The Deceived

✦✧✦

I was wrong to say I loved her
I was wrong to think I'm right
But when I told her it was over
My darling I had lied
I've been running from my demons
Afraid to look behind
I've been running from myself
Afraid of what I'd find

But how am I supposed to love you
When I don't love who I am?
And how can I give you all of me
When I'm only half a man?
'Cause I'm a sinking ship that's burning
So let go of my hand
Oh, how can I give you all of me
When I'm only half a man?

✦✧✦

Court of Ravenia; 1004 A.D.

Grief.

Grief is an exceptionally strong emotion. It can hurt and heal at the same time and the heart suffering through grief tends to hold so many secrets and darkness that anything is possible for that time period.

Aurelia was suffering through the same grief.

Joshua, her father, had been killed when he was on his way to the Court of Ravenia for the annual celebration of his daughter's naming day.

Someone had murdered him in cold blood and Aurelia was struck by agony at such an intensity that she could not think straight or even be the queen to the mournful kingdom.

It had been three months since the assassination. Joshua's body had been returned to the sea just like he always wanted and Aurelia's heart sank along with her father's corpse.

The news of their beloved king's demise spread through the entirety of the kingdom like wildfire and the riots that aroused now were even more violent than the time when Joshua had given up the throne.

Every day it was becoming difficult for Aurelia to keep a hold on her empire and find the ones responsible for killing her father at the same time.

She never imagined that she would ever have to face such a situation.

The Mikaelsons, on the other hand, worried that Aurelia would eventually have a breakdown like never before.

She hadn't shed a single tear at the loss of her father in the past three months and it was killing them to see the suffering in the Ravena's eyes.

Other than Aurelia, the immortals had another thing to worry about: Tristan and Aurora.

Elijah and Niklaus had a hunch that the twins knew about their identity. That they had somehow caught them in the two years that they had been living in Ravenia.

However, there was no way to find out for sure without gaining more suspicion from the twins and everyone in the court who followed them.

At the moment, Aurelia stood in the library with Aurora and Tristan.

The raven-haired witch's expressions were hard and the way she had her fists clenched, it was evident that it was taking all of her strength to not snap the necks of her siblings.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT THAT FATHER DIED!" Tristan yelled at her. "Your enemies wanted to get their revenge from you. You're the reason that father left us in the first place."

Aurelia's jaw tightened as she glared at him. "You did not just say that! He was my father. And I had made sure that he was protected at all times. You do not get to say that it was my enemies that killed him when you have been birthing enemies ever since I came into the throne." She snapped.

"Oh, spare me your indignation, sister. You cannot be trusted! You would do anything for the throne." Aurora spat immediately.

"I cannot be trusted?" She gaped, "You both are the ones who have been opposing my rule for years. From lobbying the nobles against me to all of those secret meetings with the Church; don't mistake my silence for stupidity, Aurora." Aurelia warned in a low voice.

Tristan and Aurora exchanged looks of shock, not realizing how she came to know about all of their meetings with the Church.

The two had been trying to get the cardinals to vote her out of the rule. They had tried every other method to remove her from the throne and now, only the path of faith was left.

They knew that if the Church denounced her as the queen of Ravenia, the people would never accept her.

Tristan took a step towards Aurelia and decided that it was the right time to reveal what he knew in order to gain some leverage.

"Yes, we have been going behind your back, but you are even worse, dear sister." He muttered with a smirk.

Aurelia furrowed her brows at the man. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I know about what beasts you have welcomed into our home. I saw them; the people who claim to be the children of Count De Guise. They were feeding on the blood of innocents; one of them was your beloved Niklaus." He grinned maniacally.

Aurelia was taken aback but she kept a straight face. She tried to mentally erase Tristan's memories however she furrowed her brows when it did not work.

How was that possible?

Tristan grinned as he exchanged evil glances with Aurora who was watching their older sister with an amused expression.

"Yes, well, we know of your weakness sister. That which allows us to resist your abilities."

Aurelia felt shaken to the core. "Wh-what abilities?"

Tristan clicked his tongue and smiled before procuring something from his pocket that caused her to look horrified. "You are a witch, sister. The messenger of evil. And this stone is your only weakness." He said showing off the amber crystal that Rozarro had used to resurrect her.

Aurelia took a step back. "What did you do to Razarro? He would never give this to you willingly!" She said shaking her head.

Aurora chuckled just footsteps were heard and Rozarro came out from behind the shelves. "But I did, mi Reina." He grinned maliciously.

The Ravena felt the ground shift from beneath her feet. She could not believe her eyes.

Rozarro had betrayed her.

"Why?" Aurelia croaked out, her throat closing up with emotions as tears flooded her eyes.

Rozarro smiled with pity, "is it so hard to believe? You are not fit for the throne." He snapped and then took out something from his coat that caused her to step back scared.

"What, what is that...?" She stuttered put trying to make a run for her life but Tristan stood in the way.

As long as Tristan had the stone, her powers were null and void.

"You will die here tonight and this time, no one will bring you back. And because I have already sent for Mikael, your beloved friends will die too." Rozarro smirked.

"I TRUSTED YOU!" Aurelia shrieked as tears slid down her throat. Rozarro grinned maliciously as he walked towards her with slow determined steps.

"You shouldn't have." He shook his head. "You are a Ravena. You caused the deaths of my Gods. And you will die for it." He spat. She didn't understand a word of that statement.

"What Gods are you talking about?" She muttered.

"The Sirens. The Ravenas killed them all."

"They killed our clan and died after losing their magic. We gave them their powers and they used it against us. That is why the Sirens died." She glowered angrily. She should have known about Rozarro worshipping the last of the Sirens.

"That was four thousand years ago. It shouldn't concern me. But it does because the last Siren that died was my mother. And she died because you were born. The Ravena queen with the power of a million Ravenas." The middle aged man explained in anger. "You killed her by being born. You deserve to die."

Aurelia shook her head, "you don't understand, Rozarro, you don't want to do this." She pleaded. Her heart ached because she was being betrayed by the only father figure she had in her life.

"Oh, but I do." He chuckled. "But before I kill you, you should know that this is the weapon I used to kill your mother too; and then your beloved father. And everyone else who believed in the power of the Ravenas." He revealed.

Aurelia looked wide eyed as she stared at the man who was her father's best friend and confidante. Oh, how he had fooled them all by pretending to be their companion.

Tristan and Aurora too looked shocked to know that Rozarro killed Joshua and Regina.

"You killed my father?" Tristan asked.

Rozarro glared at him, "you got what you wanted. I have given you the blood of the Originals and now, your job is done. Do not make me kill you too." He snapped making them shut up.

Aurelia glared at Rozarro as she then took a step forward. "You wish to kill me; then do it. But believe me—"

Her words were cut off by a shriek escaping her lips when Rozarro instantly plunged the glass dagger in her chest and dark magic unleashed inside the sheer object, transferring into Aurelia as her breathing hitched in her throat blood pooled into her eyes before she fell on the ground.

Dead.

Rozarro smirked in victory as Aurora and Tristan too grinned seeing her corpse.

He then bent down to remove the dagger from her chest and threw it aside before turning to Tristan.

"The rule is yours, Your Grace." He grinned devilishly with a tilt of his head in respect.

☽♛☾

Niklaus sat in his room while Adonis slept in his arms, peacefully.

Aurelia had left the toddler with him after she found out that Rebekah and Kol had gone to run some errands.

And if Niklaus was being honest, he enjoyed taking care of the little one. It made him stay in touch with his humanity and the slightest thought of being Aurelia's family made him happy and content.

However, the doors of his room suddenly slammed open and Elijah entered with a horrified expression. Following him, was Finn.

"What's wrong, what happened?" Niklaus asked instantly, making sure that his voice was not too alarming that it would wake up the sleeping child in his arms.

"Mikael, he's here." Elijah breathed and Niklaus' eyes widened in fear.

"What? But Aurelia's wards made sure that he would never find us."

"We do not know what went wrong. But Mikael is here and we need to leave before he finds us. He had been burning all of the neighbouring villages on the outskirts of Ravenia." Finn explained.

Niklaus immediately stood up as he clutched Adonis closer to himself. If Mikael was truly here then that meant that Aurelia's spell broke and something happened to her.

There was no way he was going to leave without taking her with him.

"Are Kol and Bekah back?" He asked his brothers just when the aforementioned siblings came in with their breathing ragged and blood covered their clothes.

"Mikael...he's here..." Kol breathed.

"We know." Elijah spoke.

"What the bloody hell are you all waiting for, we have to leave!" Finn urged them all in a strict tone.

"We are not leaving without Lia!" Elijah affirmed.

"Come on, we should go find her." Rebekah said in an alarmed voice.

Niklaus nodded instantly as the Mikaelsons left to find their queen. They each loved her, some more than others. And they would not leave Aurelia to suffer Mikael's wrath.

Elijah stopped in his tracks when they passed the royal library.

"Elijah, we need to leave!" Kol reminded him when they turned to find him standing and glaring at the library doors.

"I smell blood." Elijah mumbled.

Rebekah and Niklaus exchanged uncertain glances before the second eldest Mikaelson pushed open the doors and gased when they found Aurelia's bleeding frame on the floor as Tristan, Aurora and Rozarro stood towering over her.

The Mikaelsons all followed him inside as Elijah instantly took Tristan in a chokehold. Niklaus went after Rozarro and Rebekah and Kol bared their fangs to Aurora when she tried to flee.

Adonis' cries got mixed up with the sounds of blows being exchaged between Tristan and Elijah as Rozarro struggled while Niklaus held Adonis in his arm and used the other hand to choke the man.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" The blue eyed Mikaelson yelled at the man who he thought was an ally.

"She...deserved it..." Rozarro croaked out.

Niklaus growled loudly before a satisfying crack echoed through the room and Tristan and Aurora watched in horror when Rozarro's body fell on the floor.

"Brother?" Elijah's strained voice caught Niklaus' attention as he turned his gaze to find that Aurelia's corpse was not where they found it.

Aurora and Tristan looked around in terror as the winds howled inside the room and the books and journals flew everywhere.

The Mikaelsons stood together whilst Niklaus shielded Adonis protectively and tried to calm him down.

"It's okay, little king, you're brave for this." He whispered to the wailing toddler.

Before Tristan and Aurora could speak another word, their breathing got stuck in their throats and they dropped to their knees revealing Aurelia who was standing behind them while transmitting angry flames of her magic into their bodies.

"You should have never betrayed me!" Aurelia snapped as all of the Mikaelsons took a sigh of relief.

"YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" Aurora cried out. "My father, my mother, my brother's throne; and now even the man I fell for!" She snapped, sending a painful glance towards Niklaus.

Aurelia scoffed, "Oh, little sister, you never could stop yourself from going after what was mine." She spat before releasing them from her magic for a moment and then increasing the intensity again.

Their groans satisfied her to no extent especially now that they had betrayed her.

"The throne was alway mine. My father loved you both equally but you just could not bear the thought of me being better than you!" Aurelia added.

Tristan groaned in pain but still shot his sister a glare, "you never were fit to compete with Aurora." He seethed.

Aurelia simply twisted her hands and he screamed in pain.

"You are a monster!" Aurora spat with hatred. She then looked at Niklaus who could only glare at her for trying to kill Aurelia.

She then looked back at the Ravena, "I loved him and you took him from me. Just like you do with everything I grow close to." She muttered.

Aurelia scoffed. "I didn't take anyone from anyone. But I do intend on kill the two of you tonight. You should have never put the lives of this kingdom in danger just for the sake of revenge."

Aurelia's words shook the Mikaelsons to the core. They knew she didn't like her siblings but they never imagined her being able to kill them.

Two more necks snapped and their bodies fell forward on the floor. The Ravena glared at them before her gaze transferred to Rozarro, also lying in the same manner.

She knew Niklaus had killed him. She just never imagined she would feel relieved to see him dead.

She then bent down to retrieve the amber crystal from Tristan's palm and also the glass dagger Rozarro had used on her.

"He killed my mother with this weapon." She mumbled to the immortals who looked at her sympathetically. Niklaus' heart ached for her because he knew how much pain she was in.

"How did you come out alive?" Finn asked in confusion. "That dagger holds the darkest form of magic there is." He added, instantly recognizing the weapon.

"I am truly immortal, Finn. Nothing but my own heart can kill me." She whispered meekly.

"Why did Rozarro want you dead?" Elijah asked next. He could imagine how harsh the betrayal must have been for her.

Aurelia had a sour expression on his face. "Because Ravenas and Sirens don't get along. I don't have time to explain that, you all need to leave before your father finds you."

"We are not leaving without you!" Niklaus protested instantly and the rest nodded.

"I cannot leave with you all. I have a duty to this kingdom." She stated shaking her head.

"This kingdom has done nothing but wrong you and betray you. They are all but liars and thieves and I am almost certain that Mikael will destroy it before you even have a chance to save Ravenia." Elijah rambled. "Make the wise choice Lia." He begged.

The Ravena still didn't speak as Rebekah walked to her and took her in her arms.

"Adonis is all the family you have left, Lia. And us. So take him and come with us. Please." She whispered pleadingly.

Aurelia looked into the blonde's eyes before her gaze travelled to Niklaus who only had love for her in his orbs.

She then looked at the small bundle sleeping in Niklaus' arms and a lone tear rolled down her cheek.

For the first time in their life, the Mikaelsons saw Aurelia break. They saw her crumble.

And this time Niklaus did not hold back as he sped to her and wrapped her in his arms, burrying her face in his chest.

In that moment, the Mikaelsons saw another miracle. Their brother being the pillar of support for Aurelia and her son. The sight of their small family was soothing to the eyes just as it was heart-warming.

Niklaus' love for her and the child was evident in the way he held them both in his arms while his eyes were scrunched shut as he rested his cheek on the top of her head while she finally sobbed in his chest.

Adonis was finally calm, as if sensing both of their warmths at the same time.

This was Niklaus' family and the other Mikaelsons vowed yet again to always keep the three safe.

Hello, lovelies, how are you all?

So, here is an update and I promise for sure this time that The Queen will be updated by tonight, as well. I know it's been so long but I've just been so swamped with work. Ugh.

Anyway, I know this chapter was just a flashback but this is how she left Ravenia and I really hope you liked it.

The response on the last chapter was a little low, are you guys getting bored with the story? I am so fricking sorry if that is the case. I promise I will be more punctual with the update schedule from now on.

Also an announcement, that both my books will be updated twice every week and it'll mostly be regular but I will inform you when I am unable to do so.

Please keep voting and commenting on this book and I love you guys so much.

With Love, Devu.