Written In Blood

Chapter Thirty Eight.

The evening arrived all too quickly.
Rayna had spent her time buying a dress and getting her hair and make-up done. She was going to this dance to impress – and impress she would.
Damon and Stefan had turned up at the Mikaelson's first, primarily to 'scope the place out', as Damon put it.
Elena was the next to arrive and boy, did she catch Damon's eye well and truly.
She wore a flared ball gown, decorated with nude tulle with black embellishes and corseted bust.
Damon was talking to the current Mayor at the time; Mrs Carol Lockwood. But when Elena entered through those main doors, he forgot what he was saying. He was totally and utterly bewildered by her beauty; and a beauty she was.
The brothers led her through the house to the ball room.
Elijah waited impatiently, trying to busy himself by entertaining his guests.
But when Rayna finally appeared – just like Damon had done with Elena – he stopped everything.
Rayna's long black hair that he'd known her to have for the past 900 and something years, was now dyed a silver grey and had been cut into a jaw-length bob. That bob had been half put up into a lazy looking bun, with her shorter bangs hanging either side of her face, shaping it nicely.
Her dress, like Elena's, was a flared ball gown with a small train.
It was a deep red in colour, making her stand out brilliantly. The corseted bust was done up tightly, just like she used to have it only one hundred years before, making her hour glass figure even more prominent. Her make-up was black and smokey, with her lips matching her dress.
Elijah instantly walked up to her.
"My darling Rayna, you look divine." He smiled.
Rayna smiled back at him. "I've always liked you in a suit, Elijah."
"I know." He replied.
He held out his arm and she took it as he escorted her into the ballroom.
"Dance with me."
Rayna giggled, nodding.
In an instant, he spun her around, causing her to fall back into his chest as he took both her hands.
As they danced, Rayna recalled the first night they met. He and her dancing, Niklaus draped in his court girls before being refused by Rayna to dance. The way she and Elijah fell into each other's eyes.
Her feelings had her mind clouded. She felt lost as they danced.
As the live classical music came to a finish, Elijah spun her one last time and kissed her on the forehead.
"I must go and introduce this evening's host. But I'll be back." He whispered to her, his breath tickling the hairs on her neck, sending shivers down her spine.
Elijah held Rayna's hand and led her to the foot of the stairs in the foyer, where he released her from his grasp.
He grabbed a glass of champagne and a knife, clinking the two together to grab everyone's attention.
"Uh, if everyone could gather, please." He announced as his brothers and sister joined him on the stairs.
Rayna was joined by Elena and the Salvatore brothers, who watched intently as a very beautiful woman exited one of the rooms upstairs and made her way down a few of the steps.
"Welcome, thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance." Elijah continued.
"Do you see who I see?" Damon whispered to his brother, referring to the Original Witch.
"Oh yeah..." Stefan sighed.
"Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom." Elijah smiled.
Rayna, Elena and the Salvatores watched as Esther retreated back upstairs. Elena moved towards her.
"Don't even think about it." Damon warned.
Rayna sighed heavily at their behaviour and walked away, where she was intercepted by Elijah.
"One more dance?" He asked, holding out his hand.
"Only one?" Rayna raised her eyebrow, playfully.
He chuckled as she placed her hand on his and the pair joined the others on the dance floor.
As the pair danced, they couldn't help but notice that Damon and Elena had stopped dancing, Stefan replacing Damon as the older brother danced with Rebekah and then Stefan and Elena walking off.
Rayna watched the pair intently as they left the house entirely, moving onto the lawn at the back of the house.

"I don't mean to be rude, but your distracted mind is weakening your talent for Waltzing." Elijah chuckled.
Rayna frowned at her dance partner. "Wha-? Oh, I'm sorry... I just know that they're up to something. I want to know what it is."
"You don't have to know everything you know." He smiled.

Rayna raised an eyebrow. "You really think they came here just to dance...?"
Elijah moved closer to Rayna's ear. "I don't care right now. You look breathtaking." He whispered.
Rayna looked back toward the patio door, mostly to hide her blush. 

The Waltz had finished.
Elijah and Rayna decided to go and investigate the disappearance of Elena and her Salvatore brothers.
"In the library. I hear voices." Rayna told him as they searched the quieter parts of the house.

"Well, better hurry up. He won't be down for long." Stefan's voice sounded.
"I'll catch Elena as she's going to see my mother. You hide round there until she's out." Elijah whispered, gesturing to the next corridor.
Once Elena had left the library, Rayna came out of hiding and entered the room.
She found Damon on the floor, his spine broken.
"Damon." She breathed, falling to her knees to his aid, her dress pooling around her.
"He'll wake in a little while." Stefan said.
Rayna turned around to see him, hands in his trouser pockets.
"What have you done?" She asked.
"What Elena asked." He shrugged.
Rayna was curious as to what the Doppelganger was up to, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be good.
She sighed impatiently and Vamp sped to find Elijah.
"Well, her ability to forgive my brother after everything he's done to destroy this family strikes me as a little strange to say the least." She heard Elijah's voice from round a corner and so glanced round it to see them.
"Do you think it's an act?" Elena asked.
"It has me asking questions I never thought I'd ask. Can I depend on you to tell me what she says?" The Original sighed.
"Of course." Elena nodded. "I'll find you later, okay?"
Elijah, too, nodded and she walked away just as Rayna came out from around the corner.
"You don't trust your mother?" She asked, walking over to him.
"I'm skeptical as to her intentions, yes." He replied.
Rayna frowned. Why exactly would she forgive Niklaus so easily?