Marcy

An Alliance

Chapter 8

Marcel made it to breakfast on time. Breakfast was a buffet, as it often is in the Mikaelson household. Marcel sat at the end of the table away from the others, who didn't seem to mind the man's withdrawn behavior, but when Hope entered she hurried over to Marcel and took the seat beside him.

"You're okay." She said to him happily. "Are you staying here now?"

The girl's giddiness lifted the somber cloud that hung over him and he replied with a smile, "I am...on a contingent basis."

"Contingent on what?"

Marcel chanced a glance at Klaus who was staring right back at him.

Loud enough for the entire table to hear, Klaus said, "Marcel, you seem to be done with your breakfast. Perhaps you should get to those chores."

"Chores."

"The chores outlined in your Manual," Kol responded. "You did read it, didn't you?"

Marcel had only skimmed through the Manual in order to be on time for breakfast though by the intense glare Kol was giving him he knew it was best not to admit that.

"Right, those chores. I'll get to them when I'm done here."

"I think you're done," Nik growled. "Go on."

Marcel left with little resistance.

"Hope, what are your plans for the day?"

"I'm just going to hang around here today. Get to know Marcel better."

"Come now, a girl your age spending a perfectly good Friday indoors, certainly not. What about that friend of yours, what was that lad's name..."

"Sebastian? Are you saying you want me to go out with him?"

"As friends," Klaus smiled. "I trust you. Your mother did a fine job raising you in my absence."

"Thanks, dad, but I really would rather stay here. Marcel's all alone now."

Niklaus was not happy with her response but he kept his displeasure hidden behind a smile.

After breakfast he found Marcel cleaning the paintbrushes in Klaus's studio as appointed to him in the Manual.

"Rule number two. What is it?" Klaus stated.

Marcel was caught off guard by the question and stammered out a 'what'.

"You heard me. Rule number two in that thick Manual I gave you this morning, what was it?"

"Something about Rebekah and Hope?"

"You don't remember?"

"Give me a break, there are over 200 of those damn rules, you can't expect me to remember all of them."

"Well, allow me to jog your memory. You are never to be alone with either Rebekah or Hope. Ever. Should you break that rule you will wish death was an alternative punishment."

Klaus turned to leave but Marcel yelled after him, "I would never hurt them! You know that, right?"

"It is not a matter of if you will hurt them, Marcellus, but of whether your double-crossing tendencies will rub off on them. I spent hundreds of years with Rebekah but in a matter of a short century you managed to turn her against me. I refuse to let that happen with Hope. So should you ever break this rule, Marcel, the punishment shall be grave and unrelenting."

"Klaus, I came to you begging, and you still don't trust me!"

"I fear I will never trust you. Should you stay here and work your fingers to the bone doing the most menial tasks day in and day out I wouldn't trust you so if it's trust you're looking for you might as well leave now because I can all but guarantee you, you will never again find it from me."