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02

"with every sunset, a new hope is born, an old expectation dies."

02 | IN THE DARK

June, 1863

The day had been tiresome for Charlotte from the start, her body aching as if she had been hit by a boulder, crushing her underneath its immense weight. Every time she moved, whether it be simply walking or grabbing herself a napkin at dinner, she wanted to wince. The tea that Emily had given her worked wonders, yet she was still hurting in places that she had never known existed.

However, she knew that she had to act normal, so as soon as she had finished her warm bath, she asked Emily to help her dress into a pretty blue dress that made her eyes look even brighter. The lace sleeves made Charlotte feel a bit better, even if the bruises were no longer visible, and the makeup that Emily helped her apply made her look somewhat normal. Gone were the large bags under her swollen eyes, instead replaced with a beautiful and strong girl that she had been before he broke her.

Before he took everything from her.

She tried not to think of the awful man for the remainder of the day, seeing Stefan and Katherine downstairs as Charlotte was asking one of the servants to prepare a nice dinner for five. Their father would be coming back tonight, and Charlotte assumed that he would want to come home to a nice meal. He was always so picky about that kind of stuff.

Charlotte didn't mind helping the servants set up the dining table, as much as they protested against her doing so. She found the busy work distracting, and didn't want to be left to the mercy of her own thoughts. God knows that if she was, she would think of him.

"Charlie," a voice greeted from behind her, and Charlotte set the plate on the small mat before turning with a smile. Her brother looked happy today, and she had no qualms that it was Katherine's doing. Ever since the beautiful woman had been staying at the Salvatore estate, her brother seemed to brighten up after his first love had, quite literally, left him waiting at a park bench. He had been devastated after that, but Charlie could see a more content side to him that she was excited about. He wore a loose white shirt with a darker vest over it, covering up the brown suspenders that kept his black pants up. His shoes were polished and nice as they clicked on the tile floor, approaching his baby sister with his brown hair slightly falling in front of his face. He looked quite handsome with his green eyes sparkling, and Katherine—who was wrapped in his arm—looked the same.

Katherine Pierce seemed to never have a bad day; her hair was beautifully curly, a few pieces falling in front of her face with the half-up, half-down hairstyle. Her earthly green dress looked splendid against her pale skin, despite her eyes being a dark brown—almost black—color. The hue of her clothing matched Stefan's eyes, and made the two of them look so much like a couple that Charlotte raised an eyebrow at them. However, Katherine smirked at her, seeming to have read her mind as she shook her head slightly. Charlotte rolled her eyes, turning away from her brother and the woman she had found a close friend in, deciding to stay silent on her opinions.

"You need any help?" Stefan asked, looking around his little sister to see if there was anything he could do. He was always the one to lend a hand on anything, and while Charlotte found it endearing, she got annoyed quickly over the years. Her father had always called her incompetent during his drunken nights, and though her brothers reminded her that he probably didn't even remember, Charlotte couldn't help but take those words to heart. She wanted to prove her father wrong. She wanted to be able to do everything on her own, without a man's help.

The thought of her father and, inevitably, the thoughts about the man upstairs, raced through her mind. She shook them away, focusing on folding the napkins just right. She felt sick to her stomach just thinking about what happened last night, and made sure to distract herself with the conversation. "I've got it handled, big brother," she answered, smiling up at him while she nodded to the kitchen. "It should be ready soon anyway."