I do not own TVD or TO
I meant to have this chapter up last night, but I got a call to go play a game and by the time I got home I could barely keep my eyes open.
Rebekah's knees gave way as she listened to Lady Katerina. She couldn't stop herself from collapsing on the edge of the bed with Caroline.
"How did you come to know this?" She chewed on her nails.
"He came to Elena late the other night," Kat rubbed her forearm, "and called off his wedding. She and I went to confront him; he had said… he told me…" she turned her face away and smoothed her shift over her stomach. "He said he would marry me. Elena wanted to know if that was true. We overheard the conversation in the library."
"Where did your sister go? Why were you masquerading as her?" Caroline crossed her arms over her chest.
"She left in the dead of night," Kat whispered. "I pretended to be her to procure her time. If he had found out she was gone… that we had known… he would have sent someone after her… I guess it was pointless anyway…" Tears formed in her eyes.
"Where did she go?" Rebekah extended a hand and braced it on the trembling woman's shoulders.
"She was going to try and warn them."
"Lord Salvatore," Esther's voice boomed through the throne room.
"Your grace," he inclined his head in a low bow. "Is there a problem?"
"Yes," she rolled back her shoulders. "I've just received some rather upsetting news."
"I am aware, madam," his eyes narrowed, "and again I would offer my heartfelt condolences."
"I was not referring to the deaths of my sons," Esther's eyes narrowed into a glare, "but to the sudden knowledge of how they died. It has been brought to my attention that you orchestrated everything, and that they were murdered."
Lord Salvatore took a small step back and blinked. "You can't possibly believe that," he chuckled. "Someone is having you on your grace. What could I possibly hope to gain from the death of the royal family?"
"Nothing," Esther raked her eyes over his stiff frame, "unless of course your son was to marry the sole surviving heir to the throne. I didn't want to believe it at first, but then it was pointed out to me that Sage was pushed from that window. Alexandria, who was showing early signs of pregnancy is missing, and all of my sons were killed on the road."
"I was unaware of Alexandria," Damon stepped inside with a few of the palace guards. "I'll send someone out immediately to find her; can't afford any mistakes."
"Then Lady Katerina spoke the truth?" Esther looked between the men.
"Lady Katerina fled the castle," Damon frowned.
"No," Esther shook her head, "Lady Elena did." She turned away from the men and cast an imperial look on her guards. Before she could open her mouth to order the arrests pain bloomed along the back of her head.
The sound of bells roused her from her heavy sleep. She sat up slowly with a groan and wiped away the droplet of water that had fallen on her face.
Her legs shook under her weight. She stumbled across the stone to the heavy oak door and rattled the handle. A curse fell from her lips when she saw the faded runes etched into the ancient wood.
Her teeth sank into her lower lip to stifle the breathy sighs and gentle moans. Her skin heated under the fingers gently caressing her inner thigh.
She ran her hands through his dark hair and held him closer to her neck. Her brow furrowed when he stopped the gentle assault on her neck and sat up with his head cocked towards the high window.
"Kol," she sat up and kissed his jaw, "it's just bells." She made an attempt to pull him back down and frowned when he didn't move. "Kol?" She cupped his cheek and turned him gently to face her. "Is there something special about bells?"
The teasing smile fell from her lips when she read the seriousness in his dark eyes.
"What the bloody hell is that?" Elijah groaned tightening his hold on her waist.
Elena blinked tiredly and murmured against his chest: "bells."
"Oh…" his hand slid into her hair. He was just starting to drift off again when the gravity of her response sunk in.
Elena had clearly realized as well because she bolted up right in the narrow bed. Her eyes were wide when she turned to stare at him.
"Elijah," she pressed her lips together, "I'm a little turned around. Are those bells coming from where I think their coming from?"
His solemn nod was more than enough of an answer.
Nik froze in the sanctuary. The soft sound of bells reached his ears where he had stopped to stare at a statue along the wall.
They rang twice before a pause that lasted ten minutes. By the time the second round occurred the distant ringing was drowned out by the approaching footsteps.
"You heard them?" Kol stepped into the cavernous room with his wife.
"I heard," Nik nodded.
"Are either of you going to tell me what it means?" Lexa finished braiding her hair and tied it off with a piece of leather.
"You don't know?" Nik tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.
Lexa shook her head. "Kol didn't say anything," she frowned, "before getting dressed and rushing out here."
"I'm sorry, darling," he took her hand. "I thought you knew."
"Yes," she drawled, "that's why I asked you ten minutes ago."
"You asked? I didn't hear you ask," Kol frowned. "Sorry, darling," he squeezed her hand, "I must have been lost in thought…"
"The bells?" Lexa prompted.
"They herald a royal wedding."
A line etched between Nik's brows when his older brother appeared. His eyes dropped to the sparkling sapphire on Elena's left hand.
"When did this happen?" He nodded between the newlyweds. He had suspected his brother's emotions in terms of Elena Petrova. He had seen the ring Elijah carried with him; he had even suspected that she reciprocated those feelings. He had not thought they would get married so quickly.
"Last night," Elijah leveled him with a look.
"Relax," Nik held up his hands, "I've no objection to this marriage… it's the one taking place in the morning that worries me."
"I don't remember there being bells," Lexa murmured.
"You were a little preoccupied," Elena reminded her gently. She turned her attention to her husband and his brothers. A tiny thrill ran down her spine at the thought. "You don't really think he'd rush the mourning period?" In the back of her mind she knew he had no sense of propriety, but she still needed to voice the question.
"We need to get back now," Nik's jaw clenched tightly.
"It's a five day journey on foot," Kol grumbled. "We wouldn't make it in time. Maybe with horses but even then we would need a miracle."
Lexa dropped to sit on a long wooden bench as the brothers argued over the best course of action. Nik insisted they set out then and there. Kol thought they needed a better plan than blindly walking in the hopes of coming across someone who would help; the nearest stable was in the village three miles in the opposite direction. Elijah was attempting to keep the peace between his siblings.
Elena slipped around them and plopped onto the bench beside Lexa. A slight ache pulsed between her thighs when she sat. She ignored it and turned to her friend… sister-in-law.
"Is now really the time for a little light reading?" Elena tucked her hair behind her ear. She nibbled her lip and watched Lexa flip through the pages of the book. She pulled Lexa's braid free and shifted the blond curls.
"What are you doing?" She whispered.
Elena glanced over Lexa's head where soft footsteps could be heard. She used the curtain of blond to conceal the scar when the nun tiptoed passed them all.
"Thanks," she murmured when the woman was gone. She returned her attention to the book; her mouth twitched up when she found what she was looking for. Climbing to her feet she positioned herself between the brothers. "If you three are quite through I might have something." Wordlessly she passed the open book to Kol.
His voice dropped to a murmur. "This will work," he nodded, "but not here."
"You know that this door won't keep them out forever," Caroline lips parted as she panted from exertion.
"I'm open to other suggestions," Rebekah grunted and finished pushing the furniture. When she was done they had completely barricaded the entrance to Elena's bedroom.
"We're not done yet," Kat swiped the sweat from her brow. "There's a secret door over here." She weaved around the trunk and bed.
"We could use that to try and run," Caroline suggested while fanning herself with her hand.
"We'd be more likely to get lost," Rebekah took a deep breath and kicked over a vase. "Elijah…" she blinked back the sudden onslaught of tears, "… Elijah knew the… the paths." She swiped away her tears. "It's a labyrinth."
Rebekah lifted her hands to her hair and tugged. Would it have been better to die of starvation in the tunnels? The prospect, however bleak, seemed preferable to the marriage being forced on her.
"I thought your mother was going to fix things," Kat exhaled.
"She was," Rebekah frowned, "I shudder to think of what the bells mean for her."
Adjusting the basket of fresh spring flowers she stood and turned reluctantly towards the castle.
He had insisted that the great hall be prepared for a royal wedding. That meant servants were running around the castle like chickens with their heads chopped off. Planning a royal wedding overnight was an impossible task.
Birna, the head of the queen's household, had informed him of that. She had immediately been stricken down. The flurry of movement had been instantaneous. Fear was a powerful motivator.
Servants had not stopped moving since Birna's body had hit the floor.
Adelaide had jumped at the opportunity to get outside. She had needed a moment to breathe in the fresh air, untainted by the heavy sweat and rich meats.
In the distance thunder rumbled. A shrill wind whistled through the trees and carried the smell of the damp earth to her nose. Neither sound was particularly unusual for that time of year. The sound that made her heart leap into her throat was the loud thump followed by a soft groan.
She weighed the options before her. Her mother had always said the evil she knew was better than the evil she didn't. Something told her that anything would be better than the tyrant who had taken over the castle. She had always thought of the king as a cold and distant man, but at least he had been fair; he had never killed someone for moving too slowly or questioning an order.
She dropped the basket and darted into the trees. She paused at the entrance to the small clearing and stifled her shriek.
Adelaide completely forgot about her station. Propriety flew out the window. She ran into the clearing and wrapped her arms tightly around the slim brunette and the blond.
"You're alright," she sighed in relief. "Your sister wouldn't say where you went," she reluctantly released the duo and turned to the blond. "After what happened I was afraid I'd find you at the bottom of a staircase somewhere."
"Adelaide, what is happening?"
Her head snapped around. The bloody drained from her face when she truly saw who else stood in the clearing with her ladies.
"The… the messenger said you were dead," her eyes darted from one prince to the next; only Finn was missing from the assembly. "Everyone thinks you're dead."
"Nice to know that part of the plan went well," Lexa crossed her arms.
"What is happening in the castle, Adelaide?" Elijah placed his hand on the small of Elena's back.
Adelaide's eyes caught sight of the sparkling gem on the brunette's hand. She swallowed nervously before explaining all that had transpired since Elena had fled in the dead of night: the messenger, the engagement, Katerina's confession, and the subsequently rushed wedding.
"Where is our mother?" Nik's eyes narrowed. "You said she was informed of the Salvatore's scheme; she would not allow the wedding to take place."
"She went to confront them," Adelaide murmured, "and was locked away in one of the tower cells."
Kol shook his head slowly. "The tower wouldn't hold mother," his eyes narrowed, "unless…"
"Unless they got lucky," Elijah inhaled sharply, "and placed her in the only cell that could hold a witch." He took a deep breath before turning back to Adelaide. "What are the chances of getting in through the front gate?"
"Unlikely," she frowned, "the loyal sentries, who were not bought off, have either been dismissed, locked up, or killed."
"The tunnels it is then," Elijah sighed.
"You could get lost in those tunnels," Kol frowned.
"I've never once gotten lost in the tunnels," Elijah shook his head. "Besides," he nodded to his sister-in-law, "it's probably not a good idea for anyone else to see Lexa like that."
"He's right," Lexa frowned.
Drop of some reviews.
I've got three chapters left: taking back the castle/dealing with Salvatores, coronation, and a flash forward epilogue.