The Vampire Queen

Katerina

As Evelyn was heading home, she crossed paths with Rose on her way to the Salvatore mansion. "Evelyn," Rose called out. "Hush, you idiot," Evelyn replied sharply. "What are you doing here?" Rose asked. "For your sake, I suggest you keep quiet and not let anyone know about our acquaintance," Evelyn said sternly. "See, people here don't know I am a vampire, and I'd like to keep it that way." "So you are after the doppelganger as well?" Rose inquired. "Not after her, with her," Evelyn corrected. "Since when do you help them?" Rose asked, bewildered. "Since they can be useful to me. You see, three vampires, a wolf, and a Bennett witch are a force I'd prefer having on my side," Evelyn explained. "They will find out sooner or later," Rose warned. "That's a problem for the future. If I find out that you outed me, let me just remind you that Klaus and Elijah will be the least of your problems," Evelyn threatened.

The next day, Evelyn joined Elena at the Salvatore house, where they wanted the girls to meet Rose. Evelyn was keeping tabs on Rose, just to make sure she wouldn't go out spilling her secret. Elena was not very happy with Rose's presence either. Rose started, "Okay, you have to understand I only know what I've picked up over the years, and I don't know what's true and what's not true. It's the problem with all this vampire crap, but Klaus, I know he's real." "Who is he?" Elena asked. "He's one of the originals. He's a legend," Damon interjected. "From the first generation of vampires," Stefan added. "Like Elijah?" Elena inquired. Rose shook her head. "No. Elijah was the Easter Bunny compared to Klaus. He's a foot soldier. Klaus is the real deal." "Klaus is known to be the oldest," Stefan explained. Elena's eyes widened. "Okay, so you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after me?" "Yes," Rose confirmed.

Evelyn bit her cheek to keep from laughing. They had just called Elijah the Easter Bunny, but anyone with a shred of sense knew Elijah was far more dangerous than Klaus. Elijah was the epitome of calculation, always several steps ahead, and had an uncanny ability to read people like open books. The thought of comparing him to something as harmless as the Easter Bunny was ludicrous to her. Evelyn's mind raced with the urge to correct their misconceptions. Klaus, while formidable, was not the oldest vampire. She had spent a lot of time with the Originals in the past and knew a lot about them. The room's ignorance was almost unbearable, and it took all of Evelyn's self-control not to blurt out the truth. She knew that revealing too much would only complicate matters, but the temptation to set the record straight gnawed at her.

Elena asked Caroline and Evelyn to accompany her to get answers from Katherine. She instructed Caroline to keep Stefan busy so he wouldn't know about her whereabouts and kept Evelyn with her, just in case something happened. They made their way into the ruins, and Caroline opened the door to the tomb. Elena called out for Katherine. Katherine appeared at the entrance, looking very pale from not having fed for a long time. She glanced up and smiled at Evelyn, a gesture that puzzled Elena. "Ignore it," Evelyn murmured to Elena, sensing her confusion. Elena had brought a book detailing Katherine's family history. She set it down and placed some blood in a glass on the ground, pushing it towards Katherine with a stick. Katherine took the glass and drank eagerly. As the blood replenished her, her skin regained some of its color. Katherine settled down, her eyes regaining a hint of their former sharpness. "You have questions. I have answers," she began.

Katherine leaned back, her eyes distant as she began her story. "It's a long story, Klaus and I. It goes all the way back to England, 1492, after I left Bulgaria. Or was thrown out." Elena handed Katherine more blood, watching her drink. "Thrown out?" Elena asked, her curiosity piqued. "My family, your true ancestors, disowned me," Katherine replied, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "My indiscretions were not tolerated at that time. I had a baby out of wedlock. The shame." "It was kept secret?" Elena pressed. Katherine nodded, her eyes reflecting the painful memories. "Mhmm. My baby was given away. I was banished to England, and I had to learn to adjust. So, I quickly became English. It was there that I caught the eye of a nobleman named Klaus. I was taken with him at first, until I found out what he was and what he wanted from me. And then I ran like hell." Evelyn stood beside Elena, listening intently to Katherine's tale. She already knew the story. The pain in Katherine's voice was palpable, a contrast to her usual calculating demeanor.

Katherine recounted a memory from 1492. She had been running through the woods to escape Klaus and his men, hiding behind a tree as Elijah taunted her, promising that Klaus would find her. Just as she feared being caught, Trevor had arrived and misled Elijah's group. Once they left, Trevor told Katherine to head east to a safe cottage, urging her to go despite her exhaustion. His diversion allowed Katherine to escape.

Elena handed another glass of blood to Katherine, who drank it down eagerly, regaining more strength. "What does the Petrova bloodline have to do with Klaus?" Elena asked, her curiosity piqued. Katherine sighed, her expression serious. "It's really tedious but.The curse was bound by the sacrifice of Petrova blood. Witches are crafty with their spells. The doppelgänger was created as a way to be able to undo the spell. Once the doppelgänger reappeared, the curse could be broken." "So you ran before he killed you?" Elena inquired, trying to piece together the puzzle. Katherine nodded. "Something like that."

Katherine continued her story, when she sought refuge in a cottage in the woods. Knocking on the door, she pleaded for help, saying Trevor's name. An old woman answered but hesitated to invite Katherine in, However, Rose, hidden inside, overheard and compelled the woman to offer assistance. Katherine revealed the moonstone to Rose as proof of her identity and Trevor's promise of aid. Rose, skeptical but intrigued, learned that Katherine had stolen it from Klaus to evade him. Despite the risks, Rose agreed to help, but truly planned to return Katherine to Klaus at nightfall and beg for mercy. However, as night fell, Rose betrayed Katherine, trapping her in an empty room. The memory served as a reminder of the treachery and dangers that lurked at every turn in their supernatural world.

Rose entered the room, to a wounded Katherine lying on the bed. However, she noticed Katherine's injuries and questioned their origin. Unconvinced by Katherine's explanation, Rose discovered a knife in her hand, prompting a desperate plea from Katherine to let her die rather than face Klaus again. She forced Katherine to drink her blood, healing her wounds. Trevor arrived, demanding to know Katherine's whereabouts, but Rose intercepted him, leaving Katherine alone.In a heated exchange, Rose confronted Trevor about the danger they faced by helping Katherine, expressing hope that Klaus would show mercy upon their return. Trevor's declaration of love for Katherine only fueled Rose's anger. As they were arguing they heard a noise from the room, they rushed in to find Katherine hanging from the ceiling, lifeless.

Elena's eyes widened in shock. "You killed yourself?!" Katherine nodded, her expression resolute. "Klaus needed a human doppelgänger. As a vampire, I was no longer of any use to him." "But it didn't work," Elena said, piecing it together. "You didn't really escape; you've been running from Klaus ever since." Katherine sighed, a hint of weariness in her voice. "I underestimated his spirit for vengeance, but living in a suitcase is better than dying so you can have your blood spilled over some silly little rock."

Katherine woke up in the cottage to find Trevor and Rose confronting her. Trevor expressed his disappointment, saying he would have helped her live, but Katherine responded that running wasn't enough for her. Rose angrily pointed out that Katherine had used Trevor to escape and her to turn, warning that Klaus would seek revenge on all of them. Katherine apologized, but Rose, furious, attempted to stake her. Katherine quickly grabbed the old woman as a shield, resulting in Rose accidentally staking the woman instead. Katherine then drank the woman's blood to regain her strength and completed her transition. Rose believedthat Katherine had doomed them all, but Katherine coldly responded that it was better for them to die than her. She threw the dying woman into Trevor's arms and used her new vampire speed to flee the cottage, leaving them to face the consequences.

Elena stared at Katherine, shock and anger in her voice. "So that's it? You used Trevor and Rose. They spent the last 500 years running because of you. Trevor just got killed." Katherine's expression remained impassive. "Well, they weren't the only ones who helped me, to be honest." "What do you mean?" Elena demanded. Evelyn's eyes silently pleaded with Katherine to stop talking, but Katherine ignored her. "There was this girl..." she began.