Elijah had always believed himself immune to folly.
He'd seen kingdoms rise and crumble, had witnessed love burn entire families to ash. He had vowed long ago that he would never again allow his heart to wander toward someone it could never have.
A vow he had kept for centuries.
Until her.
Katerina Petrova — or rather, the woman she appeared to be in this moment. Soft-spoken. Startlingly sincere. Startlingly alive.
He was not meant to notice the curve of her smile, nor the way her eyes brightened when something amused her. He was not meant to feel a quiet pull, subtle yet undeniable.
She was meant for Klaus.
To break the curse. To free his brother.
That had always been the order of things.
And Elijah, ever the dutiful son, ever the responsible brother, would see it done.
Yet… nowhere in their ancient plans did it state what would become of her after the curse was broken. Nowhere did it demand that she belong to Niklaus forever. It was merely assumed. Taken for granted.
And Elijah had learned long ago that fate rarely followed assumptions.
He would not betray his brother. He could not. But he could not command his heart to silence itself either.
Not this time.
Not with her.
He watched them from across the seat he was sitting on the dining table, a perfect posture masking the storm beneath.
Serona—Katerina—sat beside Klaus, delighting in the simplest thing: the food. Her delight was unrefined, honest, and oddly… charming.
She picked up a large strip of strawberry drizzling with a sweet syrup and shoved it into her mouth without hesitation.
Klaus arched a brow, smirking. "A bit unladylike, sweetheart." He gently wipe the corner of her lips.
She swallowed, leveled him with an unimpressed stare, and replied with a tone sharper than steel "Well, my lord, I suppose it takes a lady to recognize one."
Calling him a lady was not insulting at all according to Serona who was from a modern era but not in this one, it must have sting. She intended it did.
Elijah's laugh escaped him before he had time to swallow it.
Warm. Genuine.
He hadn't laughed like that in decades.
Klaus shot him a glare; Serona grinned triumphantly.
Elijah looked away, composing himself.
But inside, he felt something unwelcome — something dangerously pleasant — loosen in his chest.
He was doomed.
To watch his brother court a girl who fascinated him more than she should.
To guide the woman he was beginning to admire… straight into the arms of the brother he had sworn to protect.
To ensure she fullfils the purpose of breaking the curse so that his dear brother could finally be free, no matter the cost, even if it meant she remained forever out of reach.
After all they had promised to follow the code, family above all, Always and Forever.
But does she really needs to die? He didn't think so. He wouldn't let her die. Her life meant more than a sacrifice.
He would support Klaus — he always had.
But once Niklaus inevitably lost her trust, once his temper or schemes shattered the delicate bond forming between them…
Elijah knew precisely what role he would play.
The steady hand she could rely upon.
The safe harbor she would seek.
The pillar she would lean against when her world fractured.
He did not wish to steal her. He did not wish to betray his brother. But he couldn't ignore the way it makes him feel when he sees them together.
He will admit, he was jealous but nobody needs to know that.
And in that moment — watching her laugh with crumbs on her lips, watching Klaus bicker like a boy instead of a feared immortal —
Elijah realized something with the clarity of a blade:
He was falling again.
And this time, he doubted he would rise unscathed.
____
Serona's Pov
The brunch had been… surprisingly peaceful. Or as peaceful as it could be with two gorgeous men subtly trying to strangle each other with polite smiles while I inhaled strawberry like a starving raccoon.
But nothing — nothing — prepared me for what came next.
Because apparently the brothers decided the best way to "ease my nerves" was…
Horseback riding.
Well Katrina knew how to ride a horse as for Serona... she have never in her entire first life had ever ridden a horse. Good for her, they assumed she didn't know how to ride a horse and was generous enough to teach her.
And of course Trevor came along too, because jealousy makes people do stupid things. Or in Trevor's case, stupider things.
Which is how I ended up standing in front of a massive, sinister, judgmental creature whose only goal in life, I was convinced, was to watch me die.
"This is Boreas," Klaus announced proudly.
"Named after the North wind."
Boreas was beautiful.
Terrifying — yes — but beautiful.
He was a tall, dark bay stallion, muscles rippling beneath his glossy coat like liquid bronze. His mane was long and black, almost silky, swaying like a cape as he flicked his head. His eyes were a deep intelligent brown, the kind that let you know he had opinions.
Mostly negative ones about me.
Boreas stared at me.
I stared back.
…He blinked one eye. Slowly.
Like he was saying Try me, mortal.
Wonderful. A horse that spiritually bullies me. Animal loves me, but this particular horse seems to have beef with me. Did I stole his snacks in my past life?
"Boreas doesn't seem to like me," I murmured.
"He likes you just fine," Elijah said warmly, giving the horse a gentle pat.
Boreas immediately jerked his head away.
I pointed at him. "SEE?! He hates me. I knew it."
Trevor snorted. Klaus glared at him. Elijah very gracefully pretended not to hear.
Klaus stepped closer, wearing that soft charming smile he had weaponized against me for days. "Allow me to help you mount, sweetheart."
"No." Elijah's voice came like velvet-wrapped steel. "I shall assist her."
They both froze.
I blinked.
Trevor coughed loudly. "I can help too—"
"NO!" Both brothers said it at the same time. Poor Trevor almost disintegrated on the spot.
I, meanwhile, just wanted to live long enough to complain in my diary.
Klaus regained his smile first. Polished. Smug. Dangerous. "Well, darling? Whom do you trust?"
Neither, honestly. They were both radiating this violent, elegant aura I did not understand but felt deep in my spine. As if the air itself tightened when they looked at each other.
I chose the safer answer "I trust… the one who stops Boreas from murdering me."
Elijah stepped smoothly to Boreas's side, placing a firm hand on the stallion's neck. The horse actually calmed, muzzle lowering.
Klaus hissed a quiet, "Show-off."
Boreas was a moody horse, though Klaus was his master for some reason he decided to like Elijah more today. Klaus wonders why. Not knowing dear Elijah bribed boreas with his favourite snack when he was not looking.
Elijah smiled sweetly. "Merely being helpful, brother."
If tension were visible, the grass would've caught fire.
I pretended not to notice and focused on the horse's eyes, which were definitely plotting my demise.
Elijah cupped his hands to help me mount.
Klaus appeared on my other side like a shadow, steadying my arm.
Trevor trailed behind like a terrified puppy.
The moment I sat on Boreas…
He immediately decided to walk backwards.
"WAIT—BACKWARDS ISN'T A DIRECTION—!"
Klaus grabbed the reins, pulling them forward. "Easy now, Boreas."
But Boreas took that as a challenge and tried to walk sideways.
Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose.
Trevor whispered, "He really does hate her."
"THANK you," I snapped at him. "Finally someone who understands."
Klaus leaned in, whispering in my ear—
"The horse merely requires confidence, sweetheart. Show him you are not afraid."
"I AM afraid."
"Pretend, then."
I glared at the horse. "Boreas," I said calmly. "If you behave, I will give you an apple later."
One ear flicked.
Progress?
No.
Because he suddenly sprinted forward.
"OHMYGOD—STOP—STOP—THIS WAS NOT IN THE TUTORIAL—!"
Klaus chased immediately, shouting commands. Elijah followed like a deadly, controlled storm. Trevor screamed and ran in the opposite direction entirely.
Boreas finally stopped, snorting in triumph.
When Klaus caught up, panting slightly, he pressed a hand to my ankle. "Are you hurt?"
"No. But my pride is." I pointed accusingly at Boreas. "He's doing this on purpose."
Elijah arrived, face unreadable but eyes warm. "I believe Boreas is simply… spirited."
"He is possessed," I corrected.
Klaus burst into laughter. Elijah's lips twitched. Trevor finally stumbled back into view like he survived a battle.
They decided I needed a break.
Apparently, nearly dying by horseback qualified as overexertion.
I sat on the grass beneath the open sky, catching my breath while Boreas snorted nearby, clearly offended that his entertainment had been paused. My legs still trembled faintly, adrenaline refusing to let go.
That was when Klaus, in a sudden fit of arrogance, decided to show off.
"Allow me," he said casually, reaching for the reins.
Before I could protest, he mounted Boreas in one smooth, practiced motion — confident, effortless. The horse stiffened for half a second… and then yielded.
And just like that, Klaus rode.
He didn't merely ride Boreas — he danced with him.
Horse and rider moved as one, cutting through the open field like wind given form. Boreas's powerful legs carried them forward in elegant arcs, mane flying, muscles flexing beneath his dark, gleaming coat.
Klaus laughed — openly, freely — the sound carrying across the field like something alive.
His hair whipped back, curls unrestrained, eyes alight with reckless joy.
For a moment, he wasn't a nobleman.
Or a lord. Or a danger I couldn't yet name.
He was simply… beautiful.
I felt something loosen in my chest.
A warmth. A lightness.
Laughter bubbled up before I could stop it, soft and unguarded. Klaus happiness was infectious.
It felt liberating — a feeling I hadn't known in a very long time.
As if for five minutes, the weight of my past had loosened its grip.
"My Lord," I murmured without thinking, eyes still following Klaus, "he looks so free."
Elijah didn't answer right away.
When I glanced at him, I realized his gaze wasn't on Klaus.
It was on me.
There was something unreadable in his expression — tenderness, perhaps, or quiet reverence — as though he were watching something rare and fragile.
"Yes," he said softly. "He does."
Then, with a conspiratorial air, Elijah reached into his pocket and handed me an apple.
"For later," he said. "I find Boreas responds well to… incentives."
I smiled. "So it's bribery."
Elijah inclined his head. "A refined form of persuasion."
I laughed.
When Klaus finally returned, slowing Boreas to a dramatic halt, he looked thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Well?" he asked smugly. "Impressed?"
"Very," I admitted honestly. "You and Boreas look… magnificent together."
Klaus preened. "I do have my talents."
"Don't let it go to your head."
"Too late." He smirked, his dimples making him look more innocent than he actually was.
We started the mission: 'Tame Boreas the broody' again.
"Katrina," Elijah murmured beside me, "Boreas senses your tension."
Boreas snorted loudly, blowing hot air directly onto my forehead.
"He also senses mockery," I muttered.
Trevor let out a wheeze of laughter — then immediately cut it off when Klaus turned toward him like a wolf catching scent of a mouse.
Right. Trevor had survival instincts.
Sometimes.
"Let us begin," Klaus said brightly, as if this were a pleasant picnic activity rather than the first step toward my impending doom.
But of course, Klaus tried to lift me onto the saddle. And of course, Elijah swiftly stepped between us, guiding my elbow with delicate precision.
"I believe it's my turn, brother," Elijah said smoothly.
"We never agreed to turns," Klaus countered.
"Your tone implies a challenge."
"Does it?"
Trevor backed away before the tension could burn him alive.
Meanwhile, Boreas stared at me with the slow blinking judgment of a sentient critique.
"I'm just… going to climb myself," I whispered.
Both brothers turned simultaneously.
"Absolutely not." My death would come from chivalry, not the horse.
Eventually — and by "eventually" I mean after a silent battle of eye contact that could have started a war — Elijah helped me mount, one hand steady on Boreas's back, the other supporting me with the sort of gentleness that made my breath catch.
But Klaus was at my other side almost immediately, hands closing over mine on the reins.
"Relax your grip," Klaus murmured, voice low, "you're strangling the reins, sweetheart."
"I'm trying not to fall off," I said through my teeth.
"Then rely on me." Klaus said.
"That's not comforting."
Elijah chuckled softly at my comment.
The moment I settled into the saddle, Boreas lifted his head dramatically, as if proclaiming to the heavens: Why must a gremlin ride me today? But this gremlin now had a weapon that Elijah so graciously offered.
I pulled out an apple from my pocket. "Easy," I murmured, offering Boreas a bite.
He complied.
"He… likes me?" I blinked.
Boreas licked my hand.
"He adores apples," Trevor said miserably. "More than his own soul."
Klaus glared at him. Elijah raised an elegant eyebrow.
"I knew he didn't hate me," I said proudly.
"You said the opposite moments ago," Elijah murmured.
"I can change my mind."
Boreas nudged me again, demanding more apple.
"Traitor," Klaus muttered under his breath — I wasn't sure if he meant the horse or me.
Klaus sat close behind me, his hands warm around my wrists as he guided the reins.
"Ease him left," he said, voice brushing my ear. "Let the movement be an extension of your body."
"How do I do that?"
"Think as if you and Boreas share the same soul."
"I barely share a soul with myself." Literally
Klaus choked on a laugh. "Just trust me."
I didn't trust his intentions.
But I trusted the way he handled the horse — confident, fluid, certain.
And somehow, Boreas actually listened. Thanks to the apples, I'll be forever be grateful to Elijah and his life saving apples.
As we made a slow, smooth turn. I felt a grin break across my face.
Klaus saw it. And his expression softened into something warm…"I do enjoy seeing you smile, darling."
I pretended I didn't hear the way my heart tripped.
The brothers have silently agreed on taking turns teaching me, I don't mind but Klaus was sulking because his time was up.
Elijah approached like a calm breeze, his presence gentler but no less intense.
"May I?" he asked, offering his hand to help me down and reposition me.
"Of course," I said before thinking.
His touch was feather-light, respectful, but it steadied me more than Klaus's charm ever could.
"Boreas is not your enemy," Elijah murmured. "He is simply testing your certainty."
"So he's rude."
Elijah's lips twitched. "Perhaps."
He clicked his tongue softly, and Boreas — the same demon horse who dragged me earlier — stilled under his command.
Trevor whispered, "He's cheating. Lord Elijah's half horse himself—"
Klaus elbowed him.
I breathed deeply.
Elijah stayed at my side, correcting my posture with gentle taps on my lower back, shoulder, and hands.
"You are improving," he said. His eyes lingered a fraction too long. Admiring. Wanting.
I swallowed hard. Am I having my own love triangle right now? Because I definitely can't ignore how much attention both the brothers give me and honestly I don't want to be the reason they fight.
I am no Elise... Elein, Eleana what was the main characters name again?
Trevor stepped forward with a forced grin.
"I suppose it's my turn—"
"NO." Both brothers blocked him instantly.
Trevor retreated like an abused house cat.
I bit back a laugh.
By the end of the hour, Boreas actually followed my lead.
Slow steps. Gentle turns.
All because every time he did something right, he received a bite of apple.
"He loves you," Trevor grumbled.
"He loves apples," Klaus corrected.
"He loves that she gives him apples," Elijah added.
Boreas shoved his head toward me again, practically demanding affection.
I patted his nose proudly.
"I think we've reached an understanding," I announced. Horseback riding was not so bad after all. I realized how much I was enjoying myself as Boreas gained speed little by little. It was liberating, I won't mind making this one of my hobby.
I wasn't scared anymore.
I was… happy.
Unaware that both brothers were watching me with the same quiet expression — something soft, something unguarded — smiles forming without their permission.
For that moment, it was enough.
Until Klaus's smile faded.
It was sudden — like a cloud swallowing the sun.
He looked up at the sky, calculation creeping into his eyes, joy replaced by something cold and inevitable.
Elijah noticed instantly.
"A month," Klaus said quietly. "The full moon is in one month."
The air shifted.
The warmth drained from the moment like water slipping through fingers.
Elijah straightened, his expression hardening — duty reclaiming him.
"Yes," he replied. "A month."
And though I didn't know it yet — I had just enjoyed a happiness with an expiration date.