A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.

Chapter 5-

Marcus's POV-

"What is this all about, Marcus?" Aro scowled, demanding an explanation, his hands on his hips similar to a toddler about to throw a tantrum of deadly proportions. There wasn't much of a difference though, anyway.

I sighed, my eyes never straying from my room door-less than a few steps apart. Didyme…Bella was inside, and I would much rather prefer to be there than here, discussing the outcome of my strange behavior with none other than my brother- who could be a certified pain when he chose to be so.

"Aro, brother, this is neither the time nor the place…."

"When will the correct time be then?" he interrupted me, a scoff emitting his mouth. "On the contrary, I would say, you have kept us waiting long enough in our quest for answers. You never behave in such a strange manner, brother. Poor Demetri, he was traumatized by your actions."

I almost resisted the urge to roll my eyes- finally giving into it- and successfully rolling my eyes, surprising Aro once again- I generally kept my thoughts to myself, for good reason though. "Really, Aro, traumatized? Don't you think that is a bit of an exaggeration for the situation?"

Aro had the habit of doing so. He was infamously known for creating mountains out of molehills. But, this was an extreme reaction, even for him, I had to admit that.

He grunted, folding his arms together in front of his chest, in evident stubbornness. "I disagree with you on that. I have seen the sight with my eyes, and read his mind. I believe he was truly disturbed by your abrupt behavior, but I am curious to know of what brought it through."

And we are back to the beginning….

Aro just didn't know when to let the topic go- talk about being pushy!

I sighed, shaking my head. "Brother, I said I don't wish to talk about this topic…"

"But," he interrupted me, almost pouting. "In that case, let me read your hand. You don't need to verbally speak a word."

"No." I stated, pushing his offered hand away. He could not try those tricks on me….not anymore "We had mutually decided this- more than millennia ago- that you will not demand to read me or Caius if we don't wish for you to. We are not a part of your guard, Aro. You don't rule over us."

When the Volturi had been initially formed, Caius and I had demanded that this rule be practiced religiously. We were not a part of the guard, or one of the staff members, that Aro needed to keep an eye upon. We were as much a part of the Volturi as he was, and so had a right to demand complete privacy, as was he privy to. No one went about demanding to know his personal thoughts on a matter- and we deserved to get the same respect, owing to the fact that we were the leaders, as well.

Of course, after Didyme's death, I had let Aro read my mind quite frequently- stating that there was no reason for me to want or demand my privacy- a shell of a person could hardly have any secrets, that is, but not any longer, now I had a reason to demand the same rule that we had once followed. Aro could not read my thoughts, or by association, Bella's. It was simply out of question. There could and would be things that Aro did not deserve to know of, things that we would like to keep between us. Didyme had never let Aro read her mind- even though she was his biological sister, a fact that Aro truly despised- and if I had to guess, Bella would be against him reading her mind, as well.

She did have a lot of Didyme in her, which should be partly expected.

Anyhow, Bella would get the same right that Athenadora- Caius's mate enjoyed, living in this Castle since she had.

"How," Aro looked horrified by my choice of words. "Why? You have never opposed to me reading your thoughts before. What has changed all of a sudden?"

I simply shrugged in response. "I have never been accepting of you invading my privacy, but decided against speaking about it out loud. That changes today, though."

His eyebrows furrowed together, disbelief thick on his face.

"I don't believe this." he grunted. "I will talk to you when you are sane again, brother." he paused slightly in his words, contemplating something. "Oh, before I forget, how would you like some company today?"

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "Concerning?"

He gave me a small smile in response, shaking his head slightly. "Don't look so worried, brother. It is just that, Chelsea needed your help in some newer translations; you know that no one is as knowledgeable as you in the castle. I had promised her that I would put the matter in front of you."

I scoffed, no stranger to the hidden meaning behind his words. I was no fool. I was well aware of why suddenly Chelsea would feel the need to visit me.

Aro and his never ending tricks of manipulation!

He just could not accept things not going his way.

"Not today, brother," I kept my tone as nonchalant as could be. "I have other chores to complete. But, Sulpicia is as well versed as me in the languages, if not more. I am sure she would be willing to help Chelsea."

He scowled, his eyes narrowed as he glared at me- the unspoken words clearly specified between us- before he huffed and walked away, a clear sign that he had accepted defeat for once.

I rolled my eyes, walking back towards my room- and back towards my Did…Bella.

I would have to take up the habit of referring to her as Bella. She preferred to be called Bella, as she had made it clear to me. Of course, she had no memory of being Didyme, and so it would have been certainly strange on her part to accept another name and identity this easily.

Anyhow, I don't know from where such bravado had entered into me. I had never opposed Aro before- in the first few years of knowing him, due to him being my mate's brother, I had always been keen on treating him like a younger brother myself- the stubborn younger brother whose mistakes you tend to overlook. It had partly been my fault, I agree; that Aro was this power greedy and selfish in his means. He had never heard a 'no' in his early life. Didyme tended to pamper him to no extreme, and I had done the very same after he joined my family.

Because that was what this was, back in the day, a family; a family that consisted of me, my mate, and her only living family- her brother.

I could still remember that exact day when I had met Aro for the first time. I had wanted to marry Didyme- she had just found out the secret of my identity, and surprisingly, had accepted me with open arms; her only stipulation being that she would not leave her brother behind once she entered my world to be with me. He was her only family, she had stated. She could not have imagined leaving him behind.

I had accepted her terms, I craved company myself- and had agreed to change Aro as well, of course, owing to the fact that he wanted to become a part of my world. Didyme had invited me over for 'dinner' to their rundown shack- they could not afford anything better. Their parents had passed away, leaving the two of them behind, and with cruel, seeking advantage, relatives stealing away whatever little their parents had left for them, the two of them had wandered from town to town- finally calling this little shack their own.

Anyhow, Didyme had nervously opened the door- hearing me bang softly, a young boy, almost out of his teens standing a step behind her, a wary expression on his face.

"I hear my sister wished for me to meet you," he had spoken in polished Greek, his literary skills limited to speaking, unlike Didyme who could read a bit, having learnt from her well read father.

I was fortunate in that aspect; my sire had been a well read man who had taught me everything he knew before he was killed on that unfortunate day.

I had nodded my head in agreement, a polite smile on my face. "Hello, my name is Marcus. I don't really know my surname- a father figure of mine went by Volturi, and I have taken to follow the same. It is a pleasure to meet you, Aro."

He had scowled, not really pleased to meet me. "My sister informed me that you wish to marry her."

I had given him a small smile, hoping to somehow lessen the tense environment that we had found ourselves in. "Yes, I truly believe that she is the one made for me. I would like to marry her. You are important to her- and your opinion matters to her. I have no family remaining, and by association, I have begun to consider you as family, if you will let me be, that is."

He had seemed contemplative for a few brief minutes before he had moved to let me enter the house, not uttering a word of approval or disapproval. I had taken that gesture as a small victory, though.

"My sister was telling me that you have no permanent residence at the moment." He had started to speak, Didyme stealing glances at me all throughout. She was nervous; I could see it in her posture. She also disliked the fact that Aro was this protective over her, but had accepted it, knowing that he was simply asking the questions that her father would have- had he been there.

I had smiled. "Yes, I travel from town to town, having no permanent residence to call my own."

He had scoffed. "How will you look after my sister then? We have faced several difficulties due to not having a family to lean upon. I don't wish for my sister to marry a man who promises her the same life of no stability."

"That will not be an issue, brother." Didyme had whispered, her eyes pleading with me to tell him the truth. She desired to marry me, but did not want to lose her brother in the process.

I had sighed, adhering to her wishes. She was my mate. I would do anything and everything for her.

"Aro, brother," I had begun. "There is something you need to know about me….."

I had then proceeded to tell him the truth about my kind, offering him the chance to choose of whether he wanted to become a vampire or not- hoping that he would say yes, Didyme would have been heartbroken otherwise. Fortunately, he had agreed- a dangerous gleam in his eyes when he had learnt of how truly powerful he would become after the change. He was power greedy, I could see that in his eyes, even at such a young, inexperienced age, but I had chosen to ignore it- considering Didyme's happiness to be of much more importance.

I could handle Aro. It would not be very difficult for me.

I was decades older than him- even without counting my immortal life.

"I have a condition, though." Aro had lastly stated. "We will keep a permanent residence. I don't wish to travel from town to town, like a 'nobody'; I detest that life and I refuse to do it for eternity."

I had nodded my head, simply glad that I would be able to call Didyme my wife, no matter what the price is to pay.

I was aware that Didyme had been looking forward to the nomadic life. She loved to travel. She wanted to experience the joy of not knowing where your feet will lead you to, completely surprised by the outcome at times. She had wished to see the world, grabbing all the information she could on the way.

Didyme had loved to learn, stating that this form of learning- by traveling- was any day preferable than the method of learning through books or through word of mouth, which was more common back in the day.

I had silently promised her that day I would fulfill every wish of hers. Her wish was my command, no matter how cliché that sounds. We would see the world, together. We would make new experiences together, loving one another as we made new memories….memories of a lifetime.

I had smiled at Didyme, silently letting her know of this, almost missing the evil grin on Aro's face, his eyes telling me of how much he desired this new role of having complete control over our decisions. He had realized of how much I loved Didyme and to what extent I would go for her happiness- and such knowledge never did anyone any good.

"I will decide of where we will live." He had finally stated, knowing that there was no opposition lying in his way.

.

.

.

"Marcus," a whisper brought me back to the present, scared brown eyes looking up at me from the couch on which she lay.

"Bella," I ran up to her, kneeling by her side. "Are you alright?"

She gave me a slight nod, gulping. "I have not been dreaming, have I? Whatever you just said…reincarnation…vampire….soul mate…..it was not a dream, was it?"

I shook my head, my dead heart nearly breaking at the fear and worry in her tone. "I am afraid it is the truth. You have not been dreaming."

She sighed, looking at her lap. "I don't even know what to believe at the moment. Reincarnation is supposed to be fantasy. Vampires are supposed to not even exist, and yet, I can say with full surety that I did see a person drink the blood of another person, killing them. How am I okay with any of this? I should be in shock right now. Humans- plural- were brutally murdered in front of my eyes, and I don't even blink an eyelid. I should be…."

"Shh," I calmed her rambling down, taking her hand in mine. It felt familiar- like home, my touch doing its desired job by soothing her instantly. "I have a theory behind that…" I started, unsure of how my next words would be perceived. "As Didyme, back in the day, you did feed on humans. It was not as elaborate an affair as it is today; Aro took complete control off matters after you ….I was no more than a shell to give my opinion….anyhow, I believe that due to you feeding on humans in one of your past births, you are not as disturbed as a human could have been, considering you are getting parts of your memory of that birth back."

"I fed on humans." She raised an eyebrow in question.

I sighed, nodding my head.

"But, that's horrible," she declared, waving her hands in air. "The only thing that can be worse is- did I feed on small children; babies maybe?"

"No. No." I instantly shook my head. "You did not feed on children. You were very particular about who became your next meal. You never hunted the ones who needed to live- the breadwinner of a family. You called it the death of an entire family, instead of simply one. And, you need to understand, we had believed that we have no choice but to feed on humans. It wasn't until Carlisle Cullen walked through the Castle gates that we realized that feeding on animals is an option and that happened long, long after you left me."

"Why didn't you?" she questioned in a whisper. "Change your diet, I mean? You don't need to answer if it is anything personal." She instantly added, embarrassed by her outspokenness.

I shrugged at her. "You can ask me whatever you want- I would never refuse you an answer. And, to answer your question, I had thought of changing my diet, at one point of time, but Aro never let me. He believed the human feeders to be stronger and more in control of their gifts. I tried convincing him, but once he decides something, it is like pushing a rock. I finally gave in after a while, when he declared that no member of the Volturi- guard or otherwise- could feed on humans. It just didn't make sense to carry on opposing."

"Who the fuck is this Aro," she questioned. "And while the hell does he make a decision on everyone's behalf?"

I almost chuckled at her tone, shaking my head. "Aro is…was your brother."

"You mean, Didyme's?"

I nodded my head, sighing. "Yes,"

"Sorry," she whispered. "I am not her. I just don't feel comfortable calling her life my own."

I shook my head, looking at the ground. "I understand."

"Thank you," she whispered, patting the seat beside her on the couch. "Anyhow, from what I remember of the few brief minutes that I saw him, Aro looks pretty creepy- the kind that you want to run as far away as possible from. How on earth do people live with him? Is he married?"

I chuckled, going and sitting beside her on the couch. I felt lighter than I had felt in ages. It was surprising. After Didyme, Bella was the only other person who could bring this wide a smile on my face.

"Yes, he is married. His wife, Sulpicia, lives in the tower- I would like to take you to meet her. Didyme and she were good friends, considering we four had been together for ages before any of the others joined us."

She shrugged at me. "I still find it hard to believe that Aro was Didyme's brother. I don't know anything much about her, so please don't take offense, but they seem to be poles apart."

"Yeah, they were chalk and cheese," I admitted. "Didyme was the warm sun and Aro is the cold night. But, she did love him a lot."

She shuddered, shaking her head. "I just feel weird when I think about him, or even hear his name. He gives me the creeps."

I sighed. It was an expected reaction.

Not many were a fan of Aro.

"Anyhow," she continued, playing with the hem of her shirt. "I can't leave this castle alive, can I?"

Oh boy!

That was another can of worms I had been in no hurry to open.

Alas, you do with what you get!