𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐌𝐀︱Volturi kings

𝐕: 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝑾𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒖𝒑 

𝑾𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏' 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒏𝒍𝒊𝒕 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎

⁂

The east wing, Juliette quickly realized, was the human wing.

There was an obvious difference that separated the east wing from the rest of the castle. Stone floors were still present, but at glance they appeared modern and new. There was no worn walkway time carved into the material, and under her feet they felt commercial. At the very least, the walls weren't boarded up with awful wood and trimming as the office was. Instead, they were simple stone blocks with equally artless wooden framed windows.

She found herself missing the antique smell of masonry and, indescribably, just old ambiance. It was similar to how ancient artifacts smelled, but earthier.

Not for the first time, she regretted ever taking her leave from school, from anthropology.

This wing was reminiscent of stone polish and citrus candles. The modest human accommodations were a strange contrast from the opulent vampire rooms she had been exposed to.

If not for the vampire leading her, she would have taken a moment to reach out and feel the stone, close her eyes and pretend that this was simply another study trip.

Even worse, the castle as a whole was largely different from her home in Forks. The sharp feeling in her chest returned as she thought of her dad, pictured his betrayal. For a selfish moment, she wanted him to regret that they never did make it to the diner for dinner, as he had promised.

She tried to shake the feeling off, feeling even more shameful.

Demetri continued to guided her to the furthest end of the long hall, where two wooden doors waited for them. He opened them both, but did not enter. Juliette found it strange, but didn't risk voicing her query.

"Thank you," she told him, voice strained and quiet, broken and sad.

Her head remained forward, taking in what she assumed was her new room. She wasn't sure what she was thanking him for. Thank you for not killing me, thank you for not killing my sister, thank you for walking me here. Neither felt right to say.

From her peripheral he simply nodded once, and she stepped into the room.

Juliette expected to hear the door close, but when it didn't she assumed he had left.

Then, curtly, his voice followed into the room. "Your belongings will be brought here tonight."

She turned around at that, seeing his still remained outside of the entryway.

"My belongings?" Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion, met with an exasperated look. "... Alice."

Demetri nodded, once as he did before, and the doors closing finished their conversation.

Even with him gone, Juliette didn't feel alone in the room.

Releasing a heavy breath, she took in the room.

It was bigger than her own room at home, but not overwhelmingly so. On the furthest end of the room, there was one window, a simple upholstered bench underneath it. On the left wall there was a fireplace, made of the same mismatched brown and beige stone as the walls. Next to it was a rounded doorway, which she assumed and hoped was to a bathroom. Against the right wall was a bed, the larger than any she had been in before.