The mansion stood proudly at the top of the hill. Its grand stone walls a stark contrast to the surrounding forest. The massive oak doors groaned as I pushed them open, revealing the opulence within. It was a place of refuge, a sanctuary I had kept hidden from the world for centuries. No one knew about it, not even Katherine, until now.
She paused in the foyer. Her gaze wandering over the marble floors and the grand staircase that let to the upper levels.
"Nice place." She remarked casually though I could see the gleam of interest in her eyes.
"It's a safe house. You will be staying here for a while. It's better if you lie low." I replied, walking ahead of her.
"Low profile has never been my style." Katherine laughed softly.
"It is now." I glanced back at her, my expression serious.
She followed me up the stairs. Her footsteps light and graceful despite the ordeal she had just endured. As we reached the upper level, I opened the door to a lavish bedroom. The silk curtains fluttered in the breeze, and the golden light of the setting sun cast a warm glow over the room.
"I could get used to this." Katherine stepped inside, as she runs herf fingers over the velvet covered bed with a satisfied smirk.
"You are not here to indulge." I reminded her sharply, leaning against the doorframe.
"You are here because the witches want you dead. I can't protect you if you keep drawing attention to yourself." I said and she looked at me, her smile fading slightly.
"Why do you care so much?" She asked and her toner softening for the first time since she arrived.
I hesitated. The words lingering on the tip of my tongue. It wasn't just because she was reckless. It wasn't just because she was a Petrova. But, part of it is because she remind me of my past. Both of our family are murdered in a cold blood. We lost someone so dear to us. We got our heart broken, and we are both on the run. But I don't want her to know that. I don't want her to know my past, not just her, but I don't want anyone else to know. I have buried my past and I have no intention of digging it out.
"You are a Petrova, Katerina. My blood runs through my veins. Whether you or I like it or not, with one main rule, which is as long as you didn't betray me, you are my responsibility."
"You keep saying that. There are people who will not think twice to betray their own flesh and blood. Especially when they are a monster like us."
"I guess you are lucky that I am not that most people." I said and for a long moment, Katherine stared at me as she processing my words. Then, her lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile."
"Am I not the luckiest vampire."
"Katerina...." I said with a warning voice as I sensing the shift in her demeanor.
"This is not a game. You need to be careful. Now more then ever."
"I am always careful." Her smile didn't waver.
But I knew better.
No matter what I said, Katherine wouldn't change. She was reckless, manipulative and dangerous. But since I had known that she was family, I couldn't turn my back on her. I had to protect her, no matter what it cost me.
Even if it meant cleaning up her mess. Again and again.
For a while, things were good between us. We traveled together, sharing stories and laughter, and I found myself genuinely enjoying her company. Katherine had a way of making even the darkest days feel a little brighter, and I began to see her as the sister I never had. We spent years like this, moving from place to place, avoiding the dangers that lurked in the shadows, and for a time, I believed that I could truly keep her safe.
But Katherine was Katherine. She couldn't stay out of trouble for long.
It started with small things, minor conflicts with local villagers, a few bodies left behind in her wake, or a fued with a witch from the local covent. I would arrive just in time to clean up the mess, erasing memories and covering our tracks before anyone could catch on.
Each time, I would confront her, trying to make her understand the importance of staying under the radar. But she would always flash me with that charming smiles, promis to behave and then do it all over again.
And then came the day when everything changed.
We were staying in a small village in France. It was a quiet place where we could lay low for a while. There was a young witch there, Naomi Bennet, who I had taken under my wing. She was talented, kind hearted, and full of potential. I had raised her from a baby. Teaching her everything I knew about magic, and she had become like a daughter to me.
Katherine was intrigued by Naomi at first. She was fascinated by her power. But as time went on, I began to notice a change in her demeanor. She became more distant, more secretive and I knew something was wrong.
I found out too late of what she had done.
I arrive at the cottage we werer staying in. The air was thick with the scent of blood. My heart sank as I pushed open the door, dread settling in my stomach. Naomi was lying on the floor. Her body broken and lifeless. And standing over her, with blood dripping down her mouth, her clothe covered in blood, was Katherine.
"Katerina" I shouted, my voice trembling with fury as I rushed to Naomi's side. Katherine look at me, her expression unreadable.
"She was a threat." She said simply, as if that justified everything. I knelt beside Naomi, cradling her body in my arms as tears streaming down my cheeks.
"She was just a child. How can she be a threat to you?" I whispered, my voice cracked with gried. Katherine scoffed, crossing her arms as more tears streaming down my cheeks.
"She was growing too powerful. She would have turned against us eventually." I stared at her in disbelief. My heart breaking as I realized the depth of her betrayal.
"How could you doi this?" I demanded and my voice was shaking with anger.
"She trusted you. I trusted you!"
For the first time, Katherine seemed to falter. Her gaze dropping to the floor. But she quickly recovered. Her expression hardening as she shrugged.
"You were to soft on her and she has become a lialibility. There will be no guarantee that she won't use that against us."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The girls I had come to see as a sister had murdered someone I loved as my own daughter, and she didn't even care or feel guilty. The rage that had been simmering inside me boiled over, and I stood, with my hands trembling as I glared at her.
"You have gone too far this time. I can't protect you anymore. Not after what you have done this time." I said and my voice low and dangerous. Katherine looked at me, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes.
"What are you going to do? Kill me? You wont have the heart to do so." She said and her tone was challenging, but I could hear the underlying fear. I grab her throat, choking her with all my strength and no matter how hard she struggle to escape, she couldn't. I am older and I am stronger. Her strength could never outdid my strength.
"Death will be too easy for you, Katerina."
"Mark my word. In every step that you take, I will be there. If you think two step ahead, I will think ten. When you are at your highest joy in life, I will be there to take them away." I said with anger and hatred in my voice. I throw her to the wall. The sound of her bones breaks echoes inside the silent cottage.
I carry Naomi in my hands. I turned and walked out of the cottage, leaving Katherine there alone, laying on the ground with fear of my threats. As I step into the night, my mind is determine to fulfill my threat. I would do whatever it took to stop her, to end the reign of terror that she had and will unleashed. She was a danger to everyone around her, and I couldn't let her continue. I will be there when she feels she has accomplish her goals. I will be there to destroy her.
For centuries, I had followed her. Katherine Pierce, born Katerina Petrova, my own blood, my descendant, and the woman who had become my greatest regret. From the moment I saved her life in 1843, I had taken it upon myself to protect her, to guide her, to show her that she could be more than just a creature of darkness. But Katherine had other plans. Every chance she got, she used her cunning and charm to manipulate those around her, leaving a trail of destruction in her wake.
As I watched her across the decades, I saw the darkness in her grow, and with it, my patience wore thin. I gave her countless chances to change, to redeem herself, but each time, she spat in the face of the opportunity.
As the years passes and the world around us changed. I began to realize that Katherine was living in fear and I know it is not me. I know she is running from something but I never truly know the true extant of her fear on what she run from. As I watch her, the hints was subtle at first, small hints that only someone who knew her well would notice. The way her eyes would dart around, the restless movement that seemed to crackle beneath her skin, the sudden departures from towns she had comfortably nestled into. She was always one step ahead, always on the move, and always looking over her shoulder.
My curiosity piqued. I began to dig deeper, searching for the answers that Katherine kept hidden so well. It took years, but eventually, I discovered the truth. The man she was running from was the same man I had once loved, the one who had betrayed me and used me all those centuries ago. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, reopening old wounds I thought had long healed.
But why was she running from him? Why did the sight of this man made her tremble in fear? Why did the mere mention of his name make her flee?
The answer came to me in fragments, whispers of the past that slowly began to form a complete picture. Katherine was the key to breaking his curse. A curse that bound him to his suffer, preventing him from unleashing his full power. But in order for him to break free, Katherine had to die. And she knew it.
The only was for her to escape that fate was to ensure she could not be sacrificed. So, she did the unthinkable, she drank the blood of a vampire and took her own life, turning herself into one of the undead. It was the ultimate act of defiance, a refusal to be anyone's pawn, and it was typical of Katherine to choose such a path.
Years of following her, tracking her every move and interfering with her plans had made me lose track of time. It wasn't until 1864 that I realized how much time had passed, and how little Katherine had changed. She had made her way to Mystic Falls, a quaint town in Virginia, and there she meet the Salvatore's brothers, Stefan and Damon. There is where I first met them but I never went close.
From the moment she laid eyes on them, I could see the gears turning in her mind. She toyed with them, played with their hearts as though they were nothing more than puppets on strings. It was her nature. After all, manipulation was her weapon of choice, and she wielded it with deadly precision.
But seeing her in Mystic Falls, watching her entangle herself in the lives of these two men, I knew that something had to change. Katherine had centuries to learn, to evolve, to break free form the cycle of destruction she had created herself, but she hadn't. She was still the same selfish, cruel woman she had always been, and I could no longer turn a blind eye.
It was then that I made my decision. If Katherine would not change, if she refused to redeem herself, then I would take matters into my own hands.
I will struck a deal with the Founder's Council.