~ Twelfth Night ~

The nights and days that had followed my morning meeting with Aro, had been uneventful to say the least. I had not seen him since, though he had assured me before he left that day, that his absence would be for the best, and I agreed. It would not do to have Mircea too riled. My freedom was limited as it was, if Mircea had any reason to suspect that I was plotting to leave with Aro and his kin, then it would most certainly be the end of everything. There was just one thing that had to be dealt with first.

Bram.

Aro had not gone into detail when I had questioned his interest in my young brother, but he did promise that all would become clear to me soon enough. Even when I had insisted that I would not leave without him, Aro had not seemed perturbed, on the contrary he had agreed, assuring me that he would do all that was within his power to get Bram and I safely away.

He told me I was not to worry.

But I did. I did worry.

No one had been by. Not Aro, not even Mircea. Only the staff to feed me, and Didyme to check my wounds from time to time. During her visits she ensured me that everything was going to be alright, that Mircea had calmed, but was keeping his distance due to his brother Stefan's advice. For this I was of course grateful. Had Vladimir been the one to advise, I would have surely suffered a fate worse than boredom, if only to serve for his own amusement. Luckily Stefan was not so cruel.

Still. It had been days.

"How much longer?" I had asked Didyme one afternoon, her fast fingers working intricate braids effortlessly through my unruly mane.

"You must be patient, Liliana. The timing has to be right, and not only that, but you have only just become strong enough to travel." She murmured, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. "My brother knows what he is doing, we must trust him." She finished, not sounding nearly as strong in her resolve as her words suggested.

At this I raised an eyebrow toward the looking glass. "Do you doubt him?" I questioned, sounding far more defensive than I had intended.

But Didyme merely shook her head. "I worry about him." She said simply, her fingers pausing, as thick black lashes brushed delicately against her cheek. "Are you sure that this is what you want, Liliana?"

I frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

"To come with us? Become like us." Her forehead crinkled prettily. "It is not an easy burden for all to bear, Princess."

"You bear it."

"I had no choice."

A sadness seemed to come over her then, and I sensed a piece of her story that she was not quite ready to share. I sighed, turning toward her with the best of intentions.

"I have had many burdens handed to me." I answered quietly, a thin smile playing lightly on my lips. "It would be nice to handle at least one that is of my own choosing."

Didyme nodded, a flicker of warmth touching her features once more. "Then I shall be very happy to welcome a new sister."

That was yesterday, now I sat alone in my chambers, the moon the highest in the sky than I had seen for many nights. Sulpicia's poems had kept me company, her words soothing as much as they were inspiring. I longed to see the southern lands, to feel the sun hot against my skin, and find the villages made of stone, tall enough to touch the sky. My home had long since become a burden, a living nightmare that had haunted me, and now finally, there was no one left, no person or thing to keep me from taking flight.

Only my keeper's castle that acted like a cage. If only Aro would make haste and open the door.

Sighing frustratedly, I rolled up the poems, sliding them securely into the pocket of my dress, before bundling up my cloaks around me.

"I need some air." I mumbled, heading boldly into the passage outside my chambers.

No guards tonight. Perhaps Mircea had finally realised that there was nowhere I could go without being noticed, so the necessity for a guard was somewhat redundant. Still, it was very trusting of him, especially when many of his brothers and sisters would have gladly drunk me dry.

Perhaps he no longer cared what became of me, and that particular notion suited me just fine.

I pressed on.

The corridors I followed were dark and dank, light was sparse, but I met no soul, demonic or otherwise, on my travels. In a way it was more perturbing than the demons themselves, the castle being unusually barren. I had expected to come across someone long before now, though really I was thankful I had not.

Still, where were they all?

I was about to turn 'round, and head out towards the lake, when I heard a howl that could not have possibly belonged to anything human. It was beast like, tortured, and pulling my cloaks tighter around me, I found my curiosity leading me along thinner and windier corridors.

As I moved, I was again aware of a complete lack of fear – such foolishness, really. Perhaps my survival instinct had finally abandoned me? After all, there had been so many close calls with death within these walls. I liked to think it was because of a deeply embedded need to understand. After all, I would rather be dead than ignorant. Ignorance was the undoing of so many, and after a lifetime of people trying to keep me in the dark, I had learned to fight against it. Hadn't Mircea himself noticed the instinct within me? When he had seen me playing down by the river as a child? My brothers had run, but I had stayed. Where they had cried, I had smiled. It had been what had drawn him to me in the first place.

It had a lot to answer for.

Jeers and shouts met my ears, smooth and un-agrivaiting, meaning that they could not possibly belong to anyone other than my God-like keepers. I slowed my pace, the sound of an animal in pain enough to warn me of what might be happening out of sight. I breathed, a slither of light calling me onwards like a beacon. I reached the small alcove and edged slowly forwards, attempting, perhaps in vain, to keep myself hidden from an audience.

The scene that met my eyes was something to behold.

I was above the auditorium, the room in which Mircea and his coven held their more important councils. Members of the house lined the stone walls, and though there were some I did not recognise, others I did. Mircea sat with a very enthusiastic Stefan, the latter's mate curled happily at his heels. Aro, Marcus and Didyme sat beside Vladimir, their expressions amused as they sat and spoke, gazes darting continuously toward the entertainment at the centre.

And what entertainment it was.

My lips curled in disgust as a wolf-like beast the size of cattle, gorged itself on the remains of what appeared to have once been something human. Broken spears and swords were scattered chaotically across the floor, but from the apparent blood shed that I could see, none of their owners had stood much of a chance.

I shrunk back in distaste.

"Look, brothers and sisters! We have an unexpected guest!"

Marishka, Vladimir's mate, stood, her face elated, as a long, talon-spiked finger extended up toward my hiding place. She cackled, no doubt noting my discomfort at being found, and smiled gleefully up at me.

"Would you like to join us, Princess?!" She called tauntingly, leaning happily against her lover's arm. "We could make this a reunion?"

I barely noted her odd choice of words, for in the next moment the beast in question had apparently discarded his now petty meal, obviously sensing nearby prey with a beating heart. A menacing snarl rumbled through it's chest as it's amber gaze found me, and I was privately grateful when three large guards fell upon it, pinning it easily to the floor, as it thrashed and howled.

I had never seen anything like it.

"You should not be here."

I snapped from my haze. Mircea had of course climbed the steps to meet me.

"Why?" I blinked. "You left no guards at my door to tell me otherwise."

"I thought I had made it clear enough to you how unsafe the castle can be." He said quietly, his raven tresses framing his pale profile like a hood.

He looked annoyed, not with me but with himself. Perhaps the lack of cold bodies by my chambers, had in fact been an oversight on his part?

I chose to ignore his condescending reply, and instead pressed on with my own questions.

"What is this? What is that?" I questioned, my gaze unwittingly darting down to the trapped beast below.

It still struggled against it's captors.

Mircea sighed. "Liliana, please just return to your chambers. I will – "

"Mircea!" Vladimir was calling up to us now, the rich glee in his tone; thick enough to match Marishka's, was hard to ignore. "Mircea, bring Liliana down. She is perfectly safe. Come, join us Princess!"

His offer was met with mocking approval from his own coven, but when I risked a glance toward Aro, Didyme and Marcus, I saw something else entirely. Didyme looked furious, throwing scathing looks up at her brother, who in turn was either completely oblivious of the fact, or simply did not care, his own gaze fixed hungrily upon the writhing beast on the floor. Marcus, of course, had eyes only for Didyme, a comforting hand splayed pointedly over her shoulder, clearly hopeful that her animosity would soon relent.

From what I could see, he would be lucky if her anger had ebbed before the next coming winter.

I looked back at the creature.

"I want to see." I breathed.

Mircea, looking less than happy, stepped aside, a growl rumbling lightly in his throat as I made my was passed him, and carefully descended the stairwell. I swallowed hard as my feet left the final step, the beast looking far more large and threatening than it had from the safety of the balcony. I faltered, my gaze meeting it's large amber orbs more reluctantly than I ever cared to admit, and so I stilled.

It was a strange sight to behold, it's watchful eye almost drawing me in. Yes, there was a hunger there, a clear animalistic need to consume, but there was also something else, something I hadn't expected and had quite possibly, hopefully, imagined.

A dull flicker of recognition.

It was then that I noticed the torn crest upon the floor.

R&R!

Guys thank you so much for your reviews! I will get round to replying like last time, but it is very late again ha. How are you feeling about the story, the characters, do we think Aro could have been a little more involved – probably – was he going to miss out on the show? Never.

Anyhoo, Sleep well! X X