Mind over Matter ↠ Elijah Mikaelson

34

Marianne walked down the pathway in the marketplace. Her rags now changed into a lilac dress made from fine silk. A dress that had equalised the price of her own home.

She had her sights set on him. The man that stayed safely in the carriage as the white horses pulled to a stop. Tristan had come into town for something, making it Marianne's best chance.

She followed the man down the streets until she realised that she would not get his attention if she were behind him.

Marianne turned a corner and used her knowledge of the streets to take the upper hand and pull out in front of him. If he were to be the noble man that others portrayed him as, he wouldn't hesitate to aid a fair maiden.

Marianne dropped the handkerchief on the cobbles, but her feet kept walking.

"Excuse me" Tristan saw the maiden drop her handkerchief without knowing, he bent down and lifted it as he called for her attention.

She turned around, and somehow the sun had risen just enough to shine more light behind her, making her look somewhat angelic.

"My handkerchief" she faked her surprise as she walked back to him to take it "my mother made this for me when I was younger, I would have hated myself if I had lost it. Thank you"

Tristan handed it over, almost hypnotised by her beauty. "I have not seen you before, are you from around here?"

"How did you know?" She faked her etiquette, she acted well travelled, acting like she had all of these experiences when really she had lived in the same place for all of her life. "I am lady Marianne Auclaire of Toulouse, daughter of Count Auclaire" she lied "but please, call me Marianne"

"Beautiful and a lady of high society" Tristan bowed, taking her hand to kiss it "The God's must be liking me today"

Marianne wanted to throw up, she wasn't feeling romanced whatsoever. "And your name, good sir?" She asked

"Lord Tristan de Martel" he said

Marianne awoke in a cold sweat. Her hands grasping the sheets as she tried to catch her breath.

Lightning struck and light the room for a few seconds as the thunder clapped, sending Marianne scurrying to the corner of her bed.

Rain aggressively tapped against the Window, making her think someone was there. The storms still had the same effect on her as they did when she was younger.

"Just a storm" she muttered to herself as she hit her hand over her head, trying to pull herself together.

Her heart raced in time with the patter of the rain.

Luckily her curtains were closed so she didn't have to see anything outside, her mind ran away with her, thinking that if she did looked past the curtains, someone would be staring back at her.

Thunder rumbled again, the gap of peace in between each episode slowly closed.

She wasn't going to go to sleep now. She didn't feel safe. It was bad to wake up to a storm, but to wake up from a dream about Tristan. It just creeped her out.

She was brought back to become a weapon against him, but now they had to protect her. Like she was more harm than good. Marianne just longed to feel safe, and the only place she felt safe was when she was with Elijah.

Her bare feet pressed against the hard floorboards as she stood to her feet, plucking the courage to walk out of her room.

Her hands touched the door handle as she tiptoed into the room. What she would have expected to do was crawl into bed with him, explain what had happened and let him stay with her until she fell asleep.

But that plan crashed and burnt when Marianne walked into the room, not just seeing Elijah's sleeping body, but another woman's. Marianne should have known he must have moved on. How could she be so stupid?

Her feet reversed out of the room, feeling embarrassed to say the least. The lighting struck again, making her flinch and step on a floorboard that creaked.

She shut her eyes, rolling her lips into each other and tried to stop herself from crying. She just had to suck it up and wait the storm out. Marianne knew she needed to man up from now on, she can't just rely on everyone else to fight her battles.

She didn't quite shut the door behind her, but she did turn the lights on, just for comfort and because Marianne knew she wasn't sleeping anytime soon.

She took a book from one of the shelves and climbed into bed, crossing her legs as she sat in the middle. She opened the book and tried to block out the outside world, engulfing herself into this fictional world where everything seemed perfect. When really, her life was a mess, even a storm could make her cry.

"Marianne" Elijah's sleepy voice snapped her out of her reading, he stood at the door, looking at her reddened eyes.

She didn't say anything, she only shut the book. Marianne thought maybe she woke him up and he wanted to check if everything was okay. Maybe he saw a light on as he got up to get something.

The rain became heavier as the thunder consumed the sky once more. Making her flinch.

Elijah gave her a knowing look, nodding his head as to tell her to move up.

"What?" She asked as he walked up to the bed.

"You look absolutely distraught, I know you are afraid of storms" Elijah told her, pulling the covers back and sliding in "I shouldn't have left you on your own, especially after finding out this information tonight"

Marianne slipped under, placing her book on the side. "I dreamt of him" she said "when he and I first met, it just frightened me"

Elijah shut the lights off and put his arm around her, pulling her close enough for her head to rest on his bare chest. "He isn't going to hurt you, not if I can help it"

"You don't have to stay" she spoke "I know you have someone waiting in your bed"

Elijah sighed at the mention of Hayley. He didn't particularly want her in his bed, but she had made a habit of it recently, and because he and Marianne had only just made up, he couldn't particularly refuse just yet.

"She can cope" Elijah said, kissing Marianne's forehead and resting his cheek on her head before closing his eyes with his arms wrapped tightly around her.