Chapter 16
The wives could have sworn the castle felt a bit empty when the guards have left to hunt down the Children of The Moon. With nothing to do, the wives then made it a habit to linger in the king's study. They have nothing to entertain themselves, after all, the kings seem to not mind the presence of the Wives.

Each king was preoccupied with their respective wives. Didyme sat by the bookshelves, engrossed with the book she was reading. The castle felt very bleak and stark. Her husband was preoccupied with several documents. The raven-haired woman did not disturb him with her presence.

She was distracted enough from her book that the raven-haired vampire simply assessed her surroundings.

Athenodora was discussing battle plans with her husband. Didyme chuckled at how much they were both the stark contrast of her husband yet they were similar as well. Her gaze then travels to her older brother.

Sulpicia nestled her head on Aro's shoulder as he read her sonnets written by different authors. They seem to look like the typical newlyweds, after all, passion reigns amongst all. Didyme knew that all of this was their act after all. She knew her brother too well to spot that everything was fabricated.

His affectionate attitude and how rushed the wedding was. She chuckled inwardly at how the couple seemed alike after all.

They both have their intentions that they would rather keep to themselves.

"Master. A letter has arrived from the south."

The occupants of the room gaze diverted from their specific endeavors towards the newcomer. Didyme stood up and snatched the letter from the newcomer's hand. The raven-haired vampire opened the letter with ease.

Aro opened his mouth as he attempted to argue but Marcus beat him to it.

"Let her. She's been waiting to hear news from Jane, quite peculiar that she went with Felix instead of her twin."

Her husband's eyes locked with hers. Didyme knew well enough that the burly vampire and her blonde charge had something going on. She kept her mouth shut, still.

"How brazen of her to defy Aro's orders that she stay home." Sulpicia remarks with a bland chuckle. "I guess Little Jane has her ways."

"She did not defy me, Caius gave his permission at the last minute," Aro interjects as his steel gaze shifted to the blond king whose eyebrows furrowed. "You heard me well enough that she is to stay here."

"It is not my fault that she seems eager. Well, stubbornness runs in the Volturi women." Caius remarks as Athenodora smacks him on the arm. "What?!"

"Silence!" Didyme's voice echoed throughout the room. Scorn was seen in her face as she was rudely interrupted by their useless bickering.

"What does the letter say?" Aro asks.

Didyme strode towards her brother and gave him the letter. The raven-haired king awaited her response.

"Read it yourself. I only checked on how she's doing." Didyme said with a faint chuckle. The raven-haired woman locked eyes with her brother's wife.

Sulpicia then avoided her steel gaze.

"Splendid news, indeed." Aro's dark demeanor changes into a cheerful one. His gaze travels to Caius and Marcus who both awaited to know the contents of the letter. "They are hunting them down. Everything is going according to plan."

The raven-haired vampire happened to pass the castle courtyard. The pitter patter of rain could be heard with the heightened senses of a vampire. The courtyard held a lot of memories for Didyme.

She stopped walking and admired the rain that slowly fell on the earthen ground. Memories pulled her out of reality for a while. It was a fickle memory yet it was enough to draw up her spirits.

The twins would wait impatiently as time slowly ticked by. Didyme could only hide her grin behind her book as her husband was lecturing the two vampires in foreign language. Rain was splattering against the window. Its soft noises engulfed the whole library which brought a sleepy atmosphere amongst them. Marcus remained oblivious to the fact that his two students were already uninterested in their studies.

The raven-haired vampire let out an undignified chuckle which caught her husband's attention.

"Is there something funny?" The Volturi king asks his wife.

"Your students are already dying of boredom." Didyme states in a matter-of-factly. "I mean just look at Jane."

The blonde vampire was staring into space and ink was already blotching on the parchment paper underneath it. Alec gently nudged his sister to pull her away from her so-called daydreaming.

"I apologize, Master." Jane quickly collects herself and Marcus seems to not mind it.

"We used to play in the rain, dear sister." Alec remarks as he closes his book. "However, the last time we did that, Madam Athenodora chased us because we ruined our clothes."

"Out of all the days you chose to play in the rain, it was the day for the portraits to be taken." Didyme chuckles as she plays with a lock of her hair. "I would not blame her for nearly chasing you throughout the Volturi Castle."

Didyme's gaze traveled to her husband's crimson eyes that were identical to hers. The compassionate Volturi king nodded discreetly. The raven haired woman immediately understood what he meant.

"Now off you go." Didyme said as she placed the book back on her shelves. "Go out and play. This time Athenodora will not be chasing you."

Jane and Alec then looked at the Volturi king and he gave them a reassuring nod. The twins then ran off towards the castle's courtyard. She could have sworn she and her husband saw them as children for once.

They were still children in her eyes after all.

"The courtyards feel empty. The castle itself feels gloomy, isn't it?" Didyme barely noticed her brother was standing right next to her. The raven-haired woman smiled faintly at his brother's presence and continued admiring the raindrops falling on the earthen soil.

"Yes, it does feel empty. Majority of the guards are away with their specific missions."Didyme remarks monotonously.

"You do miss them do you?" Didyme's gaze shifted towards her brothers. "I briefly remember both of them would be playing here specially when it rained. Both of them acted like children until Athenodora comes to scold them."

"But they are children." Didyme's absent minded gaze met her brother's surprised ones. "And i do hope all of these schemes, lies, and whatever the Volturi will stoop low themselves into."

Didyme's crimson eyes hardened with a brief change of emotion.

"I hope you will not corrupt her, dear brother." Aro was taken aback with how his sister acted. It was highly unlikely of his sister to threaten someone.

Let alone her own flesh and blood.

"I can resort to extraordinary measures in order to keep her safe. Mark my words."

"How long have you been staring at the castle courtyard?" Marcus asks as he crept behind his wife in the private library they shared. Didyme was sitting near the big glass windows that overviewed the terrains of Volterra.

"Quite an eternity." She chuckles as the Volturi king kisses her cheek. The book she tried to read remained on her lap. Marcus then placed the painting on the table. Didyme stood up and inspected the painting.

"Caius's skills never seemed to fade with time." Didyme remarks as she runs her hands gently on the canvas.

"He's Greek, what do you expect?" Marcus teases as Didyme rolled her eyes at the Volturi king.

"If my memory serves me right, Athenodora chased the twins around the castle for getting wet?" Marcus asks as he wrapped his arms around his wife's shoulder.

"Yes, it is." Didyme chuckles as she remembered a brief memory. "Athenodora was so angry and the twins hid in the maze of gardens. They were just children."

Her smile fell.

She had a painting commissioned years ago. It was a portrait of her and the twins before their powers took form. The raven-haired woman could only smile in fondness over the finished outcome of the painting.

"He told me that you had him rush this piece." Didyme's gaze traveled to her husband's concerned ones. "Caius begrudgingly agreed to do this swiftly."

"It is a keepsake, before I leave." Didyme states sadly.

Silence then engulfed the room. The Volturi king strode over the doorway and closed it for privacy. It was a conversation that was not meant to be heard by anyone else. It was easy to misinterpret their conversation as an act of treason.

"Leave?" Marcus treads lightly with the topic. "What possessed you to ever think of leaving?"

The raven-haired vampire knew her husband was confused yet he still sought out her side. The Volturi king let out a not much needed sigh as he sat down and faced his wife. He obviously knew what was about to transpire. He prepared himself mentally for the conversation they were about to have.

"I do not like where the Volturi is going." Didyme said in a hushed voice yet her eyes speak volumes. "We were supposed to be the foundation of peace and order. Are you not tired of constant warring and this lifestyle?"

Marcus's silence gave away that he shared the same sentiments with his wife.

"Have you spoken with your brother?" He asks silently.

"No, I needed to speak with the twins first. I wish to take them with us, away from this toxic environment." Didyme's gaze hardened. "I refuse to have them as mindless soldiers. They are just children."

The Volturi king rubbed his temple as he attempted to assess the situation. They were placed in a tight situation with Didyme's sudden revelations.

"The guards will return in two weeks' time. However, do not be disappointed if they remain loyal to Aro and turn down your request."

Marcus held an unsettling feeling yet he did not mention anything to his wife. Something definitely feels wrong.

He just knew it.

"Does Didyme hate me?" Sulpicia asks when she and Athenodora were left in the Wives Tower by themselves.

Athenodora stopped embroidering the piece she was working on. The fair-haired woman looked at her raven-haired sister wife in pity. Didyme was nowhere in sight and she deduced that she was somewhere in the castle. Hence, Sulpicia being brazen enough to ask such a question.

"Hate is a very strong word." Athenodora treaded lightly. "Didyme is the least likely person to possess such a trait." She smiles fondly.

"The way she treated me-" Athenodora cut off the raven-haired vampire.

"She treated you that way because it seems you disregarded Jane. I hope you do not have a death wish by insulting her charge. Didyme and I think of the twins as our children." The fair-haired woman explained.

"You are not angry with me, are you?" Sulpicia asks as remorse was seen in her crimson eyes.

"Oh, do not worry. I am not angry with you." Athenodora answers with a reassuring smile. "It was an honest mistake after all. I hope you learn from it."

Sulpicia then smiled yet deep down she was seething in rage. With the stint she had done, everyone would side with her dear sister-in-law. All of the adoration for her.

And nothing for Sulpicia.

Athenodora may seem sincere and sweet in her eyes yet she knew she would side with Didyme as well. Aro holds his sister in the highest regards even if their relationship was a bit strained.

Didyme would look at her brother's wife as if she knew something. It absolutely infuriated Sulpicia to the core. A small teasing smirk would tug on her angelic face.

Funny how an angelic face has demons lurking within.

"Sulpicia?" Athenodora's voice snapped her back to reality.

"Oh?" Sulpicia smiles faintly. "I understood, dear sister. Thank you for your concern." The raven-haired woman went back to being the naive and compassionate Volturi wife.

Devoid of any hatred and bitterness, the rose then hides her rotten core. After all, there could only be one loveliest rose in this garden.