"If I didn't have these nightmares…" He lamented. Marissa looked to him pointedly.
"Ask Didyme to give you something for the nightmares… or I will." She took her husband's hands within her own. "Where do you think those violent mood swings came from?" Aro licked his lips hungrily. He was aware that he had gone through a couple of cases within the last year, more than he'd indulged in in his immortal life. He held out the empty glass to his wife.
"Then take it away." As much as he loathed seeing it go, if this helped his raging mood swings, then he would take the solution. Marissa took the glass and set it aside. With Aro's hands within her own, she could feel his tremors; she knew that he could not hold up under the pressure that his fellow kings were putting on him. Though she knew Marcus and Caius meant well, Aro would not be able to handle much more of his duties.
"Call a meeting with the others." He looked to her tiredly and she squeezed his hands lightly. "Trust me, love." He could hear the sternness of her voice, but looking into her eyes, he knew she was worried for him. He rose from his sitting position, his stride weary. She followed him, as he ordered Felix to wake the others up, and by others he meant Didyme and Callie honestly. Marissa caught her husband's hand as he stumbled, righting him quickly. For now, the others need not know of why Aro was so ill.
Once they had all convened and gathered themselves in the throne room, and everyone was situated comfortably, Marissa spoke up. "Forgive me for the intrusion in such a late hour, but we have some matters that need to be attended to."
Marcus snorted. "Oh yes we do. It's about you noticed your mate's shirk from his responsibilities." Marissa gave Didyme a knowing look, a look that silenced Marcus instantly.
"Marcus, Caius, you must realize that things are no longer the way they once were. You cannot, cannot strain Aristeo past his breaking point. I know that you mean well; I know that you were intending to train…"
Marcus interrupted. "He's High King. He has responsibilities that we don't. We shouldn't have to pick up on his slack."
"You trying raising three children and tell me different!" She started to lose her temper.
"Hey! I'm not a child anymore!" Callie whined.
"ENOUGH!" A rippling growl ripped from Aro's throat and Callie was suddenly quiet. He stood, giving a stern look to his daughter. "You, you maybe my daughter, but you have been given a position of power. Do NOT shirk from your duties, or do anything less than your responsibilities. Do not think that you will not be held accountable or be judged by anything less."
"It's not my fault!" Callie started. "It was just a stupid letter anyways!"
Marissa saw Aro's fists clench before anyone else, and she leapt in the way of his fists, the lash catching her off guard as blood stained her cheek from the gouges Aro had just ripped out. Although it hurt, she made no sound other than a huff of indifference. Aro snarled, lunging. This time, Marissa was prepared and easily dodged, sending her mate sprawling to the floor with a sudden yelp. He picked himself up and wrapped his arms tightly around her neck from behind her. She twisted from his grip, throwing him to the ground hard enough to crack his skin and shatter the marble beneath him. He gasped in pain as the cold marble flooring made rough contact with the back of his head, sending aching pains through his spine and body.
She tossed his limp arms back to his body, turning from him as tortured whimpers started to escape his lips. He suddenly was realizing how much pain he was in. Callie was shocked silent, pale as a sheet, and even Caius was starting to edge away from the woman they called the High Queen. "Marcus, Caius, Aristeo will not be attending to his kingly duties until he realizes that he needs to take care of his family first. He's not at his right mental stability to assume all responsibilities."
Marissa snorted when Didyme asked her if she was going to tend to Aro's wounds, answering quickly with a short reply of "Why should I?" She turned and walked away as Didyme's jaw dropped. She stared, puzzled, at her friend and sister-in-law's retreating form, sliding from her husband's hold to tend to Aro.
"What put a burr under her saddle?" Demetri asked. They knew that something was wrong with Aro, and even Marcus had said that their bonds were a little shaky. Callie knelt to her father's side.
"Da?" She took his hand, rubbing the back of it softly. The pain she could see in his eyes wasn't just the pain his physical body was in but also he was hurting mentally. He regretted it. He regretted a lot of things. He was happy, but sad. Angry… at himself, but overjoyed. His emotions were all over the place and bipolar at the same time. "Show me." She asked softly.
"I can't." He muttered, turning his head away from his daughter. "I don't know how." As they all knew, his gift was tactile telepathy, the ability to read thoughts by the touch of his hand. But there was a secondary ability to his gift, the ability to give thoughts back into the minds of people he touched. It truly was a powerful ability, to share and spread his knowledge.
Callie sat back on her heels. The slam of the door told her that her mother was in a foul mood and not to be trifled with. There was one that could help, but she might be damned for invoking it and sending Abraxas after her mother. She slipped away after pressing a soft kiss to her father's hand, and pulling Demetri along with her.