Brotherly Love

Basileus closed the door to his main chamber once his three sons were assembled inside. "Well that was quite an interesting party…" he said to himself.

"Interesting and encouraging, my lord," Eleazar reminded the man of his earlier words.

"Shut up, El!" Basileus replied, pushing his eldest son further into the room. "Sit!"

All three younger men dove towards the fireside sofa, all clamouring to get the furthest away from their creator. Basileus sat on the sofa opposite.

"There is not enough space for the three of you there. Aro, sit here, son." Basileus patted the seat next to him.

Cursing his luck, Aro stood and joined his formidable father. Basileus watched for his son to settle and then brought his hand down hard on his closest thigh.

"Let's get started shall we!" he breezed as though he'd simply tapped his leg.

Aro was convinced the bastard had broken his bone and had to bite hard into his hand to prevent himself whimpering.

"You have spent your first night at Volterra shacking up with half my guard!" Basileus shot accusingly to Carlisle. "And you encouraged him Eleazar! I am speechless!" Basileus stilled his tirade for now but stood up and started pacing.

"I would guess he won't stay speechless for long," Aro whispered to his brothers, breaking the tension between the three of them and causing an eruption of giggles from his brothers.

"ARO!" Basileus caught it, and bellowed at his son, who at least had the good grace to look sheepish. Not that it prevented Basileus from cracking him across disrespectful mouth.

Okay, I deserved that I suppose, he thought as he straightened his jaw.

"You would never guess Felix wasn't your son by birth. Aro - you have such similar traits!"

Aro rolled his eyes to his father's words. Enough about the family dynamics, please!

Turning back to face the other two vampires, Basileus asked Eleazar to explain himself.

"To be fair, my lord, I did explain which females were for the taking," he replied.

Carlisle nodded to that. "He did, my lord, I just, well I don't know what happened. Everything is a blur, after Corin…"

Basileus shook his head, he looked ready to blow smoke out of his flaring nostrils! He pressed on, "And what about the display you put on beside the wine barrels? You would have been fucking in the throne room if I hadn't stopped you both!"

"I still cannot believe you spanked her in the great hall in front of everybody," Carlisle said, still suffering from the surprise he had felt at the time.

Basileus rounded on his son, pulling him up just shy of his chair by his throat. "That was nothing, I gave her a few smacks to set her straight. Ashanti knows she was damn lucky to get off so lightly with me, and you are damn lucky I didn't do the same to you!"

Aro decided to try and save the newborn some shame. He looks mortified enough by his 'immoral' behaviour. "Aw, come on, we're all defenceless against Ashanti," Aro quipped.

"All?" Eleazar questioned his brother with a raised eyebrow - that was news to him!

Aro would have blushed if he could. He'd fucked as many of the guards as anyone else, but he was clever about it. He wouldn't want Sulpicia to get wind of his exploits. "Well, you know how it is… once or twice… its Ashanti!"

Eleazar was so shocked he laughed. Aro's revelation healed Carlisle's battered psyche enough for him to join in, too. Aro just smirked at the two off them, he knew he'd have to explain himself to them later.

"Do you think this is funny?!" Basileus slapped each one of his sons to shut them up. Pointing to Carlisle he told the other two, "He's been passed around the damn guard like a common fucking whore!"

I'm fucked anyway, I might as save Carlisle some grief! Aro stood up to face his father off. "So what? He enjoyed it, they enjoyed it, who cares?"

"I CARE!" Basileus boomed back at his middle boy. "I expect some decorum going forward," he added for Carlisle's benefit, who nodded vigorously in response. I'm never drinking again, he thought solemnly, as so many had before him.

"Pft!" Aro was ready with a reply for that. "I don't remember you employing much decorum when we went from orgy to orgy through ancient Greece. Quite the opposite in fact." Aro offered a sly smile with his words, he couldn't help himself from smiling truth be known.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

Eleazar was impressed his brother stood his ground against their father's roar. Carlisle wasn't, he simultaneously thought Aro was stupid, and felt guilty that Aro was now in hot water for coming to his defence.

Aro wasn't standing for long. Basileus knocked him off his feet when he whipped the back of his strong, broad hand across his boys face. Aro steeled himself as he fell to the floor - he'd known what he had coming since he'd spoken to his father in the throne room, but at least his brothers would get out unscathed now.

"El take him around the castle. Keep him out of trouble." The 'him', of course, was Carlisle who allowed himself to be pulled from his chair and out of the room by Eleazar, shooting an apologetic look to Aro who was only just getting up from the floor.

Eleazar closed the door behind them, but they still heard the resounding crack and following thud.

"That would be our father beating the crap out of our brother," Eleazar confirmed to Carlisle.

"How bad will it be?" Carlisle shook as asked the question, his beatings from the pastor were still entrenched in his mind. "Eleazar, in my human life, my father, he…"

"I know Carlisle" Eleazar interrupted his brother, hoping to save him some pain. "Basileus and Aro both read your thoughts, they told me what the pastor did to you. I know what you are thinking, but Basileus isn't like the pastor, Carlisle. He's harsh when he feels he has to be…" he added, "Very harsh," as they heard another wince inducing crack coming from the room behind them. "But no one will fight your corner like Basileus will. He wants the best for us all."

Carlisle didn't look convinced.

"Aro disagrees with Basileus about what is best for him right now. Basileus is right, I believe, but Aro is resisting the inevitable. I will tell you all about it when I'm sure we are in private, okay?"

Carlisle agreed to wait, but he had other questions. "But why did Aro push him like that?" he asked, still not sure what had gone on.

Hearing more bangs and thuds, Eleazar started walking away from their father's door. "My guess is that Aro knew he had it coming, so he sped things along to save you from getting it too."

Carlisle understood that even less! "But why would he care what I had coming, he's hardly even spoken to me yet."

Eleazar stopped and looked his new little brother in the eye. "Because, Carlisle, you are our brother now, and nothing will ever break that. Whether Aro has fully accepted it yet or not doesn't matter, it doesn't even matter to Aro that he hasn't accepted the change yet. You are our brother, vampires protect their own."

Carlisle felt quite touched. He couldn't remember anyone caring so much in his human life. His emotions were still pissing him off - they were up and down and he couldn't control them. And now I feel like crying. For fuck sake, I need to get a grip, he thought to himself as he wiped a stray tear away.

Eleazar saw what he was doing. "You're a newborn Carlisle - your emotions will settle, give it time. As it happens you are the calmest newborn I've ever seen."

Carlisle was grateful for Eleazar's kind words. "Have you seen many newborns?"

"Hundreds! Thousands! Come on, I'll take you to the dungeons, it's where we keep the newborns when we can't supervise them. I warn you though, some of them are mental!"

"Father, please, that's enough!"

Aro held his hands out defensively towards Basileus. He already looked a mess - his nose was definitely broken and it hurt to talk. His jaw was certainly out of line. He tried pulling it back into shape and hissed as he heard it click into position. Basileus had mostly been slapping his son back down to the floor every time Aro dared look up or tried to explain himself. Of course, each of those slaps were delivered with such force that Aro was lucky to be conscious, or unlucky, depending how you viewed his situation.

"ENOUGH?" Basileus rounded on Aro and grabbed him tightly by the scruff of his shirt.

Aro resisted being dragged across the marble floor and the fabric fell to pieces in Basileus' strong grip. Realizing he was pulling nothing but a tattered shirt collar, Basileus inspected the remains in his hand. "If I were you, I'd hope the rest of your clothing is as fragile, as I will be whipping you until they fall from your body in rags."

Oh fuck, no! Fuck, fuck, fuck! Aro started to panic, he started sliding himself backwards across the floor but Basileus soon caught him. Taking his closest arm, he pulled the scared vampiric king to his feet.

"You don't need to do this!" Aro begged Basileus to leave him be, he knew it was pointless and he hated lowering himself to begging, but he couldn't stop himself from doing it.

"I made it clear that you weren't to touch them, you did it anyway, you can accept or you can resist, but I will be giving you the hiding of your life either way!"

As Basileus spoke he pulled his son towards his own bedchamber, accentuating every single syllable with an ear piercing crack as he spanked his son's backside. Aro already couldn't breathe for the pain, though somehow he was managing to keep fairly quiet considering - aside from the begging, though most of that was getting caught in his throat now.

Basileus swung the door to his bed chamber open and threw Aro towards to the grand bed on the far wall. "Stay there!" he bawled at his son.

Aro didn't dare move, he stayed exactly in the crumpled heap he'd been left in waiting for Basileus to return. Where are you going, Aro wondered. Fuck it, I don't care where you're going, but please god be calmer when you get back! He tried to work out his chances of getting out of those chambers alive... little to none, he determined gloomily as Basileus came back into view, entering through the doorway with whip in hand. As Basileus walked towards his son, dangerously slowly, every menacing step closer made Aro panic more.

"Can't we talk about this? We should talk! Father, please, you put me in an impossible position… I had to show them who was in charge…" Shit, Aro cursed himself. That was totally the wrong thing to say, I am really going to get it now.

"I agree with that son, you certainly showed them who was in charge of them." Basileus uncurled the whip in his hand and gestured for his son to turn over. When Aro failed to move, Basileus roughly flipped his son himself and dragged him to the edge of the huge bed by his neck "I will be leaving you in no doubt as to who is in charge of you."

Basileus didn't say anything else, he didn't need to. The gruelling sound of the whip said everything Aro was supposed to hear and from the first strike Aro howled in response.

When it was finally over, Aro was a bloody mess splayed out in his father's bed. Just as Basileus had promised, his clothes were no more than tattered rags. Throwing the whip to the floor, Basileus left the room. Aro had been in this position before, he knew it was safe to move now - safe, but hardly possible. He started pulling himself up towards the head of the bed so at least he could rest more comfortably. Basileus returned, setting down the bowl of warm water and sponge, and the bandages, he picked Aro up carefully and laid him back down with his head on the pillows.

"Stay there," Basileus commanded his son, though kindly this time, not screaming at him from across the room as before.

Aro hid his head in the pillows as his father washed him down, cleaning his already healing cuts as he went. Most of the damage was across his back, though some stray swipes had travelled the length of his legs too. When Basileus was sure his son's cuts were free of any clothing debris he had Aro sit so he could dress his wounds.

"Is that too tight?" he asked as he wrapped the bandage around Aro's chest.

"No, its fine." Aro replied as he hid his hisses.

"Why are you still hissing then?"

Okay, so I'm not hiding it well, Aro thought. "Sitting hurts. My ass is on fire."

Basileus laughed at his pitiful boy. "Good! That was the desired outcome."

"Harsh!" Aro replied, though he knew it wasn't really.

"Well son, you didn't leave me much choice. You knew what would happen…"

"I know, I know." Aro groaned, he neither wanted or needed another lecture.

"I was proud of you in the throne room, Aro. Putting the four of them above the other guards, that was a good move." As he spoke, Basileus kept winding the bandage around Aro's chest and across his back to pull his wounds tightly together so they healed quicker.

"Yeah, but now Caius is gunning for them all, especially Felix."

Basileus knew that, he'd heard Caius' thoughts in the throne room. "Then we shall have to keep a close eye on them. All of them. Including Caius."

Aro wasn't convinced that would be enough. "You don't know Caius like I do, he will wait as long as he has to, he will have his retribution."

Basileus had made quick work of strapping Aro back together and rose from his bed to fetch his son some clothes. He threw what he'd gathered to Aro. "Put those on, we need to check on the guards."

Aro looked incredulously to his father. "You can't seriously expect me to take a stroll around the castle!"

Basileus walked back over to his son, and knelled down so they were face to face. Basileus cocked his head to the side.

What are you thinking now? Aro's thoughts were soon answered when Basileus put one hand around the back of his head and the other gripped tightly on his nose. Aro tried to move but it was hopeless. With a slight movement and a small click Aro's nose was back in position.

"Fuck! For Fuck sake! FUCK!" Aro cried out as he clung to his own face.

"Watch your mouth unless you want another round?"

Aro wasn't sure if he serious but decided to knock off his colourful language just to be safe. "Seriously though, can't I just go and hide in my quarters for the rest of the day," Aro asked again.

"No." Basileus was busying himself with changing his own clothes.

"I'll stay in here then…"

"Aro, I said no. Get dressed, or I will take you out as you are."

Jesus! What is his problem - he's supposed to be guarding his new pet, not hounding me for fuck sake! Aro's thoughts continued to grumble as he dressed himself quickly.

Basileus was listening of course, "Aro!" he warned

His son apologized as he laced up his boots.

"I can't walk properly, don't make me do this," Aro's final plea was delivered just as Basileus was about to open the door to the castle hall way.

"You either come with me now or I will drag you back to my room and make sure you can't walk at all!" Basileus delivered his threat with a menacing air to his voice. He was serious and Aro knew it. "Whilst I think of it, if I am forced into this position again anytime soon, you won't be able to get up and walk away so easily… I hope I am clear?"

"Crystal, Dad." Standing to his full height, Aro squared his shoulders and started walking. Fuck, fuck, fuck, his head screamed with the searing pain. His face, however, remained impassive and to any onlooker he would appear to be in perfect working order.

Basileus watched as Aro greeted passing guards with apparent ease and when he was sure they were free from listening ears he told his son, "Maybe I wasn't hard enough on you?"

Aro stopped dead in his tracks. "Don't even joke!"

Basileus laughed, Aro actually joined in a little as they continued on their incredibly slow journey around the castle.

"Everyone seems taken up with relaxing through their hang overs, my lord. What are we really doing?" Aro asked his father once they were outside in the castle grounds.

"I am listening, son."

"To who? Me?" Aro asked.

"No, not you!" Basileus scoffed at his son's ego! "I am listening to the guards, I want to see what they made of last night… Carlisle, you and Caius, your high guard, Felix and Antonio, all of it."

Aro nodded along. "Anything enlightening you wish to share?" he asked with a tone of general disinterest as more guards passed them by.

Basileus stopped and pulled his son to the arched tradesman's gate for a little privacy. "I know you care about these things as much as I do, Aro."

"Nobody cares about anything as much as you do, my lord" he replied.

Basileus raised an eyebrow to his son as he placed his hand on Aro's cheek with much more force than necessary so his boy could read his thoughts.

"OW!" Aro complained loudly.

"Shut up and listen," Basileus told him as he released the thoughts he'd been picking up from the guards.

"Well, do you have an opinion?" Basileus asked his son as they began walking again.

Aro considered what he'd heard again. "It sounds to me like the coven is dividing, my lord. Guards are choosing Caius, or me. They are choosing Felix or Antonio. At least they all like Carlisle, I suppose that's something to be grateful for. The women certainly like him!" Aro stopped and turned to his father. "Is this really what you want, Dad? There are easier ways to end a coven than watching it slowly fracture from the inside out!" Aro was speaking quietly and quickly, but Basileus caught it all.

"No, it is not what I want - not yet anyway."

The 'not yet' surprised Aro. But he started walking again anyway.

"You will have to keep Caius on-side enough for the coven to continue for now, son. The vampiric world is not settled enough yet for my plans to take fruition, but we will be moving in that direction."

Aro scoffed, "Am I still to be kept in the dark about your master plan?"

Basileus put his arm around his son's shoulders and squeezed lightly, Aro hissed despite his best efforts not to. "Sorry," Basileus removed his arm, "I can't tell you yet, you have to work it out yourself. I think you will before I have time to cement my plans, though."

Aro sighed, "must you always be so damn cryptic!" he said, annoyed. The pain was getting to him.

Basileus knew he was struggling and decided against scolding Aro for his tone. "Tell me about last night, after you left with your guard… what happened."

Aro sighed again. "You know what happened I assume, isn't that why I can hardly walk?!"

"Aro, you are walking just fine, don't be such a drama queen! I know you punished the four of them, what else happened?"

Aro told him everything through his thoughts so he didn't risk any lingering ears listening in. He was concerned now Caius was developing a small following.

"So, they want things to change?" Basileus said when he had heard everything.

"Who is they?"

"Your wife, your children…"

"They are not my children," Aro cut him off. "Can you quit with the unnecessary labels, Dad?"

"Fine, for now I will. But still, THEY want things to change. Yes?"

Aro couldn't be bothered to argue against him. "Yes, they do, and I have honoured their wishes – that's why I pulled them forward to take their humans first, it's why I stood for Felix against Caius…" Aro trailed off. It didn't sound like he'd changed much at all really, and placing his high guard quite literally higher in the food chain may have made their position more precarious rather than cement it if the guards thoughts were anything to go by.

Basileus answered the questions swimming around in his sons head. "I agree with you there, Aro. You can do better than that for them. Take it slow, listen to your feelings and don't be afraid to act on them. But keep your eye on Caius as you do so - we can't afford to lose him yet."

Aro nodded again, a little absentmindedly as he tried to work out exactly what his feelings were!

They had soon completed a full lap around the castle grounds as they spotted Eleazar and Carlisle coming out of the grand castle entrance. The pair were laughing delightedly with each other.

"What have you been up to?" Basileus called over. Disappointingly, they looked guilty. Great, I really could do with a quiet few hours! he thought as they made their way closer.

Eleazar answered, "I've just been showing him around, that is all, my lord."

"Really? So you haven't been in the guard hall discussing last night's events?" Basileus read his sons thoughts, though he could have guessed that's where they would have been anyway.

"Well, yes, but we have stayed very much out of trouble," Eleazar answered again.

Carlisle smiled along at the exchange. He was mostly glad to see Aro walking after the sounds they'd heard coming from Basileus' chambers. And that was just the warm up! he reminded himself.

"And you took him to the dungeons?" Basileus said a little more accusingly to Eleazar.

"Only to show him the newborns, my lord. We stayed out of Caius' way."

Basileus nodded to his son. "Okay, can I leave you three together? I have some things to get on with." With their agreement, he left to return to his quarters.

"Are you okay Aro?" Carlisle asked as soon as Basileus was out of sight.

"No!" Aro replied forcefully, "I feel like I'm on fire! He really laid into me."

Eleazar watched his brothers jilted movements. "Why don't you go and lie down for a while, we can check on the guards, Caius and Marcus are doing the same too…"

Aro cut his brother off with a sorry sigh. "I appreciate the offer El, but I think having to walk the castle in this pain is part of my punishment,"

Aro turned to Carlisle, but before he could talk Carlisle spoke up. "Thank you for putting yourself forward like that. I appreciate it."

The lad looks genuine, Aro thought. "Think nothing of it, brother. The newborn year is troublesome enough without adding to your pile. I had it coming anyway."

The three of them began another tour of the castle grounds together as Eleazar and Carlisle filled Aro in on the tales that were spreading about his high guard.

"So the guards think Felix and Demetri are now untouchable, and they have always thought that of Jane and Alec. But now a few guards are behind Antonio who thinks he stands a chance against Felix one-on-one?" Aro summarized his brothers' observations of their hour in the guard hall.

"That about sums it up, brother," Eleazar replied.

The three of them were laid out on the grass inside the castle grounds, soaking up the last of the midday sun. Aro, naturally, lay on his front enjoying the relief of being still.

"Do you think this is going to cause problems in the coven, Aro?" Eleazar asked.

Aro did! "Quite simply, yes, I do. Basileus agrees, but he seems to think that it's okay! I can't work out what's going on with him." Aro took a moment to stretch out his limbs, wincing as he moved his legs before he continued. "Did you see my guard on your travels?" he asked them both.

"They were all in the guard room when we were there," Carlisle replied.

"Guard hall," Eleazar corrected.

"Were they okay?" Aro continued, trying to sound as indifferent as possible.

"Yes, Antonio and his little band weren't in there, then, though. I'm not sure it is such a good idea allowing them to wander around on their own, Aro. Don't you think they are vulnerable?"

Aro mused on Eleazar's question, a while before answering. "They are a little, yes. But they are capable of holding their own, especially if they stay together."

Carlisle struggled to think how any of Aro's high guard could be considered vulnerable! He was also struggling to stay still - he had so some much energy, resting in the sun had been nice but now he wanted to get moving again.

"Should we make another round?" he asked his new brothers.

"Feeling restless little brother?" Eleazar asked him.

"Of course he is, he's a newborn!" Aro sighed. "Help me up."

Carlisle and Eleazar pulled Aro to his feet by taking an arm each.

"FUCK!" Aro roared in a painful, angry rage. "I feel like giving my guard a proper hiding to make my own suffering worth it!"

Whilst Eleazar smiled at his brothers complaining - Carlisle looked horrified!

"Carlisle, I am joking," Aro explained. "Come on."

Aro led them forwards back to the castle, Eleazar knew they were heading to the guard quarters, he didn't need to read his brothers mind to know Aro wanted to check on his young ones.

"El, do I look okay?" Aro asked his big brother as they walked into the castle.

Eleazar whispered back, "A little stiff, but no one would guess why. I still can't believe you are walking."

Aro puffed the air out of his cheeks as he agreed with his brother.

"Are we going back to the guards?" Carlisle asked.

He looks like a dog in heat! Aro thought.

Eleazar was thinking on similar lines and wondering if it was a good idea taking Carlisle back in there… "Carlisle, don't go getting any ideas, you could do with setting some distance between you and the guards," Eleazar said gently.

Aro stopped the three of them in the hallway when he knew they wouldn't be disturbed. "I just leapt into the fire for you, brother. Could you stay out of trouble for a week or so, or at least until I am healed from the last beating?"

Carlisle was growing frustrated. The nervous energy inside him was bubbling up and he needed a release. "I'm not trying to cause you any trouble, I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Not yet," Eleazar stated. "Listen little brother, you are a newborn, your emotions are sparking in every direction, you need to try and keep control of them." Eleazar spoke soothingly to Carlisle, as he had soon after he'd woken to vampiric life, trying to calm him down.

"We could always put him in the dungeons?" Aro said Eleazar.

"Aro!" came Eleazar's shock reply! "You really want to go up for another round with our father, already? No, no he stays with us and we keep him under control."

Carlisle shoved Eleazar backwards as he tried to stand up for himself, "Stop talking about me like I'm not even here. I do not need a baby sitter."

Eleazar looked to his chest where Carlisle was holding him back. Very slowly, and very purposefully Eleazar moved his eyes up to Carlisle's face. "Remove. Your. Hand. NOW!" Eleazar ground out to a suddenly frightened Carlisle.

Carlisle obeyed his brother - aggression wasn't his usual state of play anyway and he couldn't understand where all this anger and frustration was coming from. Crack! Eleazar gave Carlisle a hefty slap with the back of his hand that even their father would have been proud of!

"Try to remember the order of things around here, brother!" he said as Carlisle cradled his face.

Aro was going to add his own comments, when a cheering roar filled the halls. "Guard quarters!" he announced to his brothers as he pushed his way between them to get to the source of the din.

On entering the large room that served as a retreat for off duty guards the smell of vampiric blood hit all three brothers, though Carlisle wasn't sure exactly what it was he could smell.

"What is that, it's like metal or something?"

Eleazar answered him, "Its blood brother, vampiric blood."

Carlisle looked panicked, he knew smelling blood could send newborns on a murderous rampage. His brothers had enjoyed telling him the tales of such events in their own newborn years already.

Sensing why his new brother had paled, Eleazar explained, "Don't worry, its only human blood that affects us in that way, you will be fine. Come along."

Carlisle walked in behind Eleazar, Aro had already fought his way to the middle of the guards. To his surprise, Caius was there!

"What are you doing, brother?" Aro called out, as bright and breezy as possible.

Caius held Demetri down, bent awkwardly over one of the low bookcases. The belt he'd clearly been using on Aro's high guard was gripped tightly in his hand. Caius was panting.

"You must have been using all your strength against Demetri if its caused you to look so unravelled brother. Tell me, what cause could there possibly be?" Aro continued as he walked through the guards, who were all backing away from their king.

All except the four who had Felix pinned to the floor that is.

"Let him up. NOW!" Aro directed to them, they pounced back quick enough, and Aro watched as they went to stand by Antonio. Hmm, so is this the new little faction I need to keep my eye on then? Aro nodded along to his own thoughts as he glared at Antonio and his new crew. They all had the good grace to show their submission and focus on the floor at least.

"Well, Caius, I am waiting," Aro finished his words as he was standing uncomfortably close to his coven mate.

"That insolent wretch tried to finish what he started last night," Caius pointed accusingly to Aro's eldest guard.

Aro looked around the assembled guard. He wanted to take Caius head off for belting Demetri, but his father's words were buzzing around his mind - keep Caius on-side! "So why aren't you belting him then?" Aro asked simply.

Caius was ready with his reply, "He will be next! This one started mouthing off at me so I decided to take him in hand first."

Aro nodded his understanding and walked over to Antonio, holding out his hand expectantly. Antonio had been with the coven for almost a century, since his arrival there had been tension between him and Felix. Caius liked him, though - Antonio was a sadistic killer and that impressed Caius. The guard knew what Aro wanted, and placed his own hand in the master's.

Aro read through the young man's thoughts. Felix had tried to rip his head off again, he only stopped when Caius interrupted them. Antonio had goaded him, though: 'I'm going to kill you, but first I am going to pick off your little coven mates, I'll start with Demetri, then I'll move onto Alec, I'll save Jane for last, I have plans for that little girl!'

Antonio winced as Aro squeezed his grip tighter and tighter hearing his plans to off his whole high guard. Aro watched the fight break out and was pleased to see most of the guard backing Felix. Antonio wasn't a popular coven member. As far as Aro was concerned, the guy's days were numbered anyhow. He saw Caius enter and... oh fuck! Demetri didn't just mouth off in defence of Felix, he pulled Caius back from the fight. Caius shoved him away easily but still, putting his hands on a master of this coven is suicide. For the love of the gods, Demetri, you do not make my job easy! Aro thought as he released Antonio's hand.

"Continue then Caius, but you can deal with this one too, he goaded Felix so he's just as guilty." Aro dragged a shocked Antonio across the room and made him kneel at Caius feet and then left him there to stand back with his brothers. Demetri and Felix looked frantic. Tough, you got yourselves into this mess! Aro thought as he glared them both down.

"Are you staying?" Caius asked him, his voice betrayed by nerves.

"Yes, please continue."

Caius wasn't sure if it was some sort of trap, but then again... If I'm going down I will be giving Aro's pets a hiding first, he resolved, and continued his punishing assault of Demetri's backside. The boy struggled to avoid the strikes, but Caius held him firm. Aro noted how much quieter Demetri was being punished in the guards quarters compared with when Aro was dealing with him in their own quarters. I will be asking you about your theatrics when we are alone, my boy! Aro said to himself.

"I think that's enough Caius," Aro called, sending his eldest guard up next, much to Antonio's relief.

Felix looked horrified that Aro was allowing it to happen. Caius' sick grin spread wide across his face when he saw the boy's nerves. I'm going to make this count! he thought with glee.

Demetri limped over to Aro and bowed his head submissively. Aro roughly turned his young guard around to watch his brother's hiding. "Watch and learn my boy, you are lucky, oh so lucky!" Aro hissed into Demetri's ear.

"Lucky?" Demetri turned back to Aro to ask.

Aro forced his head back to his brother. Caius arranged Felix over the bookcase, just as he had with Demetri. There was no wait, no build up, every strike of Caius' belt was delivered with as much force as he could muster. It hadn't even been a full day since Felix was belted by Aro with as much force. From the first strike the boy was biting hard into his hand to muffle the sounds of his cries.

Aro let it go on for long enough for Caius to be sated. "Antonio!" he called out, the man stood, he looked humiliated to be forced into such an uncompromising position – he'd prefer an arm to be taken for the day than face this childish punishment, with a crowd no less! Caius dropped the belt and pulled Felix to stand. He didn't talk to him, or even really look at him as he delivered the sobbing boy back to Aro.

"I think I'm done brother, that belt won't last another round. I'll deal with Antonio tomorrow."

Caius went to leave, feeling fully satisfied with himself. Aro, however, stopped him.

"You either belt Antonio, or I will, and if I do, I will be taking his head as a trophy," Aro spoke so lightly and breezed his words that the guards seemed confused.

There were quite a few present who would like to see Antonio ended in such a way, and most of them felt sorry for Felix and Demetri. Caius was shocked. Until yesterday the two had been thick as thieves, since then Aro had gone against him three times at least! Considering his options, Caius decided he wasn't ready to lose Antonio, yet. He planned to use the vampire's war against Aro's high guard to his own advantage. The stand-off between the two coven masters didn't last long, Caius casually walked back over to Antonio and thrust him down over the bookcases where Felix had just been. He retrieved his belt from the floor and went to start the vampire's punishment.

"Caius," Aro sang out, "I hope you put your heart into it brother, I would hate to have take over for you…" Aro let his voice trail off as an incensed Caius turned back to his favourite guard and threw his full effort into every swing.

Caius stood back, breathing hard with his exertions, and held up the tattered remains of his belt to Aro. "May I borrow yours, brother?" he asked.

Aro smiled, looking at Antonio and the fraying fabric covering his backside, Aro decided the errant vampire had been punished enough. "I think we can draw a line under this now, Caius, don't you?"

Caius nodded curtly.

Aro turned his two guards around to face him. "Neither of you will step foot in this room again, ever. You clearly cannot be trusted and we have better things to do than following you around cleaning up your mess!" Aro's scolding of his guards pleased Caius - Aro chanced a look at his coven mate to see him grinning with glee.

As Caius made to walk passed him, Aro reached out and brought him in close. "We are on the same side brother," he said simply.

Caius smiled and patted Aro's back, he agreed. Aro felt the fire of his lashes ignite under Caius hand. He held it together, but only just.

Felix and Demetri didn't dare reply to Aro. They thought his decree was grossly unfair, but now wasn't the time to ask for a reprieve. They moved slowly around the talking coven masters to stand with Carlisle and Eleazar. Carlisle looked kindly to them, Eleazar glared! He looked just as pissed off as Aro! That was unusual, Eleazar was usually a safe bet for refuge when they were in trouble, but right then Eleazar was more worried about Aro. My brother is under so much pressure and you two have just added a whole heap more on top of him. I must talk with Basileus!

Antonio approached Aro, hissing and wincing with each slow step. "Master, I…"

Aro held a hand up to silence him. "You have been dealt with, I consider the matter done. Understood?"

It wasn't a question requiring an answer, Antonio knew that as he backed away submissively. Aro turned to leave the guard quarters, Eleazar shoved Felix and Demetri into place behind Aro and followed closely making sure they had nowhere to run. Carlisle went with them, unsure of what he'd seen. Did Aro let Caius do that just because Basileus had whipped him… he said he wanted them to get a proper hiding because he was suffering. Would he really do that? He seems so nice one minute and a raging monster the next… just like Basileus. Is this what I will become too now I am a vampire? Carlisle's thoughts rushed through his head so fast he could hardly keep up with them. He didn't realize that they were already back outside the arched entrance to the tower containing their private chambers. Aro had his hand on the door knob when the door flung open at them.

Basileus.

"Speak!" he ordered Carlisle.

All eyes flew to his squirming face.

"What? Speak what? I don't understand! What have I done?" Carlisle stumbled over his words.

Basileus interrupted him, "I have been following your thoughts on your way back here, I hope to god what you are thinking isn't true!"

He glared at Aro, who genuinely had no clue what he could have done wrong. He thought he'd handled the guard hall situation pretty well! "What have I done?!" he asked forcefully.

Basileus pulled them all through the archway and pushed them into his chambers. With them all standing in front of him, his three sons and Aro's two guards, Basileus circled them, he was picking through their thoughts. He came to a stop in front of Carlisle. "You were thinking Aro had Caius punish them on purpose, in vengeance for his own suffering. Why would you think that?"

Aro looked dumbfounded.

Eleazar scrubbed a hand across his face, "Father, please, Aro quipped about such things whilst we walked the grounds, he was joking! Carlisle must have taken it seriously." Eleazar spoke in his brother's defence.

"You bastard!" Aro turned on Carlisle. " I told you I was joking!"

"What did you say?" Basileus asked his middle son, not yet convinced of Aro's innocence.

"I don't know, just that felt like giving my guard a proper hiding to make my own suffering worth it…"

Felix and Demetri stiffened hearing Aro's confession. They thought they deserved the belting Caius had just doled out, but now they were wondering. Basileus raised his hand to Aro who threw his own up defensively.

"Look, I was joking, I didn't mean it, I wouldn't do that to them for god sake! I love them! They are my… well, they are mine! I didn't want Caius to belt them but I was backed into a corner and YOU told me to make things right with him. Caius believes we are on the same side again and I didn't back down in the process! Frankly Demetri is damn lucky to be walking with what I saw in Antonio's thoughts!"

Demetri ducked low and tucked into Felix' side hearing that. He remembered pulling Caius back before he shoved him across the room. That's what Aro meant in the guard quarters, it suddenly dawned on the boy. He's right, I am lucky Caius didn't rip my arms off, what a stupid thing to do, fuck!

Basileus was grinning at Aro by the end of his rant.

"What are you so happy about?" Aro asked him, a little pissed off he'd been forced to defend himself, again, and he was definitely going to 'thank' Carlisle for his treachery!

"You will do no such thing son, it was an honest mistake, he's just a newborn," Basileus replied to Aro's unspoken thoughts, already much calmer.

"You made the same mistake!" Aro said quietly to his father.

"No son, I acted on information I heard, that is all," Basileus replied as he went back to his seat at the table where his scattered documents lay.

"Oh how you hate to be wrong," Aro said with a sly smile.

Basileus looked back over to his son, "I wouldn't know, I am not familiar with the sensation."

The five younger vampires stood waiting awkwardly, Basileus looked back over to them all, clearly waiting for him to release them. "Aro I expect you need to talk with your errant guards?"

Aro nodded as the two young guards cringed.

"Soon enough," Basileus told his boy, sending Felix and Demetri upstairs to wait for Aro. Next he asked Eleazar to keep Carlisle company in his bed chamber for a while. Eleazar was happy with that, he wanted to talk to his new brother about loyalties! Aro waited for his release.

"Come and sit with me a moment."

Aro went to the table and pulled out the hard wooden chair. "May I stand?" he asked with hope.

"Sit!"

Aro sighed as he lowered himself into his chair, hissing violently as he made contact with the wood.

Basileus watched him for a moment, Aro knew his father was picking through his memories. "You can see for yourself I didn't have a choice, right?"

Basileus shook his head. "No, you didn't. This thing between Antonio and Felix, we will have to watch closely."

Aro knew that, he agreed. "They are already acting up, is this the change you want?"

"No, Aro. Of course it isn't. But it is to be expected – teenagers push at boundaries, and we have just moved those boundaries. They may be unsettled for a while, you need to keep them from doing anything too disastrous." Basileus looked pointedly to his son, hoping he understood the importance of the task at hand.

Aro rolled his eyes. "Right, so I need to play happy families and have them be obedient guards at the same time… no problem!" he replied sarcastically.

Basileus wearily shook his head. "Drop the attitude, son. I believe we will be facing turbulent times and you must find a balance between managing Caius and bringing your family through into better times."

Yeah, 'family!' Aro repeated in his thoughts, still choosing to reject the term.

Basileus decided it a good time to comment on Aro's near slip in his earlier rant having read in his son's thoughts that he stopped himself from saying 'they are my children'. "You know you almost called them…"

Aro knew he wouldn't get away with it. "I don't want to talk about it, okay? I am trying to work things out in my head, give me time will you, please."

Basileus sat back with a grin as Aro stood to leave - he needed to talk to his 'guard'. "I can see how happy my near slip made you, you're acting like an expectant grandmother for god sake!"

"Are you happy, Aro?" Basileus asked his son.

Aro opened the door and went into the hall, looking up the winding stairs where his coven-within-a-coven were waiting on him, "I am happy you are happy, that's quite enough happiness to be going on with," Aro replied as he closed the door.