AN: Klaxon announcement! As Nightingale1692 so kindly reminded me, we are now on Chapter 100!

Happy chapter 100 day to us all :D

It has taken exactly one year to get to 100 chapters in and we have only covered seven years in Volterra! (How much shit can one bunch of vampire go through in seven years? It would seem, quite a lot!) I am going to have to post more often or it will be another year before we get out of the 1600s at this rate.

Anyhoo… here is the last chapter for April 1670 :)

EXPANSION PLANS

Aro had spent a full two weeks spending his days in his chambers and his nights in his father's home. That made almost five weeks total since he last stepped outside the tower. Having to watch his mate take the reins of his coven was particularly hard and Aro was chomping at the bit to get back to business.

Basileus had forbade him to even think of coven matters for another week, and Aro couldn't go against the creator's orders, even if he really, really wanted to. Basileus had yet to release him from his submission and Aro felt the oppressive strain crushing down on him under the weight of his father's constant supervision.

Felix was struggling, too. Aro could see his boy still didn't trust him, or a word he said. In an effort to bond with his son a little, Aro was taking him down to Basileus' chambers with him for an hour or so before he had to go to bed.

Demetri was happy having the bedroom to himself … Aro refused to even imagine why - teenage boys! Eugh! The twins were asleep by the time Aro and Felix left, so they weren't missing out.

Felix didn't know that Aro had to go to his father's chambers every night and Aro didn't want him to know either - there's no way I am telling him that submission is on the table in our family, no way! But Felix wasn't as daft as he looked. He had tried to check whether Aro was home in the nights, as he claimed, but Sulpicia had infiltrated his plans every time. He knew something was going on.

It's no wonder he doesn't trust me, Aro thought, sitting across the table from his son's constant questioning, I am lying to him!

"So why are we here again?" Felix hissed across the table.

He was pissed off sitting in grandfather's living room but he wanted to be with Aro so he felt he had little choice. He couldn't understand why his father even wanted to be in Basileus' chambers - the creator was on Aro's case for every imagined slight.

"Can't we go to the woods or something? I haven't left the castle in months."

Aro shook his head, shooting his eyes towards his father's bed chamber. Shut it will you, he pleaded through his thoughts. It will be me who gets it in the neck for your whining! "You can always go back upstairs … " Aro offered, keeping his face impassive from the concern he felt.

Truthfully, he didn't want Felix to go. Apart from wanting to spend some time with him, having Felix there was just enough to force Aro to keep his temper in check with the creator.

Basileus was on high alert and Aro couldn't take another proper beating from the man with the last one still so brutal and fresh in his memory. He had given his son a good many slaps to his face in front of his brother and Atia, and even a couple in Felix's presence, so Aro was really trying not to push his father into going any further.

Felix sunk into his seat. No, he wasn't going back to his quarters, he wanted to be with his dad. "What are you doing anyway?" he asked, trying to get a look at his father's paperwork.

"I've drawn up some plans for the expansion," Aro replied, eyes glinting with excitement. "You are getting your own room."

That had Felix's interest. He had moaned intermittently about having his own room since Demetri had joined them.

"Carlisle thinks you are expanding the castle just to give him something to do," Basileus remarked as he strolled into the room.

"Carlisle would be right," Aro replied with a smirk. "Partly, at least."

Carlisle had been promised royal duties but other than the covens convening, there had been precious little for him to do. Aro didn't want to run the risk of a bored Carlisle again, not when Felix, who was equally bored, would go along so easily with his recklessness.

Carlisle had been one of the ones supplying his sons with ale in the guard hall behind Magnus' back. Not many, but enough for Aro to notice when he flitted through Demetri's mind. His brother had been sneaky, and so had his sons for that matter – rather than Felix asking his uncle, he'd had Demetri do it instead and Carlisle had been giving the boy the drink for both of them.

Aro assumed they all thought he would only take a serious look into Felix's head, and using Demetri would see them in the clear. They had been right, to be fair to the three of them, and if Carlisle hadn't acted so shiftily around Aro he would have never gone for a second scan in Demetri's mind to see if he was missing something. It wasn't a big deal really, but Aro wanted to put some distance between Felix and Carlisle and his expansion plans would keep his brother busy for a good few years.

"Speak of the devil … " Basileus said to himself, taking the seat closest to Aro and pulling it even closer still.

Really? Aro questioned, shooting sly daggers to his father. A nudge from Basileus was enough to have him slinking into his seat.

He's getting bold again, Basileus thought, he needs to feed soon.

Aro was still feeding directly from his father's wrist and as Basileus was only giving him tiny amounts, he felt half starved. He didn't complain though … well, not to Basileus at least - Sulpicia had an earache from his constant moaning about lack of basic right to feed!

Eleazar and Atia came to join them, with Carlisle following close behind. They were supposed to be supporting Aro in his nightly visits, and they had been happy to … until that night. Eleazar and Carmen were finding less and less time to be together. Between her work with Sulpicia and Carlisle constantly hanging around, Eleazar was getting a little frustrated. He and Carmen had started, and been interrupted by Carlisle every time they had tried to have sex that week. I had more sex when I was single for god sake. Yes, Eleazar was 'frustrated,' all right!

Basileus could see his sons weren't on talking terms, but he couldn't be dealing with them now, they would have to wait.

"What are you planning, Aro? This looks to be a huge undertaking." He still wasn't pleased that Aro had wormed his way around the 'no work' order by going to Atia about his expansion plans. She had convinced him a little project would be good for their son, and so he had relented. But as she had asked at the most 'opportune' of moments, he felt aggrieved by his own decision and had requested a ban on asking him questions during sex.

Atia had refused, naturally.

Aro pushed the first of many pages over to his father. "A guard dorm, for starters," he said, showing the design for a three-story high addition to the side of the current guard hall. "So that I can offer our guards private space."

Basileus looked over the image - two floors of single rooms for guard accommodation with a rather large looking bathroom for each floor, and a new, grander guard hall underneath.

"Have any of them expressed a wish for such a thing?"

Aro rolled his eyes. "No, not really. But I want to attract the best vampires to our guard - room and board seems a basic provision to offer."

Basileus scanned the drawing again. "There are sixty rooms here, Aro," he said to his son in surprise, "we only keep thirty in the guard … maximum! Seems like an awful lot of effort to me, son."

Aro took the drawings back and started leafing through for the next one. "It is no effort to you - I am doing it," he hissed under his breath. He received a blinding crack to the back of his head from his father.

"Watch your mouth, Aro," Basileus growled.

Felix watched Aro wide eyed, thoroughly expecting him to blow up at Basileus for his harsh response. He felt more uncomfortable when Aro simply nodded and avoided everyone's eye.

Carlisle and Eleazar were feeling pretty uncomfortable too, they all wanted this misery to end and frankly, they wanted their brother back.

"I am trying to present our coven as an attractive proposition for talented vampires," Aro offered quietly. "If we honour and serve the people who work for us, they will honour and serve us in return."

Basileus was ready to respond but Atia caught his attention. The pair of them conducted what looked to be a heated discussion in silence whilst their sons and Felix looked on in vague amusement. By the finish, Atia must have won as Basileus didn't say another word.

Carlisle and Felix took to pawing through the expansion designs whilst Basileus muttered indiscriminately to himself with Aro looking on warily.

"What is this?" Carlisle asked seeing their castle home would soon boast four towers and not two.

"I am thinking of adding some guest chambers," Aro said with a grin, pointing out various suites to his brother and son.

Basileus looked to his mate before opening his mouth, the stern eyes he received in return told him to temper his response. "That would make sense if we will be hosting half the vampire world every ten years," he agreed.

"Why bother when you can simply use my quarters," Eleazar grunted, glaring at Carlisle. "Though I can hardly call them mine, they are the royal dumping ground these days."

Atia reacted before Basileus had the chance. She never stood for them bickering between themselves. A solid household was the most important thing to Atia, even if, at times, she did have counterproductive ways of trying to foster such an environment.

"Is this about Carlisle?" she asked, placing a loving hand on her youngest son's shoulder. "You do know he is your brother, Eleazar?"

Eleazar dared to return Atia's frost glare. "He's his brother too," he returned, jabbing an angry finger toward Aro. "Put him in Aro's quarters."

Put him in Aro's quarters? Like I'm the unwanted urchin or something?

Basileus heard Carlisle's thoughts. He wasn't having his son being made to feel unwanted. "You will be back with me soon, my boy," he said lovingly to his youngest.

"Aro's quarters are full," Aro muttered. He didn't know what Eleazar's problem was but he wasn't taking shit from him, regardless.

Eleazar looked on the group in growing annoyance. "Build him his own then! You are building rooms for everyone else."

Basileus was done. He was teetering on the edge as it was trying to control his inner vampiric nature with Aro. I can't cope adding Eleazar to the list right now. He brought his hand down hard on the table, causing everyone to jump in response.

Atia winced. If you have broken that table … she wandered off thinking what an insufferable prat her mate was being.

Basileus ignored his wife's thoughts and fixed Eleazar in his sights. "He has a room in your quarters, stop being a brat!"

That might have been enough to shut Eleazar up had Aro not forgotten himself and joined in. "You should share nicely, brother," he said, goading Eleazar for a reaction.

"I like my own space," Eleazar ground out in return, trying to contain his growing agitation.

Basileus had his eyes closed, Aro took the gesture to mean he was going to let him have a little fun. "Should I arrange a room for Carmen, too?" he pushed.

Eleazar was on his feet, hands slamming into the table. "You know that is different."

"How?" Aro asked with a smirk, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Carlisle and Felix sprung their heads from side to side, watching the argument play out. Carlisle was quite chuffed to see Aro defend him, even if it was only to wind their brother up.

Eleazar spotted Carlisle looking pleased - it's your fucking fault that I'm so pissed off in the first place, he thought angrily.

"What do you want Carlisle doing?" he asked Aro, wondering where his brothers latest brain wave was going. "Is he hiding some masonry knowledge up his sleeve?" he added with a look of derision towards his youngest brother.

"I will be hiring local tradesmen for some of the work - he is going to be my human liaison ambassador," Aro announced proudly, smiling to Carlisle who seemed made up for the position.

"Doesn't that sound grand," Felix said, giving Carlisle a nudge and looking impressed.

Aro was far more interested in winding Eleazar up. He wanted to make him blow. "Jealous El?" he smirked.

Eleazar tutted, "Hardly."

Aro pushed a little harder. "Would you like a title, too?"

"Fuck off, Aro."

Before Aro could react to Eleazar he received another harsh slap to the back of his head from his father. Basileus turned his jet-black eyes onto his problem child and Aro froze. Oh fuck! he thought, panicked. He could see his father was fighting his internal monster. Only a few short minutes passed, but they felt like hours to Aro who could only watch and wait to see if the creator would be able to control himself.

Releasing a deep, shaky breath, Basileus was back in the room.

Reaching over, he grabbed Eleazar by his upper arm and pulled him around the table. "What's wrong with you?" he asked. Basileus had tried to keep an even tone, but he knew he sounded menacing. He couldn't help it.

"Nothing," Eleazar grunted whilst his father dragged him to the far side of the room and plonked him into the sofa.

"You will be moving into my quarters if your attitude keeps up," Basileus warned.

Eleazar nodded and turned away feeling quite embarrassed to have been put in a 'time out' by his father, particularly in company!

Returning to the table, Basileus draped an arm around Aro's shoulders. "Don't push me, boy. You have no idea how close I am to giving you a second showing," he whispered into his son's ear.

Aro nodded rapidly and he could feel both Carlisle and Felix's eyes boring into his soul.

Neither of them knew what Basileus was talking about, but it was clear Aro did. Eleazar too, they rightly judged by the scoff they heard from across the room.

"Now then," Basileus said, still trying to get his breathing under control, "are you extending the curtain wall?"

Aro shook his head, pulling some of his designs closer.

"No." He cursed his shaky voice when Felix continued to look to him with concern.

"A new curtain wall?" Basileus asked, as he couldn't see one in the designs.

"No curtain wall. We don't need one," Aro explained.

Basileus put down the drawing he was scanning with a hand flat on the pile. He wasn't happy. "You are turning this place from a castle to a palace," he said, sounding quite disgusted.

"Maybe I am," Aro said tentatively.

Carlisle didn't understand. "What's the difference."

"There's a huge difference!" Basileus complained, loudly. "A castle is a defensive structure - a palace is for showing off!"

"It is not for showing off." Aro rolled his eyes.

"What other reason is there for a palace?" Basileus asked. "We are vampires for Christ sake, we are supposed to keep a low profile!"

"It's just to demonstrate that its inhabitants do not need the protection of a building."

"That's showing off," Basileus declared.

Aro didn't argue, out loud that is.

Basileus shoved the plans away. "There will be a curtain wall, non-negotiable."

Atia floated back through the chambers just in time to intercept Basileus from hitting him again. "It does sound a little like showing off, my dear," she told her son gently, adding a very quiet, 'back down', into Aro's ear.

"How will you be funding these expansions?" Basileus asked curiously. It was a costly venture Aro wanted to embark on, nearly doubling the size of their current home.

"We will," Aro said, wincing before the words had even finished leaving his mouth.

"We? Oh really?" Basileus said. One look to his mate and it was clear his boy had circumvented him again and ran to his mother's skirt tails.

Aro shrugged and leaned into Atia standing behind him, hoping for whatever protection she could offer. "You have bankrolled Eleazar and Carlisle since they joined our coven … I have hardly asked you for a single piece of gold since we set up the Volturi. I figure you owe me."

"I owe you?!" Basileus repeated, half shouting and twitching in his agitation.

"Maybe 'owe' was a clumsy term," Aro offered, pressing into Atia a little harder. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder, effectively separating Aro from Basileus.

"Very clumsy," Basileus agreed. "So clumsy that you are lucky not to have fallen over my knee."

Carlisle, Felix, and even Eleazar, all the way across the other side of the room, sniggered hearing that.

Fuckers! Aro thought viciously in his embarrassment.

"I thought I was levelling things up by starting your payroll plan."

"It was a start," Aro huffed. Seeing his father's reaction to his incredibly mild response, Aro changed tack. "Building is expensive and we haven't expanded for centuries. We need to do this, Dad," he implored, hoping Basileus would see reason.

"You are bleeding me dry, son!" Basileus complained.

It wasn't true, not even close. There were two treasuries in the vaults below the south tower. Only Aro and Basileus possessed the keys to the vaults, and then held separate keys for their own treasuries. BOTH were fit to burst, even with Aro recently spending on his coven like a drunken sailor at a whore house.

"And you will be eating up much of our land with these buildings, Aro," Basileus added, scattering the paperwork until he found the one showing the full extent of his son's proposed development.

"The woodland will remain untouched," Aro started, pointing out the new areas, "the trees will be the new border to the castle courtyard."

Atia leaned over to get a good look at the plans. Sulpicia had discussed them with her at length but this was the first time she was seeing the plans on paper. "We can afford the space, my dear," she said, rather impressed with all Aro was trying to create.

"And you are content to be living in a building site for the next decade? At least!"

Atia merely smiled at her mate and stroked his face.

"It won't take that long," Aro said, shaking his head to his father's dramatics. "I want all works finished before the next tribune ball."

Basileus raised an eyebrow to his boy. "You really are enjoying playing human, aren't you, son?"

"My dear," Atia turned her mate's attention back to the expansion plans, "have you seen Aro's plans for our own wing?"

"You intend to evict me from my own tower?!" Basileus boomed, adding, your impudent little shit! in his head.

"Not at all. You are the ancient creator, you should have somewhere more befitting your status, that's all." Aro gestured to the new west tower which would sit at the very front of the new castle entrance.

"Hmm," Basileus murmured as he checked out his new accommodation. "You wouldn't be trying to get rid of us, would you?" he asked with an eye firmly on Aro's skittish expression. "And what will happen to our current quarters?"

Aro gleamed, he had been dying to tell everyone of his plans for the south tower. "I'm remodeling the whole tower - it will finally be all mine," he said gleefully.

Aro was rather attached to the south tower - he had worked on the building himself when the Volturi was in its absolute infancy.

The masters had a floor of the tower each, with Basileus sharing with Aro and Sulpicia when he was around. The guards at that time had a wooden mead hall in which to congregate. As he looked over the next stage of development for the Volturi base, Aro was struck with just how far they had all come.

Basileus, keeping a constant track on his son's thoughts, had to agree.

Eleazar stalked back over to the table. "So, you are throwing me out too?" he accused gruffly, having failed to take the time to calm down and sounding just as pissed off as he had to begin with.

Aro showed Eleazar his new and improved apartment below Basileus'.

"You will be in the new west tower with our parents, the guest chambers will be created with an east tower."

"And Carlisle?" Eleazar pushed.

Carlisle glared bitterly to his big brother. He was just as sick of sharing Eleazar's quarters but at least he wasn't constantly bitching about it!

Aro flashed a wide grin to his little brother. "Carlisle will have his own quarters, same tower."

Carlisle positively glowed! Felix did too for that matter - which worried Aro a little. He really didn't want the pair of them restarting their destructive little alliance.

Eleazar couldn't have cared less for Aro's concerns, he was over the moon. "That sounds an excellent idea, brother," he crowed happily.

"Oh, so now you are interested?"

"When Carlisle and Eleazar move out can me and Demetri take their quarters?" Felix asked, sounding pathetically hopeful.

"Sure," Aro agreed readily.

"Really?" Felix asked, wide eyed and eager.

Aro leaned across the table to smile at Felix. "As soon as you turn twenty you can have your own quarters."

Felix slumped back into his chair. "That's not funny," he ground out in annoyance.

"More, a humorous fact," Aro remarked before going back to his plans. He was getting seriously hungry now and he needed to distract himself.

"Why would you want to move out?" Atia asked with a hint of concern. She was worried about the damage Aro may have inflicted on the four young and impressionable vampires in his charge.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" Aro asked, checking the clock.

"That's why," Felix replied to his grandmother, though he ignored his father's instruction and went back to studying the plans for the south tower remodel.

"Wow! Our chambers will be huge!" he remarked, seeing the whole of their current chamber would be divided into four bedchambers complete with ensuite facilities.

Eleazar's chambers would become Aro and Sulpicia's floor and Basileus' chambers would be opened up to one huge living space.

"Very grand," Basileus noted with slight disapproval to Aro's ostentatious designs.

"Well," Aro bit his lip and smiled to himself as he shrugged, "I am the king."

It wasn't long before Aro sent Felix home. Basileus kicked out Carlisle and Eleazar at the same time so Aro could feed in private.

Once the room was clear and Aro had taken a seat, or rather, laid out on the sofa, Basileus bit into his wrist.

"I don't want your blood anymore," Aro said sulkily.

Basileus raised his eyebrows to his boy. "This is for your own good," he told him.

Aro shook his head. "No it isn't, it's just dragging things out. I need to get back to running the castle, I need to get back to my own quarters without these nightly interruptions. Sipping at your blood every few days is leaving me constantly hungry and completely attached to you!"

Basileus took his son's rant and tried his level best not to react.

Aro could see Basileus going through the 'oh so familiar' internal war, but rather than that knowledge helping Aro calm down, he used it to rile himself up instead.

"You want to beat me so bad, just fucking do it! We can save ourselves another week of this shit and it will be over."

Basileus stood with his head jerking by his neck and his eyes closed tight. He dragged both hands over his face and through his short black hair.

"Just release me, Dad! This is getting ridiculous!"

"I can't yet." Basileus stuttered his reply as he continued to regain control over his body. He was teetering on the edge of taking his boy in hand and Aro was only serving to push him over that edge.

Having failed to sense the danger he was in, Aro continued. "Just belt me already and release me!" he ordered, believing that was all Basileus wanted to do to him. I will take another hiding if that is the key to my release, he thought, stupidly.

Without word or warning, Basileus flew at his son and had him pinned to the floor in seconds! "I don't want to belt you!" he growled, in a voice Aro had only heard once before … moments before Basileus had so viciously forced his boy to submit.

"No, Dad, no!"

Aro gasped for air with the full weight of the demi god pressed into his chest. He tried desperately to free himself from his father's hold. It was so much worse than the first time. Aro had been in a dungeon blood comedown and he had lead the fight that time. Plus he had never in a million years considered Basileus would go through with submission, so he was just fighting for the fight then. This time, not only did he know how close he was to being split in two, but he was still under the influence of his first submission and he couldn't fight Basileus off. Wiggling desperately was about as good as he could manage and it paled into pointless when Basileus easily flipped his boy over to lie face first on the floor.

Atia, thank the fucking lord, returned from taking Felix home just in time to stop Basileus before he made the call. Using her mate's strength, Atia pulled Basileus away from their son. Even Atia's amazing gifts wouldn't have been enough had Basileus wanted to go ahead… but his intentions were the vampiric monster, not his own, so his mate's intervention was enough to bring a halt to proceedings.

Aro scurried across the floor until he was a safe distance away from his father, though he knew no distance was truly safe. He watched with wary, wide eyes as Atia talked some calm and good sense into her mate.

Aro tried to stand, but the second Basileus caught his minor movement in his peripheral vision he released a ferocious roar. That roar was primal, instinctive, and that was just how Aro had reacted too, immediately dropping to the floor submissively and keeping deathly silent. The only noise to be heard was the sweet mutterings Atia was making into her mate's ear, contrasting strongly with the guttural growls emanating from the creator.

It took around an hour for Atia to subdue her mate, but eventually, Basileus came around and sunk into his fireside chair.

Handing him a glass of bloodwine, Atia gestured to their son, still crouched on the floor staring with his eyes fixed fast to the marble patterning.

Basileus knocked back his goblet in one, allowing the infused blood to ease his soul. He felt in control. Speaking to Atia through his thoughts, Basileus asked for a refill before she left, so he could talk with Aro.

Atia did as she had been asked, but she chose to sit outside their bed chamber … just in case. Basileus knew she was there, and though he felt sure he could keep control this time, he was glad of the gesture to protect them both.

"Sit." Basileus called out, gesturing to the sofa opposite his chair. He had intended to sound calm and non-threatening, but there was a hint of a growl to his tone leaving Aro no doubt that he should proceed very carefully.

Aro stood up very slowly, waiting for any sign that he should drop back to the floor. When none came, he made his way around the room, keeping his back pressed against the wall as he went.

Basileus was is total control now, Aro had nothing to fear - of course he didn't know that. "Son," Basileus said, "I cannot release your submission. I want to, I really do. But I don't trust you and until I do it won't work. I can say the words. But it will be meaningless."

Aro nodded. He knew that, he knew well enough how submission worked. But by god, did he want to argue. Thankfully fear kept Aro quiet. He was also gutted that Basileus didn't trust him anymore, even if he could see his father's point.

Basileus continued, "You need to continue feeding from me, it's suppressing the monster and I need the help with that."

Aro sighed sadly. He hadn't considered that Basileus would need such help. I've really fucked my family up, the guilt was crushing.

Basileus beckoned his son forward and bit again into his wrist. It stung like a bitch every time he did it and though to human, or even vampiric eyes, the marks of previous feeds weren't visible, Basileus could see the silver holes with his impassable eyesight.

Aro went to his father and knelt before him.

"Drink your fill," Basileus instructed.

Aro did as he was bid, and through his contact he searched for his parents' silent argument.

Atia had been forceful in instructing her mate to calm down, and in giving their son another chance. 'He will never regain your trust if you keep him under lock and key,' she had stated.

Basileus quickly caught onto what Aro was doing, but rather than admonish his boy, he told Aro through their contact that he could go back into the castle in the morning and he wouldn't have to spend another night being watched … unless he dared to touch a drop of the dirty dungeon blood, that is.

Aro swore to himself and his father, on his life, he never would again! With that final thought, Aro slipped off his feed and sunk into the floor, falling into the euphoric trance his father's blood had offered.

…

"Hello brother!" Caius looked genuinely pleased when he opened his door to see his covenmate for the first time in over a month.

Aro looked sheepishly to his co-master, unsure of exactly what Basileus had told the man. He didn't have long to wait to find out. Caius threw his arms around Aro and through the momentary contact Aro took the opportunity to search his memories.

Basileus had gathered together the masters and Athenodora to tell them everything was in order and Aro needed some time to recuperate from his drug binge.

"It's good to see you back on your feet!" Caius said, the hint of a smirk to his face.

Aro grimaced. Even though Basileus hadn't told them he had thrashed Aro, it was clear as day Caius had assumed it, and he was right. So long as they don't know about the submission, I can handle the ribbing about the beating.

"My lady," Aro nodded to Athenodora and she returned the gesture with a small smile before returning to her accounts.

Of course, Athenodora is managing mission planning, Aro reminded himself.

Caius caught on to Aro's thoughts and rolled his eyes. "Your mother and mate have turned our coven upside down in your absence," he whispered.

Aro frowned, he had to agree. "Shall we take a walk, I have something to discuss with you."

Caius agreed and the pair left. Not that Athenodora noticed as she continued to scribble furiously in an attempt to keep her penmanship in time with her thoughts.

"I have to defer to my mate to plan a mission, Aro!" Caius said, sounding exasperated. "Magnus is still running the guards and the guard hall, but Freyr is the one doing all of the paperwork, all the planning, all the purchases."

Aro listened to his covenmate's grumbles and felt oddly content. He had just stepped back into his old life and he liked it.

"Marcus is lucky he is single!" Caius continued to moan.

Aro chuckled to himself. "Well, we had better get used to it, I can't see any of our ladies relinquishing control any time soon."

"Can't you do something about it?" Caius asked. All his hopes had been on Aro. Caius had only allowed Athenodora to play at being administrator as he believed Aro would overturn the women once he was well.

"I think we should let things play out, brother," Aro explained. "They will get bored soon enough. Besides, we have better things to do."

Caius narrowed his eyes. "If you even suggest coming to the dungeons I swear I will … "

"No, nothing like that."

Aro brought the pair of them to a halt outside the library. He could hear Marcus inside leading a heated discussion on Platonian philosophy.

"Marcus!" Aro called out, getting the man's attention. "Could your students spare you for an hour or so?"

Marcus beamed to his co masters and joined them immediately. "They will still be arguing when I return, I am sure." He said with a small smile.

He was loving his role as educator and Marcus took the role very seriously. The raging arguments he brought his classes too were invigorating and lively and he felt passion for something again. The guards were all enjoying being able to tear a strip off each other in their debates, too.

Aro handed Marcus the roll of parchments he had carried. Caius hadn't thought to ask what they were, but he could see when Marcus unrolled them that they were castle designs. Caius, like Magnus and Marcus, had heard that Aro wished to extend the castle through the Volturi ladies. No one had taken them seriously, however, so it was still surprising to see the plans committed to paper.

When they reached the guard hall, the three headed straight for Magnus' desk where Freyr quickly joined them.

"How are you feeling?" Magnus asked pointedly. He felt the wave of embarrassment flowing from Aro as he tried to wave away the master's concern.

"A minor blip, my friend," he said softly.

The four masters shared a knowing look before turning to Aro. Magnus could feel the other masters dying to do the same and as soon as the first chuckle burst through his tight lips, the others followed like toppling dominoes.

"You are fuckers, all of you!" Aro declared before smiling to himself. Minor blip … who are you trying to kid!? he said to himself.

Wanting to distract everyone, Aro took the scrolls from Marcus and laid them out on Magnus' desk. "We start today, my friends," he announced proudly as they all looked on in wonder at the extent of Aro's plans to double the size of their coven. "And we need to be finished before the next tribune ball."

"No pressure, then?" Magnus quipped with a questioning eye on Aro. "This is a huge undertaking."

"It is," Aro agreed, "so I need everyone's efforts to be concentrated on these plans."

They talked over the expansion for a good hour before Marcus excused himself to wrap up discussions in the library … he silently wondered if the library would still be standing going by recent discussions which had required a firm hand to keep on an even keel. Magnus and Freyr went off the round up the guards and instruct them on their new duties.

"The time has come to say goodbye to your old pet, brother," Aro said softly as he and Caius walked at a human pace through the halls.

"Which one?" Caius asked - Heidi is going nowhere! he thought.

"Ashanti," Aro confirmed.

"Oh! Why?"

Aro leaned in close in case anyone was listing that he was unaware of. "Basileus has ordered her death," he said. "No reason given."

Caius simply nodded as they continued to walk, his face remaining impassive and apparently unfeeling.

"You don't seem as aggrieved as I expect you would be," Aro pushed for some sort of reaction.

"Ashanti was great … " Caius mused.

"… but Heidi is better?" Aro offered to complete the sentence for him.

"You know that as well as I do, brother," Caius said with a wink.

Aro's eyes flew wide open. "Shush! God damn it, Caius, are you trying to have Heidi killed, too?" he exclaimed in a hurried whisper.

"Calm down, brother, no one heard me." Caius patted his co-master's shoulder sympathetically.

He knew Basileus would have scared the guy to death and he felt a little bad about arranging the card game that lead to his downfall. It was for his own good, Caius reminded himself.

"Aro, would you let me do the honours with Ashanti … for old times' sake?" Caius asked quietly.

"You will kill her, yes?" Aro needed confirmation. Basileus had specifically stated the woman had to die.

"Of course," Caius agreed readily.

Aro thought on it for a moment before answering. "You would be doing me a favour actually because … "

"You are scared Sully will hear you have been within a 10-foot radius of Ashanti?"

Caius laughed at his own jibe as Aro shoved him roughly away. "No," Aro pouted. "I have enough to do, actually."

Caius flashed a toothy grin to his covenmate. Yeah, I'm right, he thought.

Caius heaved a heavy sigh, he knew he had to talk to Aro about the dungeon blood but it wasn't a conversation he had been looking forward to. "Basileus belted me, you know?" Caius said, sounding most aggrieved. "In front of Magnus, Eleazar, and Carlisle." He admitted, shamefully. Caius could take a hiding but the public nature of Basileus' deployment had really stuck in his throat.

Aro winced for his coven mate. "Where?!" he asked.

"In El's chambers." Caius said, throwing Aro a smirk. "I only agreed to attend because I thought I'd get to see the state of you."

"You bastard!" Aro smirked back, giving him a lazy shove.

"I damn near crawled out of your tower." Caius returned seriously. "Aro, your old man has told me I am not allowed to supply you with anymore dungeon blood - on pain of death!"

Aro smiled to himself. Death, huh? he thought. There are a few things worse than that. "I know brother. I am off it for good. I can't limit myself so I must stay off it completely." Aro bit his lip, he really had to force himself to push on. "If Felix ever comes to you with concerns that I am taking it again, I want you to take him seriously and help him."

That made him feel like shit. Scum! Complete scum! he thought of himself, continuing to denigrate himself until Caius broke into his thought.

"Help him?" Caius questioned.

Aro nodded. "Keep him safe. Sully and my younger ones, too. Whatever it takes. And tell Basileus."

Caius stopped them both in the hallway and pulled Aro into an alcove. "Are you sure?" he asked seriously, looking straight into Aro's eyes.

Aro nodded sadly. "Yes. I am going to need help to stay off it and I expect there will be a slip up or two along the way."

Felix floated into Aro's thoughts again and he was confronted with the image of his son's face, full of hate and fear over his father's behaviour. "I can't keep putting my family through this," Aro said.

Caius ran a hand through his hair, he had no idea what had happened in the south tower for the last month, but whatever it was, it had clearly spooked his co-leader to such a degree that it sent a shiver down Caius' spine.

"I could sell off all our supplies and stop making dungeon blood altogether," he offered. It was all he had in his arsenal that could be of immediate assistance.

Aro put both hands up. "Whoa, brother," he said, "let's not be hasty!"

When Aro returned to the south tower, Basileus was waiting for him at the door with his arms folded and a serious expression on his face. "And what time do you call this?!" he asked, sternly.

Aro gulped. "I haven't been long, Dad. We had a lot to discuss …"

Basileus cut Aro off, dragging him in from the castle floor and throwing him into the ground floor suite. "One hour, I said. ONE hour. It's been nearly TWO!"

"I didn't realise I had been that long! Check my head! I didn't realise!" Aro sounded so very much like one of his sons caught out past curfew.

His father had agreed to let him go back to work, but Basileus was still fighting the vampire calling to him from within who wanted nothing more than to throw Aro down for a reminder on following instructions.

"I was working, Dad," Aro insisted quietly, willing his father to see sense.

He really wanted to argue, to tell him what an overzealous prick he was being, but despite his desires, the words wouldn't come. Such was the submission still in play between the pair of them.

Basileus' breathing laboured under the rising temptation his own son offered him. I don't want to do this, he thought angrily to himself, feeling bitterly resentful that Aro had forced them both into this position in the first place.

"Do you need to be reminded of the hierarchy, son?" he asked in a dark tone with his hand gripped tightly on his belt buckle. "Or will you pay more attention to my instructions going forward?"

"I'll pay attention, of course I will!" Aro replied, relieved to see his father winning the struggle between his own good sense and the internal beast.

How long will this submission last?!