Klaroline AU Week Day 2: Adversaries
A broken engagement leaves hearts hurting, but Caroline doesn't know what to feel when her former betrothed returns to polite society - especially when she's already promised to another.
It was like time had stopped.
Caroline might have sworn the air was sapped from the room, but that would mean she could have even tried to breathe at the moment she saw him. Her champagne glass had started to shake from where she held it in shock, still inches from her lips.
"All right, gorgeous?" a familiar voice asked, his steadying hand warm on her elbow. Enzo's other hand reached for her glass, a finger grazing intimately along her glove.
If she had been imagining Klaus Mikaelson standing frozen on the other side of the ballroom, that illusion was shattered by the fierce possession in his eyes as he tracked the closing distance between her and her fiance - a position he had held only a year before.
A ragged breath tore through her chest, her father's voice faint in her ears as he continued speaking.
"-and I know you must be disappointed, but surely you understand my decision. The scandal of a broken engagement will be short-lived compared to the consequences of marrying an illegitimate son."
Blinking away confused tears, Caroline shook her head. "I don't understand," she answered angrily. Her hands formed into fists on her knees, nails biting into her palms. "Lord Mikaelson disowns my betrothed, and your response is to cancel the wedding? Klaus needs me now more than ever."
Society rumors had always floated around the state of Mikael and Esther Mikaelson's marriage, but none more than the thought that one of their many children was the product of a torrid affair. Most wagered on the youngest, Henrik, but a public spat with Mikael revealed Niklaus to be the bastard son - and just two weeks before he was to be wed to Caroline.
"Where is he?" she asked, breathless in panic. "I have to-"
"Klaus is already gone," he answered. His voice was too gentle, too pitying not to be telling the truth. "Next season, this will all have resolved itself and we can find you another match."
Her eyes fluttered shut as the reality of the situation set in. Their courtship had been a hard won battle of wills, none more surprised than Caroline that the rakish Klaus Mikaelson truly fell in love with her; when faced with her father's opposition, however, Klaus left her behind.
He didn't even say goodbye.
Stiffening at the hand Enzo placed on her back, Caroline was finally spurred into action. "Pardon me," she said breathlessly. "I should find my mother, there is something I meant to discuss with her earlier."
His eyes locked on the man edging his way around the crowd toward them, and Enzo nodded tacit approval of her retreat. "Give her my love," he answered, bringing her hand up to his lips. Though the other guests may have seen it as an automatic gesture of a betrothed, Caroline knew it to be more proprietary, a display to warn off her former lover. Leaning closer, he murmured into her ear, "Shall I give him your regards?"
"No." Her head shook in panic as she pulled away, clutching at her fiance's hand with a final squeeze. "Thank you," she said, only to turn into a broad chest, large hands coming to stabilize her shoulders.
His crisp, white cravat was stuck with a familiar pin, the sight of it clenching something terrible in her heart; its deep, blue sapphire belonged to her late grandmother, turned into a wedding present for her beloved. Her eyes already burning with tears, they traced up the line of his throat, over the slight stubble of his chin, to the pink bow of his lips. They were twisted in the oddest combination of a smirk and a grimace, perhaps the only appropriate response to such an awkward circumstance.
"Hello, Caroline."
She blinked, searching for a nonchalance she didn't feel. "Klaus."
Rebekah eyed her shrewdly as she sipped her tea. "You're quite pretty for an American."
"You're too kind." With a wry smile, Caroline gently set down her cup. The Petrova sisters had warned her that Rebekah Mikaelson Gerard could be a spoiled brat, and they were surprised to hear a common American girl in her first season garnered an invitation to a private tea. Caroline sensed it could open many society doors or ruin her entirely, and this Rebekah would have to be impressed - even if it meant engaging in a bit of catty behavior. "Katerina mentioned how charming the Mikaelson men could be, but she clearly underestimated your demeanor."
Unlike the offended air she had expected, though, Rebekah merely sniffed in approval. "Witty, too," she noted. "You'll do just fine. If a suitor can't appreciate your wit, he's not worth marrying."
Caroline smiled more genuinely at the advice. "You and Lord Gerard seem a happy couple. I'd be honored to find a similarly happy match."
Shrugging delicately, Rebekah sipped at her own tea. "Have you found any prospects?"
Before she could answer, though, the butler cleared his throat from the doorway. "Begging your pardon, Lady, but your brother-"
"-needs not be announced, thank you," a new voice announced imperiously. A handsome man strolled into the sitting room, dropping a kiss on his sister's cheek. "I came to see Marcel, but your husband seems to be doing his chores."
Rebekah rolled her eyes, waving him off. "He's spending the day with the horses, something about a contender for the races. Niklaus, this is Caroline Forbes, whose introductory tea you are interrupting," she admonished. "Caroline, my favorite brother who tends to ignore the niceties of polite society."
He turned toward Caroline, almost taken aback to see someone sitting there. "Please," he said, his voice dripping with a sudden charm as he fell into a bow, "call me Klaus."
Whispers had started, reminding Caroline she was in a crowded, society gathering. "This is neither the time, nor the place, Lord Mikaelson," she responded more formally. Dropping into a slight curtsy, she forced her breathing to even out. "Enjoy your evening."
Before she could slip around him, though, he stepped into her path. "Honor me with a dance, sweetheart?" he asked quietly as he offered his hand.
His thumb rubbed the lace of her glove as they took a turn through the garden, and he smiled as Caroline leaned into his side. Despite their chaperone duties, Rebekah and Marcel were too distracted with their own canoodling to make any comment. "Are you cold, love?"
"No, the weather's perfect for once," she answered, raising her face to bask in the sun. "I've missed this, a sunny day with no chance of rain."
"Do you regret leaving Virginia?" It was an impulsive question, not one Klaus was sure he wanted the answer to. His mother had often harped on him to find a wife, but even she was surprised how quickly he sought Caroline's hand. Their courtship was lively, to say the least, but a real affection had grown between the too-polite barbs they traded. He found himself greedy to spend more time with her and keep her for himself - greedier still so as not to risk losing her as quickly as he found her.
She paused in their walk, wickedly checking to see how closely Rebekah was watching them. "Come on," she said, darting behind a hedge and pulling Klaus behind her.
Laughing, he took the chance to hold her close, running his lips along her cheek. "Miss Forbes, what a scandal," he teased. Whispering into her ear, he delighted in the small shiver she couldn't contain. "Whatever do you mean to do with me?"
"I don't regret leaving Virginia." She gently reached up to hold his face, smiling at the awe in his expression. "By leaving, I get to marry the man I love."
Klaus dragged his nose against hers, stealing a quick kiss while he had the chance. But Marcel's voice floated closer, and he stepped back to a more respectable distance. Still, he brought her hand to his lips, if only to linger a bit longer. "Oh, love," he breathed, his heart full with a wonderful ache he only associated with Caroline.
Enzo moved forward until he fully stood at Caroline's side, subtly offering his arm as well. "Lady Caroline wishes to sit with her mother for a spell, then I'm afraid I have claimed her final set." She gratefully slid her hand into the crook of Enzo's elbow at his defense.
Klaus's spine straightened at their comfortable touch. But his eyes, they betrayed a dangerous hurt she had seen turn violent in their youth. "I don't believe we have been introduced." His voice was strained in its lightness, hardly the polite inquiry it belief. "Klaus Mikaelson, Earl of Hertford."
"And this is Viscount St. John, Lorenzo Augustine," Caroline broke in, the men's staring match too tense for her liking. Of course, she doubted her next words would improve the situation. "We're to be married next month."
He didn't seem surprised to hear that, though his mouth set in a grim line. "So Rebekah said. She also mentioned your father's passing."
Frozen, Caroline felt the pulse in her ears speed up. "Don't," she bit out.
It had been a difficult year for the Forbes family. First, the sudden end to their only child's promising betrothal marred her chances for the season. Even upon introduction to the strapping Viscount St. John, it was hardly the love match Caroline had found with Klaus; but he was kind and they had built a true friendship over the summer.
Then, her father died.
Suddenly facing an entailed estate without a male heir, Caroline needed a husband to support herself and her mother. With no other prospects to interest him, Enzo happily made the offer to be marriage partners, which she happily accepted.
After all, her former fiancé hadn't bothered to return for her.
The teacup clattered against the saucer, Rebekah's eyes wide with surprise. "You're not serious?"
Caroline serenely nodded. "He's a good man," she vouched, though her friend was well aware of the Viscount's virtues. Despite the painful connections they shared, Rebekah had remained a close friend despite her brother's societal disappearance. Caroline was one of the few allowed to visit the Gerard home since Rebekah had gone into confinement. "The wedding is set for October, well after your little one makes his or her appearance. No excuses, Bekah."
Rubbing her large belly, Rebekah shook her head. "Caro, I know it has been difficult, but N-"
"No." Voice firm, Caroline refused to even hear his name. She had long forbidden Rebekah to act as a go-between, not after he hadn't bothered to answer the one letter she allowed to be passed on through Marcel. "Enzo and I care for each other, and my mother will be supported. That's enough."
"What about love?" Rebekah's voice was quiet, tentative. "Something is going to come to pass, soon, and you might miss the chance to have more than enough. You could have everything."
Caroline frowned. "What do you mean?"
With an overwhelmed sigh, Rebekah took her friend's hand. "I'm not supposed to tell you," she confided, "but you deserve to know that Nik's-"
"Bekah!"
"-Nik's birth father is working to make him a legitimate heir. He's coming home, Caroline, and he's coming for you." She squeezed their joined hands tightly, begging her to understand. "At least meet with him, even if it's just to finally put an end to the pining. On both sides."
Almost shaking, Caroline tried not to panic. "He doesn't deserve such peace."
"Perhaps not," Rebekah answered sadly. "But you do, as will your Lorenzo, should you get married after all."
Pinning her friend with a glare, Caroline couldn't help but think she had a point.
"Perhaps," Enzo interjected, placing a calm hand over Caroline's, "this conversation would be best over tea." The crowd around them had only grown more interested, and this confrontation hardly needed an audience.
Her breathing hitched as she tried to settle her racing heart, even as Klaus watched her panicked reaction carefully. She tried to focus on Enzo and his grounding presence, despite her every urge to reach out to the man she once loved. "I-I shall speak with my mother," she hedged.
"Please," Klaus said, echoing a memory with an earnest she didn't understand, "join me tomorrow afternoon, at my estate. I'll send a coach." His eyes slid to Enzo, a twitch of his lips almost unnoticeable if Caroline hadn't been staring. "For both of you, if need be."
"Thank you for the invitation, Lord Mikaelson." Her voice felt weak at the cold address, and she slipped her hand from Enzo's elbow. Dropping into a small curtsy, she felt the full weight of his gaze fall back on her. "Please excuse me, I must get to my mother now."
Klaus gently grabbed her hand and bowed over it; only the barest brush of his mouth warmed her glove. "Until tomorrow," he promised quietly, his intentions clear. Caroline felt she couldn't look away, too many memories of love and pain passing between them.
Clearing his throat, though, Enzo seemed more concerned with the curious eyes watching them all. "Tomorrow it is," he said, offering his arm again.
Caroline automatically accepted, but her mind was occupied with the burning sense of Klaus watching them leave. "Tomorrow," she breathed.
Idly, she wondered if her second engagement was as doomed as her first.