Chapter Ninety Two

Aro

We had decided to keep the prisoners, Stefan and Vladimir in the cabin situated in the centre of the compound with guards posted all around it. I was taking no chances at all now I finally had my enemies exactly where I wanted them. They were fed just enough to heal but not enough to become strong enough to pose any threat. Although with so many fighters here there was very little chance of that happening.

Word had obviously spread because by the day of the trial there were a lot of vampires in the compound, more than I had seen come together in a very long while. Normally we lived fairly solitary lives, or at least most of us, with a mate and possibly a friend or two. I had no illusions about why there were so many here. Few could believe that Caius Volturi was responsible for a rebellion and even fewer had expected to hear he had been summarily executed. Nor had many ever seen the Romanians so they would be quite a draw. The legendary vampire brothers who held the power until ousted by myself and my brothers. Still it didn't hurt for our people to see we were not to be taken lightly, that any rebellious actions would be met by the iron fist of the Volturi.

As the jury took their seats on benches put out for them in the centre of the compound there was a loud murmur. Most had heard of the strange Carlisle Cullen and his coven but again few had ever seen them but the noise rose even louder when The Major and his double appeared and it wasn't difficult to imagine the thrill of fear that spread around the watchers knowing of his reputation. I wondered how many in the audience realised that the dark haired beauty at his other side was his mate.

There were whispered mutterings as they waited impatiently for the accused and as the prisoners appeared flanked by the Volturi guard the volume rose once more. They were taken to a spot before the jury and then Alec stood up and addressed all those present explaining that this trial had been arranged to try a very serious case and everyone there would see that the Volturi worked within a legal framework. He didn't add that the legal framework would be bent to fit the situation but in this case that really wasn't even necessary.

The indictments were then read out and witnesses were called. The men the Romanians had "recruited" for the rebellion gave their evidence first, those who had changed side to fight alongside The Major that is, the others were already dead. Then The Major and Jay rose to speak, telling their side of the story and of Caius plot to overthrow the Volturi. After this the prisoners were asked if they had anything to say in their defence. Of course they both knew nothing they said would make any difference and both shook their heads, only Vladimir speaking up.,

"I have nothing to say that will make any difference so just get on with it and kill me. I weary of listening to this mockery of a trial."

Alec asked the jury if they wished time to consider their verdicts and I quite expected Carlisle and his family to request such but their chair, Darius shook his head so Alec asked him for the verdict of the jury on first Stefan and then Vladimir and the word guilty rang out loud and clear twice across the compound.

Now was my turn to speak.

"It pains me to think that my very brother on the council would attempt to kill me and my brother Marcus but you have heard the evidence and heard the verdicts. Under the circumstances there is no option for mercy and the only possible sentence is a traitor's death."

There was a loud murmur from the crowd, shocked to hear this. Such a sentence had not been carried out in centuries. The vampire equivalent of the human sentence of a traitor's death was far worse. Hanging, drawing, and quartering didn't work on a vampire although it lead to the eventual death of a guilty human after much suffering. A traitor's death for a vampire was equally horrific though. Limbs were ripped off and burned before his eyes then he was beheaded and the body burned before finally the head was encased in a stone box and placed in the flames. I had heard it could take weeks for the stone to heat sufficiently to crack and allow the flames to reach the head itself. It was so barbaric that even I had baulked at passing such a sentence before but this time I felt it was justified.

No one spoke as the two Romanians walked forward Stefan shrugging off the hands of the Volturi guard who accompanied him. There was a stunned silence from the watchers as sentence was carried out by Saul, my replacement for Felix, a vampire equally as huge and as loyal. Vladimir was forced to watch as his brother was destroyed before undergoing the same torture himself and their screams as their heads were placed in the boxes sent from Volterra for the purpose were the only sounds to be heard. As the two boxes were then placed in a car driven into the compound ready for transportation to Volterra, where the final part of the sentence could be carried out in private, no one spoke. It was in fact several minutes before the first of those who had come to witness the trial left but soon the compound was deserted except for those who had been involved in the battle.

Some of those men who had followed The Major were eager to join the guard and were put under Saul's command while Marcus spoke to Alec about accepting the seat left vacant by Caius death. I felt honoured to have seen the two Majors fight together, I doubted it would ever happen again, they worked as a team and my poor brother didn't stand a chance as they literally demolished him inch by inch until he was only a mass of flesh on the ground which they then left contemptuously for the men to collect up and dispose of. Perhaps under the circumstances the Romanians would have wished for such a death.

Marcus, Alec, and I, stayed on just long enough to thank those who had joined us to prevent the rebellion from having any chance of success and those who had warned us of what was going on. I had been pleasantly surprised to see how well Carlisle's coven had fought for us and decided they could safely be left to their own devices in the future, I need have no more worries about him as a possible rival. The sad fact was that had my friend been more ambitious he could quite possibly have found himself with a large following, but luckily he was content with what he had and he was loyal to the Volturi even if he didn't agree with all our actions.

Before we left I spoke to both The Major and his double, thanking them again for their help and loyalty although I was only too aware their main motivation for helping us was their own survival but never the less without them Caius chance of success would have been much greater. I left an open ended invitation to visit and even join us if they wished any time in the future. Darius had left before I could speak to him but I knew nothing I could say would make any difference to the way he felt about us. He had always blamed me for shielding my brother from the consequences of his actions but now at last he had the satisfaction of knowing he had helped to bring Caius down.