Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Vampire Diaries
August 10, 1864
Veritas Estate, Mystic Falls, Virginia
The days are long and hot this summer, which, apart from the weather, is much different from the last. Stefan is home from the Boys' Academy and I have able to write to Damon quite frequently. I find that I am enjoying this summer more than the last.
That wouldn't be all too hard a feat to achieve.
Because Stefan has graduated, this means that I have had a riding partner for the long months of the heat. Although, I will admit that I'd rather it if Damon was here. Then I would have someone to talk to about my disgrace – it has almost been a year since it ended, which is surprising and a little sad for me.
Damon, my eldest brother, is twenty-four and enlisted in the General Groom's army, which is stationed in Atlanta at the moment. He hasn't been home in a long time and I worry about him. After all, what would I do without my overprotective, slightly arrogant, handsome brother?
Father and Damon don't get along very well, but that is not a surprise; Father values propriety and honour above all else, even family. That was proven last year, after my disgrace. This is why I know I can tell Damon, and not Stefan. Damon would understand, would be mad at Father. He might even try to help me get Angelina back. But Stefan, my dear, sweet older brother Stefan, would not condemn me for it, but find it hard to comprehend what I have done.
However, I fear that I will either not strike up the courage to tell my closest friend my darkest, most well-kept secret, or that I will be dead before I can. A sinking in my stomach tells me that I subconsciously think the latter is more likely.
I must leave; Stefan and I are to go on a picnic later on. It has been a while since we have had a picnic. I am loath to miss it.
T
November 5, 2009
Old Veritas Estate, Mystic Falls, Virginia
The girl looked to be about sixteen or so. She was obviously the only thing out of place in the forest: the rest looked natural, whereas she was an oddity to its scene. Her hair was dark blonde, bound up in a curly ponytail with a thin, well-stretched hair tie. The girl's cheekbones were high and prominent, her jawline somewhat stronger than most. Her nose was small, but aristocratic, and she held herself with an air that leaked confidence and poise.
Her name was Allegra.
She stared down at the handwriting that covered the old, weathered page; her handwriting, from over one hundred years ago. Allegra smiled at the still somewhat childish thoughts recorded in the diary. It was hard to believe that a sixteen year old was as naïve as she was then in eighteen-sixty-four, despite her wild indiscretions that her father, Giuseppe Salvatore, went to great lengths to keep hushed from everyone, including her own brothers.
The teens of present day America were much worse than she was: sex before the age of fourteen was common, alcohol was consumed well over five years before the legal age and teen pregnancy was a regular occurrence. Teenagers' attitude made her look positively saintly as a human.
Heck, she was saintly for a vampire too! She'd only killed, what, twenty or so people in her one hundred and forty-five years as a member of the blood-drinking undead? Her number was probably less than that. After all, she had impeccable control, unlike a certain ripper relative of hers that she'd been watching for the past two decades.
A certain ripper relative that she was about to see for the first time in a long, long time.
Luckily for the surrounding humans, her 'ripper' relative – her brother, Stefan – was a recovering blood addict that had been stopped and rehabilitated by a friend of hers, Lexi, who owed her a big favour. His rehab had taken a lot of twists and turns in the past few years, but Lexi had kept Allegra informed (very discreetly, of course, because Stefan would freak out if her knew she was actually alive) on his recovery. Apparently, Stefan was on the animal blood diet.
Allegra had tried that a few years ago in the sixties, and it had not been successful at all. She swore that she was still trying to get the goat's blood out of her system to this day.
She was currently standing in the ruins of her old home, standing in the dirt, a shovel thrown carelessly beside her and a small hole in the ground in front of her. A small wooden chest, braced with faded, rusty iron, lay open at her feet, displaying numerous leather-bound books and trinkets, like a heavy, golden locket, a string of pearls and a few very old photographs. One of the books from the collection, the very last one, was the book she was reading from.
These were Allegra's old diaries that she'd buried in eighteen-sixty-four, after she'd been fed vampire blood (by a friendly vampire called Henna), then killed (by her brothers' infatuation, Katherine). She started on the next entry, which was placed two or so weeks after the last.
T
August 21, 1864
Veritas Estate, Mystic Falls, Virginia
We have a visitor at Veritas Estate. Her name is Katherine Pierce, and she has come to us in great need of hospitality, for her parents have recently died in a fire at her home in Atlanta. Father is not one to leave an orphan, no matter the age, without a place of residence. Katherine will be staying with us in Mystic Falls at the carriage house for the rest of the year, at least.
Stefan is already intrigued by her in a more than friendly way. I do not understand this: although Katherine is stunning and very polite and kind, he knows he is to be wedded to Rosalyn Cartwright by the end of the season. Father has already given him the ring.
I felt sad when I found out this. Rosalyn is a nice girl, but is rather drab and somewhat unintelligent company, despite being when rehearsed in Latin, Greek and English (I, myself, am privileged with the knowledge of, not only these basic languages, but French, Italian and Spanish as well). The ring is Mama's, a beautiful band made in Italy. I do not think Rosalyn deserves this ring.
She doesn't deserve my brother, either.
I know that Father has done this to punish me, too. He has seen that I am much happier with Stefan around than I was before and he does not like it. Although I hate his methods, I would agree with them if I were a mother.
A proper one, that is, who had not had their child out of wedlock.
Katherine has taken to talking to me when we pass in the gardens, but sometimes I feel afraid of her. Only this morning, she and I had a stimulating conversation on the playwright, Shakespeare, and I felt no fear of her. When I passed her ten minutes ago, as I was heading to my chambers, I did feel that terror she sometimes strikes in me. I cannot make heads nor tails of it, so, for the time being, I shall do nothing but wait. I might tell Father of my feelings on this subject if it gets worse, but knowing him like I do, it will not incite kind feelings towards me.
T
Allegra smirked; ah, the irony of her apparently 'irrational' fear'. It made so much more sense now. Inwardly, she giggled, then went onto the next entry.
T
September 1, 1864
Veritas Estate, Mystic Falls, Virginia
I take back all the nasty things I have written about Rosalyn Cartwright, for now I feel ghastly. Rosalyn is dead! At her own engagement party! Here is what happened:
I was talking to Damon (who is now back from the army – thank God for that!) and waiting for Stefan and Rosalyn to appear at the door. I had a feeling the latter was likely to turn up, but I wasn't too sure about my brother. I thought he was locked up in Father's study.
I saw, out of the corner of my eye, a slight blur. I mentioned it to Damon, who waved off my comments with a rolled of his icy blue eyes.
Not a minute later, we heard a yell from the front yard; one that sounded horribly familiar to both Damon and I. Damon's face went pale, and he told me to stay where I was. I didn't listen. I wish I had.
Rosalyn Cartwright was laid on the floor like a grisly doll, her throat torn out, eyes wide open. I found it terrifying that it was by the willow tree that Stefan and Damon used to climb when we were little – they would never let me join, of course. It scared me that something that was once so innocent was the sight of a death so violent.
Stefan was there, his eyes wide. It was obvious that he had been the one to find her. Dr Janes hauled him up by his armpits and Mr Harris and Mr Fisher helped lead him to the porch of the servant's quarters. Dr Janes told me to fetch Cordelia, our old nanny, but there was no need. She was already there, a goblet of one of her remedies ready to be drunk.
Stefan insisted he was alright but I knew that he was lying.
It was so terrifying. To think, it could've been any of us! The town is blaming a coyote, but the marks in her neck … that was not caused by a coyote. And if it was a coyote, why would it leave her corpse there? Something is off about this report and I intend to get to the bottom of it.
T
The Salvatore girl rolled her eyes. She remembered the day she got to the bottom of that mess very well. In fact, she was certain she had chronicled that part too…
T
September 5, 1864
Veritas Estate, Mystic Falls, Virginia
Katherine and Henrietta Pierce are vampires!
You may not know of Henrietta yet, for I have only just met her myself. The Pierce twins explained everything: how Henna was in more danger than Katherine, so she pretended to be Katherine at times, how both girls were turned into vampires when they were very young, at the precious age of seventeen.
Henna and I spend a lot of time talking in my chambers. We are good friends: she has confessed to me of her love of Damon, and I am well-pleased by this. She also revealed that every time 'Katherine' rendezvous' with Damon, it is actually Henna who meets him. I asked her if he was aware of this: she answered that he wasn't aware of her vampire secret, but she would tell him, soon.
You know that feeling I said I got around Katherine sometimes? Well, the times when that feeling is not present is when Henna is around. Henna is the sweet, loving twin who is somewhat crazy, to an extent, and Katherine is the manipulative, vicious one. I stay away from Katherine when I can.
Allegra's eyes darkened in memory.
But Stefan cannot, and neither can Damon, it seems. Both of my brothers seem intent on winning her affections, despite the recent happenings of Mystic Falls. They have drifted apart in their friendship slightly, already, I can tell. I just hope that Henna tells Damon of her real name before they destroy their friendship.
T
By the point that Allegra got to this sentence, she was shaking her head slightly, knowing that both Salvatores' were beyond the point of no return. They were, perhaps, past that point by the time that she had written that entry.
Suddenly annoyed, she skipped the next few pages to the very last entry of the book. It was written in a slightly shaky hand and there were faded letters on the page where teardrops had evidently fallen.
Taking in a deep breath, Allegra read…
T
September 27, 1864
Mystic Falls, Virginia
I am one of them.
The night before last, Henna fed me her blood – after my hand got broken when my horse bolted – and Katherine interrupted us, blood dripping down her chin. We were shocked to see her in such a state, but soon, I was beyond caring, because she raced across the room and snapped my neck in two. At least, that's what Henna says.
I awoke not long after at night-time. I was lying on a bed in an odd sort of cottage in the middle of the forest. Henna was sitting next to me. She explained what had happened to me, and explained that, to live, I had to drink a human's blood. I cried for a long time after that, for I was not ready to die, but I did not want to be a vampire either. Henna was sympathetic and asked me what my decision was. I told her that it was to become a vampire. I wanted more time. She went out and brought a human to me later and I drank their blood.
Later on in the night, we heard gunshots. Henna told me to remain quiet, which I did so without question. Soon enough, the shots were over and we retired back into the house. We talked about what was going to happen.
Henna wanted me to come with her on the next leg of her journey. After a slight pondering, I agreed. She then told me what I had to do to be safe in our journeys and I obliged. After all, it would not be good at all if her enemies came after my family for vengeance.
We leave before dawn tomorrow.
T
November 5, 2009
New Salvatore House, Mystic Falls, Virginia
"You missed," came the voice from inside the house. Allegra's eyes widened: it was Damon's. He sounded slightly out of breath.
"No," answered another voice from inside the house – Stefan. "You saved my life. I'm sparing yours. We're even." There was an odd, squelching sort of sound. Allegra recognised it as someone stabbing a vampire. Oh shit, she thought. "And now we're done."
She didn't give it a second's thought; in the same instant that Stefan told Damon this, she was using her Powers to wrench open the door, run up the stairs and appear in the same room as the voices of her brothers. Both looked to her as she stood in the doorway, one brother standing upright, the other leaned against the wall. Both of their jaws were dropped in a comical way that would've had Allegra laughing if not for the stake protruding from Damon's stomach.
"Now, now," she said in a falsely cheery voice, "no fighting now, boys. After all, we wouldn't want anyone to get hurt now, would we?"
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