𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐄, stefan salvatore

𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆

Arabella's dress is above.

━━━━
𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆
━━━━

   Arabella's fingers worked hastily to finish the dress she was working on. Not that it was a surprise but Cora had demanded a new dress with the fabrics she had bought, leaving Arabella to toil through the night. Her only source of light was a candle sitting on her wooden table. The odorless candle gave her limited light, but it would have to do. Arabella huffed as she poked her finger, drawing blood to the surface. Using a small cloth, she wiped her finger off. She was particularly cautious when laying Cora's dress aside, making sure to avoid getting a stain on the material.

Arabella could clearly remember the life she had before her mother fell ill. The two spent lots of time with one another. Most mothers of their time and wealth would pass their children off to the nurses that worked for them. But Arabella's mother was completely dedicated to her child, refusing to hand her child off. Her mother taught her everything she knew. They often enjoyed making dresses for the women that worked for the family, giving them away as gifts.

Arabella held the dress up, smiling when she realized she had finished her final arduous task for the day. Her fingers ached as she folded the dress up, placing it on the chair she was formerly seated on. Using the back of her hand, she wiped the sweat off her forehead, which was the result of the humid Virginia air. Picking the candle up, she made way to her small bedroom. Once inside, she discarded her work dress that was covered with dirt from the labor-intensive work she had done through the day. Her body was aching, eager for just a moment of rest. Arabella sighed, climbing into her bed. She blew out the candle and shut her eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.

━━━━

Arabella dipped her index finger into the jar of Cora's Latour almond complexion cream, spreading it across Cora's face. The cream was believed to cure the skin of imperfections; blemishes, freckles, or wrinkles. Arabella's nose crinkled at the smell of the cream, layering it heavily onto Cora's skin. Cora sighed as the cream coated her skin, hoping it would rid her skin of imperfections. Arabella could only think that the cream may help rid Cora's skin of imperfections but her soul contained many that were unable to be cured.

Cora's eyes opened, a glare set in place on Arabella, "Did I not tell you that we have guests coming today? You appear as though you sleep in the stables."

"I was not informed of our guests, I will be sure to clean up."

Cora scoffed, standing up from the chair she was seated on. "You continue to tarnish the family name."

Arabella quarreled the urge to roll her eyes, the family name belonged to Arabella and her parents, not Cora. Instead of showing her displeasure with Cora's words, she just smiled at her stepmother, "I apologize that you are dissatisfied with my appearance. I will go clean up and make myself presentable."

"Your father would be so disappointed," Cora spat, walking out of the room.

Arabella tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, biting down on the skin to avoid saying words that she would later regret. Her mother had constantly preached kindness to Arabella, to defy her mother's words felt as though Arabella was insulting her mother's memory. So instead, Arabella swallowed her pride, hiding it deep within her. Arabella knew her father would be proud of the woman she had become, and that was all that mattered.

━━━━

Arabella smoothed out the fabric of her dress, having dug it out from the depths of her wardrobe. She hadn't worn such a beautiful dress in an extended time, often opting for dresses that worked best for the laborious tasks she was bestowed. The dress didn't have an expansive petticoat, that being one of the main reasons she chose to wear that specific dress. The corset was laced up tightly, giving her a hard time breathing. Arabella ran her fingers along the embroidery that ran along the skirt of the dress, grinning as her finger ran on the stitches.

Arabella pulled her hair out of the braid it was in, ruffling her hair. Most women wore elaborate braids and updos, but due to Arabella's work around the home, she was never able to master the intricacy of the hairstyles. Arabella rather allowed her hair to lay over her shoulders, the golden color of her locks flattering the hue of her dress.

Arabella glanced at herself in the mirror, attempting to see if she was in need of any last-minute touches. Her hand made way to her bare neck, realizing precisely what should rest on the skin. Arabella strolled to her dresser, unlocking the top drawer. The wood creaked as she tugged it open, taking out a small jewelry box. Her fingers were careful to open it as though it were to crumble beneath her touch.

Arabella beamed at the article of jewelry that sat inside the box. The jewelry was a thin gold necklace, a gold wedding band positioned on the chain. Arabella gingerly cared for the necklace in her hands, moving it up and clasping it on her neck. Her mother's wedding ring sat in the middle of her chest, the final addition to Arabella's outfit.

"Ella!" Lottie came rushing into Arabella's room, her petticoat just barely passing through the doorframe.

"Lottie, what is it?"

"They're here!"

Lottie grabbed a hold of Arabella's hand, tugging her towards the stairwell. She turned back to look at her stepsister, finally taking notice to the faint fingerprints on Arabella's face, "Was that my mother's doing?"

"Lottie you mustn't worry about this."

"I will let it slide tonight because we have guests."

Arabella followed Lottie down the stairwell, discovering Fannie and Cora in the foyer with three other people. Arabella stood slightly behind her stepmother and stepsisters, not wanting Cora to believe that she was attempting to make herself the center of attention. Arabella waited for when Cora moved aside, letting the people lay their eyes on Arabella. Arabella's eyes looked over their guests; two men and a woman.

The man in the middle took a step forward, extending his hand. Arabella lightly laid her hand in his, looking into his blue eyes. The man smirked, placing a kiss to the back of her hand, "My name is Niklaus Mikaelson."  

━━━━

Word count: 1108

I do not own The Vampire Diaries.
All rights go to Julie Plec and Warner
Bro's. I only own any original
plot and characters.