The Originals - Revenant

Chapter 3

»»»-—1492, Yorkshire, England—-««

We were seated on the grass on top of a big white mantle. A willow tree gave us shade while we talked. Rebekah had insisted on having tea in the gardens and, while I didn't ever drink tea, it was such a lovely afternoon I couldn't refuse. She had tried to get me to, at least, eat some biscuits that she had compelled the cook to make for us, but I couldn't find my appetite anywhere. Even blood had become unappealing.

Ever since I killed the last witch that had belong to my old coven, I bowed that I wouldn't hurt any innocent ever again. My hands were already dripping with the blood of my first love. I refused to add more names to that list. I only ever drank the blood of people who wouldn't be missed: criminals and such. Niklaus had always entertained himself finding such people for me, but this time I couldn't even digest them. It was as if my stomach didn't care for it, as if it were already full.

At least being with Rebekah kept my mind away from dangerous thoughts. I was glad Niklaus hadn't daggered her, it would be quite dull to be without her. She was normally distracted by humans —male humans— and wasn't often home but, when she was, we would spend all that time together. Our relationship had grown incredibly strong over the years, to think that she had tried to convince Niklaus to leave me behind was bizarre. Now that would be unthinkable. We would die for each other.

It was nice to have a family like this, even if I had tried to get away from them once or twice. On those rare moments, I knew I had to leave for a while, to get a hold of myself and try to get rid of a feeling I had become quite familiar with: guilt. It would always come whenever I was truly happy, whenever I was with my family. It would form a knot on my insides and would only disappear when I walked away from the Mikaelsons. It kept me up at night and forbid me from eating. But this time it had to be different, I wouldn't give them up. I needed my family. So this time there was going to be no guilt. This feeling that had taken my body hostage would subside soon, it had to, I was sure.

This time it had to be different.

Rebekah had done most of the talking throughout the evening but I didn't mind it. I was the better listener of the two anyways. She was very excited, rambling on and on about the ball that was to come in a couple of days.

Surprisingly, Elijah had decided to throw a party to introduce me to society, and as a Mikaelson, no less. I was shocked when Niklaus told me about Elijah's plans. I thought he had never truly seen me as part of his family but, somehow, that notion had changed. I believed it had been all thanks to Rebekah and Niklaus.

Rebekah, even if she had been unsure about me at the beginning, had been the first one to accept me into the Mikaelson family after I was turned —not counting Niklaus, who had seen me as a sister way before. Being the only two girls really pushed us together, even if we didn't want it, and we became good friends over the years. I didn't know if Finn cared much of me, but he had confided in me once or twice before Niklaus put him to sleep, so I guessed I was in his good graces. And Kol, even if he was a terrible influence on me, was a good friend. But our times together would never last long. Niklaus daggered Kol every time he did something that upset him, and Finn hadn't been un-daggered for almost three centuries now.

Elijah, on the other hand, had never paid me much heed. I always supposed he saw me more as a liability than a sister. But that must have changed after seeing how much Nik and Bekah cared for me, maybe he was starting to think I was a worthy addition to the family.

"I already have the dress and —oh, Beyla—, it's beautiful!" Rebekah pulled me out of my thoughts.

"I'm not entirely sure about attending the party, Bekah," I said casually, "I don't want that kind of attention on me."

Being officially a Mikaelson meant officially inheriting their list of enemies, including Mikael. I didn't think he even knew I was alive. I didn't think I wanted him to. He knew as I did that, if it wasn't for me, Henrik would still be alive and, maybe, his family would have continued their simple and happy life. Furthermore, I wanted to take things slow, maybe that way I wouldn't get so anxious as to want to leave. Again. And I didn't think that having a party on my behalf qualified as taking things slow.

Rebekah's eyes widened wildly when she heard me utter my response. "You are going," she stated and grinned, "It wouldn't be right to host a party without the special guest."

I chuckled and she smiled victorious, sipping her tea. My stomach turned when she ate one of the biscuits, I couldn't even think of eating. And when she downed it with tea I had to look away. How could she drink that poison?

I licked my lips. Elijah had told me once or twice over the years that my problem was not with the beverage, but with what it represented to me: a part of my past that started with a poisoned sip. He had told me to let it go, to finally bury that memory but how could I? Henrik —my dear, lovely Henrik— was part of those memories and still, four hundred years later, I was not prepared to let him go. He had been the first person to see me as a human, not just a means to an end. He had cared for me, confided in me, and loved me. I couldn't, I wouldn't let him go just yet.

"Katerina will be there," Bekah said after a while. I glanced at her, she would only mention that if she didn't like it.

"So?" I asked.

I didn't mind Katerina. I was trying not to talk to her much anyway, she was bound to die soon and I didn't want to get attached. Even if I was happy for Niklaus, as her death meant he would be able to access his werewolf side, deep down I pitied the new doppelgänger. She seemed so innocent and hopeful, it was a shame she was going to die just for a spell.

"So," Rebekah continued as if it were obvious, "I don't want her there. Nik always leaves her alone and either poor Elijah steps up or I end up being her company." She took the teacup to her lips and whispered, "And I don't like her."

I chucked. "You don't have to like her, Bekah. Nik will kill her in a couple of weeks and you will never see her again."

She nodded with a contented grin but then I saw her: Katerina. She gasped in horror from behind the tree and the knot on my stomach tightened, I simply froze. Rebekah reacted on instinct and flashed in front of her, grabbed her by the arms and looked into her eyes. Then their pupils started to widen, Rebekah was compelling her.

"Forget what you just heard," Rebekah said, "You took a stroll, heard us talking about the ball and you left."

"I took a stroll, heard you talking about the ball and then left," Katerina repeated numbly and she would believe that wholeheartedly.

"Good girl, on you go," Rebekah commanded with a cheeky smile and she let her go. Katerina started to back away and then she walked quickly towards the house.

I followed her with my eyes as she left, my body relaxed a little but I couldn't shake the sudden feeling that I was doing something bad. Rebekah had dropped her cup to the ground and the liquid was now soaking the mantelpiece we were on.

"You ought to be more careful, Beyla," she scolded me from where she stood.

"She is a sneaky one," I said ignoring her warning, "She would make a fantastic vampire."

Rebekah didn't take my comment too well, though. She just kept to her side of the conversation.

"Your boldness will be your undoing, sister," she sighed and signalled some servants to come to clean the mess while we stood up and prepared to go back inside. They came running and started to take the food and small crockery away.

I chuckled, it was sweet of her to care. "Do not worry about me, Bekah," I said. I looked through my lashes to see Katerina already on the door of the mansion, she stopped, turned to us and got in shaking her head, probably confused with what had just happened.

"I would never do anything completely stupid," I said, not taking my eyes off the brunette. The feeling in my gut started to subside.

A fantastic vampire, indeed, I thought.

»»———— - - - ————««

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