Monday, December 13, 2010
Caius of the Volturi
Caius is the dark one of the three rulers. He is seen as cruel and uncaring, but most of it is a facade he portrays for the public. There are few who know him and even fewer who know him well, those he loves. He is passionate and temperamental; dark and dominating. The only one who truly has any chance of changing his mind would be his wife, Athenodora.
Aro of the Volturi
While the three brothers make decisions together for the most part, Aro is the figurehead, the spokesperson. He has an odd type of charm and diplomatic manner that makes him perfect for the role. Another reason for his prominent position amongst the brothers would be his ability to read the thoughts and memories of those he touches.
UB Chapter 8 - Reprieve
Chapter 8 – Reprieve
Bella POV
I couldn’t get the words to stop echoing in my head. ‘Put to death. Put to death.’ My heart had jumped into my throat at those words. My fingers were now gripping the arm of the chair so hard that I could feel the hardwood imprinting on my skin.
Part of me wanted to jump up and run from the room – escape – but rationally I knew that wasn’t an option. Not only was it the coward’s way out, but from what Marcus had just told me, there was no way I’d make it to the door before they caught me.
Feeling a warm hand cover mine, I looked up to see Sera’s worried face. “You gonna be okay, chère? You need some water? Or a shot?” She smiled, a little half smirk while rubbing my hand and trying to coax me out of my stupor.
“Yeah, a shot would be good right now.” I laughed, the sound a bit strained.
Marcus spoke next, reaching out to take my hand in his. “I was not given a choice, Bella. Indeed, many of us are forced into this life regardless of what our wishes may or may not be. Although I regret the manner in which this news was delivered to you, to both of you,” he said, glancing at Sera, “I will not lie and tell you that I am not pleased by the current results. I no longer need to hide my secret from either of you.”
As Marcus spoke, I concentrated on his words, taking long, deep breaths to steady my nerves. “I can understand that, Marcus. I just…I mean, what kind of choice is that though? Become a vampire or die?” My voice started out calm and even, but by the end I was speaking louder and at a higher pitch. I felt silly for freaking out about this, but really, I thought I had cause!
Marcus’ head lifted and he looked at something behind me. I twisted in my seat to see the door open a fraction and Felix step inside. He gave Sera and me a small smile before addressing Marcus. “Master, your brothers are on their way.”
“When they arrive, please invite them in, Felix,” Marcus told him, glancing toward me. “I believe you would be more comfortable staying here for the moment, but my brothers are eager to meet you both.”
I frowned at him, curious. “Why do they want to meet me? I thought you said you had no family left. I’m so confused.” I deflated a bit in the chair, leaning back and giving a weary sigh.
“Not to worry, my dear. There is much that has been revealed to you this evening and not all has been pleasant.” Marcus patted my hand. “Aro is the brother of Didyme, and while Caius is not related by blood, his mate, Athenodora, is sister to Sulpicia, who is mate to Aro. Aro, Caius, and I have been close for some time, thus we use the term ‘brother’ to denote our affection for one another.
“There are two reasons they wish to meet you. For one, Sera is my mate and you are my mysterious blood kin, which makes you all the more intriguing, most especially for Aro. He has always been an admirer of the unexplained.”
“And the other?” I asked, now curious about these men Marcus called brothers.
“As leaders of our world, they hold a vested interest in both your decisions regarding-” Marcus began, but I put my hand up, stopping him.
“Wait, what? Leaders? Like the President or King or something?”
“Most often we are described as kings, so I believe that term could apply, yes,” Marcus answered with an air of nonchalance.
At this, Sera interjected while I sat wide-eyed. “Whoa! You’re a king?” she asked, tugging on his arm to make him look down at her, which he did.
“The Volturi are the vampire form of government. We both construct the laws by which we survive and enforce them. My brothers and I are the leaders of The Volturi.”
Sera put a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. “Okay, now I think I need that drink too.”
Marcus looked incredulous. “You are unaffected by the news that I am a vampire, yet you are distressed by my position within The Volturi?”
Her hand dropped to her lap as she looked at him. Her shoulders lifted a slight bit and she looked sheepish as she replied. “Well…yes?”
I sat in a state of shock, my only expression tonight it seemed, as Marcus threw back his head and laughed - not just giggled or chuckled, but really laughed. No one said anything as he did so, we just stared in shock at the reserved, quiet, stoic man who had suddenly burst with his amusement.
His laughter was contagious, though, because Sera smiled wider and wider until she finally burst into giggles with him, his arms circling her and pulling her close.
I shook my head and smiled, too, before peeking over at Jasper to see him chuckling, though I couldn’t hear him. My smile widened, and before I knew it my laughter joined the others’, feeling a good bit of the tension I’d been retaining fall from my shoulders.
As the laughter eased, we heard the door to Marcus’ room open. We turned to look at the newcomers. Two men strode toward us with Felix following behind them. With the sconces lighting the room, I noted all their eyes were the same vibrant red.
Like Marcus, both men were pale and tall. One strode ahead of the other. He had long, dark hair that fell neatly down his back and aristocratic features – high cheekbones and expressive eyes. He was smiling as he approached and I found myself wanting to smile back at him. He wore a contemporary suit that I remembered seeing in one of Hailey’s magazines a while back.
The other man stepped forward in a swirl of black robes over a simple, red, button down shirt and black slacks. They seemed just as well made as the other man’s clothes. While Marcus and the other man were dark-haired, this man was blonde - not just blonde, but that really pale platinum blonde that some women would die for. It hung in a long fall along his face and emphasized his expression, which I couldn’t quite make out. It was as if he couldn’t decide to be bored, worried, or angry.
“Marcus! And Jasper.” The first man greeted as he moved in an elegant stride across the room. I had a fleeting wonder if he danced before he spoke again. “And this must be your lovely mate, Seraphine.” He stopped in front of Sera and held his hand out for hers.
Sera stood up, as did Marcus, and she stuck her hand out. She shook the man’s hand, smiling as he laid his other hand over hers and looked down upon her. “That would be me. The one and only.”
The man was quiet a moment, holding her hand as his smile brightened. “Lovely to meet you, my dear.”
“Aro, Caius,” Marcus greeted them in turn, first the dark haired man holding Sera’s hand then the blond behind him. “Allow me to formally introduce my mate, Sera, and our friend, Bella.”
I stood as well, giving them each a small smile and a little half wave with my hand. “Nice to meet you both.”
Aro finally let go of Sera’s hand and turned to me. I gave Sera a questioning look, but she just shrugged. Marcus stepped up to her and circled her waist with one hand, pulling her close, while Aro put his hand out for mine. I gingerly raised it and put it in his.
He smiled, patting my hand gently. “It is good to finally meet you as well. I have heard so much about you both from Marcus. I am even more delighted now that I have met you.”
“That can’t be good,” Sera muttered under her breath.
I pressed my lips together and tried not to laugh while Aro just chuckled at her. “Oh, I see you are just what my brother needs, Sera. I am quite grateful to you for bringing him back to life, shall we say?”
“Oh, my pleasure,” she replied with a wink.
Aro chuckled briefly and glanced my way again. “You, my dear, are a very interesting young woman.”
I tilted my head a bit at that. “I am? How so?”
His eyes shifted to the others in the room before returning to me. “It seems…your mind is closed to me.”
At Aro’s statement, the other three men in the room glanced at me in shock while Sera and I stood there looking, as usual for the evening, confused. “Well, I would hope so.”
Caius chimed in just then, his rough voice holding a cynical note. “How is that possible? Is it a trick?”
I raised my hand, confusion still my dominant emotion as I tried to figure out what was going on. “Could someone explain to the humans in the room, please?”
“Forgive me, my dear,” Marcus interjected then. “As you may recall, I mentioned earlier that some vampires have certain abilities. Aro is also gifted. His ability allows him to see the thoughts and memories of a person by mere touch.”
“Well, spank me with a feather,” Sera exclaimed just then. “So you just read all my thoughts?”
Aro chuckled again, finally letting go of my hand. “Yes. It is a precaution we take for safety, you see. All the Volturi are scanned, as well as any guests who may stay for extended periods of time. And, as you can imagine, we do the same for anyone of questionable character or intentions.”
Sera frowned a bit, her lips twisting in thought as she stared up at the tall, imposing man. “It’s incredibly intrusive. Even though I can understand, it’s still one hell of an invasion of privacy.”
“I am aware of that. However, it has been extremely effective in verification of information gathering or oath taking. We must know if we can trust what we are told, and as we have the means to do so, we utilize them.”
My expression mirrored Sera’s as I spoke up. “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”(1)
Caius began to speak then, but Aro raised a hand to stop him.
“You are quite correct, Bella. This is why I limit its use as I do. I do not use it for mere curiosity, and I do my best to simply verify what I need and move on unless more is absolutely necessary,” Aro explained.
“But how do they know they can trust you with everything else you may see?” I asked, a little piqued at the discussion but enjoying the debate nonetheless.
Aro actually laughed at that. “You have a very quick mind and I am quite impressed, Bella. You are quite correct, as well. There is no way for anyone to know that I won’t reveal their secrets except by my reputation. Unless there was something that threatened my family or my people, then a secret is a secret!” He cut me off when I began to reply, starting to warm up to the argument. “Perhaps, my dear, we could debate this topic at another time when you are more rested and alert perhaps? There are other matters to discuss and I can see that you are both exhausted.”
I glanced at Sera and saw how tired she looked. Circles were starting to form under her eyes and she was leaning against Marcus. I turned to Aro. “Agreed.”
“Perfect. Now, has everything been revealed?” Aro asked, turning to Marcus for confirmation.
Marcus quickly looked at me before raising his hand to Aro’s. Aro seemed to ‘listen’ for a moment before a delighted smile crossed his lips. He looked excited as he released Marcus’ hand, his eyes flickering to Jasper then back to Marcus. “This is exciting news indeed.”
I glanced over to Jasper but his expression seemed as confused as mine. When I turned back, Aro was speaking with Sera.
“I understand you are eager to join our family?”
Sera smiled and stood a little straighter. “If that’s what’s gotta be done to be with Marcus, then of course.” Her tone was matter of fact.
Marcus and Aro both smiled down at her and I looked over to Caius to see his reaction. Surprisingly, though his face was a blank mask, his eyes seemed to be alight, as if he were happy for Marcus. When he caught me staring at him, I smiled at him and he scowled. For some reason, it made me laugh and I turned back to Aro and Sera’s conversation.
“I am quite pleased to hear this, my dear. We can work on the details later, after you have had some rest. In the meantime, please enjoy your time with us. No one will harm you, and if you have need of anything, you have only to ask.”
“Thank you, cher.” Sera smiled at Aro and then raised her eyes to Marcus. “But I have all I need right here.”
Marcus smiled and squeezed her tighter to him.
“Now, Bella,” Aro began. “I understand you may require more time to make your decision?”
I looked at Sera, whose eyes were on me as if pleading with me to just go for it, but I turned away and looked at Aro. “I…yes? Maybe. I don’t know.” I felt so confused and frustrated with myself that I couldn’t make a decision.
Aro cast me an indulgent smile. “It is not an easy decision, I am aware. While we do hope that you choose to join us, my dear, I do not wish to pressure you.”
I felt a wave of despair wash over me for a moment before it disappeared. As I glanced at the others, I noticed that the brothers had turned to Jasper. After a long moment, they turned back to us.
Aro clasped his hands in front of him. “Very well. It is decided then?” His eyes fell on Caius and then on Marcus. “We will postpone details on Sera’s change for now, at least until Bella has made her decision.” Both men nodded their ascent and Aro turned to me. “Will the end of the week be enough time, my dear?” he asked.
I took a deep breath and nodded. “I will have an answer by the end of the week. But…may I ask a question?”
“Of course,” Aro replied.
“Would it need to be immediately? I would like to finish my courses and perhaps see my father once more before…you know, if I do this. I mean, I won’t be able to see him again, will I?” The thought nearly brought tears to my eyes, but I blinked them back.
Aro seemed deep in thought, his eyes flickering back and forth between Marcus and Caius.
Caius scoffed, “You should feel lucky you are being given another option aside from death.” His scowl had darkened and I frowned at him.
Marcus spoke up then. “There is no reason I can imagine that Bella may not do this. I have no fear of her betraying the secret, but if you have such a worry then you may assign guards to assure she does not.”
Aro took another moment before speaking again to me. “We will consider this. However, keep in mind if this is your intent; you will need to be guarded at all times. We must protect our people. Do you understand?” At my nod, he turned to Sera. “Would you also wish to finish your schooling with Bella?”
Sera frowned and twisted her lips again in thought. “Maybe. I think I would like to be changed when Bella is so we can go through it together.” She held a hand out to me and I took it, smiling at her. She really was a sister to me.
“Perhaps we should adjourn for now and allow the ladies their rest,” Marcus said as he wrapped Sera tighter in his arms. She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. “Bella, accommodations have been arranged for you in the other wing, but you are welcome here to see Sera or myself at any time. For the present time, each of you will be assigned a guard for your protection.” He added the last part when he noticed we were about to protest. “Not everyone within the castle will be immediately aware of your presence. I do not wish to have an ‘accident’ occur.”
I smiled and leaned over to hug them both. “Understood. Thank you.” I kissed them both on the cheek. “Goodnight, you guys.”
“G’night, chère,” Sera said, hugging me back.
“Sleep well, Bella,” Marcus told me. “Jasper will escort you to your rooms.”
I felt my heart skip a beat and then hurry to catch up as I looked over at the quiet man against the wall. I watched as he seemed to uncoil from his position and walk to my side before I realized Aro was speaking to me.
“Goodnight, my dear. I look forward to our next meeting,” he said, smiling politely.
Caius stepped forward, taking Sera’s hand. “Thank you,” he said gruffly, squeezing her hand lightly.
Sera seemed to understand and she reached out to give him a light hug. “I’ll be good to him, cher. I promise,” she told him.
Caius stepped back and nodded once before glancing at me and doing the same. He then ghosted out the door with Aro. One second they were there and the next they were…gone.
I blinked. “Wow. That will take some getting used to.” I turned to Marcus and Sera, waving one last time, and then I looked to Jasper.
“Ready, princess?” he asked, his voice deep but quiet.
“Princess?” I asked as we walked to the door.
He held it open for me, his lips quirking up just a bit in another smirk. “In light of your relationship with Master Marcus, it seemed appropriate.”
“Oh.” I frowned. “I don’t know that I want that to be common knowledge though.” I became quiet as I contemplated the issue.
Jasper fell into step behind me as we walked out and into a large outer room. It looked to be a living area of some sort. The furnishings and colors were the same as those of the bedroom – dark, handcrafted wood with cream and gold accents. There was another fireplace on the far wall with a large painting above it and a sitting area made of couches and chairs to seat about a dozen people, but it looked more like a museum than a home, as if it were rarely if ever used.
I looked over to Jasper, not realizing that I had stopped to view the room with a sad eye. “Everything is so…sterile. It’s beautiful but cold.” He didn’t reply; he merely nodded his agreement and waited for me to continue. “She will be good for him, you know?”
Nodding again in silent ascent, Jasper gently took my arm, his cool hand seeming to burn a hole through the light material covering my arm. My eyes flew to his and I stared into them, mesmerized by the deep crimson pools.
He stepped back a moment later and glanced at the other door in the room. “Shall I see you to your rooms, princess?” he asked.
I cleared my throat, hoping that the heat I felt on my face was not a blush but knowing it was a futile wish. “Yes, please.” He had called me ‘princess’ again. It almost sounded like an endearment and I found I liked it coming from him.
UB Extras - Chapter 8
Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
How utterly true is this statement? Acheron is a god among men and so incredibly full of wisdom that you are taken aback. Perhaps due to the fact that he looks like an 18 year old goth kid. *snorts* Still, this quote was so fitting for the scene that I had to use it.
Besides, maybe I can get some of you to check out this amazing author's books in the interim, because they are my absolute favorites and I have never read any story more complex and intriguing while giving me healthy doses of my favorite things - vampires, werewolves, mythology, demons, history, mystery, and seriously fuckhot men!
Check out her site here.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Review Replies 12/11/10
I thought I’d take a moment to reply to some common questions/comments in my reviews, so here goes:
First, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to all the readers out there that kept this story on alert and came back for more. Not only that, but many of you sent reviews and even PM’s to me asking if I was going to continue or imploring that I update soon. I can’t say how much those inspired me to try again and usually when I got them is when I would try.
These are in no particular order. I went through the reviews and just added as I saw things to comment on. Sorry if it's at all confusing...
Why did I stop? Did I get writer’s block? Etc.
I never actually stopped. I picked up UB a dozen times trying to write again, but I was never happy with how Jasper was sounding, so I kept scrapping what I did, got frustrated, and stepped back again. I always knew the basics of what would happen, but getting Jasper’s ‘voice’ right was important to me, as he is one of the main characters in this story.
Once I got that down, though, it just kept coming. I had written a lot at my new job lately. I work 11am-7:30pm
So I ended up spending almost the entire weekend writing and I can’t thank HammerHips enough for showing me how useful WC’s are. They helped immensely and I’m hoping it will continue to do so. I finished off one chapter, sent it to my beta then knocked out two more in one weekend. I’m even proud of myself. I am busier at work, but did get to work on the next chapter some during the evenings and I’m hoping to finish up this weekend if I can. *crosses fingers*
I can’t promise a schedule, since I don’t know where life will take me, how busy I’ll get, if something will make me pause writing, or whatever. But I do LOVE this story and I never had any plans to scrap it. I just needed the right creative push perhaps.
Did Marcus see Jasper and Bella’s bond in Chapter 5: The Rescue?
This will come to light soon, but it seems my description is putting you guys on the right track. *grins*
Bella hitting Laurent in the balls with the pipe:
I wasn’t sure about this part when I was writing it, but I had a nice chat with Merina Green and I decided that hitting a vampire in the balls with something like that would not really ‘hurt’ them permanently of course, but I imagine it would hurt a bit and shock/stun them along with perhaps a knee-jerk reaction from human times. I mean, how many times do guys watch other guys get hit in the balls then wince and cup their own? So yeah, Bella didn’t really hurt Laurent, but she did make him pause and piss him off, which was the point. Basically, she gave Jasper enough time to get there and save them. Besides, I wanted Jasper to be impressed by the feisty kitty that is Bella.
Jasper and Bella
My Jasper is, I hope, going to end up being a sensitive yet fierce protector for Bella. While I ADORE IdreamofEddy’s God of War and he is my absolute favorite character in fanfiction, I just can’t see that kind of Jasper working for this story.
I want Bella to be a strong, independent beauty but with a vulnerable side. Basically, a mature version of SM’s twit, I mean character. So when she needs to, she’s going to stand up and defend herself and/or her friends. But, for example now in the story, she is just overwhelmed with everything she’s learning. I mean really.
“Hi, Bella, I’m a vampire, but not like the books, we’re marble skinned, don’t sleep and sparkle. Oh and you’re like some super great (x1000) grand niece or cousin of mine or something. Not only that, but you now have to decide to join us or die. Sound like fun?”
Yeah, she’s got her issues at the moment. While she’ll be basically accepting of it, she’s going to balk at the lack of choice she really has with it. It’s not like with Twilight where she was in love with Eddie and becoming vampy meant being with him forever. She will get there eventually, though.
Oh and by the way, while in calendar days their love will be a bit whirlwind, I want to show them growing closer before I throw them ‘together’, so you can see how and why the strength of their love develops. Things are going to happen, which have been set up from the beginning. They will face it together and it will accelerate their relationship from many months to more like weeks. So I hope you guys can bear with me on the Jasper/Bella interaction so I can develop them the way I see it in my head. I promise (hope) it will be worth it.
Peter and Charlotte
I always knew these two would be in this story. They are some of my favorites and I just had to include them. However, as with Jasper, I didn’t want to do the same old omniscient Peter as is the current trend in the fandom it seems. He will still be the cocky brother to Jasper, but instead of giving Peter the power, I gave it to Char. She is way too neglected in many cases and I am hoping to make her shine. I hope you enjoy it.
Marcus and Sera
While these two have been a LOT of fun to write, and in some cases they kind of ran away with my story for a chapter or three, you will start to see less and less of them. Now that they have met, the focus will shift to Bella and Jasper’s relationship. Marcus and Sera were really just part of the catalyst that pulls Bella into the Volturi and ultimately to Jasper. In a way, their job is done, so they are kind of done. I may write something on them later, an outtake or something, but at the moment I have no solid plans for that.
My Volturi
I don’t see them as ‘evil’. I see them as the order to the chaos that is the vampire world and tried to portray this in Marcus’ explanation of them. As BloodyRoses says in her review of Chapter 5: The Rescue:
Most authors write vampires as unfeeling monsters that are little better than beasts. I hate that. They are still the same people they were before they were changed. Yes they drink human blood but that isn't the defining trait of who they are. I see no reason why they wouldn't form a society and customs amongst their own kind. Some vampires can be brutal and animalistic but so can some humans. Humanity is often quite monstrous. Every one seems to vilify the Volturi (including the books) but can you imagine what it would be like if the vampires had no governing body? The Volturi are essential and both the vampires and the humans benefit from their presence.
I see the vampire world similar to the human one. You have a government that sets laws and enforces them, i.e. The Volturi. Then you have vampires all over the world, some good, and some bad. Sometimes the bad ones cross the line and break one of the laws. When discovered, The Volturi send someone to enforce those laws. Due to their natures and no real humane way to ‘jail’ a prisoner for long, there are often dire consequences. Then again, the laws themselves are few and far between. The most important being to keep the masquerade and not allow humans to know of their existence. Could you imagine? Sheer numbers could overwhelm them in some cases. And if one were ever caught, they could be ripped apart and tested like lab rats, which is sadly a very human thing.
Marcus and Bella
I’m not sure if this will end up playing out in the story or not, so I figured I’d comment here. There actual blood connection will always be a mystery. There is just no way to effectively trace Bella’s lineage back so far, especially since birth and death records get quite fuzzy before about the 13th or 14th century. At least it does in my family. Churches keep records, but age, fires, and neglect can ruin those records so easily. And that is only about 6-700 years of genealogy, so imagine if you tried to go back 3,000 years to find Marcus’ family when he was human when their writing included triangular glyphs of some sort, from what I understand – for the area he was born anyway.
While I never had a set idea, I imagine something along the lines of his father, uncle or cousin may have fathered a child that Marcus never knew about and that child survived, grew up, had kids, etc.
Are Jasper and Bella mates?
*gives a confused chuckle* Of course they are. While their interaction is only just starting, there is a reason I put Bella and Jasper as the characters on the summary…*scratches head* I did, didn’t I? But really, now they have met, you will see more of them together.
Cliffies
I really don’t mean to cut the chapters on cliffies. It just happens that way. Sometimes it’s because the next part is going to be so long and I want to get out what I have already. Other times I want to switch POV’s and that’s a good place to do it. But really, I’m already working on the next chappie, and I’m not holding onto chapters when my beta returns them. I make my edits and post ASAP so y’all don’t have to wait for them.
Byes
Okay, I’m off now to either run my errands then write, or write then run errands, or something like that. Not decided yet. But I wanted to somehow reply to some of the reviews and this seemed a good way to do it without spending hours repeating myself to everyone. *laughs*
Ciao for now!
Xoxo
Mae
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