"CULLEN, LOVE. COME into the dining room we have family business to attend to." Cullen hears Klaus yell as she puts Hope down for her nap. Once she's settled Cullen leaves her room, making her way to the dining room.
"What's going on?" Cullen questions, glancing between the brothers. Things had been a bit tense since the wedding. After the joyous occasion the night had ended with one less Mikaelson sibling. The hex Finn placed on Kol had finally reached its mark, killing Kol in the process.
"Niklaus has decided to invite Freya to our home." Elijah announces.
Cullen arches an eyebrow, turning towards Klaus. "Freya? Freya as in your lost long sister."
Klaus nods, a smirk on his face. "That would be the one."
"Niklaus, Rebekah's situation has taken a turn. We may need Freya's assistance. So, whatever you are planning here? Don't." Elijah stresses.
"We don't need Freya." Klaus begins. "We have Cullen for all our witchy needs. And besides all I'm planning is a simple chat with a long-lost relative. You yourself said to hear her out."
"And you yourself said that would be idiocy." Elijah retorts.
"Did I?" Klaus looks up towards the ceiling, pretending to think. "Well, it does sound like me. Regardless, on the off-chance Freya has some information that could protect my daughter, I'd prefer she share it on my terms. Ah. I think I hear her now." They turn to the doorway, watching as Freya walks in. "Sister! Well, come in. Come in. Make yourself comfortable." Once they are all sat at the dining table Klaus continues with his fake chipper attitude. "Freya, I asked you here in the hopes that you would share some of Dahlia's secrets. So, without further ado, let's get to it."
Freya clears her throat, glancing between the trio. "The first thing you should know is that Dahlia is the most powerful witch I've ever seen. She craves more power still. Right now she is like me-- limited to one year of life in a century. But, she wants to be free of that restriction. To gain true immortality. And that is why she will come here-- drawn by your daughter to take the child's power for herself. And she would kill anyone who would defy her."
"And yet you would defy her?" Elijah drawls.
"I don't have a choice." Freya states. "She will never let me be free. My one chance is to align with you and kill her."
Klaus shrugs, not seeming convinced. "Well, now that we're all suitably motivated, let's talk specifics."
"For you to understand, I need to start from the beginning." Freya takes a deep breath before starting her tale. "After taking me from my family, Dahlia used me to forge a new brand of connective magic, one that augmented my power even as it allowed her to draw from me. Once we were bonded, Dahlia became unstoppable. She wasted no time proving her might. The chief of a nearby village threatened to run us off, accusing Dahlia of witchcraft. She decided to make an example out of the entire encampment-- men, women, children. She killed them all with a wave of her hand. That was my first inkling of the power Dahlia had. Over the course of a thousand years, she's only grown stronger. And she will bring all her power to bear against you when she comes for your child."
"Your stories are fascinating, and Dahlia does indeed sound dreadful, but Elijah and I have killed our fair share of evil witches." Klaus exclaims, before gesturing to Cullen. "Even lovely Cullen here has taken down her fair share of evil witches."
"Not like her." Freya shakes her head.
"What are her weaknesses?" Cullen questions, leaning forward in her seat.
"She's paranoid. Obsessed with power." Freya explains, nodding towards Cullen. "She would like you. She hungers constantly for what's been denied her, be it love, or revenge."
"Yes, I believe I'm familiar with the type." Elijah gives a knowing look towards Klaus, the hybrid smirking in response.
"When I was a child, she would tell me tales of her own youth, being victimized by those stronger than her. Dahlia vowed never to be weak again. She bargained for the firstborn of Esther's bloodline, intending to raise us in her own image, forming a coven of her own from which she could draw endless power. That plan was foiled the day she learned that Esther had ended her bloodline by turning her children into vampires." Freya continues. "And so the burden fell to me. Dahlia demanded that I bear the firstborn that would add to her power, but, I would not allow a child of mine to live as I did-- as a slave. So, I vowed never to love. Never to have a child of my own. Of course, the more I resisted, the harder Dahlia fought to control me. 'Til the day that she took the last of what little freedom I had left. And so we slept, our magic accruing over time. Until we woke, filled with immense power and allowed to live a single year of life. That has been the existence I've suffered for the last ten centuries."
The room is tense as they reel from Freya's story until Klaus lets out a laugh, shaking his head. "Well, that's quite the ordeal, isn't it? But, it does beg the question-- why not end it yourself? A high enough bridge, a tight enough noose? You must have considered it."
Freya closes her eyes in frustration. "Long ago, I did consider it. But, Dahlia would never give me even that freedom. I would later learn that the spell made me like her-- immortal and impervious to harm. So, you see, I am like you: a creature of great power, cursed for all time."
-
"What is going on?" Cullen whispers as she's pulled into the study, only to stop her complaining when she sees Rebekah, a worried look on the originals face. "What happened?"
"It was this witch, Eva." Rebekah explains. "The nocturnal cow is inside of me trying to bust her way out."
"Freya is waiting downstairs. Perhaps we shou--" Elijah begins only to be interrupted by Klaus.
"Have you lost your mind?" Klaus questions. "Tell me we're not considering opening our sister's head to someone we barely know."
"Nik, for God's sake, she is our sister! I've known her since she saved me from the Fauline Cottage." Rebekah exclaims.
"An act no doubt meant to secure your trust! Perhaps for this very moment, to strike when we are vulnerable." Klaus tries to persuade his family to see things the way he was seeing them. "No, we've no way of knowing that anything she said today is true."
Elijah sighs at his brothers resistance. "Niklaus, I understand your concern. Both of us are powerless to help our sister. Now, either we leave Rebekah to suffer, or we place our faith in the hands of someone I believe to be our blood. Right now, I'm inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to family."
With majority ruling Elijah went to fetch Freya, leaving Klaus to glare at Cullen and Rebekah. "You." Klaus points to Cullen. "I thought out of everyone you would be more cautious when it came to our daughter."
"Klaus." Cullen stops him. "I am cautious and I'm not saying I completely trust Freya, but I don't think she has bad intentions."
Before Klaus can respond Freya and Elijah enter the room. "Rebekah." Freya smiles, walking over to her sister. "It's good to see you again."
"And you." Rebekah sighs. "Although I'd prefer better circumstances."
"You needn't worry." Freya claims. "Elijah explained the problem, and I can help."
"Rather confident, aren't we?" Klaus mutters, obnoxiously loud.
"The spirit of the host body is powerful, but I can cast a spell. Put you in a deep sleep, and then suppress this other essence. You'll be just fine." Freya says, ignoring Klaus. The witch glances toward Cullen, a warm smile on her face. "With Cullen's help of course. Two witches are always better than one." Cullen smiles at Freya's words, getting the feeling that she was definitely not an enemy.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Klaus groans. "She spouts off some magical diagnosis, and some loving words and we are all supposed to applaud?"
"Nik, she's trying to help." Rebekah snaps.
"Yes, but for the sake of keeping our options open, why not write down your spells and incantations, that way we can have them double-checked by an impartial third party? Say, Cullen? Who knows what could happen if she performed the spell with her, dear sister Freya could do anything to her." Klaus exclaims.
"I would do nothing to harm, Cullen." Freya retorts, glancing towards the heretic. "She's as much my sister as Rebekah." Cullen's eyes widen at Freya's loaded statement, though she's not completely put off by it.
"Oh, look at you." Klaus continues to bait her. "You're just snatching up family members one by one."
"I knew it would be difficult to earn your trust, Niklaus. Your reputation precedes you." Freya states. Klaus smiles at her statement, proud of himself. "But, if we are to face Dahlia together, you will have to trust me. Given the peril that Rebekah now faces, are you truly incapable of giving me even a chance to prove myself?" When Klaus rolls his eyes Freya turns to Elijah. "I know I appear as an outsider, but I have dreamt of you all for a thousand years. Elijah-- when you were in Esther's womb, she would ask me to sing to you. I would feel her belly as I did. How you would kick. She would say it was as if Thor himself had raised his hammer--"
"And summoned thunder and lightning." Elijah finishes. The siblings smile at each other and it's obvious Freya has won Elijah over. "Mother rarely mentioned you, but when she did, she would say how enchanted you were with the prospect of my birth."
"How I wanted more brothers. And a sister-- more than anything." Freya states. "But between Esther and Dahlia, that wish was taken from me. I was ruined by those who raised me. If nothing else, at least we have that in common. There is nothing that can replace what was taken from us. But, I hope we can make something better in its place. All you have to do is trust me."
Before anyone can say anything, Klaus speeds over to Freya, breaking her neck. "Klaus." Cullen snaps, eyes wide as she wasn't expecting Klaus to make such a move.
"Nik!" Rebekah shouts, jumping up from her seat.
"Well, that's enough of that, don't you think?" Klaus smirks, ignoring Cullen and Rebekah. "Right. Now we can have a proper family meeting."
"Was that absolutely necessary?" Rebekah raises her voice.
Klaus scoffs. "Oh, please, she was insufferable."
Elijah points at Klaus angrily. "That was ridiculous, even for you."
"You've only just met her." Klaus stresses. "Let's not get sentimental. Besides, if she was telling the truth about being immortal, she'll awaken shortly. If she was lying, good riddance."
"Yes. Of course, if she wakes, she'll be willing to help us with unbridled enthusiasm." Elijah replies sarcastically.
"She played all three of you for fools. Can you not see that? She spins a sad yarn about a small child taken by an evil witch, and you all fall over yourselves to mend what's broken." Klaus exclaims.
"How can you be so certain?" Rebekah replies.
"Simple." Klaus shrugs. "It's exactly what I'd do. My only question now is, what's in it for her?"
"Well, whatever the truth may be, she's in no position to help us now." Elijah comments as they all look down to her unconscious body.
"Well, then we should try Marcel. Perhaps he's had luck on his end? Surely he's put in a better effort." Rebekah glares at Klaus before she walks out leaving the rest of them to deal with Freya.
-
After Rebekah had left Klaus hadn't given Elijah or Cullen anymore time to question Freya, instead he whisked her away. Cullen assumed he had taken the witch somewhere where he could personally dig into her traumatic past. She had just put Hope down for bed when he returned, obviously in a bad mood.
"Why don't you trust her?" Cullen questions quietly, entering Klaus' bedroom. He sighs, placing his drink down before turning to face her.
"I don't trust her because the rest of you do." Klaus responds causing Cullen to narrow her eyes at him. "If we all bloody trusted her and she betrayed us we would be on the losing team and Mikaelson's do not lose."
"I don't think that's it." Cullen shakes her head. "I think you're scared. Scared that you might have to let another person in. You might have to worry about another person you love."
"That is not it." Klaus states, gulping down his drink.
"She wants to help Hope. She wants to fight for our daughter." Cullen tries to sway his opinion of Freya.
"You know, I've spent all day with people who claim to be fighting for our daughter." Klaus snaps. "Some, I trust. Some, I do not. But, one thing is for sure-- there are only two people I trust when it comes to my child's safety, and that would be me and you. You and I will decide what is best for the outcome of our family and in the end if your decision does not aline with mine, it will not happen. You all seem to think that this is a democracy. I assure you, it is not. If Dahlia is coming, then she is a threat to my child, which means I decide how to protect her. No one else."
"I appreciate the consideration." Cullen bites back, anger radiating through her body as she glares at Klaus. "That you have graciously given me when it comes to thinking about what is best for our daughter, but let me remind you something Klaus. You may be the big bad hybrid, but I am and will always be more powerful than you." At her statement Cullen turns her back on him, exiting the room and leaving Klaus to think over her words.