Formidable ↬ The Originals {2}

Chapter Eight

A/N: Rosalind's outfit throughout the chapter is above.

Reigning Pain in New Orleans

Klaus has set up a dinner table is set up in the courtyard to celebrate his return to leadership over New Orleans and his repossession of the Abbatoir compound from Marcel. The vampire army, including Marcel and his closest friends, are seated around the table, Klaus and Hayley are seated at each end and Rosalind is seated next to Hayley. Klaus calls for everyone's attention to give a speech by tapping his glass with his fork.

"Let us begin with a toast to our shared gift: immortality. After a thousand years, one might expect life to be less keenly felt, for its beauties and its sorrows do diminish with time. But, as vampires, we feel more deeply than humans could possibly imagine." Klaus gestures toward a group of waiters and waitresses to have them join them at the table, one for each guest.

"Insatiable need, exquisite pain..." The servants slit their wrists with knives, filling the cups with blood for the vampires.

"Our victories, and our defeats." He looks at Marcel. Klaus raises his glass in a toast to the others. "...To my city, my home again. May the blood never cease to flow..."

Marcel lifts his glass. "...and the party never ends!" Marcel looks over at Diego.

Diego raises his glass. "To New Orleans."

"To New Orleans!"

"I understand that some of you may have questions regarding the recent change in leadership, and I invited you here tonight to assure you that you are not defeated. No, my intentions moving forward are to celebrate what we have. What Marcel, in fact, took and built for this true community of vampires."

"What about her?" He points to Hayley at the far end of the table. "The wolf."

"Had you'd let me finish, Diego, you would know that there is, of course, one further matter I would like to address." He walks over to the other end of the table where Hayley sits. "As many of you know, the girl is carrying my child. Consequently, I trust you will all pay her the appropriate respect. However, I understand that some of you are concerned by this vicious rumor that I intend to use the blood of our child to create hybrids. I assure you I do not."

Rosalind rolls her eys as Hayley smirks sarcastically. "Father of the year."

Klaus spoke to the vampires, mildly frustrated. "It appears I will have to earn your trust. Very well. We'll eliminate the root of your anxiety. You see, how I can I sire any hybrids if there are no more werewolves alive in the Bayou to turn?" Rosalind had been tuning out of Klaus's speech in deep thought but her ears perked up when hearing that.

Hayley looks at Klaus, horrified. "What? Klaus, no!"

"What a dick," Rosalind mutters under her breath.