ᴀʜʜʜ, ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ꜰɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ʜᴀꜱ ᴀ ɴᴀᴍᴇ! ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴀɴɪɴɢ, ɪᴛ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴀᴋᴇꜱ ꜱᴇɴꜱᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀɴɴᴀʟɪꜱᴇ ᴛᴏ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ! ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴜɢɢᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴀᴅɪ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ꜰᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴀɴɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ. ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴɪᴄ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ, ꜱᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ꜱᴏᴜɴᴅꜱ ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴɪᴄ ᴀꜱ ʜᴇʟʟ ᴍᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴛʜɪꜱ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴇᴄᴛ!

ɪ'ᴍ ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ᴀ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴ ʙᴇᴀɴ. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ "ᴘᴏʟʏ ɢᴀɴɢ" ɢᴄ ᴏɴ ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏʀᴅ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴏ ᴍʏ ʙᴇᴀɴ ɪꜱ ◔‿◔

Even when the Volturi were threatened, we found a way to get by. While the battle would be held in a week, my coven made their preparations. I knew full well that this could go south, that I could lose many of the people that I had grown to love. The haunting of the unknown filled my dead heart as my gift started to give me less and less information about the enemy.

We knew where they were and how many people they had, but I couldn't seem to hear what many of their gifts were. A gift could be the difference between a normal fight and a slaughter of epic proportions. Our gifted vampires could be blocked if someone was a shield. Akila would not be here for everything.

Our newest members of the Volturi elite had been deemed Shield Breaker and Fear Master. The names had flown through the guard before being released into the world. Even when Harb was not using his nickname, people who had heard of him before joining us were trembling in their immortal stances once he walked in the throne room to be judged.

"The Romanians have very few allies at this point, but we suspect that the West London Coven sympathizes with them and may have helped a few vampires escape while we were in their territory," Demetri lays out a map of the world on the table, pinning the locations of the Romanian base and the West London base.

During the past few centuries the Romanians had been getting antsy. Aro had helped recruit so many new gifted vampires and helped so many of his members find their mates that the Volturi had grown exponentially in power. They had barely any gifted vampires and relied on newborns and immortal children, who could be a nuisance to any vampire that encountered one.

The main problem with the coven was that they always seemed to have no backup plan. I had done my own reading on what had happened during the first war between the Romanians and the Volturi. From what I could gather on my own and from what my gift, of whom I had named Maeve.

Maeve had become more of a small friend than a demonic ally at this point and would go out of her way to try and give me information that I could really use to my advantage. I knew so little about her, but she was much less menacing to me and had become much more of a comfort to have around. She really could brighten up someone's day. It was a shame that Aro could not hear her while inside of my thoughts and memories.

All of the information that she had been giving me for the battle had to do with how many newborns and immortal children they had and where they were being stationed. Most of them were in the Romanian countryside where there were few humans. The few humans that did live there would just think that a missing person fell off of the mountains while climbing or something.

Vladimir and Stefan had stayed out of our sights for so long, hiding themselves with someone who had a very similar gift to Afton. While the vampire could not block their scent, their minds were clouded, making it very hard for Demetri to get a hold of them.

"The West London Coven will not be a problem. Jane and Alec know the area and can take them down with ease," Caius strategizes. "We need to find a way into the Romanian territory without causing a fuss with the locals. Those humans need to stay unaware of our presence. Who knows if the Romanians have caused exposure? If they have, we have no idea. None of the people we have brought in had exposed themselves, but others could have right under our noses."

"We do not know the area, Caius," Felix says, "None of us know the territory at all. We have not gone to war with the Romanians in over a millenia. Most of our guard has never been to Romania and has never been in the throws of a battle with them."

"Have we not been training you enough your time here, Felix?" Aro asks. "All of you are the best in the world. The Romanians are not as strong as they may seem. Newborns are what even makes them a lick of a threat to our rule. They may have two gifted vampires in their coven. Felix, we have over forty gifted vampires, most of your leaders included. Although, Caius' military might may even be considered a gift at this point."

Felix nods his head while Demetri starts to plot areas with my blonde mate, finding all of the places that Maeve had listed and putting a tack on them. Most of the places that she had listed were so close to Volterra. It was an idiotic move on their part to pick countries that we had allies near. It was even more moronic to pick their home base in Romania, a place so close to our own home in Italy.

"I should let you all note that when the Immortal Children get unleashed, make sure that they do not wrap themselves around your waist. They are strong, but in the end they are childish. Their age shows when they cling on to you and don't let go. The Romanians will use that shock against you, use it as time to decapitate you," Caius warns us. Aro and Marcus both nod before sighing.

"Newborns are similar in their nature. They always go for the easy kill. With their brute strength, it is imperative that you never let them wrap their arms around your neck. Quick reflexes may be on their side, but we are trained. I doubt that Vladimir and Stefan have trained these newborns. They never do," Marcus draws out, taking a step forward, looking at the map.

"Our Mother has been training. She will be able to resist the lure of her own instincts," Alec states with pride. I smile at my soul son, who is happy that he will be able to go into the throws of battle once again.

During some of our long talks, Alec would talk about all of the things he had gotten to see as one of Aro's favorite coven children. Of course, Aro did not have a favorite, as he loved all of his children, but he did care for Jane and Alec as a father rather than a leader. My mate would be the one who taught Alec how to control his power.

When Alec first turned, he had no control over his power. He was scared. He was scared of everything and almost everyone. Poor Alec had almost died. Whenever someone tried to talk to him he would get scared and would knock someone or even himself out with his gift. According to Alec, it had taken him over a century to be trained with his gift. It took him even longer for him to stop knocking himself out every once and awhile.

"She will still need to stay with one of us. The Romanians will smell Caius on her and they will go after her. Out of everyone, Annalise needs the most guards around her for this," Marcus says. "Even with speed, strength, a gift, and training, my mate will still be in danger during this battle."

"Nothing will happen to me, Marcus," I put my hand on his chest, "Nobody in this coven is going to allow something bad to happen to me. You can stay with me if you want."

"I do believe it would be wise for you to stay with her, brother," Aro says. "In the end, you are one of the oldest vampires in the world and also one of our best trained, behind Caius. I trust you with our mate."

"Good," Marcus huffs, "I would be offended if you didn't, Aro"

__________________________________________________

The rest of our day would have to be spent in the training room. As one of the largest rooms in the Volturi Castle, the training room was most often used by the guards that patrolled the castle, with the elite guard often acting as their instructors.

Of course, Jane was one of the fiercest trainers you could ever imagine having, the fiercest always being Caius. I would compare her to one of those ex military or police officer PE coaches you would get in school. Her words were law and she would kick you in the ass if you dare disobey anything she said. While often kind once you got to know her, she was a menace in this one room. Being mean during training was something that she had to get off on in some way. Nobody could just smile at anyone's pain like she did.

Knowing that, most of the guard wanted to jump out of a building today.

"Get your head out of your ass and work, Afton!" Jane screeches at the gifted vampire, who yelps and gets back to fighting with Demetri, who was his sparring partner for the time being. I just giggle and get back to fighting with Renata, who was actually really good at fighting back my attacks. Her gift made me just want to run from her, to give up my attacks completely and just fail at beating her.

Santiago and Felix had been sparring together, as they were the only ones who could even come close in matching each other in strength. The two of them could tear down the walls of the training room if they so pleased.

Both Aro and Caius were sparring as well. Apparently, they hadn't been in the sparring room since I had come to Italy, electing to spend their free time with me rather than training. It was good to know that they would be working themselves back up to their full potential. All three of my mates did pride themselves on their ability to stand their own in a fight, seeing as none of their gifts (or just Aro and Marcus, my poor baby Caius is ungifted, but special in his own right) could be used in battle. They could however be used in the courtroom or with negotiations.

"Jane, stop bullying Afton," Alec managed to defend his fellow vampire guard from his twin sister, who was starting to almost steam from the ears with anger. The blonde vampire snarled and continued to fight with her brother with even more fire than before, grabbing at his hair and pulling him to the concrete floor. Alec cried out in pain and returned the gesture, ripping at Jane's ponytail.

While the two of them fought with each other, Renata had caught me off guard, pinning me to the ground. Why did I have to get Aro's personal bodyguard? Obviously she is going to be better than me in combat! Why couldn't I have gotten some newborn? The kings think that a newborn could cause you to lose a limb. Renata would never dare actually harm you. She knows the kings would murder her if she cracked you too much, let alone tore a limb off. Ugh, overprotective mates for the loose.

I snarl before flipping myself out of her grasp, managing to use my strength to throw her across the room. Renata flew straight into the wall, causing a loud cracking sound and a huge dent to be seen when she fell to the ground, dazed. That's going to have to be repaired.

"Nice job, cara mia-" Caius tries to congratulate me, but Aro grabs him and pins him to the ground, smiling at me as he does so. My blonde mate growls at him and punches him in the chest, causing him to yelp as he falls over.

"Did you have to punch me, Caius?" Aro chokes out, clutching his chest. "We are supposed to be training."

"You grab me while I was cheering our mate on after her victory against Renata, Aro. Yes, I did have to punch you. You deserved it, you old buffoon," Caius flips his hair at his brother before walking over to me, a smile plastered on his face.

"I think you forget that you are older than me, brother. You are the old buffoon," Aro argues.

"You are both old and you are both buffoons," I compromise. Both of them hiss under their breath. Caius kisses me on the cheek.

"Training is over for the day, guards. Go do something fun," Marcus ends the day. All of the guards let out tired sighs and speed out of the room, leaving all of their equipment in shambles. "They never do clean up, do they?"

"Nope."