AN: I'm so pleased to still have you guys reading, you wont believe how happy you have made me. I'm about to jump on messages to reply to everyone. Thank you so much for coming back to this story, and even more thanks for reviewing!

Warnings, Warnings, Everywhere - Part 2

"Stand up straight!"

All three jumped, throwing their shoulders back as Basileus stalked towards them.

Turk apologised, of course, a respect-reflex. Carlisle's smile was barely there - he was still furious with his father for forcing him to join Aro's new 'program of condescension'. Still, a weak smile was more that Odi gave the man.

Basileus crossed his arms, looking between the three young men, unimpressed.

He'd spoken with Aro about how they thought the new plan would work for the kids in the coven. Aro imagined Felix would do his best to screw up their efforts, what with him being self-proclaimed 'king of the kids'. Basileus had higher hopes for his grandson, though it was only a hope. Most kids could find trouble, but Felix had a certain knack for inventing it out of thin air! That said, the creator believed the older members of the crew could be the answer to saving their new regime.

Aro's tinkling laughter had filled the main chamber of the south tower at such an assertion. "Corin and Odi went on the mission, or did you forget that?"

"Carlisle and Turk didn't go, and they'll be with them every day."

Again, Aro laughed heartily. "Carlisle probably knew about the mission and Turk definitely did. They may be too hapless to join in, but they aren't strong enough to stand against the rest of them."

For the moment, Basileus put aside the claim that Carlisle was hapless. "I'll give them a reason to stand strong. All four of them. They are older and should set a good example."

According to Sulpicia, threatening the little darlings into proper behaviour would sour the good intentions of the program, so Basileus assured her he'd find another way.

He began rubbing his chin with one hand, keeping the other arm folded across his broad chest as he took in the young men before him. It pleased him to see Carlisle, Turk and Odi sensed the danger they were in and he smirked when they shrank beneath his gaze. As Basileus fished through their minds, he considered breaking his word to Sulpicia and go right ahead and threaten them. In fact, he felt tempted to give them all a good clout - Carlisle, who wished he had been involved in the mission, Odi, who promised an invitation to the next round of stupidity, and Turk... Basileus realized Turk hadn't really done anything, but it wouldn't hurt to give the young barkeep a good reason to toe the line. HIs fear wife's voice calling for 'reason' rang in his ears. Sulpicia's calls for 'clemency' rang just as shrilly. Basileus sighed to himself and, partly to save himself from the headache, he drew them into a little social embarrassment. Shaming them was surely better than threatening them? Or clobbering them?

"How long have you been standing here?" he asked, looking unimpressed to see them all.

"About three days." Odi answered in a huff. "You know what my Dad's like. 'If you're not early, you're late'."

"You could have ventured inside and found something to read whilst you waited."

Turk hadn't thought of doing that. The library, like the guard hall, was always open to guards. Even when Marcus ran classes in there, the guards, or anyone else for that matter, could go inside and read quietly. Still, he hadn't considered going inside when his mates…only mate and Carlisle were outside.

Carlisle hadn't gone in as he was trying to show Marcus the respect he was due - about the only adult member of the elite Carlisle thought due any respect at all.

Odi, however, scoffed "I've been punished enough."

"I must admit, I would have agreed seeing the sorry state you were in after your mother had got her hands on you." Basileus chuckled along as Odi's mouth dropped open.

After he'd witnessed Freyr taking Caius to task, the creator had spent much of Sunday night in the middle floor suite of the north tower playing cards with Magnus. Odi had been in the main chamber when the men arrived, curled up in his father's chair, still sobbing and snivelling after his ordeal.

"Oh, come now," Basileus said, wrapping an arm uncomfortably tightly around Odi's shoulders. "It's hardly the first time your mother has tanned your hide, boy."

It honestly took everything in Odi's power to resist calling the creator a cunt at that moment, especially when his two so-called friends contorted their faces as they tried, and failed, to hang on to their composure.

"Yet you already have your bounce back, Odi. Mhmm—" Basileus rubbed his chin again as he slipped into Odi's memories "—even though you were punished for running your mouth only last night! I hope you won't be too eager to find trouble today?"

After a jostle from the beast of a man, Odi replied, "No, sir."

"Anyone who cannot behave during the activities will spend the day at my side. Just like this."

Another squeeze - Odi felt his back crack and creak in response. What could he answer the man with other than a 'yes, sir'?

Basileus agreed with the kid, but he maintained his firm grip whilst turning his attention to Turk.

"How are you feeling, Turk? Have you recovered from your round with the juggernaut?"

The young barkeep willed the others to arrive and save his ass…or would that just mean more witnesses? He wasn't sure what to hope for.

"Well?" Basileus called, snapping the young man from his thoughts. "I assume Magnus didn't remove your hearing? Or your ability to speak?"

"Yes, my lord." Turk cursed himself again. "Not the hearing, speaking thing - I mean, I've recovered, my lord."

Basileus shook his head. "Magnus must be slipping. I'll be sure to let him know."

"Erm…"

Turk couldn't think of anything more loquacious to say. Richard had explicitly told him not to bring any trouble home. Turk had been pissed at the order, and the not so veiled threats, but he hadn't once thought it possible that he would get into trouble. At least not on the very first day, and especially not with the creator of all people! Turk wasn't convinced he'd done anything wrong, but he'd seen enough coven members fall foul of Basileus to know that made little difference. Surely Rich would understand? He was an understanding kind of guy, generally. Phil, though?

Richard's warning rang in his ear: "Phil will be fucking livid."

An apology—though he still wasn't sure what for—sat on the tip of Turk's tongue when Basileus picked up on his fears.

"I'll ensure Phillipe knows what's going on with you, shall I?"

Turk's eyes bulged before he swallowed hard and began to beg. "Please, my lord. There's no need. I don't understand what I've done…"

"You haven't done anything," Carlisle said, glowering at his father. "Don't worry Turk, I'll let my mother know he plans on manipulating Phil and she'll put an end to it."

He knew he'd be next to suffer the man's imaginary scorn, but he didn't care. It was beyond ridiculous that he'd been ordered to attend the children's program and he refused to do it with a smile on his face. Maybe he would get lucky and Basileus would fall for the distraction, as he so often did when Aro tried the same approach.

"Be careful, son."

Carlisle's head dropped on one side as a self-satisfied smirk spread across his face. "Worried what Mom will say when I tell her you're manipulating people again?"

Atia disliked her husband's penchant for manipulation, though Basileus refused to admit he ever did such a thing. Regardless of what his wife would say, the creator refused to be played by a whelp.. Especially his own whelp!

"I'm not worried about your mother, Carlisle," Basileus began. "I'm worried about Odi and his penchant for scheming. Particularly with the inane ideas Felix comes up with and the evil streak running through Irina. I'm really worried that Turk's confused loyalty will cause ructions in my coven, as, whether or not he likes it." He looked at Turk as he stressed the words and watched as his stomach flipped. "Two of our best guards have taken it upon themselves to protect your life at all costs."

Turk managed to squeak out a small, 'yes sir'. He considered Phillipe and Richard his main companions, confidants, and protectors. Despite his protestations, he could see why the masters had moved them above him. It made sense, but he still wasn't happy about it.

Basileus released Odi, who cowered away, sensing the creator was ready to snap as began purposeful steps toward his son. With two fingers pointed into Carlisle's chest, he pushed his boy back into the wall with a thud.

"And I'm really worried about you," he said, his words hissed. and snaked around Carlisles throat. "You asked me for a position leading these activities, and I told you I'd speak to Aro about it if you first led by example. Yet, before the day has begun, you're planning on involving yourself in whatever folly they come up with."

"No…" Carlisle snapped his head away as his father rapped his knuckles on his forehead.

"I hear everything. It was not a question."

Basileus waited whilst they realised he had heard Turk shrug away any worry about keeping deadly information to himself, he'd heard Odi excitedly almost reveal some choice secrets about Caius, and he'd heard Carlisle ready to jump feet first into new strife should trouble arise.

Once they had each winced and whimpered a little, he told them, "I'm expecting perfect behaviour today, lads. Perfect."

"Yes, sir."

Through his gift, Basileus heard his grandchildren getting closer. Felix soon rounded the corner, hand in hand with his girlfriend. The boy went in for a kiss before they spotted his grandfather watching their approach.

Bang!

Basileus slammed the end of his cane into the floor. "Are you supposed to be doing that in my halls?"

With a gasp, Corin dropped Felix's hand and jumped aside. "Sorry, my lord."

"I should think you are after what I heard last night."

Corin stopped dead in the hall. Renata hadn't warned her that the creator knew she'd bit Afton. Would it even be considered a bite? Could she pass it off as playful? She briefly wondered if there was anything else the creator might have been referring to and he must have heard her thoughts as he shook his head in response.

Felix eyed his girlfriend, wondering what that would be. Odi and Carlisle perked up, too. Only Turk maintained his composure, though to the close observer his eyes had bulged.

The stand off between bewildered young guard and the creator of vampiric kind lasted only moments, but for Corin it might as well have been years.

"Fortunately for you, there need be no official response," the man eventually said. "Although that will change if you don't buck your ideas up, my girl."

"Yes, my lord."

"We were only holding hands," Felix said.

He wasn't a stupid boy, and he knew his grandfather wasn't talking about them holding hands. It would be better for him and Corin if he focused his grandfather's attention on the young lovers in the present, rather than letting him think too much about what she had done the previous night. Whatever that was.

"Which is against…"

"See!" Felix said, picking up where his grandfather had drifted off. "It's not against the rules."

He tried to re-take his girlfriend's hand, which Corin quietly rejected. Their fingers barely brushing each other was enough for Basileus to renew his glare in the young love birds' direction.

"It's against expectations."

Felix folded his arms across his chest, his expression growing sullen. Corin moved even closer to Odi to ensure that she wouldn't get caught in the crossfire when the creator walloped her boyfriend..

"Expectations aren't rules," the boy mumbled. He always had to push that little bit more.

"Perhaps not," Basileus conceded. "But I would advise you conform regardless unless you would like last night's conversation to become a reality."

Felix pressed himself into the wall behind him and the cold stone made him shiver on contact - that's what he told himself. It certainly wasn't the reminder of the cosy chat he'd had first with his parents in the main chamber of the south tower. Or the even cosier chat with in his bedchamber where he made a promise to his grandfather, or rather, his grandfather had made a promise to him.

"For God's sake, Mom!" Felix whined. "I've already said I'll behave!"

He shocked himself by being so loud - his father was already pissed with him for not paying attention during the week-long round of fucks he was being subjected to. That evening's rendition of the tired old lecture regarded proper behaviour and decorum. Felix had pointed out that surely having such a conversation whilst he stood in the main chamber wearing only a nightshirt and shorts contravened their rules on decorum. It was then that Aro had left the boy in his mother's clutches.

He hadn't gone far, though. Aro was giving his eldest son a break whilst he went upstairs to warn Demetri and Jane against creating any mischief (he saw no reason to warn Alec, as he'd only cause trouble if his siblings took him along).

Felix listened closely for a moment, expecting to hear Aro's foot hit the creaky step at the top of the stairs. He wrapped the bottom of his short night shirt around one finger and then the next and on and on until every finger had been wrapped, unwrapped, and re-wrapped twice. When no sound came, he relaxed a little and flopped into the chair by the fireplace and stared into the flames. Each crackle and pop made him instinctively flinch in case his father was coming back down the stairs, but the sound of his mother's incessant wittering took over soon enough.

"I am aware of that, Felix," she explained slowly, as though he were a mere five years of age. "But you promise to behave so often that we no longer believe you will."

"Then what's the point in talking to me about this at all? What's the point of bitching at me until my ears bleed? You won't believe anything I say anyway, so save us both the fucking hassle and leave me alone."

He wouldn't have dared say it if Aro were in front of him, but he could get away with such talk in front of Sulpicia. Or, he used to.

"Have you forgotten our recent dance so quickly, my darling?"

How could she bring that up? It was cruel! Felix shited in his seat, feeling the phantom sting of the spanking his mither had given him. He scowled at the hands in his lap, folding one over the other. He knew she expected an answer, but he refused to give it.

"Dad has been on at me for hours," he offered as an excuse. "I know I need to behave. I've said I will. What else can I do?"

Sulpicia ignored his response entirely and repeated her question.

"He's been on at me since we got back and it's doing my fucking head in."

"Felix," she hissed, hearing him curse. "You will answer me, or so help me…"

Felix cut off his mother, standing and exclaiming 'for fuck's sake' just as Aro's foot hit the bottom step.

"Oh dear," Aro sang out. "That was foolish."

The glint in his eye made Felix's stomach lurch. It was the look he'd seen from his father many times in his vampiric life, and it never ended well for Felix when he did. Aro had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and took off his rings from his right hand, another deathly sign that indicated Felix might have enjoyed his last sit down for a while. It didn't bode well for Demetri, either, Felix realised, as he must have been the reason for the sleeves and the rings. Felix had heard no wailing coming from upstairs, but then he'd been a little preoccupied thinking on his own demise. The final nail in the coffin came from his own mother.

"Foolish? His language has been thoroughly inappropriate since you went upstairs," she said, turning angry eyes on her eldest son as she condemned him.

Silently, Aro walked to his desk and moved papers around. He cleared a nice large spot, just about the size of his son's chest. "Here," he said, tapping the polished oak. "Right now."

Felix backed away to the stairs. "Dad, no…please? Mom, I didn't mean…please?"

The rest of his words fell away in a jumble of nonsense. The back of his foot touched the wooden step, and he gasped. Had he really been so brave to 'run' as his father would term it? Demetri was the runner in their house. Aro made sure he paid for it each and every time the boy decided on such stupidity, but the poor kid couldn't help himself - his flight reflex was stronger than his good sense.

Aro smiled and tutted, and his dangerous tinkling laughter filled the room. "Are you running?" he asked. Ignoring Felix's spluttered response, he began instead to unbuckle his belt. "You know the rules," he said simply. "Here, now."

Felix did know the rules. Double for running. Always. Apparently, it showed a distinct lack of respect that overlords couldn't tolerate. (He may not have been talking to Irina much at that time but her nickname for the coven elders remained a perfect one.)

When Felix still failed to move, Aro lost his patience, though he kept his cool facade. "My queen," he said, with his eyes fixed on his son.

For a moment, Felix feared his father was instructing his mother to deal with him again. The first time had been traumatising and still fresh in his memories. He couldn't cope with that again. Never again, ideally. It was worse than that, though.

"Fetch my father."

"What? No!" Felix flashed to his father's side before either of his parents could blink. "There's no need," he said, his head shaking.

Aro watched the boy for a moment, making sure he wouldn't back away for a second time. He had him where he wanted him but he still wasn't satisfied. He grabbed a fist full of nightshirt at Felix's chest and twisted it in his fist up to the boy's neck.

"If I have to call on my father to have you behave, then there's every need."

Aro nodded to Sulpicia to go, and then turned back to his boy.

Felix whimpered on the spot, standing on tiptoes as his father raised the fist at his throat to push his chin up and up.

"I've already given you more chances than you deserve," Aro said silkily. "If you require another chance, I am going to snap and something dangerous is going to happen."

Felix looked from the belt on the desk beside him to his father's blazing eyes in front of him - it seemed to him like something dangerous was about to happen! He daren't dare think of what could be worse. It had been a full week since his mother had reduced him to a sobbing mess at that spot, and it was obvious that he would soon be a sobbing mess once more. Only this time would precede a full day of schooling where lots of sitting up straight and paying attention would be involved.

"Dad, please," he squeaked with the little air his constricted throat would allow. "I'm sorry."

"You're always fucking sorry!" Aro roared back.

He flung his son across his oak desk and took up his belt. For a moment he considered using the buckle end to really get the boy's attention. Only the tongue lashing he'd likely receive from his mother put him off. Doubling the leather over in two, he wasted no time in delivering the first wicked stripe across his son's backside.

Felix gulped at the air around him. He hadn't had time to process what was happening. His shorts were in place, his tunic half covered his backside - two things he would usually be grateful for, but they offered little hope against the force of his father's belt. The welts rising on his so recently—and barely—recovered hide suddenly smacked him in the face and once enough air was inside him, he howled in anguish.

Aro had always been a hard taskmaster, but this was something else. Felix thought of the time he'd bitten a chuck from his father's back not long after his Uncle Carlisle had joined the coven. His Uncle Eleazar had made it patently clear what he thought of such viciousness when he'd whipped the boy for his crimes. Felix took five swipes of the man's razor strop. The full strength of his uncle's vampire strikes made those five hits almost impossible to bear. Aro wasn't being quite so harsh, but there was only a hair's breadth in it.

"Stay down!"

Felix responded, squishing his chest into the hard, unyielding wood. He couldn't have lifted more than an inch in the first place, but his father's tone brooked no argument. Aro wasn't one for excessive displays of affection, but he would occasionally provide some comfort during a thrashing. Felix desperately needed some warmth, some encouragement, some 'this hurts me more than you' bullshit. Whilst he wished for his father's hand to rub circles on his back, instead he had his fist balled up there, his nightshirt in his grasp being torn to ribbons.

Once Felix settled, moving from howling down to sobbing and begging, Aro struck again, earning another pained howl from the boy.

When Felix had taken those five swipes from Eleazar, his life had been a little less pampered, he was a little less princely. He'd been able to take them with far more dignity than he was managing this time. In fact, he couldn't take them with any dignity at all. Only two strikes in and he was promising his father the earth, the sun and the stars above.

The air behind him moved as Aro raised his arm, ready to lay another strike against his son's errant hide and Felix tried to escape. It was as bad as running, sure, but he didn't care. He tried to right himself only for his father to have predicted his intentions, and he found himself forced back down on the desk with a thud. Aro's hand remained in place on the small of his back, reminding Felix to stay where he was. If he were in any doubt, the low strike across the back of his knees kept him in line.

"That one didn't count," Aro hissed in his son's ear. "That one was for fighting back and this one is for when you backed off."

Another crack sliced across his legs again, and Felix screamed. It was an ear-splitting scream cast out so shrilly that Aro released his son entirely.

Felix crumpled to the floor, rolling onto one side with both hands wrapped around his bare legs. His fingers grazed the edges of his battered flesh. From touch alone, there should be inch high stripes behind his knees.

There was just no sense in what had occurred. All that for cussing at his mother and the almighty sin of backing away from his father? No sense and no justice. He thought he might tell his father so, but he wasn't capable. Anything more than sobbing on the floor was more than he could do.

The heavy wooden door to halls outside the tower slammed shut and Felix dared a look at what had caused the noise. He hoped his father was leaving and maybe he could crawl up the stairs to bed without the man ordering him to get back over the desk.

Aro still stood at his side, but Sulpicia had returned with Basileus in tow. Fresh sobs erupted from the boy as he feared his grandfather's coming wrath. How many times had the man told him to rein in his temper, to hold his tongue, to bide his time until his father had calmed down? Too many times, and this time, Felix feared, he wouldn't be doing much talking when he reminded his grandson how to behave.

When he spoke, the creator's tone was dark and gruff. "You're in danger of going too far, son."

Felix flinched as Aro dropped his belt to land on the floor at his side. He scooted away from the evil object and teared up again at the burn caused by his movement.

"I know how to make it hurt without causing him any damage," Aro replied nonchalantly. "He was begging for it, as usual."

Oh, how Felix would have liked to reply! He could barely breathe, but when he could, as soon as he could, he planned on telling his father exactly what he thought of his assessment of the current situation.

"No, you will not." Basileus had read the thoughts in his grandson's mind. "Up. Now," he said.

He didn't want to get up. He wanted to stay on the cool, though slightly dusty, marble floor. His grandmother would nag his mother to clean her chambers properly if she saw how much dust had collected under the corner desk.

"Felix," Basileus said, looking down at his grandson. "Do not keep me waiting, boy."

It was hard. Really hard. With shaking hands, Felix reached the desk top and used it to pull himself up onto trembling legs. His chest heaved up and down as he fought for control over his sobs and he still couldn't talk.

"What was this over?" Basileus asked.

Felix wasn't sure, but he thought he detected the hint of annoyance in his tone and that annoyance didn't appear to be directed at him. Aro must have noticed, too, so to explain his own actions, he launched into a heavily edited and embellished tale of 'Felix, the deliberately difficult delinquent'.

Basileus listened whilst glaring at his grandson. Whenever Felix let his gaze fall, Basileus cleared his throat and fixed him in eye contact once more. The effect on the poor boy meant he had no hope of getting his breathing under control, or to stem his tears. He was glad of his tears actually, as they blurred his vision of the almighty creator and his bastard of a father.

When Aro was through—when he'd run out of embellishment!—Basileus turned on Felix. "If you screw up our new plans, you won't just be with me on Mondays, boy. I'll keep you under my roof for the foreseeable!"

He grabbed Felix by the shoulder like it was putty in his hand and the boy stooped low on one side to get away from his grip, fearing the worst. It wasn't so bad - he found himself being steered to the foot of the stairs. "To bed with you unless you plan to beg for more," he said. "I'll be up to speak with you momentarily."

It took so much effort, all the effort he had left really to get himself up those stairs. He thought about sleeping on the stairs, but it was too close to his parent's room, which scared him more than the main chamber when his father was angry. He carried on up, sobs still heaving in his chest. It took him so long to climb the stairs that he still hadn't made it off the top floor landing and into his room when his grandfather caught up with him.

"I believe I sent you to bed, boy," Basileus said, scooping Felix off the floor and half carrying him to his bedchamber.

A bleary-eyed Demetri peaked out from the crack in his own door to see what was going on. Basileus spotted him and noted the way he moved from foot to foot, a tell take sign that the young prince had had around with his father, too. Demetri didn't look to be suffering in the way Felix was, though. Basileus decided he'd survive, and that it was best to get him out of the way.

"Unless you'd like a visit from me, too, you'll shut that door and go to sleep."

Demetri did not need to be told twice.

Basileus heaved Felix into his bedchamber and kicked the door shut behind them. He left Felix standing in the middle of his room and took a seat on the boy's bed and wiped a tired hand down his face.

"I am unimpressed, Felix."

Felix nodded, swiping at his eyes as the tears fell, shuddering with every breath he took.

"Cursing at your mother? Running off? Attitude?"

Felix explained he hadn't cursed at his mother, merely in her vicinity. He hadn't actually run off, merely backed away. He didn't have an attitude, merely fed up with being told the same things over and over. Of course, he explained this in thought alone, as he still couldn't speak. The constant rubbing he applied to the back of his knees explained that well enough.

In return, Basileus explained it wasn't just for cursing, no. And neither was it just for backing away, no. And it had little to do with his poor attitude at home, no. It was all the above. All of it. And it was mixed with Aro's own guilt at letting things become so dreadful for his children that they felt compelled to throw themselves to the wolves. Literally. Then there was his anger over them risking their necks, and his gut wrenching terror that he'd lose all three of his boys.

After hearing that, Felix's thoughts settled down somewhat. His breathing calmed with them, only hitching into a sob every third breath in.

"Right," Basileus said. "Let's get a look at you."

The boy's breathing suddenly became panicked once more, only for his grandfather to roll his eyes.

"Honestly!" he said to the heavens. "Get over here so I can see the damage."

With more of a waddle than his usual swagger, Felix moved to his grandfather, stopping in front of him and turning away.

Despite giving Aro a round of fucks for being so hard on the boy, Basileus had agreed to provide a united front in the interest of the new school plans. They needed Felix to behave for at least a few days so the coven could settle into the new normal. His resolve quickly dissipated, however, seeing the bright purple stripes across the back of Felix's marble hard knees.

"Those look sore," he admitted. Then he made quick work of lifting the boy's nightshirt and pulling down the back of his shorts. "These aren't so bad."

'Oh yes, they bloody are!' Felix said in thought.

Basileus chuckled and redressed the boy. Fortunately for Felix, Basileus agreed the damage was significant enough that he needn't add any stripes of his own.

"Get in bed." He whipped back the blankets and made space for Felix to crawl inside. "I'll feed you a little if you're quick about it."

Despite the burn and the sting and the indignity of being 'inspected', Felix did as he was told as fast as he could. By the time he was lying down, his sobs were heavy again and his eyes streaming.

Basileus bit into his wrist and made to offer it to his grandson, but pulled back before the boy could latch on.

"If I feed you now and you play up tomorrow, I'll deliver those welts on you thrice fold."

Felix gulped and nodded. He was rewarded with the sweet and intoxicating blood of the creator, which he sucked at greedily until he drifted off to sleep.

Outside the library, Basileus kept his eyes on the overgrown child, raising his cane to tap the book hanging loosely from Felix's hand. "I could write a note to your father in there before your classes even begin. Would you like that? Do you think he would like that?"

Aro would not like that at all. He'd warned his children that morning (a repeat of the warning from the evening before which Basileus had joined in for) that they were to be on best behaviour if they knew what was good for them. Felix knew he had been the intended recipient of his father's speech - his siblings, as usual, were just along for the ride.

Felix shook his head, smiling ruefully at the man before looking down submissively.

His grandfather still started shouting, although not at Felix.

"Demetri Volturi!"

Said child tried to skid to a halt, but he wasn't quick enough to avoid toppling into the creator. A regular human-to-human collision might have ended in both falling down. A vampiric-child-to-demi-god collision saw the poor boy bounce backward, his arms swinging out to the sides to try to catch himself before inevitably landing heavily on the hallway flagstones. Basileus took a fist full of tunic from the back of his neck and dragged him to his feet.

"You know better than to run in my halls, boy!"

Demetri dusted himself off. "I didn't know you were here," he said, giving his arm a rub where he had smashed into his grandfather.

"That is not the point." A crack in the window pane caught the creator's eye. He swiped his hand across the top of Demetri's head and with the same hand, jerked the boy around to face the spot where his hand had connected with the glass. "Look what you've done," he said. "This is why you don't run in my halls!"

Carlisle gestured with his eyes to his side for Demetri to join him, but Demetri had to pass Basileus first.

Demetri danced away from another swipe coming his way. "Alright, I'm sorry," he said, side-steppung towards his uncle.

"The cost of that glass will come from your pocket, boy."

Demetri's pockets weren't deep enough for such a thing, but he nodded obediently. Again he evaded his grandfather, finally making it to Carlisle's side, seeking the comfort his uncle offered.

The girls arrived next. All four, as Jane had gone to meet her cousins beforehand. Basileus was pleasantly surprised to see all three Denali girls in Volturi uniform. Tanya could be heard grumbling about that fact as they walked…