Something Better Than Forever
by Skydancinghobbit
Chapter 15: Aro's Addiction
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His fingers were ice-cold, like he’d been holding them in a snowdrift before class. But that wasn’t why I jerked my hand away so quickly. When he touched me, it stung my hand as if an electric current had passed through us.
Bella Swan, Twilight, Chapter 2, p.45
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Barely had the accented words left her tongue when a crash sounded somewhere outside the room. The sound of vast struggle and swearing in three distinct languages. Italian, German and what sounded vaguely like Swedish. Despite being bone limp on the table she smiled into the plush pillow that appeared under her head as she rolled over onto her back and in a few moments her eyes slid closed and she drifted into dreams only too aware who would be waiting for her.
Opening her eyes, Bella smiled gently. The landscape was rough, wild and covered with an icy blanket of snow. Yet she did not feel the cold as she began to tread through the icy fluff, there on a crest of a hill stood Aro, dark hair caressed by the wind, his back to her. Tall and proud against the moonlit sky. Ebony night only seemed to compliment his unearthly beauty as he turned slowly toward her. Offering one pale hand in welcome, promise lingering in his eyes. Which were the most beautiful sea blue she had ever seen. Gasping Bella understood as she began her climb.
This was Aro before he was turned.
Reaching him she reached out with tentative fingers, meeting his palm unsurprised by the familiar cool skin beneath her fingers. Yet he seemed sad as he looked upon her. Blue eyes gazing on her as they began a slow wandering walk through the endless meadows of his memories. Garbed in an elegant dark blue adorned tunic, cape, and black pants, he was the herald of an age long lost in the annals of a history book.
"I am sorry Cara, I have forgotten the feel of warmth after so many centuries, this is as close as I can ever be too human, even for you."
His voice still held the rolling rich accents as the snow began falling gently resting on his hair as he stood still and dropped her hand. Icy fingers tilting her chin gently to meet her eyes, lingering on her warm skin as if savoring the feeling; endless emotions chasing across his ageless features. His inner struggle was almost painful to witness, as he turned again, Bella found herself staring into a large scrolled mirror. His larger form standing behind her, causing her to half turn on instinct, as his fingers buried themselves in her hair.
"I wonder Mia Bella. Will you ever truly accept what I am, look at the mirror and tell me what do you see?"
As she glanced back obediently a soft gasp escaped her lips. Gone was any trace of mortality, in its place stood Aro dressed in nothing but a pair of black silk shorts. Every muscle standing tensed as if for a spring or to attack a wound not yet made. Mutely Bella reached up to trace glass following the scars of an old wound that showed in the moonlight. The only flaw in a vision of beauty. In silence he reached for her hand drawing it backward to rest against the roughed patch where in former days his pulse would have thrummed under his fingers. Swallowing she continued to stare feeling in this moment his soul all but laid bare at her feet.
"I see you. Aro, every scar, a man who in his time could have brought kingdoms to their knees with a single word. Bound to the eternal night now you protect those who cannot do it for themselves."
Her words seemed to melt the frost that had fallen on his pale shoulders as he dipped his head to master his emotions his voice dropped in volume.
"Highly Poetic Mia Bella, but never forget, I am a killer of your kind, the perfect hunter. There is no way you could run from me now, no where you could find to hide and nothing short of smashing the stone around your neck could drive me from your side now, Edward brought you mystery and the chocolate like addiction of the forbidden. I bring you only truth and a confession, will it truly be enough I wonder to hold you?"
Swallowing Bella was robbed of speech, truth was one of the most powerful gifts in the world, able to set a captive free or if used incorrectly bring ruin and destruction through a careless word. Yet she honored him for it. Here was an immortal that did not woo through flattery, though he could have made angels weep. He chose not to dazzle her with the abilities he possesses or the gifts of vampire age; nor did he make promises of spun sugar that was fragile and easily broken.
Instead this vampire king chose humility. He laid his immortal heart at her feet with all flaws and weakness acknowledged. He lifted the necklace from it resting place, with an almost ritualistic grace. As if in answer to her thoughts, his knees bowed sinking to the snowy ground, as she turned now eye level with him, and could not have moved if her life depended on it as he spoke Offering the necklace on an open palm between them as his gaze dropped in submission.
"My confession is simply this, after walking the world of mortals nearly three thousand years, I have fallen prey to the one thing capable of killing my kind. Love, this stone Isabella is all that I am, when Jane first handed it to you, the meaning was lost as well as the commitments that go with it. So now I Aro Volturi ask you Isabella Swan formally"
He drew a deep breath and raising his head just enough to lock eyes; and spoke again, this time all trace of play replaced with a formal serious timbre that spoke of eternity before he had uttered a word. Something far better than just forever.
“Will you keep it safe? Treasure it as both symbol, token and promise? Will you accept it knowing it both seals your fate and bind you to the eternal night once you have finished college? With it goes my vow. That I, Aro Volturi. shall lay into your keeping all I possess of earthly wealth, loyalty and fidelity”
“Will you Isabella Swan, accept my stone?”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
His fingers were ice-cold, like he’d been holding them in a snowdrift before class. But that wasn’t why I jerked my hand away so quickly. When he touched me, it stung my hand as if an electric current had passed through us.
Bella Swan, Twilight, Chapter 2, p.45
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Barely had the accented words left her tongue when a crash sounded somewhere outside the room. The sound of vast struggle and swearing in three distinct languages. Italian, German and what sounded vaguely like Swedish. Despite being bone limp on the table she smiled into the plush pillow that appeared under her head as she rolled over onto her back and in a few moments her eyes slid closed and she drifted into dreams only too aware who would be waiting for her.
Opening her eyes, Bella smiled gently. The landscape was rough, wild and covered with an icy blanket of snow. Yet she did not feel the cold as she began to tread through the icy fluff, there on a crest of a hill stood Aro, dark hair caressed by the wind, his back to her. Tall and proud against the moonlit sky. Ebony night only seemed to compliment his unearthly beauty as he turned slowly toward her. Offering one pale hand in welcome, promise lingering in his eyes. Which were the most beautiful sea blue she had ever seen. Gasping Bella understood as she began her climb.
This was Aro before he was turned.
Reaching him she reached out with tentative fingers, meeting his palm unsurprised by the familiar cool skin beneath her fingers. Yet he seemed sad as he looked upon her. Blue eyes gazing on her as they began a slow wandering walk through the endless meadows of his memories. Garbed in an elegant dark blue adorned tunic, cape, and black pants, he was the herald of an age long lost in the annals of a history book.
"I am sorry Cara, I have forgotten the feel of warmth after so many centuries, this is as close as I can ever be too human, even for you."
His voice still held the rolling rich accents as the snow began falling gently resting on his hair as he stood still and dropped her hand. Icy fingers tilting her chin gently to meet her eyes, lingering on her warm skin as if savoring the feeling; endless emotions chasing across his ageless features. His inner struggle was almost painful to witness, as he turned again, Bella found herself staring into a large scrolled mirror. His larger form standing behind her, causing her to half turn on instinct, as his fingers buried themselves in her hair.
"I wonder Mia Bella. Will you ever truly accept what I am, look at the mirror and tell me what do you see?"
As she glanced back obediently a soft gasp escaped her lips. Gone was any trace of mortality, in its place stood Aro dressed in nothing but a pair of black silk shorts. Every muscle standing tensed as if for a spring or to attack a wound not yet made. Mutely Bella reached up to trace glass following the scars of an old wound that showed in the moonlight. The only flaw in a vision of beauty. In silence he reached for her hand drawing it backward to rest against the roughed patch where in former days his pulse would have thrummed under his fingers. Swallowing she continued to stare feeling in this moment his soul all but laid bare at her feet.
"I see you. Aro, every scar, a man who in his time could have brought kingdoms to their knees with a single word. Bound to the eternal night now you protect those who cannot do it for themselves."
Her words seemed to melt the frost that had fallen on his pale shoulders as he dipped his head to master his emotions his voice dropped in volume.
"Highly Poetic Mia Bella, but never forget, I am a killer of your kind, the perfect hunter. There is no way you could run from me now, no where you could find to hide and nothing short of smashing the stone around your neck could drive me from your side now, Edward brought you mystery and the chocolate like addiction of the forbidden. I bring you only truth and a confession, will it truly be enough I wonder to hold you?"
Swallowing Bella was robbed of speech, truth was one of the most powerful gifts in the world, able to set a captive free or if used incorrectly bring ruin and destruction through a careless word. Yet she honored him for it. Here was an immortal that did not woo through flattery, though he could have made angels weep. He chose not to dazzle her with the abilities he possesses or the gifts of vampire age; nor did he make promises of spun sugar that was fragile and easily broken.
Instead this vampire king chose humility. He laid his immortal heart at her feet with all flaws and weakness acknowledged. He lifted the necklace from it resting place, with an almost ritualistic grace. As if in answer to her thoughts, his knees bowed sinking to the snowy ground, as she turned now eye level with him, and could not have moved if her life depended on it as he spoke Offering the necklace on an open palm between them as his gaze dropped in submission.
"My confession is simply this, after walking the world of mortals nearly three thousand years, I have fallen prey to the one thing capable of killing my kind. Love, this stone Isabella is all that I am, when Jane first handed it to you, the meaning was lost as well as the commitments that go with it. So now I Aro Volturi ask you Isabella Swan formally"
He drew a deep breath and raising his head just enough to lock eyes; and spoke again, this time all trace of play replaced with a formal serious timbre that spoke of eternity before he had uttered a word. Something far better than just forever.
“Will you keep it safe? Treasure it as both symbol, token and promise? Will you accept it knowing it both seals your fate and bind you to the eternal night once you have finished college? With it goes my vow. That I, Aro Volturi. shall lay into your keeping all I possess of earthly wealth, loyalty and fidelity”
“Will you Isabella Swan, accept my stone?”