Hey dolls!

I apologize for the long wait!
Blame the writer's block. I had no vision/imagination for a long time.

Thank you to my beta for editing this chapter.

Enjoy! :)


Chapter 4

"Where are you going, Care?" Tyler asked as she sat up from bed at five in the morning.

"My morning run." She reminded him.

He reached up and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back down onto the bed. He pressed his lips to her ear and whispered, "Skip the run. I'll give you a workout."

His voice gave away his hunger for her body. He nipped at her earlobe, making her body feel hot. She took a deep breath to loosen herself. This wasn't exactly the way she imagined her morning would be. He cupped her face, making her face him. He kissed her and she let him invade her mouth. He was forceful, but she's become accustomed to his aggressiveness. She gave into his kissing, allowing him to indulge her for the morning to suffice her morning exercise.

Not surprisingly, Tyler left shortly after and Caroline went to shower her body. It would have been embarrassing to start off the day smelling of sex and walking around with bed hair. When she was done getting ready, Tyler arranged for her breakfast in bed with a letter saying, "I love you."

She took her time eating breakfast. The time it usually took for her to reach the lessons was now spent leisurely, since Tyler arranged for them to take place in the palace in an effort to increase security measures. She rolled her eyes at her chocolate chip waffle, feeling like a prisoner.

After a maid fetched her breakfast leftovers, Bonnie came in holding an iPad. Of course, her Princess duties couldn't be placed on hold just because of some Rebels stirring up trouble.

"Good morning, Princess Caroline." Her lady in waiting smiled brightly at her. "The other royals are waiting for you downstairs in the ballroom."

Caroline nodded and was quickly out the door. Everyone seemed to be present except for the Duchess Katherine. She checked the time on the grand clock hanging on the ballroom's south wall. The Duchess had exactly twenty seconds to arrive. She watched the short hour hand inching forward. Just as the clock would ring at the top of the hour, in came the brunette Duchess with crimson cheeks, wearing a sultry grin. The instructor gave Katherine a displeased tight lip as she gathered everyone for attention.

"Where were you?" Caroline wondered.

Katherine couldn't conceal her smile. "Our bodyguards were having a playful brawl this morning. You totally missed it."

The blonde shook her head disapprovingly. She went to her dance partner to prepare for the first dance. Ballroom dance lessons didn't run as smoothly as Caroline hoped. She was too distracted to concentrate. Her thoughts wondering what Klaus were up to this morning. Would she have been there to watch Klaus and Alaric spar had her husband not distracted her? Would she have joined them? She sighed and shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts.

Following dance class were table manner lessons. Lunch was provided during the lesson and it was prepared and arranged by Matt, which meant the meal was scrumptious. The crispy breadcrumb crab cake was certainly delectable. Katherine acted like a teenage girl the whole time. Her iPhone was practically glued to her palm. Caroline resisted the urge to slap the phone out of Katherine's hand just to be playful. The table manner instructor hardly ever found anything funny if it didn't involve ridiculing someone's economic status. She was also a royal by blood and looked down on others.

The two lessons were longer today, since they would end in less than three weeks. Caroline couldn't wait for that day to arrive where she'd receive the certificate and never have to be told to "do this" and "do that".

When lessons were finally over for the day, she had three hours before dinner. Since she didn't do her morning run today, she decided to try an evening run. Of course, she had to run it by Bonnie who then had to get it approved by Tyler. The whole process took a total of forty-five minutes since Tyler wasn't always accessible.

Her body was a little worn out from the lessons, but she was still able to run at the same pace. Her knee joints felt a little weak, but she ignored it. The pain wasn't flaming, yet. The afternoon air felt nice. It wasn't too hot or too chilly. Birds flew in herds above her as they soared to their nest before the sun set. Nature was the best soundtrack she could ask for. Back in the states, she used to always run with a buddy to talk to or have her headphones in to listen to music. She was blind to earth's beauty in the past. As soon as she completed her first round, she slowed to a walk.

Her knees were about to give in at any minute. Not wanting to fall over, she decided to sit down on the grass. She stretched out her legs and began kneading her knees to prevent swelling and further pain.

"Alright there, Princess?"

She knew who it was just by the way he said princess. He walked to stand in front of her as he speculated her knee.

"It's called runner's knee." He told her.

"Huh?" She asked feeling confused.

"You've probably been bending your knees more than your body is used to, especially now that you're running." He explained to her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, wanting to change the subject.

"I was checking up on you." His answer put her in a slightly better mood. "And I was gonna go to the tree and sit."

"You mean my tree?" She recalled the night she landed in his arms when she fell off her favorite tree. The memory made her blush a little. She stood up so he wouldn't stare at her pink face.

He smirked at her. "Aren't we a little territorial now." He said in a light tone.

"I am not territorial!" She said defensively, while rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. "I'll see you later."

He shoved his hands in his pockets feeling utterly perplexed by her abrupt leave.


Stefan was already seated at the dinner table by the time Caroline arrived dressed in a little black dress. The outfit along with her up-do hairstyle made her feel like Audrey Hepburn. She curtsied to him as he bowed down slightly to her.

"How are you, Stefan?"

"I'm fine, Princess Caroline. Thank you for asking. How are you this evening?"

"I am well."

Whenever she spoke to Stefan, she always felt like she had to be polite, just because that's how he acted no matter whom it was. She wondered how he ended up choosing Katherine as his wife. It's not that she didn't like Katherine. She was the closest thing she had to a best friend after all. It's just that they are polar opposites.

"Where is Katherine?" Caroline asked.

"Shopping. She's on her return."

"Do you know if my husband will be late?"

He sighed, feeling uncomfortable answering the question. "Just a tad bit."

Katherine entered, seconds later, wearing a black body con skirt and a blue sheer blouse. She kissed her husband on the lips and kissed Caroline on the cheek before taking her seat.

"I'm starving!" Katherine exclaimed. "Where's the Prince?"

"I am here." Tyler answered as he emerged pass the threshold dining room, placing his two iPhones into his pants pockets.

The three stood up from their seats as Tyler entered. They waited until he took his seat to sit back down. The maid standing in attendance immediately went to fetch the other maids in the kitchen to begin serving.

"I thought you were going to be late?" Caroline started as she placed the cloth napkin on her lap.

"The driver managed to get me here with impeccable timing."

The dinner went on a normal routine. Nothing special happened. Tyler and Stefan talked business. Katherine updated everyone on the Coronation balls. Caroline sat there picking at her food, not really hungry. Tyler chided her for not eating all her food when the maids came out to collect their entrée, but decided not to make a fuss. Everyone wasn't in the mood for dessert, so they all excused themselves. Tyler went to his office. Stefan and Katherine went to their bedroom. Meanwhile, the Princess decided to go outside for a walk.

She wondered if Klaus was still at the grand tree. She walked toward that direction hoping he was still there. She just wanted some company that wasn't Royal. She reached the tree and walked around the trunk but he was nowhere to be found.

"Looking for me, Princess?" Klaus bellowed from atop a tree branch above her.

She looked up and found him sitting about four feet above from where she stood. Without saying anything, she started climbing up the trunk. He watched as the Princess of Karina climbed her way to his sitting place. He helped her settle on the free space next to him. She dusted off her clothes and released a deep breath.

"What's wrong, Princess?" He asked, a little kinder than she was used to.

She sighed, staring blankly down at the grass below them. "I'm going to be Queen soon."

He wasn't sure how to respond to that. Was she looking for words of encouragement?

"You ever feel like you're just going through the motions?"

"I'm not sure I quite understand."

She let the chilly night air tickle her face. The gentle wind brushed her hair away from her face and pushed it behind her shoulders.

"You ever wonder what kind of person you'd be if you never made one decision that decided the rest of your life?"

"Yes." He confessed. He's made a lot of poor decisions in the past, but only one decision ultimately sealed the rest of his life. He tried not to dwell on it and wondered what she was referring to. He guessed it was her decision to marry Tyler. That decision alone painted the rest of her life.

"Do you regret it?" He asked, knowing it was rude and inappropriate to ask her such a personal question. She had no obligation to answer him.

"Not necessarily." She admitted.

She wasn't sure why she was confessing her inner thoughts and feelings to Klaus. He was her bodyguard and hardly the person to share a deep conversation with, and yet here they were. Despite Katherine being her best friend, she feared ever talking about these things with her. Katherine was known for slipping her tongue involuntarily. She wouldn't risk letting the Duchess carry any knowledge about Caroline's true feelings about everything.

Despite only knowing each other in a short period of time, Caroline felt like Klaus was worthy of her trust. They may hardly know each other but she trusted him, with her life, thoughts, and feelings. He wasn't a mindless servant who sacrificed himself to Tyler like all the other servants.

"Not every decision is set in stone, Princess."

She looked at him, her eyes locking with his. His eyes weren't as cold and hard as she remembered from the first time. His features had noticeably softened. In the dark, his eyes changed to a nice mesmerizing emerald.

"One calls upon their own weather."

"Huh?" She cocked her head to the right, feeling a little confused. He talked so profoundly sometimes. She struggled to understand.

He chuckled at her perplexity. "You can determine your outcome. If you want it to be a rainy day for yourself because you want to wallow in self-pity, then that's on you."

"I never really thought of it that way." She looked back at the palace. She guessed Tyler was still in his office, finalizing some business work before he turned over for the night.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go on." He encouraged.

"Why did you make the decision to move to Karina?"

He breathed, hesitating to answer. He was a very private person and hardly ever shared any personal information for fear of anyone getting close to him. He's learned the hard way that a man like him should keep everyone he knows at a distance to protect him.

"You should get some sleep, Princess." He replied.

"Hey! You didn't answer my question."

"I said you could ask the question. I made no promises to answer it." He quipped.

She pursed her lips at him. He was tricky and chose his words carefully. Wanting to just fall into a deep sleep, she bid her goodbyes to him and climbed down the tree.

He watched the blonde walk back to the palace with sunken shoulders, but trying hard to keep her head and chin up high. If there was one thing he was certain of when it came to Caroline, it was that she was far from satisfied with her life.


Bonnie paced in front of Tyler's office. The Prince requested for a meeting to discuss important matters. This meeting was regularly scheduled on the first day of every month. Important matters involved anything about Caroline. She hoped he wouldn't talk about Klaus because she wouldn't know what to say. She's seen the relationship between the Princess and the bodyguard blossom.

"Come in, Bonnie." Tyler called out to her in the hallway.

The lady in waiting let out a deep breath to brace herself. Tyler had his eyes on his computer screen when she entered.

"Please, sit." He instructed her, without taking his eyes off the screen.

She nodded and took a seat on the chair in front of his desk. He finally peeled his eyes away from the screen and looked to Bonnie.

"How is Caroline?"

"She is well. She will complete finishing school in three weeks time. Coronation rehearsals have been conducting as planned."

He nodded, with a satisfied smile. "Anything suspicious or out of the ordinary?"

"I'm not sure I follow."

"We received word that the Radicals are planning their next big attack. I want to know if Klaus, you, or anyone have noticed any strange behavior around Caroline, especially when she's outside the palace grounds."

"Klaus hasn't said anything, but it would be best to speak to him directly." She suggested.

"Right." He agreed and she relaxed. "I have a meeting with him tonight after dinner. However, I would like to know your personal opinion about Klaus. How is he as Caroline's personal bodyguard, from your standpoint?"

She breathed and thought about her answer carefully. Her duty was to serve as Caroline's lady in waiting, but first and foremost, she answered to Tyler. She felt torn between being a friend to Caroline and serving with integrity for her line of duty.

Klaus was not a bad guy, that much she knew. He takes action when he needs to protect Caroline and does so without hesitation. However, she questioned his motives. She was there to witness Klaus and Caroline's initial meeting. The two didn't seem to like the other, which was to be expected. Now though, it was different. There were times when she's caught Klaus staring at Caroline fondly, rather than as an impartial bodyguard. The most inappropriate moment she's witnessed was at the beach when the two were moderately nude. Had it been Tyler instead of her to find them, Klaus' head would be on a stick and Caroline would be locked in the palace indefinitely. She bit down on her lip while she prepared her answer in her head.

"Klaus does what he is supposed to do." She answered simply.

The answer was the truth, just not the whole truth. Tyler accepted her opinion and then dismissed her. She walked away feeling a heavy burden on her shoulder.


Klaus knocked on Tyler's office door twice, before letting himself in. "You requested to see me this morning, Prince Tyler?" He said as he entered.

Tyler was appalled at Klaus for letting himself into his office without being invited in. Sure, he requested the meeting, but the respectful thing would have been for him to wait until Tyler gave him permission to enter.

"Mr. Mikaelson." He said a little taken aback.

Klaus nodded in response. "Prince Tyler."

The bodyguard has yet to bow down to Prince Tyler since he was hired. Tyler was annoyed at his employee refusing to bow, but the bodyguard seemed to have read his worker's contract down to each letter written. There was nothing that required him to bow for respect and no justification that the gesture will enhance his duties at any means. For now, Tyler was at least thankful the employee nodded for goodness sakes!

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Klaus started in a light sardonic tone.

Tyler gestured at the seat for him to sit, which he followed. The Prince cleared his throat to prepare himself.

"You are aware of the changes for Caroline?"

He nodded.

"Good. Now tell me about this impromptu beach visit." Tyler went straight into the topic with a minimal effort at small talk.

A lump formed in Klaus' throat. His body tensed as he recalled the evening with Caroline. Secretly, he enjoyed himself with her. For the first time in a long time, he had fun with someone else. Not just any kind of fun, but clean wholeheartedly blissful fun. There is something about Caroline that made him want to know her better, behind all the crowns, jewels, and palace royalty. Just the memory alone reminded him of her vanilla perfume mixed with the salty ocean. He swallowed the lump at the base of his throat reminding himself that he was in the presence of the Prince Tyler.

"Princess Caroline wanted to venture to the beach. She hadn't been there before. I figured it would be ok, so long as I accompanied her."

Technically, it wasn't a lie. Caroline was thrilled to go to the beach and she would be safe with him.

"Hmm." Tyler hummed to himself, leaning back on his chair. He eyed Klaus, regarding if his word was trustworthy. However, Klaus hasn't done anything so far to lose the Prince's trust. "Very well." He stood up from his seat, crossing his arms over his chest in the process. He peered down at Klaus, as if to tower over him, displaying his dominance.

It took ten deep breaths to calm down every fiber in Klaus' body to prevent him from lashing out at Tyler in an act of defense, but mainly annoyance and aggression. Klaus was far from being forced to bow down to anyone - figuratively and literally. He had to remind himself that the Prince was his employer and he needed this job.

"I trust that you will take care of my Princess."

Klaus' jaw clenched tightly. The muscles of his jaw moved visibly. He stood up, planting his stance firmly. "Trust me when I say, Prince Tyler, that your Princess is safest with me than with anyone else."

Without saying another word, he excused himself out of Tyler's office letting his words hand in the air. Tyler didn't need to be a genius to read in between the lines. The Prince formed his hands into fists as he watched the bodyguard leave.


Caroline ran from the kitchen to the limousine waiting out front. She was running late for the elementary school bakery. The driver opened the door for her when she arrived and she nearly jumped onto her seat.

"Hey!" She exclaimed.

He laughed at her. She looked a little flustered and admittedly cute.

"Good morning, Princess."

She pursed her lips when he addressed her. He said it in the same tone that she disliked.

"So the Elementary School Bake Sale?" He said, in an attempt to start a conversation.

She eyed him curiously. Since when was he a conversation starter? She smirked at him.

"Yes. I'm excited. Matt hardly makes any baked goods. He says he's a chef not a baker."

They arrived at the elementary school in forty minutes. He escorted her into the building, but did not touch her. The room was filled with children, mothers, and teachers. Caroline made a speech before the official start of the bake sale. Unlike most royals, her speech was not rehearsed. She was a natural speaker and carried the right amount of veracity in her tone. Half the women in the room made disgusted faces when Caroline made a light joke, while the other half laughed along with her. He hadn't realized how many Karinans have disdain for the Princess who would soon be their Queen.

Caroline signed off from the stage and went to help the children. Klaus leaned against the wall of the cafeteria, reading his book and occasionally looking up to check on Caroline's whereabouts. She offered her service to each booth, but there were few who declined her offer.

The next time he looked up from his book to check on her, she was on her way over to him. He tucked his book back into the inside pocket of his black leather jacket and stood up straighter. She walked with her hands behind her back, wearing a grin.

"Anything wrong, Princess?"

She shook her head and then stopped to stand only two feet away from him.

"I thought you might be hungry." She said, as she brought her hands from behind her back to the front. In her hands was a chocolate chip cookie wrapped in clear cellophane.

"No, thank you." He said, politely.

She frowned at him. "C'mon. They're delicious!"

She pouted her lips, putting on her innocent puppy look. Klaus tried to conceal his smirk, but she was too cute for him to resist. He succumbed to her cuteness, by taking the cookie and stuffing it in his pocket.

"I'll eat it later." He told her.

She nodded. "What were you reading?"

"A book." He answered vaguely.

She scowled at him, which made him smirk at her. His dimple was more prominent now.

"Are you ready to leave soon? It's already past six."

Caroline checked the clock hanging on the wall. It was a quarter past six. "Oh, shoot! Tyler's gonna freak if I'm late."

"Actually, the Prince and Duke won't be able to make dinner tonight. Bonnie phoned earlier to say their meeting would run late."

The blonde sighed with disappointment. "Any chance we'd be able to go watch the sunset at the beach since I have no dinner plans?" She asked, with her light and hopeful tone.

He pressed his lips together forming a hard line before answering. "Prince Tyler has already expressed his dissatisfaction with me about the first visit."

She frowned. She wasn't aware that Tyler spoke to Klaus about it. Come to think of it, she hasn't said anything to Tyler about what exactly happened.

"Did Tyler say anything else?" She asked, fishing for any details.

"If you're asking whether Prince Tyler asked me about our swim or tree sit, then the answer is no."

She visibly relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, we can go somewhere else…" She suggested.

"You'll need Prince Tyler's approval first."

"Excuse me?"

"Prince Tyler has changed some protocol."

"Protocol?"

"It's a set detailed plan -"

"I know the definition of protocol!" She interrupted, raising her voice in irritation. "Since when is there a protocol on how to handle me?"

When she was at the palace with Bonnie, Caroline always had to run things by her and then Tyler. Once she was done with her schedule for the evening and wanted to do something as simple as walking home, she could do so without having to ask permission. Her frustration with Tyler was escalating. She felt the blood in her veins beginning to bubble.

"There are protocols for any person in royalty, Princess."

She scoffed loudly and crossed her arms over her chest. Acting on pure annoyance, she grabbed her phone and directly dialed her husband's cell number. Her eyebrows were pulled down and toward the center. She could feel the wrinkles starting to form. Klaus stood straighter, wondering whom she was dialing. He assumed it was Tyler.

"I'm going to walk from the elementary school back home."

His bionic hearing was at a disadvantage with her phone volume set at low. He struggled to pick up just a few words.

"It's not that far!" She said, reminding Klaus of a little girl asking her parents' permission to do something they've already forbidden in the past. "Besides, Klaus will be with me. I have time to kill and I want to walk through Karina. It's been a while." She waited a moment and then, "Ok. Thanks, Ty. I'll see you before bed. I love you." With that she hung up the phone and simpered at her bodyguard. "Looks like we're going on a walk."


The sun was setting by the time they reached the main path on the way back to the palace. The blonde Princess walked only inches away from her personal bodyguard. He watched as she waved and smiled at the merchants closing down their tents and stands at the market. She made being friendly look easy, but he knew it was always a challenge for him. It had been since he was a child.

"Lovely day, isn't it?" He asked her, wanting to converse with the beautiful Princess.

She smiled at him and answered, "There's never a day in Karina that isn't lovely."

Taking her by surprise, he smirked back at her. That same shy dimple appeared and it made the ends of her mouth tug to a higher position, making her cheekbones hurt from grinning. She turned away from him and blankly stared at the path in front of her. Lately, she's been relishing in his company. He's wiser than anyone around his age. He rarely speaks, but when he does, it's heart warming.

In her head she tried to shake off any thoughts of him. He was her bodyguard and she was married. The fact that she needed to remind herself of that worried her.

Lost in her thoughts, Caroline felt Klaus' arm wrap around her waist, pulling her into his masculine body. Before she could process anything, her face crashed into his hard pectorals.

"You're really clumsy, aren't you." He said softly in a playful tone, like he was teasing her.

He let go of her and stepped away. She peered up at him and he smiled back at her looking amused. She hadn't realized how blue his eyes were, similar to hers, except his was lighter, almost glacier like. From her stance, she saw the light shadow of dark sandy blonde scruff forming on his tan skin. She felt a little confused and he explained.

"You were going to bump into that barrel." He pointed behind her and she turned around to see a barrel filled with ripe yellow apple bananas. She was so distracted with her thoughts she hadn't been aware of her surroundings.

"Sorry." She apologized. "But thank you."

"It's my job, Princess." He reminded her. "Besides, what's going on in that head of yours?"

The question alone made her face turn pink. She knew it wasn't an accusation, but she knew the truth would embarrass her. She composed herself and tried to think of something witty.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She replied, in a whimsical tone.

She turned around and continued to walk, feeling satisfied. Then she felt his cool plump lips near her ear, "Actually, I would, Princess."

He pulled away from her ear too soon for her to react. He let her walk a few steps ahead while he sneered at her back, following her past the market. The hairs on the back of her neck stood, still in shock of her bodyguard's close proximity moments earlier. Secretly, she smiled at herself and looked down at the path before her, allowing herself to savor the moment.

Darkness had fallen by the time they reached the meadows in front of the palace. The meadows stretched five acres and Caroline was slowing a little due to the fatigue that was taking place. Lamp stands were posted every five feet, which made it easier for them to walk with the moon already rising in the sky lighting their path. Klaus walked behind her, instead of beside, judging that it was a safer call. Caroline's shoes were ruined from the dirt path, but the walkway was smooth with little rocks to prevent slipping.

As they walked in the moonlit path, Klaus had an eerie feeling, like they were being watched. Before checking behind him, he looked down and found three shadows, instead of two. Klaus spun around, bring his fist with him. The stranger behind them was dressed in all black - the infamous clothing of Radicals. Klaus' hand came into contact with the stranger's jaw, forcing him to stagger backward. Caroline heard the punch impact and whipped around to face the chaos behind her.

She watched in terror as her bodyguard took an unfamiliar form. His right foot kicked the Rebel's left rib, but he wasn't ready to throw in the towel. Instead of throwing any punches, the Rebel tackled Klaus to the ground. Caroline had to step backwards to get out of the way. Pain flared up Klaus' back, making him cringe. The Rebel's weight was heavy enough to keep Klaus latched to the ground momentarily to throw in a few punches to Klaus' unharmed face. Building up the momentum of adrenalin, Klaus pushed the Rebel off him with force he hasn't relinquished until now. The Rebel landed on his back only a foot away from Klaus.

The two were quick to stand. Instead of going for Klaus again, the Rebel raced toward Caroline. Her eyes widened as she processed that he was about to capture her. She tried to will her feet to run, but they were firmly stuck to the ground. She felt frozen and helpless, like her body didn't know what to do.

Just as the Rebel jumped up to capture the Princess, Klaus grabbed onto his legs and yanked him back. Unfortunately, she didn't go untouched. The Rebel got close enough to scratch her left cheek, leaving a two-inch cut on her now imperfect face.

The Rebel landed on his stomach. Klaus wasn't finished with him, but the Rebel got to his feet and sprinted in the other direction, running as if to save his life.

If he wanted, Klaus could chase the Rebel down to his last dying breath, but his focus and attention went to Caroline. She was standing, with her eyes widened and mouth agape. He took two big strides over to her and cupped her fragile face.

"Princess." He said, as he inspected her marred face.

She peered up to look at him, behind her thick long blonde lashes. For the first time, she was aware of him touching her gracefully. His hands so big and callous against her soft skin, but she didn't want him to let go. Not a moment longer, he released her and pulled something out of his jacket pocket. It was a Ziploc filled with bandages, antibiotic wipes, and other first aid tools.

She watched him as he pulled out the antibiotic wipe and gently rubbed it over the cut on her cheek using his right hand.

"Ahh." She whimpered a little when the antibiotic stung her wound.

"Shh." He hushed her tenderly.

His eyes had changed in the moonlit, from a soft blue to a dark emerald green. Distracted with his captivating eyes, she hadn't noticed his left hand held her until a minute later. The touch made her body stiffen, unsure how to respond to the increased intimacy level. His thumb brushed against her hipbone, while his long fingers wrapped around her hip, reaching her lower back. His lips were inches away from hers and she couldn't help but imagine him saying something euphemistic with his deep alluring accent. Fixated on his lips, she wasn't aware she'd licked her own until he chuckled at her and the soft breeze blew against her moistened lips. Silently she chided herself for not being aware of her actions. Her cheeks were beginning to warm.

He retracted his hands and threw the used wipe into his pocket. As he stuck a band-aid over her cut, she took note of the bruising beginning to form on his upper right cheek. It must have been from the Rebel's punches while he had Klaus pinned on the ground.

"There." He said, rubbing his finger over the adhesive. "All better." He smiled at her as he crumpled the rubbish and put it into his pocket.

Wanting to observe his condition, she grabbed his right hand and held it up into the moonlight. A mixture of purple, green, and black formed around his swollen knuckles. No signs of any cuts, yet. "You're bruising." She stated.

He covered her hand with his left hand, making her look up at him. "I'm fine, Princess. I'll ice it when we get back to the palace."

She hesitated, unsure if it was the best decision. There really was no other option. Neither one of them carried an ice pack. The closest place to get one was at the palace. She let go of his hands and let out a deep breath.

"Let's get going, Princess."

She nodded and continued to walk in a faster pace than earlier. She just wanted to get on palace grounds as soon as possible.

On their way back to the palace, Klaus couldn't shake away his thoughts about the Rebel. The Rebel gave up so easily and it didn't make sense. Perhaps the Rebel was conducting a trial run. The Rebels may have wanted to see how he fought and would defend the Princess if given the situation. That had to be the reason.

For now, Klaus decided it would be best not to steer away from Caroline's set schedule, especially after tonight. He'd have to report the attack to the Prince and he could already guess the Prince's reactions.

There was one thing Klaus knew he had to do after tonight. It was time.


What will Klaus do?
Is Tyler regretting his decision of hiring Klaus?

Stay tuned to find out!


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