It may just be me and my too emotional side causing this stir.
I've just recently completed the Dark Brotherhood for the first time ever, meaning that I've refurnished the new sanctuary and all that.
Yet, I must say, it really, really hurt when Astrid betrayed me. She literally wanted to send me beyond in order to restore her family.
Sacrificing a member of the family, that is. And by the way, I think the way she handled Cicero in the first place was pretty out there as well. I mean, sure, he misbehaved et cetera, but I still believe Astrid was far too eager to see him dead and punished.
And wasn't she sceptic towards the awakening of the Night Mother as well?

I mean, what happened? I should have seen it all coming, I mean, the way we're able to kill the fake emperor was way too... obvious.

It just bugged me to find out that the very family I had fought for went behind my back, still, I felt kind of sad when she ordered me to take her life in the end. She deserved it, sure, but it didn't feel all that good. And that means a lot coming from a an all killing orc, and by all, I mean everyone, everything. Cicero, Mourtierre, prisoners...

From day 1 I figured Astrid was gonna' flip on us I just kept waiting for it. I did kill Cicero because he acted inappropriately - all-in-all he was right to try to kill Astrid, but he jumped the chain by not consulting The Listener and attacking everyone in the Sanctuary. My Sneak was high enough...I could've killed Astrid without the rest seeing me.

Yeah, well, I had that feeling as well, or at least sort of.
Yet, I did whatever she asked me to do, and without further elaboration.
It was just a sad conclusion to the brotherhood.

Well, we didn't have much of a choice - her quests were pretty much binary: 1 or 0.

Yeah, I would've liked to been able to rationalize sparing Cicero, but I just couldn't do it. And it would've been cool if we could've tracked Astrid, stalked her and killed her ourselves.

I actually never wanted to kill Astrid. Not once. Her husband, tho....

But now, after I've restored the family and all that, I don't actually feel in charge?

Sure, I have the master bedroom, but still?