26 | long live the queen
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀WREN'S ENTIRE BODY LIT UP LIKE FIREWORKS, her hands snapping up to rest on his shoulders. His lips were softer than any rose she had ever touched.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀His hands rested on either side of her head, fisting the feather pillows in his grip.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren leaned up toward him, shivering as her torso brushed his. Her legs escaped the confines of her blanket, brushing against his like a question.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus could've groaned aloud. He wondered how wonderful it would be to part those milky thighs and dive between them.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren shivered as his hand moved down her side, dipping into her curves and tracing everything within their reach. His fingers secured a grip at the crook of her knee, bringing her leg up to curl around his hip.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"So beautiful," he whispered as his lips moved down to her neck, sucking a spot in the crook of her shoulder. His tongue lapped at it, his teeth grazing it lightly.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren hummed as he kicked his shoes off, moving fully onto the bed. Her other leg came up to his hip, trapping him against her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Her hands dropped down, dipping underneath his shirt and pulling it off. She placed her hand against his chest as he went to reconnect his lips to her skin.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He stopped, looking at her in confusion. Sitting back on his knees, he looked down at her hungrily.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren whimpered as his hands held her thighs, feeling the desire poisoning her mind. She closed her eyes, dropping her hands to her stomach to pull her shirt down. She could still feel the power she had stolen from him swirling through her veins. "I'm sorry," she whispered, tears brimming her pale eyes. Her lip trembled as she fought back the tears.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus was more confused than ever. "Don't cry." He brushed a tear away, feeling her suck in a shuddering breath. "It's alright."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I don't want to hurt you," she murmured, her lips pulling down at the corners.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He cupped her cheek, kissing away her tears as they escaped down her face. He ignored the burn against his lips, focusing on helping her calm down. "You haven't hurt me, love."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren shuddered, clawing backward on the bed to get away from his grabby hands. "I can't control it when you're so close to me. I can't be distracted like this, Niklaus." She closed her eyes, unwilling to look at his face.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus grabbed her hands, squeezing them when she tried to pull them away. "Look at me," he demanded. She didn't. "Wren, that is an order."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren opened her eyes, blinking a couple of times before looking up at him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"However much you may hate this," he held up her glowing hand, "it is a gift. You're special, love. No one can take that away from you."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I don't want to be special," she whispered, "I just want to be normal."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus sighed. "Normality is tedious." He rubbed her palms with the pads of his thumbs. "Trust me, love. You don't want to be normal. Normal people are forgotten, washed away in the tides of time. Your name will be engraved on the pillars of history." He kissed her forehead lightly. "Get some rest now, love. We have a big day tomorrow."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He stood to leave the room. She watched him go with bloodshot eyes and the slightest quiver of a smile.
♔
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren ran her hands over her dress as the morning sun rose over the buildings of The French Quarter.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It was a floor-length gown that had a plunging V-neck that ended just past her breasts. Her pink bra - the same color as the dress - just barely peeked out. Floral decorations ran up her shoulders, starting from her bodice and ending at her shoulder blades where it swooped down.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀A mesh layer ran over the top of the dress with little diamond beads that shimmered in the light. The arms were see-through and baggy, cinching in at her wrists.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Sighing, she fixed the thin black belt again, making sure it was secured.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Her white hair fell down over her back and shoulders - unkempt but still tolerable. It was curly from being braided overnight.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Making a face, she brushed the little bits and pieces into their proper places, applying a bit of oil to smooth the ends down.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren surveyed the room in the reflection of the mirror. Her skin had covered itself in goosebumps. She spied Klaus, standing on the balcony in the morning light.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀His back was to her, but she could see his taut muscles beneath the black dress shirt he wore. His black leather pants were a little less dressy, but he could surprisingly pull it off.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I was under the impression that I was the one who got up early," Wren hummed as she stepped out on the balcony barefoot. The concrete was warm beneath her feet. "Yet here you are, already prepared for the meeting."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I could hear you tossing and turning all night." Klaus' eyes moved away from the sunrise to lock onto his mate. She looked tired but had a certain sparkle to her eyes. "You had trouble sleeping."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren shrugged. "Nothing I'm not used to." She leaned on the banister next to him, a small smile growing on her lips. "It's so peaceful." She could faintly hear someone down the street, plucking the strings of an acoustic guitar.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The sound was beautiful.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus felt his lip twitch a little as he watched her. She leaned a little too far over, her head facing a sound that he could hear as clearly as if it were right next to him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Their gentle peace was interrupted by the sounds of the maids downstairs setting the table. He could hear Marcel talking to Diego faintly, but put it out of his mind as Wren turned to him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She watched his face for a second. "It's time, isn't it?" Her own face fell slightly, nerves plucking at the chords of her anxiety. She tried to imagine that they were guitar strings and find a rhythm in them, but the feeling overtook her as soon as she had conceived the thought.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Breathe, love. I'll be right there with you the whole time."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren sighed, looking up at him. He was so gentle with her, but this was something that she had to do. Something she couldn't afford to lean on him for. "Thank you, Niklaus." She leaned up and pressed a feather-light kiss to his lips.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Her quick and confident footsteps echoed all around. The click, click of her heels met the ears of every vampire in the compound.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The table was set, and the inner circle of vampires stood around it, watching her as she descended the stairs. She kept her head and eyes straight, not caving to the stares that pierced her skull.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It seemed an eternity had passed by the time she reached the bottom, and moments later she had taken her place at the head of the table.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus came down a few moments after, standing on the opposite end where Marcel was to his left. He watched her with a smirk as she regained her nerve.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Biting the inside of her cheek, she bent her fingers slightly, pulling out all of the chairs with her mind. "Please, be seated."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Let us begin with a toast to our shared gift - immortality." Klaus stood, holding his thin glass in his hand. The champagne within bubbled temptingly. "After a thousand years, one might expect life to be less keenly felt, for its beauties and its sorrows do diminish with time. But, as vampires, we feel more deeply than humans could possibly imagine."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The vampires around the table exchanged glances, their eyes wandering over to Wren, who sat with her glass in her hand.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Insatiable desire," Klaus's eyes flashed over the table, pausing on Wren before moving on. "Exquisite pain." He raised a hand, gesturing for the group of waiters to come forward.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀They all stood next to a vampire, slitting open their arm to pour their veins into a glass of blood.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren's face stayed stoic, but her eyes snapped to her mate.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus raised his glass. "To our victories, our defeats, and to this city - my home again!" He smirked. "May the blood never cease to flow..."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"-And the party never end!" Marcel finished with a grin.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The vampires around the table hesitated.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren stood with a smirk. "And the party never end," she echoed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"To New Orleans!" a curly-haired vampire, Diego, said as he raised his glass. His eyes remained on Marcel the entire time.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Klaus smirked. "To New Orleans!" he repeated.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"New Orleans," echoed the rest. Everybody raised their glasses, clinking them together, before indulging in the crimson liquid that had filled their cups.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Wren stayed standing as the rest sat down. "Marcel brought something to my attention yesterday." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was confident. "That I have made a grave error in my first day of ruling over you. I walked in here - into your home - and expected to be received with smiles and celebration.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I wish you all to know that I will not make that mistake again. I will do everything in my power to earn your respect and your loyalty - but I do not expect it without having to work for it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"It is with this knowledge that I have decided to offer you and your community this one service; the removal of our rivalry with a pillar of the witch community. From this moment forth, I claim absolute Regency over my coven." Wren smirked, raising her glass. "Go forth and spread the news. Valeriya Romanov is no longer the Regent of The Everlastings." She observed the faces of everyone who sat at the table. "I am."