Caius came in smiling widely, something that never happened.
"What is that look, my friend?" Marcus asked. A small slither of amusement slid across his face. Another rarity.
"Nothing," he grinned, sitting down in his chair next to me. I reached over to touch his hand, to see what had him so upbeat this morning. "You'll see in good time. Soon enough, I think," he quipped, pulling it away before I had a chance to read him.
"Where is Cullen this morning?" Marcus asked absent-mindedly.
It was odd, my having not seen him yet. He was usually up before us and eager to start the day before I was ready to even think about getting up.
"H-here Master," Carlisle answered quietly, slipping in through the heavy doors. They banged shut behind him. "Aro," he started shyly.
"Carlisle, I have a task for you," Caius snapped, interrupting. He did not like the boy one bit.
"Yes Master?" He looked unsteady on his feet.
My brother stood and loomed over the blond. He had to be almost a foot taller, making Carlisle look like a child. "Take this up to the tower and give it to Sulpicia, would you?" He didn't ask nicely.
Carlisle stepped forward to take the rolled up scroll from his hand. I studied him as he did so.
He wore the same black cloak as all my guard did yet somehow he managed an innocent appearance. The golden eyes didn't help, I decided. Today they were darker than usual, lacking their normal clarity. Along with that his face was slightly flushed. It made him look more human. I didn't like it. Vampires were supposed to be frightening creatures, the fabric of nightmares, yet Carlisle wouldn't have frightened a child. I narrowed my eyes; he wasn't as well kept as I expected him to be either. His shirt was untucked, his cloak not sitting right and his hair had fallen over his face, making him appear timid. This was again something that did not happen often. This morning was full of oddities.
"And do it quickly," Caius growled.
"Yes Caius," Carlisle answered. His voice shook.
He turned to leave again but before he reached the door, he gasped and dropped the scroll at his feet.
"CARLISLE YOU USELESS CHILD!" Caius shrieked, rushing to him. He struck him back-hand across the face, knocking him to the ground. This, however, was not unusual; my brother's temper with him was terrible.
Carlisle carefully picked up the paper and shakily got to his feet again. "I-I'm sorry M-master," he whispered. He looked back at me around Caius, pleading with me to help him. He never did this and I almost came to his rescue but Caius started up again.
"MOVE YOU INDIGNANT WORM!" He pushed him hard enough to off balance him so he stumbled.
Carlisle wiped his hand across his face and bolted out the door. Heidi came in before it shut, staring after him in wonder.
"Master Caius, did you make Carlisle cry?" she asked carefully, trying her best not to look happy about it. No one of them liked him very much; they did not like anyone out of the ordinary and often teased him for being my favourite, which I suppose he was.
"I might have," he answered, flicking his cloak and coming to sit again. She smiled slyly.
"Poor child," Marcus mumbled under his breath.
"Brother, do not torment him," I commanded. He rolled his eyes.
We sat in silence after listening to what Heidi had to say.

After a time, Athenadore burst into the room. To say she was mad would be an understatement.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!" she screeched.
"Who, love?" Caius asked, bored by her already.
"You know who I'm talking about," she growled. We all knew.
"What about him?" His tone was flat.
She stalked over to him. "He came in to give Sulpicia something that you could have given her yourself this morning instead of making him go all the way up there."
"So?" he interrupted.
"Let. Me. Finish." She threatened. "After delivering it to her room, he collapsed in the corridor, exhausted. Not only that, but he has a hand print across his face put there by your hand."
"So what?" he snapped, impatient.
"You knew he was unwell, Caius. He told you that this morning. Yet you still hurt him and you still forced him to climb the stairs when any other member of the guard could have done it."
I glared at my brother for not telling me this.
She looked at me. "Your wife is also on his case. I suggest you leave him and let him rest." She spun around on her heel and slammed the door closed.
"Caius I will talk to you about this later," I told him harshly, getting out of my chair and moving up the stairs to see my wife and find Carlisle.

"I heard you were not well," I said, sitting next to Carlisle at the table. He rested the side of his face against the cold steel. Next to it, I could see how this place didn't suit him.
"I'm okay," he tried. I shook my head.
"Why did you not tell us you were sick?" I inquired. His eyes widened in fear. "Carlisle I will not strike you, never," I promised him.
He looked away.
"I will not be mad and I will not punish you, young one," I assured him.
"I tried but Caius wouldn't listen," he told me quietly. I reached forward to touch his hand and for once he let me. First hand I saw how terrible he felt and what my guard had been doing to him.
"You will go to bed immediately and I will get something from Heidi for you, okay?"
"Yes," he mumbled but didn't move.
"Come Carlisle, it will do you no good sitting here." I pulled him to his feet.
He swayed unsteadily for a moment before seeming okay again. "T-thank you Master-"
"Enough with the Master thing already." He looked shocked. "You are not like the others, Carlisle." I smiled at him and he shakily returned the gesture. I patted him on the back as he disappeared out the door. I went to find Heidi.

Heidi POV

"Heidi!" Aro called to me.
"Yes master?" I turned around, trying to be polite. I reality I couldn't be bothered dealing with him right now; I had better things to do… Things with my Felix…
"Are you even listening to me?" he growled, pulling me out of my daydream.
"Sorry master. What is it that you need?"
"Carlisle is unwell. I need you to give him something-" I didn't listen to the rest of the sentence; already a plan was forming in my mind.

I hated the blond child something terrible. Not only had he arrived out of nowhere but he refused to act like a normal vampire. And he had those pretty golden eyes. I hated that he wouldn't sleep with me, no matter my efforts. He wouldn't ever take any notice of me no matter how much I tried to get him to like me. No male had ever refused me before.
I will show him," I though bitterly. Outwardly I told Aro I would give him some medicine to take immediately, biting back my smile.

I leant into the back of the cupboard. There the bottle sat, long forgotten by anyone who once cared about it.
"What are you doing?" Jane asked me suddenly. I dropped it and it clattered at my feet. She pulled a face and scooped it up. "Arsenic. Who stepped on your toes?" she teased.
"Nobody," I answered quickly, snatching it back.
"Sure," she rolled her eyes. Out of nowhere, she burst into a wide smile, showing her teeth. "Hey, can I use some of that when you're done with it?"
"Um, okay…"
She snorted, at my expression presumably. "You may not be in to 'foul' play, but I do not have an aversion to it." She examined her nails.
"I lied," I told her. It burst out of me before I wanted it to.
"What?"
I lowered my voice. "I'm trying to poison Cullen. I can't stand him anymore, I really cant…"
Her smile grew wider. "Ahh. Good. Saves me a job then."
I just stared at her blankly.
"Oh come on. Don't look at me like that; I was Aro's favourite before he got here. I wish to claim my position back now."
"So you were…"
"Yes, I came here with the same intentions as you." She thought for a moment. "You know that boy that was here not too long ago? The one that he a mysterious accident?"
"Mark," I nodded. He had also been Aro's pet, but nowhere near to the extent that Carlisle was.
She curtseyed. I shook my head at her in disbelief. She giggled.
"Okay, now get on with it before Aro gets suspicious."
"You heard us?" I asked her, about my talk with our Master.
"I heard everything. Now hurry up. Give him this too." She slip something into my hand.
"What is it?"
"Never you mind, but let's just say he won't find it pleasant; he's highly allergic."
I found a pot and dropped one of the pill into it, then sprinkled a small amount of arsenic onto it.
"Heidi, Heidi, Heidi," she smiled motheringly. She reached forward and knocked the end of the bottle, causing me to drop almost all of the power in. She then indicated I should add more of the pills. I dropped another in, shoving the last one deep into my pocket. We crushed it all and carefully squeezed as much of it as possible into a capsule and then prepared another one.
"I will give them to Master," I told her, enclosing them in my hand and starting off down the hall to find him.