WARNING: BRIEF MENTION OF RELIGIOUS ANIMAL SACRIFICE BY ATHENODORA

Chapter Twelve

As much as I wanted, no I craved, to stay with Aro I knew I had to take the trials seriously.

I couldn't fuck this up.

Especially if it meant it would bring me closer to pleasure and becoming a vampire.

I hoped that Athenodora would be the same as me, someone who enjoyed killing others for fun instead of killing them because they were her food source.

It would kind of be a letdown if it was the latter because I would be stuck with a queen who didn't see the benefits of being a serial killer for the fun of it instead of in necessity.

Aro led me through the castle to the tower where I would be residing in because the other queen had been assassinated in 1000 A.D. by the Roman Coven that was ruling at the time. There was an odd look on Aro's face when he said this, as though this was something that he claimed had happened instead of what really happened.

The Volturi obviously won and there were only two remaining Romans that were from the coven, Stefan and Vladimir. They were dipshits and though they craved power they were like Napoleon and the Battle of Waterloo. A disaster and not worthy of the power they had. Nor were they worthy to even exist, they were pitiful. End of discussion.

The main doors that led into the tower were gold. They were from ceiling to floor, which made them quite tall and depicted the destined fight between angels and demons during The Rapture.

Only instead of the angels having the upper hand like in the Bible, the demons were the ones who were winning. I found that it was a more interesting and darker take on the Bible, since I had stated many times before I hated religion. I even reached forward and let my fingers brush against the engraved scene, nodding my head in approval.

"I prefer this version over the real one. Heaven and God are overrated anyway," I remarked, earning an almost animalistic approved look from Aro at the fact I approved of the depiction on the doors instead of disapproving of it.

Then again, he was greeted with me enjoying the sight of the massacre in the throne room and then me stabbing the woman in the temple with a broken piece of her necklace. I would do it again in a heartbeat, I just hoped the next time I would kill someone he would join in the fun. It would be a bonding moment between the both of us.

The doors opened, revealing a dark parlor room that was in the shade of blood red and pure silver.

Everything reminded me of the Victorian era and the silver stone fireplace that was lit was very unique.

The floor was silver carpet while the walls were covered with crimson wallpaper that had the pattern of Venus flytraps in silver. The ceiling had a hanging pendant–crimson blown glass with a silver chain. Poisonous plants, exotic and very rare, were all over the parlor. Loveseats with silver fabric and black legs along with trimmed framing were in the middle of the round parlor along with matching armchairs. Oil paintings that must have been made by dark minded painters were hanging on the walls.

The paintings were of people having their intestines pulled out or having their eyes gouged out. Women who were holding their eyes in their hands, and men hanging from the ceiling with their intestines hanging down in drapes. Animals gouging people, crows picking people clean so all that was left would be their bones.

The one thing, well actually a person, that gained my complete attention was a woman near the heavily draped stained glass bay window that had a canvas in front of her. The painting she had placed on the easel I couldn't see, since she was in the way.

She slowly turned around, showing a dark-skinned Greek vampire with luscious chocolate hair that was wavy and fell halfway down her back. She had almond crimson eyes that fit her features perfectly in size, a long but on the smaller side nose and lips that were thicker on the bottom than the top. She studied me and already seemed as though she had some approval already, if the blood that was on me and my clothes added a unique spin on me in a positive manner.

Her dress stuck to her skin, showing off her curves even though they weren't very thick to begin with but must have been thicker due to the vampirism.

It was a dark green and black tulle dress that had a mermaid aesthetic to it. The emerald was a pattern of pointed curves that went from her neckline to halfway down her dress. There was a tulle cape that bellowed out in the back, and it was sleeveless. Halfway down her dress it was sheer though the pattern ended right where the beginning of her thighs was. There was no jewelry on her, the dress was enough of a statement without needing any jewelry.

"Ah, finally. I have been waiting for you for a long time. I thought I would end up going gray by the time I would meet you. Of course I would look amazing with it but it's not a look that I'm going for," the woman stated, smirking in amusement at the thought of her hair turning a silver hue instead of staying the beautiful shade of brown it currently was.

"My niece and nephew brought me your paintings of your victims. I, myself, am a painter. I can smell the dried blood within the paintings. If you wonder, why the animal drinkers did not smell the blood of your victims in the paintings it is because they are not pure vampires. They forsake their true ways because they make themselves feel shame in our traditions. I am pleased that you have shown more devotion towards blood than they do," the queen added a moment later, a small smirk dancing upon her features at the memories of all the victims.

"Did you know that this is your first trial? I must approve of you. It won't be a sudden decision despite things tipping in your favor for the time being. I have been wanting another sister, but I will not have a weak one like the last one."

I observed the queen, Queen Athenodora, as she spit venom from her mouth onto the ground as though she was cursing a demon. A hissing sound came from the ground, where I could see some of the carpet was being eaten away due to the venom.

I arched my eyebrow up at her and she turned to look at me, before saying, "I watched her be ripped to shreds and thrown into the fire. She was going to leave us, she and my brother king, Marcus, were tired of our true ways. They wished to leave. Your Aro had declared this not to be the proper mindset for those who rule our kind. So, she was killed."

"May I ask why you spit when you speak of her?"

Queen Athenodora clenched her jaw as she turned her attention to the painting that was sitting in the middle of the easel for anyone to look in the parlor.

It depicted a massacre, bodies upon the ground with their heads off. There were some people that were tied to posts, and they were on fire, but instead of the fire being red it was blue. The same blue one would see when the wood had been drenched in saltwater from the ocean.

"The Great Battle for our kind. The Superior Versus the Weak. A depiction of us conquering our kind. Those that were in our way were broken until they were just shards of crystal and ash. The Kings and Queens of old were tied to the sticks with their body parts ripped away and tied to random places. To make them look whole but they were not. Those two bastardos managed to escape but we killed their queens."

"What was the other queen to you?"

"She was the sister of Aro…"

Silence, other than Athenodora picking up a small charcoal pencil. She wrote her name down upon the corner of the painting, signaling she was the one who had painted it. I glanced away from her to notice all the paintings were made from her, with her signature in the corner.

"He did what he had to do; she could not leave. Staying here was a death wish for her but leaving would be a death wish. She made her choice. Nothing worth mourning for, especially when she was a pure soul. She had the Gift of making people feel euphoric. She starved herself multiple times after eating humans, only feasting when her hunger won out. She was a sad excuse of a vampire," she stated, as if she was saying a simple fact that should have no emotional reaction to it.

She glanced over at me, her eyes studying me. Trying to see what my reaction was. To see if I were weak and upset with the fact, she had said Aro had killed his own sister. I merely went over to where the bay window was to look out at the castle grounds. There was a tinge more approval in her eyes, at how I merely took in what she said without any issues.

"I have attempted to take the life of my mother three times in the past. I was pathetic, and I have failed more times than I wanted, no need to," I informed her, my eyes flickering away from the grounds of the castle and towards the queen.

"Hmm, well you are young. A human still, it does not surprise me. You will learn in time," she merely answered, there was no emotion in her too melodic voice. She turned towards my paintings, which were propped up against one of the walls.

"You are also not the first to use your blood for painting, but that doesn't make you boring or unoriginal. There are a few painters that are known for using their blood. Hermann Nitsch, Marc Quinn, Vincent Castiglia, Elito Circa. You find comfort in using blood in paintings, I can agree with the idea. I cannot use my venom; it would burn straight through the canvas and the only way to use our venom is through spitting or having our bodies amputated."

"Has Marcus ever tried to kill you in revenge for Aro taking the life of his mate?"

Athenodora laughed some as she shook her head.

Her dark curls were hypnotizing, I was certain if I were sexually and or romantically attracted to women, she would have been a lover of mine. Yet I did not feel either emotion towards her. Instead, I studied her and knew many would fall on their knees and offer their still beating hearts to her.

"Marcus? Kill me? Oh, darling, he doesn't have the motivation to do anything. The only thing he has motivation towards is dying. I cannot tell you how many vampires he has come across and begged them to kill him. No one wants the death wish of Aro or me and my husband. We enjoy the taste of his depression and his helplessness. It is a bitter taste in a cup of ichor we will always gladly drink for the rest of eternity."

"And others, have they tried to kill you and your husband? In retaliation for you killing the late queen? I am certain that Aro doesn't have any assassination attempts on him come to fruition."

Athenodora craned her head to the side, a small smirk dancing upon her doll-like features. The pale sunlight came and created a glow around her, reminding me how she wasn't human even more. Her crimson eyes were wicked, and there was a darkness to them that I knew coincided with mine. I could see us becoming true allies to each other.

"You are an inquisitive one, Bella Swan. Then again how can we become allies without getting to know each other? I don't ally myself with just anyone. I need complete submission from my allies, allies who would never even think about going against me because the rewards for our alliance are all so delicious. Rewards that have no moral code to them, rewards that do not need approval or acceptance. They are just what they are, rewards."

"I have never really had allies in the past. The only ones that came close in an alliance with me were a bunch of rag-tag teenage rebels in Phoenix. We'd talk about things we hated, of people we wanted to kill. They claimed they agreed with me killing my dear mother, Renee. Other than verbal support I have never received anything that would cement their alliance with me."

Athenodora nodded her head, ushering me to come and sit in one of the armchairs or on the loveseat so we could get to know each other some more. The fireplace flickered flames, and the candles sitting on the coffee table that were in a decorative black wrought iron candle holder were lit also. The scent that emitted from the candles were that of the scent one would find in an old historical house. It added to the aesthetic quite nicely inside the tower living parlor.

"Tell me, when did you start getting the cravings to kill? I always had them when I was human, sacrificing small animals at altars for the gods and goddesses in the beginning before slowly having larger prey for them. I used their intestines to see into my future and I could know what would become of me. The intestines were never wrong, I was destined for greatness and here I am."

I had to remember Athenodora came from an ancient time period, in Greece where they would sacrifice animals for the gods and goddesses. It was something that was a part of them, so I knew there was no point in arguing for the animals' lives. That was over a thousand years ago, the animals would be dead in the end. Sacrificial or not.

"I was going through my first year of puberty. I had realized how fucked up my life was, and how Renee was unfit to be a mother. She would leave me with babysitters and be gone for random weekends because she had to travel to some event. She had to do this, and she had to do that. There were times that I thought about killing her, because then I wouldn't have to wish that she would be found dead in a ditch on the side of the road. I could just do it myself."

I noticed in the corner of my eye something moving towards Athenodora.

As it came closer to me so I could see what it was, I noted it was a black cat. A long cat that had large emerald eyes. It had a collar on it, with a little medallion in the middle of it. On closer inspection one would see the Volturi Crest engraved in the silver medallion.

The cat hopped up onto the armchair where Athenodora was sitting and perched itself upon the top of the armchair, never letting its body actually fall into the tresses of the dark waves of Athenodora's hair. It peered at me with an unhealthy interest.

"My darling little girl, Melione. Named after the goddess of ghosts. A fitting name for her, she often goes down to the dungeons below and watches the executions. Whoever's cell she goes in front of we decide that person should be the next to die. Everyone loves her, fears her, she's what everyone should both fear and love."

Melione opened her mouth and revealed her white sharp teeth, a preview for me to see what would happen if I ever crossed her mistress. I hissed at her back, a challenge dancing in both her eyes and mine. She turned her attention away from me and instead rested more comfortably on her high perch. I didn't know how she didn't fall over and hit the carpet below, but she must have had a lot of practice in the past. Otherwise, it would have been amusing.

"Tell me about your victims. Three of them, correct? You'll officially be a better serial killer, even if the public doesn't know. My little bats cannot get enough of telling everyone about finding you in that alleyway with all that blood on you."

"Little bats?"

"A silly little nickname I give Jane and Alec. They despise it but they still answer to it. Aro finds it more amusing, instead of being insulted by me calling them little bats. Even if we can't turn into them doesn't mean we can't entertain ourselves with the stereotypes, right?"

"It shows that you won't let things get to you. I know how you feel. People stereotype me the moment they see me. I'm nothing more than another plain jane girl, whose parents divorced when I was an infant. I enjoy reading books and I'm clumsy. Then again that's the stereotype I forced people to think I am when I was twelve and started having the thoughts, the urges."

The chamber doors opened behind me, and Athenodora smirked in a more pleased manner, her eyes combing the person who had entered from the top of their head to their shoes. I didn't have to ask who she was sending that smoldering look to. It was obvious the person who had entered was King Caius, and she was getting her usual fill of him.

"Ah, I was wondering where the little hellcat was. I should have expected her to be with you. She likes you more than me."

The voice was enchanting, no doubt about that. A not too deep voice, but still enough to give me the tiniest amount of goosebumps. Nowhere near the true reaction of being flustered like it was with Aro. Just that his voice was the most enthralling other than Aro's.

"Of course she does. But enough about Mel. Come here, you have a new sister to greet. Aro has finally found his bride."

Footsteps made their way around the carpeted floor and revealed Caius a moment later.

The white-blond haired man had hair that fell long, perfectly straight and without one piece of hair that was wavy or curly. There were jeweled hair chains that were draped across his hair, and he reminded me of what Thranduil would look like from Tolkien's books. The same thick dark eyebrows, commanding eyes, strong nose, jaw and cheekbone line, and plump lips.

The white robes he was wearing only made him look even more inhuman, especially when it drew attention to his crimson eyes. Eyes that were dark and studious. He made sure he memorized everything and everyone around him. He was judge and jury after all, the king who was in charge of the royal guard and the executions.

"Ah, yes. I saw her briefly when we were having lunch. I'm sure you knew that dear, with all the blood on her. She finished one of them off, without any of us asking her to do so. Used the woman's broken necklace and stabbed her in the temple with it."

Athenodora laughed merrily at what her husband said, clasping her hands together in a loud crack. It made my ears hurt a little bit. Thankfully I did not flinch from the loud sound.

"Marvelous, oh marvelous! If only I were able to have lunch with you. No, I have to have room service, and it just doesn't really satisfy me as it should," Athenodora confessed, pouting and folding her arms together against her chest. Melione hissed at Caius, displeased that her mistress was displeased with him all the sudden.

"You won't have to subject yourself to this much longer. Bella has the Gift of being a Mental Shield. In time when she is turned and trained enough, she will be able to leave the tower with you. You won't have to be stuck here for the rest of eternity," Caius explained, making Athenodora soak in what he was saying before she nodded her head.

"Very well then. It's better than nothing. I would like her anyway, whether or not we would have to share each other's company in this tower for the rest of eternity. She reminds me of a younger, human version of me. Just not as pretty."

"Dora."

"Fine, sorry. You're still pretty. You're not unfortunate looking, that would have been a downer. Vampirism might end up making you beautiful, but I draw the line of having an ugly sister when she's still human. I'd rather be made into a shish kabob than be forced to tell someone who's ugly that they're beautiful when in actuality they aren't."

Without even thinking I couldn't help but chuckle some, knowing I would have felt the same way she did. I preferred perfection and beauty. I was after all a perfectionist, and I was planning on being around everything that was beautiful.

Nothing would be anything else.

I prided myself on things that were perfect and beautiful, making sure that the deaths I had committed ended up being more than a simple slash. I wanted there to be at least two different types of torture and murder, something I would end up being able to do when I would become a vampire.

"Speaking of beautiful things, as much as you are beautiful having blood on you, I believe that you should go and take a bath or shower. You need to clean yourself. Even though you look good wearing red."

Athenodora made a joke and informed me at the same time.

She motioned for me to enter the black iron doors that had a depiction of Lucifer falling from Heaven to the depths of Hell below.

It was another religious scene but again I was finding it was more unique than stupid. I preferred how he was focused on things that were dark and morbid instead of things light and sweet. It made me feel as though I was really meant to be with Aro.

Opening the bedroom doors, I was greeted with a dark, gothic aesthetic just like I had seen in the parlor of the tower. The bedroom was in the shades of navy blue and black.

A large bed with only a headboard that was black velveteen with silver buttons throughout it, along with a navy-blue bedspread and silk matching pillows were over the mattress. There was a wool silver blanket at the bottom of the bed, draped over it as though it was meant to be a decoration instead of an actual useful blanket.

There was ceiling to floor windows, where the top of the windows was in the shape of an arch, while the bottom was framed underneath it and were simple square framed windows. Plants were throughout the room, in black glass vases and there were vines that were throughout the room, adding a more unique spin on the walls and the ceilings. The flooring was black marble, with no lines to it and all of it was smooth without any imperfections.

I smiled at the sight before me, and then went to the bathroom doors.

The walls were a charcoal black, with matching windows from the bedroom.

A huge round black clay bathtub was in the middle of the navy-blue marble flooring, with candles that were surrounding the bathtub in a circle. They were lit and the modern chandelier was lit too, with glass blown silver light bulbs draping the wrought iron arms. An antique sink was on the right side of the room, along with a simple toilet on the other side of the room.

Turning on the faucet to let the hot water run through the clay tub after I plugged it, I stripped myself bare from my clothes and took a deep breath. I was more than ready to prove myself.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: 2 OF 3 UPDATE

I get inspirations from rooms and bedrooms/bathrooms and clothes from Pinterest. I can't take credit for all of the ideas.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I quite like how it turned out. I took longer writing this chapter than the other ones in the two other fanfictions. I want to really do good in this fanfiction. I plan on writing a future fanfiction where Bella is rescued from a cult her mom joined when she was a baby. It will be with Jasper, when I end up writing the Cullen series after I write all the Volturi fanfictions. I even will write her with Edward in the series, but they won't end up being together at the end, because I've always believed Edward to be toxic. She'll be focusing on herself and learning to love herself after the whole New Moon section.

as always: Twilight doesn't belong to me.

-EmmynotEmma