The Red Herring Revives: A Mikaelson Love Story

Chapter 24: Trophy Wife

~Elijah POV~

Elijah, along with his sister and Hayley had returned to their barren home after saving Hayley's family and learning more about their brother's.

"You know, that was one of the most productive days I've had in a while." Hayley said proudly as Rebekah turned to her with a glare.

"I'm glad someone enjoyed it, seeing as I now reek of the bloody bog." His sister whined, continuing to complain incessantly about being in the swamplands with them.

Elijah chuckled at his sister's pettiness when he heard the familiar voice of someone else coming from their living room.

"Serves you right for your attempt to undermine my rule." Elijah hurried into the parlour with his sister and Hayley at his side, only to find Klaus sat by the piano.

"Pretty rich coming from the guy who took literally everything we own." Hayley growled stepping towards him only to be stopped by Elijah.

"When I call for an extinction, I expect you to stand aside and let the blood flow." Klaus shot back with a glare.

"How democratic of you." Elijah said as he tossed a ring over to his younger brother. "Do you recognise it? Perhaps you don't. It has been a thousand years since you last saw it grace the hand of our mother. The ring was in possession of one of the very wolves whose extinction you just ordered. So, naturally, I questioned him. He spoke of a legend. A legend wherein long ago, a chief of theirs had fathered a child to a very powerful witch. Their mythology further states that this child, a son, was later transformed into something this clan had never before seen. Something werewolf and vampire."

"Nik, we're trying to make amends." Rebekah pleaded. "We plotted against you when you were actually being good and we are sorry! We found the remainder of your bloodline from your true father!"

"And saved them from being slaughtered by your vampires." Hayley added.

"Niklaus, your ambitions have come before this family for far too long. I beseech you, please, come home." Elijah begged but his brother was in no mood.

"To what home?" His brother had responded. "This squalor? Perhaps you don't remember but I reclaimed our rightful home, in spite of your doubts and uprisings."

"You boast of your victory whilst the mother of your child remains your prisoner?" Elijah said angrily in defence of Iliana.

"It's all about the pretty girl with you, isn't it Elijah?" Klaus retorted with a glare as he stood up to leave and turned to Hayley. "And here I thought you'd found yourself a replacement."

"How dare you?" Elijah growled.

"Stop it, both of you!" Rebekah snapped in frustration.

"Even if this is what you say it is." Klaus said as he looked at the ring. "I've had enough of family to last me a lifetime. Why would I possibly want any more?"

~Iliana POV~

I walked into the room where there was a pretty teenage girl with long brown hair and gorgeous big eyes, sullenly unpacking her things into her new room.

"You must be Davina." She glanced back at me and for a moment her eyes lit up.

"You're Melody Stone." She told me with a weak smile.

"You can call me Iliana. We're both stuck in this house, might as well do it with some honesty." I told her with a shrug. "Want some help?"

She nodded gingerly and I went to help her unpack her belongings and place them in her room. "A year ago, I'd be going crazy that Melody Stone was helping me unpack and told me her real name."

"A year ago, that would have been my normal." I told her with a sigh. She began to frown as she went through her boxes. "What are you looking for?"

"My violin." She said with a groan. "I must've left in the attic."

"Why not just go get it?"

"I can't." She answered with a shake of her head. "It's not safe for me out there."

"And here I thought everyone was scared of you." I muttered with a laugh.

"The witches are still after me."

"Been there." I said with a huff. "That crazy witch Agnes tried to kill me too. But she's dead now."

"What?"

"Yeah, Elijah killed her." I added.

"But... Agnes was the last living Elder. If she's dead, then I'm safe." Davina murmured in worry. "Marcel would've told me."

I sighed before turning to her with a more solemn look. "Maybe Marcel didn't wanna lose his secret weapon against the witches."

"He would never."

"I know what it's like to love someone with a lot of power that still wants more." I told her. "And as much as you want them to have good intentions, that doesn't mean that they do. In fact, they usually don't."

"You're lying to me."

"Why would I lie to you?" I asked her. "I owe you. You saved my life. I won't forget that."

"But you want something from me, right?" She questioned bitterly. "Everyone does."

"You know, you're right." I told her honestly. "Thanks to Klaus, I've got a baby in me that is gonna be born with a thousand years' worth of enemies and as a normal old human there's nothing I can do about it. And I'm smart enough to know that there's nothing I can do to protect my daughter, but you're one of the strongest witches I've ever met. And the other one kinda has a vendetta against me. But I respect you. And I would like to be your friend. So I wont lie to you to get what I want. Remember that."

I left her room and headed to the living room where Klaus had just arrived back with a frustrated look being sent my way.

"Did you tell Elijah to save the wolves?" He asked me.

"Well I asked you first." I replied with a sigh.

"You went behind my back; you had no right."

"What did you want me to do?" I asked him. "Sit back and let my friend go to hell?"

"Yes!"

"No!" I shot back. "That is not me! And it never will be! You have taken me away from everything I have ever known and when I start to make new friends, you try to take her away from me too."

"Like what?"

"My friends, my family—"

"Right, your Mystic Falls cohorts. Tell me, what has this so-called family done for you?" He retorted. "Where are they now? You are undergoing one of the most unprecedented scenarios in existence and yet they've made no effort to be a part of your new family."

"They have their reasons."

"And so do I." He told me. "You are my most prized possession right now. Should anyone seek to harm me, it is you they will come for first. If I kill the wolves, they shift their focus to them and away from you. I am trying to keep you safe, not that you appreciate my efforts."

"Prized possession?" I asked, my lip trembling softly. "Is that what I am to you? A trophy?"

"Iliana, that's not what I meant."

"I'll have to take your word for it."

I looked away from him before disappearing back into my room and retreating to what was essentially my glass cage.