NEVER LEARNS

"So, are you really allowing Caius to have free reign over Felix and Demetri, brother?" Carlisle asked Aro, a little dumbfounded by the idea.

"Absolutely not! But I have given him permission to knock them about a bit, if necessary. Or rather, when necessary."

Aro knew Caius would find just cause to exact punishment on his sons, he also had no doubt whatsoever that Felix and Demetri would give him that just cause on a plate. He just hoped that Caius wouldn't go too far with them.

"There's something I don't understand about all this, Aro." Carlisle folded another tunic and placed it carefully in his case, smoothing out any creases before he moved on to the next item.

"I am sure there is much you don't understand, Carlisle," Aro replied mockingly.

"Very funny! But seriously, you have had your high guard for centuries, how have they never been punished by Caius in all that time?" Carlisle couldn't work out how this could be.

"He has, plenty of times. But only for very minor things where a verbal rebuke or a slap has sufficed. He's whipped Felix a few times for fucking about on missions, Demetri too, once." Aro said as he leaned into Carlisle's bedroom window, watching Demetri and Afton sweep the grounds at a somewhat leisurely pace. "But quite honestly they have rarely done anything necessitating Caius' intervention before. They kept away from him and were respectful when he was around, so he was generally happy with turning them over to me. But now, now he sees the changes I have made, he sees Felix and Demetri lording it around the castle and they seem intent on pissing him off!"

Aro shook his head as he opened the window, "GET ON WITH IT!" he bellowed down to the two miscreants working at a snail's pace. Hearing their master calling out, they sprung into action and Aro couldn't help but giggle at their reaction.

Turning back to Carlisle, who had finished packing for his trip to England, he continued, "Caius feels powerless against my high guard and I believe that is what has caused all this strife. So I have given Caius some power back. If I am right, my sons will be more mindful of the rules, as they generally used to be, and Caius will stop bucking against them, and in turn, me."

Carlisle nodded as he thought on Aro's words.

"I still can't see Caius' problem. Marcus doesn't seem to care!"

Aro smiled sadly to his little brother, "Marcus doesn't care about much at all right now."

Carlisle knew Aro was referring to how devastated Marcus still was over losing Didyme, but decided against voicing it to save Aro the pain. He returned Aro's sad smile instead.

"All four of my high guard have always been a little looser lipped with Marcus though." Aro continued with a smirk, "oddly, the twins are the worst offenders there!"

Carlisle was surprised to hear that. "They are always so respectful! I don't believe it!" he said in genuine shock.

Aro laughed, "Ha! They are far better at keeping their disobedience private than Felix and Demetri. Sully takes the twins with her wherever she goes. She would often visit with my sister and Marcus would be there ... they spent a lot of time together in private quarters."

Aro stopped to look out the window again, having to hang out to see Demetri and Afton directly underneath him sitting against the wall, chatting. He was about to shout down to them again as he saw Caius coming around the corner. The pair jumped to their feet and collected their brooms, but it was too late, Caius had caught them. Hmm, what will you do, brother?Do you know I am up here? he wondered as he watched.

Caius flashed to the pair and quickly unleashed across each of their heads a thunderous clout that sounded like the heavens were bursting.

Aro winced as he saw his boy's legs buckle before he was caught by Afton. Well, they are getting along well, at least. Aro listened to every word Caius said to the guards - there was nothing there he wouldn't have said himself. Feeling far more relaxed about the power he had bestowed upon Caius, Aro pulled the window closed and joined Carlisle on his bed.

"Was that noise Caius?" Carlisle asked as Aro stretched out next to where he sat with his case.

Aro nodded.

"Whoa, I hope your sons are quick learners, Aro!" he said with a sad smile.

"They aren't! My deadly double act seem to be on a mission to test as many boundaries as possible." Aro replied, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

Carlisle laughed at his brothers stress and soon Aro joined him.

"Carlisle ... " Basileus called as he opened his sons door. Seeing Aro and Carlisle splayed out on his bed stopped him.

"And this is packing?" Basileus asked, a little annoyed.

"I am packed!" Carlisle replied indignantly, still pissed off he was being dragged back to England in the first place. At least we are going by boat this time, he thought.

"Good! We leave soon."

Basileus spied his own books sitting on Carlisle's writing desk. "And why are these in here?" he asked has he collected them. "Homer?" Basileus announced as he eyed Aro to the side of him. "Have you read these Carlisle?"

His son nodded sheepishly. "I was going to return them ... "

Basileus waved his explanation away with his free hand, "I told you to read whatever you wished, son. I know you will return them. May I ask ... " He looked to Aro again, who was smirking, knowing what was coming next, "which did you prefer? The Iliad or The Odyssey?"

Carlisle was relieved, he'd assumed Basileus would have been pissed off to find his most prized books were out of place.

"The Odyssey, definitely."

Aro started laughing, much to Carlisle's confusion.

Basileus looked disappointed. "Why?" he asked his son rather abruptly.

"Erm, well, the setting, the scenes, I could picture everything so clearly, it feels hopeful; journeying and searching are attainable. I could be Odysseus ... anyone could. I like that ... " Carlisle trailed off as Basileus' features became more and more sneering.

"Damn fool!" he announced in annoyance. Aro couldn't hold his laughter any longer and he burst into tinkling giggles.

Carlisle was getting pissed off now - if he was the butt of the joke he would at least like to hear the punch line!

"What is so funny?" he asked, sounding just as annoyed as Basileus had.

Aro got himself under control just enough to speak. "He's just pissed off you chose my book and not his!"

Seeing their father grimace at his words set Aro off again.

"You wrote The Odyssey? You are Homer?" Carlisle asked in disbelief.

"Yes and no ... I'm not Homer and neither is he. Though I did write The Odyssey, and our father wrote The Iliad. It was a game we played in Greece. We would each write something then get the local bard to recount it at the great games. He found Homer ... he was a blind beggar when we picked him up; his memory was almost vampiric though and we knew he would make a great bard. Very distinct voice, perfect ... "

Aro was going to continue but Basileus interrupted him.

"Shut up, Aro. He hardly has the experience to decipher great works from populist drivel."

Yes, Basileus was a little pissed off ... and that may be an understatement. Aro winked to Carlisle, who not wanting their father to see him enjoying his annoyance, offered a very slight smile in response.

"Why have you written them out again, though?" Carlisle asked. "Didn't you keep the originals?"

Basileus replaced his scowl with puzzlement. "What do you mean? They are the originals, the only ones we penned at any rate, though they have both been written out a good many times by a good many scribes since those days."

Carlisle shook his head; that didn't make any sense.

"But those books, they look brand new, the parchment is brilliant white, and the ink ... well it's dark red, which is odd, but it's perfect. No fading, no wearing ... they are new!" he stated.

Aro looked awkwardly to his father, hoping he would take the lead.

Basileus sighed and sat on Carlisle's bed. "Sit down, son." He told his youngest boy as he flicked through the books in his hands. "These books were written over 2000 years ago."

Carlisle shook his head, it made no sense to him.

"The pages are not made of parchment, that's sheepskin." Basileus stopped, he felt uncomfortable explaining this to Carlisle, he had such a gentle soul.

"Well it looks brand new for velum then!" Carlisle interjected.

Basileus shook his head again. "No son. It's not calf skin either."

Carlisle wrinkled his nose, "What is it, then? What did you make pages from in ancient Greece?" Carlisle asked in genuine wonder.

"Vampires." Basileus said quietly.

Carlisle's eyes flew wide open and his mouth hung low. He couldn't formulate a response, choosing instead to shake his head in disgust.

Basileus watched his boys reaction. Damn it, he's starting to panic, he thought as he tried to speak to him again.

"Carlisle, breathe, just take a breath. That's it, calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down! You skin people to make paper and you tell me to calm down!" Carlisle tried to stand but Basileus pulled him back down.

"Don't be so dramatic, brother. They were already dead." Aro added, casually, as Carlisle looked ready to hyperventilate.

"Until Caius took over the proceedings, anyway." He muttered with a chuckle under his breath.

"I could have guessed he would be at the helm of such a disgusting idea!" Carlisle spat as he looked in disdain to his father's hand on his leg.

"It makes good paper - as you observed, brother, it still looks brand new." Aro replied with a shrug, "And the blood, good ink!"

Carlisle looked ready to throw up. "Just when I think I can accept the underworld of vampire culture you add new depths of vulgarity for me to contend with!"

Basileus wasn't sure whether that was directed to Aro or himself, but he wasn't standing for it either way.

"Carlisle, you will calm yourself now, and watch your tongue. I can understand that this may seem shocking to you, but you are overreacting. The only vampires given to Caius are traitors, criminals, and our gravest enemies. They are put to death. Yes, his methods may err on the side of the grotesque, but can you really claim humans are any less grotesque to their fellow man?"

Carlisle looked to his lap. Annoyed by the comparison but unable to disagree with the logic he muttered, "Humans can be equally as cruel, though their methods differ. Significantly!"

Basileus saw Aro's mouth begin to twitch, ready to begin new laughter at his brother's expense. A quick shake of the head from his father stopped that before more offense could be taken.

Basileus felt Carlisle still under his hand and decided to move the conversation on.

"Aro, you will need to keep check on Marcus whilst we are away. Carlisle has been spending a lot of time with him and it has helped, don't let that progress fall to the wayside whilst we are gone."

Aro nodded along to yet another increase to his duties.

"I will go and see him now, father, you need not worry." Aro said as he embraced his father before Basileus left to collect his own belongings. Aro turned back to Carlisle. He was putting the last of his things in his case, all arranged perfectly, just as he liked everything, "Bye little brother!" Aro said as he tipped the case off his bed throwing his clothes across the floor before running out the room.

"ARO!" Carlisle called after him, but it was too late, his immaculate packing had gone to waste. Cunt! Carlisle thought after him.

Aro stood outside Marcus' door. He had knocked and was waiting for a response, half hoping he wouldn't get one and he could avoid this 'duty' for the day.

"Aro, please come in," Marcus said as he opened the door.

Aro followed him inside where he was greeted by the twins.

"So this is where you hide whilst there is work to be done?" Aro laughed, surprised by those in attendance.

The pair smiled coyly to their father.

"They aren't in the way are they, brother?" Aro asked, eying Alec as he spoke. He looked nervous.

"Not at all, I enjoy having them here. Sulpicia has asked me to keep them whilst she trains with Eleazar and Carmen. I must say, your dear wife has really come alive these last few months, Aro." Marcus sounded impressed as he retook his seat beside Jane and her open book.

"Tell me about it!" Aro said, mainly to himself, as he sat next to Alec. Alec shuffled away slightly and Aro caught it.

"Whats wrong with you?"

"Nothing, nothing!" the boy replied, a little too hastily.

Aro grabbed his wrist before Alec had chance to withdraw. The boy squirmed under Aro's gaze as he read his thoughts. Aro saw that the twins had been arguing, Marcus split them up and Alec spewed forth a verbal tirade against the man.

"Aro, it is fine, I dealt with him." Marcus waved off Alec's insolence in an effort to spare the boy further rebuke.

"Fine? How dare he speak to you that way!" Aro broke away from Alec's thoughts for a moment to address Marcus. I have one of my fellow masters wanting to rip my sons into a thousand pieces and the other letting these two get away with murder! Aro thought angrily as he turned back to Alec's thoughts. He saw Marcus pull his youngest guard over his knee and spank him hard for his dreadful language.

"Oh, well, okay then." Aro said on seeing that his boy had actually been brought to task. Alec immediately started rubbing his wrist when Aro released him, mortified that Marcus had spanked him and now that Aro had seen it.

"I will speak with you later!"

Alec ducked low hearing his father say that, certain that the 'speak' would be far more physical than verbal.

"Aro, really, there is no need. We are in private in these chambers and they cause no offense to me, they are just children after all." Marcus smiled to his brother in law, "I am happy to keep them here, I will bring them back when we have finished with our reading."

Seeing Marcus was sincere, Aro decided to take his leave.

"If you are sure, I will check on the guards ... and more importantly, Felix!"

Aro exited the north tower as Caius left his own chambers. Aro heard Athenodora shout out after him and what sounded like glass smashing. With a smirk, he raised an eyebrow to Caius.

"Brother, is Athenodora unhappy? I thought you would be keeping watch over our miscreants!"

Caius looked incredulously to Aro. "Unhappy would be one word for it! I have told her we will be taking in a high guard ... she is less than pleased." He added darkly.

Aro laughed. "Have you selected from the guards yet or would you like some fresh meat?"

Caius started walking, Aro quickly joined him. "Aro, I would rather neither! Can you not talk to Basileus about this for me? I have enough to do without warring with Athenodora."

Aro laughed again. "That depends if you are going to keep bitching about my high guard, brother."

Caius stopped and fixed Aro with a no nonsense stare.

"So long as you keep them on a short leash, I will never again complain of your guard. Now get me out of this, please!"

Caius was sincere, Aro could tell that much without having to read his mind. "Consider it done, brother."

Aro wasn't sure he could convince his father to relent on Caius taking a guard, but if it kept Caius from bitching about his own he would do his damnedest to try.

"So, have you had any issues with Felix and Antonio?" Aro asked.

"We can check them together now, brother. Demetri and Afton have formed an unlikely alliance, by the way."

Aro nodded, "I know you had to 'encourage' them to work." Aro slipped in plainly.

Caius eyed his brother in arms, "And, how do you know that?" he asked, a little perturbed.

"I know everything that goes on in this place, Caius. It's my job." Aro replied with a small smile.

They soon caught up with Felix and Antonio 'scrubbing the floor' in the guard hall, which meant they were lounging around with the other guards on opposite sides of the room. As Caius and Aro entered the grand quarters where the guards relaxed and congregated, silence fell across the room.

Aro grinned at Caius, "After you, brother."

Aro walked to the window seat and made himself comfortable. Caius went right first and stalked around the room glaring at each guard individually. When he reached Antonio he threw him to the middle of the floor. Next he went left. Reaching Felix, he took him roughly by his hair and dragged him over to Antonio, pushing him down to the floor. Aro spotted something on Felix's face as Caius handled him roughly.

"Caius, bring them here, I want to check something." Aro told his coven mate, who clicked at the guards to obey. When they arrived, Aro held out his hand to Antonio. The guy delivered his own hand to Aro with a grimace. Aro saw the two of them had spent more time wrestling than scrubbing and the last hour had been lazing about in the guard hall. They each sported damage from their brawling. Aro knew it hadn't been a fight to the death as ... well ... Antonio would be dead. But still, they were warned not to fight ..

Aro smiled to Caius and told him what he had seen.

"So they have flouted us both, Aro?" He returned the same smirk Aro had offered. Felix and Antonio were experiencing a phantom panic sweat between them.

"That is right, Caius. What should we do?" Aro sang out.

"Please, masters, allow us to continue with our duties, we will ... " Antonio was cut off by a sharp slap to his head by Caius.

"No Antonio, I don't think so." Aro crooned. The rest of the guards were enjoying this and Aro allowed them to laugh along. "You will be scrubbing the entirety of this castle, but, sadly, now you will both be doing so after further punishment. Caius, if you would be so kind to see to that now so they can get on."

Antonio released a defeated moan as he rubbed at his sore shoulders, though he knew if Aro was having them both punished it would be his hide that would be burning after this. Felix looked murderously to Aro.

"I suggest you wipe that look off your face, boy! When you are back in my quarters you can expect double of whatever Caius give you now."

That's it, humiliation overload, I can't take this anymore. Felix was ready to flee.

Aro could see his son warring with himself and decided to take the fight out of him quickly. "Him first!" he said to Caius as he shoved his son to the waiting coven master.

Felix didn't have time to resist as Caius caught hold of the young guard and dragged him back to the centre of the room. Guards scattered as Caius placed his foot on the sofa and slung Felix high over his knee. As tall as the boy was, his feet still only grazed the floor as he hung embarrassingly like a child over the master's thigh. Felix didn't have long to think on his humiliation before Caius had removed his belt and began inflicting the sort of pain that he wished he could black out from.

The room filled with hurried whispers and muffled laughter as Felix desperately tried to strangle the sobs daring to leave his mouth.

Aro called Magnus over. "Master if this is about speaking out in the throne room, I thought ... "

Aro cut the man off before he could go on, "There is no need for you to worry, my friend. You have caused no offence. I wanted to clear something up with you. You are the most respected guard in this coven, Magnus. I know that." Aro said as he tapped his temple, "Felix and Demetri, they are different from other guards, and they are treated as such. I can understand why this is disconcerting for the rest of you. But, I want you to understand the difference - they are young, very young for vampires, and with that comes a sort of mind set that needs delicate handling. They are privileged in some sense, as I have taken them in as my own, but if anyone here thinks that means they are not taken to task, well, I would like you to set that right for me. You asked if they had coven leader rights, my friend, what was your concern with that?"

Magnus looked to the floor, unsure if he should actually speak.

"Magnus, please, we have been together a long time, you can tell me." Aro prompted.

Leaning close to Aro's ear, Magnus finally spoke.

"My lord, Renata and Chelsea have excused their behaviour by telling the rest of the guard that Felix forced them to submit. Which doesn't even make sense as Chelsea never had sex with him anyway ... which would be impossible with submission. But I know the worry is that Felix, or indeed Demetri, has that sort of power now, my lord."

Magnus stepped back and looked again to the floor. Aro pulled him back by his arm and for a moment, Magnus wondered if he had said too much.

"Not even my brothers have that right over the coven. That lays with the masters of Volterra and Caius is the only one who exercises it. Though I intend to temper his use going forward."

Magnus was relieved. "Should I pass this on, my lord?"

Aro nodded, "Make sure it is known by all." Aro left it there, he knew Magnus would do his bidding, he was a reliable - perhaps the most reliable - member of the coven.

Aro looked back to Felix and Caius. He didn't want to call an end to the boy's punishment but would have to soon if Caius didn't bring it to an end. As if answering his thoughts, Caius finally threw Felix back to the floor and went to retrieve Antonio.

"I am going to need a pay raise if this is how things will be going forward, Aro, I am wearing out my belts on these guards!" Caius joked to Aro, much to the delight of the wider guard in attendance. "or paying, at all." He added for Aro's ears only. Aro took the pointed jibe with only a coy smile.

Antonio's pride was taking as big a battering as Felix's and he had already thought of a million ways to get even with Felix over this whole situation. Caius brought him from his thoughts as he pulled the hulking man to the middle of the room and began fresh assault on Antonio's behind in much the same way as he had with Felix.

Felix remained on his knees on the floor, waiting for instruction. When he dared to look up, Aro was glaring at him. With a single finger he first instructed his son to stand and then to come to him. Felix struggled to his feet whilst trying to hide his face and tears behind his hands. He eventually limped his way back to face Aro in the window seat.

"Sit." Aro said simply.

Felix eyed the soft seat as though the plush covering were in fact molten lava. One look back to Aro told the young guard this really wasn't optional. Felix used his hands to lift his ass free of the seat.

Aro knew what he was doing. "I really don't know why you do this to yourself? Clearly the belting I gave you last night wasn't enough." Aro whispered to his son as he swiped at the hand closest to him, causing Felix to forcibly land on his well beaten ass.

"AHHHH!" The unsuspected pain that engulfed his rear elicited a loud roar in response. Everyone, even Caius and Antonio, turned to see the source of the noise.

"Continue, brother." Aro called over, and much to Antonio's ire, Caius did.

"It was enough, it was, I'm sorry." Felix squeezed out between muffled sobs and pained gasps for breath. He was still wildly fidgeting, trying to find a position that didn't feel like sitting in a pit of fire.

Aro rested a hand on the lad's leg and pushed down hard, pinning him in place.

"Clearly not, or this wouldn't have been necessary." Aro gestured to his brother in arms, who was now wrapping up Antonio's punishment. You were slightly harsher with Felix, Caius. I wonder if that was deliberate, Aro thought as he saw Antonio being deposited on the floor.

"Aro, please, I am sorry." Felix tried again, in vain.

"No, you're not. But you will be, in time." Aro told his boy kindly, though oddly it brought no comfort to Felix.

"Are you finished, Caius?"

Caius nodded sternly, panting a little as he refastened his belt around his dress coat.

"Then the two of you should get back to your cleaning." Aro instructed the two well punished guards. "Could you deliver him back to me when the bell tolls ten?" Aro asked Caius. "I will read his thoughts and inform you of any further issues when you do and we can do this again tomorrow."

Caius returned Aro's smile as he shoved Antonio over to his discarded bucket and brush. Aro pushed Felix off the window seat and toward his fellow offender.

"I do believe it is time we checked on the other two." Aro crooned as he walked past his son scrubbing the floor and outside the guard hall, Caius following close behind.

Approaching the throne room to head through to the outer grounds, Caius and Aro heard laughing. They were both surprised to open the doors and see Afton and Demetri chatting easily with one another. Both quietened and stood straight when the masters came into view. Aro flashed to Demetri's side and took his hand in his own to read his thoughts. He found a few fleeting conversations discussing the masters with derision but other than that, and Caius catching them copping off work earlier, they both had a clean slate. They seemed to have become rather friendly through the experience.

"Anything?" Caius asked his mind reading co-master.

Aro shook his head, "No, Caius. They have completed their tasks and done so without issue. I would say the two of them are free to go. Unless you have further need of their services?"

To say Caius was disappointed would be an understatement. He had quite enjoyed deploying Aro's childish punishment in the guard hall and was hoping for a little more practice on Demetri at least, though he was happy to take Afton to task too.

"I have nothing left for them to do." He replied dejectedly.

Oh Caius, you are so transparent, Aro mocked in his thoughts.

"Afton go to your post. Demetri, you can come with me to our quarters."

Demetri's dead heart sank and he dropped his head to the floor. Afton didn't hang around, he bowed to the masters and slapped Demetri's back good-naturedly before fleeing from the great hall.

"I will leave you to monitor Antonio and Felix, brother. I have some things to take care of."

Caius nodded, hoping the cleaning crew would fuck up again before the night was through, and he went to seek them out.

"Have I done something wrong?" Demetri asked Aro in a very small voice.

Aro simply smiled, "You have done your duty well, Demetri, AFTER Caius had to bring you to task in the grounds." Aro watched as his son's face fell further, expecting a physical rebuke no doubt. "Calm yourself, son. I have no intention of punishing you for that, but I do have much to do in our quarters and you can help me there. Come." The father son duo flashed from the throne room back to their private chambers.

Demetri was less than impressed when Aro told him he would be sharing with Alec from now on. Alec was equally pissed off, though he was further incensed at being the one to be evicted from his own room.

"Why can't Demetri move into my room?" Alec complained loudly to Aro, who had long since abandoned his youngest sons and was sitting with Jane by the fire in the main room.

Demetri chimed in, "Why should I have to move into your fucking room!"

The two began snarling at each other and soon the telling sounds of a fight broke out. Jane looked up from her book in time to see Aro knocking back his wine and mouthing 'for fuck sake' into the air as he went to divide the two. She giggled to herself hearing the smacks her father delivered to her two brothers.

"The reason you, Alec, are moving into Demetri's room, and not the other way around, is because Jane is the only one of you four not to have fucked up recently!" Aro told him firmly.

"What have I done?" Alec questioned, genuinely, through his snivels over the harsh smack he had received from Aro.

"Marcus had to spank you this afternoon for your vile language in his quarters, or had you forgotten that?" Aro told his youngest dangerously.

Alec's eyes widened for a moment, he'd forgotten Aro knew that. Truthfully, Marcus often had cause to discipline Alec in his chambers but Aro was so rarely informed of the fact that he usually got away with receiving any further chastisement.

"Oh, yeah, that." He replied dejectedly.

"Finish getting your things swapped over and the two of you can go to bed." Aro announced, resulting in more disagreement from them both.

Aro listened to their complaints for a moment, trying to quell the rage that bubbled up inside over their blatant disrespect. They didn't stop complaining to him, and they soon started arguing between themselves again.

"Ahhhhhh!" Aro roared in rage and he started flashing between his childrens' bed chambers - back and forth with the belongings of one then the other until Alec's things were all in Demetri's room and Felix's things in Jane's.

Demetri and Alec stood statuestill as their father blurred past them, one way and then the other. Once he had finished, he took hold of Alec by his wrist and pulled him sharply into his new room. He landed a flurry of punishing swots to his behind before releasing him.

"Bed!" he ordered simply.

Alec obliged whilst crying over his punishment.

"DEMETRI!" Aro bellowed, and was quickly rewarded with the boy appearing in the doorway. Flashing to him and taking a fist full of his hair, Aro dragged him uncomfortably to his bed and flung him over it.

"When I tell you to do something, I expect it to be done." He told his boy before releasing a series of smacks to the back of his legs resulting in shrieks from Demetri.

"I care not if you sleep, but if there is a sound from this room I will come back and belt you properly, understood?" Aro didn't wait for a response, he simply slammed the door behind him as he left and went back to Jane. She was sensible, she kept her mouth shut.

It wasn't long before Sulpicia returned with Eleazar and Carmen. Aro was happy to see his brother, he needed someone to talk to about his children. If Basileus wasn't around, Eleazar would have to do.

Over a glass of bloodwine, Aro explained his predicament to the small group. Jane was still reading her book, Aro had yet to send her away and there was no way she was going unless she had to - this all sounded far too juicy to miss out on! As Jane's interest turned away from her book and to Aro, Eleazar nodded toward the girl. Aro was already buzzing from the opium-alcohol mix he'd been drinking since his return to his quarters and waved away his brother's concern. Allowing Jane to stay to hear just how bad her biggest brother had been.

"So what am I to do?" Aro implored his family for answers to his predicament.

"Aro you cannot punish Felix again tonight, not after last night and today with Caius. It's too much, Aro!" Carmen said, appalled at the very idea.

Sulpicia agreed, adding sadly, "My poor boy must be in so much pain."

Eleazar and Aro scoffed simultaneously.

"Poor boy, indeed!" Aro spat.

"Regardless of what Felix has already been through, Aro cannot go on offering empty threats to these young vampires. Their behaviour is erratic because Aro's managing of them is so. If he says something, he needs to stick to it. Honestly Aro, how you expect your children to do as you bid when you so frequently renegade on your propositions is entirely beyond me!"

Eleazar finished his stern 'talking to' by taking the glass from his brother's hand, "And this," he said as he held up the goblet, "is certainly not helping, brother!"

Aro felt well and truly chastised, and wished now he had sent Jane from the room. Sulpicia and Carmen grinned to each other.

"Thank you, El, I get the point!" Aro responded with a huff as he tried to retake his glass.

"No, Aro." Eleazar refused to return his brother's bloodwine, "Felix will be home soon for you to deal with and you are drunk enough already."

He was softer this time, but Aro thought Eleazar was giving a near perfect rendition of their father right now.

"I should belt him, again?" Aro asked finally, hoping Eleazar would disagree. He wasn't generally one to call for harsh punishment.

"Yes, you must ... because you told him you would. But for god sake, Aro, THINK before you issue these threats in the future!" Eleazar knocked back his own goblet and his brother's, too, before suggesting he and Carmen should take their leave.

Once he was sure his brother was gone, Aro asked Sulpicia to fetch him a fresh goblet of bloodwine.

"But Eleazar said ... "

"Are you mated with Eleazar?" Aro asked.

"No, my love." Sulpicia replied.

"Then fetch me another glass!" Aro instructed, forcefully. Before Sulpicia could refill the cup, Caius arrived with Felix. As soon as Felix walked through the door, Aro immediately spotted the swollen eye and bruised cheek. He was limping, but that could have been from the chastisement he'd taken over the last day or so.

"Aro, you can keep him!" Caius said as he thrust Felix into the room.

Without waiting for a reply, Caius stormed out and slammed the door behind him. Aro looked his boy up and down, "What happened?" he demanded, not bothering to hide his annoyance with his usual sing song voice.

"Antonio and I were fighting." Felix replied quietly.

Sulpicia sighed deeply, knowing her son had just sealed his own fate.

Aro glared at him dangerously, "Come with me," he told his son darkly as he left his seat.

Felix obliged.

"In." Aro ordered as he reached Jane's door.

"Oh you haven't?" Felix dove into the room, searching for Alec's things ... they were his own. Felix looked ready to blow up at Aro, but on spinning around to face his father Aro was already rolling his sleeves up. Common sense finally took over.

"You aren't really going to punish me again, are you? I can't take anymore. Dad, please!"

Aro slid the belt from around his waist, ignoring his son's pleas. "Truthfully Felix, I can't take much more either." he told his boy, sadness dripping though his tone. Flipping his belt over in his hand and thinking on Eleazar's words, Aro knew he had to bring an end to his son's constant insolence. "But here we are, again." He added darkly, as he closed the door.

And, with a heavy heart he punished his errant boy.