Chapter 12

After such spectacle in the throne room, the raven-haired vampire had called for his head of guard in his study. Jane's shoes clicked against the marble tiles as she hurried her pace to walk. She knocked on the door gently.

"Enter, my dear..."

Jane's lips curled into a partial chuckle. She had once remembered him telling her that there was a distinct way of hers when it comes to knocking. The raven-haired vampire told her jokingly that her scent was not needed in order for the Volturi king to know that it was her behind the door. Besides, those were just memories anyway...

There was still unspoken tension between them. But the Volturi king seemed to have shrugged it off. The blonde vampire knew opening the conversation up would do no good to the both of them. Jane went inside with a careful yet defensive stance.

"I hope I did not caught you off guard with my decisions?" Aro inquires as he motions her to sit down.

"You caught me a bit by surprise, but it doesn't matter. You alone can be quite unpredictable, Master." Jane answers in such a monotonous voice.

Aro inhaled sharply as he took notice of her change of tone. He did not bring up their previous endeavour before she was abducted. Opening up old wounds would make their relationship much more strained. He did not want to lose that last remaining thread of trust she had for him.

Jane reverted her attention around the Volturi king's study. The added pressure of being the head of guard had started to sink in her mind. She was too wrapped up with the matters of Alegria and the guard that she forgot about such important matters. The added responsibility meant that she would have a lot to prove towards him.

To the point that she actually feared him.

Absorbed in her own thoughts, Jane did not notice the raven-haired vampire took a hold of her hand. The blonde vampire realized it too late as she met his red-eyes, yet she could not read what was behind such eyes.

"You fear me?" he asks rather plainly. "You fear me, my dearest?"

Jane could only sigh with him pressing such matters. Aro had always been strangely polite towards her when it comes to her thoughts. His actions was quite the opposite for the record.

"It's nothing, Master." she dared to lie straight into his face.

In the end, Jane knew that she was just his watchdog. Certainly her opinion would not matter even if he was her favorite. A volturi guard like her had a role to serve.

Only to serve their masters. What they think would not be of importance to their masters. Jane knew it in herself that without her powers, she was good as nothing. She indeed feared such a responsibility. The blonde vampire knew it in herself that

Aro knew it in himself that she was trying to deceive herself, never him. Having the guts to lie straight in his face, the volturi king deduced.

To win her trust back once more is far more than to forgive and forget. It would take a long way before her level of comfort towards him will be restored. The past events had made her mature more than she used to be, the volturi king certainly noticed.

They had met again, Aro had definitely saw her as a stranger. Jane had changed far more than what she used to be. With such change, they became strangers that was haunted by such memories of the past.

Until the next eclipse for his precious Sol. Until then, he will wait.

Didyme knew it in herself that the atmosphere had changed when the twins had joined the ranks of the guard. It was as if a candle blew out the light in the halls of the castle. Suddenly it was bleak and dark again.

"I'm worried about Jane..." Didyme blurts out once the silence was too hard to bear. She and Athenodora were in the music chamber, with nothing to do. The fair-haired women put the book down in resignation. Athenodora was bored enough that she could not get past the page she was reading.

Bored would be a broad term after all. The two of them were simply restless.

"Did you see the way she became sadistic to her victims? I am worried for her, even Alec could not get through his sister. She is becoming more like..." Didyme trails off as she met the fair-haired vampire's gaze.

"She's becoming more like Caius," Athenodora remarks.

"And she's doing it in order to please my brother. My idiot brother then threw her to the wolves by thrusting her into a situation she had not experienced yet. Who becomes the Head of the Guard after a day?"

Athenodora could only sigh in exasperation. Just like the raven-haired vampire, she also had troubles that simply did not let her be. The silence of the castle made it much more difficult to get out of either. Silence had made the walls of the castle feel empty again.

"Who are we to judge, Didyme? The twins are basically groomed for that coveted position. Even if it takes the two of us to beg to take them back, nothing would happen. Caius would never listen to me and I doubt that Aro would listen to you. You disagreed enough with him that he would not listen to you anymore." Athenodora said rather blankly.

Silence engulfed them once more. The raven-haired vampire could only lean her head on the fair-haired vampire's shoulder. Words did not need to be spoken but the two women knew they were going through the same dilemma.

"I'm afraid of what might happen, Dora..." Didyme whispers. Her red eyes met Athenodora's, fear and doubt were visible in the raven-haired woman's eyes. The fair-haired woman could have sworn Didyme was acting a bit strange as of the date.

"I am terrified of where the Volturi would lead to. I am afraid that time would come and all would matter for them was power. I do not want to see the twins be corrupted in such twisted ways. I could not bear to live with that," Didyme confides in her, and the fair-haired woman grasped her sister's hand tightly. Athenodora would not dare to admit but she was also terrified, but she knew it in herself that she would stay.

She loved her husband too much that she knew it in herself that she does not have the heart to leave him.

"Don't say that, Didyme. I know that we will not stray from the rightful path. Mark my words, dear sister. We had nothing to worry about as everything will be fine." Athenodora asserts her sister, yet she knew it in herself that she would doubt her words as well.

The fair-haired vampire thought what she said was too good to be true.

"If time shall come and they became power-hungry monsters." Didyme grasps the fair-haired woman's shoulders tightly. Desperation could be seen from her eyes that once lit with happiness. Athenodora stiffens at her actions. "If I am no longer here, dear sister. Take the twins and leave. Get Jane as far away as possible from my brother. He will be her downfall, do not let her lose that humanity. Promise me, Athenodora..." Didyme begged.

For the fair-haired vampire, to see Didyme like this occurred only once in a blue moon. Athenodora could tell that the raven-haired vampire was terrified though she did not know what was the reason. She could not pinpoint what exactly was Didyme afraid of, which made it even hard to comfort her.

"Dear sister! How could you say such words? Why all of this nonsense all sudden? Tell me Didyme. You can trust me, i would not tell a single soul. What is going on?" Athenodora presses yet the raven-haired woman remained silent.

Didyme had gotten up and grabbed something from her desk at the far corner of the music chamber. The raven-haired vampire smiled fondly at what she was holding and Athenodora's gaze darted towards her in curiosity. The raven-haired vampire looks at Athenodora, fondly.

"If such time that a free woman of charm shall join the ranks. Kindly give this to her when the time is right. I hope you can keep this between us, Dora." Didyme then gives the fair-haired woman an envelope. Its thickness shows that it might have been multiple letters or whatsoever. Athenodora raises her eyebrows in confusion but she did not utter a word.

"The future is an interesting matter, dear sister. Unfortunately, we cannot change what is destined to happen." Didyme remarks with a soft smile. In such a smile, she hid a bitter sorrow. Fate is indeed a subject they could not have a firm grasp on. In a familiar yet loving smile, hides the bitter pain of knowing such horror.

The die is cast, her days were numbered.

Living in Volterra had proved to be quite a bore as rumors of a new woman in the Volturi had reached the blonde vampire. Jan could only sigh knowing how fast the rumor mill of Volterra is. She knew it in herself that living here could be boring and amusing at the same time.

She brushes off the rumor, knowing how imaginative the lower guards were.

The blonde vampire's shoes clicked on the marble floors of the halls she was patrolling. Jane knew it in herself that did not need to patrol the halls with her position. Yet walking provided a sense of comfort for the young blonde. She turned a sharp left in the long hallways and entered the wing designated to the Wives.

Jane heard the distinct sound of the harp playing. She peered into the doorway that was open and saw a raven-haired woman playing. Her back was facing away from the blonde and Jane thought it was Didyme. The harp suddenly stopped playing and the raven-haired woman spun around.

It was not Didyme.

The woman had hair that was dark as night and fell down her back in loose ringlets. Her skin was white as snow as their kind was. Her lips were curt yet inquisitiveness are seen in her eyes. The woman was dressed in a crimson gown. The blonde once recalled that was Aro's favorite shade of red. Serving him throughout the years provided unspoken information that the blonde vampire had obtained with a watchful eye.

No doubt she was his favorite because Jane simply knew everything about him.

She would not have attained to have a special spot if she was not observant enough. The context also applied to her other masters and the wives. The blonde vampire simply observed what they like and dislike in order to serve them. Her dedication toward them was also one of the reasons the kings were fond of her.

Some say it may be favoritism but the blonde knew she worked hard to achieve where she was today

"Is there anything you need?" The woman asked with a raised eyebrow.

Before Jane could speak, Athenodora had entered the room without the blonde vampire knowing. It seems that Athenodora knew the lady that was in the room where the wives were only allowed. Jane did not utter a word.

"Jane, piccolina... I haven't seen you in ages." Athenodora said as her arms wrapped around the blonde vampire's shoulder. The fair-haired woman's gaze drifted from Jane towards the new face the blonde vampire had recently seen. One look in the blonde vampire's eyes, Athenodora knew that Jane wanted answers. "It seems you had met Lady Sulpicia,quite charming, isnt she?"

Jane schooled her features and a ghost of a smile was seen on her lips. Her gaze fixated on the lady that Athenodora had introduced as Sulpicia. Such years of her training provided her the skill to mask her emotions. The lady did not know that Jane was wary of her in the first place.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Sulpicia." Jane curtsies and became the perfect daughter Athenodora could be proud of. Once back on her feet, the blonde vampire spoke again: "My name is Jane Volturi. I am the Head of the Volturi Guard, such a pleasure it is to meet your acquaintance..." Jane smiled.

"It's nothing, dear..." Sulpicia's gaze flickers to Athenodora and back to the young blonde again. "It is nice to meet the twins, Athenodora spoke highly about. She spoke highly of raising you both as talented individuals. I could clearly see that..."

Jane decided to play such a game. She would play along with such lines of flattery but deep down, she could not trust her. Her reason of staying was quite a mystery for the blonde vampire. The blonde would keep up with appearances in order to not disgrace anyone.

"You overpraise,m'lady..." Jane softly murmurs with such a tone of poisoned sincerity.

Sulpicia's red eyes met the young blonde's eyes. Her eyes seem sweet but the young blonde could attest that the newcomer was hiding her true intentions. Sulpicia smiles at her sweetly yet her hidden calculating gaze met the blonde's.

"It was such a shame that you were changed young. Imagine being trapped in a body of a child. You must be so lonely, dear..." Sulpicia said consideringly, adding in simpering tones.

The atmosphere suddenly grew heavier. Athenodora, watching on the side, was aghast at how Sulpicia singlehandedly offended the young blonde. Jane looked at Sulpicia, fury was hidden in her gaze as she caught onto what the newcomer was saying. Athenodora shot the raven-haired vampire with a look.

Sulpicia then caught on to what she said.

"Oh, forgive me. I did not meant to offend you, child. I am a bit brash and freely spoken with my words." she walked towards the blonde and took her hand. Sulpicia then tucks a stray hair that framed Jane's face. "Do not be worried, i shall be mindful of my speech from then on. I do not wish to offend you since Athenodora treats you like a daughter. It is also good for me to be mindful of such allies..."

Questions rang in Jane's head and it could be visible from her facial expression. Having been silent enough, Athenodora cut in the conversation. The conversation was already heated enough that the fair-haired vampire interfered in order to not cause a fuss.

"Sulpicia will be staying with us permanently, piccolina." Athenodora states calmly amidst the shock expression seen in the blonde's eyes. Sensing she wanted to know more, Ahtneodora treaded the conversation lightly. "She is a concubine, dear. Sulpicia will be entering the Volturi as a wife."

The moment Jane heard those words, her expression had changed immediately. Sulpicia then caught on to the blonde's body language. Fearing about ending up in the blonde's bad side, she spoke fervently:

"Do not be put out, dear. I'm sure Aro would not replace you as his favorite. I had heard of the special bond you shared with him. Rest assured that it will not be affected." Sulpicia said in her attempt to rectify the situation but made everything much worse. The raven-haired woman had a knack for indirectly insulting the young blonde. Jane did not know it it was such ignorance or she was being a fool.

Jane's world almost shattered once Athenodora revealed everything. She gently curls her fist in anger. Meeting Athenodora's gaze, the blonde hung her head low.

"I must take my leave, Madame. Master Caius is expecting to meet me to train. I had already been side tracked enough. I shall continue my rounds if you may excuse me..." Her gaze then shifts to Sulpicia. In a cold but neutral tone, Jane spoke:

"It was such an honor to meet your acquaintance."