The Boy King's Journey in TVD/TO As A Mikaelson

The autumn wind swept through Castle de Martel's corridors, carrying with it the last remnants of summer's warmth. Three months had passed since the Mikaelsons' arrival, and with each passing day, the web of intrigue had grown more intricate.

Vali stood at his chamber window, the mark on his arm pulsing faintly as he observed the courtyard below. His brother Klaus sat at one of the stone benches, sketching in the morning light. It wasn't a coincidence that this particular bench offered a clear view of Aurora de Martel's daily path to the chapel.

"Remembering how this all started?" Tatia's voice drew his attention. She moved to stand beside him, her fingers intertwining with his.

Indeed, he was. The memory was still clear - the night after they'd discovered the grimoires, when he'd pulled Klaus aside in their private chambers.

"They're collecting artifacts for Silas's followers," he had explained to his brother. "We need to know more, and Aurora de Martel may be our key. She's vulnerable, lonely... susceptible to genuine attention."

Klaus had laughed then. "You want me to seduce her for information? Rather crude, isn't it, brother?"

"Not seduce," Vali had corrected. "Befriend. Court her properly. She's not some tavern maid to be charmed and discarded. She's our way into understanding what these followers are planning." He was banking on her already obvious infatuation with Niklaus alongside what he knew from the show and how deep her mad love would run for him, continuing even a thousand years in the future.

The first month had been carefully orchestrated. Klaus would "accidentally" encounter Aurora in the library, discussing art and poetry. He'd find her in the garden, sharing observations about the changing seasons. Each meeting planned, each conversation designed to build trust.

But something unexpected had happened during the second month.

The second month had revealed cracks in their carefully laid plans. Vali remembered the first sign clearly - a conversation with Klaus in the castle's training yard, away from prying ears.

"She's not what I expected," Klaus had admitted, absently turning a dagger in his hands. "There's a depth to her suffering that mirrors something in me. When she speaks of her darkest thoughts..." He had paused, struggling to find the words.

"You recognize yourself," Vali had finished for him, noting the conflicted expression on his brother's face.

It wasn't just Klaus who was changing. Aurora's episodes of melancholy, which had once driven everyone away, began to lessen in his presence. Her smiles, once carefully practiced for court, became genuine when he was near.

Tristan had noticed too. Vali could still recall the harvest feast during their third month, when Tristan had approached him in the shadows of the great hall.

"Your brother," Tristan had said quietly, watching Klaus lead Aurora in a dance, "he makes her laugh. Truly laugh. I haven't heard that sound since we were children."

The present Aurora's voice drew Vali from his memories. She had appeared in the courtyard below, her red hair catching the morning light. Klaus immediately set aside his sketching, rising to greet her with a courtly bow that couldn't quite hide his genuine pleasure at her arrival.

"My lord," she curtsied, though her eyes held warmth that hadn't been there three months ago.

"They're no longer playing their parts, are they?" Tatia observed, watching the couple below.

"No," Vali agreed. "Though Tristan still believes he can control this situation." His lips curved into a slightly tight smile. "He whispers instructions to Aurora each morning - what information to seek, what secrets to uncover. As if love could be so easily directed."

The door opened, admitting Lucien with his morning reports. Vali noted how his servant's eyes immediately found Aurora in the courtyard, lingering for a moment too long before he forced his attention away.

This, too, had been an expected, because of his knowledge of the show, yet no less annoying of a development. Lucien's infatuation with Aurora had become increasingly obvious over the months, threatening to complicate their carefully balanced schemes.

"The scholars returned last night, my lord," Lucien reported, his voice carefully neutral despite the tension in his shoulders. "They spent several hours with Lord Tristan, speaking of preparations for something they called 'the awakening.'"

Vali nodded, filing away this information. The mysterious scholars had maintained their pattern - appearing every few weeks, always under cover of darkness, always bearing new artifacts and cryptic prophecies.

Vali watched the couple below for a moment longer before addressing Lucien, noting how his servant's gaze kept drifting back to Aurora despite his attempts at professionalism.

"You've done well gathering this information," Vali said, his tone carrying a carefully measured mix of praise and authority. "Continue monitoring the scholars' movements, but focus on their interactions with the castle staff. The servants often see more than their masters realize."

He turned to face Lucien fully, his black eyes holding the servant's gaze. "And Lucien... your attention would be better spent on your duties rather than Lady Aurora. She is beyond your reach in more ways than you understand."

The subtle warning in his voice made Lucien stiffen slightly, though he maintained his composure. "Of course, my lord. I'll begin questioning the kitchen staff about the scholars' last visit. They often request specific meals and wines that might indicate their origins."

"Good," Vali nodded, dismissing him with a wave. "Report anything unusual directly to me, no matter how insignificant it might seem."

As Lucien left, Tatia's soft laugh drew Vali's attention. "You're getting better at handling him," she observed. "Much more subtle than your usual methods."

"He's useful," Vali admitted. "But his infatuation with Aurora needs to be curbed before it becomes problematic. There are more important games being played here than a servant's unrequited love." Especially since it is the original cause why he turned on the Mikaelsons in the original timeline. He'd rather not have to kill such an useful pawn.

Below, Klaus had produced a small leather-bound book, presenting it to Aurora. Her delighted gasp carried clearly to their enhanced hearing - he had sketched her favorite flowers, capturing their delicate beauty in stark charcoal lines.

"Your brother has quite the artistic soul," Tatia mused, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Indeed," Vali replied, watching as Aurora's fingers traced the drawings with obvious wonder. "Though I doubt either of them realized how dangerous that soul would prove to be."

He remembered his own warning to Klaus last week: "Be careful, brother. Love makes us vulnerable in ways that strength cannot protect against."

Klaus had merely smiled, that new light in his eyes that appeared whenever Aurora was mentioned. "Perhaps vulnerability isn't always a weakness, brother."

Now, watching them in the courtyard, Vali wondered if perhaps Klaus had been right. Aurora's genuine affection could prove more valuable than any forced manipulation. And yet...

"You're considering something dark," Tatia observed, knowing her husband's expressions too well.

'A contingency,' he admitted, mentally, through their vampiric abilities. 'A subtle compulsion, planted now but triggered later. After she leads us to what we need to know about these followers, it would make her leave Klaus.

Clean, simple, with no risk of her unstable nature causing problems in the future.' The same thing Elijah did in the original timeline essentially. The more days passed, the more he saw the appeal of what his younger brother originally was supposed to do.

Tatia turned to face him fully. 'And you think that would solve anything? Love isn't so easily dismissed, even with compulsion. The pain would linger, affecting them both.'

'I know this probably sounds hypocritical from me, but her madness makes her dangerous, and not in a good way.' Vali countered, watching as Aurora laughed at something Klaus had said. 'This connection to Silas's followers... we don't yet understand its full implications. She could be more deeply entwined in their plans than we realize.'

'Or she could be as much their victim as anyone,' Tatia suggested. 'You've seen how they manipulate Tristan. Perhaps Aurora's instability is partly their doing.'

Vali considered this. Below, Klaus was showing Aurora another sketch, her delight evident in every movement. The genuine happiness on his brother's face gave him pause.

'A compulsion would be cleaner than letting this play out naturally,' he mused. 'But you're right - it would leave scars. And Klaus... he'd never forgive me if he discovered it.'

'Not to mention,' Tatia added, 'manipulating them that way would make us no better than these scholars we're fighting against.'

The mark on his arm pulsed faintly as if responding to the weight of the decision. After a moment, Vali shook his head.

'No,' he decided. 'We'll let this play out naturally. But we'll watch carefully. Aurora's madness and these followers make her dangerous - not just to Klaus, but to everything we're building here.'

Down below, outside Aurora's laugh echoed softly through the trees. "Your art speaks volumes, my lord," she said, studying Klaus's sketches. "You see far more than others dare to show."

Klaus's smile held warmth beneath its careful restraint. "Beauty often hides in shadows, my lady. One must simply know where to look."

Tristan's footsteps announced his presence before he appeared between the shelves. "Sister," his voice carried the perfect blend of affection and authority. "The evening gathering requires your presence. Our guests are particularly interested in discussing... family histories."

Aurora's fingers stilled over Klaus's drawings. "How fortunate. Lord Niklaus was just sharing his own family's fascinating traditions."

"Indeed?" Tristan's eyebrow raised slightly. "Then perhaps you'd both honor us with your presence tonight. After all, shared knowledge can be so... illuminating."

From above in his chambers overlooking the library courtyard, Vali observed the exchange, Tatia's hand resting lightly on his arm. The mark pulsed faintly as he watched Tristan speak to Klaus

"Your brother shows remarkable interest in our heritage," Tristan said as he looked above towards where Vali and Tatia were looking down upon them, every word precisely chosen.

"As does your sister in ours," Klaus replied smoothly. "Family traditions are such delicate things, wouldn't you agree?"

"Perhaps we should join them," Tatia suggested, no longer speaking mentally, already moving toward the door. "After all, family discussions should include all interested parties."

Vali nodded, offering her his arm as they made their way down the castle's winding stairs. Their unhurried pace was deliberate - appearing too quickly would raise questions they preferred to avoid.

They emerged into the courtyard just as Tristan finished speaking. Vali's timing was precise, his arrival carrying the weight of calculated coincidence.

"Speaking of family traditions," he said smoothly, "I believe we share some fascinating parallels with the de Martels. Don't we, brother?"

Klaus's eyes met his, understanding the deeper meaning. "Indeed. History has a way of repeating itself."

"How fortunate we are then," Aurora added, her smile perfectly poised, "to have such... knowledgeable guests in our home."

Tristan's posture shifted slightly - a subtle tell that spoke volumes. "Knowledge, after all, is power. Though some secrets are best shared in more... private settings."

"The evening's gathering should prove most enlightening," Tatia observed, her fingers tightening imperceptibly on Vali's arm. "We look forward to learning more about your family's... collections."

The morning sun cast long shadows across the courtyard as the five of them stood in their carefully maintained formation, each word a move in a game where the stakes grew higher by the day.

"The scholars have quite particular tastes in literature," Tristan continued, gesturing toward the library. "Perhaps you'd care to examine some of their recent... recommendations?"

"A generous offer," Vali replied, his black eyes studying Tristan with calculated interest. "Though I find personal collections often tell more interesting stories than public ones."

Aurora's laugh carried just the right note of tension beneath its melodic surface. "Our family's library holds many treasures. Some quite... ancient in nature."

"Ancient things hold such power," Klaus observed, his hand brushing Aurora's ever so slightly. "Though sometimes their price proves steeper than expected."

Tatia's fingers traced patterns on Vali's arm as she spoke. "Power and price often walk hand in hand. Wouldn't you agree, Lord Tristan?"

"Some prices are worth paying," Tristan responded, his eyes flickering between Klaus and Aurora. "For the right cause."

The mark on Vali's arm pulsed faintly, responding to the undercurrents of power in their conversation. Every word exchanged was a move in their elaborate game - offers and threats wrapped in courtly pleasantries.

"Then perhaps," Vali suggested, "we should discuss what causes we each find worthy of such investment. Over dinner, of course."

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(Author note: Hello everyone! Hope you liked this chapter! 

I wanted this chapter to be a bit more slow. Focused more on interactions between the charachters, as more of a building block chapter rather than a highlight.

Do tell me how you found their conversation. The whole hidden meanings thing behind noble words is such an exhausting thing to write and contemplate. Hopefully it was clear enough, if not then do please ask and I will do my best to explain.

So, I have a question for you guys. 

Do you want the de Martels to live or not?

I want to know you guys's thoughts on the matter since I'm still contemplating it.

Well, I hope to see you all later, do please comment and review and I'll see you all later, 

Bye!)