It's been 1000 years.

Klaus Mikaelson one of the original vampires, the original Hybrid. 1000 years ago himself and his family lived in a village, there he fell in love with a local girl named Emily Collin. They were madly in love and his family approved of their relationship, she was like family to the Mikaelson family. Ester Klaus' mother after her youngest son's death she wanted to never lose another one of them, she wanted them to live forever and be immortal and turned them into vampires, and for her son's happiness she did the same to Emily. Klaus killed his mother but he kept her body and placed it in a coffin keeping it in storage, Emily saw what Klaus did and daggered herself killing her but not forever. The witches sealed Ester's coffin and kept her body fresh and ready, they did the same with Emily they sealed her coffin making it sure that only a witch in the Bennett bloodline could open it. After Emily witnessed what Klaus did, she didn't want to watch what he would become and she wanted him to change, to wake up to see the Klaus she loves. If he loves her enough he would try anything to open the coffin.