Havana wondered how she ended up in the position she was in right now sitting comfortably between Kol and Rebekah on the couch while the rest of the Mikaelson siblings got ready for the ball. Groups of tailors, seamstresses, and manicurists scattered throughout the room attending to each of their needs. Elijah and Finn stood in front of the floor-length mirror getting measured for their tuxes, Kol enjoyed the blood of his fresh kill inside a wine cup, while she and Rebekah were getting their nails done. They acted like a usual family with bickering here and there yet they all were bonding in each other's presence as if they hadn't tried to kill their brother less than twelve hours ago. Speaking of Klaus, he was nowhere to be found when Havana woke up. She had assumed that he needed his space after that whole big dramatic family reunion last night. Instead of looking after him, Havana knew that it was best to let him be.
"...So as I was saying, he's cute and tall and extremely athletic. But I don't know if he's truly over his ex even though she has absolutely nothing on me." Rebekah shared with Havana who chuckled setting down her morning newspaper.
"Sounds like you have a crush on Matt Donovan." She teased making her friend blush.
"Who is he? Is this him?" Kol held up the newspaper revealing Matt's face conveniently printed in one of the pages. It was an article about the Mystic High football team winning a game against another school out of town. In the middle of the article was Matt in his jersey and gear smiling cheekily at the camera while holding a big golden trophy. "He's human. Have you truly gone soft?" Kol scrunched up his nose in disgust.
"It's none of your business brother." Rebekah rolled her eyes.
"I say you invite him to the ball tonight!" Havana excitedly encouraged to which her friend shook her head furiously.
"Me? Making the first move and asking him out? No way. He should be begging on his knees right now to ask me out." She scoffed at the idea which sounded ridiculous in her head.
"You don't think that do you?" Havana tilted her head.
"She unfortunately does. That's why no one wants to date her...unless they're being compelled to." Kol snickered earning a gasp from Havana and a scowl from Rebekah who grapped the newspaper from his hands and hit him on the head with it.
"I still think it's a good idea. He's probably at the grill right now. You can swing by and give him the invitation yourself."
"And what of his annoying ex?"
"Caroline is with Tyler right now. Trust me, they are strictly just friends." Havana waved it off confident in her statement. However, she did know that there was a possibility of Caroline being bothered by this but she did not care that much about it. Matt and Rebekah deserved a shot at potential happiness just like what Caroline and Tyler have. It would be unfair if Caroline who was already in a relationship denied Matt that.
Rebekah thought about it for a few seconds before eventually agreeing earning schoolgirl-like squeals from the brunette beside her. She rolled her eyes at Havana's unnecessary excitement but deep down, she was looking forward to it as well biting the inside of her cheek to stop her from smiling.
"Okay, that's it. I'm killing this Matt whatever tonight." Kol stated nonchalantly finishing his cup of human's blood. However, he flinched mid-sip when he felt the newspaper hit him again on the head. He turned around surprised that Havana was the one holding the newspaper this time.
"Don't you dare Kol. He is my friend." She defended.
If this was any other person, their head would have been rolling on the floor already. But Kol laughed it off enjoying the company of his newfound friend. A person on the outside would have found it odd how Havana was still alive in a house full of Originals and not despised by them. It may be a wonder how Havana effortlessly charmed each sibling who individually have very tough walls to break. However, to Havana, she was nothing but herself. She did not let their background nor who they were intimidate her from treating them as if they were old friends. She did not cower away like most people or be on the offensive anticipating any kind of attack. Havana accepted them for who they were and did not treat them any differently. Within the last twelve hours, she solidified her friendship with Rebekah and Elijah and became a fast friend to Kol. It was only Finn who stayed a distance from all the socializing which she did not blame him for.
Elijah and Finn finished having their tuxes tailored. Now they tried on shoes while Kol took their place in front of the mirror. Upon hearing Klaus enter the house through his hearing, he decided to play a game to aggravate his brother.
"Havana, tell me how handsome I am and agree to be my date for the ball later." Kol tried to compel her from the mirror.
"You know that I'm on vervain right?"
Before any more could be said, the doors suddenly opened with a bang as Klaus walked in going straight for Rebekah. "You went after Elena? What is wrong with you!?"
"Rebekah..." Havana whipped her head at her friend with a disappointed look.
Rebekah simply shrugged at Havana before averting her attention to her brother.
"Do you want another dagger in your heart?" Klaus stood closer as if he was ready to stab her any moment now.
"Again with the dagger threats? Don't you have any other tricks?" It was Kol who stepped up in Rebekah's defense.
"Oh go back to staring at yourself."
"And who are you? My father?"
"No, but you are in my house." Klaus looked at him changing his direction.
"Perhaps we should take this outside." The younger Original took that as a signal for him to move closer as well unwilling to back down from a fight. The other siblings and Havana just watched in silence as the two were ready to throw punches any moment now. And they indeed were about to when Esther's presence stopped them.
"That is enough." She told the both of them. The two hesitantly moved away from each other unable to express their anger through violence. Esther's eyes wandered to Havana who seemed to have straightened her posture feeling consious at the sudden attention. "Havana, come." She said before disappearing to another room leaving the siblings alone again.
"M-me?" She muttered to herself before standing up to follow the older woman. Rebekah and Kol gave her taunting looks to tease her about their mother's sudden interest in her while Klaus nodded in her direction assuring her that it was going to be okay. Havana reluctantly left all of them wondering what their mother wanted from her.
Before she could close the door on he way out, she heard Klaus utter to Kol "Ask my fiancé on a date again and you're never leaving that box."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Since Havana was personally in charge of the interior of the house, it meant that she was also in charge of decorating each and every bedroom of the house including Esther's. She nodded in approval at her hard work to which Esther complimented her with as if she read her thoughts. Havana thanked the woman while also noticing the new things that Esther had placed around the room. There were sages, grimoires, and various kinds of salts and powder present. She remembered seeing these kind of items in Bonnie's room.
"I'm just doing a few light spells although I am a bit rusty since I was dead for a thousand years and all." The woman explained to Havana who looked around in curiosity.
"Oh, I'm sorry Mrs. Mikaelson. I didn't mean to pry." She said apologetically.
"Oh please stop with the formalities. We are going to be family soon. You may call me Esther." She moved closer holding on to the sparkling ring that was being displayed on Havana's neck. She held it up and smiled impressive by it. "I'm glad my son picked out such a pretty ring for such a pretty girl."
Havana should be feeling happy that her mother-in-law-to-be was extremely nice to her. Some of Havana's high school friends from back home in Australia were already married. She recalled some of the stories they would tell her regarding their 'monsters-in-laws' who would always manage to pick apart every decision they ever made and make some passive aggressive comments on them. That being so, Havana tried to ignore the pit in her stomach telling her that something was off and to not trust Esther.
"So, Havana. The witches tell me you're from Sydney. You're a long way from home." Esther remarked, a satisfying smirk formed on her lips at the shocked expression of the girl who nodded.
"Ye-yeah. But it makes sense that I'm here since I have family in Mystic Falls as well."
"Elena the doppelganger. She's your cousin and the key to my son's little army." Esther answered for her shocking Havana again.
"I see that the witches from The Other Side enjoy gossip." She joked laughing a little at the process but closed her mouth shut immediately after noticing Esther's emotionless reaction to it.
"It is a witch's honor duty to keep the balance of nature. My sisters and I have been following everyone's whereabouts for the last thousand years, especially of my children. I have witnessed all the horrors to their merciless slauters and all the innocent lives they've taken. But it is just a domino effect to my doing of making them vampires." She stood quiet for a moment having lost herself from her thoughts. Havana stayed silent as well not missing the look of hatred in her eyes. When Esther noticed her staring, she lightly laughed it off "Don't get me wrong, I love my children Havana. I am still their mother at the end of the day. I accept them."
Havana nodded not buying anything she said for a single moment yet she played along with it. "So you know all the witches your children came in contact with?"
"Yes."
Havana desperately wanted to ask her a question. However, it was a risky decision since she firmly believed in knowledge being a tactical source of power. She did not trust Esther to know about her curiosities yet she felt like she had no other choice. It seemed to be the only way. "Do you know Gloria?" She mustered the courage to ask.
"I was wondering when you were going to asking me that." Esther smirked.
"I still can't believe you helped me that day," Havana remarked reliving the memory of Gloria helping her escape Klaus in her head. She took a few more sips finishing her drink.
"And why would you say so?"
"You didn't know me at all. And you still work for Klaus making you loyal to him. Why did you choose to help me, someone you didn't know?"
Gloria chucked, "Don't think that I did that because I was being nice. I have my own intentions with you. You are a very special person, Havana. You have a destiny to fulfill. Me being a servant of nature need to see you fulfill that destiny. To save your own people."
"My what? What are you talking about?" Havana furrowed her eyebrows. She had no idea what this woman was talking about.
Gloria looked surprised for a moment before bursting out into laughter. Havana stayed silent still confused at what was happening with the witch. Finally, the laughter died down and Gloria looked her dead in the eye.
"You don't know who you really are, do you?"
The sound of Esther's voice rung in Havana's ears bringing her back to the present. The older woman raised her brow repeating the same question she asked her seconds ago. "Where are you from?"
"I'm from Australia. Didn't we talk about this already?" Havana wondered why Esther was asking questions she already knew the answer to. However, the Original witch sighed and asked her again. "I really don't understand what is going on here. I was born here but my family and I moved to Australia when I was really young."
"So you believe that your only family are in Mystic Falls and Australia?" She continued asking questions that made Havana even more confused.
"To my knowledge, yes?"
"Gloria and my sisters were right. You truly do not know." Esther looked less than pleased by Havana's answers. Nevertheless, she stopped her interrogation and moved onto the next agenda before Havana could protest. Esther placed her hands on the girl's shoulders making her stand straight in the middle of the room. She then circled around her checking her arms, legs, and neck for something she refused to tell Havana.
"Can you please tell me what's going on?" Havana was losing her patience at this woman's odd behavior. If only she wasn't her fiancé's mother, Esther would already be thrown across the room for her making Havana uncomfortable with her oddity.
"You don't have it." She muttered. Havana opened her mouth to ask more about it when Esther beat her to it. "Your family's mark. It must be hidden as a human."
"My family's what? Is this the Sommers or my mother's side of the family? What do you mean by 'mark'?" Havana turned around to see Esther grabbing a small knife. She backed up against the bookshelf when the woman grabbed her hand and made a small slice on her plan. "HEY WHAT THE FUCK!" She flinched in pain. She yanked her hand out of Esther's grip and craddled it to her chest.
"Thank you Havana for this lovely chat. I look forward to the wedding. You may leave now." Esther did not even look up from the small jar in which she used to collect Havana's blood. She smiled brightly at the red liquid and stored it away. It would serve as one of her main ingredients to a special spell she was going to cast on the unknowing Havana after she was done killing all of her children.
In the meantime, Havana wasted no time running out of the room away from the creepy old woman.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Nik, I love you with my whole heart so please don't get offended when I say that your mom is literally fucking crazy!" She held up her wounded palm at the Original Hyrbid who seemed to be laughing. "It's not funny! I was seriously freaked out!"
"My love, she really is weird like that. When we were kids, she would just come into our rooms and randomly cut our hair or use our blood for her spells. Its nothing." He reassured her but upon noticing her distressed appearance, he added "I will talk to her. I'm sorry that this has happened." He squatted down to reach her eye level. Havana sat on the bed. Klaus gently grabbed a hold of her hand and opened his other palm upward ready to cut into it for her to drink his blood and be healed.
"No, I think I'm done with bloody palms for today. Can we just place a bandaid?" She pouted pulling her hand away.
"Of course." Klaus made no objection and respected her wishes. He made his way to the cabinet beside the bed which held the first aid kit. He came back shortly with the bulky red and white box squatting down to his original position in front of her. "May I?" He asked before taking her hand again. He brought his lips down peppering kisses onto her wound making Havana visibly relax. He continued on distracting her with his sweet soft kisses while he sprayed the disinfentant on it. Havana only flinched a little but still stayed calm with the help of his physical touch. "All done. Good as new." He remarked after placing the bandaid on her palm.
"Thank you." Havana smiled at him to which he returned. She used her other hand to hold his cheek slowly moving it upwards brushing his hair in the process. "What would I do without you?" She muttered softly.
"My little dove, I think that question is reserved for me. I would lose the will to live without you by my side."
Klaus stood up towering over Havana who stared up at him in awe instinctively bitting her lip. He leaned down placing his hands flat on the bed beside her waist. They stared at each other their lips gently brushing against each other.
He moved to the side of her head and softly whispered, "I can't wait to marry you Havana Sommers."
"I can't wait to marry you Klaus Mikaelson." She smiled feeling his breath on her neck.
His other hand went to Havana's cheek moving it to his direction. Now face to face, the two leaned showing their love with a kiss.