Red Queen ▻ The Originals [1]

7

    "The city of New Orleans... people of all stripes and flavors from all over the country come here to party on our streets. Some are just looking for fun... some are looking for something a little darker, more dangerous. So, we invite them into my home and we give it to them. Then, at the stroke of midnight, everything changes, and it's time to feed."

  Marcel, Klaus, and Ophelia walked through the compound together and stopped when they they reached the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. The three of them watched as Ophelia and Marcel's vampires feed ravenously on the humans, who attended the party, all of scream in terror as they did so.

"This is how we keep our guys happy: the occasional, all-you-can-eat buffet." Ophelia explained and Klaus couldn't but notice her native French accent showing a bit since the first time he saw after his return to the city. It was faint but he could still notice it, "The night-walkers especially love it. We've got 'em working hard, trying to earn one of those tacky daylight rings."

Ophelia smiled at she pointed over at Marcel's finger, which harbored one of them, "They deserve to blow off a little steam. Our day-walkers, the trusted few–they just like the party." Marcel added in and Ophelia couldn't help but laugh.

  "That kind of reminds me of a certain someone, doesn't it?" Ophelia commented as she lightly elbowed Marcel, clearly referring to him.

"I'm pretty sure there's a person who loves to party just as much," Marcel replied, laughing as he placed his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, which caused the female to let
out a large laugh as he did so.

   Ophelia quickly kissed him before she stood in front of him with her back pressed against his clothed chest. He wrapped his arms securely around her waist and rested his head on her right shoulder.

  Klaus rolled his eyes at the two and turned his head to notice a crest of some sort engraved on the stone wall below: it included the 'M' monogram, as well as a coiled serpent.

  "It's quite an operation. Tell me–what about the victims? Seems like a lot of graves to dig." Klaus spoke up, clearly trying to change the subject.

  "Can't kill 'em all. Too many folks go missing, tourism drops." Marcel replied calmly, "So, we heal them with a little vamp blood, erase their memory, send them on their way-no muss, no fuss."

  "I'm impressed." Klaus commented.

   "Nothing I didn't learn from you back in the day." Marcel told him as Thierry, one of Marcel's vampires, approached the two.

  "Marcel." Thierry spoke up, causing Marcel to turn and face him. He removed his hands from being around Ophelia's waist and walked over to the vampire.

"'Sup, Thierry?" Marcel replied curiously.

"Six of our guys were killed in a bar outside of the Quarter. Night-walkers. No one saw who." Thierry informed her in hushed tone, but loud enough for Ophelia to hear from her spot next to Klaus without having to have vampire hearing. 

  While Marcel received this news, Klaus immediately looked away. Ophelia could tell that isn't Klaus, causing her to groan, "Rebekah." She muttered under her breath, which Klaus was able to hear, "The blonde bitch is back."

_______

That night, Klaus decided to have Ophelia meet the werewolf girl named Hayley that he had knocked up. He, for some reason, knew he could trust Ophelia. He knew she wouldn't tell Marcel about Hayley, it would jeopardize the girl's life and no matter who cold and merciless Ophelia had become over the century, she would never let herself be the cause of someone of her own blood die.

The two hybrids pulled up to the Governor from the nineteenth century's old home. Ophelia had been informed by Klaus that that was where he had been living technically with Hayley and formerly Elijah, who had been recently daggered by Klaus and handed over to Marcel.

  Once Klaus turned off the car and got out of the car, Ophelia was about to open the door on her own, only to have Klaus vamp speed over to her side and open the passenger side door for her.

Ophelia frowned at this, but then shrugged. She frowned even more when Klaus held out her hand to help her out. She scoffed, pushing his hand out of the way as she got out, "This isn't the eighteenth or nineteenth century anymore, Klaus. Women don't need help doing everything." She commented and Klaus playfully rolled his eyes, leading her up to the house.

"Last time I checked, you were never one to need help from a man and whenever you were offered it, you immediately declined it." Klaus replied as he opened the front door to the mansion, "Hayley! We have a guest!"

Ophelia watched as a brunette female walked down the stairs. Ophelia's shut tightly as she felt the feeling that she got when around someone of her same werewolf bloodline.

She opened them and her eyes widened in shock when she realized who Hayley was exactly. The girl who she and Marcel had saved in the nineties after her parents were slaughtered by their own people.

"Andrea Labonair." She muttered to herself, which caused Klaus to frown at her.

Klaus turned to Hayley as he placed his hand on Ophelia's lower back, leading her toward Hayley, "Hayley, this is Ophelia. Ophelia, this is Hayley."

"Wait, this is the hybrid girl who Elijah seems to not like?" Hayley asked concerned, "The one who is Queen of New Orleans alongside Marcel, your old friend?"

Klaus looked down at the ground, worried about what comment Ophelia was going to say. Instead, the female hybrid turned to Klaus instead of Hayley like he had expected, "I had a feeling Elijah didn't like me. Especially after the time where he walked in on us on the balcony when you were about to—" Ophelia began to explain, causing Klaus to grin while Hayley looked disgusted.

"Please, do not finish that sentence! Please!" Hayley pleaded with her, which made Ophelia laugh.

"Don't worry, I was kidding." Ophelia assured her and Hayley sighed in relief.

"Uh, no you weren't." Klaus spoke up and Ophelia sighed as she turned to Klaus, giving her a glare.

"She didn't need to know that." Ophelia whispered to him and Hayley couldn't help but smile at her.

"You know what? I don't know what Elijah was saying when he told me to stay clear of both you and Marcel," Hayley commented, "You actually seem pretty cool."

"No, no, no," Klaus began to correct the werewolf girl, "What Elijah meant was you have to worry about when Ophelia and Marcel are together," he stated and Ophelia raised a brow at him, "You should have seen them! They were all over each other, I thought Ophelia was going to drop her knickers in front of me and those vampires!"

Klaus' tone made both girls know that he was joking with them, causing Ophelia to scoff as she rolled her eyes, "Who even says knickers anymore,
Klaus. It's called underwear nowadays." She corrected him and Klaus smirked at her as she playfully slapped him on the chest.

"It was good to meet you, Hayley." Ophelia told the female as she began to walk toward the lounge room with Klaus following close behind.