Chapter Text
“Gyda?”
She turned, looking at her elder brother. His blond hair was hanging loose, coated in dirt and blood. His blue eyes stared into her very soul, as if seeking absolution.
She gave him a sad smile. “Niklaus,” she replied softly. She held out her hands, and he took them eagerly, joining her on the floor of their hut. She rubbed the calloused hands with care. “What happened, brother?”
A single tear falls down her favourite brothers cheek. “It is Henrik,” he chokes out, looking to the floor they knelt on.
Cold grips her very soul. “Henrik? Niklaus what has happened to our brother?” she urges him to continue.
A sob is all that answers her query.
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“Mother?”
Esther turns her head, looking upon her youngest daughter. She smiled, though it did not reach her eyes. “Gyda, sweet child,” she says softly, walking up to wrap her daughter in her warm embrace.
Gyda returned the hug, letting her tears finally fall. “It is true, then?” she asked wetly, “Henrik was slain by the wolves?”
Her mother only nodded, refusing to shed tears in front of her child. “Worry not, my love,” she whispered, kissing Gyda softly on the crown of her head, “I will make sure no harm ever befalls our family again.”
She left the embrace, looking her daughter in the eyes. “And I would love it if you helped.”
Gyda nodded, wiping her face with the sleeve of her dress. “We will cast a spell, then?” she asked. Esther held Gydas face between her hands softly. “No, love. Not a spell; a ritual.”
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“How is it you managed to keep your magic when neither Finn nor myself were able to?” Kol asked angrily.
Esther laid a gentle hand on her sons shoulder, and Kol relaxed slightly. “I was not able to weave more magic into the ritual. I needed one of this family to retain their magic, so they could perform the ritual in the future once more should you each meet the ones you wish to live forever with. The spirits would only allow one of you, and Gyda has even more magical potential than I.”
Her brother still did not look happy, but Gyda knelt before him, clasping his hand between hers. “Brother, I swear to you that I will find a way for both you and Finn to use magic once more. It might just take some time.”
Kol huffed. “I will hold you to your word, sweet sister,” he muttered, pulling her into his embrace.
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“Father is not your sire?”
It was said in a whisper, but they all heard it as loud as if she had yelled it. Niklaus looked to the ground, backing away from the rest of them slightly.
Gyda was having none of it. She walked up to him and grabbed his bloodied hands. “You are still my brother, Niklaus. Still our brother. Mothers infidelity changes nothing.”
Elijah and Rebekah came up to lean their weights on either side of their brother. “Gyda is right. Always and Forever; Mikael will simply have to deal with it.” Rebekah said softly.
Gyda gave Niklaus a kiss on the cheek, before embracing him. “I will break the curse Mother placed on you,” she whispered in his ear, “of this, I promise.”
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“You seem to be alone.”
Coldness washed over her like ice. She turned, seeing the familiar face staring back at her with a flat expression.
“Mikael,” she whispered.
He frowned. “There was once a time you called me Father,” he said softly, walking closer. “Do you hate me like the rest of your siblings?”
Gyda wiped a tear from her cheek. “You have chased us for a little over five centuries. What am I supposed to feel about that?”
He looked as if he would walk closer, but stopped himself. “I would never hurt you, Gyda,” he replied softly. “You are my daughter; my blood.”
“And Niklaus?” she countered, “Elijah? Kol? Rebekah?” she made no mention of Finn; she knew Mikael would never hurt his eldest and favourite son. The one who wasn’t a monster like the rest of them.
“Only your bastard brother will die by my hand,” Mikael placated. She growled, taking a threatening step forward. “He is my brother, and I will never allow you to harm him!”
Mikael pulled her into an embrace, rubbing her back in comfort. “My sweet daughter, one day you shall understand that I cannot allow a monster like him to continue to corrupt this family. I am sorry.”
“Why?” she whispered, hugging back tightly. “Why do you not show the rest of your children that you are a good father? Why did you make them fear you? Only Finn and I know the real you. You could have loved them the way you love us, even Niklaus. Why didn’t you.”
Mikael was silent for only a moment. “It is because you are so much like your sister. Like Freya.”
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“I can stop Mikael.”
Niklaus was out of his chaise in an instant. “Then what are you waiting for?” he demanded. Elijah held a hand up, stopping his brother from ranting.
“I can stop Mikael,” she repeated, “but there’s a cost.”
Elijah frowned. “Explain,” he said.
Gyda swallowed. “Mikael only has one White Oak stake. If it is used on one of us, it will burst into flames and can no longer be used. I can cast a spell disguising me as Nik. Mikael would use the stake on me, leaving the rest of you free.”
“Absolutely not!” Nik screamed, grabbing her roughly. “No, I will not lose you or anyone else. We will run again. That’s final.”
“Nik,” she whispered, “look at me.”
He let his tear filled eyes find hers. “I won’t allow it, Gyda,” he whispered. She smiled at him softly. “I will not stay dead, Niklaus. It was one of the fail-safes in the ritual. That if I should die, by any means, my soul would be thrown into the reincarnation cycle and be reborn anew.”
“And how long until you were reborn?” Elijah whispered.
Gyda had no answer for him.
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“Gyda?”
It came out as a choked sob, and Mikael fell to the ground beside her, hand still gripping the steak now lodged in her chest.
She felt it creeping deeper into her heart. Mikael had not hit deep enough, but the steak was doing the rest of the job for him.
“Father,” she whispered, rubbing a tear from his cheek. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t let you hurt them.”
As the grey crept up her skin, the last thing she heard was her fathers grief filled cries.