Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.
Author's Note:
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Third Person POV: Santiago
Santiago carried the girl, or Harper, as Bella had informed them, through the castle dungeon. Harper had begun screaming during their return flight to Italy and hadn't let up since; he couldn't wait to be rid of her.
He threw her body onto the floor in one of the newborn-proofed cells and then secured the door behind him. All the cells in the castle dungeon were vampire-proofed; however, a handful of the cells had extra fortifications intended to handle newborn strength.
Santiago would arrange for a couple of lower guardsmen to check on her daily. She would undoubtably be awake and ready to present to the kings by the end of the week.
The kings had been quite displeased with Santiago upon learning that he had inadvertently created a newborn during the mission to Forks. And currently, he was banking on the girl manifesting a rather obvious gift before he was scheduled to present her during court. If she proved useless, then the kings would likely assign him to serve at one of their newborn training facilities outside of the castle for the next couple of decades as punishment for his lapse in control.
Third Person POV: Harper
Harper was screaming, she felt as though she was being burned alive. She pleaded for death, screaming incessantly to anyone around for help. But no one came, and the pain continued.
After hours of suffering, she felt herself being picked up and carried. She attempted to struggle despite the pain overwhelming her body and cried out to the individual, begging for mercy. She received no response and after a few minutes she was thrown onto a cold stone floor as the individual left her behind.
She was left alone to burn again, her piercing screams echoing around her. Her suffering felt never ending, had it been hours, days, weeks?
Eventually, she began to notice a change. The burning began to recede from her fingertips and toes, and then continued to retreat up the path of her limbs at an unbearably slow pace. However, as the pain dulled through her limbs, the burning sensation amplified as it centered towards her chest. Finally, the feeling converged on her heart with the heat of a thousand suns and then stopped suddenly as her previously fluttering heartbeat stilled.
Harper breathed in deeply, immensely relieved by the absence of pain in her body. She could smell metal, must, and general filth strongly around her, she scrunched her nose in disgust. As she shifted, she felt that she was laying on a rough stone floor. She heard a door open and close in the distance, and her eyes shot open. She instinctually flew up and landed in a crouch, poised to fight.
Her eyes scanned her surroundings – she was currently in an empty, tightly spaced cell with a heavily secured door blocking her exit. Everything thing visible around her was much more detailed than she was accustomed to; she could see everything surrounding her down to the dust particles floating through the air.
She thought back, her last memory was getting lost in the woods, being led to the cliff… and then being bitten by a vampire. Although the memories were fuzzy now, one thing was obvious to her, she was no longer human. She must have transformed into a vampire after she was bitten.
She scented a pair of individuals approaching her cell, one smelled similar to cinnamon and the other black pepper. She maintained her defensive position as the individuals stepped in front of her cell and began unlocking the door.
Upon entering, their red eyes identified them as vampires. Harper hoped they were going to release her from this cell now, otherwise, she didn't plan on cooperating. She was never trained in hand-to-hand combat of any type, but she'd be damned if she allowed these unknown vampires to keep her locked in a cage.
The guards were carrying what appeared to be handcuffs and made to grab her. She flashed backwards into the limited space of her cell to avoid them.
"Now, now, don't be difficult." The cinnamon-guy told her condescendingly and she glared at him.
The two guards moved towards her again, positioning themselves to trap her in the corner of the cell. She tensed and felt a wave of power surge out of her skin and surround her. The guards in front of her were instantly thrown backwards, crashing against the cell wall. They recovered and rushed to exit her cell, securing the locks as they left.
Harper stood there, still in shock. Had she managed to knock those vampires away with an invisible shield…? That was awesome! Watch them try to get her now!
As she waited in her empty cell, she relaxed a bit, and eventually felt the power that surrounded her body withdraw until her shield rested under her skin once more.
A few moments later, the same two vampires returned and approached her cell. Based on the new scent accompanying them, they had returned with back up. However, the third individual smelled of rosemary and thyme, just like her mother's herb garden. Despite her wariness towards the former two guards, the new individual's scent alone put her at ease.
The pleasantly scented individual entered her cell, and she saw that it was the same vampire who had bitten her on the cliff. She shrank back as he took a step towards her, feeling a flash of fear. However, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity and respect towards him as well.
Cinnamon-guy moved to enter the cell after him and she tensed, feeling her shield expand slightly. She snarled at the cinnamon-guy, but the vampire who had bitten her in Forks hushed her.
"Remain outside of the cell, I'll handle this." He ordered the cinnamon-guy.
Then he turned back to Harper and reached forward until his hand met her shield. He tapped his knuckles against it a few times, looking pleased.
"Lower your shield, Harper." He ordered; wait, how did he know her name? As much as she wanted to maintain her only protection against the vampires around her, she felt compelled to obey his order. She gritted her teeth as she fought the instinct, but after a moment, her shield withdrew fully.
"I am Santiago, your sire." He began and when she stayed tense and silent, he soothed her. "I will take care of you, do not be nervous."
Her eyes flickered to the two vampires stationed at her cell door. For some reason, she trusted that Santiago wouldn't harm her, but she wondered whether he could guarantee the same for the other two vampires with him.
When he saw her glance at the other guards, he continued. "The guards outside are under my command; they will not touch you unless you behave aggressively."
Harper was clearly outnumbered, and with little to no fighting experience, she would just have to follow along for now. Plus, she hoped to remain with Santiago, given that the other vampires she had met so far had been less than pleasant towards her.
"Where am I? Why am I being held prisoner?" She asked him, hoping he would enlighten her about the situation. As she spoke, she was briefly distracted by how silky and lilting her voice sounded.
"You are in the dungeon of the Volturi Royal Coven castle in Volterra, Italy. The three kings of the vampire race are ancient vampires and soul brothers who have ruled over and maintained peace in the supernatural world for over two millennia. Our coven is responsible for upholding our laws throughout the world; the most crucial law being that humankind must be kept ignorant of the existence of the supernatural.
You are not a prisoner here, but you were held in a cell because newly turned vampires, or newborns, as we call them, are notoriously aggressive and temperamental. If you can maintain a respectable level of self-control, then you will not require a cell from now on.
Having said that, you must remain within the castle or alternatively another newborn training facility where you can be kept away from humans for at least one year. As a newborn, it will be difficult for you to control your blood lust and therefore you cannot be allowed to roam freely.
I will be leading you to the throne room to present you to the kings. You will need to display your power for them, but you must do so without harming anyone in the throne room. It is imperative that you remain silent, show respect, and refrain from using your gift without explicit instruction while in the presence of the kings, do you understand?" he implored, and she nodded at him in agreement.
"Excellent, I will allow you to bypass the handcuffs so long as you continue to behave. Now, come along." He said and motioned for her to follow.
She followed Santiago silently up several flights of stairs and through several candle-lit hallways until they entered a formal lobby area. There was no receptionist sitting at the desk, but Harper could smell the residual tenor of her sweet, fruity blood. Her throat burned and she released a low growl.
"Silence!" Santiago commanded. He gripped her jaw tightly, looking her sternly in the eye. "Collect yourself before we enter the throne room." He ordered sternly.
Harper held her breath and willed her throat to stop burning. Eventually, the burning in her throat diminished and she felt her control return. Since she didn't need to breathe anymore, she would just avoid it, she would breathe through her mouth if she needed to speak.
When Santiago saw that she had calmed down, he gestured to the guards stationed outside the grand double doors leading to the throne room. She silently followed behind Santiago and stared down at her feet as they moved forward through the room. She knew that this whole situation would likely be over much more quickly if she just stayed quiet and followed orders.
As Santiago led her to a dais at the far end of the room and Harper briefly glanced up to see three imposing thrones occupied by the kings, or so she assumed, who were currently engaged in a hushed conversation and had yet to acknowledge their arrival. When the kings' conversation ended, she was pulled forward roughly by a pair of guards stationed on either side of the dais. She fell to knees before them, gritting her teeth in an effort to keep her shield from expanding defensively. Santiago had instructed her not to use her power unless instructed, and he had been kind to her so far. He promised not to harm her or put her back in the cell and he had told the guards under his command not to touch her either. She realized now though, that his promise did not extend to the guards currently stationed here in the throne room.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" said one of the kings in a joyous baritone voice. When she failed to respond, one of the guards grabbed her by the hair and jerked her head back to look at the kings. Despite her best efforts to remain calm, she felt a snarl rip from her throat as she glared defiantly forward at them.
She locked eyes with the king on the center throne and watched his grin fall off, only to be replaced by a look of reverence. Harper felt warmth bloom in her now silent heart and her glare softened. The first king was beautiful, even more so than any of the vampires she'd seen. He looked of Greek descent with long silky black hair. He had a straight nose, strong jaw, and smooth pale skin. Although obscured by the black cloak he wore, she could see he was tall and lean with broad shoulders. A gasp came from the king on the left and she glanced over, again feeling her chest tighten and heart swell when they locked eyes. This king was just as beautiful as the king on the middle throne. He had a long face, almond-shaped eyes, and fine brown hair that went just past his shoulders. He was built similar to the middle king but slightly brawnier. He lifted his hand to brush the king on the center throne's hand.
"What's the meaning of this, what have you done to them?" Hissed the king on the right throne and as she turned to meet his eyes, she experienced the same strong sensations as she had with the other two. The last king was again just as beautiful as the others. Most notably, he had striking white-blond hair that fell to a blunt cut above his shoulders. He had an angular face and a tall, muscular build like the two other kings. His eyes carried a cruel glint that vanished when she met his gaze.
In a flash the three kings moved towards where she knelt in front of the dais. She felt her shield expand out in preparation for the worst and instantly, the kings and guards surrounding her were abruptly thrown backwards away from her. The kings returned to their feet and approached her again, more cautiously this time. They stopped at the edge of her shield, still a few feet away. The middle king lifted his hand in front of him only to be blocked by her shield, his expression showed his hurt, and she felt a sharp stab of pain through her heart as regret washed over her. She slowly lowered her shield because - for some unfathomable reason - she felt as though she could trust the kings.
"I'm sorry..." She whispered. They came closer and settled kneeling around her mirroring their positions on the thrones. The two kings on either side of her immediately began to touch her. The brown-haired king on her left gently took her hand, stroking it sweetly between his own and pressing feather light kisses on her palm and fingertips while the white-blonde king to her right began trace his fingertips in patterns along the exposed skin of her shoulder, making her shiver lightly. She knew logically that she should feel extremely frightened by the intimate contact, especially in front of the audience of unfamiliar vampires surrounding them in the throne room, but instead the attention pleased her immensely. The only thing she needed now was the raven-haired king to join in. She felt the irrational sting of rejection grow as he continued to kneel before her without breaching the gap.
"Would you take my hand, tesoro?" The middle king finally asked her. She cocked her head, wondering what the purpose of his request was when his brothers continued to lavish her in attention.
He sighed, looking simultaneously apprehensive and hopeful before explaining.
"Before I touch you, you must know that I have the gift of tactile telepathy. Skin-on-skin contact with any individual shows me all of their past thoughts and memories. Unfortunately, my gift is beyond my control, if I touch you directly then I cannot prevent myself from seeing into your mind. I understand that this is no small request, but I promise you that my intentions regarding you are pure, I only wish to be able to care for you better. I will never force you to show me your mind, but I would ask you to please take my hand." he said.
She hesitated, staring down his outstretched hand, thinking back on her life so far. She would not be able to undo this decision; this king would see her lowest points and most private moments all at once.
Disappointment and acceptance settled on the king's face when she didn't take his hand for a long-drawn-out moment, and he began to lower his hand. She instinctually reacted to his expression and moved to catch his hand before it fell away. She would do anything to replace his sadness with joy. The king closed his eyes, and she watched as his eyes darted behind his eyelids. He opened his eyes a moment later and signaled to a group of guards standing on the dais.
"Fetch three humans from our staff, and hurry." He commanded.
"Yes, master." The guards replied in unison before sprinting away to complete their task.
"Heidi! Go into town and find our mate more suitable clothing to wear." He ordered a female guard stationed near the dais. Glancing down at herself, she realized that the thick coat she had been wearing in her last human memory must have been lost or discarded while she was changing and she currently wore only a thin, tattered white blouse and a pair of jeans that had been thoroughly ripped apart, assumably due to the game of chase she was forced to partake in before she was bitten.
Before she had time to feel any embarrassment towards her state of dress, three rapid heartbeats approached the throne room. Harper could help but release an uninhibited snarl from her throat as three wide eyed humans were herded into the throne room with their hands bound behind their backs. She felt a sweet liquid, slightly more viscous than saliva, pool in her mouth as her thirst intensified. She looked towards the kings with both trepidation and hope since she was not fully certain that these humans were brought for in for her or not. She wasn't sure how long she would be able to maintain control, but she also did not want to be locked in her dungeon cell again for losing control like she did in the lobby. She was almost glad that she was reprimanded for overreacting to the secretary's blood now, after all, if she could smell the blood, her limited control would have snapped by now. Luckily, the kings nodded encouragingly and gestured invitingly towards the humans. Harper did not delay a moment. She darted at the first human and savagely bit into their neck, swallowing the sweet, succulent blood that poured gushed out. The other two humans shrieked at her display and began to struggle against the guards who held them in place. As she drank, it occurred to her that she should feel terrible about what she was doing right now, but the feeling of guilt never came. She heard the first human's pulse slow to a stop, and tossed their body aside, eagerly pouncing on the next human in line. Then, she repeated the process on the last one.
Now that she was finished with her three-course meal, Harper was feeling better, or at least, far less irritated then she had been moments ago. The excess blood from her frenzied feeding now stained the front of her white blouse and dripped from her fingertips.
The harsh treatment that Harper had received initially in the dungeon and then in the throne room had predisposed her to strongly dislike the kings. But now that she had (sort of) met them, and then they had given her blood… her opinion of them was starting to improve.
Harper glided over to where the kings stood nearby. They watched her approach with primal intensity in their now dark red eyes. If she were still human, she would have blushed heavily at their obvious arousal towards her.
"What did you mean when you called me your mate?" She questioned them, although she had a feeling that she could guess the answer based on how they had just watched her enjoy her meal.
"We have much to explain to you, cara mia. Why don't we move this discussion to the privacy of my office while we wait for your new clothing to arrive?" The raven-haired king suggested.
