CHAPTER FORTY
TWISTED CINDERELLA FETISH

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Rowan woke up late the next morning, her entire body healed but her mind full of thoughts. Remorse and guilt, mostly, after reuniting with Rebekah last night. She couldn't stop seeing the look in Rebekah's eyes, on her face. She couldn't stop thinking about all they she could've done but didn't. She could've tried harder to convince everyone that Rebekah wasn't a threat. She could've taken the dagger out in secret and freed Rebekah entirely. Rowan was sure she could've talked Rebekah down from killing Elena in revenge. Rebekah wasn't much of a killer already. She had a violent streak, but compared to even Rowan, her kill count since she was woken in Chicago was very low. Rowan rolled out of bed with a deep sigh, showering quickly before throwing on some black leggings and an oversized gray t-shirt. She was pulling her hair up into a lazy bun as she descended the stairs, and saw Damon holding a glass of blood. He was staring into the fire, lost in thought.

"Guess who came to visit me last night?" Rowan asked, stopping a few feet away from him and crossing her arms over her chest. Damon hummed and took a sip of his glass. Rowan was hungry, so she reached forward and plucked the glass from his hand, draining the rest of it in one go. Damon gave her an unamused look when she placed the empty glass back in his hand.

"Well, considering Elijah undaggered his entire family last night," Damon revealed casually, making Rowan's eyes widen in alarm, "I'm going to take a wild guess. Blonde, hot, anger issues?" Rowan stared at him for a long moment, speechless.

"The entire Original family is awake?" she finally asked, her voice rising a bit. Damon grimaced at the volume and rubbed at his temple. "So not only does Rebekah think I betrayed her, I have to deal with her possibly insane daggered brothers? Why does everything have to suck all the time?"

"Rebekah thinks you betrayed her? Oh, if only she could've heard your lovesick declarations when she was in our basement."

"You're not funny!" Rowan snapped, turning away from him in exasperation. Just having Klaus around was bad enough. Everyone had assumed that Elijah would simply take control of Klaus and then the both of them would leave. No one had guessed that Elijah would undagger everyone. Rowan was glad that Rebekah was awake, at least, but she wasn't looking forward to meeting her other two siblings. There had to be a reason both of them had been daggered for so long.

"Elena wants all of us to meet at her house as soon as possible," Damon said to her retreating back, making Rowan come to a halt at the console table by the front door. Her purse was resting there, as well as her phone, which someone had plugged up to charge last night. She gathered both of them, stuffed her phone into her purse, then turned to look at Damon again. "She said she spoke to Elijah last night. I'm guessing she wants to talk about Bonnie and her mom getting that coffin open last night?" That was another piece of news Rowan hadn't been aware of, but then, she hadn't spoken to anyone after Alaric was attacked last night aside from Rebekah. Rowan nodded and turned to leave again, but stopped when Damon appeared in front of her. He was smiling in a way Rowan wasn't familiar with. "Do you need a ride?"

"No," Rowan said immediately, frowning at him. "And even if I did, why would I take it from you?" Just like that, Damon's smile slipped.

"You can't avoid me forever," Damon said. Rowan would've thought he sounded annoyed if she wasn't studying his face. There was a bit of desperation there. Rowan abruptly wondered who else was refusing to interact with Damon after his and Elena's kiss was revealed. "If it makes you feel any better, Stefan punched the hell out of me when he heard about it."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Does it?"

"No." Rowan circled around him. "I'll take my own car." She pulled the door open and stepped out onto the concrete porch, only to pause when her shoe hit something. She came to a halt and looked down, blinking in bewilderment when she saw a large white box lying on the welcome mat, a golden bow wrapped around it elegantly. An envelope was stuck under the bow, and it had Rowan's name on it. Recognizing Rebekah's handwriting from their time together in classes, she bent to retrieve the box.

"What's that?" Stefan asked, appearing quite literally out of nowhere. Rowan jumped and nearly dropped the box, shooting him a harsh glare when he snorted. Damon crept up behind her and tried to grab the envelope, but Rowan ducked and headed for her car with the box, balancing it on one hand as she tucked the envelope into her purse. She tucked the box into her backseat, then circled her car to get behind the wheel. Stefan and Damon both followed her. "You aren't going to open it?"

"Not in front of you two," Rowan said, simply because she knew it would frustrate them. They both glared at her, and she gave them both a sharp grin before climbing into her car. She was driving off before they could even think of jumping into her car with her.

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Rowan didn't bother knocking when she showed up at the Gilbert house. She just walked right in. It smelled heavily of bleach, as if Elena had scrubbed at the blood stains with it. Rowan wouldn't have been surprised to learn that was exactly what she'd done. She didn't bother taking off her coat, or leaving her purse by the door. She had to pick up Bonnie later—they had a shopping day planned—and she knew that she would leave as soon as this meeting was over. She wandered into the living room, then tilted her head. The house was so quiet without Alaric and Jeremy. Jeremy was off living with a distant relative, and Alaric was currently in the hospital, healing from his attack. Apparently, his magical ring no longer healed him completely when he was brought back to life.

"Elena?" Rowan called, then sighed in relief when she heard a mug clatter from the kitchen. Rowan twisted and made her way there, seeing that Elena had been standing by the coffee machine. It seemed she had been staring into space before Rowan had called out, because the machine wasn't even turned on, despite everything to make coffee resting on the counter in front of her. Rowan raised an eyebrow as Elena turned away from the machine completely, as if abandoning making coffee. "Everything okay?"

"Just a lot on my mind." Elena rubbed at her forehead for a moment, then looked over Rowan's shoulder. A frown pulled at her lips. "The boys aren't with you?"

"They're on their way," Rowan said, moving to perch on top of one of the bar stools. "What is this about? Alaric?"

"Oh, no," Elena said, shaking her head. "He's fine, though. Should be back in a few days. No, it's about—"

"Knock, knock," Damon called from the front, walking into the house just like Rowan had, as if he owned it. Rowan glanced at Elena, but she was already hurrying out of the kitchen. Rowan frowned and followed her down the hallway. Damon and Stefan were waiting by the stairs.

"Good, you're all here," Elena said, sighing in relief. She waved at them to come into the living room, where there was more room for all four of them to stand around without blocking the door. "I'll just get right to it. Elijah came to meet with me after I visited Alaric at the hospital last night. Everyone's awake and at Klaus's house, and on top of that, the secret weapon inside of the coffin turned out to be their mother, Esther."

"As in the Original Witch?" Stefan asked, frowning in thought.

"What?" Damon demanded. "How is she even alive? I thought her hybrid freakshow of a son ripped her heart out."

"He did," Rowan cut in, staring at Elena in confusion. "How in the world did her body end up inside of that coffin? Rebekah mentioned that they buried her." Elena threw her hands up slightly, shooting all three of them exasperated looks.

"I don't know!" Elena exclaimed, sighing as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm guessing she has a couple of connections in the witch community. Elijah said she wants to live in peace with her family, including Klaus." Rowan frowned at her, crossing her arms over her chest as she thought that over.

"She was supposed to be the weapon to help us kill Klaus," Stefan said, leaning the doorframe leading into the dining room. Damon had turned to pace out of frustration. "That's what Bonnie's dreams told her."

"Maybe Esther was sending her those dreams," Rowan pointed out. "Manipulated her into waking her up."

"Either way, she's not trying to kill Klaus, not anymore," Elena revealed, shrugging when all three of them turned to give her disbelieving looks. "At least, not according to Elijah."

"That coffin was the only thing keeping Klaus from tearing us to shreds," Stefan added, sounding tense. He shoved off the frame to pace like Damon was, but Rowan stopped him with a sweet smile.

"And whose fault is that again?" Rowan asked, her voice just as sweet. Stefan scowled at her.

"Oh, bite me," Stefan snapped. Rowan grinned, then playfully snapped her teeth at him. He rolled his eyes and shoved past her to continue pacing, but he brought his hand up and flicked her nose before she could stop him. She whirled to hit him, but he was already too far away. Rowan scowled and turned back to Elena, who had watched their small interaction with a fond smile. Rowan started to smile back, but Damon cut in then. He was off to the side. He had stopped pacing, and now he was staring blankly across the room, a twist to his mouth.

"Anyone else feeling a little used right now?" he drawled out, eyes pinned to the couch.

"Maybe this is a good thing?" Rowan suggested. She shrugged when everyone stared at her. "Maybe now, all the constant fighting can stop." Damon scoffed at that, and even Stefan grunted as if the words were too hard to believe.

"Look, Elijah promised me that his family wouldn't hurt any of us," Elena added. She paused when her doorbell rang. She looked at it warily, then sighed and started toward the door. "I believe him," she added over her shoulder. She opened the door then. All three vampires kept an eye on her, all of them too paranoid to trust even a doorbell going off. Everything seemed fine, though. Elena stepped out, bent to retrieve something left in front of her door, then came back and shut the door behind her. In her hands was a familiar white envelope. Rowan's hand flew to the purse still resting across her chest.

"What is it?" Stefan asked. Elena shook her head and opened the envelope. The only thing inside of it was a stiff piece of stationary.

"It's an invitation," Elena said, frowning down at it. Rowan, curious, walked forward, but Elena was already reading it out loud. "'Please join the Mikaelson family this evening at seven o'clock for dancing, cocktails, and celebration.'" Even more curious, Rowan pulled her own envelope out, just to be sure. It was the same invitation.

"I got one, too," Rowan explained when she caught Elena staring at her. "I just didn't open it."

"Who the hell are the Mikaelsons?" Stefan demanded. Rowan turned a glare his way.

"Klaus's family, you idiot," Rowan said. Stefan raised his middle finger at her, then dropped it before Elena or even Damon could see. Rowan made a face at him that wasn't at all pleasant, and he snorted.

"It's not bad enough they're moving into town, now they want a housewarming gift?" Damon demanded, tone full of disgust. Elena shook her head again, then flipped the invitation over. Rowan, curious, flipped hers as well. As soon as she saw a note scrawled for her in Rebekah's writing, she flipped it back around and put it back in the envelope. The last thing she wanted to do was read a note from Rebekah, out loud, in front of her ex-girlfriend, her best friend, and Damon.

"Wait, there's a note on the back," Elena revealed. "'Elena, I think it's time we finally meet. Esther.'" Rowan immediately shot forward to read the note for herself, then she shook her head hard.

"Absolutely not," Rowan said, pointing at the note and giving Elena a hard glare. "That woman tried to kill us both from beyond the damn grave, and now she wants a meeting with you? That is such a bad idea."

"I don't know, I mean..." Elena read over the note again. "If Esther wants to talk to me, maybe I should find out why."

"Well, that's a dumb idea," Damon cut in smoothly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Like Rowan said, she already tried to kill you once. She almost took Rowan and Stefan, too."

"No, Elena's right," Stefan said. He didn't sound so tense anymore, just curious. "Bonnie was led to open that coffin for a reason. I think there's more to this than just some family reunion."

"But she's their mother," Rowan argued. "Do you really think a mother would kill her own children? And if she does..." Rowan shifted, an uncomfortable feeling creeping along her skin. She didn't like the thought of parents hurting their children on a good day, and she didn't think an exception could be made, even for an immortal family. "Do we really want to side with her? Isn't that...evil? A parent hurting their children?"

"We sided with Mikael," Elena said, though she sounded hesitant as well, an uncomfortable set to her shoulders. She hadn't liked how Rowan had framed her question.

"I didn't agree with that either," Rowan reminded. "Besides, he would've killed all of us if we didn't help him. I'm pretty sure if the plan had succeeded, he would've killed us all, anyway. But this..." Rowan motioned toward the invitation still in her hands. "I don't like it."

"We have different reasons, but I'm with Rowan," Damon said, throwing his arm over Rowan's shoulders for good measure. Rowan immediately shook it off with a roll of her eyes, but Damon acted as if he hadn't even touched her. "This is a bad idea. Also—" Damon turned to pin Stefan with an exasperated look. "—can we please go back in time to the old Stefan who cared if Elena lived or died?"

"What for?" Stefan said, crossing his arms and taking a defiant stance. "That's your job now." There was a beat of tense silence. Rowan shifted on her feet, and as she did, she ended up closer to Stefan than to Damon. Elena had dropped her eyes to the floor. Damon stared at Stefan for a long moment until Elena shook her head and straightened her spine.

"Stefan has a point," she decided, her voice hard. "I should find out what she wants. Knowing her family, she won't leave me alone until I do. This is just her being polite." She waved the invitation through the air. "This wasn't her asking to see me. It's her ordering me to show up."

"You can't protect yourself," Damon argued.

"I'm going," Rowan cut in. Shocked silence welcomed her words. Damon shot her an angry look, and Rowan raised her chin. "What? Why would I miss out on a chance to dress up and drink cocktails? Besides, they're throwing a literal ball. They probably invited the entire town. Not showing up when you're personally hand-delivered an invitation could be seen as rude, and we don't want to be rude to the entire Original family, do we?"

"I'll go, too," Stefan decided.

"You've pissed off enough Originals to last a lifetime. I'll go." Damon reached forward and yanked the invitation out of Elena's hands. She made an affronted sound, reaching to take the invitation back, but Damon was too quick. "End of story." Rowan opened her mouth to argue against that, as did Elena, but Damon was already storming off. The front door slammed behind him, leaving Elena, Rowan, and Stefan all staring at each other. Eventually, Stefan sighed and muttered something about finding a tux. He left Rowan and Elena alone together a moment later. Elena bit her bottom lip the second the door shut behind Stefan, and Rowan found herself staring at it until she forced her gaze away.

"Bonnie and I are going shopping," Rowan said, fixing her gaze on a potted plant she was pretty sure was made out of plastic. "Do you want to come? You must need a dress." Elena's face brightened at that, and she nodded quickly.

"I'd love that," Elena said softly. Rowan nodded back, and then waited for Elena to gather her purse and coat. Rowan led the way out the door, and while walking to her car, she reached for the invitation again. Rebekah's handwriting was as neat as ever, and the message was short. I don't know if I believe you, but I would like to. Yours, Rebekah. Rowan's cheeks felt a bit hotter as she slipped the invitation back into her purse. Elena didn't notice, just circling her to get to the passenger door of her car. The white box must've caught her attention through the window, because she paused to peer inside. "What is that?" she asked, curious. Rowan cleared her throat, suddenly uncomfortable, though she couldn't explain why.

"It came with my invitation," Rowan explained. She hesitated, then reached for the door handle, curiosity pushing her to open the box now, even with Elena watching over her shoulder. "I guess Rebekah got me a present." There was a beat of silence.

"Rebekah?" Elena asked. Her voice was quiet.

"Yeah. She almost killed me last night because she thought I was in on the whole dagger thing. I guess she felt bad about it, and buying me something was her way of apologizing." Rowan shrugged, then reached down and tugged at the golden bow wrapping up the white box. Once it was loose, Rowan lifted the lid, and then her breath rushed out of her. There, nestled in soft paper, was an expanse of glittering gold silk. It rippled like molten gold as Rowan grabbed the straps and tugged the dress slightly out of the paper. It was the dress Rowan had seen and had wanted in Chicago, the one specially made for a bride. Rowan's jaw practically fell to the ground as she stared at it. "Oh my god," she whispered, awed. "Holy shit, it's even more beautiful than I remembered. God." Gently, Rowan set the dress back into the box, not wanting to risk it getting dirty as she gawked at it in her backseat. Breathless, she put the lid back on top of the box, then secured it more firmly in her backseat. She didn't want it sliding around as she drove.

"Are you going to wear it?" Elena asked. Rowan paused in her movements, then slowly straightened and closed her back door. Elena was tense, a dark expression on her face that Rowan wasn't familiar with. Rowan opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

"Yes," Rowan said bluntly. Elena flinched slightly, as if the answer was surprising. Rowan ignored whatever was going on with her completely and went to get into the driver's seat. "It's one less thing for me to worry about today. We need to go pick up Bonnie. We're a little late." Elena was silent as she climbed into the passenger seat, and she remained silent when Rowan started driving. To fill the silence, Rowan flipped on her radio and started playing music. Her phone was connected to her radio through Bluetooth, so when Caroline started calling, it blared through her car speakers. Rowan was slightly relieved when she answered it. It meant less tense silence in her car.

"Please tell me," Caroline said immediately, as soon as she knew Rowan had answered, "that I'm not the only one who got an invitation to this weird freaking ball."

"Elena and I both got one," Rowan revealed, shooting a glance Elena's way. Elena was staring out her window, showing little interest in the conversation at hand. "Bonnie probably got one, too, since she helped wake Esther up."

"Who the hell is Esther?" Caroline asked, exasperated. "No, Klaus sent me an invitation. And a dress! Can you believe that?"

"Lots of dresses going around," Elena muttered.

"What?" Caroline asked.

"Why in the world would Klaus send you a dress?" Rowan asked, ignoring Elena's comment entirely. She wasn't about to go down that road with her. It wasn't the place or the time. "You know what, I don't even want to know. Elena, Bonnie, and I are going shopping. Want to come? I'm pulling into Bonnie's street now." As she turned her car into the street, she saw that Bonnie was outside waiting for her. Sure enough, in her hand was a white envelope. "And yes, Bonnie did get an invitation."

"In that case, yes, please come pick me up after Bonnie." Caroline sounded frustrated and close to tears. "Anything to get out of this stupid, depressing house."

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It took them a good part of the morning and the afternoon to find dresses for Elena and Bonnie, and then accessories. Caroline had picked up elbow length white gloves and shoes for the dress Klaus had sent her—her reasoning was the same as Rowan's; why shop for a dress when she had one?—and Elena had gotten similar gloves, though black to match her gold and black ballgown. Rowan had bought golden shoes, gold earrings, and golden hair ornaments. Bonnie had chosen a gorgeous champagne dress with black floral details along the torso, but she had claimed she had shoes and jewelry at her house to match. She had just gotten her hair done as well the previous weekend, her hair twisted into long locs. She looked beautiful, and Rowan told her so as they walked into the Mystic Grill for a very late lunch.

"Rowan, please," Bonnie said, laughing as she blushed, her cheeks dark as she ducked her head. Rowan, her arm linked through Bonnie's, grinned and leaned forward to peck Bonnie on the cheek. Rowan had made a promise to herself that she would never make Bonnie feel left out—and Bonnie had certainly felt left out during the shopping, if only because Caroline, Rowan, and Elena had both been complimented by the staff, while Bonnie hadn't been. It made no sense to Rowan. Bonnie was beautiful, and she made sure Bonnie knew that for the rest of their time shopping. Now, Bonnie was overwhelmed and grinning.

"Are you feeling better?" Rowan asked. Caroline and Elena had gone ahead to get a table, while Rowan and Bonnie had dragged behind. Bonnie's grin dimmed a bit, and she glanced around, wondering if anyone was close enough to hear.

"I'm used to it," Bonnie revealed. Rowan's stomach sank. Bonnie shrugged at whatever expression crossed Rowan's face. "It's true. You, Elena, and Caroline always used to get all the attention. Honestly, I'm more surprised that you even noticed. You didn't used to. Before."

"I'm sorry," Rowan said, her words coming out slightly choked. Bonnie seemed startled, and she started to pull her arm free of Rowan's, but Rowan held on. "No, really, Bonnie. I'm sorry I didn't notice before. I'm sorry that I was such a bad friend to you. I hope I can make that up to you."

"Oh, Ro, you don't have to say sorry—"

"I do," Rowan said firmly, squeezing Bonnie's arm gently. Elena and Caroline were sitting at a table for four now, talking in low voices. Rowan started walking toward them, taking Bonnie along. "A lot of people have been shitty toward you, Bon. I should've noticed. I'll try to from now on."

"Careful," Bonnie said in a teasing tone. They had reached the table by then, and Rowan immediately noticed Bonnie's shift in her mood. She was less serious. She didn't want Caroline or Elena to know of her and Rowan's short conversation, so Rowan played along, smiling at her. "Keep talking to me like that and I'll fall in love with you next." Rowan dropped a wink at her as they took their seats. Coffee and water had already been ordered for both of them. All of them had regular orders for the Grill, so when the waiter came to take their orders, they all rattled them off without even looking at the menu. They were eating their lunch in comfortable silence when, out of nowhere, a girl from their school came up.

"Hey, Caroline," the girl said, her voice so soft it sounded forced. Rowan squinted up at her with her fork shoved into her salad, trying to place her name. It wouldn't come no matter how hard she tried to remember it. "I just wanted to say I'm so sorry about your dad." Caroline's entire face fell, going pale as she dropped her gaze to her food. Caroline didn't respond, and yet the girl waited, as if she wanted to see what Caroline would do. Rowan's lip curled.

"You can go now," Rowan said, her voice hard, harsh. The girl blinked at her, startled, but Caroline released a small sigh of relief. That was all Rowan needed to hear. "You said what you needed to say. Now leave."

"I'm sorry, but this has nothing to do with you," the girl said, defiant, angry now. Rowan arched an eyebrow.

"No one cares," Rowan said. "Fuck off." The girl scowled, shot a nasty glare Caroline's way, and then stormed off. Rowan rolled her eyes and turned back to her food.

"You didn't have to do that," Carolien said quietly, but she was smiling slightly when Rowan looked at her. Rowan shrugged.

"You weren't going to, and she wasn't leaving without a reaction," Rowan pointed out.

"So, are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?" Bonnie asked, changing the subject swiftly. No one, least of all Caroline, wanted to talk about her father's death, nor the grief Caroline was trying to distract herself from. "We just shopped for it, and apparently, so did everyone else." Bonnie gestured for them to look around the Grill, so Rowan did. Many of the patrons had shopping backs shoved beneath their tables and chairs. If Rowan stretched out her hearing, she was sure she would hear everyone gossiping about the new family in town throwing a ball.

"It's all so weird, right?" Elena asked as Rowan turned to face her friends. She had been right in assuming everyone in town had been invited. At least, everyone that the Mikaelson's deemed worthy of it. "The Originals are throwing a ball. Like, an actual ball."

"It's some twisted Cinderella fetish is what it is," Caroline muttered, pointing her fork at Elena for emphasis. "And why does the evil witch want an audience with you?"

"I don't know," Elena sighed. "There's only one way to find out."

"Which is another reason why I'm going," Rowan quickly said. "I'm not letting you walk into that place alone."

"Same. And everyone is going, so what can they do, realistically, without gaining too much attention?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm not going," Caroline declared. They all turned to stare at her. She blinked innocently at them. "What? Just because I got accessories for my dress doesn't mean I'm wearing any of it. I'm saving it all for a better occasion."

"You're so full of shit. Besides, it'll probably be a lot of fun," Rowan told her. Caroline scowled at her.

"Why are you so excited to go?"

"Why wouldn't I be? It's a ball. And my dress? I can't not wear it."

"Okay, that's it. You have to show me this mysterious dress," Caroline ordered. Rowan grinned at her, wide and bright.

"You'll see it if you show up," Rowan said sweetly. Caroline just scowled harder at her. Rowan knew she would show up at the ball regardless. Caroline was the type of person who couldn't refrain from such an experience. The opulence was too tempting.

"It would be fun with all of us there," Bonnie added quietly. Caroline shot her a betrayed look, while Elena laughed.

"See? Three against one," Elena said, grinning. "You lost, Care. You're going."

"Careful, girls," a new voice drawled. Rowan went ramrod straight, her head twisting fast to look at Rebekah. Her hair was in a sleek ponytail, and she was wearing a golden-brown sweater. Rowan's mouth went dry with nerves, even as Rebekah pinned Elena with a cold look. "It's all well and good until she stabs you in the back."

"What are you doing here?" Elena demanded, any joy in her voice previously now gone. She sounded as tense as she had when asking about the dress Rebekah had given to Rowan. "I know your mom's rules. No hurting the locals." Rebekah's mouth pulled into a sneer.

"Get over yourself, Elena. It's not all about you," Rebekah said smoothly, and she started to turn away. She hesitated, though, and turned to pin Rowan with a look that was far kinder. Rebekah's lips twitched up into a tentative, if nervous, smile. A funny feeling rose in Rowan's stomach, and she took a deep breath to calm it. "You're coming?"

"Yes," Rowan said, a little too fast. She knew her three friends were staring at her, and she ignored them completely. If she let herself notice, her cheeks would turn red, and then she'd be too embarrassed to even speak. "I'm coming." Rebekah's tentative smile turned into a full grin.

"Fanastic!" Rebekah said. She sounded genuinely happy then. "I'll see you then." Rebekah turned to walk away then. Not toward the entrance, but deeper into the Grill, until she stopped at the side of a busboy clearing tables. It was Matt. He didn't even notice her until he turned and saw her holding an envelope toward him, smiling brightly. Rowan was unconcerned, but her friends didn't seem to share her ease. They all looked startled, even Bonnie, who leaned forward with a frown to get a better look.

"Oh my god," Caroline said, sounding scandalized. Rowan felt lost, but she remained silent, figuring that accepting a dress from Rebekah was reason enough for them to question her thoughts about this. "She's inviting him to the ball. Why is she inviting him?"

"Probably to get this reaction from us," Elena said, sounding resigned. Rowan frowned at her. If Rebekah wanted a reaction from them, then her inviting Rowan personally would've done the job just fine. Caroline collapsed back in her chair with a scowl, while Bonnie muttered something under her breath and sipped at her coffee.

"What time is this stupid dance?" Caroline demanded.

"Calm down," Rowan ordered, unable to help herself. Caroline was just being so dramatic about Matt being invited. "Everyone in town was invited, it seems like."

"Easy for you to say. You got a dress from an Original," Caroline said. Rowan smiled at her.

"So did you," Rowan said sweetly. Caroline just scowled at her. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I need to go get ready for a ball."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is no logical reason why Bonnie wasn't invited to the ball, especially since Esther had already planned to ally herself with the Bennetts. It was just JP and co. not wanting to dress up Bonnie and make her feel pretty. Fuck them. My princess is going to the ball and she's going to be the best dressed there. Rowan and Bonnie both will be getting edits with their ball looks next chapter. xoxo