FTGF 5
Caroline spent the majority of the next few weeks stalking the halls of her father's house. She had to keep moving or she knew she'd fall into madness. She missed campus, she missed her classes, she even missed the mediocre food from the dining halls.
All she had left now was the circuit she walked each day over and over again, around the hallways of the top floors of her house, down the staircase, through the kitchen, around the garden, and back. She repeated that route over and over again. She was comforted by the consistency.
Caroline knew that within a matter of weeks, nothing in her life would ever be the same. The wedding date her father and the Mikaelsons had decided on was less than 30 days away, and her engagement party was that night.
The whole idea of the party made Caroline want to laugh and throw up at the same time. It seemed so ridiculous to her that she was going to her own engagement party when she had met her 'fiance' a total of 3 times, and they'd only spoken directly to one another on one occasion. It hadn't exactly been a healthy conversation either.
Yet she knew that that night she'd be expected to act like a woman in love, hanging off the arm of her fiance, and smiling warmly at everyone who offered her congratulations.
Her father was all about appearances, and if Caroline didn't give the performance of her life, she'd have hell to pay.
A team of people had been in and out of the Forbes house all day, preparing to host 150 guests for Caroline and Klaus's engagement party. Caroline had spent the day in her room, listening to the comings and goings of the house, and staring at the pressed white dress that hung on the back door of her closet.
A few hours before the party Bill knocked on his daughter's door. Caroline reluctantly gave him permission to enter.
"This arrived for you" Bill stated simply, placing a small box on the bed in front of his daughter. Caroline narrowed her eyes and warily reached out to picked it up. She pulled open the hinges, revealing a diamond ring. A lump formed in her throat as she realized that the stone in her hand was her engagement ring. She was startled by the size and clarity of the marquise set ring.
Despite its beauty, the ring brought forth a great feeling of despair in Caroline. How tragic it felt that she'd never have a real proposal, a real engagement, a real wedding.
Maybe one day, when all this was over and everything was behind her, she could find love for real. Maybe she'd even get married one day, but then it would always be marred by what came before.
...
"Wearing white feels a little over the top" Caroline mused as she ran her hands done the front of the white dress she was obligated to wear for the party that night.
"It's not like I'm a real bride"
"Maybe not, but as far as the rest of the world is concerned you are, and brides wear white at every chance they get" Katherine stated, coming up behind Caroline and tugging on the long sleeve of the garment.
" I mean if we're being technical, you should probably wear off white or cream or something that isn't quite so virginal"
Caroline rolled her eyes.
" Say that a little louder, maybe one of the Mikaelsons will hear and call the whole thing off" Caroline mused wistfully.
"This isn't Medieval England, a maiden's virtue isn't grounds for an annulment" Elena pointed out.
"Too bad" Caroline muttered, tugging at the sleeves of her dress once again.
Caroline had chosen this dress out of the ones that had appeared for her to pick from for the evening because of the sleeves. They came down past her wrist and obscured the still visible bruises in the shape of both her father and Tyler's fingerprints. If she looked closely she could discern which marks came from which man.
Almost all the marks on her body had faded to splotches of soft yellow, nearly invisible to anyone who wasn't looking for them, but Caroline knew every set of eyes in the house would be fixed on her. She didn't want to have to worry about gathering any more unwanted attention.
"Will you zip me up?" Caroline requested, giving herself one more quick look in the mirror before turning her back for Katherine to close her dress.
"oh and-" Katherine pulled a piece of Caroline's hair so it hung slightly in her face, concealing the edge of the gash that hadn't quite healed. They'd done what they could to conceal it with makeup, but the edge of the scab that had formed over the past few weeks was lifting, making it much more obvious.
"Thanks, Kat" Caroline muttered, taking a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
"well, I guess there's nothing left to do but throw myself into the lion's den" Caroline stated.
"One last thing" Katherine perked up, grabbing her clutch from where it had been sitting on the bed, and pulling out a stainless steel flask.
Elena looked scandalized. "Kat, there are drinks downstairs!"
Elena's twin rolled her eyes " There's champagne downstairs. Do you know how many glasses of that I'd have to down to get a good buzz going?"
Katherine unscrewed the cap of the flask and brought it to her lips, taking a healthy gulp before offering it to Caroline, who accepted without hesitation.
"Maybe take two" Kath suggested after Caroline took a shot out of the flask. Caroline complied, seeing the merit in her friend's advice.
...
The room was crowded with people as Caroline entered. The grouping of people was mostly made up of guests of her father or the Mikaelsons. There were a few people that she recognized. Elena and Katherine's parents were there as well as their younger brother Jeremy. She saw Matt and Vicki Donavan chatting with Jenna Sommers and both Salvatore brothers.
There was only one person Caroline was really looking forward to seeing.
"Care!" Bonnie Bennett, the best friend that Caroline had made at Whitmore, pounced on Caroline as soon as she saw her.
Caroline wrapped her friend in a hug in return, happy to see Bonnie after so many weeks.
"This is all so surreal!" Bonnie squealed, dropping her arms from Caroline and picking up her left hand.
"If It wasn't all so romantic, I'd be furious with you" Bonnie stated, examining Caroline's ring.
Bonnie was one of the only people in the room who didn't have knowledge of the business the rest of the party belonged to. Bonnie didn't know that she was standing in a room full of professional criminals, most of whom were probably armed.
Therefore, Bonnie had no idea about the true nature of her 'engagement'.Bonnie was under the impression that Caroline had fallen head over heels in love at first sight and was being whisked away in a fairytale romance.
"I'm so happy for you" Bonnie gushed, squeezing Caroline's hand.
"Where is this guy?" Bonnie asked, "I have to meet the man that's swept you off your feet"
"Oh um" Caroline stumbled over her words. Without warning, an arm slid around her waist. Caroline's fiance was suddenly at her side
"Klaus Mikaelson" He extended his hand to shake Bonnies "Pleasure to meet you"
His smooth easy tone made Caroline want to be sick. What kind of man could put on such a front so convincingly? He certainly seemed to have Bonnie fooled. She seemed utterly charmed. Elena nodded at him politely, but Katherine's eyes were daggers.
"Now, if you ladies would excuse us, we're needed elsewhere. Right this way love" Klaus stated smoothly, turning Caroline away from her friends.
"Where exactly are we needed?" Caroline hissed through her teeth, a fake smile plastered on her face as she nodded politely at each person who acknowledged her.
"It's my understanding that we're obligated to take photos" Klaus replied cooly.
"Seems I'm obligated to do a lot of things these days" Caroline muttered under her breath.
"I see you're in just as good of a mood as you were last night"
"Yet, you only seem slightly less intoxicated" Caroline stated, her eyes flicking pointedly at the glass of whiskey in his hand.
"Ahh, there they are," Bill said, clapping his hands together in excitement.
"This must be the happy couple?" asked a pretty brunette woman, standing next to a tall man with a very large camera.
"Andi, this is my daughter Caroline and her fiance, Klaus. Caroline, this is Andi Star from the journal, she's here to do a piece"
Hearing her father say the word fiance made Caroline's skin crawl.
" A piece?" Caroline asked wearily. Her father hadn't mentioned anything about that. She knew there would be pictures that would be published in the paper, but she hadn't imagined a member of the press luring around the party and taking notes. God, what if her father expected her to give a quote? What was she supposed to say?
Suddenly Caroline was being positioned in front of the grand fireplace in the manor's living room.
Andi Star was standing beside her photographer, instructing Klaus and Caroline how to pose best for the angle of the camera.
A photo of the two of them standing solemnly beside each other wasn't exactly going to sell the story of their epic love.
Klaus hand one arm wrapped around her waist and Caroline in turn placed her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart beating steadily under her palm. She couldn't believe how calm he was. Her own heart was racing a million miles a minute. Caroline tried to put on her best-winning smile and immediately felt like a fraud. She wished they would just hurry up and take the damn pictures already, her face was already starting to ache.
"Caroline, would you turn a little more this way?" Andi requested, gesturing for Caroline to angle herself closer to Klaus. She rotated her body so she was more turned into Klaus's chest. Doing so caused Klaus's hand to slide along her side, unwittingly pressing into a particularly tender bruise. It was still dark and angry from where her body had been slammed into the unforgiving marble in Tyler's bathroom. She let out a gasp unwillingly at the pain that shot through her. She felt Klaus tense beside her, he turned his head to look at her a dark look in his eyes that Caroline couldn't read.
"That's lovely. Should we try some shots over by the staircase?" Andi suggested.
"I'm sure we've got what we need" Bill stated mercifully. Caroline let out the breath she had been holding.
"Excuse me," Caroline said, intent on slipping away from the small group and disappearing into the crowd.
"Actually" Mikael stepped into her path pretending her from taking another step forward.
"I was hoping we could have a private moment. Our first father-daughter chat if you will"
Caroline felt a chill run up her spine, but she didn't let any of her fear show on her face.
"of course" she replied, hesitantly taking the arm that Mikael offered her. Bills looked on with a look of discomfort and disapproval but allowed Mikael to escort Caroline away.
Mikael leads Caroline across the party and into Bill's study. Caroline had never been in this room without her father, and watching Mikael Mikaelson take a seat in the large wingback chair behind Bill's desk was like watching a dog walk on its hind legs. It seemed unnatural.
Caroline took a seat in the same chair she had occupied the night her father had informed her of her engagement, the night he had wrapped his hands around her throat. The skin on her neck tingled as if in response to that memory.
"Now" Mikael began, leaning back in the chair and appraising her.
"We both know the nature of this" Mikael paused as if searching for the correct word " union of our families. I'd like to thank you for your cooperation in these matters"
Caroline had to suppress a disbelieving laugh. There was no co cooperation in this matter, only coercion.
"This family is fully prepared to welcome you to ours, and as family, I feel the need to warn you. The boy. Niklaus. Well, he's never exactly been an easy one to handle. He's defiant, hot-headed, competitive, power hungry" Mikael drifted off, leaving more words unsaid.
Caroline was taken aback by a father taking of his own child that way. Especially from a man who put so much honor and loyalty into his family. Even her own father, who was far from an ideal parent, would never go around bad-mouthing her to anyone, especially not the person with who she was meant to spend the rest of her life.
Despite the hate, she felt towards her betrothed, at that moment she couldn't give Mikael the satisfaction of heading his warnings or reacting at all to his words.
"But" Mikael started up again, rising from his seat and walking around the desk to stand in front of her.
Caroline felt extremely awkward being seated with Mikael staring down at her.
"I do hope he'll be able to satisfy you" he said slowly, his gaze running up and down her body once again. Caroline had to keep her eyes from going wide. She couldn't believe the words coming out of her future father in loves mouth. He walked to stand beside her chair.
" and if not" Caroline froze when Mikael began to run the back of his index finger against the bare skin of her sternum and down her chest to the edge of her cleavage, stopping there.
"I'm sure we could come to a solution"
Caroline hadn't been breathing, shock coursing through her veins. She moved without thinking. She grabbed the finger that was rested on her skin without her consent. She twisted the finger painfully as she shoved his arm away.
"Don't touch me" She hissed through her teeth. Rationally, Caroline knew she should be afraid. She had just insulted the head of one of the most powerful and feared families in the world. However, all she felt in the moment was disgust.
Mikael's face spread into an amused grin, looking as though he were enjoying himself.
"You're father told me you were spirited. Niklaus will break you of that" Mikeal promised as he leaned down, taking Caroline by her chin and yanking so they were face to face.
"But rest assured. If he can't, I will"
Caroline ripped her face out of his hand. Mikeal had already straightened back to his full height and was re-buttoning his jacket as though nothing had happened.
"I'll see you back at the party Caroline" She hated the sound of her name in his mouth.
She sat there for a few seconds after she heard the door close behind her future father-in-law. Caroline fought the urge to be sick as she added another name to the list of men who seemed intent on ruining her, of owning her in whatever way they wanted. She had anticipated Mikael using her as a pawn to 'control' his son, whatever that meant, but she hadn't counted having to worry about his attempts to try and possess her body as well.
She steadied her breathing. She had to go back out there before people noticed her prolonged absence.
She stood and turned to leave the room. She stopped in her tracks, realizing she was no longer alone.
Klaus was now leaning in the doorway, a fresh glass of whisky in his hand.
"So what did the bastard say about me then?" he asked, raising his glass to his lips nonchalantly.
"Rather narcissistic to assume we were talking about you," Caroline said cooly, trying to regain her composure. She didn't want to ever speak about what Mikeal had just insinuated. Especially not to his own son, whom she was set to marry, against her will or not.
"Come off it, I know my father, he never misses a chance for a low blow when it comes to me"
"He doesn't exactly seem very loving" Caroline conceded.
"At last, something we have in common"
"Bill doesn't give you the warm and fuzzies?"
Klaus took a step forward, placing his drink down on the desk behind her, and grabbed her left wrist.
Caroline's immediate reaction to was pull away, but something had her anchored in place. He pushed up her sleeve. She took a sharp breath, as he revealed the faded bruises on her wrist.
"I'm not one to respect a man who behaves like that," He said quietly, still holding her injuried wrist in his hand.
"You don't know what you're talking about" Caroline stated, removing her hand from his grasp and pulling her sleeve back down.
"Maybe not" He reached out and pushed the piece of hair that was covering the edge of her wound back.
Caroline shrank back from his touch.
"We can hate each other all we want, but I'm not going to hurt you" She narrowed her eyes.
"I've heard that before" Caroline brushed past him out of the study, escaping back into the crowds of people at the party.