A LONG CONVERSATION WITH MARCEL GERARD had proved fruitful after all.
Ariadne had discovered that the king of the city harboured the fourth harvest girl - Davina Claire. She had also come to learn Marcel had no intention of allowing the young witch to die just like the others.
This elicited some anger in Ariadne who knew that without Davina's death, the other witches would not be able to rise and the harvest would not be complete.
The witch had warned Marcel of the consequences of Davina not being sacrificed, and he had come to understand Davina would die either way, but was adamant about delaying the inevitable for as long as he could.
It was almost admirable how far he was willing to go to protect the young teenager, however Ariadne knew herself to be above the parental instincts that Marcel clearly possessed.
Ariadne had assured Marcel that should he help her resolve her growing problem with the Mikaelson extended family, she would do what she could to ensure Davina be resurrected after the harvest.
There was no doubt in the witch's mind that Davina's ancestors would be furious for such a delayed sacrifice, and they would certainly seek their own retribution against her as a result.
By what means, Ariadne had yet to determine.
And so Marcel had sent a letter to the Mikaelsons addressing Miss Talia Young, the apparent mate to the impulsive, reckless Kol Mikaelson.
Talia Young,
Rousseau's at 4 O'clock
Bring only Rebekah
M.
"Was it truly necessary for you to include the "bring only Rebekah" part? I do not need an overly emotional thousand year old vampiress spoiling this."
"Rebekah is perhaps the best of the lot. And you can't really demand she come alone," Marcel argued.
Ariadne shook her head, "You could have at least chosen Elijah instead, at least he is known to be honourable by his word and is far less likely to tear my head from my body where I stand."
Marcel chuckled, "I am not so sure. Elijah is known to be fiercely loyal, he would happily tear you limb from limb for threatening his family."
"Well, at least you did not invite the Young girl's mate. I have no interest in being within the same building as Kol Mikaelson."
"You would love Rebekah," Marcel took a sip of his drink.
Ariadne took not of his words, "You speak from experience. Did you love her?"
"A long time ago yes."
"Pity. I've heard Klaus Mikaelson revels in killing his sister's lovers. Why is it you remain undead?" The witch asked, greatly intrigued.
"That is a story we do not have the time for Miss Athanasios."
"I shall get it out of you eventually."
Marcel gulped, "I do not doubt it Ariadne."
•••
"Miss Talia Young, I would say it is a pleasure but given the circumstances of our meeting it most certainly is not."
Talia gulped, "Well...erm...alright."
"You can relax Miss Young, I have no intention of killing you as your mind seems to be so convinced is the case."
"You can hear my-"
Ariadne sighed, "I have a keen gift for hearing thoughts Miss Young, however, one does not need my gift when it comes to you, you are practically screaming your thoughts at me. You should learn to close your mind, for both our sakes."
The protector nodded, sitting down.
Rebekah however remained standing, "Who are you?"
"Your worst nightmare wrapped into a Greek witch, sweetheart. And you are the overly emotional original vampire Rebekah Mikaelson."
"I am not overly emotional," the blonde vampire glanced to Marcel, "did he say I was overly emotional?"
Marcel shook his head, choosing to come to his own defence, "I said no such thing. I happened to have been flattering you earlier when this once chose to insult you."
Ariadne cursed herself and Marcel for allowing him to speak those words so freely, and cursed herself tenfold for choosing to share her opinions of the originals with a vampire she most certainly did not trust.
And that thin thread of trusts that did exist had begun splintering awfully fast, if Marcel continued on his chosen path of defamation, that thread would soon snap.
And none wanted to be within Ariadne's path when that happened. Especially Marcel Gerard.
"You insult me and yet I do not know your name," Rebekah muttered.
Ariadne smirked, "I wouldn't take it to heart, girl, I have Ill feelings for all of your family. Except Elijah."
"Ah so you're one of those girls," Rebekah mused, "You find yourself infatuated by my big brother and his claim to morality."
Ariadne laughed, filling Rebekah with the utmost confusion.
Why was she laughing? Why was she laughing at her? No one laughed at Rebekah Mikaelson. It was unseemly.
"Oh you truly are hilarious. You think I like your brother?" Ariadne let out another laugh, "Darling that older brother of yours is far from my type."
Rebekah swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.
"I find myself with preferences for other people." Ariadne confessed.
"My apologies," Rebekah croaked, feeling the awkwardness build.
"Your apology is unnecessary, who are you to know I prefer a woman to a man? It is quite alright really."
They all sat down, "Now, as to why I asked you here," Ariadne turned to address Talia, "To put it simply, you have caused quite a problem."
"A problem?"
"Magical surges and natural disasters, failing rituals and unintentional deaths. You have caused an imbalance of power and in nature, Miss Young." The witch confessed.
Talia looked down, "I had no idea..."
Rebekah rolled her eyes, "How is it that you know to blame Talia for this? Is there not someone else in the world that could be the cause of this imbalance."
Ariadne only addresses Talia, choosing to ignore the original that sat across from her, "You bear a tattoo with rings do you not? Or a mark of relation to your protectors?"
The protector nodded.
"That very mark had appeared all over the world, where spells have gone wrong and disasters have struck, that make has appeared. All because of you."
Rebekah scoffed, "Talia didn't do this."
"Intentionally? Of course not. She is a child playing a grownup's game. She knows nothing of our world." Ariadne informed, taking subtle digs at the protector.
"I know more than you think," Talia countered.
"Do you know what you have done?" Ariadne leaned forward, clasping her hands.
"I haven't don't anything," Talia protested.
"Wrong. You and your sister and that friend of yours...you have messed with the balance."
Talia raised a brow, "That's not possible- I was- we were brought here for a reason!"
"Were you? Because all that has happened since your arrival in our world is disaster. And heaven knows what will happen if you interfere with the harvest."
Talia was almost disgusted to hear Ariadne inadvertently admit to condoning the harvest. The woman before her was allowing the murder of teenage witches.
"How can you be alright with the harvest?"
"Unlike you, Miss Young, I have ample experience with witchcraft, and where I am from, we have harvest-adjacent rituals and sacrifices more often than not."
"Why?" The protector exclaimed, "It's murder."
Ariadne rolled her eyes, "Temporary murder." She leaned back in her seat, "Do you think me so cruel as to enjoy the murder of teenage witches?"
"You don't seem to be stopping it." Talia observed.
"That is because I understand the natural order of things. If you interfere with the harvest, you will be depriving every witch and warlock in this city of the magic that sustains them."
Talia nodded, "I'm aware of that. But I know-"
"You know what?" Ariadne questioned, "What is it you know that makes you a greater expert in my craft than myself, someone who has practiced witchcraft since I was an infant?"
"You would not believe me."
"And I have no doubt you would not believe me if I told you that the Greek Gods were real and that Tartarus is a very real place."
"Science would disagree." Talia argued.
The witch shook her head, dismissing the argument, "My point exactly."
Rebekah rolled her eyes, "I refuse to sit here any longer and listen to a woman who's name we do not know tell us that Talia and the girls have essentially destroyed the world."
Ariadne smirked, "Fair enough."
The witch glanced briefly at Marcel before continuing, "If it pleases you, Rebekah, my name is Ariadne Athanasios. I am better known is some places as Ria Anthana."
It was then that Rebekah's jaw dropped, "You-"
"I what?"
Talia sighed, "You're the witch protector."
"I'm the fucking what?"