Long Live the Queen

One

     War was stirring in the vampire world, with the Cullens harbouring an apparent immortal child and Irina heading to the Volturi things were going to get messy. Callisto could feel the tension building over the last few days. War coursed through her veins, the itch to destruct was present and pinning for her attention.

    "Something is coming." Her velvety voice bounced around the throne room, her husband sitting to her right and brother to her left, both their backs straightened slightly and hands griped the arm rest of their thrones tightly. Callisto always knew when something was coming, it was like a sixth sense everyone said, the best part about it is she was never wrong.

     "Irina Denali is here to speak with you, she wants to report a crime." Callisto smiled, there was her something.

     "Irina, it has been so long." Formalities were never the Queens forte, she was very straight forward but her brother enjoyed the theatrics of dragging things out.

     "Aro, I am sorry to intrude but it is urgent." Aro and Cauis stood from their thrones, Cauis had made it very clear all those thousands of years ago that Callisto was not to interact with the common vampires without the guard present.

     "Let me look dear." Callisto practically bounced in her spot as Aro took a hold of the Denali girls hand. War was coming, violence was going to prevail and Callisto would not miss out like she always had. Cauis never let her come to war, never had she fought in the battles she trained for. The only death she saw to was the guilty ones who kneeled before her and the Kings.

     "Oh my, this is certainly an atrocious crime." Irina nodded solemnly. Callisto could see the guilt and regret coursing through Irina's eyes but anger and hatred trumped and the malice smirk replaced her frown. How exciting the Queen thought, a crime brought out by revenge.

     "Well brother?" Cauis was feeding off the excitement coming from his wife, he knew this was going to be brutal and he was excited.

     "It seems our old friends have created an immortal child, the Cullens have been quite pesky but this is well beyond forgivable." Thrill ripple through Callisto's body, she had been present when the Denali's mother had changed a baby only years after her daughters. A vengeful action this was.

      "I believe a visit is due." Excitement dripped off the words from the Queen who was still seated. Caius and Aro knew Callisto would not sit out, there was no way they could even ask her to sit out. The queen would have the final ruling as always and they knew she would not be merciful.

     As the plotting began in Volterra the slight little vampire named Alice had been sucked into a vision. Alice knew if her heart was beating it most likely would have exploded in fear. The Volturi were coming and the Queen as the head.

     "Callisto is coming." It was not the Volturi people feared anymore but it was Callisto herself. The women with eyes so cunning and enchanting they willed you to kill yourself. Hands so smooth and dainty yet so brutal and murderous. Carlisle had remembered seeing Callisto in action, it reminded him of the Greek tale of Medusa. Her eyes seemed to turn vampires to stone, they couldn't look anywhere but in those pool of rubies and it was then, when you were immobile that she would lay her delicate hands on you. Carlisle shuddered at the thought of Callisto executing him, he could feel the fear wash over his skin and sink deep into his soul.

     "Who's is Callisto." The Cullens had forgot they had left Bella in the dark, Callisto was sort of behind the history books, most only knew of her if they have seen her or from stories passed down.

     "Cauis's wife, Queen Callisto." It was very clear that there was a certain air of respect and loyalty that the Cullen family had for the Queen. The Cullens had spoken of Aro and Cauis Volturi more as friends and never referred to them as Kings but the way Carlisle said Queen was a tell tale sign that she was different.

     "Why is she any different? she wasn't there when Edward and I where in Italy." The Cullen family didn't know the answer to that, all sets of eyes were on Carlisle as he pondered his time with the Volturi. In the 100 years he had spent with them he had gotten to know Callisto well, she was often interested in his medical studies and he was more than happy to educate the Queen.

     "Callisto doesn't partake in the assisted suicide, she finds it boring. Callisto is the head of the Volturi not Aro, but she hands down the things she doesn't want to Aro as Caius is the same a her. She never leaves the castle so if she is coming here it is to kill." Carlisles mind was moving 100miles and minute it seemed.

    "What do you mean she heads the Volturi, why is she coming to kill?" Bella wanted a real answer, she wanted the whole story.

     "Callisto has been with the Volturi even when the brothers were humans fighting in Ancient Greece. She was the daughter of a General, Caius was infatuated with her and he had left his own fathers army to join Callisto's fathers. He had proven himself to be a worthy warrior and moved up the ranks quickly but Callisto's father would not marry her off just because. It wasn't until later that Caius found out Callisto was the reason they had never lost a war, her father had told him just before they were changed that Callisto had a gift from the Gods. She could feel the fights coming, it's the danger lit up her blue eyes apparently, a sixth sense is what you could describe it as, but whatever it was it kept her father from giving her away to Caius but Caius was persistent and won her over easily. The night before they were changed Callisto told him they would come out different after the next days fight and that is  when they were turned. A few rogue vampires had attacked and of course the humans were no match but Aro had saved them, he remembered Callisto and Caius from several meetings he had attended with his father. All three of them come from high families, all of them had riches and armies behind them and they used that. Vampires did not hide themselves back then and that is how they won. Callisto never fought only directed and both brothers led human armies into battles. For hundreds of years Aro and Cauis conquered Greece and Italy, they had moved against Caesar and won."

     "Julius Caesar?"

     "Yes, you cannot believe majority of what you read in the history books, most of it was written to hide what really happened. Anyways, after Caesars death they had disappeared leaving their army under the command of some random. They had founded the Volturi in 45 BC, that is their first documented trial. Callisto and Caius had quickly fallen in love, that is how the discovery of soulmates had arisen, Aro had recorded anything and everything, experiments had been done and facts were created. They have actually done the vampire race wonders, being the first to really understand the inner and outer working of our kind. But with Caius and Callisto as soulmates they had unwillingly submitted to each other, Callisto loyal Cauis like she should've been but Cauis putting her happiness before his own life. They are the best counter parts and the worst nightmare. Caius is willing to die, to slaughter and conquer for her while Callisto unleashes the monster that lives within to keep her husband safe. Callisto had still used the gift from the Gods to benefit the Volturi and that is what put her above Aro and Caius, she always knew and she was always ready and right. They had never lost a battle because of her and they were never unprepared. Aro and Caius treat her like a Goddess and they never really question her. The only downside of Callisto always knowing is that they will come for collection not communication."

     "They aren't looking for a civil discussion then."

     "No, they won't be and it will be hard to convince them to listen." Carlisle knew the only way to get them to stand down long enough was to incapacitate Callisto but they had no clue how to do that.

     "I know you don't want to Carlisle but our only option is to take her out."

     "I know, we must do what we have to." The pain Carlisle felt betraying his Queen and long time friend was excruciating but his gifted son and never led them a stray and he doubted he would now.

     With the final words of the coven leader the Cullens set forward to take down their queen.