The dynamics of the Volturi leaders can bee seen in the painting that Francesco Solimena was working on. The said painter was a prolific Italian painter of the Baroque era, one of an established family of painters and draughtsmen. Throughout the years, the Volturi remained aloof to the public.
Yet he was surprised to have them commission a painting.
Four men were in the balcony. Solimena could simply tell that all of the men possessed unique traits. Two blond men were situated on each end of the balcony overlooking the activities beneath them. The painter had found there appearances god-like as he had painted them this way.
The Baroque period in art history was characterized by profuse embellishment in various artistic works. It began in Italy after the Renaissance and extended to most of Europe by the turn of the 17th century, lasting until the early 18th century. Men's clothes took on a militaristic appearance; they wore a decorative piece coat, waistcoat, and trousers, which were frequently richly embroidered or displayed patterned textiles. Lace jabots, knotted around the neck, were still popular. Breeches were typically worn to the knee, with white stockings worn below and heeled shoes with huge square buckles.
They had been in there finest garments fit for a deity indeed.
One of the blond men in the far corner had caught his eye. Carlisle had been his friend when he had been studying medicine. Francesco could see how the blond's golden eyes were in stark contrast of the pair of red eyes of his companions. He seemed to be a sheep amidst the deities.
Was Carlisle just too innocent after all?
Compared to his companions, the painter knew that his friend was different from the three kings.
Solimena's gaze drifted to the other blond on the other end. His platinum blond hair had framed his face. The painter could see the look of arrogance within his eyes. He had wondered if a man so fine would have only sticked with one lady after all. The blond was looking down at his surroundings with much disinterest.
His reverted his gaze back to Carlisle yet he could not help but see the melancholy in the eyes of the man next to his friend. The dark haired man had been staring into space. His gaze was far yet not directed down such as the other blond. The painter had come to an conclusion that the dark haired man was simply bored out of question.
He had kept the way he looked. The dark-haired man was still staring into space.
Was he heartbroken? Solimena did not know.
Francesco Solimena's gaze then travels to the man who had been at the edge of the balcony. The man in question was an epitome of power and grace. There was a compelling nature that the raven-haired man possessed within him that commanded you to keep your eyes on him. Solimena thought that amongst the deities, this one held the most power.
He had wondered how can a man be so fine. So god-like, inhumane.
The kings had stepped out for a while and the painter was left to his own devices. Francesco had the chance to lurk around the castle and a guard trailed behind him in order not to get lost.
He had made himself comfortable in the palace gardens. The painter had inhaled the fresh air that the garden possesses. He had taken out a pencil and his book that was made for sketching. He had etched the eyes of the woman who was with someone a few paces in front of him. The fair haired woman's companion was a younger blonde.
He had mistaken them to be a mother and daughter.
In the fair haired woman's face depicts radiance and joy. Out of all his subjects for his masterpieces, he had never seen a woman with a beauty that seems like an alien force to him. The people of the Volturi were simply god and goddess like in appearance. Yet he had seen melancholy in the eyes of the fair-haired woman.
How ironic was it that her eyes show pain yet happiness lingers in her face.
Solimena stood up and walked towards them. The two women bore the same aura of grace and elegance. He had convinced himself that the two may seem like a mother and daughter, it was impossible for them to be unrelated.
"Excuse me, Madame. Do you live here?" He approaches the two women. "I cannot help but notice your goddess-like beauty. Is it possible that you can be my muse for one of my masterpieces?"
However, a manly voice spoke before the woman could speak.
"She is already a muse to an artistan." The painter spun around and saw one of the kings walking towards them.
It was the blond king and his guards trailed behind him. Solimena assumed that the blond king and the woman with a goddess-like beauty were related to one another. He had given the blond king one of his genuine smiles. The blond man's face looked stoic as ever.
"Oh..." Francesco trails off. "Is that so? How come the artisan had not flaunted her beauty towards the others? She is such a beauty."
"My wife is my muse." Caius reveals. "I prefer to keep her beauty all to myself as i am afraid that someone might steal her away from me."
The two women could hear the hint of jealousy and territorial in the blond king's tone. Caius's gaze shifted from Solimena to the two women.
"And this young lady? Are you one of the master's wife, I had mistaken the two of you to be a pair of mother and daughter."
Athenodora merely chuckles. She was dearly reminded of how well she had thought her blonde charge. To be compared to the level of the wives in terms of manners and gracefulness was something else. Jane's eyes were wide and she remained speechless. The head of guard did not know how to react with the strange compliment.
"She is not." She replies for the blonde vampire who remained speechless. "She is one of the guards here at the fortress."
"What a shame, such a beauty like you should not have been working." Francesco commented.
"Thank you for the compliment." Jane finally breaks her silence. "However, i am very well contented of where i am and serving my masters."
The painter then soon took his leave. Jane's gaze shifted to the blond king and Athenodora. The head of guard deduced that the couple would want to have their privacy. Turning to the couple she said:
"I'll take my leave, Master Caius and Madame Athenodora."
Her gaze only fixates on Athenodora and the fair-haired woman notices that. She was well aware of the tension between her blonde charge. Caius' face fell once he had noticed the indifferent attitude the blonde vampire gave him. She had seen Caius attempting to ruffle the blonde vampire's hair yet he retreated back when he noticed she would be uncomfortable.
It was the blond king's habit back when things were alright.
"Take care, my dear…" Athenodora reminds her as the blonde vampire took her leave. Once the head of guard was out of their earshot, the fair haired woman had turned to her husband. "And that is how you lose her trust." She said in a tone of a matter-of-factly.
You had been attached to her, " Caius said in a matter of factly voice. His steel gaze met her compassionate ones.
"Do not tell me you did not try to be a parental figure to the twins. You are such a bad liar, Caius," Athenodora snickers
He swept his blond hair away from his face. Athenodora can certainly read him like an open book.
"Fine," Caius held his hands up in surrender. "I am fond with both of my wards. I try not to get attached for their purpose was to serve as guards and not to be our children."
The blond king had looked at her with guilt. The fair haired woman knew her husband so well. Caius may seem to look tough yet she knew that he could not handle rejection. The simple action of Jane steering clear of him was enough to drive him crazy. In the end, the Volturi wife knew that her husband may be stoic and serious however he craved emotion as well.
She could have laughed when she had remembered that Caius had told them that the twins were just guards. Seeing the blond king displaying his habits were just the indications that she was always right.
She had once known that her husband and her blonde charge share a special bond. Caius would not dare to admit it out loud that he favored Jane over Alec. The fair-haired woman did not know where it started however she was certain that bond manifested during the time when the twins were under their tutelage.
"Honestly, get rid of that pride and give her the apology she deserved decades ago." Athenodora merely tells him. "It won't do you good if you have a rocky relationship with her. Don't make it a bigger issue."
She had told him simply, knowing far too well that he listens to her.
Or so she had thought.
Caius had stared at his wife when she was not looking. The blond king did not know what to call this feeling. He had vowed to himself to refuse to become weak, never again. Never for her. Never for anyone.
In order for him to survive.
The library had become her solace for ever since the changes of brought in the Volturi. Jane had never thought of herself to be the person who would enjoy the dusty shelves and the silence the library had brought her. She had vividly remembered how she used to hate the library and the books.
"Do i really have to read this?" Jane whines as she eyed the books that Didyme had placed on her shelves.
The raven-haired vampire merely chuckled in response. Jane had no choice after all as this was all part of their training. The masters were not training them to be just guards. Didyme knew far too well that her brother was shaping the twins to be leaders in their own.
Alec had not made a fuss with the books.
The head of the guard realized how many memories the library had brought to her. The centuries old library had been a witness to various events in her life. The castle library seemed much more warmer and cozier back when everything was okay. Didyme's death had swallowed and haunted the whole castle as a whole.
"If you are finished with staring at page 63 for an eternity, might as well join me in here,"
Jane scrambled to get up and out of the dusty shelves of the library. Her creator was sitting at his desk as his eyes looked up to her from the book that he had been reading.
"Master,"
That was her automatic response. He motioned her to come forward and sit beside him.
"I see that you picked up the habit of reading and seemed to be delighted," Aro remarked with a glint in his eye.
Jane looked at her master in confusion. He seemed serious enough not to tease her like this. His lips parted as he chuckled softly.
"I was just joking, cara mia," he looked straight into her eyes. "I certainly know you do not enjoy reading as much as Alec does,"
And painful ones indeed. The blonde vampire could not forget that it was the place where Didyme had her and Alec summoned. It was the exact place where she had broken the news that she was leaving alongside Marcus. Jane remembered every single conversation vividly. The blonde did not know if she had remembered everything due to the memories she had spent or was it her conscience that made her unable to forget?
I wanted to talk to you both." Didyme starts. The twins were now looking at her intently and waiting on what she was about to say. Jane's gaze traveled between her mistress and her twin. "Marcus and I are to leave the Volturi."
She had dropped the information simply for she knew keeping them on the edge would do no good.
"When are you coming back?" Jane asks.
Didyme shook her head and met her blonde charge's confused gaze. The raven-haired vampire's lips quivered. Alec seemed to understand what was to transpire and he was the first one to recover. He shot the raven-haired vampire a skeptical glance.
Of course, he knew that leaving was risky.
"They are not coming back, sister," Alec states plainly. "It seems like Master Marcus and Madam Didyme are leaving… for good."
"It's been a while since i saw you here." A familiar voice had caught the blonde vampire's attention.
Jane had lifted her gaze from the book she had been engrossed in. Carlisle had been staring at her with a curious expression. Jane visibly relaxed to see that it was just the vampire with golden eyes. She had tended to be snappy to others as of the moment. The last thing she wanted was an encounter with a flimsy guard.
"I'm sorry about what happened to Alec." He merely states.
"It's fine. It might take a lot to get used to." Jane replies without lifting her eyes off her book.
Carlisle sits right in front of her, staring eye to eye with her. She happened to have a civil relationship with the vegetarian vampire as he was the only one who she can have a normal conversation with. Others had treated her with disgust and hate yet Carlisle had treated her as a normal person.
"I hope you do not get offended by my question, Jane." Carlisle starts off. "Do you not get tired of this life of constant warring? Of you constantly worrying about your safety?"
Jane knew far too well what the blond doctor was talking about. She had grown up to see how power play works at their coven. The head of guard knew it in herself that Carlisle had spoken those words as a sign of worry. He had only been concerned with the various issues that had come to light.
"I am." The head of guard admits. "I would have to be honest with my words: i'm getting tired of how things used to be here."
She had met the blond vampire's gaze. Jane did not know if Carlisle was looking at her with pity or with judgement. She could not read his actions like what she does with the others.
"Have you ever thought of leaving?"he asks, breaking the silence that engulfed them both.
Jane stopped in her tracks. Her grip on the book loosened as it fell out of her hands. The head of guard stiffens with the question that Carlisle had presented upon her.
The topic of leaving the coven was a sore one after Didyme's demise. She had been uncomfortable with the topic since Jane knew far too well what would happen if she tried to leave. Will Aro kill her in order to not let her leave? The head of guard did not want to know.
"Did i offend you?" Carlisle looked at her with a cautious. "I'm sorry for such inconsiderate words."
Jane stayed silent.
Why was she staying here at the first place? Forcing herself on a man that could never reciprocate her feelings? Getting consumed by a toxic environment where manipulations and deceit had gotten the best of every single individual. The thing is, she never knew the answer to the question why she had stayed in the coven at the first place.
He had been waiting for Jane for quite a while already.
The raven haired king knew that she would come at her brother's defense and defend him. Jane's silence was one thing he was not quite accustomed to. It took her a matter of days before Aro had sensed her presence. He had been surprised to see her hold her temper too long.
"Master..." she greeted him with a cold tone.
He had the opportunity to gaze into her. The raven-haired king could have sworn that Jane had aged yet it was physically impossible. He convinced herself that she had matured since Didyme's death. The once smiling face of hers was replaced with a cold and uncaring demeanor. Aro had motioned her to sit.
She sat right in front of him.
Unlike the others, he had not asked for her hand. The Volturi king had used his powers to the rest of the coven in order to gain the information he needed from them. He did not ask for her hand as simply her thoughts was simply as dead like Marcus. Her mind was the last thing he wanted to be in.
He respected her privacy and knew how much of a mess was her mind after all.
"You once promised me that my twin and i are seen as equals." Jane began, without being prompted by him. "Is that true?"
Aro knew where this conversation was going. Fear was visible in her eyes amidst the cold and apathetic gaze she gave him. He was not used to see fear in her eyes. He was much more accustomed to see her so sure and confident.
"I know you are afraid."he approaches her.
"N-No you dont understand..." she trembles.
It was the truth after all. The raven-haired king did not understand yet he was trying his best to keep her best interests by heart. The raven-haired vampire was willing to do everything to wipe that fear off her gaze.
"My dear..." he attempted to calm her down. "I cannot change Caius' decision of stripping Alec of his position as your second in command."
Aro and Caius debated for a long time. He had come to Alec's defense as he had promised to be the one who will defend Jane and Alec at all times. He had lost the battle as Caius had been more blinded by rage as Alec letting Athenodora go without supervision rather than caring about his wife.
"Don't treat me for a fool." Jane simply states. "We both know far too well that the position of second-in-command wont go to Felix nor Demetri!" She bursts out, her emotions getting the best of her.
"Jane..." he trails off.
"Quit lying to me!" She cries out. "I know that Renata has been groomed for that position. We both know that she was placed in the elite guard in order to appease Sulpicia."
Seeing that the door was locked. The Volturi king went closer to the blonde vampire and hugged her. Instantly, her thoughts were like an open book to him. There were boundaries yet he had told himself that he'll step out of it once. She was terrified of her end together with her brother. The blonde vampire's mind was filled with so many dark and gruesome thoughts that could have him pull away.
Yet he could not.
"I won't let that happen." He simply states. "You will not fall from grace. I will make sure of that, remember how i promised that i will always be yours and Alec's ally?" The Volturi king grasped her hand in order to bring comfort.
She was terrified.
Her mind had given away what she could not say. Alec losing his position as her second in command had Jane feel threatened. The Volturi king did not blame her as the competition in the guards was a tough one. She had a hasty conclusion that she could be easily replaced once Alec was out of the picture.
There was no security for the two of them. Aro had understood her fear of losing power. The head of guard was not using power in order to dominate others. Rather, she had been using it as a safety net however.
"Restore him."She merely tells him. "This will be the last time i will ask you of something. I had to protect my brother."
It was ironic, as she was not yet begging. The Volturi king chuckled to himself to see her act so high and mighty. For a moment, the influence of Didyme and Athenodora seemed to have reflected in the blonde vampire right in front of him. Jane did not dare to lose her composure. It was more of her pride showing in rather than her true intentions.
He knew far too well that things that were bottled up, if set free was a huge disaster. Bottled up emotions would spiral out of control that neither Aro or Jane could control.
"You are the head of guard, Jane." The Volturi king started. "Don't you think you can protect him enough? With your position as the head of the guard?"
He had thrown the question yet it was not supposed to be answered. The Volturi kingh thought that the conversation would simply end there. He was wrong as she had responded but was completely unlikely of her. Aro had not expected her response to be different than what he had expected.
"I have no qualms stepping down as the head of guard, if my brother is to be my replacement as the head of guard." Jane reveals. She was not after power after all, but for their security after all. "We got each other to protect. I am afraid that one mistake will make me lose everything." Her voice reveals a hint of vulnerability in her tone.
The Volturi king was unable to understand why she was acting this way. She was already well protected. The Volturi king had provided her the utmost security as his head of guard. Athenodora was here to support her charge and Caius would be supporting her silently. Aro could not understand why she was so worried at the first place.
"Stop being so dramatic."he merely tells the blonde vampire. "You have nothing to lose, Jane." The Volturi king attempts to convince her.
"I have everything to lose." Jane tells him in an indifferent tone. "My position, My brother, The persons whom i cherish, and my sanity. Tell me, do i still have nothing to lose?"
The raven haired vampire stood in silence.
"You act as if you are so sure of yourself, Master..." she said with a monotone voice. "How can you be sure that you can protect my brother and i. Do i have to list down each time you let my brother and I down?"
The raven-haired king sighed. He was well aware of what Jane was talking about. The Volturi king knew it in himself how many times he had failed the twins. The first one was for him to be unable to protect them from burning at the stake. The second time was to let the woman standing in front of him to be captured and tortured by the Romanian Coven. Third would be murdering his own sister, therefore the twins lost a mother figure in their lives.
And countless failures throughout the decades and centuries.
"If you do not restore Alec's position, forgive me, Master. I will resort to desperate measures in order to get what i want." Jane threatened.
The Volturi king met her gaze. Her eyes clearly states it all. His head of guard's eyes revealed what she had been hiding all along. She had been acting tough yet he saw right through her.
"And that is?"he asks.
Jane had looked at him with an uncaring glance. For a moment, he had assured himself that Jane was harmless after all. The Volturi king knew she had to keep her position. In order to keep that position, she'll do her best to behave. Aro thought that his head of guard was merely bluffing.
"My execution, and with you as my executioner."