Thank you all again for the alerts and favourites - so glad to hear everyone is still enjoying this story! I'll try out what I used to do on my previous profile by providing teasers to those who review. So please review and you'll get a nice teaser in return :)

Without further ado, please enjoy the update!

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything Twilight.

Edward

I looked around at the castle walls as if, even centuries later, they were all still new to me.

The events that had plagued our kind throughout the time had been countless and varied; though in the end the castle had never even come close to crumbling.

Carlisle, leader of all vampires and possibly the main reason our kind continued to roam the night, had done all in his power to maintain the entire race and his rule over it. To say that he has been successful would be an insulting understatement. Even now, in the midst of constant attacks to all that he's created, he continued to enforce all of his rules in order for vampires to exist into the oncoming centuries.

Of course, though vampires may be immortal, eventually there will be an end to our very existence, naturally or otherwise. Carlisle had realized this further on through his rule, motivating himself to create his own heir. Esme was said to be the most exquisite female vampire of all at the time, and knowing Carlisle, he would not settle for anything but the best. Fully understanding Carlisle's high status and leadership, Esme really had no choice but to accept his proposal gratefully. From that day on, Esme was Carlisle's lifelong mate and bore him three children.

I was one of them.

Emmett was the first born child to Carlisle and Esme. As of Emmett's birth, he was rightfully chosen at Carlisle's successor when the time came. Even several centuries later, Emmett continued to follow all of Carlisle's demands and requests with no resistance ever. The bond between father and son was very unique, though extremely indescribable. Many other vampires expected their sons to share the same bond with them, however it had never been matched in comparison to the complete adoration Emmett had with my father, not throughout the entire kingdom.

Following Emmett's birth, my parents bore another child, which was myself – Edward. There was no doubt that a leader was unquestionably strong with one son – with two, he was essentially immortal. Despite the fact that immortality ran in the blood of vampires, the meaning of it was different. Carlisle's rule would continue to live on through his blood, and he knew that his two sons would do so for him. He raised both Emmett and I to become impeccably strong, both physically and mentally. Throughout it all, our loyalty had remained with our father. Not only that, but his rules were practically drilled into our minds. Ultimately, we lived just as he did. He raised us to become like him. Complete replicates. Carlisle understood that raising his two sons as he did would leave no possible way for his legacy to end. However, my relationship with Carlisle was not comparable to the one that Emmett and he shared. I was not always as… obedient, as Emmett.

Though my mother was very satisfied with her two sons, she continued to crave her own daughter. And of course, the goddess gave her what she wanted. Alice was beautiful, elegant, and extremely delightful. Rather than Alice worrying about the kingdom like Emmett and I did, she was much more interested in the latest fashion trends and creating the best wardrobe.

In all, we were the family of royalty amongst the vampires. Tales of our family had been, and would continue to be spread throughout the land.

And yet, though the majority of the vampires population religiously followed Carlisle's rule, there was still a rebellion.

The Rogues.

To the members of my father's rule, they were known as traitors. In essence, they were vampires who did not deserve to live, and had disgraced the vampire name completely. Any Rogue who had been found by soldiers was tortured ruthlessly in hopes that one would break in self-preservation. Though the Rogues meant nothing to my father, there was one for whom he never relinquished his search.

And that was their leader.

Though many did not speak her name, she was known as Isabella. Along with her two devoted companions, she roamed the land in search of ways to cause harm and incessant annoyance to my father and his creation. His creation, of course being the entire vampire population under his every rule. And due to the success she had had over the years, she had created her own following. And as great as the number of vampires was who devoted themselves to my father, she was equally as worshiped by her Rogues.

On the other hand, though my father despised her in every single way possible, he would surprisingly not tolerate any insults made upon her. I had seen firsthand when one of his council members insulted Isabella in front of him. It had been said that only vampire venom could cause us death when placed upon a weapon, but on that day I was proven wrong. The harsh impact received as my father back-handed that single council member ripped away a portion of his right cheek. Though Carlisle had let him live, the scar still remains. I had yet to find the reason for his actions, due to his complete silence on the subject. However, I was not the only curious one. One would only be ignorant if they hadn't heard the talk resuming throughout the kingdom. It seemed as if, through the many centuries, my father's obsession with Isabella was becoming well-known among the population. People didn't dare raise questions, knowing the consequences of that action, but the thoughts remained, bubbling close to the surface.

Nevertheless, though my siblings and I did not expose ourselves outside the castle walls very often, our presence there seemed to be known by the Rogues at many times. The most recent had been Alice's. Without informing the guard, she had gone out on her own the night before and had almost been attacked by a Rogue. She may not have been injured, but it had raised my father's alert on the subject to a higher level than was normal.

Now I stood facing a man, my very own kind, who was about to experience something worse than death itself. My father had insisted Emmett and I join him on his recent find .

The captured Rogue.

My father had been adamant on our inclusion on the event. And of course, Emmett and I knew better than to refuse. We stood stiffly on each side of my father's chair in the council room, with each member of the council seated around the crescent-shaped table, each pair of eyes settled on the Rogue in front of us. The sharp angles on their perfectly molded faces as well as piercing stares, while all clothed in similar long, black cloaks. Not only that, but each one was sitting as if time had frozen. Bodies not even moving an inch, it was as if there was no life in them at all. The only movement seen from the group was through their eyes as they glared at the Rogue in front of them. Each member of the gathering waited for my father to make a move as he took his time analyzing the Rogue.

As with all vampires, this one was gifted with beauty. His shoulder length blonde hair was tied back, though it was a bit of a mess now considering his current shape. His white shirt was smudged with dirt and grime, and torn in different spots.

Each member of the council, along with Emmett and I, remained motionless as my father began his questioning.

"Tell me child, what is your name?" Father asked patiently. I knew this act of his very well – he would first act sympathetic and treat the Rogue as an equal. The idea behind it was to lure the captured into a false sense of security. I had been witness to this performance more than once, and I knew that it would only last until the victim was thoroughly deceived. Or until Carlisle just couldn't reign in his anger any longer.

The Rogue, left to kneel on the unforgiving floor with his feet and arms bound, remained frozen. His slouched back rose and fell with every breath he took. His eyes were locked on his hands, which remained on his lap.

"I asked you a question, Rogue," he stated again, remaining deceptively unaffected by the clear disobedience.

Once again, the Rogue did not respond to the simple question. My father sighed and shook his head before signaling towards Benjamin, one of the council members. He nodded at my father's request before lifting his hand slightly.

We all watched as the silver dagger, with its blade tainted violet with vampire venom, arose from the small table in front of the council member and ascended towards the Rogue. I gazed around at the council members, who still remained frozen as they watched the moving dagger. I had heard of the torture followed out during questioning, but I had never expected something as cruel as this. It was obvious how my father and the council members felt about Rogues; with every one gone, restoration of peace among all vampires got nearer and nearer to our grasp.

With one small movement of Benjamin's hand, the knife sliced across both of the Rogue's arms as he screamed in agony.

"Now will you obey?" My father inquired again. He was still patient, still sitting in his chair; the effect was unnerving.

The Rogue's screams ended while his breathing sped and his eyes darted to Carlisle's.

"My name… is James," He gasped. He was clearly doing everything he could manage to set aside his pain.

"Well, James, I welcome you to my castle," my father told him, smiling as he opened his arms wide in gesture, then chuckling to himself. "Though it is a shame that you had to come here this way. I'm sure you know of my rules."

"I know of all your pathetic rules," James snapped, his eyes visibly darkening to a deep black in fury.

"Well then, I'm sure you know the one that pertains to you Rogues specifically. Am I right?" My father seemed to enjoy the results he was receiving from the Rogue. When James did not answer, my father smiled cynically and continued. "It seems as if you do not. Emmett, would you care to inform James of his future?"

"Upon retrieval, a Rogue will be questioned by council members," Emmett replied immediately.

"Well done, my son. And?"

"And, if that Rogue does not cooperate with questioning, he shall be killed," Emmett finished emotionlessly.

My father began to clap slowly in response, while the Rogue remained frozen in front of us. The sounds of his strained breathing emitted throughout the room as his head drooped to his chest.

"My son gave you a noteworthy explanation, James. And now, your compliance remains the issue," Father told him upon settling his hands upon each armrest. "Tell me. Where is your leader?"

James' breathing continued to pace and deepen as the sounds of his every breath engulfed the Council Room. Though my father had endured the Rogue's disobedience before, his impatience was beginning to become apparent. He signaled again to Benjamin, who again led the dagger to make three long and deep carves across his bare back, leaving James screaming in agony.

"Your defiance is most unwelcomed, Rogue. I will ask you again, where is your leader?" He asked once more, his voice beginning to rise as he clutched onto the ends of the armrests of the chair.

Once more, James did not reply, earning himself two slow slices across his chest. His cries of pain were almost unbearable as this time the dagger cut slower and deeper. The deep slashes looked horrific, showing the levels of tissue in his body. I could start to see the solid white of his bone. He continued to scream as my father yelled back.

"If you value your pathetic life, answer me! Where is your leader?" My father yelled, signaling for Benjamin to continue leading the dagger along James' body. The screams of torture were rising through every slice.

I looked over at Emmett, who had remained expressionless throughout the entire time, and saw a hint of a small smile at the corner of his mouth. His agreement with my father's torture was obvious as he stood, watching as if it was merely a child's game. As my eyes wandered back to my father, his anger had clearly soared as his eyes were engulfed by violet.

"Where is she!? Where is Isabella?" He shouted in fury over James' cries at each wave of pain from the tainted dagger.

James arched his back in pain as another slice tore through his skin, staring back at my father as he gasped in pain. There was pure anger, fury, and disgust in the look that he gave Carlisle.

"Fuck… you, Carlisle!" He growled through his teeth then spat blood on the ground in front of him.

Finally, as it seemed a wasted attempt, my father gave one last look at Benjamin. He flicked his fingers, leading the dagger right through James' heart. As James' last breath left his mouth, his body went limp against the ground. I watched as James' body slowly began to decompose in front of me. The flawless muscles gradually fell into a mass of skin while his eyes deflated. A few short moments later, the immortal vampire had morphed into a lifeless corpse.

While I stood motionless, my father motioned for the council members to leave. Once they had gone, he rose from his chair and began his way out as Emmett and I followed. When he reached the door, he turned to face the both of us, his face still strained with anger.

"I will not have this happen to one of my children again. I cannot and will not have my own bloodline threatened by those heathens. From now on, if either of you choose to exit the castle, you will inform the guard and have them escort you. I expect you to pass my order to your disobedient sister as well, as this most readily pertains to her. Until I find it unnecessary, this order will remain in place. Am I understood?"

Emmett and I quickly nodded in agreement. Once my father had turned and left, Emmett and I returned to our rooms in the castle. While as vampires we did not sleep, there was a large area in the castle designated for the three of us. It consisted of a library, music collection, entertainment area, several tables and chairs and lastly, Alice's closet. Without any exaggeration, Alice's closet could clothe a small country. As we entered the room, Alice was standing there in front of it, with an outfit in each hand.

"And how was the questioning?" She asked as she swiftly walked back into her closet and out again.

"Dreadful," I answered.

"The pathetic Rogue wouldn't comply," Emmett added as he sat back

"Shame," Alice sighed uncaringly as she faced her mirror and held an outfit up to her torso. "So how hot would I look in this tonight?"

Sighing, I made my way over to her and attempted to take the simple clothes out of her hand before she quickly snatched them out of my grasp.

"First off, little sister, you should know better than to ask your brother to rate you on how hot you look," I said in disgust. "And second, Father has demanded that we not leave the castle without a guard."

"What! When?" She cried out, her shock plain on her face as her jaw dropped.

"Just now, after the questioning. And he was serious, so I expect you to not disobey him this time Alice," Emmett said sternly.

Alice pouted childishly before turning back to her mirror and flaunting her outfit yet again. She looked at herself then paused, until her pout morphed into a devious smile as she looked at me from the mirror. Knowing my little sister, I was about to become putty in her small hands.

"No, Alice. Whatever you're thinking, I'm not doing it," I said quickly, turning to make my way to the library in attempt to avoid her.

Unfortunately, my attempts seem to have no affect on Alice.

"Oh, please, Edward! You haven't even heard what my plan is yet!" She whined as she followed me.

"I know, but it's still no," I replied firmly.

"Edward, please!" She cried again as she sped in front of me, stopping me in my footsteps. "I've been looking forward to this for several nights. Please, would you just go with me? It'll only be for a short while, and Father won't even find out."

I sighed, feeling guilty already as my little sister pleaded for my agreement. Attempting to avoid her again, I looked over my shoulder to hopefully have some support from my brother. "Emmett?"

"I will not be included in her acts of disobedience," he told me, his attention still toward the disc player. "If you choose to, I don't plan on stopping either of you. I'm not your babysitter. I'll try to cover for you both for as long as I can."

Clearly he had assumed that my request was to go, rather than for him to disagree with Alice. Her eyes lit up at Emmett's agreement, and she ran up to give him a tight embrace that almost had him gasping for breath before entering her closet one last time.

Little did I know what to expect of that night.

If only I had known the turmoil I would face because of it. If only I could have told myself at that moment that it was all so very worth it, in the end.