DISCOVERIES

"Aro, you are needed," Carmen announced as soon as Aro came through the archway. She hadn't been waiting long but she'd had enough time to fill Sulpicia in on the information Basileus had divulged to her and Eleazar about Carlisle and the pastor.

Aro sighed deeply - he just wanted to wrap up with his wife and have an end to family dramas. With a weary nod he gestured for Carmen to go to the door and with sunken shoulders followed her.

"Is Felix to stay in our chambers?" Sulpicia asked before they left.

Aro turned to face her but couldn't meet her eye. "He is to stay in his room and Demetri is to stay out of it."

Sulpicia bristled at his harsh tone, though she knew it wasn't directed at her. The moment Aro left, she sought out her eldest to find out what had happened between father and son.

"What's going on, Carmen?" Aro asked in a hurried whisper as they made their way to Eleazar's quarters.

Rather than trying to relay the information a second time, Carmen stopped them both in the stairwell and offered her hand for Aro to read. When she heard her brother-in-law gasp, she knew Aro had come across Basileus' revelation.

"Should I wait with Sulpicia and leave the three of you to talk in private?" she asked, politely.

Aro shook his head. "No my dear, we may need a runner. You should come with me."

Even though Aro had seen how desolate his father looked through Carmen's eyes, he wasn't prepared for the sorry state the vampire creator was in when he opened Eleazar's door.

Basileus sat with his head in one hand, goblet in the other.

"You took your time," Eleazar accused his mate and brother.

"Going from one family disaster to another takes time, El!" Aro replied with withering look.

After greeting her husband, Carmen escaped to her bed chamber. She could still hear them if they needed her, but she felt uncomfortable encroaching on what would, no doubt, be a difficult conversation.

"Why didn't you tell us that you killed Carlisle's dad when you got back from England?" Aro asked, taking a seat near his father.

"Carmen has told you then?" Eleazar asked as he offered his brother a glass of wine - which Aro readily took.

"Told, shown - same difference." Aro replied.

"I am his Dad!" Basileus eventually responded.

"The pastor then. You killed the pastor and didn't think to mention it!"

Basileus may have felt lost, and he knew he'd fucked up, but he wasn't taking Aro's shitty tone of address. Sitting to his full height, Basileus returned Aro's steely glare. "I hadn't found the right time. The topic doesn't exactly introduce itself, son."

Aro shook his head. "Bullshit! I asked you plenty of times what happened in England and why Carlisle was so out of character - you said nothing happened and it was all down to Atia coming to live with us!"

In Aro's mind it was bad enough that Carlisle was leading his son astray, but to find out that Basileus was the cause of it all tipped him over the edge.

"Aro, I suggest you back down," Basileus told his son firmly.

Eleazar felt like he was getting whiplash watching his father flip between stern creator and depressed father. "Aro, please, I asked for you to join us so we can work out how to help our younger brother - that, in turn, will help your situation with Felix." Eleazar, ever the peacemaker.

Aro had a rebuttal ready, but Eleazar's glare as he filled his brother's cup with fresh wine silenced the man. Choosing to rephrase his question with less abrasion, Aro asked, "Why have you been sitting on this information for three years though, Dad? We have all been to hell and back with Carlisle ... and with Felix going along for the ride."

Basileus heard Aro's annoyance carried through the undercurrent of his tone but appreciated his son trying to rein himself in. "It wasn't my finest hour, son," Basileus replied, although that didn't need stating. "Besides, it's neither here nor there. I need help now before we lose Carlisle for good."

Aro smirked. "We wouldn't want that now, would we!"

Basileus stood up and loomed over his middle child. "I am not in the right frame of mind for your smart mouth and sarcastic commentary, Aro!"

Aro put up his hands in surrender. "Understood, my lord," he replied respectfully - he had no desire to cause a ruck between himself and his father.

Aro's long hair had hung loosely over his shoulders, but now that Basileus was standing over him he could see the red stain running down his son's cheek and the bloodied collar of his shirt.

"What happened to you?" he asked his boy in concern, taking hold of Aro's head in two hands and checking him over.

"What?" Aro asked, before it dawned on him what Basileus had spotted. "Oh, the blood, it's nothing, it was just Felix."

"Felix?!" Eleazar exclaimed, feeling very disappointed with his nephew, again.

"How?" Basileus asked, growling slightly.

Aro pulled himself free of his father. "I don't really blame him. I was trying to strangle him at the time ... tit for tat." Aro sounded so blasé, though naturally he was anything but. "We need to talk about Carlisle anyway, not Felix."

Basileus knew Aro was right. He would talk to Felix later, right now they did need to deal with Carlisle. "What should I do?" he asked his two sons.

Aro looked to his big brother, hoping he had an idea. Eleazar simply shrugged in reply. Very helpful El, glad you are here, Aro thought.

"Well, I personally don't see what else you could have done. Carlisle wanted him dead, he asked you to kill him, he would have killed the pastor himself if he'd had to so what's the problem?"

Eleazar scrubbed a hand through his black curls. "Aro, don't be dense. As far as Carlisle will see it, if Basileus hadn't made him go back to England he would never have been in the position to wish the pastor dead in the first place."

Aro sighed. "Point taken, brother."

The room fell into quiet contemplation as all three men thought of ways to reach Carlisle and bring him back into the fold. The only noise to be heard was the occasional sipping from a cup.

Aro broke first. "We need to talk to him, I assume we are all agreed on that at least?"

Eleazar nodded.

Basileus grimaced, though he, too, agreed. "This cannot continue to be swept under the carpet, regardless of what Carlisle says he wants - refusing to talk to me about the pastor is only making his behaviour worse."

Aro watched his father for a moment, wondering how to voice his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he bit the bullet. "You may need to accept that Carlisle wants to leave Volterra, Dad. At least for a while."

Basileus looked to his son with sad, amber eyes. "I know that. I have even asked him if that is what he wants."

Eleazar closed his eyes for a moment. He didn't want to lose Carlisle, even if he was being a 'Grade A' dick. "What did he say to that?" he asked, in trepidation.

"He refused," Basileus said. "He wants to stay here, he wants more responsibility, he wants to earn money, he wants, he wants, he wants! And he wants it all handed to him on a silver platter, too."

Aro scratched his chin for a moment. "I could make that happen."

Eleazar narrowed his eyes to his brother. "If this is a plan to punish Carlisle, Aro ... "

"No! I am serious. If our little brother wants some responsibility, I can give him some." Aro announced, already feeling sure of the plan formulating in his mind. "At Easter, the seven major covens of our world will descend on the Volturi, at my request, to discuss plans for forging a mutually beneficial relationship in the future. The guard will arrive home at the same time and I will, quite frankly, be run ragged managing this coven. Carlisle can help."

Basileus narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "And, why would Carlisle want to help?"

Aro smiled broadly. "I am going to put him on the payroll."

Eleazar laughed. "What payroll?"

"I'm setting one up. Felix gave me the idea."

Basileus shook his head and laughed too. "You never fail to surprise me, son. But, first things first, we need to talk to Carlisle. Or, at least you two do - he won't talk to me."

Both Aro and Eleazar agreed and as neither wanted to prolong the wait, Eleazar excused himself to fetch his brother. For the first time in a few years now he felt hopeful for a happy time coming. He wasn't naive, he knew they would still have a turbulent time to come, but now that they knew the cause for Carlisle's upset they could work on it.

Within a few moments Eleazar had returned with an arm around Carlisle.

"I really don't want to talk about this with him," Carlisle complained as he tucked into Eleazar's side.

"Him who?" Basileus asked, knowing it was him.

"We have agreed not to talk about it," Carlisle stated flatly.

"Will you talk with us?" Eleazar asked, gesturing to Aro.

Carlisle looked between his father and brothers. They are certainly the lesser of two evils, he thought. "If I must."

Basileus' heart stabbed at the rejection, even though it was nothing other than expected. "I will leave you to it then," he announced as he flashed from the room without waiting for a reply.

Carlisle moved to allow his father to pass, but he didn't approach his brothers. Truthfully, he was wary of getting too close to Aro, and though Eleazar had behaved more 'brotherly' when he saved him from Atia's bitching, he was wary of Eleazar too.

"Drink?" Aro asked, generally.

"I think we will all need one." Eleazar replied, fetching a cup for their younger brother. "Come and sit with us," he called, offering Carlisle a goblet of wine.

Carlisle complied, but he sat as far from his brothers as he possibly could.

"Did Felix tell you ... or did Basileus?" Carlisle asked, or rather, spat.

Aro's face scrunched up. "You told Felix?"

"No, the fucking wind whispered it to him!" Carlisle retorted spitefully.

Eleazar placed his arm in front of Aro, holding him back. "Okay, okay, we don't want to say anything we may regret." Although Eleazar was looking at Carlisle the sentiment extended to both of his brothers.

"Why would I regret it?" Carlisle returned like the petulant brat he had become.

"What is your problem with me?" Aro asked, wondering if he could push Carlisle to leave and consequences be damned - he was sick to the back teeth of his brother's constant disrespect.

"As if you have to ask," Carlisle scoffed, folding his arms across his chest and turning away from his brother.

Aro shoved Eleazar off and started walking around the room. He needed to walk off some of the tension he felt. "I do have to ask, actually. Since you came back from England you have been a bloody nightmare. But I've put up with it. I could have disciplined you a hundred times over by now but I have chosen not to and I've left you to Basileus, instead. You keep taking my son along with you for your jollies and cause me no end of grief and still I have your corner - so - what's your problem with me?"

Carlisle looked nervously to Eleazar, hoping their big brother would wade in to defend his position. When Eleazar merely raised his eyebrows and nodded, confirming Aro's rant, Carlisle was forced to come up with his own defence - and he found himself lacking. Carlisle hadn't quite put all the pieces together before. Aro hadn't actually done anything to him. More than that, he had stood up for him on a few occasions over the last couple of years. Shit, he thought, knowing he had to concede to his brother.

"Well, I bitch about Basileus to Felix and he bitches about you ... I suppose I just got caught up in it all." Carlisle offered in his defence, daring a look to Aro. Rather than the raging monster he'd expected, Aro was smirking. "And, you have been talking to me like a child."

Aro smiled softly to his brother's complaint. "You have been hanging around with my child, brother - I would have done the same if it had been a guard, or even someone like Magnus, for that matter."

Aro wasn't being condescending, and thankfully Carlisle took his words with good grace. "Oh," he said quietly to himself.

"Oh!" Aro repeated, hoping his brother's war with him may have finally ended.

Eleazar saw a chance to move their discussion on now that Carlisle was being more receptive. "Carlisle, why didn't you come to us when you returned from England?"

The younger vampire shrugged, staring into his now empty cup. "It was easier to distance myself from you both than it was to talk about the pastor ... Felix, the guard, they are just easier to be around when you don't want anything deep."

Aro laughed. Felix is as deep as a puddle, he thought. "I can imagine."

Carlisle knew what his brother was thinking. "Hanging out with Felix is also much better than playing gooseberry with all the couples in this tower and beyond!"

Eleazar winced. He truly hoped he hadn't been pushing Carlisle out since Carmen joined their coven, though he could see how his brother would feel that way. "You could always take a mate," he suggested genuinely.

Carlisle sighed. "I don't want a mate, not yet anyway."

The irrationality of his brother's complaints was starting to get to Aro. "So, what then, you don't want a mate so you don't want us to have one either?"

Carlisle sighed again. "No, I didn't say that."

Aro scowled. "You are even starting to sound like Felix," he said as he flopped down next to Carlisle. The look he received from Eleazar shut him up quickly.

"Why won't you talk to Basileus?" Eleazar asked, getting to the point.

"Really?" Carlisle spat. "As if that needs an answer!"

There was something about Carlisle's tone that gave Aro cause for concern. You are cagey, little brother, he thought as he decided to sit this part of the conversation out, allowing Eleazar to take the lead whilst he watched for Carlisle's reactions.

"He feels awful for what happened, Carlisle," Eleazar said softly.

"For killing my father, you mean." Carlisle returned flatly.

No emotion ... Aro thought.

"Carlisle, you know he didn't have a choice ... "

Carlisle cut Eleazar off. "No he didn't - he had a choice about taking me back there though, I asked not to go, I begged. He pushed and pushed and now the pastor's blood will be on my hands forever. I am not ready to forgive Basileus yet."

Aro ran his tongue over his fangs as he sized up his brother. Almost his entire vampiric career had revolved around him reading situations, reading people, and he was pretty certain he was right about Carlisle.

"Brother," he said turning to Carlisle, "will you show me what happened?"

Carlisle willingly gave Aro his hand and waited patiently for his brother to read his memories.

A small smile tugged on Aro's lips, not that Carlisle noticed - but Eleazar did. "I understand now," he said as he released Carlisle's hand. "It must have been a very painful experience." Aro said, looking into his brother's eyes.

Carlisle felt very uncomfortable all of a sudden, it was as though Aro had access to his soul.

"Do you want to leave, Carlisle?" Eleazar asked bluntly.

"No!" Carlisle exclaimed. "Why does everyone keep asking that?" he sulked, fetching himself more wine.

"You aren't acting like you want to live here, that's all," Eleazar said casually. He wasn't sure what Aro had seen in their brother's memories, but he recognized the pensive face his brother now wore, tell-tale of a plan formulating.

"I will be making some changes to the running of this place," Aro announced. "I am going to need more hands, so to speak. I am also introducing a payroll and I will be putting you on it, in exchange for some official royal duties."

Carlisle nearly dropped his cup. "ME?" he all but shouted.

Aro nodded.

"Really?" Carlisle questioned, hoping this wasn't a trap.

"Yes." Aro stated happily.

Carlisle retook his seat next to Aro. "But, after everything I have done ... "

Aro held up his hand. "You are my brother, Carlisle, little else matters. Felix will learn not to go along with your idiocy eventually."

Carlisle rolled his eyes but was pleased to see Aro was joking, mostly.

"You may need to start your lessons with Marcus again ... " Eleazar suggested gently. They all knew how sensitive Carlisle was about his educational deficiencies.

"I would love to, El, but he left for Greece as soon as I returned from England!"

Eleazar sighed. He had been on that trip to Greece but was called back before they had even made it to his father's homeland. Bloody Caius panicking everybody and sending Lev and Odi to drag us home, he reminded himself bitterly. "I could work with you brother," he suggested.

Carlisle appeared to be over the moon. "You would do that?" he questioned, knowing he didn't deserve the kindness either of his brothers were showing him.

"I am not half the scholar Marcus is, but we can certainly try." Eleazar confirmed.

"When will this new role take shape?" Carlisle asked. He was grateful for Eleazar's offer, but he wanted to change the subject to something over which he felt less personal shame.

"Soon. I have a few things to pull together first. I will require something from you in return," Aro smoothed, rolling his empty cup between his hands.

Carlisle's shoulders slumped. "You can't make me forgive Basileus," he spat.

Brat! Aro thought. "I know that, but I ask that you speak with him."

"Just talk to him brother," Eleazar pushed gently.

Carlisle looked between his brothers. Some proper status around here will be worth a conversation, he thought. "Fine. I will. Not yet, but soon."

Aro slapped a hand on Carlisle's back, delighted that he had relented. "First duty - you two can fetch the wine barrels from the woods," he declared happily.

"Me!" Eleazar shot out, nearly choking on his wine.

"Yes, El. Think of it as a very, very small royal duty," Aro replied with a smirk.

"Where shall we put them?" Carlisle asked. He'd had big plans for that wine and didn't want to hand it all over to Aro.

"I can think of somewhere to put them," Eleazar commented, looking Aro up and down.

Aro laughed humourlessly in reply. "There are four barrels, yes?" he asked, turning to Carlisle.

"Yes, but we could get more," he offered in return.

"I'm not a petty thief," Eleazar stated flatly.

"Who's talking petty? We could take the whole merchant fleet. The guards will be back in a few weeks - we will need to stock the wine cellar, surely. And maybe keep a barrel apiece for our quarters?"

Aro smiled gleefully. "He talks sense," he said to Eleazar with an arm slung around Carlisle's shoulders. "When he's right, he's right."

Eleazar couldn't stop himself from laughing at his brothers' goofy smiles. "Fine!" he relented.

"You should go and make peace with Basileus and Atia over this latest debacle and tell them you will be going out with Eleazar."

Tell them? Carlisle thought. Basileus will rip my tongue out if I 'tell him' anything! "And if they won't allow me to go?"

"They will if you are with Eleazar. Trust me," Aro said, giving his brother a nudge. "Go. We'll wait here for you."

Once Carlisle was clear of the room and the door closed heavily behind him, Eleazar rounded on Aro. "Come on then!"

Aro shrugged, smirking. "What?"

Eleazar shook his head and flashed to Aro's side. "You saw something in his memories. I know you did! We've played poker together for centuries - your game face isn't as good as you think."

Aro tried to keep up the facade but he soon broke. "Fine. He's lying," he stated.

Eleazar shook his head. "Basileus told me himself that he killed the pastor."

Aro sighed. "Yes, he did, he isn't lying about that." Leaning close to his brother, as though Carlisle may catch him divulging his little secret, Aro spoke very quietly. "Carlisle isn't so distressed about the pastor - Atia put that in his head and he has been using it against Basileus ever since. He feels guilty that he wanted his real father dead, but he is glad Basileus did it for him. I would go as far as to say that he is grateful Basileus killed the guy."

Eleazar felt floored. They had only just come up with the reason for Carlisle's behaviour and now they were back to square one! "Then why is he being such a prick?"

Aro snorted to his brother's word choice. "To begin with, he didn't want Atia around. Now, he is just enjoying himself far too much to bring an end to his foolish behaviour and having a stick to beat Basileus with is letting him get away with murder. He is trapped in a web of his own deceit."

Eleazar leaned back in his chair. "And you have just offered him a prized position in the coven?" he asked, incredulously.

"I have," Aro agreed with a smug grin.

"Why?" Eleazar asked, knowing he was surely missing the link somewhere.

"I want him to stop dragging my son into trouble. If Carlisle enjoys something else, he will dump Felix and then Felix can go back to playing safely with the other guards and my headache goes away," Aro said casually. Literally! As he ran a hand over his blood crusted ear.

"Do you really think a royal role will be enough?" Eleazar questioned. He certainly didn't.

"Maybe not, which is why I am planning a little emotional blackmail of my own to bolster the deal."

Eleazar nodded. He should have known Aro would have every base covered. "A dose of his own medicine?"

Aro smiled. "Exactly."

Giggling to himself, Eleazar looked over his younger brother. "You are a conniving little bastard, Aro," he said warmly.

"Many thanks," Aro preened. He was so relieved to know he would soon have family relations running as smoothly as coven relations. Oh how he loved 'order'.

"Shall we tell Basileus?" Eleazar wondered aloud.

"I shall ... you will be stealing barrels of wine with Carlisle!"

Eleazar thumped his elbow into his brother's ribs at the dig.

Soon enough Carlisle returned. "Atia said I can go. But Basileus isn't down there ... he's apparently having a word with Felix."

"Oh fuck!" Aro moaned. "You two get going, get as many barrels as you can. If you see the stable hands in the town they will give you a horse and cart." With that, Aro left his brothers to save his son!

"Dad!" Felix called out, flooded with relief to see his father in the doorway to his bedroom.

"My lord, what are you doing here?" Aro asked breathlessly. He had run so fast up the stairs and through his chambers that he was struggling to breathe naturally - that was some exertion for a vampire!

Basileus stopped towering over Felix and turned to face his son.

Seeing his chance to escape, Felix jumped from his bed and ran to the window - the furthest point away from both men.

"I wanted to have a word with the boy, that is all," Basileus said easily.

Aro looked to his son. Even though Felix was glad Aro had arrived before Basileus could do ... whatever he was going to do, (Felix wasn't sure what that was!) he still hadn't forgiven his father for the way he had treated him earlier that day.

Aro could feel the disdain flowing through his boy's hateful glare.

"What has happened to his clothes, Aro? He looks state!" Basileus commented, bringing Aro out of his thoughts.

"He doesn't appreciate all he has," Aro said, watching his boy huff to his words, "so I have taken everything away. Perhaps he will discover a newfound respect for those that provide for him?"

Basileus fished through Felix's memories to find out what had occurred between the pair. When he saw the power play Aro constructed, he was pleased. "Well played," he congratulated his son. "He has some pretty choice words for you in that head of his," he added, referring to Felix's murderous thoughts about Aro.

"I have no doubt about that, Dad," Aro replied, returning Felix's scowl. "Leave him, my lord. I have something to tell you that cannot wait."

Basileus could see Aro was anxiously holding onto information but he wanted to impress something upon Felix first. "Go down to my quarters, son. I will be along in a moment."

Aro looked warily between his son and his father. "Dad ... "

"Aro, go." Basileus said finally and turned his back on his son, expecting his boy to follow his command.

If Felix hadn't been such a jackass, Aro might have stayed and argued his son's case. As it was, he took a little delight in Felix frantically begging for his help as he left him to his fate.

"Aro!" Atia exclaimed, seeing her middle son stroll into her quarters unannounced. That's what he was to her now, her son.

The eighteen months or so had seen the Volturi family adjust to make way for Atia, who had stamped her authority on the creator's three sons ... and more fretfully, his two daughters, too.

Sulpicia and Carmen had struggled with the alpha female's patronising over how they conducted themselves, their relationships ... even their wardrobe choices!

Basileus had intercepted both young women before they had come to verbal blows with his mate and he had been left wondering if a harder hand would soon be called for. The very thought made him feel uncomfortable, and indeed, worried about whether his relationships with his sons' mates could extend to physical chastisement. Basileus had never had cause to even rebuke Carmen, and though he had played a part in restraining Sulpicia from attacking Aro at times in their very early years together, he hadn't had reason to say ... let alone do ... anything more.

Of her new sons, Carlisle, after his initial warring with the woman, had taken the most naturally to having a mother figure in his life. In fact, he fully embraced the woman in the role of matriarch.

Aro had been spot on with his appraisal of the mother buffer and Atia protected Carlisle from Basileus' rage perfectly - whether he deserved said protection or not.

Eleazar, naturally, had given either of his parents little cause for concern beyond the odd terse word. He bowed to Atia's authority whenever it was called for.

Aro thought him weak. He, perhaps unsurprisingly, had been the most resistant to Atia lording it over him ... as he saw it.

"I'm just waiting for Basileus," Aro said quietly as he refused to meet the woman's eye.

"Oh, Aro," Atia scoffed. Are you like your sons, or are they like you? She wondered, seeing him still clearly harbouring resentment towards her. "Sit down."

Aro rolled his eyes. "Does everything with you have to be a command?" he said under his breath.

Atia heard him. "Are you still sore that I slapped you yesterday?" she asked outright.

"Sore would be right!" Aro spat in return as he absentmindedly rubbed his cheek.

"Now you are just being silly. I didn't even mark your face, Aro." Just your bull-headed pride, Atia said to herself.

"It was wholly unnecessary, not to mention embarrassing," Aro spat. He knew his tone was bordering on disrespectful ... and we all know how you hate that, mother dearest!

"If you dislike being reprimanded in front of others you should conduct yourself more cordially."

Patronising cunt! Aro was on his feet, too agitated to remain seated. "It wasn't just others!" Aro roared. "It was fucking Caius and his bitch wife!"

Atia paid no attention to Aro's outburst, she seemed to barely register his ferocity, in fact. "Silly boy," she admonished, collecting her needlework from the seat next to her. "You know Aro, you are dancing dangerously close to forcing my hand." Atia was so cool, cooler than Aro could ever force himself to be and that really was his 'thing'.

It pissed him off. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, looming over the alpha female.

Atia laughed lightly to herself as she put down her thread. Pushing Aro back lightly so she could stand, she came eye to eye with her son. "I am just as capable as exacting your father's kind of discipline if required, Aro. I am sure he would lend me his belt," she said threateningly.

Despite his best efforts not to react, Aro gasped. Are you seriously threatening to belt me! Go to hell! "And do you honestly think I would submit to such a thing?!" Aro replied, scoffing at the sheer audacity of his mother's proposition.

"I dare say you wouldn't have a choice, son," Basileus interrupted.

He'd been listening outside the door for long enough to have witnessed the entirety of his wife and child's exchange.

"You cannot expect me to bow down to her, did you hear what she said?" Aro asked in amazement - the whole thing was wholly unreasonable in his mind.

"Oh, I heard all right!" Basileus said, walking into the room and slamming the door behind him.

Aro swallowed hard as Basileus snatched him up from the floor by a fist full of his shirt. "When my mate has cause to correct you, in whatever manner she sees fit, you will take it graciously. Am I clear?" Basileus ground out. He was so over prideful boys that he could happily expel every single male from the castle.

"Very clear!" Aro replied with his heart sinking, knowing Atia would no doubt find cause as soon as she possibly could.

Eying his boy for a moment, Basileus wondered whether to turn Aro over to Atia now to get the first time out of the way. He knew the first time would be most troublesome.

"I need to talk to you about Carlisle, Dad," Aro reminded his father.

Thankfully, the distraction worked and Basileus released his boy immediately.

"I suggest you make your apologies so we may begin," Basileus directed to Aro as he settled into his chair.

Bitterly gulping down his pride, Aro turned to Atia and expressed his regrets. They all knew he was lying.

"Sit. Talk. Try not to piss us off," Basileus snapped at his boy.

Aro sighed but took a seat and thanked Atia for the wine she offered.

"You may not like what I have to say ... " Aro said as he tried to find a way to tell his father what he had discovered in Carlisle's head.

"Then at least say it politely," Atia warned.

Oh she was really pissing Aro off! "Carlisle is not going to forgive you, Dad," Aro began carefully, "because he has nothing to forgive you for. He harbours no resentment about you killing the pastor. He is grateful, I believe."

Basileus and Atia scoffed in unison.

"He's lying, Dad. To make you feel guilty so you give him a free pass on his behaviour. Atia gave him the idea, oddly enough." Aro really enjoyed slipping that in, though he was careful to hold off the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Atia's eyes were so wide and dangerous that Aro thought she may combust!

"No, Aro. Carlisle isn't like that." Basileus defended his boy, he didn't believe such cruel deceit was possible, or at least, he didn't want to.

"He may not have been before, but he's had a taste of what life can be like when he isn't blindly toeing the line ... and he likes it." Aro stretched his arms wide in the chair, he knew life was about to take a turn for the better and it felt good. "Carlisle wanted the guy dead. The pastor had been an abusive bastard - why wouldn't he want him dead?" Aro reasoned. It was perfectly logical to Aro.

"Some people suffer from this thing called guilt," Atia interjected sarcastically.

"Very funny," Aro replied with a roll of his eyes for good measure. "My lord, what was the first thing I did when we went to my father's old olive farm after you had turned me?" Aro asked his father.

"You turned Didyme," Basileus stated, not seeing the relevance.

"Okay, the second thing - I ripped my father's throat out," Aro told them both dispassionately. "I felt guilty about it afterward, sure I did, but he still deserved it, and worse." Aro could see his father playing over Aro's reasoning in his mind. "Carlisle may feel conflicted, but he is glad that you killed the pastor so he didn't have to," Aro said, sealing the coffin.

Basileus was reading his son's thoughts as quickly as Aro was voicing them. When he came across Aro's snooping on Carlisle's memories, it was suddenly clear.

"That deceitful little shit! I'm going to flay the little bastard!" Basileus boomed as he began pacing off his agitation.

"Even though I agree with your sentiments, my lord, I have a better plan. One that will meet our objectives with less unpleasantness," Aro offered, before filling his father in on his plans to implement a coven payroll with proper royal duties for his brother.

"And, you think that will work?" Basileus asked.

"Basileus! You cannot go along with this! Aro proposes to give Carlisle all his wants and desires on a silver platter!"

Aro smirked to his 'mother'. "What do you propose? More cosy little chats to give Carlisle even more ammunition in his emotional blackmail of my father?" It was a cheap shot and Aro knew it, but damn it felt good to get one over on Atia.

Before Atia could retaliate, Basileus had flashed to his son and walloped him across the head. "I meant what I said, Aro, I will back Atia in disciplining you if you continue to buck against us! Show some respect!"

Aro breathed slowly, feeling the nausea that Felix had created returning with his father's blow.

"That said, my dear," Basileus said kindly as he turned to his mate, "Aro does have a certain knack for these sort of situations. I am happy to let his plans play out."

Atia glared her best 'death stare' at her mate before flouncing from the room.

Basileus could see Aro was dying to laugh. "Don't!" he warned.

"I haven't said anything," Aro replied, covering his smile with his hand.

Basileus rolled his eyes to the heavens as he began shooing his son from his quarters.

Aro wanted to know something before he left. "Why haven't you read his thoughts properly since you killed the pastor?" he asked. It would have been the first thing he'd have done.

Basileus sighed softly. "Honestly, son, I was too worried about what I would find."

Aro could understand that. He had no doubts about the sort of things he was soon to discover when he read Felix's thoughts. And he had to read them, as Basileus had offered no explanation as to what he'd done to his boy when he'd sent Aro away.

"Are you going to be able to play along until my saintly little brother has returned? It may take awhile," Aro asked. Basileus was the only weak link in the metaphorical chain that was Aro's plan to returning some semblance of family harmony.

Basileus played over all the times he had begged his youngest son for forgiveness over the last three years, and how every single time Carlisle had thrown his apologies in his face. His earlier spike in anger didn't come, he just felt sad, so very, very sad.

"At this point Aro, I don't even want revenge, I just want to know my family is happy again."

Aro winced. "You may be overestimating my managerial skills, my lord."