Chapter 3

Caroline POV

Caroline was cold. She was tired and cold. And sore. How she thought she'd be able to escape the journey without a single cut or bruise is beyond her. She sat in the cart as they approached the village and thought about the day before.

They had just set up camp for the night after a long day of journeying. Caroline reached for the bow to go see if she could find something to eat for dinner that night.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" William barked.

"Father, im just going out to see if I might find a rabbit for some stew tonight." She explained.

"Hunting is a man's job. And no matter how much i wish you werent, you are a woman. You belong here doing woman's work."

Caroline scoffed in disgust. "Woman's work? A woman can do anything a man can do, we'd just do it without behaving like the sun shines out our ass because we caught a squirrel."

"Caroline!" her mother gasped.

She didn't see it coming. She doesn't know how she didn't see it coming. But before she knew it she was on the ground, holding her face from the stinging blow her father dealt.

He stood above her, face contorted with rage.

"Mind your tongue, you ungrateful brat. I can promise you that if you behave like this when we greet the chief and his family tomorrow, your face will not be the only part of you to feel my wrath." He said, deadly quiet.

As he walked off into the forest, bow on his back, Caroline glanced over to her mother. She looked sadly at her daughter and just shook her head before going back to preparing their meal.

Caroline wiped the back of her hand against her split lip to stop the bleeding and silently moved to help her mother finish supper.

"We're here," her father said, looking at her.

She snapped out of it, self consciously touching the cut on her lip. How do I explain that away? She thought.

She looked ahead and saw a large hut near the entrance to the village. Outside was a group of strangers. Caroline took the time to take them all in. There were the two oldest who she assumed were the mother and father of the group. The father, Mikael she remembered, had a smile on his face but it didn't reach his eyes, which were cold and calculating instead of welcoming like she'd expect. She shivered, for reasons unknown to her. Next to him was who she assumed to be his wife. She was beautiful with long blonde hair and an open friendly face. Then there were the children but Caroline was interrupted in her perusal by her father's voice.

"Chief Mikaelson. We extend our gratitude for giving us a place in your village, especially on short notice. Allow me to please introduce my wife Elizabeth and our daughter Caroline." He gestured to the women to step forward.

Elizabeth came up beside her husband with a slight bow to Mikael and his wife. "Thank you so very much for your generous hospitality, Chief Mikaelson," she said.

Mikael smirked. "Welcome William and Elizabeth. As long as you advance the wellbeing of our village and not hinder it, we are happy to have you. And please call me Mikael. Let me introduce you to our family. This is my wife Esther," he said, gesturing to his side. "And these are my children; Finn, Kol, Rebekah, Henrick and….where's Elijah?" he asked looking around.

Just then, a young man came out of the forest at a fast walk and Carolines breath caught.

"Father, I apologize for my late arrival. Time seemed to get away from me. My apologies, Mr. Forbes." Elijah said, with a bow to his father and a hand extended to William.

Mikael sighed. "and this is Elijah."

Her father looked at Elijah's hand then back up at the man himself. He turned back to Mikael, dismissing Elijah without shaking his hand. Caroline could see Elijah's confusion as he stepped back beside his brother. Who she realized Mikael never introduced.

"Who is the other man? Beside E-elijah?" she cursed to herself for stuttering over his name. Smooth, Caroline, real smooth.

All eyes snapped to her. Mikael looked irritated having been interrupted. Her father looked furious. He turned and put an arm around her shoulder. To others it would appear to be an embrace, but to Caroline she winced as she felt his fingers dig into her flesh.

"I'm sorry, Mikael, please forgive my daughters rudeness. What she lacks in manners and intelligence she makes up for in, beauty. I assure you." Her father said, with a knowing glance at Mikael's sons.

Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment at her father's assessment of her Worth as she mumbled her apologies. She was more than just a pretty face, dammit.

Before Mikael could speak, however, Esther stepped forward. "That is alright, child. This is my son Niklaus," she said, moving to stand beside her son. Caroline didn't miss that she had said 'my' and not 'our'.

Niklaus shot a small smile her way and she smiled back.

"Don't just stand there children, introduce yourself to the child," Mikael urged his children.

Quicker than she thought she was surrounded.

"Hello. I'm Niklaus but you can call me Nik," he smiled. His smile slowly faded as he looked at her. "my mother makes a salve that works wonders for scrapes and bruises," he murmured, looking at her lip while touching his own similar cut on his mouth. She gave him a sad smile.

"Thanks Nik."

"Im Henrik!" an excited little boy jumped up and down in front of her. She started laughing.

"Well hello, Henrik its nice to meet you, I'm Caroline." She was pleasantly shocked when he threw his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around him for a quick hug while she chuckled.

"Come on, Hen, don't crowd the beautiful maiden. My name is Kol. Aren't you a tasty thing," he said with a wink as he grabbed her hand to kiss it.

She rolled her eyes and withdrew her hand before his lips made contact.

"Hi Kol."

If she thought she had offended him, she didn't have to worry. He smiled and laughed as he stepped back.

"Hello Caroline, I'm Rebekah. Thank the gods you're here. Life was starting to get dreadfully boring," she smiled warmly.

Caroline smiled back. "Well, I'm anything but boring."

Rebekah clapped and sighed dramatically, "a woman after my own heart." Caroline couldn't help but laugh at that.

"a pleasure to meet you Caroline. I am Finn." He stated politely.

"Nice to meet you Finn."

She turned to the last remaining Mikaelson and the butterflies in her stomach erupted. Her cheeks heated immediately and she cursed her reaction.

"Welcome to our village, Miss Forbes. I am Elijah. Some fresh new faces are exactly what is needed in these parts," Elijah said with a warm smile.

Caroline couldn't help but smile back. "Thank you, Elijah. And please, call me Caroline. Miss Forbes is my mother and thankfully I am not her," she joked.

Elijah smiled wider and nodded his head. "Well if you will excuse me, brothers, sister," he smirked, "and Caroline, I have somewhere to be. It's been a pleasure," he bowed slightly to Caroline and turned to walk back into the forest.

"More like someome to be with," Rebekah muttered. "Strumpet."

Caroline looked at the siblings curiously.

"It's a long story. I'm sure you'll catch up quickly," Kol said. "Come, let us give you the tour of the village." He tried to hold her hand and with one look from Caroline, withdrew it with a laugh. "Okay, Okay. I get it. You're off limits," He said as he held his hands up

Caroline laughed and lightly punched his shoulder. "and don't you forget it." His siblings all laughed.

While Finn opted out of the tour to take Henrik inside, Rebekah, Nik and Kol took Caroline around the village to get her accustomed to her new home. Caroline, however, couldn't help but keep looking around for a different Mikaelson.

Rebekah took notice and leaned in to whispered, "he's with Tatia. She's the town tramp. Child out of wedlock."

"Doesn't seem like there's any love lost between the two of you," Caroline murmured.

Rebekah grew angry. "She doesn't deserve a good man like Elijah."

Caroline just nodded. She felt a pit in her stomach. So he was taken, courting another. But why did she even care? She shook off her thoughts and focused on the siblings and their walk through.