Everlasting (Volturi Kings)

Ch-92 Built And Broken

The biggest mistake that Geraltine had made so far with Carina is by calling her Celine infront of many people.

Now that they were alone, and the dreaded question was finally brought up, she didn't know what to say, she was prepared for everything, even the possibility of Carina finding out the truth.

But when it hit reality, she froze. When people plan things for every outcome, yet in the end, they forget everything they've planned, this was how Geraltine felt.

That and the urge to tell her everything, everything from the very first moment she found her as a baby, to her little powers, her violin, Aro, Caius and Marcus and even her children.

The truth was what she had always taught Celine, that everyone deserves the truth, even if they don't like it or want to hear it, Geraltine had more than once kept things from her for centuries, to say that it was for her own good, this time was no different.

"You remind me of my daughter." She finally said, it was a part of the truth, she was every bit her daughter.

"I do?" Carina pried, staring at the woman in confusion and curiosity, she was a lot of things to many people, a curse to some, a gift to others and a daughter to one.

"Yes....you look so much like her." She said with hesitancy, more words kept slipping out accidentally, more than she wanted her to know.

"Does she have pale hair and violet eyes?" She asked, a little unnerved.

"Surprisingly she does...don't worry, it is quite...common...there." Geraltine didn't now what she was saying, pale hair and violet eyes being common in Volterra? Not even in the world.

"Oh...where is she now?"

They had finally reached the library, much to Carina's relief, it was her safe place, the only place she found comfortable in the whole palace.

"She...she's gone." Geraltine trailed off.

"I'm sorry....I shouldn't have asked." Carina quickly said, looking a bit sad, it already hurt to lose someone you love and then to be constantly be reminded that they were gone forever was just sorrowful.

"It's alright...I've moved on." Never.

"Do you....have a lover?" Carina didn't know what was wrong with her, prying into someone's personal life like that, she didn't when to shut up.

Carina went to correct herself when Geraltine answered. "I did. He too was taken away from me..."

Geraltine could never forget Cassius ever, she was trying so hard to focus on the fact that he wouldn't want to see her like that, that he wouldn't want to see his daughter angry at her mother for killing the ones she loved.

For once, Geraltine managed to look at the bigger picture, she was trying to overlook the fact that the three weren't murderers of her husband but rather the mates of her daughter.

"But enough about me." Geraltine added. "Tell me more about you."

Carina's life was just as tragic as her's, she didn't like when people pried into her life but Geraltine had told her about her losses, also because she felt safe around her.

"Well...my life is sad...I think. I lost my mother...my adopted one, she was murdered...and I never knew my biological mother, I believe that she left me."

Their conversation had gone dark very quickly, it was just painful loss to now heartless murder. Geraltine wanted to know who ruined her life so much and murder them.

"Do you know who did it?"

Carina smirked sardonically, the two were now sitting on one of the many chairs in the library surrounded by the books and scrolls that listened to them, promising that their secret was safe.

"The man himself told me...about my adopted mother Ranya...he admitted he killed her...with no remorse on his face...he smiled actually."

Geraltine saw her eyes glistening with tears as she tried to remain strong infront of her, to remain emotionless and passive, but even Carina knew that she was failing quite badly.

"I'm so sorry..." Even in this life, she was suffering so much, Geraltine promised to herself from the very beginning, the moment she picked up that child, that she would make sure that she would never let her shed a tear though she broke that too.

"It was him..that m-monster...it was Aro." Carina finally broke down her walls, the ones she spent building overnight, she was embarrassed that she couldn't keep it together, that she was so weak, she was told that only weak people cry, and she was a weak person.

The promise of immortality was different in here, like so many things were, human immortals needed to eat, sleep and their skin wasn't impenetrable or anything, they would get cuts, they would break bones, the benefits of immortality was the speed and strength yet so many people were afraid to test it out in fear of accidentally killing themselves.

The one thing that Geraltine had to thank it for was that she didn't have to hold her tears back anymore, she could finally let loose, she could finally break apart, she could cry away her sorrows.

Geraltine slowly got up from her seat and walked towards the sobbing Carina, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

The girl shamefully looked up at Geraltine, wiping away her tears. "I'm sorry...I-" The older woman merely shushed her and knelt down beside her.

"It's alright...it's okay to cry, it's alright to let your emotions out....cry it out, Cela." At the moment, Geraltine didn't realize what she had called her, but wrapped her arms around Carina's waist, hugging her closer.

Carina bent down and wrapped her own arms around Geraltine. She couldn't remember the last time she had found comfort in someone, she couldn't remember the last time someone had told her that it was okay to cry, that it was okay to express her feelings.

Not even her own aunt had done something like that for her, she did know one person who did and that was Ranya, yet this felt different, she opened upto someone she had only met for an hour or less than that.

"T-Thank you.." She croaked, letting the tears fall down her cheeks, letting herself feel raw, she felt humane for once and so did the woman comforting her.

"It's alright, my love..it's alright."

Geraltine then realized something drastic. The only way they could return was if she fell in love with Aro and he did the same for her.

Now that she found out that Aro was the root cause for her suffering, that it was because of him that she was like this, a caged eagle.

How could she love a monster? She called him a monster. A monster who ripped everything away from her. How could she love someone like that?

Geraltine, Matteo and Korashia could only steer her in the right way, they couldn't concoct a potion or something to make them fall in love.

It is all upto Carina, the weight of their survival was unknowingly placed on her shoulders, Geraltine could give her little shoves and that was all.

But first, Aro has to change and that was certain, he needed a filter to control what comes out his mouth, he needs to understand that not everyone is as strong as he is, and that they have emotions, he needed to become more humane.

As Carina and Geraltine leaned against one another in silence except for their occasional sniffles and whimpers, a certain seer watched from afar.

Alicia didn't need to listen to understand what was happening, she knew enough to understand that an inhuman man needed to develop emotions and learn to love the woman that he had tortured and broke.

And Alicia would help with that.