Thank you all so much for the support it's awesome! I'm glad someone saw my Princess Bride reference :) Thank you to all my reviewers- Bullet2tm, Element Siren, nicaha23 and Guest! Please let me know what you guys think. Even if it's just a simple comment I don't mind, it helps get my brain juices flowing lol hope you guys enjoy!
"Caroline, what a unique name, I don't believe I have come across it before." He states, looking into Caroline's eyes." I am fortunate I can place it to a face such as yours." Mikael compliments boldly, slowly he bends down and lightly brushes his lips on her knuckles. Caroline blushes lightly before taking her hand away and doing a low curtsy.
"Thank you milord, it is an honour to meet you." She replies softly, her voice small. Mikael gives her a small smile before turning to her father.
"Harald, you have impeccable bloodlines. I hope my family and I can meet your acquaintance again soon." Mikael says as he shakes Harald's hand strongly, Harlad places his hand on Mikael's shoulder with a grin.
"But of course! You are part of our village now, thus our family. My wife has already begun preparing the feast we are holding to celebrate your arrival; we would be honoured if you would join us." He states, leading Mikael towards the barn. His family follow, leading their horses behind them.
Caroline finds her eyes drawn to the man with the ocean blue eyes. He stays behind with his brothers to assist in unloading their belongings. She tilts her head to the side as she watches him. She can't help but watch his long fingers as they run through his horse's long, black mane. A soft smile begins to form on his features, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. Caroline starts to feel her lips mimic his as she watches the mysterious man. Slowly his eyes lift to meet hers, quickly she looks away. Doing a small bow she turns to leave, making her way towards the large hut.
Her whole body is tingling, every nerve ignited on fire. Her heart is pounding like hooves on her chest causing her feet to make shaky steps. She can't remember ever feeling this reaction from anyone, least of all a stranger. Picking up her pace she makes her way through the crowd, oblivious to the blue eyes watching her every step.
Quickly entering the hut she leans her back against the wall. Releasing a loud sigh she hits her head lightly against the wood. Why? Why did she bow? Why couldn't she have curtseyed like a proper lady? Now he will think her strange, if he didn't already. Shaking her head softly she makes her way to the garden.
Passing patches of flowers and vegetables her mother tends to daily, she smiles when she remembers the times when Tatia and she would play in the garden and make flower chains. Their mother was furious when she discovered her daughters had pulled all of her hard work out of the ground. She laughs fondly at the memory. But things are different now, Tatia is different. Things such as this do not amuse her any longer; she yearns to partake in more… womanly activities.
Tatia has always known how to act around men; she was gifted with charm whereas Caroline was burdened with clumsiness. Not that it mattered anyway, she never seemed to hold the attention of a man and the feeling was mutual. Unlike her sister, Caroline was not interested in a man purely for their looks. She cared about what was beneath the layer of muscle and flesh, she cared about their hearts.
But it seemed not many people shared this view with her. People often call her a dreamer due to her desire to be in love with a man before marrying. Her parents often reminded her that marriage comes first; love is something that is built up over time through mutual trust and respect. Although Caroline knows her parents love each other and that her father will always remain faithful to her mother, she also knows this is only out of a feeling of duty and a sense of honour. Something her father holds above all things, but not all men have these morals.
Caroline has seen many men leave their homes to venture to the whore house and not return until the approach of dawn. She had seen many wives hearts break as they see their husbands return home with drunken smiles, pushing them into walls and taking what they wanted.
Caroline feels a shiver run down her spine in disgust.
No, no she would never allow that to happen to her. She would rather face a thousand swords then ever be so disrespected by a man.
"Caroline!" A voice bellows from behind her causing Caroline to jump slightly. Turning around she faces the laughing figure, her eyes blazing in fury.
"Ray, you startled me!" She exclaims furiously, hitting his chest with her small hand. He just grins, his blue eyes dancing with delight.
"Well little sister you are so easily startled. But don't be too hard on yourself; it's just one of the many faults of being a woman." He teases with a grin causing Caroline's eyes to blaze with fury. Ray has always prided himself on being a man, he sees woman merely as possessions. He believes a woman's place is in the home. He has always been against woman being independent.
Despite his vulgar perspective of woman he still manages to bed them. Not that it is very hard considering his looks. He had a strong build, with broad shoulders and arms. His brown hair was more like a mane, only adding to his ego which is large enough on its own. His eyes were the only soft feature he possessed, deceiving women into believing that he held any of them in high regard.
"Faults?! Women are every bit as good as any man." She states proudly, this only causes him to release a laugh.
"Oh dear sister how truly naive you are. If women we're as good as men then why is it men are the rulers of lands? Why is it the man choses the wife and not the other way around? I'll tell you why little sister because men are the dominating sex in every species." He states slowly, his eyes aglow with pride. Caroline just shakes her head lightly as a smile begins to form on her face.
"That may be true but you forget dear brother. You were delivered from between the legs of a woman not a man." She whispers tauntingly. His expression suddenly falters causing Caroline's grin to widen. Taking advantage of his stunned silence, she slowly makes her way around him into the direction of the main village.
Walking along a path, she makes her way towards the home of the witch Ayanna. Her mother had asked her to trade some herbs for a potion that helped keep their patches fertilized. Many people in the village traded various items for remedies and potions. The witch Ayanna was seen as a blessing. Due to the plagues surrounding us, many people have been too afraid to step foot out of our village. Ayanna helps keep the people clam, she makes us feel safe.
"Hello there child." Ayanna greets. Her skin was dark of tone, her hair falling down in dreads from her head. She was dressed in simple clothing but on Ayanna the colours seemed more vibrant, the beading more detailed.
Her aura spoke power; it enveloped you in a cloak of warmth. Caroline has always enjoyed being in the presence of Ayanna. At times she feels that she is the only one who does not perceive her as just a child.
"Good morning Ayanna. I hope the day is being good to you." Caroline returns fondly. Walking in, she places the herbs on the wooden table.
"The day is being very kind as I'm sure you have seen we have new arrivals in our village." She says with a smile. Leaving her place by the fire she makes her way towards the wooden table. Picking up the herbs Caroline brought her she assesses them.
"Yes, I was at the welcoming ceremony. Do you know them?" Caroline asks intrigued.
"I have known the woman, Ester for many years. We were both trained under the same master."
"Master? Ester is a witch?" Caroline asks astonished. Ayanna nods her head softly.
"Yes, one of the originals, like myself. I am glad that we have been reunited again, I can see nothing but good things to come of this." She states with a smile. Taking the herbs with her she ventures across the room and picks up a small glass bottle.
"Tell your mother thank you again for the herbs. It is hard to come across plants such as these in this area." She thanks, placing the glass bottle in Caroline's hands. Caroline gives a nod and makes a turn to leave. But a young girl comes through and bumps straight into Caroline, causing her to release the bottle. The frail glass smashes against the ground, the amber liquid spilling out the cracks.
"Oh I am so sorry! I wasn't paying attention. I am so –
"It's fine, I should have been paying more attention to where I was going." Caroline reassures with a laugh. She bends down and lightly brushes the glass into the palm of her hand. Standing up she realises that the girl is the daughter of Mikael, Rebekah.
"Again I am sorry." She repeats her blue eyes full of worry. Caroline offers her a smile and places the pieces of glass on the wooden table. Ayanna walks over and collects the small shards of glass in her palm. When she opens her palm again, the glass bottle is restored.
"Still as clumsy as ever I see Rebekah." Ayanna teases lightly. Rebekah's face is overcome by a smile as she races to embrace Ayanna.
"It is so good to see you. When mother told me you would be here I could not wait to come." She exclaims happily. Ayanna returns her smile and when they pull apart she softly brushes a few loose curls from Rebekah's forehead.
"You get more and more beautiful each time I see you. I am surprised your father has not wedded you off to a man by now." She states as she cradles Rebekah's face in her palms, her fingers stroking her cheeks softly.
"He has tried but unfortunately none of my suitors have met his standards." She explains with a roll of her eyes. Ayanna releases a laugh at this.
"Well it seems some things never change, your father's pride being one of them." She says with a laugh. She softly takes her hands from Rebekah's face and clasps them with hers.
Ayanna suddenly breaks eye contact with Rebekah and turns towards Caroline.
"Forgive me for not making introductions. Rebekah this is-
"Caroline Stark, I know." She says with a smile. Seeing Caroline's confusion she explains "I was present when you met my father. Your father has very kindly extended his hospitality and invited us to dine with you tonight."
"My father has always strived to make good first impressions." She says with a laugh. "How do you find our village so far?" She asks.
"I'm afraid I haven't had much time to explore." Rebekah replies shyly. Playing with the material at the sleeves of her dress nervously.
"If you would let me I would be honoured to be your guide." She offers and Rebekah's eyes brighten with glee.
"I would like that very much, so long as I am not burdening you."
"Not at all, it would be my pleasure." She says with a smile. Rebekah and Caroline bid their farewells to Ayanna and make their way outside.
The sun casts a soft light onto the village, bringing out the colours of the trees and sky. Caroline shows Rebekah the main village. They stop at various huts, biding good day to several workmen and women.
"Everyone here is so friendly." Rebekah says as they bid farewell to the butcher. Caroline looks at her confused.
"Did you expect anything else?" She asks with a laugh. Caroline has become accustomed to the people of the village. She couldn't imagine any other village being any different from this one.
"I did not know what to expect to be honest. I've never been to a village such as this before." She says, gesturing around her. This peeked Caroline's interest.
"Where have you been? " She asks intrigued. Caroline has always wanted to leave the village. She has acquired a bit of knowledge in her lifetime about the outside world but it is becoming harder to come by as less and fewer travellers are passing through the village.
"I haven't really been anywhere. My family did most of their travelling when I was very young. You will have to ask Nik if you wish to know more." She says apologetically.
"Nik?" Caroline asks confused.
"Niklaus, he is my older brother. My siblings and I call him Nik, he prefers it. I'm sure he would not mind if you chose to call him Nik." She says with a knowing smile. Caroline brows furrow at Rebekah's use of tone.
"My parents would not allow that I'm afraid. I push the boundaries enough by the way I act in public. I can't imagine what would happen if I chose to push them further. Though I'm sure the results would not be good." She says with a soft laugh. Her parents have always told her to address a man by his birth name or nothing else. It is seen improper for a woman to address a man otherwise unless they are married or related by blood.
"I do not see a problem with how you act in public. Everybody in the village seems to adore you." She says with a smile. Caroline's eyes suddenly loose their light Rebekah's words.
"It is merely an act. They know who my father is and what he means to this village. I don't really have many friends." She replies, her tone suddenly guarded. This causes Rebekah to stop in her tracks. She lightly takes Caroline's shoulders in her hands and turns her towards her. A small smile is on her face as she meets Caroline's crystal blue eyes.
"That is something we have in common." She says softly, grasping Caroline's hands tighter. "But I would like to think that you and I are now friends." She finishes strongly with a smile. Caroline's eyes are suddenly filled with their earlier light, her dimples making an apperance along with her smile.
"We are."
The moment is broken by another's presence.
"Well isn't this touching." A voice snarls from behind them.
They both run to find Tatia waiting there patiently. Rebekah quickly releases Caroline's shoulders, taking a step back. Caroline looks at her puzzled before turning back to her sister.
"Sister I am so glad you are here, this is Rebekah Mikaleson. She and her family will be joining us tonight." She introduces with a smile, oblivious to the tension that surrounded the introduction.
"It is a pleasure to meet you." Rebekah greets, offering Tatia her hand. Tatia keeps her arms loosely at her sides. Rebekah slowly takes her hand back and turns towards Caroline.
"Thank you for showing me the village but I'm afraid I must go. My family will be wondering where I am. I will see you both at the dinner tonight." She says before curtsying and walking away. Tatia's eyes not leaving her figure until she was far away in the distance. Caroline turns to face her sister, confusion and anger etched on her features.
"There was no need for such hostility, sister. Rebekah Mikaleson is a friend." She explains strongly, embarrassed by her sisters rudeness.
"A friend to you perhaps but not to me." She states, her brown eyes flashing with fury.
"Why are you acting like this? The Mikaelson's are a part of this village now. You will disgrace our family if you are not at least civil towards them."
"I have no issues with the rest of the Mikaelson's just her." Tatia spits out the last of her words as if it were poison in her mouth.
"Why? Rebekah Mikaelson is very kind." Caroline reassures. Her eyebrows furrow together in confusion as she awaits her sister's reply.
"That may be so but you are my sister, my friend. I will not share you with some pathetic new comer!" She exclaims. Her gaze becomes harder with every word that is spoken.
"I will always be your sister. Rebekah and I are merely friends." She says softly, gathering her sister's hands with her own. Looking up she gazes into the fiery depths of her sister's eyes. "No one could nor will they ever replace you." Tatia's gaze softens at her sisters words. Her shoulders become limp as a small smile begins to form on her face. She softly squeezes her sister's hand in a silent apology.
"Enough of this talk. We must prepare ourselves for the feast tonight. Mother has been slaving away in the kitchen since the break of dawn. I would hate for all her hard work to go to waste." Caroline exclaims causing Tatia to laugh. Grasping her sister's hand she pulls them through the crowd of people towards their hut.
"There you two are. Why are you not dressed?" Their mother asks in a rushed tone. Reaching forward she pulls a leaf from Caroline's hair "You are a mess! Go get changed quickly, we don't have much time before the Mikaelson's arrive! Hurry!" She exclaims, pushing her daughters towards the wash room before retreating back to the kitchen.
"If I didn't know any better I would think mother is a little flustered." Tatia comments as she begins looking through the wooden chest for a dress. Caroline releases a laugh at her sister's observation.
"Well you know our mother. She has a tendency to worry too much." She says with a sigh as she sits down on a stool.
"Yes well maybe her worry isn't misplaced." She begins as she pulls several dresses from the chest. "Interest is already being shown towards the Mikaelson's from various houses in the village. Perhaps mother is trying to secure our place in the queue." She explains, placing one of the dresses against her body.
"Queue?" Caroline asks confused.
"Oh dear sister how innocent you can be at times. Why do believe father has invited the Mikaelson's for dinner dis evening?" Tatia laughs. This causes Caroline's temper to flare slightly. Her sister has always viewed her as a child even though they are only a few years apart.
"To honour their arrival, father said so himself." She replies honestly. Reaching forward she takes the dress Tatia is holding towards her and quickly begins to change into it.
"That may be true but that does not mean there isn't a hidden agenda. Think about it dear sister. Four sons, none married nor engaged. I'm sure mother can just hear the wedding bells." She explains with a grin. Caroline is suddenly overtaken with shock making her whole body still.
"That cannot be true! Mother promised me that she would never make us marry. She promised that it would be our choice!" Caroline screams. Her worst nightmare was coming true.
"Mother would never force us to marry, you know this. But I am entering my second year of being of marrying age. You are about to enter your first. We are lucky she is not promising us to men without our consent." Tatia says casually, running her fingers through her long locks.
Caroline knew this to be true. Their mother may be strict when the time arises but she would never force them to do anything against their will. Unfortuantly this did nothing to comfort her nerves.
"I do not wish to marry yet sister. I want to love first." She whispers softly. Her earlier anger diminishing, her mask cracking slightly.
"You are a dreamer little sister, and I have always loved you for that. But the time has come when you must take your head out of those clouds and begin to fulfil your duties. Things such as true love do not exist except for in sonnets or tales. Because that is what it is, a tale. Nothing more." She states sternly. Caroline feels her eyes begin to pool with tears at her sisters words. She had hoped that her sister would understand and offer her words of comfort but instead she burned Caroline's dream to the ground.
"Now finished getting dressed, I will see you at the feast tonight." She commands before walking around Caroline and out the door. Her stance hinting nothing to the scene that had just played out before them.
Caroline shakes her head softly, her heart suddenly feeling heavy. She knew she would be forced to wake up from her dream one day. She just wished that day hadn't arrived so soon.
Why couldn't anyone understand her? Was it so wrong to wish for something more in this life? Was it so wrong to have hope? Thoughts like these and many other fill her head as she finishes preparing herself for the long night ahead.
The whole village had gathered under one roof. Fires light the room with a glow of joy. Instruments begun strumming tunes, the tapping of feet only adding to the beat. The noise lightly bounces off the walls as the dancing commences.
Tables are covered with food from various parts of the village. A large lamb was being roasted on a spit in the middle of the room, along with several other meats her brothers had hunted earlier in the day.
Her mother and father were seated at a large table with several members of the Mikaelson family. There was Rebekah, Kol, Henrik, Finn, Elijah, Ester and of course Mikael. Mikael and her father were seated next to each other. Their voices could be heard throughout the room as they laughed and drank wine.
Caroline begins to wander around the room. She had chosen to wear a pale grey dress her mother had gifted her on her previous birthday. A leather belt was strapped across her waist to show her curvaceous body. Her hair was pulled back into a side braid. Several white flowers weaved into the plats.
Looking at her surroundings she finds her sister in the corner of the room. It appeared she was speaking one of the Mikaelson children, Elijah. He offered her a goblet of wine and she took it as she laughed at something he had said.
Caroline could not help but roll her eyes. Laughing lightly she leaves the hut. She has never been one for large gatherings.
"Lady." She calls softly. Not a moment after the name leaves her lips does the animal appear. It's snow white coat shining like silver under the soft light of the moon. Its deep browns eyes looking upon her lovingly. Caroline lowers herself into a kneeling position and laughs as the wolf begins to lick her face. She gently pats its head one last time before it retreats back into the woods. Caroline feels a small, sad smile fill her features.
"I wish I had your freedom." She whispers sadly to herself, raising herself from her kneeling position to her feet.
"What a beautiful creature." A voice echoes behind her. Caroline jumps at the disruption of the peaceful silence. Her hand quickly lifts to her chest to calm her hearts unnatural beating.
"I am sorry milady I did not mean to frighten you." The smooth voice apologises. This causes Caroline's anger to flare. Frighten her? She was no coward!
"You did not frighten me." She says defensively. "I was merely surprised." She quickly finishes, wiping some of the dirt from her hands. The smooth voice releases a laugh as a figure slowly appears from the darkness. Niklaus.
The moon light hits his blonde hair in such a way that it appears like gold causing his skin to look paler, making his ocean blue eyes appear more vibrant in colour. Caroline felt her heart beat quicken once again and this time it was not out of fear.
"Well then I am sorry I surprised you. It was not my intention to place a lady in such distress." He explains his tone light. Caroline does not like the way his eyes twinkle, it makes her feel weak in the knees.
"I am no lady sir." She replies, once again defensively. She would not normally act this way around a man but something about this man made her feel strangely vulnerable. She didn't like it.
Her reply causes his eyebrows to shoot up in shock. A smile plays at his lips, showing his dimples. Caroline felt her gaze lingering there a few moments longer than necessary. She hoped he did not notice but his grins growth told her otherwise.
"You certainly appear to be a lady." He replies, gesturing to her attire.
"Appearances can be deceiving milord." She banters back, straightening her posture.
"Indeed they can." He whispers wistfully. Caroline tilts her head slightly at this. Walking towards her, he offers her his hand. "I do not believe we have been properly introduced. My name is Niklaus."He whispers seductively, raising her hand to his lips he lightly brush them against her knuckles.
"I know who you are. You are the son of Mikael Mikaleson." She states, taking her hand from his grasp. He holds on a second longer before releasing her delicate fingers.
"Son may not be the best word to describe it. I think the word burden better suits the relationship between Mikael and myself." He replies slowly. His words hold a harsher tone then they did earlier causing Caroline to cringe.
"I am sure that applies to many relationships in families, I included." She explains with a laugh. She sees his eyes brighten slightly before returning to their earlier darkness.
"Yes well unfortunately my relationship with my father is a little more complex than the relationship you share with yours."
"That may be so but I believe that there should be no feuds between families." She says softly. Niklaus lightly smiles at this and gazes softly into her eyes. Caroline's breath hitches slightly as a tingle runs down her spine. How does he do this to her? No man has ever made her felt this way and certainly not from a mere look.
"That's a lovely notion milady but I'm afraid I know too much of reality to be able believe it." He says sadly, his smile fading slowly. Caroline's heart clenches slightly at this. She is about to speak but he interrupts softly.
"I am afraid I must go milady. It has been a true pleasure to be in your company this evening." He takes her hand lightly in his grasp once again and places a feather light kiss upon it. Caroline allows a small smile to grace her features as she does a small curtsy. Releasing her hand he turns to leaving, making his way up the stony path.
"Wait!" Caroline calls quickly this causes his to stop mid step. "Won't milord be joining the celebration? It is hosted in his honour after all." She teases lightly, gesturing to the hut behind her. Niklaus smiles softly before declining.
"I'm afraid bastards are not allowed to be present at such celebrations, even if they are held in their honour." He explains sadly. Caroline's eyes widen at this, her mouth slightly agape. He is not a child of Mikael?
"It was a pleasure to meet you…Caroline." He whispers. Caroline's head quickly shoots up but does not reply for he is no longer standing on the path, his presence merely a whisper in the wind.
The only evidence proving that what she had just witnessed was not a dream was the soft tingling that remained on her knuckles.
What do you guys think? Please R&R! Btw 4x06 was amazing! Klaroline 4 eva!