Unforgettable

Mystic Falls, Virginia, 1864

Astra stepped around the space that Damon's father had made into his office, the elder man wanting to meet with her to discuss some things about the wedding. Damon's family had generously offered to pay for the wedding, but Astra had insisted that she at least pay for her own dress when Damon had tried to pay for that as well. She smiled fondly at the memory of the kindness that they had showed her, knowing that it was a rarity in this era, with the war that was taking so many lives and money.

"Astra," Damon's father said lightly as he came into the room. His mood had changed much since she had last seen him when he walked in on her and Damon sitting before the fire a couple of nights prior.

"Mr. Salvatore, I trust you are having a wonderful day," She said with a smile, moving over to greet him and away from the pictures that she had been admiring.

"Indeed, Miss. Casca, please take a seat, make yourself comfortable," Giuseppe said as he motioned toward the chair across from his own. Astra noticed that he avoided any unnecessary contact between them, quickly stepping behind his desk before she was too close. Astra acted normally and moved to sit down, gathering her skirts carefully. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Yes, that would be lovely," She answered back with a smile, watching as he motioned to a maid that was standing in the doorway, waiting for her orders. She nodded her head and stepped quickly from the office, heading off the get tea for them. Astra's eyes lingered on the open door, knowing that it was a silent invite to someone outside, or a silent dismissal for someone inside.

"I am glad that I was able to speak with you today," He said as he adjusted his position in the chair, looking at her across the large wooden desk.

"I hope that there is nothing wrong," She said softly, playing the innocent fool. She knew that he was up to something, there was something about him that set her on edge; her senses screamed danger. She herself was considered a predator and she knew that it was never a good thing when a demon such as herself was set off about something. She had lived a very long time and knew when to be suspicious and when to be afraid.

"No, no, nothing of the sort," He assured, waving aside the worry that she was feeling as though it were a pesky insect buzzing around his head. "I simply wished to speak with you in private. I hardly ever see you without Damon following you around like a shadow." Astra smiled along with him, but her heart dropped lower in her chest in dread.

They continued their game of question and answer for several minutes, completely dodging the point of them even being there. The servant soon returned with the tray that held the tea for them, Astra's back straightening. She made sure that she made herself look poise, formal, and not alert. She could smell the vervain as soon as the woman walked through the door.

He knew.

There were only two reasons for him slipping vervain into her tea. One; he was being very cautious and testing everyone close to him family so he could keep them safe, or reason two; he knew that she was a vampire and was striving to expose her.

Too bad for him—but fortunately for her—a little vervain mixed with tea wasn't bad enough. It would burn a bit more than alcohol did going down straight. When it was pure vervain, it was harder to stand, but because he was forced to hide it the substance was substantially weakened by drink. Especially the strength of tea leaf oils.

She smiled as she was handed a filled cup of tea and a saucer. "Thank you."

"Of course," The servant said softly as she bowed her head before pouring one for Giuseppe as well and leaving the room silently once she received her dismissal from the man that sat across from Astra. The strength of the smell told her that he had had a large amount put in, but there was still a small enough amount for her to take it down and not expose herself. Hopefully. She didn't make it a habit to drink vervain on a daily bases and didn't know exactly how her body would react to it out of instinct.

He raised his cup to her in a gesture of cheers before taking a long sip from the porcelain glass. Astra raised her own cup to her lips, looking at him over the rip before taking lady-like sip from it. The vervain immediately burning her mouth, assaulting the taste buds on her tongue but she refrained from wincing in front of the man. She lowered the glass to make sure he would see her throat move as she swallowed, the liquid burning even more as it slipped down her oesophagus.

She was relieved when he looked up at the door as one of the maids walked past the door rather loudly, giving Astra a moment to harden her façade and regain her composure. It had been harder than she anticipated to drink the vervain laced tea, but it was something that she could bare. A whole one; maybe, maybe not. It was hard to tell. She knew that she would not have been able to speak properly right after drinking it had he asked her something.

"So what did you wish to speak about?" She asked after clearing her throat, waiting until she was sure that there was no chance of her voice cracking. Her throat was faintly sore, but not burned as badly as before.

She could see the slight narrow of his eyes before they returned to normal and he offered a smile, drinking once more from his cup before he placed it on the saucer on his desk. Astra took another painful sip of her own as he spoke so that she had time to heal before he expected her to answer.

"I hear that the wedding will be taking place this coming summer?" He asked as he began the polite conversation that he most certainly did not expect. Astra felt her gut tighten at the thought of him knowing what she was, and what he may do as a result of knowing. He could kill her, lock her away, banish her from Mystic Falls. The worst that he could do was take her life, but should she ever face him in her dying moments, she will make it clear that there will be Originals to deal with.

Astra smiled to him as she nodded her head. "Yes, Damon and I discussed it and we both agreed. I have heard that the summer will be beautiful this year."

Roman Empire, Pompeii, 78 A.D.

The warm air caressed Astraea's skin as she stood at the top steps to her family home, leaning against the stone wall that acted as a railing along the walkway and steps. She could still hear the bustling of her family inside, her sister having arrived only minutes before with her husband. Astraea smiled softly to herself as she inhaled deeply, feeling no pain in her chest from the action.

"I am pleased to see you so healthy," A voice whispered against her hair. Astraea jumped in surprise and looked over her shoulder to where Elijah was standing, looking out at the people that were hustling about. They were all preparing for the festival that evening, bringing foods, drinks, offerings and decorations.

"I don't believe I have had the chance to thank you," She said softly as she turned to face him fully, drawing his dark eyes down to her. Her skin held a healthy glow that Elijah felt he hadn't seen in a century, her strange violet eyes blinking up at him in an innocent delight. For someone that had been dying only nights before, she looked so innocent and virtuous still.

"I apologize for not coming at a prior date to now, but I have had negotiations to attend to. Your father, however, insisted that I accompany your family and experience a true Roman festival," Elijah said in a husky tone, his voice low and soft but holding a strong baritone note that sent a shiver rippling down Astraea's spine. She nodded her head in understanding, fighting away the childish flush that fought to touch her features.

"I am pleased to hear that you will be attending," Astraea said as a true smile touched her lips, brightening her tanned face. "Come, we are just preparing to leave. The festival does not begin until the sun as set, we have time to have a drink yet." She slipped her fingers into his and guided him into the house, catching her elder sister's eye as she approached. She knew the look that came into her eyes when she saw the closeness of them and the linking of their hands but she didn't comment.

"Lord Elijah!" Astraea's father explained, pleased, as soon as he spotted the other man. "I am glad to see you have arrived. Come, good man, have a drink with the men." Elijah nodded his head to Astraea before he moved over to where her father and her sister's husband were already sitting.

"Astraea, dear, come with Carina and myself, we will assist you in dressing for the festival. Leave the men to talk," Astraea's mother said in a gentle tone as she held her hand out to her youngest daughter. Astraea went to the other women immediately and let them lead her up to her bedroom, where they would assist her in dressing for the festival.

"I am glad to see that you and Elijah are speaking again. I feared the two of you had a fight the other day," Carina said as she looped one arm through her sisters. Since she had left her children with their aunt, she didn't need to worry about being burdened with carrying around her youngest all the time.

"Oh, a lovers quarrel?" Their mother asked as she looped around Astraea's other arm. There was no escape for her now.

"Elijah and I are not lovers, mother!" Astraea gasped out, stuttering over her words in shock. Her mother looked away innocently, but the upturn of her lips told Astraea that she had succeeded in her plan of getting a rise out of her youngest. "We are not," She said more firmly. "He is a good man and a dear friend, I see not why you all believe that there is anything other than companionship between the two of us." Astraea noticed the look that came to her sister face and glared sharply at her. "Not that kind of companionship."

"I suppose it is a bad thing that we had your dress made just for him then, is it not, mother?" Carina asked, getting a breathy laugh from the elder woman as she looked at the dread and shock that came to Astraea's face. They short of pushed Astraea into her chambers and drew the curtains closed behind them, looking to the started blonde with matching smiles.

"I will live to regret this," Astraea whispered to herself as her face heated in a blush.

She was soon stripped, washed, brushed and powered with scents and colours. Her eyes were accented with makeup and her hair fancied up with silk strips and violet flowers. She was used as a puppet as her mother and sister dressed her in her festive clothing, tossing aside her previous gown. She couldn't see what they had placed on her, but she could tell with the breeze that ghosted her skin that it was exposing. The full circumference of her waist was bared to the eyes of all, the white and blue silk that had been wrapped around her chest tied at the back of her neck and around her torso to below her shoulders. Her sister fretted over the skirt that she was wearing as her mother made touch-ups on her eye kohl and hair, and Astraea was beginning to feel more and more like a painting than a person.

"Mother, Carina, please! I need to breathe!" Astraea finally cried out as she stepped away from them, but they took hold of her arms and manoeuvred her before the polished bronze of her mirror, allowing her to seen the work that they had completed. She blushed at the expanse of skin that was visible and knew immediately that they had definitely had the dress designed to catch Elijah's attention. Her skirt was flowing and was low on her hips, a cut running up the front of each leg until the thigh so that it was catching but still modest. Her arms were littered with golden circlets and other jewellery, as well as her ears and ankles.

"You will have everyone looking to you tonight, my dear." Astraea looked over to her mother in surprise, unsure of how to react. She would admit that she felt like a goddess of Rome with the clothing that she was wearing, but she did not know how she was to act while wearing it.

"I do not know what to do," Astraea whimpered softly as she looked to Carina, who smiled at her in sympathy and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and directed her to look back at the mirror.

"You show him what he will receive," Carina said with a smile as she looked into Astraea's eyes through their reflections in the mirror. "You will be yourself and let him know that you wish to be with him. Ah," She interrupted when her younger sister tried to protest, holding up a hand to her lips, "It is not a secret, baby sister. Lord Elijah would be the perfect husband for you."

Astraea found herself briefly wondering if he could hear them.

"The night looks as though it will be clear, not a cloud in sight. The fires will be lit and the musicians will play. There is no reason for you to hide yourself away; have fun tonight and show to him that you may be the baby of the family but you are a mature young woman. Understand?" Carina said as she made one last check of Astraea's hair, soothing her hands along the curls and making sure that the flowers would not fall out.

"You have marvellous hips for dancing, Astraea," Their mother added on, taking her daughters hands in her own and lifted them up to show her figure. "You were never so shy before Elijah came."

"This is different, mother-"

"Make sure that he never forgets this night, my child."

Update! Yay! I was actually going to update a couple of nights ago, but my wi-fi is evil and died. Now it's back and I am bringing you a new chapter! I should have the next one out very soon as well, maybe even today if I got LOTS of reviews….

Chapter 20 – Unwanted Truths

"How many vampires does it take to wipe out a werewolf pack?" She asked in an eerily calm voice. Stefan shifted around from his place at her feet, trying to look up at her. He knew that voice. Pulling her hand from the man's head, Astra let his lifeless body drop to the floor, his blood painting her arm. "From past experiences, just one."

One of the wolves ran at her, a stake at the ready and a cry of outrage passing his lips at the sight of his fallen comrade. Astra twisted her torso and nailed a punch to his jaw, turning his head to fast that it snapped his neck in several places. Gripping his jaw in her hand, she pulled at his head until it tore free from his shoulders and threw the large chunk of werewolf at the man that was running up from alongside where Damon was. Blood sprayed across the field, causing the man to scream and fall back as the head collided with his chest. Astra staggered as the pain in her chest bloomed, leaving her breathless.

"You can barely stand," Jules commended from where she was holding a gun toward Caroline, who stood in the doorway with Tyler behind her, both frozen. "Not very good at protecting the girl, I'm sure that your Elijah would be ashamed of you," Jules said with a mocking smile, causing Astra's body to tense in anger.

"Not particularly."