𝕄𝕪 𝔸𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕝// 𝔹𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕒 𝕊𝕨𝕒𝕟 𝕩 ℂ𝕒𝕦𝕚𝕤 𝕍𝕠𝕝𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕚

My Angel: Chapter 3

'Alec seems nice, Jane.'

"He can be." She returned, with a slight eye roll . "I will leave you to your rest now. I will be in the corridor, should you need anything."

Before I could try to stop her from waiting outside like a sentry, she was gone. I sighed. Talking with Jane had been very interesting. She provided me with a viewpoint that I'm sure is fairly unique among the Volturi guard. Shunned by most, from either her apparent age or her ability, she has managed to earn a soft spot with the kings.

She told me of ruthless Aro's well known love for all things unusual. Which, I'm positive is one of the reasons they haven't killed me yet. Who stabs themselves to pour blood into a vampire's mouth, after all? She also told me how he takes time each week to talk to her and how he encourages her pursuits, whether they be the arts or intellectual study. She knows that this attention only serves to further estrange her from some of the others in the guard, but she would not change it.

We spoke briefly of the cause of Marcus' centuries long melancholy, but it didn't seem right to share idle gossip about such a devastating loss. She did tell me that before, when he still had his wife and soul mate Didyme, that he was quite the artist and promised to show me the pieces throughout the castle that were painted by him. She says he has been known to help her with her painting, when she finds a style difficult to master.

Her account of Caius only serves to confuse me. She shared, that of all the kings, Caius is the most violent and the most likely to condemn a vampire to death for breaking the rules. She went on to tell me that he has never once shown interest in a human outside of finding a meal, and has never been known to hide his disdain for my species in general. Jane has known him far longer than I have, but aside from either not speaking at all or being somewhat snappish, he has not shown any indication that he thinks less of me for being a human. Since he's been out of the cave, he's actually been quite nice to me. My mind can't seem to mesh the two sides into one vampire. Perhaps it's only gratitude? I do know I am not looking forward to the day Caius returns to 'business as usual'. He is most likely accepting my presence as a means-to-an-end, to get the information he wants. I know that my life will most likely end once they have satiated their curiosity, but I have known for years of that possibility. That knowledge will not stop me from enjoying the comforts they are offering in the meantime.

I cross the dark wood floor of the room I've been given for the remainder of my stay. It is simply beautiful. Before now, I didn't know that a room could be undeniably grand without being ostentatious. The walls are a soft, glowing, creamy white. Now normally, I like more color. It is clear, however, that the focus of this room is obviously the architecture, and not the decor. The majority of the color is found by looking up. Beautiful blues, greens, and golds decorate the multitude of squares covering the entire ceiling. The walls are smooth, accented with finely carved moldings and panels of decorative wood trim. The arched windows, with their brilliant moss green curtains, are cased in the same dark wood as the floor, as well as the mantle surrounding the small fireplace directly across from the bed.

Nestled around the fireplace is a cozy conversation area, with two cream colored armchairs and a small pale green sofa with carved arms and feet. On one side of the bed is a bedside table, and on the other, a large wardrobe cabinet that is probably worth a small fortune. It is gorgeous.

As for the bed, I have fallen hopelessly and irrevocably in love. It is finished in a medium-dark brown, with carved panels making up the entire base. Four massive, spiraling posts then rise up to support another rectangle of carved panels, seemingly 'crowning' the bed. From this crown, hangs drapes of moss green, echoing the window panels, yet embroidered with ivory and shining gold. The bedspread is a luminous ivory, trimmed in the same embroidery accents, in gold and green.