" two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny where civil blood makes civil hands unclean "
THERE is a country in Europe shaped like a boot with a long, detailed history of migration, settlement, dictatorship and - most importantly - witchcraft. Italy has always been filled with magic, it was planted with the seeds of war and bloodshed, sprinkled over the ruins of cathedrals and basilicas, cooked into the pasta and pizza and garlic bread that was made so famous by the country.
There were five main witch covens in Italy. Three of them were spread around the country, but two of them- The Luzzatto's and the Ricci's - could be found in the fair city of Verona. Centuries ago, the covens had lived in harmony, working together to protect their country from outside forces wishing to tear it apart and take it over. But after time, they had begun to separate. War broke out between the covens. Hundreds of witches and civilian humans died. Magic blood washed the streets, dyed the rivers, broke the banks.
The time of harmony was done.
But there was no rivalry to match the one between the Luzzatto Coven and the Ricci Coven.
The Luzzatto's - elemental witches - were evil, there was no denying it. It was a simple truth. They had tried to wipe out the other four covens, and had succeeded only once.
The Altamura's, a coven of cosmic witches, had fought back with all the power of the stars and the planets and the galaxies until their land was safely there's and they could live, peacefully, in Bologna.
The Zingale's, a coven of kitchen witches, had fought back and survived - just barely - using the power of greenery and herbs and poisons until Palermo belonged to them again and they could sell their magic in the streets of the city they loved.
The Formisano's, a coven of spiritual witches, had fought back against the Luzzatto's elemental powers with their own powers of the beyond, calling on the spirits of the dead to help them protect their beautiful Messina, and it worked, and they could protect their loved ones from beyond the grave again.
It wasn't until the Luzzatto's arrived in Verona when things stopped looking so bleak for the evil coven. They had laid low for the first two or three weeks, waiting, growing stronger, seething. It wasn't until the day of the big festival when they first struck.
That was the day, 22 years ago, when the Ricci coven was wiped out in Verona.
That was the day that metamorphic magic was thought to have been destroyed.
That was the day that Lena Francesca Ricci was saved by Rebekah Mikaelson, strapped in the back of the car as the Original Vampire sped as fast as she could away from the streets filled with Ricci blood, from the elemental witches that wanted her one-year-old head on a spike, from destruction.
And it was from that day that Lena Ricci was raised by the vampire, travelling from city to city, learning language after language, knowing not to get involved with anyone because she never stayed anywhere long enough.
But she could always rely on her best friend, because they had always been and would always be together.
Always and forever, as Rebekah would say before switching off the lights.
thanks to sebstab for the really awesome sign off !!!!
also I really love klaus mikaelson and he got the absolute worse ending and he deserved to be with his daughter and the mother of his child (huge klayley shipper here) for centuries being a good, pure family but nahhhh fam all he got was a caroline kiss shooketh