Alethiology in Volterra (Volturi Kings/OC)

8.1

Chapter VIII - I: Hello, Welcome, and... Goodbye?

Part I

In the succeeding days after accomplishing her first task, Altheia found herself listless as she tread the castle grounds. Apparently, Edward's thoughts were a little too judgmental towards Aro about his student's non-existent sleeping schedule and recently diminished appetite, which led the black-haired king to promptly summon her to the throne room. There, he announced that she was temporarily barred from returning to the library and conducting any scholarly work, and ordered her to spend the next few weeks recuperating from the cognitive strain of the month before.

She did try to argue with the monarch, saying that Edward's thoughts were simply exaggerated to get a rise out of him, but Bella had piped up from her secretary desk. In her white button-up blouse and smart pencil skirt, her human friend stated matter-of-factly, "Altheia, you don't even sleep anymore. You just black out when people aren't talking to you. Take a break."

Unable to refute Bella, the scholar shied under Aro's darkened and disapproving stare. "If Carlisle were here, he would lecture us all about human limits," Edward added very unnecessarily. Behind the calm façade, the scholar knew that Aro was positively considering killing her that very moment.

"Edward, shut up," she hissed at him, glaring meaningfully.

When Aro finally spoke again, there was no hope for compromise. "Perhaps you would rather be changed?" he smiled obligingly at her, fangs showing. "Then, you would no longer have the need for sleep."

Shoulders hunching in defeat, she shook her head and accepted the break. Leaving the throne room, she sent a betrayed, scathing glare over her shoulder. Bella rolled her eyes, while Edward just looked satisfied with himself.

Begrudgingly, Altheia acknowledged that maybe she did need the rest. See, with nothing else to do, and the guards ready to tell on her when she even neared the bibliotheca, the Italian found herself drifting between the kitchens and her bedroom. Before she even knew it, most of that week was spent collapsed on her bed, mind in deep sleep. When she did truly feel well-rested and finally started eating normally again, her break still hadn't been lifted, and she was forced to her free time wandering the castle grounds alone.

Apparently, as she slept through the week, pressing reports of disappearances and murders in the Americas made its way into coven's primary agenda, leaving her usual companions hectic and unapproachable. Edward as the interim informant of the kings, Demetri as the commanding kingsguard and tracker, and Bella acting as the coven secretary assured that their daylight hours would be spent in endless meetings and duties they were obligated to attend to, and left them testy when the night came. Bella was about as sweet-tempered as a viper these days, so no thank you, she would rather haunt the castle grounds by herself.

Often choosing to seclude herself in the outskirts of the Volterra fortress, lying down under the shade of acacia trees, Altheia startles when she turns and sees a pale, red-eyed king reclined on the grassbed right next to her.

"Jesus Christ!" she cried out of fright.

Marcus smirked as he looked down at her startled form. "Hardly."

"Don't you have meetings to be in?" she asked wryly, watching him cross his arms under his head. He curved a brow at her. "Since, you know, you govern the vampire world."

The notion of skipping out on his kingly duties put an arrogant, taunting smirk on the monarch's face. "And who's going to tell on me?"

"Oh yes, I heard all about your work ethic," the woman responded as she resumed her position. "Imagine not doing anything for two thousand years." she barks out a laugh. "I think Caius hates me because you chose to teach me instead of doing your actual job. But that's ok, Marcus. I know I'm irresistible."