Hey guys! Wow, you all are amazing! I'm glad there is already so much response to this story. It's super encouraging :)
This chapter is quite long...I tried to split it, but in the end it just became one whole chapter. I'm sure you all won't mind.
Happy Reading :)
p.s. I've been trying to do a bit of research here and there...but sometimes I get stuff wrong, so sorry for any hideous anachronisms :p
Sometime later Caroline picked herself up off the ground. She allowed herself a good hour of crying and self-pity before she decided to get up and carry on. Another servant came in and informed her of dinner plans that evening and that Lord Klaus expected her. Lord Klaus. Caroline rolled her eyes at the demand, as if she had a choice. She had to eat after all.
Her eyes flicked to the dress again. It really was very pretty. Long, green velvet, with gold trimmings around the bodice; the sleeves fit like a glove and the dress hugged her body tight. She put it on and twirled around in the garment, letting the skirts fly around her feet. A small giggle escaped from her lips. It was all a little surreal. She was in a tower, in a castle, wearing a rich gown like some fairytale princess. So where was her knight in shining armor to save her from the beast?
There was a small reflective glass on the table near her bed and she tried to see herself. She wasn't sure how she looked; the mirror wasn't nearly big enough to get the full effect. Seriously, how did medieval woman survive without full-length mirrors?
But then she realized, she couldn't be accepting dresses from Klaus. Who the hell did he think he was? She walked back over to the bed where she left her clothes and yanked the dress off, balling it up and tossing it into the corner. She slid back into her t-shirt and jeans. Then she emptied out her pockets and counted her currents assets. Besides her clothes she had her cell phone, a stick of cherry lip balm, and fifty cents. She grabbed up the lip balm and swiped it across her lips. Her cell phone battery was running low, but it wasn't like she had any service in fourteen hundred and whatever. Her finger pressed the power button and the phone chimed as it clicked off.
Again a knock sounded at the door and she was summoned to dinner, this time by a male servant. She gathered up her belongings and shoved them under the bed, checking to make sure the dagger was secure and hidden within her boot. The man gave her a strange look as she appeared in the doorway, but said nothing.
When she arrived in the dining hall she saw a long wooden table stretched across the large room. A whole feast was laid out on top of a rich purple table cloth; fruits and breads and different kinds of cakes. There was also a spread of meats and cheeses. She noticed each wooden chair had been carved with it's own ornate detail. Some depicted mountains or animals. Klaus sat at the head of the table in what appeared to be the grandest of all the chairs. To his right was another man. It took her a few moments to realize it was Elijah, Klaus's brother. She hadn't ever had any interaction with the man back in the present—future—whatever, but Elena had always said there was something about him. Although, she never specified what that something was.
Klaus smirked at her as she entered, gesturing to the chair on his left. It was carved with delicate vines and roses, the details so fine that it almost seemed like the plants were real. Caroline stuck out her chin and approached the two original vampires unflinchingly, taking her seat next to Klaus.
"Good evening Caroline. Was the dress I sent up not to you liking?" Klaus inquired smugly.
"No," she answered, "it was fine."
"Well I'd rather hoped you'd be wearing it."
Caroline gave him a sour smile. "Well we can't always get what we want can we?"
Klaus returned her look with one of his own and signaled to the servant who stood up against the wall. The small man stepped forward; Caroline noticed his hands shaking a bit. "Would you care for some wine?"
She nodded and the man poured some red liquid into the golden goblet in front of her. Caroline didn't know a whole lot of history, but she was guessing from the size of the dinner, the fineness of the plates and cups, and the artful seating, that Klaus and his family were loaded.
"Elijah, please allow me to present Caroline Forbes," he said gesturing to her with his hand, "Caroline this is my brother Elijah."
Elijah nodded at her politely. "A pleasure to meet you Caroline. Happy for you to be joining us."
Caroline smiled back and nodded. It was interesting how Elijah seemed to be pretending that she was anything but a captive in his house. She caught Klaus's expression out of the corner of her eye. His trademark smirk still in place as he raised his cup to her. She quickly looked away and lifted her own goblet to her lips. The wine tasted sweet. The flavor was rich and oaky with a hint of raspberry and…
"Blood?" She said setting the cup back down on the table.
"Yes love. I thought that since you were a vampire, you might enjoy a drink with a little extra kick."
As he spoke another servant came in, with two women behind him. "Dinner is served my lords."
It took Caroline a couple moments to realize that "dinner" was the two girls. They looked young, maybe fifteen, and she noticed they had bite marks all down their arms as they lifted their sleeves and stood around the table. At the same time she realized something else. There wouldn't be any hospital with blood bags waiting to be stolen. And she couldn't get outside to hunt. Direct from the tap would be her only means of nourishment.
She looked over at Klaus and Elijah. Both men were drinking from the same girl, each having taken a wrist. Was that even healthy? Or did they even care? Caroline looked over at the girl. She blinked at Caroline, her eyes already heavy with compulsion, waiting to be bitten. Caroline took the girl by the hand and stood up, making her way out of the room.
"Where do you think you are going?" Klaus said, pulling away from his meal.
Caroline spun around just long enough to answer him. "I prefer to eat in my room. Thank you."
Before he could say anything more. Caroline yanked the girl out of the dining room and down the hall. The sun outside was just setting, Caroline reckoned it was safe enough for her to venture out a bit. She quickly found a door to the outside and slipped out. She faced the girl, holding onto her arms to keep her steady. Clearly she was weak from continuous blood loss. Caroline bit into her own wrist and offered up her blood but the girl shook her head in refusal.
"I can't, I would become one of you," she replied, her voice tinged with fear.
"Did they kidnap you?" Caroline asked her.
She shook her head again. "My family is poor and they needed money."
Caroline understood. She was paid just like any other servant in this house. Except her job was costing her a lot more than anyone else. She looked at the girl. So young, so innocent. It was unfair. Caroline's pupils dilated and her voice dropped an octave as she spoke.
"You'll run away from this house and not come back. You won't remember the vampires here. You'll find another type of work but you'll never, never come back to this place again."
The girl nodded and the blinked at Caroline. As soon as she came to, she gasped and began running for her life. Caroline watched as the servant girl's figure grew smaller and smaller in the distance. She hoped that the girl would be ok.
"You've sent her to her death you know."
Caroline started and jerked around. Klaus was standing there, leaning against the doorway. He pushed off and walked over to her. A trickle of blood had caught in the corner of his mouth. He whipped it away, licking his thumb as he came to stand in front of her.
"Better than letting you drain the life from her," Caroline said crossing her arms.
"Constance, that is the girl's name, has actually lived and worked here for many months," he told her, "she came to us begging for work to save her starving mother and brother. Her father had just died you see." Caroline opened her mouth to retort but Klaus cut her off and continued. "Now you've sent her back to her home, without work, and even if she survives the forest, her family will be destitute and starving again within the month."
Caroline shut her mouth and looked down at the ground. She hadn't thought about it. It seemed better that she be allowed to escape rather than be subjected to being vampire food supply.
"I just thought—"
"That you were what? Doing her a favor?"
In the distance Caroline heard a blood-curdling scream. She cringed at the sound. Klaus came up behind her, she could feel his chest press against her back.
"There are many uncivilized vampires out there," he whispered against her head, "werewolves and predators in the forest. This castle is safe because I've made it so."
Klaus grabbed her wrist roughly and spun her around to face him. She gasped at the look on his face. His eyes were black like coal and his teeth were bared. She tried to gulp down her fear, looking anywhere but his eyes.
"I don't appreciate being ridiculed in my own home. Pull something like that again and trust me, it will be the last thing you do."
With that he tossed her away. Caroline stumbled back, trying to catch her breath. She thought she heard another scream from far away. But she couldn't be sure.
Klaus walked back into the dining hall. He was sure that Caroline would go straight to her room after the conversation they had just had. He had seen the fear in her eyes when she looked into his, black as death and cold with rage. He had felt it roll off her in waves as her body pressed into his.
He shook the feeling from his head. He didn't need to be thinking about her anything being pressed up against him.
"She certainly has spirit," Elijah said as Klaus rejoined him.
"Too much," Klaus replied downing the rest of his wine, "she needs to learn her place."
"What's the point in that if you just plan on killing her?"
Klaus threw his brother a sharp look. "Don't toy with me Elijah."
Elijah raised a hand in surrender and went back to his evening meal, the actual food portion of it anyway. He watched his brother as he dined.
Klaus was feeling impatient. He needed to know who Caroline was and he needed to know now. The intriguing facts about her kept growing. He'd never met a vampire who didn't drink human blood. In his hundreds of years he had never heard of such a thing. There were some vampires, when they were newly turned, who had moral issues about taking human life, but they quickly got over them and gave into the blood lust.
He poured himself another goblet of wine and drank it down, before pushing away from the table.
"Where are you going?" Elijah asked him.
"Dinner is spoiled. I'll retire early tonight," he said storming out of the hall.
The next day, Caroline headed to the Grill for lunch. She was meeting Elena there—or was it Bonnie? She couldn't remember for some weird reason. But she shrugged as she walked through the doors and into the restaurant. It was unusually bright inside. The light streaming through the windows seemed almost ethereal. But she smiled and hummed to herself, feeling light as a feather. Bonnie was in the corner, waving to her frantically.
So it was Bonnie that she was meeting. Of course, now she remembered. Kind of. She walked over to the booth and sat across from her friend. Bonnie looked panicked.
"What's the matter Bon?"
"I didn't think this would actually work but it did!" Her friend replied. "I don't know how long I can hold this connection."
Caroline cocked her head. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm in your dream Caroline. This is all happening in your head."
As Bonnie spoke, Caroline sunk back into her seat, the light and airy feeling fading away a bit. She took a glance around the restaurant and noticed they were the only two people there. Not even Matt or any of the other waiters were around. Bonnie grabbed Caroline's hand a brought the blonde vampire's attention back to her.
"Like I said, I'm holding this connection through space and time, I don't know how much longer we have."
"You're starting to sound like a Doctor Who character," Caroline replied.
"Look, Care, I know you're sleeping right now, so you're a little foggy. But I need you to try and tell me what is going on."
Caroline took a deep breath and tried to sort through the haze in her brain. She remembered Bonnie and Elena and the séance, waking up on the forest floor, Klaus finding her, his castle, Elijah, the girl with her blood, that horrible scream. Caroline felt a sudden jolt as reality slammed into her like a truck. The dream began to wobble a bit and Bonnie grabbed ahold of her other had to steady her.
"Whoa, easy," she said, "can you tell me what's going on? Are you ok?"
"Yeah I'm ok. For now," Caroline replied. She couldn't help sounding a bit glum. It had been quite a day after all.
"What happened? Did you find Klaus?"
"Yeah. Well he found me. I'm in like the 1400s in his castle right now. Bonnie, what do I do? How am I gonna get back to the present?"
Bonnie's eyes flicked away for a moment nervously and Caroline realized that her friend didn't have any good news to share.
"I don't know. You would have to find another witch who could reverse the spell. Or create a new one just for you. I was suppose to come through with you, I don't know why it didn't work for me. I don't know what I did wrong."
"I'm starting to think this wasn't such a great plan," Caroline muttered.
"I think you're right," Bonnie agreed, "which brings me to my next piece of news. You have to be careful Caroline. You have to be careful about what events you change in the past. If it's something really big, it could rip time apart."
"Rip time apart? Ok seriously. No more BBC!"
"I'm serious Caroline!"
"I know ok! You're freaking me out!"
"Sorry," Bonnie said, "emotions are running a bit higher since you're in a dream state. But I promise Care. I'm going to try to fix this. For now, forget about killing Klaus. Just try to keep yourself safe. And find a witch who you can trust if you can."
"Yeah easier said than done."
"I'm so sorry," Bonnie repeated.
Caroline squeezed her friend's hand and tried to give her an optimistic smile. "It's ok Bon, really. It's not your fault. Besides, I'm sure we've been in situations much less hopeful than this."
"Yeah," Bonnie replied, unconvinced.
"Has Damon figured out what we did yet?"
"Oh yeah! And he's really pissed." Caroline had to laugh at the thought of Damon's possible reactions when he finally found out about their girls only plan. He was such a condescending ass.
"Oh hey one more thing before—"
Caroline awoke suddenly. She could still feel the phantom weight of Bonnie's hand in hers. It was like they had been ripped apart. She felt a sharp sting at the bottom of her leg. She looked down and saw that her calf was hanging out of the brown fur blanket, exposed to the sun, and Klaus still hadn't returned her daylight ring. Her flesh sizzled and she snatched her leg back with a hiss, pressing herself up against the headboard and hugging her knees. She really needed to get her ring back.
That could just go on the list with all the other things she needed to do. Not get killed, find a way home, oh and try not to screw up the whole of history while she was at it. Caroline let out a long, exhausted breath. All she wanted to do was crawl back under the covers and block out everything and everyone. A knock at her door prevented her from doing so. She almost called for them to come in, when she realized that Klaus had stopped by last night and locked her in again anyways. Only he could open the door. She groaned inwardly, not wanting to see him first thing in the morning. The door opened to reveal Elijah, instead of Klaus.
"Good morning Caroline. Did you sleep well?" He greeted her, stepping into the room. Elijah had a warm smile and kind eyes. He seemed so different from the man that she had briefly encountered in her present. Maybe this was the man that Elena had seen deep down.
"I thought you might be hungry, since you didn't eat last night," he continued, presenting her with a plate of fruit and bread and a goblet of blood. Caroline felt the veins under her eyes roll over her cheeks at the scent of the blood. She was starving.
"What innocent girl was drained for this?" Caroline asked sardonically.
"It's animal, actually. I thought you might not be as adverse to drinking animal's blood as you seem to be about drinking from a human."
Caroline took the goblet and plate of food from him. She immediately took a long drink, letting the rich red liquid swirl around in her mouth. Elijah stood there quietly, watching her feed. She felt a little bad about hitting him with the sarcasm before. He caught her off guard with the thoughtfulness.
"Thank you," she said as she finished her blood and grabbed a roll off of the plate.
"You're very welcome," Elijah said, "I know that you are restricted to being indoors so I thought you might like a tour of the castle today."
Caroline shifted uncomfortably at being reminded of her stolen ring. She considered Elijah's offer for a moment. It might be nice to have something to do other than sit in the room all day, avoid the sunlight, and wallow in self pity. She gave him a smile and accepted his invitation.
"Sounds great."
"Good. I'll return in a half an hour once you've had a chance to breakfast and change," Elijah's eyes flicked to the green dress that Caroline had tossed into the corner the night before.
"I'm not accepting that dress from him," she argued, "Klaus can deal with it."
Elijah smiled knowingly, admiring her stubbornness. "My brother is not an even tempered man. And you've tested his patience quite enough already. I suggest you wear the dress and be thankful for it."
Caroline didn't miss the subtle threat in his words. With that he left her in the room to enjoy what was left of her breakfast.
"You say that her blood tasted odd?"
"Yes," Klaus replied, "I can't quite describe it."
"Interesting," Gretchen said, drumming her fingers together.
Klaus had arisen early and gone off into the woods to speak with his most trusted witch. He had known Gretchen for the past hundred years. The dark skinned witch was probably pushing 120 years old, but she didn't look a day over 40.
"Is there any chance that you could bring me a sample?"
Klaus thought about it. He imagined holding Caroline down, her blonde waves spread out across a silken pillow, as he pressed into her, sinking his teeth into her neck and tasting her once again. He thought of her writhing underneath him, her moans filling the air as he drank her exquisite blood. Her hands trailing down his back, nails scraping his skin as she begged him for mercy.
"No need to get too excited," Gretchen said pulling him out of his little fantasy, one thin eyebrow quirked up at him teasingly.
Klaus frowned at her, not sure if he was more upset over being pulled from his daydream or the fact that it had occurred in the first place. Gretchen chuckled in response and walked over to her bookshelf, pulling out a few volumes and placing them on her small wooden table.
"I'll consult the grimoires, you get the blood, we'll see where it gets us," she said. "Although I don't understand why you don't just compel the girl for answers."
"She drinks vervain," Klaus told her.
"Vervain? She came prepared for you."
Klaus nodded. "I'm not feeling very patient either."
"The quicker you get me blood, the quicker I can give you answers."
Klaus smiled leaning into the witch. "I'll be seeing you soon then."
Elijah had returned exactly when he said he would. Caroline could tell that he was quite pleased she had given in to wearing the dress after all. It wasn't like it was that bad. Really if it had been from anyone else it would have been nice.
Elijah escorted her around the castle, which was quite large, larger than Caroline had originally thought, and told her about the history of the architecture and the various pieces of art that hung on the walls. He was careful to help her avoid any spots with too much sunlight. She noticed that the castle was a rather quite place. Only the occasional maid or servant would pass by, they all kept their gazes low as Elijah and Caroline walked near them.
"Are you and Klaus the only people who live here?" Caroline asked.
Elijah opened his mouth to answer, but then paused, seeming to rephrase his response before attempting to speak again. "With the exception of a few compelled servants, yes it is just my brother and I. Klaus prefers not to let any other vampires into our home on a permanent basis."
Caroline nodded thoughtfully. She wasn't sure if she was the exception or the rule in that case. Klaus did tell her he would kill her eventually. But for now she was alive and that's what she would concentrate on.
"It's a pity I can't show you the gardens. Klaus has acquired quite a vast sculpture collection," Elijah lamented as he opened the door to another room, "This however, is another prize of my brother's. The armory."
The doors swung back on their hinges and Elijah held out his arm, inviting Caroline into the room. The space was dim; the only lighting came from a few high windows. Obviously no one came into this room very often. Dust motes swirled around in the air and danced in the thin beams of light. The walls were lined with shields, swords, and many other weapons. Each was decorated with varying house symbols. Caroline marveled at the sight of all the steel and silver. She had never seen a real sword up close before.
"We only call this place the armory as a joke," Elijah explain, "Klaus likes to hold on to his souvenirs."
Caroline scoffed, her shoulders bouncing up and down slightly. "Klaus is quite the collector isn't he?"
Elijah tilted his head in affirmation. Just then one of the servants came into the room. The man whispered something in Elijah's ear that Caroline didn't quite catch. The vampire nodded and sent the servant away.
"I apologize. If you'll excuse me, there's something I need to attend to. I trust you can find your way back to your room?"
Caroline's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Aren't you afraid I'll run away?"
"It's daytime. You wouldn't get far."
Caroline couldn't help but laugh and agree. Elijah gave her another courteous bow before heading out of the armory.
She turned around, stepping closer to the walls, noticing a long sword. The steel blade was thick and looked cold on the wall. It seemed powerful and heavy, but at the same time old and worn. The tarnished metal may have once gleamed brightly in the sunlight, now wasted away unused in the darkness. She noticed on the blade there was an inscription. Caroline took a step closer and squinted her eyes trying to make out the words. It was written in Latin. She read the words aloud.
"Numquam ignavi vincunt."
"Cowards never conquer," a voice said behind her.
Caroline jumped at the sound. She spun around quickly and saw Klaus leaning on the wall behind her, hiding in the shadows, away from the light.
"That's one of my favorites," he said stepping toward her, pointing at the sword, "over here is another one."
Klaus walked further down the wall and stopped in front of another sword. Caroline walked over to him and faced the wall. This sword was a bit brighter than the other, not so worn looking. The edge was stained faintly red. This one also had an inscription on it in Latin.
"Vincere aut mori," Caroline read. She stumbled over the words a bit. Obviously no one was speaking Latin in Mystic Falls in the year 2012.
"Conquer or die," Klaus translated.
"Seems like everyone was all about conquering," Caroline quipped, still looking at the sword.
"Yes," Klaus said, "humans are very greedy. Always trying to advance their positions, increase their wealth."
"Sounds like a hypocritical judgment coming from you."
Klaus looked at her then. "What do you mean?"
Caroline turned toward him, her eyes meeting his. "You talk about how humans are greedy but you also take what you want. No questions asked."
Klaus cocked his head at her. "You make assumptions."
"Am I wrong?" She countered.
Klaus frowned at her and ignored her retort. "Over here is my favorite," he said changing the subject. He walked over to the very end of the room, to another sword. This one was even bigger than all the rest. It shone brightly, unlike all the others, and unlike the others it had a gold, gleaming hilt, molded into the shape of a wolf's head.
"It is beautiful," Caroline said, observing the delicate details of the wolf's head and the rubies that were placed where the eyes would be.
"Read the inscription."
Caroline did not have to squint to read this one. The letters had been perfectly preserved. "Sed omnes una manet nox."
"But one night waits for us all," Klaus said.
Caroline considered the words. "This one is different than the others. No conquering."
"No, no conquering," Klaus repeated.
"Did you kill these men?"
Klaus shook his head. "No, I gave them all a choice, to turn or die. All of them chose to turn, except this one. When I discovered the inscription on his sword I thought it quite fitting."
"What do the words mean?"
Klaus looked at the sword, tracing the letters lightly with his fingertips. "It refers to the night that will come for all living creatures…except the vampires."
After a moment Caroline said, "You mean death".
"Yes, death. Some people fear it more than anything else. Plagues and old age and early graves. Any moment could be the last. They seek out eternal life wherever they can find it. I've seen even brave men live and fight and kill, but when faced with their own death, run screaming away. But this man…this man was truly brave. He faced death and accepted it without fear."
Caroline watched the light and shadows across his face. She could see him remembering what happened when he took this man's life. Obviously Klaus had probably killed hundreds of people throughout his existence, but he remembered some of them. This man especially. When she looked at him looking at the sword, she saw that there was admiration there and maybe a bit of regret. Not regret for killing, but for something else. She also realized that she was having a completely normal conversation with her biggest enemy.
"I always thought it would be cool to learn to fence," Caroline said, "but I thought it was a boy's thing when I was little so I'd never admit it."
"I could teach you," Klaus offered.
Caroline gave him an odd look. "What now?"
"Have something more pressing to do?" Klaus quipped.
But Caroline didn't have a chance to answer. Klaus turned away and walked over to the other side of the room. He pulled two small swords off the wall and tossed one to Caroline. She panicked for only a second before reaching out and catching it by the hilt. A tiny breath of relief escaped her lips.
Klaus walked to the center of the room, swinging his sword artfully from side to side. What a showoff, she thought. Caroline threw him a cocky looked and walked out in front of him, holding her own weapon at the ready.
"First lesson love, you don't hold it with both hands."
Caroline smirked and released her left hand. She tried to think of the way swordfighters had always looked in movies. Their legs apart, lunging forward slightly, always on their toes, one hand stretched out behind them for balance. Caroline tried to mimic what she could picture in her mind. Klaus stood across from her, sword extended and at the ready. Caroline gave him a little eyebrow waggle and his chuckled at her.
"Not bad so far but…" with that he lunged at her, vampire speed. Caroline smacked her sword awkwardly against his, the steel clanging loudly and the sound bouncing off the walls.
"It's important to remember that the sword is and extension of your arm," Klaus instructed, throwing another attack, Caroline blocked it just in time. He advanced on her again and she whirled around. Klaus would lunge and shout different instructions at her and Caroline did her best to keep up. Her vampire attributes were definitely helping her, there was no other way she could have been this nimble and coordinated on her first go.
"Watch my eyes," Klaus said, "the eyes don't lie."
Caroline nodded and then lunged forward, not waiting for him to attack this time. She was watching his eyes and she saw the surprise in them as he parried her advance. They circled one another, steel kissing steel, as they continued to fight. Caroline laughed triumphantly as she managed to lunge forward and artfully pop one of the buttons from Klaus's shirt with the tip of her sword.
"I guess I'm a better sword fighter than I thought," she boasted as Klaus glanced down at his open shirt.
"I wouldn't get to cocky sweetheart," Klaus said, "I'm going easy on you since it's your first time."
Caroline threw her head back and laughed. "No need to take it easy on me. Go ahead and give me everything you've got."
Klaus's lips twisted up into a wicked grin. His tongue shot out and licked his lips as he back up slightly, assessing her. Caroline stayed on her toes, waiting for him to lunge forward, watching his eyes, his hips, his feet for any indication of which direction he would go.
They circled one another, predator against predator, their light footsteps marking the seconds that passed as one waited for the other to move. Caroline narrowed her eyes, urging him forward, but Klaus remained where he was, challenging her to make the first move.
Klaus's eyes flicked to the right and Caroline followed his gaze, regretting it immediately, as he attacked left and sliced off the sleeve of her dress. The fabric slid down her arm and floated to the ground. Caroline's jaw dropped and Klaus smirked, giving her a little shrug.
"You didn't like the gown anyways."
Caroline twisted her mouth and lunged at him them. No more Miss Nice Vampire. Their swords clashed together in a storm of metal. Caroline attacked furiously, as Klaus baited her on with taunts and teases. Her blade shot out and sliced him across the chest. A small cut appeared on his chest, blood soaking into his white shirt. His eyes flicked up to Caroline, all the earlier cockiness gone away, and she gave him a little shrug of her own.
Then they were at it again. A metallic dance of fury. Klaus lunged forward and caught Caroline across the stomach, ripping open the bodice of her dress and slicing into her. She glanced down only for a moment to see the wound begin to bleed and then the skin knit itself back together before pressing forward again. Their blades tangled and twisted as they stepped into one another. At that exact moment, Caroline's legs became tangled in her dress and she fell forward, her sword flying out of her hand and her body aimed straight for the end of Klaus's weapon. She knew it wouldn't kill her, but she gritted her teeth and braced herself for the pain, squeezing her eyes shut.
A couple moments passed before Caroline realized that instead of falling onto the sword she was hanging above the ground, enveloped by Klaus's arms. He had flung his sword away, catching her quickly. She gripped his biceps, the muscles flexing underneath her fingers, as she slowly opened her eyes one at a time. Klaus's face hovered above hers, his grey-blue eyes flicking around her face. The air seemed to prickle around them as Caroline became aware of Klaus's hands pressed into her spine, one at the small of her back and the other at the base of neck. She swallowed hard, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath from their sparring.
"Maybe next time don't close your eyes love," Klaus said, his voice low. Caroline could feel his breath ghost across the skin of her nose; he was so close. She nodded lamely, still gripping onto him, as he continued to hold her in mid air. He leaned in closer, his nose barely caressing the side of her face and Caroline unconsciously tilted her neck back, the smallest of sounds escaping her throat.
"Brother," a voice said behind them.
Klaus dropped her unceremoniously to the ground. She hit the floor with a loud 'oof', the cold stone hard on her backside. That would definitely leave a mark. Caroline glared at Klaus as she picked herself off the ground, but he was already turned toward Elijah.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," Elijah said well aware that he was interrupting, "but there is something important that requires your attention."
"I'll follow you," Klaus replied, but he stepped forward, around Elijah, exiting the room without another glance at Caroline.
Klaus followed Elijah from the armory as they headed toward his wing of the castle. Elijah was keeping silent, whatever he had to say, he was waiting until they reached the privacy of Klaus's solar. As they continued along the corridor, Klaus did his best to shake Caroline from his thoughts. Part of him was angry with Elijah for intruding on them, but part of him was utterly thankful. What had been about to happen?
He had been having fun with Caroline, teaching her to sword fight. He enjoyed seeing her determination and the spark in her eye. She hadn't held back for a second. She was true natural really, he couldn't believe she hadn't held a blade before. But then it became obvious when her feet became tangled in her dress and she stumbled forward. He'd tossed the blade away with so much force, he didn't even stop to think that it would forever damaged one of his prized trophies on the wall. In that second all that mattered was making sure Caroline wasn't hurt.
Holding her there in her arms, time seemed to stop for just a few seconds. Feeling the weight of her body awakened something in him. Something that he had long buried out of necessity. But it was the wrong time, the wrong place, the wrong girl. She was his enemy. He would figure that out for certain soon enough, and he would be forced to kill her. His stomach twisted at that thought, but again he shoved the feeling down.
Elijah stopped at the entrance to the solar and let him enter first. Klaus opened the door and brushed past his brother, turning to face him and finally find out what the hell was going on.
"Well brother, what news do you have?"
"It's Mikael. He's on the move. Our sources say he's headed this direction."
"Damn," Klaus growled to himself, "how long until he sets foot in England?"
Elijah looked solemn. "My informants tell me a fortnight."
Again Klaus groaned. A fortnight. It was three weeks until the full moon.
"If he finds out about the doppelganger, she's the first thing he will go after," Klaus said, thinking out loud, "if other assassins haven't already been issued ahead of Mikael's party."
Klaus stopped, his eyes widened as a new theory dawned on him. Caroline. What if she had been sent not to kill him, but instead murder the doppelganger before he could complete the ritual to break his curse? This doppelganger might be his last chance. He had waited centuries. Nothing was going to stand in his way. Of course Mikael wouldn't be beyond sending something like Caroline into the lion's den. She was beautiful, strong, seductive. A distraction.
"What are you thinking brother?" Elijah asked.
Klaus lip twisted up into a half smile. "I think it's time we found out exactly where our new blonde friend came from."
Caroline clamped her hand over her mouth to suppress her gasp. After Elijah and Klaus had left her, Caroline had decided to follow them to see what secrets they would be exchanging. She stood outside of the room, listening to the two of them discuss doppelgangers and someone called Mikael. Whoever this Mikael was, he was clearly an enemy of Klaus's and was also trying to prevent him from breaking the hybrid curse. But Klaus mentioned the doppelganger. The only other doppelganger she knew of before Elena was Katherine.
Her eyes widened. Holy crap! She suddenly realized exactly where, or when, she was. It was 1492, some time right before Klaus had met Katherine. Elena had mentioned to her that Elijah said he had met Katherine in 1492. It had been around that time that she had become a vampire. But that was as much as Caroline knew. She didn't know how or why Katherine turned. Or what exactly had stopped Klaus from being able to complete the sacrifice with her. Maybe it was this Mikael guy.
Before the two vampire men could find her, Caroline ran back to her room, shutting the door behind her. For some reason she felt safer for the moment, but it was a false sense of security. Klaus would be coming for her, the vervain would be out of her system now, she would have no defenses against his compulsion.
Bonnie had said that Caroline should just give up the mission and concentrate on keeping herself safe and finding a way home. But damn it she still couldn't run! Klaus still had her daylight ring. Her only other option would be sneaking out to find vervain. There just had to be some in the forest. If she could find a supply, then she could smuggle it back with her and continue taking it. Then she could pretend to be under compulsion, instead of actually being effected by it.
Caroline took a deep breath and walked over to the window. She stared out at the night sky and took a deep breath. It was as good a plan as any. At least it would buy her some time. The night air hit her bare arm, sending a chill across her skin. She had almost forgotten the sword fighting, when Klaus had ripped her dress apart. Her fingers went to the other sleeve, the one still intact, and she tore at the seam until it broke free leaving her gown now sleeveless.
She dropped the ripped fabric onto the floor and stepped up onto the giant window, looking down at the ground below. She was only three or four stories high, nothing that would kill her. Caroline steeled herself, picking one foot up and letting it float in the air over the ledge of the window. With one more reassuring breath, she leaned forward and allowed herself to fall from the window, landing like a cat on the ground below.
The fall only lasted less than a second, her joints and muscles absorbing the impact with ease. Caroline opened her eyes again from her crouched position, first the left and then the right, finally breathing again once she realized she was safe on the ground. No one had heard her jump from the ledge. Her head turned up to look back at her window. How she was going to get back up would be a problem for later. For the moment, she was racing against the night to try and find vervain.
Yes? No? Hate it? Love it? Let me know! Reviews give me life!
Also, in case you didn't know, I know NOTHING about fencing. That bit was written while flipping through a few different wikipedia articles.
And I'm so enjoying writing Elijah in this fic and I think you will too! Although, he's a bit different, a little more like the Elijah we saw in flashbacks. But anyways...
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