Elijah entered his brother's study, pleased at the events of the day. He had finally found the doppelganger and soon enough his family would be made whole again. In truth, the moment he saw her it was impossible not to think of Tatia, the young maiden that had immediately stolen Niklaus's affection though Elijah's had taken much longer to earn.
"Brother," he spoke as he spied his younger sibling brushing vivid paint strokes on the canvas before him.
"Ah, 'Lijah," Klaus dropped the brush and greeted his brother enthusiastically, embracing him as a wild grin blossomed across his face. "Sit with me in celebration of this day," he said and called on a servant to pour their drinks and bring their dinner. "To family," he offered up in salutation.
"To family," Elijah toasted.
Elijah was tasked with guarding Katerina who had taken very quickly to his brother. Over the weeks that she spent in their company, he watched her affection for Klaus grow immediately, reminding her of Tatia more as time went on. Obviously there was the physical similarities but Elijah had not prepared himself for Katerina to share so many personal qualities with her ancestor.
He was growing more enamored with her as the days went on, unfortunately mirroring his past and threatening to once again ruin his relationship with Niklaus.
His heart ached for her as she confided in him. Katerina was falling in love with Niklaus, and as his betrothed her growing feelings should be welcomed, but Niklaus had no plans to enter matrimony with Katerina.
Elijah had done what he could to convince Katerina of Niklaus's desire; his duty to his brother and his family so that they may be reunited once more. Still, something stirred in him, compelling him to seek council with his favored witches. He understood his duty to his family, but still he sought to marry that duty with his honor; freeing Katerina of death's kiss.
Elijah drank from his scotch, running his brother's words over again in his mind. While he had tried to put distance between himself and Katerina to try and regain some of his pride and dignity after finding out that she had been looking for the cure to try and broker a deal with his brother. No one could infuriate him like Katerina could.
Saving her; trying to save her, had not ended well five hundred years earlier because she didn't trust him to protect her. Not only had she incurred Klaus's wrath for ruining his plan, his relationship with his brother had taken another hit due to his feelings for a Petrova. It had hardened his heart to her until their paths crossed a year ago. He had tried to keep her out, to hold her at bay but the young girl she had once been -not the cold, manipulative Katherine Pierce- had anchored her way into his heart. Every second he thought of her lack of faith in him, in her cruel antics in her desperate attempts to gain her freedom had pained him. Elijah knew she was better than that or at least could be if she tried to find another way.
Now her cruelty had caught up to her, and though he didn't know if he did it for them or just because he owed it to her to break this ceaseless cycle of running and being chased, Elijah once again consulted the witches. He would free her from Niklaus's hold one way or another.