Well, here is my next chapterr! :D let me know what you think!

xoxo

Forgot to put the disclaimer in last time, so here you go:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Nothing. Nada. All rights belong to their respectful owners. yada yada yada, you get the picture.

Elena´s been in a limo before. She tasted the most expensive wine, has been to the most infamous places, and has met more important people in her life than her hands could count.

And she still couldn´t help but be surprised at the sight in front of her.

The limo drove through a very long driveway, surrounded by beautiful greenery, flowers in all colors and several Greek statues. A long lake separated two driveways. They eventually passed a black gate with the Salvatore crest on it, and the gate itself was adorned with intricate swirling and curls. If that wasn´t beautiful enough, the palace itself really took the cake. In front of the palace was a small roundabout with a fountain in the middle, again, the forefront of the house was beautifully decorated with flowers she couldn´t name, and small waterfalls to give the feel as if you were in a small botanic garden.

When Elena looked up, her breath was caught in her throat. Of course she has seen pictures of the palace itself on the internet, but that didn´t do it any justice at all.

The palace stretched as far as the eye could reach, and was the perfect combination of your modern-day palace and a medieval castle, and you had to walk up quite the flight of stone stairs to get to the front door. If that could be even called a door.

''You guys like it?''

It wasn't until Stefan brought them out of their reverie that Elena realized she was gaping out of the window, her jaw practically hitting the floor.

''You grew up here?'' Caroline asked slowly.

Stefan was beaming at the expression Caroline had on her face, but the amusement over their reactions was still clearly there. ''Yep. Come on, let's go, my parents are awaiting their guests.''

''Oh god, I can't believe I'm about to meet the King and Queen of Italy!'' Caroline squealed.

Elena laughed, and just when she was about to get out of the car, someone opened it for her.

A hand stretched out for her, and just because she didn't want to be rude, she gently placed her hand in the other and hoisted herself out of the car.

Elena smiled politely at the driver as she walked some steps to get a better view of the palace as he went to help Caroline get out.

''Just get the luggage, I'll help Miss Caroline,'' she heard Stefan say from behind her, and she had to suppress a giggle. Typically Stefan.

Again, watching the beautiful white and cream colored building made Elena wonder what was in store for her this summer. It wasn't every day you found your childhood dream coming true.

''Miss Gilbert, I presume?'' An old man's voice with a thick Italian accent asked her. She shook herself out of her daydreaming, and spun around on her heels to see who tried to get her attention.

Elena grinned. He could've walked straight out of a Batman movie.

''Yes?'' she asked.

''My name is Marco. I am the butler of the Salvatore Palace. I should bring you and Miss Forbes to your rooms so you can get settled in.''

''Sounds good, thank you. Where is Stefan?''

''The prince has gone to say hi to his parents. He told me to help you to your rooms.''

''Great!'' Caroline intervened, and she clapped her hands together.

Elena smiled gently at her friend's antics. She saw that Marco was a bit put off by her friend's enthusiasm, and, to be honest, everybody always was at first. It never got old to watch them squirm from under her gaze, though.

''Shall we?''

Caroline and Elena nodded, and followed Marco up the stairs to the front of the palace.

''This place is beautiful,'' Caroline remarked breathlessly.

Marco's stern expression softened at that, and he smiled, showing off his wrinkles. ''It is, isn't it? Has been here ever since The House of Savoy. Since then the castle has been relocated to a more secluded area in Caserta.''

''How long have you worked here?'' Elena asked.

''Ever since prince Damon was born. My wife Arabella was their babysitter for the better part of their childhood.''

''That´s so sweet,'' Caroline gushed.

Again, Elena's eyes could´ve rolled out of my sockets, and she was pretty sure the expressions Caroline and her were wearing were nothing short of comical.

The hallways seemed to stretch for miles, every room in the house a different color scheme. Marble tiles covered the floors, and if you looked up, it was as if you were in a church. Crystal chandeliers, huge paintings across the walls and ceilings, and in the corners were intricate flower designs, undoubtedly made of gold leaf. They entered the foyer, with a color scheme of gold, white and red, different statues and paintings staring them down. The floor was entirely made out of red carpet and the Italian flag was hanging from the banister on the first floor, that overlooked the foyer. They walked up one of the two stairs that were opposite each other, almost forming a circle.

He showed us to our rooms, and left us to get settled. Again, a beautiful luxury bedroom was to call hers for the next two months, with a cream color scheme. Her bedroom had two parts: the first part, the one she faced when she walked into her room, was where she slept. There was a four poster bed in the middle of one part of the room, floor-to-ceiling windows with cream-colored curtains, a light pink vanity and a baroque chair.

Still in awe, Elena walked down the three marble steps, the same broken white with sweeps of a cream-like color, to the other part of the room, which consisted out of a white leather corner sofa with at least a dozen small pillows in different nude shades, a built-in-the-wall flat screen surrounded by white, square wall-shelves above a modern-looking fireplace, and a glass table. She turned around on her heels, still not able to find her voice, and she smiled when she once again was reminded that Stefan knew her pretty well. The walls on this part of the room that were not practically made out of windows were almost mostly hidden by tall bookcases. There were French doors that led to a broad balcony, and another door that undoubtedly led to the adjacent bathroom, made out of cream tiled walls, two sinks, a bathtub, a shower covered by glass walls against the granite wall. She grinned when she saw the rain shower head. She saw that most of the beauty product she owned were already neatly arranged across the sink and her vanity.

At least was sure she was going to enjoy the indoor part of her vacation.

''Mi scusi, signorina Gilbert?''

Elena was glad she was done jumping up and down the bed and opted for checking out her walk-in-closet, which was richly filled up, so the woman that called out to her didn't have to witness that.

''Si?'' Elena asked, high fiving herself for that.

The petit blonde girl smiled at her. ''Principe Stefan, e king and queen ask for you,'' she asked, tripping over her English.

''Grazie,'' Elena said. She let the small ornament she was playing with go, and followed the girl down more luxurious and overly-decorated rooms towards what she realized just now was the main living room in a place that had dozens of these. It was on the same floor as her room, the first one of five. She could see it was the main room for the people that lived here because it was the only place that was personally decorated, with pictures of two gorgeous men in their early twenties, early teens and toddler years. This room was also a bit messier than the rest, although that didn't say much. This room was also, next to her bedroom, one of the more modern rooms in the palace.

''Re e la regina, questa è Elena,'' the girl introduced her.

Elena was surprised to say the least. The King, Giuseppe Salvatore, was in a simple dress shirt and slacks, sipping on a tumbler of what she suspected to be Whiskey, before he stood up and gave her a cheeky grin that was oddly welcoming for someone who's posture told you about his important position in life. Even the way he walked told you he oozed power.

The woman that stood next to him, radiated warmth and love. Elena could see herself getting along with the beautiful woman, who probably hasn't even reached fifty. She had beautiful cerulean blue eyes that captivated Elena, surrounded by less wrinkles than a woman in her mid-thirties. Her jet black hair was tied back in a lose ponytail, and the smile she wore on her thin lips made you feel loved and at home in an instant. She could understand why someone like Giuseppe would want someone like Isabella Salvatore by his side.

They really were royalty. They captivated you the second you walked in a room. So much, Elena didn't even realize Caroline, Stefan and some other servants were in the room with them.

''You must be Elena,'' Giuseppe finally spoke in a voice full of authority. Elena was surprised he took a liking to her so quickly. ''I am Giuseppe, but you can just call me Peppe for the time being,'' he offered in better English than she heard a native speak ever since she got here.

She smiled when he brought her hand to his lips. Such a charmer.

''Pleasure to meet you,'' Elena said with the coyest smile she could muster. That obviously pleased him, and his grin widened.

It didn't go unnoticed by her that Stefan looked at her wide-eyed, and Caroline's eyes seemed to be almost rolling out of their sockets.

She gave them a questioning gaze, but they didn't get to respond when suddenly two slender arms wrapped around Elena's waist.

When Isabella let go, she smiled softly. ''You really are beautiful. Welcome to my home. I know it's quite big, but we really don't use a lot of it. Most of it is occupied by servants, but you're welcome to explore,'' she explained. It was safe to say Elena was flabbergasted, and apparently that was quite visible in her expression because she chuckled.

''What'd you expect? Someone who could barely speak English? Dear, my youngest has been speaking so highly of you. Tell me, he never spoke of home?''

She turned bright red, but shook her head.

Isabella laughed. ''Well, would you two like to join us for dinner tonight?'' Giuseppe added.

''We'd like that, right 'Lena?'' Caroline spoke up.

Elena nodded in agreement. ''Sounds good.''

Isabella smiled, but then rolled her eyes when a servant came up to whisper something in Giuseppe's ear. Elena had to suppress a giggle and bit her lower lip to prevent a smile from forming on her lips. Isabella noticed that, and winked at her.

Something, told Elena, well, a lot of things told Elena, that Isabella wasn't your every-day queen. She didn't seem to have a stick up her ass, so at least that was a good thing.

''Everything alright, amore mio?'' Isabella asked, worried when she saw her husband's aggravated expression.

He nodded. ''Damon,'' he said, gritting his teeth.

''Is everything okay with Damon, father?'' Stefan intervened.

''He will not be joining us tonight. He has other obligations. Or, so he says,'' Giuseppe hissed. Elena was taken aback from the amount hostility there was with this man when speaking of his eldest son. Not ten seconds before he was warmly welcoming her and Caroline into his home, and now all of a sudden he was the man Stefan has warned her about every day since he offered her to go to Italy with him for the summer.

''Giuseppe,'' Isabella began, but he waved her off with a hand gesture. ''Forget it, Bella. It's not like this Is the first time. Elena, Caroline, enjoy your stay, we will make sure that Caserta is extremely kind to you for the period of time of your staying,'' he said, forcing a smile, before heading out of the room.

''Elena, Caroline?'' Isabella asked before hurrying off to her other halve.

''Hmm?'' Elena asked for the both of them.

''I would enjoy having lunch with the both of you sometime around this week. Would you two like that?''

''That'd be great!'' Caroline said, trying to catch her attention.

Isabella smiled at Caroline, and then looked at me for approval.

''Sounds delightful. We'll see you around the house?'' Elena asked.

She smiled, and nodded before leaving.

Elena sighed, Stefan chuckled, and Caroline groaned at the same time before they plopped onto the comfortable couch, next to each other.

''Well that was…'' Stefan started.

''…Interesting,' Elena finished for him.

''You already have them rapped around your finger, and they can't even properly look at me!'' Caroline exclaimed.

Elena laughed. ''Give it time, Care. They'll love you.''

''To say I was surprised at my dad's reaction to you would be an understatement,'' Stefan added.

Elena rolled her eyes. 'Is it so hard for you guys to believe people just, I don't know, willingly like me?'' she quipped.

Caroline huffed, a funny mixture of annoyance and amusement nobody but the blonde could've pulled off. ''Please.''

''Anyway, you guys want to see the—''

He didn't even get to finish his sentence before the girls jumped off the couch to get dressed.

''Thanks for the heads up!'' I screeched, irritated with my friend.

''Sorry! I thought you knew that when they said ''dinner'', they meant party! They just want to show you off to important people and foreign officials,'' Stefan tried to explain in the doorway of her bedroom.

''Fine! You're lucky I brought Caroline!'' she relented.

''She got dresses with her?''

''She was prepared to go the Alps if need be. Now scram, I need to get dressed.'' She still wasn't passed the point of irritation when he left, but the shock and anger gradually faded. God, Elena get a grip, she told herself. You're with the Royal Family, for God's sake. You knew stuff like this would happen. It's part of their lifestyle, she tried to tell herself. Even though she was curious as to what would happen tonight, whom she would meet and what the dresses would be like, she wouldn't admit it. She didn't feel guilty for snapping at Stefan like that either. He knew her, and the fact she couldn't hold a grudge even if her life depended on it.

Her bad mood completely faded after a couple of minutes, when Caroline hopped into the room, threw the myriad of different dresses in all shapes, sizes and colors on to the bed before turning on the stereo, having Nicki Minaj's 'Starships' blare through the speakers.

''Hello to you, too,'' Elena said dryly, squealing in surprise when Caroline pulled her down the baroque chair in front of her vanity table. She smiled broadly at herself, glad some of Caroline's mood was rubbing off on her. With the enthusiastic music and constant babbling of Caroline it didn't take long for her sour mood to lift, and she and Caroline were dancing around her room waiting for the curlers to be taken out of their hair.

''So, excited to meet the brother?'' Caroline asked mischievously.

Elena laughed. ''What, I thought you were already crushing on the younger Salvatore prince?'' Elena joked.

Caroline rolled her eyes, but reddened nonetheless. ''All I'm trying to say is that he's hot, okay. Have you even seen the pictures?'' she asked while dramatically fanning herself with both hands close to her face.

Of course she had, those piercing blue eyes and jet black hair were only few features that were mesmerizing about Damon Salvatore. She shouldn't even start gushing about his chiseled features, his swimmer's body and the incredibly sexy smirk he always seemed to sport on promotional pictures. He was the epitome of beauty.

''Okay, maybe he's a little pretty, but don´t you think it´s a bit weird how everybody suddenly gets uneasy and looks at the floor whenever people talk about him?'' she tried to reason.

Caroline giggled. ''Stefan and Giuseppe, yes. All the female servants, on the other hand, start to swoon on the spot.''

Elena raised a brow. ''God, it's like the Tyler Lockwood fiasco all over again.''

''Fine, fine, switch of subject,'' she added quickly.

''Yes. Let's talk about how you are planning on seducing Stefan this fine evening,'' Elena teased.

Caroline disappeared into the walk-in-closet, and Elena laughed. ''You can't escape the subject forever, you know!''

''Watch me!'' her muffled reply came.

Elena smiled and rolled her eyes. Her attention got moved to an object on her bed, and her eyes got wide. ''Care, I think I just found my dress!''

Curiosity took over, and Caroline got out of the closet to follow where Elena's eyes went.

''Perfect!'' she squealed when she saw the dress. She grabbed it off the bed and thrust it in Elena's awaiting arms.

''Now go dress up!'' she ordered.

Not more than twenty minutes later Elena en Caroline entered the grand ballroom, one girl on each of Stefan's arms. The ballroom was bathing in the colors of gold and red, servants swiftly gliding along the satin-covered tables serving the beautifully dressed up crowd. Some were dancing, some were eating appetizers at their tables or just standing, mingling with the champagne flutes in hand. All eyes were on them the second they walked in, and the beautiful girls on prince Stefan's arm were carefully scrutinized. Caroline seemed to love the attention, but Elena was rather uncomfortable. She knew this lifestyle thanks to her father's important position in life, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She took a deep breath, and walked down the last steps towards the main table, where the king and queen were already seated.

Isabella was looking beautiful as ever in a white satin one-shoulder dress with a flower on her shoulder. Her 5.5 inch heels were making noise even above the music that the live band was playing on the stage in the back of the ballroom. Giuseppe was wearing an Armani suit with a bowtie. They both walked up to us. Giuseppe kissed our hands again, and he smiled at his youngest son.

''Good to see you again, son. Come with me and meet some more people. This party is for your return, too, you know,'' he added.

Stefan looked at the girls, and left after they smiled reassuringly at him.

''Ladies, you look absolutely gorgeous,'' Isabella complimented. She first looked Caroline up and down, assessing her curly up-do and mid-thigh little black backless dress with long sleeves, all the way down to her red heels. She smiled in approval, and then she passed her gaze to Elena, and she smirked.

Why did she smirk?

Elena's hair was a mass of curls that flowed down one shoulder, while she was wearing a skintight strapless red dress that reached mid-thigh. It was simple, basically just a strap of fabric, but the dress fit her like a glove and made her olive skin glow. It also did help a little bit that the nude heels made her legs look miles long.

''Thank you, you look beautiful yourself,'' Elena complimented.

Isabella smiled, and gestured for the table. ''Would you two like to sit? Meet some of the Royal Family?''

When she saw their eyes almost grow twice in size, she laughed. ''Please, I insist.''

The night continued on like that, and Elena was surprised to say she was enjoying herself. She and Caroline were charming everyone there, and she was glad that most of the guests, including the foreign officials, spoke English. They even met an English girl named Rebekah, her father part of the parliament in the United Kingdom. She promised them to go shopping with them later in the week before returning home.

Eventually though, Elena needed air and escaped to the balcony, where she grabbed her phone out of her clutch.

''Hi El! How's Italy?''

Elena grinned at the familiar voice that sounded as soon as she picked up. ''Hey, Jer. It's great here, a bit overwhelming, but okay.''

''Yeah, well, you're a Gilbert. Need to do weird stuff in your life at least once in a while. If that means befriending a prince, than, hey, I'm not complaining.''

Elena chuckled. ''How's everybody?''

''Jenna's good, the morning sickness stopped and she started with the mood swings, but, hey, that just means that most of the time she just snaps at everything does, so… Anyway, Bonnie's been asking for you and Caroline, she told you to call her tomorrow. Ric says hi, as does everybody else. Dad left on another trip yesterday morning but he said he was crossing Italy and he'd pay you a visit sooner or later.''

''Great! How's Anna?'' she teased.

''Anna's good…' he said, his voice gradually fading.

''Swept her off her feet yet?'' Elena joked with a condescending voice.

''No jokes! I don't think I got the balls to do it…''

''Well, then grow a pair! Listen, I have to go. Send everybody my love, okay? Tell Jenna I want to know the sex of the baby when she's far enough along.''

''Will do. Have fun, and say high to Caroline for me.''

''I will, bye Jer.''

''Bring me back a souvenir!'' he yelled before hanging up.

Elena chuckled at her little brother, and put her phone back in her clutch. She was about to turn around before she bumped into a hard chest.

''Well if I knew I'd be bumping into such a beautiful girl I would've showed up much sooner,'' a low, smooth and velvet voice purred in perfect English. She looked up, startled by the most beautiful pair of blue eyes she had ever seen in her entire life. God, they were enough bluer in real life. She almost swooned at his sexy smirk, but kept her cool, stepping back a bit so she was sure he didn't catch her labored breathing.

She still hadn't found her voice at that point, so she opted for raised her eyebrows.

He chuckled, holding out his hand. ''Damon. Prince Damon Salvatore.''

Elena kept from rolling her eyes, and took his hand, which he brought to his lips, and kissed.

She tried to ignore the voice in her head screaming she wanted to keep his lips right where they lingered a little longer than deemed appropriate, but even to own surprise, she didn't object.

Well, if someone that hot would bow down to your hand, you'd want to keep him there, too.

''What? No name?'' he asked, amused.

''Maybe if you hadn't introducing yourself as a prince?'' she asked.

Damon smirked. ''That's why I don't get a name?''

''What, you'd expect me to fall before you, on my knees?''

''I wouldn't say no if you offered, but I just asked for a name.''

Elena realized her slip up, but covered that with a huff. ''Elena Gilbert.''

''Ahh, my brother's guest.''

''So you do know who I am?'' oh god, she was teasing him! What the hell is happening to me, she though, exasperated with herself.

''Well he shows a lot of pictures. I don't quickly forget a pretty face.''

She ignored the voice again, telling her how much she knew she loved the compliments coming out of his mouth. His delectable, kissable mouth…

Oh god.

''So, I guess I will see you around?'' he asked.

Elena sighed when her name was called from the ballroom.

''I guess,'' she added, a little too weak for her liking.

If she was going to spend the better part of her vacation anywhere near him, she knew she was going to get into deep trouble.

What kind of trouble that was, she still had to figure out.

She just knew it was nothing good.

A/N: Don't hesitate to point out grammar mistakes if you see any. It's doesn't matter how many times I read it over or edit it, there's always something I don't see.

I'm just not gonna ask you to review, but just thank the people that actually have, soo THANK YOU!

Lots of Love,

Layla.