A/N: Hello there! I just wanted to say thank you for all the kudos, and your lovely reviews! I never expected this story to be received so positively, but I love that there are so many of you who love the three kings as much as I do. I hope you all have the most wonderful week and that you'll enjoy this chapter!
A/N: Ophelia is happier than she's ever been, but it seems like some parties disagree with her humanity...
"I love you."
Marcus' eyes fill with even more emotion, as I feel the bond click into place perfectly between us.
"I love you too, Ophelia." he whispers, his hold on me tightening. We stand there for a long time, just looking at each other, considering this new realization.
"Let's head back to the castle. You must be tired." Marcus ends the silence, beginning to lead me away. Our hands find each other on their own accord, intertwining like we had never walked alone. The way to the castle is quiet, but peaceful, my heart feeling warm.
"Ophelia!" A scream, and I'm startled when Felix appears from around a corner, wrapping his arms tightly around me.
"Felix, what's wrong?" I ask, noticing how his body's shaking, dark liquid covering him. Blood.
"Felix." Marcus says sternly, drawing my guard's attention.
"I-They took us by surprise. Aro and Caius…" Felix falters, and when his eyes meet mine, the world stops spinning.
"They took them."
"No." I whisper, feeling my knees buckle under my weight. Felix holds me up, arms wrapped tightly around my waist, and my eyes turn to Marcus, who seems equally worried, his hand on my shoulder instantly.
"The rebels we spoke of today?" Marcus asks. His expression is stern, and he briefly reminds me of a general. Felix nods, and my heart sinks.
"W-what happened?" I bring out, locking eyes with Felix.
"They surprised us, we think they got to Aro and Caius through the gardens. They found us in the game room, and it was only after the fight that I realized they were gone. I feared they'd come for you two as well, but maybe they didn't know you went out. Thank God you weren't there…" Felix rambles, his hold on me still tight, as if he's afraid I'll disappear too if he lets go of me.
Aro and Caius had been taken.
-Aro's POV-
When Aro wakes up, his head is pounding. What the hell happened?
"Aro! Wake up." Someone hisses from beside him, and then it clicks. Caius.
"What happened? Were we… asleep?" Aro asks, terribly confused. Vampires couldn't sleep.
"They sedated us. Kidnapped us. I swear to God, I'll kill them!" Caius hisses, sounding pissed off beyond reasoning. The memories rush back to him at hearing his brother's words. They'd been in the garden, cleaning up after the pool party of that day.
"How the hell did they get into the gardens?" Aro asks, roaming through his memories. If only he could read the minds of those who captured them…
"No idea. Whoever they are, they have someone on the inside. Bastards." Caius mutters.
Aro looks around, trying to take in their surroundings. It seemed like they were both tied to a metal chair with metal chains, the entire room made out of metal. Giving it a tug, Aro realizes the bindings won't budge.
"I think it's a special type of metal that can withstand vampire strength. Maybe they even sedated us with it." Caius notes. It seemed that his brother had tried everything already, perhaps he had been awake for longer.
"You're probably right. Ophelia and Marcus?" Worry fills Aro, as he feels something missing where the bond normally warms up his heart at the memory of their mate.
"Safe, I assume. They're not here, and I didn't hear anyone mentioning them." Caius answers, sounding a tad relieved himself. At least that was something.
"What do they even want?" Aro asks, more so talking to himself. There had to be something they overlooked… Before they could discuss it any further, a metal click sounded, and the door opposite them opened.
"Well, well, well… look what the cat dragged in. Don't you think it's a little pathetic, that two so-called kings got captured so easily?"
Caius scowls at the voice that's mocking them. Aro can't see the person it belongs to yet, but it strikes a chord within his mind. Where did he recognize it from… it was a male, but that's all he could come up with for now. For all he knew, it could've been a memory of someone from centuries ago, even a split second of the voice, but his memories failed him.
"Perhaps you are distracted by the filthy human you call 'mate'." The voice spats out in absolute disgust, and the figure steps into view.
If Aro had a heart, it would've skipped a beat. While Caius growls at him, unknowingly, Aro freezes up, his eyes meeting blood red ones.
"You're supposed to be dead." He brings out, locking eyes with the man. A buzzcut of dark brown hair, harsh lines. A body that's a lot more in shape than it was in his memories, the consequences of alcohol abuse having disappeared when he was turned into a vampire.
"Do you think my daughter has missed me?" Ophelia's father asks, an evil look in his eyes.
-Ophelia's POV-
It feels like ages pass before the guards deem the castle safe again. When they do give the all clear, we speed back to the castle, into the throne room, where everyone else is gathered. Marcus begins to deal out orders, but I don't hear what he's saying, my head spinning and my heart aching. Two of my mates were gone, and were probably in terrible danger.
"Ophelia." Someone shakes my shoulders roughly, pulling me back to earth. Jane, red eyes wide with determination and worry.
"The informant told us their stronghold is in Romania." She states, her eyes intent.
Vladimir and Stefan.
She hands me a phone the next second, and I dial the number by heart.
"Stefan here."
"Stefan, you have to listen to me. Aro and Caius were taken by rebels because they disapprove of me being a human. They operate from Romania." I speak quickly but sternly, the size of the issue catching up to me now.
"You want plan Z?" Stefan answers without hesitation.
"Yes. Find out as much as you can, I'm on my way."
"Be careful, Ophelia. Rumours are spreading, those guys are dangerous." Stefan adds, before hanging up. I take a deep breath, trying to focus.
"Marcus, gather as much of the guard as we can spare. We're going to Romania." I order, pulling him out of his conversation with Felix.
"But-"
"Okay." Marcus interrupts Felix, trust in his eyes.
"I'll grab you a bag." Jane says, returning in split seconds.
"What's plan Z?" Alec asks, appearing beside me. My heart falls at the realization I had just called plan Z into action, but I force the panic in my stomach down. I had to be strong now. For them.
"You'll find out soon enough. Are you coming?" he nods, and remains by my side until his sister returns with a backpack. I thank her, and wait until the room calms down, less and less people bustling around.
"About half of the guard is coming with us. We have other guards too that will remain here." Marcus explains, stepping up beside me, his hand grabbing mine.
"Great. Let's go." I say, and everyone makes their way to the garage. We end up taking Felix, Demetri, Alec, Jane, Renata and Santiago. The last two were Aro and Caius' personal guards, and I could tell they were angry at themselves and looking for revenge. Jane and Alec were equally fuming, and their powers were too valuable not to take them. Demetri was our tracker, and Felix had quickly appeared by my side as my personal guard. Afton, Heidi, Chelsea and Corin would stay here with some lower guards, to protect the castle.
Marcus doesn't protest when I take the car keys Felix offers him, and gets in the passenger's seat instead.
"Are you okay, darling?" He asks after a moment of silence, as I drive behind Felix.
"Just very worried. You?" I ask in return, flashing him a soft smile when he puts his hand on my upper leg.
"Me too. They'll be fine, I can still feel the bond. I'd know if something was wrong." Marcus reassures me, although it only lessens the pressure on my chest slightly.
Objectively speaking, we arrive quickly in Romania. The people who took Aro and Caius couldn't have much of a head start, but it's still not fast enough for me. We take the private jet as far as we can get, but I drive the rest of the way to the castle, the others all behind me, since I know the way.
"Ophelia, we'll get them back." Marcus reassures, startling me from my thoughts. I nod, taking a right turn, onto the driveway.
Vladimir and Stefan were pretty modern in a lot of ways, except for housing. Ever since they became vampires, they had lived in this castle. The Volturi had, of course, destroyed a lot in the war, but they had fixed it quickly. The castle is made out of black stone, towering over the surrounding trees. The gates, made out of iron, are opening already. I park the car right in front of them, before bolting out of the car quickly.
Vladimir and Stefan don't say a word, pulling me into a tight hug instead.
"Don't worry, princess. We'll get them back." Vladimir eventually says, right as Marcus catches up to us.
"You'll help us?" Marcus asks, and when I turn to look at him, there's surprise on his face. His eyes go from me to them, and I can feel he's studying the bond. I know that he didn't expect this. Despite the bond we had, they had been immortal enemies for much longer. Still, my friends were incredibly loyal, and I had trusted they would help with blind faith.
"Of course. You're basically family now, Marcus. Get used to it." Stefan says, flashing him a grin.
"Come in!" Vlad adds, clapping Marcus on the back before leading him along.
"Considering how quickly you solved the war between the Romanians and us, this fight will be over in the blink of an eye!" Felix exclaims, appearing next to me, with a big grin on his face. Still, he wraps an arm around my shoulders, squeezing me in reassurance. I force a smile, but my stomach is filled with dread and worry.
Inside, I notice how the guard stares and gawks, obviously curious to see the castle after centuries of mystery. While the outside was a bit dark and moody, the inside was light and peaceful. Comfortable rugs and couches everywhere, art covering the walls… and lots of framed pictures of Vlad, Stefan and me. The one I'm looking at, has me jumping off a cliff into the water with Vladimir, a big smile on my face. I had missed home so much, and now it just felt… wrong, like I couldn't rest.
"The bond is strained." Marcus mutters, appearing beside me. He places a hand on my lower back, and I lean into him with a sigh. He was right, it felt like I wasn't complete without them.
"Now, will anyone tell me what plan Z is, or do I have to drag it out of you?" Alec speaks up, faking boredom. When our eyes meet, I can see it's impatience, and a hint of worry. Vladimir and Stefan look over to me, a mischievous look appearing in their eyes.
"You'll love this. It's top secret information, we didn't even tell the Cullens before the battle." Vlad explains, making his way over to the two thrones that stood against the wall furthest away from us. They had taken us to the throne room, not that we had ever really used it. I walk over to him, and find the secret button on the other throne, pressing it right when Vlad pushes his button. The thrones slide aside, revealing an opening right underneath the thrones, a stone staircase leading deep down.
"Wicked." Felix says, quickly making his way over to me. We make our way down the stairs, until we reach the other room.
"Motherfucker-
Demetri brings out, shocked.
"You could say that." Felix agrees, staring at the room with wide eyes.
"You're insane." Jane mutters, and the shock on her face is a look I want to remember forever.
"Darling, are you involved in this plan Z?" Marcus speaks up softly, a worried and at the same time awed look in his eyes, as they meet mine.
"Of course, she's the mastermind behind it!" Vlad exclaims, spreading his arms out as a display to the room.
There were weapons everywhere. The room, which was located in the dungeons, was filled to the brim with every military weapon you could imagine. Machine guns, bombs, grenades, even tanks… it was all here.
"Vampires are immune to a lot, but not to bullets." Is all I say, giving Marcus a look.
"Why did you not use this to destroy us in our battle against the Cullens?" Santiago asks, confused.
"It seemed a bit too extreme. We had some weapons hidden, without the Cullens knowing, but it was only meant to be used if one of us got killed, or injured." Stefan explains, as I begin to move through the room, grabbing the stuff I would need.
"You came up with this?!" Felix exclaims, appearing beside me. I flash him a grin, and continue on my task.
"Just carry this for me." I say instead, handing him the weapons I'd retrieved already.
"Sure, we'll just pretend this is normal. You're a psychopath, Ophelia." Felix mutters, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I have to be in order to be around you." I mutter back, making him laugh.
After a while, I've got everything I need.
"Alec, I need you to grab the machine gun and attach it to that vehicle over there." I order, without looking up from where I was busy. It was a jeeplike vehicle, but more suitable for war. If I remember correctly, it had been made privately, but was used frequently in battles in armies all over the world. Stefan had gotten me an appropriate outfit to change into, while Marcus, Vladimir and Demetri discussed the assumed location of the rebels. Right now, I was wearing black combat boots, black trousers with big pockets, and a tight black shirt. Strapping as many weapons to my body as possible was rather difficult, and I was struggling with attaching the shoulder straps that would allow an automatic weapon to rest on my back.
"Here, let me help." Felix offers, gently strapping me in.
"Thanks. Oof." I grunt when the gun is attached to it, forming a heavy weight.
"I think you're insane. But it's also incredibly cool." He says, flashing me a grin.
"We need to save them. It's all I care about." I answer, my voice more grim than I would like to.
"Still, I've never heard of a female mate to save her mates, let alone a queen." He insists, and I can see a bit of admiration in his eyes.
"Let's get them out safely first, then we can talk about my impressive fighting skills." I brush it off, but can't hide a tiny smile.
"You look amazing, darling." Marcus speaks up, appearing beside me. He presses a kiss to my temple, his arm wrapping around my waist, and I lean into his body, grateful to rest my head against his chest for a moment.
"Caius would be proud of you. You look just like him, with that look in your eyes." Marcus adds, making my legs shake.
"I'm just so worried. Every minute feels like an hour." I whisper, closing my eyes tightly.
"They'll be fine, you'll see. I can feel it." Marcus whispers back, pulling me into a tight hug.
"Let's go save those damned Italians!" Vlad exclaims, drawing attention from where he's standing on top of the vehicle I had asked Alec to prepare.
