March 12, 1821

The Compound was comfortable.

Of all the places Yara had lived, she had to admit, this one was the best. Everything she could possibly need was at her fingertips. Over the course of five months, she'd read many of the books in the four libraries, and she wasn't anywhere near halfway done.

Marcel was progressing very fast. Already, he read at a high level, inhaling passages from Shakespeare better than Yara did in one year and a half of her studies.

Arithmetic had flown, too. Marcel was very good with numbers, and Yara almost struggled to keep up with his demands to learn more. He was nearly eleven years old, excelling in calculus. Yara made sure he always knew how proud she was.

Science was the next subject they'd tackled, and though that was taking him a bit longer to understand, she knew it wouldn't be long before he was jumping through subjects, asking for the next book, the next level, the next test she gave him to prove he was learning.

Currently, they were focusing on music. Though Yara was still his main teacher, Elijah participated often in his studies whenever he wasn't with Céleste Dubois, enjoying the sight of the two of them on the piano. Marcel could play many basic melodies, but as difficulty progressed, he began to feel doubt.

"I can't do it," said Marcel miserably after a fourth failed attempt at a song.

"Now, you once said the same thing of your reading," replied Elijah, "and now you devour everything from sonnets to scriptures. So, devote yourself to your music, and soon you shall be Johann Sebastian Bach."

Marcel shook his head. "But I want to play like you and Miss Yara."

Elijah made to reply, but stopped when they heard the sound of clapping in the doorway. Yara glared at Klaus, having spoken to him in the past about the stench of alcohol radiating off of him. She hated when he allowed himself to grow even slightly intoxicated in Marcel's presence.

"Well, isn't this nice?" he said dryly. "Three peas in a pod."

"Let's continue our practice later," urged Yara, tapping Marcel's shoulder gently. "We're still getting through Hamlettoday. Act one, scene three. I expect a good summary."

Marcel skipped off, as told. Klaus waved drunkenly as he passed by. "Congratulations," said Elijah tightly to his brother, "you've been drinking."

"Only to remedy the lifeless monotony that has overcome this household," replied Klaus. "You know, Rebekah's still pouting over the Governor's son, and she has scarcely been present."

"Well," said Yara slowly, "I think anyone would feel in such a way, having witnessed the way you killed him. She did care for him."

Klaus smiled. "And you, Yara, do you ever do anything amusing? You hardly leave the house."

"My understanding was that I needed to remain here as often as possible."

"You two monopolize young Marcellus with schooling. He and I used to have such fun. If only there was someone with whom I could share a bit of roguery."

"Klaus," Yara replied, fearing where he was heading with this, "I think that in front of Marcel–"

He revealed a small dagger. "I only seek a bit of fun. And I thankfully remembered there is someone who can entertain me."

Elijah seemed alarmed. "You didn't!"

Yara heard a sickening crunch from downstairs. "What is that?"

Klaus laughed maniacally as Elijah sped down to the courtyard. Yara followed, shrieking when she saw a man viciously feeding on one of the servants. "Who is this?" she snapped. "I thought we all agreed not to feed with Marcel in the house!"

The vampire in the courtyard looked up, dropping the body of the now-dead servant. "Bravo!" he said, noting that Klaus had now joined them. "That was delectable. But make no mistake, Nik– I'm still cross that you daggered me. But, as far as apologies go, it's a start!"

Elijah turned to Klaus. "So, this is your idea of fun?"

Klaus shrugged. "Well, you and Marcellus have grown thick as thieves... why should I be alone?" He gestured to the other vampire. "Yara, love, this is my younger brother, Kol."

Kol smirked, reaching out to her. "Aren't you a gorgeous little thing?"

She didn't accept his hand. "I am confused–"

"I can get you up to speed very quickly, if you allow me," offered Kol with a wink.

"Kol!" said Klaus, putting his arm around his brother. "She's off-limits. Come, brother, I have another place for us to go."

Yara learned that day what it meant to be daggered. How the daggers came to be, how Klaus took it upon himself to dagger his siblings whenever he felt like it. Elijah had showed her where the coffins were kept, revealing the face of his elder brother, Finn, who lay dormant. They were all under strict instruction to never wake him. Yara realized even Elijah didn't seem to want to.

She spent the rest of the afternoon glued to Marcel, refusing to leave him alone anywhere that Kol might find him. She explained, as best as she could, that Elijah and Klaus's brother was 'visiting' and that they ought to be respectful, but keep their distance.

"After all," she said calmly, "your focus is on your studies. And he is not going to be helping with lessons, so we'll simply give him his space to do as he pleases, alright?"

"He's a vampire, too?" asked Marcel, tilting his head when he saw how nervous she was.

"He is. We'll just let him do whatever he wants to or needs to do, away from us."

Marcel understood that meant, 'Let's stay away from him so he doesn't hurt us.'

Kol quickly became her least favorite of the Originals.

Rebekah was perfectly pleasant whenever she was home, often helping her accessorize and gossiping nonstop about the people she knew from the city. She braided Yara's hair and was the sister she hadn't had.

Elijah shared her love of music and books. He always had new recommendations for her and was perfectly kind, without a fault. He was the most consistent, never reacting with anger the way even Rebekah sometimes did. His partner, Céleste, was very nice as well, and Yara always liked when she came by (though she was always quick to get Marcel distracted with a task to make sure he didn't seek out Elijah and interrupt anything).

Klaus had his moments where he was very irritated, and other moments where he was unnaturally open with her, telling her stories of his childhood. Yara walked on eggshells around him, but never ceased being respectful. She was hoping that with a bit more time, he'd start to see her as a friend. She spoke to him the most because of Marcel, and it seemed Klaus had at least warmed up to her. But he wasn't as friendly as his siblings.

Kol was obnoxious. From the moment he was told who Yara was, he decided that he wanted to have his fun with her. He followed her around, asking all sorts of questions, often flirting and refusing to back off despite her politely rejecting his advances.

"You don't strike me as the shy type," asked Kol, blocking her way into her room to make sure she had to talk to him. "What's wrong, love?"

"I'm quite uninterested," she said as carefully as she could. "If you would like to talk as friends, I am open to a discussion, but I do not like being harassed in the hallways or cornered when I am trying to get somewhere."

"You are playing hard to get, aren't you?" he said. "Don't worry, I don't give up."

"That is what I am afraid of."

"You're afraid of me?"

"I wouldn't wish to be. However, you do not seem capable of taking a hint."

"Nik may have said you're off-limits, but there's nothing against us having a bit of fun."

"If he said we're not allowed to, then we should respect his wishes. I am an employee of this family, it is not proper for me to be interacting with you in such ways, particularly when I am not interested."

"Well, I'm not paying you. I barely met you. And I have nothing to do with Marcellus. There is nothing that says we can't get to know one another and feed together, have a proper party together..."

She shook her head. "Please understand I am not comfortable crossing that line. I know you aim to have a bit of fun, but I am busy. And I do not wish to take on a relationship of that nature with anyone. I have a commitment, I do not need distractions. Marcel is my top priority. I cannot have anything interfere with that."

That was the first time Yara broke one of the rules of the house. Shortly after that interaction, she began to take vervain. Céleste was the only one she could confide in, the one who provided it to her and allowed her to take just a pinch with each meal to prevent compulsion.

Kol began to scare her mere days after he arrived. She eavesdropped one morning while Klaus and Kol were playing chess, and heard Elijah scolding them about a massacre he'd heard of, in a nearby home.

"Forty six," he said, coming upon them while Yara lingered around the corner. "An entire tenement. Forty-six bodies drained."

"Nonsense!" said Kol wickedly. "It was at least sixty. Ah... they neglected to check the attic!"

Klaus began to laugh as he continued, "Why do people always run to the attic? I mean, it makes no sense!"

Elijah was displeased. "It is difficult enough to keep our presence in the city a secret without the two of you doing absolutely everything in your power to draw attention to us."

Klaus replied, "I'm surprised you have the time to concern yourself with us, given the hours you spend doting on Marcellus alongside Yara."

"Is that what all this is about? You envy my bond with Marcellus? Niklaus, you brought that child into this home!" He sighed in frustration. "He's no longer safe here. I cannot allow him to remain. I will instruct Yara to raise him elsewhere."

She heard the chair scrape hard on the floor as Klaus shot to his feet. "You would punish the boy for Kol's antics? I would just as soon put him in a box!"

Now, it was Kol who was angry. "You'd choose that little whelp over your own family?"

"That 'little whelp' is our family!" retorted Klaus. "Marcellus stays, as does Yara."

"On that note," continued Elijah, "Kol, if you would please leave her be."

"Of course she went running to you," said Kol. She could have sworn she sensed him rolling his eyes. "It's a bit of harmless flirting! It is not my fault she's so uptight."

"She is the closest thing Marcellus has to a mother. He needs her. She is here to work, not to serve your needs. If she were interested, I would not necessarily prohibit it, however, she has demonstrated she does not wish to be with you in such a way and still you insist. Niklaus, honestly, if the woman caring for your child cannot even feel safe in this home, if the child himself is not entirely safe–"

"He stays!" barked Klaus. "Yara and Marcel are not going anywhere, Elijah." He turned to his younger brother. "Leave Yara alone. Touch her, bother her, and you'll find yourself back in a box."

Kol's advances began to happen less frequently, but they did not stop entirely. Yara did her best to stay close to Elijah and Rebekah if she wasn't with Marcel. She hardly left him alone.

Something terrible nearly happened the one time she did.

She thought Kol wasn't home. She told Marcel she needed a relaxing bath and that she would return in an hour. She'd lowered herself into the bath, listening to a group of musicians playing outside.

Her blood ran cold when, in a brief pause taken by the musicians, she heard Marcel's shaky voice downstairs, "Please, let me go! Mr. Kol, I don't– I don't like this."

She leapt out of the bath, drying herself and getting dressed as fast as she could. She could hear Kol more clearly downstairs, "Don't be absurd! Shakespeare should be experienced in the flesh! In truth, these aren't the finest actors, but we are in the colonies. Here! Where were we?"

She arrived just as an actor Kol had compelled ran a sword through another man across from him. "What is this?" she snarled, rushing between Kol and Marcel. "Get away from him!"

"Easy, love!" said Kol. "He needs a proper education, doesn't he? That includes the theater!"

"Get away!" she yelled, much louder. "You touch him again, and I swear to you–"

He reached out to grab her, trying to silence her before she could draw the attention of his siblings. "Quiet now, love, I don't want to have to silence you permanently."

"Yara!" cried Marcel fearfully, backing away as she tried and failed to escape Kol. He held her so tight, he nearly broke her limbs. "Let her go, please!"

Thankfully, someone came to their aid.

"What have you done?" cried Elijah when he saw the scene before him.

Kol released her, and she immediately rushed to Marcel, making sure to block his view with her body. "I was just introducing Marcellus to the theater. I thought you'd all be pleased!"

"Is there no limit to your violent imagination, brother?" spat Elijah as Klaus entered the courtyard. The man's eyes drifted to Marcel and Yara, not oblivious to the way the woman trembled. He'd never seen her so frightened.

"If the lad is going to be a vampire," reasoned Kol, "he'll have to learn somehow, won't he? Come, I've already fed him my blood. All you have to do is snuff him, and voilà. One of us. Well, that's what you want, isn't it?"

Yara was quick to turn away, hugging Marcel to her chest when Elijah put Kol in a chokehold and shoved him backwards. "It's okay," she whispered, caressing Marcel's head. "Close your eyes and sing, just close your eyes and sing." She clamped her hands over his ears, daring to look over her shoulder.

It seemed Klaus had come to Kol's aid. "Thank you, Nik," said Kol. "At least someone knows the meaning of family."

"I told you before," said Klaus, "Marcellus is family."

Her eyes widened when Klaus plunged the dagger back in Kol's heart. Elijah held him down, keeping him from escaping. As soon as they dragged his body out, she turned Marcel to face the wall. "Keep singing," she said while he shakily sang Bid Me Discourse, quite off-key but at least loud enough to mask the sound of her cleaning up the now-dead actors that Kol had compelled.

She held him that night until he fell asleep, making sure to add an extra blanket and give him an extra kiss. Elijah found her before she entered her room.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently.

"He's gone now?" she replied.

"Yes. For now."

"Then I'm alright. But I cannot believe he would dare..."

"I know. Forgive me, I should have been more attentive. It will never happen again."

"Thank you. And thank you to Klaus, as well, for reacting as he did."

Elijah nodded. "I see a change in him. For the first time in centuries, he acted solely for the benefit of another."

"Is that really his first time doing so?"

"He had not been so selfless since long before you arrived. I am beginning to believe that young Marcellus holds the key to his troubled soul. Kol's wretched behavior only served to distract him from this auspicious path. I had to betray him. He will sleep, and we will continue to preserve the precious bond between Niklaus and his child. A bond you have begun to strengthen since you came to us."

She half-smiled. "I am glad to help."

The following day, however, she found she couldn't yet exhale and put the trouble with Kol behind them.

"Elijah, I did it!" said Marcel when the Original found them studying by his room. "I memorized the whole passage. I could perform it for you?"

"Could you, now?" asked Elijah in a sarcastic tone that Yara had never heard him use before. "Marcellus, have you ever considered you might not be the center of the given universe?" He paused, then called out, "Niklaus!"

Yara and Marcel were both confused. "Are you angry with me?" asked Marcel.

"Bored would be a more accurate description," said Elijah. He raised his voice again, "Niklaus, please!"

Klaus arrived in the doorway, finding nothing odd. "What? What is it?"

"Remove him," said Elijah, motioning dismissively toward Marcel. "You brought him here. He's your burden to bear, if, indeed, we are to accommodate this little scavenger."

Yara immediately shot up to retaliate, but Klaus motioned for her to remain quiet. "Come now, little warrior. Let's have another go at The Bard, shall we?"

As soon as they were far enough away, Yara exploded. "What the hell was that? How dare you speak to him in such a way? He's just a boy! He's done nothing to you!"

"Yara, I will no longer be aiding in Marcel's lessons," said Elijah flatly. "You ought to assist Niklaus, now."

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded. "Why are you mistreating him?"

"Niklaus brought him here, he ought to be the one bonding with him. I will not have him growing jealous of our relationship again."

"And your solution is to mistreat him? What a wonderful way to give an innocent child abandonment issues, to make him feel he is not worthy, to ruin his self-esteem for years to come!"

"You must understand, it must be done."

"It doesn't mean I think it right in the slightest. Mark my words, if you are ever so cold with that boy again–"

"You best not threaten your employer. I will distance myself as I see fit. If that is all, you may leave."

Yara decided to keep her distance from Elijah, too, after that. As soon as she found Klaus alone, she told him what Elijah had said and begged him to please participate more in their lessons, to ensure Marcel knew he cared. Klaus agreed, though it didn't escape his notice that Yara was severely agitated by Elijah's behavior.

"Why doesn't Elijah like me anymore?" asked Marcel sadly when she was tucking him in.

"Elijah may blame himself for what Kol did," said Yara slowly. "If he had not overstepped, as he believes he did by making Klaus feel like he could not be close to you, he thinks Kol might not have caused such a problem. I am sorry, my little prince. I don't know how else to explain it. All you need to know is Elijah will not be participating in lessons anymore. But... Klaus will be." She smiled, trying to encourage him. "And I will always be here for you. No matter what."

Marcel managed to smile back. "Thank you, Yara."

She did her best to make him happy in the days that followed. On his eleventh birthday, she made him a cake, as well as a special blanket woven from old blouses and skirts of hers with pretty floral patterns that Marcel liked.

"This will always keep you warm," she said as she showed him his gift.

"I like it!" said Marcel honestly. "It's so soft."

"Little warrior."

Yara turned to see Klaus. He knelt beside Marcel, offering him a small starling necklace. "My mother gave this to me when I was a child, to protect me. Here, turn around."

Marcel did as told, and Klaus clipped the necklace onto him. "Now, it will protect you."

The little boy grinned. "I'll be extra safe with this. Thank you. Both of you."

"Of course, my little prince," said Yara, kissing his cheek. "Happy birthday."

Klaus tucked him in that night, while Yara cleaned up the kitchen and dining room. "He told me he had a marvelous birthday," Klaus announced as she scrubbed the pans. "His best yet."

She smiled, even if he couldn't see it. "And each birthday afterward will be better. I love celebrating birthdays."

"When is yours?"

"I don't know," she said honestly. "I think, by the weather standards of this country, I would have been born in early spring. In Brazil, it was sometime in the fall."

"That would mean your birthday is coming up soon. You'll be three hundred and twenty years old."

She nodded. "How old will you be this year?"

"Much older."

"Go on, give me a number."

"Somewhere around eight hundred and... forty. Forty one, probably."

"My, you are an old man. Five hundred years older than me. Though, I imagine after so long, it is really only equivalent to five years. Still, you are ancient in comparison."

He raised his brow playfully. "You aren't as young as you may look."

"Well, how old were you when you turned? I was twenty-six."

"I was probably twenty-one. I forget."

"Ah. Then in that sense, I am older than you."

He moved very close, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. "I had not seen how tender you are with him."

"I've been that way," she said nervously. "You just hadn't paid attention before."

"You two are very close."

"I've always taken care of multiple children at once. This is my first assignment with only one child in the household. I have bonded with him far more."

"Are you happy here, Yara?"

"I'm comfortable."

"But are you happy?"

"I would say I am. Kol made me nervous, and I am currently quite irritated by Elijah. But I adore Rebekah and I love Marcel very much."

"Do you plan to stay here long-term?"

"As long as you'd like me to be. I usually am only with children for up to five years, when they either turn eighteen or are old enough to be sent to boarding school."

"Marcel will not go to such schools. You will remain here certainly until he becomes a vampire. And that will be many years after he turns eighteen. If you wish to stay past that, you will be welcome to."

She wasn't sure what to think when he reached over to take the now-clean pot from her, setting it aside so it could dry. "Thank you," she said softly. "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Elijah believes I should speak with you more," he replied. Clearly, Klaus had no understanding of personal space. Yara could have counted his individual eyelashes if she tried. "After all, you are becoming more than a governess to Marcel. You are practically the mother of my child."

She wasn't sure why this made her feel so flustered. "Well, if you'd like to speak with me more frequently, I am always available. I want to make sure you and I have a good relationship."

"Perhaps we could talk each night after Marcel has gone to bed. I could tell you more about my childhood. But you must not take any more vervain."

"I won't take it anymore, now that Kol is gone. I am sorry, I was afraid of what he might make me do if I was vulnerable."

"I know. You are safe now."

"Then I will not take any more vervain. But... why do you mention it?"

"It may make me more comfortable to compel you not to tell my stories to anyone."

"I have no friends outside of this household, Klaus. You needn't worry. I would never betray you, never reveal your secrets. However, if you would feel more comfortable compelling me to keep a tied tongue, then I will not say no."

This response seemed to stun him. "Would you like to have friends outside of this household?"

"I would like to be able to go on walks more often. With Marcel, if possible. I don't require friends, but I would like to talk to other people ever so often. If you would allow me to. I know it is not safe for people of our skin color. I may be on the lighter side due to my father's Portuguese features, but I still have my mother's dark eyes and hair. My accent has not faded with the years. It is obvious to anyone that I am not white."

"You will be safe," he promised. "Both of you. I will walk with you. Or Rebekah will, if I am not available. You two have nothing to fear. Anyone who dares to look at you in a judgmental way will be punished."

"I want to end that fear," she said. "Not only for us, but for all those who look like us. I have freed slaves and ended this horrible prejudice in many places. I ask that you help me make that a reality here."

He smiled. "It's being done, love. From the moment I adopted Marcel, I have had compelled vampires working their way through different areas, freeing those who are kept against their will. Your dream will come true, soon enough. I will make sure of it."

That was one of the first times she felt a flutter in her stomach when speaking with him. He'd been so gentle that night, so honest and open, telling her about the earliest memories of his childhood. And from there, each night, they could talk as friends. He told her more about what his parents were like, the abuse he'd endured. She submitted to his compulsion to protect his secrets. She knew what to say to him now, how to respond when he began to grow angry or sad.

Of course, she could never hope to change him. She never tried to scold him about anything unless it concerned Marcel. She didn't wish for him to feel as though she was using their time together to mold him into a different man. If he wished to be different, if he wished to be more like Elijah, he could do so. She didn't necessarily believe he had to be that way; she would settle for him respecting those in the household and could care less what he did away from Marcel's sight.

Perhaps being so lenient and refusing to be judgmental had been a mistake.

"What happened?" she asked one evening when she found Elijah crying in his study.

"Céleste," he told her sadly. "She is gone."

Yara's heart dropped into her stomach, recalling all the times Céleste had been kind to her. "But... but what happened? She was fine the other day."

"Niklaus," he said darkly. "To cover up the slaughter, to keep our father from finding us... he sent a rumor that witches were seeking blood sacrifices for their rituals. Céleste was killed."

"Oh, Elijah," she whispered. "I am so sorry."

"It is my fault," he whispered. "She died because of me. Because I cared too deeply for her. I allowed my brother to slip through my grasp. I loosened the reins while Céleste consumed my every moment. I abandoned him in the name of my own happiness. Céleste paid the price."

"Elijah, this is not your fault..."

"Yara."

She couldn't believe Klaus could dare to show up at a time like this. "Give Elijah his space," said Klaus, eyeing them in a way she could only describe as enviously.

He told her not to spend too much time with Elijah.

She dared not disobey.