1841, Mystic Falls, Virginia
It was summer and the village has been blooming. More villages arose in the surrounding areas. Most of them were now connected by dirt roads. There was life everywhere in the forest. The birds where singing, the flowers plants coloured the grounds, making the forest a magical place to be.
Marie Anne Forbes-Swan was walking through the woods with Lillian Salvatore and their children. The two women were looking for flowers and herbs as they always did on Wednesdays when the weather was good. Isabelle Damon were 5 years and where running though the clearing where they were at this moment, 3,5 year old Stefan trying his hardest to catch up with the older children, giggling while he does.
"Damon, Isabelle, Stefan do not leave the clearing! You never know what wanders in the forest." Lillian called to them. She knew there could be dangerous creatures lurking in the forest. They have left Mystic Falls alone and for that she was glad. She hoped it would continue that way.
She walked towards Marie. Who was picking some white coloured flowers. "I do not get where they get the energy from"
Marie looked up and smiled at her friend
."They will sleep as roses tonight." Marie said as she put the white flowers in her basket. She heared the kids calming down behind her.
"That would be heaven." Lillian said. "Stefan has problems lately with falling to sleep."
"It will be likely that it will be a fase, Isabelle was the same at his age" her friend said. She nodded saying it hopefully will be over soon.
She went to pick some wild mint that she had seen a couple of yards away.
Marie looked over to the children. Damon was now playing with dirt together with his little brother Stefan. Her daughter Isa not near them as she usually was. Marie looked around the clearing, her eyes quickly fell on the brown haired girl She was looking for. The small girl was making a flower neckles from daisy's that were growing between the grass. Marie smiled while she looked at her daughter.
When Isabelle finished the neckles she ran to her mother and presented it proudly. Marie praised her daughter.
"What a beautiful neckless you made my dear Isa." She said while patting her daughter's head .
"I made it for you mother" Isabelle smiled brightly when she gave her mother she neckles. Marie put it around her neck. She gave Isabelle a hug.
"Thank you my love." Her English accent came through a little at the word love. "Do you want to help me pick some flowers?"
Isabelle nodded excitedly, eager to help her mother. After 30 minutes it was time to walk back to the village.
Lillian called her two sons and waited till they had reached her. The two young Salvatore's ran hand in hand to their mother. Damon slowing his pace for his younger brother, whoms feet could not move as fast. Their clothes were covered in dirt. They would need a bath later. Lillian picked up Stefan and walked towards Marie and Isabelle, with little Damon hot in her trails. They walked towards the path that would lead them back to Mystic Falls.
Once on the path Damon and Isabelle started chasing each other, both knowing the way towards their village. Stefan began pointing towards them and wiggled out of his mother's arms. His small feet running towards the other two. They were laughing and playing all the way home.Marie and Isabelle needed to walk a little bit further. Marie's husband Charles was waiting for them.He looked at the two people who held his heart. His little girl looked up, a big smiled graced her face as she saw him.
"Father!" she yelled and started to run towards him. He picked her up in his arms and spinned them around. Isabelle giggling with joy. It warmed Marie's heart. She walked towards them as Charles stopped spinning and kissed his daughters head. When he saw his wife approach them he opened an arm for her. She snuggled in her husband's side. He kissed The top of her head as well.
A couple houses down Lillian got in an argument with her husband Giuseppe. He was not pleased with how his sons looked, dirty covered in mud. What would the people in town think if they saw them.
"They are children Giuseppe! They find joy in playing with dirt, roling around in the grass." Lillian countered. Something had changed in her husband. He was getting more angry at her. As long he would not raise his voice to their sons, she was happy. Her husband groaned still not pleased. She excused herself and went to Damon and Stefan to give them a bath. She was relieved that they had a maid. Otherwise dinner would not have been served on time.
" come one my little boys, bath time". She grabbed a hand of both and guided them to bath.
The next morning came along. The weather was not as nice as the day before. Clouds were covering the sun accompanied by a warm summer breeze. Because of the warm day they had yesterday, there was chance for a storm.
Marie woke up and quickly dressed her husband Charles was just dressing himself in a suit with his back turned towards her.
"Morning love" she smiled. Charles turned to face his wife. His gaze eyes shining with love for her. His brown hair was already perfectly in place, his mustache perfectly trimmed. He smiled at her.
"Good morning my dear, did you sleep Well?" Charles asked her.
"I had wonderful dreams." She smiled. "I will not waste your time with them. I know you will travel tonight and have errands."
"You would never waste my time." He walked towards her and gave a sweet kiss on her lips. "I wish I could stay with you and Isabelle, business needs to be done and will not wait for me. I will be back before you know It, my dear. "
He kissed her head and went down stairs. Marie went to wake up little Isabelle. She was sprawled across the whole bed. One leg sticking out underneath her blanket. Marie sat down on the bed and gently stroked Isa's face." Isa the time is here to rise and shine, Love" she gently started to remove the blanket that covered half of her daughter.Isabelle started to move in her bed. A small sigh came out from between her lips. She was starting to get out of her sleeping daze. She kept her eyes shut hoping her mother would let her sleep a bit more. Until her mother said the following.
"Come one little Love breakfast is awaiting for you in the dining room. Maybe after that i could learn you how to write."
She was a smart little girl whom wanted to learn when she was able or if some offered her. For such a young she was ambitious. It made her parents proud.Isabelle quickly sat up and got up. She ran to her closet full of dresses and picked one out like she did every day. Today she was wearing an emerald green dress with poofy sleeves. Marie grabbed some white socks with lace on top and some shiny black shoes with a small black bow. She helped her daughter who already started to get dressed.
"Wait little Love, we will need to wash you first and do not forget your undergarments." She took her daughter's small hand in hers and lead her to the bathroom for a quick bath. After she dried and dressed Isabelle she put some small braids in her daughter's chestnut hair that she inherited from her father. She pulled the braids back so Isabelle would not have her hair in her face while playing or eating. The rest of her beautiful, a bit wavy, hair falling on her back in thick locks.
"Your father is waiting for us for break fast." She announced. "Let's not make him wait."
The walked down the stairs while Isabelle was happily humming a song. They entered the dining room where Charles was sipping on his coffee. He smiled when he saw his wife and daughter entering the room he was in.Isabelle skipped happily towards her father, still quietly humming. She put her small arms around him,giving him a hug. He put picked her up and put her on his lap, kissing the top of her head.
"Good morning my sunshine. Did you sleep Well." He asked her.
"I did father." When she looked up and smiled at him. He put her on the chair closest to him and made her a plate with bread, cheese and fruit. She quickly began to eat it.
His wife also plating up some food their maid had prepared for them. They ate quietly until little Isa was finished. She sweetly asked it she could be excused to play with her dolls upstairs. Her parents agreed and she quickly jumped of off her chair. Skipping through the room.
"Do you have everything packed for your journey my love?" Marie asked when she swolled her last bite of food. Charles just finished his.
"yes, when you and Isabelle went to the forest yesterday." Charles said to his wife. She nodded at him. " I need to talk to Giuseppe and make sure some erands are finished before I leave. I will come and say goodbye to my sweet ladies."
He stood up and walked towards his wife and pulled her up so she was standing, he kissed her on her soft lips and took her in his embrace. Marie put her arms around her waist. "Are you planning on going somewhere today so I know where to find you when I leave."
"i will try to learn Isa to how to write. We will likely stay home. If we go outside it would be in our garden." Marie answered.
Charles kissed her head once more before walking out of the house starting his day. Marie walked towards the hall and heared Isa talking to her dolls, Marie decided to let her daughter play a bit more before she would teach her how to write. For a woman in this era it was not common to know how to write or read, but she found it important that her little Love would learn.
In the Salvatore house the two brothers had also breakfast with the family and were playing with a ball in the garden, their father had brought it with him on one of his travels.
A knock on the door was heared through the house. Charles had arrived as his friends residents. He did not have to wait long before a maid opened the door. He nodded his head towards the woman who had greeted him when she saw him.
"Mister Salvatore is in his office, mister Swan." She said quietly. He walked towards the office, knowing the way even if he would be blindfolded, he had been here many times over the years.Giuseppe would a company Charles on his travels they were partners in their business. They had an important meeting for a deal with a Lord. They needed to prepare so the man could not refuse. They wanted to expand their business and this would help immensly.
Lillian was relieved her husband would go away for a couple of days. She loved Giuseppe with her whole heart, but the man she fell in love with was slowly fading. He got angry without reason, she was sometimes scared he would hit her. She prayed he would always be the same towards their sons as he was now. He was a loving father and when their boy did something that made him proud she saw his face lighten up. She wished sometimes she could do that for him too like she used to.
While her husband would be away she would start the Italian lessons again she and her husband gave their sons previously. They did not speak the language often anymore. She knew how much pride Giuseppe had for his home country.She was busy preparing when her husband and Charles walked in side the dining room.
"Good day Charles." She said with a smile on her face. He looked at Her, a polite smile graced his face.
"Good day Lilly, how have you been?" He said
"Life has been treating me fairly well, thank you for asking. I hope it is also for you."
"I agree with you, live at the moment is wonderful."
"I wish you both a safe travels." She said to both men. She looked at her husband whom was looking at the table. A small smirk played on his lips followed by a smile. It made her heart beat faster and hope that maybe it was just a fase he would go through.
"I see you are giving the boys Italian lessons?" He said when he looked up at her. Her face fell a bit when she saw the cold look in his eyes.
"yes, since it is been awhile and we do not speak the language frequently anymore." He nodded and walked over towards her, to her surprise he kissed her head and walked out of the dining room with Charles trailing behind him.
She walked towards the garden and called for her sons to come inside the house. Little Stefan came running with their ball clutched to his small frame, the ball looked enormous in his arms and it made Lilian smile.
"Where is your brother Stefan?" she asked when he reached her. Dropping the ball and hugging her legs. He put His hands up and shrugged his little shoulders, signalling that did not know.
Lilly knew better since little Stefan was looking anywhere but her face, that action confirmed he was aware of his brothers whereabouts. "my dear, there is no need to lie. I am not angry at him. Although I would have appreciated he told me. He may be your bigger brother but he is still young."
Stefan thought about it for a moment. He did not want to tell on Damon.Lillian knew she would have her hands full in a couple of years, her older son started to get a bit rebellious lately and she knew it would only get worse in time. Although a small 5 year old boy could not do a lot of harm he still could get lost and that scared her the most.
"How about you guide me towards Damon." She said knowing how loyal her 3,5 year old could be towards his brother. A characteristic she loved about her younger son. Stefan nodded and took his mother's hand. Guiding her off their grounds into the village streets.
She was not really surprised when he stopped before the Swan house. Damon loved his friend Isabelle and if they could not play he would get sad. It would not surprise her if the two would get married once they would blossom into adults. Marie and herself joked about it often secretly hoping it would come true.
author note:
i hope you liked the first chapter! normally i dont write in third person so i hope i pulled it off!
review/love is really appriciated!
question time!
what would you like to see in this story. which moments? maybe some of you have read the story after this and have questions about Damon and Isabelle before they ended up in our time.(which is not finished yet so check it out if you havent!)