LONGEST CHAPTER YET! Hope you enjoy!
Special thanks to missreadsalot13, ILoveYou1978 and ! I'm glad you guys like it!
P.S: Next few chapters should be like atomic bomb, so hold on to your sits!
Yours truly,
Romanian person!
Chapter 7:
Kristina woke up with a startle as the stacks of books next to her feet gave way and created a sharp bang that echoed thought empty room. I must have moved in my sleep, she though as she quickly picks herself up and walked through the dim hallways to her room.
Her room hadn't changed at all since two nights ago; it still had grey walls and white oak furniture, absent a white bed of course, making the room look very empty.
She paused in the doorway of her bathroom and swiftly turned around to notice something different and big on her walls. It was being held in a carved white wood frame that was perfectly placed on the wall to where it looked exactly straight. It was the painting she had seen in Klaus' room, of herself playing piano in the dress she arrived in. She scolded at it for a few minutes, not sure on what to do. But after long thought she just decided to disregard it and fixed herself a streaming bath.
Once she changed into her deep red festive dress she walked down the familiar lit hall. Her big black curls rested behind her back as she lightly knocked on his door. To her surprise the door swung opened to revile a very irritated Nik. He looked more hung over then ever, his pale blue eyes where also blood shot red and the bags under his eyes where a tad bit darker. Other then that he had his hair in a usual tussled look and his bare chest looked more toned then ever. She wanted to scold herself for looking at him in such detail. On cue the knot in her core seemed to do a back flip and her cheeks rushed with blood, right after.
"Good morning, M'lord." She said softly with her eyes now glue to the floor. Kristina was waiting for him to move aside so she could fix his bath but he only stood there with the same pissed look on his face.
"Where were you last night?" He said flatly, leaning on the doorframe and crossing his arm over his chest.
"I didn't feel well, m'ord." She said casually but Kristina heard her heart flutter like hummingbird wings, she cursed her over nervous heart.
"Where did you stay?" He said with no hesitation to his interrogation, he knew she still didn't have a bed in her room.
"In a guest room, m'lord." She said again placing a poker face on her face but her heart was screaming, "LIES! THERE ALL LIES!".
"I don't believe the library is considered a guest room, sweetheart." He said walking towards her in a stoking manner. Kristina automatically backed up in response till she hit the wall.
His face and body getting too close for her liking. Niklaus place his hand on each side of her on the wall, blocking her from moving, making her stomach jump in nervousness and her heart thud against her rib cage.
"Really? Because I'm sure it is. My mistake." She said shrugging and flashing him one of her award winning smiles. Fear flashed before her eyes for a spilt second but left quickly as he started to back off.
"Your a horrid liar." He muttered, annoyances masked her face, and your a horrid person, she wanted to yelled back but she kept herself composed as she walked into his bathroom preparing his bath.
"What gave me away, Lord Niklaus?" Kristina said, she could really tell that using his full name bothered him. She wanted to praise herself for her small victory but she wasn't about to jinxes it.
"Other then your heart beating like a horse? I would have to say it was the eyes. I can read them quiet too easily." Klaus said with a smirk in his face. Now, he had a good poker face. Others then her fluttering heart beat he would have never been about to tell. He saw her frown slight, good he thought, that's what she gets for calling me Niklaus. He wasn't sure what her punishment would be for the rude out burst yesterday morning but it would have to wait for his sister would be here at dawn.
"Your free to leave." He said unbuttoning his pants in front of her, she quickly curtsied and dashed off without another word and with blushed cheeks.
-1-1-
Kristina was dashing in and out of the view of the original's sight, all early morning attending to all the needs to the ball this evening. She had done a magnificent job at the decorating the main floor with festive features and candle light for this evening. Rebekah would be very please when she arrives, Niklaus though as he saw Kristina's black curls sway past him for the thousandth time. Kristina had so little time left, making her nervously scrambling left to right almost every minute, finishing the last touches of the decor.
Why he couldn't just go back to his reading, was beyond him. Nik felt as if he couldn't take his eyes off her, which irritated him beyond belief.
He heard the trotting of two horses and the carriage wheels turning to the moment of the horses, in the faint distance about a minute for the private gates.
"Kristina, they're here." He said with a smile and lightly ushered her out the main door.
When they stepped out onto the stone steps of the castle entrance, he felt her tense beside him.
"What's wrong? I thought you would be happy to see Elijah?" Nik said with a little envy in his voice but she was to distract to notice.
She looked up at his face with her wide puppy dog eyes, "I am m'lord, it's nothing." She said looking off in the distance to see if she could spot the carriage. He pulled his jacket off and put it over her shoulders, but it didn't stop her shaking.
"What's wrong, love?" Nik said in what he called a compassionate voice but sound more like a command to Kristina.
"The maids talk." She stated flatly but he didn't get where she was heading. "It wasn't good this time. They told me stories of Lady Rebekah." She stopped there when she felt a big shiver go up her back. "I wish to not speak, m'lord." She saw the carriage in the distance; it made her stomach do a double knot.
The carriage made an abrupt stop in front of them. First Elijah came out, his usual long wavy brown hair and kind brown eyes that said a silent hello, making Kristina smile. When the door opened, a fair skinned girl with blonde curly locks and ice blue eyes, like Klaus' but they seemed a little judgeier. She was gorgeous but her facial expression seem to turn Kristina away from thinking she was a kind women.
"Long time, it's been, Nik?" She said fixing her marvelous pale lavender dress with white ruffs. Niklaus smiled down at his sister as he embraced her with a strong hug.
"It's been too long, I must say." He said in her golden locks. "How was Paris?" He said pulling her away and ushering her in the castle.
"It was beautiful. Did a lot of shopping! And the cuisine was great." Rebekah responded flashing her white teeth smile at her brothers.
The comment made Kristina jump as they walked inside. She was sure she wasn't talking about the food when she said cuisine. She felt Elijah rub her back softly as he saw that she looked a little paler them normal.
"Who decorated?" Rebekah said in a serious voice, it made Kristina want to stake herself with fear.
"I did, m'lady." Kristina whispered. She held her breath as she saw the female original look at her with narrow eyes.
"And you would be who?" She said a cruel voice as she stepped towards her. She looked at both of the brothers that and tensed at her tone.
"Kristina Rachela Genesis Alexanders, m'lady." She said bowing her head and bobbed the original a curtsying.
"And you are Klaus?" She said stepping even closer. Kristina didn't like the way she worded it and she had the sudden felling she need to explain that she wasn't sleeping with him or even liked him really, but she held her tongue.
"Yes I am his servant, m'lady." Kristina said rewording in the hopes of understanding.
"Well, I must say, I'm a little disappointed that John still has one year in my service because I have always desired a women servant." She said sending her a warm but warning smile as she turned and observed Kristina's decor.
"But it seems Nik gets all the women." She muttered, "Shame."
Kristina couldn't help but blush as Rebekah observed her decoration; she had stuck to the classic red, green and white/gold for the theme. She could tell it pleased her.
After lunch Kristina was requested in Rebekah's chamber for the preparation of the ball.
"What a lovely dress." Kristina muttered as she felt the deep cream silk fabric of the elegant dress.
"I know, I saw it in a window one day and I just knew I had to have it." Rebekah said stripping to her corset and briefs. She pulled the dress over her head and let Kristina tighten the strings in the back. After Kristina did Rebekah's hair in a curl up-do with complicated braids keeping most of her blonde locks at bay.
"Thank you, I truly have never seen any thing like this and I have been here awhile." Rebekah said laughing and admiring her eye-catching hair do. Kristina tensed as she finally digested her joke, she didn't know how old the original family was but neither did she want to know. It was to depressing.
"It's my pleasure, m'lady." The raven head said bowing and turning to leave.
"Are you not getting ready, also?" Rebekah's said stopping Kristina as she gripped the brass handle, Kristina could hear the loneliness in her tone and for a second she felt bad for the old women stuck in the young body but she knew better. Lady Rebekah had probably killed more people in one month then Elijah had all his life.
"It's not my place to celebrate, Lady Rebekah." She said gingerly opening the door but yet again she was stopping in her tracks at the sound of her voice.
"Don't let Niklaus hear that you are not attending." Kristina turned and closed the door behind her and walked closer to Rebekah's smug grin.
"How do you, I mean-" She said confused out of her mind. Had Nik told her about the agreement? Rebekah laughed lightly at her puzzled look.
"He is taking you, no?" She said putting on teardrop diamond earrings in front of her full body mirror.
"He made it clear to me that he didn't want me to go." Kristina said in her confused voice, it was a lie but her heart steadied its abnormal fast pace. Truth is Kristina just didn't want to face him, after what she had said to him that morning. Also, she was curious on what he had said to his sister about her.
"I just spoke to him and he made it very clear to me that he was taking you. But a word to the wise, your a human, his a vampire, you should do your best to control your loss tongue around him. He doesn't have a high tolerance for people that disappoint him." She said in an all to serious voice. "Or people that lie to him." She added with a smart-ass tone.
Kristina didn't know whether to be scared out of her wits or be pissed that the blonde had just told her she had a loss tongue. Had he told his sister everything? She thought.
"I don't have a dress." That was the only sentence that left her too dry throat. At that ever moment there was a soft knock on the door,
"I'm descent." Rebekah said clearly.
"You look lovelier then ever, sis." Niklaus said in a polite voice behind Kristina. Her cheeks burned and her muscles stiffed as she felt his presence behind her. The knot in her stomach made its familiar backflip leaving her feeling a little light headed.
"Why, thank you! Is that for me?" Rebekah said eyeing the big package in his hand.
"I'm sorry but this is for Kristina." She froze at the sound of her name.
Damn it, her head screamed as she felt her heart pick up pace when she turned to face him.
He was dressed in a deep black suit with a neat black bow tie around his neck, his hair was its usual curly floppy self and his eyes seemed to sparkle when they met her misty grey ones. He was gorgeous, she though dreamingly.
"For me, my lord?" She said in a rather small voice as he handed her the package that was tied together with a grey satin ribbon.
"Yes for you. If you don't mind, I would like to have a word with my sister, love." He said turning to Rebekah, who was still staring at herself in the mirror. Kristina quickly bowed and left the room in a hurry. Once she was in the safety of her room she let out the air that she seemed to have held in since he had walked in.
"Bloody hell." Kristina muttered as she set the package down on her dresser. Staring at it in its innocence for a good 5 minutes.
The gift itself was wrapped carefully in a fragile brown paper, topped off with a pale but rich grey ribbon. It pleaded and whined for her to open it but she held it off till she took another bath and carefully dried her big black curls. In her towel, she walked up to it slowly like if it were an animal, then she gently pulled the ribbon off, nothing supernatural happen so she gingerly ripped the sides of the paper to revile something rich grey like the ribbon. Kristina's jaw dropped when she finally pulled out the silk fabric to revile the gift. It was breath taking; it was the exact color of the ribbon, which matched her eyes. It was somewhat of a heart shaped at the top and the edges of the pale grey fabric seemed to be coated with black lace. It was beautiful; it almost brought tears to her eyes.
-(/)-
There was a slight knock on her white wood door, making her heart pick up pace.
"Come in." Her voice rang from the bathroom, as her hands were busy pulling up her black curls. There was a slight blur then she saw him in the mirror behind her, she jumped slightly but her heart kept its pace as he stood a good space away.
"Are you ready, love?" He said as she pulled the grey ribbon around her curly bun.
"One second, please. Have I made you late?" She said her voice a little more innocent. Niklaus only ignored her as he stared at her in the mirror; her skinned seemed to glow a little more in the presence of the light grey, which only drew him in more. The dress was perfect but it was only perfect because she wore it. It hugged her waist just right and left enough cleavage. She looked magnificent.
"You look extravagant." Nik whispered in her ear, he didn't remember getting so close but he liked it that way. He liked to feel her warmth and to hear her heart flutter whenever his breath hit her skin; she was such a tease to him, even if she didn't know it.
"Shall we go?" Kristina said a little bitter tone, ignoring his complement.
"As you wish, love." Nik said in a soft tone taken her hand in his and guiding her down to the heart of the party.
"And who may this be?" Said an older but stunning woman in a deep green dress that brought out her emerald eyes. She gave Kristina a slight smile, which, she returned.
"Shall I dare call her your date?" She said cocking an eyebrow higher then the other at Klaus. Kristina laughed slightly at the comment and moved to disagree but Nik only interrupted her.
"Yes, Olivia you can dare say. Olivia meet Kristina Alexander and Kristina meet Olivia Woodmenson." Niklaus said with a grin on his face when he saw how taken back she was when he called her his date.
"Pleasure." She said politely smiling and curtsied at the old looking vampire.
"My dear girl, the pleasure is mine." Olivia said lightly curtsying as well.
Kristina couldn't help but feel like it was going to be a long night and she was already on her third glass of wine. It was lovely to meet all these different people but it was also tiring fight Niklaus, silently, whenever some one ask him if she was his date. It was a struggle and half way through the night she stopped the resisting.
"Would you like to dance?" Niklaus said with an outstretched hand and a big smile on his face.
"I suppose. Even if I said no, you would make me, anyways." She muttered as he ushered her to the dance floor. The sound of the strings and brass filled the room, she recognized the piece. It was from the four seasons.
He lightly placed his hand on her thin waist and gently took her hand as she placed her free hand on his shoulder. She couldn't help but let out a little giggle when she stepped on his foot.
"Sorry!" She whispered with a smile on her face, "Dancing with me is a life threatening." She said as he swirled her around the dance floor.
"It is a good thing I can't die." He whispered in her ear as he swayed her to the sound of the music, Nik could feel her tense in his arms.
Kristina could see that he saw the effects of his comment on her,
"I'm apologies for my actions." She whispered, gluing her eyes on the floor. But he only chuckled lightly at her plead for forgiveness.
"Love, there is no need to apologies for something you have not gotten used to. It takes time to get comfortable with my kind and under the circumstances I wouldn't expect you to let your guard down so easily." Niklaus said reassuring her.
What is wrong with me, he thought. She was a human, I was a demon, there shouldn't be any connection but he felt it. Everything about her brought him in, her scent, her features and her blood. God, her blood, it took ever ounce of his strength to not drink her dry. Her blood tasted different, it was cleaner but sweeter. It called to him.
His train of thought was stopped when the orchestra of instruments stopped creating music. She quickly bowed and dismissed herself, leaving Niklaus alone of the dance floor with a confused mind.
What the hell is wrong with you! She screamed in her mind. No, she couldn't and she wouldn't fall for a creature of the night. How could she even think of Klaus like that when Athan had just died, how could she forget him? He had die because of her, his life was cut short because of her actions of rebellion.
In her train of thought she ran into something hard and sturdy, before looking up, she whipped the tear falling for her misty grey eyes.
"I beg my pardon, I must be more attentive." She said before meeting the almost black brown eyes that seemed to burn her heart.
"Athan?" She said stepping back abruptly but he only closed the space between them in a seductive manner.
"Hello, darling." Athan said flashing his white teeth smile.
What do you guys think!? Athan is alive!