"HELLO." AMARA SPEAKS, STILL STARING AT THE KINGS.
"Good morning, Amara." Aro greets kindly and not at the usual volume he'd greet with, he decided to keep it toned down for this meeting, as to not scare Amara off. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine." She answers automatically.
"And you slept well, I hope?" Aro asks.
"I think I did, I don't remember any of it, but I woke up feeling like I drank a few bottles of wine." She jokes, sort of. "So it must have been quite the sleep."
"Ah, yes, that tends to be what happens." Marcus comments, stealing Amaras attention from Aro.
"With what, exactly?" She asks. "What was the misty stuff the knocked me out?"
"Sensory deprivation." Aro answers her instead, so she looks at him now. "Technically, you weren't asleep, rather in a state of unawareness."
Amara blinks, surprised at what hes telling her because it's so bizarre. "And how was that boy," She can't recall Alecs name, "able to do that? He can just deprive people of their senses? On a regular basis?"
"Alec is a gifted boy." Aro says. "As are many of us here."
"That isn't normal." Amara comments. "Normal people can't just do that."
Aro smiles knowingly. "You are correct. We are quite different from you."
"In what way?" Amara asks. It's obvious they are completely different, she just doesn't know what they could be.
"We're vampires." Caius says causally.
Amara whips her head to stare at him, her eyes wide. "Vampires?" She echoes the word.
"Thats what I said, yes." Caius confirms.
"Vampires aren't real." Amara states, because how is she to actually believe that vampires are real beings? Plus, they don't have fangs, pointy ears, nor bald heads like Nosferatu or Dracula, and they look pretty much normal besides their unattainable appearance, deathly pale skin and red eyes.
"Brother, how sad, it appears we are not real." Caius says to Aro with a fake frown.
"Does Dracula live here, too?" Amara asks, still not fully convinced.
"No, I believe he is from Romania." Caius quips.
Amara rolls her eyes. "Seriously, how am I supposed to believe you? It's not exactly rational."
"Perhaps not, but it's true." Marcus says.
"I just... Can I ask some questions?" Amara asks.
Marcus nods. "Of course."
"Why don't you look like vampires? Like, you, know—"
"Goodness, let me guess, Dracula?" Caius asks, interrupting her.
"Or Nosferatu." She adds sheepishly.
"Because the vampires you know have been purposefully exaggerated and made different from how we truly are. They are merely orchestrated myths to keep us safe and hidden." Caius explains.
She slowly nods, sort of understanding. "So, you don't blow up in the sun?"
Aro sticks his hand out under a ray of light, letting his skin sparkle like diamonds. "No."
Amara stares at it, mystified. And then Aro pulls his hand away from the glow of the sun.
She looks back up. "Why don't have you fangs?"
"We don't need them, our teeth are sharp enough." Caius answers.
"Okay..." Amara trails off. "Are you going to drink my blood?" She suddenly asks.
They glance at her and then share looks with each other.
"We'd never." Marcus answers.
"Why not? Do you even drink blood?" Amara asks.
"We do, yes." Aro nods. "But you... You're important to us. We'd never harm you."
"How am I important?"
Aro turns to look at Marcus, so Marcus steps a little closer and begins to explain to Amara, given he knows the most about it.
"Our kind are bonded to one another in many ways; from sibling bonds to parental bonds and... the rarest bond — soulmates." He says the word wistfully. "I can see these bonds between souls. Much like Alec, I am gifted. And I saw, within you, my brothers and I, we are bonded to you."
Amara blinks and then laughs because it sounds so bizarre. "What? What kind of bond do we share?"
Theres a moment of silence before Marcus inhales. "The soulmate bond."
Amara breathes out slowly and shakes her head. "And thats why you saved me?"
"Mostly." Marcus admits.
Amara doesn't want to admit herself that it makes sense, but it does. And it explains a lot. But, still, it's shocking to hear that you're the soulmate to three vampires.
"Are you guys important in the vampire world?" She changes the subject because it's really a lot to take in.
Caius smiles proudly. "You could say we are."
"Well, why?" She asks with a raised eyebrow.
"We are the kings of vampires. We keep law and order within our kind. We rule over them and keep our species hidden." Aro explains.
"Oh, okay. Thats nice." And completely shocking, but it isn't the most bizarre thing shes heard today, "So is that why I was called 'your majesty' by Afton?" Amara questions, remembering the encounter in the hallway.
"Yes. You ran into Afton? Was Jane with you?" Aro asks.
Amara shakes her head. "No, I was alone, on my way outside. I bumped into Afton and, he, um, kinda tried to eat me... Jane saved me." She tells them.
"He attacked you?" Caius asks, sounding and looking a little angry.
Amara now realizes she probably shouldn't have said anything, but, in her defense, it kind of just slipped out as she was talking.
"Well, kind of, but he didn't know who I was." She quickly defends him, remembering how Jane told Afton he could die because of what he did. She now understands why. "He apologized."
"Are you hurt?" Marcus asks with a worried tone and furrowed eyebrows.
Amara shakes her head with a light, assuring smile. "No. Jane saved me, actually."
"We will have to give her our thanks." Marcus says, his worried expression now being replaced with a much calmer one.
"Afton will need to be punished." Caius declares.
Amara shakes her head at him and looks up at him with clear disdain for his idea. "No. Please? I can tell he really didn't know."
Caius's anger seems to dim at her wishes, and most of the need to rip Afton limb from limb has faded, too. He sighs. "Very well."
Amara smiles at him, happy that he actually listened to her wants, just like that — something Dan surely didn't do. It kind of warms her heart.
"Thank you, Caius." Her tone is softer now.
Caius suddenly feels very giddy and a grin wants to break out onto his face. "You're very welcome, Amara." He speaks back to her just as softly.
Amara hates that she finds it kind of attractive. She pushes that thought out of her head, or tries to, at least.
"Have all of your questions been answered?" Aro asks her.
"Probably not, no, but I can't think of any right now." Amara answers.
"Well, when you do think of them, we will be happy to answer them." Aro assures.
She nods at him. "Alright, thanks."
"Would you still like to go outside?" Marcus asks her softly and hopefully, because he'd like to spend time with her.
Amara had sort of forgotten about the courtyard, and her urge to be outside, but it still sounds nice, so she nods. "Yeah, sure."
Marcus smiles widely, and he truly looks happy, which warms Amaras heart. "This way, then." He tells her before turning around and slowly beginning to walk for the large double doors. Amara follows after him with Aro and Caius on each side of her.
They walk through the lobby area, where the receptionist immediately stands and bows to them. They all but ignore her, too focused on Amara being near them. She sits down, deflated.
They wait outside of the elevator for the doors to open.
Amara stares at the shiny doors, wondering how vampires get around and why they need an elevator.
Aro catches her looking deep in thought with her eyebrows scrunched together. "What has you thinking so intensely, my dear?"
Amara looks at him and can't help but blush at the name he just called her, but she pushes it aside to answer his question. "I was just wondering how you vampires get around. You don't turn into bats, do you?"
Caius rolls his eyes. "No, we do not turn into bats." He answers the question like hes heard it a thousand times before.
"Do you fly at all?" She asks, still wondering.
"No." Caius answers with much less disdain.
"Teleport?"
He shakes his head. "No."
"Well, thats boring." She concludes. "What can you do, then?"
"Besides possessing rare gifts, we move very fast," Caius speaks right as the doors open, and he continues to speak as they enter it. "and we are stronger than most anything, our skin is impenetrable. We can hear and see up to miles away..." He lists.
"Oh, okay, cool." Amara responds with a few nods of her head. "What gift do you have?"
Aro giggles. "Poor Caius does not have a gift. In fact, not every vampire has one, it is actually rare to be given one after turning."
"Oh, so you two are special?" Amara asks, looking over at Marcus and Aro with a smile.
"They're definitely special, yes." Caius mumbles under his breath.
"You are just jealous, Caius." Aro says to the blonde with an annoyed tone. "But yes, Amara, those of us whom are gifted are rarities, yes. Our coven is made up of gifted vampires, it has taken some time to acquire them each." He explains, and Amara actually finds herself interested in what he has to say, unlike with Dan, because when he would speak, she couldn't bear to listen to it for more than a few seconds.
"And, so, its just random?" She asks curiously.
"It truly depends, though most show signs of their gift while still human, it was just not fully embraced yet." He tells her diligently, and hes happy that she actually seems to be caring about what hes rambling about, because that means he has someone new to talk his thoughts and theories about with.
"Thats very interesting." She says truthfully. "You'll have to tell me more about it, Aro."
He nods enthusiastically at her. "I will be certain to." He tries not to grin brightly, as to not spook poor Amara, but the fact that she finds his words interesting makes it difficult to keep hidden.
The elevator comes to a stop and the doors open up to a hallway lit by daylight. They exit and walk Amara through the winding halls.
The round one last corner down another hallway, but at the end of this one, are double doors with windows on them, teasing the bright outside. Amara picks up her pace and is the first to reach the door.
She tries to push it, but it doesn't budge. "Your doors are broken, I think." She says to them, turning around to face them again after her failed attempt.
"They are not broken, you are just too weak to open them." Caius says, passing by her and to the doors, where he pushes them lightly and they open with a great amount of ease.
Amara purses her lips. "Well maybe you're too strong, ever think about that?" She says before stepping through one side of the door as Caius holds it open.
She can hear him chuckle from behind her as she steps outside. Immediately, she can feel the hot sun basking down on her, but instead of finding it muggy and annoying, she actually finds it nice.
The courtyard is nice, too, with its ground mostly stone and the large fountain in the middle, surrounded by plotted flowers. Vines wrap around the columns that connect to the castle and make up arches that go around in a square, which all enter to their own sets of doors.
She and Dans home, which was really just Dans because it was passed down to him from his father, had its own courtyard, but Amara was never able to go see it, because Dan did not trust her to even go outside on her own, and she didn't want to go out there with him, she knew he'd ruin it and whatever peace it could bring.
"I thought of another question." Amara tells the kings, the three of them turn to her with curious eyes. "When will I get to kill Dan?" She asks simply, nonchalantly — maybe its because shes dreamt of the act so many times now that it isn't that shocking.
Aro shrugs just as nonchalantly. "Whenever you please. Today, a year from now..." He trails off. "Its entirely up to you."
"Really?" She asks, her eyes gleaming a happy glow and lips pulling into a smile.
"Most certainly." Aro answers. "You could even go visit him and prolong his torture for months if you so wish. Jane can also help you with a special form of torment, but it is all up to you."
Would it be wrong for Amara to feel excited while speaking about this? While speaking about the torture and torment of her husband? Probably, but Amara doesn't care about it being wrong, because Daniel wronged her for five years.
In fact, she'd love to go and warn him of his upcoming pain right this moment, to instill him with fear and anxiety like he did with her all the time.
"Can I go see him now?" She asks, a hopeful hint to her voice.
The three kings share a look, and then Aro nods at Amara with a slightly crazed grin.
"Of course."