Athenodora was telling me of the time she met Leonardo and how he had begged to paint her when Sulpicia stormed into the room.

"Hello Sulpi," said Dora.
Sulpicia pouted. She came to stand a foot from our green couch.
"Let us go, we have business to attend to."

I wondered if she meant sitting in their stuffy room with tacky, peeling sofas.

"Why do you not sit for a while. I was telling Makayla here of that boy, Leonardo..."

"No need. It is late and I feel she needs to sleep."

"I'm ok."
Sulpicia's roan eyes had turned a pitch colour. She looked through me then she looked at me like I was a cat she had found in her meatloaf.

My back straightened. My hair rose. I expected her to raise her voice but:
"Athenodora, please let us go."

She said it so calmly and brokenly.
Athenodora opened her mouth as if she would speak but she decided not to when they shared a look.

"Oh, then let us depart. Goodnight, Makayla."
You could cut the air with a hatchet and not break through. I was left alone.

My guards dropped in slowly into the resting area of the library. Benjamin,little Melanthe and Afton.

He didn't have many duties since his powers were mediocre. He could make himself invisible but if you had enough focus you could see him. He tried it with me but I could still see him.

He said the power wasn't supposed to work on humans.

Anyway that was why he was assigned to protect me, this time.

"Guys, she looked at me like she wanted me dead, just now. "

"Mistress Sulpicia? " Melanthe said.
"Yes," Benjamin agreed since he was not too far away to see the whole scene.

"Are you sure? She is very benign. Aro kills her victims for her, even Renata can manage that."

"I think something happened between her and Aro." I said quietly.

Benjamin and I shared a knowing look.
Afton was baffled.
"What happened? "

Melanthe held her hip.
"Geez, Afton get your head out of the books once in a while. Even I know that there's a rumour Marcus left because Aro is her mate," she pointed at me.

We all stared aghast at her.
"Really? Benjamin why didn't you say anything? "

"What? I didn't know anything. It has been long since I spoke with another guard outside from Demetri and Renata."

Melanthe nodded.
"It's true and that rumour started a long time ago, when the Master started acting weird and he stopped visiting Sulpicia."

"Well, it is true. I'm apparently his mate but I don't like him."

Afton had large eyes.
Melanthe screamed: I knew it!
"But please don't say anything to confirm it's true, for Sulpicia's sake. This must be so horrible."

"She doesn't know of Aro's infidelities otherwise this would not have hurt her as much."
Afton said that, so he knew something.

I made a note to ask the two without Benjamin of Aro in future. I could probably blackmail him. It was wrong but what could I do?

"Just don't say anything." I said to them.

"Ok," Benjamin said.
Afton nodded. Melanthe held up her pinky finger.
"Pinky promise." Melanthe said.

At least,they had agreed.
"Then I guess I should rest."
I was escorted to my room but in the corridors we discovered a short man in bright red slip ons, a grey hoody and silk pants.

"Aro."
He smiled like I was his world.
"Makayla, good to see you. How was the day?"
"Fine."

"You look splendid but where is that blue dress?"
I felt pinpricks of anger jab at my consciousness and refuse to be ignored.

"You have some nerve dressing me ,everyday, in these little things. I hate it; plus I was freezing."

His milky smile evaporated.
Great.

I thought there would be flash of anger in his eyes or a snide remark. Instead he looked withered. I almost sympathised, but I didn't.

"I did not realise. I apologise. Have you been lonely having only Benjamin? "

"It's your doing."
He had demanded Renata and Demetri continue their daily tasks, but Renata, his personal guard was nowhere in sight.

"I...I am trying to get to know you."
He wanted me to make it easy for him. No such thing was happening.

"That is your agenda. I have my own."

I sidestepped him in the corridors.He frowned. My guard detail bowed to their Master and continued following me to my room...Marcus' room.

"Please be reasonable. I have looked forward to seeing you this past few hours. Will you not forget my brash words?"

I looked him dead in the eye.
"No," I deadpanned.
I turned.

"I would do anything to please you."

"Send me home."
"Apart from that almost anything."

I gave him a wicked smile.
"Anything?"
He nodded eagerly. This would be good.

Aro read: "I don't think...."

"Then you shouldn't talk," I replied.
His face now marred with annoyance after we had gone through this routine about twenty times.

"Are you not tired, my Queen? I am sure this book is drab by this hour. Why not rest?"

It was one a.m. As usual I could not sleep.
"Don't be an idiot, Aro! You know I have insomnia! I can't sleep even if I wanted to.

And Alice in Wonderland never, never gets old!"
His face twitched.

"Ok, then? What does my Queen desire now?"

"Go make me food. I want a three cheese, deep dish pizza with extra pesto and Parma ham! Lots of garlic! You don't mind do you, you won't turn into dust right?"

"No, my Queen. I will certainly not. Let me get your order through to the chef."

I glowered.
"No! You have to make it! No-one else."
"But... I have never ..."

"No, buts..."

"I am a king; I do not cook."

"If Marcus were here he could easily do that."
Aro's eyes glazed over. Bingo.

"If Marcus could handle such a feat, surely I can."
He bobbed his head to the side and his pink pillbox hat danced.

Demetri, Renata and Benjamin could hardly contain themselves.

"Yes, Marcus' younger brother should be able to manage."
He set off. His pale pink tail coat flapping behind him as he set off to do my bidding.

"Don't you think you are overdoing it?" Renata said, incensed.

"No,but I promise to make it worse as the night wears on. It's what he gets for keeping me up all night."

Aro had refused to leave until he made me happy, proved Marcus couldn't as well as he.

So, he would eat his words.
"Love the pink butler suit by the way." Benjamin laughed.

"How did he agree to this, plus us not being uniformed?" Renata wondered out loud.

"I told him if he really wanted me happy he would have to be uncomfortable. "

Aro came back with his ducky slippers squeaking.
"The oven is hot. Your pizza will be done in twenty minutes."

"I think I want to do a makeover."
Aro got excited.

"You already look so ravishing."
"Not for me, my slave."
I gave an impish smile. Aro tilted his head.

Twenty minutes later Aro stood with a red painted face with a tray full of burnt but doughy pizza.
"Eat it Aro."
He looked green.
"But..."
I glared.

His fingertips shook as he brought the disgusting piece of blackened bread to his face.

An hour later I was in my bed laughing whilst Renata tugged Aro to his room.