Rue | Klaus Mikaelson

Chapter 11

"Well, this is the arrangement for the foreseeable future. If it means those kids are happy and healthy, I can hold out for a while."

"How are things with Klaus?" asked Cami curiously, refilling her glass.

"You are sneaky," said Ibeth, not yet taking a sip. "Last time you were pouring me drinks back to back you got me to spill the beans about my stress. Not happening this time."

"We're both merely concerned," Vincent noted. "You don't tell us anything about it. Now, I say, sometimes, no news is good news. If you aren't complaining about Klaus to me, it probably means he's done nothing worth complaining about. But I always do worry, especially now, that you keep things to yourself for the sake of those kids. It's not good for you Ibeth. I guess we'll ask plainly— have things gotten better?"

"I would say they have," she admitted, lifting her glass and swirling the liquid around. "It's been... strange to say the least."

"Oh, I can't do this," said Cami, looking around quickly before leaning over. "He told me he knows you saw the painting he made."

Ibeth choked on her own spit. "He told you that?"

"He was about to go check on the painting when he realized you were in there so he left instead. He got shy, I think."

"Wait," said Vincent. "I'm missing context."

"He painted me," said Ibeth. "I went into his art room because I was cleaning and it was a complete mess and there it was. A painting of me. Dressed like a queen. It was... it was beautiful. Nobody's ever made artwork of me. No one's ever portrayed me in such a flattering light. Based on my understanding of Klaus, he doesn't paint people unless they matter to him. I know he has a few of Hope. And the first thing you see from the hallway are those paintings of that redhead bitchhe was with last year. I know they turned out enemies but he cared about her a little bit when they were together... I think. It just threw me off. I've been wanting to see him today, just to find out what he's got to say about it, but he's just not been home."

"And did you text him at all?" asked Vincent.

"I called him several times and left voicemails just wanting to know if he's okay or not and he hasn't responded to any of them. I don't think he's going to want to talk about it."

"Well, do you want to tell him your thoughts on the painting?" asked Cami. "If you really want him to know, you should bring it up the next time you see it. If you think you both want to avoid the conversation altogether... then it's up to you."

"Yeah," murmured Ibeth. "I guess it'll depend how brave I'm feeling when I see him again."

She returned shortly before midnight, when Nick, Luna, and Angel were finishing their second movie of the evening: The Avengers. Freya had already put Henry, Hope, and the twins to sleep.

Klaus was back. She sensed his presence in his study. She tiptoed upstairs despite knowing very well he'd hear her well before she arrived. She wondered if he'd leave before she could make it there.

But he was seemingly waiting for her.

"Hi," she said, leaning in the doorway. "Everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," he said, looking at some papers. What they consisted of, she had no idea. "Where were you?"

"I went to Rousseau's to see Cami and Vincent. Marcel and Josh were there briefly, we talked. I hadn't seen you all day."

"I was tending to business."

"What kind of business?"

He looked at her as if the answer should be obvious. "Undoing the Crescent Curse."