Chapter One
Où tout a commencé
Marlowe Juliette Castille
March 19, 1923
Versailles, France

~

"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."
-William Shakespeare

~

"Again, my sincerest thanks to you all for your attendance in the celebrations tonight. Tonight, we celebrate the St. Marcus day festival, in honor of our own Marcus of the Volturi, so enjoy the riddance of vampires everyone!" Aro cheered, earning a round of laughter from the vampires in the room. "And finally, a special thank you to our hostess, Marlowe Castille. A valued member and confident of the Volturi clan!" He laughed and applause sounded as he motioned to me.

I simply offered the crowd a soft smile before motioning for the music to start, anything to get the attention off of me.

Everyone looked so elegant as they glided about the ballroom to the classical waltz. They were all dressed to perfection in the latest suits and gowns, all of the women were decorated with expensive jewelry while every man led expertly to the music, the sheer perfection stunned me to my core.

I was changed five years ago in 1918, however I do not remember the circumstances. Only that it happened late one night after my family's mansion was ambushed by German soldiers. I ran into the garden to escape and then the next moment I was waking up in the Volturi's castle. After five years of acclimating to being a vampire; I'm still not used to it.

However, I am quickly growing to love my new existence. My parents aristocratic life filled with affairs, drinking, drugs, and parties was chaotic. With being a vampire, I get the glamour without the trauma. The music, the dancing, the electricity, it's all so intoxicating.

So much so that I had to walk out onto the nearest balcony. I needed to take a break before I got too overwhelmed.

That's when I noticed him.

He was walking the hedge gardens path, bronze hair catching the moonlight oddly as he strolled without a care. Suddenly, the vampire looked up at me and I took in a breath I didn't need in my surprise.

He was gorgeous with an angular face, strong jaw, and wild bronze hair. As a figure in France's high society, I had met plenty of pretty boys in my life, but none of them came close to the Adonis in the garden. The most startling part of his appearance, however, were his familiar golden eyes.

He rushed out of the garden towards the house and I swear my heart would be pounding if it were still beating. I was desperately hoping he'd come to talk to me, but then I felt silly for being so obsessed with someone I didn't even know.

He came running into the ballroom as I left the balcony. He smiled so beautifully at me as he crossed the room...I couldn't even bring myself to meet him he was so breathtaking. Before I knew it, he was standing right in front of me, and I had no idea what I could possibly say to him.

"Hello, my name is Edward Cullen." He introduced himself, sounding American and beautifully eloquent.

And my mind scrambled to find something, anything, to say to him.

"Bonjour, je m'appelle Marlowe Castille." I introduced myself, and immediately cringed at my use of French. "Sorry, e'm Marlowe." I apologized, "I'm Marlowe." I stated, trying my hardest to annunciate clearly.

"Marlowe, we have a bit of a language barrier. It's not difficult at all, please don't apologize." He smiled graciously down at me.

"Zank you, Edward." I smiled back gratefully.

"Besides, I happen to think it's very alluring." He smirked devilishly at me.

"Quoi!" I sputtered in surprise. "What!" I translated, not believing what I was experiencing. "Mr. Cullen, zat's quite forward of you."

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you." He apologized quickly. "I don't know what's gotten into me." He shook his head, messing up his hair even more as he ran his fingers through it.

"Non, it's alright." I giggled. "I'm not embarrassed just...surprised."

"Surprised?" He raised his eyebrows at me. "By what?"

"You." I stated simply. "You're far too pretty to give me ze time of day."

"I'm too pretty?" He laughed at me. "Miss Castille, did you look in the mirror after getting dressed this evening? You're stunning." He praised me.

"What a flirt." I smiled, knowing I would be blushing if I could. "So, Mr. Cullen, et seems we have something else big en common. Our diets."

"We do." He nodded. "I must admit, I was surprised to see someone with such pretty golden eyes in the Volturi."

"I admit et's not ze best fit, but zey took me en when I needed et." I sighed, watching Aro and Sulpicia dance beautifully in the center of the floor.

"Would you like to dance?" He offered me his arm, noticing my envy.

"I don't know ef zat would be appropriate." I shook my head.

"Oh? Should I ask your chaperone?" He teased me, the same wonderful smirk on his face from before. "Scared?" He smirked, nudging me with his arm.

"You wish." I stated, taking his arm before practically dragging him onto the dance floor.

One of his beautiful hands slipped around my waist while the other grasped my hand in his confidently. He smiled at me gorgeously as the music began and he swept me away.

It was magnifique, the way we moved together perfectly about the floor. The electricity I had felt between us seemed magnified as I got lost in the intensity of his eyes and the feel of his body pressed into mine. He was an amazing dance partner, the best I had ever had, and I couldn't help but laugh joyfully as he spun us around the room. He laughed with me and used every trick he knew to keep me on my toes.

As the song came to a close, he dipped me, and as he lifted me back upright I leapt forward and kissed him. I only meant it to be an appreciative kiss, but I found myself wanting more the instant I pulled away.

"C'était merveilleux!" I cheered, a wide smile still stretching across my face, keeping my hands on his shoulders as he clutched at my waist.

My eyes were suddenly glued to his, I couldn't look away...and I didn't want to. I knew we had chemistry, but the kind of feelings that have been flooding through me just aren't normal for two strangers. I never wanted him to let go of me, never wanted him to stop smiling at me, and I suddenly realized exactly what this must be.

A soulmate bond.

"May I kiss you, Miss Castille?" He asked huskily, his face so close to mine that his deliciously cold breath washed over my face, further hypnotizing me.

"S'il vous plaît." I nodded eagerly and he closed the small gap between us.

Fire blossomed up through my chest as he kissed me passionately. If there was any doubt in my mind that Edward was my mate, it was certainly gone now.

"Merci." He grinned crookedly at me as we broke apart regretfully.

"We'll work on your French." I giggled at him.

"Come with me, I want to introduce you to my parents." He smiled widely as he took my hand and led me through the crowd to the opposite side of the ballroom. "Carlisle, Esme." Edward spoke their names as he pulled a lovely couple off of the dance floor.

"Hello dear, are you enjoying the party?" The motherly sweet-looking woman smiled gracefully at him. "Oh! Who's this?" She smiled as she noticed my arm in Edwards.

"Carlisle, Esme, this is Marlowe Castille. Marlowe, Carlisle and Esme Cullen are my adoptive parents so to speak." He smiled at me. "Marlowe is my mate." He told them, and I was instantly swept up into a tight embrace by Esme.

"It's so wonderful to meet you!" She cheered. "I'm so thrilled!" Esme sobbed as she let go of me to clutch on to Edward.

"You don't know how happy we are to meet you." Carlisle smiled and hugged me as well.

"Moi aussi." I smiled back at them. "I'm 'appy to meet you as well."

"Oh just look at you! So gorgeous!" Esme cooed, reaching forward to play with my wild red curls. "And French!" She teased me playfully. "You'll have to teach us the language, it's so beautiful."

"Bien sûr. Of course." I nodded, excited at the chance to spend time with other animal drinking vampires. "Merde. I forgot about Aro." I cursed.

"Aro? Why would he be a problem?" Carlisle asked me.

"I'm sort of...employed by ze Volturi." I confessed. "My gift es intriguing to Aro and we've been studying et."

"We're old friends. I'll go speak with him." Carlisle assured us before going to find Aro.

"Marlowe." Marcus's familiar monotone voice spoke from behind me.

"Marcus." I nodded, turning to address him.

"Remarkable." He stated simply, looking the most alert I had ever seen him, as he looked back and forth between the Cullens and I. "Such strong connections so quickly. I suspected your diets would make you compatible, but this is a strong mate bond." He sighed. "Congratulations, dear." He nodded before drifting away.

"Well...zat was odd." I noted.

"Very." Edward nodded seriously, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Oh you two are just so cute!" Esme cooed.

"Very fitting." Aro agreed as he approached with Carlisle. "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou her maid art far more fair than she." He quoted Romeo and Juliet teasingly as he took my hands in his. "How I will miss bothering you to no end with silly quotes, but I am very happy for you and the Cullens." He smiled at me.

"So you're not upset with me?" I asked cautiously.

"No, sweet Juliette, not at all!" He laughed me. "Overjoyed actually. I've already sent someone back to Volterra to arrange your joining the Cullens in America."

"O, 'ow kind." I smiled, a sudden sadness washing through me at the thought of leaving Europe. "Zank you very much."

"Anything for you, sweet Juliette." He smiled and kissed my hands before returning to the dance floor.

"Juliette?" Carlisle questioned me.

"My middle name. 'e loves et." I shook my head.

"You have a beautiful home, dear." Esme praised, changing the conversation gracefully. "It's a wonder it survived the war." She giggled and I tensed up.

"Je me demande si nous survivrons à la guerre." My mother worried as she stood ridged at the balcony, watching me as I waltzed about the gardens below. She was worried we wouldn't survive the war? She never seemed to be when she spoke of it.

"Nous ne le ferons pas, mais j'espère qu'elle le fera." My father nodded, taking her hand gently in his. I found it strange, they always seemed so much more invested in their own safety than mine. And they never were an affectionate couple as they fought to no end.

"Marlowe?!" Edwards perfect golden eyes were suddenly all I could see as he shook me. "Are you alright?" He worried over me.

"Oui, I'm fine." I nodded, shaking myself out of the vision. "I'm sorry, something Esme said triggered my gift." I apologized.

"Oh! Don't be sorry!" Esme cried, taking my hands in hers. "What did I say? What happened?"

"My gift es to see ze past en ze form of visions. When you said et was a wonder zat zis house survived ze war, my mind picked up on a memory of my mothers. She and my father were worrying over me getting 'urt alongside zem en ze war." I explained.

"Remarkable." Carlisle smiled widely at me. "You'll have to tell us more about it."

"I'd love to." I smiled back at him, already falling in love with my new soon-to-be family members. "However, ze night es still young and you owe me at least two more dances." I giggled, wrapping my arms around one of Edwards and dragging him back on to the dance floor.

"At least two?" He chuckled, placing his hand on my waist and taking my hand gently in his own. "Why is that?"

"It's a rule I 'ave." I shrugged. "I always dance at least three times at a party, even ef I don't like who I'm dancing with, but now I only want to dance with you." I smiled up at him as we waltzed slowly about the floor. "So I need two more dances."

"Well, I'm happy to comply, Miss Castille." He smirked, the music suddenly picking up as he spun me playfully. "Forever." He promised me.