Rebekah braided her hair.
Not like Vivalda had had a choice. Deciding to stay for the ball just so Finn wouldn't feel alone was a big enough sacrifice on her part. All she'd asked was that they let her wear whatever she wanted.
She'd been halfway through a braid when Rebekah yanked her out of her chair and insisted she do her hair. Vivalda was sure her sister was trying to make up for something, perhaps her attitude when they'd awoken, perhaps because it'd been way too long since the Mikaelson sisters had a civil conversation.
"I don't see why you'd like it half up and half down," said Rebekah, tilting her head to examine Vivalda's dress, a long black evening gown with a halter top and an entirely exposed back. "The point is for them to see that the dress exposes your shoulders."
Vivalda made a face. "You're the one who made it seem like she'd die if I didn't let you experiment your hairdo on me."
"Hey! Don't pin the blame on me!"
"Girls," warned Esther. "You both look beautiful."
That comment only made Vivalda want to rip the dress off and change into the fancy pajamas Elijah had left on her bed, with every intention of flipping off her mother in all the possible ways. The only reason she didn't was because she already had plans.
She was bored now and she'd be bored in three hours. She'd sent the same message to Tristan and Lucien: 'Let me know if you by chance will be free tonight for a drink near Mystic Falls. I'll be ditching a party.'
An unknown number had texted, 'It's a date. Whenever you're free, downtown Charlottesville: The Underground Bar.'
She wondered which of them she'd be seeing.
"Bekah?" called Kol, adjusting his cuffs as a tailor adjusted the back of his suit. "Viv? Tell me how handsome I look."
Vivalda smirked. "If I had a naked mole rat in the palm of my hand—"
"You're no help. Bex?"
"Oh, Kol, you know we can't be compelled," sighed Rebekah.
Finn smirked at them from his own corner with the tailor, expression dropping as Klaus stormed in.
"You went after Elena?" he sneered at Rebekah. "What is wrong with you?!"
Rebekah let go of Vivalda's braid. "Here we go."
Klaus didn't like how unbothered she looked. "Do you want another dagger in your heart?"
"Again with the dagger threats?" said Kol, glaring through the mirror. "Don't you have any other tricks?"
Klaus rolled his eyes. "Oh, go back to staring at yourself."
"And who are you, my father?"
"No, Kol, but you're in my house."
"The house that was supposed to be for all of us," whispered Vivalda, throwing her hands up.
Kol was already challenging Klaus, "Then perhaps we should go outside."
"Oh, please," said Vivalda, flopping into Rebekah's legs and letting out a fake snore. "If we wanted to watch two wrinkled old women fight, we wouldn't be here. You—" she pointed at Kol, "need to do something about that rat's nest on your head. And you—" she flipped Klaus off, "need to stop looking at Elena Gilbert and seeing Tatia. Screw that little doppelgänger bitch! An eye for an eye. She stabbed our sister in the back and was involved in a plan to try and kill you. Even I have the decency to not care about her. Elena can face the consequences of her own actions."
"You are a terrible influence," said Rebekah smugly, going back to the braid now that she saw Vivalda was applauding her efforts. Vivalda wasn't sure why Rebekah might've expected otherwise. She would always kill anyone who wronged her family.
"Your obsession with finding out who is speaking ill of us has reached new heights," Kol had commented in 1698. "Every whisper, you silence."
"For good reason," she argued. "It starts out as small slights, little comments made in the dark of night from the vampires who know we are real and even worse, know where we are. Those build up, they turn into bigger slights, worse comments. Before we know it we're being attacked by Mikael and vampires who think they are all high and mighty. I will snuff out every single person who dares think our family weak or stupid, lest they grow like a parasite, infecting others to feel the same way. We must keep our pool of enemies small. Kill them all or they will grow and we will eventually be faced with an army we cannot overcome. If we do not eradicate every little weed, the garden becomes no more, in time. I, for one, rather like the way my garden is. And I tend to it like a serpent guarding a sacred tree."
"No one is harming that girl," warned Elijah, ruining Vivalda's fantasy about stringing Elena upside down and bleeding every last drop of her into the dirt right where the last Tatia had given her blood.
Vivalda couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You are all so weak. When did I become the most formidable one? Oh, wait—" she flicked her hands toward herself. "That's right, I've always taken care of business. If you want those young arrogant vampires to stop giving you trouble, Nik, make a statement. Take what they love. Kill them all!" When no one (except maybe Kol) seemed eager to kill literally everyone in that friend group, she huffed. "You bitches are really boring."
The text she'd received remained embedded into her mind even as she sat still for a manicure and pedicure, even when Finn started speaking too loudly about the music that would be played. She had been too distracted to complain when Esther announced they were going to have to waltz with a partner. It was easy to force Finn to be hers, all she had to do was cast him puppy eyes and he'd do her bidding within reason.
"Stop that."
Her pout deepened, eyes shining as she forced tears into them. Finn scowled. "Vivalda, stop it."
"Please?" she begged, reaching her tiny hands up. "Please, please, please!"
"Oh, very well."
She squealed in delight as he picked her up, tossing her over his shoulders and carrying her with him as he held in his hands Mikael's sword, which he'd been instructed to sharpen. "You cannot touch it, Vivalda," he warned. "But you may watch."
She leaned over his head, tiny hands resting on his head as she watched him sliding the blade back and forth on the whetstone. He'd been the first to teach her how to make and maintain weapons. That day, she'd fallen asleep on top of him, exhausted but pleased as he took the sword back to Mikael.
"She was with you?" inquired Mikael when Finn offered the polished and sharpened sword.
"She insisted on watching, Father," said Finn, lowering himself and setting Vivalda down beside Kol, who was already napping. "Five years old and all she cares about is swords."
"The point," said Finn as she followed him around, casting the puppy eyes again, "according to Mother, is that we pick a partner from the population of townspeople that will be in attendance. We must interact with them."
"Who cares?" whined Vivalda. "I don't know anybody and neither do you! Would you prefer to dance with your baby sister who actually knows how and won't step on you, or with some ditzy human?"
"Mother won't be pleased."
"But I would be! Big brother, please?"
He rolled his eyes as she tucked her hands together under her chin. "Very well. But only the first dance. Then, you must find another partner."
"Good, Kol will be my second."
"That is not what I meant."
"Would you rather I be forced to dance with a stranger who will likely grope me and leave me no choice but to commit a murder, or–"
"Very well, Vivalda."
She tiptoed to kiss his cheek. "I'll see you then."
Kol didn't share the same sentiments as her, apparently more inclined to dance with a stranger and see which girl paid him the most attention. But, like Finn, as soon as Vivalda pouted, he would do what she wished.
All that was left to do was wait. Greetings, she could muster up. As long as Elijah saw her pretending to be nice and pretending to care about the idiot townspeople, he'd be in a good mood and stop keeping an eye on her. Provided she behaved better than Klaus, she wouldn't have to worry about him scolding her.
Dancing, she could tolerate. One dance with Finn, one with Kol. If, for any reason, it was prolonged, she'd go smarming up to Elijah to keep him acting pleasant.
Then, her escape.
It wouldn't take long to slip out and speed out to Charlottesville and find this apparently underground bar. All she'd have to do was look for a familiar face in the crowd, or pick a table and wait if she was the first to arrive.
There was a certain rush that came with not knowing who to expect.
Who would it be? Which of them would she meet with first? It didn't matter, but whoever it was could leave an impression. Usually Antonella was the first friend she sought out after being daggered, but this time, spicing it up felt ideal. Vivalda had earned it. She didn't have to tiptoe anymore, she didn't have to worry about Mikael catching them if she ever slipped up.
Esther would keep Klaus occupied and Mikael was as dead as every one of her victims, which she executed with the utmost precision. After this stupid ball, she'd be done. She'd commit to herself only. Screw what everyone else thought.
Lucien or Tristan, Lucien or Tristan. Which would be the first one wanting to see her? The former was close by but probably more busy, and the latter might be less occupied but was a whole sea away.
With Lucien, she could expect drinking and dancing. With Tristan, more like drinking and talking, which she still found entertaining. Now that they had an understanding, he knew how to keep the conversation flowing, whereas Lucien seemed less inclined to chat and more inclined to kiss and fuck, neither of which she let him do with her.
She wasn't sure why she cared. Why it mattered who answered her call.
When guests began to arrive, Vivalda made herself stand right beside her older brother at the door, shaking hands and introducing herself. She was relieved by Finn, who asked her to keep an eye on Kol (apparently already trying to get drunk off champagne).
"Really?" she said, leaning onto him when she saw him downing a fourth glass. "This is not the night to make me take care of you, big brother."
"Come on, Viv, let me have my fun. I don't want to be here any more than you do."
"That's precisely why I need you to be on your best behavior," she muttered. She snatched the fifth glass away, taking it for herself. "If we have to suffer here, we play the part long enough for us to leave."
"Ah..." he smirked wickedly. "You're sneaking out."
"That's the plan. And I won't have you getting tipsy and ruining it. Besides, in order to get tipsy, you'd need to finish almost the entire supply. Leave some for the guests. The better the party goes, the less likely Mother and Finn are to notice our absence."
"Does that mean I can tag along to wherever you're going?"
"No."
"You're horrible."
"You should have come up with your own plan. Ugh," she eyed Rebekah as she led in a young man, human, so fragile."What is she doing with him?"
"Settling for mortals, first sign of weakness," whispered Kol. "I hear he's captain of the football team."
"Oh, she's pathetic. She deserves better than some snot-nosed brat. Besides, why do you all insist on going for those so much younger than you?"
"Well, Viv, it's almost like there aren't any good people left who are our age. You're one to talk, you've been alone for a thousand years. I don't see you settling down even though you are friends with older vampires."
"Someone has to keep this family alive. At least look for an adult in the crowd, Kol. Not children. It's beneath you."
"Bekah apparently likes to be beneath them."
She smacked his arms, snickering. "Ah, that one, I recognize." She nodded toward a dark-haired man. "One of the Salvatore boys who was here the other night."
"Then let's go make our impression."
The man was speaking with Carol Lockwood, the town's mayor. "Hanging out with your new besties?" the man mumbled to her.
"I'm the mayor, Damon," she replied. "When the oldest, deadliest, family of vampires moves into your town, you welcome them with a smile."
"Hmm, Well at least you know who you're borrowing that cup of sugar from."
"I'm trying to protect this town. They've assured me they want peace, and I've assured them that I'd enforce it."
"A smart idea," said Vivalda, wiggling her fingers at the woman. "Vivalda Mikaelson. Pleasure."
The woman shook her hand politely, though it was taken quickly by Kol, who kissed the back of it. "We haven't formally met," he said sweetly. "Kol Mikaelson. I hope your lovely town embraces us just as much as we plan to embrace it."
Vivalda would have joked to Kol that this woman was probably old enough and attractive enough for him to try and have fun with, but was distracted by Damon reaching out his hand, uninvited, to greet them.
"Damon Salvatore," he said, the two Originals just staring at him without shaking his hand. "Have we met?"
"Wow," said Vivalda, leaning onto her brother. "They really are as stupid as I heard. One, little boy, young vampires do not make the first move on an Original. You wait for us to approach you, not the other way around. You wouldn't rush to a King and demand a greeting, would you?" Damon scoffed, perhaps thinking he saw no King in their midst, but she wasn't done. "And two, don't ask questions when you already know the answer. You kidnapped us and you were there last night when we attacked our brother. It's a miracle you're still alive. If you'd run into me and pulled your idiotic little stunts, you'd be buried in a ditch and your house would be burned to the ground."
"What she's trying to say in complex terms," snickered Kol, "is that we've met a lot of people and you don't particularly stand out."
Carol Lockwood seemed unsure whether to laugh or retort or just stand there and watch it all unfold. Damon was clearly offended but trying to play it off. "Well, I guess I just figured out who the most pissy of the Mikaelsons is," he said flatly. "You seem to be bothered by everyone who even breathes in your presence."
"Slayer Of All Who Breathe," murmured Kol, counting on his fingers. "That makes another nickname, Viv."
She shrugged. "Sure. A word of warning, Damon Salvatore, you do not want to get on my bad side. You may hate my brother but I guarantee you, if you piss me off, you'll hate me more than a thousand Klaus's rolled into one. Unfortunately it'll be short lived because you and everything you loved will be reduced to ash within a day. Enjoy the ball."
Kol couldn't stop giggling as she went to get another drink. "Ah, Valda, I missed you," he said, leaning back on the bar. "Putting younger vampires in their place for a thousand years."
"And keeping our family strong," she said. "Do you have any idea how humiliating it would be if I went back to train The Strix and they heard that Nik, Elijah, and Rebekah let them all live after everything they did to them? It's pathetic. We're pathetic."
"Uh, if everyone could gather, please."
They made for the staircase as Elijah began to address the guests. Kol climbed near the top where Esther was waiting, but Vivalda lingered by the bottom with Finn, who'd been speaking with Elena Gilbert. Vivalda turned back to her sister, who let out a little snort at the sight of her. The two were in agreement: that girl was wearing the ugliest possible dress she could have picked for such an event.
"Welcome," said Elijah cordially, unaware that his siblings were making faces and criticizing the guests. "Thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance. Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom."
Finn extended his hand to Vivalda, who curtsied playfully and took it, arranging herself in a line with the other guests who intended to dance, while those without partners or any inclination to put on a performance stood by the perimeter of the room, backs pressed to the wall to watch them.
"Why isn't Mother dancing or even watching us?" muttered Vivalda as she and Finn took careful steps behind the rest of the procession. "This was her idea."
"She may yet be making her way through the crowd," said Finn, turning her to face him. "I heard you upset the Mayor."
"I upset the Mayor? I didn't say anything to her! I spoke with Damon Salvatore, who is insufferable."
"Yes, I've heard in the span of twelve hours a great many things to be hated about him, and yet, I could have sworn we asked you to be on your best behavior."
"Hey," she warned. "If I wanted a dad, Mikael would still be alive. Let it be, Finn. Please? Just let me make it through this night and then no one has to bother us again. I'll have Sage come by and take you somewhere nice, and then Kol and I can do whatever we'd like. I'm too old for you to be scolding me. I take orders from no one."
"Vivalda," he said, still in a serious tone. "One night. That's all I ask. One night of you on your best behavior. Please, sister, for me."
"I'll try."
He nodded, spinning her into Kol's arms. He didn't seem to be too happy, either. "Let me guess," said Vivalda, "the brunette you were dancing with didn't excite you."
"The witch isn't here," he said, looking around. "Nik said there was a Bennett witch. But she is not in attendance."
"Well, you should have invited her personally. Nik invited that blonde he was with. He even gave her a dress to wear. You should've done that."
"Oh, don't make me feel worse."
"Ugh, the only thing that makes me feel worse is that–" she gestured to where Rebekah was now dancing with Damon, but glaring the entire time at her date, Matt, who was now with Klaus's girl, Caroline. "Entertaining that prat and pining for a human? This is why our reputation is in shambles. Screw it, I'm leaving right after this."
"Let me come with you," he insisted. "I won't be in the way. What are you even doing? Is Antonella going to be there? I'd love to see her."
She smacked his arm repeatedly. "Stop– trying– to– use– me– to– get– in– her– pants! If you want to date her, you need to seek her out yourself, this is why she doesn't like you, because she thinks you just want to fuck her and you never make enough of an effort to talk to her alone. If she really means anything to you, you'll show her that. Go find something else to do."
"So you're not going to see her?"
"No, I'm not."
"Then who–? Oh. Please do not tell me you've finally found yourself unable to resist Lucien, I'll kill you, you're stronger than this!"
"No, no, I got over him awhile ago and I am not giving in. I texted both of them. And one replied but I don't know who. So I'm going to see who it is."
"Well, there is an obvious answer. It's Lucien! You said Tristan is in Germany, he wouldn't come over here for drinks. But Lucien still thinks he can have fun with you because the idiot regrets having let you go the first time. Maybe he's finally realized that Aurora is never going to pay him attention."
"Then in that case I can expect a much better time partying with Lucien than here wanting to gouge my own eyes out because all the guests are boring and simply beneath us."
"Ugh. I despise you, Viv."
"No you don't, you love me. Go entertain yourself, even if the Bennett witch isn't here I bet there is someone dumb enough to give you their attention."
"Hey! I don't want someone dumb, I want someone intelligent. Every witch I've ever liked has been brilliant."
"Yeah, well, adapt to your audience, because I don't see anyone with more than half a brain in the vicinity. Hey, here's an idea, you should kill someone."
"Oh, of course, then I look like the one who misbehaved and you get off scot-free." He smirked. "It isn't a bad idea. It'd be spitting right in the face of Mother's rules. Say, what if I killed that twig that Bekah brought with her?"
"I was just thinking the same thing," said Rebekah from behind them, grabbing them both and leading them away. "I brought him here to kill him. Nik says I can't kill Elena but Matt is Elena's friend. If he dies, she suffers. But I've already been scolded once so I was hoping you'd help your baby sister out, Kol."
"Yes, you two do that," said Vivalda, noticing that Finn was no longer on the dance floor. Esther still hadn't shown up. "I'm going to see why our big brother vanished after insisting we all attend this pathetic excuse for a party."
Apparently, Elijah was already on the job. Vivalda found Klaus in his art room with the blonde girl, and found Elijah already questioning Finn. Nobody was paying attention to her, which proved the perfect opportunity to slip out.
"And just where are you going?"
She groaned, covering her face as Finn grabbed her by the ponytail and dragged her back in. "Finn, come on! This is absurd! I'm meeting a friend. You remember Antonella, she was a sweetheart, and she's a great influence!"
He rolled his eyes. "No one you sired is a good influence on anyone in the world."
"That's a fat lie! My sirelings contribute more to society than even The Strix. I have vampires in high positions at universities, research facilities, and government offices ensuring that your morals are upheld. I haven't forgotten the importance of maintaining a population for us to feed on and turn at our leisure. The little humans have to thrive for us to keep having worshippers, so I've taken care of that."
"Stay for the toast. Then, you can meet your friend."
"Fine, whatever. Make it happen right now, I don't want to stay longer than I need to."
Esther came out at that moment, standing at the staircase with a glass of red-tinged champagne. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass."
Finn offered her a glass, taking one for himself. He tilted his head, checking that Elijah had one and that Klaus, Rebekah, and Kol had emerged from wherever they'd been hiding and scheming to take some, too.
Esther continued, "It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!"
Vivalda didn't say anything, she just drank and put the glass back in Finn's hand. "So fun, goodbye." She kissed his cheek and sped off before he could try to keep her a moment longer.
She made sure to message the unknown number with a quick 'On my way!' before heading the rest of the way to Charlottesville. Her heart hammered in her chest as she stepped down into The Underground Bar, seeing no one she recognized and realizing she was, in fact, the first one there.
She acquired a curved booth in the corner, ordering a bottle of Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon to start off, serving herself a glass full and waiting, back turned to the door, wishing to be surprised.
"Good evening, milady."
Her heart leapt into her throat when she realized it was Tristan who'd come to see her.