Twilight: Darling of Volturi (YURI/GL)

The bathroom window was much smaller than the one in the sitting room. Compared to the broad window where two girls could comfortably sit side by side, the opening above the bath was little more than a vent. 

The underground portion of the ancient castle had preserved its original architecture as faithfully as possible. Leaning over to peer outside, Sophie found the exterior walls almost entirely swallowed by moss and climbing vines, nature reclaiming stone laid centuries ago.

Unlike houses built for humans, every room here faces away from the sun, minimizing the chances of the vampires coming into contact with daylight. Resting the back of her head against the edge of the bath, Sophie allowed the mountain spring water to flow over her body as though polishing a piece of stone. 

Perhaps because Jane had seen her swimming beneath the secluded waterfall, she had deliberately commissioned a bath far larger than Sophie's petite frame required. It was an act of thoughtfulness so intimate it bordered on intruding into her privacy, yet Jane had done it as naturally as she had arranged Sophie's death certificate.

Sophie admitted, somewhat awkwardly, that she truly had "died." Jane's actions weren't entirely unreasonable. But... she still wanted to continue living as a human, at least in some sense. Just how far was a "guardian" supposed to go? 

In many ways, Jane resembled an overprotective parent who insisted on deciding everything. After Aro transformed Jane and Alec, the twins had remained inseparable for an entire millennium. 

Am I supposed to wait another thousand years before I can leave too? Sophie couldn't wait that long. Her leave of absence from university only lasted three years. If she wanted to earn her degree and graduate, she had to return before that deadline expired.

The memory of Jane's uncompromising attitude immediately dampened her courage. She didn't dare confront her head-on. She lingered in the bath for what felt like ages. Had she still been human, her fingertips would have wrinkled by now, and the hot steam might even have left her dizzy from a lack of oxygen. Yet her strengthened vampire body remained as flawless as ever. Rising from the water, she merely felt pleasantly damp. Neither her fingers nor her toes showed the slightest wrinkle.

The brass faucet turned out to be purely decorative, with no actual valve attached. The bath was constantly supplied by flowing spring water, carrying the same fresh scent as Jane's waterfall pool. They likely shared the very same source. 

After examining the fixture, Sophie finally convinced herself that allowing the water to flow continuously wasn't wasteful, nor would it burden the Volturi with some astronomical water bill. In every foster home and boarding school she'd lived in, using resources so freely would have earned endless criticism.

Fresh towels had already been prepared beside the washbasin. They were soft, dry, and lightly scented with an unfamiliar fragrance. Sophie knew nothing about perfumes, but as she unfolded one and wrapped it around herself, she privately decided that it smelled like sunshine. 

The black lace beneath the opal choker around her neck had absorbed water, so she carefully pressed the towel against it, drying it little by little. Only after the lace stopped dripping did she finish drying the rest of her granite-hard body.

Outside, the room was utterly silent. Wrapping the towel tightly around herself, Sophie cautiously opened the bathroom door just a crack. 

"Jane?" she called softly.

No one answered.

This time Jane did not suddenly appear, nor were there any red-cloaked maids waiting outside. They belonged to Jane, not to Sophie. Just as Jane had explained, territory wasn't shared except between mates. 

Without permission, no one entered another vampire's domain. Jane had told Sophie that this room would become hers alone, and she had quietly honored those words.

Leaving the bathroom, Sophie returned to the fully furnished sitting room. The curtains remained tightly drawn. The discarded blood bags, along with her dirty clothes, had already disappeared. A mountain breeze slipped through the slightly opened window, lifting the bottom edge of the curtains. 

Resting upon the windowsill was the brass nameplate bearing Sophie's name, reminding her to mount it outside the door. Beneath it lay a neatly arranged change of clothes. 

The outfit resembled the elaborate attire she'd worn on her first day, luxurious and intricate enough that she couldn't possibly dress herself without assistance.

Picking up the nameplate, Sophie padded happily across the thick wool carpet. The muddy footprints she'd left earlier had vanished completely, as though someone had reset the room while she was bathing. Then she caught the scent of another vampire. The dirty laundry basket Jane had taken away had been replaced with an identical, perfectly clean one, sitting neatly upon the carpet.

The unfamiliar scent was unmistakable. Opening the door, Sophie found two maids in red cloaks waiting respectfully outside.

"Jane instructed us to help you dress."

Sophie stepped aside and allowed them inside. Everything felt strangely similar to her first day in the palace. Returning to the sitting room, she loosened the towel without protest and allowed the attendants to dress her. 

They layered soft silk undergarments beneath an elegant lace-trimmed gown. Judging from the style alone, Sophie immediately realized she wouldn't be leaving the palace today.

Bad news, she thought. I've definitely upset Jane.

Good news... she didn't take the room back.

The maids worked efficiently, and Sophie cooperated without complaint, making the entire process surprisingly quick. Once they finished, both women visibly relaxed. Before they could excuse themselves, Sophie spoke first.

"Where did Jane go?"

"Jane departed on a mission together with Alec."

They offered no details. Perhaps they genuinely didn't know. Or perhaps they simply weren't permitted to say. Either way, with the Volturi banquet only days away, Sophie guessed they were probably handling security or welcoming important guests.

She merely nodded.

"Jane also asked us to bring you two things."

Sophie blinked in surprise and held the door open as the maids hurried away. Barely enough time passed for her to hang the brass nameplate outside before they returned, each carrying an item.

The first was Sophie's backpack.

Inside rested the small notebook filled with all the notes she'd painstakingly written.

The second was a case containing titanium fountain pens.

The memory immediately resurfaced. The last time she'd tried writing, her uncontrollable newborn strength had snapped an ordinary ballpoint pen clean in half. While explaining that vampire memories were eternal, Jane had promised to buy her sturdier pens. Titanium, she'd said, was far stronger than plastic. The next time Sophie accidentally lost control while writing, they would survive a little longer.

"Thank you," Sophie murmured quietly.

The two maids exchanged uncertain glances.

"Would you like us to pass your thanks along?" one asked. "Or... you could thank Jane personally the next time you see her."

"I'll thank her myself."

After closing the door again, a faint spark of hope quietly ignited within Sophie's heart. A handful of fountain pens was hardly convincing evidence, yet somehow they felt meaningful. She couldn't quite explain what they proved, only that they gave her hope. 

When the opportunity came, she wanted to thank Jane in person and then sincerely ask for the chance to keep living as Sophie Luca, to retain the human identity that still belonged to her. Jane would listen. Even if she didn't understand, surely she would at least hear her out.

The thought of one day returning to university and finishing her degree filled Sophie with fresh energy. She spun around the room several times, her magnificent skirt blooming outward like a flower opening beneath time-lapse photography.

Unfortunately, the days that followed brought only disappointment.

Jane never appeared.

Demetri became the one who delivered blood bags to her. Felix remained her sparring partner in the training yard. She even happened to run into Alec several times.

But Jane...

Not once.

Sophie worried about interrupting Jane's missions, yet she also feared Jane might still be upset with her. Weighing both concerns, she ultimately decided not to seek Jane out directly.

Instead, she waited in one of the underground corridors beneath the Palazzo dei Priori.

The instant a familiar figure flashed past, Sophie sprang into action from behind and wrapped both arms tightly around the person's waist.

A newborn's physical strength was terrifying. Once their arms locked around someone, almost no vampire could break free. Felix himself had taught her the technique, telling her to exploit her overwhelming physical advantage and strike by surprise whenever possible.

The vampire she'd seized reacted instantly.

Dark mist immediately spread from his hand.

"It's me, Alec!" Sophie hurriedly shouted.

Her grip loosened at once.

Alec withdrew his gift just as quickly, turning around with a puzzled expression.

"Sophie... why are you stopping me like this? That was dangerous."

Still reluctant to let go completely, Sophie looked at him awkwardly.

"Could you... tell me something?" she asked hesitantly. "These past few days... well... your sister... is she... is she very busy? I-I haven't seen her in a long time."

Alec's lips slowly curved into an amused smile.

"Oh? So you've been missing her."

He glanced down at the arms still wrapped around his waist before looking back at Sophie with teasing eyes.

"And here I thought you were hugging me... just because I reminded you of her."

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