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Lorelai Sterling Salvatore (Castello)

Most days Ransom would be out and about, taking note of the mafia's recent success as they continued to make history. Spending his days at long parties that last early in the day and late into his nights, his tired eyes and slowed reaction time only saying one thing - celebration. But today was much different, and as he snuck back into the manor that he had reluctantly had to share with a woman who he knew could care less for him, he had dropped his keys. Ransom couldn't tell if he himself was still drunk or perhaps already feeling the hangover, but he couldn't help but stumble through the house. He knew his wife would not be found in their bed, which... lucky for him - Ransom decided it meant more room for him. She slept on the couch or in the spare bedrooms.

It was still early in the morning that the light leaking into the mansion was mostly a pale light from the moon rather than the warmth of the sun. Ransom gathered his things before slipping off his dress shoes and the blazer of his suit. He had tossed them in the general vicinity of the laundry room. His wife didn't do his laundry, which was of no surprise, but he always managed to get out of it as his mother offered or the maid that would come by. The couple was offered a lot more privacy than expected. His father was hopeful that maybe the dreadful days of Castello and Salvatore would be over with this marriage, but it only seemed to make it worse.

Ransom didn't have much hatred in his body. Sure, the two tried to kill each other and now they slept under the same roof, but everyone else had put the past behind them, so why couldn't they? It was over a decade by now, and there was talk of the two joining forces. This marriage was supposed to be the start of that, but with no proper way of showing that the two can at least tolerate one another, Ransom found himself in a constant loop. He wanted to try and please her even if she could care less if he dropped dead tomorrow, but a part of him also simply wanted that - death. No. Ransom would never kill his bride, let alone a Salvatore, but he felt as though he was trapped and that could be the only possible solution.

Ransom had made his way to the closest bedroom down the corridor which was one of the guest rooms. He plopped on the bed and closed his eyes, his head already pounding and his stomach turning. His tolerance seemed to be tested every weekend, and maybe that's where he should start - sobriety. Perhaps his wife could at least appreciate that.

Their wedding day had been an interesting one. Their families there, congratulating them, applauding them. His father's words were something like "You're doing the right thing," as if he had any choice in it. Most of the time he simply did what was asked of him, and while he knew he had no choice in this, Ransom believed it obvious that this was not a good match. His wife was an only child while Ransom had two younger siblings. His younger brother, Trent Castello, was about three years younger and claimed he was better looking anyways. Ransom always joked that they would be a better fit, but as the heir, this is what was expected of him - doing what others didn't want to participate in.

Ransom would awake hours and hours later, his tired body regenerating. He had woken up a few times and made himself more at home in the bed that wasn't even his. He grumbled, feeling the annoying vibration of his phone. "Lorelai," he had called out, but heard no answer. With his eyes still closed, he pulled the device out from his pocket and saw a notification labeled "Family Meeting". "Shit," Ransom huffed before he would sit up, rubbing his eyes. He made his way to his bedroom, quick to change into a new outfit. He grabbed dark dress pants and shoes alongside a white button up. He wore a watch and three rings. On his right was two, and his left was one - the wedding band.

Was it even worth wearing?

Ransom cleaned himself up as fast as he could before he would walk to the dining room. He glanced towards his in-laws, his eyes wandering to his wife. He gave a small smile before hearing the heavy doors open and close - Markus and Mikayla Castello walking in. Ransom turned to greet his parents, giving a small hug and a kiss on the cheek to his mother and an embrace to his father. Ransom watched them as they sat, sitting across from their new family. Ransom took a seat at the end, closest to Lorelai, looking at her every few moments. He struggled not to say anything, wishing she would just allow herself to be normal. Nobody was planning to kill anyone anymore - this marriage was a testament to that.

"Salvatore," Markus said as a greeting, acknowledging the three. Ransom watched intently before he cleared his throat.

"Couldn't this have been a phone call?" Ransom asked and chuckled unsurely.

"No, son," Markus replied with annoyance in his tone. He glanced to the other three, and specifically Lorelai.

Mikayla sighed softly, intertwining her fingers on the gorgeous hand-crafted table. She cleared her throat and looked at the couple. "You two need to work on... this," she said, gesturing with her hands.

Lorelai merely tilted her chin and inclined her head at the familiar intonation of Markus Castello`s voice, offering him the briefest of fabricated smiles before diverting her azure eyes elsewhere. Although she knew he had played an incredibly significant role in bringing the arranged marriage to life, she knew that he deserved even the littlest bit of respect; the sentiment was reciprocated towards her own father, especially in this unforgiving society. Money played one of the most influential roles in the world they lived in, but respect was what truly gave leaders and conspirators what they truly wanted: power. The Salvatore Mafia prided themselves on the fact that they were one of the three most influential and poewrful associations out there, with the Castello Mafia being one of them as well. On the contrary, the third.. Gods, the third did not even deserve to be mentioned with the way they functioned, giving no ounce of mercy or respect to anyone including themselves.

When her husband spoke, she finally endeavored to look over at him, a brief frown gracing her features. It was painfully obvious to her that he had been out and about once again, indulging in the pleasures of partying and alcohol; she felt a little bad, but she could not do anything about it if he refused to reach out to her in the first place. Of course, Lorelai had already established that she wanted nothing to do with him, yet no one deserved to resort to such sickening habits. The empathy that graced her features vanished when Ransom spoke, her face contorting in displeasure and unamusement at his words. A phone call? She understood precisely why he preferred that over a dinner in-person, but she would much rather have dinner with her parents nearby; her mother had more freedom here and was able to speak her mind, something her father tried to keep at a minimum. It was rather twisted how the Salvatore lineage still viewed women as lesser- even if just a little- and the mere idea of Lorelai taking over one day had fueled her father`s hopes of this arranged marriage.

She shifted her gaze once again when her mother-in-law spoke, earning her attention. Lorelai nearly grimaced at her words as she realized this dinner had one sole purpose: discuss her tense relationship with her husband. This was a topic she despised having to discuss with individuals outside of the marriage, even her own parents; was this not a conversation she was meant to have with Ransom, and him alone? She wanted to protest and claim that their relationship was perfectly fine, that its current state was a mere result of getting used to each other. Such an excuse would have worked two or three weeks ago, but since they had been living under the same roof for nearly a month.. it was a pathetic one.

``Perhaps they need more time,`` Freya Salvatore`s voice penetrated the silence that befallen the room, her stature calm and elegant as she looked over at her daughter. Lorelai had not expected her mother to speak on the matter, yet she had; this was another reason why she was so close with her mother: she knew precisely what she needed and how to deliver it. A brief wave of gratitude washed over her as she leaned back in her seat and sighed, mentally preparing herself for the conversation that was unfolding. There was no way that she would outright admit that this marriage was something she would never accept adn that she refused to tolerate Ransom in any way, especially when this union had saved so many lives and prevented all-out war.

``We are working on it,`` Lorelai eventually spoke, nodding in agreement towards her mother prior to folding her arms in her lap as she cast a glance at her husband. There was a chance he would simply nod along and lie, but there was a possibility he had the audicaity to outright call her a liar. She did not want to work on their relationship, not now nor in the near or distant future. In her eyes, Ransom was nothing more than her captor of sorts, the man that had practically stolen her freedom away; she had to blame her father for that as well, obviously, but maybe if he had been more adament about the marriage it never would have happened. She braced herself for what could potentially be yet another argument of sorts between her family and his own, something that was becoming a common event. It was a little comical to her, but only after the whole scenario unfolded.

Lorelai Sterling Salvatore (Castello)

The sole thing that pained Lorelai the most regarding this entire situation was one simple, yet twisted fact that was all her doing: Ransom was already trying his best to be a decent husband for her, yet his endeavors were always met with cold words or quick dismissal. Sometimes, this truth was prominent enough for her to outwardly display her guilt whenever she quickly turned him down, her presumptions and prejudice controlling the majority of her actions towards him; she had yet to learn to look at him and see Ransom for who he was individually, not as a Castello nor the man that had once been at her throat. Lorelai had never truly wanted a spouse, content with ruling the Salvatore Mafia without having to fret over heirs and other familial non-sense, but now she was forced to worry about such things, whether it be in the near or distant future. If she had ever been forced to marry a man she would have chosen for herself, Ransom was certainly nowhere close to that category; she wanted someone as quiet yet expressive as she was, maybe even cold and calculating. On the contrary, she viewed Ransom in the opposite manner, deeming him chaotic and far too extroverted for this type of life.

The thoughts swarming in her head caused her to frown, albeit briefly, before she felt the touch of Ransom`s hand on her back. Her brown eyes widened at the unfamiliar sensation of being touched, but she found herself welcoming the gesture; it was reassuring to know at the very least that he was attentive to her and her mannerisms. It was more than enough, however, to evoke the pit of guilt within her stomach to fester further, her uncertain gaze flitting towards her husband`s. A part of her decided at that very moment that this gesture would not be forgotten and that it would be returned in some manner, especially since she knew that she would cave in one day. Of course, she still felt like a prisoner within the confines of her own home, constantly observed and feeling the weight of her current predicament more than ever before, yet she found herself finding some solace in Ransom despite these circumstances. When it came to Lorelai and the colossal walls she had built, the key to crumbling them was one simple thing: kindness. She was accustomed to the cruel world that she lived in that even the smallest shred of it would be enough for her to want to reciprocate it; her mother was the only individual that seemed to care enough to show it, other than her husband. If they were ever going to become anything remotely close to a normal, married couple, it was clear that time and patience were both neccessities.

Lorelai shifted her gaze onto Markus when he cleared his throat, her body stiffening since it was apparent by his expression that his words would be incredibly paramount. She nearly protested the moment he stopped talking, the idea of venturing into The Hummingbird- a place brimming with the other major family and their men- was something she viewed as a deathtrap of sorts. A frown graced her features at his reasoning, biting her lip at the notion of showcasing her relationship and marriage with Ransom as if it were some kind of trophy or major achievement, which it was, but not from her perspective. However, it was the threat of them being dragged there by his men that truly unsettled her. Were they that desperate for them to make a desperate appearance? A brief glance in her father`s direction was more than enough of an answer, the same threatening look plastered across his face as if it were permanent.

When Mikayla spoke, Lorelai found herself wishing to find any form of sympathy or kind words from her end, yet there was nothing of the sort; she had been to-the-point and honest, both of which Lorelai appreciated and found herself dreading. It was true that business could not bloom without the other mafias being aware of the Salvatore and the Castello heir functioning properly as a couple, especially when they were quite literally the future of both of their families. Her breathing hitched when Ransom openly spoke against Markus, her brown eyes widening as she looked over at her husband. No one ever dared to speak against him, which was the same for her own father. Any form of trifling or rebellion towards any of these powerful men were never taken lightly and, unfortunately for her, she knew precisely what it was like to face the repurcussions of such trespasses. Although, there certainly was a truth in what Ransom had said: they were being treated like decoys, as if they were disposable at the end of the day.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Markus abruptly stood and approached her husband, her body stiffening further when they stared each other down. Lorelai could sense the increasing tension and she wanted nothing more than to escape the situation; this was one thing she could barely handle and it was a weakness her parents were painfully aware of. She was prone to panicking whenever incredibly tense and important conversations or events unfolded around her, an unfortunate result of the way Klaus had raised her. The threat that left her father-in-law`s mouth made the pit in her stomach grow further, realizing that perhaps Ransom was feeling the same way she was: imprisoned and powerless, chained to the roles their parents had put them in without a care in the world regarding how they felt about it.

Lorelai felt herself relax the moment Markus announced that everyone was dismissed, turning her head to observe her parents as they walked towards her. Slowly, she rose to her feet to exchange a quick embrace with her mother whilst her father simply gave her a small nod; affection was something he reserved solely for her mother. She watched as they left, her frown returning onto her face. Although she knew that she could easily retreat into the confines of the room she shared with Ransom, she found herself remaining where she stood beside him. For some reason, she refused to leave his side for as long as his father remained this close to him; she viewed it as a small step towards fixing things, even if every part of her screamed at her to not do so. Her gaze was filled with uncertainty and the smallest bit of concern, the later being directed towards her husband, something that had never truly occurred prior to this very moment.

``Are you alright?`` she found herself asking quietly once his parents had also left the room, her frown remaining. This was certainly an improvement from her former disregard for his emotions and thoughts, but she was still intent on making this a one-time thing. Lorelai knew better than to trust him fully out of the blue along with succumbing to her fate without a fight. A part of her still believed she could get out of this marriage somehow, even if it endangered others.