Ethereal ~ The Originals [1] ✓

{7} Princesses

"Now, you can't call yourself a connoisseur if you have not sampled each and every one of these. Hmm?" Klaus said as he looked at his daughters. He took two beignets laying on the table and held them up to the twins. "Here."

Hope and Skye took a bite out of them, "Mmm, it's so good!"

"Did I ever tell you the story of my first beignet," Klaus asked. Hope and Skye shook their heads. "No," Klaus asked surprised. He picked up the two girls and placed them down on the chair while he stood up. "You are in for a treat. Long ago, three French nuns came to New Orleans looking for a fresh start. And they came here. They marched right into our courtyard, and they presented your Uncle Elijah and me with these rather lumpy-looking, sugar-coated pastries. Well, needless to say, we were entranced. We set them up quite well."

"Why did they come to you?" Skye asked tilting her head.

Klaus set down the beignet in his hand and bent down in front of the two girls. "Because there was a time when we were regarded as royalty. You might even go as far as to say I was king, which would make you both princesses." The three of the laughed and smiled at one another.

"Good morning," The three turned to see Hayley walking toward them. Hayley leaned down and kissed the girls heads  and looked at the table. "I guess apple turnover is fruit." Hayley crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, I saw no harm in indulging our daughters' sweet tooth. All things in moderation, of course." Klaus stated.

"Okay. Don't eat too many. You'll get a stomachache," Hope and Skye nodded and Hayley looked back up to Klaus, "Can we talk?" Klaus looked confused as they walked away from the girls.

***

Hayley leaned over an unmade bed with her head down. There was a lot on her mind and she was just so worried. She was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't hear Skye walk in. "Mom?" Skye called out. Hayley looked over and saw Skye standing in the doorway.

"Skye. I didn't see you there, sweetie." Hayley sat down on the bed.

"Uncle Elijah is sick, isn't he?" Skye asked.

"Uncle Elijah is very sick." Hayley replied.

Skye was silent until she asked, "Is he going to get better?"

"I don't know." Hayley responded.

"Can we help him?" Skye questioned her mother. Hayley reached out and took Skye's hands into hers.

"We're doing everything that we can. I promise." Hayley said reassuringly.

"Maybe Hope and I can help Aunt Freya do a spell to make him better." Skye suggested.

Hayley ran her hand through Skye's hair, "That's very brave of you." Skye reached out and hugged her mother. Hayley closed her eyes and hugged Skye tighter.

***

Hope, Skye, and Keelin all sat in front of the fireplace. Hope lightly threw some jacks on the floor in front of them. Keelin looked down at them, "All right. It's been awhile since I played." She said to the girls.

"You just bounce the ball, pick up the jacks. That's it." Hope explained to her. Hope threw the ball up in the air and picked up some jacks before catching the ball again. The three of them laughed.

"Okay, I'll try." Keelin said. She did the same thing Hope did and did pretty well. What the three of them didn't know was that Klaus was standing in the doorway watching them. "Nice one." Keelin commented after Skye did it too. Keelin did it again, but failed. The twins laughed. "Wow. Really? Kind of. Kind of did it."

"Yep." Hope and Skye said in agreement. They laughed again as Keelin did it again.

"Now, try it again." Skye said to her.

"Okay." Keelin said. Skye and Hope stopped and turned to the doorway. They looked at it confused seeing no one there. They thought someone was watching them, but guess not.

***

Hope and Skye walked into the room and saw everybody with sad looks. Their Aunt Freya had her head ducked down and she was doing a spell. Their mother was standing in front of the desk with tears slipping down her face. "What is that?" Hope asked looking down at the spell Freya was doing.

Hayley turned toward the girls and wiped the tears off of her face. She walked over to the girls, "Hope, Skye. Go back to bed, sweeties, I'll be there in a second." She grabbed their hands, but they got out of her grip and walked closer to Freya. Hope and Skye look at Freya and put their hands on her shoulders. Freya gasps as the three of them saw flashes of Elijah.

"Did you see that? Did you feel it?" Freya asked looking at each of the girls.

"Uncle Elijah." Hope and Skye said looking down at the now black pendant. Hayley looked up at Klaus who was looking at her in surprise.

"He sounds so far away." Skye said. Freya stood from the chair and everybody walked closer to the desk.

"He's in there you heard him, right?" Hayley asked Freya.

"Yes, I heard him. He's somewhere inside, but..." Freya replied trailing off.

"But what?" Klaus asked his eyebrows furrowing.

"His voice sounds distorted, broken, like radio static and I just heard... his screaming." Freya responded gravely. Klaus looked up from pendant and looked at Freya.