If you could sum up Caius in one word … it would be … WICKED
The third and final Volturi Master possessed a wicked elegance in the way that he held himself. He was all sex appeal and he used it to play his wicked games. The human servants witnessed the wickedness first hand. He was known to play with his food, much to Aro's chagrin. Felix and Demetri usually were called to pick up after his games. If the human was to walk into the lion's den then he would make sure that they received what they were looking for. He loved it when they fought back; it made it all much more fun. The proper place for the human secretaries that the Volturi employed was on top of the desk, not working behind it, much like Bianca.
When one could see the childishness in Aro and the perpetual gloominess of Marcus, you would only see the wickedness in Caius. He always fumed, like a volcano awaiting eruption. Caius was the outward fire of the 3 ruling Volturi brothers. He was cunning and ruthless. He never smiled, unless you count his maniacal grin that promised pain and torment. Most of the coven chose to remain safe and away from his presence at all times.
That being said, why was this human trying his patience?
Caius remembered, to his displeasure, the day that the human accepted the contract that Aro painstakingly created like it was yesterday. He was thoroughly confused with his brother's choice of accountant. The woman was horribly plain and extremely young. She was 19 years old with a 4 year old child when she literally stumbled into the position that she currently excelled at.
Her clothing was never used to attract any attention. She wasn't a beauty like most of the human employees. His brother must have seen something in her head that made him desperately want only her. Oh well, such was life. Aro wanted her and Aro always got what he wanted in the end.
The years flowed by like water approaching a waterfall. It took 4 years to pass before Caius began to truly become accustomed to the human's presence. She gradually became something other than a nuisance. He would never tell her to her face but he was beginning to warm to her presence. He had learned to keep this to himself after the last time that Aro did something to please her.
"Really?!" the woman questioned in an unconvinced voice as she watched his brother from the second step in the throne room. She was, for the first time since her first day, taller than him as Aro was looking up at her.
"Yes, Mia Cara, you have our permission to take off the week to celebrate your birth and Emaline's. We will only interfere with your precious time if necessary."
Caius watched with widened eyes as the much shorter human woman let out an excited squeak, threw her papers up in the air and launched herself at his brother. Aro's eyes widened slightly as he corrected his posture as to not drop the human female.
She laughed and hugged his neck tightly, her feet dangling off the floor, for a few moments before realizing exactly what she was doing. In an instance she stopped and jolted back from Aro like she had been shocked. "Um right, well thank you Master Aro. I'll just get these and um right." She stammered before quickly gathering her dropped papers and rushing out of the throne room with her head lowly bowed while refusing to look at Aro or Caius.
Caius shook his head slightly at the memory. Caius insisted on calling her human or mortal on a daily basis. He knew it aggravated her and for a time he hoped that she would set him off and he would kill her and be done with it. But, to his extreme displeasure, he found he did it just to see her cheeks pink in ire at him.
It was in those times that he began to notice that she wasn't as plain as he thought she was. The proof was with the guard of the coven, Demetri to be exact. Ever the Casanova, Demetri attempted to gain the attention of the mortal from the day she entered the castle. However, much to his delight, the woman seemed immune to his games. Every trick that Demetri played, she would play right back to him. The woman was truly a gem to watch in times like these.
She received protection from Felix, who followed her on errands into town like a loyal guard dog. In the beginning, he knew it was due to Aro's orders. But now, it seemed to be solely out of admiration and loyalty. While the members of the inner guard seemed to be solely loyal to the rulers of the Volturi, it would seem that they were also only loyal to the human and her child. She even managed to break through the Witch Child Jane's impenetrable walls. Jane seemed to slowly become her ghost. He was shocked to learn from Aro one eve that Jane was actually shy in her contact with the mortal. Ridiculous! Then there was Alec, cold and aloof, the boy who was a mischievous as his father. Alec took on the role of suitor, but not her suitor. Alec was interested in her child, Emaline, sweet and innocent with a spark of fire much like her mother's. It was true that she was quite young but the years that will pass will be nothing to Alec, and he would wait.
Caius walked the halls towards his rooms slowly, the art that resided in the castle nearest to his rooms were of his own hand. As of late, there were paintings that had yet to adorn any wall. It happened by surprise to him one evening as he painted. The painting of a lily blooming in the darkness, feeding off the dark and protected by the cold, he knew it was her as he finished it. His paintings began to adapt color slowly in the years of her tenure. When he requested her to purchase colors of paints, he could feel his brothers staring at him in confusion.
That was her gift, he realized, she brought colors into his world after he felt his life fade to black and red. For a time, he hated her. Caius despised her presence but to end her existence was something that he could never stand. Yet, he had never spoken to her. His steps slowed as he looked at the painting in front of him. Aro sought her out the most, attempting to goad her into releasing that fire that resided in her soul. Aro took his pleasure from the woman in the form of soft caresses and touches; the meaning was foreign to her. But Caius knew and silently wished he could take his place at times like this. Marcus began to approach her in a timid fashion almost, informing her of the progress in the tutoring of her child. Since the death of dear Didyme, Marcus rarely approached anything with gentleness. However, he witnessed firsthand, the tenderness and care that he took with her and the child.
Caius chose to sneer at her mostly. He would ignore her presence yet, he was truly the only one that knew her. He looked up into the mirror and grinned slowly. His platinum blonde hair was pulled back in an onyx ribbon. He was not dressed in his normal robes and opted for a slim fit tailored suit in charcoal grey. He wore a scarlet scarf around his neck although the cold never touched him. He looked down at the parcel in his hand.
The package of new charcoal pencils, a peace offering for this morning. He turned his on heel sharply and began to walk towards the kitchens. It was presently lunch time and he knew that the mortals often took lunch in the dining rooms. And there she was, sitting alone, at a table that could fit 20 easily. She was curled in the end chair with a sketch pad on the table in front of her. It was at this moment, that he did have to admit that she had delicacy to her. Her hands held the worn charcoal pencil as she traced a figure on the pad.
Coming to stand quietly behind her, he watched her work in silence. The paper had American symbols for tailoring on it with measurements. She was drawing a male currently, and after studying the image, he recognized the form was and pleasantly surprised to learn that it was of him. He couldn't help but to feel his chest puff up slightly as she was drawing him in a tweed suit of grey and blue, the richness of the blue was amazing and the suit detailed. She had to have been studying him intently to capture this much detail.
"You possess a good eye, for a human" He spoke, deciding to toss the package on the table.
"GAH! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She replied, clutching her charcoal pencil to her chest. Jennie peered at the package before slowly reaching for it.
"Perhaps that was the intent." He replied, tilting his head at her as he watched her bring the parcel close to her form with his bright red eyes. "I was not aware that I had given you permission to draw my figure."
She stopped and looked up at him with a sharp glare. He met her glare with a slightly bored look, before she broke the contest and stopped working on the sketch. She began to turn the page before a hand quickly halted her. He plucked the sketch pad from her hands and began to flip through the pages.
Caius hated to say it but he was impressed. A couple of the pages had samples of fabrics taped to the pages and pictures of completed projects. She seemed to love to draw her child in a plethora of outfits. Jane and Alec took up pages, but what surprised him the most were the volume of pages of him.
" I find myself drawing you mostly." She said while bowing her head slightly, an action that he knew was taught to her. Most likely, Heidi or Jane, protecting her from their wrath.
Caius looked at her bowed head with a smug grin before sliding her sketch pad to lie once more in front of her. "Perhaps I shall forgive you .." He began, watching her face look at him in confusion, ".. one of the suits seems as adequate payment, Jennifer."
She looked up at him sharply before breaking into the brightest smiles he had ever seen. "I can do that, anything to give me an excuse to go to Gori Tessuti!"
Jennie opened the package to see a brand new set of charcoal pencil leads. "These are .."
"My behavior was inappropriate," Cauis started, before stopping when she looked up at him with excitement in her eyes and a smile that lit the room.
'She is beautiful' and with that thought, Caius realized that he had finally met a human worth something. Alarmed, he reacted by standing up quickly, causing her to jump back slightly in her chair. He turned and left the dining room quickly. The halls of the castle passed as he, yet again, approached his rooms. He felt childish as he rushed into his room and slammed the door loudly. He paced the length of his studio while running his hands through his hair.
He was angry! She was nothing but food to him. But she had somehow proven that she had another worth to him. He took out his paintings and looked at them quickly. Caius looked at the mirror in front of him with a confused expression.
"I was wondering how long it would take for you to notice. You have always been quite slow at these things brother dear," a deceptively smooth voice called from the now open doorway. Caius looked to the door before putting down the painting and slowly walking to the couch in front of the fireplace. Aro strolled into the room with Marcus following him.
"Must you play your games in my rooms as well, Aro?" Caius said as he gestured for the two of them to sit if they wished.
"Does a brother need a reason to pay his brother a visit?" Aro childishly replied while sitting in the chair to the right of Caius. He looked over at him with a look of childlike innocence, that look always back his hair stand on end and his blood chill quickly. He was planning something.
"Aro, cease your prattling and speak of what we came for. Your games have no use in a conversation such as this." Marcus drawled while walking to the paintings that rested against the walls. He began to look at the completed paintings with a wistful look in his eyes. "It would seem that the time is right."
"What are the two of you going on about?" Caius demanded, looking at the two of them.
"Come closer dearest Caius for we have much to speak of." Aro said before sitting on the couch and patting the spot next to him. All sense of gentleness seemed to remove from Aro's eyes as he watched Caius intently.
Caius raised his brows before moving to stand, at a safe distance, closer to him.
No Good Can Come Of This
Author Note: Rewritten chapter, slowly catching up! MM
