Chapter 2: The Beginning of the End
1152 AD Loxwood, England
If anyone was every searching for Lila, they would best find her barefoot in the forest surrounding the village that she lived in. She looked no more than seventeen and already was the best apothecary the town had ever seen. But then again she never had been normal. She had always been one with nature, hated how obsessive the towns' people were about religion, and that girls did NOT need to be escorted by a man into the dark woods that she had trotted as a child. She had never been one to be scared of the dark as it often embraced her. Lila was well aware of all the monsters in this world, given that in a way she was one.
The road running dead centre through the woods was often used by messengers of other kingdoms since her town was between London and the sea. Most currently there were French soldiers helping to escort and protect a member of French royalty that had just married the king. Or at least that was what the gossiping washerwomen always talked about when they weren't talking about Lila behind her back. That girl was truly wicked! She had no intention of getting married, had her own trade, rarely attended church, worn trousers, and was the least lady like girl they had ever seen. That and her parents had disappeared when she was only eleven.
Today she watched a young knight who looked no older than eighteen wander through the woods back and forth looking lost on his horse. Hiding behind the pines, she walked closer to admire this stranger. He had medium dark brown hair and boyish features. His slate grey eyes darted between the ragged map in his hand and forked path between him. It would be dark in less than an hour and obviously was not going to get to wherever he was journeying to. Straightening her long platinum hair she walked forward.
"Are you lost, sir," She asked politely. The horse neighed out of startle and bucked backwards almost knocking him off.
"Oh mon dieu ! Qu'est-ce qu'une jeune fille comme vous fait dans les bois cette fin? " He replied awestruck. To him it seemed as though she had melted from the shadows wearing ghost white hair, a black cloak, basket of strange herbs and green eyes that seemed fit for a witch's cat rather than an innocent girl. Judging by her befuddled expression she did not speak French.
"What is a young girl like you doing in the woods alone at this hour?" He repeated in English.
"I am not a young girl! I am guessing I am about the same age as you and I know the woods better than you! I should be asking why a young boy is sent so close to dark alone?" She arched an eyebrow patronizingly.
"Touché. I am indeed lost and need to find Lord Gregory's estate," He sighed rubbing his face in frustration.
"By all means my damsel, follow me," Hiking up her skirt she ran to the manor, boy and horse in tow, earning many glares from the village women and winks from the village men. Lila, giggling all the way, thought about the boy.
Volterra Throne Room Current Day
Aro was quite pleased with himself. He wondered why he hadn't thought of this before. Caius walked into the throne room and paused when he saw Aro's gleeful smile. God he was such a pansy at times. "Do I even want to know?" Caius grunted has he sat down in his throne to Aro's left.
"I have just come up with the most brilliant idea. Would you like you hear it?" Aro beamed.
"Would you like to give me a choice?" Caius grumbled under his breath.
Ignoring him, he continued, "Children, Caius. Children! What do you think about it?"
"I think brown acid now can now affect a certain vampire, that's what."
"Well I was thinking about what a magnificent creature Renesmee is, and then it hit me. What if we could create one of our own? Doesn't it seem exciting?"
"First off you are not my type, and second off it takes a male vampire and female human to create a half-breed. I don't think that we could create a child between us two even if we tried," Caius snorted sarcastically.
"For the love of God I am not gay Caius. I have a wife. Anyway I was thinking that we could ask our guards to create one and see what we get. Imagine what gifts we could have at our disposal."
Now Caius was intrigued. He remembered one thing he had heard about Alice Cullen's gift.
"Didn't you say that you saw in Alice's thoughts that she can't predict the futures of hybrids and anyone around them?" Caius hated children, but he hated the Cullens more. Aro was happy to get Caius on board. Having more foresight than Caius, he knew that when these creatures were mature enough they could have offspring of their own and they might even have multiple gifts.
"Do you really think this is wise?" a voice startled the now two giddy vampires. Marcus.
"We ask a lot of our guards that are not the most moral of things, but I do not see how mass rape and treating or manipulating children as livestock that could just be used for breeding. What if this idea backfires? If these children are as powerful as you say they will be, couldn't they turn on us just because of poor parenting or toddler temper tantrums or worse when they become teenagers?" He continued bursting their master-minded bubble, "Do you think the guards will even do it? They are loyal, but not that loyal."
"Well Jane had been here just a minute ago. She seemed surprised, but I bet we can sway her. I told her to ask Demetri, Felix, Alec, Afton, and Santiago to come here, so they should be here any minute."
Just as he finished speaking the door unlocked and swan open as the guards filed in. To his unsurprise Chelsea had come in with Afton and Jane followed Alec being the over concerned older sister that she was.
"Jane, what is it with you and bring in more people than we need? I asked for five people and you bring back five and a half," Aro smirked.
"So what news did you scare Jane with?" Felix said half laughing hiding the obvious nervousness. Jane hissed at him.
"I had a marvelous idea on how we can improve the guard! It will require a small, simple task from each of you. Except Jane and Chelsea, I am sorry my dears," Aro announced.
Having things now as clear as mud the guards just stared at him waiting him to elaborate.
"The Cullens now have a weapon that could very much benefit us. We need to best the Cullens and better ourselves. Given each of you has a gift that has landed your current spot as part of the guard, each of these talents will greatly uplift the power of the Volturi."
"What do we need to do?" Demetri sighed.
"Are we going to kidnap someone?" "Are we going to torture someone" Jane and Alec ask in sync.
"Does this involves killing someone?," Felix guessed totally confused and just throwing out the first thing that came to mind.
"Yes to all four and then one more thing," Aro smiled thinking the guards were finally getting the idea.
"What is the one more thing?" Demetri asked now on alert.
Caius smiled and said it as bluntly as possible, "Sex".
"We want each of you to create a hybrid. I will send Heidi out to find young women and I want each of you to at least try and see what we get. Since I want to guarantee the first one has some sort of gift, Alec will be the first one to try."
"What? Why me?" Alec burst alarmed.
"Yes you, and we have already explained why," Caius sighed.
"Sir, I have not um ever really um done something like this before," he stammered hoping Aro would get the hint.
Felix fake coughed, "Virgin."
If it was possible Alec would be blushing and right now debated if he used is power right now he could make himself disappear. Alec sighed rubbed his face in frustration.
Forks
Renesmee didn't know if she should be happy or sad. She was happy that she now knew that she would live as long as Momma & Daddy. She had a friend just like her named Nahuel. Before he left for Brazil, which made her sad, he gave her his email address and responded once a week give or take. Jacob was really happy when Nahuel left, but she didn't know why. Every time she asked Jacob, why Daddy would interrupt and grumble "Five months old Jacob, Five months old". She didn't feel five months old. She looked seven years old if you really had to guess.
Yet Renesmee was sad. Alice seemed scared and kept giving Daddy looks like something was wrong. She asked Momma if Alice saw something scary, but she would never answer. Or worse she promised to tell her later and not to worry about it.
Renesmee hated being treated like she was weak. Now Daddy never let her leave the house after what happened with the Volturi. They weren't that scary and no one got hurt. Why was everyone so protective?
Every time she thought of sneaking off to go outside, or use scissors, or go hunting by herself or anything "Dangerous" Daddy would give her a stern look and say "No Renesmee". She couldn't even go to Jacobs house unless Momma or Daddy went with her. So she tried to think of ways to hide her thoughts. If Momma could do it, why couldn't she?