It's a long, dead life!

by BDE

This story starts in 1663 with Carlisle being turned and will run through to present day. We are experiencing Twilight through the Volturi. Eleazar, Aro, and Carlisle are brothers. Mature scenes - Corporal Punishment (spanking and other discipline), Blood Guts and Gore, Sex, Rape, and all those other things that often offend, but its the Volturi, so what do you expect?

162. The Library Meeting

AN: I shouldn't have posted about the dickhead and their nasty DMs. I was emotional at the time, but I'm old enough to know better - annoyed with myself!

I want to say a heartfelt thank you to those who have reviewed and DM'd me, and for all of you are reading. You lot are my favourite people in the universe 3

We are finally in the frikkin library!

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The Library Meeting

JANUARY 25th

A hot cup bloodwine waited on the table when Odi emerged from his bedchamber.

"Knock it back," Magnus said. "You know I don't like to be late."

Odi yawned and checked the window - the sun had barely begun to emerge above the horizon. "If we're not first there, you'll think we were late."

Magnus offered his boy a glare accompanied by a smirk. He was glad his boy had some bounce back. "Don't get cheeky," he said, passing the bloodwine. "Drink."

Even the idea of more blood turned Odi's stomach over - he'd never drunk so much in his life as he had in the last week. Magnus found his boy something to sup on every time they changed horses, and Freyr watched him drink three goblets full since their return to the coven. Given recent events, Odi could understand his parents stressing over his feeds, but he hoped they would ease up soon.

He took the smallest of sips and wordlessly pleaded with his father through his eyes. One raised eyebrow in return told Odi he'd better find a way to force that blood down without complaint. With a nervous chuckle he took another tiny sip.

"Do I really have to go, Dad? It was so embarrassing last time."

Magnus understood why the kid was nervous - if he'd been canned at his last towers meeting, he'd be nervous, too. That was months ago, though, and the kid didn't have a choice. Magnus would have liked to have been able to waylay all his boy's fears, but he wasn't permitted to divulge the day's plans. "It won't be like last time," he promised. "There are a few announcements to make, and you need to hear them as they include you."

"Is Mom coming," Odi asked, to delay drinking.

"Aye." Magnus fetched their cloaks from the door. Both their usual ones had been sent for laundering after their trip, so Freyr had brought their spares out ready. "She's gone to fetch Turk and Corin. These announcements include them, too."

"What did Turk do?" Odi hadn't really thought about Turk too much. Had he got the barkeep, his oldest and dearest friend in trouble? Surely not? Turk wouldn't have grassed him up, Odi was sure of that. But the pillock might have incriminated himself…

Magnus snapped his boy back to the present. "Just get moving."

"Dad, you haven't—" Odi reached around and held the back of his neck, giving it a squeeze to will himself to speak. "—I don't like waiting… I mean… if you've decided not to…"

Magnus put two fingers under the goblet in Odi's hand and lifted it back to the kid's mouth. The boy scowled but started to drink again - Magnus made sure he wouldn't stop until the cup was dry by keeping his fingers in place.

"Listen, young one," he said. "You aren't going to like everything that happens today, but I want you to keep your cool. This whole sorry mess will be over with before you know it."

Odi finished his bloodwine, so whether he liked it or not, it was time to go.

Walking the halls to the library, Magnus and his son passed a good few guards. Some offered the master's boy an encouraging smile. The odd one smirked. Odi felt wretched either way. And because Odi felt that way, so did Magnus. He was tempted to help the boy with his emotions but decided against it. How will Odi learn if the burden of feeling guilty suddenly evaporated? Besides, Magnus needed to save his help for the meeting where he expected Odi would kick off at some point.

He opened the door to the library, holding it clear for his son. "Come on, young one. No point dragging your heels."

Odi could think of many reasons to 'drag his heels'. One being the cane he spotted in Basileus' hand when they went inside.

"I suppose I have to sit away from my friends," Odi said, praying his father would correct his assumption.

Magnus shrugged. "I see no reason why you should."

Odi bolted to get the seat beside Carlisle, but the guy turned in his seat giving Odi the cold shoulder. He stepped back and winced – Odi counted Carlisle as one of his very closest friends so the man's reaction to his mere presence really stung. Quickly regaining his composure, Odi passed Carlisle and sat two away from him, the other side of Felix.

The young prince sat oddly in his chair, alternating between taking his weight on the arms of the chair, and resting all his weight on one hip. Despite his best efforts, Felix remained uncomfortable.

"I take it your old man has had his say already," Odi said to the boy.

Felix laughed nervously. "Something like that."

He couldn't tell Odi his mother had whipped him into a sorry state. He just couldn't. In all the years Odi had been in Volterra, Felix couldn't think of a single time the kid had mentioned his mother dishing out the discipline. A good slap here and there, sure, but no more. As far as anyone believed, that's all Felix had ever received from his mother, too. He knew how the Volturi rumour mill worked so at some point everyone would find out about his new oh-so-shocking shame. Until that moment, he planned to keep his trap shut and his awful situation hidden.

Odi proved to be a great distraction asking question after question: what's going to happen today? Who will do what? How much trouble are we in? Why are Turk and Corin being brought to the meeting?

Felix could answer the last one as he'd heard Magnus and Basileus discussing the two guard the night before.

"My grandpa said he needed to give Corin and Turk a round of fucks. We've all got parents to do the honours and remind us we're idiots, but they don't, so he wants to hammer the message home."

Basileus and hammer were not words anyone wanted to hear in the same sentence.

"That's harsh." Odi wrapped his arms around his waist. "Just a round of fucks, though, right? He's not going to cane them or anything?"

Felix shifted again, testing his weight on the other hip - it stung just as much. "Only verbal," he said, nodding in the creator's direction. "He promised your old man that he'd just scare them a little."

Magnus was just about to ask Basileus and Atia whether they had seen Freyr that morning when the woman arrived with two sad guard trailing behind. She greeted her mate quickly before absolving herself of any more duties and sat with Atia, leaving Magnus to deal with the guards.

Magnus watched as she slumped into her chair, most unlike Freyr. Looking at his young guards, neither could meet his eye. Something was off. "Any trouble?" he asked his mate.

Corin whimpered a little and Turk whispered an apology of sorts.

Freyr tutted at the young, argumentative guards, but she felt sad for them, too. "They're just nervous, love."

By reading their emotions, Magnus agreed with her. Nerves and a hint of frustration, which he understood. He'd prefer them to just feel the nerves for the meeting, though - frustrated youths could lead to disaster and he wouldn't risk that. Being the coven empath, it was easy for Magnus to reduce the risky feeling for them, which he did, for their own sakes.

"Come along, young ones," the juggernaut called, bringing the disgraced guards to face the creator.

Basileus took to his feet and began slowly circling Turk, cutting him off from Corin and terrifying the young barkeep.

"Your protectors have already spoken to you about all of this. Now it's my turn."

Turk's head spun from left to right as he tried to maintain eye contact with the circling creator. "My protectors, my lord?"

"Phillipe and Richard. That's what they are, yes?" Basileus began to thump the end of his cane into the floor as he moved. Turk would have wet his pants had he the ability. "They protect you from harm, even the harm you bring to yourself."

Protectors? The pair of guards appeared to be claiming him like he was a prize at the fair and Turk was pissed! Still, he couldn't argue with the creator. "I guess, my lord."

"They came to see me last night. Did you know that?"

"No, my lord." Turk's brow furrowed. Phil and Rich faced the creator on his behalf? Nonsensical. Talking to the guards was one thing. Talking to Magnus had been a stretch – but now Basileus? "They shouldn't have, my lord. Not for me."

Basileus came to a halt before the young guard and pushed the jewelled handle of his cane under his chin, forcing the kid to look up. "They love you, dear boy," he said, making sure to hold Turk's eye. "They wanted to ensure you would survive this sorry tale."

Turk broke his statute stance to wipe his sweaty palms on his tunic. The only word he could focus on was 'survive'. It was a question, not a surety. His eyes cut across to Magnus, the man who had assured him he wouldn't die for a foolish mistake. He sought solace from the guard master only to receive a stony glare in return. He did speak up, though.

"You're frightening him, Basileus."

Basileus kept his face turned to Turk and smirked. He knew that already, though he ended the dramatics. "I've assured them your neck is safe."

Once the creator had released him and taken a few steps away, Turk breathed a sigh of relief and muttered, "There's many more parts of me I'd like to keep safe."

Basileus heard him. "Sadly, for you, your protectors agree that the rest of you is fair game."

Odi and Felix had been listening intently and hearing the barkeep being sentenced to punishment made them laugh - what self-respecting kid wouldn't laugh at one of their own being issued the promise of a hiding? Given the circumstances, they knew shouldn't laugh out loud, but Turk never got in real trouble with anyone and that was just wrong! Of course, the reason Turk didn't get into trouble was because he didn't get into trouble… the lads missed that point as they sat giggling.

"Brilliant!" Odi said with Felix agreeing, saying, "About time."

Turk quietly growled in their direction. It was most unlike him to do so, but his emotions were on edge and had been for weeks - even the juggernaut's magic couldn't steady them out.

"What right do they have to say that?"

"None," Magnus answered, giving the lads a warning.

"Not them," Turk said. "Phil and Rich. They have no right to…"

"They have the rights you have given them, you insolent brat." Basileus flashed to the barkeep again, standing toe to toe. "And once given, they are rights which cannot easily be taken back."

"I, I haven't given them any rights, my lord."

Magnus dragged a hand through his hair and cursed under his breath. He'd had the same conversation with Turk only the afternoon before. "You know damn well that you have, Turk," he said. "I covered this with you yesterday. Should we get Phil in here to ask him what thinks about this?"

Turk hadn't worked out how he felt about Phillipe and Richard taking him under their wing - he'd enjoyed their allegiance when it wasn't costing him anything, but he wasn't sure how far he wanted it to go. In the last day, before he'd really got his head around it, he'd been told that wasn't his decision to make and his opinion on the matter, moot!

Did he want Phil there? Hell no! Richard, maybe - he was the more understanding of the two, more relaxed and less likely to embarrass him in any way. Magnus knew that, of course, which is why he'd suggested Phillipe in the first place. Before Turk could reply, Freyr made the decision for everyone.

"I'll fetch them all," she said. And off she went.

"All?" Corin watched the woman leave. "She doesn't mean Ren, does she? I haven't done anything. It's just Turk mouthing off, not me!"

"You haven't done anything?" Magnus could have breathed fire! "Have you forgot why you're here in the first damn place?"

During their night-time chat, Basileus and Magnus had discussed the falling level of respect in the coven. Most of the guards were good on that point – it was the younger ones, and a couple of the single ones like Alex and Heidi where there were issues. They agreed the bigger issue remained in the royal households, of course, but Corin's little outburst served to remind them both that they had issues in the guard, too.

Aro's plans were for the betterment of Volturi youth, and the coven as a whole. Basileus agreed with his son's proposals. Having the younger guards better monitored would help with respect, hopefully. Having the younger guards under older guards could help even more. Basileus was keen to see these new relationships in action, as he'd only had Magnus' report so far.

Basileus ignored Corin for the moment and focussed on Turk. "You were happy for them to look out for you," he said. "You have been happy to use Phil's name to keep yourself safe. You've gone to Richard when you've needed to talk. You have watched them speak on your behalf, and cover for shoddy work."

Magnus stepped up to Basileus' side, both towering over Turk. "What's that about?"

Turk shifted from foot to foot, suddenly wishing Phil or Rich were there to defend him regardless of the bollocking they'd give him afterwards.

"Those actions gave them their rights and I'll personally back their rights as the creator of our kind." Basileus literally left no argument, but just in case the kid tried getting the guard master on-side, he pulled Magnus in, too. "Wouldn't you agree, my friend?"

"I would as it happens."

Magnus got the point - it couldn't have been any clearer if Basileus had written on a shovel and smacked him in the face with it. Magnus had certain rights with Caius based on both of their actions. It was hard to do anything about those rights when the younger coven master was so adept at avoiding him.

"On that note," Basileus said, turning to Magnus. "Have you spoken with him about being waylaid?"

"I haven't had the chance yet, but I'll see it done, my friend," Magnus assured the man. When I can catch hold of him.

Basileus heard the man's thoughts and nearly responded to them, but he had Corin to scare.

"Now for you, little lady."

Basileus began to circle the girl, just as he had with Turk. This time, he kept an eye on Felix as he moved. The boy became immediately agitated when his grandfather moved closer to his girl. Basileus imagined Felix would be uncomfortable, but that didn't change his thoughts on the matter: he had better keep himself in that chair unless he wants to give everyone in attendance a floor show. Felix seemed to know any foolishness wouldn't be appreciated - he stayed as still as could be considering he had to use his arms to hold himself out of his seat.

"Yes, my lord?" Corin stared straight ahead, her eyes fixed on the oil painting of the masters and their wives in all their opulence on the gallery wall.

Basileus stopped at her side and ran his thumb across her cheek. The faintest of bruises resided there.

"Who gave you that?" he asked, looking to Magnus for an explanation. When he shrugged, Basileus pressed the girl for an answer. "Well? Speak up!"

"Ren." Hearing Basileus suck the air between his teeth had her correcting herself. "Renata, I mean." Again with the sucky-in thing. With a huff she tacked on a sullen, "My lord."

"Oi!" Magnus clicked his fingers at his young guard. "Wise up."

Fair enough, Magnus was the guard master, but it riled Basileus a little that the guards paid more attention to the guy than to him, the creator! He wondered if he was losing his edge now that he lived in the coven full time. He used to spend a lot of his time away from the castle, and when he returned, he barely bothered with the guards. In effect, he'd swoop in, dish out some gifts, scare those that needed it, and then swoop back out. Depending on the guard, they either feared or lived in awe of the creator. Now he was just another face at the crowded table of elites. He hoped his new role would raise his status in the coven again. At the very least it should induce some good old-fashioned fear of him.

Basileus returned to Corin. "And why would our dear Renata have done such a thing?"

"You'll have to ask Ren."

Corin heard both Magnus and Basileus do the sucky-in thing that time. She'd been too sassy, but she was nervous! It was a choice between tears or attitude. Scratch that, there was no choice. She really couldn't help her reactions under the glare of two intimidating men.

"I am asking you," Basileus said, growl rumbling behind his words. "You're not too old to go over my knee, little lady. Get a hold of your attitude, now."

Corin's cheeks burned so hard that she could have sworn he'd slapped her! Nope, just the rush of humiliation. The time for attitude was over, now it was time for tears. "Yes, my lord." She quickly wiped her eyes before looking down to her feet. "I didn't want to come this morning, my lord. I was tired. I am tired. Ren…"

Basileus thumped the tip of his cane into the floor. "Renata. Decorum."

Corin jumped at the noise. "Renata," she repeated. "Renata insisted that I come and not make a fuss."

"Mhmm."

Basileus rubbed his chin and bobbed his head. He had assumed Renata and Corin were more sisterly in nature. Maybe they had been and maybe that was changing now? Coven life used to be far more transient, and not just for Basileus. Guards would have mission work, or they would be moved around the outposts, or performing long runs of royal duties. They'd had a guard hall to hang out in but nowhere private to call their own. For the last fifty years or so Volturi life had been more settled and new relationships, non-romantic relationships were blossoming. Even simple acquaintances were becoming hard and fast friendships. Having all the guard banded together under Magnus and Freyr certainly helped. The previous infighting based on loyalty to one of the three masters had ended entirely. Despite the minor insurgence Phillipe and Richard had caused in defence of Turk, Basileus believed the new situation to be a positive one.

Whilst Basileus thought on coven life, Freyr returned with three more unhappy guards. At least these guards weren't unhappy with her. Their ire lay firmly at the feet of the young guards already in trouble with the coven elite.

Magnus thrust a closed hand into his stomach - the sudden change in emotions from the young guards briefly overwhelmed him.

Whilst Magnus felt the change, Basileus heard it. The creator began nodding with a curled lip as he listened in on their worries.

"I'll tell you what," he said to Turk and Corin. "You pair can go and talk this over with them—" he paused to turn them both to face their guardians, or whatever they were "—and then we'll reconvene without the attitudes."

The creator and the guard masters watched the young ones sheepishly approach the older guards. Phillipe reached out once Turk was close enough and yank him for the last step. The growls he emitted could still be heard even when they'd moved to the other end of the library to talk in relative privacy.

Basileus turned back to the guard masters with a satisfied grin on his face. "I like this 'guards looking out for guards', thing. It could be very useful."

"It's not just useful, Basileus," Freyr said. "With the younger ones it's necessity."

Basileus nodded, wondering who else in the guard could benefit from such an arrangement. For the time being, though, it was Turk and Corin with their heads on the block and he wanted to ensure they knew where they stood.

Hearing a solid clap across the room had them all turn to the windows where the first rays of the morning sun were breaking through the stained glass. Someone had slapped someone - most people's money was on Phillipe and Turk.

"You haven't even apologised?" Phil said to the young guard. "What was the last thing I told you?"

Turk ducked in time to miss a second swipe and Richard worked on calming his mate.

An entirely different racket came from outside the library door. Irina's voice could be heard before Eleazar and his tribe had entered the room.

"All I'm saying is, as vampires with infinite time, why do you choose to arrange meetings before the birds have started tweeting?" Irina walked in behind Carmen to whom she complained. "Who does that? It's senseless!"

The poor woman looked set to explode already, and it was only daybreak! "Take a seat, Irina," she said, offering her the space beside Tanya. Irina blanked her completely and went to the very furthest point away from the crowd. "Over here, please."

Irina looked over her shoulder in time to see that Eleazar had set Kate and her gammy leg down in the chair Carmen had offered her. Charming, she thought. He'd already carried the disfigured princess all the way to the library but now she was getting pride of place on top… in a seat Irina refused to sit in.

She turned away. "I can hear you all from here."

"I'm sure you can," Carmen replied, evidently speaking through gritted teeth. "But still."

"Still, what?"

Helpful as ever, Eleazar left his wife to deal with Irina and joined his mother instead.

"You should step in," Atia said, encouraging her son to intervene.

Eleazar shrugged. He collected a book laying discarded on the table to his side and began leafing through it. A medical text of some kind, old, and no doubt outdated advice. His baby brother was the only one reading such things as far as he knew, and it wasn't the sort of book Eleazar usually read, but it would do for the time being.

Irina and Carmen's argument ended abruptly when Turk and Corin were brought back to face the creator for a second time. Irina wanted to watch, and whatever Carmen wanted to bitch about could wait.

"Go on, then," Renata said, poking Corin in the back to push her forward.

Corin stepped forward. She fixed her hair to fall over her face a little - anything to give her a barrier from the creator.

Renata hissed the girls name from behind and Corin flinched. She cleared her throat and finally spoke up.

It took her three attempts, but she managed to say, "I want to offer my apologies, my lord."

Basileus folded his arms and left the girl stewing.

"I, erm, I'm really sorry for, well, like, everything." Corin chanced a look at the man's face to see how he was taking her words. That's when she remembered her slip in decorum again. "My lord!" she said, followed by another apology.

Basileus sighed to himself. He wasn't pleased with the girl but at least they were getting somewhere. He gave her a nod and moved onto the next young guard.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Turk looked back at his protectors with beseeching eyes, begging them to take over for him.

"My lord." Richard stepped forward immediately, only to be told to step back by Basileus.

With his shoulders drooping a little, Turk closed his eyes and willed himself to man up in front of the random collection of elites in the room. He couldn't quite believe Richard had stepped forward anyway. For me, he thought. He knew Richard had spoken to the guard to rally their support, because he'd been told about it. Same for Rich and Phil going to the creator the night before. He hadn't seen their allegiance with his own eyes before. Sure, Basileus had stopped Richard from speaking, but Turk could tell he would have, had he been given the opportunity.

The creator heard Turk's swirling mind as the young guard tried to piece together the changes in his life. Perfect, the man thought. He clamped a hand on Turk's shoulder and whispered into his ear. "I'll not tolerate any more complaints from you about them," he said, gesturing to the mated pair.

"Yes, my lord," Turk replied, speaking quietly. "I'm really sorry for not coming forward. I didn't realise how dangerous the mission would be. I should… I'm just… sorry. I'm just sorry."

Basileus gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze to tell Turk he'd said enough. He went to stand with Magnus again.

"What do you think?" he asked the guard master.

Magnus tested the young guards' emotional state again. They weren't frustrated anymore, just walking bags of nerves. And it had nothing to do with Magnus' gift.

"I think they are a pair of prats who need more reminders about coven expectations… much like the rest of the young ones in this coven, but—" Magnus took a long sigh "—they are regretful."

Basileus nodded and lifted his cane into view. "Do I need to use this?" he asked, purely to scare the young ones in question.

Magnus put his hand on the creator's and lowered the cane. "Not today."

"You're no fun," Basileus said, shoving the juggernaut playfully. "Right then," he said, getting back to the now terrified guards. "The pair of you have had your cards marked. You'll be kept under close watch from now on so for your own sakes, make sure theres nothing for us to see."

To Corin's ears, it sounded like the man was suggesting they keep misbehaviour out of sight. No longer was her good influence helping Felix out of trouble, now his was landing her in it, and now she was agreeing with his reasoning, too!

Then Basileus said something that made Corin change her mind.

"If I have to have you at one of these meetings again," he said, and then glanced in the older guards' direction. "I'll take over from them."

Corin and Turk damn near turned green! All of Turk's concerns about being claimed by Phillipe and Richard disintegrated in his mind – the threat of them being replaced by the creator worked like a magic spell.

Magnus cleared his throat. "There will be no need for that, will there, young ones?"

The disgraced guards shook their heads with wide eyes on the creator. Neither risked speaking as they knew their voices would fail them.

Carmen had continued asking Irina to move seats throughout the exchange and once Irina knew Corin and Turk wouldn't be taking a beating, she had begun arguing back again. She told Carmen her seat was fine where it was, that she didn't need to move, that Carmen should shut the hell up…

Eleazar snapped. He had grown used to listening to the arguing in his quarters – Carmen and Irina, or Carmen and Tanya for that matter, seemed very much like Aro and Felix to Eleazar. They almost enjoyed their arguments, like it was a game. He'd ignore it all until one of the girls became disrespectful towards his wife.

"Irina! Enough!" He slammed his book down on the table with a crack and shot to his feet. "Do as you are told, or…"

"Alright, no need to shout."

Irina cut Eleazar off before he could declare what 'or' would be. She wouldn't be lowered to the humiliation of public declarations of punishment like the others. She refused to let that happen. Just because the rest of the outcast were happy to be complicit in their infantilisation, she wouldn't join them.

She stomped across the room and found a chair just on the edge of the others. Close enough to be left alone, not so close as for anyone to think she was joining in with their cosy chat.

To Eleazar's eyes, she was still being defiant. "Move, now, or…"

Irina jumped to her feet, glowering at Eleazar. "Where do you want me?" she asked, then pointed at her middle sister. "You gave my seat to her."

Carlisle offered the girl the chair beside him, the one he'd stopped Odi from taking.

Irina moved for a second time and kept her narrowed eyes on Eleazar as she did so.

"Keep it up," Eleazar warned. "I'm running out of rope for you."

Atia eyed her son curiously. "Rather than waiting until Carmen is stressed and you are angry, why don't you…"

Eleazar huffed and opened his book back up. No reply so nothing to argue with, just a clear 'shut up' to his mother.

As if Atia would leave her son be when he was being so puerile?

Irina smirked to herself seeing Eleazar getting into a heated, if terribly quiet debate with his mother.

"You okay?" Carlisle asked in a whisper when she sat down.

Irina smiled at him for being so kind. It was weak in her mind—him for being nice and her for responding to it—but she needed a break from her own annoyance before she really did push Eleazar too far.

"I'm fine," she whispered. "But your brother is a dick."

Carlisle chuckled. "He was really worried about you and Kate, that's all. Lay low until he's over it."

Odi noticed their interaction, though he couldn't hear the conversation between them. Not that it mattered. Carlisle was clearly keener to sit with Irina than him. He wasn't sure what he'd done to offend the Volturi prince, but it must have been bloody awful if it had elevated Irina above him!

Next to arrive were Sulpicia, the twins hand in hand with her and Demetri on her heels.

The twins deserted their mother as soon as they were through the door. Jane headed for Tanya—they had notes to compare on how much attention their silence had attracted—and Alec for his grandmother. He'd made up with his mother that morning, but he hoped for some grandparental affection and Atia was a safer bet for that than Basileus.

Demetri planned on doing the same but Basileus intercepted him. At first, the boy felt apprehensive, fearing further justice would be imminent, but soon enough he relaxed with grandfather's reassuring words.

"It's over now, Dem," he said softly. Seeing the boy eyeing his cane with trepidation, Basileus added, "No, my boy. Not today."

Aro waltzed in and saw his father cosied up with his son. "Are you checking on Demetri or checking up on me?"

"I would like to think I have no need to check up on you, son, but I know you too well." Even whilst Basileus was speaking, he was also checking through Demetri's memories to make sure Aro hadn't broken their agreement. "Why are you so late? Even your children arrived before you so you can't use them as an excuse."

"I just like to make an entrance, my lord," Aro said to his father as he headed for his eldest son.

He knelt in front of Felix to get a good look at the boy. "You look tired still."

"A little," Felix said, shrugging and willing his father not to say anything incriminating with Odi and his uncle so close by.

"Your mother was hard you guys," Aro said, doing exactly what Felix had wished he wouldn't. He wondered if his prayers would ever be answered. What was the point in so many Gods if none of them ever listened in his time of need? "She's been very worried. She may have overreacted."

"You think Mom overreacted?" Suddenly feelings of embarrassment were replaced with surprise. "Have you forgot what we did already?"

Aro laughed lightly and pulled his boy into a hug. "I said 'may have', son." He wouldn't say definitely because Aro knew he may have done worse - another 'may have'. "And, no, I haven't forgotten. You've given me a wakeup call. I can only apologise that you were forced to go to such lengths on my behalf."

Although his grandfather had said Aro wouldn't be gunning for him, Felix couldn't quite believe it. His father had drawn him into traps before, after all. "I don't really understand what you're talking about," he said, not wishing to incriminate himself.

Aro chuckled. "All of this will be behind us soon and we will all move forward on a clearer path."

Felix still didn't understand. He'd been shamed so many times in library meetings. Why would they even have him there if it weren't to humiliate him in some way? Turk and Corin had got a sound round of fucks from the creator and he expected to get worse than them, worse than everyone else, in fact.

"Are we alright, Dad?"

"We are," Aro said. "So long as you don't do anything this stupid again."

Felix couldn't make such a promise. He and his parents frequently disagreed on how stupid his actions were. They simply couldn't appreciate the finer points of the adage, 'life is for living'. Still, it sounded like his father was serious about wanting to put the outcast mission behind them, which could only be good for Felix.

Atia had been keeping a close eye and half an ear on her middle son. "I hope you're being nice to that boy, Aro," she called across.

Aro clutched his chest. "Mother, you wound my heart!"

Atia gave him a knowing eye and returned to explaining to Sulpicia why what she did to the boys was wrong. Sulpicia wore a forced smile throughout. Alec sat in his grandmother's lap, soaking up her love, thoroughly enjoying the chiding she gave his mother.

"Basileus keeps insisting they are to be treated the same, Atia," Sulpicia said, wearily.

Atia scoffed. "Since when do you listen to that miserable old coot?"

Harsh, Basileus thought, knowing his mate would hear him. With half the library laughing, Basileus was doubly insulted.

"Well?" Atia pushed her daughter-in-law, paying no mind to her husband.

Sully signed to herself and made plans to tear Aro a new one for not defending her. "I wasn't hard on him considering what he'd done,"

Aro rolled his eyes to the heavens. "This is why he's such a brat."

"He's not a brat, Aro, he's the baby. Not a baby, the baby," Atia was quick to explain to Alec. "The youngest."

Eleazar ruffled the boy's hair. "You should enjoy being the baby, Alec, it comes with special privileges. Just ask your uncle Carlisle."

"Isn't that the truth!" Aro called over, giving his baby brother a wink.

Carlisle laughed along with the rest of them, proving to Odi that he was the only one on the guy's bad side.

"Aha! We are all here, at last," Basileus said, announcing Caius and Dora's arrival. "Where have you been? You're late."

"Hardly late," Caius replied with uncontained abrasion.

Basileus twitched on the spot. It wasn't only the young guards who needed a few lessons in decorum. He caught Magnus' eye and shook his head with pursed lips. Basileus knew the guard master had yet to 'speak' with Caius for his delayed return, and he wanted the young master's wings clipped sooner rather than later.

Magnus hooked one hand around the back of his neck and nodded back, showing he'd understood. Considering the juggernaut didn't know whether Caius was his or not, he sure as hell felt like the shamed face parent!

Dora headed straight for the shield maiden, taking the seat at her side. "Why do I have to be here at all? I'm not usually included in coven decisions," she said. "I'm not even included in the coven decisions that affect my daily life."

Freyr patted the young woman's leg. "Hush, my dear."

"Is that it? Don't you think this is…"

Freyr fixed Dora with a stare and raised her brow. "Hush," she said again, ending all complaints.

Dora went one further and left her seat, moving to beside Odi instead. She wouldn't argue with the woman, but she wouldn't sit and be scolded for daring to express an opinion on the ludicrous nature of coven decision making, either.

Atia leaned closer to Freyr and cupped her hands over Alec's ears. "Dora isn't pleased with the plans, I take it."

Freyr shook her head. "She's worried about spending so much time with other people. Certain people, at least."

"Oh dear." Dora and Carmen had barely spoken since Halloween because of Irina, and Atia could see how being forced to endure one another's company for two hours a day would induce anxieties. Atia thought for a moment before declaring, "We must accompany Dora to the sewing session today. We'll help ease her transition into coven life."

Freyr planned on doing just that, and she wanted to ask Atia to accompany her. Having her offer her valuable time so easily eased her worries. She thanked her friend and the stars above for having the woman in her corner.

Caius headed over to his brother-in-arms and thrust a few sheets of parchment into his hands as he sat, ready for whatever bull Basileus planned on saying.

Aro flipped through the pages of hurried scrawl and looked at Caius, disappointed. "A little light, brother."

Caius shrugged, avoiding his eye. "I can't remember much." And what he could, he wouldn't tell Aro. "Where are the drinks?"

"You look like you've had enough for this time of day." Magnus cut the air with his hand. "No drinks."

As subtle as a sledgehammer cracking a nut. Sure, Caius may have drunk a bottle of scotch that morning, but he'd only done so because he'd been hiding from the juggernaut. At some point the guy would catch up with him, and Caius wanted to be drunk when it happened, so he planned on staying semi-arseholed until then.

Caius ignored the jibe from Magnus and offered Turk one instead. "If we're not drinking, why is the bar brat here?"

Turk ducked his head and began to offer apologies to the coven master. "I will fetch you a drink, Master," he said, stuttering as he spoke. "Could I bring anything for anyone else?"

"You're going nowhere, young one," Magnus told the kid. "Caius forgets you aren't a slave."

Freyr clicked her fingers at Caius and tapped the seat beside her. "I think you'd be more comfortable over here."

Caius tutted, looked to Aro, and laughed. It was not a laugh Aro felt comfortable returning. Not that he didn't find the whole situation funny—the man was easily pleased—more that he didn't care for a repeat of the night before where he and Caius had made fools of themselves. Or, rather, Basileus and Magnus had made fools of the pair of them. It had been embarrassing enough in front of a few masters and his parents, Aro wasn't going to offer himself up as a side show for all the elites, and a couple of guards.

"Leave it," he told Caius. "There's business to attend to."

Caius waved his arm out and offered Aro the floor. "Then get on with it."

"Caius," Freyr tried again, seeing both her husband and the creator quickly growing tired of the man's attitude. When he continued to ignore her, Freyr asked Aro to swap seats with her instead, which, by that point, he was happy to do.

Before Caius could complain, Freyr was in whispering in his ear and to everyone else's eyes, he appeared to calm. Basileus could hear his thoughts, naturally, and the quiet conversation - he planned to tell Magnus about it after their meeting.

It will keep for now, he told himself and then addressed the room. "Bring your chairs," he told them all, ushering them together with his arms. "Closer. I won't bite."

"Or hit?" Odi asked, warily. He eyed the man's cane just like Demetri had, and he'd yet to receive the same assurances.

Basileus grinned. "I'm not making any promises." When the kid's panicked eyes flashed to his father for reassurance, the creator quit his ill-timed jokes. "You're safe with me, my boy."

"Come on, you two," he added to the young guards, both holding back. "You as well," he said to their guardians. Sit, sit."

The guards obliged, though it felt odd to be seated in the presence of the elite (outside of the guard hall).

Corin recovered quicker than Turk and managed to bag a seat by her boyfriend. Poor Turk was left to take one by the adults with Phil and Richard flanking him. At least he wasn't by Caius, though.

Aro stood with his father. He wouldn't have bothered usually but Basileus and Magnus stood together and it would be an affront to his status if he didn't join them. Also, joining them would be less insolent than telling Magnus to sit down, and less likely to see him earning himself a crack from his father.

He still wanted more control over proceedings, however. "My lord, before you begin, I would like to say something." He paused and cleared his throat, telling Felix and Corin to pay attention to him rather than each other. "You have all impressed me very much," he told the outcast crew. "The way you looked out for each other, your planning, your achievements. You have achieved a lot. I think we, as a coven, and as a family, forgot that you all have abilities, you have potential, and you are wasted sitting around in this old castle."

Odi nudged Felix. "That sounded good."

Felix had been to too many elite meetings - they always started good, but they rarely ended the same way. "Don't get ahead of yourself. We're still fucked."

"Whilst I agree with Aro," Basileus said, taking over. "You are all old enough to know actions have consequences."

Felix offered Odi a self-satisfied smirk. Much like his father, the boy enjoyed being right, even if it was to his detriment. The boy stopped smirking hearing his grandfather offer a 'but'.

"You are young enough for this kind of ridiculous behaviour to be understandable."

The outcast crew looked to each other to make sense of what they'd heard. Is Basileus, of all people, giving them a free pass? No, it can't be true?

"Is that good for us, or bad?" Odi asked Felix.

Felix wasn't entirely sure. "They're smiling," he said. "Must be… bad?"

Knocking came on the library door, and in dutiful guard fashion, Renata sprang from her chair to open it. Marcus' favourite guard, Bard, entered carrying a stack of small, but beautifully bound books.

Bard was rarely seen around the coven anymore as Marcus kept him busy copying manuscripts in his chambers, which was just how Bard liked his life. He bowed to the room and offered what he carried to the creator.

"Ah!" Basileus said, taking one from the top. He examined the book carefully, flipping through the pages. "Good work," he said. "I assume Marcus won't be joining us."

"My lord, Marcus asked me to inform you that he is busy preparing for the coming week and that he has said all he has to say on the matter."

"Could you imagine if we said that?" Caius said, jutting his elbow into the person at his side. The slap he received to his thigh came as a shock, as he'd forgotten Aro had swapped seats with Freyr. "What the hell!"

"Hush up."

Across the floor, much like the rest of the gathering, Aro had to hide his face. Whenever Magnus pulled rank, Aro had been quick to question the guy so Caius had expected some back up from his so-called king. Perhaps it was because he viewed Freyr in the same light as his mother, or his male ego didn't see Freyr as a threat to his status, but Aro found it hysterical.

Basileus dismissed Bard and set the books on the table. "We came up with a plan last night. Well, it's Aro's plan, and It's a good one." He gestured to the books. "Go ahead, find yours. They are to go with your new rotas."

Felix lit up! "Rotas? Are we working again? I'll be earning…"

Aro shook his head, quickly dashing his eldest son's hopes. "You won't be working. The books are to record your behaviour during the day." He offered the boy a wink. "So we can keep tabs on you."

The boy's shoulders sunk as he went to collect his book. A daily record of his behaviour… Felix knew the meeting would be bad for his future enjoyment of life. Walking stiffly to the table and back served to remind him how a behaviour record would feel.

"Irina, Carlisle. You, too." Basileus said to the pair and encouraged Turk and Corin to get theirs as well.

Irina huffed and went to find hers, Carlisle remained seated. "Me, what?" he asked. "Why would I need a book?"

Oh, too good! Aro could barely contain his excitement. "Because you'll be joining them, of course."

Carlisle's brow knitted together and his features grew dark. "Why?"

Aro's tinkling laugher filled the air. "As if you have to ask."

Knowing what a relentlessly teasing prick his brother could be, Carlisle ignored him and looked to his mother. He expected her to tell Aro to shut his trap and that his father was mistaken.

He had not expected her to say, "You'll enjoy it, I'm sure. Don't make a fuss."

"Don't make a fucking fuss?"

"Hey!" Basileus snatched up his son's book—the last on the table—and flung it at Carlisle. "Control your tongue unless you want a word with me outside."

Odi looked around the room of children sitting with their books just like his. "I cannot believe you are lumping me in with the kids." He hadn't really meant to speak loudly enough for anyone to hear him. But being in a room of vampires—in a library, no less, where the acoustics magnified every slight sound—of course, everyone heard.

"You lumped yourself in going off on a werewolf hunt," Caius reminded the kid. "Idiot."

Carlisle couldn't bring himself to look at his book. He hadn't gone on the stupid mission; he hadn't even known about it - no one had thought to even mention it happening before the event! He could see his father was annoyed with him for cursing at his mother, but still, he had to ask why he was being included in the kids' troubles.

"What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing, this time," Basileus said, with heavy emphasis on 'this time'. "But we all feel you would benefit from an increase in structured activity."

Carlisle felt his hackles rise, though he proceeded carefully. "I'm not against structured activity, but I thought I would be leading, not attending."

"How could you lead without attending?" Aro asked.

Carlisle missed the glee in his brother's eyes. "So… I am leading?"

Aro laughed. "Don't be dense. You're attending."

Whilst Aro was being told to get himself under control, Caius took up the gauntlet. "What exactly would you lead, Carlisle?" he asked, shaking his head at the very idea.

Carlisle couldn't answer quickly enough, somewhat proving Caius' point. Atia tried to offer some suggestions, but her idea of bible study for a group of non-religious vampiric youth didn't go down very well.

Odi didn't have any ideas for himself but he wanted in on the action if possible. "I could lead something," he said. "If Carlisle can lead, I can lead."

"What could either of you lead?" Aro asked, daring them to make a suggestion.

Caius joined in. "What can either of you actually do?"

Carlisle was done. He looked Caius in the eye and replied, "Your wife?"

A roar of laughter from the coven youth filled the library. The coven youth, and Aro and Eleazar, that is. And Carmen. And maybe Sulpicia. Definitely the guards in attendance, though they at least sought to cover their faces.

Whilst Freyr held Caius down in his seat, Dora glared at the young prince. "Oh, thank you very much."

Quick as a flash, Basileus snatched the book from his son's hand, clouted him around the head with it, and thrust it back into his lap.

"One more word, Carlisle!" he held his cane up, but not just for his son's attention. "Get yourselves under control before I force it on you!"

Funnily enough, he didn't need to say anything else for the room to fall silent.

Alec tapped his grandma for attention. "I don't get it?" The poor boy had been the only one confused - even Jane understood her uncle's jibe thanks to Tanya.

"I'm sure your parents will explain later on, my darling." Atia glared at Aro but made sure to include Sulpicia when she added, "As they both found it so funny."

Not for the first time, Sulpicia thought back wistfully to the time she was the most powerful woman in Volterra. Although, she hadn't exercised said power in a useful way until Atia came and helped her see that she could…

For the greater good, Sulpicia took her mother-in-law's scorn with a compliant smile.

Carlisle used the cover of sorting his hair to rub the ache from his head. His book now looked a little twisted thanks to his father, and even though it was a book he didn't want, Carlisle was annoyed seeing the state it was in.

Irina sat beside him again and opened her book, flipping through as Basileus had done. She couldn't see what was so special: Red lines divided each page into five equal spaces. Three of the boxes on the first page had a title, 'Studies', 'Games', then a blank box followed by 'Social', and another blank box. The rest of the pages were blank beyond the red lines. No other text beside her name on the cover, a pleasing gold leaf embedded in the leather cover.

"Don't worry," she said to Carlisle. "It doesn't look like we'll be doing much."

"Oh, you will," Basileus said. "Marcus will take you all for two hours every morning for studies. Languages, literature, culture, art, philosophy…"

Felix let his head fall back and huffed. "This is some sick kind of punishment. How long will this last? A week? Two weeks? A month?" He stopped guessing after a month. A month might as well be forever!

"It will be for the foreseeable future," Basileus confirmed to a resounding groan from Odi and Felix. "This has been devised for your benefit."

Felix turned sly eyes on his father. "And this was your idea," he said. "I'd rather take the whip at a coven meeting."

"That could be arranged, son," Aro said. "But it won't excuse you all from classes."

Demetri shook his head. "Felix doesn't speak for the rest of us, Dad." He quite liked his brother speaking up for him, but only in specific circumstance – not when he could make matters worse.

Aro smiled at his slightly more sensible boy but looked back to Felix in time to see his dark expression and his lips moving as he muttered.

"What was that?" he asked, daring the boy to voice his thoughts.

Felix considered telling his father what he was muttering about, but he wasn't that brave. "Games sounds better than studies," he said, sidestepping the situation.

"Yes, games," Basileus nodded in the boy's direction. "You will work on your gifts, defence, some light training…"

Irina groaned that time. "And for those of us without gifts? I've never needed them."

Tanya, like her eldest sister, had no gift, but she didn't carry any bitterness about it. "Then we'll do the defence and training stuff, obviously," she said. "We won't have to wear uniform though, will we? I'm not wearing those ugly outfits. If I can't keep my dresses, you can keep your games."

Turk briefly wondered if wearing a dress would get him excused from games, too. He wasn't so bad at studying having taken to learning like a duck to water from when he first entered the coven, but games… he'd never been any good at anything physical. It was the reason he'd been given the bar job in the first place, he assumed. My job! If Turk would be spending time on the activities the higher-ups had planned, what would happen to his bar? Have I they forgot to tell me I've been sacked?

"Phil," he hissed to his left. "What about my…"

Phillipe shook his head.

Turk turned to his right. "Rich…"

Richard shook his head, too. "Not now."

They both knew what the kid's concern would be, but they'd already covered the matter with Freyr, which they'd tell him after the meeting. In fact, they planned on telling Turk a good many things after the meeting.

Felix perked up a little. Suffering through two hours of studies wouldn't be so bad if he had games to look forward to. The only other thing on the page was 'social' and he couldn't see how they could ruin social time. However, there were two blank boxes - that could be good or bad.

"What about the gaps?" he asked. "Are they breaks?"

Basileus handed over to Aro, as the blanks were his to fill.

"For the first gap you have a choice of knightly pursuits or embroidery."

A small smirk turned to a big grin on Felix's face. "That's not much of a choice, Dad. I'm not sewing and I'm already good at nightly pursuits." He burst out laughing and wrapped an arm around Corin.

"No son, not pursuits at night. You're not in the guard hall now so unhand that girl before I'm forced to separate you." Aro paused and waited for the young couple to comply, which they did with haste. "I mean knights…"

Alec shot up from his seat. "Like real knights?" Finally, something he could get behind. "Like proper ones from my books?"

"Exactly." Aro moved to sit beside the baby vampire. "I'm taking you fishing, hunting, riding. We'll practice sword play and…"

"This is great!" Alec threw his arms around his father's neck. "We never get to do things like this!"

Whilst the hug from his boy was nice, Aro was a little put out hearing Alec declaring such a thing. "I wouldn't say never, Alec. These are all things I have done with you in the past."

"Not for centuries."

Aro squinted a little as he counted how many years it had been… after a while he gave up - Alec was right after all.

Alec might have been happy, but Irina wasn't. "So, the boys get to do all that and we just sow shit together?"

"You can choose which you do, Irina," Atia explained to the girl. "But it might be nice to have some dedicated time without men taking over."

A low hum spread through the library with every guy in attendance muttering their thoughts. Noticeably, none of them had the balls to say it to Atia's face.

Irina looked around her fellow outcasts to get a read of how she should play things. It wasn't only Alec who was happy, it was all of them. Aro's plan had something for them all, even if they didn't like everything on the list. Damn it. The only thing left to cover was social time - like Felix, she couldn't see how the overlords could ruin that.

"You'll have two hours for each activity in your book," Basileus explained. "Then you'll go to the guard hall."

Magnus cleared his throat. "I'm kicking you out at six."

Odi and Felix looked to one another in shock. Carlisle shared their thoughts, but he was too wary of his father to voice them.

"Six in the afternoon?" Odi asked. Surely not!

Magnus nodded. "I would argue it's six in the evening, son, which is late enough for me to be minding you lot."

Odi raised his eyebrows. "I don't need minding so I would argue back."

"Of course you would." Caius scoffed and began tittering to himself. "Fool." He stopped laughing and quickly checked Freyr's reaction. Luckily for Caius, she agreed.

Corin whispered into Felix's ear. "When are we going to see each other?"

Felix didn't know how to answer her. If they had a few hours in the guard hall then they would see each other there. Although, that wasn't the kind of 'see each other' either one of them was thinking of. He'd find a way to visit her dorm room one way or another, so he told her not to worry.

"After that?" Felix asked. "After six, then what?"

"You will make use of your homes." Aro sighed and closed his eyes - he really didn't like this part of his plan and he felt he'd been rail-roaded into it.

Basileus smirked a little and took over again. "Two of you have private dorms, the rest of you have chambers in your private homes," he said. "You are expected to use them. If you have a clean record for the day, and if your homework is done, and if your chores are taken care of—" a long list of ifs "—you will be able to mix with one another in said places."

"Seriously?"

"We don't want you wandering aimlessly around the coven, so, yes, seriously." Aro waved his hand in Corin and Turk's direction. "That includes the two of you."

Corin felt a sudden surge of energy and confidence. Her excitement took over and she blurted at Aro, "I'm allowed to visit Felix in your home?"

Renata slapped a hand to her face. That girl would be the death of her.

Everyone looked in Irina's direction, but no one was quite sure what she'd said. It sounded very much like 'slut', but no one was sure enough to call her out on it. Basileus and Atia knew through the creator's gift, of course, and Carlisle had heard her clearly. Aside from laughing, Carlisle didn't respond and Basileus decided against making an announcement and derailing the meeting any further.

"Don't get any ideas, Corin," Aro said to the uncontrolled girl. "Only for socialising only and you will be in groups. Anything else will happen without my knowledge and it certainly will not happen under my roof."

Corin settled back into her seat, satisfied, and already feeling a little embarrassed by her earlier excessive excitement.

For Corin, this all sounded fabulous. She loved Felix and his parents were finally allowing her into his life. They could move their relationship out of the shadows. Felix agreed with her, mostly. At least now he had no other prospects in the coven. He still wasn't sure about this activity deal.

"It sounds like we're going to be supervised every second of the day." He side-eyed Odi to see if his main co-conspirator felt the same way - he did. "When do we get a break?"

"You won't be supervised every second, son," Aro assured him. "But you've made a big show of yourselves with your mission. You've told us you want our attention, so you're getting it."

So, they would be supervised every second of the day. Not only that, but it was something they had brought on themselves. They were screwed!

At the masters meeting, Caius had sat and listened to the same excuse as a reason for the interruptions to his daily life. "I doubt they wanted my attention," he said. "Why are we all to suffer? If parents just parented, there would be no need to turn the coven upside down."

Aro turned on the man. "I really, really hope you end up with kids one day, brother." He nodded in Eleazar's direction. "You'll be eating your parenting advice like he is."

Eleazar didn't respond. The random and outdated medical text he had picked up was actually rather interesting.

"Stop, just stop." Basileus thumped his cane into the floor three times. "The point, Caius, is that as the elite of this coven, we all must have an eye on the most vulnerable members."

Easy for you to say when you've made sure you won't be doing much with them.

Basileus' demi-god features darkened, and his head ever so slowly turned to face Caius. He'd heard the man's thoughts, and he was done with the cocky young master.

"Out," he said, pointing at the door. "You can go with him," he said to Magnus. "If you can talk some sense into him, he can return. If you cannot, I will see him in my chambers when I'm done here."

Magnus stood before Caius had registered what was going on. Being sent out of a meeting was… unheard of! Part of him was pleased—he didn't want to be there anyway—but how embarrassing? And how does Caius deal with embarrassment? He turns it into anger!

The chance would have been a fine thing. Magnus caught the master by his lapel and frog marched him to the door, all whilst hissing in his ear about decorum and respect. The remaining vampires could still hear the juggernaut growling when he'd left the library!

Odi waved his record book at his mother and called to her across the floor. "I think Caius needs one of these."

Basileus pounced on the kid. "Do you want to join them out there? No? Then shut your mouth." He straightened up and smoothed down his coat just to give his hands something to do. "Right," he said. "Any questions?"

Felix had one. "All this," he said. "These new plans. Is this like… I don't know what this is. What's it all for?"

"Think of it as an education, son," Aro explained. "A rounded education in various activities, as human children have."

An education? Irina screwed up her nose at the idea. Why would she need one of those? "The only humans who have educations are the rich brats in fancy houses."

Tanya beamed at her eldest sister and returned with, "You're a rich brat in a fancy house, too."

"I'm a prisoner in a gilded cage."

The outcast crew groaned in unison, having heard similar from the Denali girl throughout their mission.

Carmen held a hand up to silence Tanya before she could say anything else and told Irina to keep herself quiet.

Not that it worked. Irina changed tactics and turned on the creator and the king. "Your plan, because we are pissed at being treated like little kids, is to… treat us like little kids." She laughed and flicked her hair. "Genius."

Aro glared at the girl. "Our plan is to ensure we all are spending direct time with you all…" he paused hearing Felix chuckle, and then laugh. "What's so funny?"

Felix had only just twigged that his father, all the overlords, would be running the new activity program. How funny! "All this sounds great, honestly, it does," he said, trying to patronise his own father. "But you won't stick to it, Dad. You say I have a short attention span, but you're way worse than me. Something shiny will take your attention and all these plans will go up in smoke."

"You had better hope I stay interested, or you will be sewing with your mother."

"She'll quit, too." Felix shrugged at the woman's protests. "She's already too busy for the little jobs she has and looking after us."

The little jobs? Felix was lucky Sulpicia didn't strangle the boy there and then! If she didn't know he was only repeating things he'd heard his father say, then she truly might have.

"I'll have plenty of time, my darling." Sulpicia spoke through gritted teeth when she addressed her son. "I'm giving some of my 'little jobs' to the four of you."

"Like the accounts?" Felix asked. He could give himself an allowance rise! Great!

Aro chuckled at the child. "More cleaning and scrubbing."

"That's guards work!" Felix winced remember who sat inches away from him. "Sorry," he whispered to his girlfriend. "And to you," he said to the other four guards.

"I'm a queen and I managed," Sulpicia reminded him. "I'm sure you'll pick it up."

The Denali girls found it all very funny. Even Kate raised a smile for the poor Volturi royal brats and their new roles as household scrubbers. That is, until they were told they'd have the same chores to do. Turk and Corin were excused from such tasks as they had actual work to do for the coven, but they were the only ones. Of course, a good deal of their work looked like chores already and they had their own dorms to keep on top of. Odi side-eyed his mother, trying to ask what he'd be doing without voicing his concerns in front of the creator and his cane. Freyr told him the chores were non-negotiable but if he felt like shifts would be too much to manage on top then she would drop him from the rotas completely.

Uproar!

It took a good thirty minute for Basileus to get hold of the meeting again. In fact, it wasn't Basileus who settled the crowd at all, it was Magnus and Caius returning.

Magnus walked in with a face of thunder whilst Caius did his level best to style out the round of fucks he'd just got. If it wasn't bad enough that Magnus was lording it over him in front of Aro and the other elite—slight exaggeration there, Caius—now it was happening in front of the guards, too. And Caius couldn't do a thing about it! Not with Basileus ordering Magnus to take him outside. Humiliation overload. The only thing Caius could control was his reaction to it all. Channelling Aro's famed nonchalance, Caius retook his seat beside Freyr and smiled coolly at the gathering. Gods above, he felt like a knob.

Naturally, the creator wouldn't let him slink back in without comment. "Have you calmed yourself?"

Caius nodded staring straight ahead.

Basileus expected an answer from the man. A proper one. He wanted some respect, damn it! "Am I to be assured there will be no more outbursts?"

For a moment, Caius closed his eyes. His face grew hot as blood rushed to his cheeks. He knew no one else would be able to tell, except Basileus, perhaps with his insane vision - the guy could see dust in the air! Magnus wouldn't see his embarrassment, but he would feel it. There was an injustice there, in Caius' mind, that the two men causing his embarrassment would be the ones to enjoy it. Not that either of them did, of course - just Caius' assumption. Aro had been as disruptive as Caius had, and Carlisle. There was no need to send him out of the meeting like an errant child.

The creator didn't deserve the verbal reply he wanted, so again, Caius nodded.

Basileus twitched again and his hand balled into a fist around the handle of his cane. The utter disregard!

"He's calm, my friend," Magnus said. He went and placed a hand on Caius' shoulder, sucking up a little of his abrasion. "Caius isn't the only one struggling, though, so you should move things along."

Aro's mouth dropped open. Eleazar and Carlisle's did, too, for that matter. They had each taken a turn telling their father he 'should' do something in the past (Aro a good few times), but they'd never walked away unscathed. Basileus didn't even flinch to Magnus order… it wasn't an order, of course, but that's what Basileus always claimed when he bollocked his sons for their 'shoulds'.

"You're right," the creator replied, and asked the young vampires whether they had any questions, comments, but not complaints.

"No complaints," Tanya piped up. "I think it sounds good!"

"You would," Irina said to her sister, scowling at the child.

Kate eased herself up in her seat. No matter how she sat, her leg ached awfully. She wouldn't have bothered moving at all, but she wanted to stick up for Tanya and she wanted Irina to see her face when she did.

"I think it sounds good, too."

Kate generally went for mediating between her sisters, leaning slightly towards Irina for an easy life even though she would rather align with Tanya. Irina knew she'd pissed off her middle sister back in France, but in her mind, the girl needed to get over herself and back on-side.

"Disloyal brats," she said, wishing she were brave enough to spit in their faces. She would do it when the overlords weren't looking.

Odi scanned the text on the first leaf of his book again. Studying wouldn't be his favourite part of the day, but after that was out the way, it was games and sword fighting and drinking. As punishments go, it would be the best he'd ever had!

"I actually think some of this could be fun," he said.

"Which serves to demonstrate how infantilised you've become."

Irina only mumbled the words to herself, but Basileus heard them clearly in her mind.

"What was that?"

His tone dropped low and his face unmoving. She wouldn't admit it, Irina was a little frightened. She covered it well, though.

"I was just wondering why we need to train if we're not going on missions," she said, twirling her fingers into her hair - she had to do something with those shaking hands. "You said we'll cover self-defence in games, right? But we've just survived a werewolf mission, so…"

She drifted off when the overlords started laughing. Scoffing and laughing. Tutting and scoffing and laughing. Bastards.

"I believe," Atia called above the laughter. "Those of you who went on the mission performed valiantly."

That was the first good word any of them had heard about their performance. Felix didn't believe they thought that, though.

He would have loved to hear Aro say he'd done well. They hadn't been on missions together for at least fifty years and the boy missed the praise he once received from his father so easily. Praise from Caius would be even better as Caius ran missions - the last few missions Felix had attended, and they had been a while since, Caius hadn't been overly impressed with his skills. Sure, he'd dicked around a little, but he'd pulled some stellar moves, too, and no one seemed to notice.

"Who said that?" he asked. "Not them," he said, his eyes flickering between Aro and Caius.

"Your fathers," Atia told the group of outcasts.

"Some of us don't have one," Irina reminded the woman.

"Sucks to be you, then," Tanya said to her sister, sticking out her tongue.

"You didn't even come on our mission so shut your gob."

"But," Atia called over the squabbling sisters. "I do wonder what would have happened if your fathers hadn't arrived when they did."

Caius huffed. "It wasn't just 'dads on tour', you know?" He wondered why he'd even bothered going for all the trouble it had caused him.

Aro nodded Caius' way. Without him, Aro doubted he would have been able to repair Demetri at the scene without leaving him excessively scarred. And Caius had stopped him from beating the shit out of Odi, which would have caused Aro a nightmare with Magnus and Freyr, not to mention his own parents.

"We are one family here, brother." Aro meant it, too. He even included the attending guards, along with a few who weren't there to hear it.

Caius shook his head. "I clearly don't count because I'm not a father." There's a guy who knows how to mope!

"Not yet," Aro said with a wink.

"We would have found a way." Odi crossed his legs and folded his arms. "We would have found a way, if you hadn't come," he said, doubting his words even as he spoke them.

Aro hadn't yet found the chance to apologise to Odi for trying to blame him at the caves. Scratch that – he'd had the chance; it was the guts he hadn't found. No time like the present to be a little softer with the kid.

"I believe you would have, yes," he said. "But you would have come close to failure, and that's our fault. You were all very brave…"

Caius interrupted the king. "There is a line between bravery and stupidity." He looked directly at Odi when he spoke so spitefully.

Odi snorted. "I'm sure you cross it regularly."

Luckily, Magnus was there to hold Caius still. Whilst Freyr spoke to Odi.

"That is not acceptable."

Odi scowled at the woman. "Why is it cool for him to be a nasty bastard but 'not acceptable' for me to respond?"

Basileus struck whilst the kid was distracted, arguing his with his mother. Odi sat with his legs crossed wide, one ankle resting on his knee. The sensitive inner thigh was exposed and that's where Basileus whacked down his cane.

Odi yowled from the unexpected attack and set to rubbing out the sting. He didn't have the head space to think about how childish he looked, but he would regret it when he thought back on the event later.

"You've been warned, boy," Basileus told the kid before he could protest.

He nodded to himself when Odi settled down and he noticed the other young vampires started sitting a little straighter in their seats. Listening to Caius' thoughts, he knew the guy was on the edge - he either needs to leave or engage, Basileus said to himself. Preferring the latter, he threw a question Caius' way to bring him out of his temper.

"What do you think, Caius? This really is your domain and you saw them in action. How did they do?"

Magnus squeezed his shoulder gently to encourage him to speak and Aro, catching on to his father's aims, also asked Caius for his verdict.

Caius knew what they were doing, but he liked being included. Eventually, his ego won and gave his summation. His eyes fell on Corin first.

"She did okay," he said, waving his hand in the girl's direction. "But her nerves were failing. They've always tripped her up in a fight, which is why we don't let her go on missions." He paused to scan the room. "Same for Demetri."

Corin couldn't do more than scowl at her hands folded in her lap. Caius was right, of course, but she didn't like to hear it. Demetri, however, was furious!

"I can fight!" he said, clicking his tongue at Caius.

Aro clicked in his son's direction. "Who exactly do you think you are tutting at, boy?"

Demetri shrank in his chair and tucked into his grandmother's side, still grumbling.

Now Caius had calmed down, he had head space for someone other than himself. As he quite liked Demetri, he decided to sugar the pill.

"You're both adequately skilled—I made sure of that long ago—but you second guess in an attack and that can cost you your lives." Not much sugaring, granted.

Irina threw out her hair and laughed aloud. "Look who's talking."

Caius looked from the vicious little bitch to the guards and back again.

Despite Caius' worry that the creator's sewing skills would have left him disfigured, to regular vampiric vision, there was no scar to behold. Not that it mattered - news had already travelled around the coven that the renowned warrior had taken a wolf to the face. After Dora discovered Caius had signed her up for a job in the coven, she'd paid him back by visiting the guard hall and spreading the word. And now Irina would take the wrap for it, which pleased Dora greatly.

"To be fair," Basileus said, keeping order. "That's the only time I've ever known Caius to hesitate." He looked Caius dead in the eye and added, "He had better make it the last time, too."

Caius cleared his throat and continued with his assessment, just to stop Basileus from eyeballing him. "Considering they've had no training; the girls weren't too bad. Kate has no business going on missions, but Irina could be an asset to the coven if she engaged in training." And maybe I could do us all a favour and kill her off.

The creator heard his thoughts and said nothing. He actually wondered whether it was such a bad idea.

Irina just had to butt in. "Perhaps I should take Corin's place if she's so hesitant?" If she hadn't leaned forward to wink at Felix, Corin wouldn't have cared.

"That bi…"

Felix took his girl's hand. "Don't rise to it."

"And Felix? Odi?" Magnus said quickly, desperate for Caius to continue and divert attention from his young guard.

"Very good." Caius shrugged a little, barely looking in the lads' direction. "They're great in a fight, and they're good on missions."

"But?" Aro asked, assuming there would be a 'but'.

Felix nudged Odi and said, "Here we go."

Odi bobbed his head, agreeing. Caius seemed unable to say anything nice to him or about him. There would be a 'but'.

Caius finally looked at Odi just as Magnus whispered a heartfelt 'please' in his ear.

"But nothing," he said, surprising everyone. "They would have walked away from that cave whether we'd shown up or not and their tactics were sound. They've had a good teacher."

Odi and Felix turn to each other with goofy grins. Odi couldn't believe his luck - it seemed he wouldn't be punished for the mission at all aside from some classes and now Caius was being nice to him? Brilliant!

Alec had waited patiently for someone to say something about him or his skills. Being last wasn't great, but when it looked as though conversation would move on, missing him entirely, he spoke up.

"What about me?"

Caius snorted before getting himself together. "You shouldn't even be outside the castle walls without one of us leading you."

Sulpicia saw her child's crestfallen face and had to act. "And now something more positive for my baby?"

"From me?" Caius huffed when the coven queen nodded with eyebrows raised. "You have an amazing gift, Alec, but no business fighting wolves. Or feeding from them."

That would be as good as it gets for Alec with conversation moving swiftly on.

"This new program of activities will run from Tuesday to Friday," Aro said. "Saturdays will be coven-wide training, as usual, and you have Sundays off."

"What about Mondays?" Felix asked, hoping that would be a day off, too, especially now he could actually have Corin in his bedroom without his mother having an attack of the vapours.

Aro could read his mind. "If you have behaved well in the previous week, you get Mondays off. If you don't have a clean report, however, you will be assigned a minder."

Basileus grinning menacingly until the poor young vampires caught on - he would be the minder! "I'm quite looking forward to my part," he said, swinging that damn cane out in front of him.

Aro felt a little bad for his kids - he knew his father planned on making their lives hell if they screwed up during the week. "We'll announce who's stuck with him on Sunday mornings at the coven meeting."

"Sunday?" Felix cocked his head to one side. "Coven meeting is Friday."

"Not anymore. Do keep up." Aro said. "This new program will be offered to those in the coven who wish to partake, but you lot will all be attending regardless. As will any newborns, new guards, or any other young vampire who joins the coven."

Caius huffed from his seat. "If any more join, I'm leaving."

"Oh!" Aro feigned ignorance. "I thought you planned on adding to their number?"

Caius saw his mate perk up again - there had been far too many mentions of that possibility for his liking and now Dora was starting to take them seriously.

Basileus tapped his cane against the floor to get everyone's attention. "Right, now we come to the less pleasant part."

The poor kids looked ready to flee!

Demetri called him out on his earlier promise. "You said you wouldn't!"

"No, no, calm down. I'm not going to do anything." Basileus balanced his cane against Carlisle's chair and backed away from it to prove he meant it. "You needn't worry anyway - you've received your punishment already. I will admit. Marcus and I were trying to avoid this, but never mind."

Felix gripped his chair so tightly that the wood began to compress. 'Don't say it, don't say it,' he begged his grandfather through his thoughts.

Naturally, Basileus ignored him.

The creator's opinion on children's feelings of embarrassment was well known and shared by the other parents in the coven - it's either earned, and therefore you should suffer it, or it's not, and therefore you shouldn't feel it. The kids in the coven, and a good number of the guard, held a different view on such things.

"When Marcus and I intercepted the masters of the coven, we failed to think about a mother's wrath."

Felix sighed so deeply that he was heard across the room. Irina's laughter soon followed, as did Odi's, and even Carlisle's!

"As Sulpicia has already seen fit to discipline her boys," Basileus continued, spelling it out for anyone left in the dark - no one, Basileus, no one was left in the dark you cruel old sod! He looked to Carmen and Freyr, "I would ask the two of you to ensure your own are dealt with similarly."

Poor Felix forgot about the pain in his backside for the moment, he released the arm rests of his chair, suffered the burn, and put his head in his hands. "I want to die. I actually want to die."

His only saving grace was that Odi appeared to be just as sickened.

"Have I just been publicly sentenced to a spanking from my mother?" he asked no one in particular. "Surely not. I fucking have!" Odi quite wanted to die, too. Doubly so when he saw Caius full on belly laughing across the floor!

Suddenly Carlisle was quite glad his old pals hadn't asked him to join their mission. Seeing his nephews turning green and Odi so bewildered that he couldn't even protest, cheered him up immensely. He had to wonder why Irina seemed unbothered, though. "How are you so cool about this?"

Irina shrugged. "If it has to happen, Carmen is a better bet."

One by one, more of the adults found the children's distress amusing. "I must say," Basileus said through restrained chuckles. "If this is the effect your mothers have on you, then perhaps the ladies should take on the task more often?"

"Oh, I don't think that's a good idea."

Atia, the voice of reason. Felix beamed at his grandmother.

"Sulpicia was far too harsh with the boys. Poor Felix still can't sit down properly."

Felix paled. No mission is worth this level of humiliation! Seeing his baby sister sliding off her chair in her hysterics tipped him over the edge.

"What about Tanya and Jane?" he asked his grandfather. "They knew all about the mission and said nothing to anyone."

Both girls stopped laughing and glared at Felix. For a moment, Jane even considered setting him on fire. Luckily for her brother, she could see he regretted pointing a finger in their direction almost as soon as he'd finished speaking.

Caius took up the gauntlet from Felix. "As did a certain someone else," he said, nodding in Turk direction. "And he's old enough to know better, surely?"

"More than old enough, Master," Phillipe replied.

Turk began muttering darkly under his breath about Phil having no right to reply on his behalf, and Caius could keep his nose out, too. Mostly he was just glad he didn't have a mother so he wouldn't suffer like the others.

If they were throwing people under the cart, Aro thought he should join in. "Carlisle can be included on that list."

"I didn't know what they were doing," Carlisle pointed out. "I thought Irina was going for another fumble with Alex…"

Eleazar's ear picked up on that! "Alex, huh?"

Irina caught his eye and closed hers, shaking her head. She had banked on Alex as a way out of the coven, eventually. Maybe. She hadn't quite decided, but that was her business. Eleazar would put an end to her plans, no doubt.

"Thanks, Carlisle." She grounded her elbow into his ribs. "Dick head."

Basileus called them all to order once again. As his middle son still found the entire thing quite funny, he chose to ruin his fun. "As the women are doing the heavy lifting with the mission crew," he said to Aro and Eleazar. "I think it only fair that you pair deal with your young ladies yourselves."

"What about Carlisle?" Aro asked, speaking through gritted teeth. He wasn't annoyed with Carlisle—no more than usual, at least—just with his father for compelling him to punish his princess of darkness.

Atia wouldn't let her baby suffer just because Aro's must. "Carlisle is guilty of nothing more than a trusting nature."

"And incredible naivety," Basileus tacked on. "I'll leave Turk to you, Magnus and…" Basileus paused mid-sentence. He looked over at Phillipe and Richard, a wonderful idea forming in his mind. "Unless either of you fancy the task?"

Turk, the usually calm and placid young barkeep, looked set to implode.

Magnus felt the sudden change in his young guard and acted quickly. "We'll talk it over later," he said, addressing his older guards. "Take him back to his dorm. Corin, head to the courtyard and wait there for me."

Turk and Corin were ushered out of the library by their guard-guardians, with the latter unsure of why she needed to go to the courtyard. She might have asked if she weren't so worried about the answer.

Basileus smirked at the juggernaut. "Are we done?"

"I've listened to you for long enough, my friend," Magnus said, chuckling back. "Let's get on with their punishment."

Odi stood up, quick as a flash. It was bad enough having the creator giving him a swipe in front of everyone, having his mother whooping his behind in front of them was a step too far. If she moved an inch toward him, he planned on jumping through the stained-glass windows!

Magnus knew what his boy was thinking. "No, son," he said. "Punishment from the coven."

Basileus watched the youngsters look between themselves, all silently thinking the same thing. 'What fresh hell will this be?' He heard them and his smirk grew to a grin. "You didn't think you were getting away with running off in the middle of the night and trekking into werewolf territory alone, did you?"

"But… but…" Odi couldn't formulate a response. He'd already tipped into humiliation overload thanks to the creator's proclamation - wasn't that enough for the guy?

"You said it was over," Felix said to his grandfather. "So did you," he said to his dad.

"We've decided on one punishment for you all from the coven." Aro made sure to emphasise the 'we' part, so they knew there would be no one to argue with. "Everyone's in agreement."

"Not everyone," Dora said. "But I don't count."

Felix didn't have time to think on Dora's self-worth, he was too bothered with his worries. His father would only punish them all if it were a whipping in the coven meeting, and he knew his dad wouldn't whip his baby brother, let alone the girls, so it wasn't Aro. Which meant one thing… Basileus.

"You?" he asked his grandfather, wincing as he spoke as if he could feel what was coming.

Basileus surprised him by saying no. He jabbed the end of his cane towards Magnus. "Him."

"That's worse!" Felix said.

Odi eyed the creator. "Is it?" he really wasn't sure.

"It's just as bad," Demetri said, which no one disagreed with.

"What a charming bunch," Magnus said. He started walking for the door with most of the elite following. "You're all coming with me, no ifs, no buts. This was the only way to make it fair, kids."

Eleazar scooped Kate into his arms and left, giving the girl no option.

"Come along," Basileus encouraged the young one, still largely seated. "There's no time like the present."

The doomed vampiric children dragged themselves to their feet and headed out into the halls.

As they walked the halls behind the elite adults, Odi kind of wished he could go back to the idea of his mother punishing him in the library. "Do you think he's going to whip us?"

Felix shook his head. "That would be my old man, not yours."

As they walked, there seemed to be several guards who needed to go in the same direction. Odi alerted Felix to this fact and both lads looked over their shoulder, neither able to see the end of the growing queue of guards behind them.

"It looks like it's going to public," Odi said, cursing to himself.

Again, Felix wished for death.

When they reached the main entrance to the castle, Magnus was there to hold the door open. "File out, young ones."

"Is this really necessary?" Odi asked him as he passed. "You could have warned me this morning."

Magnus merely smiled and pushed his son along, then began leading them all to the rear courtyard of the castle.

Demetri and Alec had been arguing since the library for who should speak to their mother - Demetri eventually made his brother see sense, citing that their mother always—usually—went so much easier on him.

"She'll get you out of this," he said to Alec. "And once she's got you out of it, she might get me out of it, too."

"Mama," Alec began sweetly, only to be immediately silenced by the woman.

"Don't try me, Alec. I'm in full agreement."

"We all are," Carmen said, ending Irina's complaints before they could begin.

Dora reminded the women that she wasn't actually. "This is beneath Volturi elite. But my opinion doesn't count as I'm neither a master nor a mother." Her eyes rolled to the heavens as she dutifully trooped along.

"Dora, love," Freyr said. She been asking Dora to give up her complaints on the matter since the early hours of the morning.

"I know, I know," Dora huffed back, sounding very much more like one of the kids in that moment. "It's none of my business. I can still sit in judgement. It's about the only thing I can do."

"Do you fancy being a mother, Dora?" Aro asked as he took his mate's arm. "We could rustle you up a couple of kids if you want them."

"No!" Caius said. "She bloody does not!"

Dora levelled him with a look that said she might. It appeared to be the only way to earn some gravitas in the coven!

Felix quickened his step and caught up with the master's young wife. "I wouldn't mind you adopting me if you could get me out of whatever is coming."

"I'm tempted to take you all in." Dora paused and looked Irina up and down. "Almost all."

Caius recoiled at the very thought of taking any of them in! "You'd lose your husband if you tried, love."

Dora smiled so sweetly. "Now that is tempting."

"Over here, over here," Basileus called for the young vampires to join him and the juggernaut.

Once they were all together, Magnus went to the old shed where he'd stored the dead wolves the day before. "Your punishment is this lot."

He pulled open the doors - werewolves spilled out into the courtyard. The stench of week-old dead animal hit them all in one and caught in their throats.

"You will be gutting, skinning, tanning…" Magnus broke off to heave at the smell again. "I've offered to stick around and instruct you all in the process."

Having been damn near force fed a barrel of blood in the past week, Odi's stomach was a little more sensitive than usual. The disgusting odor was too much and the kid heaved and heaved again. "I'm going to be si…" and then there was a puddle of puke on the flagstones.

Magnus went and put a hand on the boy's back as he brought up all he'd drank in recent memory. "Don't worry, son," he said, drawing away some of the boy's unease. "With the work it takes to tan werewolf pelts, no one will notice that mess."

"How am I supposed to help, El?" Kate asked from the man's arms. "I can't even stand up." Try as she might, she couldn't keep the joy from her face.

Magnus nodded in Kate's direction. "You are excused until you can walk, little one." He also reminded Caius that he had a job to do in that regard.

"Lucky cow."

Irina said it, but they all thought about it chewing their own legs off so they could be excused, too.

Tanya hooked her arm through Jane's and tugged on Carmen's sleeve. "We don't have to do this, right," she said, rather than asked.

Carmen shook her head and shooed the girls away from the drama.

"You're still grounded, Jane," Sulpicia reminded her daughter. "Straight home."

"You, too," Carmen added to Tanya.

Jane nodded as Tanya whispered in her ear - no one had said which home they should go to, so they decided to go together to the south tower.

Odi spat out the last of his bloodwine and stood straight, wrapping an arm around his stomach. He wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve and took a few steadying breaths before daring to move.

Dora felt so sorry for him, especially as it was all Caius' fault in the first place. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, looking anything but. "About that adoption thing?" He ignored Caius' sniggering.

Felix stood with Odi. "Me, too, please."

"Actually," Alec said, thinking on his feet. "Caius was the one who turned me, so I should live with you guys anyway."

There were a few gasps of horror over what the boy had said, and some of them weren't playing.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, son," Aro told his boy. "Ungrateful brat."

Caius started rubbing his chin. "You did say I should get some kids, brother. Maybe I should take one of yours?"

Sulpicia slapped Caius away from the child. "Touch my baby and I'll cut your hands off."

Dora had argued the kids' case for hours. First to Freyr, and then Sully, and after that she'd even braved speaking to Basileus and Magnus about it. No one had cared for her opinion on either the children's punishment or her new job. In the death of the argument, she'd had with the creator and the juggernaut, Dora had been offered an exchange if she didn't want to teach embroidery, then she could join the young ones in the activities. Funnily enough, Dora chose to keep the job that had been foisted on her.

"Sorry, kids," she said. "Blame your overlords."

Basileus poked a dead wolf in the head with his cane. How the disgusting beasts were turned into such good blankets was a mystery to him, but he knew Magnus would make it happen. Whether he could keep the kids on a short leash at the same time was a different matter entirely. The guy's just too soft-hearted.

"This isn't a doss for you lot," he told the little vampires. "You do as you're told, when your told, with no idle chatter in between." He held up his cane for the ninetieth time that morning. "Do any of you need a round of this before I leave? Or can you get on with the task at hand without my incentive?"

Magnus shoved the man away from his young charges. "You're a cruel old bastard at times," he said, side-stepping the lazy swipe offered.

"Only at times? I must be slipping." Basileus squared his shoulders. "I'll get back on track soon enough. Scaring a few kids will help."

"Just check on my guard hall and leave the young ones to me."

Magnus pushed him again, both chuckling as they played like children, much to the actual children's dismay. Including the adult children! Eleazar, Aro and Caius in particular couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"Could you imagine if we tried talking to him like that?" Eleazar whispered to his brother, assuming his father was distracted enough not to hear him.

He assumed wrongly.

Basileus left Magnus to shout out orders to the young ones and headed over. "You'd look like those wolves if you dared, lads," he said. "There is a difference between brotherly play and impertinent children, even adult ones."

"Brotherly, huh?" Aro said back, unimpressed, but assuming his father had mis-spoken. Another incorrect assumption.

"Yes, so watch yourselves. Why are you all stood around here anyway? Shows over, get some work done." He looked at Eleazar and amended his statement. "Or whatever it is you spend your time doing."

Eleazar sighed. "Thanks a lot."

Basileus ignored Eleazar's annoyance and headed over to his youngest son before he had chance to slink off.

Aro and Caius had barely finished exchanging their work plans for the day (Eleazar had none) when Carlisle joined them. He aimed a thumb over his shoulder in his father's direction. "He said we are repairing Kate's leg now."

Caius smirked. "We?"

Carlisle huffed with his hands on his hips. "Fine. You're fixing her leg and I'm helping. Happy?"

Yes, Caius was happy with that. "Take her down to the dungeons."

"You're not fixing my girl in the bloody dungeons," Eleazar said. "She'll be scared to death."

Caius raised an eyebrow at the Volturi prince and scoffed to himself. "You should be grateful I'm doing it at all after last night."

Kate didn't have a clue what they were talking about as she hadn't been privy to Eleazar landing Caius in hot water for his delayed return to the coven. She wanted El to win, though – she really didn't like the idea of being drugged and operated on in the dungeons of all places!

"I exposed your selfishness," Eleazar reminded him. "If you're annoyed with yourself, that's fine. You can be annoyed with me, too, if you like. Are you really going to take it out on Kate?"

Caius didn't say a word. He simply allowed his smirk to do the talking.

"Dad!" Eleazar called out. The creator may have already been in the castle, but he knew his father would have heard him. Just to make sure everybody heard him, Eleazar continued, loudly, "Caius needs to have a word with you before he'll mend your granddaughter's leg."

"For fuck's sake, El!" Caius pulled a fist back level with his head though thought better of punching the guy in the face - oh, how he would enjoy it if he could do so with impunity. "Are you trying to have me gutted!"

Magnus heard the commotion and wandered over, wiping his bloodied hands on his britches. "Is there a problem here, fellas?"

Basileus hung back. As he had unfettered access to their thoughts, he didn't need to be close by to hear their conversation. The distance would give him chance to see Magnus in action. One of their many topics of conversation travelling back to the coven had been that the juggernaut needed to start living up to his name with the young men in the coven – that was just about every man aside from Basileus and Marcus. The creator couldn't keep fighting a one-man battle calling for respect towards elders, and Magnus had assured him he'd join the cause. Magnus had to balance his new task with managing Caius' general abrasion, but Basileus had convinced him, just about, that if he pulled a few other up on their attitudes then Caius would likely fall into line, too.

Eleazar was only too pleased to have Magnus to complain to. "Caius needs persuading to take proper care of Kate."

Magnus eyed the younger, and embarrassed coven master in question. "Does he, now?"

Catching sight of Aro hanging onto every word—and no doubt coming up with a thousand answers to a hundred questions only the coven king could think of—Caius started to sweat. Actual sweat. The back of his shirt felt damp against his cold vampiric skin. A most unpleasant feeling. Caius had to get out of the situation fast, and the quickest way he could do that would be to agree to fix Kate up—as he'd always intended to do—and get the hell out of there. However, he couldn't back down too easily or Aro would ask even more questions and both Magnus and Eleazar would gain more ground above him.

He huffed and puffed, but finally relented. "I wouldn't take out your disloyalty on the poor wretch." Caius huffed again, sighing at nothing and no one in particular. "Christ knows she's got enough problems to contend with having you as a warden."

Magnus's growl put Eleazar off replying as he would wish to, although it pleased him greatly when the juggernaut admonished Caius directly.

"That's enough, Caius," he said. So simple but cut the man down to size in front of an assorted group of elite and guard.

Caius bristled. He didn't want to push Magnus into reacting much more than he already had, lest some secrets be spilled, but he couldn't just roll over, either - that would spill even more secrets!

He chose to ignore Magnus completely for the moment and turned to Eleazar again - a choice he soon regretted. "What's wrong with my dungeons anyway?" he asked. "I'm not going to flay her, just fix her. What difference does it make where I do it?"

"I said, enough," Magnus said again, pulling Caius back by his shoulder. "You are not having that girl in your dungeons. Do it in your chambers - you keep as much kit in there as you do in the dungeons."

Aro folded one arm across his chest and rested his other elbow on it, holding his chin in his hand. He couldn't make head nor tail of what he saw, but he was pretty certain Magnus was extending his reach to cover Caius. He'd seen it before, of course, but most of those times Magnus had been instructed by Basileus to act. Apparently, Magnus no longer needed the creator's direction, and was kind of going along with it… Aro's concern was less for Caius and his standing in that moment and more for his own.

"You can knock that smirk off your face, El," Magnus continued. When Eleazar ignored him, he added, "Or I can."

Aro's eyes widened to double their height! he would usually take great delight seeing his big brother admonished, such a rare occurrence, but from Magnus? Eleazar appeared to forget who was doing the admonishing. He took it as though it were his father speaking, not Magnus.

"Tell him then!" he said, tutting at Caius.

Magnus squared his shoulders and growled. "I already have," he said, for both Eleazar's and Caius' benefit.

"Back off, Magnus!" Caius shrugged the guy's hand off his shoulder. "Fine!" he said, snapping in frustration. "Take her to my chambers" he told Eleazar. "Fetch what we'll need from the dungeons," he told Carlisle. "Go on then!" he added when neither moved a fucking muscle.

Interestingly for Magnus, Caius stayed where he was. Did the younger master want to bitch at him in public or was he waiting there because he'd screwed up and wished to show some respect to the guy, some deference? Magnus wasn't sure, but it was definitely interesting.

First, Magnus needed to get rid of Aro. As Basileus had been pleased by how his friend had managed the situation, he came to his rescue.

"Aro," the creator called. "We need to run through the plans for next week. With me, now."

Aro narrowed his eyes momentarily, trying to work out what was going on with Magnus, but soon left to follow his father when the man called him for a second time - a third time would be bad for his hide.

No sooner had Aro gone, Caius laid into Magnus. "What are you playing at?"

Magnus tensed up as he took on the force of Caius' annoyance. It was disappointing to see Caius had hung around simply to have a pop at him, but if that's where Caius wanted to go, Magnus could go there, too.

"What are you playing at, more like!" Magnus said back. "You threatened a child, Caius. Eleazar's child. Most people get pissed pretty quickly when their children are threatened."

Such loaded words. Caius didn't miss the implication that Magnus was pissed with him for going after Odi.

"He screwed me over last night," Caius said, explaining his ire with Eleazar. "I was evening-up the score. I didn't mean it."

"Your petulance truly knows no bounds." Magnus threw his hands into the air, giving up. He turned his back on Caius and began walking away. "Go home and fix the girl to the absolute best of your ability."

"I would have done so without you trying to make it an order."

Magnus stopped and turned back to Caius. "I'm not trying to order your actions, merely guide you into better conduct so you can have an easier time with our coven mates."

He sounded more like Marcus than Magnus to Caius.

"I don't need guiding."

"Yes, you do." Magnus laughed but there was no humour to his tone. "Everyone's pissed with you. Do you realise that? Even those who aren't saying so are pissed with you."

Caius mimicked Magnus' sardonic chuckles. "All because I stopped off to see a friend on my way home. How very dare I."

"You were waylaid for a week downing dungeon blood with Henri whilst the coven waited to hear about the fate of these kids!"

Magnus took a steadying breath and moved closer to Caius. It wasn't a good idea to shout the odds in the courtyard with seven little vampires and Christ knows how many guards listening. He calmed himself down and tried a softer tone.

He lifted the coven master's face by hooking a finger under his chin and said softly, "It's a big deal and you know it."

Caius didn't react at all. Not visibly, at least - Magnus could feel the emotional change in him, however. Less frustration and annoyance, more guilt and regret. Then, Magnus dealt the heavy blow.

"Freyr spent the week you were with Henri believing her sons could be dead."

Magnus had expected Caius to flood with regret, and he did, but there was something else there. It confused the juggernaut at first…

Joy.

Caius was pleased that Freyr thought her sons were dead!

Just before Magnus really laid into him, asking him what the fuck was wrong with him, Magnus realised why Caius was a little bit happy… sons.

Caius saw Magnus begin to smile knew he had caught his feelings. Caius couldn't cope with that - it was bad enough that he felt emotions of any kind without Magnus knowing what those feelings were. Even though the sun shone on his back, Caius pretended the light was in his eyes giving himself the chance to squint and wipe the tears away surreptitiously. He cleared his throat and said a rather childish 'whatever' before pulling away from Magnus.

"I know you're only acting like a prat because you feel guilty, but you have to give people a break and…"

Caius cut him off, he couldn't take any more. "Don't scold me like a child," he said. "You're overreaching again."

Caius stepped back, out of arms reach, and turned to leave. "Don't turn your back on me, boy."

"I've got work to do and so have you." With that, Caius started walking away.

"Oi!" Magnus said, bellowing across the courtyard - every vampire in a ten-mile radius would have heard him. Caius stopped walking but he couldn't turn to face the man. Magnus couldn't leave the young ones unsupervised, so he left Caius with the fatal words, "This isn't finished, Caius."