p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"1859/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"I stand, spine rigid, at the swirling ballroom before me. My big debut as Mother put it, the day when I finally enter into real society. The music stops and all bodies turn to face the stairs. I float slowly down behind my father as he begins to speak./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""We'd like to thank everyone for coming. It is not everyday that your youngest child, and only daughter, gets engaged." He says, booming pride in his voice. I plaster a false smile on my face as my fiancé Charles grips my arm. Mother said it'd be good for the family, cause us to appear normal. The last thing she wants is for anyone to become suspicious of us. I offer the same plastered smile to Charles as he guides me down the stairs. Once his back is to me, my face falls and I catch Fletcher's eye across the room. He gives me a sorrowful look as I refrain from rolling my eyes./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Charles leads me into the middle of the ballroom and bends over my hand, placing a kiss on the back of it. I once again offer a fake smile and begin fanning myself. Charles looks at me almost concerned./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""I need to get some fresh air. I'll only be a moment." I whisper to him before I sweep from the room. Outside, I only find myself alone for a moment./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""I didn't know you were getting engaged." Niklaus' voice says from behind me and I sigh./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""He asked my father and my father said yes. It's not as if I had much choice in the matter. The Baxters need this apparently." I mutter and cross my arms over my chest./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""It would have been nice to have been warned." He remarks and I roll my eyes./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""If I had had any other options I would have taken them. But some people are incredibly dense, no matter how long they've been alive." I remark and can feel him move closer. My body involuntarily tenses as I spin to face him./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""If people were to catch me outside with another man at my own engagement party, it'd spell disaster." I say and push past him and back into the house. The fake smile reappears on my face as Charles approaches me. It's rather sad to think that he thinks he loves me. We'd spoken a handful of times, had a few chaperoned dates. I hadn't had any idea that he intended on asking my father for my hand in marriage. Frankly, it startled me, considering I was hoping that another gentleman would have beaten him to it./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Charles is a fine person, mundane and boring, but fine. I've always longed for adventure, for a spark, for passion. Charles is flat, but he's safe./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Niklaus Mikaelson is that spark m, that adventure. But he is wholeheartedly dangerous. A hybrid with quite the mean streak, but devoted to those he loves./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"I feel a hand on the small of my back and glance up to notice that August is guiding me somewhere./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""What did you say to Niklaus?" He hisses at me./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""That it'd be a scandal if I were caught alone with a man other than my fiancé or brothers?" I ask just as confused as August is angry./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""He asked to speak to mother and father privately." August whispers and my face falls./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""What could he want?" I say as Fletcher approaches./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Am I hearing things incorrectly or Niklaus asking for Emerald's hand at her own engagement party?" He asks and I place my hands on my temples./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""It'd be far to large of a problem to call off this wedding and then later announce another engagement." I say quietly./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""The mundanity that is humanity. Isn't all just so fickle?" Fletcher asks./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""I long for the day when my sister can call off an engagement as she sees fit without having to worry about the social conflicts." He says and I roll my eyes./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Father would never go for it."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""He would if Niklaus truly loves you." August responds./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Niklaus would be far less troublesome. Considering he won't age either." Fletcher remarks and leans against the wall. The three of us watch as our father approaches Charles and something is whispered. I sigh loudly knowing that I am next to be summoned./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""They're going with Niklaus." I say just loudly enough for my brothers to hear. Without waiting for someone to summon me, I cross the room and head towards my father's study. I stand outside quietly for a moment, truly not wanting to knock. Before I have the opportunity to, Mother pulls open the door and glances at me./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""You seem to have two suitors vying for the right to marry you." She says./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Yes, well allow me to remind you and father that while I might be twenty two years of age. I am still a human being being and not a piece of livestock that can be sold to the highest bidder." I say angrily. Mother gives me a death glare for a long moment./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Fine since you don't want to be cattle, you make the decision." She says and gestures for me to enter the room. I practically stomp into the room and I can see my father's face light up./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Emerald, it seems as if we have quite the predicament." He says and stare at him./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Both Mr. Mikaelson and Mr. Laurent have asked for permission to marry you."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""And might I remind you that you gave me permission first." Charles reminds my father and I bite hard on my tongue to keep from snapping at him./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Yes I remember, however we didn't anticipate a second suitor. And out of respect for the Mikaelson family, he deserves the same chance as you." My father says, barely masking his anger./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""But it seems as if your mother decided that you get to choose for yourself." He says and states at me for a long moment./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""She's a woman. She shouldn't be the one to make this decision." Charles states sounding incredibly angry./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""She is my daughter and I get to decide if she chooses or not. You do not have any claim to her Mr. Laurent." My father says, his anger seeping through. When he turns back to me he's only mildly composed./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"The room falls silent, save for Charles' angry breathing. Pressure weighs down on me and I stay silent for just a moment longer before turning to Niklaus./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Seeing as Niklaus is the one to have not acted as if he already owns me, it's clear what my decision should be." I say and my father beams at me with pride as I wiggle the engagement ring from Charles from my finger. His body tenses in anger as I drop the ring into his hand./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""You understand that this decision will ruin your family's reputation." He snarls and takes a step closer to me./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""You do not intimidate me. And my family will recover just fine without your help." I say calmly and my father steps between us./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Mr. Laurent, it's time for you to leave. We will excuse the other guests shortly." My father says with a tone of finality before Charles finally leaves the room./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"I stand, spine rigid, at the swirling ballroom before me. My big debut as Mother put it, the day when I finally enter into real society. The music stops and all bodies turn to face the stairs. I float slowly down behind my father as he begins to speak./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""We'd like to thank everyone for coming. It is not everyday that your youngest child, and only daughter, gets engaged." He says, booming pride in his voice. I plaster a false smile on my face as my fiancé Charles grips my arm. Mother said it'd be good for the family, cause us to appear normal. The last thing she wants is for anyone to become suspicious of us. I offer the same plastered smile to Charles as he guides me down the stairs. Once his back is to me, my face falls and I catch Fletcher's eye across the room. He gives me a sorrowful look as I refrain from rolling my eyes./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Charles leads me into the middle of the ballroom and bends over my hand, placing a kiss on the back of it. I once again offer a fake smile and begin fanning myself. Charles looks at me almost concerned./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""I need to get some fresh air. I'll only be a moment." I whisper to him before I sweep from the room. Outside, I only find myself alone for a moment./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""I didn't know you were getting engaged." Niklaus' voice says from behind me and I sigh./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""He asked my father and my father said yes. It's not as if I had much choice in the matter. The Baxters need this apparently." I mutter and cross my arms over my chest./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""It would have been nice to have been warned." He remarks and I roll my eyes./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""If I had had any other options I would have taken them. But some people are incredibly dense, no matter how long they've been alive." I remark and can feel him move closer. My body involuntarily tenses as I spin to face him./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""If people were to catch me outside with another man at my own engagement party, it'd spell disaster." I say and push past him and back into the house. The fake smile reappears on my face as Charles approaches me. It's rather sad to think that he thinks he loves me. We'd spoken a handful of times, had a few chaperoned dates. I hadn't had any idea that he intended on asking my father for my hand in marriage. Frankly, it startled me, considering I was hoping that another gentleman would have beaten him to it./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Charles is a fine person, mundane and boring, but fine. I've always longed for adventure, for a spark, for passion. Charles is flat, but he's safe./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Niklaus Mikaelson is that spark m, that adventure. But he is wholeheartedly dangerous. A hybrid with quite the mean streak, but devoted to those he loves./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"I feel a hand on the small of my back and glance up to notice that August is guiding me somewhere./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""What did you say to Niklaus?" He hisses at me./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""That it'd be a scandal if I were caught alone with a man other than my fiancé or brothers?" I ask just as confused as August is angry./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""He asked to speak to mother and father privately." August whispers and my face falls./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""What could he want?" I say as Fletcher approaches./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Am I hearing things incorrectly or Niklaus asking for Emerald's hand at her own engagement party?" He asks and I place my hands on my temples./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""It'd be far to large of a problem to call off this wedding and then later announce another engagement." I say quietly./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""The mundanity that is humanity. Isn't all just so fickle?" Fletcher asks./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""I long for the day when my sister can call off an engagement as she sees fit without having to worry about the social conflicts." He says and I roll my eyes./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Father would never go for it."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""He would if Niklaus truly loves you." August responds./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Niklaus would be far less troublesome. Considering he won't age either." Fletcher remarks and leans against the wall. The three of us watch as our father approaches Charles and something is whispered. I sigh loudly knowing that I am next to be summoned./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""They're going with Niklaus." I say just loudly enough for my brothers to hear. Without waiting for someone to summon me, I cross the room and head towards my father's study. I stand outside quietly for a moment, truly not wanting to knock. Before I have the opportunity to, Mother pulls open the door and glances at me./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""You seem to have two suitors vying for the right to marry you." She says./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Yes, well allow me to remind you and father that while I might be twenty two years of age. I am still a human being being and not a piece of livestock that can be sold to the highest bidder." I say angrily. Mother gives me a death glare for a long moment./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Fine since you don't want to be cattle, you make the decision." She says and gestures for me to enter the room. I practically stomp into the room and I can see my father's face light up./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Emerald, it seems as if we have quite the predicament." He says and stare at him./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Both Mr. Mikaelson and Mr. Laurent have asked for permission to marry you."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""And might I remind you that you gave me permission first." Charles reminds my father and I bite hard on my tongue to keep from snapping at him./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Yes I remember, however we didn't anticipate a second suitor. And out of respect for the Mikaelson family, he deserves the same chance as you." My father says, barely masking his anger./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""But it seems as if your mother decided that you get to choose for yourself." He says and states at me for a long moment./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""She's a woman. She shouldn't be the one to make this decision." Charles states sounding incredibly angry./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""She is my daughter and I get to decide if she chooses or not. You do not have any claim to her Mr. Laurent." My father says, his anger seeping through. When he turns back to me he's only mildly composed./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"The room falls silent, save for Charles' angry breathing. Pressure weighs down on me and I stay silent for just a moment longer before turning to Niklaus./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Seeing as Niklaus is the one to have not acted as if he already owns me, it's clear what my decision should be." I say and my father beams at me with pride as I wiggle the engagement ring from Charles from my finger. His body tenses in anger as I drop the ring into his hand./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""You understand that this decision will ruin your family's reputation." He snarls and takes a step closer to me./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""You do not intimidate me. And my family will recover just fine without your help." I say calmly and my father steps between us./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Mr. Laurent, it's time for you to leave. We will excuse the other guests shortly." My father says with a tone of finality before Charles finally leaves the room./p