"Wake up, ladies!" Caroline announced, lightly shoving Katherine with her foot and throwing pillows at Rebekah and Davina. "We only have three hours till brunch and I refuse to look anything less than perfect."
"Oh, my God." Rebekah groaned, rolling onto her side and using the pillow Caroline threw at her to cover her face. "I might need to skip brunch."
"Definitely need to skip brunch." Davina agreed and shoved her face into a pillow. The night before the four girls retreated to Caroline's room for some much needed girl time. They drank all night and laughed till the sun came up, it was a rare moment of normalcy they needed to put everything back into perspective.
"Absolutely not." Caroline scoffed. "Come on, up, all three of you. The room is about to be filled with hair and make up people."
Katherine was the first one up and threw her arms around Caroline. "Don't make me go, Care Bear."
"Tough luck Kitty Kat, it's technically your family auction." Caroline pointed out and Katherine scowled. "Besides, if you're not there, who's going to keep Elena and Tatia in line?"
This seemed to light a spark in Katherine because she shot up and pulled Rebekah and Davina off the mass of pillows and blankets. "I will not allow my family name to get dragged through the mud, up you go."
Not long after, a whole team of people flooded Caroline's room and tables lined the walls all filled to the brim with makeup and all the girls' suitcases were spread open to show a selection of dresses.
Caroline was currently getting her hair done, the woman behind her had added a long blond hair extension and waved it, pinning back the sides. Then the hairstyle had also woven in golden strands to make her hair glitter in the light, followed by a pearl headpiece that circled the crown of her head.
On the other side Davina and Rebekah were getting their makeup done, it was only a brunch event for the rich and self absorbed, so the makeup was kept light, only accentuating the girls' natural features.
In the middle of the room, Katherine was changing in and out of dresses, deciding which one was appropriate for the event. The current one she had on was a floor length burgundy color, she looked at it for only a second before slipping it off and tossing it to the discarded pile.
They all turned their heads when they heard a soft knock on the door and after a short moment, Elena peeked her head in. "Hi, am I intruding? Damon told me I should come here to get ready."
"Come in." Caroline smiled sweetly and waved her hand to a man. He promptly poured a new glass of champagne and led Elena to one of the empty hair stations. Where she all but shoved down and suddenly had a mass of pins and product thrown at her.
"Thanks." Elena said softly. "I was a little worried about not knowing what to wear."
Katherine turned around and smirked. "Worrying about fashion? My, my, little doppelganger, you've come a long way since I've met you."
"Learn to adapt right?" Elena agreed and looked wearily at herself in the mirror.
"Please tell me the other one isn't going to go dressed like a toddler again." Rebekah grimaced. "The press is already talking about her disastrous arrival outfit."
"At least they'll always know which triplet she is." Davina laughed and clinked her glass with Rebekah's.
"Maybe we should invite her in here?" Elena suggested. No matter how annoying Tatia could be, she was still the sister she grew up with.
Although that idea was shot down quick when she received four matching disapproving looks.
"So," Caroline started, breaking the awkward tension. "You and Damon? Are you guys officially dating?"
"Oh, um." Elena stuttered. "Is that appropriate to talk about?"
"Nonsense." Rebekah laughed. "I'm dating Caroline's older brother, she's dating mine, and Davina's also dating my twin. Nothing really phases us."
"Right, Damon mentioned that." Elena murmured.
"Mentioned what?" Caroline prodded.
"You guys all have a lack of boundaries." Elena responded sheepishly. She still wasn't completely sure how this society worked and every now and then it felt like she was just an outsider looking in.
Kol tentatively walked around the courtyard, at this moment in time he was usually with Davina, but she wasn't exactly speaking to him. Although that didn't stop him looking for her in the crowd of people.
She was only a few feet away, her hair was longer than usual, all laying around her shoulders in soft curls, Kol had to resist the urge to run his hands through it. He also noticed her outfit, it was a pretty white two piece. The top was tied around her front and the skirt fell to just mid calf.
He remembered growing up with her, how she was always just his little sister's best friend that he had an infatuation with. Then they grew up and she became his whole world. He didn't mean to push her too far, but he'd been watching her avoid her mother weeks. It was eating away at her sanity and he didn't want her to lose it.
To his surprise, she was walking towards him, two non-alcoholic drinks in her hands, and a guilty look. "Can we talk?"
"That's the best thing I've ever heard, Davina Claire." Kol responded and took the drink she was offering him.
Davina tucked a curl behind her ear shyly and picked at the white table cloth. "I'm sorry I got so upset with you."
"I'm sorry I pushed you too far." Kol said. Davina looked away with a sad expression and Kol couldn't help but reach out and lift up her chin. "I know you didn't want to talk about your mother, but I just think you need to."
"I know I do." Davina responded, "I know I have to make a choice, I just don't want to make the wrong one."
"What aren't you telling me, Davina?" Kol asked, he watched her bite her lip. He'd known for weeks there was more to the story, but he didn't think it was his place to ask about it.
"She remarried." Davina responded. "Her therapist actually." She laughed dryly. "And then spent the next decade raising someone else's daughter."
Kol didn't even respond, he just reached out and tucked her into his arms. "I'm sorry, Little Witch."
"I'm so scared the only reason she left was because I represent all her mistakes, what if I do decide to see where this goes and she walks away again because she already has the perfect daughter." Davina's voice wavered the whole time and she was clutching hard into Kol's suit jacket. He watched her go through a rough life, even if she was one of the lucky girls who had everything she ever wanted, it didn't make for the loneliness and abandonment rooted deep in her heart.
"Hello, Love." Klaus murmured, wrapping his arms around Caroline's waist.
"Hi." She said sweetly and leaned back. "I was waiting for you."
"Kol didn't want to come to brunch too early, he was like a weeping puppy all night over Davina." Klaus mocked. Caroline narrowed her eyes playfully and smacked his chest lightly, gathering his shirt and clutching it in her fist.
"Be nice." Caroline chided. "At least he loves her. Don't you remember how they were before they started dating?"
"Of course I do." Klaus said darky, remembering the less than pleasant memories of walking in on Kol with a various girls. "I'm sure he was only going through so many girls because he couldn't get Davina off his mind."
"I guess she was his only remedy." Caroline said evenly.
"I can attest to that." Klaus murmured and kissed her cheek. "I think they would've had to put me in a psychiatric ward soon if you hadn't agreed to go on a date with me."
"Speaking of relationships." Caroline said, a glimmer in her eye. "I have my eye on a certain pair."
"Is playing match maker such a good idea, Love?" Klaus asked, knowing how persistent Caroline could be.
"Of course." Caroline said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "And you're going to help me."
"Who are the poor souls that have caught your attention?" Klaus relented.
"Katherine and Elijah." Caroline smiled deviously.
"You want to set up the most notoriously undateable girl and honorable Elijah? No matter how infatuated he is with her, I doubt he'd go against his morals." Klaus asked in disbelief.
"It'll work. They just need a nudge." Caroline shrugged, thinking back to how Elijah already had gone and fell into bed with Katherine. Although that was still a closely guarded secret between the four girls.
"Is that why you asked me to keep his arrival a secret?" Klaus mockingly scoffed at the fact his girlfriend used him.
"Keep up, Mr. Mikaelson. I don't accept slackers on my team." Caroline said a false stern tone. They both turned their heads, spotting Katherine and Elijah a little ways away. They seemed to be having a normal conversation to anyone else, but Klaus and Caroline could spot the tension. The blond smirked and tapped Klaus' cheek, "I have a feeling this might be easier than I thought."
"Rebekah!" A familiar voice called out, the blond in question turned her head and spotted the Saltzman twins walking her way. Rebekah smiled widely and kissed both girls on the cheek.
"I didn't know you were coming this year." Rebekah said. She always liked the Saltzman twins, they were cunning and angelic all the same. It was a skill Rebekah greatly appreciated.
"We weren't planning on it, but we need to ask Davina for a favor." Lizzie explained, both girls looked sheepish.
"What did you guys do this time?" Rebekah deadpanned. Most of the Hartford kids that came knocking on Davina's door needed her to wipe their records clean.
"We threw one of our infamous underground parties, someone snitched, and it got out of hand." Josie answered for the pair. "We just need her to wipe the record and track down a name or two for us."
Rebekah laughed and chatted with the twins for a while. She couldn't believe that the two of them ran a drug business. It was a complete contradiction to their personalities. Josie always came off sweet and innocent, she was a people pleaser and had a clean record. Of course beside the one that Davina erased.
Lizzie wasn't as much of a golden girl as her sister was. She didn't hide her bitchy personality or brash behavior. What really made her seem angelic was her appearance. The blond hair and blue eyes was the epitome of innocence, one smile and you couldn't help but believe every word she said.
"Well, isn't it my favorite set of twins!" Kol announced and swung an arm over both girls as soon as he saw them, Davina laughing behind. Klaus, Caroline, Stefan, and Enzo had all followed over as well and greeted the Saltzman twins.
"Hey, I take offense to that." Caroline snapped. Kol looked at her and smirked.
"Don't worry, Darling. You and Kitty will always hold a special place in my heart as your loyal subject." Kol reassured her and placed a peck on her cheek, ignoring Klaus' annoyed look.
"You're an idiot, Kol." Rebekah commented. He sent her a mock hurt look.
"Why, dear sister, how you wound me so." Kol said dryly, she stuck her tongue at him and he did the same.
"Just the girl we were looking for." Lizzie interjected, looping her arm through Davina's, pulling her away from Kol. "Josie and I need another favor, and we were hoping you could help us out."
"Sure." Davina agreed, it wasn't uncommon for random Hartford kids to come and request her assistance. "Call me later and we can work out the details."
"Fantastic!" Lizzie cheered, sharing a smile with her twin.
"While we're here," Josie added, pursing her lips in an anticipating manner. "You guys should all come to our next underground party when we get back from Monaco."
"Hmm, sounds mysterious." Caroline said, intrigued, looking around to see how everyone felt about it. "It's been a long time since we've been to one, I'm in."
As their queen, Caroline's decision unofficially spoke for all them. So the others all looked around in agreement and promised the Saltzman twins they would be at the next party. Looks like Manhattan's royalty were about to take over Hartford's elite.
Katherine leaned against one of the many small tables placed around the large courtyard. The brunch was actually quite well done this year, mostly likely Freya's doing. It was set up outside, a large white tent was placed in the middle with an assortment of foods for people to pick from. The rest of the courtyard had various overly decorated tables and important rich people mingling about.
She spotted the rest of the groups scattered around, Kol and Davina were most likely making up by now. Klaus and Caroline were being sickeningly sweet, despite the fact that Klaus was known to be unapproachable and hostile. The brunette also spotted Elena dragging Tatia around, trying to keep her out of trouble, which Katherine silently thanked her for. Except that Tatia was wearing horrendous paisley two piece and Katherine almost regretted not letting her get ready with them when Elena asked, key word, almost.
Then on the other side of the courtyard she spotted the Salvatore brothers and Enzo trapped in what looked to be like a very boring conversation with the crowned prince of Monaco. The last of their little group was Rebekah, and the youngest Mikaelson was having a small reunion with the Saltzman twins.
Unknowingly, Katherine's eyes also scanned for a certain Mikaelson that she couldn't seem to stop running into. Low and behold, he was nowhere in sight and Katherine didn't know if she was more relieved or disappointed.
Although as soon as she turned her back to get a new drink, Elijah had materialized in her line of view.
"Hello, Katerina." Elijah said, replacing her blatant alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic one.
"What do you want?" Katherine demanded. At this point Elijah had been running her through a ringer and she just wanted an out.
"A conversation." Elijah replied simply. "My sweet, Katerina, I believe we have much to discuss."
Katherine tried not to flinch when he called her his sweet Katerina. It was something only reserved for when they were alone and in a moment of bliss. She stepped far away from him and crossed her arms. "If I didn't make it clear last night, we have nothing to talk about."
"You talked, you talked and walked away." Elijah pointed out in his ever polite even tone. "You told me I gave you no reason to stay, but what if I gave you one?"
"Elijah…" Katherine grimaced. At some point during the very long girls night they had the evening before, Katherine had come to the realization that she was in love with Elijah. She was irrevocably in love with a boy who, she believed, never loved her back, at least not in the way she wanted. She had also come to the realization that she wasn't upset with him either, she was hurt that he walked away, but she was also the one that agreed not to let the relationship go anywhere. So here she was in this predicament, not knowing what to do.
Davina paced the length of the balcony and twisted her phone around in her hands, brunch had ended hours ago and the others were scattered around the palace. It wasn't something she was really prepared to do, but at this point she had to do something about it.
With bated breath and a shaky hand, Davina lifted her phone and dialed the unfamiliar number, an unfamiliar number that belonged to her absentee mother. One ring, two, no answer. Davina almost sighed in relief.
She honestly didn't know what she was going to say, she just needed to get it off her mind. Not making a decision was starting to eat away at her, just like Kol said it was. Although having no one pick up gave her more time to put it off, but that also meant she wasn't going to stop thinking about it.
Davina stood on the balcony for a while, and after two glasses of bourbon, two things of pastry, and the sun finally setting, she decided to go back inside. That is until her phone began to ring, that seemingly harmless number popping across the screen.
Davina answered the call before she had a chance to really think about it and placed the phone to her ear. "Hello?"
"Davina?" her mother's voice answered, she sounded nervous, but also calm. "You called me back."
"I did." Davina answered shortly. She leaned against the railing and slid down to sit on the hard floor.
"I heard about everything, with your friends." Her mother said, she sounded more sure of herself, but also the ever present underlying tone of condescension was there. "I'm sorry."
"So am I." Davina muttered. On one hand she was still angry with her mother and wanted to lay the guilt thick, but on the other hand, she was scared.
"I asked your father if I could invite you to dinner." Mary Alice said.
"He did tell me." Davina responded. "I've thought about the offer for weeks and I'm not sure what to say."
"Say you'll come." Her mother almost pleaded. "I want to show you my life, my family, I want you to be a part of that."
"I think that's the idea I can't get past." Davina finally snapped, the anger winning out her distance behavior. "You keep saying you want me to be a part of your life, but why do you need me when you already have a daughter?"
"Davina…" Her mother started, she panicked. "Please, you have to understand, I didn't want the situation to turn out that way."
"Too bad that it did." Davina cut in, she ran a hand through her hair and scratched at the floor. "I tried to understand, I really did, but I can't and I don't think it's something I ever will. I'm sorry but no matter how much you want me in your life, I don't want you in mine. To me, my mother died a long time ago and I made peace with the fact that she wasn't ever coming back."
"Davina, I'm right here." Mary Alice pleaded. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Tell me what I can do?"
"There isn't anything that's going to change the situation." Davina answered slowly. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this."
"Davina, Davina wait-" Mary Alice called from the other end, but Davina had already ended the call and let her phone fall from her hands. She didn't need a mother, she had her father, Kol, her friends and that was everyone she needed and that would be enough for her.
"This isn't fair!" Tatia screeched, pointing an accusatory finger at Elena.
"What do you want me to say, Tatia?" Elena answered tiredly. She was used to Tatia's spoiled behavior.
"They're a bunch of spoiled little rich kids with no consequences!" Tatia shrieked. "Mom brought us here so we could be living that life, not so we could sit in the shadows."
"You already are!" Elena snapped. "You're in Monaco aren't you? You have expensive clothes, you're going to the rich private school. You are living the life you wanted, stop acting like you aren't."
"That's easy for you to say." Tatia hissed. "You were accepted into their little club. All they ever do is shun me!"
"Because you're infuriating!" Elena yelled, walking closer to look her sister in the eye. "I've grown up with you and your intolerable behavior. You literally have everything you ever wanted and yet you still can't seem to appreciate it."
"Elena." Tatia hissed, looking offended. No one had ever talked to her that way, especially Elena. "What right do you have to go around and say that to me! You didn't even want to come, but here you are enjoying all the perks of Manhattan's royalty."
"At least I can change and admit that I was wrong." Elena snapped. "You're never going to admit that you can't fit in here and you never change your ways. Don't think I've forgotten that you threw all of us under the bus to say your own life back in the warehouse, Tatia."
The Manhattan teenagers, as well as the Saltzman twins, were all tucked into Katherine's room later that night, there were pillows and blankets everywhere, including various bottles of alcohol flowing freely.
They were slowly slipping back into their ways of partying at all hours of the day and a carefree attitude. Lizzie, Josie, Davina, and Kol were all dancing on top of the coffee table, all three girls holding margaritas.
Rebekah was sitting in Stefan's lap as he ran his fingers through her curls, they were both pleasantly buzzed and neither really felt like doing anything more than being in each other's company.
Damon, Enzo, and Katherine had taken it a little overboard and the three of them were probably drunker than anyone in the room. All three were dancing all well with Katherine in between the two boys.
Klaus, although notorious for partying, wasn't too involved, he was content to nurse his fourth glass of bourbon and hold Caroline as she broke into fits of drunk giggles or random babbling. Eventually letting her go so she and Katherine could spin around the room and declare that they would not only rule Manhattan but the world. He had no doubt that his angel and her counterpart would rule the world, he couldn't help but take her into his arms, away from Katherine, and spin her into his grasp.
"You'll always be my reine, Love." Klaus whispered, sliding his finger across the tattoo on her hip he'd chosen especially for her, enjoying her slight shiver. "Rule Manhattan, rule the world, but that I assure you will never change."
Hi everyone! I completely forgot to add this last time, but I want to sent a huge shoutout to klarolineagainnaturally! The absolutely stunning cover is all credited to them. Please go check out their stories, some of my personal favorites were written by klarolineagainnaturally. Once again thank you so much for the cover!
Since I am writing an authors note, I recently had this idea to start a story about the Hartford's elite. I find exploring what they would be like really interesting and it would be in the same universe as Royals of New York. Leave a review and let me know if you'd be interested in that story.
I also want to thank everyone who has reviewed and left favorites, thank you all so much for your support!