Inside the doors was the largest room I'd ever seen, and I've seen a lot of rooms. The room was an odd circular shape. The ceiling rose a sagging thirty feet into the air and was decorated with colorful and highly detailed murals. The floor was just as beautiful; it was made of a white marble and was polished so I could see my reflection. The round Roman-styled pillars, which connected the floor to the ceiling, were made of the same material.
It took my eyes a few seconds to focus on what was in the room. Directly in front of us, on a slightly elevated piece of marble, were three chairs which looked to be thrones, only the middle one was empty. The one on the left was occupied by a man that, physically, looked much older than Aro. The only emotion I could diverge from his face was that of complete boredom. His hair was the same length as Aro and only a few shades lighter. The man who filled the seat on the right looked younger than Aro, but not by much. His hair was gold; the same color as the chair behind him. His expression held only a small fraction of interest.
My eyes then went to the multiple figures that had settled around the room. The first ones that caught my eyes were two children, maybe about twelve years old. The girl on the left was short, about five feet with pale brown hair which was pinned up in a tight bun which didn't seem to agree with how young she looked. Her eyes were the usual red color and her skin a pale white. She was dressed in dark blue, almost black, dress. Just by looking at her, I knew I would not like this little girl. I knew I was being a little judgmental and immature but there was something I didn't like about her. Her brother didn't impress me much either. It was easy to tell that the boy and girl were some how related. Same height, same dark brown hair and the same smugness was written across his young face.
I turned my attention to the two figures who were closest to Aro and I. The first man was tall and thick through the shoulders. His black hair was shaggy and grew down in front of his red eyes. His skin had an odd olive, pale complexion. The man next to him was tall also but he was much thinner. His short brown hair had an odd frosted effect to it. As a young woman I couldn't help but think the small one was sorta handsome. But then again, everyone in the room, and it appeared to me that probably every vampire, were sorta beautiful. I doubt there was ever such a thing as an average-looking vampire.
The next few hours were full of 'welcome's and 'glad to meet you's. It reminded me very much of when Oliver and I announced our engagement to the rest of Castlenaud-la-Chapel. It seemed so long ago, the memory was almost a blur. But I did remember the huge amount of judgment and criticism I felt from the citizens, especially the women. But now, I think I probably imagined the feeling of being judged when I first became part of the Volturi coven. It was just due to the huge amount of anxiety I felt when meeting new people.
I barely had enough time to learn someones name before another stepped up and introduced themselves. The first people to greet me were the two men closest to us. The big one was called Felix and the small, cute one was Demetri. I shook some many hands and learned some many names and saw some many faces I couldn't put very many together. As I made my way further into the room and was continued to be greeted by people I noticed that Aro was no longer by my side. He stayed back by the door and let me deal with this on my own. Aro's confidence in me not to say something stupid made me feel a little better. But only a little.
I eventually made my way to the two children who, like the rest of the coven, didn't hesitate to introduce themselves. "My name's Jane. It is so nice to meet you. I hope you find Volterra just as beautiful as we do." As she spoke those words an odd feeling manifested in my stomach. It was a feeling I'd never felt before. It was as though someone punched me in the stomach excepted it didn't really hurt. It was just an awkward sensation. The boy next to Jane, who I still assumed to be her brother, was about to introduce himself when I was engulfed in a hug.
After a moment of confusion I finally saw who was hugging. The woman was about the same height as me and her blonde hair was twisted back into a ponytail. Her skin was a powdery white color. She was wearing a dark yellow dress which had a small train in the back. She had a kind face and she was much prettier than me and everyone else in the room. "Hello, Claire. My name's Athenodora and I just know you're going to love it here." I couldn't help but smile. Athenodora appeared to be one of those girl who could become really annoying really quick but that didn't stop me from liking her.
Before I could mutter a 'thank you' Athenodora grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd. "I'll give a tour and that will give us time to get acquainted and become best friends." She announced in a happy, girlie tone. Before we exited the giant room I looked back at Aro, who was now talking to the two men sitting on the thrones. The last thing I saw before going through the door was a Aro's bright kind smile.