Turns out I'm bad at schedules.

Gonna get a little emotional in the first half, ngl.

-32-

Kol

Three hours had come and gone two hours ago and the Mikaelsons had no intention of waking Isolde. Nik and Finn kept shutting the door in her brother's faces every time they came down to demand an audience and it was giving Kol and Elijah endless amusement while they guarded their mate.

They'd all heard Isolde and Elijah going at it and whilst he and Nik were jealous and deliciously bothered (Finn surprisingly not) each of them were gutted when Isolde began to sob in the aftermath.

She'd been carrying several heavy burdens and it seemed only Elijah had noticed. Kol had felt some of his jealousy ebb away and reform into gratitude toward his elder brother for taking her mind off it - even if it took animalistic sex to do the trick.

He was still trying to work out how none of them felt Isolde's bones breaking. (And that was a revelation he didn't need to know about Elijah's proclivities—not Isolde's happiness to take it.) She felt it when their necks were broken. They felt it when she was decapitated.

Quite the puzzle, and he'd yet to find more research on bonds. Perhaps Theon could steer him in the right direction?

A knock at the door signaled a third attempt to get to Isolde by the Alexander brothers. Kol heard Nik start to close the door and the sound of a hand stopping it and a growl got Elijah up and out of the bed in seconds. They shared a look as Elijah threw his shirt back on before he walked out.

Kol sighed heavily.

Seemed the Alexander brothers were done waiting.

Elijah's voice cutting through the argument outside had Kol dragging the covers off Isolde's shoulder so he could place feather light kisses up the slope until his face was buried in her neck, nose in her soft hair. He felt her stir and pressed back into him, the curve of her ass brushing against the hard on he'd had off and on since he'd curled up with her hours before.

She was still naked, under those covers. He'd wanted to touch her, to be buried inside her again, to kiss her until neither of them could think since he'd been forced away from her the last time they'd been alone.

There had been no time, and she'd been angry.

She was still angry with him, if he were being honest.

Isolde's arm came up, fingers threading through the hair on the back of his head as she moved closer, pressing her back against his chest. He scraped his teeth over her neck and left an open mouthed kiss there.

"I like that five o'clock shadow you've got going on." Isolde said, voice a little rough as she shook off the sleep.

Kol raised his head so he could scratch his chin against her neck. She squealed and tried to worm away, but he grabbed her and dragged her back.

"Ticklish, are we? Oh you shouldn't have let me find that out, darling. Now you'll never be safe."

She raised her shoulders like it would protect her and flipped around to face him with a playful smile.

"Leave my ticklish neck alone, you fiend." Her shoulders dropped and she raised a hand to cup his cheek, thumb swiping over his unshaven face. Isolde's eyes glittered with an emotion Kol was afraid to name. Afraid to believe. Afraid to hope for. "Good morning, bellissimo."

"I knew it all along," he took her hand away from his face with a mock scowl, "you only like me for my roguish good looks. You lecherous woman. I'll not have any more of it. You'll like me for my wit and charm and keep your hands to yourself," he gave an exaggerated eye roll, "and you said I'm the fiend."

Isolde hummed and called his bluff with a kiss that Kol couldn't help but return with equal fervor.

"I'll take your wit, charm, and roguish good looks, along with anything else you've got." Isolde told him as she pulled away.

He could hardly contain the grin as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in until they were chest to chest, then he smacked her naked ass and covered her gasp with a deep kiss. She melted against him and he wanted the thin blanket between them to go away.

"Greedy," he accused, kissing her again before he pulled back, "I think I'll keep you."

Isolde hummed again and stretched. Kol groaned and buried his face in her throat before she could finish and she jumped with a laugh, dropping her arms around his head and back. She lightly scratched her nails up and down his spine, her other hand trying to flatten the hair that was sticking out on the back of his head.

"What's wrong, dolce metà?" Her voice was soft, inviting, and now Kol really hated that he had no choice but to tell her it was time to get out of bed.

Especially because all he wanted to do was take her against every surface of this room and rid her of Elijah's scent, at least for a while.

Dolce metà. She called him. Sweet half. It was rolling around in his head and it lingered in his heart. He'd never been called something so kind.

Because he wasn't sweet. He was a nightmare with fangs and a penchant for nonsensical blood shed. No one had ever considered him otherwise.

"Simplified? Your brothers are threatening to beat up my brothers and come in here to pull you out of bed. They've all been at it for a few minutes. I believe they'll come to blows soon. Nik and Emeric sound like they're toe to toe."

Isolde scoffed and dropped a series of kisses on the top of his head and he struggled to hide the wide grin that spread before she began to remove herself. He buried his face in her pillow, peaking with one eye to watch her perfect ass before she covered herself with a robe.

"I totally saw you looking at my ass."

"Prove it." His voice was muffled in the pillow and she laughed.

He looked up as she wrenched the door open, voice louder than he imagined it could be as she yelled; "Hey! Emeric, Theo, would you two shut the fuck up? I'm awake. Give me a few minutes to clean up and we'll come upstairs." Isolde punctuated her annoyance with a door slam before she turned and winked at him, he tried to control the flinch at the sheer volume she'd used.

"That should do it," she held out a hand, "shower with me?"

With a salacious grin, Kol pulled himself out of the bed and ran over every position he knew he could manage with Isolde in the shower as he took her hand. He started the shower while she tossed her robe over the quartz sink.

Isolde dipped her head under the spray while Kol tossed his shirt and pants over her robe. When he turned, Isolde opened her arms and he stepped into them, dipping his head under the water to lay his cheek atop her head.

"I take it you're less angry with me," he said quietly, utilizing the running water as an opportunity to have a private conversation. He didn't want to have serious talks with his bond and have all his brothers listening in.

Eventually they'd hear more than Kol wished, of course. They'd all have to become accustomed to sharing Isolde and being more open with each other so that their battered connections wouldn't cause her undue suffering.

For now, while their bonds were still developing, Kol would rather his relationship with Isolde kept as much privacy between them as they could manage.

"I'm still angry."

Isolde pulled back and he let her go, bracing himself for her to deliver more of her cold dismissal like she'd left him with yesterday, but she just grabbed the small complimentary shampoo bottle from the shelf and squeezed some into her hand. She raised her arms and started massaging the liquid, quickly becoming foam, into his hair. He signed in relief as her fingers worked through his locks, nails gently scraping his scalp.

"I don't know what was said to Finn but he deserves an apology."

"I know. I will apologize," he nodded, meeting her eyes with as much open honesty as he'd ever mustered, he had a point he wanted to make, "I hated your cold dismissal."

Isolde paused, frowned, and then rinsed her hands, motioning for him to rinse his head off.

While he rinsed she answered him, "Lash out or be dismissive and cold. Lashing out doesn't seem to work with you guys. I'm trying to figure out the best way–" She grumbled as he snagged the shampoo bottle and pushed her shoulder lightly until she got the hint and turned around.

He began lathering shampoo down her dark locks and gathered his thoughts before he spoke.

"I've spent all together around three hundred years daggered in a box." Kol began softly, he felt her shift and put one hand on her shoulder to stop her, this wasn't something he wanted to say while staring at her face. "I've been ignored by my family when I'm allowed to be free, or used when it was convenient. Then I would be quickly discarded every time I became inconvenient, or too much, or I lost grip on my control, or I disagreed with them, or just because, really."

"Kol." Isolde tried to interrupt, sliding a hand over the one on her shoulder and squeezing gently.

"Please let me finish," He paused and she nodded, "Elijah, Nik, Rebekah, they've all had this little club between them. A vow. Always and Forever. They take it seriously. Even now. But it never included Finn or myself."

He finished soaping Isolde's hair and helped her rinse it. Then he snagged the conditioner and began to apply that, too.

"They tote about family all day long. I am a part of this family, but I am on the outside. It was like this even as humans, long before mother turned us. Dismissed. Cast aside. Never invited to join in the fun unless I could be useful in some way or another. So I worked with my magic whilst they all made memories together. Once removed from my magic I was… anchorless. And angry. Have been for a thousand years."

"I've struggled with control over the heightened emotions that came with the change, and the thirst. I've been labeled the 'wild' and 'psychotic' Mikaelson, and I will admit that I perpetuated that image." Kol traded the conditioner for soap and began swiping the bar along Isolde's creamy sand colored skin. "And then not long ago I met this drop dead gorgeous woman. She had a darkness, like me. Smart, funny, and an allure that I simply couldn't resist. I remember the first thing that came to mind when I saw her," Kol smiled softly at the back of Isolde's head, 'Eyes like pine trees in the middle of winter; the only thing proving that life yet persisted in a sea of cold, dead nothingness.'"

Kol lathered soap over her scarred abdomen and up her stomach. The whole act was incredibly intimate, including his confessions that were just pouring out of him and he'd never opened up like this to anyone before.

He hoped she wouldn't see him as weak. He needed her to understand. Gods how he needed her to understand. The emotions that whirled inside of him clawed at his chest in desperation as he pushed onward to say what he needed to say.

"I felt more alive in that moment than I did when I was actually alive. Since then I've felt more anchored. More accepted. Included, not by them, but by you. I've been happier in the last several days than I ever have been. You've given me a glimpse of what life can be with someone on my side. So please, please don't shut down and dismiss me. Talk to me. Yell if you must. But I can't take cold dismissal, Isolde. Not from you."

Kol didn't expect to get choked up during this monologue but he did. He could feel his throat burning, his eyes stung. He was attempting to control the tears that threatened to spill when Isolde whirled around and wrapped her arms around his neck. His reflexively landed around her back and held her there.

"I'm sorry," she was saying, her voice raw and she pulled him against her, "I'm so sorry. I won't do it again, I'll talk to you when I'm upset. I promise. Sei la miglior cosa che mi sia capitata, luce della mia vita, ti voglio bene."

Kol gasped at her words, the sound was choked at the back of his throat and he lost control of the tears he'd been mitigating. A thousand years. He couldn't remember the last time someone, anyone, told them they loved him.

He felt himself tremble, a lightness in his body that threatened his ability to stand and his arm snapped out to brace against the wall.

It was little use as his legs gave out and emotions, heightened by his vampirism and his inability to control them, swirled and overwhelmed him and Isolde's arms tightened. She helped him down, with her own strength and a few shadows, until they were both a heap on the tile floor of the shower. She reached up to shut off the water but Kol stopped her. Then Kol buried his face in his hands to hide how vulnerable and emotionally raw he was.

Soft, wet hands wrapped around his wrists and pulled. He resisted the first couple tugs, but Isolde was insistent. His eyes met hers, noting that they were bloodshot, just like he suspected his were.

"Ti voglio bene, Kol," she leaned forward and brushed her lips over one cheek, then the other, "It's early. It may be too soon by normal standards, but I don't care; we're not normal. I said I wasn't letting you go. I meant it," she dropped quick kisses all over his face and the broiling emotions that were running through him began to give way for elation and he laughed softly, hand raising to wrap around her head and steady her.

Kol laid his forehead against hers as his heart steadied. "I love you too."

He was never more sure of anything in his life than he was that.

Finn

"So. Mikaelsons. The Original Vampires." Marcus slunk into the immaculate white-and-marble kitchen while everyone gathered in the Alexander suite. He brushed past Finn and Niklaus and leaned into the fully stocked bar, producing a bottle of amber liquid and proceeding to pour himself a glass. "I've been filled in. Lovely to meet you."

Finn blinked slowly at the man. Marcus' 'lovely to meet you' sounded more like a 'fuck you' to him.

He did not trust Marcus.

From the very first salute, on the roof, something had been off and Finn was trying to piece together what it was.

He'd go to Isolde about his suspicions when he had a moment to do so. She said she cared about his opinion. He believed her. He did. But this was a man she'd spent two thousand years of her life beside.

Would she take Finn seriously? Would she write off his concerns? He would be disappointed but unsurprised if she did.

He watched as Isolde left Kol's side– they'd been glued at the hip since they left her room a few minutes before they proceeded up to the Alexander suite. Finn watched Kol's fingers twitch, like he wanted to grab her and pull her back to him but thought better of it at the last moment. Instead, they watched as Isolde swooped in and stole Mark's glass, dumping the liquid in the sink.

"Rude," Mark huffed, reaching up to grab a new glass and Isolde smacked his hand before his fingers could brush it. "My god, you're ruining my day." He pointed vaguely at the door. "Go back to bed."

"Stop drinking. It's game time," Isolde scolded with a glare that gave way to a little smile, showing she didn't take offense to Marcus' words.

Marcus rolled his eyes and smirked back at her, leaning down so he could be eye level with Isolde. "Bold of you to assume I can't play ball drunk, your majesty."

"I will shroud and destroy every bottle of booze in this city, Marcus. Don't test me."

Mark snorted, but he put the bottle back where he found it. "I think that would take quite a bit more time and effort than you want to spare."

Isolde smiled sweetly and hummed at him. "I have a legion here, don't I?"

Marcus reeled back with wide eyes, hand splayed on his chest. "Cruel. So cruel. Fine, you win. Every party needs a pooper, I guess. I'm going to go sit with the nice Alexander." He huffed and flounced over to Emeric, throwing himself down beside the King on the couch and dropping an arm around his shoulders. "At least this one appreciates me."

The dynamic here was strange, Finn could see his entire family trying to work through the puzzle of how Mark fit into Isolde's world– how he fit with the Alexanders. She was treating him a lot like she seemed to treat her brothers, just in such a way that made it seem like she saw him as the unruly little brother.

And Finn wasn't the only one of his family that was shocked Emeric allowed Marcus to drape over him. He saw Elijah shift his weight and Niklaus' brow lifted ever so slightly. Even Freya stopped looking through the massive tome she'd been thumbing through to stare at the display. Kol was still solely focused on Isolde and Finn wondered just what had been said between the two whilst they were alone earlier.

"No I don't." Emeric stated, shoving Marcus off him at the same time as Theon said; "Nope." And Isolde said; "Doubt it."

Finn was watching Marcus closely, and that was the only reason he saw the quick flash of annoyance mixed with something that Finn could only describe as anger in Isolde's second-in-command before it was gone again and the man flopped over dramatically until he was half off the couch and groaning into the cushions.

"You guys are so mean to me." Mark said, the sound muffled.

Something wasn't right.

Was he really the only one who noticed it? He eyed Niklaus, trying to discern what the hybrid might be thinking but Klaus was closed off. His face betrayed nothing of what he thought and Finn fought not to frown.

Isolde breezed past Finn, touching his fingers as she passed and his lips twitched. He controlled his smile as warmth spread in his heart and he watched her do the same to Niklaus as she passed him, too.

The hybrid's expression shifted minutely, then he swallowed, eyes tracking her as she moved to the head of the long dining table that was off to the right of the living space.

Elijah was there in a flash, pulling her chair out for her and her smile lit the room as she thanked him and took the seat. She looked around to them all and waved a hand of invitation. Every one of them raced to take the seats on her right and left but Niklaus was faster and Elijah had already been there, so Finn and Kol had to settle in beside Niklaus and Elijah respectively.

Finn wondered if this was what it would be. Niklaus on Isolde's right, Elijah on the left. Himself and Kol sidelined.

He had to shake the thought. Isolde was doing her best to give them all her attention and make them each feel valued and appreciated. She wouldn't categorize them.

A few moments after they settled, Emeric seated himself across from Isolde at the other end of the table, Theon to his right. Rebekah seated herself between him and Kol. Freya took the seat beside him and he flashed her a soft smile.

They were trying to work past Freya having killed Esther. Finn didn't want to fight with his sister, not now that he just got her back.

Yet he couldn't so easily forgive her, either. Finn believed there had been a chance for reconciliation with their mother. A few years and they might have worked through the damage that Esther had done. Now that was no longer an option and he felt robbed of his connection to the only person who'd shown that he meant anything to them.

The only thing that softened the blow was how much Isolde showed that she cared. How she'd stepped in to comfort him and showed him that she would be there, even when he grieved for the loss of someone she didn't even like.

Marcus' eyes roved over Niklaus. Finn guessed that Isolde's right was always his place and having someone else there grated in a way none of them could really comprehend. This man had spent twice their lifetime beside their mate, after all, and they could hardly begin to understand the commitment.

But the man just rolled his eyes and dropped himself into the seat at the left of Emeric without a word.

Still, Finn didn't trust the man.

"What do we know?" Isolde's voice was business, no hint of her usual soft tone, and everyone's spines straightened at the sharp sound. Finn didn't even think most of them were aware of how their body language changed just because Isolde's tone was different as she shifted from mate, sister, and friend to Empress.

"I found Vera within twenty minutes of entering the city. She's being held in the attic of St. Anne's church. I spoke to her– she remained compliant with Marcel Gerard's 'command' to gain more intel on the situation in the city," the man actually used air quotes and an eye roll around the word command, "the witches did a harvest sacrifice of some children in exchange for power. One child, Davina Clare, was rescued by Marcel and is being held in the attic as well. She's the reason witches cannot use magic in the quarter, he's using her to pinpoint their location when they do and is killing them for practicing. Vera wants to speak to the three of you when we are done here."

Isolde, Emeric, and Theon all nodded sharply. Each of their faces betrayed no emotion, no trace of what they thought of this information, and Finn was impressed. They'd shifted from family to Royal Unit so easily.

"The wolves?" Emeric questioned, still and tall in his seat at the helm of the table. A picture of regal authority. "My reports say they were banished from the quarter by the vampires decades ago."

Mark nodded, leaning forward to brace his arms on the table, hands folded under his chin. "Yes, and the Crescent pack was cursed in reverse. They're only human on the full moon. It's an advanced bit of magic. I mentioned it to Vera, she said she could reverse it no problem after everything is settled. The wolves have no skin in this fight– but they've offered their aid against the vampires only, should we ask it of them. They refuse to fight the witches and see this territory as shared with them due to the ancestral nature of their magic. I have Shade, Tumaini, and with Theo's permission, a few Freemasons who reside in Louisiana helping the packs reinstate their ownership of their own ancestral lands that were confiscated by Marcel as we speak. They can return home after we're through here. It would help to restore the off kilter balance in this portion of the states."

"So the overarching issue I'm hearing is that Marcel and his little army has gotten too big for their britches," Theon stated, twirling a pen in his hand. Finn didn't see where it came from and hadn't noticed him with it before. "Imposing his will on the other factions. Banishing a species, terrorizing another, etc."

"That's without mentioning the human faction who are filled with blatant corruption and supernatural misdeeds that humans have no business being involved in," Marcus' eyes drifted to Niklaus again, "their knowledge and invitation to the fold was granted first by you back in the day, yes?"

"I was establishing a city where everyone could be safe and free," Niklaus was curiously closed off in his expressions when he said this, "unfortunately the city burned before I could see it through."

Marcus pursed his lips, and so did Emeric whose eyes were narrowing at the hybrid.

"In any case," Isolde spoke up, shifting the scrutiny from Niklaus, Finn could only guess she'd done it intentionally, "we're going to have to hunt down all the mortals in the know, wipe their memories of anything supernatural that's real and purge their houses of anything magical in origin. Oh– and we need them to keep an eye out for Kol's artifacts." Kol smiled at her when she acknowledged that, "I can get the Shade on that and have a list of people for the Incubi," she nodded at the younger Alexander, "so they can do their memory thing."

"We could compel the humans to forget," Elijah offered, looking around the table as a whole before settling on Isolde.

"Incubi don't have to worry about resistance because of vervain. And I have more of them than you do allies in these parts. It'll be faster if Incubi handle it." Theon stated with a dismissive wave. "You're dancing around the Vampire issue, Marcus."

"They're out of control, we already know that. Have been for centuries, what more is there to say?"

The Mikaelson's all shifted uncomfortably.

It was clear from his tone that Marcus hadn't been one in favor of sparing them when they had that meeting Isolde spoke of.

"The progenitors are going to work on gaining control," surprisingly this statement came from Emeric and each Mikaleson's head swiveled to look at him but his gaze was stern and commanding as he stared at each of them one-by-one.

"Allow us this opportunity to come up with a suitable punishment for the vampires, then." Kol spoke up, making eye contact with Emeric. Meeting the king's gaze with a bravado that reminded Finn of Niklaus, before his youngest brother turned to look at Mark. "How many does Marcel have?"

No one missed the way Mark looked to Isolde for approval before answering Kol. He hadn't done that when answering Emeric and Theon.

"We counted one hundred and thirty seven 'nightwalkers' and twenty with daylight rings he's calling 'daywalkers.' One hundred and fifty seven in total."

"Those are rookie numbers." Niklaus waved off. "We can take them."

Marcus narrowed his eyes but Elijah interrupted, his closed fist braced against his mouth. "It's Marcel we're going to have trouble with. Niklaus, can you bring yourself to hurt the boy?"

"Oh I can think of a few reasons I have to hurt him, Elijah."

"As can I," Kol added with a sneer.

"I'd recommend we try talking to him first." Rebekah interjected and several heads swiveled to her. "Change pace from our normal routine. At least try to keep the body count low for once. We're meant to gain control of them, not butcher our way through our own species."

Niklaus rolled his eyes and commented offhandedly. "Of course you'd beg mercy for your former paramour."

Rebekah froze. Her eyes widened. Finn could see her fear as it grew and she took a deep breath before her mouth dropped open and she spun to Theon, clearly intent on explaining herself to him.

Theon just grinned widely, cool regality dropping into his normal posture and expression, still spinning his pen. "Marcel is an ex, then? Oh," he threw his head back with a laugh, then dropped his gaze back to her with a sly grin, "not gonna lie, Bekah, kinda want to meet him now."

Finn watched the tension leak out of Rebekah, relieved she smiled back at her mate and took his hand. He lifted it, placing a kiss on her knuckles and Finn found himself approving of Theon more in that moment than he had before, and he'd already quite liked the man.

"In any case you're going to be meeting Missy, it's only fair."

Rebekah paused, tilted her head, narrowed her eyes. Then she frowned. "Missy as in Artemis Missy, that one?"

"Yep."

Emeric's shoulders started shaking with barely repressed laughter. Isolde was smiling with her eyes and trying very hard to keep her face under control. Marcus leaned forward, elbows on the table and the rest of the Mikaleson's braced for Rebekah's reaction to be far, far less graceful than Theon's was.

"And exactly what was that relationship? How long?"

"Political marriage. Divorced as soon as Zeus didn't care about making nice with us anymore. I think it lasted about…. Three, four centuries? We were completely miserable married, but she's a good friend now that we've not got that pesky contract." Theo shrugged, obviously not feeling the danger radiating off Rebekah. He waved a hand at Isolde. "I had to marry Missy because someone lit Paul on fire when he tried to marry her. Emeric forbade me from doing the same."

All his brother's heads swiveled to look at Isolde, Rebekah seemed to be less upset learning that it was a political marriage.

"He tried to trap me with some kind of jewel that would bind us if I accepted the gift. I don't care who's kid he was; I wasn't letting him get away with that. Zeus can come down here and fight me." Isolde grumbled, leaning back in the chair with her arms folded. Then she threw her arms outward with a scowl as Emeric leveled a long stare at her. "He's a light deity. I thought he'd be fine."

Finn felt a surge of possessive anger well through him. How dare someone try to marry Isolde without her consent. How dare this man attempt to trick her.

Finn was seething, and he knew his brothers were as well. This Paul was going to be staying in this suite soon, wasn't he? Perhaps they all needed to have a talk.

"We've gotten off course." Marcus huffed, sitting back and crossing his arms like he hadn't been riveted to Rebekah and Theon's potential drama. "In any case, you three should get going. Vera's been waiting for you. I'll help this lot come up with a suitable plan for the vampires and Marcel and we'll fill you in when you return."

"Agreed." Emeric stated, rising from his chair.

Theo pushed his seat back, leaning over Rebekah to drop a kiss to the top of her head before pulling back. "Be back in a couple hours, dear."

"Less if this guy gets mad and blows a sacreligious hole in the house of the lord." Isolde pointed her thumb at Emeric, who snorted a laugh and then seemed to really get the joke as he started laughing deeply.

Isolde's answering grin reached her eyes and Finn felt his heart swell at the sight.

I had to cut it here. So next up the Mikaelsons are getting a chance to talk to each other. I don't know if that'll take the whole chapter or not but if it does then the following chapter the Alexanders will get a chance to talk, too.