An empty heart can still love : a Marcus Volturi one-shot

oooooooooo

Marcus was alone in his garden, trimming dead buds off one of the rose bushes he grew in his first mate's honour. Didyme always loved her roses, and this chore of tending this area of the flower garden kept her forever in his memory.

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Turning to see his newborn mate standing at his side, Marcus smiled and stood. "Good morning, Aurora." He bent to kiss her, then embraced her tightly, loathe to let her go.

"Good morning, my love. My, what a greeting." She allowed him to hug her, then when he finally released her, Aurora scanned the flowers. "The garden is looking positively beautiful today." She walked between the rows, looking over the bushes and bending to sniff some of those that had a more intense fragrance. Marcus was pleased his new mate liked the garden that he'd dedicated to his long-dead mate and without any jealousy.

She turned to him, saying, "When do I get a rose dedicated to me, Marcus? You're so talented in your cuttings."

"What would you like, my dear?" He stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders while she looked over the various bushes and the colours of roses on each.

"You know I love red roses, so perhaps something that's a cross between a red and a yellow?"

Marcus wrapped his arms around his new mate from behind. "Your wish is my command. I'll start work on it tomorrow," he said, nuzzling the back of Aurora's neck.

Marcus had once been mated to a beautiful woman, but when she had been killed by a rival coven, he had gone into such a deep depression, his fellow leaders of the coven, Aro and Caius, feared he would never recover. Final death was preferable to the ancient vampire over an enforced lifetime of loneliness. Only the influence of another coven member kept him loyal to the coven and not seek an end to himself. Marcus wasn't even aware of this influence binding him to the Volturi.

Then one day, he met a young woman who was pretty, witty, and so filled with positive human qualities that Marcus missed, he had to have her. He wooed her slowly, then revealed his secret to her. She did not fear him, being in love with him already. When Marcus explained the world of the Volturi to her, she accepted the immortal life he had to offer her.

Aro and Caius were not as welcoming to her as Marcus had hoped. At times, they would barely acknowledge her presence. This saddened him and his mate as well.

Marcus and Aurora were in the bedroom of their chambers, lying in bed. Marcus had just spent hours pleasing his mate while they made love. He sought to make Aurora cry out his name more than once when she came, and only then would he take his own pleasure of her.

Later, they lay side by side, talking low while touching and caressing one another. Such a simple act bonded the two vampires into an inseparable couple. Aurora would rub her nose against Marcus', then cuddle him while nuzzling his neck, inhaling the sweetness of his scent.

Marcus had gone thousands of years without a woman's touch, but he had found his love now. Aurora always showed him how much she loved to touch him, as if she couldn't get enough of him. He had memorized her completely. Her scent, the taste of her, the feel of her. The day he had changed her was the second happiest day of his existence. He would never be alone again.

"My darling, I going to go take a shower. Will you join me?" Aurora gave Marcus a kiss that told him he should not say no. She rose from the bed and sauntered to the bathroom door, looking back at his naked body, the memories of last night fresh in her mind. She bit her lower lip, something that, for whatever reason, drove Marcus mad with lust. He got up from the bed to follow her, when he heard someone coming into the chamber's ante-room.

Aurora sighed and went into the bathroom entrance. "Come join me, my love, when you get rid of whomever decided to interrupt us, now of all times." She then shut the door behind her.

Marcus threw on a robe, and went to the outer room, only to be greeted by Aro.

Seeing Marcus in his robe, he asked him, "Why are you not dressed? You were to be in the throne room at 2:00p pm."

"I've been busy, brother, and had forgotten the time. Allow me to dress, and I'll be there soon." Marcus looked toward the bathroom, hearing the shower running, and turned back to Aro. "Give me a few minutes, brother."

"All right then, but hurry. The prisoner is a possible flight risk. He's being closely guarded by Felix, but may attempt an escape."

"I will be there, Aro." Once his brother had left his chambers, Marcus went into the walk-in closet to choose a suit to wear.

"Aro can be very intrusive," a voice said behind him.

"I know, my heart, but it is important business. It won't take long. You may join us if you wish." Marcus saw Aurora beside him, with nothing but a towel wrapped around her head. He patted her shapely behind, telling her to dress, lest she tempt him again, causing him to miss the upcoming trial.

"I'll be there as soon as I dress, Marcus. Now you'd better hurry along, or Aro will come back," she said, laughing. She stood on tiptoe to kiss Marcus, then turned to choose a dress to wear.

oooooooooooooooo

The throne room had become a trial room, with Aro and Caius waiting on their chairs. Felix and Santiago held the prisoner's arms, leading him to the center of the room.

Marcus saw Aurora enter through one of the carved wooden doors and come stand at the side of his chair. He gave her a smile and reached out to hold her hand. "You haven't missed anything, love. The trial is about to start."

Aro heard Marcus speaking, but to whom, he wondered. No time now. He would ask him later. For now, he had a rogue vampire to judge and execute.

oooooooooooooooo

Once the trial was over and punishment had been meted out to the guilty vampire, the guards cleaned up the remains and left the room. Only Aro, Caius and Marcus stayed behind.

Aro turned to Marcus, his eyes scanning the area. "Brother, to whom were you speaking awhile ago?"

Marcus smiled at Aro. "I was only telling Aurora about the trial. The requirements on how judgements are made, how punishment is administered. She's very interested in all that."

Aro looked at Caius whose expression was one of confusion. Who was Marcus talking about?

Aro stood and walked over to Marcus. "Who is Aurora, brother?"

Marcus turned to his mate, taking her hand and kissing the palm. "This is Aurora, Aro. Why are you asking me these questions?"

Caius rose from his chair to stand beside Aro. "Marcus, there is no one there."

Marcus felt Aurora's hand slip away from his, and when he turned around to her, she was gone. He stood quickly, spinning around in place, his eyes seeking her out. He sped to the first set of doors and opened them to see nothing. He called to her, with no reply. He sped to the other set of doors, and again, saw no one. His mind raced. Where had she gone?

Aro sped to Marcus' side, placing his hand on the ancient vampire's shoulder. "Brother, calm yourself. There is no one here in the coven named Aurora." He came up with a theory, as grim as it was, and explained it to Marcus.

"Your state of depression, my dear brother, has brought you so low, that your mind must have created a figment of a woman, one posing as your mate. It's the only explanation."

"No, it cannot be. She was with me last night, in our bed. She was in the shower this morning, when you came to our chambers."

"I didn't hear the shower water running. There was no one in the bathroom, or I would have known."

Marcus' mind attempted a reset. It tried to tell him Aro was right. "Not possible. She was with me all night. She came to the throne room after me, to watch the trial. She was here. I was holding her hand!"

Aro and Caius had never seen Marcus so animated. But they knew the truth. There was no Aurora, and Marcus was close to madness.

Reigning in his annoyance, Aro stated firmly, "Brother, please forgive me. Aurora doesn't exist. She never did!"

Marcus looked around the throne room one more time, then sped from it, heading to his chambers. "Aurora? Please, my love, do not hide from me." He sat on the edge of the bed, the same bed he had been in last night, with his mate. They had loved each other for hours. Was it all in his mind? "Please come back to me." He waited to only hear silence. "Please?"

oooooooooooooooo

Marcus sat in the garden, his unbeating heart feeling empty and broken. He had suffered the loss of another beloved mate taken from him. She had not been real, but she felt real to him. First Didyme, now Aurora.

Aro had said that Marcus' mind was in such a state of loss and melancholy, it had created a mate for him. One that he could see, feel, and even smell. She was as real to him as Didyme had been.

Marcus, however, felt the loss of his imaginary mate as strongly as he had when Didyme had been destroyed. Was he fated to lose every woman he ever loved, even one who wasn't real? Why did he deserve this hell?

Even the birds seemed to agree with Marcus. They did not sing in the sunlight among the trees. His grief was like a heavy fog blocking out all sound from the garden.

Aro told Marcus he needed to face the fact his one and only mate was gone. His latest mate was gone as well. No, he had said, annoyed. Not gone. Never existed! Aurora was nothing more than a figment of his brother's misery.

Lowering his head, Marcus deplored his solitary existence. There would be no one to greet him with a kiss and an embrace. He would have no one to sit, and talk or read with. There would be no one to yearn for him and lie with him in bed. There was no one left to love him.

The silence in the garden was about to overwhelm the melancholy vampire...when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder.