IC Time: Tue May 29, 2007, Midnight
Location: Volterra - Castle: Dungeons
Synopsis: The Shadow Stalkers agree on a contract that more or less makes them allies to the Volturi.
Submitted by: Aro
"What are my wolf friends up to today?" Aro says in his sing-song voice as he descends the stairs and rounds the hallway, his usual henchmen tagging along. Today, he brings a briefcase with the written contract that has been passed back and forth between the wolves and the Volturi with him. He stops in front of the cell and smiles. "Does this mark a month since you've been here? Maybe more? That could change…"
Aset lays within the castle dungeons, his hands rested behind his head as he stares up at the ceiling with a contemplative expression on his face. Almost as if he could see through the ceiling and to the outside world where he longs to be, one would be hard pressed to look upon the werewolf and tell that he was a prisoner from his face alone. It was quiet, and there hadn't been a visitor for some time. Abbey was resting, though he was not quite sure if she was asleep or not, so consumed with his current thoughts until a voice breaks through the silence. Lifting his head, Aset laid eyes upon Aro and a deep breath was drawn through his lungs as he sat up and shifted around to face the bars of the cell and the Elder vampire as well. "A month, yes.. About that," Aset replies with a slight grin and then a light nod. "It could, indeed. I am ready to commit my name to the treaty, your Grace. As soon as one final measure is agreed upon. I must apologize for the…steady rewrites. It is a difficult thing, forming a treaty to ensure the greatest benefits for all involved."
Wolf friends? Well that's a new one, Abbey lifts her head from where she is sitting, near the back of the cell leaning against the wall with the robe pulled about her. A month?.. Feels so much longer then that being down in a cell. A faint breath escapes her as she hears Aset before she smirks a moment. "Afternoon.." She says with a mostly friendly tone towards Aro. "Hopefully it will change for the better." This said as her pale gaze rests on the vampire before the cell.
"Benefits, yes…" Aro wears a queer smile on his face, as if he's trying not to laugh. He stands impossibly straight, watching Abbey and then Aset before speaking once more, this time, to Abbey. "Change for the better? You are the prisoners, my friends. I would caution against too many concessions — lest we decide a treaty is no longer necessary and space in the dungeons needs to be cleared." He sets the briefcase down on a dingy-looking chair and snaps it open. "Have you seen Caius's last revisions, with the added term 11? We will accept the changes in verbage you proposed with the addition of this article." He passes some papers to the guards, who then pass them into the cell. "I trust you will find it rather reasonable and very generous. …We're ready to be done with negotiations soon, as I said."
Aset closes his eyes briefly and his grin broadens as he hears Abbey's voice from the back corner of the cell, happy to hear that she is awake for this. When the wolf-man's eyes open, they return their focus onto Aro and a soft chuckle escapes him. "Indeed," he replies simply enough about the fact that it is they who are prisoners here. "However a few concessions here and there will ultimately place even more power into your hands. I would think that such an edge would be well worth the efforts put into a solid accord." Rising to his feet then, a motion as swift as can be, Aset clasps his hands together behind his back and steps closer to Aro. "I have seen the added term eleven, and I have agreed to it. Caius seems to have found no quarrel with the other points that I have added to term eleven as well. You are all very reasonable…and very generous. We too, as you can imagine.." The werewolf breathes a laugh, "…Are ready to be done with negotiations.."
Abbey lifts a brow as she hears Aro, a few things come to mind but she bites her tongue a few moments. "That is not what I ment." She states after a moment while her arms lower to rest upon her knees. "We're both getting something out of this in the end. So it is better for the both of us if the treaty can be finshed.. Right?" This questioned while she watches Aro still. "Yes I've seen the revisions of it and see no problem." Not like she has a choice at the moment.
"I am not stupid," Aro says calmly to Aset, his eyes rather amused. "The concessions you made did nothing to increase our power, but rather, made your people out in a better light. Words are words though — like tweaks here and there don't bother me if the end result is the same." He shuffles through the papers, finding Aset and Abbey's final revisions. "Ah, yes." He skims them and nods to some, and frowns at other parts. "This part here — that we shall not hunt designated human allies of the Children of the Moon — this will not work." Aro explains further: "It must be allies of /your/ pack. Furthermore, while I can guarentee that none from /my/ coven will hunt them, I will not make laws across the entire vampire population. For that, I'm afraid; you must protect your own. Can that be agreed on?" He studies the alpha and her mate over the papers.
Aset grins a bit when Aro declares his his intelligence, and a light bow of his head is offered as if to apologize for any insinuation he may have unintentionally made. Glancing back toward Abbey for a moment, Aset extends one of his hands and gestures for her to join him. "Abbey," he says gently, a soft smile forming as he requests her presence at his side. Then his gaze is back onto Aro, and the smile on his face broadens ever so slightly though not enough to betray his amusement when Aro calls into question simple wording that just happens to make all the difference. "Agreed, your Grace. Allies of the Shadow Stalker pack, not all Children of the Moon. However, I might add that…making our people out in a better light will make them that much more agreeable. For those that may someday fight alongside your own people on a field of battle should the tides of chaos carry us that way it would benefit you most greatly to have allies that will not suddenly switch sides in the midst of conflict due to feeling…unloved. History is littered with such treacheries, and I mean to see the Shadow Stalkers and the Volturi rise above history, and transform the future together." This is offered, and Aset lightly bows his head.
"Is that such a wrong thing to want?" Abbey questions as she hears Aro, her head lifts slightly as she watches the vampire a few moments. "I agree to that.. I never expected the Volturi to stop the other vampires." No, the pack can deal with vampires that attack them after all. A glance is offered to Aset before she stands up and makes her way over to the front of the cell, her hand taking hold of his while her gaze drifts back to Aro.
Aro answers the alpha first. "While it's not unsurprising, it does humor me to think that you might be in the position to /heavily/ negotiate — you are, after all, in my prison. Nevertheless, as I said, the changes are permissible." The ancient turns his head toward Aset, setting down the papers and then clasping his hands in front of him. "You are an idealist, my friend. It isn't a bad thing, no… your vision is one I myself had. However, understand the doubt my coven has with your kind after thousands of years of unrest. Let us approach the treaty with caution and keep it as it stands. If peace becomes us, then we can later revise it if people begin to feel uneasy."
Aset closes his eyes again and offers another light bow of his head toward Aro as his fingers curl around Abbey's hand. "Believe me when I say that I do fully understand your position, and that of your coven as a whole. With that understanding I do agree. The treaty as it is now, is ripe for signing," the male werewolf states and then his head rises and his eyes open to look once more upon Aro. "It pleases me to know that we share some things in common, and on that note… I leave my love to bring these proceedings to a conclusion." Aset's red-amber gaze moves then from Aro to Abbey, and he gives her hand a light squeeze.
Abbey nods her head slightly while she watches Aro. "Your right.. We are in your prison. But there must be some reason you want to keep us around or you would have finshed us after you knew about the tapes." Which she will be kicks Aset over later somehow or way. "I know there has been many years of unrest between our kind but this is a step into showing that everyone can change.. An change isn't such a bad thing now is it?" She questions before sending a glance to Aset and smirks faintly while she gives his hand a squeeze back and she looks back to Aro.
Aro glances at the guard. "Type the changes and bring the new treaty down immediately." The guard nods and takes some of the papers, heading upstairs. "As soon as she returns we will sign." He glances at Abbey. "It can certainly turn out to be an advantageous situation for both of our organizations," he says smoothly, smiling while he waits on the changes to be made. "So tell me, which of you will stay in Volterra? A spacious suite has already been prepared."
At the glance from Abbey, Aset grins and lifts her hand to his lips where he plants a kiss upon her knuckles. "Many great scholars say that to resist change is to submit to death's embrace. Well said, my love," he offers to the she-wolf and then rubs the back of her hand briefly against his cheek before his hand lowers both. "We will both remain here in Volterra for most of the time, and communicate via email with the rest of the pack. When one of us needs to return in person it will be Abbey for the most part, and we will swap this duty when necessary. Of course, one of us will remain here at all times as the terms of the treaty command. If both of us must go, again, it will be under the watchful eye of your trusted Guardsmen…" A light smile plays across Aset's face then and he inclines his head slightly to Aro. "Yes, Inari went over some of the details with me. Thank you very much for the accommodations. From what I've heard they are fit for royalty…" Another brief glance to Abbey and back to Aro, and the man-wolf cants his head a bit to the side. "I am curious though… To what do we owe your most gracious hospitality? The lack of an immediate death sentence? Inner politics of the Volturi is a sensitive subject, I know, but perhaps you could shed some light on this rather altruistic endeavor?"
Abbey nods slightly to Aro as he speaks of the treaty and then the advantageous situation for both sides. It may be true, but she still finds it hard to actually believe any vampire, and trust is far from any of the ones here, save maybe Inari. A glance is offered to Aset and she smirks a moment. "Show off.." She offers softly to him about his comments on what she said while she leans closer to him for a few moments. A soft ah escapes her at the question about which one will be going. "Once everything is settled I will return to forks and speak with my pack." She can just imagen how that will go over. "But, I do not plan on being gone for long." It is safe to say she will not be leaving Aset's side for long periods of time if she can help it, especially in this place around so many 'friends'. She ponders the questions that Aset asks as well, why have Volturi went through all the trouble of making a treaty with them?
"I see. That will be fine," Aro responds, not seeming to have any reaction to the loving contact between the two. "…All of our accommodations are as such." He smiles in a rather sly way, adding: "Altruistic? Quite a compliment… I believe it might be the first time we've been called as such." His gaze hardens. "However, now that we a soon to be 'allies,' let me not mislead you into thinking my brother and I have gone soft or feel the need to be charitable. As you have said before, the agreement is mutually beneficial. New threats are routinely posed; those that threaten to reveal our existence… you can see how that would hurt your kind, as well. As such, an agreement like the one we shall have will allow us to fight against enemies of not only our coven, but those that threaten the balance this world knows." It's been about fifteen or twenty minute since the guard left, and she reappears with the agreement re-typed. Aro reads over it again and then pulls out a pen from the briefcase and carefully adds his signature before handing it to the guard to give the wolves, along with a pen.
Aset nods to Aro, and his brow furrows slightly though his expression remains neutral. "Of course. The price of freedom and prosperity is eternal vigilance, after all… Balance. Balance is all that this world has ever required. I will say that if I was of your blood, your Grace, that I would likely act in a manner much similar to your own," he offers before lifting a brow as the treaty is handed over. Extending his hand to take both pen and papers, Aset re-reads the document carefully before releasing Abbey's hand in order to sign it as a witness, and then hand both pen and papers over to the other wolf. "My love…" he offers, and then there is a smile that lights his expression as he looks into her eyes.
Abbey shakes her head slightly. "I never thought either of you have gone soft.." She knows very well that's not the truth seeming what happened that night when she first met Aro and Caius at the same time. "Having allies when there are threat's is always a good thing after all." Her gaze drifts towards the re-typed treaty and she watches as Aro signs it and then glances to Aset once he takes hold of it. A faint hum escapes her while she takes hold of the paper and pen with both hands once Aset has let go of her hand. Her gaze drifts over it, reading it to make sure everything is correct, not that the Volturi could change it later. She wouldn't put it past them. The pen is held in her hand while she lets her gaze linger on where she is to sign and for a moment she seems unsure about it. Her gaze turns to Aset and she watches him before a soft sign escapes her and she signs her name to the treaty. In the long run she doesn't really have a choice in the matter. With it signed she offers the paper and pen back to the guard.
The guard takes the papers and hands them back to Aro, who carefully places them back into the briefcase and then nods to the guard. A moment later, all of the security systems in the cell shut down, and the guard also manually unlocks each lock and chain. Aro straightens, taking the suitcase in hand. "Excellent. Heidi will lead you to your room. As outlined, you are free to roam the castle and the town. Please let us know if you will be travelling outside so we can arrange for proper transportation, if necessary. We have a variety of transportation vehicles." Before turning to head upstairs, he smiles, his eyes lost in thought. "Let this be the beginning of something great, my friends. Farewell."
Heidi stays to take the two to the suite and if they want, give them a tour of the castle.
Aset watches as the chains are released and the cell is left open for he and Abbey to finally leave it behind, hopefully forever. The wolf-man steps forward as Aro turns to leave them, and a bow is offered to the Elder Vampire. "My deepest gratitude and respect for your Lordship. Kiri…again, did your name justice, and with Justice as my mistress I bow my head to your Honor. Well said," he states before lifting his gaze. Again, his hand reaches for Abbey's, and the wolf waits for the feeling of her hand in his before making any further movement.
Abbey blinks as she watches the movements, her gaze drifting over the cell as the locks are removed and she glances to Aset. Much like when Inari let them be in the same cell she's actually a bit fearful of leaving the cell. Her gaze drifts towards Aro as she listens to Aset, a faint nod of her head is offered to him. Aset says plenty though, no need to add onto all that she feels. She clears her throat slightly. "I vote the room.." If they truely are getting out of this cell she wants a shower thank you. She lets her hand take hold of Aset's giving it a squeeze while she follows after him.
Aset looks to Abbey as she takes his hand and smiles to her, a deep sigh flowing from him, one of relief. "Indeed, a shower… I second the motion, so long as there is enough room for two," he tells her with amusement in his tone. "I think that we will have to be very…very careful, perhaps even more so than before now. There is no telling how some will take to our presence," the werewolf notes before placing a soft kiss upon Abbey's cheek as he leads the way up the stairs to partial freedom.
Abbey blinks at Aset and chuckles softly. "Suppose we're see." She murmurs softly before slipping quiet as she listens and soon nods. "I agree.. Its not going to be easy up there I'm sure." This said before she leans back into the kiss and offers one back to Aset's. She gives his hand a squeeze and follows him towards the steps.
