A/N: *facepalm* I really should stop starting new stories before I finish the older ones…but I couldn't help myself.

I've always wanted to write a story about Marcus—seeing how I've written a tale a few tales about Aro and one about Caius—my OCD wanted me to include the more underrated Master. I'm going to need a TON of direction with this one since it's pretty far-fetched.

Enjoy, and please give a struggling soul feedback.

Loves,

Dani Jones

"Volterra is lovely this time of year Amelia; you will absolutely love it!"

"That's very sweet of you Fabrizzio, but I can't afford to take time off of school right now."

"Don't be ridiculous; you're the best student in the university. Just tell the professor that you're going abroad to study art, and he'll give you roaming credits."

"That's called being sneaky."

The voice of my classmate on the other line groaned, spewing out a short phrase in Italian that I only caught half of. I thought since I've been living in Italy for six months as an exchange student that I would have picked up the language by now.

But then again…I did not pick up things very easily anyway – except the visual arts. My parents always prided my seemingly natural ability to sketch, paint, doodle, and shade at the drop of a hat. Because of this talent—and my lack of others with any other subject—they sent me as an exchange student from Massachusetts, USA, to Florence, Italy.

That was their last favor to me. Shortly before I left for Italy, my family was killed in a freak car-accident that also claimed the life of the driver of the opposite vehicle.

I had no one left.

Perfect; moving to Italy with no strings attached.

I moved the phone away from my mouth and closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose and thinking quickly through my options.

I could go to Volterra for a weekend. I hear they have a museum full of art, and a clock tower that dates back before the Renaissance.

"Fine…fine, you win. I'll go for a weekend."

"For the 'win'!" Fabrizzio cheered.

"Shut it," I growled in reply, "But I'm only going for two days. Count 'em; two."

"Have fun!" he trilled.

With an exasperated sigh, I hung up the phone. I tucked a stray strand of my blonde hair out of my face, completely irritated that I now had three days to plan for a vacation I was not looking forward to.

{ ~ }

Gad, I really should have thought this out more.

I clutched a small map in my hand—one written in smudged hand-written Italian—glancing helplessly around the identical and narrow streets of Volterra. The sun blazed hotly above my head, and I felt that it the humidity was actually affecting my thought process.

I really should have brought some water.

With a small sigh, I continued trudging across the aged cobblestone, listening to the tolling of a clock tower—probably the one I was looking for—somewhere nearby. I turned a corner, emerging from the shadow of a building into a broad and very wide courtyard, squinting my eyes as the sun bounced off of the clear water that rested peacefully in an elaborate fountain placed right in the middle of it.

I shielded my eyes with my hand and glanced at the largest building in the square before me, seeing the iron hands of the clock pointing the time to be a few minutes past five in the afternoon.

I looked back down at my map. The clock tower had to be there somewhere.

Ah-ha.

I spotted it, and raked my eyes over the tattered map once again for the hotel I was supposed to be staying at. I growled in sheer annoyance as I recalculated my route, and found that I had been traveling in the wrong direction for about an hour.

The scenery all looks the same here!

"Fetchin' dang it…." I mumbled; using what my mother used to call 'clean' profanity.

I let my arm fall to my side in exasperation as I continued to mumble darkly, trying to decide on my next course of action.

I listened to the citizens mill about around me, going about their lives. A little girl laughed behind me, while a pair of women chattered just past the fountain, and a father yelled for his children to come inside.

But one voice suddenly spoke up that caught my attention; one that was as clear as a bell, and more beautiful than any I'd ever heard.
"Stay together, please! Follow me this way!"

I looked around for the voice, exhaling in satisfaction when I found a cluster of people—undoubtedly tourists; they looked as lost as I was—gathered around a stunning woman donned in a long grey trenchcoat. Although the heat did not permit such heavy clothing, I—in my naïve sense—deducted that she did not want her amazingly pale skin to tan.

"Tours of the clock tower and museum this way!" she shouted, waving a gloved hand elaborately in the air.

Ah…just what I've come for.

Not attracting any attention from the surrounding civilians, I tucked the map into the pocket of my jeans and pulled the sleeves of my long-sleeved shirt down into my balled fists; feeling a small sense of security. Though I had to admit that I was not dressed for the hot weather either, I always felt much more comfortable in long sleeves. Being tall and thin drew attention to me, and I always felt that my bony structure was rather embarrassing.

I slipped into the back of the group, walking behind an older woman who was holding of a young boy; I assumed she was his grandmother.

"Gramma, I don't wanna do this," he mumbled in soft Italian-lilted English.

"Hush now, Amadeo; it will be over before you know it." She replied with the same harsh accent.

I smiled softly at the adorableness of the little boy. He huffed in defeat, but then went quiet again as the group began to trudge forward. We entered through a small archway and deeper into the stone fortress. The temperature cooled considerably as we entered a stairwell; extending deeply down into the earth.

{ ~ }

Marcus

I stared blankly at Aro's back as he faced away from me, chatting animatedly to a neighboring guard member; using wide arm gestures, and obvious body language that indicated an exciting tale he was recounting.

Something that was only exciting to him, no doubt.

I rolled my eyes and placed my chin in my hand that was propped up by my elbow on the armrest of my throne. I stared at the rest of the guard, all standing in haphazard positions around the marble rotunda; most of them speaking to one another, and the last few, visibly working to control themselves as they impatiently awaited for our food to arrive.

The thought of murdering innocent humans was something that revolted me greatly, but alas, their blood was essential for my survival. Didyme had opposed the killing of innocent humans, and she would often wait with me on the outskirts of the chaos for the others to kill the humans before we would select our meals, say a small prayer for their souls, and then allow our animalistic sides to dominate, and devour them.

Didyme…the very name was enough to pour salt into a wound that had still never fully closed.

I closed my eyes, the sounds of the room dissolving around me until all I could hear and see was my darling…my love…

I watched her blonde hair blow in the wind, saw the mischievous glint in her eye as she would wink at me during a council session, heard the small giggle she gave when she saw something she appreciated…felt the light brush of her finger over the back of my hand…

"Ah! Welcome, welcome, my dear friends!"

My eyes opened grudgingly as Aro's voice rang through the rotunda, breaking my stream of consciousness, and pulling the memories of my beloved Didyme from me.

Aro beamed and walked towards the group, taking the hands of the nearest males and giving them a firm shake, even striking up a conversation with a woman on the side of the front row of the cluster. He chatted with her for several moments before stepping away; his grin growing.

"We now offer you a gift," he began. I worked to hold in a sigh. This was a simple speech that I had heard many, many times. "The gift…of silence."

With a deafening roar, Felix launched himself across the room first, grasping a young woman and pinning her to the ground, breaking her neck with a sweep of his hand, leaning down, and biting down into her neck roughly; drinking deeply.

The group took a few seconds to respond, but soon, the room was filled with screaming.

I stood from my throne slowly, strolling around the room slowly and corralling any humans that would try to run. I was waiting for the last of the humans to be killed before I would choose which human to feed on.

There was one girl in particular, who seemed to evade me. I sighed softly, sweeping over to her and grasping her shoulder in my hand spinning her around easily, and watched her stumble; falling straight backwards onto the ground.

I froze when I saw her face.

{ ~ }

Amelia

My heart lurched when the screams started. I could not see what was happening, but I watched people fall at the front of the group. And they did not stand back up.

Figures blurred around me as the screams continued. One man behind me yelled out in sheer terror, and then silenced shortly after. I watched in wide eyes as the old woman in front of me disappeared as well, her grandson screeching out in fear.

My right foot slipped in something liquid. I glanced down, and only saw red.

Blood.

Not able to muster a scream, I whimpered; spinning around on my heel and stumbling to the doors we had entered through. The doors were far too heavy for me to push open on my own, but desperation was setting in, and I slammed what little weight I had against it, grunting in effort.

A freezing cold hand gripped my shoulder, forcing me to spin around. The weight of my body centered on the foot that had stepped in the blood, and I lost my footing; falling straight down onto the hard marble.

I squeezed my eyes closed as I jolted against the floor. I flinched, and waited the blow that never came.

Tentatively, I opened my eyes slowly, and gazed straight into eyes that were a deep black; the pupils blending in with the rest of the eye, giving the thing before me a very monstrous and frightening appearance. I widened my stare and took in the face that peered at me.

It was pale white, and the skin looked powdery. If the frightening features were taken away, then the creature in front of me would have been a very handsome man.

Extremely handsome man…

I paused, wondering why he was staring at me.

His eyes looked so…

Vulnerable.

His lips moved slowly as he pulled back a little bit. His jaw quivered as if he was holding in an intense emotion. Then he uttered three small syllables I did not understand.

"…Didyme…?"

{ ~ }

Renata

I could not believe my eyes.

Mistress Didyme…sat on the floor of the throne room in human form, cowering before the man that was her husband. Er…had been in some previous life…?

No one in the room moved. As soon as the name of his wife escaped from his lips, the room stilled. Master Aro stood as still as a statue, staring at the girl with a gaping expression and wide eyes. Even master Caius looked a tad puzzled.

"My God…" Heidi gasped softly, putting her hand slowly to her mouth.

Master Marcus knelt slowly in front of her, reaching a hand out slowly to touch her face. He seemed as though he was suddenly sucked into a trance; he spoke softly as he did to mistress Didyme once upon a time.

"…Didyme…?" he rasped, extending his hand slowly to touch her cheek.

The Didyme-human shrank away from his touch, pressing herself up against the wrought-iron door to the lobby.

"Who are you?" she gasped, fingers clawing at the floor as if it would give her a chance to spring to her feet.

Master Marcus' hand continued to near her slowly. "It is I…Marcus…" he strained. My heart broke hearing his voice in such a condition. Master Marcus once had the greatest love of all time…then lost the greatest love of all time. Just thinking of it for a long enough period of time would depress me for an entire day.

The human shrunk away once again, sliding away from him.

"I am not who you think I am," she trembled.

Master Marcus' hand stopped; withdrawing back to himself.

The room continued to stand in awful silence, until Aro spoke.

"Chelsea…Corin…take our guest to her room."

The human jumped and yelped in surprise as Chelsea and Corin both flashed over to her and grabbed an arm—respectfully, yet firmly—and lifted her to her feet, escorting her from the room. The human's feet skidded across the marble as she resisted; leaving a smear of blood everywhere that her left foot touched.

"No!" she screamed, writhing in their holds. "No! Let me go!"

Master Marcus turned around slowly, facing us all with a heartbreaking expression.

"…She denies me."

"Brother, brother…" Aro said softly, walking towards him. "This is…an extraordinary situation we find ourselves in."

Master Marcus stood rigidly by the exit door, hand slightly outstretched almost in a confused manner.

He suddenly hissed. "What is this curse that has been sent to me?"

"Marcus, I can assure you, I haven't the slightest idea what is happening, but I will find out." Aro reassured him, putting a hand on his shoulder and clapping it supportively. Marcus nodded once, pausing before sweeping across the room to the private entrance that sat behind the thrones, exiting from the room, and slamming the door behind him.

"My, my…" Aro whispered, touching his chin with three fingers. "What have we here?"

{ ~ }

Amelia

"Please…!" I begged, tears rolling down my face and causing a few loose strands of my bright blonde hair to stick to my cheeks. The women that held my arms were impossibly strong, supporting me even though I was not assisting them with my feet. They dragged uselessly behind me as they continued walking me deeper and deeper into the fortress.

The female on my left abandoned my arm and brandished a brass key, unlocking a door on our right, and opening it for us. The other woman pulled me in, releasing me once I was inside.

I immediately collapsed onto my hands and knees.

"Call us if you need anything, Mistress…" the one said quietly, almost timidly; as if she did not know what to call me.

"…What?" I cried, turning around only to see a closed door, and to hear the lock click into place. I squeezed my eyes closed again and grasped the fur rug beneath my hands, letting out a wail of despair as I crumpled onto the floor and cried until I was too tired to even stay conscious.

{ ~ }

R&R if you would be so kind.