The house being so full was taking some getting used to. It had only been a night, but everyone was already starting to get on top of one another, even in such a large living space. Though, Audrey got the idea it was so far only her feeling like this, simply because of how glued to her Rebekah and Kol were acting. Rebekah demanded Audrey fill her in on everything she'd missed while daggered again, and Kol was very adamant on getting to know the newest addition to the Mikaelson family. As much as she wanted to escape with Elijah to their room, the Gilbert girl ended up crashing with Rebekah in her room, as the two girls and Kol talked into the early hours of the morning.
She had yet to talk to Finn, who she was told was the oldest of all the Mikaelson children. They made eye contact once before Rebekah distracted her, and Audrey got the impression he wasn't very fond of her. Before she could try to introduce himself, he was gone with Esther, talking to her in the room she'd claimed as her study. It added to the bad feeling growing in the pit of her stomach, but the Gilbert girl was trying to ignore it.
She knew there was a high chance she was overthinking the situation.
After only a few hours of sleep, she was force to get up again for the day, after Esther made the announcement they'd be holding a ball that evening. To celebrate the family being together again, and to make peace with the people of Mystic Falls, so they could continue to call the town home. Very quickly after the news, Rebekah dragged Audrey into the room that held all sorts of extravagant clothing and other items, so the could pick out dresses, before they went downstairs to begin getting ready.
The two girls sat on the couch together, as two compelled women sat doing their nails for them, asking them to think about how they would like their hair doing after. It was long till Kol joined them, stood in front of the mirror getting his tux for the evening fitted, and soon Finn and Elijah joined.
"Good morning, my dear." He mumbled to her with a smile, as he leaned over to peck her lips.
Audrey felt her cheeks go red, knowing all eyes had now fallen on them, but she didn't care. She kissed him a back softly, pulling away with a growing smile of her own. "Good morning."
"Alright." Rebekah rolled her eyes, as the two continued to look at one another long after they'd pulled apart. She swatted Audrey's arm with her free, snapping her attention back. "You'll have enough time to fawn over one another tonight."
"Yes, there are more important things to do right now. Like..." Kol began as he turned from looking in the mirror, grinning at his sister and Audrey. "Rebekah, Audrey, tell me how handsome I look."
"Ah Kol, you know I can't be compelled." Rebekah replied with a smirk.
"It's rude to lie." Audrey smiled toward him innocently.
Kol gives the pair a narrowed, playful glare, as both Elijah and Finn try and fail to hide their amusement. Before anything could be said, they all heard the front door slam shut, and it wasn't long until Klaus came storming into the room.
He glared directly at his sister, moving to stand in front of her. "You went after Elena?" He demanded. "What is wrong with you?"
Audrey bit her tongue and directed her attention to the woman painting her nails. She hadn't heard from Elena at all since Caroline's birthday, she wasn't even sure if her sister knew how close to dying she'd gotten. She thought the recent loss of Caroline's dad might prompt her to call, hoping they'd be able to put their issues aside for Caroline's sake, but it hadn't been the case.
Rebekah looked unfazed as she looked back at him. "Here we go."
"Do you want another dagger in your heart?" Klaus snapped.
"Again with the dagger threats?" Kol rolled his eyes boredly. "Don't you have any other tricks?"
Klaus barely spared him a glance, annoyance growing in his eyes. "Oh, go back to staring at yourself."
"And who are you, my father?" Kol didn't back down.
Klaus turned, directing his glare onto his younger brother. "No, Kol, but you're in my house."
Kol stepped closer to him in a challenging manner. "Then perhaps we should go outside."
Before either of them could take another step, Esther walked into the room, giving them a firm look. "Enough!" She snapped, though the two didn't stop glaring at one another. "Niklaus. Come." She ordered, before turning and leaving the same way she came on, Klaus letting out a huff before he followed her.
Audrey stared the way that she left, the uneasy pit back in her stomach.
* * * * * * * * * *
Audrey stood in front of the large wardrobe mirror, smoothing out the skirt of her dress with her hands. With Rebekah's help that morning, she'd picked out a red ruffled fishtail gown, which was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and simple silver heels underneath. Her nails were done red to match her dress, and her lipstick was also a matching shade, the rest of her makeup done natural. Her hair was all lightly curled, hanging down but off to one side, after a lot of uncertainty on her to do it. She knew the house was already full downstairs, the evening getting into full swing.
Lost in her thoughts, Audrey didn't notice as Elijah appeared behind her in the mirror, until his arms were wrapping around waist. His touch brought a redness to her cheeks, as she locked eyes with him in the mirror, a smile appearing as he looked back at her in awe.
"You look stunning, my dear." He told her quietly, as he pressed his lips to her temple.
"It's not too much?" She asked. "It all feels so...extravagant. I'm not used to it."
Elijah gently took her hand and twirled her under his arm to face him. "You'd look incredible no matter what you were wearing." He said wholeheartedly. The smile on Audrey's lips grew, as she leaned in and kissed him softly, the Mikaelson not hesitating as he kissed her back. After a few moments, he pulled away reluctantly and reached into the pocket of suit jacket, pulling out a black square box. "I have something for you."
Audrey furrowed her brow with confusion. "You didn't have to get me anything."
"Niklaus told me what happened to your necklace." He began, opening the lid of the box. The inside revealed a flat silver pendant, that had a small red gem sat in the centre of it, with a leaf and vine pattern engraved on the space around it. "I plan to get it spell with the same properties the last did, but I would be honoured if you would wear until then."
The Gilbert girl stared at the necklace in awe for a long moment, before she slowly nodded. "Of course." She let out it. Smiling, Elijah turned her around to look into the mirror once more, before carefully latching it around her neck. Her fingers instantly went up to touch the pendant. "Elijah...it's beautiful."
"Just like you." He said, before holding his arm out to her. "Shall we?"
Audrey turned and took his arm, all her the nerves she was feeling before having vanished like they were never there. "We shall."
The couple made their way downstairs, were all the guests were stood talking or getting themselves a drink, the front door still letting new arrivals inside. As they got to the bottom of the stairs, Elijah kissed her cheek and left her alone, saying he needed to discuss something with Finn. Audrey looked around the room, her eyes searching for a familiar face to keep her company, when she spotted Caroline. Dressed in a elegant blue gown, her blonde her pulled into a curly up-do. As the Gilbert girl made her way over to talk to her, she watched at the Forbes girl walked away in a different direction, leaving Klaus staring at her as she went.
"Not a word." He warned her, as Audrey moved to his side with a small grin.
"You invited my best friend as your date." Audrey stated. "You don't think I'm actually going to stay quiet, do you?"
"Not much of a date." Klaus muttered, rolling his eyes. "She clearly wants to be anywhere but here."
"Her dad just died." Audrey pointed out to him, giving him a gentle look. "Just give her chance. Take her mind off it, help her have a little fun, show her you're more than the bad guy all her friends see you as." She encouraged. "You might surprise yourself as well as her."
Klaus considered her words thoughtfully, giving her a small smile as the room fell silent, as Elijah stood on the stairs. "Uh, if everyone could gather, please." He announced. Audrey was given no option on where to go, as Klaus took her hand and pulled her over to the stairs with him, where all the Original family were gathering on the steps. Elijah gave a smile as she passed, and she smiled back, as Rebekah pulled her to stand between her and Kol. "Welcome, thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance." He continued, as the guests gathered in a large crowd. "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."
As the crowd began to disperse, Audrey glanced up to where Esther had been stood on the stairs, watching as she quickly made her way back up them. As she glanced back down, her eyes narrowed in on her sister, who she saw was also watching Esther's retreating figure. And the pit in her stomach grew, the nagging feeling that something wasn't right appearing once more.
"She's requested to speak to her." Elijah mused as he moved to stand beside her. "I'm not sure what about, but mother wants to speak to Elena tonight."
"Something's not right." Audrey told him quietly. "It's not felt right since I met her, Elijah. I know she's your mother, but--"
"I feel it too." Elijah cut her off, shaking his head. "We'll look into it. Something isn't as it seems." He assured her, before taking her hand and kissing the top of it. "But before that, I believe there is a tradition we need to uphold."
Audrey smiled softly, as she laced her fingers with his. "You should know, I'm not the best dancer. I might step on your toes."
The noble Original let out a chuckle. "A risk I am willing to take, my dear."
And with that, the pair made their way into the ballroom, their worries set aside as they joined the other guests in the waltz.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Elena!"
When the dance was over, Audrey and Elijah had gone their separate ways, wanting to try and look more into whatever Esther was doing. When Audrey spotted her sister, she was quickly follow after her, especially seeing her going in the direction of Esther's study.
The eldest of the twins paused, looking over at her sister in surprise. "Rey...hi."
"We need to talk." Audrey began bluntly, giving her a look. "About everything that's happened, but right now, I need you do me a favour." She said, causing Elena to raise a brow at her. "You're going to talk to Esther, right?"
Elena glanced over to the door of the study, before looking back at her sister and nodding. "She requested to see me, Rey." She said honestly. "I want to know what she wants."
"I'm not trying to stop you." Audrey said, making a look of surprise appear on Elena's face. "But something isn't right. Me and Elijah think she's hiding something, and maybe her wanting to talk to you has something to do with it. Please, can you tell us what she says when you come back out?"
"You really think she's hiding something?" Elena asked.
"She forgave her son who ripped her heart from her chest like it was nothing." Audrey stated. "This entire ball was her idea and she's been nowhere to seen all evening. We'd both just feel more at ease if we were sure."
Elena studied the look on her twins face for a moment, before nodding. "Alright, I'll let you know what she says. I'll find you later, okay?"
Audrey nodded with a grateful smile, before she walked away, Elena watching her go. Biting her lip, Elena moved toward the study and knocked on the door, looking at Finn warily when he opened the doors to her. "You're alone." He comments. "Wise choice."
Elena slowly walked into the room, her gaze shifting from Finn to Esther, noting the burning object in her hands. "It's only sage. I've spelled it so we can speak freely without fear of being overheard." The Mikaelson woman assured her, before looking at her oldest son. "That'll be all Finn, thank you." As he leaves, closing the doors behind him, Esther gestures to the couch. "You must have a million questions for me Elena. Please."
Hesitating a moment, Elena walks and sits down on the couch, and Esther sits down beside her. "How are you alive? Are you a ghost? Or..."
"Not exactly." Esther told her. "When I died the witch Ayana preserved my body with a spell. She was a close friend of mine, an ancestor of your friend Bonnie."
A look of realization dawned on the Gilbert girl. "So that's why only Bonnie and her mother could open up the casket."
Esther nodded in confirmation. "They complete the Bennett bloodline. I drew power from them and their ancestors who were with me on the other side."
"So you've been on the other side for a thousand years?"
"Nature's way of punishing me for turning my family into vampires." The Original witch nodded. "But there is a way for me to undo the evil I created."
Elena stared at her for a long moment. "You're gonna help us kill Klaus, aren't you?"
"One thing at a time, Elena. For now, I simply need your help." Pushing to her feet, Esther moved toward a small table, beginning to light the candles that sat on it. "I understand Rebekah shared the story of my family. How I upset the balance of nature by turning my children into vampires."
Elena nodded once more. "She said you did it to protect them from the werewolves."
"It's true." Esther confirmed. "But in no time at all, they began to feed on human blood. They ravaged the town with no remorse. Eventually, Niklaus turned against me."
Elena looked at the witch, a million questions running through her head. "How are you gonna kill him? He's immortal."
"It'll take time, magic, and your assistance."
"What do I have to do?"
"My children believe I'm holding this ball to celebrate our reunion. But in truth I've gathered them together to perform a ritual. The first step requires blood from the doppelganger." Opening a draw, she pulls out a dagger, turning to look at the doppelganger. "Only a drop. Its essence will be in the champagne toast later on this evening. Will you do it or shall I?" Elena looked at it in shock for a moment, before getting to her feet and removing her glove, holding her finger out to Esther to prick. Pricking her finger carefully, the witch squeezed the blood droplets into a glass as she continued to speak. "Elijah is more suspicious than the others, as is Audrey, so they may need more persuasion. But they must all drink at the toast in order to be linked as one."
"What do you mean "linked as one"?" Elena furrowed her brow in confusion. "What does this have to do with my sister?"
"You said yourself Klaus can't be killed. But tonight's spell links all my children together, so that if one goes, they all go." Esther was unfazed by the shocked expression on her face. "I love my family, Elena, but they are an abomination. I betrayed nature when I created them. It's my duty to kill them." She walked closer to her. "And your sister, she is an anomaly in nature. There was only ever meant to be one doppelganger born, but as you know, she has a very special bond with Elijah. Soulmates are a special thing, however, I never wanted anyone to end up tied to my children as such. For their innocence to be ruined by the monsters they have become." She explained to her. "I need Audrey to drink the toast tonight, and I'll use your blood and the magic I will be channelling to kill my children, to break her bond to my son. She'll live, and be given the chance to have a normal life, no longer tied to the Mikaelsons."
* * * * * * * * * *
Elena made her way back into the foyer, rejoining the party with still so many thoughts running through her head. She stood alone at the side of the room, lost within thought when her eyes found her sister. Audrey stood with a bright smile on her face, giggling as Elijah spun her under his arm, before pulling her into a kiss. It has been a long time since Elena had seen her sister look that happy, or open her heart to someone like she was Elijah. It was clear to everyone around them, that there was more there than just the soulmate bond pulling them together. It was real, it was growing love, and it was beautiful.
But Elena also thought of the bad. Everything that had happened to her, to her sister, to her brother, since the Mikaelsons came into their lives. All she wanted was for Audrey to be safe, and she knew Esther would guarantee that.
"So how was my mother?" Elijah asked, as he and Audrey sidled up to her.
Elena swallowed a lump in her throat. "Intense."
"And for what reason did she want to speak with you privately?" Elijah asks, as he took a glass of champagne for himself and Audrey, before handing one to Elena. Elena didn't answer, her eyes flickering to where Esther stood watching her on the staircase. "Elena? Should I be concerned about my mother's intentions?"
Audrey raised a brow at her sister. "Elena?"
Elena cleared her throat, focusing on the couple again as she shook her head. "She just wanted to apologize for trying to have me killed."
"So it's true then?" Elijah asked. "She's forgiven Klaus."
Elena looked at her sister, watching as she laced her hand not holding the champagne glass with Elijah's free hand. But she thought of one thing, as guilt welled up inside. She was going to keep her safe. "It's true."
The sound of crystal ring fills the foyer, and all eyes fell on Esther stood on the staircase, a tight smile pulled on her lips. "Good Evening, Ladies and Gentleman. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass." She began, holding up a glass as all the guests took one to drink. "It provides me with no greater joy then to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!"
"Cheers!" The guests all chorused.
"Cheers." Elijah clinked his glass with Audrey's, before the pair drank from the champagne flutes.
"Cheers." Elena mumbled quietly, taking a small sip herself as she looked away from them.
She was doing the right thing, but it wasn't stopping the guilt welling up in the pit of her stomach.
Well...this probably won't help how you all already feel about Elena in this book.
But I hope the Elijah and Audrey moments are enough to make up for everything that is still to come, cause it's a lot. I'm working to have the next chapter published later today. Sorry this one took so long, I've just been a little blocked trying to write this in the way I wanted to. But I'm trying to get back to frequent updates.
Thank you all for all the nice comments I'm getting on this story, the support means the world to me. I love writing Audrey, and I'm so glad you all enjoy her and Elijah's story.
Also, here is Audrey's new necklace:
It gave me TVD vibes when I found it.
I hope you all enjoyed!