Going through yesterday's events to see how it led me here.
....I've got nothing.
I knew where everyone was and made sure I was updated on their escapades.
But I can't be everywhere at once.
Waking up from a snapped neck, I am immobilized with leather cuffs holding down my wrists and ankles.
I try to open my eyes, but my vision's still blurry.
What kind of fuck shit are the witches up to now?
I swallow a few times before I can find the words. "You should know threatening an Original will ensure your death is most excruciating." I don't even know if anyone's here.
'You just shouted at nothing, you stupid whore.'
I struggle to wrench myself, but my strength is lacking. I need to feed, I haven't since yesterday afternoon.
My resistance is interrupted by the sound of clapping. "Very scary, Miss. Mikaelson, but I'm afraid your words are missing the fire." I recognize that voice.
After an eternity, my eyes start to focus on the witch before me. "Sabine?"
She laughs. "No need for that anymore, dear. Call me Celeste."
I did not see that coming. "My brother killed you..."
"He tried. In a bid to win back Elijah's attention, but I'm more resourceful than he realizes..." she trails off, her gaze moving to beside me.
I look and see my brother sprawled onto a cart, unconscious with red veins littering his stomach as he moans in pain. I gasp. "Nik?"
"It's quite remarkable how useful that blade really was." Her laughter continued. "And that's not all." She wheels my body over to a nearby window, where I watch my sister stumbling out of the building in a daze, and I watch in horror as a red-haired figure drives a stake through her back. "Impressive isn't it? Three Originals all ready for a good chat."
How did this happen? How did these weak bloody witches get their hands on Klaus and Rebekah?
I mean, Klaus was supposedly rousing the witches, but Rebekah wasn't even in the Quarter.
"If you harm either of my siblings, I will tear you apart." I seethed.
"That temper of yours. You hide it better than your siblings, I'll give you that." I still can't believe she's been Celeste this entire time! I knew something was up with her.
Wait..... "What have you done with Elijah? I know he was with you yesterday. If you hurt him-"
"I would never hurt Elijah. Though I wasn't expecting him to come to me, it was a pleasant surprise. I gave him a choice to save only one of you. Between you, Klaus, Rebekah, and Hayley. And he chose. How do you feel about that?"
At her words, I break out cackling. "Do you honestly think I'm going to be mad he saved Hayley over me and my siblings? How small-minded can you be? Hayley is mortal and pregnant, you dumb fuck! Of course he's going to save her over us immortals." That earned me a witch aneurism, but it was completely worth it.
"That might not be a bother to you, but just wait. That choice was just the beginning. By the end of today, 'Always and Forever' will be a distant memory."
"You're bonkers if you think that vow will break to the likes of you, Celeste. One thousand years cannot be undone by a petty ex."
Her laughter returns. "Oh no! I won't be the one breaking it. Your family will be your undoing." She grabs a vial and moves closer. Where are we where there's just medical equipment fucking everywhere? "Open wide." I try to fight back as she forces the liquid down my throat.
Then everything goes black.
><><><><
"Tia! You promised I could have the knife after!" Niklaus whines from next to me.
"This is for your own good, Nik. You know what father will do if he finds you've dulled another of his blades." My brother lightly flinches.
"Well I'm older than you, so you should listen to me." He huffs.
"Well I'm taller." I shout back and he laughs. Our neighbors look at me with disgust as always, except for the girl Faith who lives next door. I smile at her and surprisingly she smiles back.
Our playing is interrupted. "You say that, girl, as if it's something to be proud of. A woman your size has no place in public." My father approaches us as Niklaus shrinks back. "Or with weapons." As he snatches the blade from my hand and storms off.
I breathe out in relief.
My brother looks at me in guilt. "I'm sorry, Tia, he just-"
"No need to apologize, Nik. I understand." I wave him off.
"But I'm supposed to be the one protecting you." This silly little boy.
I take his hand. "We protect each other." I corrected.
"And how well does that turn out?"
I'm pulled out by Celeste's voice and can see again. "Get out of my head."
Celeste smiles. "One thousand years of memories at my disposal. You are quite protective of your siblings, but where did that get you?"
"You enjoy this don't you? I remember meeting you all those centuries ago. You were stoic, but had a good heart. Elijah saw that too, that's why he-" Another witchy aneurysm. "Don't like it when I pry into your history?"
"My good heart was the death of me. Klaus tried to kill me because I was in love with his brother and vice versa. And I watched it shatter as Elijah stood by him in spite of what he did to me. All because of that vow. Love is a weakness, but I'm sure you know all about that." She moves closer. "I remember watching all of you finding love in those times, all except you. Why is that?" She places her fingers on my temple. "That girl in your vision, she must be important otherwise your mind wouldn't have focused on her." No, no, no. Please no!
I watched as Faith tried and failed to lift the large water pitcher into her arms after filling it to the brim. It had been my job to fetch the water from the well today, and I stopped when I saw her. "Do you need a hand?"
She jumped at the sound of my voice before turning around. "I-I-You have your own water. I would not wish to be a burden." Her sweet voice filled me with equilibrium.
Without blinking, I grabbed her pitcher in the arm not holding my own, and lifted it over my shoulder with ease. "Shall we?" I saw her cheeks turn pink before nodding.
She looked at me with awe and we trekked back to our hovels. "It must be remarkable having so much strength."
I grimaced. "My family would disagree."
"You mean your father?" I looked at her in shock. "It's not a secret the kind of man Mikael is. My father has ordered me to stay away from your family for that exact reason. He frightens all of us."
I blinked. "Oh, I'm sorry to have bothered you then."
She laughed. "Don't be. I've always wanted to meet you and your brothers. You all look so carefree and happy. That must be difficult for you especially." She's not a liar.
I sighed. "It's not easy, but I can't change things, so what's the point of being upset?"
She smiles in admiration as we approach her hovel. "Thank you."
I put the pitcher down. "Don't mention it, love. I'm sure one of your brothers can help you from here."
She nods, but before she goes inside, she turns to me. "If it helps, I think you're beautiful."
As I'm left outside, I find I can't move. My face feels hot and my arms start to loosen. I quickly put down my own pitcher.
"Tia!" I hear my brother run towards me. "Are you alright?"
I shake my head. "Kol, I feel sick."
He looks at me concerned before taking the pitcher. "I've got it from here. You rest." I nod and make my way to my home.
What is this feeling?
I scream as I force her out. "You have no right-"
"Someone special, I see. I can't imagine how confusing it must have been. For a woman in the tenth century to develop feelings for another. Did you even realize it at first, or did it take you a while." She giggles.
"I'm going to kill you." My patience has snapped.
"Again, these threats are not very threatening." Her attention snaps to the door as the red-haired lady from earlier steps into the room. I instantly recognize her as the woman Marcel was staring at in the church yesterday.
She nods to Celeste. "It's time."
Celeste nods back. "Take him. I still have work to do with this one."
The woman smiles and starts pulling the cart with Klaus out of the room. I try to sit up. "What are you doing? Where are you taking him?"
"None of your concern." The woman snaps.
I continue resisting the cuffs. "No! Don't take him! Don't you dare touch him! Nik!"
Celeste rolls her eyes. "Calm down. He will be fine, though I can't say the same about your sister."
I snarl. "What have you done with Rebekah?"
"It's not what we're going to do with her, but that's a spoiler for the end of the festivities." She grins. "But for now, let us focus on you." And her hands are back on my head.
This nightmare will not cease.
><><><><
"You cannot be serious!" Faith couldn't stop laughing as we sat in a meadow telling stories of our families.
"You think I would lie? I'm surprised you cannot hear him from next door. He's loud enough to wake the dead." I snickered.
"You make him sound like such a slob! I happen to find Kol to be very charming." Her comment caused a pit in my stomach, but I shook it off.
I roll my eyes. "None of my brothers are of the sort. We have too much Viking in our blood."
Faith shakes her head. "You are far too harsh, darling." Her smile was making my face hot.
My tongue was tied as I tried to speak. "The world is a harsh place, love."
Leaning closer, the heat spreads to my entire body. She places a hand on my shoulder and I melt. "That is not true. The world is the world. A place for angels and demons alike. We must focus on the good."
My head was spinning at our close proximity. "I-I'm sorry." And started to run back home.
What is happening to me?
As I closed the wooden door, I see my mother look up in alarm. "Talia? What are you doing home so soon?"
I bite my lip. "Mother, I haven't been feeling well lately."
My mother is immediately on her feet. "Is it a sweat? Do you need herbs? When have you last eaten?"
I try to calm her down. "Not that kind of unwell. I have been feeling hot, but not a sweaty feeling. I have trouble speaking, and I feel light on my feet. But it's not a constant."
She looks at me with confusion before a smile breaks out. "Have you finally met someone? By the gods, who is he? Shall I inform your father of a potential match?"
I look at her confused. "What are you talking about?"
She laughs. "Oh, my sweet child! What you speak of is the rhythm of love. So I ask again, what is his name?" Her confession left me shell shocked as I stepped back.
That's impossible. I had heard of the effects of love from Bekah in the past, but I never considered....
It's impossible!
Without another word, I ran into the room I shared with my siblings and started to cry.
There must be another explanation. This can't be the truth.
I felt like throwing up, but I refused to cry. Not in front of this bitch.
This was a difficult point in my life. The moment Esther uttered those words, my life was never the same. I tried to ignore it for as long as I could, but it was hurting to do so. Faith had inserted herself into my heart with her pretty face and sweet words.
How could I admit to having feelings for another girl? It was a strange concept, even for me.
"Tia?" I heard my sister's voice ask in concern.
I lift my head from the furs of my bed. "Something's wrong with me, Bekah."
She grasps my biceps. "Should I get mother?"
"No!" I shout immediately. "I already talked with her. She thinks it's something, but she's wrong."
"What is she wrong about?" She asks.
I open and close my mouth. "She thinks I'm in love."
My sister's face grows into a big grin. "Really? Oh, Tia! Who is he?"
I raise a hand. "I said mother was wrong. It has to be wrong."
Bekah laughs and shakes her head. "Mother's never wrong, nor is love. Whoever this man is, he's very lucky. I know you have lost faith after how our village has treated you, your trust in yourself has been shaken, but don't let those monsters win. They are wrong. Father is wrong. You are worthy of love, and you are capable of being loved by someone in return. Take the risk, and if he hurts you, he'll have our brothers to deal with." She didn't understand, but just this once it didn't matter.
With tears still fresh on my cheeks, I jumped into my little sister's arms and held her close.
I struggled to believe her, but her words still meant the world.
I was shaking really bad to resist the urge to cry as I relived the very personal memory between sisters. Rebekah and I may be in a spat right now, but I will always love her.
Fear is something I'm not used to very much. Not with people like this. To this day, there are only a handful of people who were able to elicit that reaction.
"We need to talk." The simple command from my father had me wrenching towards the door. "Do not walk away from me, Talia. Sit down." He never raises his voice with me, he never needs to. "Your mother tells me you have found a suitor." Oh no. "Now I find that hard to believe, so I want to hear from you why you decided to give your poor mother false hope."
I suck on my teeth. "I never said anything of the sort, father. I believed I was falling ill and asked mother for help. She believed my infliction was a symptom of love. She was wrong."
He didn't like that answer. "Watch your mouth, girl. Your mother is hardly ever wrong. If she believes you have fooled yourself into loving someone in this village, I can believe that. However, I now see that she may have gotten ahead of herself with making a match. Whoever this is could not possibly feel a similar way."
I get a moment of bravery. "You couldn't know that for sure-"
He slams his fist on the table. "Let me remind you of a simple fact, Talia, as you appear to have forgotten. Do you know why I have struggled to marry you off?" Here we go again. "If you think it is entirely because you look like a misshapen beast you are wrong. You are uncouth, uncooperative, and undesirable. You think because you look like a man you get to act like one, but that is not how it works. A woman needs to be quiet, obedient, and beautiful. If you need a reference, look at your sisters...." I know where his mind is going. Not to Rebekah, but to the sister I never knew yet have heard so much about. More than my other siblings.
Freya.
Father never mentions her by name, but from the way he smiles as if looking at a recent memory, I know it's none of us. Mother told me about her when I asked. My older sister who died of plague before we came to the New World. Ever since that discussion everything fell into place. My father was comparing me to his first daughter. Her looks, her kindness, her smile, her light, her adoration, her calming demeanor, her height, her blonde hair, her gifts, her respect. It never stopped. It never stops.
And then there's Rebekah. Whilst he doesn't share the same love for her as he does Freya, I can see how relieved her existence makes him. To have a living daughter in his vision of what a woman should be. In that, he respects her and loathes me further.
"If you must skip over me to ensure Rebekah is matched as she has yearned for, I will not be an obstacle." I try to appease him.
"You're not listening to me! It's not about what you want, girl. No one cares what you want. If I could marry Rebekah off right this instant I would, but the customs of the village ensure that I will house my daughters for the rest of my life. There is no saving you, but you could offer me a semblance of peace and act like a wife." Never. That will get me nowhere. "I've grown bored of this conversation. Get out of my sight." That's all I need to rush out the door.
I don't miss when my father would try to talk to me. It was a miserable experience made worse by his insistence to tear me down every single time. It always devolved into 'why can't you be like your sisters?' A line of thinking that always seemed to make him angrier as he remembers. Maybe he wishes I was the daughter who died instead. Sometimes I would wish for that too.
No matter how many times I told myself not to go back, I once again found myself at this meadow with Faith.
I would often try to decipher how she was feeling, but it was a constant mystery.
She would laugh at my jokes, I would laugh at hers.
But today was different. I could tell by the red rim around her eyes she had been crying.
"What's wrong, love?" I asked innocently.
She looked down in shame. "I'm....my father has informed me of my betrothal."
I gulped as my body went cold."That's.... wonderful news. To whom?"
Faith shook her head. "A man named John, or Jack. I don't remember what he told me exactly." She sounded so flustered and heartbroken.
I tried to take her hand. "How do you feel? I know this must be difficult-"
"You know nothing of what is happening! From what my father tells me, you will never be married!" She cut me off. I looked away in guilt. She's right, I will never understand. "I'm sorry. Oh gods! That was an awful thing to say." She starts panicking.
I once again reach for her hand. "It's alright. I wish I could say you wounded me, but the truth is I hope my father never finds me a match. That I could continue being this version of myself for the entirety of my life. I do not envy what you are going through right now."
She accepts my show of comfort with a smile. "Truth be told, I wish I were in your position instead. I always knew this was to be my duty, but I wished to never marry."
I nod. "It's a burden we get no choice in. I'm so sorry yours has come so soon. But I pray you don't lose that spirit of yours. Nor that kind heart. Keep the parts of yourself close and pure, for it will ensure you are never broken." Her smile grows as she stares at me for a while. "What is it?-" But am cut off by her lips planted on mine.
The kiss is sharp and ends immediately as we both gaze at each other in fear before she gets up. "Um, I'm sorry that wasn't......I should go." And ran in the opposite direction.
I was left in the meadow with my mouth agape, trying to process how I was feeling.
More so the sparks running up my body.
That was the day I could no longer pretend. I didn't know the word for it, nor if I was the only one. But from that day forward I knew I liked women.
"You need to relax your arm more." I hear my big brother/father figure Elijah say from behind me as I held his bow.
When I missed the target, I sighed in frustration. "I'm not in the headspace for this."
Elijah looks perplexed. "Then why did you ask we do this?"
"An excuse to hide from father?" I suggested.
"Is father the only thing you are hiding from?" My brother queries.
I looked down, unsure of my next words. "If I tell you something, brother, will you promise not to tell a soul?" He nods. "I've done a bad thing, no, an irreprehensible thing. I have...partaken in intimacy with a member of my own sex."
At first my brother laughs before turning solemn. "You're serious?"
I bite my lip to hold back the tears. "I didn't mean for it to happen. When it first started I only meant to make a friend outside the family, but then I started to have feelings and then mother put ideas into my head with love and Rebekah only made it worse by encouraging it. Then she kissed me and that feeling only got stronger. I don't know what to do, 'lijah. What if father finds out, he will surely kill me and mother will hate me. I need help." At this point I was hyperventilating as my big brother held me in his arms.
He stroked my hair gently. "This changes nothing. No one has to know about this, least of all father. And whatever problems you feel you possess, we will work them out together. Always and Forever."
"Always and Forever. "I repeated as he led me back in the direction of the hovel.
What neither of us noticed at the time was another figure hiding behind the trees.
"You certainly have led an interesting life, my dear."
At this point, I was exhausted. "I know what you're about to do, you've seen everything. It's not going to work."
She laughs. "Ah, yes! The end of this story. The story of your sapphic discovery and the lovely neighbor. How scandalous! But what a sweet moment with your brother. Elijah always was the most understanding of your family."
I give a fake smile. "That's why he's the one I told, bitch. Any of my other siblings have their own weaknesses I could not afford."
"Like Klaus?" I shut my eyes. "His weakness was the father who hated him, but he loved and respected. A man he would tell anything and everything if given the chance. Which you gave him."
"Shut up." I say quietly.
"Did you see his face? When your father approached you with the news. How long did it take to realize he was spying in the woods to snitch?"
"Stop it!" I say louder.
"What happened next?" She laughs. "Why don't we see."
"You're a disgrace!" Mikael shouts as he throws me into the barn.
"Please, father. Let me explain-" I'm cut off as I'm backhanded to the ground.
"I'm not interested in the filth that comes out of your mouth." He grabs a whip I've seen him use on Niklaus a few times. "You have disgraced this family with your vile debauchery."
He strikes me once and I scream out. "I didn't do anything!"
"You expect me to believe your lies?" He continues to strike me. "Admit it, daughter! Repent for your sins!"
I scream in pain for what felt like hours until all I can say is, "I'm sorry." Repeatedly apologizing for angering my father. When he finally lets up and leaves, I am left a sobbing mess on the ground as blood litters my body. I'm overtaken with such numbness, I barely feel myself being lifted and carried somewhere.
"Don't move, Talia, you will only make the pain worse." I hear the stoic voice of my oldest brother.
When Finn lowers me onto the table, I look around to see our home empty. "Where's mother?"
He sighs. "Mother is tending to the pigs. Our siblings are gallivanting about, and father went hunting. It is just us." He moves closer with a rag. "Now hold still. Mother taught me how to help in situations such as these." If I wasn't in so much pain I would have laughed. Of course, little mother's boy. I flinch away as he presses it down on my back. "Hold. Still."
The rest of the night had very little chatter, but I remember it fondly as one of the closest moments I ever shared with Finn. And after his death, I wished I had more.
"You were tortured because of Klaus." Celeste concluded.
I shake my head, tears I had fought so hard to repress coming to the surface. "No, I was tortured because of Mikael. I know your game, and you won't easily turn me against my brother. When it comes to my wretched father, my brother is not the same person. He ruined the sweet boy I once loved and broke him into a million pieces. He brought out the worst in him, and for that I will never blame him for any actions he takes to avoid his wrath. You're too cocky, Celeste. A thousand years is a long time to then be turned against them. I know my brothers and sister better than anyone. Through thick and thin, nothing will ever be able to tear down that bond or break our vow." I felt pretty confident in my words.
However, her smirk never wavered. "Then I believe we're done here, and I think it's time you rejoin your brother."
What game is she playing now?
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This may be the longest of my own writing I've ever done for this.
I really enjoyed taking a look into Talia's history devoid of other Mikaelson drama, and I hoped you enjoyed too.
Next part should be a return to form as we get into the actual episode.
We all know what comes next.
Stay tuned.