I didn't step free of the shadows right away. For several seconds I simply observed them, unseen and unnoticed. The bond, which had been tugging lightly during the time I was away, was finally still.

I had to halt my breathing immediately; each had a wineglass in hand containing varied amounts of blood. The three looked immeasurably stressed and were conversing in separate languages. Caius was speaking in clipped Ancient Greek, indecipherable, but Aro and Marcus both spoke in Italian. I remembered enough from my lessons as human with Santiago to translate.

"You are being too hard on yourself, brother," Aro said, apparently agreeing with whatever statement Caius had previously made.

Marcus was morose, staring into the depths of the blood he swirled in a crystal wineglass. "We all know the fault is my own. If I had-" He cut off with a snarl, abruptly flinging his glass at the far wall.

I stepped neatly aside before the glass could hit me, shadows flowing off me as I did so, and it shattered against the wall to my right. Blood speckled against the back of my jacket.

Aro and Marcus, who had been sitting, stood at my entrance. Marcus' face was creased in a frown. "Did I almost- I'm sorry, my heart, I didn't know that you were-"

"It's okay. More my fault than anything. I was eavesdropping," I said, offering him a tiny smile that he did not return.

"Were you there very long?" Aro asked.

"No. Only caught the tail end, if that's what you're really asking," I said, taking another breath in order to respond. Even having recently fed, the blood in the air burned my throat like hot coals.

"Of course not. We have nothing to hide," Aro said. Even without his gift he read me easily. "Shall we move this conversation elsewhere? I can't imagine being around blood is comfortable for you."

"No," I agreed, mouth curling into a wry smile, "but I can manage."

"We'll move," Caius said, by my side in an instant. His scent wafted over me, clearing the smell of blood from my senses.

I didn't object, instead taking the hand he offered and allowing him to gently pull me from the room. The scent of blood still stung my nose and I pulled off my jacket, folding it and tossing it back in the room we had just left. Underneath I still wore one of Caesar's shirts, the sleeves rolled back to my elbows.

Marcus was cradling my exposed arms in his hands before I could roll down my sleeves and cover the scars that mottled them. "You did not receive these from the battle," he murmured.

"No," I agreed as his thumb brushed over one of the crescent scars. "Most are from training. Some are from scuffles outside it."

"Should we have known this was the cost of losing your fights, we would have told you to win," Caius said, pacing about the room.

"I did win," I said, rolling my sleeves down and remembering my victories with savage pleasure. "I won more than Caesar approved of. I was one of the best."

"I believe it," Aro said. "I saw you on the battlefield. Caesar taught you well."

"He says I'm a natural," I said. I didn't mind this avenue of discussion; my time spent training with Caesar was easy to talk about.

"You are," Caius agreed. "The guard could learn from you."

"Sorry for running earlier," I said, desperate to fill the silence that followed.

"Do not apologize, my heart. We overwhelmed you," Marcus said.

"You didn't know. I guess I just didn't expect things to be this difficult," I admitted. "I assumed coming home would be the easy part."

"The ways of the Romanians were all you knew, and what you experience as a newborn is formative for a vampire," Aro said.

"Jasper explained it to me," I said. "He said he's going to stay for a while, until I get readjusted."

"That was always his intention, I believe. He knew what was coming because he experienced it himself. I suppose I was quite shortsighted in thinking you would be different," Aro said.

"Quite unusual for you, brother," Caius remarked. "Here I was thinking you knew all."

I couldn't quite hide my grin at the glare Aro sent Caius. "We all have to be wrong sometimes."

"I suppose that is true," Aro agreed. "Though I believe I am wrong - and do wrong - more often than just sometimes."

"I'll say," Marcus said with a snort, though there was no malice in his tone.

"You and Aro are on good terms again?" I asked Marcus tentatively. I had assumed Marcus was only working with him for my sake, though they seemed almost as comfortable with one another as before.

"Yes, or something close to it," Marcus said. "Once Caius brought me out of my shock, for lack of a better word, I was still furious with Aro. My trust in him was broken. But there were more pressing matters at hand so I agreed to work with him, albeit reluctantly. Caius was placed in the most unusual position as mediator."

"I'm much better at starting disagreements," Caius said.

I laughed. "You know your strengths, at least."

"Yes, well, I lost my patience with them quite quickly," Caius admitted. "I told Marcus to come up with a way to settle his differences with Aro or I would put them both on perimeter duty for a month."

"He was still acting head of the Volturi at the time," Aro inputted, "and fully intended to make good on his threat."

"What ended up happening?" I asked, finally perching on the armrest of Marcus' chair. Despite logically knowing I was safe, my instincts were too on-edge yet for me to sit and relax.

"I came up with a punishment befitting of the crime," Marcus said.

My eyebrows flicked upwards. "Meaning…"

"I was dismembered," Aro said with a grimace. "Head included."

Perhaps it was some savage remnant instilled in me by the Romanians, but mate or not, I couldn't help but think that Aro deserved it. "Ah, that's…"

"Oh, don't give him your sympathies. Even he knows that it was more than justified," Caius said. "They've been getting along ever since, thank the gods. I couldn't take being a peacemaker anymore."

"He really is dreadful at it," Marcus said, arm snaking out to pull me off the arm of the chair and into his lap. His touch settled my instincts and I leaned into his chest.

I could feel their hesitation in the silence that followed and sighed softly. "Ask. I won't promise questions, but I'll do my best to be open."

"Dearest, you don't have to answer anything. Our questions can wait," Aro said.

"You deserve to know," I said. "And I will tell you everything in time. It doesn't hurt to start now."

Caius asked first. "The control training, how did it work?"

"We were ordered against the wall and were expected to stay there for the duration of training. If we moved off the wall, caved to our thirst, we were punished. Usually we'd lose our arms. They wouldn't help us put them back on after it was all over. If we made it through the session we could fight the others for some blood from the humans they'd use to train us."

"How many times did you lose your arms?" Marcus asked softly.

I did a quick mental tally. "Five. Eight counting incidents in the ring. But I could give as good as I got there. In control training it was submit or face more severe punishment."

"How severe?" Caius asked. His voice was strained.

"Beheading. It didn't happen very often, though. Usually taking arms was enough. I was never beheaded, though I'm sure Doyle would have enjoyed it immensely." I gnawed on my lip as I considered my next words. "I think most- me included- would have preferred beheading to having to endure the thirst."

"You will never be starved again, cara mia, we promise you," Aro said fervently.

My lips curled into the slightest of smiles. "I know."

A light rap on the door interrupted Aro's next question, for which I was grateful. "Enter," he said with a barely repressed sigh.

"I apologize for the interruption," Jane said, opening the door and standing just inside the threshold. "Masters, you are needed in the throne room."

"For what?" Caius demanded.

"Debriefing of the lower guard before they disperse," Jane said, not cowing under Caius' vicious scowl.

"Thank you for delivering the message, Jane. You can return to your post," I said, standing and turning back to my mates. "Go. We can finish this conversation later. I am in need of a shower and I want to check on Hugo. My parents could be smuggling him back to Forks as we speak."

"Very well," Marcus said, standing as well. "We should not be long, tesoro."

"Do not rush," I said, giving each light kisses. "I have no plans of going anywhere."

"I should hope not," Caius grumbled, following me out the door. We parted there, and I walked along at a relatively human pace back to my quarters. The halls were fairly busy and many of the lower guard, who were on their way to the throne room, stopped in their tracks to stare. I was thankful to finally be back in the privacy of my own rooms.

It looked the same as it did the day I left. It was almost jarring, to step back into my old life. I tried not to think about how I had changed, the innocence I had lost. Instead I grabbed a change of clothes and stepped into my bathroom. I locked the door behind me. It was strange, being able to lock a door again. Being with the Romanians I had almost forgotten what privacy felt like.

I spent so long under the hot water that my skin felt warm again. A thick blanket of steam swirled around the bathroom as I stepped out of the shower, wrapped in a fluffy towel. I avoided looking in the mirror, drying as quickly as possible and dressing in clothes that properly fit. I only looked at my reflection long enough to ensure my brand and the scars on my neck were covered before leaving my quarters in search of Hugo.

Caesar's habits seemed to have rubbed off me as I walked down the halls at a human pace. The corridors were now fairly empty and I enjoyed having a moment to myself. I knew generally where my parents were staying based off of Bella and Edward's room, and I was halfway there when someone put a hand on my shoulder to halt me.

It happened again, that reacting without thinking, and my attacker was against the wall with my fingers around their throat before I could register that there was no threat.

"Santiago," I gasped, releasing him immediately. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"It's okay, kid," he said, straightening his cloak. "I should have said something. The masters sent me to find you and accompany you."

"I don't really need a guard anymore," I pointed out. "I'm a vampire now."

"I'm not sure I'm here for you protection, queenliness. Seems more like I got to protect everyone else from you," he said, bumping his shoulder with mine. "Clearly, Caesar was a damn good teacher. I oughta ask him for some pointers when he has the time. I'm in charge of training the guard now that Felix is…"

"Right," I said, shoving away memories that I didn't want to relive. "I'm sure he'd be happy to help. He's a bit anal when it comes to my safety."

"Well, considering you're not, someone has to be," Santiago drawled, amusement written on his face. He wasn't quite quick enough to dodge the elbow I threw into his side. "Where you headed, anyway?"

"To see my parents and Hugo. Know where they are?"

"I have an idea. If I'm wrong, we can find Demetri and have him track them down for you. Anything to get him out of his room," Santiago said. He didn't miss my frown. "He'll be alright after he's had enough time to grieve. The masters have been lenient with him."

"Has there been a funeral yet?" I asked quietly.

"No. There wasn't enough time with war preparations and Demetri knew you'd want to be there for it," he said. "Now that everything is back to normal I imagine it will be soon."

I nodded stiffly and we lapsed into silence. Memories of Felix tormented me here. If being back didn't mean we had won I would hate this place. Hate that I expected to hear Felix's booming laugh at any moment or see him round the corner with Demetri at his side. Hate that despite everything his death still felt like my fault.

"Did they tell you I was there?" I asked.

Santiago glanced at me. "Where?"

"When Felix died. I was there," I said.

"No, they didn't. They just called everyone to a meeting and told us Felix was dead. It was…" he trailed off. "There was a lot of uncertainty. I suppose many, myself included, didn't think Felix would ever die. He was unstoppable, the best of the best. Some thought it was a ruse. The masters sent me and Alicia, our lesser tracker, to find Demetri. Gods, I'll never forget…"

"What?" We had stopped in the middle of the empty corridor.

"His face. I'll never forget his face. He was like a man gone mad. But it's his eyes that stick with me. He wanted to die. If we hadn't intercepted him, he would have gone back. Fought until they ripped him apart and his ashes joined his brother's."

"I wouldn't have let them," I said quietly. I wouldn't have let them kill Demetri, too. I would have defended him or died trying. In all likelihood, by stopping Demetri, Santiago had saved my life.

"Then you are doubly fortunate that we stopped him." There was an odd emotion on his face, one I hadn't seen him wear before, and I realized he must have came to the same conclusion. "C'mon, queenliness. Let's get you to your parents."

We resumed walking, spending the rest of the short journey in silence. "Here's their room. Afton will be by to take over guard duty sometime soon, as I'll be needed in the throne room. You'll be getting more variety in your guard once Caesar and Maxim have taken a well-deserved break."

"Well deserved indeed," I agreed. "Thanks for getting me over here."

Santiago gave me a mock-salute. "Sure thing, queenliness. Always happy to help."

The door we were standing in front of was thrown open and a small body crashed into mine. "You're back!" Hugo exclaimed, grinning impishly up at me.

I ruffled his hair. "Told you I would be. Are you having fun?"

"Si! Did you know that Abuelo plays baseball? He said he'll teach me!" Hugo exclaimed, and I tossed one more thank you to Santiago before Hugo towed me into the room.

"Pipsqueak!" Emmett bellowed, grabbing me into a hug and swinging me around. "You leave for three months and come back with a son!"

"To be fair, you left for three weeks on a honeymoon and came back with me, so it probably runs in the family," I said, laughing. Emmett set me back down on my feet and ruffled my hair.

"Rose has always wanted a grandbaby to spoil, haven't you, angel?" Emmett asked, tossing a bright grin her direction.

"Hugo is going to be the most spoiled boy on the planet even without our interference," Rose said with a smile, "though I'll be glad to contribute."

"When can I see your mates again?" Hugo asked me eagerly.

"Soon, I promise," I said. "They're in a meeting with the lower guard right now, but how about later?"

"Okay!" he exclaimed, bouncing around the room and back towards a stack of middle-grade books on the coffee table.

I gestured to them in confusion. "When did you-"

"Alice told us to buy them in advance. Possible future or something," Emmett said.

"In simple terms, yes," Alice said, barging into the room. Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme were with her. "Really, Rowan, you had to know I'd prepare for my possible nephew."

"Does this make us great-grandparents?" Carlisle mused as Esme made a beeline for Hugo.

"I don't really consider you my grandparents," I said, my eyebrows scrunching.

"But Rosalie and Emmett view us as their parents," Carlisle pointed out.

"I guess so, then," I said and smiled as he pulled me into a gentle hug. "It's so good to see you, Carlisle."

"We were all so worried about you," he said, stepping back to gently grasp my arms. "Are you alright? Truly?"

I smiled slightly. "I will be."

Alice slammed me in a hug then, hard-pressed to wait any longer, and I laughed as I wrapped my arms around her. "Miss me much, Ali?"

"Never do anything so stupid again," she reprimanded, so serious that I could do nothing but laugh once more.

"Considering you had a hand in this I don't think you are in any place to scold," I said.

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Don't remind me. I hope you know I risked my hide for that genius plan of yours."

"We're both still here, aren't we?" I retorted.

"Yeah, yeah," she said with a huff. "Are you going to introduce me to Hugo or not? I've been dying to meet him but Rose and Emmett have been monopolizing him."

"And now Esme," I said. "Hugo, come here!"

Hugo bounced up to me, grinning from ear to ear. "Si, Mama?"

"I want to introduce you to your Aunt Alice and your Uncle Jasper," I said. Hugo was staring up at Jasper with round eyes, gaze glued on Jasper's countless scars. "Jasper was in an army like us."

Hugo glanced back at me. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I was second-in-command," Jasper confirmed.

"Like Caesar!" Hugo said.

"Except I wanted to be there. I knew nothing else," Jasper said.

"Tell me more!" Hugo begged.

"What would you like to know?" Jasper asked, leading him to sit on the couch. I tuned out their conversation, moving back to Rose's side, but I didn't miss how Jasper rolled up his sleeves to compare his scars with Hugo's.

"I'm glad they're getting along so well," Rose said, following my gaze. "I think Jasper was nervous that they wouldn't, as his scars can be off-putting."

"They have similar backgrounds," I said. "Truthfully, I think Jazz is the only one who really understands what we went through."

"You're probably right," she agreed. "But don't let your hesitation get in the way of being open."

"Will you and Dad stage another intervention?" I asked, recalling my fuzzy human memory of the three of us in the garage, discussion Aro's impending first visit. It had barely been a year since that conversation, but it felt part of another life.

Rose laughed. "Maybe. Depends on how much we notice the kings moping."

"Oh, because moping means I haven't talked to them?" I asked laughingly.

"Oh, absolutely. Before you I highly doubt they moped about anything."

"You would be correct on that point," Caius said, the three kings filing into the room. The room was, most thankfully, excessively large, otherwise it would have started to feel quite cramped.

"The lower guard have been dealt with, then?" I asked.

"Yes, most will be leaving by tomorrow morning to return to their previous posts," Aro said, pressing a light kiss to my forehead.

Hugo bounded over to my three mates, looking up at them excitedly. "Hola!"

"Hello again, Hugo," Aro said cheerfully. "How are you enjoying the castle?"

He beamed. "It's awesome! Much better than the Romanian one."

"I should hope so," Caius said, his voice surprisingly warm. "You will not want for anything here."

"Will I have to work as a guard member?" Hugo asked anxiously.

"Certainly not," Marcus said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You are prince now. You will not be required to do anything you do not wish to do."

Hugo's jaw dropped. "I'm prince?!"

"Crown prince, if you would like to get technical about it," Caius inputted, glancing down for my approval before wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

I swatted lightly at his chest. "What he's trying to say, Hugo, is that you're my son. I'm mate to the kings, which makes me queen, and you the prince."

"Oh," Hugo said faintly, looking quite shocked. "I hadn't thought of that."

"We are very happy to have you as part of our family, Hugo," Aro said, smiling gently at him.

Hugo looked down bashfully. "Gracias."

Sensing that Aro had some experience with children, I said, "Why don't you show Aro your books, Hugo?"

"Okay!" he said, and did the one thing I hadn't anticipated.

Hugo grabbed Aro's hand.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ V ⋅.} ────── ⊰

Hello all! I'm alive! Sorry about the wait. College started again and things got a bit hectic. I am still here, however, and steadily chipping away at what's left of Penance. I hope you all have been doing well and staying healthy. I don't have much to say here (especially because I have homework that I've neglected in order to publish this) besides inviting you to join a discord server created by one of my good writing friends Reveri (who also has a great Kings/OC fic that you should definitely check out). It's a place for writers, readers, and artists to come together and talk about what we love. If you want to hear me complain about writing (and possibly hear more about coming chapters and projects) I invite you to join! The link is in my profile.

Thank you to everyone who left reviews last chapter, I appreciate you all and I'm so grateful for your patience! Please don't forget to drop me a quick review as they truly mean so much and really encourage me to keep writing. Until next chapter, my friends!

(also, sorry about the cliffhanger. I just can't help myself.)