AMARA GAZES UP IN AMAZEMENT at what stands before her — books all the way up to the tall ceilings in rows of thousands. Her eyes couldn't be larger even if they tried.
"Wow." She speaks. "Thats... a lot of books."
Marcus nods, also looking up with her. "Yes, it surely is, isn't it?"
"How many are in here?" She shifts her gaze onto Marcus, curiosity twinkling in her eyes.
Marcus doesn't even have to think before answering; "Seventy thousand."
She blinks. "Wow."
"And there will be more, we are always collecting books." He tells her.
"I bet." She says. "How many have you read?"
"All of them." He answers. "Multiple times, each."
"Really?" She asks, astonished. "Wow. Do you have a favorite?"
Marcus pauses to think, and after a second, he shakes his head. "I do not think I can pick one, I have too many."
"Hm, then maybe you can help me find my favorite." She says while gazing back up at the towering bookshelves.
Marcus keeps his eyes on the side of her face and smiles. "I can do that."
Amara smiles as well. "Good."
"What kind of books do you like?" He asks, tilting his head to side curiously, allowing brown curls to fall over his shoulder. Amara gazes at him, and at the way the dim lighting in the library shines into his maroon eyes, making them glow.
"Umm," Amara thinks for a moment, clearing her mind of how beautiful Marcus is, "any, really."
"Perfect." Marcus says. "I have much to work with."
And so he leads her through the library, giving her recommendations on books and plucking out the ones that even slightly pique her interest.
"I think we will have to make another trip." Marcus comments, glancing down at the pile of books he holds in his hands, and then at Amara, who also has a pile in hers, though her pile is much smaller.
"Yeah," She agrees. "my arms are getting tired."
Marcus chuckles lightly. "Let us set these down, then."
They walk for one of the tables in the center of the library, placing the books down on it. Amara stares at the two piles, really seeing how many books there are, a bit stunned.
"It'll take me ages to read these." She says, smiling. "And theres still more to look at." This castle has more than amazed her, shes glad that she gets to live inside of it and call it her home. "Where will I find the time?"
"When you have all the time in the world, these books do not seem so time consuming." Marcus tells her. "One day you will read all of the books in this here library, and then get the pleasure to read them all again."
"As a vampire, you mean?" She asks, turning to look at him.
He nods, and then adds, "Only if you wish to become one that is, though I strongly suggest that you do."
"What'll happen if I don't become a vampire?" She queries.
"You would grow old, and then pass, if that is what you wished to do." When he answers, his voice is more hushed than it previously was.
"You'd let me do that?" Amara asks softly.
Marcus nods. "If it is what pleases you, of course. We will do whatever you so desire, so we've said."
"But what would happen to you if I died?"
"It would be catastrophic for us, slow, surely, but inevitably without your presence still lingering on earth, we would, in simple terms, fossilize." He answers, watching as Amara looks down at the dark oak table.
The thought of them dying tugs at a certain undiscovered part of herself that shes never accessed before — it feels like a great sadness, accompanied by the undeniable urge to protect, to never let that happen.
"But even in our death, we'd be satisfied, knowing your death brought you happiness. As long as you are happy, as are we."
Amara looks up at him, her gaze softer than ever before, because choosing death rather than an eternity with your soulmates is quite a decision, yet they'd allow her to make it, just because it made her happy.
No one has ever strived for her happiness and purely her happiness. Her heart has never felt warmer.
She doesn't know if she wants to live forever or not exactly yet, but if things continue as they are, she can see herself with red eyes and paled skin.
A smile graces her lips as she looks at him. "I'm not making any decisions yet, but if I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about fossilization." She tells him.
Marcus seems to relax a little, even though it isn't confirmation that she will stay by his side forever, it still eases his worries a bit to hear she is leaning more towards it than away.
"That is good to hear." He responds.
"Good." She says with a nod. "But I have another question." She adds sheepishly.
He chuckles. "Go ahead, my dear."
"What would happen to me if one of you died?"
"You would weaken, but it would not be fatal." He answers. "Though it would not be pleasant, a constant emptiness would linger within your heart."
"And if I lost two?" She asks, her voice surprisingly quiet, the question harbors strange turmoil, one completely new to Amara.
"You would be alive still, though your life expectancy would be shortened considerably. And if you lost all three... you'd fall extremely ill and likely pass within weeks, perhaps even days." He explains and Amara listens, completely engrossed in what he has to say. "It would not be pleasant."
Amara sighs lightly at his last sentence. "I don't doubt it." She takes a moment to look at him before adding, "Try not to die, okay?"
A crooked smile pulls at his lips. "I don't plan on it, darling."
"Good." She affirms.
"Do you have any other questions?" Marcus asks.
Amara shakes her head. "Not any right now, no."
"Very well." Marcus picks up a book, "Shall we read something?"
"Uh, yeah." Amara says, grabbing herself a book. "Is this one good?" She asks Marcus.
Marcus glances at it and then nods. "Ah, yes. That is one of my absolute favorites."
Amara looks at him incredulously. "I thought you didn't have a favorite?" She questions, eyebrow raised.
"I do not, but some I do enjoy more than others." He says. "And this so happens to be one of them."
"It better be good then, it has a reputation to uphold." She quips, sitting down at the table. Marcus shortly joins her.
She flips the book open and begins to immerse herself in the words on the page.
She and Marcus read in a comfortable silence for ten minutes, until Amara looks up from her book. While she was reading, she began thinking about soulmates, how her death could kill three ancient vampires, but then she posed herself the question; why? Or, rather, how? How do soulmates work? What or who chooses your soulmate? And then she was completely distracted, having so many wonderings about the complexities of soulmates that she could no longer focus on the words before her.
"Marcus?" She speaks softly, and he looks up from his almost already completely read book, Amara understands then how hes read so many. "I thought of some questions, if you still want to answer them, but you can finish reading if you want."
"I have read this one many times, I do not need to finish it." He says, closing the book. "What are your questions?" He asks, a warm and curious expression now on his defined face.
"How do soulmates work?"
"When one meets their soulmate," He starts, "a piece of their soul binds with the other, it is a connection like no other. Many of us whom have not found our soulmates like to claim that we are soulless, though I tend to not hold that same belief."
"And thats why its deadly if one dies." Amara states, to which Marcus nods.
"Correct."
"Does everyone have a soulmate?" She poses her next question.
He shakes his head. "No, only those deemed worthy enough for one will have one. I'm still not certain how my brothers and myself were perceived as worthy, but I am thankful."
"Who deems you worthy? Is it like the sorting hat?"
Marcus looks at her with an inquisitive expression on his face at her question. "The what?"
"The sorting hat, from Harry Potter... You haven't heard of it?" She asks, sounding a bit offended, like Marcus just spoke some horrid blasphemy.
"I'm afraid not, my dear." He answers, shaking his head. "Care to explain?" He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit interested in this sorting hat now.
"Theres a hat and it decides which house you go into. You know, like Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin and Hufflepuff..." She lists the houses on her fingers as she goes. "I'm Gyrffindor, you're probably Hufflepuff. Caius is definitely Slytherin, and Aro gives off Ravenclaw vibes."
"And are these houses special? Do they mean something?" Marcus asks, fully invested in the Harry Potter houses now.
"In the series they are. I'll have to force you to watch the movies with me." She says, smiling fondly at the idea.
When Dan would leave the house, Amara would watch the movies, finding some normality and comfort within them.
"You do not have to force me to do anything involving you, darling." Marcus tells her, knowing for certain that he and his brothers would do anything for Amara at any given time, no coercion needed.
"Great, because I wouldn't have taken no for an answer, anyways." She says, lightly grinning. "So, back to the soulmate stuff. Who chooses your soulmate?"
"Some say it is fate," Marcus says. "that the universe makes the decision."
"Do you think that, too?" Amara asks, becoming invested in the topic of soulmates once more, completely forgetting about the sorting hat and houses. She herself isn't so certain she believes that the universe is paying enough mind to her to choose her soulmates, but she really isn't sure what she believes anymore, and anything is possible at this point.
"I am still unsure." Marcus used to believe in fate, but then Didyme was torn from him and all of his beliefs vanished into nothing with her, especially his faith in fate and destinies, but now, as Amara stares up at him with candle light shading her features, he isn't so sure he lost his faith after all.
"Yeah, well, if fate does exist, I'm having some words with it." Amara affirms.
"Oh, as am I." Marcus agrees. "Do you have any more questions for me?"
Amara takes a moment to think, and then shakes her head. "No, none that I can think of."
"Would you like to read some more, then?" Marcus asks, gesturing at the heap of books before them.
Amara nods, "I would." She grabs the book she was reading before and flips it open back to the page she was previously on, Marcus does the same with his, and they find themselves enveloped back in comfortable silence.
•°. *࿐
AMARA JUMPS AS SHE SEES A FIGURE suddenly appear next to Marcus in her peripheral vision.
She fully lifts her head up, only to calm down once she sees that the figure is only Aro, whom smiles widely at her.
"Did I startle you?" He asks, folding his hands together in front of himself. "My apologies."
"Just gave me a bit of a heart attack, but you're all good." She responds, smiling right back at him.
"What is it that you need, Aro?" Marcus asks, obviously annoyed at his brothers presence. He looks over his shoulder up at him, eyebrows slightly lowered.
"You've been occupying dear Amara here for quite some time, I am just making sure that you have not bored her to death is all." Aro answers, shrugging simply at Marcus.
Marcus rolls his eyes and Amara laughs at Aros insult, though she quickly stops herself. "Aro, don't be mean. Marcus is great company." She says.
Marcus turns away from Aro to look at Amara, where his vexed expression falls and is replaced by one of adoration.
"Oh, I'm only teasing." Aro says. "Marcus is invigorating to be around, of course!"
"Is there anything more that you need, Aro?" Marcus asks, turning back around with an annoyed smile. "Or will you be leaving?"
"I do believe it is my turn to spend some time with Amara." Aro reminds Marcus, glaring down at him. "If you want to, that is." He adds, glancing at her.
"Oh, yeah, sure." She says, nodding, and then she looks at Marcus. "Thanks for the books. I can't wait to read them."
"Of course." Marcus nods his head at her. "I'll have them sent to your room."
"Okay, thanks." She stands up. "I'll see you later, Marcus."
"Goodbye, Amara." Marcus says.
Aro holds out a gloved hand towards Amara, which she doesn't hesitate to take. He leads her out of the library into the sunlit corridor.
"Where are we going?" Amara asks, glancing around the unfamiliar walls and art that hangs on them.
"You shall see." Aro answers.
Amara snorts a laugh. "That's a little cryptic."
"I try." Aro says proudly.