After Thoughts

Aro and Basileus strolled through the crowded great hall and headed straight for the raised throne platform at the end. Aro took his throne - he was so exhausted from the mental effort of holding everything together for the last few days that he could have happily flopped into that throne and hung over the sides, but Atia was behind him and he didn't want to give her any ammunition to call him out in front of everyone. Sitting up straight he addressed his coven.

"My friends, we have played our hand brilliantly. I am personally grateful to each and every one of you." He sang out happily, ensuring he caught Kat's eye, he offered her wink. He was perhaps most grateful of all to Kat for getting one over on Henri.

Unfortunately, Aro's joy was to be short lived as his gaze travelled around the crowd and landed on his own children. No one else noticed, but the four of them saw the smile fall, momentarily, from Aro's face before he plastered his game face back on.

"Exciting times lie ahead of us, as a united vampiric race." The coven, guards and masters alike, were a buzz of happy chatter as they each envisaged the future - it wasn't often that vampires affected change, they generally left that to the humans, so to be at the forefront of such a monumental event was exciting in the extreme.

Basileus leaned in to his son's ear and nudged his shoulder to get his attention. "Aro, as great as this is, everyone is exhausted. Dismiss them all so we may retire to our chambers."

Aro nodded, that sounded just what he needed, too. "Magnus, do you have any rounds that need completing or can they all take some time out?" Aro asked his coven mate, loudly.

You bastard, Magnus thought. He knew what Aro was doing.

The guards cheered and whooped for Aro giving them time off, though they all had one eye on Magnus. Someone would have to stay on watch, especially with so many outside covens in the area… sure, they had all left the castle grounds but after they disappeared into the heavy woodland surrounding the royal coven, the Volturi wouldn't know if they were close or not.

"I suppose I could cover surveillance today." Magnus agreed, dejectedly.

The guards were happy with that. After a little more self-congratulations for all the Volturi had achieved, the coven dispersed with most wanting to find some downtime from a tense, though mostly enjoyable few days.

"I will take first watch, my love." Freyr called as she passed her mate. Magnus followed her with his eyes longingly.

"Aro you are a cock. A clever cock, but still… a cock." He said as he stalked over to Aro's throne.

Aro feigned ignorance, "I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about." He said, desperately trying to keep a straight face. He failed.

Magnus narrowed his eyes, "Don't you think I have covered enough shifts whilst you were 'indisposed'?"

Aro laughed, he had been off royal duties for two months prior to the covens convening… mainly because Basileus had broken his left leg when he beat him for fighting with Eleazar, but he wasn't telling Magnus that. "I was busy planning this whole event, hardly taking time off."

Magnus smirked, "oh really?"

Fuck! He knows! Aro thought in panic.

"Because the way I heard it you…" Basileus pulled Magnus back, cutting off his words.

"Would either of you like to feel the full effects of my wrath? I wonder how many of your bones I could shatter with just one strike?"

Aro paled instantly, "god no."

Magnus smirked to Aro's obvious fear… not that he wanted a round from Basileus himself, and he said as much, but it was kind of nice to see someone getting one over on Aro - Magnus knew Basileus' threat was largely empty.

"I will get you back, Aro, don't you worry." Magnus sang out playfully as Basileus shoved him away with stern expression.

Sulpicia and Carmen left for their quarters, taking the children with them. The four of them were exhausted. Marcus, too, took his chance to slip out un-accosted.

"Do you think all the covens will be true to their word?" Caius asked before any of the other masters could leave. "Some of your choices, Aro. The French coven…" he said, trailing off.

Aro grimaced, "yes, I know Henri is hard work. But until another coven rises in France we will be stuck with him." He said, hoping a new coven showed themselves soon!

Basileus had to agree, "Caius," he called, and noticed Caius' panicked look before he eventually smiled in reply. "Your efforts with Henri have been noted, I very proud of you for holding it together there, I imagine it couldn't have been easy for you. Well done."

Caius was taken aback, he wasn't used to being praised for his conduct, especially not from the creator! "Thank you, my lord." He said, a quick furtive glance around the group and Caius realised they all, Magnus, Aro, and Eleazar appeared to agree with Basileus. Caius positively glowed!

Eleazar soon started scowling, he had suffered more than Caius in his mind. "The Denali's are way worse than the French - can we swap next time, Caius?"

Caius laughed, "I would have to agree with you El, I would have locked those girls up as soon as they arrived!"

"At least you could drug your charges!" Eleazar shot back enviously.

"Caius only did that prior to the conference, El." Basileus smoothed, though one look to Caius told him otherwise. "I did tell you not to take anymore, didn't I?" he said sternly as Caius shrank into his throne, unable to form a sentence.

Basileus continued, "I allow you to take that dirty blood for your work Caius, and because you aren't the idiot this one is when he's on it."

Aro's mouth fell open, "harsh, dad!"

Basileus raised one eyebrow to his boy and that was enough for Aro to end his complaint. "If you are unable to follow my orders when it come to that drug I will have to assume you are a greater risk with dungeon blood than I previously thought!"

Caius' breathing became laboured as he tried to excuse himself for going against the creator. I can't work without that stuff! He thought, panicked. He needed dungeon blood to see him through some of his darker jobs for the Volturi.

Basileus let him stew for whilst he continued to glare at the coven leader. "Don't let it happen again." He finally said, much to Caius' relief.

An awkward silence fell between the group until Eleazar stepped up to break it. "What made you choose the Denali's?" he directed to his brother. The young Denali members has certainly made a strong first impression on the Volturi coven, and it wasn't good.

Basileus smiled to himself, "Sasha is harmless enough." He said, with a look on his face making it clear he was reliving some memories to himself.

"Harmless? She's off her head!" Eleazar retorted. He had suffered his first ever migraine having Sasha's daughters in his chambers. He didn't care what anyone said about vampiric health, he did have a migraine!

"That's a little harsh, El." Basileus replied, his son's complaint bringing him abruptly from his pleasant memories.

"I understand you have a history with her, dad, but she has no control over those girls."

Basileus' eyes widened for a moment as he glared to Eleazar. "Watch your mouth!" He hissed. "History indeed!" he added with a scoff, though he couldn't meet anyone's eye.

Aro caught Eleazar's arm and pulled him close before he could say anything else. "He's going to slap you if you carry on brother," he whispered. Eleazar tutted and stalked away from Aro's throne, taking a seat in Freyr's vacated seat.

I wonder what Sasha told you about our father? Aro thought, watching his brother. Whatever it was, he was sure Eleazar would tell him, for now he wanted to get his father's attention away from his brother, and Caius for that matter. Basileus wondering about dungeon blood consumption would be disastrous for Aro!.

"I invited the Denali coven because of the young members." He said, answering Eleazar's earlier question. "They need watching. Plus, she lives closer to Stefan and Vladimir's territories than any other vampire. Sasha affability makes her appear non-threatening and useless…"

"She is non-threatening and useless!" Eleazar interrupted. "Her daughters are a pain in the ass!"

Aro sighed, do you have a death wish brother? "The Denali's will be very useful, tactically." He qualified as his reason for inviting Sasha's coven.

"You can find someone else to babysit them next time, I won't have those girls in my quarters again." Eleazar stated forcefully. "Perhaps you will oblige, my lord?" he added cheekily, instantly regretting his words as soon as they landed on Basileus' ear.

Crack!

Basileus flashed to his son's seat and slapped him hard across the mouth. "You really are struggling to watch your errant tongue, my boy, would you like some help?" he asked dangerously.

Eleazar held his throbbing cheek in his hand, "that was all the help I needed, dad."

Aro chuckled, despite his better sense.

Basileus rounded on his middle boy. "Don't you need to go and sort your own house, son?" he asked, though it felt more like an order to Aro. Aro sat up straight.

"Caius, were you not even slightly suspect that Felix and his motley crew were lugging a full barrel of blood outside?" he asked in an attempt to deflect his father's attention again.

"Not really, no." Caius chose not to mention that he was feeling pretty mellow at the time from the dungeon blood he'd taken. "I even stood up for them against Henri." He added, thinking that was particularly kind, if not usual of him.

"But you didn't think to check they were drinking the plain blood?" Aro pushed, Caius could have averted this whole mess! Aro thought in annoyance.

Caius wasn't willing to take the blame for the little prince being an idiot. "What do you think I am? The fucking night watchman?" he growled in reply.

"You can't blame Caius, Aro." Basileus intercepted his son and shoved him back into his throne before he had chance to make a bad situation worse. "No one was watching the younger coven members," he added, seeing Aro look askance to his defence of Caius.

"I think we all got a little side tracked." Magnus added as he sensed Aro and Caius' mood shifting towards aggression. Magnus was particularly fearful of another serious ruction between the coven masters - even though Basileus had assured him of his position on numerous occasions now, he didn't want to push him into changing his mind.

"Exactly, Magnus." Basileus nodded his agreement. "In the end, no real harm was done." He said placatingly to his son.

"Harm will be done, dad, it isn't the end yet." Aro growled, though his anger now was towards his own sons and what he planned on doing to them.

"Granted, you must do what you must do." Basileus agreed, "BUT, with the visiting covens, I think everything went well, we have achieved all we set out to do."

Aro breathed deeply and exhaled very slowly, we have, it's taken some effort, but everything went to plan, the treaty was agreed. It was a success! He told himself.

Basileus caught his son's thoughts and he had to agree with them. "Your ability with duplicity amazes me, Aro. You have proved you can be all thing to all men during these last few days. I am so very proud of you, son."

Aro smiled, he felt quite proud of himself but it was felt good to hear it coming from his father. He wouldn't show that though. Aro stood and pushed Basileus away lightly. "All these years together and it still surprises you that I can lace up my own boots."

"Well I spent so long doing them for you." Basileus replied, pushing him back.

That was about as much physical attention Aro was comfortable with outside of their private chambers - good or bad!

"We have a few family things to deal with, come." Basileus called to his sons who duly followed him from the throne room.

Aro had felt the weight on his shoulders alleviate when he saw his family leaving with the guard… that weight came crashing back down now as they made their way through the halls towards the south tower.

When Aro opened the door to the south tower stairwell, he was confronted with the twins listening outside Basileus' door. They froze. Aro could hear Atia talking, he presumed to Sulpicia and Carmen, though Carlisle could have been in there too for all he knew. Jane started backing up to the foot of the stairs.

"Scram!" Aro ordered the pair of them.

They didn't need to be told twice - they were gone in an instant.

"Are you ready?" Aro asked his father with a hand on the door.

Basileus sighed, he could hear his mate's frustrations though the wood and would have sacrificed a son or two to be able to avoid what was to come. "Go ahead." He said to Aro with another sigh.

Aro opened the door and all three women in his family turned angry eyes on him. "Whoa!" he said, standing back, letting Basileus go first. Eleazar had the sense to stand well back, too.

Basileus scoffed and went inside. "My dear, is all well?" He asked Atia and he took a seat between the belligerent females.

"No! All is not well!" Atia snapped. "Did you know Sulpicia sent Athenodora away from the gathering when the covens were here? In full view of many visiting vampires, no less!"

Basileus narrowed his eyes to his daughter in law. "Is that true?" he asked. Sulpicia took a small step backwards, Carmen mimicked her movements. "I will take that as an admission of guilt." Basileus said, mainly to himself.

Aro scrubbed a hand down his face. "Athenodora gave the children the idea for the bloodwine, so I think she got Sully back for that one."

Atia rounded on Sulpicia again. "Do you see what your fight with Athenodora has caused now?" she asked. "What is wrong with you both?" she added, dragging Carmen in on the round of fucks. "This competition you have with Athenodora…"

"We don't have a competition with her." Sulpicia said, roiling her eyes.

"We hardly even think of her at all." Carmen added, stifling a giggle with her sister in law.

"What is wrong with you both?" Atia asked again, throwing her hands into the air. "We were supposed to be showing a united coven to our guests and you took the moment to publicly humiliate a leading lady of the coven because she said something you didn't like!"

"It was more than that, actually." Carmen tried to defend herself. "Athenodora was being a bitch!"

Sulpicia agreed. "Which she proved by getting my children drunk! Athenodora spoke against me and she put Felix up to stealing bloodwine!"

"You credit her with too much power, Sulpicia." Atia felt like her head was about to burst, she was going around and around in circles with the Volturi women and no matter how she approached it she just couldn't make her daughter in laws see that they by attacking Athenodora they were damaging themselves, too.

"Perhaps I should address you two about your mates' behaviour?" she asked, turning to Aro and Eleazar.

They groaned in unison, neither wanting to be any part of Atia's verbal smack down.

"Why us?" Eleazar asked, he had no control over Carmen and everyone knew it.

"In this patriarchal world we live in, women are the chattels of men, are they not?" Atia said plainly.

Though Carmen and Sulpicia both pooh-poohed the idea of being owned by their mates, Atia pushed on.

"With the humans, the law supposes a woman to be under her husband's direction. Vampire law would lay that blame with the coven leader. In any circumstance, a woman in this world is owned by someone or other, are they not?"

Basileus looked to his mate, nobody owns you, my dear, he thought. "If that is what the law supposes, then the law is clearly a bachelor!" he laughed.

"You may well laugh, my dear, but the only reason you think otherwise is because your mate is independent and relies on you for nothing."

Carmen and Sulpicia looked to each other with worried eyes. Atia was most definitely independent - they most definitely were not.

Atia could tell her words were sinking in, finally. "If you keep fighting against other women in this coven you will never change a damn thing around here." She told them plainly.

"What exactly do you want to change?" Aro dared to broach.

"A good many things, son." Atia said as she stroked his face lightly, using her gift to block his gift as she did so.

It was clear from Sulpicia and Carmen's expressions that they knew of the 'good many things' that were to be changed in his coven, and the very thought unnerved Aro. Basileus and Eleazar too for that matter.

"I won't keep warning you, ladies." Atia said to her daughters in law. "Basileus may be resistant to disciplining your unacceptable actions, but I find no such struggle with the same premise."

Carmen looked to Sully, hoping she would speak up for them both. As a slave before she was turned she had suffered terrible and unwarranted beatings, but since her transformation her life had been pain free and there was no way in hell she was going to allow Atia to be the one to change that.

Atia, employing the use of Basileus' gift read such thoughts in Carmen's mind. "It is not for you to allow me, or not, my dear."

Sulpicia remained quiet, and kept her mind blank. It was a trick she had perfected after centuries of living with a mind reader. Atia stared at Sulpicia waiting for something to slip though, but nothing came. Sulpicia would think about Atia's decree later, for now she just stared ahead, saying nothing.

Carlisle had remained silent throughout, sitting quietly and reading beside the fireplace with an ear on the events playing out. Basileus had almost forgotten about his youngest son until the flickering fire caught his eye, and in turn, he noticed Carlisle.

"Do I need to have words with you?" he asked with a threatening tone.

Carlisle knew he was referring to the amount of time he had spent with Victoria, but he had a clean slate. Good god how he wished he hadn't, it had taken every ounce of restraint for him not to nip off and fuck her. She was up for it, too, he thought longingly. But no, after Atia had bollocked him in the throne room early in the festivities, Carlisle had remained true to his word.

"Feel free to invade my privacy and check my memories, I didn't do anything wrong."

Basileus did just that. When he withdrew from his son's head, he looked repulsed.

"What happened?" Aro asked, hoping Carlisle hadn't fucked things up.

"Nothing, but his desires were quite vivid for everything he would have liked to have happened with the English woman!" Basileus shook his head, "no father should have to see that Carlisle!"

Carlisle smirked, "stay out of my head then!" he said, returning to his book. He continued to play out his fantasies in his mind, tormenting poor Basileus.