.:sisters:.
"Do something, Aro," Caius hisses. "Else, Marcus will kill himself. Where will that leave you?" There is acid pooling in those whispered words, threatening to burn its accusation into Volterra's stone.
Aro shakes his head lightly, aiming for decisiveness. "He will not. We are his only remaining family. Surely that is enough to keep him from madness."
Silence falls for a handful of heartbeats as the coven thinks of Marcus. He grieves like a feral thing, flickering between days of snarling, volatile viciousness and catatonic stillness. Neither speaking nor listening, he is Orpheus with Eurydice torn away, counting the moments until death claims him as well.
"He cannot end his life of his own accord," Aro continues, his previous point woefully lacking.
"What will stop Marcus from throwing himself into a bonfire?" Athenodora asks politely, a clever schoolgirl finding a flaw in her teacher's reasoning.
"Perhaps he may be reminded that he can avenge Didyme's death in the coming war," Sulpicia quickly suggests. She cannot bear the insinuation that her sister's death was a miscalculation; such a thought would push Aro to insanity's brink.
"He does not want vengeance," Caius says. "If we allow him to fight, he will be reckless and he will be killed. I have seen it before."
Caius' military reasoning is flawless, and Aro is about to inquire further, until the sound of footfalls on marble interrupts the discussion. Marcus has returned from a hunt with Felix, and his agony will only worsen if he overhears a concerned conversation about himself.
-
Sulpicia and Athenodora walk together, arms lightly twined around each others' waists in a gesture of affectionate sisterhood that may just be genuine.
"Are you alright?" Sulpicia asks cautiously. Athenodora keeps her emotions wrapped and pressed close to her chest; she has remained silent about Didyme's death.
Athenodora's silvery smile is gentle, "I only lost a sister. I do not need to keep my mate's secrets as well."
Perhaps Sulpicia is slow in smoothing surprise off her features, because her companion shrugs faintly and continues, "Yes, I know, and what I don't know, I can guess." Her voice is level, devoid of accusation. "Perhaps I sympathize, a little," she adds.
Sulpicia is uncertain how to respond. She has always assumed that her youngest sister is a sweet, wide-eyed little thing, fluttery and soft as tumbling feathers but Athenodora has her own masquerades. That merits some respect in Sulpicia's eyes.
She tightens her arm around Athenodora's waist in a quick little hug and gives her a conspiratorial smile. Sulpicia will test unknown waters tentatively, but she recognizes an ally when she encounters one.
Author's Note: I just realized that I haven't spent any time on Sulpicia and Athenodora's relationship. Usually, they are portrayed as awesome best friends or irreconcilable enemies. There's a lot of ground between the two extremes, and I'd like to explore that a little.