England. 11th Century.
Elena peeked out her small window and sighed. She could smell the clean, crisp air, and she longed to be out in the countryside riding her horse and picking the wildflowers. There was something so enchanting about midsummer and spending it indoors in the keep was torturous. She remembered being free to roam about before the war started, before she questioned why her father never aged, before a dark gloom settled over England. She used to beg her father to go out of the castle, pleading with him for five minutes of freedom. But he refused. It was too dangerous and her couldn't risk her life. "It's too dangerous, Elena. You're my only heir. I need you to stay alive and human if we're to survive." He repeated the same words each time she asked.
So she stayed in the keep with her ladies in waiting, constantly watched by the tower guard and their leader, Damon. She settled at her small table and began absentmindedly shuffling a deck of cards. She began daydreaming, and soon the cards lay forgotten in her hands.
"You're blushing, lady Elena. Has something naughty flirted with your imagination?" Caroline, a pretty socialite, asked. Her father owned one of the largest estates in the land and was one of the king's trusted advisors. The two girls had grown up together, becoming friends the day they met when they were just five years of age.
"Caroline, you never miss a detail. But out of the two of us, you're the naughty one. I heard how you hitched up your skirts for the young baron who's here visiting. Donovan, is it?" Elena smiled as Caroline's eyes widened and her face turned a solid crimson.
"I did not, where did you hear that? If my father hears that rumor he'll banish me to a nunnery." Caroline twisted her embroidery in anguish. The threat of being forced into an order was very real. Caroline knew of a young women who had so disgraced her family, they sent her to France.
"I happen to know that your father plans for you to marry him. Hasn't he told you? Didn't you know he was arranging a marriage for you? Of course he would want your two families to unite." Elena's eyes sparkled; she enjoyed teasing her lady-in-waiting and friend. She set the cards down and picked up her Book of Hours instead.
"Well, I hope that we marry. He's so handsome. And I could remain at court." Caroline picked up her own book.
"You shall both reside at court. I'll see to that. I can't stand to lose my best lady in waiting." Elena thumbed through the small prayer book, settling on a simple message. "Caroline, read this to me."
"The story of Saint Barbara?" Caroline recognized the illustration immediately. Elena had her read it often and she knew the story by heart. She read the Latin quickly. "The Christian daughter of a pagan, Barbara was locked into a tower by her father – Elena…" Caroline stopped in the middle of the small summary. "You're father is not like this man."
"Yes, I know. But I still am trapped in this tower, unable to leave." Elena took the book and looked wistfully at the illuminated page.
"That isn't true. You can go anywhere as long as it's in the castle." Caroline tried to reason with her, knowing that soon enough a heated argument would begin.
"I'm tired of this castle, Caroline. For three years we've been trapped here. I want to leave this place. Father has other castles. Even that would be preferable." Elena felt herself growing angry, but seemed to be unable to control her frustration.
"Elena, you know that this is the most secure castle in the kingdom. If the enemy were to wage a siege against us, they would never win. It's for our safety, Elena. Your father is a good king. He only wants to protect us. He didn't start this war. The others did." Caroline spoke the same argument that she had used hundreds of times.
"Yes, I know. Please call Bonnie. I am in dire need of some entertainment." Elena waited as Caroline went to fetch the witch. Secretly, they were all the best of friends, but it was better for Bonnie to appear neutral. It made her and her craft more trustworthy.
Bonnie entered carrying a small sack and the two women joined their mistress at her table. "What can I do for you today, your highness?"
"I would like you to read the cards for me, please." She folded her hands, and patiently waited while Bonnie took the stack of cards out of her bag. Bonnie hated reading cards for Elena; she always felt conflicted whether to tell the truth and perhaps frighten her friend, or to hide the real meaning of the card, and deceive her craft.
"Ask me a question to which you would like to know the answer." Bonnie carefully lit the candles she placed on the table.
"What will my reign as Queen be like?" Elena posed the question that constantly troubled her.
Bonnie began shuffling the cards and then she laid five cards on the table in a star pattern. Bonnie tapped the first card with her finger. "This is the fool. Because he is upright, it means a beginning of a new life cycle. You will be forced to make important decisions at the very beginning of your reign."
Bonnie continued and pointed to the second card. "This is the Empress. She is also upright, a good sign. You will be wealthy and secure. You will achieve your goals and will be fertile."
Elena raised her brows but said nothing, letting Bonnie continue with the cards. "This is the star. Because he is reversed, it means that you will doubt yourself."
Bonnie looked at the next card and smile. "This is a very good card. This is the lovers' card. You will have someone to help you make decisions, a helpful advisor. With this person, your self-doubt will be removed.
"This is death." Bonnie pointed to the fifth and final card. "But it is upright, which means that you will have two beginnings. Underlying circumstances will force a transformation."
"Bonnie, I wish to know more about the death card. Reveal it to me." Elena leaned forward.
"As you wish." Bonnie placed her hand over the card and closed her eyes. She spread her fingers and silently asked the card to reveal its meaning. She felt the card comply, and in her mind's eye she saw Elena with a dark haired man. They both turned, and Bonnie instantly recognized him. Damon? He kept her concentration and the card then showed him biting Elena. Bonnie saw the blue veins protrude from Elena's face, and her fangs flashed before she plunged them into Damon's neck. He groaned in pleasure and Bonnie's eyes fluttered open before she saw more of the clearly intimate moment.
"The card refused to show me more, your highness. It merely expressed that it brings change, not finality." She lied. It was dangerous, but Elena couldn't know her future that specifically. If she chose to become a vampire and take Damon as her mate, Bonnie wished her to make the decision for herself.
Elena sighed. "Well, thank you, Bonnie. I'm glad I know some things about my future. In the meantime I know that the despicable Damon is outside my door listening to every word." She crossed her arms over her chest.
Caroline looked worried. "Elena, you could at least use his title…"
"I don't care. The only reason why he has a title is because he's killed so many men for my father. It's not like he's really a nobleman. I suppose at the very least he has manners." They both jumped as they heard bellowing laughter from just outside Elena's chamber. Elena's eyes darkened. "I take that back. That man has no redeemable qualities at all."
The door opened, revealing the man behind the laughter. Pieces of his dark hair fell over his eyes. "Ladies, surely I am not that terrible." He smirked, mocking them with his grin. "I wish you wouldn't hate me so, your highness. I'm just following orders and protecting you to the best of my ability. If I have to stand outside your door all day and all night, and listen to you three, so be it."
"The polite thing to do, sir, would be to not listen at all." Elena glared at him, her hatred for the raven-haired man emanating from her gaze.
Their bantering made Bonnie think her vision was impossible.
"And what fun would that be, your highness? It's highly amusing to hear you gossip and try to guess your future." His tone dripped sarcasm as he addressed her by her royal title.
"Don't use that tone with me. Just because you're my father's best warrior doesn't mean that you're immune to his wrath. I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate how you speak to his heir. And I'm also sure that you don't want to make an enemy in your future leader. Being a vampire may give you more power, Lord Salvatore, but it certainly doesn't mean that it's impossible for you to die." She threatened him boldly, but it didn't seem to phase his rough exterior.
"Yes, my lady. Above all else, I am just a humble servant." He bowed in jest.
"Get out." Her voice turned cold and she turned her head so she could no longer see him.
As he left, Caroline broke the silence. "Elena, he's a powerful man. You should be careful."
Elena stood up. "Who's more powerful than I, the rightful heir to the throne? Turning against me would be turning against my father and no one is that courageous. Every man has seen the carnage wrought by his hand, how ruthless he is battle. No one would be stupid enough to turn against him. He would drain them of blood and then rip them to pieces with his bare hands. He's winning this war, and why? Because he will go farther than the enemy, and he will do everything it takes to win, even if it means turning England into a river of blood."
"Yes, Elena. And it is because of Lord Salvatore that those things are possible. He's the strongest vampire in the country." Caroline whispered, praying to calm her mistress rather than infuriate her.
"Caroline, I'm tired and I wish to retire." Elena gave up the conversation and walked to her bed, waiting for Caroline to turn down the blankets. "Both of you, leave me."
"Yes, my lady." Bonnie and Caroline spoke in unison. Bonnie quickly left and Caroline situated Elena in her bed. "If you need anything don't hesitant to wake me." She turned to blow out the candle by Elena's bed.
"Leave it. I will do it myself when I am ready." Elena watched as Caroline left her room. She heard mumbled voices outside her door for a moment, and then all was silent.
Caroline passed by Damon quickly, murmuring something about Elena sleeping. He smirked, glad to see she feared him. He knew she defended him earlier out of sheer terror. As she closed the door to her room, Damon was left in complete darkness. His eyes adjusted instantly and he waited five minutes exactly before he opened the door behind him.
"I thought she'd never leave." He kept his voice low as he approached the dark haired woman in the bed.
"Oh, Damon. I'm sorry I said such awful things. You know I don't mean them. It's just better this way." She held her knees to her chest.
"I know, love. It's alright." He ran his fingers through her long hair, soothing her, and sped to her side to kiss the top of her head.
Elena looked up at him and he saw the change in her eyes. The sadness was gone, replaced by a burning fire. "You also have some apologizing to do. And I have worked out a perfect punishment for you."
Damon smirked and titled his head. "Oh? And what is that?"
"You're going to do exactly what I say for the rest of the night until I release you from my command." Her eyes danced wickedly.
"As you say, princess." He waited for his first order.
"First, I command you to removed my nightgown." She raised her arms and Damon greedily complied. He bent to kiss her before pulling it over her head, but she refused. "You may not do anything unless I order you to do it, Lord Salvatore."
"Then I eagerly await your decree." He held back a satisfied smile as she sat naked before him. The blankets hid her lower body and legs, but her chest was left exposed and Damon looked at her hardened nipples longingly.
"You may kiss me." Damon instantly complied by tilting his head and he kissed her roughly, using his tongue to force open her mouth. He cupped one of her breasts with her hand causing Elena to moan softly before breaking their kiss. "Damon, you are not being a very obedient servant. If you cannot follow the simplest of orders, than I suppose you should just be staked."
Damon did his best to hide a smile. "I apologize, my lady. Please forgive me."
"We shall see. Now, continue what you were doing. But I want you to use your other hand to pleasure me." She looked at him in the eye and used the tone she adopted when addressing those inferior to her.
The vampire acquiesced gladly and resumed kissing her. He was glad she was a woman who knew what she wanted, and who would accept nothing less. He began massaging her breast and pulled her nipple lightly. He could smell her growing arousal and he reached down and tapped her clitoris with his index finger. She bucked against him at his touch, and began moaning as the sensations grew.
She used all of her willpower to separate herself from him to give him his next order. "Undress." He stood up from the bed to remove his clothing and Elena licked her lips as he stood naked before her. She looked over his perfectly sculpted body longingly and nearly lost all of her control.
"What now?" Damon smirked at her as he saw her desire to lord over him waned and was replaced by her desire to be conquered.
Elena pretended to yawn. "The rest is up to you. I'm tired of giving orders tonight."
Instantly Damon rejoined her on the bed. He pushed her so was flat against the mattress and lightly ran his finger down her body, starting with her chin, then through her cleavage and down her stomach, until he finally rested it near her opening. He bent down and brought his lips to hers. As she opened her mouth to him, he slipped his finger inside her, and began stroking. Their kiss muffled her moan and he entered her with a second finger. He used his thumb to toy with her clit and she was practically writing beneath him. He continued kissing her, inhaling her sighs and moans. Soon his hand was covered by her body's reaction to him.
His fingers slowed as he removed his mouth from hers. He placed kisses down her stomach and rested his mouth on her thigh merely inches from where his fingers had been inside of her. "Elena, dearest, have you been ingesting vervain?" His mouth hovered over her skin.
Elena looked at him for a moment, her eyes glazed over with lust, before she could formulate a response. "No. No." She panted, anticipating his next move.
He hesitated for a few seconds before plunging his teeth into her tender flesh. Elena moaned and Damon poured his lust into her as he drank, increasing her desire. He held her steady and was lost in the taste of her blood. The sweet metallic liquid washed down his throat, and he could taste her pleasure on his tongue. He removed his fangs before he took too much and brought his bloody lips to hers, relishing in the taste of her tongue mixed with her blood. She kissed him eagerly and pulled his body to her own so he was completely on top of her.
"Damon, enter me. Now." She groaned the words and Damon smiled at the urgency with which she spoke.
He entered her carefully at first, but once he felt her body adjust he plunged into her. She bit his shoulder, not hard enough to draw blood, just enough to stifle the sounds of ecstasy escaping her lips. He deepened his thrusts, exacting out his lust for her. He could sense her closeness to orgasm, and he closed his eyes tighter, ignoring his instincts to bite her again. He grunted as he quickened his thrusts and Elena bit her lip to quiet herself, drawing blood. Damon took her lip into his mouth and sucked gently, and with a final thrust he took both of them through the waves of shattering bliss.
He collapsed on her. "I don't think you understand how unbelievably tempting you are to me. Your blood, your body, everything."
"I think it works quite to my advantage." She brushed his damp hair off his forehead. "I want you to bite my neck next time. Just before."
Damon sighed. Her demands also had their downsides. "There's nothing I want more than to bring you to orgasm from biting you. But it's too dangerous to leave visible marks on you. You know someone would see them."
"Then give me your blood so that I may be healed." She continued, toying with his hair.
"Certainly not." He spit out his refusal vehemently. "Do you know how dangerous that is? Your father would be able to smell vampire blood, my blood, in your veins. He'd kill me. You know how much danger we're in already, if anyone were to find out about us."
"I don't understand why we can't be together. You're his best warrior and I'm the heir. Naturally we should be joined." She replied indignantly.
Damon rolled off of her to lie on his side, propping himself up with his arm. "You said it yourself this morning. I'm not a nobleman in this land. I have the title, but I don't have the blood. You're father is worried that the other barons and nobles wouldn't support you with a match with me."
"Then we must make them listen, Damon. I must ask father myself to be with you." She frowned, clearly displeased.
"No. Be patient. You have to marry eventually, sooner rather than later. And you have to stay human long enough to produce an heir. Bloodlines are still important, even to vampires." He looked at her, willing her to understand. "At least with Bonnie's reading we know you'll produce an heir since your," He paused for emphasis, "fertile." He smiled at her.
"I love you, Damon. As the future Queen I have a say in my own future, my own marriage for God's sake." She tried to keep her voice down, despite her anger.
"Sshh." He brought his finger to her lips. "I love you too. Just enjoy being with me. Our future is anything but settled. I must go back to my post. Have Caroline give you a bath tomorrow, I don't want my scent lingering on you."
She watched him silently as he dressed and brushed the tears from her eyes. Damon glanced at her and the sadness in her eyes nearly broke his art. He walked over to her and kissed her forehead. "You are a strong woman, Elena. You're strong enough to be queen and to lead people through peace or war. Be patient, and draw from that inner well of strength that lies within you. It's one of the things I love most about you." He kissed her forehead again.
"Thank you." He always had a way of soothing her fears. "Damon? Would you tell Caroline I need her?"
"Of course. She's terrified of me, you know. She thinks I'm going to eat her." He winked at her and chuckled. He left to summon her lady-in-waiting.
Moments later, Caroline entered Elena's room. "What is it?"
"I cannot sleep. I'm sorry to wake you." Elena moved over and Caroline crawled into Elena's bed where Damon had been just minutes before.
"I wasn't asleep. One of Lord Salvatore's men must have been having his way with a servant. I could hear them, though faintly."
Elena turned to hide the deep blush that covered her face. "Lord Salvatore." Elena beckoned him without hesitating.
"Elena, you're in bed. It isn't proper for him to see you like this." Caroline hissed. The rest of her tirade was interrupted by Damon's presence.
Elena ignored her and addressed the man standing in her room. "No doubt you overheard what Lady Forbes just said. I will not have such improper behavior within hearing distance of my chambers. I expect you to control your men and keep them at bay. I will not tolerate that sort of behavior."
Damon placed his hand on the handle of his sword. "Men will be men, your highness. If any of your ladies are too willing, I think it best to have a talk with them."
"I will be the judge of what is best. You will do as you're told." She kept her face as stoic as possible while secretly warning him that they need to be quieter in the future.
"Of course." He bowed as he always did, and left.
Elena hated to see him go. She wished she could invent another reason to order him into her room, but it was too risky. "Caroline, I miss my mother. Why did she have to die? Father would have turned her."
"I know. But she told you why." Caroline attempted to comfort her friend.
"She didn't want this life. She foresaw the blood and the pain. But she knew I would need her. She knew I'd have questions. Everything would be much easier if I had her." Elena sighed and turned to face away from the blonde.
"I know." Caroline whispered.
They were both startled by the gentle tap at the door. It opened, and Damon stood with one of his knights in the doorway. "Elena, you've been summoned."
Author's Note: While this story is based in the 11th century, it isn't going to be entirely historically accurate, obviously. Also, I've never read tarot cards before, so I used what I could find on the internet. If any of my readers knows about them, please feel free to correct me.
This is in no way a one shot, and I plan on continuing it for a lot of chapters. If you like my writing, you might also like my other story, A Twist in Fate. Here's the Summary: What happens if it was Damon who returned to mystic falls first? Can they survive a blast from the past or will they have to run forever? Rated M for smut/violence. AU And the link .net/s/6445541/1/A_Twist_in_Fate
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