Chapter 17
AN: This is the final update for the year 2021. Read and Reviews are appreciated. Have a happy new year to us all.

Didyme had the twins summoned the moment she had heard of their arrival from their respective missions. She expected them to take quite a while since she knew they were to report to her brother.

"Madam Didyme?" Alec knocked on the oak doors of the castle library. Didyme's gaze traveled from the book that she was heading towards the doorway. Jane and Alec came into her view. The twins were still wearing their travel cloaks.

"I thought Aro wanted to see you all first?" she asks as the raven-haired vampire closed her book. "Please have a seat."

Jane took a seat next to the raven-haired vampire as Alec sat across them. Didyme wrapped an arm around her blonde charge as she pulled her closer.

"I hope you are not hurt." Her gaze then shifts to Alec who nodded in affirmation. The blonde vampire sank to her arms lovingly. The raven-haired vampire was glad that emotions had not deserted her blonde charge.

"You would not have summoned us for a social call, are you?" Alec said out of the blue. Didyme faced her brunet charge who looked at her with curiosity. Alec had always been straightforward with his actions and the raven-haired vampire knew he saw right through her.

"I wanted to talk to you both." Didyme starts. The twins were now looking at her intently and waiting on what she was about to say. Jane's gaze traveled between her mistress and her twin. "Marcus and I are to leave the Volturi."

She had dropped the information simply for she knew keeping them on the edge would do no good.

"When are you coming back?" Jane asks.

Didyme shook her head and met her blonde charge's confused gaze. The raven-haired vampire's lips quivered. Alec seemed to understand what was to transpire and he was the first one to recover. He shot the raven-haired vampire a skeptical glance.

Of course, he knew that leaving was risky.

"They are not coming back, sister," Alec states plainly. "It seems like Master Marcus and Madam Didyme are leaving... for good."

"You two can come with us." Didyme grasps the twin's hand with reassurance. "We'll continue how it was before both of you had your powers. I'll give the childhood you were robbed of."

Perhaps whisking them away helped the raven-haired vampire to cope. But then, all the roads Jane took brought her back to her master. Maybe one day, Jane will realize why Didyme was doing this.

"Come with us," Didyme begged as she grasped her blonde charge's hand tightly.

That she would need to stay away for her sake. If staying here will be like knives piercing her heart. If leaving is the only solution, Didyme was surely sorry for her blonde charge. If she did not intervene, he will surely break her.

"I want to go with you, Didyme," Jane said quietly.

Little did the three vampires know that Sulpicia was behind the tall bookshelves. The atmosphere between the three vampires was heavy enough that they did not notice her presence. She did not mean to eavesdrop however what she heard was enough to accuse her sister-in-law of betrayal.

Sulpicia left swiftly before she could hear what the blonde vampire was to say next.

"However, Alec and I owe our lives to Master Aro. I once promised him that I was to never leave his side. As your offer for you and Master Marcus to raise us, sounds tempting but I cannot find it in my heart to leave. I am sorry for disappointing you."

The raven-haired vampire sighed deeply. Didyme's gaze went from Jane's grief-stricken face towards Alec who managed to bottle everything in. Alec had always been the quieter one. The raven-haired vampire pulled the twins closer to her. She was not the one to believe in any deity, however, she whispered her sentiments in the wind.

'Protect them for me.'

"The two of you never disappointed me," Didyme said as she gently stroked their hair. "I will honor your will to stay here. The simple thought of both of you willing to uphold your duties already made me proud of both of you. "

The two vampires got out of her embrace and composed themselves. Someone could walk in any moment. The twins had their reputation to uphold after all. Seeing them act so lovingly can ruin their charade of being emotionless puppets.

"Your choices showed me that Athenodora and I raised you right."

If time shall ever come for the end of all of them. If given a second chance in life, she will find them in another lifetime. The raven-haired vampire knew that countless tampering with the future could not do anything to save the Volturi from its fate.

Didyme knew the day will come that they would fully understand her actions. If leaving is the only reason why. If after everything, may she meet them in another lifetime.

With the right circumstances, of course.

The Volturi king found his wife inside his chambers. It was quite odd for Sulpicia to stop by his chambers. They were married but it was not customary for them to share their chambers.

He had just come back from meeting the Elite Guard after they came home from their respective missions. Aro scanned his wife from head to toe, her body language certainly feels off.

It was as if Sulpicia knew something he did not know.

"Is there something wrong, darling?" He chose to say it straightforwardly.

Sulpicia did not utter a word but gave her hand instead. The raven-haired vampire deduced that it was a matter that she did not want to speak freely. He took her hand slowly and he saw through her eyes.

He was in the library through the eyes of Sulpicia. In her eyes, there was a particular distance between his sister and his eyes through his wife.

"You would not have summoned us for a social call, are you?" Alec said out of the blue. Didyme faced her brunet charge who looked at her with curiosity. Alec had always been straightforward with his actions and the raven-haired vampire knew he saw right through her.

"I wanted to talk to you both." Didyme starts. The twins were now looking at her intently and waiting on what she was about to say. Jane's gaze traveled between her mistress and her twin. "Marcus and I are to leave the Volturi."

"When are you coming back?" Jane asks.

Didyme shook her head and met her blonde charge's confused gaze. His sister's lips quivered. Alec seemed to understand what was to transpire and he was the first one to recover. He shot the raven-haired woman a skeptical glance.

Of course, he knew that leaving was risky.

"They are not coming back, sister," Alec states plainly. "It seems like Master Marcus and Madam Didyme are leaving... for good."

"You two can come with us." Didyme grasps the twin's hand with reassurance. "We'll continue how it was before both of you had your powers. I'll give the childhood you were robbed of."

"Come with us," Didyme begged as she grasped her blonde charge's hand tightly.

"I want to go with you, Didyme," Jane said quietly.

The vision then faded before his eyes. Aro's eyes met Sulpicia who surely looked concerned. Sulpicia studied her husband's body language. She could not tell if he was angry because of his sister or was it because his favorite guards were willing to betray her.

"Are you going to punish them?" Sulpicia asks softly.

"I'm afraid I am not in the jurisdiction to tell you of my actions." Aro turned around to face his wife with a steel gaze. "If you did catch her in the act of treason, why did you run straight to me? Wherein, you could have confronted her."

Sulpicia avoided her husband's gaze.

"I acted on pure instinct, dear husband," Sulpicia said as she flashed one of her sincere smiles upon her husband. "Besides, I do not want to be the talk of the rumor mill for having an altercation with your dearest sister."

"I see." He starts. "Do you mind summoning my dear sister for me, darling?"

"You called for me?" Didyme asks as her brother looked up from the book that he was reading. The fireplace in his study was lit in order to provide some warmth in the chilly night. Aro greeted her with a cordial smile.

"I hope i did not disturb any of your affairs when i had you summoned." Aro said as he motioned her to sit down.

"Do not worry, i was just talking to the twins." Didyme said as she faced her brother eye to eye. "I simply wanted to be filled in with what they are currently doing."

"Oh, i was not aware that the twins were with you." Aro says with such faux amusement. "I terribly apologize for cutting your time with them quite short."

The Volturi king remained oblivious to the fact that he witnessed her plotting treason. He kept the information of his sister leaving all to himself. He would wait until it came out of her own lips.

"Like i said, Aro. You did not disturb anything, Athenodora whisked them both away before your darling wife delivered the news you wish to speak with me." Didyme said as she slowly twirls her raven locks around her finger.

"I hope you and Sulpicia get along, dear sister." Aro said and his sister let out a not much needed sigh.

"You cannot force a friendship between the two of us, Aro." Didyme answers with resignation. "The least i can do is to co-exist with her. Now enough with the talk, why did you summon for me?"

Aro chuckles.

"You are indeed my sister, and i thought i was only the impatient one." He attempts to lighten the mood in order to hide the fact that he was seething in rage. If he found that she was guilty as Sulpicia tells him to be.

He will not be merciful towards his dearest sister.

"How are you?" He manages to look like the doting older brother but he knew he could not fool Didyme. "I merely wanted to check on you but the truth is, i've heard some outrageous rumors."

"What rumors?" Didyme asks, playing innocent yet she already knew what the Volturi king was to

"Do not play coy with me, Didyme." Aro said with a tone that sounded like a warning. "I just wanted to hear it from your own lips."

"Marcus and I are leaving." Didyme simply tells her brother.

SIlence engulfed the raven-haired king's study as he tried to process it all in. His fist clenched in indirect anger. He did not know why is he feeling angry at all. The Volturi king did not know who he really should be angry at.

"And the twins?" He asks reservedlly.

"They wished to remain here." Didyme reveals as her brother stares at her in shock. "Your source must have heard Jane say that she wanted to leave with us. Yet i'm surprised with how little trust you put with Jane."

The raven-haired woman knew exactly where he got the information from. She scoffs at her brother in annoyance.

"Didyme." Aro stares at her with a steel gaze.

"She chose to stay by your side. I guess your petty informant left before she could hear what Jane said." Didyme grabbed his brother's wrist. One touch revealed everything that transpired, including the part of their conversation that his informant failed to hear.

"However, Alec and I owe our lives to Master Aro. I once promised him that I was to never leave his side. As your offer for you and Master Marcus to raise us, sounds tempting but I cannot find it in my heart to leave. I am sorry for disappointing you."

Jane's voice once echoes in his head all over again.

'I once promised i was to never leave his side.'

'I once promised i was to never leave his side.'

'I once promised i was to never leave his side.'

Didyme slowly released her grip on her brother's wrist. Aro then sighed deeply. He saw the truth yet he was still wary of his sister.

"Tell me why you wish to leave, Didyme." Aro struggles to find his words. "You are well protected here, the twins are here. I do not get why you wished to leave us,"

Now he was using the twins to guilt her in order to not leave.

"I'm tired of this kind of lifestyle. I am tired of this lifestyle of constant warring and political power-play. Marcus and i wish to live a quiet life."

Aro sighed deeply and his sister was already expecting him to forbade her to leave. However, his following words shook her world.

"If this is what you both want, Didyme." Aro then smiles at her. "I give you my blessing to be happy."

The Volturi king insisted on taking a walk in the castle gardens. The blonde vampire followed in step behind him. As the head of the guard, it was her duty to protect him from all harm.

"I trust everything went well?" Aro himself chose to break the silence that engulfed both of them. "I hope Felix did a better job of keeping you safe, unlike the last time."

"Yes, Master," Jane said in a monotonous tone as she trailed behind her.

The Volturi king spun around to face her. The blonde-haired vampire was taken aback by her master's sudden movement.

"You distance yourself away from me as if we did not know each other. Stay closer to me." He held out but his hand but she outright refused him.

Everything about her changed. Everything about the two of them has changed. The way she looked at him also changed. Jane used to look at him with love and tenderness.

She could not even look at him in the eye.

He once saw her with a smile that could light up the entire room. The raven-haired king would see her smile only if she was torturing her victims. It was not the pure and heartfelt smile he once saw.

They walked onto the path that was surrounded by all sorts of flora. A pond was in the distance, with lotus flowers blooming on it.

"Immortality would seem to be the greatest honor, but to live with it is a lonely life," the Volturi king said once there was a distance between the castle and the gardens. He then pulled his head of guard into an embrace. Jane could barely react as the raven-haired wrapped his arms around her tighter.

"Let's us stay this way, with are no rules between us. Promise me you'll stay by my side. Accompany me in this lonely castle life."

The blonde vampire stiffened under her master's haunting embrace.

"Aro, darling!"

Jane snapped out of his embrace and resumed her distance from him. Sulpicia emerged from the rose gardens accompanied by another woman trailing behind again. She kissed her husband on the cheek as Jane looked away.

"You are dismissed, Lady Jane," Sulpicia said with venom laced in her tone. The head of the guard then looked at the Volturi wife in shock."Pardon?"

"Do I have to repeat it, Jane?" Sulpicia pressed. "Your services are not needed."

Aro chose to intervene himself. He was already sensing the tension between the two ladies.

"Do tell me, why are you dismissing my head of the guard, darling?" He asks as confusion was laced in his tone. "As the head of the guard, she has to protect me."

Sulpicia let out a modest chuckle.

"I believe that it is much better if Renata is to stay with you rather than with me." Her gaze then shifts to the blonde vampire. "A shield is much more useful than a torturer."

Renata sent the blonde vampire an apologetic glance. The shield was sent to guard Sulpicia and was a gift from her husband himself. Her being the Volturi king's wife imposes some risks as she married one of the most powerful vampires.

"I suppose Her Ladyship is right, Master." Jane intervenes before anything goes out of hand. Though she was not clear on the Volturi wife's side, the situation would be much better if she set a distance from him. The Volturi king watched as she slowly walks away from him.

Renata resumes by his side, her head hung low.

"It looks like she's willing to obey your sister. I know she's your favorite, darling." Sulpicia leans in and gives him a chaste kiss on his cheek. It was swift enough to not have her husband read her thoughts yet assure him of her allegiance to him. "I intervened before you could grow even more attached to her."