Chapter 10: Always A Monster

House Mikaelson

The horror that King Mikael displayed two nights ago, still plagued many. Specially the humans living in the castle. Prince Matt was no different. He was making his way towards his mother's chamber, the queen of house Donovan. He had some matters to discuss with her regarding the upcoming weddings. As he knocked on the door, queen Kelly asked him to come inside. But once prince Matt walked in, he was shocked to see king Damon in there as well. Not to mention, with his hair disheveled, lips swollen and a few strings of his shirt undone. Queen Kelly looked no better. Anyone would figure out what was happening in the chamber. Prince Matt did as well. It both angered him and made him feel disgusted. It didn't help the fact that king Damon was smirking so widely at him.

"Prince Matt." King Damon acknowledged him for the sake of courtesy. Then he simply walked out of the room as if walking out of his own chamber. Prince Matt looked back at his mother. There was clear anger in his eyes.

"What was that?" He asked angrily.

"King Damon just came to talk. We had a good time after the feast last night. There's a possibility of a friendship forming between us. Wouldn't that benefit our house!" Queen Kelly spoke to her son as if he was a fool. Prince Matt closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath to calm himself down. He was aware what kind of a woman his mother was but what was King Damon up to? Why was he getting involved with her? Little did prince Matt know that king Damon was just being a heartbroken man because he couldn't be with the girl he was falling for since his own brother already got her?

"Mother, this is not our home. You cannot do these things here." He said slowly and clearly. But as usual the queen kept her careless attitude.

"What things? I just told you-" Prince Matt couldn't hear the obvious lies this time. He snapped at his mother.

"That's enough. You think I don't know you. What do you think would happen if the Mikaelsons hear about your indiscretions under their roof?"

"I'm sure they couldn't careless about it." Queen Kelly stated.

"Kol will care if it gives him an excuse to torture Korah without risking the alliance between us. Why should he show any kindness to the princess of a house that has such a-" Prince Matt was going to say- 'a whore of a queen' but he stopped himself from uttering those words. It angered the queen anyway since she realized what he was going to say.

"It appears you've started to care about Korah a lot. Never saw you care so much about Viki who, if you don't remember is your own sister." The statement only fueled prince Matt's anger. He cared about his sister. Of course he did. He'd do anything for her. And he cared about Korah too. She was after all his half sister.

"Yes, Viki is my sister. That's exactly why I haven't condemned her to suffer a Mikaelson." Prince Matt didn't say a monster because Mikaelson and monster meant the same thing.

"But you are right. I do care about Korah a lot. And I don't wish to see her suffer more than she must. Specially because of your inability to behave." Queen Kelly walked closer to her son after he said it. She gently cupped his face with one hand.

"You are my son and I don't want to see you suffer. That's why I must advice you to stop caring about Korah because no matter what, her life will be as miserable as life can be. You can't change it, you can't help it. You can only accept it." Those were very wise words for a drunkard queen to say. Unfortunately, it was quite true.

On the other hand, Korah had a guard informing her that prince Kol wanted to see her. Since he was said to be no longer out of control, Korah had to go and see him. Otherwise, she'd be insulting the prince; make him angry again. And this time his brothers wouldn't keep him away from her due to feeling concerned for her safety. They'd held her responsible instead. Inhaling a deep breath, Korah started to follow the guard who came to escort her to prince Kol. She knew that Kol was yet to take his revenge on her for what happened at the tournament. She could only imagine what her future husband has in store for her. Korah was scared but there was nothing she could do about it.

The guard stopped in front of a chamber, opened the door and gestured for Korah to walk inside. She walked in. The chamber was quite large. It was for small get together, it seemed. But it wasn't the size of the chamber that surprised Korah. It was the presence of her handmaiden Bonnie in there that did. Korah frowned in confusion. Prince Kol was sitting with his half brother prince Niklaus and enjoying a drink with him. And Bonnie was just standing there. There was a bite mark on her neck. It was still bleeding a little. Someone drank her blood. Which also confused Korah because she had given Bonnie a vial of liquid vervain some time ago. And she had asked her to drink it regularly so that no vampire could drink from her. Korah did it out of the goodness of her heart. Bonnie was a good handmaiden to her. She didn't wish to see a vampire drain her.

"Prince Niklaus. Prince Kol." Korah bowed as was the formality.

"You wished to see me my prince." Korah spoke looking at prince Kol this time.

"Yes, my lovely bride to be. I have greatly missed your company." 'More like missed torturing me. Wish I could stay away from him longer.' Korah thought to herself wishfully but said what she was expected to say.

"As did I my prince. Had I been allowed to see you, I'd have never left your side." Korah tried to say it as convincingly as possible but not good enough for Kol to believe her. He smirked at her as if to tell her that he knew she didn't meant a word, she was saying. Even prince Niklaus smirked at her knowingly.

"It gladdens me to see how much you have started to care about my little brother." Prince Niklaus said to Korah who simply nodded her head, knowing that speaking could make the situation worse for her.

"Yes, I am very lucky to have such a caring woman as my intended wife. And you know brother, it's not only me that my beautiful fiance cares about. She cares about a lot of other people besides me. Take this handmaiden for example. She has vervain in her blood. When I questioned her about it, she told me that princess Korah gave her the vervain so that no vampire could drink from her." Korah looked at Bonnie, who gave her a helpless and apologetic look. Korah didn't feel betrayed. She knew when interrogated by Kol, there was little a human could do. She tried to give Bonnie an assuring look that she wasn't angry with her before looking back at her husband to be.

"That is indeed a very kind gesture" said prince Niklaus though it was difficult to say whether he meant it or simply mocking Korah.

"It flatters me to see that you consider me so kind but I must speak the truth-" Korah quickly spoke up. She knew Kol. Or at least knew men like Kol and how their mind worked. That was why she couldn't let Kol think that she cared about her handmaiden. When the truth was she did care simply because they both were humans trapped in the same nightmare.

"It wasn't my kindness that compelled me to give her vervain. I just thought if she suffers a blood loss often and becomes weak then she won't be able to serve me well." This time Korah spoke more convincingly than before since she was scared for her handmaiden's life. A moment of silence passed. In that moment, Kol stared at Korah as if trying to read her mind. Then he spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Well then, there's nothing for me to worry about and I can punish this mortal for disappointing me when I was in the mood for enjoying a drink from her." Saying that Kol stood up and stepped towards Bonnie whose already worried face morphed into that of fear.

"My prince!" Korah spoke up with urgency in her voice. No longer she could look ignorant about her handmaiden's well being. Kol stopped and turned to look at her.

"She is a good handmaiden. I'm used to of her service. It'd be difficult for me to get used to of a new one." Korah said hoping against hope that Kol would buy it and let Bonnie go. But who was she joking with? Prince Kol was far too cruel to let such things matter. Prince Niklaus was no better. He was getting entertained as the scene unfolded before his eyes.

"Yes, it'd be difficult but not impossible." Kol said to Korah. He was about to approach Bonnie again. Without thinking ahead, Korah blurted out-

"Punish me instead. I gave her the vervain. It's my fault you couldn't enjoy a drink from her." Suddenly Kol was in her face in a blink of an eye. No longer he looked playful but rather a serious look graced his handsome face.

"I agree. You are at fault. But I can't punish you, can I? Not without breaking the alliance between our houses."

"Not to mention enraging father in the process. Then there would be no stopping him from daggering you." Prince Niklaus chimed in.

"But punishing her(Bonnie) won't cause any trouble. You see why she must pay the price for your misdeeds." But Korah wouldn't be able to bear the guilt if an innocent died because of her.

"I won't tell anyone. No matter what you do with me, I won't say a word to anyone. Please, let her go. I'm begging you." Korah pleaded with Kol. He simply kept staring at her. He was thinking but not considering her offer. So Korah pushed more.

"Tell me my husband to be, would it really please you as much to see her suffer, as it would watching me getting punished?" She asked confidently, knowing Kol would give in now. And he gave in indeed. Prince Kol glanced over at his brother who merely shrugged his shoulders as if saying that he didn't see any problem with this arrangement since she was asking for it. Kol looked back at Korah.

"Alright, I've decided to grant your wish. I will let your handmaiden go. And all you need to do- is have a drink with me." When Kol said it, Korah frowned in confusion. But her confusion cleared when Kol walked over to the table and poured blood in a wine cup. Her eyes widened and so did Bonnie's. Kol was going to make Korah do the very thing that she found most repulsive.

"My princess, you don't have to do this-" Bonnie couldn't help but speak up. Not caring that she was in the presence of two originals.

"Shush!" Prince Niklaus gave her a warning glare. Bonnie helplessly shut her mouth. Both Mikaelson brothers were looking at Korah intently. Anyone could tell the girl would rather have a dagger to her heart than drink the blood. But Kol didn't want to dagger her or physically hurt her in anyway. He wanted to do worse. He wanted to scar her mind forever.

"Come on love, I am waiting. Or would you rather have me punish the handmaiden now?" Kol asked with a smirk. Korah gulped down the bile that was rising in her throat. For a moment, she even thought about not being the better human and let Bonnie die at the hand of Kol. But the fear of suffering from guilt was also strong. At last, Korah closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. She prepared herself emotionally and mentally for what she was about to do. When she opened her eyes again, her disgust and fear had turned into anger. Korah strode over to the table. But instead of taking the wine cup, she picked up the pitcher that was three quarter full of fresh blood. Closing her eyes, she started drinking the blood. The action shocked everyone in the chamber.

Prince Kol and prince Niklaus looked at each other. Instead of enjoying Korah's punishment as they thought they would, her action left them perplexed. As Korah was drinking without taking a break or breathing, some blood spilled from her mouth and dripped down her chin. Bonnie understood the Donovan princess wasn't going to stop until she fainted or the drink was finished. It was obvious she was going to become sick afterwards.

"My prince, please stop her." Bonnie pleaded to both Mikaelsons and wished that at least one would listen. It was prince Niklaus who stood up and snatched the pitcher from Korah.

"That's enough. Take her back to her chamber." He said to Bonnie since she was her handmaiden. Bonnie hurriedly got to Korah and attempted to take her out of the chamber but Korah had something to say to her beloved husband to be.

"Tell me the truth-" She asked Kol. Looking him right in the eye.

"Are you a monster because you drink blood? Or that's what you have always been?"

"My princess, please come with me." Bonnie spoke up, sounding horrified. Thankfully prince Kol was too stunned to react at Korah's offending question that moment. Bonnie dragged Korah out of the chamber this time and took her back to her own. As soon as Korah entered her chamber, she started throwing up blood. Bonnie helped her as best as she could. She even carefully used a spell on Korah to make her fall asleep. Once Korah was sleeping rather peacefully, Bonnie left her chamber. She admired the girl's courage and definitely felt in debt for what she did to save her life. Bonnie definitely needed saving from prince Kol since she couldn't use magic and blow up her cover. That would've been worse than meeting death. Not to mention, it'd have meant the failure of her mission. That moment, Bonnie made up her mind to return Korah the favor one day.

Bonnie was going back to the servant quarters within the boundaries of the castle. On her way, she felt as if someone was following her. She looked over her shoulder quite a few times. Then suddenly a woman appeared right in front of her. Bonnie was ready to turn around and run. She didn't know if the woman who seemed to be a human was a spy of the Mikaelsons. So, she couldn't use magic to protect herself. The woman might have a partner somewhere hiding in the shadows who would report everything back to the Mikaelsons if she did anything witchy. Bonnie simply couldn't risk revealing herself. However, the woman standing in front of her confused Bonnie when she bowed her head in respect.

"Princess Bonnie, fear not as I don't serve those abominations" said the woman.

"Who are you?" Bonnie asked still having doubts about the woman.

"My name is Jules. I serve House Lockwood" said Jules proudly.

"You are a werewolf." Bonnie stated, finally feeling relieved.

"Yes my princess. Lord Mason sends his regards." And then Jules handed Bonnie a pouch. Inside the pouch was the one and only moonstone. The key to ending the Mikaelson dynasty once and for all.