Mystic Falls, Virginia, 22 October 2010
"I knew that dress would be perfect for you," Niklaus said, stepping into Anastasia's room dressed in a tuxedo, with his blonde hair slicked back and styled to perfection for the ball.
Anastasia, who had been looking at herself through the mirror, sent Nik a glare through the reflection. The dress Nik had given her was of dark blue velvet with a strapless sweetheart neckline. It had a sheath silhouette, hugging her waist and hips before gently flaring out for which Anastasia was grateful, having feared that she'd be forced into a puffy ball gown.
What annoyed her a bit, however, was the train made out of blue lace and beautifully decorated with small diamonds that sparkled in the light that attached to the back of her dress and fell down to the floor. It trailed behind her when she walked.
"I had hoped you'd have more fantasy than this," Anastasia told him, turning around to face him with a glare. "I look like Anastasia."
"You are Anastasia," Nik reminded her with a cheeky smile. "And you look stunning. I will have to spend the entire evening chasing men away from you."
"Then how will you have time for your own little date," Anastasia teased. "Caroline, was it?" Then she gave him a fake, sad pout, "I can't believe you are leaving me without a date to this ball."
"Do not worry, Malenkaya printsessa, you will always be my most special girl," Klaus smiled, "and if I didn't know how much you loathe dancing, I'd promise you my first dance of the evening."
"That's so thoughtful of you," Anastasia said, rolling her eyes at him. She then turned back to look into the mirror. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled into a high bun that was held together by a silver band decorated with diamonds that also matched the necklace she was wearing. It had been years since she looked anything near a grand duchess.
"There is nothing to worry about," Nik tried to assure her nerves.
"I hope you realise that I haven't been around that many humans in any form of social gathering for almost a century," Anastasia whined. "I don't know how to talk to people born after the twentieth century."
"You will do fine," Nik told her, then a teasing smirk appeared on his face again. "Just remember: no nagging, bragging, sweating, fretting, slipping, tripping, slurping, burping, twittering or frittering allowed. Stay present, stay pleasant," he lifted up her chin, "stay proud."
At that, she actually cracked a small smile on her own. "I will try."
.•° ♛ °•.
The ballroom filled with guests and more cars parked outside the Mikaelson mansion for every passing minute. Everyone inside was dressed to the nines for the ball and while it paled in comparison to the grand masquerades and balls that her parents would host back in the day, it was still a very fancy event.
Anastasia found herself in the awkward position between being a guest and a host; since she wasn't a Mikaelson nor a townsmember she simply stayed in the shadows and watched others interact. In the beginning, Niklaus stayed glued to her side but she soon realised it wasn't fair of her to hog him all night simply because she didn't know anyone else.
"Don't you look beautiful, princess," Kol smirked, walking towards her dressed in the same tuxedo as earlier that day. When she simply rolled her eyes in response, he said, "When somebody gives you a compliment, it is courteous to return the favour."
"It's the 21th century, mate. Women are no longer socially required to return compliments from creepy men," Anastasia told him, adjusting her gloves a little. "But I shall excuse you this time since you have been asleep for the past century."
The smirk on his face only widened and Anastasia hated how unbelievably handsome he looked. There was something about the sheer arrogance he radiated that made her want to punch him but at the same time intrigued her. And judging by how several of the younger women in the ballroom were incapable of keeping their eyes off him, she knew it wasn't just her.
Kol Mikaelson was simply objectively handsome...
An A-class arsehole with aggression issues and an overbearing arrogance – but finding him attractive was unavoidable for anyone with eyes.
"What can I say, I have a lot to catch up on," Kol shrugged unapologetically but she could detect a hint of bitterness in his tone. However, it was swiftly covered up with a charming smile that she almost could have believed to be genuine had she not known about the monster that hid behind the surface. "Although, I must admit, I am not complaining about the evolution of women's dresses."
"You may be immortal, Sleeping Beauty, but I could set you on fire. Do well to remember that," Anastasia said, mostly joking but at the same time not because it would give her an immense satisfaction to see his expensive suit go up in flames.
"Not before I snapped your fragile little human neck," Kol retorted, keeping an easy smile on his face. For anyone that watched from a distance, it might have appeared like the two were having a pleasant conversation. Expressions didn't match up their words.
"And then Nik would put a dagger in your heart and you'd have to spend another century lying in that box," Anastasia smiled sweetly. Provoking somebody with the reputation to be reckless probably wasn't the smartest thing to do – but it was good fun.
Dark brown eyes bore into her blue ones. Kol took a step closer, using his height advantage to intimidate her, much like he had tried to do with Nik earlier, and then he tilted his head to the side, a vicious smirk on his face when he said, "It might be worth it." Getting even closer to her face, he added, "And then, I will kill that little beast you have running around the house."
Narrowing her eyes, Anastasia lowered her tone into a dark whisper, "Threaten me all you want, but if you come anywhere near my precious little baby, your pitiful immortal life will be reduced to an unending sequence of agonising torture."
Kol laughed mockingly, "You have spent too much time with my brother. But threats usually come off as more – threatening when they don't come from the human equivalence of her ugly little dog."
"First of all, Kol is the most adorable little dog you will ever meet. Second, unlike you, I don't feel the need for every single person I meet to fear from the start," Anastasia went back to smiling happily, like she didn't have any issues in the world. "It's much more fun to have your enemies underestimate you. It makes them reckless, which means that when it really matters, they won't know what hit them."
Not giving Kol any room to respond, she added, "And while I find it excruciatingly boring to mingle with strangers, I think I might prefer it over spending another second in your presence." Anastasia shouldered past Kol, which definitely hurt her own shoulder more than his, and walked away from him.
In seconds, Kol caught up with her, "Tsk, tsk, that wasn't a very nice thing to say, princess."
"My kindness has limits," Anastasia shrugged. That's when she noticed how Kol's attention seemed to have shifted to the man and woman chatting a few metres away from them, in the same direction she was heading.
"Mayor Lockwood," Kol said, announcing their presence. With a charming grin on his handsome face, took the mayor's hand, "We haven't formally met. Kol Mikaelson," he said, raising her hand to quickly kiss her knuckles like a true gentleman.
Behind him, Anastasia snorted, earning a strange glance from the man who had spoken to the mayor. Just from one look she could tell he was a vampire and judging by his dark hair and blue eyes, she guessed this was the elder Salvatore brother – Damon.
"We hope your lovely town embraces us just as much as we plan to embrace it," Kol continued.
"Damon Salvatore," Damon said, offering his hand for Kol to shake and for a moment, the Original's smile turned a little darker. "Have we met?"
"I've met a lot of people," Kol smiled charmingly at the mayor then his lips twisted into his normal smirk, "and you don't particularly stand out."
"Tsk, tsk, that wasn't a very nice thing to say, Sleeping Beauty," Anastasia mocked, using his previous words against him. "You must excuse his rudeness. Living in a box must have caused him to forget his manners."
"And you are?" Mayor Lockwood asked, clearly not comfortable in the presence of so many vampires.
"Anya," Anastasia introduced herself, "an old friend of the Mikaelsons. Or one of them at least."
"They have never mentioned you," Damon said, blue eyes narrowed in a scrutinising manner like he was trying to assess if she was a threat or not.
"Have you spoken much to Klaus about his private life?" Anastasia deadpanned. She could imagine all the conversation the Mystic Fall residents had with Klaus mostly involving threats and attempted bargaining.
"Klaus does seem to have a thing for blondes," Damon muttered.
Anastasia's melodic laughter rang through the air, "Everyone has a type. Nik likes blondes and you like your brother's girlfriends." Turning back to the mayor, Anastasia said, "I hope you enjoy the evening, Mayor Lockwood."
.•° ♛ °•.
"I should have known allowing you and Kol in the same room together with innocent bystanders would lead to a disaster," Niklaus said, walking up to Anastasia a while later.
"Whatever you heard is a lie," Anastasia told him, using her best puppy eyes to appear innocent. "It was all Kol's fault."
"You seem to forget my splendid hearing, love," Nik said pointedly, "I heard everything."
"Don't pretend like you aren't very proud of me for," Anastasia snapped her fingers, "the burn I delivered to that idiot Salvatore."
"I did not disapprove," Nik tried to hide a smirk. "It wasn't very ladylike, however."
"Good thing I am not a lady," Anastasia smirked.
"If everyone could gather, please," Elijah's voice rang through the ballroom as he stood upon the grand staircase.
"Come on, it's time for Elijah's speech," Niklaus said, wrapping an arm around her waist to drag her towards the staircase.
"I'm not a Mikaelson," she reminded him in a harsh whisper. Truth be told, she just didn't want everyone in town to be staring at her up there.
"You are our stray cat," Niklaus winked, guiding her up the staircase so the two stood two steps below Kol who was twirling his champagne glass, looking utterly bored. Rebekah, dressed in a stunning green mermaid-cut dress, and Finn also joined them on the staircase.
"Welcome, thank you for joining us," Elijah addressed their guests just as Esther appeared, joining her children. "You know, whenever our 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."
"Is everyone here just expected to know a centuries old waltz?" Anastasia whispered to Nik while he held her hand to guide her down the stairs. Esther disappeared up again, not joining them which was expected yet still strange. "Elijah didn't even specify what century it's from."
Niklaus simply chuckled at her question and once he had made sure she was safely on the flat ground again, Anastasia told him, "Now go find the date you abandoned me for."
"Are you certain?" he asked her, not wishing to leave her alone.
Anastasia placed her hand on his shoulders, turned the Original Hybrid around and pushed him towards the ballroom, "Go and find your Cinderella."
That's when she felt a hand on her elbow, making Anastasia tense, not used to being touched in any way – from anyone but Nik. "I won't be dancing, Kol," she said firmly when she realised it was the Original who were pulling her towards the ballroom."
"Won't or can't?" Kol dared, cocking an eyebrow.
"Won't and especially not with you," Anastasia told him, tilting her head up to meet his eyes. "Find another innocent soul to torture." What Anastasia forgot to take into account was that what Kol Mikaelson wanted the most was what he was told he couldn't have. Therefore, he completely ignored her and continued dragging her towards the ballroom.
If she wanted to, she could easily have him cowering on the ground in pain within seconds. But that would cause a scene which was worse than dancing. But only a little. Respecting the Mikaelsons' wish for an evening without any hiccups, Anastasia simply accepted that Kol's supernatural strength gave her little opportunity to escape.
When Kol placed a hand on her waist, Anastasia sent him a warning look. The pair lined up alongside the other couples and the music began, starting with the dance. Anastasia could not claim to be the best dancer but she was decent at ballet and had been taught several dances in her youth – it was expected of her after all.
The thing about these waltzes, however, was that unless you knew the steps it didn't matter how good of a dancer she was. Somehow, everyone else – Kol included – seemed to know the steps and for once Anastasia simply allowed him to take the lead.
"I'm positively surprised," Kol said dryly. "I expected a catastrophe, you are just atrocious."
"You flatter me, Sleeping Beauty," Anastasia said in an equally dry tone. Searching the ballroom, she found Klaus dancing with who she assumed to be Caroline and Rebekah was dancing with a blonde man. "Did Nik place a word-of-the-day magazine in your room?"
Kol sent her a dirty glare, "You must be all-mighty or something. Otherwise I can't understand why my brother is keeping you around. Unless you are shagging him."
"Are those the only two options?" Anastasia cocked an eyebrow.
"It's the only reason I'd keep you around," Kol told her. "I guess another possible explanation is that Nik finally has gone truly mad."
"Most everyone's mad here," Anastasia smiled like a Cheshire Cat. Kol looked at her strangely, probably thinking she was half-mad. But both of them were saved from the other's company when it was time to switch partners.
Of course, Kol gave her a good spin, probably hoping she'd fall over. Luckily, Niklaus was there to catch her, "If it isn't the Dancing Queen," Nik mocked.
"Young and sweet, only seventeen, oh yeah," Anastasia finished. "Your brother forced me to dance. You'd think a thousand years would teach him some manners."
"You're provoking him," Nik gave her a pointed look. His little brother could be menacing, unpredictable, dangerous, wicked, unreasonable, cocky to a fault and on top of it all vindictive and violent. Few things amused him more than taunting his siblings.
Anastasia was the opposite in many ways; kind hearted, thoughtful and a ray of sunshine in the hybrid's dark world. But she also had the tendency to push others' buttons and terrorise those around her. Her sharp, witty remarks often hit sensitive spots.
"I did no such thing," Anastasia defended herself. When Nik sent her a half-hearted glare she added, "Ladies do not start fights, but they can finish them."
"Too bad you are not a lady."
.•° ♛ °•.
The night felt excruciatingly long. Niklaus was trying to woo Caroline, Kol and Rebekah appeared to be plotting something that she wanted no part in and Elijah tried to figure out why exactly Esther wanted to meet with Elena Gilbert — the infamous Petrova doppelgänger.
"Where have you been?" Anastasia wondered when Nik returned to the ballroom. She linked an arm with his, hoping his presence would scare away the men that had been hounding her for a dance or to take a drink.
"Outside," he told her. "Caroline appeared to be more interested in the horses than dancing."
"You should show her your art studio," Anastasia advised him. "Girls love men with an artistic soul — I think. Okay, I don't know, so it's probably best if you avoid listening to me."
The sound of a spoon clinking against a crystal glass rang through the air and all attention turned towards the grand staircase where Esther stood with a glass of red-tinged champagne in her hand. Meanwhile, servants started to hand out champagne to the guests and the Mikaelsons.
"Good Evening, Ladies and Gentleman. Waiters are coming around with champagne," Esther addressed her guests. "I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. 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."
Anastasia was handed a champagne glass and it was promptly snatched out of her hand by Niklaus, "You are seventeen," he smirked, placing her glass back on the waiter's tray.
"Cheers!" Esther said, holding up her glass.
"Cheers!" Everyone chorused. Then all the guests and Original Vampires took a sip of their champagne and Anastasia suddenly got this weird twisting feeling in her gut. Her eyes connected with Esther's and it only increased her feeling that something was wrong.
Then all the guests dispersed, Klaus disappearing once again with Caroline. Once again left alone, Anastasia considered going out to the horses when she saw a man in his twenties that she had spoken with earlier approach her. Not wishing to spend another twenty minutes listening to him speaking about himself, Anastasia linked her arm with the first person she could find.
"What are you doing?" Finn asked, looking down at her with wide eyes.
"Just play along," Anastasia ordered the oldest Mikaelson. She led him away from the other guy. "And look menacing."
"Why?" Finn asked in confusion.
"I said menacing, not like a confused puppy," Anastasia whispered harshly. "I shall excuse you only because you have been living in a box for nine hundred years."
"Women were not this straightforward the last time I was awake," Finn pointed out. She couldn't blame him for not having adjusted yet.
"The last time you were awake the Black Death was two hundred into the future, women had no rights and were considered men's property and life expectancy was like thirty years," Anastasia pointed out. "To quote the great Bob Dylan — The Times They Are A-Changin'."
Seeing how Finn only seemed to grow more bewildered, Anastasia promised, "Don't worry, I will add that song to your playlist. Nik's tasked me with fixing a phone for you and your pesky baby brother. He could have just compelled one of his minions to do it, but I think he wants to keep me busy. Or at least make me feel like I'm doing something useful."
"Do you ever stop talking?" Finn asked her.
"No, being such an intelligent and interesting person makes it my duty to bless those around me with my thoughts," Anastasia told him. Noticing that her follower had disappeared, she said, "And it seems you managed to save me from death by boredom. You have my gratitude, Mr. Mikaelson."
.•° ♛ °•.
"I told you it would work," Anastasia smiled proudly when Nik returned after showing Caroline some of his paintings. For the first time ever, she didn't completely dismiss him.
"No, you told me not to listen to you," Niklaus reminded her.
"If it went poorly. Now it went well and I want credit," Anastasia deadpanned. Before the hybrid could respond Klaus stiffened, the smile disappearing from his face. "What is it?" she frowned in confusion.
Without a word Nik walked past her towards the doors just as Stefan Salvatore pushed them open to reveal two figures on the ground outside. All of the Mikaelson siblings rushed outside, finding Kol lying on the ground with a snapped neck, Damon Salvatore standing above him.
"Damon!" Stefan exclaimed, looking at his older brother in disbelief. "Are you crazy?"
"Maybe a little," Damon said, piercing blue eyes staring at something behind Anastasia. She turned around to see the doppelgänger walking out the door, holding up her dress to not trip over the skirts. The tension was thick before the raven haired vampire said, "Far be it from me to cause a problem."
Anastasia paid little mind to Damon when he stalked away, instead she crouched down next to Kol's body. His neck was at an awkward angle and she winced at the sight, imagining that it must have hurt despite being a vampire.
"He will wake up in a few minutes," Klaus told her, noticing her frown.
"I could heal it," Anastasia offered. "But we should probably take him inside before someone sees him."
Scowling down at his baby brother, Klaus picked Kol up and zoomed away. She guessed he took him up to his bedroom. Anastasia turned around, finding the remaining Mikaelsons standing there in awkward silence with Elena and Stefan.
Sheepishly, she asked Elijah, "Could I get a lift?"
Elijah cocked an eyebrow, but could not deny her big blue eyes staring at him with hope. Arms wrapped around her waist and seconds later, Elijah stopped inside a room she had never been before.
"Thank you, I promise to give you five stars," Anastasia told him. Her gaze drifted around the room. It was rather plain with white walls, a single king size bed and a closet. On the bed, Nik had thrown Kol's body.
Anastasia walked over to the bed just as Finn entered the room, "Niklaus, Elijah, mother wants to speak with you both."
Both of them turned to look at her. "I'll be fine, don't worry," she assured them. "He can't do much right now."
Not wanting to upset their mother, the two left with their eldest brother. Kol was lying face down on the bed, having been dropped rather unceremoniously by Klaus. Picking up the skirt of her dress, she placed one knee on the bed to properly reach his neck.
"I admit, you are less annoying this way," she said. Placing a hand against the back of Kol's neck, she muttered a quick incarnation and felt the familiar rush of magic as the bone snapped into place again and Kol woke up.
In less than a millisecond he stood up beside the bed, looking murderous. "Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty," Anastasia said. "Please don't murder me. I was so nice and healed your neck."
"You are not first on my kill list, so relax, darling," Kol snarled.
"Uh, I think that kill list needs to be put on ice because from what I've gathered, your mother is not happy," Anastasia laughed awkwardly. "That's just my advice."
Standing up properly, Anastasia said, "Buuut, who am I kidding, you are not going to listen to me anyway. You are welcome, by the way."
Walking towards the door, Kol suddenly stood in front of her, standing so close that she had to crane her neck to look at him. When he simply stared down at her intently, Anastasia broke the silence, "You should really decorate this room, by the way. A sanitarium is less depressing."