Viking's Mate (Twilight OC X OC)

Chapter 54: Italy Part 2

The next several days in Volterra go by similarly. Ivar and I going to different parts of the castle, meeting different people. Demetri was a great pianist, and we had fun playing around with music for several hours. He was surprisingly modern with his tastes. Felix was also more modern, though more so with movies, which made me instantly connect with him. We bonded over films and over teasing Ivar for still having such limited movie knowledge.

Heidi was an interesting person to meet. Ivar had told me in the past they had shared a few nights together, but only a long time ago. When Heidi saw Ivar, she turned on a flirtatious smile to him. When she went to touch his arm, he backed up with a disgusted look and used that moment to draw her attention to me, and introduced me as his mate, placing his arms around me possessively. She eyed me up and down in a judging way, and I just gave a dead stare back at her, portraying no emotions, letting her know her opinion of me didn't matter. She seemed to internally relent, because her smile went from condescending to polite. We then chatted with her about the history of the town and things to do in Italy, and I found myself surprised that I got along with her. Though if she touched my mate again, I wouldn't hesitate to remove her hand. From her own body.

Another interesting meeting we had was with Caius and Jane. Ivar and I had been walking around the castle halls, and I had stopped to admire a fascinating painting. It was a depiction of the Angel of Death.

"This is a beautiful piece. The Angel of Death." I observe the gorgeous painting. "Not accurate," I mutter to Ivar with a smirk. "But a stunning take on them, all the same."

"What do you mean, not accurate?" I hear a scoff and an annoyed voice suddenly appear behind me. "You know nothing of anything, let along death. You are just a human." Caius says pompously, scowling down at me.

"Death can have many meanings, many depictions." I say plainly to him, turning my back to him and facing the painting again. "They can either be the one who does the deeds, the Executioner, sending people to their deaths. They can be the Guide, the being that brings the souls from the physical world to the afterlife. Or they can be the God of Death, the Ruler, if you will. The final judge. This depiction here is of the Guide, I believe. It is beautifully imagined, with the stunning black wings."

"It is the Guide." He says haughtily, but interested in my words. "I based it on the legends of the Angel."

"You painted this, Caius?" I ask politely in surprise, turning to see him nod slightly. "It's done superbly. Did you do many of the other paintings in the castle?"

"Yes. I change them regularly, so as not to get bored." He replies shortly.

"If you ever look for inspiration, might I suggest a depiction of the God of Death, where they are the master, the ruler. A being beyond the Guide, a being of benevolence." I offer up, wondering if he would create a realistic image of Death as I know them. "An interesting thought, to be the Master of Souls." I add wistfully.

"Indeed." He replies reluctantly, contemplating my suggestion. "If you are bored, there is a collection recently added in the south wing. You may observe those paintings." He says curtly, turning to leave. Jane looks shocked for a moment, before sending me a small glare and departing.

"That was shocking." Ivar says quietly. "No one is often ever permitted to the south wing. That is his private studio area. He must have taken a liking to you."

"Well, I am lovable like that." I smirk wickedly at my soulmate who looks shocked at the event that just passed. "Come, let us see this secret collection." I say happily, and tug him along, urging him to lead me there. We get to the south wing and see truly beautiful pieces of art, ranging from landscapes to portraits. I find my personal favorite is one of ships fighting in the sea at night during a storm. The colors were stunning it, and it felt like the ships were actually moving on the water with how detailed they were.