Retribution

The bright morning sun flooded through the arched window of Aro and Sulpicia's bed chamber. Dappled through the thick glass, the light danced across the marble floor, glittering beautifully. Aro appeared transfixed as he watched the display and thought over what he must do now it morning had come.

Sulpicia rolled over and placed a loving arm across his toned chest. "What is on your mind, my love?"

"Felix," Aro said simply as he kissed her soft brown curls.

"Must you punish him, my love?" Sulpicia asked, ever hopeful that one day Aro would give in to her.

"Must you always protect them from me, my queen?" Aro replied, mocking her gentle tone.

She laughed lightly as she traced her pointed, manicured nail from the tip of his chin, down through the centre of his chest. "I can think of better things to do, that is all…" her voice trailed off as her finger continued on its path down, stopping at the bed sheet place level with Aro's waist.

"I need to talk to him at least…" Aro started wavering as Sulpicia reach beneath the sheet. "Ah ah… stop it! Sully!" Aro took her hands and flipped her onto her back, "And apparently you have no additional gifts? You are a temptress, woman!"

Aro lay flat out on top of her.

"Aro I cannot breathe!" Sulpicia called out as she giggled beneath him.

"You don't need to breathe my queen, you are a vampire," Aro responded playfully.

"ARO!" she shouted at him as she wiggled fruitlessly beneath him.

Aro rolled off both his wife and the bed and went into the dressing room. He called out 'Seductive witch!' in good humour as he quickly dressed.

Sulpicia looked more subdued when he returned from their walk in robe. "Aro, you will talk to Felix won't you and find out what is really going on with him? He has been acting so out of character recently. I really think there's something deeper going on with that boy."

Aro sat next to his wife on their bed and took her hand into his lap. "Of course I will talk with him. I am going to take him to the library away from prying ears." Aro was referring to the other young guards sleeping under their roof.

"I could take them all to the library and leave you here with Felix. I think that would be better. If you had to punish him it would be awkward in such a public place." Sulpicia stood herself and dressed at vampire speed. Returning to Aro, she handed him her necklace to fasten for her.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked as he closed the clasp.

"You look as beautiful as ever," he replied, and kissed her greedily.

"No Aro." Sully tore herself away from her mate's clutches. "Shall I take the twins and Demetri out whilst you talk to Felix?"

Aro considered his wife's offer. Truthfully he had wanted to talk to Felix in a semi-public place in the hope that an audience would force them both to be calm, though he knew it was unlikely either of them would get through the conversation without shouting or getting physical. If I'm going to be forced to man handle the boy, better its here.

"It is an excellent idea my queen." Taking her delicate hand in his own, Aro brought it to his mouth to kiss it lightly before she left to wake her young vampires.

Aro was already in the living room when his tribe of young guards trooped out of their bed chambers. They all looked tired. Very late to bed and a restless night's sleep hasn't done any of you any favours, and no doubt it will make Felix harder to manage today, he thought. None of them dared to look at Aro. He was stood with his arms crossed over his chest, one hand cupping his chin as he leaned onto the mantle.

He greeted the four of them with a stern 'good morning'. It was a tone he used with his own guards and in the wider coven. One that said, 'you're still in the shit!'.

Alec smiled at him, eyes filled with tears, Jane wore a similarly sad expression. Demetri looked wary, watching Aro like he was a coiled spring ready to release fresh hell on them all. Felix looked angry, still. Frankly, his sullen expression annoyed Aro.

"The three of you are to go with Sulpicia to the library. You can be trusted to stay with her I assume? Or must I find guards for my guards now?" Aro asked his younger vampires, choosing to ignore Felix. A chorus of 'yes sirs' resounded around the three of them, then Demetri stepped forward.

"Aro, please, if you are going to punish us for last night, could you please just do it now?"

Aro smiled to his boy. "Asking for a thrashing? Now that certainly is a new one on me, Demetri!" he returned whilst beckoning the three towards him with a crooked finger.

They approached, gradually. Jane dug her elbow into Demetri's ribs as they moved towards their master for suggesting such a stupid thing!

"Alec, give me your hand."

Alec obliged knowing Aro wanted to read his thoughts.

Aro sighed in contemplation as he read the boys thoughts. He released Alec and beckoned Jane forward. Her thoughts were similar to Alec's; thankfully they both thought Felix just needed some space and didn't want him going alone. Aro was quite pleased that they banded together like that - they knew he felt they were safer together. So you two are in the clear, what about the other half of the deadly double act? Aro thought as Demetri offered his hand whilst he looked away with a grimace. Wincing already - well that bodes well! Aro thought as he searched the young vampire's memory of the night before. Demetri's intentions weren't quite as innocent as the twins - Demetri, like Felix, no doubt, wanted to force Aro's hand to see how far he would go, and mainly, to see if he would do to them what they had heard him doing to Sulpicia - would Aro have them submit to him?

Aro released the boy's hand and considered his position.

"Are we in trouble?" Alec meekly asked.

"No Alec, you and Jane are free to go. Though I would ask you to come to me next time before another disaster strikes."

Relief filled their young eyes and they went to Sulpicia waiting at the door.

"And Demetri?" Sulpicia asked her husband - Aro's eyes had yet to leave the now squirming youth.

"He will follow along shortly, my queen."

Gathering the twins close, Sulpicia guided them out of their suite without another word.

"Sit!" Aro ordered the remaining two, his earlier light tone now replaced with one of coven leader.

Demetri obeyed instantly taking the seat furthest away from Aro, Felix trudged over to join him shooting a sideways glare to Aro as he did so.

"Felix, look at me like that one more time and see what happens!"

Felix huffed in reply, not a wise move and he knew it, but he was too pissed off to care.

"You really are begging for it, Felix. You are in enough trouble as it is."

Aro stared Felix down as he spoke, stepping closer and closer until their feet met. Aro loomed over from his standing position as Felix sunk into his seat, desperate to increase the distance between them. The young guard saw sense and dropped his eyes. Aro nodded as he walked backwards and took a seat opposite his boys.

"Who's going to start?" he asked them as he tried to suppress the deadly growl rumbling in his chest.

Demetri looked to Felix - he seemed ready to snap. Demetri wasn't entirely sure what was going on with his brother, but if he really had a death wish, Demetri wanted no part in it. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Demetri, for perhaps the first time ever, spoke up!

"We heard what you did to Sully." He tripped over his words as he said them, but hearing it out in the open he realised how little they explained.

"Yes, I know that already," Aro replied. "Submission is a usual part of coven life, you may not understand that. I have protected you from it so far…"

Felix cut in, he was ready to explode with stress. "We know what it is! Caius has 'had' every single guard in this place - it is talked about you know!" As he spat his words, Felix thought of an amendment. "Well, every guard except us, anyway."

Aro nodded, it was true enough.

Leaning forward, Aro rested his elbows on his knees and steepled his hands as he considered his reply. "Caius knows the four of you are off limits, I made sure of that from the moment you came into this coven."

Felix wore a look of disgust. "He leaves us alone because he assumes you have us submit to you instead."

Aro furrowed his brow. "What?!"

Demetri jumped in to answer - Felix looked dangerously close to endangering both their asses with his attitude. "It's just a rumour. Caius says you like them young… which is why you have the four of us living here. No one believes you haven't had us submit to you."

Aro laughed. He should be offended, he supposed, but Aro was more than used to the rumour mill of Volterra.

"I don't see why it's funny!" Felix mumbled as he crossed his arms and slouched in his seat.

Aro apologised. "Alright, I am sorry. I care not for rumours, whatever they say. You should be grateful I have protected you from such things. Caius will never touch you, I will take his head if he even tried." Aro was serious, deadly serious. He WOULD take Caius' head clean off if he touched his high guard, and he'd told Caius as much when each of them joined the coven.

"What about you?!" Felix asked, though it sounded more like an accusation.

Mhmm, so we are getting to the crux of the issue now, then, Aro thought. "What about me? You think I would do that to you?" Aro asked them both.

The boys shared a look, Aro wasn't quite sure if they were daring each other to reply or checking they thought the same.

Demetri answered, "Well we never thought you would do it to Sully so…"

The boy's voice was small, scared, and incapable of finishing his thoughts. Aro understood well enough, though - they clearly were concerned that he would make them submit.

"I have no intention of doing it again. Not to anyone under this roof, at least."

Both heads shot up - they were paying attention now! "So you make the other guards submit too? It isn't just Caius?" Felix asked, inquisitiveness taking over petulance.

"I didn't say that… it is one of many weapons in a coven leader's arsenal for managing their subordinates, that's all." Aro finished, he wasn't prepared to discuss such things with them in any finer detail.

The three fell silent as Aro toyed with just reading Felix' mind to find out what was going through that thick skull of his. But Basileus' words were swimming around his head - he needed to talk rather than read minds, 'there is much to be learned from having a conversation'. Aro wasn't known for patience, if they were going to talk, which to Aro was the long way around to finding out what was going on, then he was at least going to lead the conversation.

"Felix, why did you kill humans in our town, you know it is forbidden?"

Felix shrugged, much to Aro's annoyance.

"This isn't a trivial matter, you damn fool! You have broken coven law! I have killed guards with my own two hands for doing such a thing!" Aro managed not to shout, but only just.

Felix remained impassive.

"Felix, you had better start paying attention to me, boy!" Aro had gone passed annoyed and was now pissed off. He'd been trying to contain his temper for Sulpicia's sake but he was done playing good cop if Felix was going to continue playing arrogant brat.

"You were seen, all of you. By bloody Antonio of all people! If you think this is going to be swept under the carpet you are sadly mistaken!" Aro took to his feet and began pacing around the room, wondering just what the hell was going on with his guards! If this is what relaxing my control with them has brought, I'm not sure that it's worth it!

"If you are going to whip me I'd rather you just got on with it." Felix announced, as though he was bored of the wait.

Aro flashed in front of him and pulled him out of his seat by his throat. Felix dangled awkwardly, unable to sit or stand in the position Aro held him in. "Oh you will be getting a whipping, but first I want to know WHY you did something so damn stupid!"

Felix could feel the bravado leaving his body, he had to decide, here and now - take Aro on or retreat quickly. With every scrap of boldness left in his veins he narrowed his eyes to his master.

"Fuck you, Aro," he ground out venomously.

Aro wasn't so much surprised by Felix' retort, but more by his own reaction. His free hand balled into a fist in anger and it was raised level with his own head ready to punch Felix in the face. He saw the boy close one eye as he tried to look away from his impending doom. Aro had just enough control to prevent himself from doing such a thing, thankfully. Instead he threw Felix back into his seat and moved away from the frightened boys as he roared in frustrated rage.

"Demetri, go!" Aro ordered whilst facing away from the pair.

"Yes sir," the boy replied quietly as he quickly left the room, shaking his head in disbelief to his brother.

Hearing the door click, Aro went to sit with Felix, taking Demetri's place. "Why did you do it?" his words were forced through gritted teeth.

"WHY?!" Felix shouted back. He wanted to get up and walk off the tension but worried Aro would take him down if he tried. "Because I needed to know what you would do to me if I broke coven rules. That's why."

Aro shook his head, leaning forward again with elbows on knees his hair dangled loosely in front of his eyes. "So you wanted to know if I would have you submit to me, you were testing me." It wasn't so much a question, Aro was pretty sure that this is what Felix' midnight flit had been about.

Felix scoffed at the very idea. "You couldn't make me submit. I am stronger than you, Aro."

Aro turned on his boy. Cocky little shit, he thought. "You may be stronger Felix, but if I wished to, I could make you submit, don't test me on this." Aro was dead serious again. He didn't want to be forced down that road but he could see by Felix' attitude that's what was happening.

Felix rolled back in his seat, feeling quite smug, I am stronger than you and you know it - we both know you couldn't force me to do anything. "How could you take me down? You may be able to force yourself on women but you couldn't take on a man!" Felix stretched his chest wide. Oh yes, bravado back in full force!

Aro looked back at the young guard. "Firstly, you ignorant wretch, you are not a man, you are a child. Secondly, it isn't sexual, it isn't rape, it is vampiric submission and you would succumb if I thought it was necessary. Stop pushing me on this."

Felix fell quiet for a moment, Aro hoped he had finally seen sense. Sadly, a quiet voice full of spite and daring said, "You can't make me do anything."

Aro had a choice - he could keep telling Felix that he could force him to submit if he wished, or he could show him… Aro thought about it. I've tried reasoning with you, Felix, so force it is. With vampiric speed Aro, scooped up the unsuspecting boy and had him pinned to the floor before Felix had time to register what was going on.

"That's not fair!" the youth howled.

With one swift movement Aro ripped the clothing from the boy's backside.

Felix started to panic! "No, no, no, Aro, please! I'm sorry, I will stop going on about it, I'm sorry!"

Aro paid him no attention, instead he lay on top of the young vampire and held him tightly by the scruff of his neck.

"Please, Aro!"

"Shut up," Aro growled into his ear. "If I wanted to I could command you to submit, if I did, you wouldn't even speak, the vampire within you would take over and you would be unable to move. Do you understand?" Aro spoke slowly and clearly, though the growling continued. God I hope he listens to me now, Aro was to be disappointed.

"Get the fuck off me!" Felix screamed out as he threw all his energy into his attempt to break free.

Aro's heart sank as he wondered how far he would have to actually go. Releasing an almighty roar, one which saw the windows shake, Aro growled into the youth's ear. "SUBMIT!"

Felix froze. He wanted to shout, he wanted to move or kick himself free, something! But he could neither move nor voice a sound. The only noise that emerged from the boy's mouth was his involuntary whimpering from his position and the force Aro was holding him down by. Aro spoke to him again, moving himself on top of him so his groin was level with Felix' exposed backside.

"Do you understand now?"

Felix nodded for all he was worth.

Aro pushed his still clothed crotch into Felix, "I could if I wished, luckily for you I do not. Do not EVER test me on this again. Understood?"

More nodding, Felix was actually bouncing his head into the floor with the volition of his agreement.

Aro flashed off Felix with the same speed at which he had taken him down. Felix didn't dare move.

"You are released, get up."

The boy bounced to his feet, feeling utterly ashamed and chastened. "I'm sorry," he said quietly as tears spilled over his eyes.

Aro approached Felix and placed a hand on one shoulder, using his other to hook the boys chin and force him to look at him. "Don't put me in that position again," he told the now sobbing boy.

Felix was relieved to hear him sound more caring than angry. He nodded - he had no intentions of testing Aro in such a way ever again… the hiding he had coming seemed like an easy ride compared to that!

"I still have to whip you for your crimes, Felix. I think this is the most ridiculous and irrational thing you have ever done."

Felix knew it was coming. He was grateful last night to go to bed rather than face Aro's wrath, but now he was wishing his punishment had already been taken care of.

"And when I am done with you, Basileus wants to have a word of his own," Aro added quietly as he directed Felix towards his bed chamber.

As he sat on Aro and Sulpicia's bed he felt his stomach hit the floor. "Is Basileus going to belt me too?" he asked like a frightened child.

Aro smirked. "Fuck you and fuck Aro!" he said, repeating the words Felix had used in the woods to Basileus. "That really wasn't a clever thing to say."

Felix felt the blood drain from his face.

"That's twice you have told me to go and fuck myself in the last twenty four hours." Aro took off his belt and doubled it up in one hand, flipping it over, back and forth, threateningly. "Do you need help in selecting appropriate language or do you think that's something you may be able to take care of yourself?"

Felix watched the belt slapping against Aro's hand. With a gulp of venom he said, "I can take care of it."

Aro offered the boy a tight smile as he guided him over the bed, he wasn't angry with Felix anymore and he really didn't want to do this. He knew, however, if he didn't, Basileus would hang them both out to dry. "You must never break coven rules again, do you hear me?"

Felix nodded into the bed sheet and a muffled 'yes sir' was heard before Aro began his onslaught.