The day of the wedding - Christmas Eve.
Elena awoke the next morning with a smile, the day had finally arrived and she couldn't be happier, she rolled onto her side and much to her surprise, Elijah wasn't beside her.
"Happy wedding day!" The girls suddenly barged in her room and started gently throwing rose petals around the room and on her bed before they all jumped onto it beside her and sprinkled a handful of rose petals over her.
Elena grinned widely and a laugh emitted from her lips when she felt the crash of her bridal party beside her, "I can't believe you're getting married today," Caroline exclaimed before she tackled her with a hug.
"It's finally here," Camille spoke just as excitedly as they continued to lace her and her bed with rose petals.
"It's 11am, we have 5 hours until the ceremony and much to do," Rebekah instantly had her maid of honour hat on and she was ready for the day, "we start the day with breakfast and a quick meeting."
"I'm on it," Elena grinned with amusement and they all dived off the bed, instantly heading for the kitchen and smelling the freshly prepared food.
Rebekah had prepared her pancakes and a large mug of coffee and she sat down at the table in front of them; she swigged at her coffee but looked at the pancakes with a nausea in her stomach.
"I'm so nervous, I don't think I can eat," she pressed her hand to stomach and continued to sip at her coffee, her mind was racing and she was a mess of emotions, "I can't believe I'm getting married today."
"Aww, Elena, you're so sweet on my brother it's nauseating but you must eat something, we have a long day ahead of us," Rebekah expressed concern for the doppelgänger but it was futile.
"I'll eat when we're at the venue and I know everything is going to plan," she tried to push past the nerves that where bundling up in her stomach and causing the butterflies to flutter but it was a struggle, "speaking of, what's the agenda for the day?"
The girls all gathered around the table and pulled out their phones, Elena laughed as they opened their calendars and started exchanging notes, Rebekah started with the first part of the day, "we leave for the venue asap, we must check everything has arrived and is ready for you and the ceremony. Did you pack a case with everything you need?"
"I did, it's in the living room and has everything in it," Elena nodded her head and took her phone out of her pocket, realising she should probably start writing all of this down.
"You are to remain here, have a nice long bubble bath and relax whilst we handle the details, Nik has agreed to pick you up around 1:30pm to bring you to the venue," Rebekah continued on and Elena simply nodded her head in response.
"Then at 2pm it's hair and makeup," Caroline proceeded, as she read from her phone and Elena started taking notes, so far everything seemed simple enough.
"3pm, the photographer should be ready to take pre-ceremony pictures as we welcome the guests and ensure everything is ready," Bonnie spoke excitedly, as Elena continued to tap at her phone and ensure everything is recorded.
"4pm, we change into our dresses then you relax and double check everything is ready for you to go, your vows for example, just make sure you're ready," Davina stated.
"5pm, everyone should be in position and the ceremony begins," Rebekah said giddily with an excited grin on her lips followed by a slight clap of her hands.
"We should leave, it's a twenty minute drive to the venue," Cami said as they all stood from their chairs and scurried through the house, Elena watched with a slight nervous amusement and waved them off.
She went straight up to her bedroom and entered the en-suite, she ran herself a bath and filled it with bubbles; as she turned around, she saw a bottle of red wine, a glass and several candles on the counter and smiled as she read the note from Elijah that was placed beside it.
"I'm extremely disappointed I can't join you, my love and I hope this helps you to relax, I'm consumed with thoughts about our wedding and I can't wait to see you. With all my heart, I love you."
She held it in her hands for a long moment, smiling at the sweet words he had wrote to her and she missed him all the more for it; she placed it back down and proceeded to pour herself a glass of wine before waving her finger and lighting the candles.
Dimming the lights, she set the room up in a relaxing and ambient mood before climbing into the bath and setting her wine down beside her on the edge of the tub. She switched off the tap and let the water and bubbles swirl around her.
Reaching her for her phone that she had placed on the floor beside the tub, she opened up hers and Elijah's chat chain and sent him a quick message.
"I'm missing you like crazy, this bath isn't quite the same without you, I can't wait to marry you, Mr. Mikaelson. I love you, always and forever."
She hit send and returned her phone to the space on the floor beside the tub and grasped her wine glass, taking a long sip and sinking further into the water, she allowed herself to feel completely relaxed.
Elena went deep into thought about her upcoming nuptials and what it all meant for her, she didn't know what it meant to be a wife and the last thing she wanted was to fail Elijah.
She couldn't wait to be completely bound to him in every way possible and she looked to their future with excitement and love, she only hoped she could do right by him.
After a long while, she emerged from the bathroom completely refreshed and clean, she had pampered herself quite luxuriously with a deep conditioning hair treatment, a face mask, plenty of moisturiser for her skin and an extra cheeky glass of wine before brushing her teeth.
She had decided on a pair of black suede-effect leggings, a white camisole top that had spaghetti straps and lace across the chest area, a pair of black strappy heels and a blazer to match.
Once she was all ready, Elena looked at the time on her phone and it read 12:55pm, plenty of time for her to do one last thing she had intended on doing the night before but her unexpected meeting with Josephine had took what free time she had left.
Returning to the main area of the house, she went into Elijah's study and grabbed one of Esther's grimoires from the bookcase. She already knew which one it was, she found this spell a while ago but didn't quite know how to do it in the way she needed it for until a few days ago.
She opened up the drawer in his desk and revealed the brass bowl of her emergency magical equipment that she kept in there fully stocked at all times and carried them all into the kitchen, placing them flat down onto the table and opening the grimoire.
She read over the sections about protection spells, these where the most advanced of Esther's spells and where the last ones she ever created before she met her demise, Elena figured she needed all the help she could get with protecting her wedding and this one spell in particular would do the trick.
Following the steps of the spell, she started adding the necessary ingredients needed including sage, yarrow, sprigs of rosemary, chamomile and Hawthorne. She ground them all together and emptied a vial of her blood on top of them.
She opened a black satchel filled with crystals and emptied half of the contents into the bowl, followed by another vial of her blood and she placed the candle beside the bowl.
Just as she was about to start chanting, she became startled by the front door slamming shut and mere seconds later, Klaus had appeared in the doorway with an amused smirk spread across his lips, "must I always find you performing a spell? It's your wedding day."
"You're early," she smiled amusingly before turning her attention back onto the spell before her and Klaus had joined at her side to inspect the grimoire.
"Only by ten minutes, sweetheart, I thought it best to not deliver you to the venue late," he continued to read through the spell and once he realised what it entailed, he became nervous and protested, "Wait, Elena, this spell would render us all powerless, if there was to be an attack, we wouldn't be able to protect you or ourselves."
"It's a strong spell, it would render all magic in the area useless but I was thinking I could channel the spell into crystals so I could choose the parameters and set it so those with intention to cause harm won't be able to pass through them without losing their abilities."
"So, if any enemies do consider attacking then they wouldn't be able to come into the building without being rendered powerless," he spoke quietly before turning to look at her with an astonished expression, "that's quite genius."
"Don't look so surprised, I may become quite offended by your lack of faith in me and how good I am at what I do," a small smirk curled up on her lip as she shot him a disapproving look.
"My faith in you could never falter, Elena," his voice had softened and he turned to face her, meeting her gaze and fixating upon her, "I suppose it's hard to fathom just how far you have come in such a short amount of time, you're incredible at what you do and you never cease to surprise me, it's just difficult to keep up."
"Thank you," her lips parted slightly at his words and she felt his vulnerability, his candidness had took her by surprise and she didn't quite know what to say.
He nodded his head in response before turning their attention back onto the spell and ending the awkward tension between them, "you should finish this, if I don't get you to your wedding on time then I will be forced to face the wrath of your bridal party."
A small chuckle emitted from her lips and she felt the awkwardness between them lift, "a fate worse than death."
She hovered her hands around the bowl and began to chant, the candle lit and she repeated the spell with her own changes in the mix and guided it to what she needed the spell to do her for her particular circumstances.
A breeze calmly radiated through the room and the items within the bowl started to catch fire, she chanted louder and more intensely, watching as the flames soared higher and consumed the bowl. She lowered her hands and the spell broke, the fire instantly went out and all that was left was the crystals sitting in the bottom, "done."
"See? You never cease to surprise me," he smiled, watching as she placed the crystals into her blazer pocket and blowing the candle out.
"Well, thank you," she grinned, before returning to the living room and grabbing her purse.
She slipped her phone back into the main pocket and went to grab her suitcase but Klaus quickly intercepted her and took it for her, "A bride doesn't do heavy lifting."
"Such a gentleman," she said with an amused tone of voice before they exited the plantation and headed for the car.
He put the case into the boot and got the car door for her, gesturing his hand towards the seat and he dipped his head slightly in a playful manner, "after you, m'lady."
"Why thank you, kind sir," she shared in his amusement as she slid into the passenger seat and he gently closed the door after her, he was beside her in the drivers seat within seconds and he began on the journey to venue.
There was a small silence as Elena went into another state of deep thought when she realised how close she was to the ceremony, it was hours away and she couldn't help but feel nervous, she had no doubts about her love for Elijah, only at her ability to be a good wife.
Klaus glanced over at her when he could without his gaze leaving the road ahead for too long, he noticed she was staring out of the window and barely blinking, when the minutes started passing by and he realised they were halfway there, he spoke up, "is there something on your mind, little warrior?"
"Huh?" The sound of his voice brought her hurling back to reality and she turned her attention onto him, a small smile gracing her lips, "pre-wedding butterflies, nothing to worry about."
"Are you sure? I think I've proven myself to be quite the good listener as of late, considering my violent and bloody history, of course," he smirked, his gaze flickering to her for a quick moment and seeing the amusement in her expressions made him soften.
After a few long moments of pondering, she decided it might be best to talk with someone about her concerns or they would haunt her, "Do you think I will make Elijah happy as a wife?"
"Of course," there was no hesitation in his response and she looked at him with curiosity.
"You seem certain.."
"I am," he inhaled a deep breath and chose his next words carefully in hopes to not let his vulnerability known, "all my brother wants is you, Elena, you don't have to change a single thing about your lives together to try and be a good wife, you're already everything he needs to be happy."
She was rendered speechless temporarily whilst she processed his words, they had been more profound than she had expected from the hybrid and gave them a minute to sink in, "that was quite insightful, Nik."
"Contrary to popular belief, I am quite philosophical in my advice to others, it's just very rare I share," he smirked, keeping his eyes on the road as he felt her amusement, "I know you and my brother extremely well, you were meant for each other."
"Thank you," she looked at him with an air of disbelief surrounding her and she gave him a small smile, "you never cease to surprise me either."
"Well, we are two sides of the same coin after all," he said with a sarcastic tone and they chuckled lightly, bringing the conversation to a more lighter topic.
"Yeah, I guess we are," their gaze met quite suddenly and she watched as his entire demeanour completely changed, his lips had parted slightly and his brow furrowed.
"Elena, I have to tell you something," she could hear the shake in his voice and she felt the nervousness within him, she couldn't help but feel slightly distressed, nothing good ever came from those words, "and I doubt you're going to like it."
"Nik, what is it?" She spoke with a slight worry in her tone of voice as the air in the car became quite tight around her and she was lost in a moment of deep emotion radiating from him.
"I-"
Ring, ring, ring.
She inhaled a sharp breath when her phone began to ring and it snapped her out of the intensity of his emotions; she reached into her purse and removed her phone, seeing Rebekah on the caller ID and pressing the speaker to her ear, "Hey, Bex."
"Please tell me you're on your way? It's 1:52pm and I'm starting to worry," she was panicked and rushing about in the background and Elena couldn't help but chuckle.
"We're a few minutes away," she responded reassuringly.
"Okay, good, see you in a few." Rebekah had hung up the call and Elena just shook her head disapprovingly as she returned the phone to her purse and turned her attention back onto Klaus.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, giving him her full and undivided attention, "what did you have to tell me?"
"Nothing, it can wait," his demeanour had changed once again and his vulnerability had all but vanished, leaving her head spinning and seeking answers.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, little warrior," he said as he pulled into the car park outside of the venue, "let's get you married."
"I'm so nervous," the car came to a stop and he had parked right up front, Rebekah had appeared in the doorway of the main entrance and started tapping her finger onto her wrist, an indication at the time.
"Don't be, Elijah is a lucky man and he is very much aware of it."
"So he should," she said playfully to lighten the mood and ease her mind about her upcoming nuptials.
"He would be a fool to let you slip through his fingers," their gaze met once more and she felt a wave of warm energy wash through her, their bond being the reason she had remained so calm about her upcoming nuptials.
"This is no time to be dragging your bloody feet, 'Lena, let's go," Rebekah commanded as only a maid of honour could before she appeared beside the car and opened the door forcefully.
"You're right, I'm sorry," Elena stepped out of the car and turned back to Klaus for one last time, "Thank you, Nik, for the ride."
"Anytime, luv."
Elena was suddenly pulled in the direction of the building and she grinned, watching as Rebekah scurried her into the main reception building and she was met with the bustling of the employees and the vendors getting the final touches in place.
"Okay, wow, this is hectic," she said astonishingly as she watched the area surrounding her, noticing the people dodging each other and carrying vases of flowers, trays of champagne and Hor d'Oeuvres for when the guests would start arriving.
Rebekah directed Elena to the suites within the main reception building. She was taken up a small flight of stairs and lead to one of the beautiful rooms where they were able to get ready.
Elena placed her suitcase just inside by the door and glanced around, there was several dressing tables with illuminated mirrors, several futons in a blush pink velvet, a drinks cabinet in the corner with a bottle of champagne on ice placed on top, a white gloss fireplace, several separate changing rooms and a bathroom attached.
She saw the dresses all hanging up in their plastic protective covers, the girls had set the entire beauty station up and it covered all three dressing tables; there was one for makeup, another for hair appliances and the third for finishing touches.
Once it hit 2pm, the girls all poured into the room and they were ready for the makeover of a lifetime; Rebekah looked to them all and gestured her hand towards the chairs, "Shall we get started then?"
"Almost done," Caroline said excitedly as she placed the last accessory into Elena's hair, she hadn't been allowed to look in a mirror until she was completely ready and she was excited, nervous and anxious all at the same time.
"You're all done," the blonde vampire said with a grin as she slowly turned the swivel chair to face the mirror and reveal the final look to Elena.
Once she saw her reflection, a small gasp escaped her lips and she was in complete awe of her best friends work; they had all chipped in and spent the hour ensuring each of the bridal party was ready on time and it worked out perfectly.
She glanced herself over and took in all of the details, the perfectly matched foundation and powder for her skin tone, a light shade of pink blush caressed her cheeks, there was a thin line of eyeliner with a flick painted across her eyelid along with a neutral/rose gold blend of eyeshadow that matched the rose lipstick. Finished off with mascara and highlighter on her features.
Her hair had been curled loosely and done in a half up/half down style with loose strands dangling along the curve of her face and a floral hair vine had been wrapped around the hair that was tied up; it had small white flowers trailing along the vine with a diamanté and pearl effect.
"I can't believe it," a wide grin spread across her lips as she turned to face Caroline, she pulled her into a tight embrace and thanked her profusely.
"You look beautiful, Elena," Rebekah's voice was soft and filled with love as she stared upon the woman that brought her family together and was about to be her official sister, she held her close to her heart and they were forever to be bonded by family.
"You all look amazing," Elena responded, taking the minute to look upon those she called family, some she had known her whole life, others she had only met this year but they were all so important to her and her life that she couldn't imagine not having them around her on her most important day of her life.
Elena felt the love swirl around her and it consumed her, her Empath Gift was wild and she was sure it was going to unleash at some point during the ceremony, she hadn't long had it back and learning to control it once again was a task she had not fully completed as of yet.
"We should stop before we start crying, there isn't time to re-do our makeup and the photographer is here now, I refuse to go in the albums with mascara running down my cheeks," Rebekah spoke amusingly, bringing a small chuckle to each of the girls. She looked down at her watch and read the time, she suddenly stood up straight and removed her phone from her pocket, "3:10pm, we're late, Kol has just texted me that the guests have already started to arrive and we need to get out there."
"Let's go," Cami hopped to her feet and her and Davina linked arms as they exited the suite, Bonnie and Caroline followed and Rebekah and Elena left the room last.
Just as Elena reached the bottom of the stairs, she grasped the Original sisters arm and pulled her to one side gently, "you go ahead, I'll catch up, there's something I need to do."
"Don't take too long, there may only be a few guests now but it will soon start to fill up," Elena nodded her head at her words and scurried off, she walked outside the main venue building and reached into her blazer pocket, revealing several of the crystals she had previously spelled and held them in her sealed palm.
She glanced around the area quickly, there was no-one in sight and not a car pulling in, it was the perfect time to start her spell. She closed her eyes and began to chant, she could feel the magic radiating in her hand and she slowly opened her palm, the crystals began to float and her spell directed to them to each point of the entire outside area of the venue and as far as the seating areas of the ceremony but not over the altar, Bonnie's magic would be required for the ritual. They mostly hid in either trees or bushes and they formed a link that protected the entire area from anyone who meant to cause harm or disruption.
Just as she entered inside the building, she saw the guests all congregating in the lobby and her eyes widened, there was Marcel's inner circle, the French Quarter coven had arrived and some of Elijah's guests, there was still plenty more to come and she was already feeling overwhelmed by the crowds before her. She quickly darted for the stairs that lead to the suites and went as unnoticed as she could considering the amount of supernatural beings in the building.
Once she returned to quiet of the suite, she felt her nerves calm and her Empath Gift found stability once again, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent a quick message to Rebekah regarding her whereabouts before removing her blazer and heading to the cabinet that housed the wine. She took a bottle of red out from within it and poured herself a small glass; taking a deep breath, she stood by the window and gazed out at the guests that had continued to arrive and she had to brace herself for the entire supernatural community within New Orleans to watch her get married.
All eyes where going to be on her and she detested the thought.
"It isn't bad luck for the groom to see the bride before she is in her wedding dress, is it?" The sound of his voice brought her back to reality and instantly brought her the calm she sought.
A soft smile curled up on her lips as she turned to see Elijah standing in the doorway and they joined together within seconds, her arms wrapped around his neck and he pulled her in by the waist, "Thankfully, no."
"I had to see you," he trailed his fingers along the curve in her cheek and pressed his forehead against hers; she breathed him in completely and her entire body relaxed by just his touch.
"I'm glad you did," she spoke onto his lips as she wrapped her hand around his neck and leaned into a kiss filled with a tender passion. It sent her gift into a frenzy and she was consumed by love and devotion that she could barely contain it, "not having second thoughts, are you?"
"The next time I kiss you, we will be married," His voice was quiet and packed full with emotion. This was exactly what she needed to feel ready, she could face anything knowing he was beside her and her anxiety had all but vanished.
"Our last kiss as engaged," the words didn't seem real to her, not yet, she couldn't fathom how they could be bonded any further but she knew this would be the act that would make them as one, bound by marriage and eternity.
"Elijah, you should be with the guests, you have an eternity to spend together and it's time for Elena to finish getting ready," Rebekah had appeared in the room and she had a schedule to keep too which was apparent in the haste in her voice.
"I'll see you soon," Elijah placed a soft kiss on her forehead and caressed her cheek one last time before releasing her and lingering for a moment longer to take her in completely.
"I can't wait," a grin formed on her lips and her nervousness had become overshadowed by excitement, all she needed was him.
"Hurry along, brother," the Original sister spat and with one final glance of his bride-to-be, he left the room and returned to the guests.
The rest of her loved ones began to pour into the room once it hit 4pm and they started readying the dresses, removing them from their protective covers and holding them against their bodies to admire them.
"Ready to finish our look?" Bonnie said with an excitement in her voice as she held up her bridesmaid dress and showcased it to the girls.
It was a beautiful shimmery silver colour, it came down in a low cut v-neck with lace floral embroidery that covered the chest area and came to the hem then flowed naturally halfway down the length that reached the floor, it was lined and the silk tulle gave it an ethereal effect.
Elena unzipped the dress from the protective cover and admired it for a long moment before removing it completely, she held it up for a second and smiled contently, "I can't believe I'm actually getting married."
"We're so happy for you," Caroline said before all the girls came together in a final group hug of the evening.
Rebekah pulled away from the group and grabbed her dress from the hanging rail opposite them, she held it up and grinned excitedly.
It was a beautiful strapless sheath gown in the colour champagne and had a floral appliqué bodice, The sweeping silhouette, enhanced by a tasteful slit and a floor length skirt would flow perfectly at her figure.
"Let's get ready, the ceremony is almost upon on us."