Chapter 8
Reclaim
Three days passed and Renesmee was becoming accustomed to consuming human blood every day, even though she felt remorse every time she killed. Then I had to admit, it was taking the Cullens a bit longer than I first thought to arrive but eventually they did; and my mind came back into reality, and I remembered the reason why I didn't want Renesmee to be here.
We each took out places in the throne room, and then Demetri and Felix led the Cullens in (Edward, Bella, Carlisle and Emmett, but surprisingly no Jacob).
"Welcome, my dear friends." Said Father.
I got defensive as Edward marched a few paces forward and than the rest of his family towards my father.
"I might as well get to the point, Aro, for I believe you have something of mine. Now, where is my daughter?" Edward's words threatened him as they echoed above the gathering.
"And I swear if you've hurt her-" began Bella, but was cut off by my Father.
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" His hand then gestured towards his throne. "Renesmee."
From behind my father's chair Nesmee stepped forward.
"Nessie!" Bella nearly leapt forward, with Edward shadowing her every move.
But simultaneously Jane, Alec, and myself, hissed and advanced upon them; stopped them from taking another step forward. But Carlisle came in front telling them to stand down; reluctantly they obeyed and gradually backed away, my siblings and I did the same as I came to my father's side with Renesmee standing in between us.
"Well as you can see, Edward, she's perfectly fine." Said Father, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Carlisle then said calmly, "Aro, please, enough of this; all we want is Renesmee."
"Oh course." He replied.
Rensemee walked slowly into her grandfather's arms, followed by her mother and father.
"Oh by the way, Carlisle," Father smiled, "How would you like to see the latest additions to my family?" Father then turned to my sister, "Jane."
She nodded, "Father."
Edward knew exactly what was coming as Jane left, and returned with my mother and my cousins; Carlisle's expression was a cross between a horrified and astounded shock.
"Say hello to my nieces; Didyme Amelia and Orithyia Erika." Each one was placed beside their father.
Bella looked at Edward. Father and I were telling Edward everything – even Orithyia's gift of inflicting fear.
"Mom, aren't they beautiful?" said Renesmee.
I could see that Bella was not as convinced – in the perspective of them being evil – but there was no way on earth that she could deny it either; Carlisle came forward to each of them, impressed of how well we had raised them.
"Well, Marcus and Caius, this really is a surprise. They're truly amazing, congratulations." He was so entranced by them, as Orithyia and Didyme smiled to him.
"Carlisle, I think it be best if we took Renesmee home." Prompt Edward.
"No, I'm not going home – I want stay here!" protested Renesmee.
"Nessie, listen to me your coming home, whether you like it or not. Aunt Rosalie has been worried sick." Replied Bella.
Looking back through Edward's thoughts I saw that Rosalie most certainly was, as well as Esme, Alice and Jasper.
"No, Mom. You don't understand-"
Just then my father stepped forward. "Renesmee..." his hand stretched out before him, "Come hither, please."
She obeyed, Father cupped her face, and all eyes – especially Bella's – lingered forward as his lips came close to her ear. "Renesmee, my child," he whispered. "Go now. Be with your family, as intelligent and mature as you are, you are not ready for such a life."
"But you said-"
"And he will... but give him time." He pulled his lips away from her face, and gestured his head. "Go now."
And so she did. Emmett swung his arm around so defensively as they left.
In Edward's mind, I glimpsed something just before Bella raised her shield, as our eyes contacted sharply. But the message was from Jacob, "If swear if you ever hurt her again I will kill you."
As much as it pained me to see my best friend leave; I was glad that she was finally safe where she belonged. After the incident I took my cousins out for a walk, with Jane lingering closely in the shadows.
"It is the only thing I have never understood about you, Ambrogio; you love the Cullen girl and yet you deny yourself of having a relationship with her." She thought.
"Argh, not you too, Jane." I was a little fed up with having to answer this very same question over and over again. "It's because I don't want anything to happen to her and, let's face it, here is not exactly the safest place she can be; and besides the shape-shifter, Jacob, can give her so much more than I can."
"I don't believe that, brother." She replied, sightly smiling. "Though nor do I believe that she could ever deserve you."
Just over a year and a half had passed since Renesmee left, I thought about her every single day; and the only thing I had done with anything to do with her was when I sent her a bracelet for her thirteenth birthday – the bracelet was not much but it had little diamonds and opals pressed into pure gold.
My cousins grew even more every day, their body development was now at the size of eight-year-olds, and they now were capable of complete speech. A lot of Caius's strictness had been handed down into Thyia, she was becoming tightly behaved and was everything that Caius wanted her to be; she only ever expressed her emotion freely when she was out of his sight – and only admitting to herself and me, that she was becoming very fond of Alec.
Didyme was playful and sweet; she even went outside to pick a few flowers for her father, sometimes even for mine. And I can honestly say that shopping was one of her passions – as they grew out of their clothes so fast – I would often have to find clothes for them. Didyme loved trying on all the little dresses but she would always keep to the dark colours of the Volturi.
St Marcus Day festival was one of the best times they ever had, they dressed in the traditional red robes with little flags; together we watched the parade from the glistening bell-tower.
Little Didyme clutched onto my hand while waving her flag, "St Marcus! St Marcus!" they chanted with the echoing crowd.
"I love celebrating, Father!" she yelled to me with such pride, "He's the best father in the whole world!"
As we entered the throne room, Didyme rushed into the comfort of Marcus's lap, handing him a red and white tulip then leaning up to kiss his cheek, "I love you, Father."
Marcus smiled and desperately curled her up in his robes; Father looked on with such sweet amusement and joy. The girls loved every aspect to the dark side of their life; the only thing that the girls did not like was when a handful of us would have to leave to deal with certain complications.
As happy as everything may have sounded; always there was a strange darkness that lingered all around us. Looking on at the trials, like Jane, their eyes were lined with black shadows; Didyme, with dark brown ringlets that flowing passed her shoulders, with a small clump tried up in a bun – wearing her favourite formal marron dress with a matching shoulder length cloak. And Orithyia in a similar dark blood-red dress with her strawberry blonde hair perfectly strait and tied in a high ponytail.
Adding by the effect of Orithyia's frightful gift; they stood beside their fathers so darkly with intimidation seeping through their innocents. Even my physical attributes embraced the subtle silence of the dark side – my skin grew slightly paler, and deeper shadows began to form under my eyes. Every time we left Volterra or entered the throne room to deal with irresponsible immortals, I felt so empowered and strong merely by the shroud of darkness that claimed my title and authority.
Whispers of our existence were soon travelling around the vampire world; vampires of the old soon gave us a collective name – 'The Ancient Children' or 'An Ancient Child'.
I was loving it more and more but it was this very reason, other than my existence was put at risk every time I left home, that I didn't want Renesmee to be here. To just be so consumed by the privilege and responsibility of authority; I began to crave it – and I truly was ending up like my father.