Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
The devil comes with a smile. Aedwaerth and Carlisle are convinced he's sitting before them. As some steam swirls sedately, they lounge in a old-roman style bath house. The three of them have been politely, but pointedly discussing their alternative feeding habits, and Aro is trying to argue them into murder.
"Why deny your nature?" he says with grandfatherly censure. Aedwaerth can see in his mind that he has no hesitation in taking human life and that his essence may lack some integral moral imperative.
"Perhaps I'm defective."
A hellish cackle pierces the room. "Not from what I've seen."
"Will you argue our disparity, Aro? You've seen the patterns of life, the way it clings and shifts in seamless uniformity. It occurs to me that our presence is the aberration." A deep sigh and then, "I've always been intrigued by human thought and action. Maybe years of watching them lead desperate, hopeful lives engaged my empathy. Are they so different from you and I in thought and temperament, action and desire? I've seen humans with insatiable bloodlust, too."
Aro mumbles something which sounds like, "Fucking Carthaginians." Then he continues, "No, our presence here is a mysterious tragedy for humanity. What of the taste?"
"Mundane at best. Seemingly sufficient as a form of sustenance, but not exactly palatable. Carlisle seems to appreciate the flavors, and we suppose that's because he's never tasted human blood."
Aro seems confused but awed when he responds with a simple, "Never?"
Aedwaerth moves slowly across the room, wading through calf-deep water to Aro's side. He extends his hand and says, "As a gesture of our good faith, see for yourself."
When they grasp each other's wrists, Carlisle sees a look of discomfort pass across Aro's normally blankly serene face. It's either the pressure of Aedwaerth's powerful grip, or the intensity of assimilating an entire life. The exchange lasts more than five minutes, and all the while, Aro levels mysterious and troubled looks at both of them, as if seeing an inexplicable apparition. Just as Carlisle begins to wonder whether their telepathic interaction will ever end, they release their grip and step back, regarding each other with openly friendly expressions.
"Did you know that in a few weeks, you will be a thousand years old, my friend." Aro's wry grin and jovial tone are completely at odds with their experiences in Volterra so far, and Aedwaerth can see the bafflement in Carlisle's thoughts.
He turns to his young friend and grants him a conspiratorial wink, then turns back to Aro, "I was always a little busy for birthdays before the change. And it seemed trivial once I was no longer aging."
"Surely. At first glance, your gift seems very... convenient. But I can see that your thoughts run deep, and it's a burden to you. How difficult to see only the end."
"And because you have the advantage of witnessing an entire life, you can consider yourself their judge and authority?"
"Do you disagree?"
"I'm sure I lack the perspective to answer that."
Aro lets fly a deep belly laugh and smiles wide as he answers, "Truly you are a diplomat, Aedwaerth Caledonii. I never thought I'd have a Pict king sitting in my presence. Most Romans were under the impression that you lot were barbaric and untamed. I can see that is certainly not the case."
"Your ancestors never belonged in my home. We did not need their roads or hospitality. And I can see that they shared your hunger for conquest and dominion." Aedwaerth is no longer treading on uncertain ground with Aro. He knows that the old Etruscan considers him an equal, a new friend, and an enigma. Aro is not omniscient, as he lacks the insight to see the interplay between emotion and thought, the intangibles of spirit or soul, so he'll always be interested in Aedwaerth's choices.
"We come to it this soon, eh? Remember that we are more similar than not." The de facto ruler of the Volturi glances between them with an unguarded and honest expression, and Aedwaerth can see that his thoughts hold no deceit. "You know that I desire your membership in the guard. But I can't use you. I can see when I'd have no hold over someone, and I've no wish to destroy something as astonishing as the two of you." He leans back and rubs his chin. "You seek enlightenment through knowledge and truth. A worthy and admirable goal. Mine have always been less lofty. Can I help you in your quest?"
Carlisle pipes up, "We've heard you have a library. Vast and ancient."
"Yes. Alexandria was fledgling by comparison. I've been in the business of collection my entire life. I was an antiquities dealer as a human; it's a hobby that I still have some fondness for. It's actually how I came into contact with the coven who has placed the bounty."
His comment is almost flippant, but Aedwaerth can hear the myriad machinations of Aro's politically inclined mind. Compromise and concession are part of his ploy, but that's as a reaction to Aedwaerth's brashness and brilliance. Disconcerted and alarmed, Aedwaerth can see the wheels turning towards tasking in exchange for the information he'll provide. "Don't forget I can hear your thoughts, Aro. What is it you want from us?"
"Your directness is refreshing. I have a few requests which require a certain skill set. Your skill set. In exchange for the information you want, and access to the library, I'd like you to go to task for me."
"Your proposal?"
"First, I need a observer and courier. We've established that twins in western Scandinavia have great potential as future guard members. My request is that you go to them, relieve the guard on duty and bring them back here once you have ascertained the exact nature of their talents. Their names are Alec and Jane Gandr. We've been watching them since they were accused of witchery and the information came down the aqueduct. It seems the local humans have discovered something supernatural within the pair. I want them protected and whole, Aedwaerth. And brought here expediently." Aedwaerth twirls his hand, gesturing for him to continue, having already collected and catalogued the pertinent information from Aro's mind.
"The second task will prove much more difficult. But it will solve your problems if you succeed. Let me start at the beginning..." Aro proceeds to tell them of his last human years as a wealthy, powerful merchant in the third century BC. His money gained him fame and favor among the ruling class, and his talents at reading and manipulating others for mutual gain became legendary in Tuscany. He eventually earned the attention of a peculiar, but highly regarded foreign noble from Egypt named Kheti. "I knew things about the people I met, even as a human, but I could get no read on this man. After our initial meeting, I didn't see him for months. Until he found me wandering home drunk from a brothel with my friends, Caius, and Marcus: now my Volturi brethren." He speaks with a hint of chagrin and amusement.
"He changed us, bade us uphold a law, gave us the wisdom and wherewithal, and left. But this man is unusual and ancient, Aedwaerth. He is the only person I have encountered who can withhold things, lie outright to me in his thoughts. I'd venture he can do the same to you. I've a theory that his mandate to me and my companions was nothing more than a profane and frivolous experiment, regardless of its necessity or success. This vampire sired the two who've warranted your death. They reign over Paris, everything north to the Norman coast and south to the Alps. They've broken the law in the last few years, keeping humans as pets and playthings, exposing their true nature. Abominable."
"You want to be rid of your sire. And the other two?"
"James and Victoria. An English noble and his wife on vacation turned in 1398. We think that James may have been responsible for Roger Mortimer's death. If you'll recall he was the heir to the throne of England. Their vacation may have been an escape. Anyway, the three of them swept through France, displacing stable covens and leaving a swath of carnage in their wake. Sometime during all this mayhem they managed to begin selling purloined antiquities. I obtained some Carthaginian war implements and a very interesting African ritual drum made from the remains of an elephant. I wonder if they're edible... for your sake of course. It'd be quite a meal."
Aedwaerth rolls his eyes in an impatient but indulgent gesture. "Please, Aro. Get on with it."
"That's nearly everything. I've not had the privilege of touching them, and I've not seen old Kheti, but I know they're his by their smell. If I had to guess at the intent of their bounty, I'd say they want your island for themselves, nothing more or less.
"Let me warn you: Kheti is easily your match in battle and you may be at a disadvantage if he can circumvent your ability. James and Victoria are calm and deadly, both tenacious and precise. Be wary and choose your stand carefully. I'd like to be rid of the whole lot of them, so I'll give you what assistance I can."
"You've allowed guard members to attempt to collect the lawbreaker's bounty. Why?"
"It was only recently that we attributed the aforementioned indiscretions to these particular vampires, and I had no intention of letting Felix burn you. Which you know. Kheti is practiced at aversion and misdirection. It was actually Esmeralda who alerted us to the issue. She's one of their abandoned playthings."
Carlisle and Aedwaerth exchange a loaded glance, one stacked with both hesitance and solidarity. When Aedwaerth speaks, it is with unusual reticence, "You understand if we discuss the details amongst ourselves. It will require at least a day."
"More than fine. Esmeralda can show you to a private place, and guide you to the library, as well. I know you're anxious to see... the books, Carlisle." An obvious look passes between the two ancients as they exit the dank and dimly lit bathhouse and Aro is silently wondering if they'll let him officiate a wedding.
As they wander the labyrinthine passageways back towards the council chamber, both men are mired in their own thoughts. And both men consider that they'd serve themselves and each other better by simply disappearing; becoming a mercenary for the Volturi does not sit well. Their differences among fiends and freaks yawns wider with each passing moment, but the memory of three assassination attempts, and the infuriating audacity of the bounty weighs heavier. As they both come round to the same thoughtful conclusion, Aedwaerth places a hand on his friend's stone shoulder and affirms, "A means to an end, brother. Then we're done with this place and these people."
He doesn't expect the profound loss and panic that Carlisle feels when he hears these words. Neither does the man himself, but he knows it's inextricably linked to a genteel guard member they met moments before. Shaking his head and laughing at the unexpected and baffling turn of events, he points down the winding corridor and admonishes, "Get after her, English. Use that abysmal French of yours. I'm sure she'll be tres tres impressed."
The bewildered look on Carlisle's face is a perfect match to his frantic thoughts, and Aedwaerth is getting more amused by the moment. "What do I say?" comes Carlisle's whispered plea.
"Ask her to show you the library. Or her tits."
Carlisle's growl reverberates in the marble hallway, but not as loudly as Aedwaerth's answering laugh. Aedwaerth just lifts an eyebrow at him to inform him of the joke, but Carlisle's Christian sensibilities have been offended. "Must you be so crass?"
"Oh hush, you old crone. Just trying to get a rise out of you, anyway. It's excellent to see you so flustered. I was beginning to think you'd be a monk like me."
Immediately Carlisle's calm and inquisitive nature resumes control. "Do you not desire women? I've heard you comment on a human or two."
After a moment of introspection, "Hearing their thoughts is... off-putting. I suspect true intimacy is more about discovery than release. At any rate, I've not felt that desire since I was a human. Perhaps I really am defective." When he hears the self-sacrificing direction of Carlisle's thoughts, he's quick to quash the maudlin moment, saying, "But you're not. So let's go get the girl, son."
"Let's?"
"HA! You're barking mad if you think I'd miss this. You'll probably need my help, anyway."
Inside the library chamber decaying bits of book hover in the air like an army of motes. Aedwaerth gladly breathes them, content to have history accumulate in his long-dead lungs. The dark wooden shelving holds the world's greatest literary treasures, and most of the scientific achievement. Metaphysics from long-dead mystics is stacked aside Pythagoras' theorem, penned by the man himself. In his hands he holds a Han dynasty scroll of proverbs; it's immaculate, over 1500 years old and completely indecipherable to him.
But Aedwaerth has little interest in either the library or the scroll's contents at the moment. For now he's immersed in the conversation taking place between the enamored young couple a few aisles over. He knew it was all over for Carlisle when his young friend was internally commenting on her 'incendiary rubies,' without even considering the connection of her diet. But he doesn't begrudge his cohort for blind affection, especially considering that he's genuinely enjoying the experience of their freefall. That he is romantic only bothers him insofar as he has no one to share it with. For now, though, it is enough simply to listen and to hear.
Carlisle's tender inquisition begins tentatively, "How did you come to be here, among the Volturi?"
"I did not know how to be a vampire. They took me in, forgave me my crimes and gave me a purpose." Esmeralda's tone is severe and formal but it doesn't match her thoughts, which read like shadowy images from a human nightmare to Aedwaerth; full of horror, James and Victoria.
"How long have you been here?"
"I came here immediately after being turned, which was almost ten years ago."
"We're close to the same age then." And the thought pleases both of them far too much for the coincidence. "I was turned almost fifteen years ago. When I was twenty-three."
"Do you remember your human birth year?"
"I think it was 1385, sometime..."
Then both of them continue, "... in the spring." When they catch each other's eyes, their look is so laden with implication and hope that it causes Aedwaerth's chest to tighten. He's having as hard a time controlling his reactions as they are.
Carlisle's gentle probing is eroding Esmeralda's wall of formality like it was constructed on sand. And he can see her warming to him, which only hastens the whole process. He continues with, "Where did you live?"
"I was born in a village outside of Rheims named Caurel. You?"
Carlisle is so taken with her accented English he barely notices the question, but recovers with, "Oh... uh. London. I'm from London. But we've lived all over the island since then. The longest in Wales."
Esmeralda is filled with longing for a life filled with such diversity, but only Aedwaerth knows it. "You and Aedwaerth? The tall one?"
He nods. "He's especially tall considering he's one thousand years old."
With disbelief, "Non." She was under the impression that only the brethren were of that age.
"Absolument. From what he says, humans used to be much shorter, on average."
"You have good height, too." Carlisle is too pleased to notice that her English suffers when she's nervous.
With his best bedroom eyes he responds, "I'm pleased you think so." She's not immune to his stare, and it reminds her of her most burning question.
"Why are you gold and not red? If you don't feed from humans, how can you stand the burn?"
"We feed from animals." Though he's not ashamed, Carlisle is nervous for her reaction to his diet.
"Vraiment? It can be done?"
"It's worked so far. But it's difficult, and humans still smell like food. It's worth it, though, to live like we do."
In Esmeralda's thoughts, Aedwaerth sees the question form. And her inquisition is the key to a new stage of life, one with a daughter, sister, and mother sharing their journey. He can only hope that they see it as clearly as he does.
"Will you show me?"
A/N: Sorry about the delay. Stratan, badass beta, prepared this particular prose with extreme care. And folks, some excellent and scary things will happen soon. Expect car chases, homemade explosives and 'company liasons.'