𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗:
Curiosity, curiosity a complicated thing you are
(1688)

EDEN WAS NERVOUS.

And she is terrible at pretending that something is not bothering her.

It bothered her a lot.

It bothered her to the point that she needed to talk to Caius. She needed to ask him: why?

Why? Did it have to be a human? Why? Did he not turn her? When? Did it start?

Eden is pacing back and forth inside her chambers, anxiously fumbling with her fingers and biting her lips as assumptions and questions spin around her head.

She was an idiot. Why? Did she have to be so curious about everything? She should've ignored Caius, who was planning to leave the castle.

Well. She was exceptionally bored, so she couldn't really blame herself for following Caius. She never really saw him disobey Aro's rules, but again, he was one of the kings. He could do whatever he wished to do.

And she finally gave in. Caius' tower is not far from her chamber, so she hastens towards his chambers with a plan to ask, maybe even demand an answer, to give her mind some peace finally.

She burst through his doors. She looks around and sees him lounging on his long wooden chair with a book in hand, not even bothering to look up at her as he asks, "To what do I owe the visit?"

Eden fidgets uncomfortably, fumbling with her fingers. She turns around and closes the door. She looks back at him, taking two steps forward. She clears her throat, and opens her mouth, but no words seem to come out.

Caius sighs, closing his book. He looks at her and raises an eyebrow, crossing his legs as he places his hand on his lap, "Well, out with it."

"I just wanted to ask, and it's been tormenting me ever since." Eden begins as she straightens her shoulders, with her chin up, trying to boost herself to speak confidently.

"Clearly," Caius concluded with a roll of his eyes. Then Eden looked around, opening her palms as the purple vapors surrounded them and disappeared into the walls. Caius tilts his head, looking at her questionably.

Eden takes a breath and asks, "Why were you in the village last night?"

She looked at Caius, observing his body language, but he didn't seem surprised by her question. Instead, he beckons her to sit on the wooden chair in front of him, so she does.

"I was there because I was with the woman that I love." Caius casually answers. Eden, taken aback, was surprised that she would get such a straightforward answer from him. She assumed that he was going to deny and dismiss her.

Eden's still silent with a surprised expression on her face, and Caius rolls his eyes again, crossing his arms to his chest, "I know you were following me, Eden."

Eden looks at him with an unreadable expression, "Then why didn't you hide? Or stopped me from following you?"

Caius says, "Because I want you to know."

Eden purses her lips, shutting her eyes closed. It was his intention in the first place.

She then blinks her eyes open, looking at Caius, and demands, "Why?"

"I trust you, Eden."

Trust.

Caius trusted her, and it made Eden quite flattered. They all thought Caius was a cold-hearted man, incapable of humane emotions. Still, what was unfolding before her, made her rethink any previous assumptions about Caius.

"Why?" Eden furrowed her brows, and she wasn't sure why Caius trusted her. She never really did give a good situation that made him trust her. It was the complete opposite, really. She killed, she tortured, and many other violent and destructive circumstances that showed that she could not be trusted, especially in this predicament with a human involved.

Caius leans forward and says, "You may fool the others with your torture methods, but you cannot fool me, Eden Vera Devroux."

Eden's posture suddenly went guarded, "Whatever do you mean?"

"Oh, don't play me a fool. You know me better than that." Caius chuckles, leaning back again, continuing, "When you use your ability on the vampires sent here, you never really did make them see their deepest fear. You make them see their happiest memories. Well, for the vampires whose crime isn't punishable in your moral scale, anyway."

Eden purses her lips as Caius gives her a grin with a tilt of her head, and Eden says, "Yes, I admit that I did that to some, but in my defense, their crimes don't deserve death as a punishment."

"Then you have your answer to your question." Caius tells her, and Eden asks, "What do I do when Aro wants to see my memories?"

Caius' expression hardens, and says, "Then you do everything in your power not to."

Eden scoffs as she stands up from her seat, pacing back and forth. She stops, then takes a few steps towards him and frustratedly demands, "Why must you give me this burden? This torment of keeping secrets? From Aro nonetheless."

Caius stands up as he faces her, inches from each other. He then whispers frustratedly, "Because I don't know how I'll be able to keep this a secret for much longer." he pushes past her as his hand goes to his forehead. Feeling worried and frustrated, he looks at her.

"And I need your help to do so."