Chapter 23

Sulpicia had Renata summoned in order to check upon her studies.
The dark-haired woman had been dutiful to her studies and the Volturi wife was more than happy to hear about that. She had the shield quizzed on every matters. Renata never faltered, just like she wanted to. She had also noticed the changes in her posture and stance.
Renata had seemed to be more composed and elegant. The childish air that she frequently carried with her was replaced with gracefullness and beauty. Sulpicia saw a different Renata, nothing like her past self.
She had stepped out in order to grab some reading materials in her room. The raven-haired vampire stopped in her tracks as she heard music playing in the common room. Her eyes widened as she rushed out of her chambe rs to see who was playing the piano. The piece had sent chills on her spine as she remembered who was the last person who was playing it before.
It was Didyme.
A sudden wave of fear washed over her as she was overcome by the past once more. The past came to haunt her back once more as Didyme sat playing the piano. Their eyes met and a sinister glint was evident in her late sister-in-law's eyes. It terrified Sulpicia to the core.
"This piece i'm playing was the staple piece that Jane always played. Your husband composed it for her." Didyme chuckles.
She had thrown a book towards the direction of the piano. The raven-haired woman was trembling in fear yet she rushed towards the piano. She failed to realize that the manifestation of her late sister-in-law was just a figment of her imagination. the woman in the piano was actually Renata.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Sulpicia asks enraged.
Terror can be seen from Renata's eyes. She had been suprised by the sudden outburst of her mistress. The book she threw missed her a few inches by the head. The raven-haired woman had come out of her chambers in a hurry. The dark-haired vampire was only playing the piano while waiting for her mistress.
She had come across the exact musical score that Jane had been playing for quite some time. She had recognized her Master's handwriting of the score. Did he compose that piece for the head of guard?
"M-Mistress..." Renata trembles.
She had studied that piece in order to gain the interest of her master. Renata did not expect such reaction from the maternal figure she cherishes the most. The shield however remained docile as a lamb for her mistress.
"How dare you play that piece! Do you think i could be easily taunted with your antics? The dead do not speak!" Sulpicia yelled angrily.
She had winced in pain when Sulpicia had been hitting her in the arms. The shield's cries echoed throughout the tower. Sulpicia was attacking her violently and she did not know the reason why her mistress was acting this way. She had no idea what transpired in order for Sulpicia to act like this.
"What the hell?! Sulpicia!"
Athenodora had pulled the raven-haired woman away from her. The fair-haired woman had been gone out of her study when she had heard the commotion outside. Athenodora had arrived at the scene to see Sulpicia straggling Renata. She found it odd that the raven-haired vampire lashed out at her charge.
Despite what Sulpicia did, the shield chose to cover for her instead.
"I'll promise i'll study harder!" the shield trembled. Athenodora could see pure terror from the vampire's eyes. Sulpicia had retreated back to her chambers in a fit of rage. The fair-haired woman's gaze drifted to the the shield, placing a hand on Renata's shoulder, she asked.
"Are you alright?" she aske with rare sincerity.
Athenodora was not the one to show sympathy for guards. Her emotions were reserved for her charges who served as one of the highest members of the Volturi guard. After Sulpicia's spectacle, she came to terms that she should show at least sympathy to the young vampire.
"Yes, Mistress. It's nothing." Renata attempted to wave it off yet the fair-haired Volturi wife knew that the vampire was deeply troubled by Sulpicia's actions. Athenodora did not know if she already lost her mind after Didyme's demise. Or was Sulpicia hiding something perhaps?
Did she have something to do with Didyme's death?
"It's better if you leave." Athenodora convinces her. "We do not know when she is going to lash out soon. Avoid her for quite sometime, tell her you are busy or something."
Renata obliged by the fair-haired woman's wishes and exited the tower. before leaving, she had happened to get a glismpse of Athenodora retreating to her study. She had found it odd that the fair-haired woman stayed there for most of the time. Renata was on her way back when guards had stormed to the entrance of the Wives Tower. The tower was usually heavily guarded but not like this. They have been lax with the guards regarding the Wives yet they remain secluded.
"What happened?" she asks inquisitively.
"There has been a breach in security." the guard simply said with nonchalance.
"What do you mean?" she asks as confusion was already laced in her tone.
The guard in question looked at her with a stoic expression. Renata's eyes fell on the guard's cloak. It was dark guards that usually guard the wives have lighter cloaks. To see guards with darker gray cloaks meant they were on a serious business. The usual guards were there yet there was some added reinforcement to the entrance of the tower.
Renata knew this was a matter that should not be taken lightly.
"The captive has escaped. The others were caught yet one slipped through."
The guards had gathered inside the throne room after the breach of security in the castle. After Hilda's execution, some of her coven members attempted to escape. Their escape seemed to be unplanned as the guards still caught them yet one had escaped. In times of breach of security, the head of guard was at blame.
Jane knew she was in deep trouble.
"Do you understand the consequences of your actions?" It was Aro who addressed her. The blonde vampire could only nod. Jane could see traces of disappointment in his eyes. She had rubbed her elbows subconsciously as the masters addressed her in front of so many guards.
It was embarrassing honestly.
Alec glanced at his sister in sympathy. His sister may be skilled in hiding his emotions however he saw right through her. He sensed her embarrassment in this situation she was facing. The dark-haired vampire cannot understand how it was his sister's fault for the accused to escape.
It was not like she had been the one to have them escape though.
"All of you are dismissed."
The elite guard knew that they needed to stay and this conversation was more suitable to them as they were the highest ranking guards. They did not need to be told that they needed to stay. Decades of serving the kings taught them the unspoken rules and etiquette. The throne room was filled with silence when the majority of the guards had left, leaving them to their own devices.
"You had one job." Caius trailed off as the guards had left the throne room. Only the elite guard and their masters were left inside the room. The blond king's rage was felt by every individual present. His fellow kings did not have the energy to stop him in his murderous tactics. His gaze reverted to the head of guard.
The blame would automatically go to hers. The eyes that once looked at the blonde vampire in approval was now looking at her with such hatred. Time flies fast indeed. He had been by her side throughout the blonde vampire's existence yet here he was. A sinking feeling formed in the blonde vampire's stomach.
"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, Jane 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 her eye, Alec almost stepped forward but was stopped by Felix.
He 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 their master.
Aro definitely knew the look the dark haired vampire gave him.
"Brother." Aro voices out, not wanting where it might progress to. The blonde king had let his anger get the best of him as every word stung in Jane's heart. The raven-haired vampire interfered as he knew that Jane was already upset. He did not want another fight breaking out if his head of guard manages to lose her temper.
Jane's temper could actually match up to Caius and he did not want to see that.
The raven-haired king stood up and walked closer to the two individuals. He had grabbed his head of guard's hand and pulled her aside. He had established his authority in front of his blond brother. The elite guard had witnessed the power play between Aro and Caius.
"Don't you dare get involved here, Aro!" Caius seethes. "Shielding Jane from my wrath will not make her learn!"
"I get your point." Aro tries to rectify the situation. Unlike him, Caius was not the one who resorted to peace by the means of talking."Resorting to violence does not allow us to solve this issue."
"Tolerating her will be the end of us, Aro." Caius said as he faced his raven-haired brother. His gaze then reverts to the head of guard. "Sheltering her is a suicide mission."
"Caius!" Aro raises his voice to gain the upper hand. The blond king scoffs at him and muttered something about the raven-haired vampire's favoritism. The raven-haired Volturi king paid him no mind as he attempted to shield his head of guard from the irate Volturi king.
"Mark my words, Aro." Caius said in a low voice. "Her incompetence will kill you or us someday!" He said before exiting the throne room. Aro attempted to follow him as he did not want this conversation unfinished.
"Let him..." Marcus said in a low voice. The persons around the room were surprised to hear something from him. The Volturi king had watched the whole thing unfold in front of him.
The blonde vampire schooled her features to look unbothered. She puts up a mask of apathy once more. Caius' slap did not hurt as much as she wanted to. Her cheek was burning yet she did not feel the sting that it should have accompanied. Her pride was much wounded at most.
For a person who was praised for the majority of her life, failure was much more painful than anything.
The aftermath of the events in the throne room was far too much silent than usual.
Aro took it upon himself to check upon his head of guard. Caius' rage was one of the instances that he did not want the blonde vampire to face after all. He had been dissapointed with her stint however the Volturi king knew blaming everything on Jane was unfair after all.
"There you are..." he said in a soft tone as he walked towards her.
The blonde vampire was perched on the huge glass windows near bedroom. Each step towards her was met with caution. Aro was trying to get a feel of the situation. He was debating if he should speak to her during this time. He had faced his head of guard as he sat right next to her.
Her eyes met his, and the Volturi king immediately regretted staring in her eyes.
Agonizing pain was radiating from the blonde vampire's eyes. In those eyes, tears remained unshed even if he knew she wanted to. For a moment, he had regretted giving her immortality. Immortality works in a way to freeze their bodies, by doing so: crying was one of the things they could not do. The inability to cry makes everything so much painful for Jane.
"Master..."
He had been watching her in the shadows.
The Volturi king took it upon himself to watch over the twins from time to time. The blonde child had been playing in the clearing. Her rosy cheeks had been gleaming in the pale sunlight. Every bit of youthfulness had brought a smile to his face. Lost in such thoughts, he did not notice her bumping into him.
Tears had stained her porcelain face.
Aro had bent down to her level, never wanting to see his precious angel weeping. He had fished out a hankerchief from his pocket and gave it to her.
In parallel with such memory, the Volturi king had given her the hankerchief. The blonde vampire attempts to chuckle as she remembered each memory. Their hands touching gave them both a moment of deja vu. History repeats itself once more.
"You remembered..." she whispers in a soft voice as the blonde vampire stared at the hankerchief. The hankerchief remained useless now, she was unable to shed such tears.
"I wanted to check upon you," the Volturi king said as both of them relaxed in the presence of one another. Her knees remained huddled in her chest. Strands of her hair fell loose from her usual updo indicating she was pulling her hair in frustration. Jane had a habit of doing that if she was put under immense frustration. Aro did not need her to tell him that.
He had already knew her like at the back of his hand.
She had given him the hankerchief back. the head of guard relized that it was no use for her for she was unable to shed tears like she used to. Alec had onced teased her that she was always the soft-hearted one of the both of them. The raven-haired looked at her with confusion.
"I appreciate the concern." Jane attempts to smile yet he knew that it was not a genuine one. "However, i believe this is no longer necessary. I am not the young child who would bump into you crying."
He had accepted the hankerchief begrudgingly. Silence fell between them once more. The two of them stayed that way until he chose to break the silence that surrounded them both.
"When i chose you as the head of guard, i know you were bound to make mistakes." Aro remarks and she stared at him blankly. The Volturi king could only sigh. "The thing is, no matter how Caius nor I would train you for this position. I knew mistakes can happen." he continues as the Volturi king did not get a response from her. He knew he was listening as he continued once more.
"I chose you even if i know there are times you would falter."
It was the truth after all. If he had needed a stronger and much more menancing, he would have chosen Felix. The raven-haired king remembered a certain circumstance where he and Caius had debated over the position of head of the guard. He had been against the idea since Jane will be disposable without her powers.
He had remained victorious to have her by his side after all.
This may be his head of guard's first fall. He knew she would berate herself after hearing Caius' words earlier. The raven-haired vampire knew this was her first major slip up and he needed to get through her. Aro did not need to read her mind to find out how she was affected by everything that happened earlier.
She had failed this time, big time.
It might have been her first failure, but it would not certainly be the last.
"I'm fine, Master." Jane smiles as he attempted to fool him. Her words may say that she was okay yet her eyer never once lied to him. Her eyes revealed the truth that his head of guard desperately tried to hide. Aro knew she was lying to him.
"Very well,my dear..."
They had parted ways yet he tailed behind his head of guard. Jane had come across her twin brother and the raven-haired vampire knew she shared a special bond with her brother. The Volturi king winced to hear the sobs that came out of her mouth. He knew that Jane would only show her vulnerabilty to the persons she trusts the most.
Aro was disenheartened that she had to lie straight in his face that she was alright. Was he already not important to her? Jane did not trust him anymore.