i just might love you (a hosie royalty au)

Part 6 "Which one, dear sister?"

A/n: unfriendly reminder that black lives matter. if that makes you uncomfortable got off my fic & educate yourself.
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Josie's room was colder than usual when she woke up, making it harder to push the covers back to get out of bed. When she opened the curtains, instead of a bright and cheerful view greeting her, it was dreary and dull. The clouds were grey, moving quickly across the sky as the wind howled. Tiny water droplets were gathering on the window from the pouring rain. The brunette followed ones path with her finger gently down the windowpane until it reached the bottom. Yesterday had been a whirlwind.

After the Mikaelson soldiers (and Hope) subdued the enemy, they had ushered the suitors into the carriages and rushed them back to Lykos Hold. Thankfully no one had died... other than a few soldiers. But that was all anyone knew, the King was keeping it all under wraps.

The number of people interested in vying for the hand of the Mikaelson heir dropped significantly. A great deal of them had already rushed home, a few stragglers waiting until today. Even though Josie was aware of this, she had witnessed people's shock and outrage herself, she was still surprised to see the dwindling numbers when she walked in.

Instead of the grand hall, they had been gathered in a large library. It had thousands upon thousands of books, with ceiling high shelves only reachable by ladder. There were glass doors that opened onto a veranda, no doubt hosting a glorious view. The room itself had long sofas and masterfully crafted wooden chairs. The room felt lived in, Josie thought as she ran her hand along the back of one of the sofas. The roaring fire warmed the room, being a nice contrast to the outside gloominess.

The Lord that had showed the Saltzman twins around that first night was standing by the fireplace, a polite smile on his face as he greeted everyone that entered. They had later learned his name was Lord Rupert Vardemus, and Josie suddenly placed him as one of the men who had been talking to the King that night. That night she had overheard the King's meeting, where he had yelled at everyone. But the Lord looked so composed right now, his posture confident and his smile kind, even if it didn't reach his eyes.

"I would just like to thank you all for your patience while we dealt with that rather... unfortunate security breach." He exclaimed, resting a hand on the fireplace mantel. Josie's eyes traveled to the painting above it. It was a beautiful rendition of a family of three; A mother, a father, and a young daughter. The father was obviously a younger King Niklaus. He had his hands behind his back as he stood menacingly behind a chair, his chest puffed out in a proud way that exuded power. His trusty hatchet was attached to his belt, and he was wearing a green plaid kilt. Hope herself was much, much younger. But Josie could still recognize her. She was standing beside the chair, face without smile, but her eyes were sparkling. The woman sitting in the chair was someone she didn't recognize. She was wearing a gorgeous green gown with gold detailing. Josie thought it looked like what Hope had worn to the grand hall that first day. Even though the woman had a stern expression on her face, the painting was still able to portray a kindness in her dark eyes that Josie couldn't explain. She looked tough, she had to be if she were married to Niklaus. But there was also something about her that was warm and welcoming, Josie knew this woman would always have your back. It made her miss her own mother. Her real mother. Someone who she never had time to know.

"Due to yesterday's... event, the King has decided to take a different approach to your testing." Lord Vardemus started, twisting the giant ring on his finger. "The people who score high enough in this next test will be granted special privileges."

Josie could feel her sisters growing impatience from beside her. This man seemed like the type of person who wasn't very direct. Lizzie just wanted him to get to the point.