowned, as expected, but made no comment. I finished eating, and as I was washing the bowl in the sink, Aro appeared beside Renata in the room. I glanced over at the two of them, the way he wrapped his arm around her shoulder in a sort of side hug. It was always strange seeing him show so much affection to her. It didn't bother me in any sort of jealous way, but it always felt out of character for vampires to act so human at times. Then again, it was really only Renata he was this way with. I saw it occasionally with Jane, but Jane practically worshipped Aro. The feeling there was different.

When Aro released her, after reading her thoughts, something I knew I would probably be very sensitive to for a while, now that I knew what was happening, he walked over to me. "To answer your question, I would prefer you to have an escort, yes, however," he added, as I started to protest, "I will take your intentions into account. Of course that does require some obligation from you."

"You'll want to read my mind," I replied, understanding perfectly well the game he was playing now.

Aro turned to the shield behind him. "Renata, my love, will you go report to Caius that all is taken care of. He will know of my meaning." She was gone before I could blink, and it was only Aro and I left in the room. "Yes, Lia, I will want to read your mind to make sure you don't try something so futile again."

"I want to speak to my mom."

"We will discuss that at a later time," he said, dismissing my statement.

"Emilio said she's been asking about me and that my parents are worried."

"Yes, I saw the conversation in your friend's mind, but as I said, we will discuss the matter of your parents at a later time. I promise, but for now, I would like to spend a day with you, both of us, alone. No meetings or disturbances, only a day together."

I nodded slowly, not sure what that all would entail. I mean, what was there to do inside of this place really? "Aro?"

"Lia?"

"Did you speak to Carlisle?"

He smiled. "Yes, though he had changed his number, and it took a moment to retrieve it from a former member of the elite guard. He says he will be on the next flight out, which for Carlisle means hiring a private jet. He should arrive late tomorrow evening. You will like him." At this point, Aro's smile from before turned downcast as he continued. "He is not at all like me."

For some reason, that didn't make me feel any better. "You've seen my mind," I told him. "You know what I like, what I want. You know everything there is to know about me. I know you said it's difficult for you to not act on your time and your need for power and control. I also know that you have a whole coven that's dependent on you and a whole world of vampires that are as well, but when it's just us, if you want to strengthen the bond that we have, to make it glow gold as Marcus says, then you have to relinquish some control. I'm not from Ancient Greece. I'm from 21st Century Italy, but I've lived in America for the last twelve years of my life, and let me tell you, the feminist movement is real over there."

Aro chuckled lightly. "How about this? I will find you books in the library that you can read more about my time in Greece, and in return, I will allow you to show me one of these romance films of yours from America, or a few."

My eyes went wide, realizing what I had been thinking about when he had the movie night a few nights ago. "Using my thoughts against me again."

"You do not like my idea?"

"It's not that. It's a good idea besides the fact that I hate reading nonfiction. It seems more of a chore for me than it is for you. You know, the internet's a thing. You could monitor me if you have to, but it's easier just to look up information on there than reading through a bunch of really old books."

"Perhaps, I can allow for that," Aro replied slowly, probably thinking it through.

I nodded once, accepting the possibility of it at least, before taking a deep breath and saying something that I knew needed to be said. He would find out eventually anyway. "This doesn't mean that I'm okay with any of this, but I don't have a choice. I have a feeling about why you really decided to bring Emilio into this and change him, so I'll do this for him, not for you. Not yet. I'm just not willing to sacrifice anyone else either."

Aro bent down and kissed the top of my head before lifting my chin with one of his fingers so our eyes met. "That's a good choice, Lia, but one day, I do hope you will stay for me."

A/N: I want to start this by saying I have the best editor in the world. She edits my original work, which you can find links to on my socials: Twitter and Tumblr (check my FFN profile), and my fanfiction, and stays up chatting with me until 3 AM because I need instant validation once I send her something. Jess, I don't know what I would do without you.

To my readers, please check out No Prayer for the Lost (it does contain sensitive content, so do so wisely), another Aro/OC fic of mine. Either the last chapter was really bad or FFN never sent out notifications, but it's gotten no reviews since I updated it almost two weeks ago. Sadness. Thanks for reading! I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS AND GETTING YOUR THOUGHTS! And, side note, all your reviews last chapter were so great because this has been planned for two years in my outline. It was SO DIFFICULT not telling you about Emilio in my replies! LOL