Welcome to the Coven
The masters were already seated in their thrones when Basileus entered the great hall. Taking a good look around he noted almost all the guards were there; Basileus made it his duty to know each and every member of the coven. There were a few missing though. Sighing with disappointment he turned to the masters to find out where they were.
"And where are the others?" he asked curtly.
"What others my lord?" Aro asked, "my high guard will be along soon, don't worry," he added, annoyed that he'd had to bring them in the first place.
"No Aro, where are the other guards… Rai and Hanas… the Egyptian couple you picked up 6 months ago. They were here when I left for England!"
Caius sat forward with a sick grin on his face, Aro snickered; Caius had already told him of their fate down in his dungeon play room, he was disappointed to have missed out on the fun! "They were disloyal my lord, I had to dispatch them."
Basileus formed a tight smile, "if you want target practice Caius I suggest you arrange another mission to take out some of our actual enemies, rather than getting your sick kicks from dispatching members of MY coven!"
Caius looked mortified at such a public admonishment, he skulked bag into his chair and avoided Basileus' eye. Damn sadistic coward! Basileus thought. Aro dropped his grin and looked away, too. And you are getting as bad as him, Basileus thought angrily towards his son.
Basileus approached his son, placing a hand on either side of Aro's throne he leaned in dangerously closely - Aro felt trapped. "I want you to relax a little tonight and let Felix and Demetri spread their wings." He spoke with such a calm soothing voice but it was completely at odds with his body language.
Aro replied nonchalantly, "I do not know what you are talking about father." He started playing with the rings on his left hand, rolling them around his fingers as though he wasn't bothered at all.
"You keep telling me they are just good guards… if that is the case then I consider them under my remit whilst I am in the locale, and I say they can attend and they can drink and they can join in. If you feel differently, of course, I will listen to you. I wouldn't interfere with another man's children."
Basileus had never been quite so open about Aro's high guard before, he'd certainly never pushed his son into a corner over them. Aro felt anxious, it wasn't a feeling he was used to and it set him on edge - I don't want to celebrate a new brother in the first god damn place, and now you are trying to come up with twisted plans for my high guard?!
"Aro, you know I can hear your thoughts, yes?" Basileus asked, smile quickening. "If you care about them so much then just be honest with me and I will support you. If you choose not to be honest with me, because I am in no doubt that you care for those children a great deal, then I will treat them as a part of my guard. Understood?!"
Aro felt his temper flare. How dare you back me into a corner like this! You are being so unreasonable! "Of course I care about them - they are very talented and they need to be treated differently to the rest of the guard because they are young. That is all." Aro folded his arms tried to look away from his father, but with the man so close that was hard to do.
Basileus released the arm rests and stood back at full height. "Okay Aro. Okay. They ARE just members of my guard then."
Aro's relief at being granted his personal space turned to horror at those words! Jumping up out of his seat to talk quietly to his father he began tripping over his words, "I, I didn't say that, that's not what I said!"
Basileus turned and rounded on his son, looking every bit the spawn of a god as he towered over him, he spoke calmly and quietly but there was something daring in his tone. "Oh yes it is son, you can put an end to their participation any time you wish, you just have to come to me and admit why you are doing so." Basileus rested a hand on Aro's shoulder and squeezed gently before leaving his son to greet the wives as they entered the throne room. Close behind them were Aro's high guard. Basileus wanted a quick word with them before the celebrations started, aldo.
"Athenodora, Didyme, and my dear Sulpicia, all looking particularly ravishing this evening," he crooned at the three ladies of the coven.
"It is good to have you back Basileus, I trust your journey was worth it?" Didyme asked her creator.
"Certainly was my dear, he's been looking around the castle with Eleazar, have you seen him?" he asked in return.
Athenodora butted in, never one to be left out of centre stage, "I have! And oh my is he handsome!"
Basileus laughed at the lady of darkness. "You had better not let Caius hear you saying that, he will be trying to dispatch my new son if he gets wind of it!"
Athenodora chanced a look at her husband, he seemed to be in deep conversation with Aro. "Oh never mind him, his bark is worse than his bite, my lord." She bowed her head lightly and went to take her place beside Caius.
Didyme and Sulpicia took their leave and followed Athenodora over to the thrones of their husbands. The guards bowed politely as the ladies of the coven passed across the elevated floor. Felix and Demetri went to follow Sulpicia but Basileus' strong arm blocked their path. He addressed them very quietly, and kindly. "I have talked with Aro, until you are told otherwise, feel free to join in with the festivities tonight."
All four heads of the high guard shot up to face Basileus. "Do you mean we can drink my lord?" Felix asked.
Of course you would ask that wouldn't you? Basileus thought to himself. "Yes Felix, you should all feel free to drink, eat, wrestle, play your tricks - enjoy the night. Until you are told otherwise. Do you understand?"
The twins looked very confused. "Even us?" Alec spoke up for the two of them.
"Yes, even you. I will tell you when you have to stop, until then, I want you to join in, okay."
Wide smiles spread across all four faces.
"And you will stop Aro from tearing us up for it?" Demetri asked hopefully.
"Is Aro really okay with this, he rarely allows Alec or me to even leave the throne floor my lord!" Jane really wanted to join in but she wasn't willing to go against Aro to do so.
"I am giving you my permission. You are taking your orders from me tonight, if he tries to stop you I want you to come to me." Basileus finished with that, and shooed them along and down the steps of the throne floor into the general mess of guards milling about.
Felix and Demetri made a beeline for the back of the room where the barrels of wine were held. Aro watched them, he knew what they were doing. I am going to beat the pair of you senseless if you get drunk tonight, he thought to his eldest high guards, wishing they could hear him!
What Aro saw next made him choke on his own venom and jump to his feet! Leaning forwards at the tip of the raised throne floor Aro had a good view of his two youngest high guards accepting drinks from his eldest two. What the hell are the twins doing down there! He went to walk down the steps but Basileus was in front of him in a moment offering him a goblet of wine.
"Drink up son, I think you are going to need it tonight!" he said with a smile.
"Why are you doing this?" Aro hissed angrily at his father.
"Doing what?" Basileus replied cheekily as he gulped down his full goblet in one.
"What have you told them? Why have you sent them straight to the wine? I know you are trying to get a rise out of me, it won't work." Aro's hushed, angry whispers were spoken so quickly no human could have made out the blur of words. His wife, only a few steps behind him heard it all.
Basileus looked his son up and down, "And this is you NOT rising to it? Tonight is going to be fun!" Basileus pushed his son back into his seat. "I have told them they are to join in until I tell them it is time to stop. I will tell them to stop as soon as you are honest with me, and more importantly, yourself. Or I will let them go on until they pass out… whichever comes first."
Aro's mouth hung open.
"You can stop this whenever you wish, Aro."
Shaking his head at Basileus Aro was pissed off, and he felt helpless. "You know how young they are. Forget about me, why would you do this to them?"
Basileus simply smiled at his son, "I believe this is in ALL of our best interests."
Aro took a deep breath. Okay, if this is the way you want to play it, he thought, "I will go along with this, if you will admit you are wrong when it all blows up in your face!"
"My boy, that will be an easy covet to make because I am never wrong!"
Aro was about to respond but before he had chance Eleazar strolled into the throne room through the main doors at the head of the hall. Carlisle followed quickly behind him.
The guards on the main floor stood back and created a pathway for the two brothers to walk through. Carlisle looked around at the guards, he caught Felix and Demetri and their gleaming smiles, seeing someone he recognized helped settle his stomach a little. There are so many vampires in here… I know I am one too but this in unnerving, he thought as he passed through the crowd. The women, they are stunning, I have never looked upon such beautiful faces!
The female guards were pushing their way to the front of the crowded guards to get a good look at Basileus' new son. They were impressed! Hurried whispers spread through the guards as the women made their bets on who could hook up with him first.
"My money's on Ashanti." Eleazar called out to the guards, they knew what he meant, though Carlisle didn't have a clue why they were all laughing.
Eleazar led his new brother up to the front of the steps and addressed the masters of the coven and their wives. "My lords and ladies, may I introduce Carlisle."
All six of them clapped and welcomed him up onto their stage. Though Caius and Aro didn't really have a care for the proceeding, they knew better than to be anything other than respectful towards Basileus' new ward.
"Carlisle my boy, come up here." Basileus called as he opened his arms to his new son.
Eleazar joined Aro and leaned into his brother's throne. "You know your guard are drinking down there right? Even the twins? Have you lost your mind brother?" Eleazar asked in shock.
"No, but he has!" Aro replied hatefully and gestured to Basileus with his chin.
"Oh, right then." Eleazar decided to not to get involved with this one, if Aro and Basileus were going against each other over his brother's high guard, then he wanted nothing to do with it.
Soon enough Basileus' booming voice was addressing the wider guard and asking them all to make his new dear son very welcome here in Volterra. Carlisle stood awkwardly at his father's side. He wasn't used to the spot light, and even with the increased confidence he'd felt since he was turned, Carlisle still wasn't keen on being showed off in this way. Though he had to admit, the pride Basileus spoke with gave him a warm sensation - no one had ever expressed such warmth of feeling about Carlisle before. When Basileus had finished his address the entire coven erupted in cheers and clapping. The noise was thunderous! Carlisle was reeling, he'd only been a vampire for two days, his entire world was turned upside down, he'd been ripped away from everything he knew… and it felt amazing!
Before long the masters and their wives were mingling with the guards on the main floor. Marcus and Didyme were sitting with the musicians - they were guards too, Marcus' favourite guards in fact. He enjoyed music and they would play for him regularly in his own quarters, now they set the room on alight in a blaze of energy with lyrical tunes.
The drink was flowing and Aro was knocking back far more than usual, and he was staying very close to his little guard members. Sulpicia too was making sure she was close to the twins. She had asked them to stop drinking but Basileus interrupted and made it clear they were to continue until he told them otherwise. Jane and Alec felt torn. They knew Aro and Sulpicia did not allow this, they feared Aro's response when they were in his quarters and Basileus wasn't there to defend their actions.
"Felix!" Aro called his eldest guard to him.
As the very drunk young vampire staggered over he knocked into two or three guards on the way, and with his great bulk they went flying into the middle of the dance floor. Aro shot daggers at Basileus who flashed to his son before Felix had made it there.
"What's wrong Aro?" he asked him with a smile, "ready to call it quits yet?" Basileus added as he knocked back another full goblet.
"Look at the state of him, why are you doing this?!" Aro asked his father, his tone far more aggressive than he would usually dare, the wine did that.
"You are doing this Aro, and you can end it." With that Basileus left his son to his own anger as Felix approached him.
"Felix, you need to stop now. You've had your fun, that's enough!"
Felix swayed about in front of his master before falling forwards to be caught by Aro.
"That's it, you are done!" Aro started to pull his young guard towards the thrones and the exit behind them leading to their quarters.
"No, no way, I'm not done until HE says I am done." Felix gestured to Basileus who was laughing at the state he was in.
Oh your head is going to be raging in the morning my boy, he thought, and I am sorry to do this to you and your brothers and sister, but I truly believe you will be glad I did… in time.
"Felix, you can listen to him if you want, but remember, tomorrow you are mine again, and I will beat you bloody for the way you are behaving tonight!" Aro growled out his words to his guard.
"Ah ah ah!" Felix wagged his finger back and forth in Aro's face, "'Papa Vampire said you can't do that, HE said we can do whatever WE like tonight and you can't stop us!"
"He's my 'Papa Vampire', not yours, you damn idiot!" Aro's grip around Felix' arms tightened. I am going to belt you for this boy, I don't care what he says, Aro thought to himself as he willed his hands to release their grip of Felix. "Fine, on your own head be it!" Aro left his staggering guard to find out what the other three were up to.
Carlisle, being a newborn, was far more receptive than mature vampires to the alcohol. His head was spinning already and he staggered as much as Felix! Seeing Eleazar sitting on the throne floor steps he decided that was a safe space to be in too and though in his head he sat down gracefully, in reality he virtually plunged at the floor with Eleazar left to catch him.
"Hey little brother, are you having a good time?"
Carlisle slung an arm around the kind man, "I really, really am!" he slurred into the elder vampire's ear.
"Have any of our female guards taken your fancy yet?"
Carlisle offered Eleazar a wobbly smile, "YES! All of them!" he said happily.
"Well just make sure you know which ones to avoid Carlisle… stay away from Ashanti, she's trouble! And do not go off with anybody's mates, I mean wives… we call them mates." Eleazar explained, trying to remember 'human terminology'.
"How about her?" Carlisle pointed out a permanent member of the guard, Corin.
Eleazar laughed. "You have selected perfectly brother, her name is Corin, and she is both unattached and by the looks of it, attracted to you. Go and talk to her, and try to stop staggering!"
Pushing his brother to his feet Eleazar smiled at the newborn Carlisle. He's doing really well so far, I think I am going to like having him around. Watching Carlisle as he made his way through the crowds of dancing guards and over to Corin, he saw his brother stumble a few times. He made it though. Eleazar howled in laughter as he saw the young woman leading his shocked brother out the front door of the throne room.
Basileus joined Eleazar just in time to see them leave. "Is that your doing?" he asked his eldest son.
Eleazar shrugged and faked innocence, "Father! I am offended! I am your good son remember?"
Basileus slapped his 'good son' lightly across the back of his head. "I am sure you are! If he isn't back within the hour you had better go find him!"
Eleazar screwed up his face. "Seriously? You think he'll last an hour?" he asked, and promptly fell about laughing at the very idea and it wasn't long before Basileus joined him.
Aro found his dear wife standing guard over the twins. He embraced her from behind and placed his mouth close to her ear. "My queen, how are they?" he asked, as calmly as possible so as not to alert her to his own feelings.
She spun around in his arms. "My love, what is going on with you and Basileus? I told the twins to stop and he told them to carry on! I don't understand?"
She was calm on the surface, she'd learned that trick from her husband. Aro could read her thoughts, however, with his hands holding her body close to him, she was anything but calm and willed her husband to put an end to the ridiculous situation.
Deciding honesty was the best policy under the circumstances Aro pulled her closer to keep their conversation secret. "Basileus is trying to force me into admitting our high guard are our children - he is being utterly absurd! I have explained they are gifted young guards and we treat them as such, but he seems to have it in his head that we are playing happy families with the four of them."
To Aro the whole situation was preposterous, and he expected his wife's agreement on the matter. Basileus is right! As he read her thoughts he stood back, surprised at what he heard.
"Do you mean that?" he asked her gently, though with some confusion.
"You must do whatever you feel necessary, Aro," she said sadly and turned back around to keep an eye on her young guards, and hide the stray tear as it rolled down her cheek.
The twins were enjoying the show some of the other guards were putting on. It was common at the Volturi celebrations that vampires would display their gifts, even going up against each other to test out their resolve and power. Felix and Antonio were lying flat out on the floor facing each other off in an arm wrestle. Aro watched for a moment, knowing Felix would usually win, but in his currently inebriated state Aro was sure the boy would lose. Of course Aro was right. As Antonio smashed the younger guards hand into the floor Felix flew into a rage and lunged at the older vampire. Aro was tempted to let it play out but as soon as Antonio saw the master standing in the crowd he stood up straight and easily held the floundering Felix without hurting him. Aro nodded at the guard, happy with the respect he'd shown him and went to find Demetri.
Where the hell has he gone! Speaking to guards as he moved around the room, not a single one of them would tell him when they had last seen the young guard. Aro was tempted to use his gift to extract the information he needed, but he didn't want to rile Basileus up into thinking he cared. He smoothly made his way through the guard and accepted more and more wine as he went. He was wrecked - Aro should have been enjoying the festivities like everyone else, even Caius and Athenodora were swinging each other around the dance floor, but his head was taken up with worry over his high guard.
I need to get out of here, some fresh air will help, Aro thought as he made his way to the front double doors of their grand hall. As he was leaving Carlisle was re-entering with Corin hanging off his arm. The sight made Aro forget his cares for a moment.
"Carlisle!" he called out for his new brother who released his first vampire conquest and swaggered over to him.
Corin went straight to the gaggle of girls, all waiting with baited breath to hear about the new member of their coven. Ashanti looked thunderous, she had intended to get in with the new brother as soon as Basileus had announced his plans for creating a new son. She wanted to elevate her status and get out of the guard. Ashanti dreamed of being a lady of the coven! She knew Eleazar had thwarted her plans. I saw you talking to him, warning him off me no doubt. You prize prick Eleazar. Just because we parted ways there's no reason to spoil everyone's fun! she thought as she glared her eyes at the tall, dark, handsome vampire… okay, so I still want you, you bastard. Ashanti let her thoughts trail off as Corin gave them the lowdown on Carlisle.
"So, he was a bit clumsy at first, but once we got going, oh my!"
The women hung onto every word as Corin gave them a moment by moment breakdown of just how well Carlisle had fucked her.
"Is he big?" Renata asked, that was her thing, big! She had mated with Antonio a century ago but she never really stopped looking for an improvement, 'bigger' was the improvement she was looking for.
Corin considered her question. "Not as big as Eleazar…" she replied and the girls fell into hysterical laughter again. Ashanti scowled. Once Corin had finished her full breakdown, she ended with, "we are going to have a lot of fun with this one ladies!" The young vampiric women were loving this news, bouncing with excitement over the addition to their coven.
"Are they talking about me do you think?" Carlisle asked Aro innocently.
Aro couldn't help but laugh at his young brother's naivety. "I would imagine your dear Corin is supplying the rest of the girls with every gory detail of your little jaunt, brother."
Carlisle looked horrified. "WHAT!" he shouted, then added a little more quietly, "Why would she do that?" Carlisle felt offended, he would never 'kiss and tell' so to speak.
Aro continued to laugh at his newborn brother. "Carlisle, you aren't human anymore, vampires are much freer with their sex lives than humans, it's not a big deal… though I would suggest you always put in a good performance - its social suicide if you are 'crap in the sack'!" Slapping his brothers back good heartedly as he went to leave the great hall, he stopped for a moment to ask if Carlisle had seen Demetri on his escapades.
"Yes he almost interrupted us," Carlisle said sheepishly, "He said he's going to the dungeons, he had a girl with him, she looked crazy!"
Aro's eyes flew wide at what Carlisle told him. Basileus had been listening into his son's conversation, he was amused to begin with, but knew that last part was going to send Aro into a raging stupor. Aro flashed from the room and Basileus knew where his son was heading,
"Eleazar, keep your eye on things here, okay?"
Without waiting for a response from his confused son, Basileus flashed away at his own accelerated speed to catch up with Aro.
Aro arrived at the top of the spiral stair case for the dungeon in time to hear Demetri call out in pain. Anger turned to panic as he flew down the stairs to be greeted with one of the newborn guards riding Demetri with such force she was risking doing them both damage.
"GET UP NOW!" Aro's screamed order shocked both young vampires who scrambled to their feet whilst trying to re-dress at vampire speed. Aro looked at the embarrassed girl with disgust. "You will go back to the celebrations and go on with your evening."
The female vampire, Ashia, couldn't believe her luck, as she bowed and scraped on her way passed Aro, he reached out and blocked her with his arm. "If I ever hear of you near him again, I will throw you to the guards and they can all have their way with you before I rip your head from your shoulders." Aro spoke so sweetly you wouldn't guess he had threatened rape and destruction to the poor newborn guard.
"Yes master, of course master." Ashia replied. She knew Aro would go through with his threat if she disobeyed him, she'd been told enough stories by the older guard of such events taking place. Ashia swore to herself that she would resist Demetri in future as she scuttled up the winding staircase as quickly as her legs could carry her.
Demetri sighed, annoyed that Aro had ended his fun. He was too drunk to realize he should have been shame faced too. "You could have let us finish!" he said to his master.
CRACK!
Aro slapped his young guard so hard across the face that the boy crashed to the floor and skidded into the metal grated door of a newborn cell. Demetri curled into the foetal position and cradled his broken face in his drunk hands.
"I should have you whipped for this!" Aro screamed at his young guard. "GET UP!"
Aro closed the space between them and dragged Demetri to his feet, pulling him along back up the winding staircase.
"Basileus said…"
Aro shook the boy roughly enough to shut him up, "I could give a fuck what Basileus said!" he replied darkly.
"Is that so son?" Basileus was standing at the top of the stairs, he'd arrived just in time to hear Aro's retort, fuck! Aro thought to himself. "You scared the crap out of that guard Aro." Basileus said as he casually walked along with his son, who was still dragging Demetri.
"It's my job isn't it? You set this coven up to keep vampires in line, I am keeping them in line!" Aro was tired of his father's games, "I would do a better job of it if you left me to get on with it!" That last part Aro had said quietly to himself.
Basileus head him, and whacked him across the back of the head for the remark. "Are you ready to end it then?"
"NO!" Aro shouted in reply as they arrived at the entrance to the great hall.
"Go on then Demetri, go and join in lad." Basileus said to the boy as he forced Aro to release his grasp.
Aro was rearing up and ready to argue but sudden screaming filled the air. Both vampires leaving their quarrel, they rushed to the scene of the noise, fighting their way through the crowd of guards. They were confronted with Jane and Alec standing opposite each other, both focusing their gifts on Afton. Afton was bouncing between Jane's blazing pain and Alec's anaesthetic fog, one moment screaming his lungs dry, the next falling back to the floor feeling nothing at all.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" Aro roared over the raucous guard, all music ceased and everyone was now focused on their incredibly angry coven master.
Jane and Alec flashed to Sulpicia's side hoping for her protection.
Basileus spoke purposefully to his son, "Aro, they are just joining in with the guard games, leave them be."
Aro allowed himself to be dragged back to his throne by Basileus. The guard watched their master's display with confusion and just a little glee - vampire covens could become stagnant over time, any excitement was devoured with gaiety when it came along.
Forcing his son to sit Basileus towered over him again. Aro tried to look around him to check on his high guard. "What are you looking for?" Basileus asked him calmly as he ensured he blocked his boys view with his colossal body.
"You know what I am looking for, I need to make sure they are safe! You seem to be enjoying watching them kill themselves tonight, but I don't find it so funny!" Aro spat his words at his father, if Basileus didn't understand the stress his son was felling he would have happily knocked the fangs from his mouth for such blatant disrespect.
"Then put an end to it son." Basileus said kindly.
Aro felt anything but kind right now, and he planned to beat the shit of each of his high guard, first chance he got! "What good will this forced confession be to you? What's the point of it?" Aro spat his words again.
Basileus was trying to keep his cool, "You are getting dangerously close to being dragged out of this hall and getting the hiding of your life son!"
Aro sat up straighter feeling very uncomfortable with so many guards milling about to hear the threat.
Basileus didn't have any intention of doing such a thing, but he wanted Aro to get himself together quickly. "You won't be confessing to me, you will be doing it to yourself, and I will know if you are being false don't forget." Basileus tapped his temple as he spoke.
Aro knew his father's gift for reading thoughts was far greater than his own, Aro needed physical contact, Basileus just needed to focus on somebody to hear their thoughts. Aro calmed himself enough to contain the raging words he wanted to spew at his father. But only just.
Basileus was about to press Aro further when he felt the floor shake and the shattering sound of marble hard vampiric bodies slamming together. Felix and Antonio had challenged each other again, and this time Felix was winning. Souring high on the amount of wine he'd consumed, Felix wasn't registering the horrified vampires surrounding him as he tried to rip Antonio's head from his shoulder. It was part of the game in his mind. He didn't cease with his attempts to decapitate the Volturi guard until Caius and Marcus divided the two warring vampires.
Aro tried to get out of his throne, Basileus held him in place. "Say it!" he said to his struggling son. "You can end this now, or Caius will have to discipline Felix!"
Aro put every ounce of strength he had into breaking free of Basileus, it was no good though, he couldn't even begin to match his creator's power.
"You're already telling me the truth," Basileus eyed his son, clearly stressed at the idea of his young ones so debilitated, but he needed to hear Aro say it. "Though I would like to hear it enunciated more clearly."
Aro was becoming frantic, he could see Caius asking him what to do with Felix. Get your fucking hands off my guard! Aro's thoughts were raging. He was angry, so angry right then - at Basileus for allowing it to happen, at his high guard for going along with it, even at Sulpicia for confusing him with thoughts of being a mother for god sake!
"Okay, I care about them! Is that what you want to hear? I care about them, I love them, and I want to protect them. Can you please end this now?" Aro's words had started with rage, but by the end he was pleading with his father to save his boy.
Basileus released Aro and watched as his son flew to Felix' rescue. "I will deal with him Caius, turn him over to me." Aro managed to hide the panic from his voice, he sounded as nonchalant as ever though god knows how.
"What?!" Caius looked incredulously to Aro. "He tried to kill a member of our guard. He will be punished…"
Basileus interrupted Caius to prevent him from saying something they would all regret."Caius turn him over and go back to your dancing, you don't want to trouble yourself with this, not tonight."
Caius shoved Felix to Aro, the boy landed in a heap on the floor at his master's feet. "He should be whipped in the morning if you aren't going to dispatch him, Aro."
Aro chose to ignore Caius. You will not be whipping him brother, this is Basileus' fault, he thought.
The seriousness of what Felix had done was starting to overtake the alcohol in his system. Oh fuck, he is going to kill me!
"I will take him back to my quarters with me," Aro explained. "Felix will be disciplined for his actions against you Antonio. I warn you not to seek your own retribution."
Antonio nodded vigorously to the master of their coven. No way am I fucking with Aro's pet, the bruin thought.
Sulpicia knew if Aro was taking charge again, then they could leave. She gathered the twins close to her and whispered between their ears, "Basileus has called an end to this absurd business, you are coming back to our quarters, now!"
Nodding to Aro as she walked passed, she headed straight for the safety of her tower and didn't stop until she and her youngest guards were safely in the top floor suite. Jane and Alec had resisted the whole way, in Sulpicia's anxious state to get them home she hardly noticed as she pulled the twins along at vampire speed.
Aro pulled Felix to his feet and sought out Demetri in the crowd of guards. "Demetri!" he called, not seeing where his boy was hiding. If you have gone back to those dungeons I will rip your fucking cock clean off! Aro thought angrily. Luckily for Demetri he appeared at the front of the guards just before Aro could start to hunt him down.
"After you," he said to the panicked faced boy and gestured to the exit behind the thrones leading to their private tower.
Demetri passed his master, allowing as much space as possible between himself and the irate vampire who he would soon be alone with. This is going to be terrible he said to himself, the fear of Aro seeking his vengeance for their humiliating behaviour sobered up Demetri far too quickly!
Aro was about to follow the young vampire, dragging Felix with him when Marcus' voice stopped him. "Aro, would you like us to call an end to the celebrations for tonight?"
It really pissed off Caius to hear Marcus asking Aro for instruction, as though he were the leader of them all!
"No brother," Aro replied. "I will be back shortly, we are welcoming Carlisle into our coven - I intend for this night to go on long into tomorrow." Aro looked around his guard who were all watching him closely. What do you all want, instruction, permission perhaps? "My friends, go back to your wine, and start the music again, I will be back soon." The guard dispersed, most of them refilling their wine goblets. Aro could hear the musical instruments spring to life as he walked out of the great hall.
Basileus returned to Aro's throne and took the seat for himself. Eleazar soon joined his father, draping an arm carelessly over his shoulder. "Well that was interesting," Eleazar commented.
Basileus smiled broadly, watching Aro leave with his 'family'. "Ah son," he said as he took his boy's hand in his own. "That was interesting and encouraging!"
Eleazar looked at his father questioningly. "I think I will leave it at interesting for now, my lord."