A/N: Please R&R. Special thanks to Lightshadow17 for the idea for this story. This chapter properly introduces Mathias and Farfalla, and a little bit about Eftemie and Ecaterina. I also recognise that even though I promised some Marcus-Didyme moments, but haven't yet delivered. Here they are. Thanks for reading!

SPECIAL A/N: With this chapter I will be exploring several characters and their loving relationships with each other. I WILL hint at what might happen between certain characters, but I WILL NOT describe it. As of this chapter, the Volturi Assassin story is now rated M, to be safe. I won't be doing too much lovey-dovey stuff, even though it is the trademark feature of the Twilight Saga. This is not because I dislike the way Stephanie Meyer has written this, but it's that I'm not Stephanie Meyer, and I'm not nearly good enough at love scenes to do too much of it. Most of the story will be filled with action and plot twists will be both frequent and cool, if I do say so myself.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight and or any of the characters that appear in the Stephanie Meyer books. However, the characters of Frederick, Trevor, Lucian, Sonia, Mathias, Eftemie, Ecaterina and Farfalla are of my own creation.

Swear On Our Love

Mathias had been running for hours at full speed, but the French vampire was not tired. He had been pursued for almost as long, but he was faster than Eftemie and Ecaterina, and had not yet been caught. The gates of Volterra opened ahead of him, but Mathias was still too far away to see that. He looked around, slowing down slightly to see how close they were, even though he could still smell them. He saw Eftemie bound over a hill as little as a tenth of a mile away.

Mathias was very fast but not too skilled as a fighter, and Ecaterina and Eftemie were Stefan's most loyal and powerful vampires. Mathias was proud, and hated to run away from a fight, but he was not stupid. He knew that he could take down Eftemie or Ecaterina, but not the two together. So he ran back to his master, Marcus, and safety.

He saw the gates of Volterra and laughed aloud in relief. His pursuers would not dare come much closer to Volterra, stronghold of the Volturi. Not alone anyway. Mathias had been a spy for the Volturi for over four years now, and hadn't seen his mate, Farfalla, in most of that time. Marcus had promised him that it would only be for five years, or as long as he remained anonymous, then he could be reunited with Farfalla.

Eftemie screamed into the wind, cursing Mathias in a long-forgotten Romanian dialect. He saw Mathias, the vampire he had trusted as a friend and a brother, turn around. Mathias said nothing, but his face was clearly a sad one. Ecaterina touched his arm.

"We have to go, love. Quickly…" she said.

"Yes Ecaterina. Leave this French pig to rot in this accursed city. We will soon tear down its walls and I swear to you, I will be the one to toss Mathias' head into the great pyre. I will return here." Knowing full well that Mathias had heard him, Eftemie turned and ploughed through the night. His mate lingered for a moment longer, shaking her head sadly, and then she too departed.

Mathias sighed and turned, running through the gates of Volterra faster than the human eye could see. Minutes later, he delivered his grim report to Aro, Marcus and Caius.

"Why have you returned? Five years have not passed, and in a time of such political tension, we need a spy more than ever!" Aro said, starting quietly, but shouting by the time he had finished.

"You are right, Equal of my Master. But a matter of such importance was announced to us by Stefan, that I felt I had to warn you as quickly as possible, even if it meant giving up the crucial advantage of a spy." replied Mathias.

"Well, tell us then, fool." Caius growled.

"The Romanians have declared that they will launch a full scale assault on Volterra and on the Volturi." Mathias said quietly, simply.

"Are you sure, Mathias?" Marcus asked gently. Mathias took and deep, unnecessary breath and nodded. Aro held out his hand, and Mathias immediately put his hand in Aro's. Aro quickly scanned through Mathias' thoughts before coming to a conclusion.

"He's telling the truth." Aro said.

"Let us counsel." Caius said strongly.

"Let us counsel." Aro agreed. Marcus looked around at the other three vampires, all waiting for his decision.

"Let us counsel. Mathias, you are dismissed." Mathias nodded to each of them in turn and strode quickly out. As Mathias stepped outside the chamber, he was immediately locked into a passionate kiss with Farfalla. They spoke to each other between kisses.

"Mathias…"

"Farfalla… I love… you…" Mathias pulled himself away reluctantly."Let's go to the cottage." Farfalla nodded. They had some furniture to destroy.

Marcus was first to leave the chamber. Trevor was waiting outside. He immediately fell into step with his father and waited a few moments before speaking.

"Marcus, what is it? What did Mathias have to tell you?"

"Aro will tell all of you soon. Get ready for a fight." Didyme stepped out of a doorway and held onto Marcus' hand. She sensed that he was stressed and worried. She squeezed his hand, and Trevor turned around, walking the other way. Only Didyme could comfort Marcus when he was this distressed.

"Marcus. Whatever Mathias just told you, whatever you three decided on when you counselled, know that I will be there for you beyond this life. Even if we are destined to burn eternally in hell, I would be contempt, knowing that will eventually burn together." Their relationship was not intimate, and they rarely kissed. They knew that their love couldn't be described by words or demonstrated with actions.

"Didyme, I love you. I will always love you. I want you to promise me one thing." Marcus' voice was thick with emotion.

"Anything Marcus. Anything." She replied immediately.

"If I am killed by the Romanians somehow over the next few years, or in fact, if I am ever killed, I want you to promise me that you won't try to follow." He said slowly, strongly.

"Yes, love. I understand. I swear on our eternal love that I will never try to have myself killed. I want you to do the same for me, please. It will be the ultimate test of our love, but one which we can survive, even if we are apart."

"I swear on our love that I will never try to have myself killed. If one of us finds our self burning in hell, we must endure, and burn for each other. The survivor must live their life until death, but never let go of the other, always remember this." Didyme nodded and Marcus kissed her on the mouth, more passionately than he had ever done so before. Didyme was astounded for a moment at his eagerness, but quickly started to kiss him back. Kisses didn't prove that they were in love, but both vampires relished the kiss that seemed to last forever.

The next day, the Volturi assembled their forces, and slipped away from Volterra in pairs. They didn't want the battlefield to be the city of Volterra itself, so they would meet the Romanians on a deserted plain just over ninety miles from the city, an area that had no humans residing nearby. No humans would be privy to the battle that would decide the fate of the world for the next few millennia.

When they were ninety miles from Volterra, Aro, Caius and Marcus called out to the vampires to assemble. Each of them had a personal guard. For example, Marcus had Trevor and Aro had Renata. The Volturi forces were in one huge block, and the three leaders, Aro, Caius and Marcus stood at the front while the wives, each with four guards, strolled nervously at the rear.

Aro called a halt, and the Volturi stopped, waiting for their enemy. Four columns of Romanians marched slowly in the distance, with one strong vampire at the head of each column.

The Romanians halted as well, facing the Volturi. Then the two sides charged forward to meet each other, and the thirty year truce was smashed as Trevor leapt forward to meet his first opponent.