"A lot of relationships fail because physical appearance is a priority and not the character of the individual."
Unknown
The bell tolled midnight.
Hidden away in the mountain-fortress' deepest level, isolated and undisturbed for centuries, with the exception of this one ritual and the one after, was the crypt of the High Elders. In the awaiting chamber, marble benches lined the narrow room, facing what appeared to be a blank stone wall. A single large mirror adorned the polished granite.
Once the vampires had made their way through the tunnels and the awaiting chamber, however, the mirrored wall rose. Inside was the tomb of the High Elders.
The high vaulted ceiling gave the room the feel of some sombre Gothic cathedral, though in truth, the style was far older. The room was cold, even for vampires. Usually, it was as quiet as a tomb, which was the intention for the two High Elders that were in their repose, seeking to be as close to death in their respite from immortality, as much as possible. Other coven-members, no matter how honoured, were not permitted to rest here during their own periods of respite, perhaps due to the need to ensure that the resting High Elders were not disturbed by the other vampires who needed to be awakened after shorter periods of respite, and those whose turn came to rest and be replaced and replenished.
While they could also be entombed and had resting places of their own, often burial vaults and mausoleums for entire families, all the assigned graves lay elsewhere. But now, every member of the coven had either congregated within the crypt, or in the viewing room just outside. Or else, if they were not so lucky, they would have to wait to see the next High Elder whose turn it was to reign. This century would be Markus', the first vampire, and thus the excitement within the air was palpable.
Contrary to popular belief this was not the original cave that Markus had sheltered and been transformed within, that lay elsewhere within the fortress, but it was an important location nonetheless.
It was a cavernous stone mausoleum built within the depths of the mountain. Like the auditorium, granite ribs supported the ceiling and granite steps sank down towards the lower floor level where three burnished bronze disks were embedded into the granite floor. A concentric pattern of overlapping and complex Celtic-like runes adorned the circular hatches, each of which was engraved with a single ornate letter: A for Amelia, V for Viktor and M for Markus. Torches flickered and burst to life in the arched alcoves lining the walls. A fourth bronze disk, bearing an intricate Celtic pattern, was mounted in the wall above the doorway.
A forced hush fell upon the excited vampires who had congregated. While this was a ritual transference of power within one species only, the other species of vampires had solemn dignitaries and honoured guests that were invited to witness this ceremony, especially for this High Elder. Viktor did not command that much respect and interest, something which sorely chafed at him, no doubt.
None of the other vampires of their species were still permitted to speak to them, Carlisle noted. But he and Esme were fortunate enough to be among the honoured guests in his hallowed event, despite their son's public disgrace. Bella, Emmett, Jasper, Alice and Rosalie had last gone to see Edward in the dungeon level. Carlisle winced as he thought about his son. No doubt Edward would be fascinated to see or hear about such practices and how another species of vampire could hibernate the way this one was supposed to, when they themselves did not naturally sleep, unless Gabrielle provided them with a potion laced with blood. But even the mere mention of Edward seemed to provoke animosity, even if people did not blame the rest of the family for keeping him in check, or with the suspicion of them being complicit in his doings.
Carlisle spotted Marcus, Suplicia and Athenodora, along with Amun, Kebi, Benjamin and Tia- basically the entire Egyptian coven, the entire Denali coven, the Amazons, the Irish coven, nomads like Charles and Mackenna who had come with their uncle Luca, the three of them undoubtedly about their cousin Renata who had served in the guard, and, most surprising of all, Alistair. Carlisle briefly caught Alistair's blue eyes; all the vampires of their species had their crimson or golden eyes reverted back to their original colours prior to their transformations undoubtedly due to the blood they consumed while in the Old-World Coven. Alistair's eyes quickly moved away, but not before Carlisle caught the flash of guilt within them. Amun still glared venomously at them, while Kebi was decidedly frosty. Benjamin and Tia appeared to be more neutral and concerned about the potential truth, as did their cousins and the Irish coven, and the Amazons. Carlisle sighed inwardly. They were going to have a lot of explanations to give out. He certainly hoped it would be adequate and that they would be, if not forgiving, then at least understanding. Unfortunately, they had every right to be angry with the Cullens, in particular Edward who had not only broken the laws, caused a little girl to die and endangered their kind, and yet mere months ago had not only pleaded with them to stand against the Volturi on their side as witnesses, but to help fight them if necessary, to save their family's own lives. Carlisle winced. For a moment, he was glad Edward was safe in his cell. He knew that not every vampire would be forgiving.
Suddenly, the excited chatter, which was kept at a lower level, no doubt to prevent disturbing the slumbering High Elders below, dissipated. The vampires parted way for the regent of the coven, Radu who stood to the side along with a sandy-haired male vampire and a black-haired female who looked similar to Lady Laima. However, everyone stood at attention when the High Elder Amelia appeared, with the Lady Progenitor following behind her. Lady Laima was in silver and white and she seemed to glow and shine, as compared to the other vampires who all seemed to be wearing darker hues.
They all parted before her and when she went to stand to one side they respectfully made way. Amelia, in the meantime, went to the centre of the triangle of disks and waited.
The bell tolled one final time. The High Elder Amelia held out her hands. Everybody stood at attention.
"Members of the Coven, honoured guests," she began. "Beyond these venerable walls, in the mortal world, petty despots constantly war for land and power. Kings and dynasties come and go in an endless and brutal cavalcade of conquest and usurpation. Nations rise and fall, elected leaders depart almost as soon as they arrive, paying for freedom at the cost of stability. Wars for wealth, territory, power and control never cease. In contrast, we of the coven have known nothing but peace and stability for millennia. Why is this?"
The vampires of her species answered in unison: "Because of the Chain."
Amelia nodded in acknowledgement. "We High Elders- Markus, Viktor and myself- do not wage war against one another in pursuit of power, absolute or formal, do not row in petty debates and stir up the mob. Nor do our differing views and instincts ever lead us into conflict. Why?"
"Because of the Chain!" The collective response, a ritual of the ceremony Carlisle and Esme had been made aware of beforehand, resounded and echoed within the sepulchral confines of the crypt. The members of their own species observed this with increasing interest. Even Amun forgot to glare venomously at Carlisle.
"Just so," Amelia confirmed. "The covens exist in harmony because we High Elders have decided and agreed to divide eternity among us, a century at a time. One High Elder above the earth, two below; that is the way of things, so that the coven has never more than a single ruler in any given century. Thus is order maintained, through an eternal cycle of rebirth and rejuvenation. And why?"
"Because of the Chain!" their audience chanted for the third and final time.
Carlisle looked down at the three circular bronze disks on the floor. Two of them bore the initial letters V and M, and one of them would be opened tonight and its occupant unearthed, while the other, marked by an A, was empty, awaiting Amelia's return into the earth.
"Now is the appointed hour," Amelia proclaimed. "Soon I will return to the earth, confident that the destiny of our people will be safely guided by my fellow Elders for the next two hundred years- until I rise once more."
The excitement peaked to a tension that nearly burst through the surface. Carlisle's intrigue rose. Quite an atmosphere. He wondered if he should feel sorry for the High Elder Amelia, to have so many people excited to see the next person in the Chain rise if it meant that she had to go first. But at the same time, he envied the High Elders their ability for respite. Besides, the twentieth century had seen two world wars, revolutions that saw age-old or iron-fisted regimes rise and fall, nuclear explosions, and the most incredible and radical societal and political upheavals Carlisle had ever seen nor could he have imagined, as well as pushing technological and scientific advancements to such heights as he had never dreamed in all his years, particularly as a human youth. He thought that if he were the High Elder Amelia, he would want to take a rest. How anyone could not be overwhelmed, especially after being peacefully removed from the outside world in rest was a wonder to him.
Carlisle was also old, although he doubted that he was as old as the High Elders and many a vampire. Until they had gone to the Carpathians, Amun had been the oldest vampire Carlisle had ever known. But unlike these vampires, their species could not sleep, at least not without the potions Gabrielle had given to them when laced with blood.
That had been a welcome surprise. Carlisle had long-since forgotten what it felt like to have a good night's rest. He had forgotten what it felt to be refreshed and reinvigorated for so long, to be able to think in ways that seemed clearer than before, despite the fact that vampire minds were preternaturally sharp and alert, and their bodies remained strong and un-wearied. He was incredibly thankful to Gabrielle for that and had requested that she give some to Edward- which she did with the Death Dealers' consent and examinations.
Carlisle snapped back to the present when the vampires all stilled. Lady Laima glided forwards holding a gold-handled, jewel-inlaid ritual blade between her delicate hands. Her radiance struck Carlisle as being particularly luminous, especially tonight. Her eyes shone, her skin seemed to glow even more; joy seemed to radiate from her very being. It was as if a star had magically materialised within the dark underground tombs. Carlisle felt a moment of pity for her: imagine being forced to see your husband only for every two centuries. Two centuries alone in that tower… what did she do when Markus was under the earth? If she had never been seen to emerge, except for important events such as the trials…
"Let the Awakening begin," Amelia intoned solemnly.
The Lady Progenitor handed Amelia the blade. She knelt onto the ground beside the circular disk that held the letter M.
M for Markus. Despite himself, Carlisle felt a tingle of excitement.
The Vampire Queen's dainty fingers gripped the large, raised metal M. Carlisle saw Amun and the others peer forwards in anticipation. She rotated the metal initial and the inner circular disk that framed it. Carlisle heard a hiss and a rumble like dormant machinery coming to life, or clockwork. A locking mechanism, Carlisle mused in wonder. The tomb seemed immeasurably ancient and the mechanism didn't seem like it was magic, completely unexplained… how sophisticated was such technology and when had it been made? Who had made it?
The intricate Celtic-square-like designs adorning the hatch in patterns of various lines shifted: the ones in parallel panels flanking the initial slid forwards and the one framing the circle turned clockwise before sinking into the earth. Lady Laima's eyes shone. And if their species' hearts could beat, Carlisle was certain that hers would have leapt in joy.
The ponderous sound of stone sliding across stone resounded, accompanied by the automated reverberation of what sounded like a concealed motor. The circular bronze plaque sank into the floor, whereupon it split apart into four wedge-shaped segments that retracted from sight, exposing a solid object illuminated with the enormous letter M, inlaid in lapis-lazuli.
It was inlaid within a large vertical slab or a tube which rose from the floor like a coffin-sized elevator or the Devil ascending from beneath the stage of a theatre production. The coffin thrust upward until it towered above every vampire in the room like a foreboding monolith, then it pivoted on its axis. Moving steadily, it snapped into place horizontal to the floor.
A grim but ornate sarcophagus reclined before them. Carlisle peered inside of it- and almost recoiled openly in shock and horror.
Any prior warnings he had been given was instantly forgotten and he barely held onto his composure. Esme's hand flew to her mouth. Even Amun blanched at the sight and the Denalis and other vampires of his species looked horrified and stunned. Only the members of other species acted as if everything was normal, or at least expected.
With one exception: Lady Laima's eyes now glowed with joy. Her radiance now seemed to shine, blinding the congregation within the tomb itself, banishing any previous darkness. Her smile made her seem fit to illuminate the night skies as she gazed with adoring eyes upon the corpse within the sarcophagus.
The skeletal figure looked more like an exposed mummy than a vampire. Dry and blackened skin was stretched tightly over an emaciated frame, and a face that might have once been handsome had shrivelled into a grimacing skull-like visage. The figure's eyes were squeezed tightly shut at the bottom of sunken, black sockets. Yellowed fangs were locked together in a frozen scowl. Only a few thin strands of hair still clung to the figure's desiccated scalp and his rib cage showed through the papery skin covering his sunken chest like the buttresses of a Gothic cathedral. Limbs that may have once been powerful looked like spindly sticks wrapped in dried muscle like jerky-meat.
It was a grotesque sight. Yet Lady Laima's eyes shone with so much love and joy it was impossible to look away.
Can he truly be alive? Carlisle wondered in horrified awe and disbelief. By all accounts, Markus had been in that tomb for two centuries. And yet he was expected to rise, live, breathe and walk once more.
Carlisle could see Esme's horrified and stunned disbelief and feel the aura of shock that permeated the members of his species. Amun was openly gaping, although he quickly recovered his composure in case he offended someone. Garrett and Alistair looked like they couldn't believe their eyes at the sight that was in front of them. Lady Laima gazed in enraptured awe and wonder, adoration emanating from her very being as she gently stroked the outer edges of the sarcophagus. There was so much love and radiant beauty in her lovely visage that it seemed to be a gruesome contrast to the apparent corpse within.
He could tell the others were both horrified and appalled, but simultaneously drawn and mesmerised. Tanya and Kate seemed to be this, very much so. Tanya blinked as she beheld Lady Laima, just before the Vampire Matriarch pressed a hidden button. Machinery whirred and a metal spigot motored itself on a specially-built track inside the sarcophagus and above the figure, connected to the apparatus by a telescoping metal arm. A hollow glass ampule with an open slit lay in the exact middle of the metal before it stopped to hover above and between the seemingly dead figure's fanged and open maw.
Then Lady Laima stepped backwards, almost reluctantly, although she kept her eyes trained onto the figure. She was undoubtedly filled with love and longing, the joy barely contained to her singular form. Carlisle saw Tanya watching her along with Alistair. He wondered…
He didn't have time to ponder for long. The High Elder Amelia took the ritual dagger she had been handed and slit open her wrist.
Carlisle inhaled sharply. He could feel Esme and the others do the same, along with every vampire within the room. The blood which bloomed on the High Elder's white skin did not smell like a human's, he thought. Or an animal's. But it was there all the same. Unlike their species whose body fluids all turned into venom, he pondered the mystery of how this came to be and how far evolved their species was from this one, who appeared to be the first. He hoped someday, he would be able to examine it. Carlisle remembered Istvan, the Death Dealer who guarded Edward's cell and used his blood to open it. It didn't smell appetising, like it could nourish him, either, but this red liquid which flowed from Amelia's wrist now seemed to seep and whisper with the promises of powers and secrets that lay for countless millennia, including the past two centuries until now.
Amelia ignored the crowd's hushed yet awed reaction and inserted her cut wrist into a slot within the elaborately carved exterior of the sarcophagus. The procedure had been explained to Carlisle: a series of shallow silver bowls were built into the inside of the raised edge of the sarcophagus, leading to the delicate metal spigot. Both the bowls and the spigot were carefully etched with precise calibrations, and the telescoping metal arm which connected the apparatus, collectively known as the catalyst drip, awaited a High Elder's blood.
Only the three High Elders were able to do what Amelia was doing now, Radu had informed them. An arcane chemical catalyst, absorbed via an osmotic filter at the base of each bowl, mixed with Amelia's spilled blood to undergo a mysterious and incredible alchemical transformation, as the elder vampire's blood spilled onto and flowed in through each concave receptacle, from one silver bowl to the next, flowing into and through the metal rod and into the ampule where it briefly gathered before dripping downwards into the blackened corpse's fanged and petrified maw.
"My blood to thee, my thoughts to thee," Amelia chanted as the blood dripped and flowed. "Partake of my memories, Markus son of Alexander First of the Immortals and First of the Vampires, and those of Viktor before me so that the Chain shall not be broken."
The crowd watched with baited breath. Carlisle had been informed of the procedure and knowing what he had been told beforehand, and observed with nothing less than fascinated awe. Only a High Elder possessed the knowledge and concentration to accomplish what Amelia was doing: transferring a complete and coherent record of the previous two centuries into the figure's quiescent consciousness, so that Markus would awaken with the full knowledge of all that had taken place while he slumbered deep within the earth. Not only Amelia's memories but those of the previously-reigning High Elder Viktor's as well, which had been passed on to Amelia during her own Awakening one hundred years prior, were currently being transferred directly into Markus' dormant mind by the absorption of Amelia's immortal blood.
And so they waited in silence…
The pregnant tension had reached to a peak. All life had ground to a halt. No one breathed as the blood dripped slowly down into the fanged mouth of the desiccated corpse in its coffin. Then it stopped.
Silence.
Then… thump.
Such a quiet sound, even vampires would never have heard it had they not been so silent. It sounded like an acorn or a thimble dropping onto the earth. Carlisle would have missed it had none of the others been completely silent, and he would have thought nothing of it without seeing their reactions. He saw the eyes of the female widen, the one who looked eerily similar to Lady Laima, and they both brightened and turned blue. Radu straightened.
Thump. Another sound: Lady Laima's smile was blinding.
Her joy could really fill a whole room, Carlisle noted. It even was hard not to be distracted from what was supposedly happening: the first vampire Markus' long-dead corpse coming back to life.
"The Elder Awakes," Amelia announced to all. "The Chain endures!"
The congregation burst into cheers. Excited smiles and eager glances were being exchanged. Lady Laima's eyes filled with… what was that? Blood? Carlisle was mystified.
Is she weeping blood?
From joy?
So did all their body fluids turn into blood or was it diluted with it upon transformation? If they still had venom...
Carlisle could see Tanya and Eleazar looking mystified in her direction. Thankfully, the Vampire Queen did not lean down to kiss her husband's seeming corpse on his fanged and open mouth, and neither did the apparent corpse of the world's first vampire immediately start rising from the crypt. That would have been too much to handle, even for Carlisle.
"Many thanks to all for attending this solemn ceremony," Amelia addressed the audience once more. It was clear that the ceremony was over. The cut on her wrist had disappeared, healing itself seamlessly. "But now, Markus will need to recover and regain his strength. Please proceed into the awaiting chamber and back into the main fortress."
Carlisle felt a bit of regret. He was deeply fascinated in the process and wished to see how Markus could recover and be in the state that Amelia was in right now. Moreover, he was curious to see how Amelia herself would enter hibernation. Radu said that they needed to fast and meditate herself into a trance-like state while undisturbed first, but he hadn't been precise on the details. Meanwhile, Lady Laima remained behind. Carlisle could see her hovering anxiously above the supine seeming-corpse, and Tanya, he noted, gazed wistfully towards their direction. He wondered what it must be like to be parted from one's spouse for two centuries and shuddered. Esme did the same.
He supposed he couldn't blame her. The figure of Markus looked very dead and frightening, even though they all knew better, but she remained devoted all the same.
How long had they been married for? Apparently, physical beauty and attraction was not the glue that held them together. Carlisle glimpsed Marcus of the Volturi hurrying away while Suplicia and Athenodora did the same. He winced inwardly upon the realisation that the two women could not bear to watch this reunion when their husbands were bound to be executed, including for crimes against them, no matter how terrible and how long they had been kept prisoner for. Neither could Marcus- their Marcus- bear to be witness to any painful memories that might serve as a reminder that Didyme was forever lost to him.
Carlisle's mood sobered when he thought of and remembered his own son in the dungeons. What was going to happen to him? He worried fearfully. Carlisle knew that Edward could still be executed if not imprisoned for centuries or millennia. And he sensed that his son's marriage to Bella was at an end, short-lived as it was. Even Renesmee was unlikely to look at her father in the same way ever again.
Instead of the fulfillment and eternity of happiness that Edward had longed for throughout the decades, his world, his family and even the love story that defined him for almost three years was coming to a crashing end; a very bitter one, judging by the looks of things.
But Bella too must have been suffering from the weight of this knowledge- and the consequences of everything that had happened since they first met. It made Carlisle's heart seem to twist. She was still so young, even by human standards, and Renesmee was only a child, no an infant of nine months, no matter her intelligence, he had to remember. It did no good for Bella's parents to overestimate her emotional and intellectual maturity, as Carlisle had learned. They could not do the same to Renesmee, any more than they could belittle her the way Edward had done.
Speaking of Bella, Carlisle and Esme were both startled upon encountering her outside the awaiting chamber.
Their children, with the one obvious exception, stood waiting for them. "I wasn't expecting that," Emmett muttered, dryly.
Esme blinked. "You saw the ceremony?"
They all nodded. Bella bit her lip. She had been first repulsed and alarmed, despite the inkling of fascination, and yet… there was something else that drew her attention. Carlisle knew what it was: Lady Laima seeing her husband for the first time in two centuries.
Esme fought off a wince. "Is he really going to recover from that?" Emmett whispered, seemingly nervous that someone may overhear.
"If the physical state of the reigning High Elder and the accounts given by everyone else is any indication, then yes." Carlisle agreed.
Emmett and Jasper both whistled, impressed and awed. Rosalie looked bewildered yet morbidly fascinated. Even Alice looked less depressed and more thoughtful. Bella, by contrast, seemed to be subdued even more than she previously had been. She bit her lip, worried or anxious about something- or upset.
"Bella?" Esme's gentle voice addressed her. "What is it, dear?"
She shook her head. "It's fine," she said, even though it was an obvious lie. Carlisle glanced at Rosalie who stood beside her and shook her head.
They all knew it wasn't, even if Bella wasn't a bad liar (which she, admittedly, was).
Outside in the Victorian-style parlour, Radu stood greeting dignitaries. Alistair was speaking with a female vampire who looked like she came from another species, though he still couldn't figure out which one. Either way, Tanya was eyeing Radu with interest.
Though some heads or eyes turned towards them as they entered, for the most part the vampires were too busy partaking in the festivities. Austrian crystal-ware and Venetian glasses filled with blood floated on trays offering themselves to elegantly-dressed vampires in human designs from Chanel and Armani, or designers of the magical world, apparently as Carlisle overheard somebody boasting about getting an exclusive haute couture evening gown and accessories from a witch in Paris. The blood itself came in a variety of flavours, all more delicious and appealing than anything he had ever tasted, even the brief tastes of human blood he'd had upon transforming members of his family. No doubt they were all sourced and specially made and engineered using magic, some sourced from magical beasts like dragons, Gabrielle had said. The blood all contained traces of hirudin, an enzyme extracted from the glands of leeches that prevented their refreshments from coagulating. Carlisle himself had never thought or imagined he could use it in blood for feeding. But the blood, perhaps not due to hirudin alone, was hot, fresh and delicious, as if still in the body or freshly extracted.
No wonder their species seemed, if not eager than at least relieved at the alternatives that were now open to them with the acceptance within the Confederation and the High Council. Even if they didn't feel the pangs of conscience the way he and his family had when feeding, it was becoming increasingly hard to dispose of and hide human bodies in this day and age, Carlisle reflected as he took a sip.
He could see Tanya, Kate, Carmen, Eleazar and Garrett looking at him, all no doubt still wishing for an explanation. Carlisle sighed. Unfortunately, until after their various testimonies during Edward's trial, they were all prohibited from speaking in case they influenced one another.
Even Gabrielle had sworn a magically-binding vow not to speak about the trials and their proceedings about the various individuals until after everyone's testimonies had been given, including hers. While the Volturi's trial had concluded, Edward's had not. So despite the brief interlude she'd had in Forks speaking to Renesmee and the Cullens briefly along with the Wolves, when removing the imprint-bond between Quil and Claire, as well as preparing the packs for the impending meetings between the Appalachians and Vermont Wolves and searching for the next people to phase in the reserve, Gabrielle did not speak to them. Luckily, Carlisle could let out a sigh of relief at the prospect that Renesmee and Jacob's bond can be reversed soon enough with no immediate effects, same as Quil and Claire. It would be over soon, he promised himself.
Just then someone walked up to Radu the regent of the coven and whispered in his ear. Radu nodded and excused himself from whatever conversation he had been having. Tanya looked disappointed. Carlisle restrained an urge to raise an eyebrow. So that was who she had in mind? Unfortunately, some females had noticed this attention from Tanya directed towards the regent and were giving her a range of challenging looks, venomous glares, outraged expressions and even contemptuous gazes.
"Radu the regent appears to be very attractive to the females," Carlisle whispered to the rest of his family.
Esme agreed. "I hope Tanya is prepared for what's to come if she pursues him."
Just then, Carlisle saw a vampire female from another species, this one decidedly less hostile to Tanya's interest lean over and whisper something to her.
The girl in question was Erika, a blonde, sylph-like girl with almost-violet-blue eyes. "Don't even think about it, trust me I've tried." She shook her head, shuddering.
"Why not?" Kate asked from beside Garrett.
Erika grimaced. "They'll eat you alive before you know it," she retorted. "Trust me," Erika shuddered and took a sip from her glass.
Tanya and Kate gave identical smirks. "And... you think we're not capable of holding our own?" Eleazar shook his head in amusement.
Erika frowned. "It's not that." She leaned closer. "Do you know why he's so attractive?"
"It isn't because of his physical appeal?" Carmen asked dryly, a twitch of amusement in her lips.
"Oh, he's very handsome," Erika agreed. "Extremely so even for our standards. But that's far from the only reason." The ladies of the Denali coven leaned closer to hear the secret.
"The family is one of nature's masterpieces."
George Santayana
Radu walked the halls of the fortress, retracing his steps back to the crypt.
He had been preparing this for days. Unfortunately, he now felt worn out and tired, though his body was as strong as ever and his mind alert.
Radu stopped before the doors of the crypt. The Death Dealers who spotted him knocked on the doors. "My lord, my lady, he's here." He called to the occupants inside.
Radu straightened. "Enter."
The doors of the crypt opened and Radu stepped into funereal silence and empty shadows.
Only, they were not so empty. A tall figure stood in front of Radu, his back facing him. The Lady Progenitor stood to one side, her dark blue eyes glistening with crimson tears.
Radu's twin sister Ruxandra hovered anxiously by the doorway. Unlike himself, Ruxandra had inherited the black hair and luminous moon-like complexion of their mother. It was obvious that the news of her impending nuptials had just reached the very person she'd been dreading to hand it to, Radu mused. The question was whether or not he had reacted and how.
He might have felt sympathy or amusement for his sister's predicament, but all that was for naught when the figure in front turned.
Markus had recovered to full strength quicker than what Radu had thought he would.
The tall man in front of him radiated power like the sun's scorching rays. A signet ring glistened on his right ring finger emblazoned with the Corvinus coat of arms. His reddish-brown hair held a strong coppery glint. His remarkable and strikingly handsome face had been restored to what it once was before he had gone under the earth. His blue eyes shone with a vibrancy like the day-time sky. As always, despite his own standing within the coven and the vampires in general, Radu felt a little intimidated.
Who wouldn't be? He thought. Even he would never be immune.
Radu bowed his head. "My lord."
Markus regarded him in silence. "Will you not raise your head? My eyes have not seen you in two centuries."
Automatically, Radu lifted his head. Lady Laima drifted closer.
He stared back at a face that bore the features of a blood-line long-forgotten by humanity, particularly in today's age. A high forehead, aquiline nose, pale skin, fine lips and even light stubble covering his jawline and upper lip. His coppery hair gleamed in long locks down his back.
The High Elder Markus, progenitor of the vampires regarded him in silence. Brilliant blue eyes burned into his soul.
Markus gripped Radu's shoulder. "My son." The Vampire Queen smiled.
Radu sensed, rather than heard, his sister exhale the breath she had been holding by the doorway, as he was pulled momentarily into the First Progenitor's embrace. Their foreheads touched.
"Father," he said, raising his own eyes from their deferential position to meet Markus' own. His father smiled.
Markus looked over his son's shoulder. "Will you not come closer? Or has seeing my Awakening frightened you like an ogre to a child?"
Ruxandra winced but walked forwards.
"Father," she said quietly, her musical voice discernible only to a vampire.
"Daughter," Markus addressed her. As Radu stepped to the side, he could see his sister fight back a wince. "Have you not missed me for the centuries I have been away?"
Ruxandra smiled, eyes filling with emotion as she embraced her father. Nearby, their mother let out a sigh.
Their embrace lasted longer. Radu gave his mother a questioning look. She shook her head.
Save for the slumbering form of Viktor within his crypt below, the family were alone.
Ruxandra cleared her throat as she stepped away. Her eyes shot between both her parents. "Father, do you-"
Markus interrupted her. "I know." But he didn't sound too pleased.
Their mother sighed.
"Then you... do not agree?" His daughter asked, with trepidation.
Markus narrowed his eyes. Any other person, including all the vampires of the world would have been intimated, expecting to be seared on the spot. Radu could see his mother's lips twitch, clearly thinking along the same lines.
"I go under the earth for two centuries," their father remarked, almost casually. "And when I wake I find that preparations are underway for your marriage." Ruxandra and Radu both winced. Perhaps they should have waited to verbally break the news with him instead of allowing Amelia to show him anything.
"We can-" Ruxandra's voice, always soft, seemed unusually small. "We thought to wait, but Amelia..."
"Yes, apparently, her return to the earth has been postponed," Markus remarked. He scoffed. "You wish for it to be during this century, truly?"
Ruxandra glanced at her twin brother. Apparently, she was at a loss for words.
It was a pity he couldn't help, Radu reflected.
Their father glanced at their mother.
"There is the matter of Viktor." She explained, eyes glancing towards the bronze marker to Viktor's tomb. "You know he would not be pleased."
Radu scoffed. "I know. That was why he tried to match me with Sonja."
Viktor's daughter Sonja had been the most likely person for him to wed, more than six centuries ago. However, while Radu liked and respected Sonja, and she was truly a beautiful woman, there had been no attraction between them.
Perhaps I'm picky, he mused silently. But then again, Viktor's daughter had been equally disinterested in the prospect of any match, including with him.
Moreover, Sonja had disappeared centuries ago under mysterious circumstances, around the onset of the second war between vampires and werewolves.
Not even he knew what had happened to her. No one had dared to ask Viktor where his daughter had gone, nor his mother who had the likeliest chance of knowing, and was presumably under orders by the High Elders to keep her silence. But it was generally assumed that Sonja had met a tragic end.
At moments like this, Radu pitied Viktor. His wife, the Lady Ilona, had been killed in a tragic accident, following a battle with werewolves and then a run-in with some foolish mortals whilst she was still weak and slumbering in recovery. Sonja had barely escaped only to disappear not long after.
Radu had no love for Viktor, but even he felt inclined to sympathise with the tyrannical High Elder's loss of his wife and only child. Sonja had been his pride and joy, Radu remembered, the heir that Viktor had never dared to dream of having. Pure-born vampire children were rare and Sonja's birth, much like his own and Ruxandra's, had been celebrated by the entirety of their species. And since vampires had only ever truly mated for life, the losses of both Ilona and Sonja within years, not even a decade in between, had hit Viktor harder than anyone could ever imagine.
It was far too cruel. And yet... it would be a mistake to believe that those deaths had driven Viktor to become what he was remembered for: his ruthless tyranny, war-mongering, his lust for dominance and control, and the brutally harsh measures that he had answered almost every problem with. Viktor merely had a soft side that had been erased, Radu reflected.
"Yes," his mother said softly. "He tried to match you with Sonja because he saw your existence and that of your sister's as a threat to his rule."
"Paranoia," Radu muttered, rolling his eyes in the direction of the bronze plaque with the letter V. "It was not uncommon in his day," his mother waved his remark aside with a casual hand. "In fact, they would believe him wise to be so paranoid."
"Yes, especially since your mother answers firstly to me," Markus smirked. "Viktor not only felt that you, not only a High Elder's son, but the son of the two progenitors and grandson to Alexander, the heir to the Corvinus clan, was worthy of Sonja: he saw your existence and that of your sister's as a threat to his power, but he could hardly dispose of you even in secret, could he?"
"Your marriage to Sonja was supposed to bind you in loyalty to Viktor as much as Markus," his mother warned. "He feared, despite the covenant, that the two of you would be used by Markus and I to replace both him and Amelia."
The twins looked incredulously between both parents. Markus nodded, his overall gaze solemn though a smirk still twisted his lips.
"Surely you must have guessed that Viktor had... ambitious plans for Sonja?" The first Progenitor remarked.
"He wished to replace Amelia, in case she turned against him just as she briefly took his side once in an attempt to curb my power." His eyes narrowed and his expression grew icy as Markus looked towards his wife. The room seemed colder, even for vampires. "Since she had also agreed with Viktor to imprison your mother within her tower whilst I am under the earth- just as she had agreed to your uncle's... misfortune." His expression darkened.
Radu fought the urge to wince as Markus' mood made the chamber seemed... grimmer.
"And therefore he has never trusted Amelia," their mother remarked. "Now that Amelia has a son, an heir of her own, one that is not only close to our daughter but seeks to wed her..." she trailed off meaningfully.
Radu sighed. Experienced as he may have been within such a field, even he hated politics. Meanwhile, Ruxandra paled.
Transforming Viktor had seemed like the only option his father had at the time, but they all had surely lived to regret it.
"And this could not have come at a worst time, if what your mother has informed me of has come to pass, or will come to pass if all goes according to plan." Markus glanced at his wife.
"Yes," Lady Laima murmured. Radu was puzzled. What were they talking about.
"Gabrielle Delacour." His mother informed him.
Radu stiffened. He froze. Does she know? Do they both know?
His secret alarm, carefully concealed behind his mask and powers, had barely ceased when his sister said: "The Vila and witch who testified and is also a magical scientist and political and diplomatic mediator?" She sounded puzzled. "What about her?"
Their parents, the first vampires to walk the earth and fly, gave each other meaningful looks. Radu relaxed slightly, although he was still bewildered.
"It will not be spoken of for now," their father decided. "As of this moment, we have no choice but to proceed." His handsome visage, striking even for a vampire, darkened. "I will not pretend to be pleased about this new development," he said frostily, addressing his daughter. "Your impending nuptials." She winced. "However, it may prove... useful for our plans."
"What do you mean?" Ruxandra was bewildered.
"In the meantime, you must at least make it appear that you are searching for a bride." His father turned his attention towards Radu. Radu winced in displeasure much to his father's amusement.
"Preferably one who, if she does not come from a powerful family, is more than capable of bringing something useful to our plate on her own terms," his mother warned. "We will need the support when the time comes. Only one more century until Viktor Awakens, and do you believe that we can keep the knowledge of your sister's union with David from him, even if they wedded in secret? He will threaten your very lives, children. And he will be even more malicious and vindictive, since he feels robbed of his wife and offspring, especially the chance to bring either of you and the two of us to heel via marriage to his now-lost heir."
Radu looked at his mother. "Do you know what happened to her?"
His query was met with silence.
"Alright, I was simply asking," he muttered.
"Additional problems will always arise with Viktor," Markus muttered, casting a brief glance towards the bronze plaque with the marker of V.
"Your sister could have waited until the next two centuries have passed, but alas, it seems not enough," their father remarked. Ruxandra winced. "Still, if what your mother says is true and the time is ripe..."
"For what?" Both twins echoed.
Their father turned a gaze towards his wife. Their mother regarded them in silence for a moment.
"I requested that Gabrielle Delacour be the one to guide the Cullens through the Confederation and the High Council," she answered softly "for a reason. She is a scientist, not simply a diplomatic mediator. And I did foresee that through her... we will achieve something, especially if she went to Forks, Washington in the United States."
The twins were baffled. What? "What's so special about a small out-of-the-way town in North America that was deliberately picked for its ability to hide sparkling vampires?" Radu asked, incredulously.
His sister couldn't suppress the smirk at his description. But Radu was focused on his mother.
"It's what or who's there that would be important in regards to her in our plans." His mother explained. "That is all I will say at the moment."
"I learnd the hard way that I cannot always count on others to respect my feelings, even if I respect theirs. Being a good person doesn't guarantee that others will be good people, too. You only have control over yourself and how you choose to be as a person. As for others, you can only choose to accept them or walk away."
Unknown
Earlier...
"You wish to appeal the sentence after his trial?" Radu asked incredulously in his office.
Gabrielle shrugged. "It seems to be the only thing to do at the moment."
Radu sighed and ran a hand through his auburn locks.
"Well, I suppose it makes sense, but we are vampires, a little archaic." He shook his head. "Do you truly expect us to believe that what caused him to expose himself to humans in Volterra was a singular maniacal episode? That he was driven to madness by grief and heartbreak- which he himself caused?" Radu scoffed. "I am quite certain that the investigations discovered that he had planned the exposure much earlier when he was calmer and presumably happier."
Gabrielle shook his head. "His insanity, if it can be considered as such, is much more subtle than that." She elaborated the problems and various things Edward did, all the psychological and emotional manipulation and control he had exerted towards his own family, particularly his wife and child.
"That makes him sound even worse," Radu retorted.
"But not without reason," Gabrielle pointed. "He was born in the early twentieth century, relatively young by your standards."
"Still old enough to know not only the law but why the law was in place, and certainly the difference between right and wrong." Radu pointed.
"I am not excusing his guilt or trying to alleviate or in any way pardon him from any impending sentence," Gabrielle insisted. "In fact, I am not even trying to alleviate him of the consequences of his own actions... I just feel it necessary for him to be educated and treated so that he does not repeat his mistakes. He needs psychological therapy and aid."
Radu sighed. "While I may be open to the idea myself, this is an archaic institution," he informed her "And ours wasn't?" She challenged. "There was no such thing as depression to witches and wizards, nor child abuse for the longest of times, even after the non-magical world began implementing such measures and taking individual needs within their consideration.
"Yet you continue to advance yourselves," Gabrielle pointed "you advance and adopt the latest non-magical technology to use at your disposal whilst also utilising magic and magical resources, often ours just as your own, and you yourself are among the first to combine both together." She leaned forwards. "Although I feel pity for him, I don't believe he should be exempt from the consequences of his own actions. I agree: he needs to be punished. But isn't the point of punishment is so that you can learn from this?"
Are you hearing this, Mother? Radu asked, telepathically. Outwardly, he asked, "And how do you propose that Edward Cullen learn from this? What would be the purpose in the grand scheme of things to prevent or deter others from doing something similar?"
"This could shed new light in both our worlds if Edward is given the opportunity to be treated and to learn from his mistakes as opposed to being shoved into and buried in a tomb for centuries if not millennia, or executed." Gabrielle warned. "Even worse, his wife and child along with the rest of his family are victims of Edward himself. They are not pressing charges against him, and while Bella may have given her blessing to allow him to enter her room and her father's house continuously, she not only feels regret now, he broke in first and spied on her without her permission." Radu grimaced.
"Like a boy peeping down a woman's décolleté or while she's changing- sleeping in this case." Radu muttered in disgust. "And he thinks he's a man?"
"That's exactly my point," Gabrielle insisted. "He's a fool and a child who has never grown up."
"He knows the difference between right and wrong," Radu insisted. "He is not an Immortal Child!"
"No- but he's not an adult, either." Gabrielle's voice softened, as did her eyes. "I fully agree and believe that if youngsters make adult decisions they should learn to suffer the full consequences and he has caused people to die, humans and vampires alike. He has also caused harm. Besides, even though Bella and Renesmee, along with the entire family are now disillusioned by him, they still feel some attachment: if he dies by execution, or if he suffers imprisonment whilst immobile and in a tomb or a grave no less... would that not make him more sympathetic to others? Would this truly break their attachment?"
Gabrielle leaned forwards. "She has spoken to me," she whispered. "Bella wishes to leave him. He pressured and coerced her into this marriage and she doesn't believe that either of them genuinely loved one another. But she also doesn't want the father of her child and her creator to suffer or die. While Edward being removed from Bella and her daughter, along with the rest of their family, will help them feel not only safer but regain their control of their own free wills and reasoning after being manipulated for so long, she's occupied with fear and worry that he is going to die or be locked up for eternity or close enough. My fear- and this is also shared by her- is that Edward will take advantage of their feelings to keep them attached to him. Or to twist them into thinking and feeling that he might be right after all, despite all logic and reasoning. They don't wish to go back." She said finally.
Radu regarded her in silence. Then a train of thought telepathically appeared from his mother into his brain.
"Fine," he said after a long moment. "Your request will be taken into consideration. It has been passed along at any rate."
Gabrielle nodded her lovely head. "Thank you."
"I make no promises, I cannot in any rate, I am simply the regent," Radu warned. "And it might be kinder to execute him."
Gabrielle looked grim. "I know. But he asked for a hard lesson when he made these decisions, so he has to learn that it's precisely what he is going to get."
So... any thoughts? What do you think about all this?
I've decided it would be better to alternate with two or three chapters with the vampires and then for the Wolves.
Gabrielle isn't unsympathetic to Edward, but she's fully aware of the extent of the seriousness of what he has done. She doesn't want him to suffer, but like everybody else, including his family, she doesn't feel like she could trust him to walk freely or be around anyone he manipulated like Bella or Renesmee, at least not without strict supervision and guards. Lady Laima has plans for her which was why she arranged for her to go to Forks and meet the Cullens- and the Wolves. Radu also has ideas which differ.