Chapter 1: Whispers of the Past

Sulpicia was wandering through the gardens on the outskirts of the castle. She loved her sisters, but every once in a while she needed some space to simply be and clear her head. It had been almost a thousand years since they had discovered Aro's betrayal. He had been going behind the Queen's backs saying that he, Marcus and Caius were the kings who ruled Volterra. They discovered this, along with his ability that he had kept hidden to manipulate the minds of those around him. When they tracked him down to Slovakia where he was using Alec and Jane to eliminate a coven due to an immortal child telling them that it was on their Queens' orders.

Sulpicia was happy to be rid of the man to be perfectly honest. She had known he wasn't her mate but there was something that was forcing them together. She now knew that it was his ability and that he had been forcing her to be with him all these years.

Sulpicia and her sisters, her fellow Queens, Didyme and Anthedora, arrived too late to prevent Aro from executing Sasha for the creation of an immortal child. While it is true that she would have been executed no matter what for that crime alone, she and her coven should have been brought to Volterra for a full trial. Her covenmates were innocent and completely void of the knowledge of her illegal creation. However, the trial would have allowed the queens to show the evidence to the girls and talk through the events leading up to the trial. This would give them the time and ability to process and accept the information in front of them and the inevitable verdict that would be delivered.

Instead they came upon their mother, as they called her, having her head savagely ripped off and thrown into a fire by Aro while he laughed. This had created a deep hatred against the Queens and the Volturi in the hearts of the young women. Sulpicia understood this hatred even though it hurt her own heart.

She knew she could feel a bond with the sisters. It was not that of a mate, but another type of familial bond in a way. Though she didn't have time to try and analyze what it was or what it meant. It was too weak and had not fully cemented yet. She missed those girls. Tatiana, Katarina, and Irena. Even though they had not been sisters by blood, they truly did look like they could have been in their human lives. She wished she could go to them or perhaps summon them to the castle so she could speak with them and try to explain what had happened. However, she could not think of a legitimate reason that would not immediately turn the girls away from her or make things worse.

As she was sitting in her garden lost in thought, the cries of a baby pierced the air around her startling her from her musings. She felt a pull in her chest as her heart gave a painful clench. Without a second thought she leapt over the walls of the castle and ran in the direction that she felt the pull in her chest was leading her. What she found would haunt her until the end of time thanks to her vampiric memory.

She came across a young woman standing in front of a baby girl with the most beautiful emerald eyes, with russet ringlets hanging down to frame her heart shaped face. She looked to be no more than 3 months old. A man she assumed was the babe's father lay drained of blood next to her, while the woman was arguing with the blonde haired vampire in front of her.

"I would happily take you under my care and allow you to remain by my side for eternity. If that is what you truly desire, Renee. First, you have to get rid of the brat. I don't do children and she would only get in the way. Do this, and eternity will be yours." The vampire told the woman.

To Sulpicia's surprise and disgust, the woman didn't even turn to the baby in question. She merely scoffed and replied, "Please. I never wanted Isabella in the first place. Charlie forced me to keep her and wouldn't let either of us go. He said when she was old enough that I could leave if I chose because she would be able to take my place. I was looking forward to that day. Now thanks to you, James, I don't have to wait any longer. Drain the damn brat if you'd like. As long as you can get her to stop that incessant whining. It's grading on my nerves."

Sulpicia again acted without thought. She quickly ripped the head off of the male vampire before tossing it and his body next to the man named Charlie. Everything happened so quickly, she had Renee in her grasp before the woman could even begin to understand what was going on. She held the woman up in front of her by her neck and slowly started applying pressure. She immensely enjoyed watching as the woman struggled for breath. She watched as her gift allowed her to see all of the woman's thoughts and memories. Once the images came to a stop, she felt sick to her stomach. "Humans like you make me sick. You don't deserve the breath in your lungs, let alone that precious little girl over there. You people call us monsters, yet you would punish that innocent babe to a life of abuse and neglect for your own self interests. I won't allow myself to take in a single drop of your blood. I wouldn't want to taint myself with a monster such as you."

Sulpicia snapped the woman's neck, giving her a far quicker death than she deserved in her opinion. Slowly, so as not to startle the young one, she turned to Isabella who had gone quiet throughout the encounter. She found those deep emerald eyes looking at her with curiosity and trust. She felt the chord that had been tugging at her heart snap firmly into place. She had found her bond daughter, she was finally a mother after all these years.

She had stood there staring in awe at her daughter with a hand over her heart, her eyes filling with venom tears that would never fall. She had no idea how long she stood there staring, but apparently her little girl had enough of her inaction and started to cry once more. Snapping back to herself she quickly lifted the girl to her chest, cradling her head gently to where her heart was in her chest as she shushed the babe and rocked her back and forth.

"Hush now dolce ragazza. It's alright. Mamma's here now. Mamma is here, and I'll never leave you Amore mio." Slowly Isabella's heart rate and breathing began to slow. Sulpicia panicked, thinking that something was wrong, until she looked down at her figlia only to discover that she had fallen asleep.

She gently placed a kiss on her little one's forehead and inhaled her unique scent. A mixture of wild cherries, cinnamon and vanilla. Sighing, she looked around for a way to dispose of the bodies and spotted a dumpster at the end of the alleyway. Ensuring she had her girl secured in her left arm, she quickly threw the bodies in the dumpster, spit some of her flammable venom on them, and tossed in some matches. By the time anyone discovered the fire there would be nothing left for them to identify.

Satisfied that she had taken care of everything that she could, she turned towards the castle. It was with a small amount of trepidation that she began to make her way back home. She prayed to Artemis that Didi and Dora would be together so she could explain it only once and Didi could confirm the bond she knew tethered her to Isabella. "Hopefully before Dora sticks her foot in her mouth and forces me to snap it off." She thought with a growl.

I know in the story Bella is supposed to have brown eyes but I 'm a sucker for bright emerald green eyes. My daughter has almost that shade of eyes 😊

Translations:

* Dolce ragazza = sweet girl

*Amore mio = my love

*Figlia = daughter