A/n: Thank-you so much for all your lovely reviews. I hope you like this chapter.


She's shaking.

Her entire body is consumed by strong trembles as tears stream down her rosy cheeks. She's on the floor. Her knees pressed hard against the cold stone, which scrapes her soft pale skin as she shifts nervously. Her hands are bound, tightly pressed together by the heavy iron chains. The chains are blocking her magic. She's helpless and alone.

Candles illuminate the chamber, casting shadows over the walls and floor. It makes the room seem far more sinister.

She shivers.

Where is her mother? Why isn't she here?

She's terrified.

They came for her in the middle of the night. Her mother screamed and begged for mercy but she was roughly pushed away. Her sister watched from the second-floor window.

She's not sure how long it has been since they took her from her home, only that she's tired and hungry.

Three figures stand before her, looming over her, watching her with unreadable expressions on their faces. Their eyes cold, and indifferent. They have no pity for her. They will have no mercy, deep down she knows.

Six chairs carved of ancient wood are to her right, six identical chairs are to her left. She's on her knees in the heart of the room. She feels so tiny. She wants her mother and her sister. She needs them with her. She didn't even get the chance to say goodbye.

Behind the three figures stands the golden throne with velvet cushions and ancient symbols. A row of six tall, floor length windows are directly behind it. During the day, it allows the sunlight to illuminate the otherwise damp and dark room but at night it's a scary sight. For all she sees is darkness. A darkness that threatens to consume her whole.

"Do you know why you are here?" Giuseppe Salvatore asks her. He seems rather bored and looks like he has better things to do than be here. But he has to be present, he is representing the queen after all.

She whimpers and more tears roll down her cheeks. She knows the crimes she has committed. She knows why they brought her here. She doesn't know what she can say in her defense. Does love count as an excuse?

"Do you know the crimes you have committed?"

"Please…" she begs, blue eyes red and puffy. "Please…" she looks at the woman in the middle. She begs her with her eyes to understand, to forgive. "I'm sorry…please…I…"

There is a look of disgust on the woman's face. She can't stand the sight of her.

Anne shrinks onto herself.

"Annie Holden, you have been found guilty of breaking the ancient laws of this community," Damian Lescheres the most powerful and prominent member of the council speaks up. "You took a werewolf for a lover and got pregnant with his child."

"I love him!" Annie tells them in desperation. "He's a good man, he's-" whatever she's going to say is cut short as she feels an invisible rope squeezing her throat. Her eyes go wide with fear as she struggles to breathe.

Damian's right hand is outstretched, his magic easily squeezing her neck. He turns to Bastianna. They are both ready to deliver the sentence. As the two most powerful members of the council, they have the right to carry out sentences on their own.

Bastianna Natale stares at the pitiful young creature before her. She's only seventeen years old, a bright student at Josephine's school, a good girl by all accounts. And a traitor. "What a fool," she murmurs. Her voice cold, her eyes hard. There is no pity, there is no sadness, only indifference.

The girl struggles, squeaky sounds coming out of her mouth as she struggles to breathe.

Damian releases her, knowing that if he keeps it up, his magic kill her before the sentence is passed.

Annie gasps loudly as air slowly returns to her lungs. She takes big gulps, shaking, eyes wide and fearful. She looks up to the three figures. For one single moment, she allows herself to hope. "I want to speak with the queen…" she demands, her throat hurts and her voice is hoarse but she summons the courage to speak. The queen's benevolence is her only hope. If she can talk to queen and explain it all to her. Theo is a good man and she loves him. They are young but they have dreams and hopes for a future together, surely the queen will understand. Even if she is banished from New Orleans, as long as she is with Theo, Annie knows it will be okay. She just needs to talk to the queen and explain her situation. The queen will understand.

"Annie Holden, you have been found guilty of consorting with the enemy. You have broken the sacred laws of the witch community and the punishment for that is death." There is a detached look on Bastianna's face as she looks down at the girl. "In the name of our queen, Sheila Bennett this council sentences you and the abomination growing inside you to death."

Annie's eyes go wide. She has been expecting to be banished, to be sent away, not killed. No. Witches who break the laws are banished from the city never to be heard from again, not killed. No. "Please…" she begs in desperation, struggling to stand up. "I'm pregnant, please don't do this." Her baby, her sweet innocent baby. "Please, I will leave I-"

"Incendia."

The spell is quick, it takes young Annie completely by surprise. One minute she's begging for her life and her baby's life and the next she's burning. Her anguished screams echoing around the dark and nearly empty room. The doors have been spelled shut, no one will hear her screams except for the three figures inside the throne room.

The three of them stand on the steps, in front of the high ancient witch throne as they look down at the burning girl. They stay and watch until the very end. They are not strangers to this type of punishment after all. This is not the first time the council sentences a pregnant witch to death nor will it be the last.

"She should've known better," Giuseppe comments dryly. "She got what she deserved." In his opinion, stupid witches who don't know how to take care of themselves deserve this end. Only foolish witches risk everything by fucking the enemy.

Damian only smirks.

Bastianna remains quiet, watching as the body continues to burn. The awful screams have stopped by now. "We need to ensure this doesn't happen again. We must protect our young girls from falling prey to those vile creatures."

They must. They have to protect the young witches of the community. It is the spirit's will and the council's duty to ensure that no witch conceives a child with a werewolf. They cannot allow another Klaus Mikaelson to exist. Not now, not ever.

Even if it means killing their own kind, they can never allow another hybrid like Klaus to exist.


The next morning

"I still can't believe it," Liv parker says as she and Bonnie carry their food trays and take a seat at their usual table. Olivia or liv as she prefers, is one of Bonnie's good friends. She has long curly blonde hair, fair skin, a dimple chin, and bluish green eyes. "She was always so quiet, a mouse really. Can't believe she was screwing a werewolf," Liv continues. "With how strict her mother is, I thought she would end up as a nun."

It's lunch time and the students at Madame Josephine's school of magic are gathered in the great hall. Bonnie and her friends always sit on the long wooden table by the row of stained glass windows which depict Qetsiyah and her great dragon. It's their favorite spot.

Bonnie remains silent. She has heard all kinds of rumors about Annie and her banishment from the community. The whole school is swirling with them. Bonnie was not friends with her but they did share a couple of classes together. She still can't believe Annie was secretly dating a werewolf and has now been banished from the city. But those are the rules, you break them and you pay the price.

Rules that you are happily breaking too, her mind is quick to remind her.

Bonnie absently pokes her food with the fork. She doesn't feel hungry anymore. Nik is more than a werewolf, she thinks in order to exonerate any troubled feelings about her clandestine relationship.

He's still part werewolf, her mind points out. You conveniently like to think of him as a witch but you know he's more than that.

Would Grams banish me too? Bonnie wonders suddenly. Or would Grams take pity on me and forgive my sins?

All the rumors about Annie are a painful reminder of the dangerous game she's playing. Bonnie waits for the guilt to eat her, for the fear to make her reconsider her actions but it never comes. There is fear of getting caught, last night was a close call after all, but she feels no guilt for what she's doing. Nik is a drug she can't quit. A drug she's always craving. Times like this, she wishes she could talk to someone about her conflicted feelings for the hybrid king and the dangerous relationship they have. But she can't. Bonnie can't trust no one with her secret. Annie probably did and now she's been sent away, never to be seen or heard from again.

"Is always the quiet ones." Katherine who is sitting across from Bonnie, doesn't look up as she speaks. She's busy comparing her homework with Bonnie's. She's barely scrapping a C in French. Her people still use Ancient Greek for their spells. And Katherine not only has to master her Ancient Greek but she also has to learn Latin and French, the traditional languages used by the witches of New Orleans. Her mind is a jumble mess sometimes.

"Where do they send them?" Davina Claire asks as she takes a seat next to Bonnie. She's a pretty girl with dark long hair, blue eyes, and rosy cheeks. She's one of Bonnie's good friends and the granddaughter of Madame Josephine.

"Far away from New Orleans," Liv mutters taking a bite of her bread. "Dad says that they are sent completely out of the state and that there is a spell that prevents them from setting foot in Louisiana ever again." Liv and her twin brother Luke are the younger kids of Joshua Parker, the leader of the Gemini coven. He's not only a prominent member of the community but a high-ranking member of the council as well.

Bonnie nods. "That's what Grams said too." Her Grams rushed out of the house that morning as the council called an emergency meeting. She probably won't be back by the time Bonnie returns home from school. The council is probably dealing with Annie's banishment from the city. The last time a witch was banished from New Orleans was nearly six years ago, so it's big news that it happened again.

"They can basically settle anywhere else expect here," Katherine mutters. She looks up suddenly. "I heard that they take their magic away too." That's the scariest part, for a witch to lose her magic is inconceivable. Their magic is in their blood, a part of their own soul, losing it would be like dying a slow agonizing death. She shudders. Katherine doesn't particularly care about Annie but it sucks that they took her magic away. How is she going to live without her magic?

"They do," Liv confirms. Her father said so. Even if he doesn't like talking about it, her father has warned all of them of the dangers of breaking the rules.

"So, don't get any ideas about sleeping with the enemy," Luke tells his sister as he comes to take a seat at their table. He places his tray on the wooden surface and sits next to Katherine. He notices that she has Bonnie's homework. "You know that's cheating, don't you?"

"I'm double checking my work. There is a difference," Katherine retorts. "My dad is going to hex me until the next century if I don't pass all my classes with A's and B's." Plus, she is hoping he'll give her a car for graduation and she needs good grades for that.

Luke laughs.

"I hate French," Katherine mumbles under her breath as she fixes her answer for last question. She corrected twelve out of twenty answers. Now she's going to have a perfect score, thanks to Bonnie obviously. Bonnie is a freaking genius.

"French is pretty easy," Davina says before taking a sip of her apple juice.

"You're half French, of course it's easy for you." Katherine sticks her tongue out. "You've been speaking French since you were a baby."

"Why are you even taking French?" Liv wonders.

"I have to."

"It's not fair," Katherine remarks. "You should take Ancient Greek. I would like to see you do spells using Qetsiyah's old language."

"You know what's not fair?" Luke adds as he stares at Davina."You're the headmistress's granddaughter, no teacher in their right mind would ever flunk you."

Davina shrugs and gives them a sheepish smile. She will never admit it out loud but being the granddaughter of the great Madame Josephine LaRue has its advantages.

They all laugh.

Stefan joins them soon after. He kisses his girlfriend sweetly on the lips before taking a seat next to her. "Did you guys hear about Annie?"

"The whole school has heard about Annie," Katherine tells him with a roll of her eyes. "She's probably living the good life with her lover in New York or somewhere equally fun. While we're stuck in this prison." She steals the roll of bread from Stefan's tray and takes a good bite. She's starving but fixing her homework and ensuring an A took precedence over food.

Bonnie shakes her head, tucking her French homework back into her folder. She can't help but wonder what happens to werewolves who break the rules. Witches are shunned from their covens and forbidden from ever returning to the city but what about wolves? She has never heard what punishment they get for being involved with witches. She's going to have to ask Nik about that. Just thinking of seeing Nik again makes her body tingle and butterflies take flight in her stomach. She just saw him last night and she's already counting the hours, the days, until she sees him again.

"Hey, do you guys want to go to the mall later today?" Liv suddenly asks them. "I need to buy a couple of things."

"I can't. I have piano lessons this afternoon," Davina tells them.

Liv makes a face. Davina is always taking lessons of some kind. She hardly gets any free time. Davina like Bonnie, has to be the perfect granddaughter after all.

"I'm in." Katherine manages to say, she's eating Stefan's lunch. The young warlock doesn't seem to mind. "Babe?"

"Sure." Stefan agrees with a shrug. He has nothing better to do that afternoon.

"Bonnie?" Liv turns to her.

"I don't know…" it's been a rather long day and Bonnie would rather go home and crawl into her bed.

Her morning started with forcing Shadow into his magical cage (it took her over an hour to do it), lying through her teeth as she answered Lucy's endless questions on her way to school. Her cousin insisted on driving her that morning. It seemed she didn't believe Bonnie's lies that she had been out looking for Shadow the previous night and bombarded Bonnie with a bunch of questions. To her credit, she never caved. Bonnie stuck to her story and Lucy eventually gave up. A surprise quiz in her chemistry class, two pages of Math problems for homework, a Literature paper due for next Monday and the most horrible cramps ever complemented her morning and who knows what the afternoon classes would bring.

"Come one," Liv pleads. "It will be fun."

"We haven't gone shopping in a while," Katherine reminds her.

Stefan groans. He's not looking forward to a shopping trip with them but he wants to spend as much time as possible with Katherine. Time that his father has made it his mission to reduce as much as possible. Giuseppe does not approve of Stefan's choice of girlfriend.

Katherine laughs and kisses him sweetly on the cheek.

"Fine," Bonnie eventually relents much to her friends' delight.

Spending a couple of hours at the mall with her friends is not a bad idea.


She savors the scent before she drinks the glass in one big gulp. She welcomes the burning sensation down her throat.

"A little too early to be drinking don't you think," Giuseppe enters Sheila's office and shuts the door with a powerful locking and silencing spell.

Sheila leans her head back against the leather chair and closes her eyes. "It's the only thing that keeps me calm." She's been drinking a lot as of late but she needs it.

"You have a meeting later today," Giuseppe reminds her as he comes to sit across from her. The old wood desk in between them. Sunlight streams through the open curtain and casts a small halo around Sheila's head. "I don't think the council will appreciate you showing up drunk."

"She was just seventeen years old," Sheila mutters before opening her eyes. "Bonnie's age." That makes it all the more heartbreaking. She still can't believe little Annie was having an affair with a werewolf. She doesn't want to go home and face her granddaughter's questions. Because Bonnie is going to ask about Annie, and Sheila is going to lie. Because she's good at that. Because she's always lying to her granddaughters.

"She broke the rules," Giuseppe replies simply. He feels no pity for Annie, she got what she deserved. But of course, Sheila is torturing herself. She can be such a martyr sometimes.

"Do you know who denounced her?" Sheila asks bitterly.

Giuseppe stays quiet. He doesn't know and he doesn't care either.

"Her own sister," Sheila's whole body shakes with anger, with sadness, with pain. "Her own blood came and told the council about Annie's affair with the werewolf boy. He's only eighteen. Two young and stupid kids." She stands up and heads to the liquor cabinet to pour herself another drink. She is going to need that and more to get through the meeting later that afternoon.

"Feeling guilty is not going to change anything," Giuseppe tells her. "What is done is done. The rules are there for a reason. Annie broke them and she was punished accordingly."

Sheila gulps down the liquor and pours herself some more. "It's cruel." She turns to face Giuseppe. "Why didn't you call me? Why was I informed after her arrest and punishment?"

"The council wanted to deal with Annie as quickly and quietly as possible," Giuseppe replies calmly. "The last time you handled a case like this, you had a break down remember? I did not wish to put you through that again. So, I went and represented you during her sentencing."

"I'm the queen," Sheila reminds him. "I need to be informed right away, not after the fact."

"Would you have been able to end her life? Her child's life?" Giuseppe challenges.

"She was just a girl, a seventeen-year-old girl," Sheila's voice breaks. "We could've tried to help her, to find another way, to-"

"Do you want another Klaus Mikaelson roaming about?" Giuseppe interrupts as he stands up. He's not in the mood to entertain Sheila and her pity party or idealistic views. "Annie's fate was cruel yes, but that's the price the spirits demand to keep the balance of nature in place. You know that. Klaus's birth shook the entire earth of its axis, it nearly destroyed the balance of nature. We cannot allow for another like him to exist. As the queen, you are bound to do as the spirits demand. And they demand the death of those witches who betray their kind and spread their legs for those vile creatures. You of all people know what happens if we disobey the spirits' will."

"I know," Sheila murmurs in a defeated tone. She knows better than to go against the spirits' will, she has been punished for it before. But still, it hurts. Annie was so young. Her heart grieves for that poor girl.

"Stop feeling guilty. The girl had a painless death." It's a lie but Giuseppe knows better than to tell Sheila the truth of Annie's death. "She didn't feel a thing. Her heart was stopped by a single spell. It was over before she even knew it." He stares right into Sheila's eyes as he speaks. He's an excellent liar after all. "In the old days, she would have been tortured before being burned at the stake." He walks towards her and takes the glass of whiskey from her hands. "You need to stop drinking. You must keep your wits about you during the meeting."

"I'm going to need this to calm my nerves and get through that damn meeting." Sheila tries to grab the glass of whiskey from him. Giuseppe doesn't let her. "They will decide on a husband for Bonnie soon, maybe today...I don't know…" she's nervous and anxious about it. The time is coming and there is nothing she can do except wait for the council to make their decision. Her granddaughter's future lays in their hands and Sheila is afraid of the kind of husband they'll pick for her.

"She must marry, you know that."

"She's not ready to be married," Sheila snaps. "Bonnie is so young, so naïve in the ways of the world…" it's her fault, deep down she knows that. In trying to protect her girls she created a web of lies and deceit, she raised them inside a bubble. A bubble that will crumble sooner or later. All her lies are closing in on her. Sheila can feel them choking her.

"When you were her age, you were already engaged," Giuseppe reminds her. "You married shortly after graduation."

Sheila looks away. She shudders as memories of that dark and horrible period of her life come to the surface. "A man who made my life a living hell," her voice breaks as she recalls the years of abuse, of fear, shame, and pain. "A monster who nearly destroyed me and they did nothing!" The lights suddenly flicker on inside the office as her emotions get to the best of her.

"Calm down," Giuseppe places the glass of whiskey aside before pulling her shaky body into his arms. "You need to calm down. Do not let your emotions get the best of you. Do not be weak or you'll be an easy prey for those dogs."

"I don't want Bonnie to go through that," Sheila murmurs as she buries her head against his chest. Giuseppe has always been the one to give her comfort. "I couldn't forgive myself if she went through the same thing as me."

"I know." Giuseppe cradles her in his arms and murmurs words of comfort.

Sheila clings to him. Her childhood friend, the person she trusts the most in the world. The only one who listens and cares. Giuseppe and Josephine are the only real friends Sheila has. "I don't know what to do."

"You must find a husband for Bonnie before the council decides on one," Giuseppe advises.

Sheila pulls away from him and stares into his mature and still handsome face."The council will have the ultimate say, you know that."

"We can find ways to persuade them," Giuseppe replies with a glint in his eyes. "We just have to pick the right candidate, someone they will approve of, and make it seem like it was their idea all along."

"My husband was the perfect candidate on paper," Sheila recalls bitterly. "He played the part as well. How would I know the right person to pick for Bonnie?"

"What about a friend?" Giuseppe says as he gently cups her cheek. "Someone Bonnie already likes and trusts, someone she already spends time with. A warlock from the right linage obviously but someone she could fall in love with easily."

"Are you suggesting…" Sheila frowns.

"A dear childhood friend like my son Stefan would make the perfect husband for Bonnie," Giuseppe tells her, staring deeply into her eyes. "He is a good boy. He will love her. He will cherish her. He will treasure her always. He will never hurt her, you have my word on that."

Sheila turns away from him and heads to stand by the window, a thoughtful look on her face. Bonnie and Stefan. Yes, she could picture them together. They would make a lovely couple.

"The council is considering him already, we just need to make sure they decide on him and not on any of the other fools like that Malachi boy. Do you really want the Gemini coven to have more power? To give that treacherous Joshua Parker a chance to claim the throne?" Giuseppe presses. "Or what if they pick someone older and cruel like your old husband. Someone who will hurt her?"

Sheila turns back to face him. "Bonnie sees Stefan like a friend, a brother even, I don't think-"

"Damon then," Giuseppe interrupts quickly. It doesn't matter, he would prefer Stefan but if Bonnie or Sheila want Damon so be it.

"Giuseppe-"

"Think about it my dear," Giuseppe walks towards her until he stands just a few inches away. "My family has served and protected the Bennett queens for a very long time. Who better to be your granddaughter's husband than someone who has her best interest at heart, someone who knows how the council works, who won't be manipulated by them. Someone who has an ancient and illustrious linage, someone who will stand up not only for himself but for Bonnie was well. Someone to fight for her and her rights."

Sheila watches him quietly, she's enraptured by his words. For Giuseppe is a snake charmer who hooks you in before you even realize it. "Damon is extremely powerful," Sheila agrees. He managed to create his own familiar and unlike Stefan, he is not afraid to challenge authority. He could give Bonnie the support, the help to stand up to the council. The help and support Sheila's husband never gave her.

"My boys have grown up with Bonnie," Giuseppe continues. He knows Sheila is very vulnerable right now. Her nerves are on edge and she's half-drunk as well, it's the perfect opportunity for him to take advantage and convince her of a union between their families. "Bonnie knows them, she trusts them."

"I don't know." As far as Sheila knows, Bonnie has never shown any real interest in dating or boys. Her youngest granddaughter is so innocent, always so dutiful, and studious. She had a crush on a boy a few months ago, but things turned sour after Bonnie discovered he was only pretending to be interested in her because he made a bet with his friends. Since then, Bonnie's sole focus has been school and she has never shown any interest in Damon or Stefan before. Would she really be happy marrying one of them?

It would be better than any other candidate the council picks, her mind supplies.

Giuseppe reaches out and traces her cheek with his knuckles. "Think about it," he whispers as he looks into her eyes. "Bonnie must marry, that is a fate you can't spare her from. All queens must be married before they ascend to the throne. Promise me that you will at least consider it."

Sheila nods. "I promise." Giuseppe has given her a lot to think about.

The old warlock smiles with triumph. Sheila has always been so easy to manipulate.


Later that night

There is a bored look on his face as he surveys the crowd. The dim lights inside the bar casting soft shadows over his face as he looks around. The music is loud but he easily tunes it out.

A voluptuous dark haired woman is dancing on a pole, her body contorting in different ways that sent the crowd of men nearby into loud cheers. The woman keeps looking in his direction, trying to catch his eye.

He ignores her. His eyes following a pretty blonde haired girl instead as she struggles to carry the heavy tray with drinks. It's pretty obvious she's new.

"Her name is Caroline," A beautiful, white blonde haired woman with brown skin says as she flops down on the red couch, right next to him. "I can prepare her for you if you wish." Gloria is the owner of the bar, a beautiful witch and one of Klaus's old acquaintances.

He keeps his eyes on the girl. "I thought waitresses did not indulge the clientele."

Gloria laughs. "That's what they all say when they first start working here," her eyes move around the room. "Once they realize they can make more money by indulging the clients with their bodies and blood they change their tune."

He wonders if Bonnie knows that one of her friends works at Gloria's bar. Said friend, flushes in embarrassment and giggles like crazy when his brother Kol shamelessly flirts with her.

"I haven't seen you around here in a while," Gloria comments as she regards his handsome face. "Your brother on the other hand comes nearly every night to spend his gracious inheritance."

"Are you complaining?"

"That he puts money in my bar? Never," Gloria is quick to retort. "That he drained three of my girls this week alone, always." If Kol were another vampire, he would be banned from her establishment but she knows that she must keep the alliance with the Mikaelson family, with Klaus in particular. Her alliance with the hybrid king keeps her safe from the council.

His eyes move towards his younger brother. Kol has a skinny, dirty blonde girl on his lap, his face buried on the side of her neck as he takes his fill of her blood. The scent spreads around the bar and a small group vampires turn to stare at them, mouths watering, and eyes glowing.

With a snap of her fingers Gloria neutralizes the scent spreading around the bar and murmurs a well-practiced spell to prevent any violence from breaking out. With another snap of her fingers she jolts Kol away from the girl. The young Original turns to glare at her over his shoulder but he lets the girl go. She stumbles a couple of times, clutching her hand to her neck as blood spills down her creamy flesh. A security guy helps her walk to the backroom, so she can rest, and a healer can tend to the nasty wound on her neck.

With the crisis averted, for now at least- Kol is still inside her bar and who knows what kind of mischief he's going to get into. Gloria turns back to Klaus. She murmurs a silencing spell in her head, to ensure no one listens to their conversation. "Would you like me to prepare a girl for you? The red room is available if you want to let out all that tension." She can see behind the mask, there is a hard clench of his jaw and a tense set of his shoulders. He's angry at something, although he hides it well.

"Not tonight."

Gloria arches an eyebrow. "Klaus Mikaelson refusing company so close to the full moon." She regards his face carefully. "It's been months since the last time you indulged in one of my girls, almost a year actually." Which is why she was surprised to see him tonight.

"And?"

"Should I be worried?" Gloria asks with amusement. "Has someone finally made an honest vampire out of you?"

Klaus shakes his head, lips curling as he thinks of a certain green eyed witch."I had a werewolf problem and I needed a drink. I'm not in the mood for company." He grabs the bottle of whiskey and refills his glass. A stupid young werewolf who impregnated a witch girl. Teenagers, he thinks bitterly. Foolish, careless, and naïve. They both paid the price for it. Despite the anger he feels towards the reckless teenage wolf, he pities the girl, and the child.

"Let me guess, the werewolf romancing little Annie."

Klaus gives her a look.

"Don't look at me like that, gossip was all around the city this morning. Everyone was talking about it." Gloria shakes her head. "Little Annie has been banished." The last word comes out in an angry hiss. She is one of the few people in the city who actually knows what happens to witches that break the rules. "That poor girl, so young."

Klaus takes a sip of his drink. "She was pregnant." By the time he found out about the pregnancy it was too late, Annie was already in the council's custody. Freya got there while they were cleaning Annie's burned remains from the throne floor.

"They didn't…" there is a horrified look on Gloria's face as his words sink in.

"Oh they did," Klaus mutters taking another sip of his drink. The council does not forgive. They are ruthless, even with their own people. But above all, they are determined that no witch should birth a werewolf's child.

There can never be another like you.

Silence befalls them.

"When the queen ascended the throne," Gloria begins after a long while in silence. "I thought things would be different. I thought finally, someone will put an end to the council. How stupid I was." All those hopes and dreams had come crashing down pretty quickly.

Klaus remains quiet, eyes lost on the crowd. Gloria's establishment is the only one in the city that caters to all three-supernatural species. She is the only one that has managed to succeed in doing so.

"I hope that heartless bitch chokes on all her money and her power," Gloria spits angrily. "Then again, her granddaughter will be no better."

"Perhaps the future queen will surprise us…" Klaus mutters absently. Bonnie is definitely not the spineless girl the council and everyone else think she is. Underneath that angelic face lies a strong, powerful, and stubborn young woman. A woman who is already more powerful than her predecessor, Klaus has made sure of that. Bonnie is going to be the Bennett witch to break the mold.

"I doubt it."

Klaus keeps his mouth shut.

Gloria says something else but Klaus half listens as he spots one of his vampires, Marcel Gerard rushing inside the bar.

"Hello gorgeous, having seen you in a while," Gloria greets Marcel with a flirty smile as the young vampire comes to stand before them.

Marcel ignores her, his dark eyes are focused solely on Klaus. "We have a problem," he says nervously.

Klaus is really not in the mood to be dealing with trivial matters. "I'm sure you can take care of it," he mutters darkly before taking sip of his whiskey. "Or better yet, Elijah can handle it." His brother is his second in command after all.

"Can we talk privately?" Marcel asks as he looks around the bar. He's very nervous.

"Don't worry chérie, I have a silencing spell around us," Gloria tells Marcel. "You can speak freely."

Klaus nods.

Marcel looks uncomfortable, casting a wary look in Gloria's direction but he has no time to waste. "There was an attack on a group of teenagers in the parking lot of the mall a few minutes ago," he beings nervously.

Klaus sighs. Just what he needs more problems, fucking fantastic. He can't wait for this night to be over.

"They attacked the queen's granddaughter and her friends," Marcel divulges.

Bonnie

Klaus's head suddenly jerks in his direction. He knows that Marcel is talking about Bonnie. "What did you say?" he demands in an angry hiss. He stands up immediately. There are rules in place, his people know better than to even get close to the Bennett witches, they're off limits.

Gloria is taken back by the anger she sees reflected in his eyes and the feel of that dangerous and potent aura surfacing, threatening to destroy everything around them.

"Tell me she's okay…" Klaus growls as his hands clench into fists. A rage unlike no other surfaces and he can barely contain his aura from exploding and destroying Gloria's bar.

"I don't know." Marcel is not sure. Elijah vaguely informed him of what was going on and ordered him to get Klaus. Apparently Klaus ignored his calls. "It's a mess man, Elijah is there and Freya is on her way but they need you to go too. Two of the kids were bitten, nearly drained."

"Who was it?" Klaus barks. He needs the names of the fools whose guts he will be feasting on.

"I don't know," Marcel admits in a whisper. "Elijah didn't say much. Vampires I suppose."

Klaus curses in an ancient language and flashes out of the bar without saying another word. His mind is consumed with thoughts of his little witch.

Bonnie is his. She is off limits to all.

If any of those fools dared to hurt her, if they dared to drink her sacred blood, fire will rain down upon New Orleans.

The hybrid king's wrath knows no limits.