Chapter 55: A Dance from the Past
The Salvatore estate looked like a scene pulled from an old dream. Soft fairy-like lights twinkled overhead, wrapped around ancient oak trees that stood tall, silent witnesses to the love story blooming beneath them. White flower petals were scattered on the green grass, and a gentle piano melody flowed through the air like a warm breeze from the past.
The day had come for Stefan Salvatore to marry Caroline Forbes.
Alexander stood before the mirror adjusting his tie, a quiet tension hiding behind his usual calm demeanor. From the next room, he heard Damon grumbling about the absence of bourbon on the reception drink list, and couldn't help but let a small smile slip.
"Everything alright?" Damon asked as he entered the room, buttoning the cuffs of his shirt. He looked unusually sharp in a dark suit, though his trademark smirk remained firmly in place.
"Worried about Stefan," Alexander admitted, then added in a playful tone, "and the speech I have to give."
Damon patted his back. "Just don't cry, you'll ruin that broody, mysterious image of yours."
Alexander chuckled softly. "No promises."
---
Outside, the guests began to arrive. Alaric had just gotten there, greeting the brothers with a slight nod before taking his seat. Bonnie waved to Alexander from across the aisle, looking stunning in a deep green dress that harmonized with the forested background of the venue. Elena stood beside her, arm linked with Caroline's mother, Liz Forbes.
Even Klaus and Elijah had come, standing quietly at the back of the crowd. Despite their age and status as Originals, the serenity of the ceremony seemed to touch them.
Then, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived.
Caroline walked down the aisle.
The sound of her white dress gliding behind her was like a whisper from time, and her smile lit up the space. Her eyes never left Stefan's face.
Stefan stood at the altar, his heart pounding. He had faced death, destruction, betrayal—but never had his heart trembled as it did now, watching her approach.
When she reached him, he whispered, "You look stunning."
She smiled back, "And you don't look too bad yourself, Salvatore."
---
Alaric officiated the wedding. His voice was calm, steady, but filled with warmth.
"We are gathered here today to witness the union of two people who have been through more than the mind can fathom… and yet, here they stand before us, stronger than ever."
The vows were simple, and profound.
Stefan said, "I've loved you in every version of myself, and I'll keep loving you in every version of yours."
Caroline said, "One day, you told me you didn't believe you were capable of love. I'm so glad you were wrong."
Tears were shed. Damon wiped his eyes with theatrical flair, only to be gently punched by Alexander.
And when they kissed, applause thundered like a storm in the forest.
---
After the kiss, cheers and clapping rose again. Caroline's eyes sparkled as she whispered something into Stefan's ear, making him smile and laugh softly.
The gentle piano music turned into a livelier, more cheerful tune. Damon took Elena's hand and pulled her onto the dance floor with a dramatic motion that made her laugh heartily. Bonnie nudged Alexander playfully, and he smiled, then stepped toward her and twirled her gently in time with the rising rhythm.
Laughter and music filled the estate, echoing between the ancient walls like sunbeams streaming through wide windows. The night was soaked in joy, lit by flickering candles, and pulsing with old souls learning to love again.
As the dance pace slowed to a softer rhythm, Alexander gradually withdrew from the dance floor. He tapped his spoon lightly against his glass, the gentle ringing quieting the guests, who turned toward him.
He cleared his throat lightly, a rare flicker of nervousness in his eyes. "May I have a moment?" he said. "I'm not great with speeches. I'm more of the brooding and sighing type."
Soft laughter rippled through the celebration.
"But tonight is different," Alexander continued, looking warmly at Stefan and Caroline. "Tonight... I look at the man who helped me stand again, at a time when I thought I was nothing but wreckage. And I look at the woman who lit up his world in a way I never thought possible."
He paused. Then said, "Stefan, you were the first to tell me I wasn't broken. And Caroline, you gave him a reason to believe again. Now… you both prove that love is worth fighting for. Even after everything we've been through."
His voice softened, filled with sincerity. "This house has seen blood and fire. Screams and sorrow. But tonight, it witnessed hope. You gave us that."
He raised his glass. "To Stefan and Caroline. To a future stronger than any curse. To love, loyalty, and family."
Everyone raised their glasses in unison, echoing, "To Stefan and Caroline!"
And as the music resumed, and laughter filled the air again, Alexander looked at his brothers—his family—and felt, for the first time in a long time, that the world might actually be alright.
---
The wedding celebrations continued into the late hours of the night. The Salvatore estate was bathed in the soft glow of twinkling lights and flickering candles, dancing like tiny stars in the arms of the dark. Laughter flowed through every corner of the home, glasses clinked in warmth and friendship, and old friends embraced as though time had returned them to a rare moment of peace. The music pulsed with the rhythm of a genuine serenity they had seldom known.
Couples swayed to the melodies, while Alexander stood quietly in a corner, holding a glass in his hand, eyes roaming the hall, taking in the faces he never thought he'd see smiling again—his brothers, Bonnie, Caroline, even Klaus chuckling at a remark Elijah made with his usual calm. For the first time in centuries, Alexander allowed himself to breathe without fear clutching his chest.
Bonnie approached him and gently wrapped her hand around his arm.
"You won't leave me to dance with the air, will you?" she said with a smile.
He laughed softly, his gaze softening.
"I was never a fan of modern music… all swaying shoulders and bursting flames."
She teased, "And you're all stiffness and ancient rituals?"
"Something like that."
She smiled and almost pulled him toward the dance floor, but at that moment, a different tune began to play—a tender violin melody, flowing with an old soul, as if time had suddenly reversed. It was unlike anything played before; it carried a shadow of longing, a forgotten tune from a bygone era.
Alexander froze.
Bonnie looked at him, puzzled. "You know this piece?"
The light in his eyes dimmed slightly, as if time had cracked before him.
"I know it," he whispered. "We danced to it… in 1803."
Without another word, he stepped forward with graceful steps—noble, elegant, composed. His posture straightened, and his movements bore the precision and refinement of a dance learned in a candlelit aristocratic hall. A dance imbued with the elegance of the past, the dignity of a long-lost age.
Bonnie stepped back, watching in astonished wonder.
Across the room, Damon narrowed his eyes at his brother, then a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Well, I'll be…"
He stepped forward slowly and joined Alexander seamlessly, matching his steps perfectly.
In solemn silence, the Salvatore brothers began to dance. They weren't swaying idly, nor performing for show… they were remembering.
Their feet glided across the wooden floor in perfect harmony, like a mirror reflecting steps from the past. Their turns were flawless, like a dance performed in childhood before their mother's stern eyes and under their father's cold gaze. The room fell silent, and every gaze turned to them. Elena, Caroline, Bonnie—they stood in awe, as if watching a scene from an old play brought back to life.
"What kind of dance is that?" someone whispered.
But the Originals knew.
Elijah stood beside Klaus, sipping a glass of bourbon.
"That," Elijah murmured deeply, "is a Viennese waltz… in pre-war form."
Rebekah nodded, her eyes glinting with a spark of memory.
"It's been centuries since I saw it performed this flawlessly."
Alexander and Damon danced as if time had vanished, as if the place had returned to their old days. Then, Stefan stepped forward hesitantly, but quickly found the rhythm. Three brothers, moving as one. Their lines, their turns, their timing—everything in sync, as if they had never been apart.
Soft gasps rose from the guests.
Bonnie placed her hand on her heart and whispered to Caroline:
"Have you ever seen anything like this?"
Caroline slowly shook her head, entranced.
"It's like… they were made for this moment."
Alexander's face was composed, but joy was evident. His eyes met Bonnie's during a turn, and he smiled at her—a smile that held both memory and present.
When the music reached its end, the three brothers stepped back in unison and bowed gracefully, in a perfect moment.
Silence hung for a breath.
Then applause erupted—warm and thunderous.
The night spun on in a whirlwind of laughter and curiosity. Guests approached the Salvatore brothers, asking for dance lessons, stories of the past, the music, the origins of the dance. Damon, of course, enjoyed the attention, twirling Elena in a half-tipsy laugh. Stefan stole Caroline back into his arms once more. And Alexander…
He extended his hand toward Bonnie, and returned to her at last.
"You never told me you could dance like that," she teased.
"I had to surprise you with something," he replied softly, eyes full of longing.
They swayed together, slower now, rooted in the present. But the glow in Alexander's eyes hadn't dimmed.
In another corner of the dance floor, the Originals drifted into their own space, occasionally exchanging steps from even older centuries. Elijah led Rebekah in a gentle waltz, while Klaus… danced with the memory of Cami, eyes closed for a moment.
The night pulsed with a magic no spell could conjure. A deeper, older magic.
It was joy.
And as the stars stretched across the sky, the Salvatore estate remained alive—with music, laughter, and footsteps that spanned centuries—from the past, to the present, and maybe, at last… toward a future worth believing in.
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