Transmigration: Katerina Petrova

Plan in Motion

Ever since his confrontation with Katherine, Stefan had been avoiding her. They did reach some sort of consensus, but that did not stop him from being wary.

He wanted to have a talk with her, though. He didn't know her motives but he knew enough to realize he was a means to an end. Surely, she would not have exposed herself if she did not have a back-up plan. This prompted him to take the initiative, dismissing all wariness in the hopes of benefitting from each other.

A ball to the back of his head snapped him out of his musing. He groaned in pain, glaring at the culprit.
Damon simply smirked in response, amused by his brother's distraction.
Giusseppe Salvatore was out and the brothers took this chance to deepen their bond, happy that their father would not interrupt their time (Damon more so than Stefan). They had been playing football for a while and Damon was getting annoyed at his brother's lack of focus.

"Hey, Stefan. I know I'm handsome and all but that is no excuse to play this horribly."

"Hmm, I apologize. I was thinking about the upcoming ball," Stefan made up a lie on the spot.

"Ah, the Lockwood's Ball? What about it?"

"Don't you think it's weird? I mean, everyone was invited despite it being a celebration solely for the Founding Families. Even Miss Katherine was included and I can assume it was  because she is staying with us. Something feels off."

Stefan didn't have any reason to be suspicious, really. But after finding out that there are creatures lurking in the dark (namely vampires), he started questioning everything, including his father's plans.

There must be a reason why everyone is going to the Ball.
Although he did not intend to exclude people, he did feel there was something off with this development. He remembered that his father had  informed him that the party will be limited to the five families, and no less than a week, his father changed his mind.

"Why would that be weird? The Founding Families did found Mystic Falls, so there is no reason not to celebrate this event with the townspeople. How about you focus on the game and stop getting distracted?" Damon did not understand what his brother meant, but that was not important. All he cared about was having a good time with Stefan, not caring about anything else.

Except for, .... a newly-arrived lady whom he had yet to officially meet.

🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻

Katherine was unaware of Stefan's newfound suspicions. She was busy practicing her seductive skills. She stood in front of the mirror, wearing a seductive black corset and undergarments she found in her closet (courtesy of Canon Katherine) and started repeating a line she knew her predecessor once used.

Emily was standing by the door, staring dumbly as Katherine kept repeating "Because I'm spoiled" nonstop.

The vampire was visualising herself saying this to a bare-chested Stefan, and yet her attempt at being confident and seductive was a failure as she broke down in hysterics, giggling now and then. Emily, as usual, was trying to dissect her employer's brain. She could not keep up with Katherine's train of thought.

Maybe it was because Katherine had yet to mistreat her, or perhaps it was due to the slight changes she perceived in the vampire, Emily no longer feared Katherine. No. More accurately, she grew bold and daring in the latter's presence.

"Miss, are you alright?" The witch had to ask, unable to keep her cool.

"Oh, Emily. Do you think I can be seductive? I have to. My assets are literally limited to my face and my old age. Never mind that, I am young. But how does one seduce a young man without feeling shameless? That is how I feel at the moment so imagine if I try this in front of a man!"

Katherine was rambling, she knew,  but how could she succeed in any future plans if she could not use her inherited skills well? The vampire forgot, however, that if she was determined enough, she would not need any practice.

She was Katherine Pierce, after all!

Emily did not respond, knowing the vampire was talking to herself. She did, however, accompany the vampire in her ramblings.

🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻

In the Lockwood's mansion, many people were gathered in the study room, their focus on one person: Giusseppe Salvatore.

"As you should know, we have gained access to vervain which would strengthen our defences against those vile creatures. Today we have gathered to revise our plan. I want you all to step forward and explain your role." The Salvatore patriarch held a domineering presence, demanding obeisance.

"I am to activate the Gilbert's device during the upcoming ball," Johnathan Gilbert said as he stepped forward. " I am also required to take note of any changes that the guests my have, mainly the effects of the device."

"Following that, I will focus on anyone who may have an aversion to the beverages that are heavily dosed with vervain. This will make our final list more accurate and precise." This was said by an older man, a Fell.

Giuseppe nodded approvingly. It was not wise to solely rely on a watch that was tampered with by a witch just to catch vampires. They needed a plan B: vervain. They were introduced to the deadly herb not long after the completion of the device. They were not confident at first but when they saw firsthand what a measly, harmless herb could do to a vampire, they quickly regained their confidence.

The rest of the attendees were not of great significance. They were people who were devoted to the extermination of the vampires, therefore they were welcomed with open arms.

"Is the list of suspects ready?" He asked, not expecting much.

"In fact, yes. A man has finally confessed this morning. Most of his utterances were mere gibberish but we managed to pinpoint some familiar names. For now, this is the first draft. After the ball, we will have a final list of the vampires that have managed to infiltrate our community." Mr. Forbes, the only son of the Forbes, answered eagerly.

Giusseppe recieved the folded paper, anticipation vivid in his eyes. He unfolded it and quickly read it. Then re-read it.

Finally, a satisfied smile crept over his face. At the bottom of the paper, a name was written with a question mark indicating the uncertainty of this revelation.

'Katherine Pierce' ?

All the while, Katherine who was successfully implicated, was not aware that she was exposed long before she could finalize her plan.