"Now, may I request to hear your last question?"

Slowly, I nodded. "What do you want with me?"

Gracefully and soundlessly, Aro stood. Travelling down the steps from the podium at human speed, his regality was undeniable. "We would invite you to join our guard. Your species is new to us, relatively speaking; even as a child, you were almost entirely unique and remain more so to this day." There was some prideful glint to his eyes at that, but I could discern what it meant. "Personally, I would enjoy to see you excel - and study to see if your physical body can improve as a human's does over time. A vampire is relatively limited - we all average out to a similar level of strength and ability, and never improve physically after our change. You, my dear, may be able to change due to your human side. I'd like you to be... an experiment, and also to join our guard. I can see you individually and you as your new species being very useful to us."

So, my human side is viewed as a strength to him? The half of me I'd shunned and pushed aside not moments ago. That was not what I had been expecting.

Aro returned to his throne then, leaving me curious as to why he ever left it. Proximity to entice integrity?

"I suspect, Aro." Marcus' voice suddenly sounded and Aro's head snapped in his direction.

"What, dear brother?" Aro asked with his sickly grin. It was beginning to look almost plastic.

Marcus heaved another breath. "Ties to her family are still present - perhaps it would be a good idea to allow Renesmee to meet her family? Surely, we would all like to know how she came to be abandoned, wouldn't you agree so, Caius?"

The blonde suddenly straightened up now that the limelight was on him. "That is a matter for the girl, I have no opinion of it." He looked away with a scowl - I was gathering a feeling within that suggested he didn't like me much.

Clearly my throat, I took that opportunity to speak. "I appreciate your offer for me to join your guard, but I would also appreciate a chance to meet the family that abandoned me, if that would be so permitted?"

Aro looked... flustered, like a bird that had had its feathers ruffled. One brother against him, I against him and the other brother on neither side.

Wait, when did I gain the assumption they were brothers? They look nothing alike.

After an unnecessary clearing of his throat, Aro finally spoke. "That is allowable. I would suggest you stay here tonight, Jane can help you get quickly settled into a room. Allow you to freshen up and get a short idea of what life within the guard could be like."

And just that happened.

After being lead by the girl before - Jane -through another series of corridors, there was one long hallway with many doors on either side.

Jane suggested I not try to think about why vampire need bedrooms.

Walking past them all until the very end, I noticed each door had names on written on a plaque. The last door held my name in shiny black metal - but I just didn't question it.

"I'll be back in about two hours for you - Aro wants you to accompany Alec and I on patrol duty around the city. The bathroom is through that door, and the clothes you'll need to wear are in the wardrobe." Jane smiled, though it was very small, then left while closing the door behind her quietly.

At first, I didn't know what to do, and just looked around the room. It was dark, with the furniture and the walls all stained dark red. Hopefully not stained with blood - that's a step too far.

With slight hesitation, I entered the bathroom. It was all a very pale shade of red - almost pink. I turned the hot tap of the bathtub all the way, and looked across the wide collection of bottles and jars that were perfectly placed on the shelves. I just focused on the ones that I knew what they were, and chose the nicest smelling ones.

With the bath full, I set about with the difficult task of maintaining my hair. It wasn't curly, but wasn't straight either. And it was extremely long, and thick. Honestly, completely ridiculous - it reached the floor! I was never given anything to cut it with though, so it just grew and grew.

I made sure it was all clean, the shampoo working some strange magic on it. Then used a conditioner and a jar that said it would help tame curls. The weight of the hair was too much for proper curls, but still frizzed up or went plain silly if I wasn't careful.

When done, I tied my hair up in a big braided knot on my head, made sure I was all clean, then set about finding a way to get my hair dry.

There was a machine on the wall that said it was for drying hands, and made loud noises when I used it, but dried my hair eventually.

I didn't know how long it had been, so I quickly put on the clothes they wanted me to. Black dress, black boots, black cape. Black, black, black. Probably so you can't see any blood stains.

Then came time for my hair. It took an age, but I got it brushed and braided out the way just in time for a small, quiet knock on the - my - door.

"Renesmee, you ready?" It wasn't Jane, it was a male voice. Not very deep, but definitely a man. I bit my lower lip, checked my braids were smooth, then opened my door to the man that looked like a male version of Jane, but just slightly taller.

I had to clear my throat for some reason. "Yep, ready."

I don't much like this chapter, there's not much point to it. It is important, of course, but meh. Will post next chapter in about 6 hours. The whole thing about her hair is needed, I promise, not just a rant lol. Also, thanks to everyone that's favourited or followed *insert heart here*