Chapter 36

"I love her, and that's the beginning and the end of everything." – F. Scott Fitzgerald

Hope could feel her heart beating strongly within her chest. It wasn't racing; it was more like a steady drum beating out a rhythm, but every now and then there'd be a beat that gets missed and she could feel her heart jump. That was the nerves talking. They were ever present this evening; buzzing fingers curled around her heart, ready to squeeze and deliver a shock to her system. But she would prevail, and she would fight on.

She let her one leather-gloved hand float down to her hip where it would rest on the hilt of her sword which was sheathed and resting against her thigh. Her other hand moved to her neck where she adjusted the black material around her throat that separated her skin from the light silver chain vest she wore. It was long enough to be belted around her waist and then to fall below her hips where it met with the thick black leggings she wore on her legs. Light alloy-plated leather boots reached up to just below her knees, while more of these costume-suited plates of armor sat strapped around the outside of her arms and onto her shoulders, as well as over her chest and abdomen. The costume was simple and light and easy to move in, and some engraved floral designs on the bright alloy plates made it perfectly suitable for a lady to wear. There was no helmet, allowing Hope to keep her hair straight and free-flowing down her neck and around her shoulders, the cascade of auburn in perfect contrast with the silver of her outfit.

She looked kind of hot, even if slightly masculine. But she was pulling it off like it was meant for her.

The knight.

The hero.

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." – Aristotle

Lizzie helped her sister insert the final curls she wanted into her hair, making sure they fell just right in the softest manner down to frame Josie's beautiful face. Her makeup was done with just the right amount of smokey shading to her eyes and blusher to her cheeks. Her lashes were long and dark, while her lips were full and the color of good wine. Her dress was royal and yet gentle in various shades of steel blue, gray blue, and midnight blue as it fit around her in soft layers of satin and chiffon. Her bodice was dark and fit snug to accentuate womanly curves, while leaving her upper back, shoulders and arms exposed, offering delightful views of glowing olive skin. The bodice sat, laced and stitched with golden thread that sparkled when it caught the light, right to her hips as it showcased the fitness of her long, lithe body, and from there the material sprouted in layers of different hues of blue to flow like a fabricated waterfall to her ankles and some tips beyond there. Her heels were short, but sharp, and golden as it laced across her dainty feet in straps.

She looked the very essence of what a princess – a queen – should be and was bound to stop a few hearts that night.

On the outside she shone like a shooting star streaking across the darkened sky, but inside her chest she felt more like the impact of a comet hitting the ground of her heart. She didn't know what to expect. She didn't even know if Hope would show up at her door or be waiting for her at the entrance to the hall. She wasn't sure whether Hope would buy into any of this at all. She had no idea where she stood with Hope… but she was hopeful. If anything, this night the ball was in Hope Mikaelson's court and Josie felt like she was just along for the ride. Still she would hold onto that hope that she felt deep within that somehow, this night, would rewrite the stars for them.

"The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing." – Blaise Pascal

MG had already picked up Lizzie from the Saltzman room 20 minutes prior, leaving Josie to pace back and forth nervously as she waited on Hope, unsure whether she'd show up. Lizzie had promised Josie that if she got to the hall and Hope was waiting there, she would send her up to the room. And if after a while neither of them were at the dance, Lizzie would come back to find her, but swore she'd not leave her alone. She also told Josie, reassuring her, that she had a good feeling about Hope not letting her down either way.

And Hope had no intention of letting Josie down as she finally gathered up enough courage to stand in front of the door. She paused as she stepped up to it and took a deep, calming breath. She could do this, she kept reminding herself. If there was ever an occasion that was in need of that good old Mikaelson charm, it was definitely this evening. She had to give it her best. She had to somehow show Josie that she was worthy of her love, and that she would otherwise be worthless without it.

Steadily she raised her one hand to the door to knock, while her other hand clutched a single beautiful long-stemmed red rose before her.

When the door opened slowly and uncertainly and her beloved was gradually revealed to Hope's gaze, she could feel her heartbeat speed up finally. There was no other way as the young woman standing before her was more stunning than any masterful piece of art Hope could ever wish to paint. She knew that there was no natural manifestation of beauty in the entirety of the universe that could match what was regaling her eyes at that very moment. As the magnificent and most pleasurable shock to her system kept her mute, Josie blushed profusely where she stood in the doorway, waiting for her date to simply say something – anything.

"Roses!" Hope suddenly exclaimed, then muttered incoherently under her breath as she blushed and shook her head, finally taking her eyes off of Josie for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime of staring at the woman who held her heart in her hands.

"I mean. A rose. From fairest creatures we desire increase that thereby beauty's rose might never die…" Hope tried to sound chivalrous, though she was met with a look of confusion, but utter adoration none the less.

"Are you quoting Shakespeare to me right now?" Josie grinned, her blush intensifying as she took the beautiful red rose from Hope and brought it to her nose to smell its sweet scent. "And I suppose next you will be going into a monologue on the meaning of roses and their colors, until you eventually reach red?"

"Well for that you'll just have to wait and see." Hope leaned against the door frame and winked at Josie, then followed her every move as the girl turned around to find something on her bedside table.

When Josie returned, she was holding the necklace Hope had given her on her 16th birthday. It was the night if their party, a dance very similar, and the necklace had saved her life. She didn't feel right, or even safe, not wearing it now. She motioned for Hope to fasten it at the back of her neck and could feel the slight tremor shaking through Hope's hands as she worked the clasp at the back of Josie's neck. The idea of Hope being as nervous as her only elicited a further multitude of goosebumps to spread across her skin.

"Josie…" Hope whispered when the younger girl turned around again to face her gallant knight and escort with a soft smile. "You look… breathtaking… I'm going to have to apologize in advance if I can't keep my eyes off of you tonight." Hope uttered breathlessly and Josie could see her eyes go slightly wider and her pupils dilate as she once more took a moment to observe Josie in her entirety. The words and the gesture caused a delicious heat to flush through Josie's body. She could feel her desire for Hope start to grow in the pit of her stomach.

"I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once." – John Green (The Fault in Our Stars)

"I'm sorry about Lizzie pulling this stunt on us at the last minute." Josie whispered to Hope as they stood in the line to get into the dance hall. The movement was slow as every couple or group had to be introduced and had to have their photos taken before the next could enter. Hope and Josie lingered near the back of the queue.

"You shouldn't have to apologize for your sister's antics, Jo." Hope smiled at the gorgeous young woman on her arm. "Besides… I'm not sorry." And tried to turn up the charm.

"Really?" Josie smiled softly at the admission and coyly batted her lashes at her handsome knight in shining armor. "I honestly wasn't sure you'd show."

"Why wouldn't I?" Hope asked, frowning.

"Well… I wouldn't have blamed you if you wanted to avoid me altogether. But also, I figured you'd be in full protest mode." Jo shrugged a little shyly.

"Hope nodded and took a breath then. "Well I wasn't the one protesting." She nodded her head in the direction of a group of young guys a few feet ahead of them. It was Landon and the others in their musketeer outfits.

"Oh god he must have been mad. I'm so sorry. I mean, this is all just to get it, he can get to you inside." Josie felt guilty. As much as she hated it, she was still planning on sticking to respecting Hope's sort-of relationship with Landon as she had told her she would.

"We broke up." Hope said suddenly and swallowed. Josie blinked at her, shocked and wordless.

"Well, I broke up with him. Today, actually. I can't even believe he came at all." Josie was still staring as if waiting for some suitable explanation that would make sense to her.

"Why did…" she started and tripped over her words, then shook her head and tried again. "I mean, what did you tell him?"

"We'll talk about it more later, okay?" Hope smiled and leaned into Josie, just needing to feel her closeness and be able to inhale her scent. Whenever she did, all just seemed right with the world again.

"So, what about Jade? I can imagine she's not too thrilled about this either." Hope asked then.

"She wasn't, but she knows that there's a line she can't cross anymore, so we have an understanding." Josie smiled encouragingly at Hope, who arched her brows as if to request a further explanation, which Josie soon gave. "I told her I wasn't available… romantically." Josie giggled as she saw the grin of utter delight spread across Hope's lips. Score 1 for the tribrid!

"Listen Jo…" Hope took the younger girl's hands in hers as she turned to her and kept her close, preferring to whisper for her to hear only. "I know I have made mistakes and I have not been… expressing myself too well lately, and I realized that I may have come off in ways that I never intended… And I just… I know there's a lot that we need to talk about and if you would just grant me this one night to clear things up and show you how I feel…I'd give anything…"

"AND up next we have Hope Mikaleson and Josie Saltzman entering as Sir Lancelot and Lady Guinevere." The announcement came without either of them realizing that they were next in line. As the limelight shone on the two at the top of the stairs, they were still standing intimately close and hand in hand, facing each other in the perfect picture of legendary lovers. The room applauded them delightedly.

Hope took the opportunity to raise one of Josie's hands to her lips and kissed her knuckles in chivalrous style, then tucked Josie's arm inside her own as she lead her down the stairs and to the side where the photos were being taken. "Are you ready to get into character, my dearest?" Hope grinned at Josie, who giggled with glee and nodded with enthusiasm, just before they entered in front of the screen for their turn.

"No one has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold." – Zelda Fitzgerald