Wishing a very happy birthday to kickasfu, my true friend.

The Prelude

Caroline felt the sheets tug as she propelled her body over the side of the castle's window with a deep reliving sigh only to inhale the smell of the red hair dye that had caused her troubles this afternoon. Not two days back from America and she was done with them all, the rules, etiquette and worse marriage proposals. She had just graduated from Brown and felt very much independent in her own right so coming back here felt like a step backward, it was just hair.

She felt her arms burn with strain as she lugged her body down the side careful to keep away from the windows and lights lest the guards see her. Guards, she was done with the whole lot of them, following her practically into the bathroom. Why? Who knows? Her knee hit the brick exterior making her wince as she dropped the last few feet to the ground with a thump sound of her hitting the soft grass.

The Princess thought about just lying there in commiseration, why was she even out here but to blow off steam, soon someone would see her walking the grounds alone. Her eyebrows rose at the thought of someone calling her mother out here and she felt a new wind strike her as she lifted herself up and off of the ground brushing off the bruised grass from her leather jacket and tight black jeans she wasn't allowed to wear anymore.

Caroline barely had time to garner a look around the grounds when she heard rustling over where the rose bushes seemed to hide beneath her bedroom and an arm manifested pulling her behind it. Her first impulse was to scream when a large hand set itself over her mouth muffling the sound that tried to escape her. Her eyelids opened settling on the most gorgeous tidal wave blue eyes she'd ever encountered.

Klaus heard his heart beating in his ears as another deep set of footsteps crossed the walkway mere feet from where they stood as he set this stranger against the wall in their sequestered area. He had hoped that the Princess would have been keeping most of them busy now that she was back allowing him to escape but clearly he had been wrong. Mikael had made the day a horrendous experience already plotting how the Princess's arrival could benefit him in some way and yet all Klaus could thing about was the most gorgeous emerald eyes he'd ever seen looking back at him,

"And who are you," his British lit whispered as if just as mesmerized as she was causing Caroline to both sigh in relief and buzz with awareness.

She blinked in misunderstanding, was he not here to kidnap her or had he truly no idea who she was, "I'm Car," she stumbled as his leg bumped her bruised knee, "I'm Princess Caroline's friend from America," she answered with a lie.

He paused as if suspecting of her, Caroline was rewarded with a dimpled grin instead of an inquisition, "No name?" he probed his grin forming a devilish smirk that did things to Caroline as he pushed off of her, "I promise lovely, I'm not a serial killer."

His hands slid off of her arms as she shook her head that she wouldn't give one with an albeit flirty smirk of her own, "Fine," he conceded with a lift and tilt of his chin, "You can call me Klaus."

Klaus felt something stirring in his chest at the sight of her rumpled waves and the leather jacket that fit her as if it were well and truly made for her body, "Where is the princess?" he inquired when he too realized that they were alone.

It seemed to Klaus that she couldn't scramble for a reply fast enough as she replied, "She couldn't," her voice trailing off as he took a lingering step backwards to tempt her.

"I see," he paused in step, "Well, just as well, you and I can have our own fun," he responded in a conspiring tone as he stepped out of the hidden area behind the roses.

Her face was priceless as she followed him out, not that he showed his delight, "Sneaking out of the castle is crazy impossible," she retorted in a half-whispered tone that has him smirking in the dark, "Even for me."

Klaus did a spin facing her only to realize how quickly she had caught up with him as they once again fell into each other, "Now, who said anything about sneaking?" he countered when they were steady.

Caroline followed his line of vision over to the old stable that had been converted into a garage when she was younger, "How do you know where to get the keys to a car," she reacted in amazement.

Klaus reached for her hand pulling her in the direction of the garage, "I grew up here while the princess was away in America," he told her easily as they treaded carefully through the courtyard.

"Are you related to one of the Dukes she'll have to marry one day," she questioned in monotone as they kept to the wall in order to avoid the cameras at the entrance.

He winced, "You could say that," he replied darkly as they made their way around one of the SUVs and he let go of her hand in order to slide over to the key box.

"Where are you going," she questioned as she hunched down in the shadows careful not to be discovered as she followed his path between the automobiles.

Klaus showed her the keys to what looked like an older model lacking an alarm that would set off warning bells in the castle, "Tell me, do you like dancing," he queried.

"You dance," she asked in disbelief as he quietly led her to an older model, a silver truck by the looks of it she realized as he let her into the passenger side.

"Since I was four," he responded with a wink as he moved to shut the door behind her swaggering over to the driver side slipping inside.

"Slacker, I was three," Caroline continued with their repartee as he strapped on his seatbelt and she followed suit excited at the prospect of getting out of here.

"I was probably dancing before you," Klaus retorted with an inquisitive grin, "How old are you?" he queried as he pulled the truck into drive and maneuvered carefully out of the garage.

"You're not supposed to ask a girl that," she rebuffed as she watched him pull away from the garage into the back entrance that lead them through the wooded areas surrounding the castle.

Caroline was always amazed by how the city had grown up around the woods in this area its rare beauty growing up had been unsurpassed. The last eight years in America had changed her quite a bit, puberty doing its best to fill her out as her schooling in tested her intellect. Living like a normal teenager had done much in grounding her only child complex and her literal princess one.

Klaus shook his head noticing her drifting gaze, "Maybe not the Princess, but you," he countered pulling her attention back towards him.

"I'm twenty," she stated with a blush she hoped he hadn't noticed in the dim lit truck as the city began to grow around them much like she had remembered.

"So no drinking for you then," he joked as he turned a corner watching as she nearly jumped from her seat to reply, a beautiful coloring filling her cheeks.

"Hey," she whined as she swatted his arm drawing his eyes from the road to her glittering eyes as they passed down the street lights.

"Kidding love," he articulated looking back at her from time to time as he switched lanes heading deeper into the city feeling the need to really impress her. Know her.

"How old are you?" Caroline inquired as she sat forward to see the city, even as a child she hadn't been allowed to come through here unless there was a parade.

"Twenty-two, but hopefully you won't hold it against me," he murmured making Caroline look back at him with a soft tilt of her brow, "Unless you want to." He said with a wink.

Caroline looked down briefly, "Eyes on the road," she simpered as she looked back to the city buildings trying not to think of the nights she spent in the woods of Mystic Falls with boys her age or older.

He chuckled in reply, "If you insist."

Present Day

Caroline heard the crowd roaring with excitement as her mother slipped from her side into the background of the decorated terrace where they were currently addressing the people. Her back stiffened when she heard the distinct sound of his feet sans his regular boots, imagined the swivel of his hips and the staggering look he must have thrown at the crowd. She shut her eyes reminding herself of why she was doing this insane, asinine, misogynistic thing.

As soon as Klaus stood beside her at the edge of the terrace the crowd grew louder and the guards tension levels simultaneously grew higher. Without looking at her he waved, Caroline could tell from out of the corner of her eye that he was smiling and it was as fake and full of diplomacy as he could muster. Caroline heard her father speak, addressing the crowd but she didn't bother to listen as he announced her engagement to Klaus.

Instead she smiled her most brilliant smile as she looked to Klaus in his clean white dress shirt and lean blue pants, "I loathe you," she mouthed as his eyes caught hers.

Klaus let out a hearty laugh as his fingers caressed her face giving him cause to lean just that much closer into her space, "According to your countries treaty," he simpered, "That doesn't matter."

He watched what little light she had in her eyes die at his words and instantly felt the need to take them back when her eyes flared up again, this time with fire.

"I know why I'm doing this," she hissed as she looked away from him to the spectators below crowding the city in an almost dangerous level, "Why are you?" she asked as her father finished his speech.

"Sorry, you said something?" he replied clutching his fist at his side where she couldn't see pushing all he was feeling into his arm, deep into his fist.

"Insufferable," she murmured just loud enough for him to hear, her smile slipping from her face briefly as he tucked his hand into his pants pocket.

"Careful Sweetheart, they're watching," he reminded her with a crushing grin, "Wouldn't want your kingdom to know we were unhappy."

"Just take a step that way," Caroline pleaded losing her cool which was known to happen around him fairly often in their small kingdom.

"Or what, Love," he questioned in a teasing manner, Caroline felt her heart clench at the sight, why did he always affect her so?

"Please, I don't exactly ask you for much," she reasoned with him feeling her nervousness deep in her bones even when etiquette required more of her for this moment.

"Just this once," he said as he granted her wish.

Past/Same night

Klaus could tell her cheeks hurt from so much grinning, a part of him was proud he had made that happen as he watched her in the middle of the dance floor dancing by herself while he waited for their drinks. She pointed behind him as she started walking back towards the bar, her skin glowing with sweat as she unzipped her jacket revealing creamy flesh he fought not to linger on. The blonde beauty slid up against him in a way that could not be considered an accident as she reached for her drink taking a long large gulp.

Klaus observed her with mild bewilderment as he reached for her drink as she watched him take a swig imagining the liquid rolling in his mouth before he swallowed, "What's in this?" he questioned curiously.

Caroline wiped some of her spilled drink off of the side of his mouth, "Rum, vodka, other stuff, you," she asked as she took his drink and sipped cautiously.

Caroline felt her taste buds react badly, "Whiskey," he answered her with a smirk she wanted to kiss off of him or at least feel pressed on any single part of her body.

"That's kind of stuffy drink, masculine," she stated as she gave him back his drink only to have him slip it back onto the bar, "Don't get me wrong, it's not bad," she rambled, "Just not what I expected."

"Were you expecting a lager of some sort," he asked with a sultry look about him as the club lights blazed around them.

"No expectations at all," she enunciated with another deep sip of her drink before Klaus could reach for it taking her up on the soft challenging look she passed him as she said it.

His lips formed a beguiling grin as his hands slid past her leather jacket around her waist and lulled her into his body and he kissed her. Teasingly almost at first, testing to see if this was what she wanted though when her lips seemed just as eager his need for her lips grew dire. Their drinks were forgotten as she walked them back onto the dance floor gyrating their hips to their own beat as the club music blared around them.

"What's your name," he punctuated between fun kisses that seemed to seep into her neck with need lighting up her body as they moved together as one.

"Doesn't matter," she murmured against the shell of his ear liking the way he shivered as her hands reached under his Henley to touch his bare waist, she had a theory his pelvis had that fun 'V' to it.

"Bugger," he groaned cursing his luck when he saw the flash of a camera go off on a phone nearby where they stood souring his mood.

"Come now?" she asked delicately as her hand slipped out of the front of his jeans with a subtleness he had not seen before now.

"Camera, on your right," he ascertained taking a step back as he felt he freeze in her place a curse slipping from the sinful lips he'd been kissing for the past hour or so.

"What's got you worried," he inquired as he watched her tug down her top to cover where his hands and been lingering.

"Nothing," Caroline answered far too quickly by the look of alarm on his face so she smiled tucking her newly dyed hair back, "Maybe we should," she made a gesture to leave.

Klaus seemed to agree as he reached for her hand, "Don't let go," she heard him say over the noise of the crowd as he started to pull them towards the door.

"Right," Caroline said to herself as she felt herself slip deeper into the tight crowd where she was barely able to hold unto Klaus.

She licked her lips, he really was the perfect guy, perfect lips, everything, a sadness overcame her at the life she was losing in being a royal. No doubt she would never have the chance to consider marrying Klaus and why would he want to marry her anyway. It was too soon and too late at night for those kinds of thoughts so Caroline did something stupid for the second time that night. She let go of his hand.

Klaus felt her hand slip from his grasp but he wasn't certain if it was deliberate until he looked back and didn't see her in any of the faces that surrounded him. He was certain this girl the Princess had brought home would see past what the press might say if he could just explain himself. But if she read, if she found out about who he was before he could tell her she would never have him.

Dread filled him as he yelled at the man closest to him, "Did you see the girl I was with," desperate for a name to call out before spotting the man to blame for this turn of events.

Klaus strode over to the man who had no doubt recorded the entire evening, "You with the camera," he barked, "How much?" reaching for his wallet.

The stranger balked talking another photo, "You don't have enough on you. mate," he shouted over the noise as he turned to walk away.

Klaus placed a hand on his squeezing tightly in order to make a point, "You'd be surprised," he said as he pulled all of the money he had on him.

"I know who you are," he said in an antagonizing fashion as he said conspiringly "Is she who I think she is," he asked close to confirm.

"She's no one," Klaus said recognizing the man as one of the notorious photographers that he had threatened to run over once or twice in the previous years.

The man smiled in a slimy fashion, "I think that was Princess Caroline," he baited Klaus.

"Princess Caroline," he mouthed as the pieces fell together, the girl laughing from his childhood memory to the woman that was just kissing him were one in the same.

Klaus considered him for a moment only seeing one or two more observers around him, "Then I'm sorry for this," he said without regret as he reached for the man's phone and broke it in half.

"You won't stop all the cameras in here," the man shouted at him as Klaus left the club reaching for the keys in his pocket only to find them gone.

"Damnation," he cried as he shoved passed the line wondering when this night would end as flashes of light surrounded him. "Paparazzi."

AN: Chapter will be up tomorrow please review or follow! Happy Reading! :))