AN: I do not own anything, thank you SM for letting us play in your world.

What can I say about this chapter... Caius is a cunt. I think that covers it.

FATEFUL LOVERS

Demetri lay flat on his back, naked, in Caius' bed.

Lucy wrapped her legs over his as they took a break from their love making. It wasn't fucking anymore, this was a different kind of sex, a kind Demetri had never tried before. He loved her ... really loved her ... and the sort of sex they were now having only happened between proper mates. He was sure of it.

This wasn't the first time Demetri had been in Caius' chambers; he'd been half carried there by Eleazar after Aro had whipped him when his brother's ineptitude had cost them Didyme's life. He'd visited a few more times - both before and since - on an errand for his father or similar.

This was the first time he had been with Lucy in Caius' quarters though, and most definitely the first time he'd been in Caius' bed with her.

Caius and Athenodora had such a grand bed chamber; gilded mirrors adorned the walls and there was even one in the eaves above the bed. Demetri had wondered why Caius could possibly need a mirror above his bed ... until he had sex with Lucy beneath it - the placement made much more sense once he saw his lover writhing on top of him through its reflection.

"Are you ready to go again, my love? We have hours until Caius will return," Demetri asked the young blond in his arms.

Young! Lucy was at least 20 when she had been turned, but having been half starved when she was found by the coven and turned, she was a tiny waif of a woman. So tiny that the pair didn't at all look odd together.

With sultry eyes fixed on her bedfellow, Lucy straddled Demetri and soon brought the two of them to distraction as they thrashed in ecstasy between her master's sheets.

"FREEZE!"

Caius.

Demetri and Lucy both stopped breathing, neither moving a single muscle. Well, Demetri's hard-on disappeared immediately ... but he wasn't in control of that particular muscle.

"My lord, please, I beg your forgiveness," Lucy pleaded, tears already present in her eyes.

Demetri felt just as horrified at being caught in such an uncompromising position - and by Caius, of all people. Aro is going to go crazy, he thought, panicked.

"Master Caius, I thought you were out for the day ... " he tried to excuse his behaviour.

It sounded so audacious to Caius that the man burst out laughing. "Oh, I am so very sorry," he told the pair as he flashed to the bedside. "You are right, my mistake, I have returned earlier than expected. Please, do finish!"

Neither Demetri or Lucy had turned to face Caius yet, but that had both their heads springing to the side.

The sarcasm dripping dangerously through Caius' tone was reflected in his jet-black eyes. He was ready to blow.

Demetri attempted to move Lucy but Caius shook his head. What the hell! You don't seriously expect me to 'finish' do you? Demetri questioned in his head, wondering how the heck he was going to get out of Caius' bedroom alive.

"I told you to finish," Caius instructed the frightened young lovers.

Lucy looked away in shame, still straddling her naked boyfriend.

"I can't," Demetri replied quietly.

"That is a shame," Caius commented as he took off his coat and draped it on the dresser. Next, he pounced onto the bed, moving behind Lucy, who shook in Demetri's arms. Caius lay out on top of young vampire lovers, forcing Lucy down onto Demetri's chest and made sure he had a tight hold on the boy's arms. The two young vampires were pinned tightly together with Caius' strength far outweighing theirs.

"I must do it for you then, Demetri," Caius said slyly, smirking evilly to his co-master's son.

Demetri was so perturbed by what Caius was suggesting that all sense of respect and decorum flew out the window. "What! Get the fuck off her!" He started to thrash about, desperately trying to escape Caius' hold.

Cauis simply smiled and dug his fingers into Demetri's rather pathetic biceps. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Aro will ... " Demetri started, voice quivering.

"Aro will what?" Caius interrupted him.

They both knew that Aro had told his boy to stay out of Caius' chambers at all costs, and that Demetri could expect no backing from him if he foolishly ignored the order.

"I won't let you do this!" Demetri roared.

He knew he couldn't stop Caius, he couldn't fight him off, heck, he couldn't even move! Lucy seemed so resigned to her fate and that twisted Demetri's insides. He loved her, really loved her. He knew Caius had her submit to him but to witness the event was going to drive him insane.

"Please, Caius, I am begging you!"

Caius continued to smile, truly enjoying Demetri's reaction. "SUBMIT!" he commanded into Lucy's ear.

Lucy froze, her silent tears continued to flow and collected on Demetri's chest.

"NO!" it started as a roar, but the boy's voice soon broke into a panicked sob.

"If you move, it will be much worse for her, I promise you," Caius casually told Demetri.

"You can't do this, Caius. Take me instead, take me," Demetri offered genuinely.

"Your father would have something to say about that," Caius said as he released the boy's arms, bruising already apparent on his shoulders. As Caius readied himself to enter Lucy, he made sure to have Demetri in his eye line, "but this," he said as he plunged his cock deep inside Lucy's ass, enjoying Demetri's repulsed reaction and Lucy's pain stricken moan, "is all part of my remit."

Caius continued to fuck Lucy, hard, although he had to put some effort into holding Demetri down too.

Their faces were so close, Demetri could feel the coven leader's grunting breath on his face as Caius pounded into his lover. Caius didn't take long to finish the job, but for Demetri it felt like a lifetime had passed whilst his poor fragile Lucy was torn and abused in his arms.

When he was done, Caius sprung off the bed and swaggered around the room as he redressed and fixed his hair in the mirror. "You are released," he called out to the girl without a modicum of remorse.

Demetri tried to turn Lucy's head to face him but she couldn't meet his eye. Instead, gasping for breath and desperately trying to contain her sobs, she disentangled herself from her lover and slowly dressed her fragile form.

As she turned her back on him, Demetri could see the bruising forming down her spine and the teeth marks at the back of her neck.

As Caius watched the exchange through the mirror, it was clear to him that both young vampires were suitably traumatized by what he had done, and he was pleased.

Demetri had only managed to half dress before Caius scooped up the rest of his attire and walked out the door. Only clothed from the waist down and without any footware, Demetri followed the coven master, silently, back to the south tower.

"I believe this is yours," Caius said as he shoved Demetri through Aro's chamber door. "And, these are his," he said, dumping Demetri's clothes and boots on the floor.

Aro had only just returned from talking with his father about Carlisle and his mind was still on Felix, so he wasn't quite prepared to deal with Demetri, too! Aro's head spun as he saw the bruising to his boy's arms and the state of disarray in which his son had returned.

"What happened?" Aro ground out.

He was surprised to see it was Demetri flinching and not Caius. Caius, in fact, offered Aro his hand so he could see for himself what had happened. Aro closed his eyes and held his breath for what was about to come, but he was shocked when he came across Caius returning to his chambers to find Demetri and Lucy in his bed!

"You insolent brat!" Aro roared, clouting Demetri hard across the head ... so hard that the boy fell to the floor where he had the sense to stay until further instruction. Aro returned to Caius' thoughts. He felt sick when he realised what Caius was about to do, although he was relieved to see he had Lucy submit and not Demetri. It wasn't that Aro thought Lucy deserved such cruelty, quite the opposite, but he would have had to go against Caius if it had been Demetri and he'd rather not travel down that road ... yet.

He felt for his boy, but there was no way Aro was going to let Demetri know that. Give him an inch he will take a mile, he thought. Aro knew if Demetri thought he had Aro's backing now, that before long his son would end up back in the same situation.

"Go to your room ... "

"But ... " Demetri interrupted, although he thought better of it when, in warning, Aro widened his furious eyes to him. Aro waited for the tell-tale door slamming to know Demetri was safe in his chamber before speaking to Caius.

"Was that really necessary, brother?" he asked quietly.

Caius shrugged. He had expected some backlash from Aro, but frankly, he didn't care. The brat should never have been in my quarters, he reasoned.

"Demetri made me an interesting offer," Caius told Aro, before he could close the door on his covenmate.

"What would he have to offer to you?" Aro asked, interest piqued.

"He asked me to take him instead of Lucy."

Aro's face scrunched up in confusion. "Take?"

Caius smiled to himself. "Submission, Aro." Caius delighted in Aro's widening eyes.

"If you ... " the coven king began, then cut himself off seeing Caius continue to smile.

"Of course I haven't. But that boy should be careful to whom he makes such an offer. I don't think he understands what submission really is, Aro."

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Aro sighed. "Why would he even ask that of you?" he asked, mainly himself.

"I think your brat is in love with my charge, brother." Caius said with a shrug.

Aro shook his head, as though the very idea of his teenage son mating was preposterous.

Caius fixed Aro in his sights. "Personally, I could care less. But if I catch Demetri in my bed again, I will consider him to be a 'gift' from you."

Aro folded his arms across his chest as he glared back at Caius. "I am sure, for the sake of our coven, that you could find another way to deal with Demetri if that very, very unlikely event was to occur, again."

Caius smiled evilly. "Of course I could ... but why should I - he has been warned many times already." With that, Caius left the tower.

Aro heard the ground floor door shut behind his co-master as he took a seat on the top step. What the hell am I going to do now? he questioned himself, running through as many options as he could in his mind. Yet, they all amounted to the same thing ... Demetri would go back to Caius' chambers at some point, no matter how severely Aro punished him for his stupidity. Would Caius go through with his threat? he wondered, fully knowing he would if he had the chance.

Closing his eyes, Aro knew what he had to do. It was time to call in the big guns ... Basileus! As he made his way down to his father's chambers at a human pace, Aro cursed his son for forcing him to beg help from his father on something like this!

"My lord?" Aro called out as he nudged his father's door open.

"Back again so soon! Come on in, son," Basileus called out.

He was in his usual seat at his table, going over correspondence from the guards who had been sent to check on the outposts and deliver Aro's messages to the major covens.

"Are you alone?" Aro asked, listening out for the sounds of their family.

"Indeed I am. Atia has gone to see Freyr and your brothers are still out stealing wine!"

Aro could tell by his tone that Basileus didn't think his idea for replenishing the coven wine stores through completing Carlisle and Felix's thievery was a good idea, but he didn't have time to think about that.

"I need you to talk to Caius."

Not appreciating Aro's tone at all, Basileus rolled his eyes. "And of what would this talk consist?" Basileus asked without looking up from his papers.

"Making Demetri submit," Aro answered.

"WHAT!"

Basileus was on his feet, paper scattered to the floor before Aro had closed the door behind himself.

"He hasn't ... yet," Aro placated his father, though he was pleased by the horrified reaction Basileus had to the idea. That would certainly help Aro drag Demetri out of the hole the boy had thrown himself into.

"You had better explain what the hell is going on," Basileus ordered.

"My darling boy was caught in Caius' bed with Lucy riding him ... by Caius!" Aro explained briefly.

Basileus sunk back into his seat. "That bloody boy!"

Agreeing, Aro nodded. "Caius had Lucy submit to him ... whilst she was still straddling Demetri."

Basileus sucked in the air through his teeth. "Harsh," he said, feeling disappointed by Caius' cruelty.

Aro nodded his agreement before continuing. "Caius told me if he catches Demetri in his bed again, he will consider him to be a gift from me. I think we both know what that means." Aro grimaced as he spoke.

Basileus knew exactly what Caius meant. "Surely that knowledge will keep Demetri from Caius' chambers?" he asked his son.

Aro scoffed. "Doubtful. He actually asked Caius to allow him to exchange places with Lucy."

Basileus gasped. "Tell me you are joking?" He was saddened when Aro shook his head. "Well we can't have that, but I don't blame Caius, either."

Aro shot an incredulous look to his father who held up a hand to signal his silence.

"Aro, if you caught a couple of guards fucking in your bed, what would you do?"

Bollocks, you have me there, Aro thought. "So, are you saying I should do nothing, let Caius fuck my son?!"

Aro was incensed. He began pacing short laps around Basileus' living chamber.

"I didn't say that," Basileus returned. "You need to find a way to keep Demetri from going to Caius' chambers. Bringing an end to his relationship with Lucy would be a good start."

Aro rolled his eyes. "And, how exactly will I do that? I think he is mating with her!"

Basileus was surprised to hear that. He had never considered Demetri as capable of mating with another vampire, he was so immature. "You could take Lucy, she could live with you, Demetri could mate with her properly?" he suggested.

Aro quit his lap of the living room and tutted to his father as though he were addressing a child. "Are you serious? I am not going to let him mate with her properly - he's too young. I want to bring an end to this ... not add future issues with which to contend!"

Basileus was getting seriously pissed off with his son's smart arsed attitude. "Aro, if you expect my help, you should proceed more cordially," he warned lightly.

Aro took it on board, though he felt the tension in every muscle in his body.

"What is wrong with them?" Basileus asked himself.

"Them, who?" Aro asked, hoping he wasn't one of 'them'.

"Felix and bloody Carlisle have been causing havoc all morning, and now Demetri this evening. Where are the twins? Can you lock them up for the night, please?"

Aro laughed. "Jane and Alec don't cause me any trouble, my lord."

Basileus looked down his nose to his son. "Give them time, Aro! Now, fetch Demetri," Basileus ordered.

"What are you going to do?" Aro asked, anxiously.

"I don't know yet, but I suggest you play along to whatever I decide."

Aro nodded, he trusted his father - he wouldn't have sought his help otherwise.

It didn't take Aro long to return, dragging a depressed Demetri behind. Aro was pissed off to find him out of his room and crying on his mother's shoulder when he went to his chambers, but the poor boy looked so dejected that his anger soon dissipated.

Basileus directed his son and grandson to the sofas by the fire which was crackling pleasingly. Atia, like Sulpicia, liked to keep a warm home. It was a very human custom, but one they all found comfort in.

"Well, you have certainly thrown yourself to the wolves, my boy," Basileus began.

Demetri sank into his chair like the moody teen he was.

"What do you have to say for yourself, then?" Basileus prompted, hoping the boy would open up and give him something to work with.

"Nothing!" Demetri spat in response.

Basileus frowned at the boy's tone. Cheeky brat, he thought.

"Caius caught you in his chambers, no, in HIS BED, and you have nothing to say?"

Demetri shrugged.

"Fine, you don't want to talk, you will listen instead," Basileus told the boy gruffly. "Your relationship with Lucy is over, you are confined to the south tower for three months."

Demetri attempted to stand but Aro pulled him back into his seat.

"That isn't fair!"

Basileus shrugged in much the same way Demetri had only moments before.

"You can't split us up," Demetri whined, "and three months in the tower for seeing my mate in her home? That's unreasonable!"

Basileus and Aro both laughed at the whining young guard.

"You are not mated, Demetri. You are fourteen, fourteen-year-olds don't mate!" Aro told him, laughter bursting through his words intermittently.

Demetri felt powerless and dejected, much the same way Caius had made him feel earlier that day. "You can't tell me what to feel," he sulked.

Aro shook his head, getting himself under control. "No, I cannot, but I know your 'love' for Lucy will pass ... much like it has for many other girls you have been hung up on."

"This is different!" Demetri spat back to his father. "I have been with Lucy, and only Lucy, for three years."

Aro swallowed hard. He hadn't realised his son was quite that serious about Caius' charge.

Basileus could see his son wavering and decided it would be best to move things along. "Whatever you had, or think you had, with that girl - it's over. And you are in this tower for three months. I will hear nothing more about it."

Demetri turned to Aro in hope that his father would help. Basileus is being way over the top!

Aro tutted at his son. As if I am going to help you, silly boy, he thought.

"Next on the agenda," Basileus continued, ignoring Demetri's wide eyed pleading, "is the matter of submission."

Demetri looked to the floor, embarrassed.

Basileus wasn't having that. He knelt in front of Demetri and forced his head up by a tight pinch on his chin. "You, you foolish boy, asked Caius to have you submit instead of Lucy. Is that right?"

Demetri wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. If there is a god, please smite me now and end this fresh round of shame, please. "Yes, my lord," he eventually replied, after none of the gods came to his rescue.

"You really don't want Caius to do that, Demetri. You need to understand, if you backed Caius into a corner, say, by going back into his chambers, and he was forced to have you submit to him ... it would be most unpleasant."

Demetri squared his shoulders. "I can take it. Better me than Lucy!"

Oh, you stupid boy! Aro thought as he winced for his son, knowing what was coming next.

CRACK!

Basileus backhanded Demetri straight across the mouth. "Are you really so ignorant?" he asked his grandson. "Caius will still have Lucy whenever he likes, you would be saving her nothing. In fact, I dare say you would be making matters worse for her - who do you think Caius will take out his frustrations on when you piss him off?"

Demetri was already crying softly, the realisation that Caius had fucked Lucy because of him had only just hit, and it hit hard.

"WELL?!" Basileus boomed into the fragile boy's face. He expected a response.

"Lucy. He will take it out on Lucy."

Basileus nodded sagely. "It is worse than that though, lad. If Caius ever has you submit, do you really think we would leave you be?"

Demetri scrunched his face up at Basileus' words, they made no sense.

Basileus could see he needed to clarify his point. "Submission is a primal, vampiric action ... if another coven leader tried to lay claim over Aro's charge, do you not think Aro would seek to reclaim that charge."

Demetri's eyes flew wide open, the idea of Aro having him submit was so much worse than Caius. He's my dad, that wrong, just wrong, he thought, disgusted.

Aro didn't look much happier about the idea. "Sulpicia would leave me if I did," he stated, sadly.

Basileus nodded, "I know that son, I would not allow you to risk such a thing as your marriage. I would have to do it for you."

"YOU!" Demetri shouted in surprise, desperately pulling back, but Basileus held his chin firmly.

"Me," the ancient creator confirmed menacingly. "I do not make empty threats. I am careful when I give my word to make sure I can be true to it. Do you understand?" he asked the frightened boy.

Demetri nodded as much as he was able whilst his head was held in Basileus' vice like pinch.

"Then listen well, boy. If Caius has cause to make you submit, I will reclaim you - you will submit to me, too. I give you my word. Is that clear?"

Demetri couldn't breathe. He tried to suck in some air so he could speak but his whole body was frozen in fear.

"Answer me!" Basileus ordered, giving the boy a shake.

"Y, ye, no. I ... " Demetri stuttered, unable to form a single coherent word.

Basileus looked to his son. "Has Caius punished him?"

"No, I don't believe so." Aro replied. Looking his young Lothario over, he wondered if the boy had suffered enough already.

"Have you, then?" Basileus asked, feeling irritated and interrupting Aro's thoughts.

"No, my lord," Aro replied, knowing where this was going.

Apparently so did Demetri ... and he put all his efforts into fighting Basileus off.

Releasing the boys chin, Basileus took hold of Demetri's wrist and pulled him along as he retook his seat. Demetri threw all his strength into resisting as his grandfather effortlessly manoeuvred him between his legs, holding him in position in a thigh lock.

"All this flailing, all this fighting," Basileus commented to Aro, "shall we show him how easy it would be to handle him under submission?"

Aro narrowed his eyes. Do you mean just making the call for it, or doing it? You cannot do it, Dad! Aro spoke through his thoughts to his father, praying he was listening.

"Just the call." Basileus replied easily. Aro nodded his agreement.

"What are you doing?" Demetri asked, looking frantically between his father and grandfather.

"Submit!" Basileus commanded, and guided the now compliant boy over his knee.

"Much better, Demetri," Basileus said as he positioned his grandson to his pleasing. As he stripped the boy from the waist down, Basileus, quite patronisingly, told his young grandson, "Now, I know you cannot talk, but I believe this would be the part where you offer your regrets and begin begging for leniency. It is a shame I cannot hear you, as now I will have no indication of when to bring your punishment to an end."

Demetri tried to move, to struggle, to throw a hand back and defend himself - anything! He could hardly move, it felt like his body was made of lead weights and he was powerless. He could feel everything though. Each slap Basileus planted on his upturned backside brought a new expletive screaming inside his head.

Basileus continued to pepper the whole of his ass and the top of his legs with sharp swots until Demetri's skin had turned a deep greying purple, a sign that his body's venom was rushing to the assaulted area to heal the well-tanned skin.

"Have you had enough?" Basileus asked the boy, knowing the poor thing couldn't answer him.

Demetri groaned in pain, it was the only noise he could make - much like Lucy whilst Caius was fucking her on top of him earlier that day. Let me up you bastard! Demetri screamed out in his thoughts.

"He just called me a bastard!" Basileus told Aro, who laughed to the news.

"He clearly hasn't had enough then, my lord," he commented whilst concentrating on playing with the rings on his hand. He felt very uncomfortable watching someone else discipline his child.

Basileus agreed and set to work landing slow, hard smacks to Demetri's thighs. One after another he struck with such force that Demetri was sure his legs were going to fracture.

Aro listened to the mild moaning coming from his son. A damn sight easier than having to fight to keep you under control, and none of the dramatic wailing either, I might have to try this myself, he thought.

Basileus leaned back into the sofa. By the time he had finished punishing Demetri, the boy was a sobbing mess in his lap. His face was the same colour as his ass, deep purple grey from his venomous blood rushing to his hanging head.

"Are you going to let him up?" Aro asked, wondering what was going through is father's mind now.

"I was going to, but then I thought, whilst he's so compliant ... perhaps we should give him a chance to experience submission. Just in case he still has it in his head to push Caius."

Aro looked from his son to his father. "What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"Submission, son." Basileus stated plainly. "Should we give him a preview?"

Aro caught his father's wink. You nasty old bastard, he thought. "How?" he asked, knowing his boy would be a nervous wreck by now.

"Well, I don't want to fuck him ... unless you do?"

Demetri's moaning stepped up a notch, though it was still barely audible above his increasing sobs.

"No thanks!" Aro replied. Jesus Christ, dad! He wasn't willing to go that far!

"There must be something around here we could use for entry ... " Basileus said happily, adding a fierce slap to Demetri's backside as he spoke.

No! No, no, no! Please, I beg you, no! I won't go to Caius' chambers ever again, never, not even for Lucy, I'll end it with her. I swear.

"Do you mean that?" Basileus asked, referring to Demetri's thoughts.

I do, I do! he said in his head, though it was difficult for Basileus to hear him through his venom snot sobbing.

"You are released," Basileus announced, dragging the boy up.

Demetri's wailing began as soon as Basileus had spoken.

Aro couldn't help but laugh at the seamless return to the dramatic display he was used to from his son. As Demetri scrambled to redress himself standing between his father and grandfather, Basileus issued him a few fateful orders.

"You are to go to Caius and apologise unreservedly, and you will break it off with Lucy. Am I understood?"

Demetri swore he could feel his heart thumping in his chest. "Really? I have to break up with her?" he asked through his tears.

"YES!" Basileus growled, making the young Lothario jump. "Take him."

Aro nodded curtly to his father's order and pushed his son in front of him and out of the door.

Once they were standing outside Caius' suite, Demetri tried one last time to get out of Basileus' decree. "Please dad, we are in love," he whined.

Aro shook his head and rolled his eyes. "If you really loved her, you would end it with her, now. You two being together will only cause her more pain. Caius will take out all his frustrations with you on the poor thing. End it, Demetri. You aren't mating, I will not allow it. You are too young and you will always be too young."

Demetri felt crushed, emotionally and physically battered.

Aro paid little attention to his son's ego for the moment. Instead, he knocked hard on Caius' door.

"He looks a little more subdued than when I last saw him!" Caius crowed when he opened the door.

Demetri scowled but kept his face down so Caius couldn't see.

"He has something to say to you, brother," Aro prompted his son, giving him a jab in the back for good measure.

It took a few attempts, but Demetri eventfully managed an unbroken line of apology without his sobs interrupting. "I am really sorry for being in your chambers, Master Caius."

Aro coughed. "And Lucy!" he said to his boy.

"I want to end my relationship with Lucy, too." Demetri said, fresh tears overflowing his eyes at the statement.

Caius' eyebrows were raised so high that they disappeared into his hair line. "Really?" he asked, looking to Aro for confirmation.

"Yes. I'm taking him to Chelsea next, I suggest you do the same with Lucy at some point, soon." Aro told his co-master.

"Good idea!" Caius congratulated Aro. That will make my life easier. "I will take her to the guard hall once she has recovered."

Aro grabbed hold of Demetri by his shoulders, knowing his boy would react to hearing his dear little lover had been punished. What else did you expect? Aro wondered.

"Come along, Demetri, before you cause any further strife!" Aro sang out, dragging a wincing Demetri to the guard hall and away from a bemused Caius.

On entering the guard hall, Aro pushed Demetri towards Magnus' desk.

"Wait over there for me," he instructed before he left the boy to find Chelsea.

Magnus saw Demetri coming, if he hadn't he would have heard his snivelling. Once he was close enough, Magnus reached out and took Demetri by the hand, pulling him in closer.

"What's happened?" he asked with concern.

Demetri leaned into the hulking master's shoulder and whispered his misdeeds into his ear.

Magnus' heart sank hearing Demetri's short tale, and the emotional bombardment he could feel from the boy was enough to turn his stomach. Knowing he was going against Aro and Basileus, but not really caring at the time, Magnus drew some of the emotionally charged youth's pain away, just to enough so that Demetri could get himself under control and at least quit his tears. Magnus received a very quiet and meaningful 'thank you' for his efforts.

Aro returned with Chelsea in time to see Demetri's relief and looked disapprovingly to Magnus.

"I don't tell you how to do your job," Magnus told the coven king quietly, returning just as much disapproval as he had received from Aro.

That put Aro on the back foot. Magnus had taken to his role as a Master of the Coven without a cross word between the two of them to date. It was clear to Aro that Magnus was pissed off with him for the state Demetri was in, but to his surprise, he felt compelled to take his disapproval without rebuttal.

Feeling more than a little shame for what he was about to do, Aro avoided Magnus' glare and turned to Chelsea. "Would you please sever his bond with Lucy, my dear," he asked kindly.

Demetri started crying again until Magnus withdrew more of his emotional pain. Aro's eyes flickered to Magnus' and then the hold the Master of the Guard had on his son. Magnus refused to release the boy. The stand-off between coven masters didn't last long ... and it was Aro who gave in, not Magnus.

"Master, my gift cannot separate mates," Chelsea implored. Seeing the sorry state Demetri was in she felt awful to bring him more pain.

"They are not mated," Aro stated harshly. "Do it."

Chelsea gulped at the harshness of Aro's tone. Aro was usually so steadfast that little seemed to faze him - the general guards were only used to his calm demeanour, even if it was sometimes obviously, and scarily forced. She immediately turned on Demetri. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on his bond with Lucy and set to work dismantling it.

It took a great deal of effort, but Chelsea managed to sever the young lover's bonds. "My lord, I ... " Chelsea fainted before she could say anymore.

Luckily Magnus had been watching carefully and caught the young woman before she dropped to the floor.

"I do not appreciate you going against me, Magnus," Aro whispered calmly. He felt anything but calm. He was, in fact, for the first time questioning Magnus' appointment as a Master of the Coven.

"If they come to the guard hall, they come as guards," Magnus replied.

Aro narrowed his eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"That is what you told your children when you made me Master of the Guards. They come to my hall as guards. And, I will look after them as such." Magnus was resolute, and he knew, even if Aro didn't, that his position couldn't be taken away ... Basileus had made that quite clear when he was forced to take Carlisle in hand a few years before.

"Send her to Caius to do the same with Lucy when she recovers."

Scooping her up into his arms, Magnus leaned in close to the coven king. "I'm not against you, Aro, but we won't always be in agreement, either." With that he turned his back on Aro and went to lay Chelsea out on one of the sofas.

"Home," Aro ordered his boy, who was looking to Magnus with a new kind of respect. "Now!" Aro ordered, to get his son moving.

Demetri limped slowly, hissing and gasping all the way until they were safe inside their tower again.

"Go to bed, son. Its late," Aro told his depressed young Lothario. "Ah, ah! Not in your room. I'm not having you and Felix spend all night coming up with new ways to defy me. You can sleep in my bed."

Demetri sighed, but he followed his father's orders without further complaint.

Sulpicia and Carmen looked questioningly to Aro; he hadn't spoken to either of them when he'd fetched Demetri to take to Basileus. They assumed it was over the boy being in Caius' chambers - they had heard Caius' ranting - but they hoped for more details now that Aro was home.

"Well?" Sulpicia asked, when no information was forthcoming.

Aro shook his head and scrubbed a hand down his face. "He is to stay in this tower for three months." That was all he could think to say.

"Three months!" Carmen repeated. "That's a very long time, Aro!"

Aro nodded. "Basileus," was all he offered in explanation, and truthfully, that was enough.