The Volturi

I Do...

Giggling reverberated off the walls. Swift footfalls raced down the hall. A girl, no older than fifteen, turned a sharp corner, loose wheat-colored flying behind her. She turned, her steps coming to a halt as she caught her breath.

"Alec?" she questioned, "Al-ah!"

Alec had his arms around the girl's waist in under a second. "You called?"

The girl was a mess of giggles as she turned in her guard's arms. "I hate when you do that," she complained, yet her smile said otherwise.

"Don't lie," Alec teased, "We both know you love it, Princess."

The princess rolled her eyes and smacked her friend's chest. "By order of the princess, I order you to stop sneaking up on me when we play tag!"

"Order?" Alec questioned, his eyes alight with a wicked gleam, "you order me?"

The princess' smile faded as she backed away from Alec's embrace. For every step she took away, Alec took one forward.

"Al-"

"-I suggest you run, Princess."

Quickly, the mortal princess turned and ran the way she came. She was halfway down the corridor when Alec was upon her, tickling her as her laughter filled the hall once more.

The violinists began their piece as the church doors opened. Aro stood proud at the entryway as his stepdaughter stood by his side in all white, her face obscured by her veil. The guests rose and whispered their ohs and ahs about how beautiful the bride was, but Alec couldn't help but notice the princess's grip on Aro's sleeve was tight.

"Alec."

Alec looked at the princess on her bean bag chair, a bottle of blue nail polish in one hand and the applicator in the other. "Yes, Princess?"

She paused mid-stroke on her toenail. "You know you don't have to call me Princess all the time."

"Then what should I call you?"

The girl turned those aquamarine eyes onto her protector. "My friends call me Addie."

The king and princess began their walk down the aisle, each step bringing Addie closer to her destiny. Alec watched from the pews as Addie passed him and could have sworn he saw tears clouding her eyes. Alec turned his attention to the groom, a man-child whose father had conducted business with the Volturi for years, whispered to his Best Man, his eyes not straying from Addie.

"Alexander Volturi!" Addie yelled as she slammed up the lounge doors.

Alec had his back to the doors, his hand wrapped tightly around his drink. The other guards watched as the princess stalked into the room, her attention squarely on Alec's back.

"Leave us," she commanded.

The room cleared instantly leaving the pair alone.

"Princess Adelaide," Alec greeted with a nod.

Addie stared at the immortal a mixture of emotions on her face. Her throat bobbed as she forced the words out. "Aro told me you requested a new position..."

Alec nodded. "I have."

"Why?"

"I've been compromised," Alec finished the last of his drink, "I'm sure Santiago will be a wonderful-"

"-It was a simple kiss!" argued the princess.

Alec turned his hardened stare onto her. Addie took a step back. "We both know it wasn't!"

Addie looked at the floor. "Alec, we can pretend it was nothing...we can return to how we were before..."

Alec reached over the bar retrieving he bottle of blood bourbon and poured himself a drink. "We know we can't...there was too much in that kiss."

"And who gives this woman to this man?" asked the roly-poly-shaped priest.

"That would be me," answered Aro.
He turned Addie to him, lifted her veil, and kissed her cheek before lifting his lips to her ear.

"You are doing a great service to the Volturi."

Addie bit the inside of her cheek to keep her retort to herself and taking the outstretched hand of her soon-to-be husband, she climbed the stairs and stood by his side.

She stole a glance over to her spouse. There was nothing physically wrong with him, sun-tanned skin, deep brown eyes, luxurious brown locks that coiled into ringlets, a muscular build that seemed ordinary for an Italian man, but he was not the man that held her heart.
As the priest continued, she turned her head to her family's side of the church and saw Alec already staring at her. She was taken back to their last conversation days before.

"I'll kill him," Alec seethed as he headed for the doors.

Addie rushed in front of him, using her body as a shield to the door. "Alec, he's too powerful! People will notice if he goes missing!"

"Rich powerful men die all the time," Alec argued, "no one will miss him!"

"Alec, baby, please see the reason," Addie begged. "Our world is at stake."

Alec prowled the area in front of Addie, reminding her of a caged tiger. "The masters will not meet his demands."

"They have," she informed, "to keep our secret safe, they found a way to make him behave..."

Alec stopped, he knew his girlfriend/princess well enough to know when she didn't tell him something. "What are you hiding, my love?"

Addie's misty eyes turned to her boyfriend. "I'm so sorry..." she sobbed.

"Ad-"

Addie removed her left hand from her pocket, revealing a diamond ring resting on her finger. "I'm marrying his son in four days...."

"Adelaide Volturi-"

Adelaide turned back to the priest and annoyed-looking partner. "Huh?" She questioned.

"We're at the part of the exchanging of vows and rings, Honey," the man, Anton, said sweetly, yet his eyes spoke of a different story. "We're waiting on yours."

Adelaide looked over to Jane, her maid of honor, and reached out her hand. "The ring, please."

Jane handed over the ring. "Repeat after me," the priest instructed as Adelaide placed the ring slightly onto Anton's finger.

"I vow to support you-"

"I vow to support you..."

"Inspire you-"

"Inspire you..."

"And love you always-"

Adelaide swallowed. "And love you always..."

"For as long as we both shall live, I will be by your side-"

"For as long as we both shall live, I will be by your side..."

"For better or worse-"

Adelaide felt her mouth go dry. "For better or worse."

"In sickness and in health-"

Adelaide saw her tears collecting, clouding her vision. "In sickness and in health."

"For richer or poorer-"

"For richer or poorer..."

Adelaide held her composure as she slid Anton's wedding band onto his finger and looked into his eyes. "I do."

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride!"

Adelaide felt her tears fall as Anton pulled her in close and kissed her. She wobbled and had to throw her arms around his neck to stabilize herself as the crowd cheered. The newlyweds turned to their now shared family. Anton waved and smiled as Adelaide gave weak nods and held onto Anton's hand as they descended the steps.
She made the mistake of looking over to where she last saw Alec standing, only to see the vacant stop and felt her heart break once more.