Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries

Carefully

carefully - care·ful·ly - /ˈkerf(ə)lē/

1. in a way that deliberately avoids harm or errors; cautiously.

Odessa walked to the throne room with Alec in tow after exploring the castle. He had been the ultimate gentleman in escorting her to every inch of the castle - that was allowable - and making sure to take breaks when she needed them. In an effort to thank him, she gave him chaste kisses on the cheek and held his hand. She let him lean into her and brush against her every so often.

The castle was huge and was divided into at least six sections. The first section she deduced was for their tours and human eyes. It consisted of the front of the castle, or the area near the main entrance where the tours were conducted. This area was well polished and lit up so that the humans could spend their last minutes alive marveling at the architecture and decor of the ancient building. This section also included the human staff's living arrangements and dining area and the throne room. The second section was used for the unimportant members of the Volturi, the no names who most people forgot and only served the purpose of being errand runners or guards for inside the castle. Odessa looked into one of the empty rooms they occupied and shuddered. It was so small it rivaled a closet.

The third section included the main Volturi guard's living space - the area Alec and Jane showed her a little while ago - and their training areas. Only the important Volturi members used this area. The fourth section was for Aro, Caius, and Marcus - their own rooms and entertainment areas. She wasn't allowed to explore much of that section because the 'Do Not Enter' signs on the doors warded her off from entering. The rooms were labeled, and it was easy to sort out which leader used each room. Marcus used the library the most, although all the leaders found some use for it. The art room had to be Caius's. She didn't know the blond that much, but Marcus seemed too depressed to be productive, and Aro didn't seem like the artsy type. The last room surprised Odessa, but at the same time felt fitting for the mind reading vampire. A media room. Who really knew why Aro had it installed, but Odessa chalked it up to the leader trying to stay up to date with current events.

The fifth section was the wives' tower. The stairwell up to the tower was heavily guarded by four vampires and she was not given permission to visit the wives. Athenodora and Sulpicia were unknown to the vampire world because they never left Volterra. She'd seen a glimpse of them during the confrontation with the Cullens, but that was the only time she'd seen them. She hadn't gotten a good look either because she was so focused on Alec.

They'd run into Corin on her way to spend time with the wives. Alec had nudged her and pointedly looked at the red head. Odessa didn't want to interact with her, but she also didn't want to get into another argument with Alec. She gathered her courage and pride and gathered her attention before she disappeared into the stairwell.

"I am Odessa. It is nice to meet you," she had said through gritted teeth. She didn't even try to paint a fake smile on her face to hide her displeasure. Corin knew she didn't like her, so there was no reason to pretend otherwise. Corin had raised an eyebrow at her but exchanged pleasantries, nonetheless.

The sixth and last section of the castle was the dungeon. It was cold, dark, and smelled mephitic. There were a few guards in front of the entrance to the room, but they didn't disrupt their curious endeavors. Alec tried to steer her away, but she was adamant on seeing what was down there. There were few prisoners in the dungeon, but the ones that were there looked horrible. The imprisoned vampires were paler than Odessa had ever seen, and their eyes were blacker than a clear night sky. They lunged at the bars of their cells without touching them when they heard her beating heart and snarled hungrily in her direction. She winced and made a mental note to stay as far as possible away from them.