The Alchemist

Chapter 24

'I really was the unwanted unloved one if they could easily throw me into the lion's den like this.' I thought when I couldn't throw anything else and tears came at that realization. For the first time in over a year did I cry. I cried tears I didn't know were falling. I don't know how long I sat with my arms around my knees crying into my arms hiding my face. I only stopped when Alec came.

"Did something happen? Why is your room such a mess?" He looked so serious as his eyes searched for any threat before checking to see if I got hurt.

"I-I'm sorry. I'll fix it I promise, please don't hit me." I shielded myself from the hit that might come.

"That's not what I asked but come. Master Aro wanted to speak with you." He led me back to the throne room. I wiped any stray tears from my eyes before entering the room. The kings were alone now.

"Ah Miss Swan." The old king greeted me.

"Please call me Leona, sir. Miss Swan is my foolish sister." Slowly I calmed down from tearing up.

"Very well, Miss Leona it is then. I have called for you as I would like to hear from you your story. I may have seen it all through my gift but I have some questions and would like to hear it all from you." Aro explained.

Of course. "Where would you like me to begin?" I wondered what he wanted to know.

He pretended to think about it. "You said you were adopted? I saw no such memory of this." So, the beginning then. I sat down on the floor  knowing this would take a while. and explained everything from what Frank had explained to me and Renee too about that day I was conceived. Then about my youth being one of many hurtful moments between mother and child. How she blamed me for everything wrong in her life. Then when she left Charlie, he adopted me as his own daughter. Not officially as he was already on the birth certificate but Renee never allowed me to introduce myself as a Swan.

Charlie became in every way my real parent. I told them about my teenage years taking care of anything broken to try and make Renee proud anyway I could. Then I left for the army and I told them about Mark and about our little baby. About losing them and the use of my hands. I showed them the scars too. Marcus took an interest in the tattoos.

"Those tattoos, do you know what they mean?" He asked interrupting my storytelling.

"I know they are alchemy circles but I'm not exactly sure on the types they are. I was just fascinated by the design." I answered.

"If you are interested, I could show you." The two other kings seemed surprised at the interest their third brother showed in the human.

I smiled genuinely interested. When I was younger "I would like that." I finished my story explaining about meeting the Cullens, James' group of misfits including my biological father, about the break up between Edward and Bella and about the wolves, knowing I couldn't leave them out as Aro had probably seen them in my memories.

Now it was Caius' turn to interrupt. "Children of the moon?" He demanded to know.

I thought for a second about how to explain this properly. "No. These wolves can control their phasing. They call themselves werewolves but I would rather compare them to shapeshifters. They only do so to protect the humans from their tribe against vampires which is the only reason they even exist. If you don't come near their territory, there is no problem with them. Which reminds me I should make a few calls... I forgot my charger, great." My phone was very low on battery.

"Yes that was another matter I wanted to discuss with you. I understand you didn't know of the plan to keep you here therefore you have not prepared for a prolonged stay, correct?" Aro asked.

"Correct." I nodded.

"As soon as the weather allows it you can go into town, while guarded of course, and get anything you might need to last you a while."

"Thank you. That's really kind of you." Perhaps they were not as bad as the Cullens made them seem.

"Am I to assume you need supplies to repair what you broke in your room?" He asked.

"Oh you heard that?" I was a little embarrassed they heard all that.

"Yes. We all did. Young Alec here, didn't even finish his meal to go see if you were harmed." Way to make me feel bad.

 Turning around I saw Alec stand two feet behind me. "I'm sorry to have interrupted your feeding." I told the guard looking up.. 

"You are not disgusted by us feeding from humans?" He asked surprised.

"I have seen animals hunt their prey so it doesn't disgust me and I understand it is your natural nourishment. Therefore, I can live with it as long as it done to feed and not for just the killing or power." I hate those kinds of people so the same goes for vampires. Alec seemed to try and stare into my soul as if to find out if I was lying. Now that I got a good look at his eyes I felt a sense of familiarity. As if I had seen them before.

"Ah, you are very interesting miss Leona." Aro spoke up. That broke our staring contest.

"Thank you. I'll go clean up my room now and I should probably make a list of what I will need." I said getting up and shaking my legs.

"Oh Heidi will be able to help with that." Right at that moment the doors opened.

"Hello miss Leona." A very beautiful, even for vampire standards, woman walked in. 

"Hello miss Heidi, if I was into women, you would probably be my type." That just flapped out unfiltered. What the hell? The vampires seemed amused at this.

She chuckled at my embarrassment. "Thank you, You are kind of pretty yourself." She walked with me to my room where we quickly cleaned everything and I made a list of things I needed to stay here for a while and to repair some stuff. We could go out in a couple of days so she let me borrow clothes for the time being. The secretary let me use her charger for a bit so I could call dad and Paul.

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Have a nice week!!!