Fate

'You can do this. Show no emotion. Don't be embarrassed... and pinch yourself to check if you're dreaming' Bambi thought as she walked slowly into the hall, a few feet behind Aro. She could feel several sinister glares fall onto her and she suddenly felt a lot more self-conscious. Her gaze stayed stuck to the floor as she stood before the Masters Caius and Marcus.

Then, she brought up enough confidence to look them in the eyes. Marcus' face was full of depression, and he looked creepily resigned, his eyes locked into space. Caius' expression was that of a school teacher's. Deadly and glaring, as if she was in trouble - and she was. She felt as though Caius' ebony glare was burning a hole through her face.

That was peculiar. She gazed at the vampires in the room; their eyes were jet black. When she saw the vampires earlier, their eyes were ruby coloured. So what could have changed... 'Maybe,' she thought, hoping she was wrong. 'Maybe black means… hunger. I mean even without thinking about the eye colour, everyone's staring at me like I'm a delicious snack.' She gulped.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as Aro addressed the Guard. "This is our little runaway," he exclaimed. "Her name is Bambi," she cringed as she heard that name. "And I have brought her here so that we may decide her fate." His voice quietened as he looked at his peers and went to sit in his throne, leaving Bambi looking like... well, Bambi.

"Bambi," Caius said with a smirk. "Interesting name. It's Italian for little... girl..." he spoke the last two words with emphasis and looked down at her with disgust. "The name suits you." He spat, and lay silent. He looked to Marcus and Aro. They discussed amongst themselves quietly for a while – there was no need as all of the vampires in the hall could hear them. It was purely for Bambi's sake.

She stayed exactly where she was, shivering a little and fumbling with the ends of her jacket. More tears fell down her cheeks, and she wiped them away quickly. How she hated to show signs of weakness – 'Too late now' she thought. 'Being caught was enough.'

The Volturi leaders turned their heads back to where Bambi was, and Aro stood, clapped his hands once and smiled sweetly. "Cara mia – you shall live," relief rippled through her. "But... there are a few – shall we say – conditions that you must follow."

Bambi nodded her head.

"How long are you in Italy for?" He asked first.

"A year..." she mumbled. She cleared her throat. "I'm on a gap year before university."

"Very well then. I'm afraid you must stay with us during that period. We cannot have you telling anyone in Volterra about us. In England, such things may not be believed, but here... News spreads like wildfire. There are many fortune tellers and such that will bet their lives on that truth. We will have to quieten an awful lot of people – and you wouldn't want to be held responsible for that, would you?"

Bambi nodded slowly. 'Though it's fine for you to murder innocent tourists' she thought.

"And secondly..." he paused and walked up to her slowly so he was gazing deeply into her eyes. "You will eventually have to become one of us."

Bambi blinked. A vampire. She would have to become a soulless blood drinking creature like them. She'd never be able to talk to anyone else without being discovered or questioned. Her friends... her mother... she could never speak to them or see them again. What would happen to her in the sunlight. Would she burn? And the fact that she'd have to live with the people in this room – these beautiful hatred filled creatures – made her heart beat faster.

She was deep in thought when Aro spoke her name. "Bambi?" She looked up at him, fresh tears brimming in her red swollen eyes. "I must have your agreement, cara mia."

She looked deep into those raven eyes. Swallowing some saliva caught in her throat, she whispered "I agree."

Aro smiled. "Welcome to the family, little girl." He bowed his head a little, regaining composure. Then, he held out his hand. "I have the power to read a person's thoughts through skin contact. I would very much like to read your thoughts now. It will be most intriguing, I believe." He said, holding back some truth. He stared at her. "May I?" She gave him her hand and he took it, folding his other hand on top. He concentrated hard, with a look of almost wonderment on his face. A few minutes passed, and all the while Bambi felt the vampires' eyes boring into her. A vampire to her right let out a hiss at one point.

After he had finished, he called for a member of his guard. "Demetri," he said, calling his tracker forward. "Please show her to a room," Demetri stepped towards Bambi, but her eyes did not stray from Aro's, who still held her hand. "We shall meet soon cara mia."

He let go of her hand and she followed Demetri out of the great hall and down the corridor she had run down. Her bedroom was the same that she had hidden in previously – 'How suitable' she thought, cringing a little.

Demetri left without saying a word, although Bambi knew that he glared at her before he left.

She stood there for a while, staring at the door. Her life had changed forever in the space of 15 minutes. She didn't flinch, she didn't cry – she just stared, and her breathing became a little ragged. She shut her eyes for a moment... and the next thing she saw was the ceiling of the room. She was under the bedcovers and her shoes had been taken off. She'd also been dressed in a silk night dress. She looked at her watch – four hours had gone by. She must have fallen asleep but... who put her under the covers? And who'd clothed her? She felt slightly afraid at the thought of someone touching her like that. She wondered who'd done it, but she didn't know whether to feel cared for or violated... did it matter? She was trapped in a castle full of vampires. She had to focus on the bigger picture.

She wondered when she would be changed. 'The sooner the better' she thought. She didn't like the idea of everyone's eyes turning onyx every time she entered a room. What was it about her that made everyone hungry? Everyone had fed only a few minutes before. She would have to ask about it.

She heard a knock on the door. She pulled it open, revealing the little blonde haired girl that had hissed at her before. "You are to get dressed. Master Aro will be with you shortly." The girl said promptly.

As she turned to go, Bambi said "Sorry, what's your name?"

The girl turned back around. "My name is Jane. Be sure to remember it, little girl." She strode down the corridor and turned the corner.

Bambi closed the door. "'Little girl'" she said sternly. "I'm taller than you." A wall of pain suddenly hit her, catching her by surprise. It was sickeningly excruciating. Then, it left as quickly as it had arrived. "What the hell was that?" She said to herself, taking deep breaths to regain composure. She brushed it off, distracted by a much more pressing predicament - this nightmare she had gotten herself into.

She searched through the closet and inspected the fine dresses and ball gowns... much too spectacular for her. She found a short black dress and put it on. She found a full length mirror and gasped – the last time she'd worn a dress was at her parents wedding 10 years ago. She was 8 years old at that time. Even at the prom, she'd come dressed in jeans and a long sleeved shirt. But now... she looked beautiful. She'd never thought herself as pretty, but now she felt like she owned the wardrobe of a Queen – in fact, that's probably what she had.

After running her fingers through her hair to try and look presentable, she heard a gentle tap at the door and Aro came in, his eyes turning black once more as her scent filled the air. He had to admit that it was one of the most attractive scents he'd ever found on a human, and he had to resist the urge to give in to his animalistic nature. Instead, he put on a smile and tried to control himself. He remembered what he had said to Caius earlier that day, to try and keep control while feeding.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

"Good afternoon Bambi. Did you rest well?"

"Y-yes, I did thank you..." she smiled back, trying not to seem too nervous. "I-I have a question," Aro signalled for her to continue. "W-what should I call you?"

He smiled once more. "Well, when you become a member of the Guard, it is permitted that you call me Master or Master Aro. But for now, Aro will suffice."

Bambi nodded. Aro gestured her to exit and he escorted her down the corridor.

"Are you hungry, Bambi?" He asked politely, swallowing the venom rising in his throat as his hunger grew.

"A little..." she trailed off, biting her lip. She hated it when people did things for her. She didn't like to rest her needs on others. Despite her uneasy attitude, she was an extremely independent person. Especially since her mother had been diagnosed with cancer...

"Well then, I'll show you where the kitchen is." He said, swallowing once more. Now he seemed the more uneasy one.

Bambi thought for a moment, then said softly, "Why don't you try holding your breath?" She smiled. Aro gave a polite smile, holding back laughter, and did as she said. He patted her on the arm in thanks, humouring her.

Bambi allowed herself to giggle a little at the sight of him.

She was sat at the very same dining table she'd been shown earlier, as Aro himself cooked her a meal. 'Funny, I thought they'd have servants or something.'

10 minutes later, he returned with a plate of spaghetti bolognese, along with the silver cutlery and a napkin.

Bambi suddenly realized how hungry she actually was, and dug in straight away, trying to use what little etiquette she knew. Aro didn't stare straight at her, but it was as if he was examining her. When she finished, he went to clear the plate away. She stayed sat at the table, as if awaiting him to tell her what to do next. After all, one day he would become her Master.

He re-entered the room and gestured for her to stand up. She did so, looking down at her feet once more. Aro held out his hand and she placed hers in his. He read her thoughts once more, eager to uncover the truth behind her nervous shell. There was a faint thought in the back of her mind that he couldn't quite grasp, couldn't quite make sense of – due to repression and therapy, he deciphered. He would have to ask her.

"My dear – there is one past thought that has... strayed amongst the present thoughts. I understand that you may not want to rediscover it, but it is very strong and I am merely curious." He didn't have to continue – he saw the unease and the hidden fear flicker in her eyes.

'Past thoughts?' She wondered for a moment, then it clicked. He must have been referring to what had happened to her just two years ago. She thought about it every day – it never escaped her thoughts. "I... it's not a pleasant memory."

"Please, tell me more." He said in his gentle tone as he led her out of the room, her hand still placed on his.

Her head swirled. No. Not that memory. She couldn't think of that again. She couldn't bring that thought to light once more.

"Well, um..." 'Come on, confidence. Please, show some fucking confidence for once in your life.' She scolded herself, forgetting that Aro could still hear her. "When I was 16, I-I was kidnapped, and... sexually abused..." the words didn't roll off her tongue with ease. She felt more tears descend down her cheeks, and she wiped them away quickly. "Now you see why I took therapy." She mumbled with a small smile, trying to forget about it.

They toured the castle for the next hour – a real tour this time – and Aro described every thing they saw in much more detail than Heidi did. He kept persisting about that forgotten memory, wishing to learn more. He liked to know everything about the people he knew, and over the years he had become quite skilled at interrogating.

Of course, she ended up telling him everything. Every emotion she felt, every action that her kidnapper performed, every tear that was shed by her and her family; How she had barely escaped with her life, having to spend months in and out of hospital and being questioned by police and reporters; How she'd come close to suicide, and how people at school had whispered behind her back, giggling, sneering. She was grateful to the people who'd avoided her. "I still have trouble trusting people and talking to people. My attacker wasn't caught, so I find it hard to sleep sometimes." Then a previous question came to light. "Who – if you don't mind me asking – dressed me earlier? I woke up in a silk night gown."

"That was me. I didn't want you sleeping in jeans, and I felt it best that I do it because you'd feel less uncomfortable if I did it."

He had seen in her mind that she was drawn to him. A tender soul that craved gentle authority.

She smiled shyly. "Thank you." Then she asked the big question on her mind, knowing Aro would be expecting it.

"When am I going to be changed?"

Aro became serious. "Very soon, my dear. The longer you stay human, the more danger you're in."

Yet again, his eyes misted over. "Yes, I can see." She said, looking at his eyes.

He swallowed, trying to hide his bloodlust. He smirked. "I apologise. You do have an extremely attracting scent, cara mia. In truth, one of the most desirable scents I've ever smelt." He was close to slipping out of control. Spending an hour with this girl was like a human that was trying to quit smoking spending an hour with a pack of cigarettes. Craving.

He leaned towards her and inhaled her fragrance deeply. When he opened his eyes, they were wide and darker than anything she'd seen. He was practically leering at her.

She took a step back, afraid, and he took a step towards her. He kept walking towards her until she was trapped against a wall. He opened his mouth showing his glinting, white fangs.