AN: I do not own TVD or TO. This is a spin off from my other story Dealing with the Hybrids. It focuses on the backstory of Lexa.

Far warning this first chapter includes smut that might be triggering to some readers. it's located under the line labeled 1700.

there are no vampire diary characters in here yet. this first chapter is just the introduction to her life.


1684

Screams ripped through her throat. Each contraction seemed to tear through her body. Giulia was certain she was going to split down the middle any moment. She could make out the sound of hushed voices praying in the next room.

Fear gripped her. This was the most dangerous thing she had ever done. It was the most dangerous thing she could ever do.

Gabriel had wanted children for years. For years he had asked her. He had begged her to stop taking the herbs.

"One more push, sister," Sylvie encouraged.

"You said that before," Giulia sobbed. She cursed herself for ever listening to her husband.

"I mean it this time," Sylvie smiled, "I can see the head."

Giulia gritted her teeth and grasped the rope that had been hung over the bed. With everything she had in her she bore down. She felt the charms that had been placed on her belly roll off of her and unto the bed. She grunted from the exertion.

A loud wail filled the room. Giulia fell back against the bed as small contractions continued to move through her abdomen; they were less painful now that the child was out.

"Would you like to hold her?" Sylvie cut the cord and stood with the child.

"Her?" Giulia felt tears fill her eyes. Exhaustion caught up with her. A tiny sob tore through her throat as the child was placed in her arms. "Hello, ninita…"

Sylvie perched on the side of the birthing bed. "What's wrong?"

"He wanted a boy," Giulia hiccupped.

"I told you months ago it was a girl," Sylvie smiled. "Didn't you tell him?"

"Of course," she murmured as she dropped a kiss to the baby's head. "He never put much stock in the craft though." Giulia had actually stopped practicing after her marriage.

"Ah," Sylvie laughed, "he was holding out hope for a boy."

Giulia nodded. "She's perfect, though."

"And she'll be very powerful one day," Sylvie laid her hand over her nieces torso. "I can sense it."

"Let's just hope he's not disappointed," Giulia swallowed.

"If he is there is always next time," Sylvie nodded decisively.

"I'm not doing that again," Giulia lifted her eyes from her daughter.

"They all say that," Sylvie shrugged.

"Not everyone has the power to ensure it," Giulia quipped.

"Fair enough," Sylvie moved to take the baby.

"What are you doing?" Giulia tightened her hold.

"I was going to clean her."

Reluctantly she passed the baby back to her sister.


Giulia held her daughter in her arms and rested against the pillows Sylvie had arranged behind her. She waited with baited breath as the door opened and Gabriel crossed over the threshold to stand by her head.

"Is this our…"

"Daughter," Giulia moved the blanket back from her face.

"Daughter?" He took a seat on the edge of their bed. He blinked when his wife placed the small bundle in his arms. "She has your nose," he smiled and ran his finger over the baby's face.

"You're not disappointed?"

"How could I be?" Gabriel glanced up from the child in his arms. "You've given me a child. Have you named her?"

"Yes," Giulia sat up and cupped the baby's head. "Her name is Alexandria."

"My beautiful little Alexa," he breathed. His voice was so soft the first 'a' was barely audible.


1689

She ran her fingers over the smooth fabric and traced the tiny flower petals. She loved this dress. It was her favorite dress. Whenever mama wore it she was reminded of spring.

Mama hadn't worn the dress in months. She hadn't worn anything aside from her nightgown.

"Lexa, ninita?" A soft voice called from upstairs. "Where are you?"

"Coming, papa," Lexa pushed the fabric back into the basket. Her blond curls slipped from the ribbons at the back of her head as she skipped up the stairs and ran into her papa's arms.

"Where have you been ninita?" He smiled and brushed back her curls.

"I was picking flowers for Mama," Lexa grinned. She held up the handful of daisies. "Will she like them?"

"She'll love them."

Lexa tilted her head and frowned. Her papa's smile didn't reach his eyes. Usually his eyes would sparkle with his smiles, but today his green eyes were sad.

"What's wrong, papa?" She took his hand and followed him into the bedroom.

"Nothing, 'Lexa," he squeezed her fingers. "Come see your mama."

Lexa held her breath when she saw her mama. She sat propped against the headboard; her cheeks were unnaturally red. Aunt Sylvie was holding a cup to her lips.

"Mama," Lexa's bottom lip quivered.

"Ninita," Giulia held out her hand. "Come," she patted the side of the bed. She smiled gratefully when Gabriel lifted their daughter onto the bed. "Did you bring me flowers?"

"Yes," Lexa lifted the daisies, "to make you feel better."

"Thank you," Giulia smiled weakly. She took the flowers and lifted them to her nose. "Did papa tell you these are my favorite?"

Lexa shook her head. She had just known… sometimes she just knew things. She saw her aunt cast an angry look towards her papa. "Tia? Are you mad at Papa?"

"No," Sylvie shook her head. "Of course not, ninita."

"Sylvie," Giulia murmured. She had caught the edge in her sister's voice. "Not now, please." She turned to her daughter.

"Will you pick flowers with me tomorrow, Mama?" Lexa sat up on her knees and held her hands in front of her. "It will be time to swim soon, too."

"I don't think so," Giulia shook her head.

"Are you still sick?" Lexa frowned. "Can't Tia make you better?"

"Not this time," Giulia blinked back a few tears.

"Is the baby sick too?" Lexa placed her hand on Giulia's stomach.

"No," Sylvie shook her head. "You need your rest Giulia," she gave her sister a pointed look.

"I need to spend time with my daughter," Giulia returned the look. She turned to Lexa and smiled gently. "Tell me what you've been doing," she commanded, "are the flowers out yet."

Lexa nodded before falling beside her on the bed. She described every flower in their garden in vivid detail until her mother had fallen asleep.

Three days later Lexa took up refuge in that garden when the screaming started. She started tearing the flowers from the ground to make a bouquet for her mama.

The stems of the daisies bent in her tiny hands when she walked back into the house and saw her aunt arguing with her papa.

"Where's mama?" Lexa's shoulders drooped. Her knees shook as she approached. Dropping the flowers she curled her fingers in Sylvie's skirts.


1699

Lexa was fourteen years old when papa died. Her step mother had been left in charge of her care, and had immediately started making plans for her wedding.

"It's ridiculous," Sylvie tossed herbs into the canvas bag. "Absolutely ridiculous. What is that woman thinking."

Lexa busied her hands by grinding the herbs. "I'm of marriageable age, Tia," she shifted her arm to add more pressure to the pestle.

"You are too young," Sylvie poured the herbs into a bowl. "Fifteen is too young to be having babies."

"I'll be sixteen when I'm wed," Lexa tucked a wayward curl into her braid.

"That's not much better," Sylvie grumbled. "Ninita," she cupped Lexa's cheeks, "if I didn't know better I would think you wanted to marry. Or is it just that you wish to leave your stepmother?"

Lexa shrugged off her aunt's hands. "I'm not a child anymore, Tia," she grumbled. "Mama was married at sixteen. Maria was seventeen when she married Papa."

"A twenty-seven year old woman has no business arranging your marriage," Sylvie placed her hands on her hips. "She is little more than a child herself."

"Tia," Lexa reached for the purple flowers, "from all accounts Emiliano Acosta is a good man. I would be well taken care of."

"He is ten years your senior, Lexa," she shook her head. "Your mother…"

"Mama has been gone ten years," Lexa blinked back her tears. She ground the flower petals into a dense powder.

"Thinner," Sylvie leaned over to inspect her work. "If you are poisoning a vampire you want the vervain to dissolve completely."

"Yes, Tia," she nodded.


1700

Lexa fingered the square in her hand as she eyed the bed. The embroidered petals tickled her thumbs. To say she was nervous was an understatement. She worried her lip and turned to face the door when it opened to admit her new husband.

"Has someone told you what to expect?" Emiliano nodded to the bed while taking a drink from his glass.

"Yes," Lexa twisted the silver band around her finger.

"Good," he drained the wine and crossed the floor to stand in front of her. As he walked he kicked off his shoes and untied the laces.

Lexa swallowed when the breeches hit the floor with a soft thump. His waist coat and cravat followed. By the time he was standing in front of her he was standing in his shirt.

"Turn around," he instructed. When she didn't move immediately his hand shot out.

She winced when her arm was pulled in his strong grip; she spun around quickly and took a shaky breath when the laces from her dress were pulled. A shiver raced down her spine when she was left in her corset and her shift. She moved faster this time. Her fingers were loosening the whalebone corset when she spun back to face him. She made quick work of them and lifted the corset over her head.

"Lay down," he guided her backwards.

Lexa nodded and slid into the centre of the bed. Her head swam when he laid on top of her and she smelt the wine on his breath.

He lifted the shift around her hips and spread her thighs wide.

Lexa gasped. Her head fell back against the pillows as he thrust inside of her. She squeezed her eyes shut and dug her teeth into her lip to suppress her shriek. She couldn't remember ever feeling so uncomfortable in her life.

After a few minutes of hard thrusting she grew wet enough that some of the pain eased. And by that she meant it didn't feel like she was going to split in two.

She wasn't sure how long it went on for, all she knew was that she wanted to be anywhere else in that moment.

Later after he had fallen asleep she rolled her hips experimentally. There was a persistent ache between her legs and a red stain on her thighs.


She swallowed her tears and braced her hands on the dresser. Two weeks of marriage had not made taking him any easier, but at least she had stopped bleeding. Her body seemed to anticipate what was happening and worked to help. Even so it was painful.

At least in this position, bent forward while standing up, he was easier to take.


Three weeks into her marriage he told her she would start working in the tavern. It was nice to have a distraction, although she did miss spending time in her aunt's garden.

There was a garden in the back of the tavern, but it lacked any herbs that she could use. The flowers had been chosen by Emiliano's sister; they had been chosen for their beauty rather than their usefulness.

The only useful herb she could find was vervain and even that was useless in the small tavern. Vampires didn't travel this far out of the city. She had not seen one since leaving Madrid, and she doubted she ever would again.

She jumped when Emiliano took her elbow. The wine she had been pouring splashed onto the table. She apologized profusely and moved to wipe up the wine.

"Leave it," he squeezed her elbow painfully. "One of the barmaids will clean it up. If you'll excuse me gentlemen," he nodded to the men at the table, "I have a surprise for my bride that simply can't wait."

The men chuckled and nodded. Lexa stumbled slightly when he pulled her with him and through a door into their bedroom.

She inhaled when she smelt the ale on his breath. He was more forceful when he drank ale; that seemed to be his preferred drink.

"Emiliano…" Lexa chewed her lip. Her eyes fell to his hands which were pushing down his breeches. "Please… I'm still sore from this morning." She gasped when he pushed her back against the wall. Her shoulders hunched. She could feel bruises forming on her upper arms.

She blinked in surprise when he pushed her onto her knees. Her eyes narrowed in confusion when his cock pressed against her lips. She held her mouth firmly closed and shook her head.

"You said you were sore," he grasped her chin. "This is your alternative."

"No," she mumbled. A sharp sting spread over her cheek. Her mouth popped open involuntarily when she reached up to rub the red mark; that was the first he had stricken her.

Lexa gagged when his hard cock hit the back of her throat. Tears welled in her eyes to spill over her bright cheeks. She grew light headed as he continued to force himself down her throat. She closed her eyes and waited for it to be over. With each short breath through her nose she thought of hexing him. Unfortunately she didn't know any hexes; her aunt had only taught her light magic.

"It's time you learned to do as you're told," he grunted and buried himself in her mouth. Hot seed spilled from the corners of her lips. "I don't know what you were told about marriage, but wives are meant to be obedient. When I tell you to do something you do it immediately whether it's serving customers, or servicing me."

She opened her eyes when he pulled out and fell forward onto her hands. She coughed up the fluid that hadn't found its way into her stomach.

"Do you understand?"

Lexa squeezed her eyes shut.

"That required a response, Alexandria," he snarled and pulled her to her feet.

She had just enough time to throw out her hands to keep herself from being tossed to the floor. She braced the edges of the bed and sobbed when she was pushed forward onto the hard mattress. Her skirts were lifted up over her waist. She pressed her thighs together thinking he was going to fuck her.

The first blow took her by surprise as his hand came down on her exposed backside. The second one drew a sharp cry from her lips. She knew the third slap was turning her bum black and blue just as she knew he was going to switch to the other cheek.

"Do you understand?" He tore her legs apart and thrust into her clenching cunt.

"Y-yes," she sobbed. "I understand."

She was still lying face down with her skirts around her waist when he told her to clean her face and go back to work. His words fell on deaf ears. Lexa sincerely hoped her stepmother was an ignorant woman; if not it meant that she had knowingly arranged the union that just might lead to her death.


This is the first time I've ever written a relationship of this type, so go easy on me. Kol makes his appearance in the next chapter after a two year time jump.