A silence settled the room, punctuated only by my soft breathing and Niklaus' angry huffing. My eyes followed him as he paced back and forth over the floor quickly, trying to calm himself.
After a few minutes of this, I decided to break the silence. "You are going to wear a hole in the floor of you keep pacing like that," I said in a low tone.
Niklaus paused before whirling on his heels to face me, pointing a finger at me accusingly. His lips were drawn together and his eyes flashed with anger, although I could see a hint of fear running underneath them, even as he tried to hide it. "I do not need your back talk right now, Lisette!" He said forcefully, his voice full of frustration.
"I am just as much a victim of this as you are, so do not go pointing fingers around, Niklaus Mikaelson!" I fired back as I stood from my seat, walking around the table to stand in front of him.
"Well if you had just married Adam when he'd asked you, we wouldn't be in this mess!" He shouted angrily, stepping closer to tower over me in an attempt to intimidate me. But if he thought I was going to back down he had another thing coming.
"Do. Not. Threaten. Me." I spoke clearly, stepping closer to him as well, my eyes narrowed dangerously as I poked my finger into his chest. We held eye contact for a moment before he exhaled and stepped back.
"I apologize," he said softly, his voice sounding sincere but still holding frustration.
"You are forgiven," I replied. "Now, take a seat."
We both pulled out a chair reluctantly before turning to face each other. "I did not marry Adam because he was not a good man. He showed it to me, and your mother knew it. She forbade me to marry him, not that I had any inclination to after he hit me a few times throughout the course of our courting." I saw Niklaus' jaw tighten. Although he may not love me romantically, I knew we loved each other as friends and he had sworn to protect me always when we were younger. "Esther knows that you and Elijah are good men. That is the reason that Tatia was so indecisive over you two." I saw Niklaus' jaw tense up at the mention of the woman who had chosen his brother over him. Admittedly, probably not the best way I could have phrased that. "It was wrong of her to string you and Elijah along for nearly a year, because inevitably, one of you would get hurt. I know that you love her, and I am not asking you to stop loving her. But you must move on at some point, Niklaus. Not right away, but some day it will hurt less and you may find happiness again, in other things. And if you never love me, that is fine. I will not pressure you into feeling romantically towards me. I am perfectly fine if we remain friends, even if it's for the rest of our lives."
Niklaus sighed, placing his head into his hands. "Alright," he said after a few minutes up silence. He brushed his long hair back out of his eyes. "If I must marry anyone, I would rather it be a friend than an stranger." He reached out and took my hand, holding it loosely between us. "I promise that I will care for you and our family if we have one as a proper husband should, even if we never feel romantic love for one another."
"Thank you, Niklaus," I said, giving his hand a squeeze. "Now, let us go tell your parents about the decision we have made."
We stood up, letting our hands drop as we did before making our way to the door. Niklaus held it open, allowing me to step out into the afternoon sunlight before following close behind. We walked side by side over to where Mikael and Esther sat, speaking softly. They looked up as we approached.
"We have decided that we will accept your proposed betrothal," Niklaus announced as soon as their attention settled on us.
Mikael scoffed. "You did not have any cho-"
"We are glad you have come to terms with our plans for the two of you," Esther cut in, trying to smooth the situation over slightly. Other than a tightly clenched jaw, Niklaus gave no reaction to his father's rude remark. That showed a lot of personal growth for him. "Now come," Esther said. "We must tell your siblings of the news. Will you two go and fetch them?" She told us where they would be right now.
Niklaus and I nodded before heading off to gather our siblings. "You go find Finn, Rebekah and Kol," I told him. "I shall fetch Elijah and Henrik." Niklaus nodded, a slight relief showing in his eyes at not having to speak with Elijah at the moment. So while Niklaus headed off towards the river, I went in the opposite direction towards the animal pens where Elijah and Henrik were repairing the fences. I could see their figures off in the distance, bent over as they pulled the bars into place. As I got closer, I could pick up snippets of Elijah's calm voice explaining to Henrik how to bind the ropes together tightly to hold up the fence. Elijah looked up when he heard my footsteps, pausing what he and Henrik had been doing.
"Lisette," he said in a pleasant tone, although there was an underlying tone of uncertainty. He was probably worried that I would be angry with him because I had to marry Niklaus. It wasn't logical though, because Tatia, Esther, and Mikael made the choice, not him. I gave him a small smile and saw him relax slightly at the signal that I wasn't angry with him.
"Esther would like us all to gather at home. She and Mikael have something to speak with us about," I told them. Elijah nodded before motioning for his little brother to go on ahead.
"I just need to put these tools away quickly, Henrik. Go on and tell Mother we shall be there momentarily." Henrik nodded before bounding off.
"What happened?" Elijah asked the moment Henrik was out of earshot. He quickly started carrying the tools to the barn as I followed along with him.
"We talked. I convinced Niklaus to accept our engagement. He is not happy with it, I can tell, but he knows better than to argue. I believe he just needed a way to voice his frustration at the situation and a moment to process his thoughts before he could accept that we really have no choice in the matter."
"I am sorry that you have to get married without your consent," Elijah said, his voice sorrowful and apologetic as we made our way back towards our home.
"It is alright, Elijah. You have no control in this situation either. I do not think Niklaus and I will have a bad life together either. He is a relatively good man, hard headed at times, but I can deal with that. We get along and while it may be uncomfortable at first due to certain circumstances required by marriage, I believe we can get beyond the discomfort and have a productive life together."
"You are being very diplomatic about this. I thought you would be more upset."
"I am upset that Mikael and Esther are taking away my choice, but I also know they are doing this because they care about me. I am getting older now and it is true that I should have married long ago. Most men would not want me now, due to my age. Really, it is a bit of a blessing. At least I will have someone to take care of me now when your parents pass on."
"Well, just let me know if he ever hurts you. I will not hesitate to protect you, even if it is from my own brother. You are like a sister to me, and I care greatly for your well-being."
"Thank you, Elijah," I said, giving him a small smile. "I do not think Niklaus will ever harm me, though. He has experienced enough hurt from your father that he knows the effect it has on others. Now, we must hurry. Mikael does not like to be kept waiting, as you well know."
We hurried back to our home, receiving a scathing remark from Mikael about our tardiness before we took our seats around the table. "Now that our whole family is here," Mikael began, shooting a look at Elijah and me, "we can begin. The reason your mother and I have called you is to inform you all of the upcoming marriage between your brother, Niklaus, and your adopted sister, Lisette." My siblings eyes widened in shock, but they did not say a word. We all knew better than to interrupt Mikael. "Tatia has chosen Elijah over Niklaus and it is his duty now to marry Lisette because he was not good enough for Tatia." I cringed internally, at the insult to both Niklaus and myself. We were not second best! Mikael just enjoyed rubbing salt onto fresh wounds. To his credit, Niklaus did not even flinch at the harsh accusation.
"The wedding will be just after the next full moon. It will be a celebration of sorts, for another moon we have survived away from the beasts that roam about our homes on those nights," Esther said in her eternally calm tone.
I felt shock fill me. That was less than a fortnight away! In two weeks time, I would be Niklaus' wife! I let out a deep breath, Niklaus' hand finding mine underneath the table. I believe he was reeling a bit from the shock as well.
"Now that that is over with, get back to your chores," Mikael ordered, effectively dismissing us. I followed Rebekah out of the house and helped her pick up the two baskets filled with our family's clothing. We walked down to the river in silence, each of us carrying a basket on our hip. It wasn't until I started scrubbing the first shirt against a rock after covering it liberally with lye soap that Rebekah spoke.
"Are you really going to marry Nik?"
"Apparently," I said, not looking up from my task.
"You're marrying Nik?" She asked incredulously.
"Yes, Rebekah. I am marrying Niklaus. Tatia chose Elijah and Esther and Mikael decided a few months ago that whoever she didn't chose would have to marry me if I was not betrothed before then. Not that anyone would want me anyways, after I turned down Adam. He was, after all, the most sought after man in the village, and if he did not want me, why would anyone else?"
"You are not worthless, if that is what you are insinuating," Rebekah said with adamancy in her tone. "Adam did not deserve you, that is all. If the rest of the people is this village are too dumb to see it, then they have no idea what they are missing. Honestly, you are probably even too good for Nik," she said in a teasing tone, making me smile and roll my eyes.
"You never fail to cheer me up, Bekah," I said with a smirk. "Also, between the two of us, I agree about me being too good for Niklaus," I joked. We spent the rest of our time by the river finishing the washing and making jokes at the expense of her brothers.
*Time Skip*
On the night before our wedding, I lay awake on my pallet all through the night. I could hear Niklaus across the room shifting around as well. It seems I was not the only one who could not sleep.
I must have dozed off in the early hours of the morning, because I was pulled out of the blissful darkness I had finally reached by Rebekah shaking my shoulder gently. We went about our normal morning routine before Elijah, Finn, Kol, and Henrik took Niklaus to our future home which they had just finished building to get him ready. Mikael went out to the pasture to slaughter two calves and a lamb for tonight as our wedding offerings and then meal. The boys would help him begin cooking them as soon as they finished with Niklaus.
Esther and Rebekah quickly started to get me ready. They filled the small tub we had, which we normally only used for baths in winter, with warm water before Esther dropped a few herbs and flowers into the water, causing a pleasant scent to roll out of the tub. They bathed me thoroughly, rubbing sweetly scented soap through my hair and brushing it out slowly as it dried. Esther helped me spread a moisturizing tonic over every inch of my body before she and Rebekah helped me into my dress.
It was created out of white fabric, made from the wool of two of our sheep. There were green dyed threads stitched throughout, the color representing fertility and life. Rebekah helped loosely pull back my long hair, pinning it in place with one of Esther's hair pins that she was giving to me as a wedding gift. Esther put small braids into my hair underneath my natural curls before she placed a delicate flower crown on my head. After that they tied a white ribbon to left wrist and green one to my right.
"Do you have your gift for Niklaus?" Esther asked me when they had finished preparing me. I nodded assuring her that I had already had Rebekah take it to my new home and hide it where I could fetch it later.
"Do you have the ring?" Esther asked Rebekah, who assured her mother that it was in her possession. Esther smiled at her daughter before placing a kiss on her head and sending her out to where the ceremony would take place to await my arrival. After Rebekah had left, my adoptive mother turned to me, a tender expression on her face. "I am proud of you, my dear girl," she said, pulling me into a tight hug and placing a kiss on my forehead like she had done with Rebekah. "Now, let us go and meet your groom."
We exited the building that I could no longer call my home and made our way to the clearing in the woods where marriages tended to take place in our village. There were not many people in attendance, just our immediate family and some close friends. Weddings are intimate affairs and do not require a vast number of people to witness them. Our neighbors were invited to the wedding feast, however. The women of the village had been preparing the meal all day. It would be a grand affair.
Esther led me through the forest and paused just out of view of the clearing where Mikael stood waiting for us. She quickly tied the white ribbon attached to my wrist around his before placing our hands in each others and making her way into the clearing. I stood uncomfortably beside Mikael until the witch who was marrying us, Ayana, began chanting, which was our signal to walk into the clearing. We walked quickly down the aisle formed by our family and friend up to where Niklaus and Elijah stood with Rebekah across the way from them, avoiding the unlit brazier that stood in between Ayana and the crowd. When we reached Ayana, she untied Mikael's wrist from my own, leaving the ribbon with me before allowing him to leave me at the front so he could go stand beside his wife. Rebekah gave me a small smile of reassurance before I turned my focus to Ayana as she began the ceremony.
There was a lot of waving of herbs and muttering of spells before we got to the part about vows. In short, Niklaus vowed to take me into his home and care for me always, protecting me and our children from harm, as well as staying loyal to me until death parted us. I vowed to care for the needs of my husband and my children, and to stay true to my husband and our marriage vows until we were parted by death. After that we exchange rings, which had been made by the village ironworker. They were beautiful bands, carved with norse runes and designs, though mine was much thinner and more delicate than Niklaus'. We repeated the words, "With this ring, I bind myself to thee," upon Ayana's instruction as we placed them upon each other.
After this was done, we turned back to face Ayana. She muttered a few words under her breath before I felt the intense heat of a fire ignite magically in the metal basin behind me. Ignoring the increasing warmth, I held out my left wrist, which had the white ribbon tied around it still. Ayana deftly unwound the knot and held it up for all to see. "The white symbolizes the protection and care of the father." She handed the ribbon to Niklaus who tossed it into the burning brazier that stood in front of us. "With the burning of the white ribbon by the groom's hand, the bride is released from the protection of her father."
Reaching out, she took the red ribbon around Niklaus' left wrist and used it to bind his wrist tightly to my right wrist, creating an intricate ribbon pattern. "The red symbolizes the love and protection of the husband as he takes this woman as his own." She took the green ribbon on my wrist and wound it around the red ribbon already connecting our wrists, symbolically binding us together forever. "The green symbolizes the care and vitality the wife will bring as she takes this man as her own." She smiled at us and with our bound hand intertwined, we turned to face the small gathering. "By the power of the ancestors, I present these two as husband and wife."
Our audience let out a polite smattering of claps, with the exception of Kol, who let out loud hoots which were promptly silenced when Mikael smacked him on the back of the head. Kol pouted before clapping politely with the rest of the assembled guests.
"Let us feast in celebration," Mikael announced, holding his arms aloft towards the crowd. A loud cheer went up and everyone in the clearing made their way towards the village center where the feast was assembled. A large cheer greeted us as Niklaus and I came into view, some of the men in the village hollering drunkenly, even though the sun had not yet set.
The night passed with much eating, drinking, and dancing. Our wrists were bound together the whole time, which made it increasingly difficult to eat with my weaker hand as I got progressively more tipsy. When the crescent moon was high overhead in the sky, the guests decided it was time for Niklaus and I to retire to our new home. Elijah, whom Niklaus had made peace with over Tatia, cut the ribbons binding our wrists before he, Finn, Kol, and Henrik picked me up and carried me towards Niklaus' and my new home. Four women, two of whom were Esther and Rebekah, carried Niklaus. We were chased from the area by the crass cheers of our party guests.
When we reached our small home, our bearers deposited us outside the doorway. Niklaus took my hand and guided me through the doorway before we were followed inside by Elijah and Rebekah. They watched as we got into our bed, still fully clothed. It was the final stage of our wedding and proved in front of witness' that we planned to consummate our marriage. Before they left, they quietly offered their congratulations, before heading for the door. Good luck Rebekah mouthed to me as she and Elijah retreated from our home.
We sat in uncomfortable silence for a few moments before I decided to break the silence. "So, what is your opinion on getting incredibly drunk before we do this?" I asked, nerves clear in my voice.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Niklaus responded. "But first we must exchange our first gifts as husband and wife. Shall I go first?"
"That is fine with me," I responded. "I will get some alcohol while you get your gift."
I rummaged through the pantry, eventually coming up with a large bottle of mead. I grabbed two glasses before making my way back to the table where Niklaus sat. I filled the glasses to the brim before sitting down next to Nik.
"Alright, well I made this for you," Niklaus said, handing me a long necklace. "I found the stones and shaped them before polishing them up and stringing them together. The stone pendant is from the river, in the spot where we used to swim as children." I smiled, looking at the multi-colored stone beads which blended perfectly with the large stone hanging on the end. Smaller black beads covered the leather cord farther up the necklace, continuing the elegant yet rough style of the strand.
"Thank you, Niklaus. It is beautiful!" He smiled proudly, his eyes lighting up. "Now for your gift," I said, picking up the necklace I had made for him and handing it to him happily. His grin expanded as he felt the smoothly shaped stones that I had polished to a gleam. Holding up the metal pendant, he began to examine it closer, admiring the nordic carving in the crescent shaped charm. "I know how much you enjoy the moon, and since our wedding night is on a crescent moon, I thought it could maybe bring you hope and luck in the future," I explained.
"It is truly exquisite. Thank you, Lisette, for this lovely wedding gift." I smiled, glad that he enjoyed it.
We spent the next hour or two making idle chat and drinking to take away the nervousness and discomfort we felt about having to consummate our marriage on our wedding night, as was demanded by tradition. They do not call alcohol "liquid courage" for nothing. It was not until we were drunk to the point where we were sure to have blurred memories of the night, that we collapsed into our bed and shared our first night as husband and wife.
I hope you enjoyed chapter 2! Feel free to vote, add to your library, and let me know in the comments what you thought! Updates will be posted regularly every Saturday.
~Calli