Confessions
"Jane dear, will you take your things to your room," Sulpicia asked her young vampire. "I would like to talk with Carmen alone."
Jane looked uncomfortable. "I am not supposed to leave you."
Sulpicia narrowed her eyes at her girl. "You are supposed to obey my orders, dear one. Now go on to your room." She spoke kindly but with a no-nonsense tone that told Jane this wasn't optional.
The young guard obliged, but she wasn't happy.
"Jane, Felix is in the next room and I would never put your mother at risk, sweetheart," Carmen told the unsure girl.
Jane smiled happily to herself hearing how Carmen referred to their relationship and left to find Alec. Sulpicia beamed!
"So, what did you need to talk about?" Carmen asked her new sister in law, as Jane left through the archway.
"Well," Sulpicia started, unsure of how to approach the question on her mind. "I was wondering how you are finding this new life… you have been a vampire for, what, three months now?"
"Yes, that's right, I am happier than I ever imagined I could be! This wonderful life, it's something of a dream for me. I was enslaved in Spain and brought to the south of France as a child. I could never have believed vampires even existed, let alone that I would become one!" Carmen was genuinely pleased with her new position, and she thought it would be obvious. "Surely people like me are pretty happy to become vampires - it's like having a new shot at life!"
Sulpicia nodded. "Yes, I suppose it is really…" she trailed off.
"What do you really want to ask me, Sully?" Carmen could see something was on her mind.
"Well, you are… you are just so you! Already! So calm, so controlled - you are so, so normal!"
They both laughed at the audacity of Sulpicia's statement.
"Well who else would you expect me to be!?" Carmen asked through her giggles.
"Carlisle is pretty calm, but he has his moments where his new heightened emotions get the better of him, and that is to be expected, it's sort of a newborn thing. Whereas you - you are totally in control and I want to know how! What is Eleazar doing with you that is keeping you so even tempered?"
Carmen laughed again; Eleazar had told her someone would ask eventually. They'd spent much of the last three months in hiding in Eleazar's quarters, only venturing out to visit with Aro and Sulpicia and even then, the guards were usually around.
Sulpicia continued, "There are some wild rumours flying around the castle about how Eleazar is 'managing' you, you know?"
Carmen smiled; oh, she knew! "Tell me," she prompted, keen to hear what he Volturi rumour mill had come up with.
"Well," Sulpicia started. "Some are saying he is beating you, others that you are feeding from each other. Some are saying you spend all day and night having sex, so you are too exhausted to act out with usual newborn temper tantrums!"
Carmen burst into a fit of laughter, it was infectious and Sulpicia soon joined in.
"Okay," Carmen got herself under control. "There is some truth in all of that…"
"What!" Sulpicia interrupted, shocked! She hadn't believed a word of the rumours so hearing them confirmed to any extent was a surprise.
"Look, it's not as the rumours are saying, but there is some truth to it." Carmen bit her lip as she waivered on telling the truth. Shaking her head a little, she took a deep breath and went for it. " Eleazar said someone would ask directly soon, and I told him I wouldn't lie if it was you. So, we are having sex, a lot - any time we are alone in fact. That certainly helps to relive any 'tension'."
"I bet it does," Sully said, smirking. "And the feeding?"
"We are not feeding from each other, but we are not feeding from humans either. Eleazar is going into the woods and draining animals for us to feed from." As Sulpicia's mouth dropped open, Carmen explained, "I believe I am some sort of experiment in that way - he wanted to see if a newborn could survive on animal blood only, and to be honest, he is happy with the results."
Sulpicia was surprised that her sister in law had never drank from humans. "This is amazing. Outstanding, even! Not only are you a perfect vampire on animal blood, but you are so much more in control. That blows Basileus' theory out of the water."
"That is what Eleazar is worried about," Carmen replied, her tone turning sombre. "He knows his father will not approve.
The whole coven knew Basileus' stance on feeding solely from animals. Sully shivered. "He has been utterly against Carlisle following the same diet until his first year is up."
Carmen nodded back. "El says we need to be careful. Basileus hasn't sought to interfere with me, yet, but he may, and then Eleazar will be the one to face the music and I really don't want that. If we can make it to my 'first birthday' before Basileus discovers the truth things will be easier on Eleazar."
Bobbing her head aimlessly, Sulpicia began to wonder if her brother-in-law had bitten off more than he could chew. Eleazar won't be doing the chewing, that will be Basileus. He will chew El up and spit him out for this, she mused.
"Please don't tell anyone," Carmen whispered.
Sulpicia was taken a back - she had never agreed to keeping secrets from her husband before, and she knew Aro was who she had to keep this from. Who else could it be? Sulpicia didn't talk to anyone else.
Suddenly Carmen saw her sister in laws eyes fly wide open as she jumped to her feet. "What's wrong Sul?" she asked in a panic.
"Felix!" Sully replied quietly.
They both paled now.
"I'll go and talk to him," Sulpicia whispered. "Don't worry, he won't say anything."
Carmen was worried, though. "How can you be sure?" She cursed herself for being so careless.
Sulpicia took Carmen's hands to her chest and told her, "I can be sure, because he is my boy, and I can ask this of him."
Sulpicia left her sister in law and went to her bed chamber to talk with Felix. She found the boy pacing, limping as he went.
"I can't keep this from Aro!" he hissed, clearly having heard the entire conversation.
Sulpicia approached her frazzled boy. "Felix, calm down, there is nothing to keep from Aro - it is not your secret to keep."
Felix looked confused. "So, I should tell him?"
Sulpicia pulled Felix to the bed, "Sit with me."
Felix sighed, "it hurts to sit." He said sheepishly.
"Good. You were vile to me, now sit."
Sulpicia could play stern if she had to - she didn't like it, but she wouldn't have survived raising those young vampires with her husband if she couldn't hold her own when occasion called for it. Felix sat, hissing as he did so.
"You are not going to tell Aro."
Felix looked stressed again.
"Eleazar asked you to listen out in case I needed you. You were not told to sit and spy on me or my private conversations. You have no reason to tell Aro because that was not your job. Do you understand?"
Felix shook his head. "No, he will read my thoughts, he will find out and then he will wear me out!"
The boy tried to stand but Sulpicia pulled him back down. "IF that happens, I will defend you."
Felix thought about it. Sulpicia has protected us all from Aro's wrath many times before, she certainly has ways to deflect his attention when we are at risk of punishment she's decided we don't deserve. But I am so sick of keeping secrets for the women in this fucking castle. Perhaps Sully will help me with Didyme's requests… no, I can't ask her, Aro would kill us both if I told Sully what me and Didyme have been doing. And then there's Marcus. If he found out it could shatter the coven. Oh, fuck it. What's one more secret, I certainly owe Sully, she's always so good to me. It can be my parting gift I suppose. Aro's going to kill me soon anyway…
"I will keep it to myself," the boy eventually replied. "For you."
Relieved, Sulpicia enveloped Felix in a grateful hug. He responded by putting his strong arms around her and lifting her up as he stood.
"I can't stop him from reading my thoughts, though," he said, taking in a deep breath to sigh sadly. "What do I do then?"
Sulpicia released herself from her boy and took his face in her soft hands. "If he does, you get back here to me as quickly as you can, and I will deal with my husband."
Felix nodded - he was happy with that. Of course, if he does read my mind, Carmen feeding from animals will be small fry compared to my recent crimes.
Sulpicia continued, "You do have another option, though, my darling. You could always try and stay out of trouble for a while, then Aro would have no reason to read your mind."
Felix chuckled and looked away bashfully. "Yeah, like that is going to happen!"
"Okay, it may be more difficult than it sounds," she replied, adding 'for you' in her mind. "You can go to your room if you wish."
Felix kissed her cheek and left, smiling to Carmen as he passed her in the main room.
"You are wonderful with them Sully," Carmen commented as she came back into the room.
"They have been with me for a long time, I have raised them from newborn. Except Demetri of course, but he was only a few years into his vampiric life and war torn from the Egyptian coven - he needed me more than if he had been a newborn."
Carmen cupped her own cheeks and smiled. "They are your babies aren't they."
There was no question in Carmen's words. A mere statement of fact. It was such a human term, and one Sulpicia hadn't heard with human feeling for a long time. She referred to the twins as her baby vampires - Aro did too, but they both meant it to signify 'youngest' rather than their actual babies.
Sulpicia's eyes filled with venom, happy venom. "Yes, they are."
…
Eleazar had caught up with Aro in the throne room. Marcus and Caius were with their own wives and Aro was covering the great hall visitors. It was a slow day. Aro had only had to see one vampire and they were just passing through visiting the royalty of their world. He wasn't even sitting in his throne, instead he was sprawled on the throne floor steps with a goblet of wine in his hand.
"It's a good job our father isn't the one to find you lying down on the job," Eleazar said as he took a seat next to his brother.
Aro smiled and called a guard to fill up his cup and fetch one for his brother too. "How are things going with Carmen?" he asked, wanting to get his mind off Felix.
"What do you mean?" Eleazar replied casually.
"Come on brother, you aren't the type to beat a woman into submission, so what are you doing?" Aro had heard the rumours, too, not that he believed them.
"No, I am not beating her into submission," Eleazar replied. The very idea repulsed him. "I can't tell you what I am doing yet, though - Basileus won't be happy with it, and I don't want you implicated in my demise."
Aro's interest was piqued! "Implicated! Demise! What are you doing? You are making this more interesting to me brother."
The guard brought a tray containing two goblets. Aro accepted the re-filled goblet as Eleazar took his own and knocked the full cup down in one - "more!" he ordered the guard.
"Aro, for your own sake, just let me be your big brother and protect you." Eleazar whispered to his brother who sipped at his wine with a smirk. "You've taken some pretty severe beatings recently Aro, save yourself this one," he added, hoping to convince his brother to keep out of it.
"I have to agree on that one!" Aro snorted. "Since Carlisle got here, I have been black and blue for one reason or another. I knew newborn years were tough, but I thought that only applied to your own!" They shared a laugh, though for Aro it wasn't quite sincere, it had been a bloody painful nine months!
"Where is he anyway?" Aro asked his brother, he hadn't seen Carlisle or their father all day.
"Basileus has taken him for a walk in the town. Carlisle wanted to test his control around humans and our father has relented."
Aro was a little surprised, that was risky - their father was generally risk averse.
Eleazar brought his brother out of his thoughts, "I wanted to ask you something about Basileus. Why are you still fighting with him on this family thing?"
"Oh, El, don't you start on me too!" Aro sat up and rested his elbows on his bent knees. It was a conversation he didn't want to have.
"I am not starting on you Aro," Eleazar responded with an ease that didn't match the situation. "I hadn't taken much notice of our father pushing you into this family thing - I honestly thought he was pushing alone."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Aro faced his brother as the guard brought back more wine.
Eleazar waited for the guard to leave before he whispered his reply. "You know that Sulpicia wants this too, surely?"
Aro felt the flash of his emotions pass his face before he bottled them back up. Yes, he knew she did. But he refused to admit it. "No, she doesn't, she is happy with how things are. I've never seen her so happy in fact. She is enjoying the extra adult company since you and Carmen are spending more time with us. I was even wondering if she wanted to move our guards out into the guard hall instead."
Eleazar slapped his brother across the back of his head with his free hand, whilst knocking back his wine with the other. "You are a damn bull-headed fool Aro." Eleazar spoke quietly so as not to alert the guards to their conversation, but his tone conveyed his feeling well enough, he didn't believe a word of what Aro was saying. I'm not sure which one of us you are lying to, but if it is me you can be sure I know those young vampires mean everything to you and you haven't protected them for centuries to suddenly cast them out now."
"Well how else would you explain Sully being so much happier now? Huh?" Aro continued, thinking he had the upper hand in this conversation.
"It's you, Aro," Eleazar replied. "You have relaxed. You have allowed your young guards to relax. You blew up at Felix for calling you 'master' today…"
Aro cut his brother off. "Yes, because we agreed not to in our quarters - that boy can't follow any orders!"
His voice raised a little too loudly and Eleazar nudged him to keep it down. "You know that isn't why you were pissed at him."
Aro shook his head. He really didn't want to be talking about this. "No, I was pissed at him for being so disrespectful to my wife and brother. That is what 'relaxing' things has caused me."
Eleazar slapped him again, but harder.
"OW!" Aro hissed, clenching his fists.
"I dare you to try hitting me back!" Eleazar told him.
Aro remembered the last beating he'd taken for fighting with his brother and thought better of going for another round. I'll remember this when we're in training together, he thought to himself, rubbing his head and smoothing out his hair.
"It hurt you to punish him so harshly, didn't it?" Eleazar pushed a little more.
"Well it's not something I enjoy, brother." Aro told him, though he thought that would be obvious!
Eleazar thought about that - he didn't expect Aro to enjoy it. Mind you, Caius does. Aro was bothered by it, though. He didn't just punish Felix, he sat and comforted him afterward. "Really, I've seen you rip arms off the wider guards without a second glace, why would it bother you to punish Felix?"
Aro didn't respond as Eleazar continued to push.
"The boy deserved a thrashing, so why would it bother you?"
Aro remained silent.
"Brother…" Eleazar tried to continue but Aro cut him off.
"El, just drop it," Aro said dismissively. He sounded bored of the conversation, he wasn't, he just couldn't think of a response he was willing to verbalize.
Knowing his brother well after a few hundred years in close quarters, Eleazar saw right through Aro's disinterest. "They mean more to you than just guards, and if you even suggest to your wife that they should leave your quarters you will break her heart," he said. "So don't do it."
Eleazar stated his words plainly. There was no question, no wondering. That made Aro stop and think for a moment. Eleazar caught the flash of panic in his brother's eyes. Hurting his dear wife was the very last thing he wished to do.
Aro finished his own wine, and took Eleazar's goblet, drinking that one down too. "I think you are reading far too much into this, El," he laughed, trying to hide his feelings.
Oh, Aro, you damn fool, his brother thought in return. "You are the one who can read minds, little brother. If you are so sure I am wrong, go and prove it!"
With that final comment Eleazar stood up and made to return to his new mate. But before he left, he annoyed Aro one last time. "Don't give him any more to drink, on Basileus' orders!" he said to the guards.
Aro shook his head as he laughed to himself. "You're a prick Eleazar!" Aro called after him.
"Love you too, little brother!" Eleazar replied just before he left hearing range.