pride ✿ 𝐤. 𝐦𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧

nine

It was nearly three in the morning, but she didn't care. Her rage outweighed any regard she would've normally had. Kol sat up, panicked. "It was before I knew you, Aza! I would've never done anything to you if I had, you know that!"

"I thought I knew a lot! Who all knows about this? Do they all know?" His siblings. It was a question she already knew the answer to. How could they not? His gaze was enough of an answer. Her hands balled into fists as tears stung her eyes. "The more I learn about you and your family, the more time I spend by your side, the more you continue to make a god damned fool out of me!"

Before Kol could respond, Rebekah came marching in, seemingly upset that her sleep was interrupted. "What in the hell is the matter with you two?"

Azalea's angry gaze moved to Rebekah, thin tear streaks glossing her cheeks. She pointed an accusatory finger at the other blonde. "You." Her voice was resentful and guttural. "You and your brothers knew what he did to my mother, and none of you had the decency to tell me!"

It was like she was right back in that bedroom staring at her brother's body again. All the raw emotions she had pushed away because the Mikaelson's "saved" her. By then, Elijah and Klaus joined Rebekah to see what all the ruckus was about. "I have done everything you wanted, just to be lied to!"

"I didn't lie to you." Kol stood up, making his way around the bed, holding a hand out towards her. Her livid stare moved back, her eyes warning him not to move any closer. "I only kept it from you because I made the mistake before I fell for you. I didn't expect to fall in love with you, Aza. Then, when I did, I didn't want to hurt you by telling you what I had done."

She let out a scoff. "Is that supposed to make me feel better? That you didn't expect to fall in love with me? I am so fucking lucky, aren't I?"

"Azalea, you're being irrational." Elijah's calm manner only seemed to piss her off more. How could he act like her mother's death wasn't a big deal?

Azalea let out a dry laugh, looking at him. "Am I, Elijah? Am I being too loud? Too angry at the man who killed my mother?! Shall I quiet down like a good, obedient woman would?"

"You know that isn't want I meant. We only—"

She growled in frustration. Why didn't they get it? "Shut up!"

"Aza, Elijah's right. You know this isn't you. You're being unreasonable. Let's just calm down and talk about this." Rebekah got closer, but Azalea backed up. The original understood her anger, given the emotional demeanor behind her own mother's death.

"Where do you think I got that from? Huh?" She yelled back, her back hitting the wall as she tried to distance herself from the people she usually would've called her friends. Her only family left. All eyes on her, all she could do was shut down.

Azalea's tears flowed relentlessly. She slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, feeling utterly betrayed. In that moment, she broke a vow she swore never to break.

She turned it all off.

✿

Italy, 2016 A.D.

Luckily, time healed her of those wounds. Now, her human life and younger years were nothing but misty memories. She held few close, only the ones that really mattered, like some early memories of the Mikaelsons, of falling in love with Kol, and of her family. Even her older brother. Alexander made some mistakes, but he was still her brother. He was just doing what he believed was just.