Easily Led
The early morning sun cast a warm glow across the grounds of the royal coven. The celebrations for the joining of the worlds major covens continued in full swing - the bloodwine flowed and most were enjoying the rare opportunity to socialise with those outside of their coven. The younger members in attendance had, with Eleazar's assistance, secretly procured the odd glass of bloodwine, but only enough to experience a mellow buzz unlike their adult counterparts who were, by then, in various states of drunkenness.
Sulpicia had attempted to curb Aro's intake during the early hours seeing how far gone her mate already was, but Aro dismissed her concerns completely. Basileus had promised his daughter-in-law that he would keep a close eye on Aro, and the rest of the guests, too. And he did until he was distracted by the lure of opportunity…
The Amazonian coven had been skulking in the shadows before Basileus accosted them. He soon set to extracting as much information as possible from the three women regarding the werewolf situation in their home lands. He was disappointed that the tribe so rarely travelled outside of the rain forest - he needed more information than that. It took some convincing, but eventually Kachiri agreed that they would run the entire length of her continent and report the lay of the land back to Basileus. He was over joyed by their 'offer', the one he had wormed his way into making them offer with the promise to pay their first tribute to the Volturi.
Freyr noticed Senna and Zafrina looking around fretfully. Oh Basileus you are a brute! She thought as she went to their rescue. "My lord, could I steal these lovely ladies from you for a while, I am keen to show the twins Senna's gifts." She asked. Jane and Alec had already seen the Amazonian's talents, but it was the first excuse Freyr could think of.
"Of course, of course." Basileus replied. He was so caught up in his plans for the western lands that he didn't realise Freyr was rescuing the women from his clutches. "We can discuss the details before you leave, yes?" He directed to Kachiri who nodded wearily at the thought.
Freyr walked them over to the outer curtain wall, calling the twins to follow. The Amazonian's gratitude was palpable - they weren't comfortable with such socialising at all.
Sulpicia, Athenodora, and Carmen were entertaining Sasha and Kebi with tales of royal coven life when Siobhan and Hilda joined them, having bored of the male leaders discussing life of yore.
"Do you not find this life stifling at all, my lady?" Siobhan directed to the vampire queen, thoroughly pissing off Athenodora by side-lining her.
Sulpicia raised a questioning eyebrow. "In what way?" she asked.
"I think I would miss the thrill of adventure." Siobhan admitted sheepishly. Siobhan's life before she'd settled in Ireland with Liam, had been close to Atia's pre-Volturi life - full of faraway travel and daring escapades. Truthfully, Siobhan had struggled to stay in one place, but her love for Liam had grounded and calmed her immensely.
Sulpicia smiled to herself, thinking of her own early vampiric life. "During our early days, I saw enough battles to last me a life time. Though I remain trained and ready in case of attack."
"Really?" Hilda voiced the visiting ladies surprise.
Sulpicia nodded and took a sip of bloodwine. "When we lost dear Didyme, I decided I needed to be able to protect myself. The royal coven this may be, but it is a working coven, my dear."
Athenodora looked a little surprised too, she didn't know that Sulpicia had been training - only the Volturi family knew about that.
"I didn't know you were so active, at least in the early days." Hilda said, finding a new respect for the vampiric queen. She liked strong women, the idea of a coven ran by men alone was distasteful in her mind and though she was pleased to see Freyr as a master of the Volturi, meeting Atia and now hearing Sulpicia was also at the helm made her feel much more secure.
"Sulpicia controls the treasury so she is hardly inactive now!" Carmen intervened, speaking up for her sister-in-law.
"With your help, my dear Carmen." Sully agreed.
"Forgive me, my lady, I had assumed you would be more of a figure head." Hilda admitted, Siobhan expressed a similar sentiment.
Sulpicia waved away their apologies, they really weren't necessary. "I was for a time, I decided to take back some control."
"Are you not involved, Athenodora?" Sasha asked, wondering why Caius mate had stayed silent throughout their conversation.
"With the treasury? No." Athenodora replied, feeling awkward.
"What is your role then?" Hilda asked, assuming she had one!
"I still go on missions with Caius, occasionally." Hardly! Sulpicia and Carmen thought, thinking Athenodora was stretching the truth there a little. "Other than that, I just rather enjoy a life of luxury. As a lady of my position rightly should."
Carmen's head whipped around to face Athenodora - are you seriously trying to claim you are better than Sully! She thought angrily. "A lady of your position… yet Sulpicia is the queen of vampires and administers the royal treasury."
Sulpicia stroked Carmen's arm. "It is not the time, my dear." Carmen relented and turned away, but it was too late, Athenodora had taken her bait.
"Sulpicia may be the queen… in name. But what are you, dear Carmen?" she spat.
Carmen wasn't having that, she was above the like of Caius and his bitch wife, in theory. "I am Eleazar's mate. The creator's eldest son." She said mightily.
"So, you are an appendage of someone's son? How charming." Athenodora smirked in return.
"How dare you!" Sulpicia raged, getting to her feet.
Demetri had wandered over to talk to his mother…. Or rather, to ask her how far he could go with the youngest Denali girl. "Sully…" he said, not realising the tension in the small group of powerful women.
"Hush, dear. Your mother is fighting." Carmen said, pushing her nephew away.
Hearing her boy was just enough to calm the vampiric queen to respond more cordially to her coven mate, (when she really wanted to claw the bitch's eyes out!) "Athenodora, I think it is time for you to retire." She said, retaking her seat.
"Are you sending me away?" Athenodora asked, with bulging angry eyes.
"It is my right, is it not?" Sully replied, smoothing out her dress and avoiding the woman's eye.
Athenodora stood, feeling uncomfortable. Sulpicia could send her away, she supposed, but it had never happened before. "You offend me…"
"Your presence offends me. You may return when you are feeling more genial." Sulpicia replied, cutting Athenodora off mid-sentence.
Athenodora twitched, daring herself to refuse. She knew, however, that Aro would back his mate regardless of her actions, whereas Caius would bend to Aro and Basileus to save his own skin. Weak willed! She thought of her mate, though she knew Caius had little choice really. Then she spotted Demetri turning to walk away, grinning like a loon and Athenodora developed a plan for retribution. I will repay you this embarrassment, my queen, she thought. Bending down to Sulpicia's ear she whispered to her coven mate, "over stretching your reach - that is your talent, my queen." And then she stalked away, heading straight to the group of young vampires.
"Turk, please refresh our glasses, there's a dear." Sulpicia called out, breaking the tension at her table. Turk did as he was bid, and once the ladies were taken care of he poured a goblet full for himself.
"Do you know he is taking bloodwine for himself." Hilda whispered to Sulpicia.
Sully and Carmen both laughed.
"Of course he is. Why ever should he not?" Camren replied.
Hilda looked curiously to the guard. "I just thought that servants…"
Sulpicia shook her head, "Turk is a valued a member of the coven, Volturi guards are not servants."
"Thank you, my queen." Turk said respectfully.
"Forgive me, my lady, I am merely bowled over by the inner workings of your coven." Hilda admitted, she had always believed the guards were in servitude to the Volturi coven, most likely unwillingly in her mind.
"Most people are a little surprised when they are allowed behind the scenes." Sulpicia said kindly. She understood the impression her coven gave to other vampires.
Sasha, sinking into her chair and enjoying the effects of the bloodwine, breathed easily. "I am glad to find things so relaxed. I was worried my girls would struggle conforming but they are having a scream!"
Carmen nudged Sully, "a scream, a screech, a grand old time." She sneered. The girls had been particularly rambunctious since they arrived. Carmen found the girls' excitement entertaining whilst Eleazar had found a new appreciation for his niece and nephews who seemed incredibly placid in comparison!
Athenodora clicked her fingers a couple of times at the young ones. "Felix, bring your little friends and follow me." She ordered before striding purposefully towards the front entrance of the castle.
"Do we have a choice." Irina asked, looking down her nose to the lady of Volterra as she walked away.
"Not with her." Felix sighed, "come on."
Felix and Demetri, Noella, the three Denali sisters, and the young Egyptian couple all followed Athenodora into the castle - she headed straight for the throne room and over to the now extinct fire places where the cauldrons hung.
"Oh that's a shame, there is only a little left. You could have taken it outside so you could drink with everyone else." Athenodora said, checking the end cauldron that had been filled with plain blood for the younger guests.
Felix nodded along but he wasn't sure what the point of this was.
Athenodora walked along the fire places. Only two of the bloodwine cauldrons remained, the final two being outside - one with Sulpicia and the other being overseen by Magnus. "Oh, it appears there is some bloodwine in this one, though." She said seeing almost a full cauldron.
Athenodora fixed Felix with her eyes and a hand laid pointedly on the bloodwine cauldron. "I doubt anyone knows there is so much left, it will go to waste now I suppose." She watched as the smile spread across Felix's face. Jackpot! She thought, you are too easy to play with, boy. And I hope your dear mother suffers by proxy as you are bound to fuck up monumentally once you've had a drink. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, won't you?"
Felix nodded happily, "yes, my lady, good night."
Athenodora smiled evilly to herself as she left for her quarters. "Good night, Felix." She called, knowing the boy would do the rest of the work for her and that she had one over of the queen for embarrassing her.
Whilst Felix had understood Athenodora's meaning, the rest of the group remained perplexed.
"What was that about?" Irina asked as Felix sprang into action.
"I am going to pour this blood, into our blood and we are getting pissed with everyone else." He sang out happily. "Help me." He called.
Felix lifted the plain-blood cauldron from its hooks above the fire and brought it in front of the fullest bloodwine cauldron. Demetri and Benjamin rushed to the other side and between them they managed to tilt the cauldron enough to pour its contents into theirs.
Even though hr helped, Benjamin looked concerned. "Won't the masters be very angry if we steal their bloodwine?"
"Don't use words like steal, Benjamin." Demetri said, scoffing at his concerns. Part of him wanted the masters to find out… so Amun would find out… and he could see if he was still the extreme disciplinarian he had known in his days at the Egyptian coven. He knew it was spiteful, cruel even, but his childlike mind couldn't help it.
"Yeah, stealing makes it sound bad!" Felix agreed with his brother, but without the malicious intent behind it. "All we are doing is using up the blood, so it doesn't go to waste." He confirmed. "And we are watering it down with our blood, so it won't be as strong as they are drinking anyway."
Benjamin looked into the cauldron they were pouring the bloodwine into - there was hardly any plain blood in there to start with. "But master Aro said…"
Demetri cut him off, "'Master Aro' is our dad, and he's let a lot slide today already. I think he's turning a blind eye to us having some fun."
Felix agreed but he could see Ben and Tia were visibly concerned. "Are you really that scared of Amun?" he asked. Demetri has never complained about the guy, he can't be worse than Aro!
"He gets very angry…" Tia confirmed, drifting off without giving any details.
"Well he's too drunk to be angry." Irina said confidently. "All the adults are drunk, they won't even notice." Truthfully, Irina didn't care if the adults did say anything - she was still resentful about being shipped to the kids table. "Sasha won't say anything, she never does. We can do anything we like." A look to Kate and Tanya confirmed it.
"Noella?" Felix asked. She nodded, apprehensive, maybe, but all the same she was in agreement. "The girls are in, it's just you Benjamin." Demetri pushed the Egyptian boy.
"And Tia." He said in return.
Tia shrugged, "Tia is in." She said.
"Really?" her mate asked, surprised.
"Yes! We have lived for four hundred years and this is the first time we have ever socialised with other vampires. I'm in!"
Damn, Benjamin thought, he couldn't disagree. Maybe Amun will understand? Felix and Demetri are up for it and they answer to the vampire king! "Okay, okay." He relented. "But I'm not lying."
Felix swung an arm around his new friend. "I'll do the talking."
Demetri laughed. "Famous last words, brother." He said to himself, thinking of just how wonderfully well Felix' lying had worked for the two of them in the past - not well at all!
"What are you doing with that?" Caius called out as he strolled over with Henri.
They had been taking dungeon blood and had only just got back on their feet to join the party outside. In fact, Caius and Henri had spent more time in the dungeons than they had at the celebrations. Basileus wasn't happy having Caius under ground, alone with a volatile and still possibly hostile vampire, but keeping Henri away from the party had certainly improved the atmosphere for everyone else. Caius, at Basileus' request, wasn't taking much of the dirty drug in order to keep his wits about him.
"It's our cauldron, we want to finish it off outside." Felix said whilst the rest of the group shit themselves.
"Playing at being grownups again, boys." Caius asked sarcastically.
Felix smirked. "Have you met Caius, he applied to be the coven jester but he couldn't get a single laugh so Aro made him a master instead."
Caius slapped him across the head, though it was without his usual force. "You are lucky I am in a good mood."
Felix rubbed his head, "even your good mood hurts."
Henri scoffed at the boy having the audacity to not only openly insult Caius, as he saw it, but having the nerve to reply after being scolded too. "You should have hit him harder." He said, glaring at Felix.
Caius was drugged enough for a rare show of compassion towards his coven's younger members. "He's alright. Besides, I've grown quite fond of Aro's pets. They supply endless entertainment through their many and various fuck ups."
Felix smiled broadly, the gods must be smiling on us today, he thought.
"Would you like some help?" Caius asked, gesturing to the cauldron.
"Us? Help them?" Henri looked disgusted at the idea.
Caius turned on Henri, he was doing his best to keep the guy from causing any problems but god damn he was getting pissed off with his constant abrasion. Which, incidentally, many of the Volturi clan would have said about them spending time with Caius!
"Granted, the oaf is strong, but he will need help." Caius said moving Demetri and Benjamin out of the way - neither of them would have been much help in lifting a half full cauldron anyway.
Henri took his position and Felix went opposite. He was stronger than both elder vampires and could lift one side to their shared half.
They hadn't even picked up the damn thing before Henri started again. "If you spill any on my clothes I will…"
"The little princes are well protected in Volterra, Henri." Caius said forcefully.
Henri looked around the empty throne room. "Well Aro's outside…"
"I am inside." Caius eyes turned black and glared at Henri.
Felix stood with his mouth hanging open, he couldn't believe Caius has just stood up for him like that! H
Henri looked away. "Understood." He grunted as the three led the young vampires back outside.
…
"Atia!" Hilda exclaimed, excitedly, "will you join us?" She was very interested in Atia who was arguably the most powerful woman in the vampire world.
Atia smiled to the group and accepted a goblet from the ladies personal server. "Thank you, Turk, but the games have ended if you would rather return."
Turk looked over to his fellow guards, a few of them were gesturing for him to join them. Not a chance! He thought. "I am happy to serve your drinks, my lady, unless you would like me to leave?"
Atia placed a hand on the guard's shoulder, he seemed nervous. "No, not at all." She reassured him. "I believe Odi is looking for you, though."
Turk grimaced. "I bet he is."
"Problem?" Sulpicia asked, having over heard the conversation.
Turk sighed. "I lost the bet when Magnus threw the game with Felix."
"Oh, Magnus would do no such thing." Atia said confidently.
Freyr arrived just in time to hear Turks complaint. "Of course he would!" Freyr corrected, "and if he did, I think Magnus should cover your debt, Turk."
Carmen nearly spat her bloodwine across the table. "Freyr, you will wipe out a month's money if you suggest that with how many bets were placed on him."
Freyr laughed, "that will serve Magnus right, won't it." She replied. "Go and ask him Turk." She suggested to the guard.
Turk literally bounced on the spot, "really?" he asked, hoping the master of the guard would say yes.
Freyr nodded. "Tell him it was my suggestion." As Turk took off at full speed towards Magnus, Freyr, Sully, and Carmen all laughed at what was to come.
"Freyr you are wicked." Atia said, playfully as she pulled her seat around to watch.
"Will the guard be in danger?" Kebi asked, wondering if the ladies were going to enjoy Turk being disciplined in some way. Is this fun for them? She wondered.
"What?! Carmen scoffed. "No!" The very idea that Magnus would harm Turk for such a thing was preposterous.
"The only thing in danger is Magnus' wages." Freyr said, bursting into laughter.
The ladies watched Turk pulling Magnus aside and making Freyr's suggestion. At first they saw Magnus throw his head back laughing, seemingly, they imagined, telling Turk he had no chance. That was until Turk pointed to Freyr and shrugged.
"FREYR!" Magnus bellowed in disbelief.
Freyr, Sulpicia and Carmen doubled up in laughter. Even Atia found the whole thing amusing. Sasha, Hilda and Siobhan exchanged nervous glances before realising what had happened was genuinely okay, somehow.
Magnus stormed over to his mate. "Why have you told Turk I threw the fight?" he asked indignantly, though the smile was pulling at the corners of his mouth. Magnus was a terrible liar.
"Because I think you did." Freyr said shrugging to her gigantic mate.
Magnus leaned over and pinned Freyr in her seat, "you are a meddlesome woman, and you have just cost us a great deal of coin."
Freyr stretched her neck enough to kiss him gently. "Your coin, my love. I didn't throw the fight. Your money."
Magnus narrowed his eyes at his mate but they both knew he was playing with her. "I'm not paying off their bets."
"Would you rather we take the it from your pay, Magnus?" Carmen asked, still laughing.
Freyr peered around her mate. "If it's not too much trouble, my lady that would be most kind?"
"Of course we will, Freyr," Sulpicia added, joining on on the fun. "Think nothing of it."
Magnus stood up with his hands on his hips, he towered over the entire group of elite ladies. "I will get you back, mark my words, you will regret this treachery!" His words would read threatening, but as the poor juggernaut could hardly keep the smile from his face as he spoke, it was a clear joke.
Kebi, perhaps understandably living with Amun, saw nothing funny about it.
As Magnus strolled back the guards, counting out the coins in his pouch and shaking his head at having to hand it over to the bloody guards, the ladies, other than Kebi, laughed at his misfortune.
"I wonder what scheme he will come up with to get you back, my dears?" Atia asked her daughter-in-law and Freyr.
"Yes, we had better have our next trick ready, ladies." Carmen's eyes glinted with her excitement.
"Is this usual?" Kebi asked, "you betrayed your mate yet you laugh as though nothing will come of it."
Hilda patted Kebi's arm sympathetically. "I would say its clear nothing will come of it. Nothing malicious at any rate." Hilda had always been resistant to taking a mate having only seen in her human life the types of relationships Kebi was used to. She trusted few men, and those she did trust had to work hard to earn her faith in them. Aro had done that long before the conference he'd called. If he hadn't, she wouldn't have turned up. Seeing his fatherly eye over his children, and Magnus showing no offence to his mates 'betrayal'… she wondered whether her coven could use some male blood if she were to expand. We could each take a mate, she reasoned, and be in quota.
…
The drinking continued into the early hours of the morning with conversation flowing easily between the mix of covens. Just as Irina had said, no one was paying any attention to the younger members of the crowd. The vampiric youth were splayed out in the grass from all they had drunk, but they weren't making too much noise.
Felix was throwing his weight around a little - he felt like the cock of the walk, king of the kids! Demetri thought his brother was enjoying his temporary and self-appointed status a little too much. He's rammed himself so far up Ben's ass. What is he playing at, the prick! Demetri was disappointed in his brothers lack of loyalty.
Of course, Felix didn't know he was being disloyal as Demetri hadn't shared with his brother any of the details of his early life with Amun. Demetri's alcohol-addled brain was busy performing somersaults in an effort to assimilate his ambivalent feelings. On one hand he hated Benjamin for even existing, let alone the interest Amun clearly showed in him. On the other hand, he had no desire to receive any attention from Amun in any capacity and would rather die than leave his home and family in Volterra. He knew he shouldn't care about Felix and Ben becoming friends, but Felix was his big brother and he didn't want to share him. Ahhh! He roared inside his head in utter frustration.
Knocking back his bloodwine, Demetri sought out Tanya and convinced her to take a tour of the grounds with him. 'Walking' was the last activity on his to do list with Tanya, and fortunately for the boy, the youngest Denali girl had been planning the same misadventure with the Volturi prince since they met.
Kachiri left her coven mates and returned to Sulpicia's party, carrying Jane in her arm. "My lady, the girl is unwell." She said, fretfully.
Sulpicia and Atia both dived towards the princess of darkness, who looked barely conscious in the Amazonian woman's hold. "Jane, what's wrong with you?" Sulpicia asked taking her daughter and standing her up to better judge of what could be wrong with her.
Alec peered around Kachiri to his swaying sister. He grimaced when Atia caught his eye and beckoned him to her.
"I don't know." Jane slurred in reply, before promptly falling to the ground. "Jane!" Carmen called out seeing her niece pass out in front of her.
Sulpicia and Atia were doing their best to preserve some royal decorum and desperately underplaying the situation. "Turk, be a dear and fetch Aro and Basileus." Atia said softly, retaking her seat and pulling Alec along with her.
Aro and Basileus joined the ladies immediately, both wondering how the hell someone had infiltrated the twin's gifts. 'Are you using your block, my dear?' Basileus asked his mate through his thoughts.
'Yes! I can't even sense any other gifts in the vicinity - other than the ones we know of.' Basileus nodded curtly to his wife, they hadn't arose suspicions talking in their heads, thankfully.
"What happened?" Aro asked, opening Jane's eyelids and looking for signs of life.
"She just collapsed!" Carmen implored, shaking the girls arm.
Basileus lifted his granddaughter out from the crowd and took her to the torch near the bloodwine. He didn't need the light - the midday sun flooded the grounds with light and his eyesight was perfect in the dark, but he wanted to get Jane away from the prying eyes of the visitors. Jane murmured with the movement and to Basileus' eyes she appeared to be in a deep sleep… or… no! Surely not?
"What's wrong with her, dad?" Aro asked desperately.
"I would guess that she is drunk." Basileus said quietly.
"Jane would never steal bloodwine." Aro hissed in reply.
Basileus agreed, "not knowingly, no." He said, wondering who would have spiked the child's drink.
Aro set to questioning the other half of the deadly duo. "Alec, have you been drinking bloodwine?" Alec smiled wonkily and said that he hadn't.
"Look at his eyes Aro." Atia pointed out, twisting the boy to face to receive maximum sunlight.
Oh my god he's wrecked! Aro thought, his own head already aching from the amount he'd drank.
"What's going on Alec?" Aro asked gruffly, giving his boy a stern shake.
Basileus, leaving Jane with Carmen and Sulpicia, joined his son. He pulled his Aro away while he concentrated his efforts on running through Alec's memories. "Be quiet Aro, let me hear him." He said, tapping his temple.
Going right back to when the Alec and his siblings had met him in the throne room, Basileus was confident neither he nor Jane had stolen bloodwine. "They have only drunk from the children's cauldron." He said pointedly, willing Aro to understand there was more to it.
"But…" Aro began. As his gaze fell across his eldest boy larking about with the other young coven members he realised for the first time that night that they were all far merrier than they should have been. "Damn you Felix!" Aro growled, storming off with his father to deal with the defiant boy.
Atia pulled Alec into her lap and gestured for Carmen to do the same with Jane. "We will keep the twins, Sulpicia, go with them." She said, full of concern for what a drunk Aro and Basileus might do to a drunk Felix and Demetri!
"Why has my 12-year-old daughter passed out drunk?" Aro raged to his son who was lolling on the floor with Kate lying between his legs.
"Jane?" Felix questioned, making no effort to remove himself from the inappropriate position he lay in with the Denali girl.
"How many other daughters do I have?" Aro asked, dripping with frustration and dragging his boy to his feet.
Felix slapped a hand to his forehead. "Oh man. I didn't think to tell the twins!" he exclaimed, apparently unaware of how precarious the situation was - Aro was ready to tear him a new asshole right there!
"Tell them what?" Aro spat, increasing his grip on Felix.
Felix tried to pull away, getting nowhere, he changed tack and broke into his trademark goofy smile. "I cannot tell a lie, but perhaps I can interest you in an alternative fact." He offered, much to the delight of his little crew.
"Oh, you are a comedian now." Aro said with faux calm, drawing Felix in, before walloping the boy hard across his head. "Dangerous territory son." He ground out as he started fishing through Felix' thoughts. He went back just far enough to see Felix, Benjamin and Demetri pouring bloodwine into the almost empty plain blood cauldron.
Sulpicia, Hilda and Sasha had all joined the creator and vampire king, and with the increased activity, Amun, Caius and Henri all made their way over, too.
"Is there something amiss?" Amun asked, glaring at his young coven members swaying where they stood.
Basileus placed a hand on Amun's shoulder, he could feel the coven leader vibrating with anger under his touch. "They have, somehow, been drinking bloodwine all night, and they are, well, a little drunk." He said calmly.
Benjamin looked ready to throw up every drop, Tia on the other hand, appeared resigned to whatever would come from their coven leader. She'd had one of the best days (or morning, at least) of her vampiric life and any recompense owed would have been worth it.
Aro, too, tried to placate the Egyptian leader. "Please, Amun. Be assured that Felix was at the root of this."
Basileus nodded, though hearing the Denali sisters scoffing he felt compelled to add an addendum. "Mind you, Benjamin was the only unwilling participant." He said pointedly to Sasha.
The Denali leader hurried to check over her daughters. "Oh my darlings, what are you like! Do you feel well? Would you like to rest?"
Aro looked askance to the woman's concern. "Seriously?" he said under his breath.
Sasha heard and leapt to her daughters' defence. "They are only young, my lord. They meant no offence." Then she turned back to Kate and Irina, both lapping up their mothers worry but quite gleefully telling her all they had been up to… well, almost all. "Where is Tanya?" she asked, looking around for her baby vampire.
"And Demetri?" Aro said, raising his eyes to the heavens. He didn't need to be a mind reader to know where his boy would be. Depraved little sod! He thought angrily.
Basileus gave Aro a shake. "Shush, son. Don't mention it now. Its bad enough that Demetri has gone off with the girl without making it known what he would be doing with her!" Aro had to agree.
"Noella?" Hilda called sternly. The young English girl stepped forward.
"I only had one glass, Hilda. So as not to cause offence by refusing." She said, looking to the floor and speaking normally - she was the only one able to talk without a slur.
"She speaks the truth Hilda." Basileus spoke up, backing the girl. He had read the thoughts of everyone in attendance already - he knew where intent lay, and therefore blame.
Hilda looked between the creator and her young charge. "Very well, I will leave you to it." She said, "Noella, no more."
Noella chanced a look to Benjamin and Tia who Amun was verbally ripping apart in the scariest hurried whispers she had ever heard. She sighed gratefully to her coven leader. "Of course, Hilda." She said, backing away to sit on the ground with Irina and Kate now Sasha had let them be and stopped fussing over them.
"Your gift is very useful, my lord. I wonder if it could be bottled and borrowed." Hilda commented to Basileus.
Basileus' booming laughter filled the castle grounds. "If only it were as useful for thwarting their plans rather than just apportioning blame!"
"I care not who is to blame." Amun raged. "It is immaterial. Such disobedience will not go unpunished in my coven." He said grabbing Benjamin uncomfortably hard by his arm and snatching him in close. "I will break your legs for going against me!" he ground out to the frightened boy.
"Neither will it go unpunished here." Aro agreed. "In fact, I think I will take care of that now."
Felix' mouth hung open in shock. No way, you can't! He thought. "Are you joking!"
Aro smirked evilly. "No, not a joke, more a funny fact." He said, much to his boy's chagrin before walking them both towards the castle.
Sulpicia followed her mate, she was worried about him over reacting. "Aro you are drunk." She hissed as he dragged their son along by his neck.
"I'm still capable of breaking his fucking legs!" Aro roared in response.
"It can wait until morning. Please, my love!"
Felix looked aghast to his mother. It can wait? Surely you can give me a better defence than that mom - he's being entirely unreasonable!
"I will be less inclined with a hangover." Aro said, glaring down his boy. He was reading every thought he had through his grip on his neck.
Aro continued to walk with Sulpicia pulling at his free arm. "No one was watching them, Aro, and we should have been." She implored. "This is my fault, my love. I will take them home."
Aro came to an abrupt stop. "No! Why should your night be ruined? Or mine? It was one night for god sake, why couldn't he just behave as he is expected to?"
Felix groaned.
"He didn't act alone, Aro." Sulpicia said, blocking her mate's path.
Felix saw his chance to explain himself out of trouble. "It was Athenodora's idea." He said quietly.
Aro ignored his boy, but Sulpicia twitched in response feeling her temper rising. That bitch! She thought. There is no way my son is going down for that bitch! Taking Aro's face in both hands, she kissed him deeply. It didn't take too long for Aro to release Felix and return her embrace. "I would think the young ones ALL thought it a wonderful idea to get drunk in full view of the entire gathering. It's quite daring, is it not."
Aro's mouth fell open as she pulled away. I know what you are doing, my queen. It was as though that kiss had sucked the anger from his body. Most of it at any rate.
"I'll have to whip him a little but he can come back out." He offered in compromise.
"That's worse!" Felix complained.
Sulpicia hushed her boy and turned back to her husband. "That way our night may continue in peace." She agreed.
"It's humiliating!" Felix complained further.
Aro took hold of Felix by his arm, squeezing unnecessarily tightly. "Although if he would prefer to be tied up in the dungeon perhaps I should call Caius instead."
"No!" Felix quit all his struggles and stood still at Aro's side.
"Why are you more scared of Caius than me?" Aro asked, it was growing to be a sticking point between Aro and Felix - the boy would always rather face his father than anyone else in the coven and Aro, misguidedly, took it as a personal slight against Aro's ability to discipline him properly.
That wasn't the reason, though. Felix knew that no matter how harsh Aro would be, he wouldn't permanently damage him but he feared that was a genuine risk with those outside of his household. Caius at least.
"I'm not, I just don't want to go to the dungeons." The boy eventually replied. "You know it scares me down there." He added, honestly.
"See, my love. He has some sense." Sulpicia said playfully.
"Sully, are you drunk?" Aro asked, biting his lip and suddenly wishing the castle was free of visitors.
Sulpicia knew what he was thinking. "Not nearly as drunk as you, my love." She whispered something else into his ear before she walked away, and from the look on Aro's face, Felix guessed it was something he wouldn't want to hear coming from his mother!
Sulpicia returned to the vampiric ladies and her drunk children. As she retook her seat Alec went to her side.
"We didn't know about the bloodwine." He said quietly into her ear.
"Of course you didn't, my darling." She said, smiling in front of their guests before pulling him close to whisper in his ear. "But if you really think either me or your father are foolish enough to believe you wouldn't have smelled the alcohol in the blood you drank, you are sadly mistaken."
Alec paled in front of his mother and slunk from her side back to Atia's protection. Jane, too, seemed glued to her grandmother - she didn't need to hear anything Sulpicia had to say on the matter, her mother's eyes conveyed everything that could be said well enough.
"Where are the boys, Sully?" Carmen asked in concern for her nephews.
"Aro has taken Felix, I'm not too sure where Demetri is." She replied.
"Tanya has wandered off, too. Isn't it strange?" Sasha interjected, completely oblivious that her daughters were making the most of the opportunity to fuck random vampires. Not that Sulpicia could really complain when two of those random vampires were her sons.
"Very strange." She said quietly resulting in Carmen bursting into laughter. Sulpicia soon joined in, if you can't laugh you'll cry! She told herself.
Kebi got Sulpicia's attention. "What will happen to Felix, my lady?" she asked sounding fraught. "Where has master Aro taken the boy?"
Sulpicia sighed, "To punish him."
Kebi looked stricken as she sought out Benjamin and Tia in the crowd. They were as far away from Amun as possible but she saw her mate glaring daggers at their two young coven members.
Atia looked to Kebi's sympathetically. "Don't worry, my son has drunk far too much to do him any real harm." She said trying to sooth her concerns.
"Besides, Felix has a remarkable ability to bounce back very quickly." Carmen agreed. "And jump straight into the next drama!"
"I quite love that about him." Sulpicia said fondly, to the surprise of all visiting ladies.
"As do we all, Sulpicia." Atia offered her agreement.
"You all encourage his insolence?" Kebi asked with a look on her face that Sulpicia couldn't place, is that confusion or distaste? Or disbelief, perhaps? She really wasn't sure.
"Felix isn't insolent, not often anyway. He just lives in the moment and doesn't dwell on the consequences." She replied, feeling the need to defend her boy. Felix rarely set out to cause trouble, he just wanted to have fun.
"He's a typical teenage boy - they have forever been the same." Atia agreed, again. It was rare for Sully to have Atia onside over her children but on this point they always agreed - Felix was just a teenager being a teenager.
"They are supposed to cause trouble." Sulpicia said, smiling to Atia and suddenly feeling less of a desire to extract her young twins from her grasp.
Kebi still looked concerned. "Are you okay Kebi?" Sulpicia asked, "Benjamin looked worried when I was over there." She added, assuming Kebi's young coven members were the woman's main concern. She was right.
"He and Tia knew they were not to drink the bloodwine. Amun will make his displeasure known when we are back in Egypt." She admitted, glancing to her mate who could barely hold a conversation with Marcus with his frustrations over the drinking incident.
"Do you ever intervene?" Sulpicia asked.
Atia was doing a statesman like job of diverting any attention from Sulpicia and Kebi, asking for thoughts on the treaty that had been brokered.
"No! I would never speak against Amun." Kebi replied in hurried whispers.
Sulpicia understood that, she had been the same for many years with Aro, he held so much power over her and, honestly, she had feared him for a time. "But you want to become a family, Kebi, you told me so." Sulpicia pushed.
"I do, I really do. But it is not my decision. Amun will decide." She said, "I think maybe Amun is less receptive that Aro to being critiqued in any way."
Sulpicia shook her head, "I think you would be wrong, and I understand your reticence. I really do. Even though we lived as a family since the young ones arrived in the coven, Aro was resistant to formally recognising the way we lived."
Kebi felt a glimmer of hope. "What changed?"
"It was a combined effort… eventually he came around." Sulpicia explained. "Once I started defending them, Aro had no choice really. He saw that I had become their mother whether he wanted to be their father or not."
Kebi took to slipping slowly from her bloodwine, letting Sulpicia's thoughts mull over in her mind.
Siobhan had drifted away from Atia's conversation and caught the end of Sulpicia's. "You have far more autonomy than I expected, my queen." She said, thinking over all she had seen and heard since arriving in Volterra.
"Is that why you sent Liam into the conference, Siobhan?" Sulpicia asked in return. "Did you fear you wouldn't have been taken seriously as a women in our court?"
Siobhan smiled coyly. "Was our deceit so obvious?" she asked.
Sulpicia stroked the woman's arm gently for a moment. "I will explain to Aro after you have all gone and future matters on the alliance will be directed to you."
"I appreciate your assistance, my lady." Siobhan was truly grateful. She knew Aro already knew, and of course Basileus would know, too, that she was head of the Irish coven. But having Sulpicia speak up for her intentions set Siobhan's mind at ease.
Aro and Felix appeared at the castle doors in the courtyard and everyone in attendance turned to see the pair emerging. Felix froze in arched doorway.
"What are you doing now?" Aro asked tiredly.
"I don't understand why you are making me come back out here." Felix hissed, begging Aro to send him to their quarters.
Aro had, quite frankly, had enough of his boy's complaints. "You will do as I say and I will do as I please." He hissed at his boy, waving his belt in Felix' face. "Is there anything else you don't understand?"
"Yes actually!" Felix shot back in an equally hissy tone. "Why haven't you put that back on?" he asked, gesturing to Aro's belt. "Are you trying to humiliate me?!" Felix felt incensed at the injustice of being reprimanded for something a whole group of them were doing, especially as Athenodora had given him the idea. His complaints hadn't washed with Aro, of course.
"Trying?" Aro smirked. "I think you suitably chastised, son, for now. Surely that's humiliation enough."
Felix looked murderously to his father. He wasn't about to get into a battle of wills with Aro out in the courtyard in front of so many people, so he contented himself with imagining punching the bastard square in the face.
"I could thrash you out here, too, if that would help?" Aro waved his belt in his sons face again.
Fuck no! Felix screamed inside his head. Truthfully the short hiding Aro had given him was delivered with none of his fathers usual efforts, too drunk, Felix supposed. But he felt humiliated at being taken from the courtyard so forcefully and now having to skulk back amongst the guards who would tease him mercilessly. "Dad, please, there's so many people here!" he begged.
Aro laughed in his boy's face as he fixed his belt around his waist. You didn't care about that when you were knocking back the bloodwine you little shit. "I know." He replied. "I expect you to apologise to as many as you can before they leave, starting with your new buddy Benjamin."
Felix did his usual 'yeah, yeah'. Aro stopped his son before he could walk away. "You have caused him more pain than he will tell you."
Felix' mouth dropped open in shock. "Him more pain! What about me?!"
Aro raised an eyebrow to his boy, "we both know I hardly did you any harm." Felix looked away, he couldn't deny the fact. "Besides, you are still able to walk, my boy. Benjamin won't be so lucky."
Felix scoffed as he fell in line at his father's side, returning to the gathering at a human pace. "You said you were going to break my legs, it's something dads say." He replied.
Aro spoke quietly so no one would hear as they got close to the others. "Dads, maybe. Though my own would mean it. But Amun is a coven leader, not a father. He was not speaking figuratively, son."
"Oh." Felix felt sick. That cunt's as evil as Caius! He thought, though he felt a pang of guilt thinking as such when he remembered Caius standing up for him with Henri. To be fair to Caius, though he had threatened to do Felix permanent damage a thousand times over since he'd joined the coven, he had never done more than whip him… and even then he got off lighter than the other guards who were being punished for the same thing.
"Hmm." Aro agreed with his son's sentiment. "Can I be assured that you will cause no more trouble until after the covens leave?"
"Yes." Felix replied grudgingly.
"Wonderful, then I will wait until they leave to punish you properly for everything you have done."
Felix looked askance to his father. Properly? He thought.
"Earlier you were fighting with Demetri, calling out profanities for every one of our guests to hear. Before that, you fucked Irina and I hadn't even agreed terms with her mother by then!"
Felix let his head hang as Aro continued to explain just how fucked he was. And me and Demetri thought you were letting things slide tonight! He questioned his own sanity thinking that now.
"If you think you are getting away with the little you have received so far, you are mistaken." Aro said, sealing the proverbial coffin. As they came face to face with the other masters and the male members of the visiting covens, Aro nudged his boy in the back. "Go and play, make me proud." He whispered menacingly.
Felix didn't get very far… Irina and Kate came rushing to the young guard.
"You bastard!" Irina accused.
"Me?" Felix questioned, looking nervously between the two Denali sisters. Aro and Eleazar shared a knowing look.
"SASHA!" Basileus called out, he wanted those girls out of his way - they were doing his head in with all the shrieking and the wailing and now they were cursing at his grandson in front of the Volturi masters and visiting covens. Uncouth youth! He thought.
"What ever could be the matter?" Sasha asked, checking her daughters over for harm. She really had no clue, bless her.
Irina continued to glare at Felix who was busy asking for the ground to swallow him whole - please, Hades, please come up here and bring me down to your hell, it will be a welcomed relief.
"Felix has fucked us both!" Irina stated to a shocked audience.
Felix grimaced, or you could just leave me here to die a slow and painful death, thanks for the help.
Everybody froze.
They were all, Volturi and visitors alike, waiting for Aro or Basileus to react.
Atia took the moment of inaction to flash to her middle boy's side. "Aro, my dear, if you speak when you are this angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret." She whispered into his ear. "Let me take the young ones to the tower, you still have work to do." She reminded him, hoping he would see sense and perform damage limitations with his guests.
Aro nodded to his mother, "take them all." He commanded, seeing Demetri strolling around the castle gate hand in hand with Tanya. He was glad Atia was there - Aro didn't fancy Felix' chances if he'd had to go with Basileus. Atia is right, he thought, I can't leave yet.
Aro took another moment or two to quell the anger he felt inside, his eye twitched and every breath he took burned. Pushing Felix away by his head, as though his to share his air caused him offence, Aro ground out dangerously quietly - "get out of my sight."