AN: I do not own the twilight world, thanks SM for sharing.

I hope you are all enjoying the start to the new year :)

REGRETS?

Felix's shoulder slunk even lower, if that were possible. "Where are we going?" he asked quietly, wishing Magnus would remove his vice like hold on his neck.

"The library." Magnus told him, flexing his grip slightly.

Felix gasped. He had assumed they would be going to the tower. "Is everyone still in there?" He whined, praying for privacy to greet them.

As Magnus felt the lad's misery and then hope, he laughed to himself. "I believe so, young one."

No, no, no, no! I can't face that! No, he thought as he tried to break free of the master's grasp.

Magnus flipped him round and threw him against the wall.

"I don't think so Felix," he said as he took a handful of Aro's dress coat that Felix still wore. As he started to drag him along, he reminded Felix whose clothes he wore and what would happen if they tore in his attempt to flee.

That was enough to have Felix walk along very carefully with the Master of the Guards, so as not to cause the slightest of damage to Aro's coat.

Felix opened the doors to the library and after quickly checking that his entire family, except for his siblings, and oddly, Atia, were in attendance, he decided it was best to face the floor for as long as possible.

Magnus delivered a still thrashing Carlisle into the centre of the seating, right at the feet of his father and dumped him on the floor.

Felix traipsed over behind them and remained staring at the floor.

"Are you going to stand by and let him do that?" Carlisle asked his father in an audacious manner from his ground position.

CRACK! Basileus whipped the back of his hand across his boy's face.

CRACK! CRACK! Then the palm and the back of his hand again. Three slaps delivered with such force that Carlisle daren't move - not just from the floor, but from the rather crumpled position in which he'd been delivered. Although, in his pride battered state, he did mumble "Cunt!", resulting in Basileus slapping him again across his disrespectful mouth.

Sulpicia flashed to her son, checking him over for any sign of harm. Cupping a hand under his chin, she felt the tears streaming freely down his face. Bringing his face up to hers, she immediately released her hold and staggered backwards.

"Aro, his eyes!" she exclaimed. "You have red eyes." She was so disappointed with what she saw.

"You broke MY blood ban?!" Basileus half shouted, now thoroughly concerned with just how far the two of them had taken things, and by extension, just how much fault for the whole mess was at his own door.

Aro flashed to his son and dragged him to the fireside for better light, not that he really needed it with his vampiric vision. Aro's jaw set tight, nostrils flaring, growl rumbling low in his chest "Why are your eyes red?"

Felix flinched hearing how guttural his father's voice was ... not at all like Aro.

"Felix 'fucked the whore to death'," Atia announced, answering Aro's question as she appeared in the centre of the scene. "I am quoting," she added simply, whilst removing her cloak.

Sulpicia looked ready to die from shame and Felix and Carlisle weren't far behind the poor woman.

Eleazar had stayed silent so far. To say he was surprised by Felix's actions would be an understatement, but his anger was fully directed at his little brother. Seeing Aro ready to snap his nephew's neck, he wanted to help the boy and went to stand with him, in case he needed any protection.

"And you drank her blood?" Aro ground out, venom spewing with his words.

Felix's tears hadn't yet abated since he entered the library. "I didn't do it on purpose," he snivelled - a rather pathetic defence.

Aro took a deep breath, trying to steady his anger. He failed. "You. Are. A. Damn. Idiot!" Each word was punctuated with a slap across his son's head.

Felix took it. He didn't move. He didn't react at all, aside from the odd hiss.

As Aro forced himself to fall back, Eleazar pulled his nephew close. The fragile boy continued to cry. "Felix isn't the idiot here, Aro," he told his brother sternly.

"I will second that." Basileus agreed, turning his glare on Carlisle again, who was still on the floor.

Carlisle looked back in disgust, earlier reprimand long forgotten. "How did you know what happened at the inn?" he asked Atia, his whole body vibrating from his rage.

Atia remained unperturbed as she linked her arm through Basileus', and stood tall. First she showed Carlisle her gift, disappearing and reappearing before him, and then she answered. "I was there, my dear. I saw Felix obliterate that poor human and consume her blood in his drunken climax. I saw him burst into your room in a state of utter panic and I saw you choke your poor human on your own penis. And then I dropped down from the window and the two of you passed me by as you jumped out the same window, half-dressed, splattered with blood, and tore away from the scene of your crimes."

She wasn't sneering as such, that would be unbecoming of a lady like Atia. She was far more matter-of-fact about the whole thing, as though delivering a report. Not that it mattered, Carlisle still saw red at being followed and grassed on!

"You fucking bitch!" he roared as he dived from the floor, fully intent on taking her down - consequences be damned!

Every other vampire in the room held their breath, all expecting Basileus to step in and wallop Carlisle before he had the chance to reach Atia. Instead he stepped aside, leaving his new mate to face the angry young man on her own.

Atia stood tall as Carlisle ploughed into her. She didn't fall with the force of his assault, instead Carlisle rebounded without so much as disturbing Atia's clothes. It appeared Atia's mental guard had a physical form, too!

Carlisle stumbled. He hadn't truly thought he would get to Atia. He, like everyone else, had expected to end up brawling with Basileus. Though now that his spike of anger had subsided that seemed to be an equally stupid idea.

"Silly boy." Atia told him simply as she dusted off her undisturbed dress.

Eleazar nudged Aro. "Something tells me we won't be privileged to the 'mother buffer'."

Despite the intensity of the events, Aro laughed. "Carlisle is going to combust at any moment," he replied though stifled giggles.

Seeing their father turn a steely glare on the two of them, Eleazar pulled his younger brother in close. "Don't be too hard on Felix, Aro. This is Carlisle's war, he's using Felix."

Aro nodded. He had been hoping to let Felix off with a decent round of fucks but he knew that hope was long gone as soon as he'd heard about the brothel. Even your mother will want you punished for that, my boy, he thought as he looked to the sorry state that was his eldest son.

"I know that, El. I don't understand why Basileus is letting this go on, though," he whispered to his brother, though he knew Basileus could hear if he had chosen to.

"Then, you should talk to him." Eleazar prompted, stressing the 'talk' hoping Aro wouldn't make things worse by arguing with their formidable father.

"I intend to." Aro replied darkly.

"SIT, both of you!" Basileus called out gruffly.

Everyone knew he meant Carlisle and Felix. Carlisle obliged but Felix turned to Aro.

"You heard!" Aro ordered as he shoved his son over to his partner in crime.

Felix noted his father didn't sound nearly as pissed off with him as he'd expected.

Aro walked over to his father. I don't want to punish Felix in here, it isn't fair on him, he thought hoping Basileus would hear. No reaction. Damn your gift, Atia!

"Do we have to do this here?" he asked Basileus in a hurried whisper.

Basileus only raised his eyebrows in response.

"So you did hear me ... and apparently we do," Aro said to himself as he slunk off to Sulpicia.

"Give us the room, please." Basileus called out, though he beckoned Magnus over before he had chance to leave.

"Sulpicia, my dear, shall we collect your young ones from Marcus?" Atia asked kindly.

Sulpicia wiped a stray tear from her cheek before joining the woman and leaving, with Carmen and Eleazar following.

Felix called out to his mother as she walked by, but she refused to turn.

Magnus saw the hurt in Felix's eyes as she passed, and though it was deserved he still felt for the boy. Moving behind his chair he placed a hand on each of Felix's shoulders and used his gift to manipulate the lad's emotional state. Not too much, his distress was warranted, of course, just enough to take the edge off his fraying nerves and so he could get his tears under control.

"I need to return to the guard hall, my lord. Unless you have further need of my services?" Magnus asked Basileus once he felt Felix relaxing into his massage.

"Do you have anything you would like to add?" Basileus asked the Master of the Guards in return. Turning to Carlisle and Felix, Basileus decided it was time to tell them both that everyone knew the extent of their crimes now. "To be clear, boys, Aro and I were informed of your deplorable behaviour yesterday in the guard hall."

Felix's eyebrows shot up to his hairline as his eyes flew wide open in shock. "Fuck. I told you this was a setup," he whispered to Carlisle.

Carlisle ignored him. "Stop calling me a boy! I am not a boy," he half yelled to his father.

Aro interjected before Basileus had the chance, "You are an immature brat and you are about to be brought down from the high horse on which you sit."

Aro's much angrier with Carlisle than he is with me, Felix thought, with a glimmer of hope that he may be able to walk after his punishment.

Magnus cleared his throat to attract Felix and Carlisle's attention. "My guard hall is not a cheap whorehouse. Your invitations are revoked until further notice."

"It won't happen again, Magnus." Felix managed to squeak out through his shame.

"You know better than to cross me, young one." Magnus told him with a hand placed on his belt, making Felix shudder.

"Y, y, yes sir," he replied. Felix knew only too well what fucking with Magnus felt like.

Carlisle watched the whole thing with hate filled eyes and arms folded tightly across his chest, refusing to apologise as Felix had done. This did not go unnoticed by Magnus, nor Basileus ... or Aro, for that matter.

Basileus wasn't going to stand for that. "As it appears Carlisle is unable to offer you an apology now, I will bring him along to the guard hall after I have dealt with him so he can do so then."

Carlisle's face was thunderous, but still he refused.

Basileus shook his head. I can assure you son, you will feel VERY sorry about all this quite soon. "Thank you for your assistance, my friend." Basileus called out, signaling for Magnus to leave.

After showing the man to the door, and again apologising for their sons' behaviour, Aro pulled Basileus back to clear up a few things.

"So, how are we doing this?"

Basileus looked quizzically to his son. Surely you know what to do, Aro, he thought sarcastically. "I am going to belt Carlisle, severely, but first I intend to deliver a round of fucks to the two of them that Hades would be proud of."

Aro still seemed unsure. "I expect you will deal with Felix, yes? Unless you would rather I did?"

Aro shook his head quickly. "I will. Of course I will ... I just feel a little uncomfortable doing that in here ... with you ... and Carlisle."

Basileus tutted. "What's wrong with you?"

Aro shrugged. "It just doesn't feel right. Carlisle is my brother, Felix is my son."

Basileus put a hand on his son's shoulder and gave him a shake, "Aro, get your head together. Carlisle is insisting on acting like an irresponsible youth so he will be treated like an irresponsible youth. I need you to put your awkwardness aside."

Having Basileus staring deeply into his eyes only made Aro feel more uncomfortable, though he knew he was right. "Alright, no problem," he eventually replied.

Carlisle felt Felix fidgeting beside him and guilt flooded his veins knowing he was the cause for his nephew's upset. "I should have listened to you, Felix. I'm sorry I got you in so much trouble."

Felix chewed on his lip. "Aro is going to seriously beat my ass for this, Carlisle. And Sully, I've never not had Sulpicia on my side." Felix knew he had fucked up worse than this, much worse, and still lived to tell the tale. But something told him this was going to be a serious smack down.

Carlisle laid a hand on Felix's leg. "I will find a way to repay you someday," he said sombrely, seeing their fathers finishing up their conversation.

Felix smirked. "Someday could be today, it's a very minor technicality!"

Carlisle couldn't help but laugh at the lad, especially whilst he sported that damn goofy grin! Even when everything was stacked against him and impending doom was fast approaching, Felix could still crack a joke. Carlisle envied his nephew's positive spirit in the face of adversity.

"I may be a little busy defending my own ass today," he told him, sharing a final chortled laugh before Basileus and Aro stormed over with faces of thunder.

Aro took a seat opposite the pair.

Felix was quite glad his father wasn't in hitting distance for this 'talk'.

"Who's going to go first?" Basileus' booming voice rebounded around the room. "No offers?" he proffered. "No one?" he asked again as he paced in front of his son and grandson. "I'll go first then. Let's start with yesterday," he said as he came to a stop in front of them. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU TWO THINKING?!"

That had the pair of them sitting up and paying attention.

"You drank yourselves into a stupor, you were fighting in the guard hall, you were FUCKING in the FUCKING guard hall!"

Carlisle and Felix looked to each other with the faintest trace of a smirk tugging on their lips upon being reminded about them 'sharing' a guard.

Basileus caught their small exchange. "Do you find this funny?" he accused the pair.

"No, no sir." Felix replied quickly, as he squashed himself into his chair in an attempt to create even the slightest bit of additional distance between himself and his grandfather.

"But you do?" Basileus said pulling on Carlisle's chin to look into his son's eyes.

Carlisle had no remorse, he wasn't willing to concede yet. "It's not like other guards don't fuck in the guard hall ... we weren't doing anything in there that hasn't happened a thousand times before."

Releasing his hold, Basileus shoved his son back into his chair. "You are held to a higher standard, you damn idiot!" he roared. Running a hand through this raven hair, Basileus had another thought, "Which guard was it?"

Magnus and Freyr hadn't told anyone that.

"I don't remember," Carlisle replied, grinning to himself.

"You two were caught hanging out each end of her and you don't remember who it was?" Basileus shot back, he wasn't a fool.

Aro scoffed from his seat, "We're assuming it was a her?" he asked his father sarcastically, looking over just in time to see Felix roll his eyes at his unfunny 'dad joke'.

Carlisle didn't find it so funny either, though his response had more vitriol to it. "Get fucked, Aro!" he spat to his brother.

Aro was on his feet and being held back by Basileus in a flash. "Hey, I'm not the one on a self-destructive rampage!"

Carlisle sat smugly knowing Aro couldn't touch him.

"Oh I'm sorry. I forgot you had received your sainthood for the pious life you've lived!" Basileus shook his head as shoved Aro back into his chair before promptly turning on his heel and smacking his youngest son across his disrespectful mouth, again!

Aro struggled to sit still, he was too agitated. "If you have anything to say in your defence feel free to step in," he directed to his own son.

Felix looked ashamed of himself, the image of that dead whore plaguing his mind. "We made it home for your curfew yesterday," he offered.

"Yes, but you snuck out shortly afterwards, you deceitful little shits." Aro replied in a venomous tone.

"I'm sure we don't know what you are talking about, brother." Carlisle replied, though he couldn't hold eye contact with Aro as he said it.

"You are weak when you lie because it shows you aren't strong enough to face the truth." Basileus told the two of them sternly.

"I am not weak." Carlisle huffed.

Basileus scoffed in return. "Yes, you are Carlisle. Today you took your 16-year-old nephew on a bar crawl, ending up in a whore house."

Carlisle knew that sounded weak. Damn it, he thought.

"You send your new woman to spy on us and I'm weak?" He returned, spitefully.

Basileus felt every hair on the back of his neck stand on end, bristling with anger.

"Atia went out to find you and keep you safe, you ungrateful wretch," he all but spat back to his youngest.

"Ungrateful?" Carlisle questioned audaciously. "I'm supposed to be grateful to her for grassing me up to you?"

Basileus stepped up to his son, tips of toes touching, and loomed over his boy. "Atia is part of this family now and you will respect her."

Carlisle knew he should have backed down, in truth he knew he should have backed down days ago. He also knew no matter what he did or said now would make no difference to the whipping he had coming. "I don't need a mother figure, thank you very much," he huffed with arms folded tightly across his chest, avoiding all eye contact with anyone else in the room.

"You don't get a choice in the matter," Aro interjected, thoroughly fed up with his brother's petulance and wanting this whole charade over and done with so he could go home to his wife.

"Shut the fuck up, Aro!" Carlisle spat back. Who the fuck do you think you are?! he thought angrily.

"Shut up? You are telling me to shut up?" Aro was back on his feet with his father holding him back. Basileus didn't have to put too much effort in, Aro wasn't stupid, he wasn't really going to touch Carlisle in front of Basileus ... not that Carlisle needed to know that.

"I'm not taking this shit from you. You are my brother, not my father." Carlisle replied, though the way he squished himself into his chair demonstrated he was considerably less sure of his words than his tone would suggest.

Aro clapped his hands together. "You're right! I'm HIS father!" he sang out, pointing to Felix. "You talked my son into disrespecting Magnus, I know for a fact he would not have gone along with that without you paving the way forward. He's too scared of Magnus, for one."

Felix had sensibly stayed quiet throughout the proceedings up to that point, but he couldn't let that one go. "I'm not scared of Magnus!"

Aro laughed lightly. "Oh really? Let's take you to him now then, shall we? He owes you a damn good hiding for yesterday's display!"

Felix wasn't expecting that. Holy fuck, no! "No! Please? No way!" he stuttered as he spoke.

Aro shoved past Basileus and snatched Felix up from his seat. "I have no idea why you think facing me is the light option, but I intend to put that misapprehension to rest right now!"

Felix felt a flood of panic overtake his body as he tried to pull away from his father. As he slipped through Aro's fingers with the sheer force of his resistance, Aro gripped tightly onto the dress coat Felix wore - Aro's dress coat. The fabric tore before Aro had chance to release his hold.

Felix fell back into his chair and Aro, left with a fistful of his own torn clothing, looked dangerously close to erupting.

"Can we go home now?" Felix asked in tiny voice, one which would be more suitable for Alec to use than Felix.

Aro played with the tattered fibres in his hand, rubbing finger and thumb together until they turned to dust. I never did like that coat; cheeky brat to just take it though, he thought.

"Please, Dad?" Felix pushed again, hoping desperately for a reprieve.

"Why? Are you hoping your mother will come to your aid?" Aro sang out as he slowly, and purposefully, started to unbuckle his belt. "Do you have any idea how utterly appalled and disgusted we both are by your behaviour?" he asked, speaking slowly and hoping the words sunk in.

Grabbing hold of his boy's face, he forced Felix to look him in the eye. "You fucked a girl to death, Felix!" Aro watched as tears filled those ruby red eyes and one or two trickled down his cheek. "Sully won't be coming to your rescue this time, and I believe she will have a few choice words to deliver herself when we get back."

That was it, full on water works erupted from Felix's eyes. He felt heartbroken to have upset his mother so badly. Nothing you do will come close to how shit I feel already, he thought.

Though as his father pulled him from his chair and placed his foot on the seat, suddenly Felix wasn't so sure about that. Aro had Felix dangling over his knee and had brought his belt downward across his backside at least three times before anything had registered with his son.

Basileus had waited for Aro to start dealing with Felix before he decided to move in on Carlisle. As he removed his own belt, he could see his youngest boy starting to tense up.

"What are you doing?" Carlisle asked his father, horror in his eyes as they looked between Basileus and the belt now coiled in his fist. "You can't punish me here," Carlisle declared, as though he had a choice!

"What's the matter son? Do you have an issue with an audience?" Basileus asked as he took Carlisle the scruff of his neck. "I suggest you lower your britches. You will be paying a visit to the guard hall after this to properly apologise to Magnus. If you don't lower them, I will remove them and you will be walking in there without a scrap of clothing to save your shame."

Basileus' jaw hardly moved as he spoke, instead every word was delivered through gritted teeth with venomous spit escaping every so often.

"You can't do this! You are treating me like a child!" Carlisle whined, though he had the good sense to follow his father's orders and he unfastened his pants.

"You are acting like a damned child! NOW COME HERE." Basileus roared at his son as he swung him over the bench seat. There was no warm up; from the first to the last Basileus delivered biting strike after biting strike, eliciting shameful wails of pain from Carlisle.

Aro kept his back to his father and brother, and he also kept Felix from seeing too much. He found his brother's punishment at the hand of their father so distracting, and actually upsetting that he brought Felix's hiding to an abrupt end before he'd hardly began.

Felix couldn't quite believe his luck, to the point where he looked to his father questioningly.

Aro took Felix's hand in his own and raised an eyebrow, Felix knew he had to 'think' his question.

'Erm, is that it?' Felix questioned in his mind.

Aro smiled, a tight sad smile as he shook his head.

'Are you going to belt me we get back to the tower?' Felix questioned further, fearfully. He knew he deserved more than he'd received but he couldn't help but be scared about what Aro would do when they were alone.

Aro grimaced, he was so disappointed in his son for putting them both in this position in the first place. Hearing Carlisle's language become more and more colourful, Aro knew what would happen next.

As if like clockwork, Carlisle released a shrill scream as Basileus bellowed him out about controlling his mouth and delivered a series of rapid strikes to his son's upper thighs.

Felix tried to peer around Aro to see what was going on but Aro pulled him in close and held him tightly to his chest. "Don't watch, you will make it harder for Carlisle," he told his boy very quietly. Aro felt like shit being stuck in the middle of this, and even worse for having Felix there with him.

"Dad, when we get back to the tower ... " Felix started but Aro hushed him.

"You will be seeing Magnus first. And then Atia. Let us see how you do with grovelling to them before I decide what else I must do. We will be having a very long and detailed talk about all of this though, my boy ... of that out can be sure."

Felix nodded into Aro's chest, breathing in his father's scent, hoping it would calm him as Carlisle continued to be belted harshly by Basileus only a few feet away.

…

"Come here lads." Magnus called out as Aro and Basileus pushed their charges in to the guard hall. It was clear as day to every guard in there that the Volturi princes had taken a hiding recently.

Oh fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck! Felix cursed himself. Afraid of Magnus? Yes!Very, he thought.

Basileus cuffed the back of his head for his language - even if It was inside his own head, he knew better.

Felix bit into his lip as he whispered a quick apology to his grandfather before flashing to Magnus' side.

"Aro, I believe we need to speak with Renata." Basileus said pointedly.

Carlisle felt his stomach flip. So, he knows the guard Felix and I shared was Renata! Great! That puts an end to that then! For fuck sake!

Carlisle should have been far humbler in his well chastised state than he was, but he was so damn prideful that he just couldn't lose face. Doing his level best to hide the limp in his step, Carlisle attempted to swagger over to Magnus' desk behind Felix.

"Magnus, Freyr, I am sorry for the way I behaved last night." Felix spoke softly, though with a true heart. He had acted like an utter dick, knocking back as many goblets of wine and blood as he could get his hands on and throwing up all over the guard hall. It appeared his vomit had been cleaned up already, thankfully. He had dreaded Aro walking in to see the destruction they caused last night. The pile of broken chairs and book cases were stacked near the door and Felix knew Aro had spotted it all.

Magnus walked around the young guard, staring into the boy's bright red eyes as he passed. Using his gift to feel Felix's emotions, he could tell the lad was truly remorseful. Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, Magnus made sure to keep Felix steady as he laid a flurry of swots the boy's rear.

"Don't let it happen again, young one," he whispered when he'd finished.

Felix gasped and hissed but he managed to stay still. He knew that was nowhere near Magnus' usual force and that he'd been lucky to get away with just a short spanking. He tried to apologise again but the words wouldn't come. Felix was exhausted and it wore heavily on his face.

Magnus raised his hand. "You don't need to say anything else, Felix. Wait with Freyr please." He spoke gently and with care as he directed the young guard to his mate's safe keeping.

Whether it was relief or pain or sheer exhaustion, he wasn't sure, but his tears flowed freely anyway as he tucked into Freyr's side. The usually kind and comforting woman had a few things to say to the boy herself, and though she held an arm around his shaking shoulders, she didn't hold back on informing him how disgusted she was by his most recent antics.

Magnus took a seat as Carlisle stepped forward. "And you?" he asked as he eyed the blond prince up and down. Magnus had liked Carlisle until last night - before the man seemingly lost control of his senses! He was sure they would see eye to eye again, though Magnus had a feeling it would take a while for them to get there if his reading of Carlisle's emotions was anything to go by. The younger vampire felt defensive, prideful, embarrassed, and most of all, pissed off!

Carlisle sighed and he shrugged. "I misunderstood your new position. I understand now," he told the Master of the Guards nonchalantly.

"Do you?" Magnus asked as he leaned back in his chair, bracing his huge hands across his broad chest. He looked intimidating, even seated Magnus was a giant of a man.

"Yes, I do." Carlisle replied, nerves betraying his tone a little.

"You were much worse than Felix," Magnus pushed. All he wanted was a genuine apology from the guy. Why are you being so difficult? he thought in annoyance.

Carlisle looked over to his father. Basileus was bellowing out Renata on proper decorum in the coven common areas.

Magnus, just let it go for god sake, please! Carlisle thought, just as annoyed as Magnus.

"I know I was," he finally replied.

Magnus scoffed. "It's not much of an apology, is it?"

"I'm sorry that you feel that way. How can I help you feel better about all of this?" Carlisle asked him, patronisingly.

"DONE! I am done!" Magnus declared. He wasn't taking shit from Carlisle, especially not now that Basileus had told him he didn't have to. "Come here," he called out as he grabbed Carlisle by his wrist. "I will teach you to provide a proper apology," he told the younger vampire as he forced him over his solid oak desk.

"Magnus, I am still Basileus' son." Carlisle struggled to talk. The force Magnus was holding him down with was expelling most of the air from his lungs.

"I know that, Carlisle. I have his full support in this." Magnus told him as he started to spank Carlisle's already well punished backside.

Magnus didn't keep it up for long, he didn't have to. Carlisle was proffering his regrets soon enough, though they strangled in his throat as he tried to keep any noise to an absolute minimum with a hall full of guards only meters away.

Soon enough Magnus let him up, though it took another moment or two for Carlisle to realise his punishment had ended. When he looked up he saw a smug looking Aro and a disgusted Basileus watching over him.

"How long are they banned from the hall, my friend?" Aro asked Magnus. "A month. Next time it will be a year." Magnus replied whilst glaring at the two miscreants. "I'm not playing with you boys," he said pointedly, knowing it would rile Carlisle.

Basileus called for Felix to join him and pushed the boy into the middle of the room, getting the attention of the full guard. "As some of you have may have guessed by the colour of his eyes," he started, giving Felix a sharp nudge, "I lifted the human ban today. I apologise for not informing you all sooner, I have been rather busy. I do ask, however, that you all take great care when choosing human hosts for feeding from."

He took a look around the guard hall and tried to pick out some thoughts - one or two were a little dubious as to whether Basileus had lifted the ban before Felix fed from humans, but on the whole they were just happy to have their feeding rights returned after such a long period of forced abstinence. "Am I understood?" Basileus asked with his booming voice reverberating off the walls. A good many 'Yes, my lord' could be heard from the eager guards.

Aro clicked his fingers to Felix who flashed back to his father's side, happy to be out of the limelight. After wishing Magnus and Freyr good night, Aro and Basileus each took their sons in their hold to be dragged back to their tower home.

Basileus pulled Carlisle close by his hold around his neck. "A single sigh, a tut, a roll of the eyes and we will be going for round two."

Carlisle didn't answer. All his efforts, as they had been for the last hour, now were concentrated on not crying.

Basileus shook him roughly. "Understood?"

"Hmm." Carlisle replied, not daring to open his mouth enough to speak, knowing that tears would follow.

Unfortunately, Basileus took his barely muttered reply as insolence. "If you think being belted in front of Aro and Felix was difficult just imagine how humiliating it will be with the other seven members of our family in close proximity."

The squeeze around the back of his neck made Carlisle answer properly. "Y, yes, my lord," he stuttered, biting his lip to keep his resolve.

When they reached the tower, Aro pushed Felix ahead. He wanted done with this whole thing. "Make your apologies so we can leave," he hissed into his son's ear as they went into Basileus' suite.

Felix felt a wave of fear. He wasn't so sure leaving would be a good thing for him. Felix felt his stomach twist as he opened the door to Basileus' chambers. "I apologise for ruining your first few days here, Atia." Felix blurted out as soon as he saw the woman. Everyone turned to face him, he could feel tears running down his face from the emotional state he was in.

"You've made it so exciting, my dear." Atia replied kindly to the young boy who looked relieved to hear her forgiving tone. "But," Atia continued sounding a little more forceful, "I have lived for a very long time, I won't require any more excitement for quite a while now."

Felix smiled slightly before casting his eyes to the floor.

Basileus nudged Carlisle sharply in his back.

My turn then, I suppose, he thought petulantly. "It wasn't Felix's fault, it was mine. We didn't mean any harm," he said, sounding bored with the whole thing.

Eleazar looked to his father, aghast that Carlisle was still so unrepentant.

"You unnecessarily killed two people tonight," he shot to his youngest brother, astounded in the turnaround in Carlisle's beliefs. "You spent all that time in London helping humans and tonight you killed one apiece and you don't even care!"

Carlisle shrugged. Oh, he cared alright but he wasn't backing down now. "Lots of things happened in London." he replied.

Basileus looked away shamefully, though no one seemed to notice.

Carmen was perhaps the most surprised by Carlisle's apparent careless murdering of the young woman he'd bedded. They had spent many hours conversing about human versus animal feeding for their kind, coming up with possible ways to make their diet more appealing to vampires generally. "I just cannot understand it, Carlisle," she said sadly. "You both harmed countless humans tonight and killed two others!"

Atia had updated the small gathering about the bar brawls the pair had been involved in.

"One was an accident," Felix replied quietly. I feel guilty enough about it but it wasn't entirely my fault. More a repercussion of being a vampire - and that isn't my fault either, Aro turned me, he thought, much to Aro's disgust who had a hand on the lad's neck still.

Aro decided not to react yet, he would save that for their discussion later.

Carlisle looked a little coy, but he didn't have a choice with his kill. "The other really was necessary," he said as he nudged Felix with his arm. An incredibly quiet giggle was heard by all.

"Do you think this is funny?" Basileus boomed as he slapped them both across the top of their head.

"No, I really don't!" Felix replied, ducking away from his grandfather.

"But you STILL do?" Basileus accused as he turned on his youngest son.

"No, of course not. Things got a little out of hand. It's my fault, I'm sorry. Okay?" Carlisle replied, saying all the right things with absolutely no conviction whatsoever.

Basileus bubbled up inside over his son's inability to concede and be genuinely apologetic. Snatching him close by the front of his collar, Basileus ground out his final decree to Carlisle.

"You are restricted to the castle. If you dare to leave our grounds I will come and find you myself." With that he flashed his son to his bed chamber and threw him inside, caring not where he landed, before closing the door again.

"Where are my things?" Carlisle complained from inside his old room.

Eleazar scrubbed his hand down his face. "He will ruin my chambers whilst we are away!" he complained moodily. Basileus glared at his eldest son, daring him to keep up his complaints.

Eleazar wasn't stupid. He wasn't bull-headed enough to continue his gripe either.