Woman of the Hour // volturi kings

33. ew math

As the year went on, the castle fell into a steady rhythm, all be it a dull one. Her kings, although as attentive as ever, were always busy. Their months of slacking off to spend time with her had led to a backlog of queries and trials. They didn't have for their usual date nights or day trips around the country, but she didn't hold it against them. She'd sit quietly in their office while they spent countless hours replying to letters and entertaining their few guests, keeping herself occupied with her own writing. One of them would always be with her when she slept, always in her own room and never theirs.

She had quickly been enrolled in university, and Aro managed to be convincing enough that they allowed her to do most of her work from the castle. A few well-placed bribes and donations here and there never really hurt anyone. When she did have to attend classes, she was always closely followed by Caius.

He walked her to and from classes and waited outside the door for the hours she was inside. He'd carry her bag and books, wrap an arm about her waist and glare at any male that dared look her way. Most of her classmates avoided her, either intimidated or flustered, but the rare few tried to befriend her.

Those that did were met with her cold demeanor. It's not that she didn't like new people, it's that she didn't want to get attached. She'd give them notes if they asked, helped them in class too. But she refused all invitations to meet outside of college, and when her peers saw her walking through the halls with the stoic-faced, strikingly handsome man closely at her side, it all made sense.

Nonetheless, she was flourishing. She had no trouble with her any of her classes and was ahead in the syllabus. Her kings translated anything she needed, and the younger vampires helped her with anything they could. She was on track to finish at the end of the following year. 

"Why are there so many numbers?" Jane groaned, throwing a sheet of paper across the floor.

She and Claire were going over the mess of the Volturi chequebooks and accounts. The kings were terrible with keeping track of their money, and the constant cycle of human receptionists just muddled it further. She was trying to get a handle on it before she graduated, and at this rate it wouldn't be done for another year at least. Jane didn't really know what she was doing, but Claire was a good teacher and never lost patience with her.

"Why are there so many receipts for suits?" Claire whined in return. She had a whole envelop full in front of her and another handful in her lap. "They only wear black, why do they need so many?"

She threw herself backwards onto the carpet, throwing the receipts into the air with a dramatic sigh. "They're going to kill me before they bite me."

Jane giggled at her and shifted over to lie beside her. The two of them were practically best friends now, and everyone knew it. Dimitri and Alec would sulk together when the girls spent time together, and Felix mocked them openly for it.

The other guards were friendly enough with her, but still wary. Heidi had taken her shopping a few times, and Chelsea always tagged along. But Claire suspected that was because the kings gave her unlimited access to their bank accounts.

"Christmas is a month," Claire suddenly mused. "I don't know what to get them."

They had everything they could want, and if they didn't, they would just go out and buy it. Secretly, she'd already purchased gifts for the entirety of the guard. And she planned to use some of the money from selling her parent's home to pay off the Malloy's mortgage.

"Maybe a new suit each?" Jane suggested with a smirk. Claire reached out beside her and ruffled the girl's hair.

"Don't be a smartass." Jane could still hear the smile on her voice. "I have ideas, but I don't even know where to start."

"Do you need help?" Jane was quick to sit up and rest on her elbow, looking down at Claire. Even though she was obligated to help her queen when asked, she offered it to her willingly out of friendship.

"Please?" Claire pouted at Jane sarcastically. Jane smacked her arm lightly and they both fell into a fit of giggles.

Once they had calmed down, Claire sat up again and turned to Jane. "Do you think the boys would help us break into a museum?"

"Yes!" Alec and Dimitri pushed open to doors and tumbled into the room, falling with a loud thud in a tangled heap on the floor. Felix stood behind them, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"Idiots," he mumbled and stepped over them, coming to sit on the edge of Claire's large bed.

"Have you lot been outside my door the entire time?" Claire sounded unamused, raising her brow at the group. Jane snickered while Alec and Dimitri scrambled to their feet, looking rather flustered.

They sat in a silence for a minute, Claire's eyes boring into them as they shifted awkwardly. She looked mad; brows scrunched together as she scrutinized them.

She suddenly broke into a grin and Jane fell backwards in laughter. "You should have seen your faces!"

"You're so mean," Dimitri whined. He and Alec sat down with a huff, crossing their arms and scowling.

"No, you're just very easy to confuse." Claire chuckled at them then reached across, petting them both on the knee to assure them she didn't mean harm. "So, you said you wanted to help?"

"I always wanted to be a cat burglar," Dimitri mused.

"Little black latex suit and all?" Felix jabbed playfully. Dimitri growled lowly as the rest of them chuckled.

"Anyway!" Claire interjected before the squabbling continued. "Are you going to help us, or are you just going to bicker like old women?"

a/n: sorry for no upload last week. but i mean, y'all are getting a heist chapter so hopefully that makes up for it? lmao.