Dawn broke over the Mikaelson estate, painting the sky in watercolor hues of amber and rose.
Rebekah stood at her bedroom window, one hand pressed against the cool glass, watching the sun climb over the tree line.
She hadn't slept.
Twelve hours had passed since Klaus's ultimatum at dinner, and still, no solution had presented itself.
"What could possibly satisfy him?" she murmured to the empty room.
Her reflection stared back at her from the window - blonde hair disheveled, eyes shadowed with exhaustion.
A thousand years of life, and yet her brother could still reduce her to this: sleepless, desperate, calculating.
Rebekah turned from the window, moving restlessly around the unfamiliar bedroom.
Everything in this house felt wrong - too modern, too pristine, lacking the patina of age she'd grown accustomed to.
Or perhaps that was just the disorientation of waking after decades daggered in a box, the world having moved on without her.
She trailed her fingers across the silk bedspread, untouched from the night.
Klaus wanted her to offer something to Lucien in exchange for breaking her fertility curse. But what could she possibly give that would satisfy her brother's twisted sense of fairness?
Material wealth meant nothing to a family that had accumulated riches across a millennium.
Knowledge?
Power?
Connections?
She had all these in abundance, but none felt enough to meet Klaus's demands.
Her fingers closed around a crystal perfume bottle on the vanity. With a sudden surge of frustration, she hurled it against the wall, where it shattered into glittering fragments.
"Temper, temper."
Rebekah whirled to find Kol leaning against her doorframe, a smirk playing across his lips.
"Get out," she snapped.
Kol raised his hands in mock surrender. "Just checking on my favorite sister. You've been pacing all night - I could hear you from three rooms away."
"I'm your only sister."
"Semantics." He stepped into the room, carefully avoiding the shards of crystal. "Still fretting over Nik's little ultimatum?"
Rebekah turned away. "I don't need your mockery right now."
"Who's mocking? I'm genuinely curious what you'll offer the boy." Kol flopped onto her bed, arms crossed behind his head. "It's not every day someone can give us back what Mother took."
"Us?" Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "I thought you only cared about getting your magic back."
"Magic first, certainly. But children..." A shadow passed across Kol's face, there and gone so quickly Rebekah might have imagined it. "Well, who wouldn't want to create something that might outlast even us?"
Rebekah studied her brother, searching for the trap in his words. Finding none, she sighed. "It doesn't matter what I want if I can't meet Nik's price."
"Have you considered asking Elijah what the contract entails? That is what binds the two, the essence of their mutual wants." Kol suggested, examining his fingernails with feigned disinterest. "Our noble brother was here before we awoke. Surely Nik filled him in on the details."
Rebekah stilled. Of course - Elijah would know. He always knew Klaus's secrets.
"For once, you're actually useful," she said, already moving toward the door.
Kol's laughter followed her into the hallway. "Don't say I never gave you anything, sister!"
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The mansion was stirring to life as Rebekah navigated its corridors.
Servants moved silently through the halls, arranging flowers, dusting surfaces, avoiding eye contact with the recently awakened Original.
The scent of coffee and breakfast foods wafted from somewhere distant.
She found Elijah in the library, immaculately dressed despite the early hour, a leather-bound volume open in his hands. He looked up as she entered, his expression revealing nothing.
"Rebekah," he greeted, closing his book. "You look troubled."
"Wouldn't you be?" She closed the door behind her, ensuring privacy. "Nik demands I make an offer to his... son, and I have until today to decide."
Elijah set his book aside, adjusting his cuffs - a habit she recognized from centuries of observation. He was considering his words carefully.
"And you've come to me because...?"
"Because you know the terms of their contract." Rebekah moved closer, perching on the edge of an armchair across from him. "You know what binds them. What would satisfy Nik's sense of... balance."
Silence stretched between them, broken only by the ticking of an antique clock on the mantle. Finally, Elijah sighed.
"What do you know of their arrangement?" he asked.
"Only what was said at dinner. Lucien broke Nik's hybrid curse, and in exchange, Nik gave him what he wanted."
"And what do you believe that was?"
Rebekah frowned. "Freedom, presumably. The boy is clearly here against his will."
Elijah's lips curved in a humorless smile. "Not precisely. Niklaus cannot harm Lucien, and Lucien cannot plot against Niklaus. Their contract prevents both."
"That's... surprisingly equitable for Nik."
"The consequences for violation are severe," Elijah continued, rising to pour tea from a service on a side table. The liquid steamed as it filled two porcelain cups.
"Should either break their word, the pain they inflict would return to them a thousandfold. Death, potentially, depending on the severity of the breach."
Rebekah accepted the offered cup, her mind racing. "And if someone else were to harm Lucien? Someone in our family?"
"If Niklaus were to direct it, the contract would consider it his action." Elijah returned to his seat, cup balanced delicately between his fingers. "Hence why he was... quite insistent that I understand the terms completely."
"He feared you might harm the boy?"
"I was... wary, upon learning of Lucien's abilities." Elijah took a measured sip of his tea. "The power to erase magic from existence is not something to be taken lightly."
Rebekah studied her brother's face, searching for what remained unsaid. "There's more, isn't there?"
Elijah's gaze met hers, evaluating. After a moment, he set his cup down with a soft clink.
"Niklaus believes, based on information he refuses to divulge even to me, that Lucien's soul possesses unusual properties."
His voice lowered, though they were alone. "While all souls continue after death in some form - as we've witnessed over the centuries - he suspects Lucien might retain consciousness and purpose beyond what we've encountered before."
Rebekah stared, disbelief warring with curiosity. "That's... absurd."
"Perhaps." Elijah's expression remained neutral. "Our brother has always been paranoid, Rebekah, but he rarely acts without reason. Whatever his source, it was convincing enough that he's treating this boy not just as a powerful asset but as a potential equal - or threat - in the long term."
The implications settled over Rebekah like a physical weight. She set her untouched tea aside.
"So Nik fears the boy could become powerful enough to destroy him, even after death."
"Which is why he's chosen adoption rather than coercion." Elijah's voice held a hint of admiration. "Quite strategic, really."
Rebekah rose, needing movement. "And what do you believe?"
"I believe the boy is more than he appears." Elijah's gaze followed her as she paced. "Whether that makes him the threat Niklaus fears or the son he claims to want remains to be seen."
The gardens offered solitude and space to think. Rebekah walked among roses heavy with morning dew, her mind churning with possibilities. Birds called from the trees, oblivious to the immortal predator in their midst.
What did Klaus truly want from this arrangement?
Again, Not wealth - their family had more than enough. Not power - what could she offer that Klaus couldn't take for himself? Not knowledge - despite his impulsiveness, Klaus was far from ignorant.
Any of these, if she were to offer the boy, Klaus would counter with that, as his son, the boy already has access to all from him.
Her fingers brushed a rose petal, feeling its velvet texture. Water droplets clung to her skin like tiny crystals.
Kol's attempt at dinner had shaken Klaus more than he'd admit.
Her brother had always feared abandonment, feared his family turning against him.
Rebekah stopped beside a stone fountain, watching water cascade over carved figures.
Suddenly it hit her.
She straightened, smoothing her dress. She knew what she would offer. The question now was how to limit it, to protect herself from Klaus's inevitable manipulation.
Soon enough she with speed walked towards the direction where she knew her brother was.
Elijah himself as he watched her leave, lips upturned into a slight smile, despite her not even thanking him for his help - something Rebekah, affectionate, Rebekah would never do in normal circumstances.
He didn't hold it against her though.
As her footsteps faded away, Elijah returned to his reading.
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Klaus's office door was heavy oak. Rebekah hesitated before it, gathering her resolve, then knocked firmly.
"Enter," came her brother's voice from within.
She found him seated behind an imposing desk, papers spread before him in organized chaos.
Morning light streamed through tall windows, illuminating dust motes that danced in the air. Klaus looked up, his expression one of calculated casualness.
"Ah, sister. Come to a decision, have we?"
Before she could answer, a servant entered with a silver tray bearing a teapot and cups. Klaus gestured for the man to set it down, the interruption creating a natural pause in their conversation.
Rebekah remained standing, unwilling to cede the small advantage of height. "I know what I wish to offer."
A slow smile spread across Klaus's face as he leaned back in his chair. "Do tell."
"First, I want to be certain it will satisfy your... requirements."
Klaus's smile widened. "Only one way to find out, isn't there?" He turned to the servant who was arranging the tea service. "Fetch Lucien and Katerina. They should be present for this."
The servant nodded and departed silently. Rebekah and Klaus regarded each other across the desk, neither speaking.
The ticking of a grandfather clock marked the seconds as they waited, the silence heavy.
Minutes later, the door opened to admit Lucien and Katherine.
The boy appeared well-rested despite the previous night's drama, dressed in clothes that were clearly new but suited him perfectly - Klaus's doing, no doubt.
Katherine followed close behind, her posture subtly protective.
"You called?" Lucien asked, his gaze moving between Klaus and Rebekah.
"My sister has something to offer you," Klaus replied, gesturing for them to enter fully. "Something she believes is worthy of your gift."
Rebekah straightened, meeting Lucien's eyes directly. And decided to be direct with it. "I offer you my loyalty and protection for one century. Where you go, I will follow if needed. Those who threaten you will answer to me. My strength, my knowledge, my connections - all at your disposal."
Lucien's eyebrows rose slightly, surprise evident in his expression.
"However," Rebekah continued, her voice firm, "there are limitations. I cannot be compelled to harm my siblings or plot against them. Should they attack you, I will defend you, but I will not kill them.
My protection doesn't automatically extend to your allies or family, though I won't harm them as that would harm you, unless they directly make an attempt at you, then I won't kill or severly harm them, unless you specify otherwise. I will in essence be an extension of you, besides when it comes to killing my own family."
She paused, then added with a pointed look at Klaus, "And should I be physically unable to aid you against my will, I will not be punished for the breach."
Klaus's lips twitched in amusement, but he merely shrugged innocently.
"Is this acceptable?" Rebekah asked Lucien directly.
The boy studied her for a long moment, his expression thoughtful beyond his years. Katherine remained silent beside him, her dark eyes watchful.
"It is," Lucien finally answered. "And in exchange, I will break your fertility curse."
"When?" Rebekah couldn't keep the eagerness from her voice.
"Tomorrow," Lucien said. "Not today."
Rebekah frowned slightly. "Why the delay?"
"My reasons are my own," Lucien replied simply.
She studied him, wondering if this was some power play, some attempt to establish dominance in their new arrangement.
But the boy's expression held no malice, no calculation - only a quiet certainty that reminded her, oddly, of Elijah.
After a moment's consideration, she nodded. "Tomorrow, then."
"Excellent!" Klaus clapped his hands together once. "A deal struck. Rebekah's loyalty for your magic. Everyone satisfied."
'Of course you'd be satisfied you arse.' Rebekah thought to herself with annoyance. 'With Lucien incapable of plotting against you, me being an extension of him through this contract, any of my plotting against you, would be considered his plotting, bringing the boy harm.
With my contract of protecting him, I can't plot against you.
You wanted this from the very beginning. Especially after yesterday, Kol nearly put the entire family against you.'
Lucien's gaze moved to Klaus, something passing between them in that look - a silent communication that excluded everyone else in the room.
Klaus's smile widened slightly in response, an acknowledgment of something unspoken.
"If that's all," Lucien said, turning toward the door, "Katherine and I will take our leave."
Klaus waved a dismissive hand. "By all means."
Katherine's hand settled on Lucien's shoulder as they departed, the door closing behind them with a soft click.
Silence descended on the office.
Rebekah exhaled slowly, tension draining from her shoulders.
After a millennium of waiting, she was one day away from regaining what her mother had taken from her - the possibility of children, of family beyond her immortal siblings.
"Well," she said, breaking the silence, "that's done."
"Indeed." Klaus rose from his chair, moving to pour himself tea. "Though I must say, I'm surprised you came to terms so quickly. I expected more... resistance."
"Would you have preferred that?" Rebekah asked, accepting the cup he offered.
"Perhaps. Negotiation can be its own form of entertainment." His smile was almost genuine as he raised his cup in a mock toast. "To new beginnings."
Rebekah returned the gesture cautiously. "To new beginnings."
They sipped in companionable silence, a rare moment of peace between them.
Rebekah allowed herself to hope, briefly, that this arrangement might bring some measure of stability to their fractured family.
"I won't allow a repeat, you know," Klaus said suddenly, his voice deceptively casual.
Rebekah looked up, confused. "A repeat of what?"
Klaus set his cup down with deliberate care. "Marcellus."
The name hit her like a physical blow. Rebekah stiffened, her cup frozen halfway to her lips.
Klaus rose from behind his desk, moving toward her with slow, deliberate steps. "I know you have a... history with my sons, sister."
"Don't," Rebekah warned, setting her cup down before she shattered it. "Don't make me sound like some... some incestuous whore."
"But that's precisely what you were, weren't you?" Klaus's voice was soft, almost gentle, which made his words cut deeper. "I forbade you from pursuing Marcel. He was my son, my protégé. And yet..."
"That was different," Rebekah protested, rising to face him. "Marcel was grown, not a child. He made his own choices."
"As did you, against my explicit wishes." Klaus was close now, too close. "And now here we are again - you, bound to a boy who can give you your heart's desire. A boy who will grow into a man under our roof."
Understanding dawned, hot and humiliating. "You think I would - with Lucien? He's a child!"
"Now, yes." Klaus's eyes were cold despite his smile. "But children grow, Rebekah. And you have pledged yourself to him for a century."
"This is about protection, not-"
"I'm simply making my expectations clear," Klaus interrupted. "Control yourself. Or don't blame me for another dagger in your heart."
Fury rose in Rebekah's chest, burning away her earlier hope.
After everything - after centuries of loyalty punctuated by betrayal, after being daggered and boxed and carted around like furniture - he still saw her as something to control, to manipulate.
She wanted to scream, to attack, to make him feel a fraction of the pain he'd caused her. Instead, she forced herself to nod stiffly.
"Understood," she managed through clenched teeth.
Without another word, she turned and stalked from the office, her heels striking the floor harder than necessary. The door slammed behind her with satisfying force.
In the hallway, Rebekah paused, pressing her forehead against the cool wall, trying to regain her composure.
One more day.
One more day, and she would have what she'd wanted for a thousand years.
She could endure Klaus's suspicion, his control, his threats - for that.
She had to.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked the chapter!
Do tell me how you found it.
What do you think of Rebekah's offer.
Do you like it?
I'm interested in your thoughts. I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)