"What are we doing here again?" Hayley whined to Klaus as the family was ushered into the new opera house. Her black glittery dress was clinging to her like cellophane on a hot surface. Slowly suffocating her insides and hugging the baby closer to her spine.

Klaus patted her back, sensing her overall discomfort.

"We are here to support an old friend of mine." He smirked his smirk at her, which caused her to raise a brow at him.

Did the hybrid always have to be so damned cryptic? He spoke about her like an old love. The thought alone drove her mad. Damned hormones.

The Opera House was already filled to the brim with people, chattering on excitedly about this new experience.

Vampires easily blended in amongst the humans tonight.

The dark interior was luxurious, befitting of these nocturnal individuals, and not a single person in attendance was underdressed.

Haley was just beginning to relax when irony thought it would be best to send a voluptuous blonde woman to cross paths with them. Walking to her designated seat, she gave Klaus the obvious up and down before winking at him.

A low growl came from between her teeth, threatening to expose them as canines.

The man was undeniably attractive in a suit. It ticked Hayley off. Mostly, it made her want to punch him in his stupidly perfect face. Accompanied by another displeased growl.

Rebecca did her best to ignore the two. Straining her eyes to see if Marcellus had dared to show his face tonight.

To her great disappointment, he did not. Even with them being on "good terms" again, he wouldn't come for fear of Klaus.

All her brother was good for was being a terrific cock-block in her love life.

"I came here for a relaxing night out, not to receive another headache from my baby-daddy." Hayley rubbed at her temples and disrupted Becca's inner monologing before it reached full force.

"Don't be jealous love. After all, we're only here to pay our respects to Isobel Charles. The woman is almost as old as we are. Of course, when first we knew her she was Princess de Marques of the Frankish Empire."

Rebecca perked up. Did he mean to say that Isabeau is a vampire?

"And your point is?"

"She is the very old friend I spoke about earlier. We seldom get to see each other. In fact, this is is the first time she's set foot in New Orleans since the last time we reigned here."

This was news to both Rebecca and Elijah, who hadn't known that she was a vampire, nevermind that she was in contact with their brother.

"Besides, why would I want an old thing like her when I can have a young thing like you?" He flashed his handsome grin at her.

Haley just rolled her eyes and took the seat he motioned for her to take. Of all the dumb things in the world, he just had to say that.

From behind Klaus, Elijah felt physically sick for the first time since he became a creature of the night. Was it possible that he had become even paler, too?

He thought that he had seen her ghost, or at the least, a doppelgänger last week. But to know that she was undead and well after all these years was -

"What's wrong brother?" Klaus turned to him, grin plastered on his face.
"Is your past finally catching up with you? Or is your righteousness condemning you for a change?"

His comment seemed to interest the little werewolf a great deal. This didn't go unnoticed, either. Elijah simply didn't have the strength for her endless fountain of questions tonight.

"Perhaps another time, Niklaus." He subtly warned his brother.

Klaus picked up a program and began to read, making a comment about how Isobel would be dancing the part of Odette tonight.

"She always was the best dancer." Klaus sighed wistfully. "Wouldn't you agree, brother? You always seemed to have your eye readily on her at court."

Elijah had to stop himself from physically sinking into the chair.

"Hey, are you okay?" Elijah was far too focused on the stage to realise that Hayley was asking him something. When he didn't answer, she shot Klaus a glare warning him to stop patronizing his brother.

"He'll be fine. It's just that he had no idea Isobel was still alive." Klaus answered for his brother.

"Well, he saw her last week but I'm afraid he's had a hard time believing his eyes."

"Hush." Rebecca chided.

The lights were dimming, signaling the immanent start. Music followed, and the curtains slipped open in one, slow, graceful movement.

Elijah's eyes were trained on the dancers, but the only things before him were the distant memories of the chaos he had spurred on and the destruction it had caused.

•

Elijah watched his brother's face contort in despair as a man's agonized screams filtered through the hall.

"Brother!" He approached Klaus in a hurry, assuming the worst.
"What has happened? Are you alright?"

His brother glared at him before slapping his outstretched hand away.

"I've sacrificed my friend to protect my foolish brother. Your selfishness will not only cost his, but Isabeau's as well."

This caught him completely off guard.

"What do you mean?" He grabbed Klaus' shoulders in desperation. His eyes searching for any hint of a lie. None was found.

"Tristan's paige saw you leaving their chambers after he heard the sounds of you fucking her. I don't know how, but I convinced him that it was Lucien. My deeds have made me no better than you, Elijah."

Before his brother could say anything, Elijah bolted with inhuman speed to the princess' chambers.

It would haunt him forever.
The sound of her begging for her life.

"I swear, I've been a faithful wife! I don't know what you're talking about. Please, believe me!" Isabeau was borderline hysterical.

"Silence, you wench!" Her father-in-law yelled, slapping her face so hard that she stumbled backwards sobbing.

"Don't touch her!" Tristan yelled.

"That is probably not even your child! I should be the one restraining you from killing her, you foolish boy! She has made a cuckold of you!"

"The appearance of the child will either condemn her or prove her innocence. If it is my babe, I will not risk its life. But if it bears no resemblance to me or my kin, I'll have it buried alive on its mother's breast."

Isabeau's hysterical crying nearly made Elijah break through the door to get to her, but he knew that he would have to approach this situation with a lot of cunning.

"Until then, she will be locked up here in our chambers. She will not see her son, or receive letters of any kind. As of now, she will be treated as a prisoner until her innocence can be proven. I will not let the court gossip about this as it will ruin my reputation.
If she is guilty, we will simply say that she died in childbirth."

It was silent for a while, except for the sounds of Isabeau desperately trying not to cry.

"Let it be done." The old man said, leaving Tristan to deal with his wife.

Elijah watched him from the shadows, wishing he could kill him. He vowed he would. But for now he would have to lie in wait.

Isabeau would be safe again, if it was the last thing he did.

"Wife, come here." Tristan beckoned her over to their bed.

He could hear her taking his hand and letting him guide her onto it.

"You know I believe you...don't you?"

Tristan could see the fear in her eyes. Fear of him. It broke his heart.

"My father is a cruel man, cruelest here. He would not have been satisfied enough to leave without at least the promise of bloodshed. I did this to protect you, my lovely love."

The skin of her cheeks felt like fire under his fingertips. He hated the handprint that his sire had left there.
Tristan voiced this to her, but her stiffness would not subdue. He could see that she was trying, but knew that she would still be in shock.

His gently hand traced over her belly, creating swirls and patterns on her skin.

"I love you, and I love our babe. You are innocent, and our child will prove it."

Elijah felt sickened at the sound of him kissing and undressing her. But even at the loud grunts and sounds of rutting, he couldn't bring himself to move. Isabeau made no sound. It poisoned his heart and turned him colder. This filthy animal was rutting into his Isabeau. He knew that she wasn't enjoying it. All of those heavenly sounds she made for him were nowhere to be found for Tristan. He growled and nearly ripped the stones from the walls when that dirty human finished in her like she was some hole for him to dispose his desire in.

He vowed that he would kill him, too.

•

Isabeau had been utterly alone for two weeks.

Thank the good Lord that Tristan was called away to Robert's court. The King had initially wanted them both to come, but her father-in-law had made her write to him and feign illness due to her condition.

She hoped to the High Heavens that her brother would notice something amiss.

It was beginning to darken outside, but she sat at her window seat until the clouds turned into stars. Her heart was devastated. It nearly destroyed her not to know whether or not Lucien lived or was killed and it haunted her that this babe might not look like her. If this babe looked like her, she might stand a chance and so would her child. If not... she refused to think on it. She would somehow have to get word to someone loyal to steal the babe away to safety. Perhaps her brother would raise it. Isabeau could only hope.

"So it's true." That voice.

"You really have been alone in here for weeks now." Her heart beat wildly.

"How..." Before she could turn around fully and finish her sentence, she was slammed against the wall, his hand around her delicate throat.

"Did you enjoy hearing me scream?" Lucien snarled, his eyes blood red.
It scared her, to see him possessed by the devil.

"I will enjoy this." He sniffed her neck, intoxicated by her blood. "I will enjoy ending your life as you sought to end mine. I will enjoy watching Tristan crumble when he realizes you've been murdered and his babe is dead."

"...not...his..." She tried desperately.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that, princess." He released his hold on her throat slightly, making her gasp for air like a fish out of water.

"It's not his child..." She whispered with tears in her eyes. If he was here to kill her, nothing would change his mind. But she would die knowing that someone knew the truth, even if they didn't believe it.

Slowly his eyes turned back to normal.

"It's yours..." She started sobbing uncontrollably.

Lucien gaped at her and then turned away. The wheels in his head were turning, thinking about the possibility. It could be true. They were lovers. And she had started feeling ill a few days before she was wedded. Not enough time for others to notice, but enough for him to realise the magnitude of the truth staring him in the face.

Bloodlust slipped from his veins and the sweet, warm sensation of love filled him again.

Lucien turned to face her, trying not to let his own tears best him.

"Why then, did you send me to my death?" His newly revived heart broke one hundred times worse than his old one.

"I didn't. I swear on the Altar I didn't even tell you because I wanted to keep you safe. You would never have left me if you'd known I was with child. You're foolish and would have gotten yourself killed over this."

Her words stung. But his redemption came from her following words:

"Which is what I love about you."

There was nothing to stop him from leaving a searing kiss on her swolen lips. It was sweeter than apples dipped in honey and the sensation better than the buz he had come to love by drinking the blood of others.
Her body didn't fit against his like it used to, but he craved the body she had now to press against his and for it to never uncleave.

"I promise to come and get you before Tristan returns. We'll take Edwin and flee the country. I have a distant relative in Rome that will take us in. It will be just us four-"

"What is the meaning of this?"

An angry Elijah emerged from the dark shadows with an ugly scowl on his face.

"You would dare leave your husband for this nobody?"

At the sound of his voice, Isabeau jumped back from Lucien, confused as to why she was in his arms.

"Lucien, what are you doing here?"

"What is the meaning of this?" Lucien snarled are Elijah. "You are not her husband! What have you done to her?"

Elijah left his arms open to her and she retreated into him. Confusion was painted clear as day on her features. "Does he not know we are married, lord husband?"

"He was trying to seduce you by means of witchcraft." Elijah held onto her tighter as she gasped freightendly.