Some Say Ice

Celsitudinem tuam

The dinner could classify as slow torture with how it seems to be going. I finished my plate and was sipping on my glass of wine looking around the room, bored out of my mind, the five of us hadn't talked in a moment and the silence was suffocating. I looked above the fire place and saw the painting I gave Elijah hung proudly above it in a beautiful frame and grinned at the gesture. Nik lightly nudged me asking if i was alright. "I painted that." I mouthed to him nodding my head to the piece with a proud smile. "Stefan. Where is the lovely Elena tonight?" Elijah asks killing the quietness of the room. I bit my lip to refrain from laughing at the awkward question. "I don't know. Ask Damon." Stefan retorts bitterly. Niklaus starts laughing at the situation making me lightly nudge his leg with my foot under the table but in all honesty i was being a bit of a hypocrite. I was trying not to laugh myself. "I'm sorry, you've missed so much. Ah, trouble in paradise." Nik plays on with them. "One more word about Elena and this dinner's over." A sour Stefan warns pettily. Niklaus mockingly puts a finger to his lips with a smile, humorously motioning that he wont say another word. "You know what, probably best just to keep Elena in the do-not-discuss pile." Damon says in a much nicer tone than Stefan. "Great idea, Dames." I voice before taking a sip of my wine. Damon gives me an appreciative smile before leaning back in his chair.

"It's just the allure of the Petrova doppelganger, still so strong. What do you say, brother? Should we tell them about Tatia?" Nik suggests to Elijah awaiting his brother to play along with him. I look at them in confusion at the mention of Tatia and how she has anything to do with Petrova doppelgangers. "Now why should we discuss matters long since resolved?" Elijah cautiously continues Nik's game. "Well, given their shared affection for both Elena and Katerina, I think our guests might be curious to learn about the originator of the Petrova line." Klaus grins mischievously. Elijah still looks hesitant on telling the story but now I am invested. "Well they aren't going anywhere. I'd rather hear a story than Stefan's whining." I express sitting back in my chair ,my wine in hand, looking at Elijah expectantly. "When our family first settled here, there was a girl named Tatia. She was an exquisite beauty. Every boy of age desired to be her suitor, even though she'd had a child by another man. And none loved her more than Niklaus." Elijah informed. My brows shot up in surprise. Nik fell for a doppelganger, that's not what I would expect. " I'd say there was one who loved her at least as much." Nik revealed looking at his older brother. "So you both fell for the same doppelganger?" I asked to clarify. "Our mother was a very powerful witch. She sought to end our feud over Tatia and so she took her. Klaus and I would later learn that it was Tatia's blood that we consumed in the wine on the night where our mother performed the spell which turned us into vampires." Elijah put simply. " Tatia wouldn't make a decision between the two of us, so for a time Niklaus and I...grew estranged. Harsh words were traded, we even came to blows, didn't we, brother?" Elijah continued and looked to Nik for confirmation. "But in the end we realized the sacred bond of family." Nik defended both him and Elijah sharing a fond glance before both looking to me. "Family above all." Elijah proclaims looking between Nik and I raising his glass. "Family above all." Nik repeats turning to me with a slight expecting look, Elijah doing the same before briefly gesture to my glass in my hand with a movement of his eyes. At first i was perplexed on what he expected me to do before shock took my features as I realized what they were insinuating. In a second my shock went to pure joy and as I tried to ignore the slight watering of my eyes, I raised my glass and repeat in a light voice the same phrase. "Family above all." The three of us clink glasses and take a sip as Nik takes a hold of my hand lacing our fingers together.

Damon's phone buzzes and he quickly checks it, his demeanor changing from a feigned calm to a very real uneasy. "So, why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal?" Elijah suggests. "That's very simple. Klaus gets his coffin back, in exchange, he and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan, Elena and Ally live happily ever after. No grudges." Damon tells proudly. "Woah, I never agreed to that nor would I ever. You, Stefan and Elena can have your fairy tale ending but I make my own decisions." I interjected with attitude. "The deal sounds fair, brother." Elijah proceeded. " I don't think you understand. Elena's doppelgänger blood insures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me. Ally is my soulmate and I will never leave her behind." Nik growls at the suggestion of leaving me behind. Nik gets up pacing and thinking. " Let's say I do leave here, with Elena under your protection, what then? How long before one of you turns her into a vampire? Or worse, how long before she dies caught between your feuding?" Nik enquirers in a knowing tone. " You see, each one of you truly believes that you're the one that can protect her, and that is simply a delusion. Gentlemen, the worst thing for Elena Gilbert is...the two of you." Nik finishes his speech. Damon gives Stefan a weak smile at the harsh truth and I am a bit sympathetic toward the older Salvatore. I put my hand on his arm with an understanding smile, he puts his other hand over mine returning a small smile. " I'm gonna get some air." Damon announces before getting up and walking out. I get up to go after him until Elijah stops me saying he would handle it and following Damon. I showed a suspicious look on my face but decided to stay where I was.