AN: Thank you SM for letting us borrow the twilight world and characters :)

Oh Felix, you are the master of making a bad situation worse... but Carlisle you are supposed to be a grown up for god sake!

Here we go...

PRIVATE PARTY

Felix slammed his bedroom door so hard that it rebounded in the frame and swung open again. Flopping down onto his bed, he glared at the thing as though the inanimate object had rebelled against him purposely.

I am not sitting in this fucking room anymore, he decided, going to Demetri's robe and desperately searching for something, anything, that would fit him. There was nothing. Puny little wimp, Felix jeered as he hung Demetri's uniform to his chest. There was no way he could wear it without ripping it to shreds. Fine then, I'll go as I am!

Opening his window wide, he took a look down. There were no guards on patrol as there were so few left in the castle, his only concern was the possibility of his family seeing him in his attempt to pass below. Carlisle's bedroom window in Eleazar's suite was directly below his own ... can I make it down the wall? he wondered.

He knew Aro would be in Eleazar's chambers but it was so unlikely that his father would be in Carlisle's room that he thought the risk was worth taking. Climbing out his window, Felix gripped onto the ledge and lowered himself down. He missed his footing once or twice but managed to maintain his grip and scaled the wall until he was below Carlisle's window. To his absolute delight, Carlisle was in his room.

Felix tapping on his window scared the shit out of Carlisle! Once over his shock, he opened it quickly and dragged Felix inside.

"What the hell are you doing?" Carlisle questioned. "Do you have a death wish?"

Felix beamed to his uncle. "I cannot sit in that fucking room any longer, I am going crazy on my own," he whispered, unsure of who could be in listening distance.

"Felix, I have promised Aro I won't be leading you astray anymore," Carlisle told his nephew.

"No way, Carlisle. I have gone along with you and all your plans. I need you, now. I need to get out of here for a while."

Carlisle looked his nephew up and down. "I'm not going anywhere with you wearing that," he said.

Felix pulled on the collar of his old uniform. "This is why I need to get out of here," he said. "Aro has only left me with these fucking rags to wear - his punishments are becoming more cruel and unusual."

Carlisle bit his bottom lip hard as he considered his options ... he really didn't want to break his word to his brother ... again. Aro is offering me a proper position in the coven, I can't throw that back in his face.

"You owe me one, Carlisle. At least one, actually," Felix pushed.

Carlisle had to agree. How many times have I promised to 'pay him back one day' when he's been caught on my quests? Carlisle sighed, he had to go along with Felix.

"So, you want to get back at him, is that it?"

Felix nodded. "We don't even have to leave the castle. But I will not be in that room when he comes to give me a round of fucks. He thinks he owns me. I hate him."

Carlisle's eyes widened. "You don't mean that, Felix."

"Yes, I do. You have dragged me around Italy to get back at Basileus ... I am only asking you to come into the castle with me," Felix pushed.

Carlisle had genuinely planned to turn his behaviour around after talking with Aro and Eleazar. He really had. But Felix was right - Carlisle owed him one, more than one really. Make me good god, but not today.

"I may have an idea that would show Aro he cannot control you. I think I could even get Basileus to give us a pass on it, too."

Felix's eyes lit up. "Do tell," he prompted, cheekily.

"We could go to Marcus' chambers. He is still away and I know where he keeps his opium stash."

Felix was literally bouncing from foot to foot with excitement. "Yes!" he squeaked happily. "Why would Basileus give you a pass on us smoking opium?"

Carlisle wiggled his eyebrows. "He is racked with guilt over the pastor ... I could tell him I took it to relieve my pain," he said dramatically, clutching his hands to his heart. Carlisle didn't know that Aro had worked out his plan and had already informed their father of his deceit.

"And, why would I be taking it?" Felix asked. He could see how Carlisle might get away with it, but he didn't have such an excuse.

"I talked you into it and I was so distressed that you didn't want me to do it on my own," Carlisle stated casually. It was dumb, really dumb. But the hot headed young vampires thought the fun outweighed the risk.

Carlisle voiced his only concern. "How are we going to get to the north tower from here? Aro and Eleazar are in the living room going over plans for the visiting covens."

"Well, Sully and Carmen are upstairs, so we can't go through there," Felix replied. "We will have to go up and over."

Carlisle sighed. "Scale the castle?" Carlisle asked for confirmation.

Felix nodded, beaming. "Come on, follow my lead." Felix went first, with Carlisle hot on his heels, literally. "You are going to pull me off the fucking wall, back up!" he called down.

"Speed up!" Carlisle retorted, looking to the sheer drop below him and feeling queasy. Logically, he knew the fall wouldn't kill him. No, the fall will be fine, it will be Basileus that kills me!

Once they were at the top it was easy to gain access to the north tower with the castle wall walk that joined the buildings together. The pair of them dropped onto Marcus' terrace and couldn't believe they had actually made it there without anyone seeing them.

Felix took a wander around Marcus' suite whilst Carlisle went to retrieve the opium stash in the master's bedroom. Felix suddenly felt a pang of guilt, not for skipping out on his restriction ... he couldn't care less about pissing Aro off right now. His guilt was for Marcus. Breaking into his suite and stealing his happy stash ... the guilt was palpable.

"You know, Marcus is due to return any day now," Felix called out.

"Not today, we would have been told. Relax," Carlisle yelled from the bedroom.

Felix tried to close the door to the terrace but they had broken the fixings to get in and the door no longer fitted as it should. Oh fuck, he thought. "I have never taken opium before, Carlisle ... " Felix mentioned casually, meeting his uncle in the living room.

"You are going to love it, Felix," Carlisle encouraged, passing his nephew a small bag of the drug whilst he prepared the pipe.

Marcus had collected the instrument many years earlier when he and Didyme had travelled to Greater China. Made of bamboo for its length, the lip piece was solid sliver ... as was the ornate dragon head at the end.

Carlisle took some opium from the bag Felix nervously held and crumbled small pieces into the pipe bowl. "Light a candle," he called to his nephew.

Felix obliged. "What's so great about opium anyway?" he asked, bringing the candle to his uncle.

Carlisle smiled. "It banishes melancholy, begets confidence, converts fear into boldness, makes the coward eloquent, and dastards brave."

Felix laughed. "That is so something Marcus would say!"

Carlisle smiled, too, as he held out the pipe for Felix.

Felix didn't take it though. He eyed his uncle as though he were the devil himself.

"Just try it. If you don't like it we will go and do something else," Carlisle encouraged him.

"If Aro finds out about this he will ... "

"Will what?" Carlisle asked, looking his nephew, who stood before him in dowdy rags, up and down. "He's taken everything from you already. What else could he do?"

Felix sighed. "Beat me to a bloody pulp!"

Carlisle shook his head. "He wouldn't. The most we will get is another round of fucks and a belting to contend with ... " Seeing Felix pale before him, Carlisle stopped talking. "Trust me, this is worth it," he said confidently.

"What if he whips me again? Carlisle, you don't know how bad that is!" Felix stressed.

"Basileus won't allow it. Do you not know what happened the last time?"

Felix shook his head and took a seat, he was all too eager to hear about Aro getting some comeuppance for a change.

"When Aro last whipped one of you, Basileus whipped Aro in the throne room ... something about the whip Aro uses on guards instead of just killing them."

The information he was feeding Felix, though true, was misleading. Carlisle didn't know that, actually, Aro had since whipped Felix - he had sought Basileus' permission first, but he had whipped his son.

"Fuck!" Felix exclaimed. He had seen that terrifying implement used on the guards. He'd suffered a single lash himself for fucking up on a mission hundreds of years before - he made damn sure not to repeat that error.

"Basileus said IF Aro ever whipped any of you again, he would whip Aro in front of the guard. And there's no way Aro will risk that."

Felix smiled. He knew Aro would belt him, he could take that. And he wanted to get back at Aro for the humiliation he'd put him through over the debacle with Heidi. "I'm in!" he said with his broad grin stretching to new lengths as he accepted the pipe from Carlisle.

…

It was midday before anyone realised Felix and Carlisle were missing from the south tower.

Basileus tried in vain to trace their whereabouts through their thoughts, but as the pair were passed out on an opium high, there were no thoughts to track. Aro soon called on Demetri for his talents and he led his father and grandfather through the halls of their castle home to the north tower.

Basileus listened at Marcus' door and heard his son laugh. I will kill him, he thought furiously.

Aro pushed his father aside. Bringing his knee up to his chest, he booted his foot square into the middle of Marcus' chamber door. "KNOCK FUCKING KNOCK!" he announced loudly as Felix and Carlisle scrambled on the floor, attempting to hide the evidence of their crimes.

"Go back to your chambers, " Basileus whispered to Demetri.

Scowling, as he would have loved to stay and watch the floor show, Demetri returned home.

Basileus and Aro stalked around Marcus' chambers, one going left, the other right. Felix and Carlisle stood petrified in the middle.

"Please don't be mad," Felix whispered to his father.

Aro looked to his son in utter disgust. Flashing to his side, he took his face in one hand and looked into his mottled red eyes. When Aro turned his boy to the light streaming through the window he could see just how fucked his son was. The boy couldn't even see straight. Whilst Aro could read his sons thoughts, all he could hear was Felix saying 'oh fuck' repeatedly to himself.

"'Oh fuck' is right, my boy."

When Aro released him, Felix fell in a crumpled heap to the floor before promptly throwing up his last feed.

Carlisle chuckled to himself seeing the state Felix was in.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Basileus yelled at his son.

"Dad, you see, the thing is, I was really depressed about the losing my dad ... my other dad ... the one you killed, and I talked Felix into helping me get to grips with the pain with a little medicinal opium ... "

Carlisle sounded wrecked, but that didn't stop Basileus from whipping the back of his hand across his son's face.

Carlisle staggered backwards and tripped over Felix in the process.

"I am speechless!" Basileus ground out. "Was this part of your plan?" he shot to his middle boy.

"Obviously not, my lord." Aro replied, rolling his eyes.

"Now what do we do?" Aro asked, nudging his drowsy son with his foot.

"The whip will wake them up!" Basileus commented, dragging Carlisle to his feet by his hair.

The pain was bringing Carlisle round from the retreating opium high.

Aro raised an eyebrow to his father. "Really?" he asked, pulling his boy to his feet.

Basileus put his arm around Aro. "Question," he said, "Afton and Chelsea have been caught stealing from your quarters ... what do you do?" Basileus posed hypothetically.

Aro shrugged. "I wouldn't want to lose them ... "

Basileus nodded. "So, what would you do?"

Aro sighed. "I would have them disciplined before the assembled coven."

Basileus smiled knowingly whilst Aro winced for young son's coming pain.

"Follow me," Basileus announced sternly as he dragged Carlisle along by a fistfull of his hair. I am going to make you little bastards pay for your crimes this time, he thought furiously.

Basileus directed them to the guard hall first.

"MAGNUS!" he yelled from the doorway, drawing the attention of few guards left in the coven to him at the same time. "Throne room, now!" Basileus ground out.

Magnus felt his stomach flip and for a change, it was his own skin he was worried about. I knew I had gone too far yesterday. Damn you, Demetri, standing up for you and now the creator is going to demote me!

"I want every member of the coven in attendance, no exceptions," Basileus shouted out. Everyone in the vicinity heard him, loud and clear. "Freyr, could you send word to Athenodora and Sulpicia to bring their households along."

Before Freyr could offer her agreement, Basileus was on the move again, still dragging Carlisle by his hair.

Aro pulled Felix along with similar force, though the boy was grateful he was only being held by his arm and not his scalp!

When they arrived in the great hall, Basileus threw Carlisle to the floor at the bottom of the throne steps and gestured for Aro to do the same with his charge.

The reality of their situation was beginning to dawn on Felix and Carlisle. Both had sobered up from the drugs and now that their earlier bravado had dissipated, and the opium no longer offered any protection, they were both fearful about what being dragged to the great hall meant for their hides.

Aro took his seat in his throne whilst Basileus stalked around the room like a lion encircling his prey.

Felix and Carlisle were on their feet, huddled together as they watched the formidable creator. He was going to take them out, they knew it.

Magnus arrived with the guards from his hall.

Aro noticed that the Master of the Guard looked uncharacteristically anxious, but under the circumstances he had little time to pry as to the cause.

The only guards who had returned from their missions were those sent to the closest outposts. Lev and his mate Katarina and her brother Mikhail had been to the French coven and successfully convinced Henri, the French coven leader, to visit Aro during their Easter Ball to discuss terms for an alliance. Odi, Corin, Turk, and Isolde followed them to the side of the hall where they waited in confusion. It was clear Carlisle and Felix were in trouble of some sort, but Basileus rarely, if ever, chastised his sons in the throne room. Aro didn't make it a regular feature of coven life.

Sulpicia arrived next with Carmen and Eleazar. Sulpicia and Carmen joined the group of guards but Eleazar went straight to his brother.

"Aro, what is going on?" he asked inquisitively.

"I believe Basileus is going to whip Carlisle and Felix ... "

Although, thanks to Demetri, Eleazar knew the reason, Aro couldn't explain further as his brother had already left his side to flash to their father who was still patrolling the great hall like a stalking lion. It appeared Basileus had as little interest in listening to Eleazar as Eleazar had in listening to Aro. Without even addressing him, the creator shoved his son to the side of the hall with the other gatherers.

The twins followed their mother with Demetri limping behind. He had told the twins about Felix and Carlisle's private opium party and Aro and Basileus catching them, pipe in hand. They were all quite excited talking about their brother's latest fuck up, but walking into the throne room and seeing their grandfather baying for blood sent a shiver through their bodies.

"This is really bad, Demetri." Jane said to her brother quietly as they went to stand with the guards.

Demetri nodded, wide eyed and concerned. As soon as the young vampires were close enough, the assembled guards began questioning them, quietly, about what the hell was going on. Demetri left the twins to tell tales as he watched the doorway waiting for Lucy to appear. He didn't have to wait long.

Soon enough, Athenodora arrived with Caius. Lucy followed behind with Heidi and Chelsea helping her. Lucy walked with an obvious limp and her pretty face looked grey and sallow. Caius had really gone to town 'disciplining' the girl.

Aro glared at his covenmate and beckoned Caius over. "What have you done to her?" Aro ground out, gesturing to Caius' young charge.

"I refuse to deal with the constant stream of shit your 'children' cause you, brother," Caius said simply. "She won't go against me again."

Aro watched as Caius took his throne. He wanted to take the guy's head off his shoulders. He's right though, Aro thought. He won't have to repeat his message, Lucy won't go against Caius again.

Looking to her ex-bedfellow, Aro had to wonder how soon he would be reminding Demetri of proper behaviour. With Felix's squirming in front of him catching his eye, Aro was forced to admit Caius' management of their vampires was more productive than his own, although he would never tell Caius that.

Demetri felt a little guilty as he looked to Lucy, but not as much as he'd expected. He wanted to feel more, but it wouldn't come. She barely glanced at him as they stood side by side in the guard line-up and he wondered why that did not upset him. Although he didn't feel much about Lucy, he felt full of feelings! His emotions were sparking all over the place ... one minute he felt so manic that he struggled to stand still, but the next, he was ready to sit and sob and he had no idea why!

Magnus could feel the broiling emotional charge in the room - he had assumed it was coming from Felix, or possibly Carlisle, so when his gift zoned in on Demetri he was surprised. Damn it, Aro, you have screwed his head up by breaking his bond with Lucy! It's unnatural!

Chelsea looked down the line to the star-crossed lovers. She felt dreadful about using her gift on the two of them - both physically and emotionally. Using her gift on mated pairs was impossible - it had been almost unachievable to sever Lucy and Demetri's bonds, which told Chelsea they were on the way to mating truly. She thought Aro and Caius most cruel to divide their love the way they had.

Soon enough Atia and Freyr entered the great hall and Aro took it as a sign to begin.

"Is this everyone?" Aro asked, talking to his feet.

"Yes, my lord." Freyr answered. They really were thin on the ground.

Aro skipped down the steps to confront his brother and son. "You are lucky most of the guards are still out on envoy duties," he told the pair with his sing song tone, adding, "perhaps we will repeat this display when our full coven returns?"

Felix and Carlisle looked to each other in horror. They weren't exactly sure of what the 'display' was going to consist, but they knew it was going to hurt, and clearly, it was going to be very, very public.

Aro watched them both quiver in front of him.

Carlisle dared to move his eyes from the floor to face his brother. He wasn't sure what he was hoping for; a wink from Aro, perhaps, to show he wasn't serious. When Carlisle met his eye, Aro cocked his head to the side.

Felix had caught the gesture and sucked in his breath. He had been at Aro's side in this room enough times to know what was coming. Offering his little brother a sly smile, Aro slammed his forehead into Carlisle's nose, breaking the appendage with blood splattering across Aro's head and Carlisle's face.

Carlisle immediately clasped his hands to his face, expecting their father to correct Aro's act

"Be still!" Basileus roared, deafening the room.

Carlisle dropped his hands. He could feel blood running down his throat but he daren't spit it out now.

Aro scoffed at his brother's display and barged his shoulder into Felix as he passed him to address the guard. "My friends," Aro began warmly, the sight of the coven king with his own brother's blood on his face unnerved everyone, his cool, calm tone only adding to its effects, "I should explain to you all the reason for interrupting your day. Felix and Carlisle have taken it upon themselves to steal from a master of this coven."

The few in the small crowd who didn't already know, gasped, whilst those who Demetri and the twins had informed looked to the accused, appalled.

"What did they steal, my lord?" Freyr asked as she squeezed her mate's hand.

Aro noticed that Magnus looked aghast, but considerably less anxious. "Opium, from Marcus' private stores." Aro replied. "They broke into his quarters and enjoyed a private party of their own on your fellow master's personal possessions."

Caius looked to Aro, astonished. "Will the Volturi boy's defiance know no bounds, Aro?!" he asked, outraged by the crime.

"Those bounds will have a strangle hold around their necks going forward, brother. I can assure you," Aro sang out, enjoying his brother's and son's whimpering behind him.

"If any other member of the guard had committed such a crime, it is likely they would lose their head ... " Caius began.

Basileus flashed to the coven leader's side. "That is true enough, Caius. But, let us not pretend that Carlisle or Felix are regular members of the coven. They are my descendants and as such I expect them to be treated in a manner beholden to their status."

Caius shrank into his throne. "Of course, my lord," he said, voice cracking nervously as he spoke. "What do you believe would be fitting, my lord."

Basileus took a seat in Aro's throne and reached his hand underneath. A gasp went around the great hall as the assembled coven members realised what he was retrieving.

"Fuck, Carlisle ... " Felix whispered to his uncle, fearfully.

Carlisle knew he had to do something to save the boy. This is all my fault, I talked Felix into taking the drugs, fuck! "Please, my lord ... " he tried.

"QUIET!" Basileus bellowed in return, his voice rebounding around the room could be heard in echo for a good minute or so afterward.

Carlisle gasped at the force of his father's reply and decided against speaking out again. For a moment, all that could be heard in the hall was the soft whimpering coming from Felix. Carlisle was too stunned to join him, but he agreed with the sentiment.

Basileus called for Aro to join him at his throne, where he promptly thrust the dreaded five-tailed whip into his son's hands.

"Me?" Aro asked quietly, feeling repulsed by the idea of whipping his own brother and son.

"It's your coven, get on with it," Basileus grunted, pushing Aro away.

Oh, for fuck sake, he thought as he plastered on his game face. "Of course, this should be Marcus' ruling, but until he returns, mine must do."

"Make it count, brother." Caius encouraged. For once, he wasn't being cruel. He knew this would be hard for Aro and wouldn't wish it on him to have to perform the task a second time.

Aro uncoiled the whip and cracked it into the air. Felix and Carlisle both jumped to the noise - it sounded thunderous! Separating the duo, Aro threw Felix to the floor. Respectfully, Felix got onto his knees and kept his head down.

"Magnus, Caius, if you would be so kind," Aro called out to his fellow masters and gestured to Carlisle. "Hold him steady."

Carlisle started to panic but before he'd thought to move, Magnus and Caius flanked his sides. Each holding an arm, they faced Carlisle towards Basileus presiding over proceedings from Aro's throne.

Aro came behind his doomed brother, ripped the clothing from his back with one hand and pushed his head down with the other.

Carlisle could feel the venomous sweat collecting on his brow and he watched as tiny droplets fell and splashed on the floor beneath.

"Your journey of defiance and ineptitude is at an end, Carlisle. I will be not be this lenient a second time," Aro announced loudly.

Felix's quiet sobs increased so much that Carlisle wanted to try and save his nephew again. "Aro, please, this wasn't Felix's fault. It was me, all me," he tried.

Caius hushed the young blond. "The time to speak is over, Carlisle. Brace yourself instead."

Aro stood back and got in position. No matter how many times I do this, I will never understand the enjoyment Caius finds in whipping our coven members. My own son, my own brother. This is going to hurt us all, he thought.

Ari raised his right arm holding the whip high, all five long lines hung around his forearm as he waited for his father to give the initial order.

Basileus stood and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Be sure to count, Carlisle. Aro, you can begin."

Aro's head shot up. "Count?" he asked curiously. "My lord, this particular implement only requires one strike to make its point." The five-tailed whip was rarely used, and when it was it was only used once. Granted that one strike, if delivered effectively, could cause a blinding pain in the recipient ... once was enough.

"I am aware of our traditions son, having implemented a good many of them myself." Basileus replied sternly. "Carlisle, count," he added to his youngest son with equal sternness.

First the whistle, and then the crack, followed by Carlisle's howl of pain.

"One," he gasped, tears already falling from his eyes.

Aro didn't wait for Carlisle to catch his breath and immediately he brought the whip down again, five new stripes crossing the last five.

"Two," Carlisle coughed out as he grasped fistfulls of Magnus and Caius' shirts in his hands, as though if he squeezed tight enough he would dispel the fire burning across his back.

"THREE!" Carlisle screamed on Aro's third strike. His legs buckled, not that it mattered as Caius and Magnus held him in position.

"Please, please," Carlisle begged.

Aro looked to his father, he didn't want this to go on any longer than it had to.

Basileus raised a single eyebrow to his son.

I shall continue, then, Aro said to himself, annoyed at his position.

Again, Aro brought the whip across his brother's back. He was close enough to be covered in his brother's blood as the criss-crossed wounds split at their intersections. Aro scowled when he saw the blood on his coat. How many of my clothes will be ruined by your fun? he thought to his son and brother.

Carlisle hadn't managed to count out the last strike.

Aro waited, hoping his brother would soon speak up. I wonder if he knows I will start over if he fails to count?

Magnus gave the Volturi prince a shake. "Four," he whispered gruffly into his ear.

Carlisle breathed just deep enough to utter the solitary word. Breathing, and therefore expanding his back even slightly, was now agony.

Aro saw Basileus hold up a single finger. One more, brother, Aro thought, grateful for them both.

CRACK!

Carlisle's shrill shriek bounced around the room followed by a roared 'five'.

"Leave him there," Aro ordered his covenmates as they allowed the well punished prince to fall to his knees. Carlisle daren't move - he wasn't sure he would be allowed to, and it would hurt too damn much! The sensation of the trickling blood running down his back contrasted strongly with the overall burn coming from the rest of his slashed skin.

Felix knew it was his turn, he wanted to run, to hide. Instead, he sat on his knees frozen in fear. He didn't hear Aro call him over and the boy's apparent ignorance pissed off the coven king even more.

Stalking to his boy, he dragged the youth to his feet by his hair.

"Dad, Dad, no!" Felix called out, desperately pulling away. Aro growled as he shoved his son towards Magnus and Caius.

"Hold him," he ordered.

Magnus caught the boy before he stumbled and easily contained him. When he tried to share the load with Caius, an issue with Aro's plan became apparent. "He's going to break my bloody arm!" Caius complained as Felix continued his desperate attempts to flee.

Aro stifled his laughter over his brother-in-arms' weakness. "Magnus ... " he suggested, gesturing for the hulking leader to take over.

"I've got him, Caius. Sit this one out," Magnus told his covenmate whilst he grappled Felix into position, holding the boy's arms straight out to the sides. He wasn't going anywhere in Magnus' grip. "Just don't get hitting me with that thing!" he said looking to Aro.

Aro smirked, "It's very tempting, very!" he said as he ripped his son's guard uniform from his back. I suppose I will have to buy him a new uniform now, he thought, pissed off that Felix had gotten around his last punishment with relative ease.

Felix would have disagreed strongly with the 'relative ease' part from the position in which he was currently held.

The only benefit Felix had above Carlisle was that his face was pressed tightly into Magnus' chest. Felix breathed in the master's scent, concentrating on all the times Magnus had taken his guilt, taken his fear, his pain, his suffering. He knew Magnus wouldn't be offering the same service this time, but being so close to him made Felix relax.

"Don't forget to count," Magnus quietly told his change.

Felix nodded into the man's chest.

Aro waited again for his father's signal before beginning. As soon as Basileus gave him the nod, he unleashed hell on his boy.

Felix closed his mouth tightly and held his lips together between his teeth. His pain stricken roar burst through the sides of his mouth.

"Count!" Aro ordered loudly.

"One," Felix said, eventually, in a voice so small it broke his father's heart.

Pulling his arm back, Aro released a second strike. He wasn't sure if he had hit Felix harder than Carlisle, he hadn't thought he had, but Felix's skin split on only the second blow.

Felix screamed out and began begging for mercy.

Magnus hooked the boy's head under his chin and pushed so that he was pressed tightly into his chest. "He said two," Magnus told the whip wielding coven leader.

Aro raised his eyebrows to Magnus interceding on Felix's behalf, to which he received a cocky smile from the juggernaut.

"So long as one of us heard him, eh," Aro commented. Truthfully, he was happy that Magnus was helping his boy. Aro laid one more strike on his son's back, and he knew it wasn't as hard as the first two either but that was as much as he was willing to do.

Thankfully, Basileus had caught onto his son's thoughts and he agreed that three was enough for the young prince.

"He said three," Magnus said whilst Felix thrashed his head about under the master's chin, cursing and crying.

Aro laughed to his fellow master. "You can put him down now."

Turning back to the rest of his congregation, Aro swished his whip across the floor as, covered in splattered blood, he paced lightly in front of them. "Thievery will not be accepted from ANY member of my coven," he announced.

The guards, and his children all nodded. He couldn't look at his big brother, or Carmen for that matter. He did notice that at some point in the proceedings, Sulpicia had left the throne room.

"Do I make myself clear?" he asked happily as he threw the whip to their feet.

Everyone agreed whilst taking a step backwards to avoid the torturous implement. The odd 'yes my lord', 'certainly master', could be heard.

Aro nodded. "I expect this scene to be relayed to our covenmates when they return from their missions. I do not want a repeat of this, EVER!"

The whole room jumped to Aro's final word. It wasn't just because of his raised voice - his whole tone changed from casual sing-song to ferocious vampire when he said 'ever'. Believing he had his coven under control, Aro dismissed his members back to their own free time.

Basileus dragged Carlisle to his feet by his hair, in much the same manner as when he had dragged his son into the throne room, and stalked out of the room.

Carlisle dripped blood as he walked and his cries could be heard from the great hall until he entered the south tower.

"Caius, Magnus, a moment if you please," Aro asked as the rest of the coven filed out. Felix remained on the floor in a state of agony. "I want you to take Felix to the dungeons, have him chained up," he told the pair quietly.

"Aro?" Magnus questioned, feeling more secure now that he had spoken against Aro a couple of times without repercussion. He decided if he had to take a stand on this, he would.

Aro knew what Magnus would be thinking. "Relax, big guy. I'm not quite as evil as you think me to be," he told the humongous leader, slapping his back good-naturedly.

"Maybe," Magnus relented, "but he is!" he said gesturing to Caius.

Caius shrugged. "I don't deny it," he said plainly.

Aro laughed, and though Magnus was still unsure what was going on, he, too, joined in.

Aro knew his son would be wondering what was happening and he needed to move things along quickly. "I want it staged well ... for his sake, and for Carlisle's. I am bringing an end to their defiant alliance once and for all."

Caius was certainly happy to help with that. "How long will he be my guest?" he asked.

"An hour or two at most," Aro said, his head ticking with ensuring his plan would come to fruition. "Magnus, you should stay with him in case he tries to break free," he added, jabbing a finger into Caius' bicep as though he couldn't control the young prince himself.

He couldn't, of course, but he didn't enjoy being the butt of Aro's jibe. Unfortunately, for Caius, both Magnus and Aro found it hilarious.

"I hope you know what you are doing ... " Magnus commented to Aro. He planned to keep Caius from hurting Felix, but two hours of battling with the evil bastard wasn't high on his wish list.

"Always. Even if you don't always agree," Aro sang out.

Aro went to his son and crouched down low. Pulling his boy's face up with a fist under his chin, Aro looked into Felix's red, raw, tearful eyes and nearly buckled. No, I need to do this, it's for his own good, he thought.

"Felix, I am giving you to Caius. I am done with you. Let us see if he can break you ... maybe you can be kept in the coven that way."

Felix gasped, and breathed in his own venom in the process. Coughing and spluttering to clear his lungs he tried to beg for his father's forgiveness.

"Dad, please …"

Aro shook his head and disentangled himself from his boy's grasp. "Take him to the dungeons," he directed to Caius and Magnus. Felix hadn't even noticed they were there.

"You remember my play room ... don't you, Felix?" Caius asked, evilly, as Magnus put the boy over his shoulder. He was as gentle as he could be but Felix's wounds still split further from the short tussle with Master of the Guards.

"Calm down young one, this is for your own good, apparently."