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The last ten minutes had been the most chaotic ten minutes of my entire lifetime. These vampires, with shimmering golden eyes of their own, did not look or sound like they were a part of the vampiric government I had stumbled to for help. Their eyes, although gold, did not reflect the elegance that those outside did, their posture not as sophisticated and their clothing westernized. Americans.

"My apologies for the interruption, Cullens and Ms. Swan, we had a situation outside," the man said quickly, gesturing for me to go towards the brown haired vampire that sat on one of the three aurous thrones. "Marcus, please watch her as we proceed with the trial."

"Of course, Aro," he replied, his voice commanding authority in the room. One of the North American vampires let out a small gasp as I did as was expected of me, walking behind the brown-haired vampire. The third ruler, a near white-haired man, looked at me almost longingly as I stood behind his fellow king.

"Why is there a bleeding human here?" Her hair cut short and her face resembling that of a mere pixie, the vampire looked almost pained as she gazed at me with those golden eyes of hers.

"It is not in your authority to ask such questions of your leaders, Alice," Aro says, sitting back down on his throne, "Though I shall tell you the answer since you seem so perplexed by the mere idea of humanity in these walls. This woman here has been exposed to our kind through a rogue vampire and now she shall be staying here with her cousins, who were bit by said criminal. To track down the man and bring him back for trial shall be our next mission once we are done fancying an agreement on Isabella's own mortality."

"Trapping a human inside of this castle?" Isabella, the human questions, her voice weak and showing her own fear of the powerful creatures in front and around her. Playing with vampires, American? What did you think would happen once you figured it out? That they were going to just let you be human? No, clearly this is a monarchy and they have laws against such behaviors like this. I am no caged dove and I will never be a prisoner.

"I do hope you do not feel trapped in any way, diletto," Aro turns his head back to me, genuine concern in those maroon eyes of his, "That was not our intention."

"This American doesn't know what she's talking about, Aro, I am here to help my cousins. If I must stay here to do so then so be it, for my family I would do anything," relief washes over Aro's face and Isabella's face turns to annoyance.

"He won't let you go if you stay," she attempts to convince me, "They never let anyone go."

"Do you wish to leave?" I shake my head, wishing to see my cousins even if they did turn into immortals. "It is settled, Isabella Swan, this woman is choosing to be here and is not being forced to stay against her will. Though it pains me to hear such malice come from your heart in regards to the idea of staying with us, know that such opinions shall never be used against you. We only want people in our midst who want to be here."

"Monsters. What do you have against her?" I let out an offended gasp as the male golden-eyed vampire suggested such a thing.

"Your vitriol will not be tolerated in front of me. Never use what has just happened to my cousins against them. I came here and learned of the vampires on my own accord, though I was exposed to them by that degenerate, I was able to devise a plan in a matter of minutes. These vampires have been nothing but kind to me," I defended them.

My reaction caused deafening quiet to roll through the room, at first in waves, then all at once. No vampire or human dared to speak as the male vampire stared at me with revulsion in his eyes, turning himself to block anyone from getting to who I could only assume was his lover, Isabella Swan. Italian name, but still American. Same attitude as the majority of them, never learning more about customs and jumping to conclusions.

"These people drink off of humans. They murder people-" the blonde king cuts the man off.

"Edward, not everyone is willing to be weak like you. No locals are harmed, just stupid tourists who wish to see our tower on Fridays. Self-loathing will get you nowhere, young vampire. Our diet is the one we were born with and it will stay the same. Why do you speak with such haughtiness? It shall not get you anywhere. We are kings, not lowly peasants."

"Those tourists are still people and deserve to live!" Edward exclaims, "You have no care for human life whatsoever-"

"Let us move forward to the topic on hand, this is a trial," Aro's voice turns chipper, "From your thoughts, it is clear that you do not wish to turn your lover, so she will have to die. The law is the law."

"You're letting her live!" Edward points at me, "You can't play favorites with the humans that come through these doors! If that girl is allowed to be human then Bella should be as well!"

"What is your name, cara?" Aro asks.

"Astraea," I answer.

"Bel nome," he compliments giving me a winning smile before looking back at the group of Americans, "Astraea's circumstances are much different from yours. Not only is she a local, but her cousins are turning at this very moment. Even if that were the only things happening to allow her to live, to add the cherry on top of this situational sundae, she is my and my fellow king's true mate, so she will not be dying anytime soon. No favorites, just special bonds."

"We are lucky to have her here today. The rightful queen's first trial," quite confused by what they were implying, I just stayed quiet behind the brown-haired vampire who had barely said more than a word before.

"Il mio più caro, how long do you think Isabella should have until her transformation. She is currently eighteen," Aro directs the power to me. The girl in question let out a noise of protest as Aro smirked at her, proving his authority.

"Give them until the end of December of this year," the verdict fell out of my mouth like melted honey, dripping with my own sense of control over the situation, "Should she not turn, you kill her and the people who were supposed to turn her."

"You can't have her tell us what to do! She doesn't have any power!" I chuckle at his anger. If a vampire king gives his power over to you for a ruling, you do not question whether or not you are worthy or if you are capable, you simply answer and send out your best verdict, only later to be judged. Lord, at least I have common sense.

"That isn't common sense, that's insane!" Great, you can hear my thoughts. So, how about you leave today, bitch to someone else about my verdict, and make sure I never see you again? You're getting on my nerves, Edward. "How could you do something like this, Astraea, you're a human whose cousins were turned against their will? Mortality should be something that you value, that you cherish! To take it away from Bella is cruel!"

"Le persone come te sono il motivo per cui non ci piacciono gli americani," the insult came out of my lips faster than I could comprehend that I shouldn't be so rude to the defendants in the room, even if they had been the first ones to set me off. Keeping composure would make me look calm and collected even when I wanted to throw this man off the clock tower.

"Strong words coming from a human that is on death row," I roll my eyes at his dramatics. Does he really think he phases me? I have cousins. Identical twin cousins. Both male, obviously. Dealing with the two of them will forever be better than handling pathetic men like him. Get a life and get out of my sight.

Living a life like mine, already mortal and knowing that I would die some day, I had no fear of the potential dangers that came my way when dealing with anything supernatural. I was already ninety nine percent sure that our basement is haunted, the door constantly opening and closing in the middle of the night with no warnings. These vampires, whether they were American, moral, or otherwise, had no hold over my own lack of fear of my inevitable demise. When it came, it would come, and I would embrace death like an old friend.

"What would you know about mortality?" I muse, "From the way you speak, you've been half-dead for quite a few years. What does it feel like to cheat death, Edward? Do you get a rush when you think of just how royally screwed you are once you do die? If there is an afterlife, I would be quite honestly ashamed if Death did not punish you for your antics up here with the humans."

"You think that they will give you power, but they won't. They won't give you anything. They'll use you and then they will kill you," Aro growled at the accusation, glaring at the vampire, before standing up and making his way down the marble steps of the room.

"Allegations of such nature will impede your very lifeforce, Cullen. Do not tempt my fury when you have no means to fight back," the raven-haired man gave Edward a wicked grin before throwing him into the wall. His fellow kings laughed as the human girl yelped and held onto the pixie girl, enjoying the show in front of them.

"The ruling has been made. Leave, Cullens, and hope that we never see you again. Next time Aro will not let you away with your heads," the blonde haired man spoke with a smirk plastered on his pale face, "We do not want you here and we will not put on this show any longer. To defy the rule of the Volturi is to beg for a most painful death. Take your golden eyes and never speak to my mate or I again. Marcus," the man gestures for Marcus to take over.

"Isabella will be turned by the end of December, Edward Cullen, by you or by any other vampire with enough jurisdiction to so so. We will, of course, send out one of our guards on the first day of the new year to make sure that you have obeyed our ruling," Marcus finishes for the three of them, looking disinterested.

"Jane, Alec, escort them out," a set of young teenagers smirk before walking over to their sides, showing them out of the room.

"We have many things to discuss, Astraea, but first I think it would be wise for us to feed you."

---

Light inside of the clock tower, which I had now learned was just a smaller part of the larger Volturi castle, was hard to find. Shadows lined the wall, whispering sweet nothings to whoever would listen. Not only full of ancient history, Volterra was as I learned a home to the ruling vampire coven in the world. Famed monarchs, their leaders had more control than any human kings, with their law and judgement being final for all citizens, not just those who are in their esteemed coven.

The royal importance of vampire covens was still not introduced to my human mind, not ever quite getting the right answers out of the guards that brought me to the mortal dining hall. Two tall male guards named Demetri and Felix had taken me to my meal. Both men were close as could be, standing close to each other and staying together after they finished their task.

Whether or not vampires were always as close as they were remains a mystery. Not enough information had been spoon fed to me to make an accurate depiction of vampire on vampire relationships, only seeing a few vampires around each other in the past forty minutes.

Two humans came out of the back room, holding a small bowl of arancini. Smiling, I take the meal and start to dig in. Some of the more traditional Italian foods remained unknown by the tourists that came into the city, often overlooked in favor of things like pasta and pizza, both good options, but not the good stuff.

"I am glad that you enjoy the food here," I yelped as I realized Aro was behind me, watching me eat with curiosity. "Mi dispiace, cara, non volevo spaventarti."

"It-It's fine," I stutter out, putting my empty bowl back down on the table, ready to have it taken away. "I'm not used to vampire kings walking up behind me. We are not supposed to be in the clock tower as it is. My uncle will kill me if he finds out I was ever here."

"The Angelos family have been in touch with the Volturi for over three thousand years, cara, although they have chosen to keep the secret from their children. It may be the reason why they have barred you from going near our residence. As you know, this place is a mystery to most of humanity," I stare at him, perplexed by the information, "I knew some of the original Angelos family members while I was still human. Your family helps us keep the secret of our existence."

"Well, they sure kept it from us," I laugh, "For the most part we had no idea. I guess when you live here you listen to all of the superstition. What do they do? My uncle works on passports and birth certificates. It's too bad that he doesn't get paid enough for it, the job sounds hard."

"There are many families that work on our passports, but Nero's employer is known for exploitation. We have been meaning to put an end to his way of work but have not had the time during this century. Random attacks on humans such as your cousins have become too common. Newborn armies are on the rise. A newly made vampire is easy to manipulate, loyal to those who give them anything to work for in their immortal lives," Aro explains to me, his tone much darker than before.

"My uncle deserves to be paid a living wage," I say, "He works harder than I ever have in my life. He does it for us. No matter what, he has always done his best to give us his all, even when he doesn't have the money to buy us pretty things."

"It will be our top priority, mia cara," the vampire king promises. "We should speak on what I have learned in your time with us."

"I am not very interesting. You know my name, my backstory, and that my cousins are now becoming vampires," I muse.

"Quite the opposite, Astraea, I find you very interesting," A light blush runs across my face as I look into his red eyes, "Alas, there are more things to learn about you. The bond that we share is unlike any other in existence. I wish that you could see what I can through Marcus and his gift, for it is truly marvelous."

"You called me your true mate," I recall. "What does that mean?"

"True mates are the most important bonds for any vampire. To find yours is to find your other half, or halves, in my case. You are a part of a four way mate bond, with Caius and Marcus also being your mates as well as my own. The Volturi have many members who are mated in pairs or trios."

"Is it rare for one to have three mates?" Aro chuckles and nods.

"The most people have ever had is three. Never has it been recorded to have four or more true mates. Technically people could have a lesser mate bond that occurs between some married couples, but that is not a soulmate, but a chosen mate that the soul will accept until the void within can be filled with your true mate."

"So all of us will be together at once?"

"Yes, we shall all be together at once. I would not wish to overwhelm you, but that will be how it turns out if you accept our bond. I doubt that anything could make me happier than to have you here as our one true queen. You have already shown great promise. Not many humans would have been able to handle the likes of that boy as he harassed you for your placement of trust in us."

"Taking up all of our mate's time already, Aro?" Marcus had waltzed into the room, walking in elegant strides as he made his way over to the two of us, giving Aro a kiss on the cheek.

"Of course not, amore, simply telling Astraea of true mates and the bonds between people," he defended himself, "Although the nature of bonds and how they look is known by me, Marcus is much better in regards to his interpretations, for I cannot see them with my own eyes."

"Vampires have powers?" The two of them chuckle and nod.

"Some have special gifts form when they are turned. Although some humans have been shown to carry special abilities before being made into immortals, gifts are almost always exclusive to the vampire community. About one in twenty-five, although some would say one in fifty, have gifts of their own," Aro clarified, a small smirk on his pale face.

"How is it that I've lived in Volterra for most of my life and you never found me? I've been around this city, likely bringing whatever human scent I have with me. Does that not seem strange?" I chuckle at the thought. Seventeen years in the same city and they didn't even care to look in their hometown?

"We knew that you were born on Saint Marcus Day, but we did not know where to find you. Unfortunately we do not have enough free time to travel the world like we used to, or we would have located you before. As for your scent, you live right near the water, mia cara, and were very hard to smell until you came into the castle. Marcus could see the bond, although it was in a very fetal stage of development, when you came into this world," Aro says.

"I am the one with bondsight, but Aro's gift allows him to see all of my thoughts and memories, though it is necessary for him to have skin to skin contact before he can use his gift. Yes, I could see the bond, but we are not that great of trackers ourselves," Marcus admits, giving me a warm smile.

"You two are here, but there is a third mate. Caius, where is he?" Aro turned to Marcus, who looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Still playing with his food," Marcus admits, "He will be able to see you shortly. It is Friday, so we have already had our meal for the week."

Aro gives his mate a glare at the mention of their diet. "We do not eat the locals, cara, only the tourists that run through the city."

"I have nothing against you eating human beings, Aro, just don't eat me and we will be fine. I know that you have to eat something and as long as nobody I care about gets eaten, we will continue being fine in that regard," Aro lets out a steady breath of relief.

"We have no plans to eat you, Astraea," Marcus confirms. "I am relieved that you did not take what Edward Cullen said seriously. We are not lawless murderers and we only eat people because that is how we have eaten for the past three millenia. If there were a better way to eat that did not make us abnormally weak, we would change our diets in a heartbeat."

I scoff at the mention of the golden-eyed vampire, "As if I would take anything that americano idiota says to heart. His motives were simple and he challenged my newly found authority. Do vampires often do this to you?"

"The stupid ones," Aro snarks.

"Mind your tongue," Marcus reprimands.

"Make me-"

"Let us do something better than this," I suggest, "How about you take me on a tour."

"Wonderful idea, cara," my mates say in unison. I stand on my two feet, taking each of their arms before looking at them.

"To new adventures."

---

ᴛʀᴀɴꜱʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ:

Bel nome. Beautiful name.

Il mio più caro. My dearest.

Le persone come te sono il motivo per cui non ci piacciono gli americani. People like you are the reason why we don't like Americans.

Mi dispiace, cara, non volevo spaventarti. I'm sorry, dear, I didn't mean to scare you.

americano idiota. Idiotic American.

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