𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍 ; volturi kings

CHAPTER XVIII

CHAPTER XVIII

Jasmine lounged upon a large, cream-coloured loveseat, leaning into the warmth radiating from the midday sun- the small, crystalline particles within her skin were glistening as rays of light bounced off of them.

The vast, blue sky stretched out above her, sporadic groups of puffy, white vapour floating along peacefully.

The sky in Forks, as she remembers, was always dull; the grey threat of rain, shielded out by an opaque layer of tall trees and miserable fog.

The sky when she and Nadia were visiting Spain was pure, unfiltered heat- the lemony mornings bled into the orange days, and then the cherry evenings, but not a single cloud was in sight the whole trip.

And now: a perfect, pristine balance.

"Are we going to do something fun, or are you going to keep staring at me whilst I pretend that I haven't noticed?" Jas spoke aloud into the empty balcony in front of her, but Caius' quiet chuckle from behind confirmed her suspicions.

"I'm fine with either option."

She rolled her eyes and turned to face him, "where are we going then?" She asked, excitement seeping into her voice.

"You'll see," he replied, offering her a hand which she grasped immediately.

A small piece of her soul slid into place upon touching him, upon having physical confirmation that he was actually there- that she wasn't going to suddenly open her eyes and be back in her bedroom in Forks.

Her blonde mate led the way, elegantly strolling through the large, marble halls (which Jas was sure she would eventually get lost in), and entered a large room.

The first thing her enhanced senses picked up on was the lingering chemical aroma, and then the abundance of colours that graced her eyes.

Upon rough canvases, delicate streaks lay, paving into every direction, creating a heavenly combination.

"Huh."

Her noise of acknowledgement caused Caius, who had been anxiously standing as she surveyed the room, to shoot his head up, "what?"

She smiled reassuringly, "You're very talented, y'know."

So many people had said that to him through the centuries, too many to count- but this was different. He could feel her praise resonating deep inside and, if he were still human, he may have even blushed slightly.

And then, she kept talking, and he could feel his goddamned undead heart speed up.

"I mean, that's an understatement, to be honest. I'm not big on art, but-"

The concept of having a soulmate both completed and destroyed him- this... this beautiful creature was somehow supposed to be for him? For three of the most ungodly animals to ever grace this earth?

"And the colour usage here is just-"

However, a change in perspective awakened him.

She wasn't just for him, he was for her too.

And, if she allowed him to, he would gladly worship the ground that she walked upon for the rest of his immortal life.

"Oh, she's pretty... Who's this?"

But, obviously, things were never that easy.

"Caius?" Jas called to her mate, motioning to the painting in front of her.

There had previously been a thin sheet covering the canvas, but it was a half-hearted effort, tossed over in a fit of emotion.

A hauntingly beautiful woman sat, brushing her long, blonde hair- her cold, scarlet eyes stared back at Jasmine, and her ruby-painted lips were raised in the ghost of a smile.

"I- that's... that's Athenodora."

"Huh..."

An awkward moment of silence sat, but was suddenly broken by Jas' inquisitive behaviour, "is she your ex or something?"

Caius' eyes widened comically, "I- what?"

"I mean, it's kinda obvious."

"Oh."

He thoughts for a moment, and Jasmine began to worry that she had crossed some sort of line.

"It's fine if you don't-"

"She was my ex-wife."

Of course, Jas knew somewhere in the rational part of her mind that her mates must have had other relationships- they had been alive for millennia longer than herself. But, she could still feel a bitter sting in the emotional part.

"We were all married at some point- we were just waiting for a more appropriate, stable time to tell you..."

"Fair enough," she shrugged.

"Plus, it's still a bit of a sore subject for Marcus."

That final comment caught her attention, "what happened?" She asked.

Caius sighed, taking a moment before explaining.

"Athenodora, Sulpicia- Aro's wife- and Didyme- Marcus' wife, and Aro's sister- were slaughtered by feral werewolves, a hundred or so years ago."

"That's terrible," Jas touched his arm, a sympathetic expression upon her face.

"It was over a hundred years ago."

"Trauma like that doesn't just go away."

"My trauma is nothing you need to concern yourself with, amore."

Jasmine went to speak again, but then stopped herself at Caius' distant expression.

My poor mates, she thought.

A/N:
this is such a random note but for the entirety of this chap I just imagined him wearing the purple shirt (like in shadow hunters)-