✔️STUPID CUPID| The Volturi Kings

7.

IN THREE HOURS, ANAVRIN SOMMERS HAD LEARNED THAT CLAUDIA WAS INSUFFERABLE. She was not at all the scheming, bitchy type that she had been expecting; instead, her insufferability came from a place of control freakiness and pretentiousness. Wherever the kings had dug her from, she had the kind of accent that grated on every corner of Anavrin's brain; a sickening sweetness that was most certainly falsified and an air of over-inflated self-worth. As they walked, all Claudia did was talk and Felix walked on Anavrin's other side-- lips pressed into a firm line that appeared entirely unbidden on his mouth.

The presence of Claudia, coupled with the inevitability that Anavrin would soon once more be faced with Caius, set her into a grouchy stupor and the idea of pitching herself out of one of the many windows overlooking the garden increased in its appeal with each passing second.

"Professor Rohan shall be arriving early tomorrow to help you with your studies which will largely include the study of the vampire laws and history," Claudia informed primly, hands tucked behind her back as they made their way along corridors. Anavrin was impossibly lost though she retained hope that Felix was leading them in a direction where she could abandon Claudia. Life, since she had joined the palace, had never been so lucky and they instead arrived at what appeared to be a drawing-room, packed full of enough furniture to open its own antique store. "This is where your lessons will commence."

"... Wonderful," Anavrin poured as much distaste as possible into the single word and the edges of Felix's lips twitched for the very first time since they'd begun their walk.  Claudia, however, ground her teeth with the vengeance to shatter a molar. It brought Anavrin a great level of petty amusement.

"Felix," all three turned and finally, an emotion was shared-- relief. Demetri walked hastily toward them, expertly weaving between the mountain of furniture. Unfortunately for the humans involved, the vampires stepped aside to converse and Anavrin was left staring at moving lips with muted sound. Whatever the discussion-- Demetri soon had Felix's tight jaw returning and they nodded to her, dismissing themselves only to turn tail and leave back the way they came. Leaving Anavrin in the jaws of the viper.

"Felix, I thought we were supposed to take her to Marcus' chambers?" If looks could kill, Claudia would be another victim in the Volturi castle. Anavrin was angered by the treatment she'd experienced that day-- but being treated like a child by Claudia was a new low. Especially when the woman smiled sweetly and batted her eyelashes.

"Spare yourself the energy, I'll escort myself," there was nothing nice about Anavrin's tone and she didn't have the energy to care. She shouldn't have hated Claudia so entirely so quickly but the way the woman's eyes widened innocently like a Bambi made her want to blacken one of them. Why did she get a distinct impression that the innocent act was entirely falsified? Was it her own insecurities? She was sure that the kings would much rather have a soulmate like Claudia, who was silent and obedient... Curvaceous.

Anavrin was surprised to find Felix and Demetri at her tail as she fled quite promptly from the drawing-room-- a place she was sure would soon become the setting for her wildest nightmares.

"Pay little mind to Claudia, My Lady," Demetri began when they were adequately far away and it was safe to say, Anavrin was surprised.

"Delectable thing like that won't last longer than a week anyway," Felix returned and Anavrin whipped her head back around the other way. "Few things with blood in their veins last longer than a fortnight in the castle."

"You realise that's disgusting?" she countered and they both found great amusement in it.

"You realise blood will one day be the very thing you live for," Demetri remarked.