1664, DECEMBER - A NEW ORDER

AN: You will notice a few formatting differences going forward. We have the lovely doccooper to thank for this working tirelessly as my Beta and making all my random thoughts more readable for y'all :)

Thanks for the adds, reviews and messages - its very much appreciated. I have just finished pulling together chapter 51 and that's still only a toe in the water compared to what is left to write up so I do hope you will stick around!

Thank you SM for sharing your characters with us all, I don't own anything.

"Where are you going, Carlisle? To visit Marcus?" Basileus looked up from the game of chess he was playing with Eleazar as his son was leaving his quarters.

"Yes, he hasn't shown any signs of improvement. I think talking helps him, though he won't talk about Didyme much."

"You are definitely helping him, Carlisle. I know he enjoys the time you spend with him. What's that?" Basileus gestured to the books Carlisle carried. "Those had better not be any of mine if they're going for a walk around the castle with you!" Basileus was only half joking; he was precious about his private book collection.

Waving it at his father Carlisle replied, "Marcus was kind enough to loan me some books. He has quite a collection! These are about medicine."

Basileus rolled his eyes dramatically. "Son we have talked about this already. You cannot become a doctor for humans ... you do know you are a vampire, right?" he mocked his son gently.

Carlisle scrunched up his nose and pulled a face at his father, until he caught Basileus raising his eyebrows to him in return, daring him to continue. Carlisle thought better of antagonising the man. "I am well aware of what I am, but I think I could help humans. I want to help them. You said my control around human blood would need to be perfect, I have sat in the throne room many times whilst everyone else fed and I maintained my control." Carlisle beamed.

He was quite proud of his control. It certainly wasn't easy to resist human blood when it was being splashed carelessly around the room in front of him, but he had maintained an animal-only diet since the celebrations for the end of his newborn year. He was so jealous of Carmen's apparent indifference to human blood. She doesn't seem to even notice! he thought, enviously.

Basileus considered Carlisle's control in the throne room. He still doesn't get it, he thought tiredly - they had argued about this only a few days ago.

"Yes son, but how did you feel? Were you relaxed? Would you have been able to continue reading a book? Would you have been able to even hold a conversation?"

Carlisle looked to the floor.

"No Carlisle, you may be able to resist human blood, but it's not the same as being unbothered by it. I am not saying you will never have the control you wish for, and if you ever do, we will talk on this again."

Seeing how dejected his boy looked, Basileus thought he should sweeten the deal a little, "but do keep studying for now, so IF it happens, you are ready, yes?"

Carlisle brightened at this and offered a smile to both his father and brother before he left to visit the bereft Marcus. Just before he closed the door, he stuck his head back into the room.

"WHEN it happens!" he said forcefully, adding a sheepish 'my lord' and ducking out before his father could object.

Basileus rolled his eyes to Eleazar who was waiting for his father to play his piece.

"He will do it you know, he will keep on pushing himself until he has full control." Eleazar told him plainly.

"I have no doubt about that, son. The stubborn little sod!" Basileus laughed to himself, "he's just so damn eager for everything to happen right now, he needs to slow down. The sort of control he would need to medically care for humans will only come with time."

Eleazar agreed.

"How are you three finding your diet, Eleazar? Have you noticed anything changing, other than your eyes, of course?"

Eleazar thought for a moment, "No, my lord. I was throwing newborns around in training just this morning." he replied with a cheeky smile.

Basileus laughed lightly.

"Though I do feel calmer," Eleazar added, "and we still only have to feed every month, so it is no less convenient."

Basileus thought for a moment. He was impressed by both Eleazar and Carlisle and their commitment to this new feeding regime. Of course there was one who impressed him far more on the matter.

"Carmen, she has still not developed any oddities with this diet of yours? And still no human blood at all?"

Eleazar smiled broadly, he had been so worried about Basileus finding out about him feeding Carmen animal blood from when she was first turned. It was much easier now that he wasn't keeping secrets from his father, and he'd only had to take a verbal tongue lashing for his deceit. Aro thought it was wildly unfair, he knew full well if it had been him Basileus would not have been so forgiving. In fact, his complaining about Eleazar getting away scott free earned him a slap from the man, much to Eleazar's liking.

"She is still perfect, my lord. Carmen sips at blood as though it were a fine wine. I have trouble containing myself sometimes in my efforts to be as civilized!"

Basileus was pleased by this information.

"Why do you ask?" Eleazar probed.

"Oh no reason, I'm just making sure you three are okay, that is all." Basileus lied successfully to his son.

He wondered if there was a way to make all vampires drink from animals instead of humans ... if they are all calmer, if they no longer offered a threat to humans, we could live freely amongst them again, perhaps. So desperate were his efforts to find a way to release Aro from this existence. Release them all in fact. He wanted to provide his sons with a 'normal' family life. Huh, what would that be then you old fool, he spoke to himself, vampires kill humans, that's what we were designed to do, by my own father no less! I imagine one day we all live freely,

but honestly, I just don't know how to make that happen right now. It's my own damn fault for creating so many vampires in the first place.

Eleazar could see his father was lost deep in his thoughts. He knew Basileus was vexed with Aro's craving for a new life.

"Aro understands now is not the time, my lord." Eleazar offered gently.

"I know that son, but I need to find a way to move in that direction, for dear Sulpicia if not for Aro!" Basileus replied.

Eleazar nodded to his words. Sulpicia, more than Aro, needed to know there was an end point. She had already refused Aro's 'forceful' requests to stay in their quarters any longer. Sully didn't leave the grounds, but she and the twins could often be seen patrolling them. Sulpicia had also point blank refused to spend any time with Athenodora. To be fair, Aro was quite pleased with this. For all Aro's complaints about his wife's safety, the guard seeing her wandering around the halls and addressing her as their queen was certainly helping to readjust the power balance between himself and Caius. Caius hated it - but he couldn't do anything about it.

"How are the young ones getting on?" Basileus asked.

"I believe Aro is having a little trouble with the boys. The twins haven't seen a change. Sully has been caring for them as children for a long time, and they are almost always with her unless Aro needs them in the throne room. Even then, Sulpicia often joins them there. The boys though ... Aro told me only yesterday that they seem to think he's going to be softer on them now that he thinks of himself in a fatherly role rather than a master to be obeyed."

Basileus wasn't surprised to hear that. "Ha, are their memories really so short?"

He shook his head and laughed, "Tell me Eleazar, has it even been six months since we lost Didyme? And they are acting up again already! Aro will have to take them in hand!"

Basileus was chuckling as he spoke but he meant every word.

Eleazar winced thinking of the last time Aro had taken them in hand. Felix was a wreck for a good few days. It baffled Eleazar that the lads could go through that and still be testing out new boundaries again already.

"I believe he has every intention of doing so, they just haven't pushed him far enough yet. They are grumbling about being 'boys' rather than 'men'." Eleazar explained their predicament as he saw it. Basileus looked confused by this.

"But they are boys, Eleazar?"

Eleazar laughed this time. "Well, they see it that until a few months ago they were 'guards', but now Aro has completely removed that title in their quarters and they are children there. I imagine tempers will flare soon enough, I just hope it is in private!"

"Hmm, as do I, son."

Aro entered the ground floor suite, unannounced, and flopped onto the window seat. Laying on his back, he talked to the ceiling, "I have been working with the older newborns all morning, only two out of the fifteen have a gift, and do you want to hear what their gifts are," he didn't wait for a response from either his father of brother, "one can 'hide', not become invisible or anything handy like that, just hide a little, so you have to concentrate to see him properly! What is the point of that? The other can change colour. What am I supposed to do with that exactly?! Honestly I am tempted to turn them back over to Caius! Though Christ knows what he's been doing with them all this time, besides terrifying them! Aahhhh!" Aro finalized his tirade with a growling release of the frustration he felt. "Though I have learned that Demetri has had sex with three of them ... that was a pleasant memory to experience!"

Basileus and Eleazar broke out into deep laughter, with Aro quickly joining them.

Propping himself up on his elbow and actually facing the other men in the room, he continued, "you know I was considering having Felix train them for the field. What do you think?"

"I think that's a good idea, son," Basileus replied, "Though you would essentially be giving Demetri a free pass to those newborns then!" he added, with a smirk.

"Damn it, you're right." Aro looked deep in thought until Eleazar brought him back to the present.

"Let me help you brother. Now that I'm not babysitting Carlisle all the time I am at a loose end anyway."

"What about Carmen?" Aro asked, hoping Eleazar had a plan for her so he could take him up on his offer.

"Pft! She spends half the day with your wife anyway, I doubt she would notice!" Eleazar responded, sounding a little put out.

Aro smiled gleefully at his big brother. "Where is my younger and far less handsome brother ... he could be doing his bit too," Aro crooned playfully.

"He is doing his bit son, he's with Marcus." Basileus told him.

Aro didn't miss the pointed look he gave him – Aro knew he should be doing more with Marcus.

Aro nodded, understanding his coven mate needed someone to talk to. Aro would have liked more time himself to devote to the task, but it was hard to leave once Marcus started and Aro couldn't afford to get stuck in the man's quarters with him. Wouldn't mind being stuck in my own quarters for a few days though, Aro thought wistfully.

"Have either of you seen Sulpicia?"

"has she gotten away from you again, brother," Eleazar teased.

"Very droll, El. I'm coming around to the idea of her spreading her wings a little. And the twins are with her of course." He replied nonchalantly.

"Coming around to the idea? You had little choice in the matter the way Eleazar tells it!" Basileus betrayed Eleazar as his informant and both laughed heartily at Aro's scowling face.

"You are both bastards, you know that!" Aro replied bravely as he threw a cushion at his brother's face.

"Come on, Aro!" Eleazar managed to squeeze out before bursting into fresh laughter as he caught the cushion deftly and threw it straight back at him.