They Made Me Their Queen || Volturi Kings {1}

THREE

A week later, things were still confusing to me. People called me Queen and bowed. It made me feel strange, like I didn't belong. My 'mates' as they call themselves had been trying to spend time with me. But I don't think I can yet. It's still alien to me.

I put the pill in my mouth and used the water to swallow it. Placing the glass down on the tray that had been given to me, I sighed. Hoping the pain in my chest would lessen. Maybe I was confused, but it seemed the more I stayed away from the three Kings the more my chest hurt.

"Let's test the theory." I mumbled getting up and leaving the room. I nodded to Felix who stood guard, he started to walk with me when I began to leave. He had followed me around all week acting as a bodyguard of sorts.

"Where are you heading my Queen?" Felix asked, walking at my pace with his hands behind his back.

"Wherever the Kings are." I replied trying to match his tone. He nodded.

"The throne room. Trials have just ended." He said, his voice void of emotion.

Trails. Aro had explained to me that they were the people that kept the vampire world from exposing themselves to humans. They kept the law intact and enforced it with punishments when they needed to.

Felix pushed open the doors to the throne room, I hadn't even realised we had arrived. I walked in to find the three men standing in the middle of the room talking to one another. They turned their heads towards me, each of them gaining their own smile.

"Tesoro." Marcus greeted happily, stepping forward.

Maybe it was the weird week practically spent alone but I moved forward and gave Marcus a hug. He tensed in surprise but seemed to relax. He returned the gesture wrapping his arms around me. I sighed quietly in content at the feeling of being held, and funnily enough the aching in my chest had calmed down slightly.

Test the theory Thea.

I pulled away and moved toward Aro repeating the action. My chest felt even better. Aro seemed hesitant to put his hands on me, but like Marcus relaxed. He held me tight. I felt so wanted in this moment. Once more I pulled away and headed for Caius who had his arms open making me smile.

He pulled me in close, burying his face in my neck. His arms around my waist, mine around his neck. I had to stand on my tippy toes but I didn't mind. The pain was gone, I was no longer uncomfortable. I never wanted to let go, just wanted to stay here. But looking over to Jane and Alec staring at me, made me pull away.

"Sorry that was uncharacteristic of me." I even shocked myself with the big word. But in truth it was.

"It's quite alright." Aro chuckled. He seemed so happy, it made me want to jump with glee.

"I guess I missed you." My eyes widened at my words. Now I felt uncomfortable, I didn't know what had come over me. I looked up at the three of them, seemingly beaming at me. "Sorry." I frowned.

"No need to apologise Carissima." Caius smiled lifting his hand to cup my cheek. I blushed way more than I should have, turning Caius' smile into a smirk.

"How about we go for a walk?" Marcus suggested to which I agreed. Soon enough all four of us were outside strolling through the garden.

"Althea-"

"Just Thea, please." I cut off Aro but he smiled regardless.

"Thea, I wanted to ask why you are alone on your vacation." He asked. The question made my heart hurt.

"I don't have any friends...or family. So alone was all I had." I replied sitting down on a stone bench. Flowers grew around the legs of it. Pretty.

"You don't have anyone?" Marcus sat down next to me his voice filled with sympathy. I shook my head with a tight smile. Caius sat down on my right and Aro pulled up a garden chair to sit in front of me.

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking?" Aro seemed more intrigued. Maybe it was because I hadn't let him see inside my mind yet.

"My parents were killed when I was eight. I grew up in the foster system until I was eighteen." It was a sad story but to live it was worse, but I had grown tough, had a thick skin because of everything I'd been through.

"I'm so very sorry for your loss." Marcus rubbed my back gently.

"It was a really long time ago." I couldn't say I moved on because I never really had time to grieve. I was shoved into a place where the woman was cruel and didn't care if my parents had died. I had to deal with it.

"It must have been difficult." Caius muttered.

"Yeah." I didn't look up the whole time I talked, I could feel tears starting to form.

"I apologise mia cara. It was not my intent to upset you." Aro said sincerely.

"I just don't like to think about it." My voice broke when I looked up at him. "It wasn't easy. To live through that." He was saddened by my words.

"Did they ever catch the people that did it?" Caius asked softly his fingers lacing with mine. It brought me a small amount of comfort.

"No. I saw them, but when the police brought me in to identify the people they had gotten, it wasn't them. Eventually the case just went away." I closed my eyes for a moment trying to rid myself of the images that plagued my mind. I leaned my head against Marcus' shoulder.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" I asked out loud. I realised that I only slept well when I was with them. I blinked up at Aro to see him looking confused.

"I get nightmares. But they go away when you're with me." I played with Caius' fingers nervously waiting for a reply.

"Of course, we'd be happy to stay with you Tesoro." Marcus mumbled. I pulled back from his shoulder and leaned up to peck his cheek. Again, I had done something that felt out of my control, it was as though whenever I was with them I lost all sense of principle.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me." I covered my hand with my mouth.

"You have no reason to apologise. It's perfectly normal to feel that way around your mates." Marcus smiled.

"Perfectly normal? It's perfectly normal to wanna kiss three people all day long." I deadpanned at what I said getting up and walking away before I could say anything else. "Idiot." I shook my head.

"You're no idiot bellissima." Aro said making me jump out of my skin with a little screech. He went to apologise but I stopped him.

"I'm okay. Just a little out of sorts." I ran a hand through my hair.

"Perhaps you should eat something?" Marcus suggested as he appeared next to Aro with Caius.

"Mm food sounds like a great idea."

Yayyyyyy they're connecting!