They each took a weekend away.
Klaus and Hayley had the house to themselves, which Vivalda was sure would lead to something positive. Somehow, someway, being cooped up alone together would have to encourage them to talk to each other, and when they did, they'd undoubtedly learn something new and with a bit of luck, find respect in their shared endeavor of co-parenting.
She and Rebekah had forced Elijah to take a spa package in Cancún, keeping him out of their way so they could do as they pleased and he could take the edge off. While the elder Mikaelson sister had gone back to Chicago, Vivalda had made her way up to New York, where Lucien was waiting.
"I have missed you so much," panted Lucien between desperate kisses, keeping her pressed to his bed. "And now you're all mine, for three entire days."
"Don't get too excited," she giggled, arching her back as he slid himself down between her legs. "I told you that I let Tristan know I'd be here! He's going to arrive tomorrow."
He grumbled, eliciting another giggle from her. "Don't be mad," she whined when he started nibbling on her thigh, a bit harder than he normally did. "It's only fair! You know I communicate with the both of you equally."
"I can still complain and be selfish, it riles you up," he said before biting in. She reached for his hair, giving it a firm tug as he started to feed through her femoral artery.
She tried to cover her mouth, keeping her noises contained. Lucien let go of her, sitting up and taking her wrists in his hand, forcing them away before he sank back down, biting in once more.
"You devil," she groaned, wrapping her legs around his head. Her mind began to grow fuzzy, and she felt ready to pass out just before he stopped feeding, climbing back onto her and bringing her head to his neck so she could bite in. While she fed, he connected their bodies, snaking a hand into her hair to detach her so he could press their lips together.
She wasn't sure at what moment she sensed someone watching them, but she knew she didn't nurse the curiosity to look right away. It wasn't until Lucien had tried turning her onto her hands and knees that she let out a squeal of surprise, seeing Tristan in the doorway, eyes wide.
"We're having a moment here," said Lucien, annoyed, covering Vivalda with the sheet.
"We weren't expecting you so soon," said Vivalda, sitting up. "Oh, darling–" she noticed how red his face was.
"You were watching us and now you're getting shy?" said Lucien in disbelief. "This is ridiculous–" he pulled the blanket off of Vivalda, laying her back down. "I refuse to be interrupted."
"No!" she squeaked, knowing that while Tristan and Lucien seemed to enjoy watching each other kissing her, she wasn't sure that would also apply with something more intimate. "We can– we can continue it later."
"I-I wouldn't want to be a bother," said Tristan hastily. He made no move to leave, however, as if he knew what the other two were thinking deep down. If this had happened the other way around, if Lucien had walked in on Vivalda and Tristan, he'd be more likely to stay and taunt them. Walking away gave Lucien more power.
Lucien seemed to know this, too. He smirked, beginning to move his hips again, staring directly at Tristan. "Go on, then," he said, goading him. "If you're going to watch, do it properly."
"Lucien, let him be," whined Vivalda.
"No, no, love, he was there for quite awhile before we realized. He was enjoying it. In fact, I think he wishes he was the one on top of you. But he's too meek to make it happen, isn't he?"
"What– are– you– doing?" she hissed, knowing Tristan was still struggling with being more assertive in bed. He had wanted to try being dirtier and more spontaneous, but they had a long way to go before he was ready for that.
Or so she thought.
"There it is," taunted Lucien, tilting his head to look at Tristan while he whispered in Vivalda's ear. "Look at him," he cupped her chin to make her stare, too. "He wants you. He wants to be me at this moment. He wants to taste you, to fuck you, just as I am doing. Think, he has my strength, my stamina, he could give you this and more if he is brave enough... if he takes what's his. Go on, mate, she's ours, isn't she? Seize your turn. You know you want to. You know you want her.Otherwise, you wouldn't still be watching. You wouldn't be seeing how I please her. Because you've always wondered about that, haven't you? You were incredibly violent with others, you had a fire in you that I had to suffer. But you can't transfer that to your lovers, can you? You can be strong in a suit, with guards and lieutenants at your command. Unclothed, however? You're just as vulnerable as anyone else, Tristan. Are you going to keep staring, not taking a chance, or will you–"
Vivalda let out a shriek as Tristan lunged at Lucien, tossing him off the bed then shoving the blanket over him. Lucien's lips curled up in amusement, running his tongue across them while Tristan removed his suit, tugging Vivalda to the edge of the bed. She realized he may have been watching much earlier than anyone even realized when he held her arms away from her mouth, and didn't even kiss her, ensuring there was no way she could muffle her noises, which both he and Lucien thoroughly enjoyed.
"That was so wrong," said Vivalda shyly when Tristan had rolled next to her, bringing a pillow over his lap as Lucien wiggled into the other side of the bed. "What... got into you two? You still challenge each other and act rudely when you want... which is always... but that?" She bit her lip. "That was exciting."
"Now we both know how to keep you satisfied in multiple ways," said Lucien, kissing her cheek. "Tristan can now give you a good fuck on top of that lovemaking. And I, well, I've always been versatile."
"Let's not ruin this," muttered Tristan, wiping sweat off his brow. He took Vivalda's hand, kissing the back of it. "Did you really enjoy it, love?"
"I did, as long as you were comfortable."
"I was. It gave me quite a rush."
"Admit it," said Lucien, tucking his arms behind his head. "You liked the sight of me fucking her."
Tristan rolled his eyes. "Get over yourself, Lucien. I'd think you could agree that the appeal of watching comes from Vivalda, the most exquisite creature on the planet."
Lucien winked. "Sure. You're not half bad, you know."
Vivalda noticed how flustered Tristan got, and immediately sat up, blocking their sight of each other. "How about we all go get dinner?" she asked. "I'm famished."
She'd never felt such tension. They were in a booth, the two boys scarfing down their food to avoid looking at each other. She ended the dinner before dessert, promising Lucien she'd see him the next day. That night, she wanted to devote to Tristan and to checking in to see if he was okay.
"What's on your mind?" she whispered, laying beside him in his hotel bed and caressing his hair. "About earlier... I shouldn't have let him push you like that."
"That's just it, my dear," he whispered. "I liked it. I liked it too much."
"Too much?"
"Lucien is right. I was a violent man and he suffered because of it. I did believe myself better than others. Now, perhaps, I have reason to think it. I run the most formidable organization in the world. But then? It wasn't until I got to know you, Vivalda, that I realized what... what a horrible man I was. Even Finn once mentioned humility to me, and I didn't think much of it until I learned the truth about your family. I never understood what kind of man I was. I only knew I wanted to be superior on the outside because I was a small man on the inside. Intimacy has always been difficult for me, particularly after the compulsion was washed away. I struggled determining who I was meant to be... and you helped me a lot in that time, just listening. In it, I discovered something. As you know, I am attracted to both men and women. I've nurtured my desires over time, but never succumbed to lust in such a sinful way... I was private about my relationships, I made sweet love."
He rubbed his face nervously, lowering his voice. "I never ever fucked someone the way I did with you. The way Lucien made me do. He was right, I was watching you both, I was enjoying it. I liked barging in, I liked... the competition."
"I... I guess we could incorporate what we do with kissing in the bedroom. Take turns with you both present, if you'd like... I doubt Lucien would oppose it."
Tristan hesitated. "Do you think he meant it? What he said about me not being half bad?"
She realized what it was about. "I could ask him," she whispered. "I could see if he meant it a certain way."
"And if he didn't, I'd only humiliate myself. This arrangement started because we both fancied you. If he knew I was starting to desire him as well... it embarrasses me, Vivalda. A thousand years ago, the idea of him disgusted me."
She propped her head up on her knuckles. "Why does it embarrass you? Because you used to be a Count's son and he a servant boy? Because... you think you have to cling to those values instead of accepting that your perception has evolved, that he stopped being a pauper a long time ago? You two are equals now, we all are. We've been through too much to step on each other, to think we are better than one another. It is not shameful to desire someone just because you were born in different worlds. People change, people all have something that makes them special. Don't define yourself or Lucien by who you were a thousand years ago."
He considered it. "How do you think he'd react?"
"Lucien definitely has desires for men and women alike, too. I don't think he'd be against it. We could start off slow, you both with me and taking turns, then we could try to do something that involves... you both."
He covered his face. "I do not know if I can do this."
"It's okay, we don't have to do it yet. It could wait awhile. I will keep this secret if you wish."
"Yes, please. Thank you, my dear." He kissed her. "For listening."
"I will always listen."
She was solemn on the plane ride back to New Orleans, already missing Lucien and Tristan, and wondering what would happen once Tristan was ready to admit how he felt to Lucien. They were already completely tangled together, their relationship was complicated enough as it was. Would it be better if they had feelings for one another too? Or would it be worse?
She feared finding out the answer. Because the only way to get it was to give it a shot and it hadn't been easy getting past the probationary period to begin with. One wrong move on either end, a singular snarky comment, and it could end in murder. She could lose one or both. And she didn't think she could bear it.
Hayley was waiting for her at the mansion, reporting that Elijah had come back just before her and was currently talking with Camille O'Connell, a bartender at Rousseau's studying psychology, who Klaus had been compelling for information about Marcel. It seemed that Elijah was going to free her of Klaus's control, and the hybrid must have been unhappy about that, considering that he, too, was out of the house and not responding to texts.
"Sounds like we need a girl's day if Klaus isn't here," said Vivalda brightly. "How have you two been, anyway?"
Hayley smiled. "It's been good. We um, we tried this exercise where we write letters to the baby, and I think it went really well. I got to learn more about him," she gestured to her, "the childhood you all had. I didn't know your mother lost two kids."
Vivalda winced. "Yes, she did. And then we became vampires. I resent her a lot but I do think she loved us most when she did that... she just didn't want to lose anyone else."
They sat calmly beside one another, listening to music while they were given manicures, pedicures, and had their faces massaged. Vivalda told her a bit more about her romantic situation, and Hayley started voicing aloud her plans for the next several months of pregnancy.
"I love getting my nails done," said Vivalda, examining the end result while Hayley asked for one more massage over her lower back. "It's so hard to care for them when I'm worrying about my weapons, armor, and my little trainees. They get damaged all the time. Getting them done is the only way they can stay looking pretty."
Hayley eyed the boots waiting next to Vivalda's chair. "Hey... would you be willing to go on a field trip with me?"
"Where, pray tell, is this field trip? And don't say–"
"–the Bayou."
"Of course," sighed Vivalda. "Why, though?"
"That wolf that was protecting me, I swear he was nearby when Tyler kidnapped me. I couldn't go anywhere with Klaus watching me like a hawk, but... I want to go investigate that cabin."
"Ugh. Fine. Let's go."
She drove them as far in as they could, parking at the clearing where Tyler's truck had been abandoned. Hayley led the way back to the cabin, frowning when she saw something on the porch that hadn't been there before.
She knelt down, picking up a dusty Bible. She began to flip through it, furrowing her brows. "This thing has a family history that goes back generations," said Hayley. "Oh my..." she looked at the last page, pointing at a line that read 'Andrea Labonair, 6 June 1991.' "That's the day that I was born."
"Knew it, you're from a royal bloodline," said Vivalda. "The Labonairs were one of the two big families in the Crescents. The Alpha in the 1900s was a Labonair named Lana." She whipped out her sword as a woman abruptly drew nearer. "That's far enough."
"Wait," said Hayley, putting her hand on Vivalda's shoulder. "She's like me. Wait here." She held out her arms in surrender, approaching the blonde who watched them closely.
"I'm sure you got questions," said the woman once Hayley was standing across from her.
"Only a thousands of them. Like who are you? Why are you following me? I swear I saw you, too, when I was kidnapped. Where the hell is everyone? And, if the people in this book really are my family, what happened to them?"
The woman smiled. "I'm Eve. I'm following you because you brought an Original to Werewolf Country, which is pretty much the same reason why everybody else skedaddled. If you wanna know what happened to the people in that family tree, I'll sum it up nice and quick: Marcel happened."
Vivalda frowned, but Hayley asked the question she wanted an answer to. "What did he do?"
"He killed most of them. Later, the descendants of the ones who dodged death, he strong-armed a witch into putting a curse on them."
"What kind of curse?"
"Swap nature around, inside out. Made it so their natural state is wolves. They only turn back human on the full moon. We're hunted by the marks we carry. That crescent moon birthmark– that's why I got rid of mine." She showed her shoulder, where a large scar resided over where her birthmark used to be. "I didn't wanna get found up." She sighed. "You should get home. We'll see each other again... don't worry. But next time, don't bring her."
Vivalda held out her arms. "What's wrong with me? I wouldn't hurt a fly!"
Eve gave her a significant look. "My people don't have the best history with yours, as I'm sure you know."
"Yeah, my dad's fault, but I'm not my dad. I don't hurt werewolves. I don't hurt anyone until they hurt me or someone I care about." She huffed when Hayley walked back to her, dragging her away from Eve.
"I usually make great impressions on people's families," muttered Vivalda. "I have so much charm."
Hayley laughed good-naturedly. "Don't take it personally. I'm so excited... I feel like I'm riding on a high. I thought I didn't have any family left, but I do."
That high died down pretty quickly. They returned to the mansion and found Klaus waiting in the living room, hunched over a table that had two daggers on it, a jar of white oak ash between them.
"Woah," said Vivalda, seeing the anger burning in his eyes. "What the hell happened?"
"Our sister happened," muttered Klaus. "She was not in Chicago. She was here, conspiring with Marcel. They ambushed me. Marcel has handed over the reins to his city, but many of his vampire comrades died before he submitted. She thought to dagger me... as if she could manage it."
"And Elijah?" asked Vivalda.
"Stopped her. Too late. He coddles her when she betrayed me. I've looked the other way while she repeats the same idiotic cycle with Marcel. Falling again for a man she shouldn't be with while he controls the empire that we built, that he took! Rebekah was convinced, as Elijah was momentarily, that I would hurt that child. She told Marcel the truth about her, about her ability to turn hybrids. She assumed the worst of me. In the one moment when she could have chosen to stand by me, to believe in me, to believe my intentions for my own child were pure, she chose to stand against me, to side with my enemies. And Elijah went to comfort her."
"He probably didn't want you to hurt her," said Vivalda gently. "You're upset, and we really need to stop with the daggers." She inched forward slowly. "You said Marcel gave up the reins. Does that mean the Compound is ours again?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go back there. Come on... let them rot here if they want. Elijah has already realized that he was wrong to judge you too soon. Rebekah messed up, but our sister is only ever brilliant when she is not head over heels for a man. I'll talk to her."
Rebekah was not in a good mood when Vivalda found her after moving her things back into her old room in the Compound. She'd hardly lived in it before, but she had enjoyed her time in it because of the door attached to Kol's room, so she could barge in and bother him at her leisure. It also had one of the best views, in her opinion.
"How dumb can you be?" said Vivalda, leaning in the doorway as Rebekah sulked in the now-empty mansion. "You thought you could dagger him with that?"
"Sod off," she muttered.
"Rebekah, you are better than this, I know it. You're too smart to come up with such stupid plans. And for Marcel, of all people? That's a new low."
She crossed her arms. "I thought we'd manage it. I just wanted to be free of him."
"You could have actually gone to Chicago and then been rid of him. Let me guess, Marcel lured you back in by apologizing for his behavior, for reminding you how hard it was for the two of you to be happy because Nik is a controlling dickwad, which you knew. And you knew why, because he adopted that little boy and then you went and let him have a crush on you that turned into... some twisted romance you should not have pursued. He had every opportunity to find you after 1919 and he didn't, and you didn't come back to New Orleans, either. Which I guess means in a way both of you are at fault but I'd say mostly him. You thought he was dead and were traumatized but he could have fixed that. He isn't worth it, Rebekah."
"Remember when you weren't involved in my relationships?" muttered Rebekah. "I'd like to go back to that."
"I stopped being involved because you never listened to my advice even if I was right. You have to think about what you're doing here. You're not going to be free if you keep trying to make Nik mad. If you keep getting involved where you don't need to. You had an out and you didn't take it, Rebekah. Now Marcel is going to be bitter, the situation is even less resolved because even if we have control, now he's going to hate him and he may be a dick to you... ugh, he's a child, why do you entertain him? You could do so much better."
Rebekah put her head in her hands. "Then, what, you think I should just leave?"
"If your aim is to be free, yes. But if you want to resolve things first, you ought to talk to Nik. He won't hate you forever. He physically can't, you're his favorite. Your first step is admitting you had a bad plan, you let yourself be wooed too easily, and then... you can be liberated, Rebekah. Just... be smart about this. Be smarter than you are when you're with Marcel. You, my sister, are strong and fierce. He's a fly and you're a queen. You need to start recognizing that. Nik has made you think that you're not enough, that you can only be loved by your family, but that's not true. There is so much of this world you haven't seen because you're always with him or being carted around in a box. Why the hell do you settle for that? Why do you let him push you around? Look at how happy Kol and Finn are, as far from this family as physically possible? I'd be doing the same, but I admit, I am getting attached to Hayley and I want to see this through because I don't trust anyone in this city to keep her safe. We have found happiness away from Nik and his controlling behavior. You could, too. You could go anywhere and realize how much worth you have if you just... break away. Stop caring what he thinks about you. Look, if Marcel is really what you want... whatever, you know. But you shouldn't limit yourself to someone who doesn't appreciate you enough. Spread your wings, Bekah. Go explore love away from Nik's influence. I want you to be happy, sister. I really do."
Her sister was quiet for a moment. "I hate you sometimes, Val. You... you're adored by everyone. You broke free of Nik, you're being courted by two men, the entire vampire world would die and kill for you. You have succeeded in all the ways that I haven't and it is difficult to see myself beside you. I suppose I let my jealousy prevent me from heeding your advice. I think I will do it. Not tomorrow... I do still wish to talk to Nik. But... soon."
Vivalda half-smiled. "Are you kidding? I've spent my existence being jealous of you. I had to be better than all of you because you were all so amazing with your magic and hunting... if I wasn't as good, I was a failure, plain and simple. I've looked up to you, Bex. I still do."