After A Thousand Years | Esther Mikaelson

Chapter Three

 "I'm sure you're all wondering," Elisabet went on, "Why I chose to make such an appearance. I wanted to surprise my cousins in the best way possible." She smiled up at them. "I know my visit will go splendidly. Everyone, please continue with your festivities."

 "Well, well, well," she heard from above. "Cousin Lise, after all this time. What's it been, four hundred years since the last time you bothered to show your face?"

 "About five hundred," she corrected. "Lovely to see you as well, Niklaus. So nice to see how well you remembered me. And here I thought you had forgotten me, since you didn't even invite me to your party."

 Klaus smiled. "I suppose I would have, but I thought perhaps you had slithered off under a rock somewhere after I killed my father. You were always so dependent on him, weren't you?"

 "Why would I slither under a rock," Elisabet asked, "When a much better idea was to seek you out? I wanted to find you so I could make sure you know exactly how I feel." She took a step up and gave him a serious look. "Your siblings seem to have forgiven you, but don't think that I will. The fact that you murdered both of your parents shows what a terrible person you let yourself become, and someday karma will come back and bite you. That or Mikael's ghost, and I personally hope it's Mikael's ghost. Oh, and it's so nice to see you all, too," she said to the others, who were beginning to cluster around Klaus, as if to keep him from leaping down the stairs and attacking her.

 She turned to look at Esther. "Well, it's been a long time, hasn't it, Esther? And here I thought I would never see your face again. But unlike your son up there, I don't mind seeing your face."

 Her sudden arrival had clearly taken the Mikaelson matriarch by surprise,  as she didn't seem to have any idea what to say.

 "Um, can we...go talk outside?" Elisabet asked. "In private?"

 Esther nodded. "Yes. Yes, I think we should."

 She led Elisabet away from the party and out onto the grounds.

 "I didn't expect you to be here tonight," Esther said. "I didn't forget you, of course. I wanted to seek you out, but I didn't even know where to start."

 "And you didn't even know if I was still alive."

 "That, too. But I am happy to see you, Lise."

 "It's Elisabet," she said sharply, pained at hearing Mikael's nickname for her. "And I originally came here to find out what happened to Mikael. We were supposed to meet...he never came back. I came here to see how Niklaus was enjoying his freedom. Clearly not much, now that you're here."

 "I don't know if Niklaus feels guilty for what he did to me," Esther said. "He and I have not spoken much since my return. But I have no time for such sentimental things, anyway. I have a plan to go through with, and if I had known for certain that you were still alive..." She trailed off there.

 "What?" Elisabet furrowed her brow. "Esther, are you planning something? You're planning something and you left me out of it?"

 "No," she said quickly. "I...just wanted to find you. None of my children had heard from you in years, and after what happened to Mikael, I wanted to know that you were alive."
 
 Elisabet nodded. "Oh. Well, I understand. You don't seem very upset that Mikael is gone."

 "Mikael and I had already been separated for over a thousand years," Esther pointed out. "I already grieved as much as I could. Tell me, Elisabet, how are you handling it?"

 "I'm...handling it," she answered, because she really didn't know how to describe what she felt. "Um, if there's nothing else...you should probably go back to the party."

 "You're not coming back in?"

 Elisabet shook her head. "I think I've already caused enough problems with my arrival. You should just enjoy the rest of the party. It was stupid of me to do that, I know. I'll be fine. Goodnight, Esther."

 "Wait, Li-Elisabet. Where are you staying? How long are you going to be in Mystic Falls for?"

 She shrugged. "I don't know. I really don't know what I'm doing. I...do hope I'll see you soon, Esther." 

 Esther nodded and gave her a kind smile. "I hope so, too. I missed you, Elisabet."

 Elisabet watched her leave, slightly tempted to run after her.

 She could still remember now the day she first met Esther, when Mikael told he was going to marry her, that she would be part of their family. Esther had given her the kindest smile and said she was happy to be joining their family.

 She was the most beautiful woman Elisabet had ever set eyes on.