AN: Jump forward three months and back to Volterra we go...
1665, MARCH- NEWS
"Do you know where our young ones are?" Sulpicia asked Aro as she lay exhausted in his arms.
"No, nor do I care." Aro replied, playfully, as he pulled her in closer, feeling so relaxed that he wondered if he could actually fall asleep.
It took a lot for Aro to relax in this way, and Sulpicia had put a halt on his favoured method. I can't see why we shouldn't fuck like this when the children are in the quarters, it never mattered before, why does it matter now!
"I know what you are thinking, my love."
Aro looked down to see his wife as she spoke. "And what would that be, my queen?" he asked with a smirk, hoping she was ready to go again!
"You are wondering why we can't do this more often." she crooned as she played with the hairs on his chest.
He was a little surprised. "And, you tell me you have no gifts!" Aro replied as he tried to move on top of her.
Sully pushed him back down. "You do understand though, don't you?" Sulpicia wanted to know they were on the same page.
"No! I don't understand. You enjoy it, I enjoy it, we have fucked this way for thousands of years! I don't understand what has changed?" Aro could feel the frustration building up inside him again, he didn't want to feel frustrated right now, he wanted to enjoy being relaxed for a while!
"Aro, my love," Sulpicia stroked at his chest, willing him to calm down, "I don't feel it is appropriate for the children to hear what we do in here. I couldn't enjoy it if they were listening next door."
Aro had a response ready for that.
"But they have been listening next door for hundreds of years, Sully. Why do you care if they hear us now?" Drawing her up his body, he kissed her deeply and as he pulled away he added cheekily, "Any damage to their fragile young minds has already been done."
As Aro leaned in to kiss her again, Sully put her hand to his mouth and gently pushed him away. "Aro, that thought makes my heart stop!"
"Your heart stopped a long time ago, my queen." Aro was trying to keep things light, but he knew a serious conversation was coming. Why now, why can't we just make the most of the children being out and enjoy each other for a while longer? he thought petulantly.
"It was different before, Aro. They were our guard, and they are now our children. It feels different to me. Besides," Sulpicia wasn't sure she should voice her thoughts, but she hoped it would help Aro understand her reasons for keeping their 'fucking' to empty quarters, "with the noises coming out of this room, our children would think you were forcing me to submit again and I don't want Jane setting you on fire in my defence!"
Yup, that'll do it, he thought as he felt his erection subside. Aro fell back onto the bed, braking his hold on his wife as he did so. He looked away from his queen in regret, but he couldn't deny that she had a point. If Felix had heard my roaring these last few hours I have no doubt he would have burst through that door to defend his mother. The other three may have been a little more reticent ... but Felix, the bull-headed fool, he would have intervened. Mother. That still feels odd. It doesn't to Sully, though. It's the most natural thing in the world for her. If mothering them makes her happy, then who am I to stand in her way?
"I understand, my queen. I may have to find us a regular babysitter, though!" Aro smiled as he spoke and watched his dear wife melt into his chest as she lay her head back down.
"I am sure between Marcus and your brothers we will have plenty of opportunities to reconnect, my love." Sully promised as she tugged on his chest hair again, far sharper this time and Aro growled happily.
He threw Sulpicia onto her back and straddled her flawless body, kissing her greedily and readying himself for another round but a loud banging on the tower door interrupted them.
"Are you going to see who it is?" Sulpicia pulled away from their embrace.
"No!" he growled, he knew time was short and he wasn't wasting it on visitors. The loud knocking again.
"My love, it may be the children ... go and check." Sulpicia shoved him from on top of her.
Aro narrowed his eyes and ripped the bed sheet away from his wife. "If it is, I will be throwing them in an orphanage!"
Sulpicia threw her pillow at him as he wrapped the bed sheet in half and around his waist.
Opening the door to the tower stair well, Aro was pleased to see it wasn't his miniature beasts of burden.
"Magnus!" he exclaimed.
"My lord." Magnus replied with a smirk, looking Aro up and down. "I apologise for disturbing you."
Few of the guards could get away with such informality but Magnus was more like an old friend than a guard to Aro and he couldn't help his giggles at the master's state of undress.
"A letter has arrived for you." Magnus handed over what looked like a hefty pack of correspondence.
"My father, I expect." Aro said as he took the package.
"I believe so, my lord. A good number of barrels have arrived with it. Where should we put them?"
Aro's interest was piqued, "What colour bands do they have?"
He was hoping there were some gold ones again.
That opium mix is just what I need!
"All black bands, my lord." Magnus knew what Aro was after.
Aro was a little annoyed.
I'm going to have to find out how Basileus is making these blood batches up so I can start my own supply. "Have them brought to my father's quarters. I will meet you down there and unlock the doors."
Magnus smirked again and gestured to the sheet covering Aro's lower regions. "Are you sure you want to do this now, my lord?"
Before Aro could answer, he heard the sounds of his children's bickering filling the tower stairwell. With a sigh he replied, "I think I have had as much fun as I am allowed, my friend."
As the four young guards came into view Aro secured his bed sheet and leaned into the doorway to allow them to pass. Jane and Alec looked away, a little embarrassed by Aro's lack of clothing, and limped passed their father.
"What's happened to you two?" he asked them without receiving an answer as the twins headed straight for their room. "Why are you back so soon?" Aro asked his children, irritated by Jane and Alec ignoring him.
Felix and Demetri wiggled their eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh, sorry. Have we disturbed you?" Felix asked in 'oh so fake innocence'.
"And you call me a Lothario!" Demetri joined in.
Magnus couldn't contain his laughter as Aro clipped them around the ear.
"I am mated and these are my quarters, you cheeky brats!" he told them as he pushed them into the living room. "Go and find something to do."
They laughed, but all of them disappeared to their own rooms.
"I will fetch the barrels, my lord." Magnus said as he flashed from the door. His chortling could be heard until he'd left the tower.
Smiling to himself, Aro closed the door and returned to his wife.
Damn it. She's already dressed, he thought.
"Help me clean up in here!" she ordered, panicked that their young ones would see the array of objects involved in their fuck fest.
Aro chuckled and closed the door behind him as he scooped up some leather cuffs.
"Aro! Will you hurry up!" Sully called out as she retrieved their scattered clothing from around the room.
"They are in their rooms, my queen. Don't worry." Aro replied as he casually collected a whip and silk blindfold from the floor.
"Sully, can I come in?"
Aro and Sulpicia froze and looked to the door.
"Erm ... not just yet, Alec." Sulpicia called out as Aro burst into laughter.
"What's going on? I need to talk with you. Sully?" Alec called out again.
Hearing the desperation in her young son's voice, Sulpicia fixed her dress and secured the fastenings at her bust before flashing to her husband.
"My love, if this room isn't cleared by the time I come back, I will be burning all these whips and cuffs and you can find another way to relieve your tension!"
She sang out her words so softly that Aro had to double check what she said.
"I mean it, my love," she said as she pinched his nipple and twisted it painfully.
Aro liked that, though. "Okay, okay!" Aro put up his hands in surrender. "I'll sort it!"
Sulpicia eyed him for a moment, making sure he really would, then she slipped out the door to Alec who was desperately looking around her to see what was going on in his parent's bed chamber.
Aro looked around the room. Even though Sulpicia had already piled up their clothes, the room was still strewn with random shreds of torn bed sheets. He gathered the bedding together and dumped it with their ruined clothes and moved to refilling their 'toy box' under the bed. It didn't take long to have their room returned to a respectable state.
Rather than redressing, Aro went to the bathroom to clean up. The young guards had all joined Sulpicia in the living room.
"You know Aro, togas fell out of fashion centuries ago!" Felix commented as Aro passed them in his bed sheet.
"And what a sad day that was!" Aro replied as he left them.
"He's so old!" Demetri added as he and Felix started laughing again.
"Hey! I'm not much younger than your father!" Sulpicia said with her hands on her hips, daring them to call her old."
Felix stood up and lifted her easily in his strong arms. "You can carry it off, my lady!" he said as he spun her around, delighting in her giggles.
It was a far more sombre scene Aro returned to after washing.
"What's wrong? I was only gone for a moment!"
Sulpicia looked pissed off. "You need to talk to Caius." she said frostily.
"And what should this talk consist of?" Aro pressed, thoroughly checking over his young ones with his eyes for any sign of harm.
"It doesn't matter ... I don't want to cause a fuss." Alec expressed dejectedly.
Aro went to sit with his youngest. "It does matter." he said, gently, as he took the boy's hand. What have you been up to now,Caius, Aro thought, as he started fishing through Alec's memories.
Nothing. No Caius.
"You haven't even seen Caius today." Aro was stumped.
Alec looked ready to cry.
"It wasn't Caius - it was his evil bitch wife!" Jane jumped in, looking thunderous.
Aro raised his eyebrow to Jane's vulgar language. She knew what he was making reference to, but right now she didn't care.
"Well she is!" Jane defended her word choice.
"I agree." Sulpicia said.
Aro looked at the ladies in his life. "No one would ever guess she wasn't yours by birth, my queen!"
Both Sulpicia's and Jane's expressions softened hearing that. Yes, Aro knew his ladies.
Going back to Alec's thoughts, Aro searched for interactions with Athenodora. It didn't take long. Aro watched as Athenodora bumped into Jane and Alec in the north tower stairwell; they had been visiting Marcus and she was on her way up to see him herself.
So you rant at my children and push them down the fucking stairs! Aro was shocked watching his miniature deadly double act topple to the bottom of the north tower. Seeing Athenodora's face through Alec's eyes, he could see she was shocked too. Quite disbelieving of your own stupidity you evil bitch, Aro thought. Marcus must have heard the commotion outside his door as he appeared next in Alec's memories. Ignoring Athenodora's protestations, Marcus went straight to the twins, smoothing out their clothes and tidying their hair. He told them to return to Aro and inform him of what had occurred.
"I will deal with this, don't worry - that evil bitch will be too scared to even look at you again!" Aro told Alec, who could see his father's eyes turning black with rage.
Though Athenodora had shoved them both down the stairs, Alec seemed far more upset than Jane - Jane's personality was much like Aro's; she didn't get upset, she got angry!
"You two," Aro pointed to Felix and Demetri, "go down to Basileus' chambers and wait for Magnus. He will be delivering barrels of bloodwine soon. Have them stacked along the walls."
The pair needed no more instruction. Felix flashed from the room feeling his own anger bubbling up inside him. Demetri threw a sympathetic look to the twins before he did the same.
"What are you going to do, Aro?" Sulpicia asked her brooding husband.
When Aro made eye contact she could see his onyx eyes. "Be careful, my love. Remember we must keep Caius on side." she added, pointedly.
She's right, fuck. I want to rip that bitch's head off, but Caius won't take me even talking with Athenodora without a fight.
"My love, if I may, I suggest you should let Caius deal with Athenodora ... make your displeasure known to him and allow him to take care of the rest."
Just hearing his sweet wife's voice was enough to help calm Aro. "You are right, my queen. I will talk with Caius." Aro stood and moved to Sully's side. Cupping her delicate face in his hands he whispered, "Thank you." before leaving their chambers.
Aro knew where Caius would be ... in his dungeon playroom. He wasn't aiming for Caius though, not yet. Instead he made his way to Marcus' suite, hoping to god that Athenodora wasn't still there. He knocked a little more forcefully than intended on his brother-in-law's door and Marcus answered the summons quickly.
"I thought you would visit me soon, brother. Come inside." Marcus droned in the melancholy tone that had become a permanent fixture since Didyme's demise.
"Is SHE here still?" Aro asked through gritted teeth.
Marcus smiled, knowing how 'she' was. "No, brother, I sent her away a good while ago." Marcus told him, much to Aro's relief.
Aro nodded curtly and entered the top floor chambers.
"I imagine you were hoping I could illuminate the altercation between the twins and Athenodora?" Marcus asked. "I am afraid I didn't hear much of what was said between them, though I am sure with a gift such as yours, you could have garnered that information for yourself already."
Aro nodded again. "There was hardly anything spoken by the twins, brother. Athenodora laid in to them for being in her way and for taking up your time. She told them they were the gutter rats of the Volturi!" Aro's voice betrayed his anger, getting louder and more forceful as he spoke. "The twins tutted at her and went to walk past, and that's when she pushed them down the fucking stairs! They weren't expecting such a vicious act, and, tangled up in each other, they fell to the bottom!" Aro had started pacing as he spoke, feeling the anger bubbling up inside him again, it was all he could do not to go down to the evil bitch's chambers and tear her throat out!
"Are they hurt, Aro?" Marcus asked, realising he had only very briefly checked them over before sending them back to their own tower.
"Just scrapes and bruising. But it's hardly the point!"
Marcus shook his head, "No, of course it isn't. I wanted to know they were well, that is all, brother."
Hearing Marcus excuse himself, Aro realised how aggressively he was coming across. "Forgive me, Marcus. You don't deserve my wrath." Aro quit his pacing and took a seat, having to move a pile of books in order to do so.
Marcus mimicked his movements and sat opposite his brother-in-law. "You must talk to Caius, Aro. Athenodora tried to excuse her behaviour to me, she said they goaded her."
Aro made to stand but Marcus raised his hand asking him to still, "Calm, brother. She's a terrible liar." He said with a slight smile. Caius will see through her lies, too and he is far too wary about his position in this coven to rock the boat with you. Turn Athenodora over to him and he will set things straight."
Aro nodded along, much as he had done when Sulpicia recommended the same thing.
"Are you bothered by the twins visiting you?" Aro asked him outright.
Marcus smiled, "I enjoy the company of all of your children very much Aro."
Aro's head shot up and he looked to Marcus fearfully, as though he had just uncovered a deadly secret.
"Worry not, brother. I have seen your bonds grow with those young guards ... Sulpicia's, too. You cannot hide such things from a gift like mine. Your secret is safe with me, Aro."
Aro stared ahead, still feeling the embers of panic alive in his stomach. If he'd had fed recently it would be on the floor by now.
"No one can know, Marcus. No one." Aro implored his brother with his eyes to understand just how grave this situation was.
"I know, brother. No one will find out from me. But to answer your original question, the twins visiting me is a pleasure. Teaching them, reading with them, learning with them - it's almost like I feel alive again."
Aro smiled softly, feeling his own heart break for the absolute loss Marcus had gone through losing Didyme. Aro of course felt her loss deeply, she was his beloved sister, but it didn't compare to the ordeal Marcus had been through.
"Thank you, brother. I will take your advice. Sully instructed me similarly." Aro told him as he made for the door.
"Clever woman you have there, Aro. Take care of her." Marcus responded, sounding as though he were slipping back into his depressive thoughts.
Aro nodded gently and went to seek out Caius.
Caius was exactly where Aro had predicted, in his dungeon playroom burning the fragments of bodies still hanging around from his last torture session.
"You know we have guards for cleaning, don't you." Aro called out as he entered through the panaled doorway.
Caius' head shot up. He had expected Aro to call on him. Athenodora had not long left. She'd run to her husband fearing for her life after what she had done to the twins.
"Brother, we need to talk!" Caius called out as he set aside the mop he was using to clear the flagstones of blood.
"Indeed we do, brother." Aro said in his sickly sweet tone. "Have you spoken to your wife?" Aro tried to keep his tone even, but he knew he'd spat out 'wife'.
Caius turned to Aro, "She has told me the twins goaded her into an altercation, so I expected you would want to talk to me, Aro."
Caius sounded so casual, you would be forgiven for thinking he hadn't realised the seriousness of the situation. He had of course. And he was livid with Athenodora for putting him in such a position in the first place.
"Oh no, no, no, brother, that is not what happened, not by a long shot! Your wife verbally attacked my chil ... guard, my high guard, when they left Marcus' chambers and then where they merely tutted in response to her vulgarity she pushed the two of them down the fucking stairs!" Aro was angry again. He started to stalk around Caius' room of pain.
Caius was shocked. Athenodora hadn't told him that, not even close. He knew Aro was telling the truth - Aro's anger rarely reared it's head in public so if he was this pissed off in front of Caius he had to be telling the truth, Caius reasoned.
"You know this for certain I assume, brother?" Caius asked in trepidation.
Aro looked ready to blow and Caius really didn't want to deal with that right now. Aro stopped dead in his tracks.
"Yes I know for sure, I read it in Alec's thoughts and I have just left Marcus who partly witnessed it. She pushed them down the stairs, Caius! I hope you appreciated that I have come to you and not sought Athenodora out myself? I expect you to rein her in and in the future she needs to stay the fuck away from my high guard!"
Caius was taken aback and could see from Aro's demeanour that if he had chosen to seek out Athenodora he would no longer have a mate! Though he bristled at being forced by Aro to take his wife in hand, he would do so, to keep the peace.
"I do appreciate it, brother. I will make things clear to her. And you have my apologies." Caius said respectfully, though the words stuck in his throat a little.
Caius went to re-take his mop but Aro flashed in front of him before he had chance. "Now Caius, now! And it is the twins who will need to be apologised to, not me."
Caius looked into Aro's black eyes, knowing only too well the danger that lurked behind them and decided today was not the day to butt against his coven mate. "Of course, Aro. If it pleases you."
Caius placed a placating hand on his brother-in-arms' shoulder as he spoke, eventually being rewarded seeing Aro soften his stance.
"I will come with you." Aro declared and started walking to the door.
Caius sighed in annoyance. For fuck sake, this is just what I need, he thought angrily, though most of his annoyance was directed at his wife.
Aro reached the chamber door before Caius, but stood back allowing him to enter first. Aro followed without waiting to be invited.
"Caius! Aro! What can I do for you?" Athenodora called over to the two furious coven masters as they entered her living room. Without word or warning Caius flashed in front of his mate and with a thunderous CRACK he knocked her to the floor with one slap.
Her lip bust open and she cowered from her position on the floor.
Aro stood back, arms folded across his chest and glared at the pitiful wretch now being dragged across the floor.
Caiu pulled his mate to the chaise lounge by her hair and flung her into the seat.
"Aro says the twins didn't goad you, you started on them. And then you shoved the two of them down the stairs!"
Caius roared at Athenodora with such rage that Aro actually felt slightly guilty.
"No Caius! They disrespected me ... I had to act!"
CRACK! Caius slapped her again, this time his mate slumped into the chair, dizzy from the blow.
Caius looked to Aro, waiting for confirmation or otherwise for his mate's remark.
"They tutted to her verbal onslaught, nothing more." Aro told his brother seriously.
Caius raised his eyes to the heavens. "You have brought shame to our door for a tut! Good god woman, what were you thinking?" Caius thundered to his mate who cowered again in response.
"I will leave you to deal with this, brother." Aro said quietly as he excused himself, hearing another deafening blow before he closed the door behind him.
Wanting to check on his young ones again, Aro flashed back to his own guards were still bringing barrels into Basileus' suite under Magnus' guidance.
"Are there many more?" Aro asked in surprise.
Taking a peek inside his father's quarters he could count at least 20 of the oversized barrels already - they filled the room!
"Just these two, my lord. Should we take one to your quarters? And perhaps one for your brother?" Magnus asked politely.
Aro smiled. "That is a wonderful idea, my friend. Take them up." Aro wandered into Basileus' chambers, seeking out Felix and Demetri.
Seeing his father enter the room, Felix shot to his feet. "I didn't think you would back so soon!" he said, guiltily.
Aro scanned the barrels. None appeared to have been tampered with. "Clearly not, whatever hair brained scheme you two had come up with for this bloodwine, you can forget it now!" Aro told his boy, seriously.
Felix laughed nervously but didn't speak.
"And where is that brother of yours? I believe I sent you both down here, did I not?"
Felix laughed again ... more nerves.
"Where is he, Felix?" Aro stopped wandering around the room and came to a dead stop in front of his eldest son. It was then that he heard giggling coming from his father's bed chamber.
"That's not Demetri, that's a girl ... oh, for fuck sake!" Aro threw his hands up in annoyance and burst through Basileus' bed chamber door. He was greeted with the sight of Demetri and two female guards, Adrianna and Lucy, rolling around the grand four posted bed.
"Have you lost your god damn minds?" Aro roared to the three of them, who at least had the good grace to appear shame faced. Aro recognised the two young women. "Adrianna, yes? You are the one that was fighting over my little lothario at the victory celebrations! And you, you look familiar, I have caught you with him before!"
Both women stood searching the floor with their eyes whilst dressing at vampire speed.
"Come here." Aro beckoned Lucy forwards and roughly took her wrist once she was close enough. Aro saw Demetri fetch the pair from the guard hall and tell them that he had a free pass from Basileus to use his quarters for his conjugal visits. Aro was so surprised by the boy's boldness that he laughed.
"You two can go back to the guard hall, but I warn you not to fall for Demetri's lines in future - he has no permission to use these quarters, or any others for that matter. I expect Basileus will want to talk with you both when he returns from England."
That put the fear of god through the pair of them as they scuttled from the room in shame, passing a laughing Felix as they went.
Aro was still laughing at the sheer audacity of Demetri's boldness. Demetri felt awkward sitting on his grandfather's bed, half dressed, with his dad laughing to himself in front of him. So awkward, that he actually joined in the laughter. Bad move! Aro broke his chuckles and switched seamlessly to glaring at his little delinquent.
"Aro, please ... " Demetri stuttered into an apology but Aro held his hand up to silence the boy.
"I don't want to hear it. You can tell Basileus all about it when he returns."
Demetri paled. "No, no please!"
Scoffing, Aro walked to his boy and pulled him to his feet by one arm as Demetri's other arm tried to bundle up the remainder of his clothes.
"Oh yes, I expect he will want all the gory details before he decides your fate! Go to your room. NOW!" Aro delivered a rather stinging swot to his son's backside to send him on his way.
Following him out of the room, Aro was greeted by Felix laughing like a hyena at his brother's predicament.
"Why on earth didn't you stop him?" Aro asked his son in disbelief.
Felix broke his laughter in order to reply. "Why would I do that?"
"Erm, let me think. Because it was a damn stupid idea? Because he is your brother? Because it was obvious he would be caught out?" Aro was ready to continue his list of 'reasons why' but Felix interrupted him.
"Nah, the worse he looks the better I look by comparison - it's survival of the fittest in the vampire world!" He was so pleased with himself and stood there preening at his own ingenuity.
Aro shook his head hard, exhaling deeply in frustration, wondering why, after all the centuries that had passed, his eldest son still had yet to master common sense!
"You think this makes you look better than him? You are still on restriction, you are still banned from the guard hall, you are still sharing a room with Jane - none of this will be changing until you demonstrate the wherewithal of general common sense and maturity! Keeping your younger brother from acting so foolishly would have been a step in the right direction, son."
The smile fell from Felix's face as he puffed the air out of his cheeks, feeling a bit of a dork.
"Go back upstairs, I will lock up here." Aro told him gently.
Felix obliged, whilst sulking like a toddler feeling very sorry for himself.
"Do you know Demetri is walking around half naked?"
Magnus stuck his head inside Basileus' quarters as Felix vacated. Aro nodded and scrubbed a hand down his face tiredly. Magnus decided not enquire further.
"Do you need me for anything else, my lord?"
Aro patted the barrel closest to him. "Aro you free tonight? Not on guard or anything?" Aro asked him curiously.
"No my lord, Freyr and I will be relaxing in the guard hall all evening." Magnus replied respectfully.
"Wonderful. Take a barrel back to the hall with you, it has been some time since the last guard party - to my knowledge, at least." Aro smirked. He knew full well that the guards had regular smaller parties they liked to keep from the masters.
Magnus began to stumble through an explanation but Aro silenced him with a raised hand. "Not to worry my friend. I may stop by if I have chance." Aro said as he rolled the barrel towards the favoured guard.
"I hope you do master, we haven't shared a drink for quite some time!" Magnus sounded hopeful, he enjoyed Aro's company, truthfully most people did. Aro had a way to make people feel at ease and invigorated at the same time - being in his presence was like bathing in sunlight.
Magnus hoisted the barrel onto his shoulder. The sight would have been comical for a human, the barrel was almost as tall as the vampire carrying it and easily weighing four times his weight - it should have been impossible to move, though not for a vampire, naturally.
Aro returned to his own quarters after seeing Magnus out of the south tower.
"Well?" Sulpicia demanded as soon as he stepped into view from her seat by the fire.
"Well what, my queen?" Aro asked, annoyed by his wife's attitude.
"Athenodora! Have you sorted it? Will she be keeping away from my babies from now on? I swear if I see her anytime soon I will ... "
Aro jumped in, wanting to end Sulpicia's rant before it got away from her. "I have followed your advice, my queen and have let Caius deal with it. Safe to say, he has done so. I doubt Athenodora will be leaving her chambers for a good while, let alone seeking revenge on our twins." Aro took a seat next to his mate and pulled her hand free from her lap, planting a delicate kiss to each of her fingers.
"Why? What did he do?" Sulpicia was concerned now, Aro could hear her questioning thoughts wondering what Caius had done to her 'one-time friend'.
"You know Caius, my queen ... " Aro's voice trailed off as his wife snatched her hand back from his hold.
"What has he done to her, Aro?" Sulpicia fretted. "Has Caius hurt her?"
Aro chortled lightly under his breath as he looked into Sully's worried eyes. "Yes he hurt her, well, he has knocked her about a bit ... it's Caius!" Aro responded with a shrug, thinking it was obvious Caius would react violently and wondering why this seemed to be news to Sulpicia - they had been coven mates for thousands of years and they knew each other well enough.
"I should go and see her." Sulpicia stated as she made to leave.
"See her? Fuck her! That bitch threw our children down the stairs, Sully! You were baying for her blood a moment ago and now that retribution has been served you are concerned?" Aro's brow furrowed deeply as he tried to make sense of his wife's change in attitude.
"You don't understand, Aro, how could you? After all, it isn't often husbands are beaten by their wives, is it?!"
Sulpicia glared at Aro as she spoke. He felt the intent of her words and by god they stung. As he watched her leave their quarters, Aro's jaw hung slack, shocked by the force of his own emotions. Though Aro would never see that he had been Caius on a good many occasions through their marriage, it was clear to him that Sulpicia believed herself to have much in common with Athenodora.
"Aro," Felix called out as he entered the main room, shaking Aro from his thoughts. "I, erm, I heard you talking with Magnus after I left and well ... "
"You mean you hung around and listened in on my private conversation after you had been sent to your quarters!" Aro interrupted his boy with a harsh tone, the harshness not truly directed at Felix's - Sulpicia's words had hurt Aro, and when Aro was hurt, he deflected.
"No, no I went, I just heard on my way, that's all ... " Felix trailed off as Aro turned to look at him and he felt the oppressive glare of his father.
Aro sighed in annoyance at being outright lied to over something so trivial.
"What about my PRIVATE conversation has given you cause to seek me out now?!"
Felix almost chickened out of asking altogether, if he wasn't so desperate to get out of the tower for a few off-duty hours he would have!
"Can I come?" he asked quietly, "I won't cause any trouble, I promise."
Aro laughed as he turned to the fire, fixing his glare on the flames, "You really think I will take you to a guard party - which you are not allowed to attend, to drink, which you are not allowed to do, in the guard hall - from where you are banned ... really?" he asked incredulously, so ludicrous was the suggestion that he burst into a fit of giggles, much to Felix's ire.
"I don't see what's so funny!" Felix huffed in response.
"Really, oh really?!" Aro was on his feet and standing in front of his boy in a flash, all humour gone. "In the last 12 months you have broken coven rules, crossed vampire law, fought with other guards, defied your elders, been blatantly disrespectful and caused me nothing but grief!"
Aro stepped into his son's personal space and grabbed the front of his tunic, twisting it tightly in his fist, "You have been restricted to this tower for what? Three months?" Aro asked menacingly.
Felix nodded, trusting his voice would betray his fear. "And I am yet to see you make any effort to improve your behaviour!"
Okay, Felix wasn't having that!
"I haven't done anything wrong in months! This isn't fair!" He tried to take a step back to increase the space between the two of them but Aro held him fast.
"Fair? FAIR!"
Aro's eyes darkened and Felix felt a rush of panic fill his body; his options were flight or fight. It had been a long time since Aro had walloped Felix for his misdeeds and the idea of him doing so now made Felix feel queasy. In fact, the whole of his three-month restriction had been plain sailing in that regard. Felix hadn't fucked up once, really. Unless you counted the usual back chat and arguing with his siblings, which Felix most definitely didn't count.
"I have been good; I haven't put a step out of line! I've been a model guard and I've even put up with Caius busting my ass over nothing every chance he gets! What more do you want from me?" Felix, in usual Felix style, rushed through his defence before the fight in him up and left.
Aro considered his young guard's defence. "You really think you have behaved so wonderfully? Granted, nothing big has happened recently but that is because I have kept you from the opportunity, not because of any great personal effort from you! You defied me the first chance you had today!" Aro spat his explanation to Felix whilst trying to calm himself at the same time. I'm too wound up to deal with him right now, I can't take out my frustration on Felix, it isn't fair. "When?!" Felix asked in shocked response.
"You were all told to go to Marcus' this afternoon, where the hell were you and Demetri? The twins have been thrown down the stairs by that sadistic bitch - I dare say that wouldn't have happened if you had been there. WHERE YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE!"
Aro shoved Felix back as the rage inside him bubbled to the surface.
Fuck, I forgot about that ... I hoped he wouldn't find out, shit.
"Well? WHERE WERE YOU?" Aro raged into his boy's face, daring him to argue for his innocence again.
Felix knew Aro was ready to tear him a new one and, thankfully, backed down. The drama of the last few years had resulted in untenable pain for Felix as Aro sought retribution and correction. Felix was rather proud that he'd made it to three months without any more than a round of fucks from his father and there was no way he was going to ruin his pain free streak for something as simple as a drink in the guard hall!
"We went to Marcus' but we left before the twins did. You are right, Demetri and I could have prevented their pain ... I am sorry." Felix bowed his head respectfully as he spoke.
Aro wasn't fooled so easily though, he knew his boy was trying to evade punishment. Lucky for Felix, Aro had too much on his mind to bother pushing this any further right now.
"Go to your room and we will say no more on this."
Felix heaved a sigh of relief and flashed from the room before Aro had chance to change his mind.
Retaking his seat, Aro noticed the unopened letter from Basileus sat on the side table. Flicking the wax seal to break it, Aro opened his letter, hoping to discover his father would soon be home. He was to be disappointed. Aro couldn't quite believe what he read. Shaking his head as he mouthed the words to the empty room he stood, absentmindedly, and left his chambers to find Eleazar.
"Another fucking year!" Aro thrust the letter into his brother's chest as soon as he opened the door.
"Hello Aro!" Eleazar replied, unsure what 'another fucking year' actually meant.
"Our wonderful father has taken his new brat on a year-long jolly to fucking London!" Aro was pissed off and he wanted Eleazar to be pissed off too, misery likes company and all that.
"No, he wouldn't go for that long! He's never left for longer than a month or two, why a year?" Eleazar scanned the letter at vampire speed to find his answer as Aro flopped down into the window seat.
"It says the plague has hit London and devastated the population and Carlisle, our saintly little brother, is working as a physician for the doomed townspeople!" Aro sang out in disbelief.
"But why a year?!" Eleazar asked, equally surprised at the turn of events.
Aro shrugged and laughed humorously to himself. "Why not?" he said sarcastically.
Eleazar puffed out his cheeks as his brow furrowed in confusion. "This doesn't make any sense, he knows how fragile the leadership of this coven is, he knows we are still under threat from rogue covens and the damn Romanians - why a year?!"
"I don't fucking know!" Aro responded in misdirected anger.
"Okay, calm down!" Eleazar returned sternly. He wasn't taking shit from Aro because Basileus had fucked them both over.
Silence fell between the two as Eleazar re-read the letter a couple of times and Aro brooded over the extra stress this was going to bring him.
"I'm sorry, El ... it's just that Caius will use this news to be even more of a cunt than usual and keeping things on an even keel with him is hard enough as it is!"
Eleazar nodded along. That's true enough, he thought.
"Then we won't tell him, we'll keep this between us." Eleazar sounded steady but he was unnerved about effectively being the only one around to hold the semi-warring coven masters in place whilst his father was away.
Aro agreed with Eleazar, keeping the news from Caius was certainly the best approach to take.
"There's a guard party tonight, I think we should go together, brother. Keeping the guards on our side may be imperative for lasting the next twelve months!"
Eleazar liked the sound of that, he certainly felt like a stiff drink was in order.
As Aro left his brother's quarters, he questioned, "Shall we take the women?"
Eleazar was considering the options when Carmen called out from his bed chamber, "You don't have a choice, Aro!"
"That settles that then!" Eleazar shyly whispered to his brother.