Morning Moon

Chapter 9

The Cullen's never really spoke about the Volturi, but from what I gathered, they painted Aro as someone who was conniving and unfeeling. But the Aro I knew was neither.

I followed him to his office, and just like Carlisle, he had dozens of paintings and pictures on the wall that dated back to his human lifetime.

"As you know child, over 2000 years ago I was changed. My creator has long passed on. But that is a completely different story that I will get to later. I was 34 and Syracuse Sicily was blossoming into a rich powerful power in the Mediterranean. It was the year 212 B.C. that I was turned, but prior to my death I was the most successful Consul in the province. I was great friends with the philosopher Archimedes and Marcus Claudius Marcellus." He looked at me quizzing.

"Our Marcus?" Pleased that I saw the connection, he continued his story.

"My wife, my first wife I should say, was Callidora, and she was the most beautiful woman I had ever known. We'd been married for two years before she conceived the first time, but it wasn't until after our fifth year of marriage that she was able to carry the baby to term. That child, our child was to be our miracle baby. Unfortunately, Callidora's last breath was spent giving birth to our little girl. Appropriately, I gave my daughter the name Eva, which was Greek for life, though I changed the first letter to an A. That was all I did for her.

Ava was readily cared for by nurses and handmaidens. She was taught by the best teachers, in fact Archimedes was one of her teachers. By the time she was seven, Ava was a scholar in her own right, the only thing she lacked was her father. I was too preoccupied with my own gain, which was my fault. She was a huge reminder of Callidora, other than my nose, Ava looked exactly like her mother. Though I loved her terribly, she was my biggest guilt. If she had not been born, Callidora would still be with me. What I failed to see was that Ava was the last gift that Callidora would ever be able to give me.

Now understand this, Syracuse was a very prominent city, and there was always a constant power struggle between Rome and Sicily. After a slight period of peace, for three years Rome and Sicily were at a war. And for those three years, I was on the front lines of holding the Romans back. I was deeply saddened because my good friend Marcus Claudius Marcellus was also a Roman Counsel, and we were now fighting against each other.

Now, it is 212, and the day came when my men could no longer hold the Romans back. I rushed back to my manor, hoping to grab my daughter and escape the city. I wasted precious moments because I didn't know that her schedule had changed and she was with Archimedes. When one of my servants told me I ran my heart out to reach his school, only to find a soldier walking away from their bodies. I ran over to her still body, and cradled it to me. The soldier attempted to make his way over to me, but I drew my sword, and pointed it to him.

He still advanced over to me, when I heard the command for him to stop. Through my tears, I saw Marcus approaching the soldier, and demanding to know what happened. ''I told Archimedes that he was to come meet you at once. But he dismissed me, saying 'I have to help this one with a problem.'" So I killed her, and when he still refused, I killed him."

"But weren't your orders to bring Archimedes to me, unharmed?" Marcus asked.

"I'm sorry my liege. It won't happen again."

"I know. Archimedes is already dead." And with that the young soldier was beheaded with Marcus' own sword. Marcus walked over to me and extended his hand, but I couldn't take it. Not in my mournful state. I held onto my baby girl as if she would be alive until I let her go. "Old friend, I am truly sorry for your loss. This was never my intention. Forgive me?"

I nodded my head to him. I realized then I truly wasn't mad at him. He didn't order for the death of neither my daughter nor of my dear friend. Marcus may have taken my revenge from me, but I still respected him. In fact, I respected him even more for disposing of the young soldier as he did.

"Nobody is to come near this building. Let him mourn in peace." I heard Marcus say as the troops that followed him in, turned to follow him out.

I stayed in the same position for hours, crying over the daughter that I hardly knew but still managed to love with all my heart. Every night since she was born, I always watched her sleep, and now even in death, she looked like she was sleeping.

Sometime in the evening, I heard light footsteps entering in the room. "Get out! No one is supposed to be in here." I remember yelling.

"Ohhh, I don't think that applies to me." The voice said as it was suddenly in front of me. It took a moment for my eyes to focus on the figure that stood before me. "You know for three years, I've seen you fighting on the battlefield, leading your men, and I admire what I've seen in you in a companion. Could you be a companion of death?"

"I'm already dead." At the time I thought that was the truth, Callidora was gone, and now my beautiful daughter was gone, there was no one left for me. I suddenly felt something prick me on my shoulder and I fell back in pain. But before I hit the ground, I felt the wind rushing past me. The night air was cool, but it did nothing for the fire that burned within my body. I cried out in pain, but the entire city was crying out in pain, my screams were no more tortured than the other souls of Syracuse.

Once the transformation was complete, I temporarily left Marius, my creator, and went back into Syracuse. Marcus had given my sister, Didyme a pass to retain my house and the riches I had acquired in my lifetime. I turned her, hoping that she would have a gift like mine. I also turned Marcus and his lieutenant Caius. The four of us returned to Romania where Marius was living. However at the time, He was with two other vampires, Stefan and Vladimir.

Eventually I married again, and Caius and Marcus found their wives. Actually Marcus mated with my sister, Didyme, until her death. For a little over 500 years, we were all one big happy family, as the humans say, living in Romania with my creator and his brothers. However, that all changed when one day, Marius let something slip when we were in conversation.

After a fit of laughter while reminiscing Marius said, "Ahhhh, Aro, you are truly one of my better companions, I am so glad that I left that small door open." Of course I was confused by such a random statement so I questioned him about it.

"Well the day that your city fell, I noticed a small door in the wall, and I left the door open. The Romans saw the opening and charged their way through." I didn't know that it was possible for a vampire to be killed. I leapt over the furniture and landed atop of Marius. I started clawing at him, and wouldn't stop. His brothers tried to help him, but my brothers held them at bay.

Effectively, I started the revolution against the Romanians, and we burned their castles and returned to our home in Italy. We moved around the countryside for centuries, collecting vampires that had a gift, before settling on Volterra."

"And that my dear is my history."