WAR OF HEARTS ↠ KOL MIKAELSON [UNDER EDITING]

1:10

[ THE RISE: CHAPTER TEN ]

Here's an improved version with refined dialogue, pacing, and depth to the characters' emotions:

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[THE RISE: CHAPTER TEN]

Kol had left to see what his mother wanted—leaving Rhea and Davina to their own devices. Rhea was uneasy, her mind filled with worries about what Esther might demand of Kol. She knew better than anyone how his family dealt with disobedience.

"He'll be fine, Rhea. Don't worry," Davina reassured, sensing her friend's anxiety.

Rhea sighed, shaking her head. "You don't know how twisted Esther really is. She always gets what she wants, no matter the cost."

Davina's eyes softened with understanding. "You still love him, don't you?"

The question didn't need an answer—they both knew the truth. No matter how much had happened between them, Rhea Monroe would always be hopelessly, utterly in love with Kol Mikaelson.

"I never stopped," Rhea admitted, her voice quieter now. "But it hurts. This is the first time he's ever lied to me, and not over something small. He lied about something that shattered every bit of trust I had in him. And now, to see him bound by his mother's bidding... It drives me crazy. He could've been so much more if his family had just given him a chance."

Rhea's words spilled out before she could stop herself. Davina listened quietly, letting her vent.

"The Mikaelsons are complicated," Davina said gently. "But you've been given a second chance with him, Rhea. Don't wait too long to take it. Trust me, you never know when that chance might be taken away." She said it with the weight of someone who had experienced loss—her own love, Tim, taken from her before they had their second chance.

Rhea looked at her friend and smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "You know, Davina Claire, when I first met you, I thought you were just a girl with too much ambition. But you're the closest thing I've ever had to a best friend—apart from my brother." The admission surprised even herself, as Rhea wasn't one to open up easily.

"You had a brother?"

"Had. He was killed in the 1800s. Never knew who did it. Whoever it was, they used a witch to make sure I'd never find out." Rhea's voice faltered, the old wound still raw.

Davina reached for Rhea's hand, squeezing it tightly. "When this is over, we'll find whoever was behind it. I promise you that." Her eyes softened. "And you're not alone, Rhea. I've got your back. You're like the sister I never had."

Rhea's throat tightened with emotion. She could feel the tears welling up but blinked them away. "Thanks, Davina. But enough emotion for today. And don't you dare tell anyone I have a soft side. I'll rip your tongue out if you do."

Davina laughed, the tension in the air easing. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

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A text from Kol had summoned Rhea and Davina to a tomb she knew all too well. As they arrived, they saw Kol sitting outside the mausoleum, an athame in his hand, the atmosphere tense.

Rhea instinctively raised a hand, halting Davina. "What did your mother want from you?" Rhea's voice was guarded, her trust still hanging in the balance despite her earlier confessions to Davina.

Kol's expression hardened as he stood. "She wants me to take the stake you've been hiding in your bag and give it to her. So Klaus can't be killed before she gets her perfect little family."