I flattered myself in thinking that Elijah felt somewhat comfortable around me so that his usually stoic stature relaxed a little when I was near him. Enough so that he did not have to retain the pretence of a perfect image. He showed more emotions around me, such as boredom, irritation, disdain and impatience towards others, but always had a great deal of patience when it came to me or someone he cared about. He even confided in me that he suspected his mother of having other intentions in being here and that she had in fact, not forgiven Niklaus for his past transgressions. My gaze flickered slightly, catching sight of him in the crowds and I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. "You seem concerned for my brother."
"He's not as bad a guy as everyone makes out." I began, speaking my thoughts on what I had observed from Klaus so far. "I mean, sure he has a strong way of getting his point across and tends to throw tantrums if he doesn't get his way, but he's got some good points too."
"Such as?"
"Well, he's very philosophical. He has a deep way of thinking which would put a lot of past philosophers to shame. Plato, Karl Marx, Confucius, Voltaire, Simone de Beauvoir…"
"Machiavelli, Avicenna, Laozi, Socrates…" Elijah continued, joining the game and listing off more of history's most famous philosophers so I flashed him a grin.
"Exactly. Also, he has a great understanding and appreciation for culture and the arts, which is something I can also appreciate. I think the reason why he acts out like he does is because…well he's hurting, and he doesn't know how to express that except in violence and retaliation." Looking back at Klaus, I then returned my gaze to Elijah who was watching his brother thoughtfully. "He does love you, Elijah. He loves all of you. If anything I'd say he actually loves deeper than most almost to the point of obsession, he's just afraid of expressing it and being rejected." Contemplating my words, Elijah gradually drew in a deep breath then sighed heavily, as if weighed down with his conflicted feelings towards his brother before he then looked down towards me, offering a tilt of his lips to signify a small smile.
"You understand him well, Ophelia." I shrugged.
"It's a druid thing."
"No. I am quite certain it is a you thing." Brushing it off, I moved the topic of conversation on, enjoying the evening until my parents came over in order to check up on me, greeting Elijah who shook my father's hand firmly and kissed my mom's the way he sometimes did with me as they introduced themselves, my mother curiously asking how we'd come to know one another. Shoot. I hadn't thought about that one. Thankfully Elijah covered for me, immediately launching into a very believable explanation.
"My original purpose in being here was in research, particularly concerning the town's history. I was put into contact with a Mr Saltzman and through him, he recommended his most avid and keen history student. We have talked at length on the subject of history, though I am astonished that she has yet to grow bored of my endless tirades." He said, giving me a quick look and I immediately caught on, taking the lifeline he'd thrown me and my parents were instantly satisfied. Elijah had to leave us then, catching sight of Elena and needing to go and ask her what his mother had wanted with her, giving a polite farewell to my parents before disappearing.
"Well, he is a handsome young man. Ophelia, where do you find all these good looking guys? First Mattie, then that other Mikaelson boy, Niklaus?" Nudging her hip at me, I groaned quietly at my mother's suggestive look and telling her not to even go there and that there was nothing to tell her about any of the guys in my life. She was disappointed, but made the point that all of them looked excellent in a suit, and that it was something I should keep in mind.
Actually relieved when Esther called the assembly to attention, a glass of red tinged champagne in her hand, everyone quietened down in order to listen which saved me from my mother's teasing, the three of us accepting a drink each, though the waiter purposefully handed mine to me. It was a strangely coloured champagne, nothing I had ever seen before and for a moment, I felt like there was some kind of magic circumventing the glass, pooling from the liquid but then it was gone, as if vanishing the moment I had come to notice it. Frowning at the drink, I felt my dad place his hand on my shoulder so I turned back and gave him a smile, completely forgetting about the drink as Esther began to speak.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming round with champagne." She began, lifting her own drink up as everyone took a fresh glass in order to join in with the toast that Esther was clearing intending to share. "I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this
spectacular evening. Cheers." With a smile, she lifted her glass to salute everyone below her to which we all responded in kind. Sharing a smirk with my parents, I drank some of the champagne, but the moment it hit my throat I almost gagged.
Something about it tasted and even felt wrong. There was a bitter aftertaste, making me frown in confusion as to what was going on but I couldn't place what was wrong with it, so I just decided to set it back onto the waiter's tray so that I didn't have to finish it. "Everything alright Lia?"
"Yeah, just the champagne tasted off. Did you guys get that at all?" Looking at me with surprise, both my mom and my dad had no idea what I was talking about. Feeling a tightness in my throat, I rubbed at it with slight concern, but then the feeling passed and I wondered if the bubbles had just gone down the wrong way. In any case, I could feel that the evening was beginning to draw to a close. My parents were soon locked in conversation with some old family friends so I returned to my own, finding Rebekah where I complimented her mother to be able to throw together such an amazing party in just one day.
As much as this had been fun, I couldn't wait to get out of this dress and definitely lock this necklace back in a safe or something, because now that the evening was over there was no reason to keep holding onto this practically priceless gem. "Of course, I wish to be out of this dress too. Just give me a few minutes to arrange the servants to their chores then I shall be with you." Quietly reminding Rebekah that we didn't call waiters 'servants' anymore, I gave her a nudge as she rolled her eyes, teasing her for being so old fashioned as she sashayed away. I started to head upstairs, figuring at the very least I could wait in her room so that she could then help me with the laces and strings. Rubbing my neck again over the scar I then began to pull my hair free so that it fell in loose waves around my shoulder. Feeling that uncomfortable feeling coming back in my throat, I coughed lightly to try and clear it but then paused when I heard Matt and someone else talking on the balcony overlooking the front of the house and the driveway. "Good evening. You're Rebekah's friend, we haven't met." Recognising Kol's voice, I decided to take a look, heading over just as Matt responded.
"Matt Donovan." Returning the introduction by giving his full name also, I appeared at the open balcony doors just as Kol had taken Matt's hand in the guise of shaking it until I heard a painful crack, and with a rush of alarm as Matt buckled from the pain, I realised Kol was breaking his hand.
"No!" With an explosion of fury that burst through me like a hurricane, I thrust out my hand directly at Kol and overwhelmed him with a powerful pressure on his head and brain which forced him to let go of Matt and stagger backwards, a flurry of wind whipping into being with a sharp hiss of sound as I threatened to throw him over the balcony right then and there. The pins that had held my hair now dropped to the ground, though as my magic burst outward they froze before they could touch, everything around me becoming affected from the pure rage I felt gushing directly at Kol for what he'd done. He'd hurt Matt. My Mattie, and that was completely unacceptable.
"Carrots!" God damn it Damon, I hate that name. The shift of my irritation caused the magic that had begun to spiral around me to settle, throwing Damon a filthy look as Kol collapsed onto the ground, struggling to regain his breath as blood dripped from his nostrils, Matt clutching at his hand where the bones had been broken. Drawing my magic back, the hairpins finally dropped with a light flitter of sound. Now ignoring Damon, I reached out to touch Matt's shoulder, comforting him gently.
"Here, let me see." Turning him to face me, I delicately wrapped my smaller hands around his, holding the broken fingers and fractured wrist before closing my eyes and focusing on my healing magic under the element of light. The area that needed healing began to glow, a golden warmth shining between us with a ripple extending outwards, fluttering like embers and sparks as I healed the damage Kol had done, more concerned about Matt than I was angry with Kol at that particular moment. I can kick his ass later however this hand needed to be healed before anyone found out, otherwise it would be way more difficult to explain how a broken hand suddenly healed it overnight to the doctors. Several others had gathered in order to see what was going on, including Stefan and Elena as well as Caroline, Klaus and Rebekah. The light continued to shine effortlessly, almost ringing with a soft chime of sound as Matt stared in wonder until I was finished, and when I let go of his hand he moved his fingers, everything perfectly mended and fixed without a single indication of pain. "How does it feel?"
"It feels amazing. How…was that your magic?" Giving him a smile, I reached up my hand to hold Matt's face, brushing my thumb affectionately against his cheek to make sure he was okay and that Kol hadn't done anything else.
"You better get out of here. Looks like I have a point that needs to be made to a certain vampire." Quickly recognising what I meant, Matt glanced over to Kol who was still on the ground, though now sitting upright and staring at me warily, trying to look fearsome but betraying his panic in the wideness of his eyes.
"Lia you don't have to…"
"Go home Matt. I'll deal with this." Knowing that there was no way he was going to talk me out of this, Matt backed off then left, bringing Caroline, Elena and the Salvatore brothers with him, leaving only myself, Kol, Bekah and Klaus on the balcony. There were very few guests remaining, so I wasn't so worried about being overheard or found out about the painful ass kicking I was about to deliver. "Now. What are we going to do with you?" I wondered aloud before my throat began to constrict slightly, forcing me to wince and try and swallow back the feeling. Cracking my knuckles, I began to envision all kinds of ways I could make it clear that Matt was on the untouchable list. "Get your punk ass up off the floor so I can put you back down there properly. Let's see you try and break my hand." My throat tightened further, and this time, it didn't relent. I gulped, struggling to breathe all of a sudden as Kol slowly got himself up, still watching me carefully as I began to show signs of something being wrong.
"Lia? Lia what's the matter?" Bekah was the first to realise that something was up, seeing me twitch and sway slightly, moving like I was trying to retch as my stomach began to twist and deliver intense flashes of pain whilst my lungs felt like they were on fire, burning up in my chest and turning to ash which made my throat dry and useless to draw breath. "Lia." Gasping and staggering, blood began to fill my mouth and I could only hold it for so long before I couldn't anymore. I spat it out, projecting it as far as possible as I rather stupidly thought to try and not get any on the dress, like that was actually something that mattered right now. "Ophelia!" Now alarmed, Rebekah rushed forwards but Kol beat her to it.
Seeing my weakness, he viewed it as an opportunity to kill me as I grew paler than chalk, trembling all over as I clutched at my chest and throat like I had been poisoned, and the toxins were moving fast around my body. With a snarl Kol flew at me with bared fangs, causing me to stare with fearful alarm but being unable to do anything as the pain became so intense that it darkened my vision for a brief moment. I thought that that would be the moment Kol would kill me, and I wouldn't have even seen it happen, but then Klaus was there pinning his younger brother down, arms locked around his neck and under his arm to restrain him as he growled threateningly.
Bekah grabbed hold of my arm, staring at me in alarm as more blood trailed down my chin and I began to lose all sense of feeling other than pain. All at once I could see things, my visions rushing to me and each image or sensation felt like a hammer against my skull, dragging out ragged gasps and painful wails until it was all too much and I just wanted it to stop. Rebekah was practically screaming my name by this point as my trembling body dropped, losing all strength but then firm arms wrapped themselves around my shoulder and over my waist, holding me in order to lower me more gently to the ground. "Ophelia. Ophelia open your eyes, can you hear me?"
"Elijah…" Somehow, I barely managed to gurgle his name between the breathlessness and blood still sweeping through my mouth. Gripping onto him, Elijah let me pull his head down towards me so that I could whisper to him, so quietly that not even the others could hear me, like my warning was meant only for him, as he would be the only one to listen and understand. "Your mother…don't trust her." Then as the final vision flared to life in my mind, it was so intense that it was nothing more than a blinding flash of white light with an indistinguishable sound pounding through my head like a scream until it all vanished and I was left feeling empty and lost. Despite falling unconscious, I remained fully aware of my surroundings, like being trapped in a dream whilst awake. Or a nightmare, in this case. It had been Esther, I knew that now thanks to my visions, and I also knew what she was planning. I should have warned them, should have figured something out sooner or seen something, but now I could do nothing. I thought magic was ineffective against me, but I guess there were still some forms which were potent, and she had known exactly what to use against a druid. Natural magic, something the druids had taught witches themselves. The use of herbs and plants, the difference between poisons and cures, how to use the natural world and harness it's naturally occurring magic within.
She'd poisoned me, tried to kill me so that I wouldn't reveal her plan before she could see it through and she'd used toxic plants in order to do it, drawing out their essence and combining it with Elena's blood, put it into my drink and my drink alone. I felt so incredibly stupid for not realising it sooner, the moment I'd tasted the drink or even sensed that there was magic in it, but I had been naïve, and this was the price. Thankfully she hadn't killed me, and my own magic had surged to protect me by sending me into a deep sleep like state in order to combat the poison and recover, though I had no idea how long it was going to take. "What's happening to her? Elijah, talk to me brother!" Klaus was saying with surprising heat and concern, still strangling Kol who was fighting to try and get free.
"What have you done Kol? What did you do to her?!" The tears and strain in Rebekah's voice made my heart wrench for her, knowing full well that she was probably going to rip her brother apart with her bare hands if she thought he'd done this to me. Little did she know. Little did any of them know, I just hope Elijah understood my warning.
"Enough. Rebekah, control yourself. Niklaus let your brother go." And here was the wicked witch of the west herself. Esther. Wait until I wake up and I get my hands on you. I'm going to figure out a way to make you pay for this you heartless bitch. "Tell me what happened."
"We don't know, she just started choking and crying out like she was in pain whilst coughing up blood! Please mother, you have to do something to help her." Begging her mother so sweetly, I couldn't help but think what a true friend I had found in Rebekah. Hearing Esther quickly move to where Elijah was still holding onto me, seemingly shocked into petrifaction as his hand held the back of my head whilst Esther touched my face, seemingly inspecting me carefully.
"She is alive." Yeah, no need to sound so surprised. You're not getting rid of me that easy. "She has fallen into a deep sleep, I do not understand. This is her own magic that is doing this. It is…protecting her from something." Telling the truth but not the entirety of it, Esther quickly snatched her hands back before I could figure out a way to make my magic work again in order to strike back at her. "Take her somewhere to rest. Rebekah cease with your tears, they will do you no good here. Someone must go to her parents, compel them to believe that their daughter is staying with us for a while and that they should not worry for her." For a moment, no one spoke, everyone seemingly still shocked about what had happened to me until Klaus then spoke.
"I shall do it." He announced, stepping forwards but seemed to pause in order to glower at Kol. "And I suggest that you do not show yourself to me again tonight, brother." Smartly deciding that Kol needed to be put in a timeout, Esther had Finn deal with him whilst Klaus went to go compel my parents. For a moment I worried that he wouldn't be able to since I had placed protective spells over my parents, but I recognised that this time around, it was something necessary so that they wouldn't worry about me.
That's when I began to feel magic seeping back to me, like I was breathing it in without even thinking about it, like a reflex, constant like a heartbeat. I could feel the magic pulling away from my parents as Elijah gathered me up more securely into his arms and hurriedly brought me to a guest room with a smooth vampire speeded whoosh. It caused my hair to flutter and the fabrics of my dress to rustle as Elijah rather carefully lowered me down onto the massive bed, the soft mattress and pillows dipping underneath me until he pulled his arms away. "I heard you, Ophelia. I heard your warning." He murmured to me, and after a momentary feeling of him drawing away, he then returned with what I presumed to be a handkerchief dabbing at my chin.
Feeling full of warmth and a strangely deepening affection, I felt Elijah clean away the blood with a damp handkerchief until it was completely erased, smoothing it away from my neck also as Rebekah then arrived. "You should leave. Ophelia would never forgive me if I do not get her out of that dress." Oh god yes please, get me out of this thing and take the necklace off too! Don't leave me to sleep in this thing.
"Yes. Yes of course." Still slightly shaken from what had transpired, Elijah began to leave as Rebekah reached for me, her fingers lightly brushing my hair and took a moment to rearrange it neatly over my shoulders as well as placing my hands to rest against my stomach, one on top of the other.
"Whatever has happened to you Lia? Just…tell me how to help you. I'll do anything." Unable to give a reply, I heard Rebekah sniff sadly before going to my feet and removing my shoes. Thank god for that, my feet were starting to kill me.
Before my friend could reach for my shoulders in order to lift me up and begin the laborious process of getting me out of this dress, she suddenly cried out and ripped her hands back, bringing Elijah rushing back. "What is it?"
"Something…something's growing!" For a moment I didn't have a clue what Rebekah was talking about, but then I began to feel it. As I lay there on the canopied bed, I felt the manifestation of my magic as it began to work itself around me and spill outwards and having no control over it whatsoever. Thick and luscious moss grew underneath me, growing across the sheets and spilling like a waterfall over the edges as vines and flowers also began to appear, curling around the bedposts and headboard until within minutes, the bed and myself was completely covered. It grew up the walls and stretched across the floor until eventually the entire room was covered and all I could smell was the freshness of grass and the aromas of a hundred different flowers.
Elijah and Rebekah had backed away at the creeping advance of magical vegetation, now pushed to the door where the vines continued to grow on the one side, flowers of every species blooming to create a garden of scents just for me. The flowers grew over me, decorating my hair and blooming under my hands with red roses and pure white lilies also nestling themselves into my neck and growing all over the dress, a vine curling around my big toe like it was holding onto me. Even with my eyes closed, I could tell each and every flower just by feeling its presence, recognising each and every one of them by name.
"What…is this?" Rebekah awed at the scene before her then hesitatingly stepped forwards, placing a foot down on the grassy mound that had become the floor before then crossing over to me. She touched my shoulder, warily testing the boundaries before then pressing her hand to my arm. "Brother, is this her doing?"
"Her magic is protecting her, it is as mother said. Druids heal best when in nature, so nature has brought itself to her." Elijah answered, and I thanked him for the clarification. As nice as this was, I had started to freak out a little at first over the fact that flowers were literally blooming around me when before there had been nothing for them to grow from. "I think you should leave her be, sister. If you disturb her then we cannot know how it will affect her." What? No. No you have to get me out of this dress. Damn it flowers, nature is supposed to be on my side!
"What has happened? Where did this come from?" Hearing Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah both turned to him but he did not wait for their response. He was over at my side in a heartbeat, fingers ghosting down my face and I could practically feel the intense fury and concern he felt on my behalf. I was almost touched. Had I somehow managed to make Klaus worry about me? It was a step. A good step, and in the right direction at that. "Is there anything to be done?"
"We do not know, brother."
"Why would you even care? Not so long ago you were plotting ways to kill her so that you could be rid of her since she refused to conform to you." Rebekah bit at him sharply, and I felt a flash of indignation at the truth. Come on Klaus, I thought we were making progress.
"That was before we came to an understanding." He answered coldly, still looking down over me, touching at one of the flowers in my hair which had a petal brushing against my cheek.
"You already had a so called understanding, and you intended to break it."
"I was…" Growing frustrated, Klaus chose not to answer his sister's baiting and instead pulled his hand away. "Since our sweet Ophelia has clearly claimed this room as her own, she will have to remain here for now. I have dealt with her parents, they will not worry for her absence." Rebekah then frowned, telling him that it was impossible as I had put spells over them to protect them from compulsion and supernatural influence. "Whatever the case, it was successful. Perhaps her magic has been weakened due to this…condition." For a while, all three of them stood in silence, just watching me. I'll be honest, it was more than a little uncomfortable just being gawked at.
"You should both get some rest. I will remain with her tonight." Elijah finally broke the silence, though Rebekah protested initially, she was persuaded that it would be best to take turns watching over me to see if there was any change or improvement in my condition. "Make sure that Kol does not come near. I do not trust that he will not do something foolish."
"He is lucky he is still alive." Klaus ground out from between his clenched teeth, and I could practically imagine the face he was pulling right now. All tense and severe, just like him.
"We do not know that Kol is the reason behind this. It was triggered after Ophelia used magic to subdue him and heal her friend. Patience, brother. We will learn the truth in time, if Ophelia does not awaken to tell us first." This seemed to placate Klaus and Bekah, for the moment at least. I doubted any one of us was going to really get any sleep tonight, as even though my body was motionless I was still fully comprehending and awake. My hearing was all I had to interpret what was going on around me.
Klaus left first, then Rebekah after she announced that she was going to go and find Matt in order to apologise to him, leaving me alone with Elijah. This I didn't mind, and after he had managed to pull a vine and flower laden chair free so that he could pull it over to bedside, I felt him then rest his hand over mine as I held a bouquet of flowers underneath with trailing leaves having arranged themselves almost intently to create this sleeping beauty image which I partially hated since it was so totally cliché. "Whatever it was you were trying to warn me about, Ophelia, thank you. I know it was not something natural that has brought this upon you, and I suspect that my mother had something to do with it. You can be certain, once I know the truth, I will not allow her to walk away from this freely."
Touched that Elijah cared enough to be so worried over me, I sighed softly, breathing in a little more clearly before I then settled, listening to Elijah's occasional movements and feeling his calming presence beside me until eventually I had no other choice but to truly fall asleep, though I was terrified that if I did so, I would never wake up and as that thought lingered in the back of my mind, I remained surrounded by the scents of flowers of every size, shape, species, colour and scent, though the one I smelled most strongly was lavender, like it purposefully overcame the others in order to help me relax, like a tender promise that I would wake up again, and that was the desperate hope I clung to as I sank into a deep velvet blackness.