Chapter 29
Her powers were both addicting and painful at the same time.

Quite contrary to popular opinion, Jane did not enjoy torturing her victims. The screams had absolutely infriuated her to the core. What others had not known that her powers were double ended, if she inflicts pain on her victims, the blonde vampire suffers as well.

"I know about Aro ordering Charmion to loosen our bonds." Jane simply stated with a monotone voice. She was bound to lose every ounce of humanity left within her. Charmion's powers had started to take its effect on her victims.

"Then why did you not say anything to make it stop?" Felix asks her in return. Dissapointment can be heard from his voice as the blonde vampire had him meet her up in the castle courtyard at nightfall. "Why did you stay silent and let them control us?"

"Because we cannot stop something that is inevitable to happen." Jane retorted. "Do me a favor and keep your mouth shut. I don't wish for you to die on me because of your brashness."

"Jane..."

"I said cut it out!" Jane stared at him and he was immediately under the influence of her powers. He had not screamed yet she could tell that she had lost control of her powers at that moment.

"Stop hurting youself." Felix just tells her.

"What?" Jane asks indifferently.

"Using y-your powers on me." The burly vampire replies even if he was under the influence of her powers. He had been with the Volturi for years and he was no stranger to pain. "I know it's hurting you too."

The blonde vampire looked at him with an indifferent expression. She had kept the true nature of her powers all to herself, never bothering to tell her master or even Alec about it. The head of guard was surprised to find out that Felix knew something she had kept to herself long ago. She released her power's hold on him.

The burly vampire acted as if nothing happened. Felix immediately straightened himself and grabbed her hand. By doing so, he was staring eye to eye with the blonde vampire.

"I can see it in your actions." Felix answers her unspoken questions. It was as if he had read her like an open book. "I see you wince every time you inflict pain. I pieced everything together that you were also affected by your powers. You are not some mindless torturer, mi amore."

You are not a mindless torturer.

His words had hit her to the core. Throughout her service as the head of guard, she had been subjected to various names that the lower guards had called her. Some were afraid of her and some were merely threatened by her existence. They may not have called her names right in front of her.

Surely they had been calling her anything behind her back.

The guards feared her as she was someone that they should dare not cross. They steered clear of her as they had thought that she was some mindless torturer who was already insane. It was not long after that some speculated that she was the daughter of Caius himself. The head of guard snorted at the idea yet it was not horrible one either.

She and the blond king share similarities after all. Out of the three kings, Caius was the least approachable of them all. Most of the guards would go to Aro or Marcus if he was not staring into space. The blond king had a reputation amongst the guards that had them steer clear of him. Both of them were feared when faced directly, yet thrown with insults when they are not in sight.

"What is it with pain that makes you addicted to it?"

Jane stops in her tracks.

She stares at him blankly. The blonde vampire knew it in herself that she was not addicted to pain but rather she was stuck reliving pain after pain. It was a way for her to unable to forget what happened to her. Her sins and the sins of the others she had cared so deeply for.

Pain had been her solace when found at her lowest. It was there when she had no one by her side.

The blond king had come out of his shared study with his brothers after a long discussion with Carlisle. The doctor had told him that it was time for him to go and explore different parts of the world. Caius had not paid attention to their conversation as he knew far too well that the doctor was bound to leave anyways.

He was walking in the corridor when he spotted the blonde vampire coming out of the castle courtyard with Felix. Once inside the corridors of the castle, the two had parted ways.

Caius could not deny that things were already salty with him and the head of guard. Remembering his fair-haired wife's response, the blond king approached the vampire that his wife treated like a daughter.

He had treated her like his daughter, yet the circumstances had changed.

"A word please..."Caius said quietly yet authority could be heard in his voice.

The blonde king made his way towards his private study. By his peripheral vision, he knew that the head of guard had been following him to their destination. He had closed the door in order for them to converse about private matters.

"Are you not going to scream at me? Tell me you hate me, Jane."

"Pardon?"Jane asks, taken aback by his words.

"How come you are bottling this in? I'm giving you the chance to talk in front of me! Scream at me, tell me you loathe me for doing that to your brother!"The blond king taunts her in order for her to loosen up.

She did not dare to lose her composure with the blond king as he was still one ofguard should have not followed him after all.

"Fine!" An irritated Jane surrenders. "I hate you! I really hate you! How come you easily punish Alec and I? Do you resent me so much that you are willing to make my life a living hell? You've changed! You are not the master i have known centuries ago!"

Caius looked at the head of guard in relief. He would rather take all the screaming and rage rather than to face the deafening silence the blonde vampire was accustomed to. He had let her lose her control for once, knowing far too well that he and the head of guard were alike in various situations.

And here he was, trying to convince himself that it was not true after all.

"Don't ever act like you are one of my paternal figures, it's disgusting and it makes me want to puke. Parents do not scream and belittle their child. You should have been the one to guide me! What did i get? Centuries of torment because i was not good enough in your eyes!" Jane spat.

His face fell as she had said her response with so much emotion with it. At that moment, he had realized she was just a child wanfing to becloved and appreciated. He had sensed her longing, her anger and her frustration.

Was her frustration towards him? Or towards herself?

It was then that the blond king realized that her pent up anger was not about him removing Alec. It was his dysfunctional relationship with his charge. It was fueled by how he treated her decades ago now that Alec's issue had come to light. He was well aware that Athenodora had been there for the blonde vampire. He thought she did not need him anymore. The blond king had been denying that he and the head of guard have a lot in common.

"I hate you! I can't forgive you for leaving me all alone!"she cries out in frustration.

Caius had watched the sparring betweeen Jane and Felix. He had insisted to see her skills in combat as her powers had not yet manifested. The blonde vampire was no match to the brute force of the burly vampire. She had been thrown across the clearing.

A mere distance before him.

The blonde had extended her hand to him, asking for his assistance. Caius instead gave him a stoic expression. The blond vampire thought that if he had adhered to her wishes and reprimanded each guard who dared to hurt her.

"Stand yourself up." he merely tells her. "You are a guard, Jane. You are not a damsel in distress."

"Because i knew you did not need me anymore." The blonde king merely tells her.

Silence had engulfed the blond king's study. The head of guard looked at him with a dejected facial expression. Caius had deduced that she had let out the bottled up emotions that she had been suppressing all along. He had not been prepared for the angst their encounter had brought.

Surely he had expected her to beg about restoring her brother's position. He did not expected her to bring up the ghosts og the past.

"Oh, f-forgive me for my words, Master Caius!" Jane trembles once she realizes what she had said. "I did not mean to say those words, believe me. I simply bottled up everything too much! I did not mean anything with my words."

The blond king sighed.

"I had thought that distancing myself would push you to greatness." He said. "I did my part as i trained you well. It was not part of the plan to get closer to you and your twin. It was hard for me to detach myself from a parental figure towards being your master."

Jane stared right through him. If she were human, Caius knew that the blonde vampire would have been cryong hysterically. Immortality had given them a mask to hide their true emotions.

"It was hard for me too." Jane confesses. "Losing Didyme, craving your validation yet all i got was nasty remarks."

"All you have to do is keep them from escaping. What did you do, Jane? You let one go!"

She flinched with his voice that echoed throughout the entire room. The Volturi king was looking at her with such disappointment. Aro nor Marcus had done anything in order to stop the blond king in rage. If she were human, Caius knew that tears would have fallen from her eyes already.

Immortality has its benefits after all. Tears would have made her look like a fragile and innocent being.

"You had one job and you cannot do it right!" He yelled in rage as he threw a book to her direction. The book had hit her on the side of her head. The head of guard hung her head low, mediating her emotions. It would not do her good if she fought back. On the corner of his eye, Alec almost stepped forward but was stopped by Felix.

The burly vampire knew that if Alec had made his move, he would be in trouble as well.

The inhabitants of the room knew that it was a death wish to interfere with Caius when he is in a fit of rage.

"How can you be so incompetent!" Caius's words had sliced through her like a jagged knife. The blonde vampire was not used to failure after all.

"You are a disgrace!"

"Stupid!" His hand came in contact with the head of guard's cheek. Jane visibly winced as the impact had made her head tilt to the side. She held her cheek as she dared to stare at him directly. Alec had seen the discomfort in his sister and shot a glance to the raven-haired Volturi king.

Athenodora was right. Caius knew it in himself that what he did was wrong yet he let his anger take him to his limits.

"I'll make sure she does not get the position." Caius merely tells her in a low voice. "You have my full support, however i could not restore your brother's position. Supporting you silently is the best i can do."

A ghost of a smile was seen in the head of guard's face.

No one knew the real reason why the blond vegetarian left.

"Mistress Athenodora." Carlisle greeted as he saw the fair-haired woman enter the library.

Athenodora's eyes scanned the library. Once seeing that the coast was clear, she walked towards the vegetarian doctor. The blond vampire could see hesitation within the eyes of Caius' wife. He was not in the disposition to ask why she was reclusive and cautious with her it because she was out of the tower unsupervised?

He had thought that it must be the reason why.

"Are you supposed to be at your tower?"he asks warily.

Carlisle did not want to be subjected to Caius' temper. He had heard of what happenedto Alec and he was beyond devastated to see a precious talent go to waste. Athenodora visibly relaxed as she stared into his eyes.

"Do not worry, Jane is with me." Athenodora stated. "I asked her to maintain such distance since this is a private conversation. I did not come alone as i do not wish to endanger another guard."

She had sat down on one of the chairs near the shelves. The seating area near the shelves provided privacy for peering eyes that dared to eavesdrop on their conversation. It had been secluded to the public and the masters were the one who commonly used it. On such rare occasions, the elite guard and the wives use it.

"What is it that you need?" Carlisle asks, straight to the point as he was.

"A favor." Athenodora said. "I heard you will be traveling to other places. It's not of an urgent matter, however, if you happen to reach the particular destination. I hope you can look into something for me."she asks with a calm tone.

Athenodora gives him a packet. The vegetarian takes it and looks inside it out of curiosity. The contents of the packet was several sketches and various valuable information. The blond vampire's brows furrowed in confusion to see the sketches that the fair-haired woman had looked quite familliar.

"Is this..." he trailed off.

Athenodora places her index finger on her lips in order to silence him. Carlisle immediately understood the direness of the situation. He was well aware that this matter required utmost secrecy at all times. The fair-haired woman had been asking him to look into the background of one of Aro's guards.

"Why do you want me to look into Aro's bodyguard? Is she suspicious?"he asks, skeptical.

The fair haired Volturi wife sighed. Carlisle had sensed that there was more to it than meets the eye. Athenodora would not have asked him to look into something if there was nothing amiss with the guard that had been guarding Aro. He had deduced that Athenodora was sensing something that she did not dare say out loud.

"No." Athenodora admits. "There is nothing suspicious about her. Just something i could not shake off."

The blond doctor knew that Athenodora may have been powerful as she was one of the wives, yet it was the opposite after all. Volturi wives were simply a display within the coven. She may have attained one of the highest positions as a Volturi wife yet he knew that it was just an empty title after all.

That was the bitter reality of joining the Volturi as mere woman and not as a guard.

She could have interrogated the bodyguard yet he knew that would raise questions and endanger her position. Athenodora, as Carlisle had perceived her to be, did not act upon impulse. He was well aware of the calculated risks that she was taking in order to have it executed well.

Despite the hazy reason Athenodora had given him, the blond doctor simply knew there was something within the lines. He had not probed further, Carlisle was well aware that he might have the answers to his questions soon enough. He will find out himself once he had reached the destination the fair-haired woman gave her.

He had looked back to see Volterra slowly disappearing in the horizon. Leaving behind the secrets that lurked within.

Athenodora knew it in herself that trapping herself in the remnants of the past would do no good to herself.

The fair-haired vampire could not help but lament on the events of the past. No matter how powerful and well secured they were as the wives of the most powerful coven, Athenodora could not help but miss the simplicity a few century ago. She was not the one to discourage success, yet the Volturi wife knew in herself that everything was much better before the Volturi had rose to power.

Was she selfish enough to wish that her husband and his brothers did not succeed? Absolutely not.

Her eyes had fallen to the gardens that once filled with memories of the past. The garden, though decorated with various colors and varieties of flowers, lacks its usual luster. Was it because it lacked the joy that it once possessed a mere centuries ago? Athenodora did not know. The garden had remained the same yet it fell a bit bleak and stark.

"Hey give that back, child!"

Athenodora was merely sitting by the shade of the tree as she saw her husband chasing the blonde vampire. Jane had gotten into the habit of annoying the blond king every now and then. Annoying him would result to stealing the paintbrushes and running away from him.

"If i did not know better, Caius and Jane make a great father and daughter."

The fair-haired Volturi wife spun and saw Didyme sitting next to her. She had been surprised to see the raven-haired vampire knowing that Didyme was with her husband inside the castle. They normally did not go out in this weather, however the castle seemed suffocating enough for them.

In a way, Didyme was right. From an outsider's view, the two vampires seemed to be a father and daughter. Athenodora could see the resemblance in their blond hair and feisty attitude. In another lifetime perhaps, Jane and Alec could have been their children? There was no other lifetime, they are her children even if they are not related by blood.

"Gotcha!" Caius grinned as he had gotten ahold of the young blonde. "Don't think you can outsmart me, Janella."

Alec was sitting next to the fair-haired vampire reading a book. The fair-haired woman could see the stark contrasts of the twins' personalities and preferences. While Jane was loud and boisterous, Alec was the one who was quiet and calculating. Jane could commonly be seen running around the castle, while her twin was walking quietly with books.

They had shared a womb yet the two remained the stark contrast of one another.

Athenodora may have taken the two under her wing alongside Didyme. However, she could not deny that it was her husband and the blonde vampire who had bonded the most. Marcus had once told her that the two possesses a special type of a father-daughter bond.

"Who would have thought that all it would take to break Caius' walls was a young blonde who can match his temper?" Didyme snickers and the fair-haired woman chuckles in response. "Are you sure your husband did not have any children with anyone else? Hey!" She exclaims as Athenodora elbowed her in response.

She had been pulled back to reality once more. The fair-haired woman sunk into her chair in despair. Athenodora could not deny that she would have lived in the past if ever given the chance to turn back time. She had been missing the times wheneverything was alright.

If Didyme was still alive. Jane was not hating her husband and straining their relationship. If power had not changed her husband, then perhaps was everything still okay? If given the chance to have do-overs, she would have grabbed the chance to make everything right.

She may have some differences with her husband yet it had pained Athenodora to see her husband and her charge slowly drifting apart. The fair-haired Volturi wife was well aware of the reason why he had distanced himself from her and the twins. Her idiot of a husband thought that emotional ties were a liability at all.

"Jane getting kidnapped had me terrified." Her husband confides in her once they had gotten home from the eradication of the Romanian Coven. Athenodora had been staying with the unconscious blonde vampire and Caius had stopped by to see his wife.

"Tell me i am doing the right thing, Athenodora." He said quietly. "Look how Aro had treated her with utmost care and favor, she was seen to be his weakness. I do not want an incident like this again, who knows who will they target next? You? Alec? Or even Jane again?"

The fair-haired woman could sense the tone of worry in her husband's voice as he speaks. Athenodora immediately understood Caius' decision to separate himself from his role as their mentor and their master. Caius had started to treat the two equally ever since the incident of Jane being kidnapped in the grounds of Volterra. He had done this to protect them all, but most importantly: himself.

Athenodora knew so well that her husband did not want any liabilities.

The door slowly creaked open and Jane entered the room. The blonde vampire walked towards her and planted a kiss on the fair-haired woman's cheek. Caius may have stopped acting as their father figure, yet Athenodora remained the same at all. Jane had given her a letter that was addressed to Alec.

"It's from a man named Stregone Benefico."

Athenodora knew far too well who that person was. Carlisle must have arrived at Malta seeing that he had managed to write back to her. She had not been hoping for a full out information of what has been happening to her favor. She had opened the letter with ease.

"It was addressed to Alec yet he told me to give it to you."Jane said, a tone of inquisitively was heard in her voice. Seeing her mistress was silent, the blonde vampire let out a not much needed sigh. "I guess i'm not allowed to know who that is..."

"It's for your sake."

Athenodora tells her as she lifted her gaze from the letter that was sent to her. Luckily, Jane seemed to have let the matter go. The fair-haired woman did not want to risk anything if Aro had happened to read the mind of her blonde charge. Deeming her clueless was the easiest way to protect her. Aro could not probe anything if Jane was simply innocent.

Athenodora had continued to read the letter that was secretly addressed to her.

I hope this finds you well.

I have arrived in the destination you have given me. Currently staying with the 'family' and i had been doing some investigations myself. According to what i have gathered, it seemed that the target is not a biological member of the family. She had been found on the gates of the mansion according to what i have heard.

I shall be replying soon, as i will find any significant information.

-Benefico

The information had shocked the fair-haired woman. She had only heard that Renata had been an orphan yet she was unaware that the shield was not a biological child of the family.

Athenodora had gotten up and left the room. The head of guard trailed behind her mistress as Athenodora had dashed towards the common room. The fair-haired woman had put on an expression of kindness and tranquility. Jane only stared in horror as Athenodora had acted that she and Sulpicia had been best friends and not like the silent enemies they were used to.

The actions of the wives had confused her to the core.

"I believe we had gotten off the wrong foot, Sulpicia." Athenodora smiled as she sat next to the raven-haired Volturi wife. "It's important that the wives mirror the same unity our husbands had. Let us put aside our differences, shall we?"

To Jane's horror, the raven-haired woman had accepted Athenodora's request. The head of guard did not know the line between flattery and truth as both queens have their own manipulative actions as well. She could not assess the two of them as they had been adhering to what the other wanted as well. The blonde vampire thought that it was simply the truth after all.

Was was Athenodora up to? Jane did not want to know.

AN:

This is my take on the dynamics of Jane's relationship with the masters and the wives. Seeing her character makes me think that there was no way that Jane did not take after the blond king. If comparing the three masters, i can conclude that Caius was the one who had a primary influence on her. So i made it to be a dysfunctional father-daughter-ish relationship.

Stregone Benefico is Carlisle's alias according to the wiki and i followed that. Don't forget to read and review as i would love to hear from you.