The Volturi had tightened their security after Didyme's demise. The sudden changes implemented in the palace had the two kings certainly busy. There were a lot of changes to be made in order to keep the fortress untouchable and safe from any harm. Piles and piles of paperworks filled the table of the study of the Volturi kings. Aro in particular was waiting for a certain individual he had summoned.
"Master…"
Alec's voice had pulled the kings back to their reality. He had been tasked to escort Charmion who was summoned by Aro. The one who can manipulate the bonds seemed to be nervous as being summoned was certainly a negative thing in the Volturi household.
"Thank you for escorting her safely, Alec. You may take your leave." The raven-haired vampire said as he did not look up from any of the paperworks he was working on. He had known Alec had already taken his leave when the huge double doors clicked shut once more.
Charmion was left with the two kings.
"Jane came to see you…" Aro inquired and he did no longer beat around the bush. "She had asked you a favor. Am i right, Charmion?"
The woman fell silent. Her silence had assured the Volturi king that his suspicions were confirmed.
"I will not question you on what she had asked you to do." Charmion loosened up after she had gotten past the tension in the room. "However, i will have to ask you a favor, a personal one."
"I will do anything you ask, Master." Charmion answers confidently.
"The relationships between two members of the guards are something that is frowned upon. Specially someone like Jane and Fleix who are both in higher ranks." Aro began. He was treading cautiously in this conversation in order for the dark haired woman to not notice anything.
With his statement, Charmion already knew what her master would be asking her.
"You wish to break the two apart, Master?" She asks cautiously yet her tone was laced with brazenness.
Aro chuckles at the dark-haired woman's straight forwardness. Charmion was not afraid to speak her mind in the presence of the kings. Due to her rank and position, she could pretty much do and say anything she wanted.
"You are too straightforward, Charmion," Aro remarked. "I do not wish to break the two apart so suddenly."
"Yet." Aro's voice was then laced with venom. His response had caught the blond king's attention who usually paid aloof to his conversations. Caius listened in with such interest with the raven-haired king's attempts to have his head of guard all to himself.
He had seen the same nature of actions thoroughout the years. Caius knew that being territorial was one of the traits of another half. He had seen the same signs with himself towards Athenodora. The blond king could only hide his snicker in order to remain dignified.
Aro may have been a dangerous person, yet his emotions gave him away after all.
"Did i hear you right,brother?" Caius asks the moment they were left alone as Charmion had left to her quarters once more. "You are asking Charmion to loosen the bonds of Jane and Felix?"
Caius dropped his answers with pure brazeness as he did not wish to prolong such conversation further.
"I had no choice." Aro said grimly. "Relationships within the guard are certainly frowned upon. What if this petty infatuation ends up hurting them both? I do not want to mix personal relationships with their work. Let us end this silly game while their feeling are still not developing deeply."
That was not the real reason after all. The Volturi king could not simply stand the burly vampire growing closer to his head of guard. There was something he felt in his undead heart, a spark of hatred that he had no idea where it came from. The thought of his head of guard loosing her tough demeanor would have her fall from grace. He was doing this for her sake, Aro convinces himself.
He needed to interfere in order to protect her. If Jane had openly displayed her feelings, it would be her end. The Volturi king certainly knew that someone was after her position after all. Was he heartless enough to take away her happiness? The raven haired vampire did not know.
"Is that really all?" Caius presses yet he already know that the raven-haired vampire will try to deny everything. "Are yuo simply jealous of a lowly guard?"
Aro wanted to wipe that smirk badly from the blond king's face. Caius chuckles as he already saw through his brother's facade of simply looking out for the head of guard.
"Simply stating what i see does not pertain to jealousy. It's about time you do not put malice in my actions." Aro said nonchalantly. "You will thank me later when it does not go out of hand. She is basically the glue that binds the whole guard together. If she falls, the guard falls, we fall."
A knock on the huge double doors had taken the kings out of their useless banter. The huge doors opened and a vampire with Spanish features went inside. Eleazar had returned from his travels.
Eleazar did not have to be confined to the castle like several of the guards were. He had served his purpose by traveling around the world in search of gifted individuals that will be offered a place in the Volturi guard. The Spanish vampire had been the one to discover the twins at a young age. Ever since then, Jane and Alec were watched secretly by the guards or sometimes even Aro himself.
"I hope your travels went well, Eleazar." Aro said as he rose from his seat to meet the Spanish vampire. The Volturi king held out his hand and Eleazar gave him permission to read his mind.
Caius watched everything unfold with curiosity. The raven-haired vampire's eyes lit up as he let go of the Spanish vampire's hand. The blond king was curious to what seemed to bring Aro to a festive spirit. It meant only two things: enacting justice or a promising talent.
"You had found a promising talent in Germania? Interesting. She seems very interesting…" Aro trailed off.
"What is it, Aro?" Caius asks with impatience already laced in his tone. Aro waved his hand to dismiss the blond king's impatient nature. The blond king instantly relaxed as he waited for his brother to reveal the information he had obtained from Eleazar.
"It seems like Eleazar had found a promising young talent. A young lady named Heidi. She has an affinity to appeal to others with her charm, causing humans to easily fall prey and vampires to find her extremely attractive." The raven-haired vampire chuckles in glee. He turned to Eleazar. "You may take your leave and do inform Jane that i will have her summoned in the castle grounds, particularly where the horses are."
"Of course, Master." Eleazar said as he took his leave.
"It seems that the girl is already with a coven of her own," Caius simply remarks as the raven-haired vampire took his seat on his respective desk.
"How did you find out about that? I did not reveal anything other than where she was and her affinity." Aro asks yet he knew that the blond vampire was smart enough to figure things out on his own. Caius may not have been blessed with an affinity like his fellow kings are, yet he was an intelligent person and a strategist after all.
His intellect was the reason he was in charge of the troops and battles in the first place.
"If that girl did not have a coven, Eleazar would have brought her here already." Caius said as he closes the book he was reading and eyed the raven-haired vampire. "How are you going to get her join?"
Aro chuckles at his brother. It seems that Caius did not know him well enough after all.
"Oh brother. Do not underestimate the things i can do."
She was waiting in front of the stables just as her master ordered. Jane had no idea why the raven-haired vampire had passed a discrete command to Eleazar to bring the message that she must wait for the Volturi king near the castle stables. The horses neighing and its body secretions were already too much to bear for the young blonde.
"Did i keep you waiting?" Jane spun around to see her master riding the familiar white stallion that was her master's favorite amongst all the horses. Her eyes darted across the area as she was looking for the shield that was supposed to guard the Volturi king at all times. However, Renata was nowhere in sight.
"Get on the horse, we are going somewhere." He commands her with a small smile as he held the reigns of the horse. "We do not have that much time, my dear."
"Where is Renata?" Jane asks with a serious tone.
"I-I..." The Volturi king laughs nervously. "I kind of sent her to Sulpicia. We will be fine without her, Jane." He attempts to convince her but the head of guard was not amused.
Jane sighed in annoyance.
"Do you even know the risks of going somewhere without Renata?"Jane questions monotonously. "You are not going to leave the castle without her. Get off the horse," she commands as she retreated back to the castle's adjacent entrance.
He had teased her as the horse galloped away from the Volturi Castle. His black hair flew freely with the wind the horse ran in a distance. By the time the Volturi king looked back, his head of guard seemed to be upset at him. He slowly motioned the horse to head back to the castle.
"I do not have the time for silly games, Master." The blonde vampire said with a frown on her face. She was only concerned for his safety after all.
The blonde walked away from him and the Volturi king could only sigh in annoyance. He was doing his best in order to reconnect with her yet she was shutting him out.
Again.
The wind whipped the Volturi king's long hair back in his face. His back moved up and down smoothly and evenly as the. He was gaining speed in order to catch up with his head of guard. In momentum, he had grabbed his head of guard by the waist and hoisted her in front. The blonde vampire let out a yelp for his sudden movements.
His actions felt somewhat magical for the blonde vampire. His arm was still wrapped around her waist in a loose motion as tightening it would resort to him being able to read her thoughts. The raven-haired king chuckles as he saw his head of guard's smug face.
"Are you out of your mind?" Jane exclaims.
The wind ruffled the blonde vampire's hair. The ground rushed by her, and the only sound she could hear was the pounding of hooves. She smiled as she wrapped both of her hands more tightly around the handle.
"Have you forgotten i was the one who taught you how to ride on a horse?"he asks as the horse galloped away from the suffocating grounds of the Volturi Castle. They had made it into the endless terrains of the outskirts of Volterra. As the raven-haired vampire was behind his guard holding the lead rope, Jane tried her best not to squirm as her insides were trembling in fear. The last time she rode a horse was a disaster as she recalled an embarassing incident.
"Have you also forgotten this was the same horse that bucked me off?" Jane retorts as the raven-haired king chuckles. "Who knows if he decides to buck us both off?"
They halted as he sensed her uncomfortable stance. He knew that she was having the same rough days he had. Jane had been stressing herself out to the point it already started to interfere with her work. The Volturi king whisked her away in order to have a breather.
They both need it after all.
"Don't be afraid, my dear. I will not let you fall. Trust me." He whispers in her ear. Jane inhaled sharply as she was trying to be brave. The Volturi king wrapped his arms around her yet he was surprised to see that her mind was blank.
She was the girl who used to have the biggest smile and bore the most gentle heart. Yet it pained him to see her turn cold and lose interest about everything and everyone. Whether the Volturi king had the chance to see her, it was already a different person that was stuck in her body.
Pain had changed his solace as grief and emptiness consumed her. Was he at fault? He did not know.
"In the endless eternity of immortality that had me waiting. So timeless yet all alone, your presence was like sunshine that fell down on me." He had whispered the truth in her ear and she stiffened. Her thoughts then resurfaced to light.
'You are confusing me again, Master.'
They reached to clearing in the woods. Not much of a clearing, was it? Maybe it was because it was early spring, or maybe it was because every dirt patch had been slept on. They sat under the shade of the tree as they took in the majestic scenery of the place. The change of scenery felt comforting for two weary souls that bore deep and dark secrets.
"I took you out, more like sneaked out because i knew that the castle seemed to feel so suffocating." He began. "If Renata was here, i would not be able to get through you. I care about you, my dear. Your welfare is my utmost concern,"
'Then why did you take her away from me?' Jane questions internally. Her thoughts however remained unsaid as silence engulfed the both of them. She did not have the heart to question him fully.
"The castle feels like we were kept like prisoners. Memories fill me, both joyful and sorrowful." He remarks as he had thrown a pebble somewhere in the grassy fields. "When i lost my sister, i felt guilty and liable in losing her."
There were lots of things unsaid after all. Was he guilty for murdering his sister? Or was it his conscience that haunted him the same way it haunted his head of guard? Her pain, he had chosen not to relive it after all.
"I can never forget the way you looked at me in my study." He confesses as he met her gaze. "The feeling of dread and horror that sinked in the pit of my stomach. I already lost a sister and i do not want to lose you too..."
Silence was the better way to remedy their strained relationship at all.
"You can grieve as long as you want. I do not mind, Jane." He placed a hand on her shoulder. The blonde vampire found the gesture oddly comforting.
The short encounter he had with her made the Volturi king wanting more. He had been complacent enough to watching over her yet he was seeking her touch. His undead heart filling with jealousy for every moment she had thrived to live without him. This feeling, he did not know what it was. Was it love? No, he was uncertain. Yet he knew these treacherous feelings called so fearlessly through him.
He had one thing in common with his younger sister. Emotions were their primary weakness yet they both deal with it oppositely. Didyme had fully embraced emotion thus living a happy life before her demise. Aro had crushed his in order to stay invincible. They were alike yet different at the same time.
He had her rest her head in his shoulder, by doing so he was no stranger to her thoughts. If he could just turn back time and linger in the past, he would have stayed. Her thoughts revealed her at crossroads for what to feel, he did not know why Jane was torn on feeling sympathetic or angry. Did he already fail her enough? Just to be greedy?
He had been greedy enough for her. Every time he had a chance to glance back to the blonde's eyes, he knew that she was above all of the lies, schemes, and what costs with ruling the vampire world. Remembering what he had ordered Charmion to do, the raven-haired vampire knew he was much of a greedy person in order to loosen the bonds she had.
All he simply knew was he could not stand the thought of losing her.
Athenodora would rather die in a battle than put up with the boredom that their tower offers. Stacks of books were on the floors as she had read every single book in her collections. Th fair-haired woman had locked herself in her study in order to avoid Corin's influence like a plague.
"Renata, your presence brings me so much joy."
The fair-haired woman had come out of her study as she heard noises in the common room they shared. Athenodora stood by the doorway as her eyes scanned the common area. A woman with dark brown hair sat with her fellow Volturi wife. By the looks of it, Sulpicia had treasured the young woman's presence. Upon seeing the fair-haired woman, the young woman rose to her feet and bowed in respect for the Volturi wife.
"Aren't you Aro's personal guard?" Athenodora inquires. It was quite odd for the raven-haired king's guard to linger in the Wives Tower when her master was not even around. Renata was commonly seen with Aro most of the time, to see her not by his side was quite peculiar.
"Maybe he had sent her ahead. Is my husband coming to visit me, my darling?" Sulpicia smiles fondly at the young woman.
"Uhm..." Renata trails off and the fair-haired vampire knew something was amiss.
"Oh silly me, Aro wanted to surprise me in order to lift my spirits." Sulpicia exclaims as her eyes lit up with glee for the possible thought of her husband coming to visit her.
"No, Madame Sulpicia..." Renata answers. "Master Aro dismissed me and told me to spend time with you for he was not going to leave his study. He was absorbed in his paperworks, my queen." She admits and the raven-haired vampire's spirit fell.
Athenodora could only snicker when the raven-haired vampire's smile fell. Dissapointment could certainly be seen from the Volturi women's face. The fair-haired vampire found it odd for the raven-haired king to deal with paperworks regarding the Volturi. The task was usually delegated to the guard.
Preferably, the head of guard.
The fair-haired woman kept her mouth shut as she pieced everything together. The Volturi king was off to somewhere, along with his head of guard. It was not Athenodora's business to meddle in their lives. Whatever those two needed to do, she was not in any disposition to judge.
"One of immortality's curse is we are deprived of the experience of motherhood, am i right?" Sulpicia asks as she was left with the fair-haired woman as Renata had left for Sulpicia's vast collection of books. Athenodora's eyebrow rose in confusion with Sulpicia trying to start a conversation. Her fellow Volturi wife once avoided her like plague since Didyme's demise.
It made the fair-haired woman wonder if Sulpicia was hiding something
"What makes you say that?" The fair haired woman asks yet she did not lift her eyes away from her book. "You do not look like someone who had already born a child."
"I was once a mother." Sulpicia said as she caught the fair-haired woman's attention. Athenodora's gaze reverted to the raven-haired vampire. "I had a child born out of wedlock, considering i came from a well off-family. I ran away to a small town in order to hide my embarassment."
"And the child?" Athenodora asks indifferently.
"I abandoned her." Sulpicia answers with guilt laced in her tone. "She would have already been a fine young lady if she survived. To be born a woman in our time would have been a curse." The raven-haired vampire said bitterly. "Renata was an orphan, so i..."
"Naturally played the role of mother." Athenodora finishes.
"Just like you with Jane." The fair-haired woman could feel the animosity when her fellow Volturi wife had said her blonde charge's name. "And just like every mother, we can be vicious for our child. Am i right, Athenodora?"
The fair-haired vampire knew that Sulpicia's words was not an empty statement but rather a threat. The raven-haired vampire stood up and bolted to the door. Athenodora immediately followed her fellow wife as she bypassed the security of the tower.
"Sulpicia! We are not supposed to go out!" Athenodora said icily as she followed the spontaneous Volturi wife. She had grabbed Sulpicia's wrist.
"What?" The raven-haired woman retorts. "No one told me i was forbidden to see my husband."
The fair-haired woman attempted to stall her. Athenodora had a sinking feeling that the Volturi king was not in his study after all. In attempt to stall her, Sulpicia had noticed the fair-haired woman's demeanor. Her eyebrows furrowed in suspicion with her companions actions.
Sulpicia released the fair-haired woman's grip on her wrist. Her eyes narrowed as Athenodora certainly acted different.
"My husband is not in his office, am i right?" She questions icily.
"I am not."
The two women spun around to see the Volturi king with his head of guard. Sulpicia's furious gaze diverted to the blonde vampire who stood a few steps behind him. Jane's gaze drifted between her master and the wives who were out of their tower.
"Now what are you both doing out of your tower?"
"You are back early, Madame."
Renata watches as Athenodora and Sulpicia returned to their tower. The fair-haired woman had disappeared in her study as she heard the unmistakable sound of the lock clicking. The shield followed Sulpicia inside her private chambers and sat down as the raven-haired vampire had pulled several books out of her massive bookshelf.
"What's all of this?"Renata inquires as the raven-haired woman stacked the books on a nearby table.
"You do love me right, Renata?" Sulpicia asks. "Study, do your best my darling child. You need to rise through the ranks of the guards."
"Mistress..."Renata trails off reluctantly as she was uncertain where this conversation would lead to.
"I want you to be the second-in-command." Sulpicia states flatly. The dark-haired woman's eyes went wide in surprise. Renata unconciously looked behind her shoulder in case the fair-haired woman had heard of their conversation. It was no secret that Athenodora openly supported the twins. To hear them plotting something would make things much more complicated. Sulpicia chuckles at her charge's alertness.
"Athenodora is locking herself up in her study." Sulpicia stated as a matter of factly. "She won't hear us, that woman had been avoiding Corin with some reason that i do not care. You would do this for me right?"
"Isn't that Alec's position?" Renata asks with uncertainty.
"Precisely." Sulpicia grins. "You needed to get that position in order to aid me. If Jane makes one mistake, you would replace her to be the head of guard."
"It's highly unlikely of Alec to lose that position, Madame." Renata reasons out as Sulpicia scoffs. Her red eyes narrowed as she stared into the dark-haired woman's similar red eyes.
"Do not treat Alec as a god, child." Sulpicia hisses. "He'll make errors i am sure. The twins are groomed for that position, yet he is nothing without his twin sister."
Silence then filled the Sulpicia's chambers as the dark-haired woman analyzed what her mistress was asking of her. She did not want to face the wrath of the twins, especially Jane. Renata did not want to be at the receiving end of Jane's powers.
"The members of the Elite guard remains as usual. If Alec happens to mess up, there's Felix and Demetri." Renata counters.
"None of those goons are eligible to be the second in command." Sulpicia states as she held the shield's hand. "There will be changes in the guards, infiltrate the Elite Guard and we can both guarantee our safety."
"I'll go all out and do my best in the missions. Without a doubt, I'll outdo everyone else in the guard, am i right, Madame?" Renata asks as seeked validation from the Volturi wife.
"You are finally getting what i am trying to tell you." Sulpicia smiles yet she did not see the hesitation that was in Renata's eyes.
It seems like a dangerous endeavor to go up against the twins who were given decades of training. Jane and Alec were trained by the masters and the wives. All Renata had was her mistress. She had internally slapped herself as doubt sinked in her mind. The dark-haired woman straightened herself as she did not want to sulk as she knew that Sulpicia will never settle for second best.
"You are not going to stop until you reach that position. Don't fail, because you are not a fool." Sulpicia then leans in closer to the dark-haired woman's ear "And who will love you if I'm not pushing you to your best?"
Renata was torn with what her maternal figure had wanted her to do. Ever since she became the Volturi king's personal guard, she was subjected to stares and silent treatment. The situation was dire enough as she seemed to have landed herself in Jane's bad side. To go up against the twins was a mission where she needed to calculate her movements carefully. It was a rare opportunity and she was willing to do everything for the woman who had been nice to her all along. Renata however, was oblivious to Sulpicia's manipulative nature.
"I'll do it, Mistress."
"That's my girl." Sulpicia smiles as she cupped the dark-haired woman's cheek. "Now we have a lot to work on with. Starting with literature. Be well read and spoken, i was fortunate enough to find how they were teaching the twins before."
She would turn the dark-haired woman to be someone who could be a match to Athenodora's charge. Renata rising through the ranks would keep the raven-haired wife in a respectable position. Her position as Aro's wife would definitely aid Renata's success as he would certainly listen to her opinion.
'All for my mistress. I'll give everything to please her.' Renata thought.
Maybe this was her path after all, towards greatness. All it took was Sulpicia spearheading her towards her right path.
Renata could not help but groan as Sulpicia dumped the stack of books in the table. She would endure all of this to get her validation. After all, who would love her other than Sulpicia?
No one.
AN:
My word count seems to grow longer with each update. The Volturi is slowly rising to its element as changes are occurring. Now i'm having you being torn on hating Aro or not. Do not forget to read and review.