England- 1127

Liza’s POV

We were now living as a unit, rather happily I think. Rebekah was still quite annoyed about me living with them but I think Niklaus had begun to enjoy my company. He seemed to frown at everything everyone did so I don’t think he hated me like I did before. He was also mean and heartless towards everyone including me so I wasn’t special in this situation.

Elijah and Kol were the same to me, they cared about my wellbeing and they were kind towards me most of the time. That’s why they were the two that were mainly against my supposed marriage. I didn’t like the idea of it. Would you want to marry a stranger?

All I know is his name is called Oliver and he is from a noble family. Elijah wasn’t too impressed in letting me go marry him but it was seen as something they expected to happen. I was late to get married at eighteen but I didn’t want to, not at all.

If I married this man it meant I wouldn’t see my family ever. It was just how it was I would be owned but my husband who wouldn’t allow me to do anything other than stay at home and have children.

I didn’t want a life like that.

I stomped down the hallway to find the four vampires sat around the room. They all stopped talking as I walked through the door.

“I’m so sorry Elis-“Elijah started.

“So there isn’t anything you can do to stop this wedding. I don’t want to marry a man I don’t know,” I whispered.

“I know Liza but it is expected of you to get married,” He sighed.

I could see the pained look in his eye as he thought about me leaving him. I didn’t want to leave, not at all, I love them.

“It’s not fair,” I shouted turning my back on them.

I don’t know why I was being harsh towards them; it wasn’t exactly their fault I was being forced into this terrible predicament. They had no control over how a woman was supposedly rightfully treated in this day and age. It was wrong that I was a lower class to the man I should be married too. He obviously wanted to marry me; if he didn’t this wedding wouldn’t be happening.

Walking further away from the place I called home, I attempted to not look back. It would only make me want to return there and I couldn’t do that, not if it meant leaving them in such a short time.

Once I was sure I had reached a good depth of the forest I fell to the ground allowing my tears to flow freely. I was more than scared I was petrified. I had already lost my true family and they had nicely enough taken me in and I was going to lose them. I don’t know whether I’d be able to survive it.

My once clean dress was now covered in dirt and grass stains from me sitting on the floor but to be honest I didn’t mind. It was only a dress and Elijah was wealthy enough to not be bothered if I ruined one. Just he might now; I had probably made them all angry from shouting at them and running from them.

Each sob was making the tears turn into hysterics. I was slowly becoming unable to breath properly with the way my tears flowed. The guilt was terrible and I had nothing to make it go away. I had just walked out on the only people that cared or at least put up with me to the extent they seemed they cared once in a while.

My knees curled up to my chest as I hugged them to me, not only for comfort but for warmth. The warm day was slowly turning into the chilly night. Everything around me was darker than it was when I got here, which made me question how long I had been sitting her in my pit of despair.

As I stood up I dusted of my dress the best I could, but I couldn’t do anything about the stains that were on the soft fabric. Taking a deep breath I decided to head back to my home, they would probably be worried. Well at least Kol and Elijah would be worried about my welfare.

After I took a few steps back in the direction of my home a rustling came from behind me, making me snap my head around. Nothing. Nothing was there. It was probably just a wild animal; I knew this forest was full of them.

Turning back around I tried to head back to my home but the noise happened again. Once again I span to see what it was but there wasn’t anything there. Nothing, not a leaf out of place.

Once I could finally see the small building the noise happened more rapidly. I turned but this time the forest wasn’t empty. Its eyes looked murderous and hungry, which made all my blood run cold. I was scared, not scared like I was around Rebekah or Niklaus but I was actually fearing my life. For the first time ever I feared something this strongly.

The overly large dog leaped towards me knocking me to the ground. I didn’t know how I could have called it a dog; it was a wolf and a large one at that. Its front paws pinned my shoulders down and it’s back ones sat either side of my legs. Snarling, it rolled me around on the floor scratching me with its claws. Crying out for help it moved its head so it was level with my shoulder before biting.

Pain sprang through my whole body as it clawed at me whilst I meekly struggled under its weight. My survival seemed impossible and hope began to fade as did the dim light around me.

Elijah’s POV

Her scream pierced our ears causing us all to stand to attention. After her second scream we knew we had to leave, all four of us. We had to do something for Liza. Stepping outside, the smell of blood was overwhelming but it was an easy way to lead us to the injured girl.

Entering the forest we saw an unconscious Liza on the floor with a wolf attacking her. As soon as the wolf saw us it snarled baring its teeth. Pressing down on Liza it leaped towards us ready for attack. Niklaus grabbed the animal by the scruff of its neck as it jumped towards us easily snapping its net and leaving it dead.

Then our attentions turned back to Liza. Her chest weakly rose and fell but it looked as if it was slowly becoming still. Kol and I knelt down next to her whilst our siblings hovered over us, obviously curious as to what we were going to do.

“We need to turn her into one of us,” Kol exclaimed about to bite into his own wrist.

“No Kol. We cannot take that choice away from her. She is human, she should have the choice to become a monster or not,” I sighed.

“Mother never turned us into monsters Elijah, we did that ourselves, she merely turned us into vampires,” Rebekah stated in a matter of factually way.

“But none of us ever had the choice to stay human or to become a vampire. It is unfair to do this to her,” I stated.

It would kill me if she died. I couldn’t lose her not now, she had just grown up into a beautiful young lady and it felt like she was my own daughter that I never got to have. But if I turned her and that wasn’t what she wanted I would feel guilty, I could never put her through that, the pain and mental torture being a vampire was.

“It’s unfair to let her die,” Kol retorted.

“If she doesn’t wish to be a vampire then she can die then,” Niklaus shrugged.

A slight pained look was on his face proving he did care for her. Kol looked like a wreck, he had already started crying and he looked devastated. Rebekah on the other hand stood there with a frown on her face as per usual.

“I would happily stake her if you need someone to do that,” Rebekah smirked.

“It’s not an option; she can’t be one of us. She looked ill every time we mentioned blood or hunting, she couldn’t kill nor hurt an innocent human,” I sighed standing up and looking down at her.

She had scratches covering her whole body and a couple of bites from the wolf. She looked peaceful though, although the state she was in looked rather painful. A tear came to my eye but I pushed it away as I turned and walked away from her as I knew she would be taking her last few breaths.

I wouldn’t be able to handle seeing my ‘daughter’ dying there in front of me. Kol wouldn’t leave her side until she was buried; he cared for her too much. I cared for her too much but I couldn’t stand the sight of her death.

As more tears began to come to my eyes I wasn’t able to hold them in. I cried, for the first time in a long time I let myself cry. It would be hard to live without her but I would have only had a few years with her longer if she didn’t get married. If she did, then I would have only had months maybe weeks with her.

Trying to be optimistic about her death wasn’t at all any help. It just made all the good memories of her childhood build up.

Each memory was like a stake to the heart. It was like I was going to drop dead at any second because of the pain within my heart. For the first time ever, I wished I could be Niklaus. He was heartless and let no one in; he felt no pain from death. It would be easier, but I guess that’s just my perspective, I think it is easier for him.

He was like a vampire who had turned off his humanity but I knew he hadn’t he could feel anger and hatred. If he couldn’t feel that he wouldn’t be him. That was just how his personality was, heartless and cruel.

Through the blur my tears had left me I made my way back to our home. I wouldn’t be able to live here much longer, it would just dig up bad (although they were happy) memories of Elisabetta. I finally knew what it was like to be a parent who had lost his child. Just she wasn’t biologically mine, but that didn’t mean I didn’t care for her any less than a normal Father should or would.

Taking a deep breath I pushed the door open to reveal our quaint home. It always reminded me of laughter and cheer seen as we bought it due to having a young child with us. Seeing her grow up and then die; is one of the saddest things I could imagine, losing her. I thought I would just be losing her to a husband that didn’t live too far away so at least I’d see her. But no, I had lost her, Liza my little girl that I’ve only been able to care for, for thirteen years. Now our family would go back to normal, our dysfunctional family without a little girl to brighten our days.