CENTURIES | Lucien Castle

XIV. An Old Friend Calls

"You collect trophies from all your victims?" Asked Freya incredulously while Klaus opened an old wooden box that contained many letters.

"Letters to their loved ones, to be specific," Elijah cut in from his spot next to Juliette on the couch in the study.

"It was a phase," Klaus responded.

"A phase in which we were forced to learn a different kind of stealth," Elijah took over the conversation. "You see, over time, Niklaus's enemies grew so numerous we had no choice but to artfully withdraw from the world. And then," he trailed off while looking at Freya. "Well, I wouldn't exactly describe our presence in this city as discreet, wouldn't you agree, Niklaus?"

"We all saw the white oak destroyed," Klaus angrily stepped in. "Plus, this city was crawling with vampires, all of whom had no choice but to shield me from potential foes. We're I to die, they would die too, I couldn't have been more safe. And now my sire link is undone. Those very foes will come for me, like never before."

"It's only been a few days since the link was broken," Freya chimed in.

"Yes, must you be so paranoid, brother," Juliette looked up at him.

"It's a default setting," Elijah announced causing a smirk to rest on Juliette's lips.

"And with good reason," Klaus shot back at his siblings for making fun off his paranoia.

"Well, Niklaus, if it offers you any solace whatsoever," Elijah stood up from his spot on the couch. "We've ransacked Aya's belongings, torched Aurora's hunting ground, and obliterated every last splinter of the white oak."

"I would be mad to believe that," Klaus whispered in Elijah's face.

"Perhaps you should see a therapist," the suited vampire shot at his younger brother. Klaus stared at Elijah for a moment and then left the room. Juliette stood up and walked over to stand next to Freya.

"Every last splinter?" Freya asked the back of her brother. "You sure?"

****

Juliette was yet again dragged into another family meeting by her paranoid brother. "It was him. It was Gaspar Cortez."

"I assume this is someone from your box of letters," Freya concluded.

"The youngest son of a particularly vile family of warlords I dealt with in the 17th century," Klaus looked over at the oldest Mikaelson.

"Didn't they burn that Philistine pigsty to the ground?" Elijah asked.

"Pigsty?" Klaus looked to his brother incredulously. "Belaga was my favorite artist's retreat," Klaus argued and then turned to Juliette. "Tell them how great Belaga was."

"I love art as much as the next person but I'm going to kindly disagree, brother," Juliette smirked and watched joyously as Klaus rolled his eyes at her.

"Someone had to pay for that so I murdered Gaspar's brute of a father," Klaus continued his confession to Freya.

"And?" Freya asked knowing that there was definitely more.