A/N: Welcome to my new story! This is something I've never done before, setting the story in a century I'm completely unfamiliar with. This is all human, which is something else I'm pretty new to as well (as far as TVD goes). I tried my best to be mindful of the time period I was writing in and not use any modern-day terms, but I may not have caught myself as much as I needed to. I have the story almost complete, and it's 4 chapters long. There's a possibility that may change. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see more of.

England, October 1478

Elena flipped her long, dark hair behind her head and continued the milk the cow she had claimed as hers. Truly, it was her father's, but she was the one who took care of it, even when she didn't have to. It was the one thing besides her family that she honestly loved.

"Lena!" Elena turned her head to see her sister, Katherine run into the barn.

"Katherine!" Elena stood. "What's with all the screaming. You'll spook Anne."

"Anne? You named that cow?" Katherine's face scrunched in disapproval.

"Of course I named her. The same as mother and father named us. What else am I going to call her?"

"It's not as if it's your child. It's an animal!"

Katherine was two years Elena's senior and always had to be right. Elena folded her arms and huffed.

"Fine, name the bloody cow, but you're going to think it silly that we fought over this when I tell you why I came in here."

"Fine, get on with it."

"King Niklaus is here."

"What?" Elena dropped her arms.

"You heard me! He's come to pick a bride."

"But why one of our people?"

"Why not one of us?"

"We're just simple farmers."

"Well, apparently he doesn't care about that, because he's waiting to see all girls 13 years to 18 years. Lucky you, turning 13 yesterday."

"I don't see, what's lucky about it. I don't want to be the king's wife."

"Well, why not? Because you can't be friends with cows?"

Elena crossed her arms again and glared at her sister.

"I'm not going." Elena stated.

"Well that's too bad, because unless you want Mother and Father to be imprisoned, you must go. Besides, what's the likelihood of him picking you anyway, when he has me to choose from. Imagine how happy Mother and Father will be when I'm chosen to be the king's bride."

"Happy that you'll be gone."

Katherine huffed. "Come on, Lena." Katherine grabbed Elena's arm and pulled her to the town square where all of the teen girls were gathered. Once there, Katherine stood straight, with her arms to the side and chin tilted upwards. Two men were walking in front of a carriage surrounded by several guards on horses.

"Is that King Niklaus on the left?" Elena asked her sister.

Katherine nodded excitedly.

Elena sighed. "I suppose he is rather good looking." She quickly tightened her stance, arms folded and head down. "It doesn't change the fact that I don't want to be the wife of a king."

Katherine rolled her eyes.

The 21 year-old King Niklaus and his adviser were walking slowly, occasionally asking questions. Finally, King Niklaus approached the sisters.

As he glanced back and forth, their appearance intrigued him. Elena didn't make eye contact, but Niklaus could see the resemblance. "You look so much alike, it's impossible for you not to be sisters. The question is, are you twins?"

"No, Your Majesty." Katherine answered quickly. "I'm a full two years older. My sister just celebrated her 13th birthday only yesterday."

Niklaus looked at the younger sister. "What's your name."

"I'm Katherine, Your Majesty!"

Niklaus smirked at the older girl. "My question was not directed to you, Katherine." Katherine flinched as if she'd been hit. "You, girl." Elena's head was still tilted down, but she slowly turned it to look at Katherine. Katherine glared and tears burned her eyes as she whipped her head away from her sister's view.

"Elena, Your Majesty." She croaked out. She felt like crying because her sister was mad at her over something she couldn't control. Elena turned her head back to her feet.

"Elena." Niklaus said her name. "Look at me, Love." Her head didn't move immediately and Klaus reached his hand out and put his finger under her chin and lifted it to meet his gaze. "Why the tears, Love?" He asked when he saw the tears falling from her eyes. He wiped them away with the same hand he used to lift her chin.

With her arms still folded in front of her, she stole a sideways glance at her sister. "She's mad." The king furrowed his brow and he looked from one sister to the other. "A-and... I.. I don't want to leave Anne."

"Who's Anne?" Niklaus asked in confusion glancing from one sister, to his adviser, to the other.

"Her bloody cow." Katherine said with a bite.

"She's my friend, Kat!" Elena yelled angrily.

"Stop whining! He hasn't even chosen you yet!"

"Oh, but I have." Niklaus said with a smug look on his face.

Worry filled Elena's eyes as anger and confusion filled Katherine's and many of the other girls' as whispers went down the line.

"Sir," his adviser spoke. "Don't you want to finish looking at all of the eligible women before making a decision?"

"The decision is made. Elena will be my bride." Niklaus extended his hand and Elena took it reluctantly. "And Stefan?"

"Yes sir." His adviser spoke.

"Find Anne and bring her to the royal stables."

Elena's expression softened as she looked up at Niklaus. "Really?"

"Of course. Anything for my bride."

He took her arm and led her to the carriage, then helped her inside.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Darling, we are to be married. Call me Niklaus."

England, October 1479

Elena rubbed her round stomach as she stared out the window recalling how exactly one year before, she was just a poor farmer's daughter who was chosen by the King to be his wife. Now here she was a year later, a queen, and about to give birth to her first child. The doctor was concerned with how big Elena was and told her that she may be having two children. The thought terrified her, but she hoped she would have a boy and a girl. A boy, because Niklaus really wanted an heir and a girl, because she wanted a little princess that would steal her father's heart.

There was a knock at the door.

"You may enter." Elena called.

Her three handmaidens walked in each carrying something different.

"Your towels, Milady." The first one said with an attitude.

"Katherine!" The second handmaiden gasped at the first.

"It's fine, Caroline." Elena told her. "Katherine, I don't understand what I did wrong. I had to go over Sir Stefan's head to get you here. I thought you'd love living in the castle."

"Yes, as a queen! Not the Queen's servant! All of you've done is given me a constant reminder that I'm not good enough to be here."

"Well, if you didn't want to be here, you should have said so!"

"Fine, I don't want to be here!"

"Then, you may leave, but know this: Once you walk out that door you won't be back."

Katherine threw the apron the girls were required to wear off of her and onto the ground and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Caroline slowly reached down and picked up the apron, and Elena turned to her third handmaiden. "Bonnie, would you let Sir Stefan know of Katherine's dismissal?"

"Yes madame." Bonnie said and left the room.

"Caroline?" Elena asked softly when she heard a sob.

"Yes, Milady?"

"Are you crying?"

"I'm sorry." Caroline said instead of actually answering the question. "I just don't like to see two sisters fight."

Elena sighed. "It's fine, Caroline, really. I've learned not let Katherine's attitude affect me."

"But after you worked so hard to get her here-"

Elena giggled. "It wasn't as big of an ordeal as I made it out to be. I asked Sir Stefan if it was alright if Katherine came to stay with us and he told me just to make sure it was okay with Niklaus, since he didn't show an interest in her when he chose me. That's what I meant by going over his head. And all it took to convince my husband was a night in his bed. The night that I'm mostly certain this happened." Elena motioned to her belly.

Caroline smiled. "Are you excited?"

"Very. I especially can't wait to be able to go outside again." Elena glanced back out of the window.

"The stable boy asks about you a lot."

"He does?" Elena said, not hiding the thrill in her voice.

Caroline nodded. "Are you good friends?"

Elena nodded. "He cares for Anne, when I'm not able to."

"Oh! He told me to tell you that Anne had her calf!"

"Marvelous! I wish I could have been there." Elena said with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"He wants to know what we should call her."

"It was girl? How wonderful! I would love to have a girl!" She rubbed her belly and felt a kick and laughed. "How about, Lorraine."

"An excellent choice. I'll let Damon know."

"Please do."

"What do you plan on naming your child?"

"Maybe I should name my daughter Katherine. Just to make my sister feel worse."

Caroline smiled. "That smirk on your face makes me think you've spent too much time with the King."

Elena sighed. "Not nearly enough. I do miss him greatly. Did you know that when I was chosen to be his wife, I sincerely didn't want to be? I nearly ran away from the palace on the first night here."

"Really?" Caroline asked. "What changed your mind?"

Elena thought about her answer and frowned. "I'm tired."

Caroline's expression turned serious. They weren't two friends having a conversation anymore, she had to get back to work. "I'll help you to bed." She lifted Elena from her spot next to the window and then helped the covers over her. "I'll let the others know not to disturb you."

"Thank you Caroline." Caroline nodded and just as she reached the door heard Elena say "And don't forget. Lorraine."

"I'll go tell him straight away."