"A good union." He said finally but when his eyes met Isabelle's and she saw it the resentment that she had chosen Niklaus instead of Elijah
The moment passed and soon Klaus was pulled away by his brothers. The music grew louder, the villagers danced in circles. Isabelle, however, felt her chest tighten.
The noise, the faces, the endless congratulations, it all pressed in on her. Smiling had become a task. She moved away quietly, unnoticed, moving through the edge of the crowd until she found a quiet corner near a low wall and finally exhaled, pressing a hand to her chest
She stayed there for some time, letting the sounds of the feast fade into a blur. Then, to her surprise, someone sat down beside her. She turned her head and found Klaus holding a plate with a slice of honey cake on it
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"How did you find me?" She blinked at him before letting out a soft laugh
"I saw you walk away. You thought no one noticed but I did."
"I just... needed a bit of quiet. A moment to breathe." She said softly and he nodded, moving the plate of cake toward her.
"Then I'll leave you to it." He stood but her hand grabbed his wrist
"No." She said quickly. "Stay."
Klaus froze, surprised by the feel of her fingers curled around his. His eyes flicked from her hand to her face and then, with a small smile tugging at his lips, he sat back down
They were silent for a moment, the sounds of celebration drifting in the distance. Then Klaus reached into his jacket and pulled something out. A small band of gold, glinting faintly in the firelight
"I had this made for you." He said quietly
"You... you had a ring made?" Isabelle's eyes widened
"I thought you should have something more than words to mark the day." He told her and her lips parted and for a moment, she could only stare at it.
"It's beautiful." She held out her hand to him, fingers trembling only slightly. Klaus took it carefully and slid the ring onto her finger. His thumb brushed her knuckle again, lingering a little longer this time
Isabelle lowered her gaze to the plate he had brought, smiling faintly as she picked up a piece of cake with her fingers. She took a bite and her eyes closed
"Oh—" She let out a small, unexpected moan. "It's so good."
Klaus's head jerked slightly, his eyes flickering away from her, a faint blush rising to his cheeks. He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably, trying to compose himself
When Isabelle opened her eyes, she caught the way he was avoiding her gaze and she smiled at him with a small frown. For the first time that day, the weight in her chest lifted
"Thank you, Niklaus." She said softly. "For finding me."
