Chapter 18: Dance Amongst Daggers

Hey Guys it's Tokyo! I am so sorry that I am such a bad author for not giving continuous updates. Still in college and as a Nursing student my options are study or fail. However, since changing my major I have finally gotten past that writer's block tumor that I have appropriately named Helen. Her story has been shifting so many times in my head and I have finally settled on a path that will both be unsettling and lead to much heartbreak for our girl. This story, however controversial it may be, will lead Helen on a journey quite daunting. I'm trying to catch the story up to present day as best as I can. By the way, side note, but I am so freaking excited for the Gilmore Girls revival premiering next month.

Every savage can dance - Jane Austen

Helen had found her new dance studio very much to her liking. A small simple key unlocked the room across from hers and revealed a magnificent white room with gorgeous flooring and mirrors, as well as a very expensive looking mahogany barre. Here she could relax and continue her work, here she would be free from the darkness lurking in this place. However, even while warming up, the conversation she had between Aro and her kept creeping back over her in a hot flush of anxiety that sent fear up her spine. He would do anything for her love, anything. That very thought made her fear for her family in St. Louis.

He made a deal with her, her life in exchange for theirs.

'Would he really do it? Would he kill them all if I don't accept his love and give him what he wants in return?' That image nearly made her sick. 'No, he can't. That would cost him everything, that would make me despise him forever.'

It would also make sure you never loved anyone else

Helen did her best to brush those thoughts away. They could all wait until later, until her steps put her at ease and her dancing melted her troubles away from her. She tucked a piece of her ginger hair back into place and began her round de jambe routine. Her muscles felt tight from not being used for pointework after these past few weeks. Her technique was shaky and her artistry could really use some work. Hell, her whole life could use some work right about now. This whole experience has been shitty and awful and just damn confusing. It took everything she had not to fall apart every single day in Volterra and the only reason she didn't cry every single night is simply because whenver she got upset about her situation, she had a dark haired demon breathing down her neck.

As hard as she tried, the thoughts kept creeping back on her, like an infection.

Helen turned the music up much louder and with a few deep breaths she pushed away her troubles and recalled a pivotal moment in her life: her academy audition.

7 months ago

Helen couldn't stop fiddling with her skirt. It was the pretty beigey-pink one that her dad had picked up from the cleaners yesterday. Richard had made sure her button down was perfectly ironed and her strappy sandals were new and shiny from the shopping trip that Sydney's mom insisted on taking all the girls on for good luck. She clutched her hands together and lightly ground her teeth together. God, she had never been this nervous before. Today was the day, April 8th, final rounds of the St. Louis Academy of Dance auditions. She had been called back for a formal interview today and then tomorrow she would give her solo presentation before the board.

'Holy shit I can't stop shaking! Okay relax, it's just an interview!'

She rechecked her makeup in the reflection of her cell phone. Not too heavy, not too light, don't want them to think that her face is shiny on camera. They have to record all auditions for prior review and also to be submitted for the elite patron program.

'God that would be awesome. All my classes paid for, a great recognition too.'

She knew that the program was a long shot. Hell, first she needed to get into the Academy before she could even dream about the program. Helen checked her phone's clock: 3:54, her scheduled interview time was 4:00 right after Lily Hannigan. Lily Hannigan was the rumored shoe in; she made her way to national status while dealing with a mother in rehab and a father going to prison for fraud. She could be in New York if she wanted and chose to stay closer to home to be around her Grandma. If anyone would get in, it would be Lily Hannigan.

Aggie had her audition two hours ago. She had to practically put a gun to her mother's head to agree to let her miss Honors Math and all it cost was two weeks of hospital volunteering and extra tutoring sessions with Ms. Gonzalez. Aggie had told her that the audition wasn't that bad and that she was mostly worried about the fact that she could feel her hair frizzing on camera.

The door clicked open and Helen felt her heart fall down to her stomach when she saw Lily Hannigan walk out looking like a soldier coming back from war. Her eyes were on the verge of tears and she nodded politely at the female attendant leading her out. She glanced at Helen with cold eyes and briefly sized her up before taking out an expensive looking pair of sunglasses and strutting out of the building.

"Miss Hendricks?" The lady, a stern but pretty looking Hispanic woman with the name R. Vasquez on her name tag, called out lightly. "The board will see you now."

Helen gulped and got up to walk into the intimidating looking classroom where five people sat behind a table and motioned for her to take the seat in front of them. A camera was set up on a tripod and faced her square on and Helen wasn't sure if she should look at the camera or at the board.

"Hello Miss Hendricks." A serene looking woman in the middle greeted her with a fake smile, "please take a seat and we can begin."

"Call me Helen," Helen replied with a nervous laugh and then quickly added "please" so she wouldn't sound rude. The woman pursed her lips, but continued.

"Well, Helen, I read your application and several letters of recommendation that were submitted. Impressive record on the national level, good grades for the most part." Helen felt the hairs on her neck stand up, the memory of last year's...incident surfacing and Dr. Michaelis assuring her that she wasn't a bad person.

"Your record is nearly impeccable and being Flora's student doesn't hurt." She smiled fakely again, "None of this means anything though. Your file doesn't tell me anything about who you really are or why you think we should accept you. I don't want to hear about how good your technique is or how you made Gen Horiuchi weep with your artistry, I want to know what makes you different. I want to know why you dance."

Why did she dance?

Holy shit, wow, that didn't even narrow anything down. Helen could think of a hundred reasons about why she danced, and right now every single one of them sounded pretentious as fuck.

"Honestly I don't think there is one single answer to that." Helen blurted out and immediately cursed herself for it.

"How so?"

"Well, there are different moments that inspire a dance. Obviously I love it, I'd be an idiot if I didn't. But sitting here and talking to you I can honestly say that I am at a lost for words. I can think of moments when the spotlight hits me and my mind and body sync and then magic happens, almost like I'm flying and nothing in the world can hold me back. Then I think of the time when my pointe shoe broke during my chorps dance in Coppelia and I had to lift myself up to the point I was on the verge of tears and about to scream blue murder or when my costume was too big for Contemporary Finals and I almost flashed the audience mid leap. I certainly didn't enjoy those moments, and I'd be lying if I said those moments didn't make me doubt my ability. But everytime I dance, I can feel my excitement on learning things that the pros can do. I am ambitious and don't deny I am proud, but as I am sure you know I have had my own deal of baggage. Dancing? That's what keeps me going, that is my outlet and my escape. It is the one thing that doesn't make me some victim of abandonment, I'm just a girl in front of the mirror. I'm just Helen."

The woman on the board looked at loss of words. "Yes, well, moving on then."

Helen couldn't believe how long ago that was compared to now. It felt like just yesterday she was that girl who had so much to hope for and everything go for her. Now she was stuck in this Hellmouth and forced to be play daughter to a monster that she felt this strange connection to.

She continued her work and kept heading down that escape route that used to work so well for her, but now, nothing.

After awhile, a sharp knock graced the door and Helen nearly had a heart attack when she saw none other than Jane open the door and was nearly terrified that she might pounce on her and rip her throat out given that her face looked pure evil.

"Master Aro wants you to get ready and prepare for the hearing. Afterwards you will meet with the family in their sitting room, he has informed me that you've earned it."

"What hearing? What's going on?" Helen asked with worry, blood draining from her face. Jane narrowed her eyes, "another mess you've created I'm sure. I don't ask questions, I will simply do as I am told. Now go clean yourself up and be advised to take no more than two hours unless you'd like Master Caius to grow weary from denial."

"Jane, if this is about Alec I'm really sorry I didn't know he would get in trouble, it just happened." Helen pleaded nervously.

"Save it!" She spat, "you're a stupid girl who thinks nothing of the consequences of her actions. Fortunately for you, my brother has been given temporary seclusion and will return within the week. Keep in mind that after this, the Volturi will decide if you have what it takes to be a member of this family, or if you're just another one of Master's playthings."

Those words cut into her like a knife. 'Wait, has he kidnapped other girls before? I mean, I wouldn't put it past him but oh my god!'

"Oh, did you not know?" Jane asked her mockingly, "you couldn't possibly be so self-absorbed that you'd think Master and Mistress wouldn't find other girls to amuse themselves. Oh no, dear, you are merely another doll on the shelf and why they bother with this I will never know. Now go get ready or I might tell Master that you ran into a wall and give you a good slap."

Helen gulped and hurried along before she could see if Jane made good on her threat. 'That would explain why everyone either seems to wanna kill me or pretend to be my friend to see if they get on my good side.'

That thought made her blood boil.

Helen hurried with a shower and made herself presentable with a velvet burgundy dress and black heels. She knew if she dried her hair she'd have to re-curl it, but honestly she was worried that if she didn't look good enough that this was her execution she would walk into.

'What the damn hell is going on?!'

"Are you ready yet? God your vanity is astounding!" Jane snapped on the other side of the door and Helen walked out of her bathroom and slammed the door with a little attitude and rolled her eyes at Jane, finding some of her backbone again. The two of them ventured down the dark and medieval halls and the cobbled steps of the castle. The throne room, dear lord, she had to go back into that shit show. She was probably going to walk in and find several dead corpses strung out like she was in Saw.

Instead, the throne room was filled with numerous guard members, all dressed to the nines in their mix of charcoal and dark cloaks. They had cleared a path to the dais centered in the throne room; Aro, Caius and Marcus were seated and each wearing their dark black cloaks as opposed to their normal suits. Sulpicia and Athenodora were standing on the adjacent right sides of their husbands, each with hair tied back in a tight bun and both wearing their own black cloaks. Compared to the attire, Helen felt like she was a few centuries ahead, but in a bad way. She stuck out like a sore thumb and felt very daft.

'Oh for the love of crap what did I just walk into?!'

"Ah! Helen my sweet." Aro beamed with his usual fake enthusiasm, sending a shiver down her spine. "We've all been waiting, I was beginning to worry you had gotten lost. What's the matter dear? Cat got your tongue?" Aro chuckled and Caius also joined in with cruel snort. Both of them clearly taking pleasure in her speechlessness and awe of the situation.

"Would you please come over and stand next to me, love? Then we can begin." Everyone could tell that was not even remotely a question and Helen did as she was told as the guard made way for her to walk up the dais. 'So help me if I trip on these stairs I hope my neck breaks because I will never live this down.'

Luckily, she made it onto the platform with ease and stood next to the apparent vampire king and hoped to god that she was not going to see any member of her family appear in the crowd.

"Now." Aro's voice had taken a sudden authority that Helen wasn't familiar with, and every member of the guard took great attention. "We are all gathered as result of a certain crime that has occurred against a member of my precious family. While I can understand that we will all differ in our opinions of each other, I would like to think we all love each other in our own way." Aro sighed, "sadly, I am displeased to inform you of a transgression that has affected your Master in such a troubling way. I did not think I would need to make myself clear, given our long history, that a new addition to my family, is still a dear and loved member by myself and by extension, all of you." Aro lost any form of light or cheerfulness that he could posses and his eyes took a dark appearence.

"Lady Helen, as she is to be addressed from this point by all of you, is my dearest daughter and will be accorded the respect she deserves." The guard all looked as though they'd seen a ghost, they had all recoiled from fear and Helen could tell that she had been talked about more than she thought. Even Felix and Demetri looked uncomfortable and Renata adjusted her hood.

"I confess myself disappointed that you would think to insult your Master this way and it has me wondering if your loyalty is as pure as you claim and if certain measures should be taken to ensure that all my dear ones remain safe." Aro toyed with a longer strand of Helen's hair. Being as short as she was and his throne being so grand, he was nearly at her height.

"One of you, has made the unfathomable indisgression of daring to lay a hand against my daughter, a crime for which we will all atone for now. For you see, it appears I have given the impression that my darling Lady Helen is to be compared to nothing more than a drudge, and you should all hope that she finds mercy in her heart that I am not sure I can give."

Fuck. This wasn't just a trial, this was him testing her! This was his sick way of finding out if she was good enough to be his disgusting, sick, twisted Lady Helen. Helen thought she was gonna throw up and nearly considered doing it on his perfectly polished shoes.

"Dear ones, please bring the accused forward so they may be held accountable for their actions and we may all learn from this horrible trial." A cheshire cat-like grin graced Aro's god-like features and Caius smiled evilly as well. Whether if this was a result from Helen's test or the desire to inflict pain, she couldn't tell. The guard shuffled and the figures of Miranda and Adrianna shuffled through, each looking like they were about to meet their maker and Helen watched them bow before her.

A horrible, awful feeling of pride swept through her like a disease.

"My dear Miranda and Adrianna, how do you plead in front of your Masters?" Aro asked, even though everyone once again knew it wasn't a question.

"Master." Miranda weeped out like a child about to be paddled, "I have committed a terrible sin towards you and treated you with such ungrateful callousness. For all that you have given me I have treated Lady Helen like a leper. I accept whatever punishment you see fit and truly hope Lady Helen can forgive me with time."

Aro smiled again, and Helen felt like her stomach had gone down to her butt. "Well my dear, do you accept Miranda's penance? Should we forgive her for her insolence?"

Helen gulped and knew all eyes were on her, "Why did you do it? I want to know if you're only apologizing because you think you'll get in trouble."

Aro beamed like a child on Christmas and motioned for Miranda to continue, but before she spoke, Helen cut her off. "Look at me when you speak."

Miranda lifted her head and looked at Helen with fearful eyes, "I was jealous of the power and relationship with the Master that you had attained, my lady. I have known the Master for so long and could not even comprehend the love you two share."

"I hope you understand that my love comes in many forms, dear Miranda, and I do hope you will learn from your mistakes." Aro sighed, "has she earned your forgiveness, sweet Helen?"

"When you tried to kill me did you see how scared I was for my life?" Helen asked with worry, "did you wonder what it felt like to feel so powerless?"

Miranda gulped, "I regret my own sins and hope I can be forgiven by you, Lady Helen." Helen knew that Miranda probably didn't care if humans died, but she could sense her own fear and knew that she would not be the cruel person that Aro and Caius were.

"I can forgive you." Helen assured her, wanting this to be over.

"Splendid!" Aro cried, clapping his hands. "We shall put this nastiness behind us then and move forward with punishing. However, it truly saddens me that my dear Adrianna has not shown her own penance. Have you nothing to say, sweetling?"

Adrianna lowered her hood and faced Helen head on. "The only thing I regret is not snapping your neck when I had the chance, you filthy human!" Every single member of the guard looked terrified out of their mind and Helen could see why. She blinked and Aro rose from his throne and all of a sudden a large pop! was heard and Adrianna was clutching her face.

'Holy shit! He hit her! I mean I know she threatened to kill me but no one deserves that!'

"You dare speak in such a way to your Master? To Lady Helen?" Aro spoke so darkly that Helen felt shivers in her body. "Speak! Or shall I have Master Caius straighten you out! Confess to your crimes!"

Helen felt her heart pounding in her chest and a part of her felt like she should do something to stop this, but before she could do anything, Sulpicia gave her a pleading look and froze her with her gaze. Adrianna kissed the tip of Aro's shoes and began to beg. "Master, please! I know I spoke out of turn but I cannot tolerate her! She is the bane of them all and is a clear violation of our own law!" Aro didn't do anything this time and simply turned back towards his throne and took a seat.

"While I can understand your confusion dear one, I cannot forgive your ignorance." Aro said coldy, "Lady Helen is to become one of us and I find your spite to be quite unnecessary. Helen, can you forgive her for her crimes?"

Helen inhaled strongly and reluctantly spoke, "I can't forgive her for something she doesn't regret."

"Understandable and very appropriate, my dear." Aro cleared his throat, "Brothers we shall take vote on how to best punish the members of our family who dare commit these acts. Marcus, shall you take your vote?"

Marcus, Helen had almost forgotten he was there. His presence was very unnoticeable and Helen remembered the heartache he had endured and felt sad for him all over again.

"Miranda should receive leniency for her candor, Adrianna has shown to not embody the basic principles of a guard; protect and serve the family." Marcus breathed and Aro nodded.

"Caius, what say you?"

Caius grinned and tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair, "I do not find truth in Miranda's testimony and I find Adrianna's actions inconceivable. Perhaps a few weeks in the dungeon would straighten out the infantile behavior our guard seems to posses."

Miranda looked up at Aro for hope and several guard members already held Adrianna in place. After what seemed like an enternity, Aro cast his vote; "My dear Miranda I truly understand your regret and for your actions I find you accountable. You will be demoted to a third-class member for the time being and you will thank me and my lovely daughter for daring to allow you leniency." Miranda breathed and looked both grateful and disappointed. "Now as for you Adrianna, I find you guilty of your attempt on Helen's life and your lack of confession has forced me to order your execution. It has been years since your gift of mimicry has been necessary to our cause and what was once a delightful trick has made you useless. You may proceed, Felix."

Helen gasped and covered her mouth as the guard began pulling and pulling until Adrianna's limbs tore from her body, her head ripped from its place and a torch was brought over to light the body on fire. The glazed over look of Adrianna's eyes as her head was lit aflame, would haunt Helen for the rest of her life.

"Now that we have that settled, my family will reconvene to spend our time together and you may all return to your duties whatever they ay be." Caius and Marcus rose from their thrones and two guards collected Sulpicia and Athenodora's cloaks. "Oh and my dear Miranda would you please clean up your friend's ashes and make sure there isn't a burn mark? The sight of that would make me most unpleasant." Miranda nodded and faced the slowly dying flames of her friend's body.

Aro turned to face Helen and she was amazed she could look at him without passing out. She truly was ignorant to think that she could love a monster who dared to call himself a man. He smirked and kissed her forehead, setting her teeth on edge.

"Helen I am so proud of you," his words made her sick. "You handled yourself splendidly in court, I dare say you've earned your title given to you."

"Why did you do this? This was awfully theatrical of you?" She spat and he gripped her chin in an action that could be taken as affectionately if it weren't for the cruel eyes hiding behind his fake smile.

"You know I was just going to say the same about you." He laughed at her like she was a child, "you can deny it until you're blue in the face but you enjoyed making them bow." Aro let go and she rubbed the part of her cheek that would definitely form a small bruise, "you loved the taste of power I gave you and believe me when I say that you will crave more, more that I shall give you in proper doses, provided you do what you are expected as my daughter. Which will involve you addressing me and your mother with the titles that we have earned in place. Now, we will adjourn to the family room together and you will take your place without complaint, is that understood?"

Helen felt like every member of the Volturi had encroached around her and stolen away the very air she breathed, that she was at a precipice, screaming at the top of her lungs and no one listened, no one cared.

"Yes, Dad, I understand." Helen replied as naturally as she could. Caius and Athenodora smirked, Sulpicia smiled with satisfaction and Aro clicked his tongue before grinning.

"We'll work on it, but very nice." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and the Volturi family walked away from the now dead flames and as Helen caught a glance back, she could only see the ashes that were once Adrianna, and the once clean cloak of Miranda was now sullied and her silver pendant had been ripped from her and thrown on the ground.

"I'd recommend you wear the pendant I had made for you, it suits you nicely." Aro assured as they walked on and then stopped her while the rest of the family sped up. Soon they were alone and Helen felt like she all of two feet tall, "oh and if you ever try and leave me or disobey me again, I will bring your family here and have them watch what you've become before I have my guard feast. Then I'll give your friends to my elite men and let them do as they please with them until they beg for you to kill them." Aro held her in place when he realized that she was about to collapse from fear, "and as a merciful Lady I am sure you will not deny them such a request."

Helen swallowed the bile rising in her throat and breathed heavily as she collected herself. Aro let go of her shoulders once he was sure she could hold herself up, "I must say that fear is a good look on you, but you're never more beautiful than when you smile lovingly at those you care for. Go on, smile for me."

Helen didn't know what strength she had left, but the corners of her mouth turned up and she tried her best to make sure it didn't look fake.

"Such a pretty girl," he returned her smile and if Helen hadn't witnessed the monster within. "You really should smile more, all women should, it makes you look so sweet." Helen wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up, she felt like she was about to scream.

"Now, let's try this again, shall we?" He gave her a coy look and grinned, "tell me you love me."

Helen felt as though she had been slapped, as though she'd hit a glacier and it knocked everything into place. That was what this was about? That is why he backed her into a corner and forced her into a role she wanted nothing to do with? Helen wanted to smack that smug grin off his face and tell him to go to Hell. The only thing keeping her from doing that was her friends and family.

She buried her feelings and kept her smile going, "I love you, Dad."

Aro embraced her and buried his face in her hair, content and at ease and yet it felt like he was smothering her. It felt like she had no air and that she had nothing left in the world that was hers, not even her own skin.

"I love you too, Il mio amore, I have always loved you and now we have nothing between us. There's no need to fight or be unpleasant now. You understand how things work," he kissed both her cheeks and her hairline. "You understand this is my kingdom and how harsh being a prisoner would be compared to be a princess."

Aro seemed to start talking just to talk, gloating and relishing in his victory. "My own uncouth little Eliza Doolittle. It just shows that even the strongest spirit can be broken with love."

"Shouldn't we go up now?" Helen's mouth hurt from smiling, "not keep Mom waiting?" If he didn't let her go now, she felt like she would collapse in front of him.

"Of course!" Aro beamed, "how rude of me to deny you our family time, I cannot bear to think I've been so selfish to your mother, we shall go then and have you get better acquainted with the family."

He tugged at her arm and walked with her towards the family room, and Helen was so thankful that she had the time to relax her mouth and eventually he loosened his grip and allowed her to walk freely by his side. "Don't worry my dear," he told her with his feathery voice, "in time your hated will in fact turn to love."

If you guys hadn't noticed I updated the rating to provide warning for the controversial content. Also if you guys haven't watched Jessica Jones I strongly encourage it.

You know you love me,

XOXO Tokyo