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Part I: Lyrebird
CHAPTER 2
"Sing for me," Aro commands.
Like always, Isa gathers her brown skirt in her hands, and gets onto her knees. She sits back on her heels, and places her hands in her lap; this is the position Aro as deemed acceptable from her. Finally, she sings.
The throne room fills with her saccharine voice, causing every conversation to stop. Isa doesn't know it due to her lowered gaze, but every eye is on her. Her voice has brought many to tears and a few to their knees, but she herself is indifferent. What was once a gift is now a curse, ever since Aro made her his songbird.
It hasn't always been like this. Isa hasn't always been treated as a slave in her father's eyes. When her mother was queen, Isa would sit at her father's feet while he tenderly strung his fingers through her white locks, and brushed at her pale cheeks. Aro would politely request a song from her, normally bribing her with a sweetcake or two. Isa's mother would then join in on the song, filling the castle with music so beautiful that sometimes a listener's eyes would glaze over in delight.
Then one night everything changed. Isa could only just remember the night her mother had been taken away.
"Ay-pappam," 'Father' Isa whispered in the darkness as she sat up quickly. She was unused to her father making an appearance in her room, as it was normally her mother that snuck in to cuddle with her.
"Go back to sleep," Aro instructed, his voice calm and betraying nothing. Beside her, Isa's mother stirred from her sleep.
"Aro?" she said. "What are you doing in here?"
"Come, Esme." He said simply.
There was no infliction in his tone that would suggest something was wrong, but for some reason Isa felt uneasy. She gripped onto her mother's dark grey wing for comfort.
"Where are you going?" Isa inquired, "Take me with you both."
"It's okay, Isabelle," Esme hushed her, "I will be back."
Isa whimpered, "Aya-mammam, please."
"Isabelle, let go of your mother this instant," Aro's voice raised, something he had never done in Isa's presence.
Isa held tighter onto her mother's wing, and looked into the orange eyes of the woman who had been with her all the seven years of Isa's life. She couldn't imagine a world without her. But she also couldn't imagine Father hurting her. So why did Isa feel so dreadful?
"No." she whispered in defiance.
"Isa, it's okay," Esme began to pry her wing from Isa's clutch.
"I said, no!" Isa shouted.
The following movements happened so quickly that Isa was barely able to register them. In one instant, Aro had moved from his place in front of the bed to where Isa was kneeling on the bed. He swung at her, fully intending to knock the insolence from the child, but Esme blocked his path. The back of his hand met the side of her head in a frightful collision. Esme immediately became limp.
"Aya-ma," Isa shrieked, "Wake up! Please wake up!"
Two guards entered the room bearing their swords, one with forest green hair and the other with a blonde mane. The green haired one restrained Isa while the blonde removed Esme's unconscious body. All the while Isa screamed for her mother, hoping her cries would wake Esme up. After Esme was finally gone, the only remaining persons in the room were Isa and Aro.
"Come to me, Isa," Aro held his hand out, willing his daughter to receive it. His words weren't as calm as they'd always been –there was obvious pain in them.
Isa timidly went to her father, and tucked her small hand into his large one. Aro pulled the child into his arms, "I am sorry Isabelle, for striking at you. I meant you no harm."
"Where is mother?" Isa asked.
"Your mother never loved us," Aro answered, "She was going to take everything from me, and so she needed to be punished. It is only us now."
"Are you going to punish me too?" Isa whimpered.
"If you've done nothing wrong, then no," Aro petted her head, "And in turn I won't leave you like she has. I will love you. Will you love me, Isa?"
Though Isa was confused, she believed him. For that reason, she answered, "Always."
Isa finishes her flashback just as she finishes the list of songs she had prepared for Aro. She waits for his next instructions, knowing it will either be to sing again or be dismissed. It turns out to be the latter.
Besides the silent bird that rests on her wing, Isa is alone in her cage when she returns. The guards rarely stay to watch her anymore –it's not as if she'll try to escape. So Isa takes advantage of the private time, and does the one thing that entertains her.
She sits in front of her mirror and focuses her eyes intently on the image before her. In the mirror she sees a woman –no, a girl, who is the spitting image of the man who had disowned her. With long white tresses, pale skin, and black eyes, the only traits Isa had acquired from her mother were her mouth and large, rounded eyes. Bird eyes. Her reflection stares back at her in a challenge.
With eyes closed, Isa focuses on the resource of energy within her, and pictures it spreading across the surface of her body, transforming her features into someone else. She thinks of her mother's caramel locks, and penetratingly orange eyes. She thinks of her full lips and delicate nose. Isa pictures what she could have looked like, had she not inherited anything from Aro. When she opens her eyes, she is pleased by whom she sees. In the mirror is a woman worthy of the world that is just out of her reach.
This ability to alternate between two appearances is just one of Isa's five abilities. In truth, Isa is more of a parasite than a bird. She is able to absorb abilities from other supernaturals, and use them as her own. It is a dangerous ability, and it was what had led to her father's downfall. For that reason, she avoided siphoning other's abilities as much as she could. That, and she hasn't ever revealed this ability to Aro. As far as he knows, Isa is merely gifted with singing and flying. She strokes her hand between her shoulder blades, right where her wings used to be. This is the only feature of the new appearance she doesn't like. With her wings tucked inside her body, she feels extremely awkward in her movements and balance.
Her little bird stares up at her questioningly, not used to her new appearance. Isa chuckles at the cocked head of the animal. That is another thing –Isa's voice remains the same, even in this altered state.
"Do you not recognize me lua pao av," little moon bird, she calls it. "Do I not appeal to you more this way?" To her surprise, the bird actually chirps in response.
"Isa!" Jane calls.
In an instant, her original features return. Isa scoops the little black bird into her hand, and places it on her wing as she waits for Jane to enter. Admittedly, she has grown used to having the critter near her.
"Jane," Isa answers.
"Father has allowed me to fetch you for dinner," Jane smiles as she enters the room.
"How gracious of him." Isa smiles insincerely.
Jane ignores Isa's attitude, and releases her from the cage. As Isa stretches out her limbs, Jane makes her way to the small window present in the stone wall. When Isa realizes that Jane is making no movement towards the door, she joins her at the window. Jane passes a gentle hand over Isa's back in a meaningful gesture of affection, but the gesture slightly loses its intention as Jane's bracelet catches on one of Isa's wings and painfully plucks out a few feathers. Of course, Isa is quick to forgive her sister. Jane would never intentionally do her harm.
"What are you looking at?" Isa asks.
Jane answers her, but with a question of her own, "You don't see much from this window do you?"
Isa's answer is short and bitter, "No. I do not."
Jane purses her lips, "From your view you only see the water of the Volturian Bay. But if you had a larger window…"
Anger builds within Isa as she feels as if Jane is mocking her, and cannot understand why her sister would bring up such a sensitive topic. "Jane-,"
"Why do you not escape?" Jane asks, her voice low so as to not be picked up by any passerby.
Isa makes a move from the window, but Jane's hold on her wrist stops her. "In theory it would be quite easy. Wait for Marcus to leave, break these bars and then just…fly away to the Forxian Port."
"I've no desire to listen to this," Isa says, "You know very well why I do not escape-,"
"Isabelle, I was merely supposing," Jane placed a hand on her sister's shoulder to calm her.
"May we leave now?"
"I've one more question," Jane says.
"I cannot guarantee you I'll answer," Isa huffs.
"If you were to leave," Jane starts, "Would you try to contact me?"
Isa heart feels heavier as she considers her sister's question. Why on earth would Jane ask something like this? Isa has never given the idea much thought, seeing as she knows she could never leave this castle.
"Well," Isa responds, "Yes. Yes I would."
Instead of the relief that Isa is expecting to see shown in Jane's eyes, all she sees is increasing sadness. Though utterly confused, Isa still accepts the kiss that Jane presses to her cheek, as Jane whispers,
"Don't."
~lyrebird~
Aro is drunk tonight. Isa would enjoy his delightful idiocy if it weren't for the fact that Aro is even more unpredictable while inebriated. This is the reason for her sitting at his feet, much like she did when she was a child. He strings his fingers through her white strands, murmuring apologies when his rings snag every now and then.
"You are so beautiful," Aro compliments, "The prettiest Osen of them all. I remember the day you were born as if it were yesterday. The midwife handed you to me and I was overcome with such emotion. There you were, but the size of my two hands, with black eyes and hair as white as mine. Yes, you were that small; smaller than a bird."
Isa winces, and Aro assumes it's because his ring has pulled out another one of her strands. In truth, she is wincing from his words. Not only is he annoyingly comparing her to an animal once again, he is also referring their past as if it actually means something to him. And while Isa could care less about him bruising her scalp, his behavior over the past decade is something Isa would never forgive Aro for.
"My apologies, Osen," He rubs the spot of her scalp with his thumb, "I inflict too much pain on you at times. How shall I make up for it? Perhaps I should give you the thing that offends you?"
Using his thumb and pointer finger, the King eases off two of his rings. With a twist of his wrist, he presents two rings, one in each hand, to Isa.
"Pick or choose," Aro says a mischievous grin. Isa's heart drops as she remembers the childhood game her father would play with her.
"Sing a song for me, Isa," Aro prompted as he strolled with his daughter, hand in hand, down the corridor of the castle.
Isa shook her head, "Huh-uh, not unless I get a present."
Aro raised a brow; "Many would think you foolish to reject the request of the King."
Isa giggled, "You're not a King. You are Ay-pa."
Aro let out a belly-full of a laugh, before pulling two unidentified objects from his pockets. "Alright, Miss Smarty. I've a present in my one hand, and nothing in the other. Make sure to pick the right one. If you choose wrongly, you'll get nothing."
Isa's brows turned down in confusion, "I do not understand. Must I pick, or must I choose?"
Aro shook his head in amusement, "They are the same Isa. Pick or choose."
"Hm," The five year old placed one of her miniscule fists to her chin in thinking before tapping his left hand. She assumed that he was going to open his left hand, and that inside was where the present lay. Instead, he moved his hand behind his back, and opened up his right hand, which contained a golden coin.
"But Ay-pa I tapped your other hand," Isa says in confusion.
"You did, fia," 'daughter' he calls her, "But I know what your heart really wants."
"Aro, you mustn't give her one of your signet rings," Queen Sulpicia croons from beside him, "You don't know what the little rodent will do with it."
"They are merely ring-keys Sulpicia. Now, which do you want, Osen," Aro pushes his hands closer to her face impatiently, "Pick or choose."
She lightly taps his left hand, not caring what ring she'll receive seeing as she'll discard it later. Just as she expects, he withdraws the hand that she tapped away from her, and leaves her with the remaining ring.
Aro cheers in delight, "You are pleased with this ring, are you not?"
"I am, King Aro," Isa answers dully.
"I am so talented with giving gifts. I see how much you are enjoying your bird," he gestures to the fowl that sits on Isa's shoulder. "Am I not wonderful at giving gifts?"
"You are, King Aro," Isa answers, even more unenthusiastically than before.
"Will you not thank him then?" Sulpicia speaks again, "You ungrateful girl."
"I apologize, Queen Sulpicia," Isa drones, "Thank you, King Aro."
"Now, now, I know my Osen appreciates my kindness," Aro pats Isa's cheek gently, "You mustn't speak to her that way Sulpicia. Very well. I am feeling quite charitable tonight. Go roam the castle as you please tonight, Isa. This is a late, additional birthday present to you. But you must be in your cage at midnight. Are we clear?"
Even Isa, who is trained at masking her emotions around Aro, cannot keep the shock from her eyes at Aro's permission. Jane shrugs her shoulders, a small smile as if to say 'I haven't the faintest idea what's going on.'
"Are you not going to leave?" Aro prods Isa with his foot. "Move from here, Osen. Wander where you please. But Isa?"
Isa meets Aro's penetrating gaze, "Yes, King Aro."
"Do not leave this castle," He orders.
Isa nods meekly, and slips the ring into her gown pocket before scurrying out of the court. For the first time in years she makes her way through the halls unguarded or without a chaperone. She strokes her fingers along the black brick and stone, at times feeling the fungus and moss that resides there. Later, she finds herself in the garden, perched in one of the trees, much like the animal that Aro constant compares her to. But no, she is not up there 'doing what birds do'. Instead, she is practicing her abilities from a discreet location.
Below her sits a variety of plant pots and garden sculptures. For such an evil woman, Queen Sulpicia does have amazing taste in gardening. Although Isa thinks the garden ornaments to be gaudy at times, they are undeniably beautiful. Then again, Isa knows that Sulpicia has received help from Queen Heidi of Cullenia. If this is how the garden of Volturi Castle is, Isa cannot comprehend how the garden at Cullen Castle looks.
And you never will know.
Isa quickly pushes the depressing thought from her mind, and focuses on the inanimate objects before her. She blocks out the whistle of the heated air, and the chaffing of leaves against one another. She becomes blind to the guards walking at the perimeter of the garden, and her little, black pet flittering in the tree above her. Her entire focus is on the little garden goblin that is no bigger than her fist seated approximately twenty feet away. Slowly, but surely, it begins to move.
As discreetly as she can, Isa uses the forces of her mind to entice the stone goblin towards her. She can almost feel the weight of the object in her mind as if it were weighted in her hands. When it is just in her reach, she plucks the goblin from out of the air. It is a bit heavier than she thinks, but then again, she always knew her mind contained all of her strength.
This is how she spends the following hours; perched in the tree, she lifts various objects from their places and then sets them back once she is finished with them. Large items, such as the self-statues of Sulpicia, remain in their places. Seeing the items of the Queen's garden misplaced would please Isa to no end, but she worries that the gardener would receive the brunt of the punishment. That, and the items are much too heavy for Isa to even budge. Suddenly, the clock strikes midnight, and Isa is filled with anxiety. She hadn't realized the time passing so quickly! Hopefully Aro is still inebriated enough to forget his imposed curfew.
She quietly traces her way back through the garden and into the blackened halls of the castle. Her only guidance is a glimmer of light that she sees coming from what she knows to be Sulpicia's office. As Isa draws near to the office, she halts at the sound of three voices. Tucking her wings close to her, she ensures that no part of her, not even a shadow, is visible. What Isa hears as she hides is enough to keep her rooted to the spot.
"I want us to attack by the end of this year," Aro says.
"The troops are not ready for that," Sulpicia replies, "To send them in would be suicide."
"Are you implying that I am unable to command my troops," Aro growls.
"Settle down, Aro, you know that is not the meaning in my words," Sulpicia coos. "I am simply saying that we've no rush. The Cullens are completely unsuspecting. We can take our time with this."
"I agree with Mother." Isa is barely able to hold in her gasp at the sound of Jane's voice, "We must strike, little by little, until we can attack them. If we draw this out we can really get under their skin."
"We've been 'striking little by little' for too long now. I refuse to wait any longer." Aro argues.
"Let us at least have a year," Jane suggests.
"Please, Aro," Sulpicia adds, "We've wanted Cullenia for too long to blow it away on impatience."
Isa has heard enough –no, too much. She wills her knees to stop trembling as she scurries to her room, careful to not leave any evidence that she had overheard the conversation. It is for the better if she pretends she hasn't; this way she will stay alive.
Back in her cage Isa loses the contents of her meager dinner in the waste bin. Marcus, who had simply locked her cage after she returned, paid her no mind. Her black bird, however, stares at her curiously as she slumps onto her mattress. Internally, she repeats every word that she'd heard, and feels more helpless than she ever has.
Even if Isa were not locked in this cage, what could she do? The Volturi were planning on attacking Cullenia, and consequently, slaying the beloved Cullen family. The king, the queen, the two princes, the young princess, and thousands of lives lost the pointless greediness of war.
So this is it. You are just going to lie here as you always have?
Isa scrubs at her eyes furiously, not thinking herself worthy of crying over a nation she could not try to save. In front of her, her black bird sits, black wings tucked in much like Isa had tucked hers in earlier. The bird stares at her with its beady silver eyes, evaluating Isa's being. Isa wants to fling the bird out of her sight.
"What are you looking at?" she nearly screams at the small creature. "Stop looking at me!"
It continues to peer at her, its gaze unwavering. Isa shuts her eyes, hoping the animal will move away from her, but she can still feel its beady stare on her skin.
"Why do I even talk to you?" she spits, "You are nothing but a brainless bird."
~lyrebird~
The sound of the loft's door slamming against the stone wall rips Isa from her already fitful sleep. Marcus is also torn from his sleep, his eyes their signature lava red as he awaits the entering personnel. Isa does not expect the person who enters.
"Get up," Sulpicia's rings clang against the metal of Isa's cage as she slaps an open palm against the bars. "Get up, you rat!"
Isa is on her feet within seconds, but Sulpicia has clutched her by the wing in even less time. She tugs Isa out of the cage, and keeps her leashed in this fashion as she takes her down the hall.
"Where are you taking me?" Isa asks Sulpicia, but the woman does not answer. Instead, her nails sink deeper into Isa's wing. Isa stays silently in pain, not daring to give the witch the satisfaction of hearing her whimper.
Soon enough, Isa finds out her destination. For the second time in one night, she is at Sulpicia's office. However, this time, she is dragged inside.
"I told you nothing good would come of you keeping this cockroach!" Sulpicia barks as they enter the room. Just like before, Aro and Jane are present, with cool, unaffected looks on their faces. Actually, this is not true. Aro is noticeably annoyed –he does not like it when Sulpicia touches his pet.
"Release her." Aro says, his voice betraying some of his annoyance.
With a raised brow, the Queen releases Isa by throwing her to the ground. By anchoring her teeth into her lower lip, Isa remains silent when she skids against the rough floor.
"Now Isa, I am going to ask you a question, and I highly suggest that you answer truthfully," Aro says before asking, "Where were you at midnight?"
Isa knows that she could easily lie and claim that she'd returned to her cage at midnight, but something in her doesn't want to. A small voice tells her to embrace the truth. For too long she had been conditioned to cower in the face of difficult events. Now? If she couldn't save the Cullens, the least she could do is stand up for them, even if it would most likely mean her death.
"Why do we toy with her?" Sulpicia complains, "We found her mange ridden feathers outside of the doors -we've all the evidence we need!"
"Answer me, Isabelle." Aro commands.
Isa clears her throat, "I was returning to my room, Your Majesty."
"Did you eavesdrop outside of Sulpicia's office?" He continues to question.
Isa hesitates before answering, "Yes I did, King Aro."
"Ah," Aro's smile is tight, "Then you heard of my little adventure?"
"Slaughter is hardly an adventure," Isa gives a short, humorless laugh. "But if that euphemism eases your mind…Your Majesty."
Aro's lips thin as his grin becomes wider, "You get your sharp tongue from me."
"Pardon me, Aro, but this is not an amusing matter. We cannot have her here knowing what we're about to do. It is an unnecessary threat." Sulpicia says.
"Threat? As if Isa could even harm an ant," Jane scoffs, "She hasn't the strength to do anything."
Isa flinches at the harsh words coming from the girl she has considered to be her sister for the past 20 years of her life. She fixes her eyes on Jane's form, trying to find the meaning of her words in her blue gaze, but only sees the jet black of her hair.
"Do not pretend as if you have no loyalties to her, Jane," Sulpicia gives her daughter a calculating stare, "It is time for you both to get over your ridiculous obsession with her."
"I do not have an obsession with her," Aro sneers, "She is merely a pet."
"Please," Sulpicia huffs, "She has more power over you than you know-,"
"Enough!" Aro silences her. "Though I've no need to prove anything to you, I will allow you to choose whatever punishment you see fit for her."
A cold chill spreads across Isa's body. As soon as Aro says this, she knows what her punishment will be. There is no way Sulpicia will waste this opportunity to get rid of Isa once and for all.
"She will be sentenced to death," Sulpicia hardly tries to keep the smile from her face, "And Jane will choose the means."
Jane doesn't look the least bit bothered as she says, "Death by insignia."
Terminology
Ay-pappam/Aya-pa –Father/Daddy [Volturian]
Aya-mammam –Mother/Mommy [Volturian]
lua pao av –little moon bird [Volturian]
Volturia –the land owned by the royal Volturi family
Cullenia –the land owned by the royal Cullen family
Forxx –a land located between Volturia and Cullenia
Osen –songbird [Volturian]
Fia –daughter [Volturian]