FREYA came home and nearly tripped over what remained of the bar. She then noticed several overturned wooden chairs then saw the chandelier, which had been pulled down from the ceiling, scattering the taper candles across the floor next to a small puddle of blood. On top of the overturned footstool, she found a broken chair leg that was soaked in blood, which she picked up in case she needed to arm herself.

Just as she was beginning to look incredibly concerned for her family, she heard the doors to the dining room creak open. When she looked toward the source of the noise, she saw Klaus and Elijah, both of whom were covered in blood and wearing the tattered remains of their clothing, silently and calmly sitting at the table together as though they hadn't just had a violent confrontation and Ingrid, who was sitting at the other side of the table with her elbow on the table and her head rested in her bloodstained hands along with several empty bottles of whiskey sitting in front of her.

Freya, annoyed, dropped the stake and rushed into the room, where Elijah was absentmindedly fiddling with what remains of his tie while Klaus drained some of his blood into a glass. There was a seeping wound on Elijah's wrist from where Klaus bit him and the sleeve of his jacket had almost been ripped off.

There was a hole in Elijah's dress shirt that matched the circumstance of Ingrid's hand and another hybrid bite, one with dual puncture wounds, on his neck. Freya looked in-between the trio, unimpressed. "May I ask what happened?"

"The same thing that always happens with this family when we settle our differences." Ingrid answered dully and reached for a bottle, only to find they were all empty and throwing it over her shoulder in disappointment. "Bloodshed."

Klaus smirked at his sister, pleased with the outcome. "We had a little chat about the past."

Freya rolled her eyes in exasperation, and Elijah, sounding exhausted, explained what happened. "I informed Niklaus I am not his enemy. And, though they entered the city under the guise of peace, Tristan and Lucien, in truth, are allied against us. A fact that required a little bit of... gentle persuasion..."

Ingrid scoffed with an empty laugh, rubbing her eyes with her hands. "What Elijah is neglecting to add is a recent development that could be considered treason in most civilizations. But, lest we forget the evils I've committed." She spoke patronizingly with a flat-lipped smile.

Elijah glanced at her in aggravation and rolled his eyes while Freya was visibly amused by this, but she kept her face blank in order to not encourage their behavior and turned to look at Klaus.

"And so I reminded our brother, who angered them in the first place..." Klaus informed the witch In a condescending tone aimed at Elijah.

Freya looked between them again, beyond annoyed. "And, after all of this civil discourse, what understanding did you come to?"

"That this family is absolutely mental and I am exhausted." Ingrid mumbled under her breath as Elijah spoke at the same time in a pointed manner. "That we expose and destroy our first sired."

Klaus smiled happily before sliding the glass of his blood across the table to him then picked up the glass of bourbon that he poured himself. "Couldn't agree more. You see, gentlemen know when to call a truce and turn our fury in a more pertinent direction." He held his glass up toward Elijah, who lifted his own glass to clink it against Klaus' before they each took a drink.

Ingrid rolled her eyes and looked at Freya, who had a pococurnate expression on her face. The female hybrid then sighed before resting her head against the wooden table and closing her eyes. "Wake me when this prophecy is over."

The next morning, Elijah was standing in the dining room, having showered and put on a clean suit, waiting for Ingrid to wake up. He cleared his throat while adjusting the buttons on his sleeves. Ingrid opened her eyes and slowly lifted her head. Upon realizing it was Elijah, she narrowed her eyes and held up her middle finger. "Sod off, Elijah. I am in no particular mood to deal with you at the moment." She grumbled unhappily then reached for a bottle and groaned in aggravation when she noticed it was empty. Rolling her eyes, she glanced at her brother-in-law indignantly. "What do you want?"

"Tristan and Lucien are working together it seems. It's possible that Aurora is close behind---" He started his request and was cut off by a scoff from Ingrid.

"Of course she is." She snarled harshly.

"I need you to find out what they're planning." He finished with an emotionless expression.

"Okay... and how do you suppose I do that?" Ingrid asked incredulously and raised an eyebrow. "They're not going to just hand over their master plans." She commented with a dry laugh until she understood the look on his face. "Oh..."

Elijah shifted awkwardly on his feet and licked his lips, hesitant to say his idea out loud. Ingrid held a finger up and opened her mouth but no words came out. So she closed her mouth and curled her finger over her lips while shaking her head with a bitter chuckle. "You want me to seduce Tristan into telling me." She remarked in amusement, speaking for him. Nodding her head, she tapped her finger against the wood top of the dining table and flattened her lips. "No doubt you've requested that Niklaus do the same for Aurora."

"Ingrid--" Elijah attempted to argue, to justify his choices, but was cut off abruptly by the sound of the chair legs screeching against the floor as Ingrid stood to her feet.

"I see. So..." She said slowly, processing what she wanted to say. "It's okay for me to pretend to be a whore when it suits your needs, yes?" She asked angrily and cut him off before he could answer. "Understood." She snarled out, walking past him and out of the room completely.

In the study, Elijah cut into his thumb with a knife then dribbled his blood into a glass for Freya, who was sitting a few feet away from him, looking very hungover. "Ah, yes. Drinking with Rebekah-- always an adventure."

Freya took a sip of the blood and cleared her throat before standing to her feet and walking toward Elijah, who didn't seem happy as he looked at sketches of the prophecy visions that Klaus had drawn. The first sketch was of the blood-stained portrait of Elijah.

"You seem more annoyed than usual." Freya commented in observation.

"It's Aurora." Elijah admitted and picked up a second sketch. This one being of the dining room table in the compound in shambles. "Her influence frightens me. And yet, our hideously-deluded brother seems to think that she may be the key to ending this wretched prophecy."

"If she's aligned with her brother, what chance does Nik have?" Freya asked in worry.

Elijah shook his head and sighed heavily. "None. And still, Niklaus believes that she can be swayed. Although... his perspective of family loyalty is schizophrenic at best."

"Well, I don't get why Lucien and Tristan are working together. Aren't their sirelines direct enemies?" She inquired in confusion.

Elijah shot Freya a sheepish look, visibly embarrassed about what he was about to say. "...Well, their mutual lack of goodwill toward our family might not be entirely unjustified..." he trailed off causing Freya to give him a stern look. "Hatred's a hell of a thing, Freya."

Freya furrowed her eyebrows in further confusion. "Why? All you did was sire them. They don't seem to be complaining."

Elijah squirmed uncomfortably and shrugged before turning away from her anxiously. Freya, concerned, pressed him for answers. "Elijah..."

When he remained silent, she sighed loudly in frustration. "What exactly did you do?"

Ingrid walked into the room, wearing a skin tight cocktail dress that pushed her cleavage up dramatically, and gestured toward him with a smirk. "Go on, Elijah. Tell her."

Elijah finally turned back to face Freya, smiling sheepishly once again. "I compelled Lucien to believe that he was Niklaus, Aurora to believe that she was Rebekah, and Tristan, myself. After I sired him, of course."

Freya was not at all happy about this confession and Elijah became defensive underneath the weight of her disappointed expression. "This was a period of mayhem for us! It was the eleventh century, Father was hunting us mercilessly... So, I compelled them. And then, I told them to run."

Freya sneered coldly at her brother. "You made them bait."

"That's not all he did." Ingrid snarled venomously and walked further into the room, joining them. "He compelled Aurora to lie to Niklaus. Making wild claims of how I had been having an affair with Tristan and had intentions of leaving my husband."

"Not the kindest thing I ever did, if I'm perfectly frank with you, Freya." Elijah remarked in regret and Freya turned to face him with a sad expression. "So, as we found respite in the sleepy, yet charming vineyards of Tuscany, Father hunted the decoy Mikaelson children to the far-reaches of Europe for the better part of a century. Then, we were inconveniently daggered. The compulsion was broken. Here we are." Elijah looked at Freya with mild amusement as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "How's the head?"

Freya laughed bitterly. "Spinning. But I don't think it's the hangover..."

"Freya, something you must understand about this family-- under threat, we take action, for better or worse. Whatever it takes to protect our own." Elijah informed her with a suggestive look.

Ingrid let out a curt chuckle and poured herself a glass of liquor. "Even if means the most savage of deeds."

Freya looked between her family and raised an eyebrow. "So, you're telling me their days are numbered?"

"If indeed they're working against us, yes. Without question." Elijah answered sternly just as Ingrid let out a simple: "Yes."

Elijah glanced at Ingrid, finally taking in her appearance. "A bit much, isn't it?"

"Well, if I'm to get his full, undivided attention then I need to give him something he can't ignore." She answered in a dull tone, chugging her liquor in one swift motion. "Speaking of, I need you to set up a meeting with Tristan for me."

"Why not ask Marcel?" Elijah asked in annoyance.

"Because I refuse to use his position in the Strix for personal gain." Ingrid answered immediately, a non-negotiable look on her face. "Just do it. Or get me someone who can."

Realizing that in order for his plan to work, Elijah needed to do what she asked and rolled his eyes. "Alright."

"Yeah." Ingrid remarked back while pouring herself another drink and tossing it back effortlessly.

Freya licked her lips anxiously and watched Elijah walk over to the bar and pick up a decanter of bourbon. "Perhaps a little hair-of-the-dog might be more effective, wouldn't you say?"

Freya lifted her glass for him to fill it, but her hand suddenly started to shake causing Elijah to become concerned. "What is it?"

Freya whimpered suddenly as her hand began to shake harder, and after a moment, she dropped the glass onto the floor, where it tipped over and spilt alcohol all over, and gasped in shock. "Something's wrong." She informed him in a shaky voice. "We need to call Rebekah. Now."

Elijah glanced over at her in worry but Ingrid pointed a finger at him and slammed the glass down for effect. "Make the appointment for seven." She ordered while walking straight for the door.

"Ingrid." Elijah called out to her and the hybrid stopped in her place but didn't turn to face him. "This... mission, it may require you to embellish a tad bit."

Ingrid's face twisted up into one of disapproval and she sucked on her teeth for a moment. "Fine. I'll get it done." She responded dully in agreement then stormed out of the room, the sound if her heels echoing in the hallway.

Seven rolled around and Tristan de Martel was sitting at a private table in the most secluded corner at a small restaurant. He was dressed in his best suit and kept looking at his watch anxiously, awaiting her arrival. Her was bouncing his leg restlessly and shifting often in his seat.

When Ingrid Mikaelson strolled through the door, Tristan lurched forward in his seat while the sound of his heart pounding flooded his ears. His breath hitched in his throat as she made her way toward their table.

Before she could sit down, Tristan stood up from his chair and pulled hers out, gesturing for her to sit down with a smile. Ingrid kept her face emotionless and sat down in her seat. Tristan, despite his nervousness, kept a smooth facade and sat down across from her with an intrigued smirk.

"When Elijah said you wanted to meet..." He trailed off, drinking up her appearance and biting the inside of his cheek. "I have to admit, I never expected this." The leader of the Strix said, motioning his hand up and down at her dress. He wouldn't lie and say his eyes didn't fall down to her cleavage for a brief moment before landing on her face. "May I ask what was so urgent?"

A waitress came over to take their order before Ingrid had the chance to answer. Tristan ordered a bottle of wine for the table and Ingrid stared over at him with a blank face while he ordered his meal. The human turned toward the Mikaelson, who requested a random meal off the menu and dismissed her from their table.

Once she was gone, Ingrid turned toward Tristan with a feigned reluctant expression. "I wanted to say..." she trailed off, preparing herself to fabricate a story that would appease Tristan enough to get what she wanted from him. "You were right, much to my dismay. I caught Niklaus in bed with Aurora this morning." The hybrid lied smoothly, not a waver in her voice. Her face held a deep frown and her dark brown eyes began to glisten with tears.

Tristan glanced at her with mixed emotions. At first he was happy to hear that he had been right but then it hurt to realize that in the end, he had predicted this. It was though he had been torn toward two different sides. One side ecstatic at the idea that Ingrid was free of Niklaus and could potentially be with him. The other side sympathetic and sad yet guilty seeing the woman he, claimed to have, loved having her heart broken.

Ingrid loathed lying just as much as she loathed betrayal but she was a good at it. Due to her reputation of being honorable, no one suspected the things she would say. However, lying would destroy her reputation and all the work she put into it.

Tristan reached over to grab one of her hands and Ingrid had to fight all of her instinct to immediately pull away. He frowned and rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand in a soothing manner. "I am sorry to hear that." He expressed genuinely with a frown. "However, that can't be the only reason you're here." He pointed out, keeping himself from caving into her sad brown eyes.

Sighing, she licked her lips and smiled sheepishly. "No. It's not." She vaguely admitted causing the younger vampire to let go of her hand and sit back in his seat, preparing for the worst. "I had hoped--" She began only to be interrupted when the waitress walked over with a full bottle of wine and four fresh glasses.

Ingrid watched the human set the bottle and the glasses down before slicing her wrists and pouring her blood into two of them. Raising an eyebrow at Tristan, she smirked, almost impressed.

He smirked back confidently and dismissed the waitress, who slowly walked away while holding her wrists. Tristan handed Ingrid a glass, which she gladly took, and gestured for her pick up where she left off. "Go on, my dear. What were you saying?"

Ingrid brought the glass to her nose and inhaled the dark, red liquid. Musing, pleased, she placed her lips around the rim and drank the blood with a deep, happy moan. She made sure to stare straight at Tristan as she did so, taking note of his reaction.

Tristan's heart picked up again and he was almost exhilarated by the sound. In an attempt to cover up his excitement, he reached over the table and opened the bottle of wine. He graciously poured them each a portion in the remaining glasses.

Licking her lips slowly, Ingrid set the glass down on the white clothed table and hummed. "Right... as I was saying." She stalled, trying to think of the best way to approach the situation, and reached out for her glass of wine. "Seeing how Niklaus has betrayed every ounce of my trust, I have no reason to stand by him." She bluffed with a pointed look in her face.

Tristan raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. "What does that have to do with me?" He asked curiously, pushing for more information.

"I thought I could focus my time and energy into other endeavors." She replied with a small shrug. "As we know, I don't have a proper sireline. Meaning, I have no real run in this war and I wish to align myself with the winning side."

"Which side is that?" Tristan questioned, tapping his finger against the bowl of his wine glass.

"Yours, of course." She answered and took a sip of her wine. After removing the glass from her lips, she reached our and grabbed the bottle. Reading the label, she pursed her lips, genuinely impressed. "I praise your taste." She complemented honestly, holding up the bottle. "I know the three of you are working together." The Mikaelson admitted causing him to look at her in surprise. "Seeing how the three of you need the three of them to live, your plan isn't to kill them."

Tristan looked down at the table and chuckled. Nodding his head slowly, he licked his lips and met her eyes again. "You were always smarter than people paved you out to be. Niklaus took that for granted. He took a lot for granted."

"Hmm." She hummed lowly and sipped her wine again. "It seems that with each passing day, the more I grow tired of my family. Their lies, their scheming, their backstabbing... all the fighting... I just... want it all to stop." Ingrid said honestly, resting her elbow on the table. "I'm too old for massacres and all I want to be able to raise my daughter in peace without worry. No more fighting. No more blood."

Tristan listened to her words and nodded slowly. He understood how she was feeling. The Strix wanted a world free of any Mikaelson sized rage and bloodshed. He couldn't imagine trying to raise a child in that environment especially when the father was Klaus. "How can we trust you?"

"Have I ever betrayed anyone?" Ingrid asked curiously, raising an eyebrow. She couldn't think of a moment where she had but she knew in the future, this moment would be an example.

He thought over all the stories he had heard about Ingrid and paused for a brief moment. He opened his mouth to speak an example but came up short and smiled warmly at her. "Never. As I'm sure you're aware, you've always been known to be fiercely loyal to Niklaus. Regardless of how many times he hurts you and if I recall, you seem to be the one who always gets the short end of the stick. Mostly at the hands of Elijah." Tristan pointed out and watched her frown in anger. "Which is why I'm confused. Why save Elijah after everything he's done to you?"

Setting the glass down, she stood to her feet as he watched her curiously. Ingrid straightened her dress out and walked toward him. "While my family infuriates me beyond belief, I don't wish to see them dead. I'm sure you can understand." She said softly, pushing out his chair from under the table. "You know what how it feels to put family above your every waking need or desire." She then pulled her dress up, exposing the soft skin of her inner thighs, and straddled his lap.

Tristan gulped, both uncomfortable and excited, and looked up at her with a series of emotions swirling around in his blue eyes. This was everything he had wanted for over a millennium and now he wasn't sure how to act.

Ingrid could hear his heart pounding and felt his body trembling underneath her. Smirking to herself, she continued to play on it. "You and I are the same. I believe we can be valuable assets to one another, no?" She pressed closer and felt the breath hitch in his throat. "You just need to trust me."

"I trust you." He whispered softly, staring deeply into her eyes.

Ingrid returned home to find Elijah and Klaus waiting for her in the courtyard. "Got what you wanted." She said in a dull tone of voice and walked toward the bar to pour herself a drink. They glanced at her in different emotions and waited for her to spill the information. "They have a weapon in play. A cursed object called the Serratura. Supposedly, it's capable of producing an unbreakable boundary and they want to use it to lock you lot away forever so no one can kill you." She explained in a grave tone, drinking an entire glass of scotch in one go. "However, in order to do so... they need all three of you in one place. Which has an easy solution; stay the hell away from each other. And that should be relatively easy considering we all hate each other."

"That's easier said than done." Klaus informed her in a dark tone of voice. "Aurora has Rebekah's body."

Slamming the glass down against the bar, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay. We--we'll figure it out. But not right now. I am beyond exhausted and need to sleep. So, pardon me." Ingrid excused herself before walking past them and up the stairs toward her bedroom.

She heard footsteps following her and waited until she reached her room to face them. Seeing that it was Klaus, she let out a deep breath and closed the door. He had a jealous and scared expression on his face as he walked further into the room.

Neither one of them wanted to ask the unspoken question. How far did the other take it to get what they needed? The silence around them felt heavy and suffocating as possibilities swirled around in their minds.

Ingrid couldn't handle the tension any longer and cleared her throat. "I didn't sleep with him." She answered honestly and fiddled with her wedding band. "I didn't even kiss him."

Klaus was visibly relieved hearing this and sighed loudly, running a hand through his hair. Ingrid walked toward their bed and took a seat, studying him closely. "I'm terrified to ask..." She spoke in a quiet voice, staring at him with dread. "But, uh, did---"

"No." Klaus rejected immediately and she raised an eyebrow. From her expression, Klaus knew she was asking: no you didn't or no I shouldn't ask?. "I didn't sleep with her. Never got close."

Ingrid pursed her lips and nodded her head for a moment. He watched, scared of what she may do next. She threw her head back, glancing up at the ceiling, and sighed loudly. Silent tears escaped from the corners of her eyes and she leaned over to rest her head against her knees. "Thank God." She breathed out quietly then felt the bed dip down beside her. "We let Elijah practically pimp us out like cheap whores over some prophecy that would be solved if we just killed them." She grumbled in aggravation, narrowing her eyes into two harsh slits. "I gave up my honor. I lied and manipulated Tristan for personal gain..." She admitted quickly then scoffed with a humorless laugh. "I guess I'm finally a Mikaelson in every way."

"We are so willing to trust Elijah after what he did to us..." She trailed off as her eyes moved back and forth rapidly with thought. "No more... from now on... from now on, we do this my way."

---
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