✔️TOUCH | Caius Volturi

12.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE, Noah had been forced to join for a 'Volturi meeting' and he sat on the steps of the dias in front of Caius' throne with what was likely an incredibly disgruntled look. He felt like a pet dog sitting at the feet of his master but he supposed he wasn't the only one reduced to such an embarrassing setting. Athenodora sat on his left though she had left Donnatella in her rooms for reasons unknown-- perhaps Donnatella just simply did not like the meetings, Noah wouldn't blame her if that was the case. If Noah had been given the option, he certainly would not have joined them.

Even Sulpicia was present on the podium though she chose to stand more modestly at her husband's side. It was bizarre for Noah to consider how nonexistent his relationship with Sulpicia was. He had made many friends within the Volturi-- most recently with Jane and Alec who he had, truthfully, been previously ignoring simply as they were said to have been Aro's favourite. Noah tended to avoid most things that regarded the raven-haired king, he only so much as spoke to Aro for the five minutes a day he was forced to be in his presence. Noah was still forced to touch Aro daily to sustain his addiction though more than once Caius had defended his honour on the matter.

Noah wasn't sure what he had expected the Volturi to discuss in their meetings, perhaps wars or missions... Not parties. Noah, understandably loathed parties of any kind, they were places where too many people were crowded together, drinking and touching one another where touch ought not to occur. He was adamant he would not be going and it seemed to him to be the safest option. In a room full of vampires, what was to stop him from being eaten? Safe for the obvious fact that he would make them immobile the second they tried?

It did not take him long to learn that free will was not something they had in mind for Noah. The thought of very high windows returned and Noah smiled to himself, assessing the lines of vampires in front of them. The guards all stood in lines with the shortest at the front and the tallest at the back as though they were at some sort of scout meeting though none of them met his gaze, they were all staring at the kings over his head. Aro had listed the usual highly boring guard duties that needed to be fulfilled and then when the mention of parties had started, Noah officially decided that meetings were not where he wanted to be-- just as parties weren't.

"Pray tell who we would even invite to such an occasion?" Marcus wondered, turning to Aro conversely as though there were not dozens of others in the room. Sulpicia was not even concerned with people contradicting her husband, she knew what he was like and it amused Noah to know that she would not stand in the line of fire for him. Noah knew that he was too hot-headed to not defend Caius if needed-- he was the only one who could insult the blond Volturi king.

"We have friends," Aro informed, placing the tips of his fingers together, Noah leant back onto the steps so that he could look back at the kings. It was beyond uncomfortable to him that the guards still stood staring at them.

"We haven't any friends, Dear," Sulpicia breezed and Noah decided he liked her more. "We haven't had any since our... disagreement in America," she stated. The disagreement was a curious point of interest to Noah, it was quite some years ago and yet he had much of it. It interested him because the war had all begun when a vampire fell in love with a human. Noah could not understand how their situation was any different from his with Caius-- safe, he supposed, for the fact that Noah was a prisoner because of his knowledge and eternally bound to become a vampire.

"Well then, this shall be the perfect opportunity to make amends," Aro nodded to himself. He always thought he was right-- that was one of the things Noah disliked about Aro. He said stupid things with the confidence of a king. No amends would be made. He had not met any of them and yet he could already see that. "We shall invite them all, be hospitable as ever and they shall forgive us, I am certain. Besides, with Noah in our presence, they will see that we are open to making friends with humans."