Golden Cage
Summary: 1492: Caroline accompanied her cousin to the festive and fell for the beast. AU. One-shot. Dark. A little maybe?
About the story: I don't know what came into me. I felt really gloomy with this concept running in my mind. Caroline is human and Klaus is well, you know. It is something like my other work - Beautiful Disaster.
Note: I don't own Klaroline or TVD or TO. Everything I write is for fun and part of my imagination. I mean no offence to anyone. No Beta.
0o Golden Cage o0
0o I Wish o0
Klaus made it as a habit to paint whatever comes to his mind. He didn't know why he was feeling in that way - hope. A hope that he would find a way to break the curse.
Thoughts on doppleganger were prevailing in his head, for the past few days.
That was the reason tonight he ended up painting another portrait of her.
Grinding his jaws, Klaus gave a final strike with his brush and stepped away. A few moments passed in silence before he let out a growl of annoyance and threw the palette which flew across the room, hit the wall, colours splattered everywhere.
The animal within was clawing the invisible walls which were keeping it away.
His siblings would always see him like a monster he was, for slaughtering people through centuries to break the curse that his stupid mother placed on him. None of them could understand the pain he was at, for almost five hundred years now. Elijah stood with him, he wouldn't deny. But the big brother didn't get it. Rebekah took his side as well, but she equally despised him and the every moment that she spent with him.
He wasn't going to start with Kol.
The fucked up relationship was chosen to be ignored. As of now.
"My lord," said one of the henchmen, Francis. Standing at the door, he waited quietly for cranky the Original's order. "I have some news for you." Klaus didn't speak, but neither had he objected. Which was the cue for the ginger haired man. "One of our men, Trevor, intimated he has something to show you."
"-Shut him out." Klaus grumbled out. He had no interest for such nuances.
"But, My Lord," he dared to prolong the matter and that made Klaus to turn around, left eye twitched with annoyance and the young vampire trembled a little as he pointed at Trevor who was standing bravely.
"I request you to hear me out, sire." Trevor offered, surprisingly was calm and confident. That spared him some time. "A few days back I have come to know you are preoccupied with this woman." He waved at the doppelganger's painting behind Klaus. "How you know her, it is not of my concern, but I really want to help you with her."
Klaus felt his anger slipping into thin air. Curiosity piqued in. "You mean?"
Whatever Trevor was going to say, he took pride in it. "My Lord, I am glad to tell you my men found her walking around the place we live."
The doppelganger had reborn.
Klaus couldn't help but grin like a toddler who was prepared to get a shiny plaything.
The wait was over; the day had come. All he need to do was to meet the doppelganger in flesh and make sure of it.
If this was true, then nobody could stand in his path to get what he wanted. No, not this time. That person was as nothing but dead if they tried to snatch away his opportunity to unchain the beast within.
0o With You In My Head o0
Caroline gathered her courage to go near to that horse at last. Whenever the animal let out an impatient huff, she would gasp and step away.
She was standing few feet away from the horse, trying to touch it for once at least. And then she paused her awkward dancing around it, in her fancy dress, like a fool, for some time. Letting out a disappointing sigh, she pouted at it, as if the horse bore responsibility for everything.
"It won't bite." A stranger told behind her. He was striding toward, casually looking at the horse before she turned to him.
Fire torches in the garden helped her to trace out his charming features. A pair of stormy blues held her firm in place and as the result the color of her cheeks turned pink.
"You need to be confident when you deal with a beast." He smiled lightly as he placed his palm on the muzzle, the white horse didn't make any sound, accepted the light brown hair man. "Look into the eyes if you want to win it."
Caroline stiffened her mouth, observing the handsome stranger. Her mouth always worked faster than anything else. "Have you way with the beasts?"
He laughed quietly in response, as if she said something truly funny. "Oh, love, I am one of them." Caroline raised her brows questioningly, assuming his love for the animals made him say that. "Give me your hand."
Surprised at first, Caroline did what he asked. Her spine merely trembled when their skins touched. The man smirked a little, finding how she blushed, but made no such snarky comments as she was expecting. He pressed her palm to the horse's long muzzle.
That act nullified her fear until her body was relaxed and she let out a chuckle. Absentmindedly she said what she would always envision. "Someday I hope I can learn riding horses." Gentle caress earned her whine from the animal which, of course, didn't sound like an unpleasant one.
"So what obligation is standing in your way?" He asked quietly.
"I don't belong to any royal family and my father was particular about the rules that a noble woman should follow." A smile full of sorrow crept to her lips as she stared at the horse. It took her almost a few moments to recognise she was speaking with him freely.
"He doesn't have to know, love." The man with alluring voice pried more. "I presume you are not from this place."
That's true.
Caroline accompanied her cousin, Katerina to attend this festive. The Petrova was convinced and invited by one of the noblemen, Trevor. They travelled miles to come here.
To Caroline, everything seemed suspicious ever since Trevor stepped into their lives. Things were happening in blur and it was impossible for her to change Katerina's mind.
Her controlling parents were fine with Trevor strangely.
She didn't want to trust her conscience, but she felt like something terrible could happen.
But she must not forget to be cautious. Even for a beat of heart.
Sharing her matters with the stranger could do her no good.
"I may or may not be, I don't think it's any of concern." Neither was she rude nor too polite. Sharp and clean.
It was his turn to raise brows. A sense of amusement filled his stare. "Well, I am not certain where did I misbehave that stipulated you to speak in such way. But I am trying to be a gentleman here."
Caroline wanted to slap herself for what he said. Upsetting him wasn't her motive.
He didn't seem upset though, but still -
"What are you doing here while everyone is feasting inside?" He asked, not getting close.
"It is suffocating." She brushed off being casual about it. Truth to be told she was extremely nervous which she overcame at first, but she lost it. The man didn't buy her reason. So she sighed and gave up. "I have never stepped out of my hometown, let alone moving with strangers."
"Give them a chance." He suggested with a chortle. "I'm sure the host will be glad to have you."
"As if you know him." She huffed.
The man smiled in response and nodded to himself lightly. "I will see you inside."
After that he strolled toward the celebration, leaving her to stare at the path he left, thinking she never got to know his name. He didn't appear like a malevolent person which turned out to be the reason for her to speak her mind.
Probably she could learn if she got inside.
That tinge of curiosity made her follow him. Once again the crowd began to make her nervous. Yet she walked to find her cousin interacting with others. When Caroline glanced at one of them, her eyes widened slightly.
"Lord Niklaus," spoke Trevor. "Meet Caroline, Katerina's relative."
The man smirked at Caroline. Lord Niklaus? Person hosting this celebration. She didn't even know this entire time she was blabbering to the lord like a fool.
Caroline didn't take her eyes off him as she curtsied. Even though she wanted to have complete grasp on her reaction, she couldn't when he took her hand and planted a kiss on the back of it.
"Pleasure to have you." The lord commented, his smirk was only glowing as every moment passed by.
It was not going to be a simple exchange of pleasantries. His smile told so.
0o Sacrilege o0
She was warned not to give in for any man before the wedding, Katerina herself said men always crave one thing from women.
Caroline tried her best to stay firm with Klaus, but once their lips met after the longest, heat filled argument they had, everything was forsaken. Thoughts melted, soft whimpers escaped her. She was desperate when she admitted her love for this man. Expression on his face, at that time, brought fear. Astonishment was only the initial feeling that his stormy blues exhibited and soon a mixture of emotions began flashing.
Then he began to kiss her as if something possessed him and the rest of the night went in haze of kisses, moans and new sensations.
She lost conscious at a point of time and when she woke up in the morning, she wanted to be in his embrace. But she wasn't.
Klaus strode to her bed, only silk draped around his lower body, that light brown hair was formed into a bun and his signature smirk was playing on the face by the time he grasped her chin to claim her mouth.
"I thought you left me." Caroline gasped in between wet and quick kisses.
He smiled against her cheek. "I would not, love." His thumbs made circular patterns at the nape of her neck.
Dried red stains on the cream colored bedding had her blush and the shade of pink in her cheeks deepened when her gaze fell on her shredded clothing on the floor.
Klaus followed her attention and chuckled melodiously. "I will get you a new one. Don't you worry about it." Another gasp escaped her when he traced her nipple, closed it with his mouth.
This guilty feeling which started from the moment she opened her eyes was suffocating her gradually.
"It's not the dress I'm worried about, my lord." She spoke quietly. Heart was beating faster when she questioned. "How long are you going to stay here?"
Klaus paused his caress to look her in the eyes. "How long you want me to?" Wryly he asked and laughed when she didn't seem amused. Perhaps he was regarding her as a mistress. She couldn't help but cringe at the thought.
"If I am gone, Caroline, will you be content?" When Caroline didn't smile or nod for his question, instead she frowned, he smirked. "That is enough for an answer."
"But I should be going." She impeded again. Klaus observed her as she sighed and tried to get up. Though the pain in her nether regions didn't support her. He sat up and braced her. "I cannot stay in your court forever -"
"With your permission I intend to have you by my side."
She gaped at him, he stared at her.
No trace of tease or humor could be detected. Sincerity in his tone had her speechless for a moment there. Caroline looked down at her entwined fingers, unable to say anything, feeling overwhelmed all of sudden.
It's not important to share life with someone we love, it's appropriate to live with someone who love us; almost every woman, who was trapped in loveless marriage, in Caroline's life had concluded that.
Klaus didn't see her she thought. Awaiting for her response, he caressed her upper arm. "Always."
A smile was her reply.
0o For An Eternity o0
When Klaus had claimed he was one of the beasts, Caroline was too naive to understand the true meaning behind his words. His original face behind the mask was as terrifying as his plans for her cousin, Katerina.
Though Trevor had helped them out, Katerina couldn't forgive him for bringing them to Klaus in the first place. Despite he claimed to have no part in the Original's plan to kill Katerina in the ritual, she was still upset with him.
When it came to Caroline, she was astonished. Then she remained calm, thinking of all the promises they made for each other, of all good times they had together.
It became hard for Caroline to accept that Klaus - that humane Klaus - was only a part of him. Truth was - he's centuries old Original vampire who had been waiting so patiently to break the curse that his mother placed on him in some way.
This side of life was rude awakening.
Trevor was asked to get them back to Caroline's parents, but adamantly he pulled them out in another direction and put them under his sister's protection.
Klaus was no fool like Trevor and Caroline's nightmare came true.
Rumour had that Klaus got Caroline's parents and was waiting for her.
She knew he spread that word only to get her. And the picture of falling into Klaus's hands had Caroline trembling from the day she stepped out of his mansion.
So she decided to go back and confront him.
It wasn't simple to face the ancient vampire, knowing what he could possibly do to.
Every step toward the tavern soared her anxiety.
This day could be her last and she knew she was progressing to her death. She could have sworn to smell something unpleasant - as in -
Blood.
There was blood everywhere, splattered across the walls and ground. Entire tavern was reeking of pungent and if wasn't for her parents she would have started running far from this massacre.
Klaus was laughing in the middle of it, like a man without mind, as he finished the drink from his wooden stein. People around were laughing too, but there was no trace of life in their eyes. It was just the sound erupting from their side. Nothing special.
"Look who's returned!" Klaus exclaimed, shifting his attention on her.
No cruelty, no anger. He seemed like a ten year old boy who got to see someone dearest after a very long time. Very much excited.
"I thought you would delay while contemplating." He strode in her way, taking another stein from the serving lady who plastered sweet smile for him.
"It is the matter of my parents' lives. There is nothing to think about it." Caroline replied in a small voice, heart was beating faster than ever, accepting she had no other way.
"You're scared of me, aren't you?" He said after a moment. The pair of stormy blues which she once adored was giving her chills. She couldn't open her mouth in response. He started walking back to the brunette, the server, placed the stein aside and took her in his grasp. "Then you shouldn't have come back to me."
From the corner of her eyes, Caroline observed as his features changed. Dark veins under his black eyes froze her. He was growling, piercing the skin of the server's neck with his razor sharp fangs.
This would be her fate, she thought looking down at the corpses, shivering as if she came out of the water pond in the early hours of a day.
"I came here in exchange of my family." She repeated the words those were said by the voice in her head.
"I don't remember making any bargains." Klaus wiped the corners of his mouth and licked the remainings of blood. Coldness radiated from him.
"Pl-please!" She begged, taking a step in his way, water surfaced her sea-blue eyes. "I'll do anything for them."
Klaus gazed, seemed hurt and angry. Did she say something wrong? He was nodding blankly at her, trying to get a hold on his emotions.
"What about me?" He asked softly, his forehead creased. Caroline blinked at him, waiting for him to explain what he meant. "What about the promise you made to me?"
Her heart sank down soon after that. For his words, for the expression on his face.
"You said you will live by my side, Caroline." Klaus swallowed, looking so fragile - like a human, like her. "Always. But when you heard things about me, you left me. Just like that."
In a blink of an eye he was standing in front of her, using his supernatural ability. Caroline gasped and stepped away involuntarily.
"What you heard of me?"
"Klaus please-"
Klaus raised his hand, she flinched away. He touched her cheek and his fingers felt so warm as if he was boiling internally. "As innocent as the very first day." Resting face against his palm, Caroline stared up at him. "I could have lost you if it weren't your parents as the leverage." When he felt tense in her posture, he smiled a little. "Who are happily living in their home thinking they have married their daughter off to a gentle, well-mannered, handsome lord."
She wasn't sure if it was relief or surprise. But she didn't understand why he lied.
As if her question was evidently seen on her face he replied. "You will understand everything in the coming future, my love." When he leaned down to capture her lips, a breath of warm, unsettling air washed her face which could have knocked her cold. "You will know me better." He nodded, affirming her.
Thus, the girl from small village fell in love with an ancient beast and locked herself in a golden cage.
0o Golden Cage o0
Thanks for reading. Please review =)
