Chapter 3: Court of Marseilles
Court of Marseilles
1002 A.D.
'My Memory of Lucien goes back to a time when our family was happy. Things were good, or as
good as they can be for vampires hiding in plain sight.'
At the Count's bailey, Prince Tristan held a small party for the guests and those with higher
statues. Prince Tristen and another young nobleman have a contest of throwing axes. The
young noble was able to throw it at the center, receiving an applause from Lady Aurora.
Lucien is standing near the other nobles, under a large parasol, catering to their needs.
'Everyone in Marseilles was held in the thrall of the count's arrogant son Tristan and his
sister…The Lady Aurora. In hindsight I could've done more to prevent what was to follow, but
then, even an endless life cannot be played in reversed.'
Lucien a goblet and walks towards Klaus, who was merely sitting as he carves what looks to be
a dragon.
Lucien at what he was carving chuckles in amusement and amazed, "impressive work, milord."
"It's a trife meant to pass a dull day, but I'll take it along with the word of a friend." Klaus jokes
putting down his knife carving.
"It is as a friend that I come to you now." Lucien hands the goblet to Klaus. "There is something I
must ask of you." He requested.
Klaus looks down and sees him taking out a folded paper. "For the Lady Aurora. If you would
deliver it to her in secret, I would be eternally grateful." Lucien said.
"Are these declarations of love?" Klaus smirks. He takes a sip, "that's a bold move."
Lucien looks longingly at where lady Aurora stands. "Well, we shared affection for one another
when we were children, but since then, my stain in life has prohibited me from declaring my
intentions." He explained.
"If she would leave this place with me…"
Hearing those words, Klaus quickly cuts him off, standing up. "Not an idea, I would advise."But your family staying here cannot last much longer, anyhow, not given your brother Kol's
decadence. The Local religious believe they are beset by demons." Lucien points out, his voice
wavering.
Niklaus almost laughs sardonic, "they indeed have a demon walking amongst us, and yet they
could not identify it." He looks at said demon.
Stolas stands far from them, being shaded by one of her minions as it holds a parasol. She
catches his eyes and smiles in amusement, turning her back as she walks away.
"Soon you'll need to run. Aurora and I can run with you, aid in your endeavors." Lucien holds up
his paper, he pleads, "Niklaus, please. I would give her the note myself, but Tristan's jealousy is
tyrannical. I cannot go near her. But you…you need not fear him or anyone." He lifts the paper.
Niklaus looks at the paper, grabs it, and smiles at Lucien. Affirming, he would do as he is asked.
'The beast, hoping to dissuade Lucien, tolds him that lady Aurora would not accept his
note. He thought the matter settled. But of course…How could he tell him that lady
Aurora was already in love with another?'
Lady Aurora enters the cathedral and leans one of the pillars. She waits longingly, her back
facing the entrance, making her not realize the man walking towards her. Niklaus taps her
shoulder causing her to jump, but upon realizing who it is, lady Aurora calms down and before
they knew it, they were kissing each other passionately.
'But, how foolish he was. Lucien was a hopeless romantic. In his desperation, he sought
her out.'
The two began fondling each other. Niklaus reached under her dress, when they heard
someone enter.
They pull away from each other to see Lucien, at the entrance, his face contorted in pain and
betrayal. "No…" He could only shake his head in disbelief.
"You were not meant to see this." Niklaus said.
Lucien stomps towards him, waving his finger as he shouts at him, "I trusted you!"
Lady Aurora intervenes, carefully pulling Lucien back, "quiet. I'm meant to be in prayer. If
anyone finds you here…"
Niklaus intervenes, looking to where the entrance is, "It's too late. The guards are coming."Besides, my family needs you."My handmaid must have seen him enter. Well, if the guards know then Tristan himself will be
alerted." Lady Aurora panics, grabbing onto Niklaus's arms.
Niklaus calms her down, "I will deal with them."
Lady Aurora shakes her head, "no, Niklaus. He's my brother."
Built up jealousy causes Lucien to snap. Tears streaming down his eyes he intervenes, "do you
think he cares?! Do you not know what matter of man you are with? He is a beast!" He warns.
Niklaus gets in front of him, "Lucien, my friend…"
Through gritted teeth, Lucien says, "We are not friends!"
With no time to spare, Lady Aurora pushes Niklaus towards the window, begging him to go, "go
now, please. Please by the window, same as you came. Niklaus, go, please."
Niklaus caresses her face before running off, yelling to Lucien, "Lucien! Lucien follow me!"
Lady Aurora kneels to where Lucien sat, "Lucien, go. There is no time. Hurry!" She pleaded.
But it was too late, Tristan entered the church, his men on to. "You." His eyes glares to where
his sister holds Lucien's hands.
Lady Aurora pulls away, but it does not matter as Tristan orders his men to take Lucien away.
And so, Lucien is dragged to the dungeons to be tortured by princes Tristan by the whip as he
kneels on the cold floor with chains to both his wrist for easy access to his back.
Niklaus grew concerned about this, as he feels partially responsible for this, but the way is
heavily guarded and it would be suspicious if every guard disappeared unknowingly.
"Brother, please, don't act so foolishly." Elijah warns.
"We are here because he helped us, the least we can do is save him." Niklaus reasons.
"If you feel indebted it is because you agreed to this foolish plan. Now Kol is under suspicion
and you've become irrational." Elijah stated.
"Oho…" They turn and see under the tree is Stolas. She struts over. "It seems you've found
yourself in another predicament. I thought you'd learn from your mistakes, but that seems
wishful thinking now." She mocksShe smacks her lips, "Well, if I were you I'd drop this plan of saving a human. You're already
above them, why go down to their level?" She cocks her head to the side. "Oh! Is it because you
care about this one?" She laughs sardonically, "such emotions will only hinder you now and in
the future. I suggest thinking this over."
"We don't need advices from a demon." Niklaus points his finger.
Elijah pushes his hand down, afraid of angering the higher being, and warns him, "Niklaus."
"Hmm…Well at least one of you is reasonable." Stolas eyes Elijah, making him squirm.
"Well! If you want to help this human, I suggest doing it at dawn. There would barely be any
guards at those times." She suggested it before walking off.
So they did, Niklaus went to the dungeon along with Elijah so there wouldn't be any casualties.
They try reasoning with Tristan but the man was so bloodthirsty and obsessed with his sister
that he hears no reason amongst the brothers.
Niklaus gives a warning but Tristan counter attacks with his own warnings. How many have
heard about beasts at night feasting on humans, how a maiden that had survived the attack
says it looks like lord Kol. But his face was beastly.
"Your entire family sought refuge here claiming to be noblemen when, in fact, you are fiends." I
can only surmise that you are hiding which means you're afraid. Somewhere out there,
something is even more savage than you." With that warning, Tristan tries to return to whipping
Lucien but stops when Niklaus grabs his whip, pulls him close, and grabs his neck, choking him.
"This is not going to be pleasant." Niklaus tightens his hold.
Tristan grunts, "Do so at your peril, but should any misfortune befall me, know that I have
instructed my fastest riders to spread word of your presence here. Whoever seeks you would
most certainly hear the news."
Hearing his threats, Elijah holds the arm choking Tristan. "Niklaus, release him." He orders.
Niklaus tightens his hold.
Elijah pleads, "please.""See? We're not so different, after all. You wish to protect your family. I wish to protect mine."
With those words, Tristan grabs his small knife, grabs Lucien head, pulls it back, and in the most
gruesome way, slices his mouth ear to ear.
The two could only watch as the man who helped give them a home screamed in pain.
After his torture, Lucien was left alone in the dungoen. Niklaus later returned with a small knife
to cut the ropes. Freed, Lucien slumps on the floor, his back hitting the cold stone wall.
"I brought you water. Drink." Niklaus said, handing a goblet of water.
With trembling hands, Lucien grabs the water but could only spit it out as he tasted metallic
flavor from his blood. "Oh. What did you do to me?" He whimpered, his hand touching the cut on
his face. He looks at the goblet and drops it, the water splashing on the ground.
Realizing the taste came from his own blood and not the drink Niklaus brought, Lucien holds
himself and cries. Niklaus holds him close, "I'm sorry, my friend."
Lucien carefully grabs the knife Niklaus used on his robes and stabs him. Niklaus gasped from
the attack but felt neither pain nor anger. He looks at Lucien, "are you mad?" He asked, "You
know what I am!" He pushes Lucien away, the knife dislodging on his stomach, "This rage is
pointless!"
Lucien screams and lunges at Niklaus. Niklaus easily holds him back, "You cannot hurt me!"
Niklaus swerves his arm, forgetting he's still holding the knife, accidentally cutting Lucien's palm.
Lucien looks at his palm where the cut is. Blood was dripping out but they were stunned when
the cut started healing at a fast rate. The cut on his also started healing, relinquishing Lucien
from the pain.
"My blood…Healed you." Niklaus mutters.
Lucien stands up and takes a step back. He looks at his injuries on his chest and sees it closing
as well.
Panting, Lucien smiles in a craze, "I am like you?" He asked. With that, Lucien runs to the exit.
Niklaus watching him go.
'Of course, he wasn't, not yet, not yet. Not that it would have mattered, anyway. All that
humans wanted was revenge.'Niklaus holds him longer but soon releases himLucien, exiting the dungeon, sees Lady Aurora talking to her brother, and his torturer, Sir
Tristant. Upon seeing his state, she gasps loudly. Her brother turns around and is also shocked
at seeing him out.
"How, by all that is damned, are you free?"
Lucien holds the knife Niklaus had and lunges to attack with a battle cry. What he didn't notice is
the guard behind him. The guard stabs him with his sword, killing him. Lucien falls flat on his
face. The guard, taking extra percussion, stabs him again.
They measly threw his body away. Niklaus came and took it before it was taken away. With the
help of his brother, Elijah, they brought him into the woods. They gather some wood, leaves,
and sticks to build him a small bed.
They laid his body and covered his eyes. They both were holding torches.
"Do you really think it was your blood that healed him?" Elijah asked.
"I saw it with my own eyes. When I found his body, I tried to feed him more, and…nothing."
Niklaus explained.
"So then we…We only heal the living." Elijah deducts.
Seeing the pain in his brother's eyes, Elijah pats him on the shoulder, "I know this can't be easy
for you, brother."
Elijah leaves for his brother to mourn. Niklaus takes a deep breath and moves his torch closer to
burn the body and lay it to rest.
When the unexpected happened.
Lucien sits up with a loud gasp, shocking Niklaus and himself.
Now alive, Lucien spent his day hunting for blood. He brought two maids to the cathedral. The
first one is already dead, her blood sucked out of her by Lucien as the other sits in fear.
He sighs in relief and cries out in joy. The woman pleads for her and her family's survival, when
Niklaus walks in, stopping Lucien.
"Lucien, no. Th…This will not go unnoticed. No, we will have to leave. I know you despised me!"
Lucien cuts Niklaus Uh, no." He laughs in madness, "not anymore. Ah! This change in me! We are alike now as
brothers, are we not?" Lucien points out.
Niklaus agrees slowly, "it seems so…" He bends down to help the lady up.
"Then teach me, Niklaus. Teach me to be what we are." Lucien looks at Niklaus expectedly.
Niklaus caresses the woman's hair, "gladly." With that, he sucks the blood of the woman as she
screams bloody murder.
Niklaus remembers the first few days he and his siblings became guests of the count. His eyes
always follow Lady Aurora's every movement. Their eyes would meet and she would always
smile.
Rebekah would braid her hair in the fields of flowers and they would both look longingly at one
another. He remembers the first they kissed at that tree in the fields.
He remembers the day she found out about his beastly ways. He and Lucien were feasting on a
human at the cathedral. Lucien saw her standing at the entrance in shock at was about to attack
if not for Rebekkah intervening.
She yelled and ran away to the fields where they kissed, crying at the bed of flowers. Niklaus
stands far away but close to see her crying, holding a letter for her.
He didn't want to lose her, even if it was a stupid decision. With his speed, he was able to give
the letter unknowingly.
Lady Aurora remembers reading that letter and how it was the most beautiful she had ever read.
"Rather foolish, don't you think?" Stolas amused, standing under the shades of a tree after
Niklaus gave the letter.
He merely glared before walking back to the castle.
Stolas chuckles. "I suppose I have no room to talk to when it comes to the feelings of the
human."
Niklaus and Lady Aurora later bed with each other. She then asked to be turned like them.
Niklaus chuckles in amusement but denies her"Do to me what you did to Lucien." She said,
"You know not what you asked." Lucien eyes here wearily.
"Well, I know we'd no longer have to hide our love…Not from my father, my brother, not from
anyone. If I were like you, I would be beholden to no one, and we could be together truly with no
boundaries." Lady Aurora persuades.
Niklaus laughs in amusement and kisses her. "You are perfect just the way you are." They
kissed once again.
Niklaus remembers her crying on her birthday. How silly to cry on such a lovely day but she
explains why. The day of her birth her mother died. She felt as if her first time being alive was
killing the person who gave her that life.
Niklaus comforts her. Tells her his secret. He killed their mother. Twice. She birthed her as a
bastard. Crippled him of his potential and the second when she turned her back on him out of
shame for what he is. He put the blame on his father so his siblings would leave with him.
"See, once again, you seek to repel me with our differences, but all I can see is how you and I
are the same. Well, then let us share this gift with each other. You will forever hold my deepest
shame, And…I…" Aurora holds his face, "I will hold yours. Never again shall we speak of them
to another soul, and never again will they have any power over us. Would you think it based of
me to ask one more gift on my birthday?" She asked.
Tears streaming down his face, Niklaus answered, "I would give you anything."
"Oh, then, please, Niklaus…Make me like you."
Niklaus sits there, stunned. But did not grant her wish for he does not wish to put such a terrible
curse on her.
But she still did turn. Thanks to Rebekah coming to her room one night and finding her wrist cut
upon. Rebekah rushes over and bites her arm so Aurora can drink her blood.
Aurora awakens as one of them.
Aurora shows this to Niklaus at the cathedral where he waited for her. Niklaus, though angry
and reluctant of her change still kisses her passionately as the heat from each other arouses
themThat night, Finn came bearing news. "I knew it would come to this, be it Kol's antics or yours, or
those creatures you and Rebekah created."
"What is it?" Elijah asked.
Fine explains, "Word has spread. The villagers talk of beasts who feed on blood, and if these
country imbeciles know…"
"Father will come. We need to flee." Rebekah finishes, fear etched on her face.
They rush to run, Rebekah, Finn, and Kol were first to go.
"Leaving already?" Stolas asked Elijah.
"We have stayed long enough." Elijah said.
"Not long enough." Stolas jokes. "But, I must warn you. The stars have aligned to tell me of your
future. A horrible secret that'll separate you from your brother."
Elijah turns around, alarmed, "what do you mean?"
Stolas shrugs. "I am merely to tell the future, not what'll be. You have to find it yourself." She
turns around. "Goodbye for now. May we see each other soon." In a flock of feathers, Stolas left.
Leaving Elijah's mind running wild.
Elijah made to escape when Aurora found him. "Where are you going?!"
Elijah explains the situation, "Father is coming. We have to leave."
"Well, then I will come with you." Aurora said, excited.
Elijah quickly stops her, "no. No. His curse is ours and ours alone to bear."
Aurora persuades, "But I am like you now."
Annoyed, Elijah says, "You are not our blood."
"What difference does blood make, all this talk of your sacred family bond when I know things
about him that you never will, even that which weighs heaviest on his heart." Aurora said with
animosity.
"What did you say?" Elijah Aurora told him how she will never betray Niklaus. True love transcends blood but he wouldn't
listen. In hostility, Elijah looked straight in her eyes and asked about the secret. Feeling the urge
of a pull, Aurora told him everything. About their mother and her death. The lie about his father.
The reason why he did.
Elijah staggers back from the information. Aurora felt horror and confusion for telling Elijah
everything.
Aurora yells how she still loves him despite of it, but this angers Elijah. Pushing her against the
wall, Elijah hypnotizes her again to only see Niklaus for what he is. That he was only a deceitful,
lying, beast.
Elijah knew Niklaus was searching for her so he told her to go to her room and wait for him.
Niklaus finds Aurora in her room and tells the situation to her. He then tells her to flee with him.
"Run away with you? Leave my brother, this house?" Aurora looks at him questionably.
Niklause persuades, "the world is bigger than this house. Let me show you!"
"How? As we hide fleeing your brute of a father, always on the run, living like dogs? I think not."
Aurora denies.
"Your brother has turned you from me." Niklaus stated.
Aurora denies the allegation, "no. I turned from you because I do not love you."
They stand in silence. Niklaus looks at her shock and heart broken.
Compelled, Aurora continues, "I…I thought I did, but it's as if I see you clearly for the first time,
and I find you are a cruel, wretched thing, pathetic, really, and unworthy of anyone's love, let
alone mine."
Niklause tries to reason and debunked her words but Aurora continues to stomp on his heart.
Aurora merely reminds him of how his mother turned her back on him. If he can kill her own
mother, what hope was there for him.
Those words were the knife to his heart. "You're breaking my heart…And you swore that you
would never speak of this." Tears streamed down his face.
Aurora stands from her bed, and spatNiklaus stands in her room as his breath staggers. He turns his back once he realizes Aurora
will never take back her words. So he left with a broken heart. Never once turning around.her next words, "I owe you nothing. We are not alike, and
I could never love you.
Weekly Power Status
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