"How is he?" Caius' back was to me as he stared out the window, hands clasped behind him.

"How do you think?" I walked slowly over to where he stood, leaning my head against his arm. "The same as he's been for the past two months."

"This is a disaster. Word has already gotten out. It's only a matter of time before the unrest begins." His tone was flat, voice emotionless, but he was worried. I could tell from the tautness of his muscles, the slight tension in his jaw.

I stared out the window. "We'll figure it out."

"I cannot lead on my own."

"You aren't alone," I said softly.

Caius turned to me, resting his forehead against mine. He exhaled, eyes closed. "We are all that stands between the vampire world and anarchy."

I traced one of the purple shadows under his eyes, so dark they looked like bruises. "You need to feed."

"Amore, I am carrying the responsibilities of three men on my shoulders. Your calling this meeting is the only reason I was able to find some peace. I do not have the time." He opened his eyes, onyx black, and pressed a kiss to the near-constant crease between my eyebrows. I worried for him. I worried for all of them.

"Perhaps Aro-"

"No," he snapped tersely. He exhaled again. "Apologies, amore. I didn't mean to lash out. You know why we can't let Aro govern. Marcus would believe us to be taking sides. That is the very last thing we need at present."

"You're right. I will try talking to Marcus again. You can't keep on like this," I said.

He smiled slightly. "I will keep going for however long I must."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"You do not need to fear for me, amore. I will be fine."

"Who else will, if I don't? You need someone to care for you," I said, surveying him with concern. "I hate being useless, Caius. I know it's a touchy subject, but if you change me-"

"You know as well as I that, with the state of the Volturi as it is, you would be more of a liability than you are now. I don't mean that to sound harsh, but it is the truth. We do not have the resources to handle a newborn at present; the guard is already stretched thin and the unrest has barely begun."

"I understand," I said. He was right, of course, but I loathed not being able to step into my rule as queen and take some of the burden off his shoulders. "Please feed, Caius. You're vulnerable, even if you won't admit it. You can't handle these responsibilities when a part of you is focused on your thirst."

"Heidi comes at the end of the week. I will feed then, if only to ease your mind," he said. The clock tower tolled, and he frowned. "I must go. You know I cannot be absent for long. I've missed you, amore."

"I've missed you too, my warrior. I will try to talk to Marcus again. Maybe he will heed my advice as you do, on occasion."

Caius chuckled. "Ti amo. Please be careful. I am afraid, at present, I am failing in my duties as your mate to be there to protect you."

"You're doing the best you can. The guard are just as competent as they were, even if their loyalties are divided. They will take good care of me, they always do," I said. "I love you."

He kissed me briefly, fingers fisting around the sleeve of my shirt for half a moment before he released me and was gone. I sighed, my head falling against the window with a light thump as I bit back tears. But that seemed like all I was doing now. Desperately trying to keep the Volturi together and not crumble along with it.

"My queen?" Demetri asked hesitantly, laying a light hand on my shoulder. His voice was laced with concern. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Demetri," I said thickly. I blinked hard and swallowed down the lump in my throat. "Is Felix with you?"

"Yes, he's right outside. We wanted to make sure you were alright but thought it best if only one of us entered. We didn't want to overwhelm you," he said.

"I am no china doll, Demetri. I will not break under the slightest of pressure."

"This is no slight pressure you're under, Queen Rowan."

"Regardless, we must continue onward. Caius told me Heidi returns at the end of the week. Are either of you feeding during that time?"

"Yes, both," Demetri said, following me out.

"Make sure Caius feeds. I know you can't force him, but remind him of his promise to feed if he says he will not," I said. "Do you often feel useless, either of you?" I addressed them both now that Felix joined us in the hall.

"Not very often, no. We're kept quite busy," Felix said.

"I'm glad. It's not a nice feeling."

"Where are we going, Rowan?" Demetri asked, noting my purposeful strides.

I heaved a sigh. I was doing a lot of that these days. "Marcus' quarters. To try and lure him out of his self-imposed exile. Again."

"Any progress?" Felix asked hopefully. He and Demetri had made their stance perfectly clear: they believed Marcus was in the right and Aro in the wrong. The division of the guard was a large part of the reason Aro couldn't rule at present: half the guard would refuse to follow his orders. Privately, I agreed with them. But with division within the Volturi and unrest outside, I couldn't afford to take sides.

"No. But Caius can't keep going like this forever. Sooner or later, something is going to give. I can't let it be him."

"Are you scared?" Felix asked quietly.

His question caught me by surprise. "What?"

"Are you scared?" He repeated. "It's a personal question, perhaps too impertinent. But-"

"It's okay, Felix," I assured him. We slowed as we reached Marcus' door. "Do you want the real answer, or the one I have to tell everyone?"

"The real one," he said.

I glanced around the empty corridor. "To tell you the truth, I'm terrified. The guard is divided. Caius is stretched too thin, Aro can do nothing, and Marcus…" I trailed off.

"You're doing your best. You are, after all, still human. There's only so much you can do," Demetri said.

"Yes, I know. I'm just afraid it's not enough," I said. "Are you scared, Felix?"

Felix frowned, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Concerned may be a better word to describe my state of mind. I think I'd be a fool not to be."

Demetri nodded in agreement. "We won't keep you any longer. Good luck with the master. Many of us are worried about him."

"So am I," I murmured, and they moved aside as I opened the door and walked into the dark room.

Marcus hadn't moved since the last time I had seen him, which with my added responsibilities was nearly two days ago. After Alec had released him, Marcus had destroyed two rooms, taken a seat in his own, and hadn't moved since.

"Marcus?" I murmured tentatively, shutting the door behind me with a quiet click. He didn't move. I had fully expected this, but I kept hoping that I would enter, he would turn to me and smile, and things would go back to normal.

Too bad this is the real world.

"I can't do this," I said, speaking mostly to myself. I wasn't completely sure he even registered that I was here. "Caius is breaking. He will never say so, but I can tell. The guard is divided, most won't even speak to each other. And I'm just... trying to keep it together. I'm not sure it's working."

I was met with silence. No surprise. I exhaled, squeezing my eyes shut. "You can't keep on like this. We can't do this without you. I can't. Please, Marcus. Please." My voice cracked. He didn't respond. I walked to the door. "I know it seems like you're alone, but you're not. Please stop shutting me out. I'll be here when you're ready."

I squeezed the door handle so tightly it likely left indents in my skin before pushing the door open and walking out.

There was nothing I could do.

I was doing all that I could.

What more could I possibly do?

Santiago and Afton were outside to greet me, their eyes full of concern. I bit the inside of my cheek and swallowed hard. "Did Felix and Demetri get called away?"

"Yeah. Last minute mission. Trouble stirring up north. Enough to have Master Caius concerned, anyway. You're stuck with us instead." Afton attempted a smile, but it came off as more of a grimace. "How is..."

"The same," I said, walking down the hall with the knowledge that they would follow. "I don't know what to do."

"You'll figure it out, queenliness, I know you will. You always will. You-" Santiago stopped. The sentence, at least the one I was expecting, hung in the air. You have to.

"Tell me more about the trouble up north," I requested, sorely needing a distraction.

"I don't know much. I think it's some rogue newborns causing a bit of trouble. But the numbers have him concerned, so he's sending Demetri and Felix up to investigate. I know he'd rather them guard you, so it must be at least somewhat serious," Santiago said. "Where are we headed, by the way?"

"Not sure," I answered honestly. "Just wandering."

"Felix and Demetri saw Alec and Jane earlier, while you were asleep. You should have seen it. Could have cut the tension with a knife. No surprise the twins sided with Aro, you know they always do, but I can't say it makes our jobs any easier."

I was deeply appreciative of Santiago; along with Afton, Renata, and Corin, he had placed himself firmly on my side. He didn't want any part in the debate. Just wanted to be as much help to me as possible.

"When has your job ever been easy to begin with?" I asked.

"Too true. Everyone getting along made our jobs simpler. We didn't have to worry about walking on eggshells," Santiago said.

"Do you think Marcus and Aro will ever be on good terms again?" Afton asked.

I frowned. "I'd like to say yes. They're soul brothers, after all, but... I'm not sure that's something you can really come back from. Didyme wasn't Marcus' mate but that doesn't mean he didn't love her. I don't blame him for taking this so hard."

"I think you're a bigger woman than most, highness," Santiago said. "I don't know of many others who would be chill with their mate going into a vampire coma because they found out their soul brother killed their wife. When did our lives get so confusing?"

"Probably around the same time you decided being obnoxious was the same as having a personality," Renata said, approaching us with a smile.

"And you decided on sarcastic, huh?" Santiago retorted, a soft look on his face that only appeared whenever he looked at her.

"Aren't you guys just the cutest," Afton asked, smirking.

"Shut up or I'll rip off your arms," Santiago threatened.

I laughed. "Please, Santiago, we know you're all bite. No need to keep up appearances here."

"You caught me," he deadpanned, tossing an arm around Renata's shoulders as he reached her.

"How is Master Marcus?" Renata asked.

"How'd you know I was visiting him?"

"I was in the throne room when Master Caius ordered Santiago and Afton to replace Demetri and Felix," she explained.

"Oh. Marcus is... the same. Nothing has changed," I said, defeat in my voice.

"It'll be alright, Queen Rowan," Renata said with much more conviction than I felt.

"So everyone keeps saying," I muttered. I saw a flash of black hair ahead and darted into a nearby room - one of Caius' several art galleries. The guard followed.

"Uh... care to share whatever the hell that was, queenliness?" Santiago asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Be quiet," I ordered in a harsh whisper before stepping back into the shadows of the dim room.

The three guard members exchanged concerned glances but complied. I crept forward, peering around the door into the hall. Aro stood at the end of the hall, red eyes focused on the doorway I had dove through. I knew he couldn't see me through the shadows but his intense gaze left me uneasy. He looked like he wanted to approach, but frowned and turned away, disappearing.

I withdrew back into the room and dropped the shadows that wreathed around me. Afton started at my sudden appearance. "Care to share with the class what went on there?"

"Not particularly," I said offhandedly, certain I didn't have the energy to deal with that particular conversation.

Renata, however, as observant as she was, saw right through me. "You're avoiding him," she accused.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said, crossing my arms.

Afton sucked in a breath. "How long?"

I scowled. "Why must you insist on meddling?"

"Sorry, kid, but when your decisions affect all of us, we feel like we kinda have to," Santiago said. "Quit beating around the bush. Why are you avoiding Master Aro?"

"Look, Santiago, if you can't figure that one out on your own you're even slower than I thought."

"First of all, rude. Second of all, I asked for your reasoning. Not because I wanted to explain my theories," he said, folding his arms over his chest. He levelled me a look of such dad-like intensity that I almost felt like I was being interrogated by Emmett.

"Fine," I ground out. "It's not because I'm mad at him, if that's what you're thinking. It's just... things are strained enough as it is and I can't deal with the apologies and attempted explanations he tries to give every time I see him. It doesn't help. It just seems to make things worse."

"What happened to not taking sides?" Santiago asked, his voice a little sharper than before.

"I'm not," I bit back. "But that doesn't mean I can't have my own opinion about this whole shitstorm. Things are in pieces here and I'm just doing my best to keep it from completely falling apart. Get off my ass about something isn't even my fault."

"I'm not blaming you for any of this. But if you would just talk to him, really talk, maybe things would get a little better," Santiago said.

"I don't need relationship advice from you, Santiago," I snapped, angry now. But no- I had been angry for weeks. Santiago was just the one able to get a rise out of me easiest.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Let's just calm down-" Afton attempted.

"Shut up," Santiago snarled at him. Afton's eyebrows flicked upwards briefly and he didn't attempt to intervene again.

"Until you're in my shoes, Santiago, don't presume to tell me what to do. I didn't ask for your advice," I said.

"I'm just trying to help. Don't go biting my head off. Maybe try not pissing off some of the only people that are on your side," he half-snarled.

"That's enough," Renata said sharply. "Both of you. Queen Rowan, I understand that things are rocky right now, but nothing will change if you keep avoiding Master Aro. Santiago, our queen is under a lot of stress right now. Cut her a little slack."

I inhaled and bit back the urge to snap at Renata, too. "You're right."

"I know. Now apologize, both of you," she ordered.

"Sorry, Santiago." I apologized first. I had started it.

"You're forgiven. I'm sorry, too. I was way out of line," Santiago said.

"It's okay. I guess I was just looking for someone to take my anger out on, anyway. It was only a matter of time."

"Sounds like you need to spar and let off some steam. If we're lucky, Master Marcus will sense we're fake fighting and come to beat me up again," Afton suggested.

I chuckled. "Not so sure about that one, Afton. But thanks for the suggestion."

"Can I give you some advice, kid?" Santiago asked as we left the room and started back down the hall.

"Sure. Promise I won't pick a fight this time."

"Yeah, we'll see. I know you want to solve all this on your own, but we're here for you. Let us help."

I smiled at him. "I don't know what you can do to help solve this one, Santiago, but I appreciate the support."

"Any time, kid."

⊱ ────── {.⋅ V ⋅.} ────── ⊰

Okay, so PSA that updates may unfortunately be a little slow because my laptop is broken. Fortunately it is under warranty but it needs to be fixed but I have to do all of my fanfic writing on my tablet until it is fixed. So yeah, that happened. It's made posting chapters a HUGE pain so I hope you appreciate what I went through for this chapter.

So there's a bit of a tone shift going on, if you hadn't noticed. A bit of a time jump but I felt that's what made it flow the best to really show the consequences of Aro and Marcus' falling out. Poor Rowan (and Caius). How do you think she's handling the aftermath?

Anyway, I mentioned last A/N that the tracker is someone you know. Some of you have guessed it, but the tracker is Alistair. He's not evil or anything, just to clarify - it's more like the former queens tricked him into helping them find the Romanians. Alistair doesn't want to be in trouble with the Volturi so he agreed to help them. Just a fun fact.

As always, thanks for reading! College for me has been cancelled for the next 2 weeks so hopefully I'll be able to have another update out for you guys soon. Unfortunately I still have homework, but nothing too crazy, so my schedule has freed up for the foreseeable future. Thanks to all who have reviewed and have showed their support for Penance! I'm very excited for what is to come (as I have mentioned many, many times already) and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay cool and stay healthy, my dudes!