AN: I answered a review about Carlisle's Latin... and thought I should post it up in case anyone else was wondering along the same lines. I should also say, medieval literacy is (part of) my area of research so...

It has already been hinted at that Carlisle has had a poor education, (quite early chapters with his brothers taking the piss about him only having ready the bible) but it will be covered more as we go on. Growing up as the son of a small village pastor, Carlisle wouldn't have had a true clerical education… indeed, it wasn't in the pastors best interest to educate his son at all and we will see how stifled Carlisle had been in his human life as we go on. Its quite pivotal in the coming chapters. Carlisle was 23 and still at home serving his father - he would have been long gone if he'd been destined for the church, proper. And though the well rehearsed sermons were delivered in Latin, generally, the majority of the church service would have been given in the vernacular. (had been since 1215, IV Lat). Under the circumstances, Carlisle would likely have learned Latin sections of the bible by rote, and would likely have been able to read basic texts in both English and Latin… as would around 40% of the population at the time. But Latin was not a conversational language, particularly not for the likes of small parish folk. His real learning in any useful capacity will be taking place at Volterra with access to the huge variety and quality texts and in the castle libraries under instruction of learned men, like Marcus. Carlisle has already been lapping up educational pursuits with his book borrowing and the like… but he has only been a vampire for three years and these things take time, especially as he has taken a year out playing doctor and Marcus is now away.

Anyhoo... back to Volterra :)

THE AFTER PARTY

The entire Volturi family were gathered in Basileus' main living chamber. Carmen and Eleazar took the window seat, Aro and Sulpicia on one sofa and Basileus and Atia on the opposite one. The twins sat near the fire, playing chess, whilst Carlisle and Felix were whispering to each other privately at the meeting table to the far side of the room.

Demetri had settled in on the wolf fur rug near his mother, who played aimlessly with his bronze, shaggy hair. He should have felt relaxed; he usually would have been in such company, but instead he waited with baited breath for someone to mention his use of Basileus' bed chamber with Lucy and Adrianna. The adults were discussing the minutiae of coven activities that Basileus had missed over the last year whilst also trying to offer Atia a rundown of Volturi life, but Demetri still felt stressed to high heavens in case someone mentioned his little mistake.

"Now?" Felix whispered to Carlisle.

Carlisle smiled. "Yeah, if you want to," he replied, also whispering so as not to alert anyone else to their plans.

Felix nodded. It's just the guard hall, no reason Aro shouldn't let me go, he reasoned.

The pair rose from the table silently and headed quickly to the door.

Though engrossed in conversation, Aro caught them. "Where are you going?" he asked, raising his voice just enough for all other conversation to immediately cease.

Sighing deeply at being questioned by his brother, Carlisle replied for the two of them. "To the guard hall."

Basileus raised his eyebrows to his youngest and gestured to Atia with his eyes. It was clear he didn't approve of Carlisle leaving on Atia's first night in the castle but Carlisle pushed on anyway.

"What?" he questioned, dripping with the sullen attitude he had brought home from England. Seeing Basileus narrow his eyes to his tone, he continued with less abrasion, "I haven't seen anyone in over a year ... I just want to go and catch up, that's all."

Basileus rolled his eyes and huffed in annoyance.

"And you?" Aro directed to Felix.

"Well, I thought I'd go with Carlisle," his boy replied, shyly.

"Oh you did? Have you seen the time?" Aro shot back, clearly as annoyed as his father was.

Please don't embarrass me, Aro. Not now, please. I'm not going to fuck up. Felix knew Aro couldn't hear his thoughts, but he pleaded in them anyway. "Come on, it's like 9, I'll only be a few hours. It's not like I'm leaving the grounds or anything," he responded, sounding more whiney brat than prince of the castle as he'd intended.

Sulpicia could see her boy struggling and she was impressed that he'd remained calm. Carlisle is showing more sass than Felix, she thought. "Let him go Aro, so long as Carlisle doesn't mind," she prompted as she stroked her husband's arm gently.

"I asked him to come." Carlisle offered with a smile to his sister-in-law. Both Felix and Carlisle were grateful for Sulpicia's intervention before things got out of hand.

Aro relented. "I want you back here by midnight, Felix," he said pointedly to his son. Felix readily agreed with a vigorous nod.

Basileus walked over to Carlisle. "You will BOTH be back here by midnight," he said as he eyed the pair, daring either of them to disagree.

Carlisle did. "What! ME?! Since when do I need a curfew?!" he spluttered, feeling the very idea was positively audacious!

"Just leave it, Carlisle, come on," Felix pleaded, pulling on his uncle's arm. We're so close, don't fuck it up now! he thought.

"Do you want to go to the guard hall?" Basileus sang out his question.

"Yes." Carlisle replied, sullenly.

"Then you will be back here by midnight." Basileus returned.

Carlisle knew he should have backed down but he was so damn pissed off with being belittled by his family.

"Miserable Cu ... " he began to ground out.

Thankfully, he didn't finish his final word - a combined effort of Felix pulling him to leave, Basileus shoving him in the chest, and the rest of the room gasping audibly cut Carlisle off. For a moment, no one spoke. Most in the living chamber were expecting Basileus to take Carlisle in hand there and then. Basileus could hear their thoughts. He didn't want to do that though; he knew it would just further fuel Carlisle's quarry against him.

Deciding against creating a scene on what should be a happy occasion, Basileus knew he still had to get this situation under control. "You will be back by midnight and you will both be sober. I dare you to push me further." Basileus threatened with a hand clasped on his belt buckle.

The gesture was not wasted on Carlisle. He shut his mouth, slightly surprised he was so stupid as to try and call his father a cunt in front of an audience in the first place.

"Come on." Felix pleaded, seeing Carlisle was finally subdued.

"I will come and find you if you are late, boys." Basileus said as a parting shot as he turned his back on Carlisle and re-joined Atia.

"Boys?!" Carlisle questioned, both annoyed and embarrassed.

"Come on!" Felix responded, a little more forcefully, as he dragged his uncle into the stairwell and closed the door behind him.

"And why aren't you whining to attend?" Aro asked Demetri, flicking his hair to get his attention.

Demetri's eyes widened as he shot his head to the floor. Fuck, I never told them about Magnus banning me from the guard hall ... but Magnus hasn't told them either, perhaps I will get away with it?

"No reason," he lied, badly.

"With you there is always a reason." Sully joined in teasing her boy, although as she always thought the best of her children, she did believe Demetri just didn't want to go.

"What's her name?" Carmen asked, suggestively.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Demetri shot back with a scowl. Please leave it, please, he thought.

"He's up to something, Aro." Basileus crooned whilst staring down the boy. He was still holding on to his knowledge of Demetri's shenanigans in his bed chamber, waiting to see if the lad would own up when he had the chance.

"Without a doubt," Aro agreed. "I'll ask Magnus tomorrow on our run down."

No! Demetri screamed inside his head. Oh bollocks! The look on his face gave away his clear guilt and Basileus couldn't help but laugh.

"How is Magnus working out?" Basileus asked generally, his mind on Carlisle and Felix.

"Amazingly." Aro replied. "He has the guard hall running in perfect order and he's even taken over the rota, too. I should have elevated Magnus and Freyr years ago." The others offered their agreement.

"And Caius is okay with all of this I assume?"

"Magnus is just as bad as Caius!" Demetri commented quietly.

Aro extended his arm across his wife's lap and laid a hand gently on his disgruntled son's head. "Damn it!" he exclaimed. His gift didn't work with Atia in attendance.

"I am sorry, Aro. I can relax my gift so you can use yours, if that would help?" Atia offered, seeing what Aro was trying to do.

"That won't help at all!" Demetri exclaimed as he shuffled away from his parents to join the twins by the fire.

Aro shook his head. "I'll get you whilst you sleep!" he said menacingly.

Demetri looked horrified, though the horror turned to indignant embarrassment with everyone else laughing at Aro's threat.

"Caius is happy that he doesn't have to lower himself to deal with the guards anymore." Aro finally replied to his father. "Other than to fu ... other than the bits he likes." Aro corrected himself before Basileus' thunderous glare turned any more severe.

"Nice save." Eleazar commented quietly.

"Always learning." Basileus added pointedly to his son. Thankfully for Aro, Atia seemed to find their whole exchange vaguely amusing.

"You know, as spacious as your chambers are, I think we are going to have to make more use of the library for our big family meet ups." Eleazar told his father as he moved to sit on the floor to stretch out. Carmen quickly swung her legs into her husband's vacated seat.

"That's a good idea, El. By the way, speaking of space ... you need to move Carlisle's things into your spare room." Basileus remarked as he sipped his bloodwine.

"What! Oh, come on!" Eleazar sat upright, shaking his head and hoping his father was joking.

"You heard me." Basileus confirmed sternly.

He is serious, Eleazar thought, thoroughly pissed off.

"There really is no need, my dear." Atia attempted to intervene.

"Yes, there is," Basileus replied easily, much to Eleazar's disgust.

Getting to his feet, Eliezer decided this news required another goblet of bloodwine. "Shut up, Aro," he said as he swotted the back of his brother's head when he walked past. Not that it subdued Aro's snickering.

"You can help him top everyone up, Aro." Basileus said, offering Aro his goblet.

Aro rolled his eyes but did as he was bid.

"You spend all your time together anyway, El." Basileus proffered, thinking the new living arrangements would hardly make a difference to Eleazar and Carmen.

"I'm usually babysitting for YOU!" Eleazar responded indignantly.

Basileus sighed. "I think we should talk about this later, son."

If Eleazar noticed the warning in his father's tone, he ignored it and carried on. "He could share with Felix and Demetri?" Eleazar offered. Thinking that would be far preferable to having his newly volatile brother invading his own suite.

"Are you offering to take Felix and Demetri also, El?" Sully interjected cheekily.

Carmen couldn't contain her laughter seeing Eleazar's shocked expression at being mocked by sweet Sulpicia of all people.

"Are you crazy?" Aro, too, replied to his brother's comment. "There are six people in my chambers already and you are going to Greece for the next few months, anyway!"

Eleazar huffed again. "We aren't going to Greece anymore, actually!" he shot back to Aro. "And what about when we, well, you know!" he whispered to his father.

"Carlisle's a big boy, El. I think he will survive. Now leave it, we will talk later." Basileus replied as he took his refilled goblet.

"I am not having him living in my apartment, Dad." Okay, I sound like a whinging brat now! Eleazar berated himself for not having a better argument – or any argument.

"I wasn't asking you, son," his father replied resolutely. Not that it helped. Basileus looked his son up and down ... Eleazar was ready to blow. It didn't happen often, and Basileus would rather it didn't happen on Atia's first day in the coven. "Do you really want to do this here ... now?" he asked his eldest boy with eyebrows raised so high it was almost comical.

Please blow now! Go on, El! Aro thought loudly.

"Shut up, Aro!" Basileus warned harshly, hearing his boy's gleeful thoughts over his big brother's potential downfall.

Seeing he was getting nowhere with Eleazar, he turned to his son's mate. He could hear in her thoughts that she didn't have any objections.

"Carmen do you mind?"

"Not at all," Carmen replied genuinely, receiving a scoff from her husband in return. "Sorry my love, but I think your father and Atia should have some space to settle into new family dynamics. And Carlisle, all of us, will need some time to settle, too. It makes sense for your brother to move in with us."

Eleazar retook his seat on the floor and scowled into his cup which appeared to be emptying far too quickly for his liking. "How come we get stuck with him just as he seems to be entering a second newborn phase or something!"

Basileus bristled to his son's comment, but before he could react Atia laid a hand on his leg and agreed with Eleazar. "Carlisle is rather agitated, my dear." She hadn't said as much to Basileus yet, but she was surprised by his youngest son's demeanour. Not at all as described, she thought.

"He's pushing at the boundaries, that all." Basileus explained to her, hoping to allay any fears of having to deal with an overgrown toddler for the rest of eternity.

"Yes, and dragging my son along with him." Aro added, still annoyed that he was being forced to let the whole charade play out. "You have only been home a few days and my life has turned upside down again!" he continued.

"When I returned we talked at length about 'poor Aro'. I see no reason to revisit the conversation, son." Basileus stated, effectively halting any further complaints from his middle boy.

Eleazar and Carmen didn't stay long after his father's announcement to move Carlisle into their quarters. He decided to make the most of his last night alone with his mate and the two of them left after only one more glass of bloodwine.

Basileus was a little disappointed with his eldest son. Eleazar is usually so steadfast and reliable, he always sees sense! He's acting like a brat over this, he thought.

Aro left shortly after his brother, taking his family with him. "If Felix isn't home by midnight, come and fetch me." Basileus told his son before bidding them goodnight.

"So, this is what I have signed up to?" Atia asked as her husband closed the door to their chambers.

For a moment Basileus could have sworn his heart started beating with nerves. Nervousness wasn't a usual feeling for Basileus, he could count on one hand the amount of times he had felt anxious in his whole existence. Swallowing hard, he turned to face his new mate, desperately trying to quash the rising apprehension he felt.

"My dear, just teething problems, that is all. Everything will settle soon enough."

Atia pated the seat beside her, which Basileus readily filled. "I didn't expect for our joining to be simple, Basileus. I also didn't come into this blind - I knew you had a family."

Basileus laughed, he wasn't entirely sure if it was in relief or disbelief. "I am a little perturbed by their reactions, my dear. Even if you are not. I expected better from them all, in all honesty."

Atia curled into his embrace. "They seem an interesting bunch, and altogether loveable, my dear. Their reactions are nothing untoward, and certainly not off-putting. You worry too much."

Basileus kissed her soft, chestnut curls, feeling truly blessed to finally have his mate with him in his home. He couldn't agree with her though. "Carlisle is spiraling into an explosive nightmare." Basileus sighed as he played with a ringlet of hair, "I can see him causing us strife before everything eventual settles."

"You know this?" she asked, understanding that one of Basileus' many gifts was to have a 'sense' of the future.

"Naturally, I cannot know for sure, but it is what I 'feel'," he confessed, again concerned this would put Atia off remaining in Volterra.

She squeezed his hand gently. "Then we shall weather the storm together, my dear."

How I wish I could read your mind to know what you truly feel about my family. Basileus had thought of a way to possibly circumvent Atia's mental block. It was underhand, particularly as he had no intention of sharing his plans with his mate, but he needed to have the upper hand in all his relationships. Whether they were business or personal, vampire or human, he always held the last card, romantic relationships were no different.

"I, for one, am just glad there will be no more cloak and dagger theatrics to enable us to spend time together," he told her as he led his mate to their bedchamber.

Time to see what you think, my dear.