"I do not need to explain my motives to you nor to any other, however for avoidance of all doubt let us resolve this matter once and for all." His voice was low and melodious, still with his usual airy quality and yet there was an undercurrent of fury there. I thought as I looked on, that neither of them would survive this day, she had sealed their fate, which was perhaps exactly what she had wanted.

"Isabella."

I didn't realise he was calling me until he turned, with his hand outstretched toward me. I gathered my courage and walked toward him, stopping just before the steps to take his hand. Aro turned to me and I met his eyes, I could see the brewing storm there and I tried to calm him with my own look. He took my hood down from my head, showing me to all who gathered and I lowered my eyes in embarrassment.

"Isabella is no mere human." He said, my hand held firmly in his as he turned back to his gathered coven. "Whilst it is true you can hear her heartbeat and smell her deliciously tempting blood. That could also be said for the very first of our kind." His voice dropped here as he looked out at his followers, his eyes seeming to scan every face as realisation dawned on each individual.

"Isabella is directly descended from our forefathers, by blood. So, as ironic as it may be, is more Vampire than you Elena." He spat her name and bared his teeth. "She is also my mate and you will show her respect."

Every pair of eyes were on me then and there was the sound of thudding around the room as over a hundred vampires all fell to their knees and bowed their heads, Felix included who dragged the human down with him, the man emitted a sharp scream of pain as his bones made contact with the stone floor once again.

Aro stroked the back of my hand once before leaving my side, the only vampire still standing before us was Elena, her eyes were wide with fear but still her body language screamed defiance.

"So, little El-e-na." Aro circled her in a predatory manner, his teeth bared in a snarl. "Perhaps you ought to apologise to Miss Swan for comparing her royal blood to that of your filthy little human. Hmm?"

The woman's red eyes darted around the room before resting again on me, she opened her mouth as if to speak but then her eyes locked with my own and she froze. Then suddenly, as if compelled by some outside force she dropped to her knees and bowed her head, through gritted teeth came the words "Please accept my humblest of apologies, My Lady."

What just happened? I looked around the room to see if anyone else had noticed her strange behaviour, but apparently they had not, as all eyes were on the stone floor awaiting Aro's permission to rise. Had I done that?

No, that was ridiculous. I couldn't control people. But I did remember feeling an overwhelming urge for her to just do as Aro wanted, to save herself and her lover by submitting, I had wanted her to so badly and when she had met my gaze it had stopped her from whatever defiant words she was about to spew forth. Instead she had done just as I had envisioned her doing, just what I knew would please Aro.

I tuned out then as Aro made his way back to me and led me again to his throne, this time he seated me and turned back to ensure his judgement was passed. Surprisingly he stuck to his original sentence I realised for only a moment as the white noise receded and I saw Felix bite into the humans neck as Elena was held to the ground and made to watch. Apparently Aro had known what she was trying to do. She had wanted them to both die there that day, but Aro bended to no will other than his own.

As they were dragged away I focussed on my knee, replaying what had just happened again and again in my mind.

It couldn't have been me, I realised. She had just come to her senses. No one could control minds-

Except…

Archos.

And I was his great granddaughter.

"My my, you truly do resemble me. I didn't quite believe it when your mother had spoke of such a likeness."

It couldn't be… Even Archos couldn't control people from a distance, his was tactile he had said as much. Only vary rarely did it bleed out without his touching a person and even then he was a pure blood original of his kind. I was just… me?

I had tuned out so spectacularly that only again when my name was mentioned was I aware of still being privy to the Volturi judgements. I blinked and looked to see the Vampire who had attacked me, knelt before Aro who had spoken my name and was now looking at me with something akin to concern on his face.

I smiled at him, only slightly, to let him know I was okay. He turned back to the vampire at his feet and continued.

"No doubt you are now aware of just who Isabella is, William?" Aro grabbed a fistful of the vampires hair and forced his head up so that he may look at me. The man who I now knew to be called William had his black eyes rested on me as he nodded once.

"For those of you who are unaware, William here came across Isabella in the private tower which can only be accessed with express permission from me." Aro gripped tighter with his hand now under his chin, turning his head at an inhuman angle and I could see cracks appearing along his jawline. "Did you have my permission to enter the tower, William?"

"No Master." He choked out, pain evident on his features as he looked at me with eyes filled with confusion. "I smelt something wonderful and assumed that as I had returned from my mission I had been granted a boon. I was entirely mistaken Master."

Aro released him and took two slow steps back toward me, his eyes raising to meet mine with possessive intent before he turned back toward William, who was now held by Felix and Demetri.

"I may have accepted that reasoning William, however when Isabella informed you of her… attachment" He said this word with such lascivious undertones that none had any doubt to what kind of attachment he was referring. "To your Master, you ignored her and chose to attack regardless."

"I believed she was lying, as many others have done, to save herself. Again Master it was entirely my error and I will spend my remaining days serving My Lady to atone for my mistake, if you allow it." This seemed to make Aro falter as he stopped to regard William with interest, his tongue swiped against his lower lip once.

"You wish to serve her?" The room tensed with anticipation, all were unsure of what the correct answer to this would be, even I didn't know what Aro would prefer to hear.

"If you will allow it, Master."

Aro's laugh shocked as all, it echoed around the high ceiling as he clapped his hands together in mirth. "You expect that I can entrust my mate to you, after you dared lay your hands upon her skin?"

Suddenly he was a blur as he had his hand around William's neck, lifting him from the ground. Felix and Demetri stepped back, their restraint unnecessary now he was in Aro's strong grip.

"After you dared mark her body?" His tone sent chills up my spine and in that moment even I had the urge to flee. I doubted then if he would stick to our agreement, if he would let the vampire live and perhaps have him suffer in some other way.

"No." Aro intoned reverently. "I think not."

He dropped the vampire who landed hard on his knees and William rubbed his neck absently, as if trying to sooth the cracks which had appeared under Aro's grip.

"But you are more than welcome to ask her yourself." My eyes sharply darted to Aro to see him looking at me, I took a moment to admire him in his black suit and shirt with the Volturi pendant gleaming like a beacon in the darkness.

The vampire tried to stand but Aro immediately growled and forced him back down to his knees, his bruising grip on his neck.

"I did not say that you may approach her as your equal. Crawl."

William crawled up the steps his head bowed the entire time before he came to a stop on the hard marble floor, about three feet from where I sat in Aro's throne.

"My Lady, I beg your forgiveness and pledge myself to your service in the hope that I may atone for my grievous error." His voice cracked momentarily, the first sign of his true fear. We both knew that if I denied him it would mean his true death, yet I could not disregard Aro's feelings on the matter.

"You believed me to be any ordinary human?" I asked, curiously feeling power thrum through me as I looked down at the cowering figure before me.

"Yes, My Lady, I would never have dared…" He stopped speaking, perhaps realising I didn't wish to hear anything else he had to say. Or had I made him stop? I frowned for a moment, my lips pursed thoughtfully as I decided to test my theory.

I filled my mind with the thought at first and then let it become my entire body and being, I projected it outward toward William who remained still as stone at my feet.

'Look at me' I thought, my eyes burned into his forehead and I waited, willing his gaze to raise…

Just as I was about to give up on my foolishness, he slowly raised his eyes to me, looking momentarily surprised at himself for doing so. He fought to drop his gaze again, but seemed unable to look away now that his eyes had locked to mine.

'Stand' I pushed the thought forward and watched the terror cross his face as his limbs moved almost without his permission, he fought me and I could feel it now, my power coursing through my blood.

Aro snarled as William moved to stand before me but I raised a hand, stalling him and Felix as they made to move toward him.

I stood from my seated position and faced William whose eyes truly were now filled with absolute fear as he beheld me, I could also see a touch of wonder in his gaze.

"How does it feel to be helpless William? As I felt, as another human girl would have felt. Tell me, how many have you tortured and forced yourself upon?" I asked somehow knowing this was the question he feared me asking.

He bit hard on his own lips, injecting his own venom into his skin and causing inky coloured cracks to form down his chin.

'Answer me.' I pushed again and could sense the room ripple with excitement as they witnessed my power, I could feel Aro's eyes burning into me and somewhere in the distance I heard him whisper a single word.

"Magnifico!"

William trembled as the words were forced from his lips. "I don't know, I can't remember." He answered honestly, and I knew were he able to sweat there would have been beads running rivulets down his forehead then.

"That many?" I asked and I raised my eyes to those around me and a gasp rippled among them, I was confused for a moment before I looked to my side and caught my reflection in a broken shard of glass which had been used in the place of tiles on one of the pillars which surrounded the thrones.

I realised why the reaction had been one of shock, my eyes glowed violet and I had seemingly taken on an ethereal appearance as I accessed my power, I almost looked like a Vampire…

I focussed my attention back on the man squirming before me.

"Why did you present yourself to guard me, your true reason?" I pushed him to tell me by letting the want to hear the truth fill me completely and it was becoming easier with each passing moment.

"To- ki-ll y-o-u." He choked on his own tongue as he fought against the words and I smiled as I watched his eyes close in acceptance of his fate.

"Thank you for your honest answer William. I am sorry to tell you that I have changed my mind Aro…" I directed my attention to him now and he was at my side immediately, his hands grazing my jaw as he gazed at me with unabashed wonder. "I no longer wish for him to be spared."

"Magnifico, amore mio." He whispered and his thumb ghosted over my collarbone as he examined my strangely coloured eyes with avid interest.

"Master?" Felix interrupted, at my statement he had approached William who still stood frozen to the spot before me.

My concentration slipped for just a moment as Aro's touch began to set me aflame and the doomed vampire tried his best to flee from the room, he almost made it to the door before my head snapped around and my eyes locked on him.

He fell to his knees again and through gritted teeth we all heard him sob the words "What- are- you!"

AN: Your wonderful reviews have kept my muse going and so here is another chapter! What do you think? All will be explained next chapter but i'm intrigued to hear your theories.