The newborn tracker was somehow fascinated by the female witch twin. There was just something mysterious with Jane that he cannot shake off. He spotted her in the gardens when the training had a short period of break.

Just like the guards said, Jane and Alec were not training with the guards. The kings thought they were too valuable to train with the junior and senior guards.

Demetri was lucky that her twin was not there. Alec gave the newborn a calculating glare when he caught him looking at his sister. It was not Demetri's fault that he was curious about her.

Jane's blonde hair fell in loose ringlets that framed her delicate face. She was basking in the sun, her skin sparkled like thousands of diamonds. Jane's eyes were closed shut. The violin lay forgotten on the bench.

He once recalled playing an instrument like that one.

"If your done ogling, you might as well turn back and walk away from me," she spat icily.

Demetri did not budge and did the unthinkable; he sat down next to her. Was this the one they actually called a witch?

He would beg to disagree.

"The guards should have already told you to steer clear of me." Her innocent eyes met his. "I am not to be disturbed,"

There she goes again, driving everyone away. The blonde vampire possesses a natural childlike charm that attracts attention. It will be Demetri's curiosity that will be the end of him.

"I'm not afraid of you," he said rather placidly. "You are just a child..."

Her sharp gaze looked at him. There was something in Demetri that Jane was actually infuriated with. It was his cocky attitude that pushes her to the edge.

"A child you do not know of her capabilities," Jane said placidly.

"Capabilities? You mean not being able to fight back in combat? Getting thrown across the clearing?"

Demetri was so dead. It took all of Jane's willpower to not rip the newborn tracker's head off. She had been suppressing the urge to actually put him in his place.

"You..."

Seeing her pissed off was actually priceless for the newborn tracker. For Jane, things were not going smoothly. She spotted Athenodora making her way towards them.

Jane smirked inwardly.

"Jane," Athenodora's voice was cold and menacing. It was a facade they put up in front of the other guards. The wives were aloof to the guards. The wives were rarely seen by the guards, even the senior ones.

Let alone a newborn like Demetri.

"Should you be in training, young man?" Athenodora's piercing blood-red eyes met Demetri's. Her eyes had an element of harshness in them, as she was not a person that was meant to be crossed.

"W-We have a short break Mistre-Madame," the newborn stuttered.

Jane looked at the fair-haired woman and saw a glint in her eyes. Demetri's stuttering and making a fool out of himself in front of Athenodora was a sight she did not want to miss.

"You should be spending your break practicing much more. Caius will be down shortly to check on the progress of the guards' training," Athenodora's eyes turned to Jane's with compassion. "It is time to go inside, young lady. Shall we?"

Jane places her instrument in its case before turning to one of the Volturi wives.

"We shall," Jane smiles.

Once Demetri was out of their earshot, Jane stopped walking once she realized something. Athenodora was waiting until Jane turned to her.

"Master Caius is in a meeting and told not to be disturbed." Her red eyes met the wife's mischievous ones. "He will not coming down to check on them, doesn't he?"

Athenodora chuckles.

"It is nice to keep them on their toes for quite a while. They tend to slack off when not given pressure."

Jane just snickers.

"And besides, no one has the audacity to point a finger on me lying to them. Let's keep it that way..."

She and Alec had the freedom to roam around the forest of the Volterra as long as they do not go somewhere far. They were supposed to learn foreign language with Marcus but he was still in the meeting.

Didyme kindly let them have the time to themselves as the twins' boredom was clearly evident in their eyes.

The twins stopped at the stream at the end of the forest. Jane resisted the urge to run and splash water onto Alec. Memories filled her once again.

Nonetheless, she gave in to the temptation. It was the time they had felt like nothing was wrong. After reminiscing their playful childhood before all hell broke loose, the twins sat on the grass near the river.

"Sister?" Alec calls out gently.

"Hmm?" she asks as the sun basked into her skin again. Her skin glittered like a thousand diamonds.

"You had fallen for him," he confronts her straightforwardly. No more beating around the bush, Alec wanted answers from his twin.

"I could not help it," she chokes out. Her once melodic and feathery voice was replaced by a hoarse one.

"End it while it's still just a mere infatuation, dear sister," he pleads. Risking her happiness was one thing Alec was not ready to do. She was his sole surviving relative, Jane meant the world for him.

"I'm afraid I passed the point of no return, brother," Jane said. "What I feel is not just a flimsy infatuation. I love him, Alec,"

"HE DOES NOT FEEL THE SAME!" Alec bursts out. Jane looks at him and clearly sees the pained expression in his eyes.

"Who are you to judge?" she asks icily.

"I care about you, Jane," he said. "I am simply looking out for you. He will be your downfall."

"I doubt that."

They returned to the castle without talking to one another. Felix was waiting for them by the entrance. His expression was unreadable or the twins who tried to assess the situation whether they were in trouble or not

"The masters were looking for the both of you," he said. "You might as well hurry up as they do not like to be kept waiting,"

"I do not get you, brother, you send out a team of what?" Didyme scoffs. "What an unlikely team? You throw the twins with Felix and this newborn tracker. I hope you are in your right state of mind,"

"Please do not question my judgment, Didyme," Aro said wryly. "I am certainly in the right state of mind."

"They are not ready," Athenodora simply said.

"Since you treat them differently," Caius' calculating gaze met hers. He was well aware how the wives lay a protective claim on the twins. "They have to learn eventually. The twins are not the best in fighting, they do need practice."

"And then you add a newborn vampire in the mix. what happened to the 'twins are precious, they are too valuable.' Where did that go?" Didyme questions.

"It's a suicide mission," Athenodora rolls her eyes and they continued arguing back and forth.

"It is not," Caius retorts as his wife just rolls her eyes on him.

A knock on the door was heard. The four members of the guards stood in front of them. The wives sighed thinking it was such a morbid idea.

"Master,"

"There has been unrest in the North..." Aro trailed off as the four guards listened curiously. "I think it is about time that the twins should be sent out. They must be feeling cooped up in this castle for far too long?"

His gaze turned to Jane and she gulped nervously. The four guards witnessed a powerplay between the kings and their wives.

They breathed a not much-needed sigh of relief once they were dismissed.

"Well, that was a bit exhilarating," Demetri then tries to lighten up the mood.

"We leave at nightfall?" Jane asks Felix and he nods in agreement.

Nightfall came and no one from the four of them spoke a single word. The sound of silence echoed as they trudged in the forest. It remained that way until they reached their destination in the northern areas.

It was a typical case after all; vampires risking their exposure every now and then. Their team was unlikely, but Jane trusted Aro's decision. It was a change of scenery after all and a chance to hone their skills.

They observed from a distance. Somehow, Jane managed to feel inferior to their situation. If ever it will come to a fight, she would be at a great disadvantage. She was terrible at fighting, yet she did not admit it.

"They already caused quite a ruckus," Demetri said.

"We must deal with this as soon as we can. Otherwise, they will begin to question the Volturi's effectiveness,"

Jane sighs as she assesses the situation. She did not admit it out loud, but she preferred being back in Volterra. The female witch twin hated to be on the dangerous side especially if she is on a losing one. Turning to Felix, she said:

"Get it done quickly. I want to go home,"

The sound of the piano echoed across the music chamber as Jane made her way down after their assignment. They had come home in one piece and the wives were very much contented about it.

Aro was in the same room, he was playing the piano. The Volturi was known to be the midnight patron of the arts as they delve into arts during nighttime.

Jane watched as her creator played the piano with such precision and intricacy. The melody was soft but played a tune that was quite distinct to her ears. He did not seem to notice her standing by the doorway.

It took him a while to notice her presence as he was absorbed into playing the piano. Jane never heard him play before, only Didyme. She would often find Aro in the library, seldom in the music chamber.

"I see you are back from your assignment. The wives would be certainly ecstatic that you and Alec came back unscathed," His feathery voice echoes in the hall. Jane chuckles softly at his remark.

"Absolutely, coming back in one piece

"Come sit next to me," Aro asks and she obliges. Jane sat next to him but there was still a distance between the two of them.

He began playing as Jane observed him. The tune was familiar and she smiles once she realizes that it was her favorite piece. Her creator looks at her fondly and smiles.

"Why don't you play along? If you don't mind..."

Jane's right hand found its way to the piano, playing along with him. She was playing the piece reluctantly but found her rhythm once more.

Then both of her hands were touching the keys of the piano very gently in a fluid-like motion. Both of them played the piece at the same time.

Her hand was very close to touching his when he reverted it back. The melody grew softer, and she expected an embrace as he was to drape an arm around her.

Yet it was just because he could reach the note right next to her. Jane softly turned her head to the side, her face was inches from his. Time seemed to have stood still as neither of them tried to move.

Her blood-red eyes met his and Aro avoided her gaze by chuckling lightly.

"I seem to still have remembered your favorite piece to play. Your skills are rather timeless, cara mia,"

Jane softly smiles at his compliment.

"You are consistent with your flattery, Master,"

"I am clearly stating facts, cara mia. Didyme told me you had picked up the violin to practice on. You must have reached a level of expertise already, how about we try to get you to be fond of reading?" Aro teases her with a smile.

It was the only time that Jane dared to roll her eyes at her master. Such an act of insolence of a guard would have her spend her days at the dungeon. Luckily, she wasn't just any guard.

She was his favorite.

Unknownst to them, Marcus had been watching them for the whole time. He witnessed their interaction, it was interesting enough.

It was a different side of Aro and Jane that had him intrigued. The truth was dangling right in front of them yet they did not see it for themselves. Fate was already playing a cruel game on them.

The truth will reveal itself in time, he knows that very well. It makes him wonder, can Aro actually reciprocate the feelings his most loyal ally gave him?

Marcus did not know and he does not want to find out.