Klaus vamped to the downstairs of the compound. Mrs. Claire trailed behind. Elijah was cradling Rebekah tenderly. He was still going to light up her backside with his switch, but only after his nephew was safely home. He wondered if he was too hard on them, or too easy. He had let them off too many times recently.
Elijah filled in his brother about what his son had done.
Klaus roared, "My son did what?"
Mrs. Claire was thinking that these young vampires needed a firmer hand. Just as she was about to mention that, she heard the girl say something about an Astrid.
"Excuse me, did you just say something about a witch named Astrid, Miss?" Mrs. Claire asked calmly.
"Yes, m'am. Marcel said he was going to visit a witch named Astrid who would shield him," Rebekah confessed. She was terrified that Marcel would be attacked, hexed, or eaten by werewolves. It wasn't safe out there for an angry young vampire who though he was bigger and badder than he really was.
"Astrid is in our coven," Mrs. Claire started, "how about I try a locator spell for your son. If that doesn't work, we will pay Astrid a visit. I've warned her that she needs to focus on the coven and not fool around with outsiders. If she is hiding the boy, she is going to have a bit of explaining to do."
"Thank you, Mrs. Claire, you have proven to be a generous and loyal ally despite our brother's poor behavior. We will repay you in time," Klaus offered.
"Speaking of brothers, shall I release our brother to help us? Mrs. Claire, I will get your daughter also, if that is acceptable," Elijah offered.
Klaus and Rebekah went to gather the supplies needed for the locator spell.
Several minutes later, it was determined that Marcel was indeed being cloaked by a powerful witch. Elijah brought the two lovebirds who had just recently been disciplined and filled them in on the plan.
Elijah then paused and said, "Kol, what do you want to say to Mrs. Claire."
Kol's face flushed with shame and he stumbled out, "Mrs. Claire, I'm sorry that I disrespected your wishes and visited with your daughter without your permission. It will not happen again. Please forgive me." He tried to sound sincere and not look at Mary-Alice, he hoped she knew that he wouldn't do this of his own free will.
Elijah nodded, as did Mrs. Claire.
"Well, I'm sure you young people learned a lesson about respect today. The next time, I daresay, we will go as easy on you. Plus, my daughter is no innocent. She will continue to learn the error of her ways. I apologize for her loose and wanton behavior," the older lady said sternly.
"Very well," Klaus said, "now can we please go get my son before something terrible happens?"
Rebekah and Elijah pledged to stay behind as the rest walked the short distance to Astrid's quarters. Kol hung back a bit and showed Mary-Alice that he was wearing the bracelet. She looked at him with the question of what he was planning in her eyes. Kol just muttered trust me.
Mrs. Claire firmly knocked on the door. There was no answer. A vampire could not go into a home without being invited in, but Mrs. Claire and Mary-Alice were human. Also, Mary-Alice was Astrid's best friend. Mrs. Claire glared at Mary-Alice to say something. She didn't want to betray her friend, but she was just tired and wanted this all to be done with.
"Astrid, it's me. Let me in!" Mary-Alice whispered.
The door immediately opened. Mary-Alice stepped in and whispered, "Sorry. They know."
"About the bracelet?" Astrid blurted.
"What bracelet?" Mrs. Claire said stepping inside also.
"Oh, ah, nothing," Astrid lamely sputtered.
Mrs. Claire grabbed Astrid and said, "Tell the vampire boy to come out. His father is here to claim him."
Before Astrid could say another word, Marcel came out from the back room. His passions had cooled and he knew that he was in for it.
"Thanks, anyway, Astrid," Marcel smiled sadly as he left the flat. He knew there was a good possibility of Klaus whaling him immediately on the street. Instead, though, Klaus reached out to hug him and held his boy to him. Marcel was safe, that was all that mattered. They would deal with everything else at home. Kol felt a stab of jealously at seeing how comforting Nik was to his son. He usually only treated him like that after he punished him. Today, though, Marcel had taken that from him, too.
Mrs. Claire had a quiet word with Klaus and then excused herself and her daughter to deal with Astrid.
Kol slipped Mary-Alice the bracelet and whispered, "Use it to see me again. Soon."
Mary-Alice slipped it on her slender wrist and watched Kol leave.
"So Astrid, what is this bracelet you are referring to? What have you girls been up to?" Mrs. Claire asked with her eyebrows arched.
"Nothing, I swear," Astrid stammered.
"Mother, you will forget about knowing anything about a bracelet. You will forget anything you know of dark objects and the bracelet of obedience," Mary-Alice said with confidence, the bracelet had worked before.
"That bracelet you are wearing, Daughter. Give it to me immediately! Do you think that I am not protected from dark magical items? You are a fool," Mrs. Claire said, yanking the newly minted dark object off of her daughter's wrist.
"No! Please..." Mary-Alice said, devastated as how quickly her mother had turned the tables.
"A dark object is nothing to play with. Now where did you get this? Tell me," Mrs. Claire asked with the bracelet of obedience now firmly on her own wrist.
The whole story came tumbling out of the girls, including the powers of the bracelet and how effective it was.
Mrs. Claire was angry. Her lovely, but naive daughter and her talented friend, had gotten used. So this Kol was an even naughtier boy than his big brothers knew. As the leader of the coven, Mrs. Claire wondered how she could use this information to her advantage. She didn't want her daughter involved, but she was already. How could she get the vampires to destroy each other so the witches of New Orleans could reign supreme again?
"What are you going to do, Mother?" Mary-Alice asked. She couldn't say that she wasn't afraid of another paddling, like the one she already got today. She did fear that, but she also feared losing Kol. She was in love and lust, she wanted more of what he offered. Yet, she knew her mother would stop her every step of the way.
"Daughter, you are going to continue to help your Kol make dark objects. Let him train you. If you do succeed in creating a dagger that can put the older brothers into a deep sleep, then we can control your young suitor. That daughter has a fancy for the young Marcel, perhaps they will run off together. That leaves one Original in this town. One that is in love with you. Continue your dailliance with your love, continue to charm him. You will write everything that happens in your diary. Leave your diary unlocked in your desk drawer. Forget we had this conversation now," Mrs. Claire said realizing that she was using her daughter as a pawn. This was her chance to rule, not only the witches, but the entire French quarter.
"Mary-Alice, go home and go to bed. Know that when I come home, I'm going to give you another good spanking for disobeying me. You will forget that I have the bracelet of obedience. Tell your Kol that you lost it. Understand, little miss?" Mrs. Claire commanded her daughter.
"Yes, Mother. I will go to bed and expect another spanking soon. I'll tell Kol that I lost the dark object. He will be sad," Mary-Alice said almost in a trance.
Astrid was horrified. Mrs. Claire was their coven leader. She was extremely strict and rules with an iron fist and a wooden hairbrush, but Astrid didn't think she would let his own daughter be involved in vampire intrigues. If she sacrificed her own daugher, what did she have in store for Astrid.
As if on cue, Mrs. Claire said to Astrid, "You will continue to make dark objects with the vampire Kol and my daughter. If you succeed in getting close to making the dagger, you must come to me and tell me everything. Now forget that we had this conversation."
Astrid repeated the instructions in a monotone voice. Her mind reverted to the incident with Marcel. Witches were forbidden to do powerful spells without permission.
"Mrs. Claire, I'm sorry about the cloaking spell. I liked Marcel and I thought maybe he liked me. Am I in trouble?" she asked trembling.
Astrid could get dispelled from the coven for this. However, the younger witches knew she preferred to use other methods to keep them in line.
Mrs. Claire smiled wryly, "Tell me the truth, Astrid, what do you believe would be an effective punishment for you?"
Now under the effect of the bracelet, she answered, "I deserve to get spanked on my bare behind. I should then be told to bend over the table and whipped with the hickory stick until my bottom is welted and I learn my lesson."
Mrs. Claire was surprised, she was starting to double that spankings were as effective on her "girls" anymore. She seemed to have someone over her knee every week. But maybe, she was on the right track? After all, she ran the coven now and had not lost any members in her tenure. So another behind warming, it was.
"Take off your dress," Mrs. Claire ordered as she dragged a straight backed chair into the small parlor. Astrid slipped off her dress and remained in her slip and garters. Mrs. Claire sat on it and gestured for Astrid to come close.
"Please, m'am. I don't want a spanking. I was stupid. I will never do a spell like that without permission again," Astrid begged. She felt at 19, she was too old to have to lay across the coven matron's knee. The woman had a hand like a wooden paddle. Sometimes she felt like her hand was worse than the paddle and she could never explain why.
"Over my lap, now," Mrs. Claire demanded. Astrid got into position with her hands supporting her on the floor leaving her legs free to kick.
She smoothed Astrid's cotton slip down and began to pat her behind.
"If you girls would just focus on your magical studies and stay away from boys, you wouldn't be getting spanked so often, eh," Mrs. Claire said ruefully as she raised her hand for the first spank.
Crack!
Astrid shifted, but knew better than to move too much.
Whap! Whap! Whap!
"You are *spank* going to tell me everything *Spank* that happens with Kol, *Smack* *Smack* understand?" Mrs. Claire demaned, still wearing the bracelet.
"Oww, *Whack*, yeah, I mean, *spank**spank*SPANK*, yes, m'am! I will tell you all," Astrid was really feeling the heat build up as more cracks were placed all over her behind. "Smack* Whap *CRACK*
Astrid started rocking her hips from side to side. Her behind really smarted. *Swat* *SWAT* *SWAT*
She took a deep breath as she felt Mrs. Claire pause. Then, her thin chemise was pulled up above her backside. She lifted as she felt Mrs. Claire pull on her bloomers. Soon, her bottom was bare. She felt Mrs. Claire rest her hand on it before she rubbed it gently. Her bloomers rested right below her bottom, nicely framing the target for Mrs. Claire.
"You know better than to do a powerful spell like that on your own, Missy." Mrs. Claire said, now patting the unblemished bottom in front of her. "We are a coven so we can help and support each other, not hide things! SmACK! Swat! Swat. Crack. Smack!
Smack! Smack. Swat. Whap. Astrid broke down in sobs. She could not take the stinging pain of the ongoing spanking. She tried to shift her behind, but Mrs. Claire held her in place with her left arm. She wasn't going anywhere until she was spanked to tears and a very sorry witch.
The next five swats were firm and steady. Mrs. Claire's well-practiced spanking hand bounced all over Astrid's bottom leaving no spot unattended to. Astrid felt her bloomers slip off when her kicking intensified. Mrs. Claire was now spanking her harder and faster and Astrid's leg's were pinwheeling. It took effort to keep her hands firmly on the floor.
"The next time you consider going behind my back and breaking the coven rules, you will come to me and ask me to paddle you soundly for your own good! Do *swat* you *swat* understand *swat*, young lady?" Mrs. Claire said, as her own hand started to smart.
"Yess...owww. I understanddd. Please. No. I am sorry. So sorry. Arggg," the well-spanked girl cried.
"Now go get me the hickory stick, you're going to get a good whipping before you can go to bed," Mrs. Claire said, helping her up and sending Astrid off with a sharp slap to her thigh to get her moving.
The bare bottomed Astrid got the polished stick which was kept with the fire place tools. That is where her wise grandmere had kept it when Astrid had smarted off or skipped chores and needed a whipping, out it came. The polished stick had bounced over many a bare behind in the family when need be. Once the stick came out, someone was getting a licking.
Astrid handed the stick to Mrs. Claire. Mrs. Claire got up and led Astrid to her bed. She had the young witch bend over and applied the first sharp swat to her sit spots. Whap!
Astrid raised up, but was quickly pushed back down by Mrs. Claire.
Whap! Whap! WHAP! Whap! Whap!
"Please, no. I can't take more!" Astrid wailed.
Astrid was kicking and pounding on the bed almost screaming. That stick hurt.
"If you don't want to be spanked, then stop misbehaving. You know the rules!" Mrs. Claire stated firmly.
Crack! CRACK. CRACK! WHAP!
With the last four hard whacks, the whipping was over. Mrs. Claire ran her hand over the slight welts on the girls sore cheeks and upper thighs. She would not be able to sit comfortably for a while.
Mrs. Claire helped Astrid into the bed on her stomach and rubbed her back. She soothed her with an old creole lullaby that the girl's grandmeme had sang to her after a licking with this very hickory stick.
"There, there...all done," Mrs. Claire said, kissing the girl on the head.
"You will sleep now and know you are forgiven, but you will also follow my orders and behave, Astrid," Mrs. Claire gave her a light swat on her swollen rear end and put the stick back.
She was tired but had her own naughty daughter to attend to again at home. She had seen some fang marks on the girl's neck. With the bracelet of obedience, she thought she would finally get the truth out of the girl.