Risky Ambitions
✦✧✦
Send your dreams
Where nobody hides
Give your tears
To the tide
No time
No time
✦✧✦
Court of Ravenia; 1003 A.D.
It was on the brink of dawn that a hooded figure made his way down the halls of the royal palace with quiet footsteps and a sharp blade clutched in his hand.
The whole palace slept as the man walked through the dimly lit corridors as an impersonation of death himself.
A sharp scar cut through half of his face, running from his right eyebrow and all the way down to his lower jaw.
His eyes were onyx and lifeless and the malicious glint in his features was that of a trained killer.
He had been assigned a task for a hefty sum of fortune and he had to make certain that it was fulfilled before the first rays of sunlight hit the surface.
He was an assassin sent to murder the queen of Ravenia by her enemies.
His steps came to a stop somewhere in the middle of a widespread darkness as he poked his head from the edge of the corridor to look at the guards positioned just outside the queen's chambers.
He had to be precise and quick with his actions. He was not going to get a chance like this again.
He crouched down and slid out another dagger and took his position.
The guards saw the figure standing right in front of them at a distance but before they could utter out even two syllables, the assassin threw his blades at them and they piearced through their throats in an instant.
Smirking to himself, he walked forward and instantly pulled out one of the daggers from a dead guard before proceeding to crack open the gold plated doors into the queen's chambers.
Entering, he felt the same warmth spread into his chest that he always got whenever he killed someone.
He grinned in sick satisfaction when he saw the raven-haired queen sleeping peacefully under her bed canopy.
He was so close to completing the job assigned to him that he could almost taste the money it was going to bring.
That was when he looked around. He had been informed that there would be a child in her room as well.
He was ordered to take the child with him and sell him somewhere far from Ravenia.
The assassin furrowed his brows when he couldn't find a crib or any signs of an infant being in the room.
He started to search the entire chamber and the rooms attached to it but then he heard the shuffling of footsteps approaching.
His senses alarmed him and he knew that he would have to come back later for the child.
First, he had to kill the queen.
He instantly made his way to her bed and looked down at the striking beauty that was Aurelia Ravena De Martel.
Why someone would wish to kill her, was beyond him.
He had heard tales of her greatness all over Europe.
Now that he looked at her, he was mesmerized.
He wasn't the kind of man who would mix pleasure with business. But he was a man nonetheless and he could not deny that her enthralling features were enough to bring the greatest men to their knees.
The commotion outside the chamber seemed louder now and he knew that he did not have enough time.
Wiping the deceased guard's blood from the dagger, he quickly raised it above the sleeping Ravena's heart and plunged it down with full force.
The Ravena gasped, opening her eyes for an instant before the assassin saw the light leave her orbs again and she drowned in the sweet abyss of death.
Knowing that he had to escape with her corpse, he wrapped her in the quilt and threw her over his shoulder before he made his way to the balcony and made a leap for his life with the queen's dead body in his arms.
Only God was going to be his savior now.
Rebekah burst into the Ravena's room an instant after the assassin had left as she looked around in shock to find Aurelia's bed stained with her blood.
She panicked when she couldn't find the raven-haired witch anywhere, especially after seeing the slaughtered guards outside her room.
Looking over to where Adonis' crib was supposed to be, Rebekah walked forward and blew out a candle and sighed in relief when the infant appeared in her vision.
It was only a few months ago that the Mikaelsons found out about the Ravena placing spells in order to cloak her son during the night time.
It was for his protection from anyone somehow entering her chambers unannounced.
Now Rebekah could see that she was right to do it.
Not being able to comprehend what to do, Rebekah picked up Adonis in her arms and dashed out to wake her brothers.
She knew well that she and her family might make a better progress at finding the Ravena than any of the royal guards.
Rebekah hurriedly knocked on all of her siblings' doors, including Finn.
Niklaus was the first one to come out with a deep scowl on his face; clearly angry at being disturbed from his slumber at such an odd hour.
"What the bloody hell happened, Rebekah?" He grumbled just as the rest of their brothers joined them outside his room.
"Why are you roaming the palace with Adonis?" Elijah inquired raising an eyebrow.
"Who died, sister?" Kol asked innocently as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
Now that, was a question Rebekah actually answered.
"Aurelia, I think."
Now, they were all on their high alerts as Niklaus clutched his sister's arm.
"What are you talkimg about?" He asked in a low monotone. One could almost taste his rising anger from his words.
"Her guards were slaughtered and there was a lot of blood on her bed. The killer obviously did not know about her spells placed to protect Adonis." She instantly explained as a low growl rippled through Elijah's chest.
Kol looked to be seething and even Finn seemed genuinely concerned.
Niklaus, however, was the worst of them all. His face was void of any emotions and his family knew that he had already formulated the spectacular death of the person responsible for Aurelia's disappearance.
"We need to leave, now!" Elijah urged as Finn and Rebekah nodded.
"I'll get Sir Sanchez. He would be able to track the killer." Kol announced as he turned on his heel and left to find Aurelia's trusted advisor.
Everyone now looked towards Niklaus who hadn't spoken a word.
He took in a deep breath and clenched his fists in anger before looking to his sister.
"If this was an assassination attempt then you need to keep Adonis safe. Do not let him out of your sight." He demanded making Rebekah nod hurriedly.
He then turned to Elijah and Finn. "I will try to track her abductor from her chambers while you two search the gardens and the river side."
No one said a word further as they all sped away in different directions to look for the merciful queen who had been kind enough to provide them with shelter in her own home.
Niklaus stopped dead in his tracks when he came in front of the ajar door of Aurelia's bedroom.
He could almost smell the stench of death floating in the air as he stepped over the fallen bodies of Ravenia's two most loyal guards.
Walking into her room, his heart almost stopped seeing the deep crimson-colored blood staining her bed.
He closed his eyes for a minute to sharpen his senses of his surroundings as he tried to pin-point any foreign smells.
Her captivating fragrance of sandalwood and roses calmed his soul as usual but this time, he smelt her fear in the air as well.
And something else. Something sinister.
When he opened his eyes, his gaze fell on the carpeted floor and he saw Aurelia's blood staining it as the droplets led him to her balcony from where he could see the entire kingdom of Ravenia.
Looking down, he saw the gardens on one side and the crystal clear lake on the other.
The assassin would have to be a trained militant for him to be able to climb down from the balcony at such a height.
Knowing that he was sent to kill the queen, Niklaus had no doubt that he was in fact a trained killer and more.
Without caring for the fact that someone would see him, the Original jumped down the balcony and onto the plush ground.
He crouched to slightly graze his hand over a footprint marked on the wet grass before his eyes fell on few more blood drops.
Standing up, he tilted his head to examine the path in front of him and was stunned to find four more dead guards in the gardens.
Niklaus immediately followed the track but before he could find anything, it ended in front of the river side which was opposite to the lake.
He furrowed his brows in confusion.
He could still smell the killer to be near him but Aurelia's scent was gone.
As if it was washed away.
Unless-
"NIKLAUS!"
He immediately turned in the direction of Finn's voice and sped to his elder brother who was standing in the middle of the raging river.
"Help me get her out!" Finn ushered.
That was when Niklaus' eyes fell on the pale corpse that was Aurelia.
The water was speeding in such a violent manner that it was difficult for even an Original like Finn to be able to find his footing.
Niklaus immediately jumped in and scooped Aurelia's body in his arms with all the strength he could muster.
He was about to swim out of the water when his foot slipped and he almost lost grip on her body if not for Finn holding them both up.
The eldest Mikaelson finally managed to drag his younger brother out as the younger one held Aurelia in his grip.
The two Originals breathed raggedly as they laid on the ground for a moment before Niklaus removed his coat and wrapped it over Aurelia's body which was clad in her sleeping robe.
"Check for her pulse!" Finn urged as Niklaus hurriedly nodded before placing two fingers on the side of her neck but found no signs of life.
"Reina, you have to wake up!" Niklaus mumbled over and over again as he tried everything he possibly could to find any signs of life in her.
But he didn't.
"She's gone, brother." The Original haear Finn say as he stared at her pale face lifelessly.
He felt like he was in hell and he had no idea why.
He had only known her for a year and yes, he held affections for her but he never imagined that seeing her dead would feel like the end of the world.
"Step aside!" They heard Rozarro's stern timbre as they turned to see him accompanied by Elijah and Kol.
"Her heart has stopped beaiting." Finn informed as he stood up but Niklaus didn't move from his place.
He just crouched beside her dead body with grim eyes.
"I know what will wake her up." Rozarro muttered.
Niklaus snapped his head towards him. "She's not bloody sleeping! She is dead!" He spat and instantly regretted his words because they sent a sharp pang of pain into his chest.
Elijah stepped towards his brother and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Let Sir Sanchez do his work. He knows more about this predicament than us." He whispered softly.
Niklaus nodded with glossy eyes as he stood up and Rozarro took his place beside Aurelia.
The advisor dug out a bright amber crystal from a small pouch about the size of a palm before he muttered a prayer and the crystal started to glow.
The Mikaelsons gasped when they saw him placing the totem on the Ravena's sternum as a mystical energy seeped from the crystal and into her body.
They could all practically see the amber colored magic diverging from her chest under her skin as it spread through all of her veins.
Rozarro sat bowing his head in worship as the Ravena slowly came back to life and blood started to surge through her veins again.
That was when she finally opened her eyes and the Original brothers were shocked to see bright amber-colored flames dancing in her orbs.
It was truly the most captivating sight they had ever seen.
Aurelia immediately gasped for air as she sat up straight and looked around baffled.
"Estas bian, mi Reina! Estas bien." Rozarro whispered immediately as he lightly patted her back and tried to calm her ragged breathing.
Aurelia looked at him wide-eyed, "¿Que pasó?"
"Alguien intentó matarte." He replied with remorse and anger.
She looked horrified, "¿Qué?"
Rozarro nodded, "Sí."
Aurelia stood up, picking up the crystal and handing it back to Rozarro before she saw the coat placed on her and she realized that they were not alone.
She looked up to find multiple expressions visible on the faces of the four Mikaelsons standing in front of her.
Finn looked relieved amd sympathetic as he stood looking at her with a soft smile.
Kol and Elijah looked absolutely devastated but more than happy to see her alive. She grinned comfortingly towards them and blinked her eyes in reassurance.
Kol shook his head and immediately dashed ahead to wrap her in his arms as she giggle through her croaky throat.
"You scared us all, Lia!" Kol mumbled.
Aurelia lightly patted his back and breathed in his chest, nodding. "I was scared too." She whispered softly.
The next to hug her was Elijah. She instantly relaxed in his embrace.
"I will find the person behind this and end them. You know that right?" He muttered in a heavy voice and she could swear that his heart was beating rapidly from all the fear he must have felt at the thought of almost losing her.
Aurelia squeezed her frail arms around him as his frame engulfed her smaller one.
"I have no doubt, Eli." She mumbled.
Elijah pulled back and lightly pecked her head making her giggle before her eyes met the tormented orbs of Niklaus.
He looked like he had been through hell. His lower lip quivered and she could tell that he was biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself from breaking down or lashing out.
He was suffering through an inferno of emotions and she could see all of them.
She smiled softly and that action seemed to breathe back life into the Original.
She walked over to him. "I believe this belongs to you." She whispered gesturing to the coat placed on her shoulders.
Niklaus simply looked at her with troubled eyes. "I thought you were dead." He whispered heavily.
Aurelia gave him a reassuring smile. "It takes something else to kill me, Nik."
Her voice seemed to be healing the wounds he did not even know he had.
"And what is that?" He asked in the same manner.
She grinned, "love."
Unknown to them all, there was a shadow lurking at a distance from them somewhere, witnessing the entire exchange.
A shadow of a person who wanted nothing more than to see Aurelia Ravena De Martel dead.
☽♛☾
Jenna groaned when her sleep got interrupted by an irritating ringing of a mobile phone.
"Katherine, I swear I will stake you in your heart if it is your phone!" She muttered rolling around and burying her face in the pillows.
"It's Lia's phone, you dumb bitch!" Katherine whined as she lolled her head to the side in her sleep and her arm hit Jenna who was sleeping beside her.
"Can you guys shut up, I have a hangover!" Aurelia spat with her eyes still closed as she laid on the edge of the bed.
"Ask your stupid phone to shut up!" Jenna reverted from the other side of the bed.
"Jenna, remove your leg from over me before I cut it down!" Katherine whispered threateningly.
Jenna nudged the doppelganger in irritation as she pushed her away.
"You're mean!"
"I am!" Katherine mumbled back.
Aurelia's phone pinged again making the Ravena smile sheepishly when the other two women screamed at her.
Opening her eyes, she sat back up on the bed and scooped up her phone from the nightstand.
It was a message from Niklaus after exactly twenty-four hours of not replying to her.
Unknown
Good morning, sunshine.
Aurelia rolled her eyes as she tucked the duvet up to her neck and sat replying to him.
This sunshine will burn
you alive if I don't get an
explanation of your
whereabouts.
Unknown
I had a busy day,
yesterday. You know,
finding the corpse of
my dead mother after
it was lost decades ago
because of my brother.
Aurelia's eyes widened seeing the message as she sucked in a relieved breath.
How did you find her?
Unknown
I have my sources.
She rolled her eyes at his cryptic answer.
Unknown
So, how was yesterday?
Did you wreak havoc?
Sort of.
Me and the girls drank the
night off. Then we had a
sleep-over.
Unknown
Who exactly are these
girls? Rebekah would be
jealous.
Yes, she would be.
Also, one of them is
Katherine. You don't know
the other one.
Unknown
Mind telling me where
you are so I can come to
surprise you?
Aurelia scoffed. She knew exactly why he was asking.
You wanna know because
you wish to try and kill Kath.
I'm not telling you!
Unknown
Well, it was worth a try.
She giggled reading the text just before she felt multiple stares burning into her skull.
She turned her head and looked at Jenna and Katherine looking at her with narrowed eyes.
"What?"
They continued to stare at her pointedly before Katherine turned to Jenna. "Did that smile look like that of a teenage girl in love, to you?"
Jenna nodded, "definitely."
Aurelia looked at them like a deer caught in the headlights before she schooled her expressions.
"I was just looking at some memes!" She answered.
"By typing on them?" Jenna retorted.
Lia stuttered for a moment before shaking her head as she got out of the bed and looked around at the mess that was now her room.
"Oh, look! We saved some of the Dom!" She pointed out picking up the bottle and gulping down the remaining alcohol.
Katherine glared at her, "don't change the topic." She demanded.
Aurelia rolled her eyes. "I wasn't texting anyone!"
"We never said you were." Jenna smiled sarcastically as the Ravena pouted and narrowed her eyes.
"You're supposed to be on my team!"
Jenna shrugged, "Kat's right on this one."
Katherine nodded, "now tell us who were you texting!" She asked smirking.
Aurelia shook her head, "I don't have time for this!"
Saying that, she immediately got into her en suite bathroom and shut the door with a bang.
"REAL MATURE LIA!" Jenna yelled.
Katherine gave Jenna a determined look, "we have to find out who this mystery person is!"
Jenna nodded getting up as she ran a hand through her hair, "on it!"
That was when Katherine's phone rang and she picked it up after telling Jenna that it was Mason on the other end.
The doppelganger listened for a second before she hung up and threw her phone to the opposite wall as it broke with a crack.
Jenna looked at her with a horrified expression. "What the hell happened?"
Katherine gave the strawberry-blonde a sour look. "Damon killed Mason."
✦✧✦
Estas bian, mi Reina! Estas bien: You're okay, my queen! You're okay.
¿Que pasó?: What happened?
Alguien intentó matarte: Someone tried to kill you.
¿Qué?: What?