Anelie
I wandered down the grand staircase later that evening with my hand grazing over the railing as I descended. Everything was quiet but this place was huge and I wanted to explore every inch of it all over again.
I stepped down the last step and turned going beside the staircase where the picture gallery of our ancestors began and of course, it began with Tatia Petrova looking just like my mom and Elena in her arms she held a little baby boy with dark brown hair and brown eyes. The next must have been Tatia's son, his name was Elijah coincidentally, Elijah Petrova with a woman standing beside him. I walked along observing when a certain image caught my eye.
It was an older man with a dark beard and mustache, his eyes familiar is many ways and then a woman who along with the man appeared to be in her mid to late forties her eyes were soft, her hair braided back and pinned up in a bun as it always was. I looked down at the little girl between them; her hair a dark brunette, doe eyes, deep brown. However, it was not a smile that laid upon on hers but a face as if…well expressionless. I recognized her immediately—that was my mother, back then she was known as Katerina Petrova. My grandparents before they were crowned King and Queen.
/
Anelie wondered into the room where she found all the girls lounging with glasses of wine in hand and a fire burning in the fireplace.
Elena, out of the corner of her eyes saw Anelie; she turned her head in her direction and smiled softly
"Why, hello Miss Annie." Elena greeted
Anelie smiled
Katherine turned and looked at her daughter with curiosity, "Hi baby,"
"Hi, Momma…" Anelie responded
Katherine patted the couch beside her, "Come sit down," she commanded and Anelie obeyed wondering over to the couch beside her mother making herself comfortable.
"How are you?" Katherine wondered
"Great—bored," she giggled, "Cassie fell asleep after I made her help me finish my room."
Caroline let out a small laugh shaking her head lightly, "How could you possibly be bored living in a place like this? There is so much exploring to do."
"Well I was looking at the gallery in the entry and I came across that photo of you with Mama and Grandpa," Anelie said looking over at her mother
"Ooh?" Katherine said taking a sip from her glass
"Yeah…being here and seeing them…I miss grandpa especially. Not that I don't miss Mama…but,"
"You and your grandfather had a wonderful bond, I know how much he meant to you."
Anelie chuckled dryly, "Five centuries and I'm still not over it."
Katherine moved back onto the couch allowing Anelie to lean against her. The mother brought an arm around her daughter bringing her closer, "It isn't like you have spent dwelling on their death every day. We've just returned to the place where they lived—where all their memories are. You won't be sad forever."
Anelie gave a nod, "You're right, Momma."
Katherine pressed a kiss to Anelie's head, "Mother knows best, my darling,"
"Not to deteriorate the subject, but I'm only now realizing how much you look just like Katherine, Anelie," Elena observed.
"I wonder if all of your children would look alike?" Rebekah chimed at the doppelgangers.
"Elijah looked like Anelie —I mean he got his looks from me." Tatia bragged with a smile.
"I'll never know what my children will look like," Elena said
"I would not be so sure, Elena. In our world, anything is possible." Katherine avowed.
Anelie pushed herself from leaning on her mother and cupped a hand over the side of her mouth whispering, Katherine smiled and set down the wine glass on the table.
"Let's go," Katherine spoke softly.
"Where are you off to?" Tatia wondered watching the girls leave the room.
Katherine looked over her shoulder just before exiting the room, "To rekindle an old tradition."
Anelie smiled up at her mother and Katherine returned it, taking her hand.
Elena looked over a Tatia with a confused expression, "What kind of tradition?"
Tatia smiled softly knowing exactly what they were going to do, "One that has been put on hold for far too long."
The warm breeze surrounded them, the moon was full and bright, the stars were clear and twinkling. Having no light pollution here millions of stars could be observed from the castle.
Anelie followed beside her mother several yards away and they both laid down on the ground beside each other.
Anelie sighed, she felt like a little girl again.
"I haven't seen much of you today, how are you and Cassandra adjusting?" Katherine wondered looking to her daughter, the side of her cheek brushed against the cool grass.
Anelie shrugged, "Not much of an adjustment for me, this is home…but I'm not sure that I can speak for Cassie." Anelie replied, "I know it is going to take her awhile."
"You don't think to move her from Mystic Falls was a bad idea, do you?" Katherine wondered, Anelie did not hesitate, she shook her head, "Anything is better than staying in Mystic Falls. She would have been left to mourn alone; Cassie could not have stayed there it was complete chaos…this may not be her home, but her life is going to be better here than if she stayed behind. I couldn't imagine losing you and daddy." Anelie elaborated, "I can't get over how she's kept it so together."
"You know what it is like to lose a parent…we all mourn differently." Katherine insisted
"That was different…" Anelie protested. Katherine sighed, "I know it was…I hope you know how wonderful of a friend you are."
Anelie smiled, "Thanks, Mama."
"You know I love you right, Anelisia?" Katherine asked.
"There is not a day that goes by that makes me think differently."
Anelie leaned giving her mother a kiss
"Not matter what, even when I'm in one of my evil-vampire-bitch moods."
Anelie giggled, "I know, Mommy."
/
A figure wearing a navy blue, loose fitted tank top, and yellow shorts came into sight from down the hall, Elena smiled softly at the girl.
"Elena, have you seen Anelie? She isn't in her room." Cassie asked brushing the bangs out of her tired eyes
"She's outside with Katherine, they should be back in soon—was there something that you needed?" Elena asked, her voice soft
Cassie sighed, "I –I just had a really strange dream and wanted to make sure that she was okay."
Elena's smile disappeared, "Sweetie, if you ever want to talk, Anelie is not the only one that's here for you, we all are. You can come to me whenever you like, I'll gladly listen. Keep in mind, everyone here knows what it's like to lose our parents."
Cassie felt tears burn in her eyes, but pushed them back wanting to put on a brave face for the Vampire, "Thank you, Elena, but it's just a comfort thing—I just wanted to know that she's okay.
My dream didn't exactly assure me of that." She replied.
"Like I said, she's just outside with her mom somewhere—something about a tradition they had from way back when." Elena giggled
Cassie pressed her lips together, "Alright, good night Elena." She turned on her heel to go back to her room, "Goodnight, sweetie."
Elena watched the door to Cassie's room close before leaving to her room at the opposite end of the hall.
Elena glanced over at the place she and Cassie had just been talking, she sighed and slipped into her room, leaning against the door as it clicked.
"I see you're taking to Anelie's friend," Elijah observed.
"And I see you're still an eavesdropper." Elena shot back with a smirk.
"I couldn't help but overhear." Elijah protested.
"She lost her parents and I'm trying to make her feel comfortable. Anelie cares for Cassie very much…she loves that girl and whomever Anelie loves, we might as well call them family and do whatever it takes to make them feel welcomed." Elena expressed earning a reassuring smile from the Original Vampire.
She crawled up beside him, "Give her time Elena that is all you can do. Cassie will warm up to all of us in her own time." Elijah said putting down his novel on the nightstand and reaching up to turn off the lamp.
Elena waited for Elijah to lie down before getting comfortable beside him laying her head on his chest. "All of us need time to settle down into this place, it's going to take a while for myself to get to know it as home," Elena said understanding that it would be the same for Cassie.
"This is not permanent Elena, but if a home is what this place becomes, then so be it."
/
Cassie settled herself under the fluffy feather comforter. Her head sank into her soft pillow, but she couldn't help the frightened feeling that welled up inside. Her thoughts only returning to the horrifying dream that she woke abruptly from. The idea of something horrible happening to her best friend made Cassie want to cry; tears welled up in her eyes.
She looked out the oversized window to the side of her bed that held a view of the lands around the castle. She watched two figures, only visible by the glow of the moon, sitting on the ground in each other's arms. From Elena's explanation, Cassie knew that it was Katherine and Anelie.
She got up from her bed and slowly walked over to the window, leaning on the wall beside it. Watching them she thought of memories of her parents whom she missed deeply. Cassie may not have had the best relationship with her mom, but she loved them both— her father she, admitted selfishly, missed the most. He could make her burst out laughing when she was the most upset, do just about anything to cheer her up when her mother would put Cassie in the worst moods. Her father was, more than words could ever describe, the best father in the world.
Cassie turned away, pushing back the memories she buried herself back into her bed sinking into the mattress. The human girl closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep, she hugged the blanket around her body, not caring of the nightmare.
