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Chapter 6

Caroline stood in front of the mirror.

Ever since Katherine had told her that she was to come along to the engagement party, she'd felt a sense of dread. The last engagement party she'd been to was her mum's cousin's son's. That had gone well, a regular party where she chatted to everyone, danced, drank and had an overall good time. She'd borrowed Elena's shoes and got something out of her own wardrobe, minimum effort required. Well, for her anyway.

This time, she was going to Buckingham Palace for Katherine and Elijah's engagement party. She'd known in advance, due to their warning at the interview, but she was still petrified. This was a posh party- you didn't get much more posh than the royal family, especially when they would be inviting foreign dignitaries, entertainers and politicians. At least she had until summer to prepare herself for the actual wedding. This time, she did not. Katherine had emailed her a formal dress code- full length dress, striking jewellery, gloves optional and some kind of wrap/coat/shrug. The whole thing was white tie, which Caroline understood to be the most formal out of all the dress codes. As well as this, she knew the nosh would be posh, as well as the music- a well known instrumental band would be attending, who played accompanies to the jive and other ballroom dancers. Caroline herself was an accomplished dancer, but she didn't know if she would be able to keep up with the people who were able to work their way through a ballroom better than she.

The worst part had been choosing the outfit. The fact that it was so formal was a HUGE problem for Caroline- she had some nice, long dresses, but nothing white tie. Planning the Wedding of the Century was taking up a lot of time, which meant that she didn't have time to buy some beautiful gown that would wow everyone. Plus, you know, the nicer ones weren't cheap, and Caroline wanted to show how awesome she could look and feel.

That is where her new friends came in.

Katherine had text her asking what she was wearing (she- Katherine- wanted a totally originally dress), and Caroline replied that she had nothing. The brunette mysteriously said that she'd sort it. The next day, and one of their bodyguards arrived at the door, holding a box, stating that she was now able to go to the ball (Caroline resisted the urge for a Disney reference after he said that).

She was now looking at said dress in the mirror.

It was beautiful; there was no doubt about that. It was a deep blue, with enough skirt length and width to allow her to move and dance. The top was a complicated, yet striking pattern, the jewels glittering, but not at all trashy, the bodice accentuating her figure. Medium-width straps reached over her shoulder, allowing her a night of comfort. From the skirt downwards, there was a thinner layer of the same colour over a thicker layer underneath- not too thick; she would not overhead whilst dancing. In keeping with the white tie theme, her pure elbow gloves reached just underneath her elbow. Matching the blue were some dangly earrings, her necklace simple as to not to take away from the beauty of the dress. She'd pulled her hair up into a bun, curly strands surrounding it.

"Wow."

Caroline always tried to dress for other people- it was part of her personality, trying to please people- but this time, she knew that she was dressing for herself too. She felt beautiful.

Grabbing her bag- which contained her invite- and shawl, she exited the bedroom.

Elena and Bonnie had been watching E! Reruns whilst she got ready, with the latter shifting through scores and scores of cases. As soon as she exited, they looked up.

"Oh my God, Caroline," Elena gasped, "You look stunning."

"Thanks, 'Lena."

"Wow girl," Bonnie got up and hugged her, "You look so gorgeous, all those royal diamonds won't compare to you."

Caroline giggled, "You guys are too sweet. You don't think it's too formal?"

"For a royal engagement party? Nah- you can't get too formal, can you? Doesn't Katherine have the best taste though; she's really got an eye for it."

"Yeah, definitely- it's definitely the most beautiful dress I've ever worn, and that even beats my prom dress."

At that, a knock came upon the door. Elena dashed up to open it as Caroline took one last look of herself through her compact.

"Miss. Caroline Forbes?" asked the man- the same who had driven her from the bridal showing to the palace a few weeks before.

"Hello again," she beamed, before turning to her friends, hugging them, "Right, I'm ready to go and won't be back til the early hours of the morning, so I won't wake you up and will probably be in bed until noon. Try not to do anything stupid. I love you and I'll see you later!"

They waved her off as she dashed after the guard.

As she walked, she pondered if the word 'man' was the right one to describe her companion- boy seemed more right, considering he was probably younger than she was- and she was 25 soon. Taller than her, she found him good-looking. Not as good looking as Klaus though.

Crap- she was glad she didn't say that out loud.

Back to the guard, he seemed a little nervous. Most of the guards she'd seen surrounding Katherine and the other royals seemed so self-assured, so confident, so stoic. They did their job, showed no outside weakness as to ensure that no one even attempted to go near their charges. This one seemed a little nervous, eyeing Caroline every so often, standing close to her but not too close as to create any discomfort, just to make sure she knew she was safe. She didn't understand why they'd sent a guard as opposed to a driver, seeing as she was probably safe from kidnapping and murder plots, but she didn't question their methods.

"Is it cold out?" she ventured finally.

"Not as bad as usual, you should be ok with wrap," he smiled at her.

"You look nervous."

He deflated, but looked slightly relieved, "You can tell?"

A small smile fell against her lips, "Yeah. You new?"

"Fairly," he struggled with his conscience for a second, before holding out a hand, "Joshua Rosza, but most people just call me Josh."

"Caroline, nice to meet you," she shook the hand offered, "So new, huh?"

"Just left university, got picked up for the job. I'm surprised I got it really, the training went ok but I just felt like I fluffed the interview. Then they called me up out of the blue to come and protect the royal family. They haven't sent me to anything big, like events and stuff, I usually go when there are one or two of them, just private events- like the interview, you know. They don't trust me with anything big, I do driving and stuff."

"That's no less important, someone needs to drive."

"Thanks," he seemed genuinely flattered, "Are you nervous about the party?"

"You can tell?" she repeated his earlier words.

"Don't worry, they're cool. You've met them right? None of them are snobby; they're all are really down to earth."

"It's not them I'm worried about."

"Miss. Forbes, it'll be fine. Yeah, some of them are going to be assholes, but most of them will be fine, happy to talk to you. Besides, you're the wedding planner, they're going to have all sorts to talk about, and they'll want all the gossip about it, so they'll be kind. Plus, if they're mean to you, they'll have me to deal with it- if they take me seriously of course."

"Thanks," Caroline laughed, "You're really sweet."

There was a little more silence as they walked towards the car, Josh kindly opening any doors he found in their way.

"So you live with your friends in the city, that must be pretty cool, huh?"

"It's the best," Caroline agreed, "Kebabs at 3 in the morning for when we've spent half our earnings on a pint in some trendy bar. We've been friends for years, so it works. Plus, I don't have to worry about my roommates being assholes and having to change it up, so that always works. What about you, who are you living with? Family? Partner? Friends."

"No one at the moment, I get some quarters in the palace for when I'm on duty. I'm actually talking to this guy online though, it seems promising."

"Ooh la la," Caroline punched his arm, "Are you guys planning to meet up?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, "I mean, what if he isn't what I expect? He's the nicest person online, so sweet and kind, but what if that's just his online persona? What's if he's rude or something? I don't want to be disappointed by someone I really care about."

"You won't know until you meet him. Be safe, ok? You read all sorts of horror stories about boys and girls being hurt by people they met online who they met up with."

"I'm a bodyguard, I can do anything," Josh did a dramatic pose, and they both laughed.

They finally arrived outside, Caroline using her shawl to tightly protect herself from the autumn cold. Josh quickly rushed forward to allow her into the back of the fancy black car. The fanciness was a luxury unknown to her in a car- tinted windows, comfy seats, all that. The only time she'd ever been in a car like this was when she went from the salon to the palace.

The blonde placed her head against the headrests, closing her eyes.

Ever since she'd come out as the wedding planner for the royal wedding, her profile had shot up. Luckily for her, no-one had found her address. YET. Nothing on the Mystic Falls front- no one bothering her mother or grandmother (God forbid- she'd kill anyone who hurt her Mimi). Her Twitter followers had gone WAY up though- she'd already had a few- with the numbers hitting four digits, nearly five, with people tweeting her all sort of things- mostly kind, but she'd had some hate. It didn't really affect her too much; as she knew they were idiots who had nothing better to do than go after her because of her connection to the family. She'd had journalists calling White Bliss every five minutes, begging for an exclusive on the young, unknown blonde who had landed the biggest job. The phone lines had been jammed, which meant that it was extra hard for the administrative staff to sort out work, meaning many had to resort to their own mobiles, which wasn't always convenient when they needed to work with others. Poor April hadn't even left her desk all day, practically sprinting for the toilet at the end of her shift.

A lot of people she barely knew had sent her Facebook requests. She wondered why.

It was only a matter of time before it all got out. Luckily, Caroline liked to think she had a clean reputation- worked hard at school, lots of friends, wasn't a bully or mean to anyone at work. Thing is, she understood that people could make up shit that would land her in hot water, whether true or not. Hopefully, there would be no-one that would do that. Sure, she'd ended things badly with her last boyfriend, Tyler, but she didn't think that he would be that underhand. Neither had cheated, but they were just so pent up with anger and frustration, that the break up had involved a lot of yelling and throwing things. The next most notable ex was Matt, but there was no way in hell that he would do that- Matt was a seriously sweet guy, and the two were still close friends, and would often meet up whenever he was in the city.

Her mother had phoned her up about thirty seconds after she'd got home- she'd been on the phone to Violet- shocked, but excited. The two had a delightful conversation, giggling and laughing.

Then her grandmother rang.

Caroline was nearly 100% sure that Mimi was crying with joy. She went on for at least half an hour- she wasn't even kidding- gabbling on about how proud of Caroline she was, what a rare and epic opportunity is what. Mimi and Caroline had always been close; the grandmother being supportive of her ambitions, and this was a dream come true for the both of them. Mimi continued by stating that David (Caroline's late grandfather, who had died tragically of a lung condition when Caroline was twelve) would have just been so proud of their little darling. That had Caroline in tears, which she'd quickly brushed away so not to upset her grandmother. Said conversation had lasted a very long time, Caroline too polite to ask her grandma to finish. Mimi finally stopped when her knitting programme was on and she needed to take her meds.

"Miss. Forbes?"

"It's Caroline," she responded, barely in her own thoughts.

"We're here," he announced.

She jolted up, looking around. People in grand gowns and tuxes were walking up to the main entrance- they'd bypassed security at this point, having gone through the gates.

"Would you be upset if I died in your car?"

Josh turned, leaning his arm out, "You'll be fine, Caroline, quit being a drama queen. You're going to go in there and have a great time, no stuffy old people or posh cuisine will stop you. There's the stereotypes that all these rich people are assholes, and honestly, that ain't true. So go in there, and have fun."

"Ok," Caroline nodded, "I will, thank you Josh. I'll see you later."

"Bye," he smiled as she exited the vehicle, watching as he drove it away.

Taking a deep breath, she walked over, joining the orderly queue to get in. Security approached each and every person, scanning them. Caroline was no exception.

"Ma'am, can you please step aside?"

Caroline did so dutifully, answering anything they needed. After all was good, she was sent back to the queue.

"Good evening, invitation please," the guard at the door requested of her.

She slipped into her bag, grabbing it. He took it, scanning it for some kind of chip. When it bleeped, it confirmed her identity.

"Have a lovely evening, Miss. Forbes."

"Thank you," she smiled.

Entering the door, she surveyed the surroundings. It was absolutely beautiful of course, even more so that Katherine's residence. She looked at them, but didn't take them in, still so deeply involved in her own head. In front of her, people walked in pairs or small groups, laughing and chatting as they did. Some had drinks, others did not. A few, like her, marvelled at the decor- unable to keep the shock at the beauty of it all. No one paid her much attention though, all distracted by one thing or another, all too busy to look at her.

"Fishcake, miss?" a waiter approached, holding out a silver tray.

"Yes, thank you," Caroline took it, carefully munching it so that it would not go all over her floor, or even worse, her dress. It was ok, she guessed.

After this, she decided to finally enter.

The first thing that hit her eyes were the throngs of people, all dressed in their finery. Some had jewels adorning them, proper jewels- she was sure that they were real. A few ladies had (hopefully faux) fur wraps and shrugs to keep them warm in the cold weather, though they doubtfully needed them in such a packed ballroom.

The next hit her ears, the sound of the most beautiful tunes being played on a variety of instruments, from piano to violin. Caroline was usually more of a Top 40 kind of girl, but she did think this was nice to listen to.

The ballroom was easily the grandest room that she'd ever seen in her twenty-four years of living, but again, she wasn't going to dwell on it.

"Well hello, love."

A shiver fell down her spine as she turned to Klaus.

"Klaus," she nodded her head.

"You certainly look ravishing," he went forward, taking her gloved hand and kissing it.

"Why thank you," she replied primly, "You look nice too."

"Nice? I thought ice cream was nice, not the appearance of a person."

"Handsome? Is that good enough or would that boost your ego further than it already is?"

"You wound me, Miss. Forbes," he placed a hand on his heart, "Do you like the dress?"

"It's lovely; Katherine has excellent choice in clothing."

"You really think that Katherine picked this out?"

"Wait, YOU did?"

Klaus nodded the affirmative.

She wasn't expecting that one. She'd just assumed that Katherine had learnt of her dress plight and had found one of her old ones (they were around the same size), or had maybe kindly attained one. The fact that Klaus had picked one out for her was a surprise. At the apartments, the two had chatted all day, but it had been more of him annoying her than anything else. All he'd done was rib her about her belief in love and romance, which she'd of course fiercely defended. Klaus firmly believed in dating someone for fun- which she was supposed was the right idea; you dated someone because you enjoyed their company- but did not believe in true love. Caroline understood that some people had been hurt, but she was just so sure that it was wrong of Klaus to dismiss love when he hadn't tried it. You can't say you hate a film if you've never seen it, and that's how Caroline felt. She could understand if he was a little wary, as he had not ever felt love, but she just couldn't understand how he didn't believe in it. Love wasn't aliens or the Loch Ness Monster.

"Well, I can say I'm surprised. You have good taste."

"Thank you," he smiled, nodding at her, "Did Josh get you here ok?"

"Yeah, he's really sweet-a bit nervous, but sweet."

"Good plaything too," Klaus smirked, "Nice to have someone young and naive to play with ever since Rebekah got too old and wise to fall for the old tricks. Poor little kid, needs someone to toughen him up so he can be a proper guard."

"Don't be mean," she hit his arm, "He was hired because he knows what he's doing."

"Sure thing, love," he showed her his pearly whites.

"God, I need a drink, excuse me," she pushed past him.

He watched her walk away, an unfamiliar feeling surfacing from the pit of his stomach. The blonde's head did not turn to watch him, instead focusing on a refreshment table at the side. Each edible item was decorated to the highest degree, looking fresh from a Michelin starred restaurant. It was much to her delight- Caroline was most definitely a foodie. It all looked so delicious; she didn't know what she wanted to have first.

"Caroline!"

Rebekah, just like all of the ladies present, looked spectacular. Her burgundy contrasted with Caroline's blue. She had donned a gown with capped sleeves and a pleated bodice, her skirt flowing with her footsteps. The mid-section of the gown was embellished with jewels, the crystals embellishing the belt to decorate the otherwise generally plain design. Matching this were a (probably real) ruby necklace and matching earrings, as well as pretty bracelet that corresponded with the belt. Her blonde hair was curled and free behind her neck, whereas Caroline's was up.

"Hello Rebekah, you look amazing!"

"Thank you," her posh voice filtered into a tone of genuine pleasure, "As do you. Do you like the dress my brother picked out for you?"

"I'm still surprised that it was him- he doesn't strike me as a fashionista."

"Oh, so you've spoken to him already?" Rebekah hadn't seen the pair converse.

"Yes, briefly."

"He seems to think an awful lot of you," she smirked.

Caroline raised her eyebrows, "Really? Is that so?"

"Oh yes. I'm not saying he loves you or anything, but he's nicer to you than he is to a lot of people."

"Funny, I find him a bit of a prick."

She gasped in shock at realising she'd insulted her client's brother. She wasn't too fussed that she'd insulted him personally, as their interactions both during and after their first meeting had proven that he had quite a grating personality. The interactions between had been texts, mainly regarding wedding stuff- he was Best Man, after all- had been written through gritted teeth. However, she was careful to keep her tongue around clients if they had annoying relations or friends- which happened a lot, many felt as though they knew more than her.

"Don't worry," Rebekah laughed slightly, "I'm sure many would agree. He was very eager to get you that dress though."

"Where did he get it?"

"Brought it out from storage- we have loads of them; I don't know why we keep them. I might give them to charity or do a charity auction or something; we might get more money to donate to them that way."

"I'm still not sure why he was so eager," Caroline was confused.

"I don't claim to know how my brother's mind works; it is a mind that very few know. I know him better than most- along with my siblings, Stefan and a couple of others- but even I don't understand him. The media portrays him as some sort of villain as compared to Elijah. He is no saint, but that villainous nature is not my brother, not at all. Like I said, don't expect him to be your best friend, remember that he's just not as open as most people are. He's a good person; he just doesn't share his feelings like I do. Finn and Elijah are the same to an extent, but I wouldn't say they're quite as closed off. Be good to him, and he'll be good to you, understand? My brother and I aren't always buddies, but I care deeply about him, as I do with all of the others. You may wonder why I'm telling you this- it's because if my brother shows the slightest indicator of interest, it's rare, and I want to make sure that there is no misunderstanding. Don't push him away because he didn't fit in with your rose-tinted spectacle view of the world. Just keep that in mind, Caroline. If he likes you, it means something, I'm damn sure."

"Oh," was the only response the blonde could think of in that moment.

She's always assumed that Klaus would be the more protective sibling, as the older brother, but Rebekah seemed quite assertive in her quest to protect Klaus and his image. Whilst he wasn't exactly painted out to be the Antichrist, the media was notably crueller towards him. He didn't fit the model of the royal family, and in their eyes, it made him not as worthy to carry the name.

"He won't say any of this, though."

"You said he was closed off."

"He is," Rebekah replied, slightly vaguely, "Normally, I wouldn't do this, but you really need to know what you're getting into. You're going to be close with the royal family for months now. Sure, we have staff- some are close, some are not. You're going to be working with our strengths, our likes and dislikes, watch us as a family. Whether you like it or not, you're going to be connected to us for life. Wherever you go, whoever you're with, you'll always be the girl who planned the wedding. Sure, it'll do wonders for your career, but you'll have to deal with the press. I don't want my siblings to be hurt by this, and I don't want you to be it. I don't claim to be a nice person, but I do care, and you've got to listen to me. I want to like you, and I'm always going to be brutally honest with you- so get ready. Promise me that you'll listen to me?"

Caroline nodded.

"Good. It's nice to have a few more girls around; the place is filled with testosterone."

The fellow blonde laughed, but any more remarks were interrupted by a clanging sound.

Elijah and Katherine stood at the edge of the ballroom, slightly raised by a platform. He wore a suit, whilst she wore a purple gown.

It was the deepest royal purple, the tight bodice fitting her tiny frame perfectly. The sweetheart neckline was raised by the medium sized straps, giving it an allusion of being pulled up further than it already was. Her belt was raised way above her middle due the empire neckline, the base of which was lathered in diamonds- similarly to how Rebekah's belt was decorated. The remaining skirt fell down in a thin line, but not so thing that it clung tightly to her body. That was the type of dress appropriate at this kind of event, plus, it would give her a chance to dance.

"Good afternoon, distinguished guests. It is an honour to have you all at our engagement party. I will first say a few words, followed by Katherine. We will later make a speech each. Later on in the evening, my parents; the Earl and Lady Pierce; Niklaus and Tatia will each have a short talk."

He paused to take in the attention of the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming, it means a lot to us that you've all attended our evening. We hope you will enjoy the music, food, and dance- we expect that you all get yourselves on the floor at least once this evening. Though this evening will not be anything on the wedding, it is our wish that you enjoy it as much as possible. Each of you have been invited because you occupy a special place in our hearts and minds, as friends or as family, though these terms may be interchangeable for some of you. If you are here, it is because we could not imagine this party without you. I will end this on again thanking you for your presence and will hand you over to my lovely bride-to-be."

There was a huge round of applause as he passed the microphone to Katherine. Everyone knew there were several people who were only here because they were big celebrities or politicians, people who wouldn't usually hang around with Elijah or Katherine.

"Hello again," Katherine beamed at the audience- Rebekah knew that this was the fakest smile, she had totally been planning this for weeks- "I'd like to echo my fiancé's sentiment in thanking you all for coming. It means a lot to me that you are all here. Though I am not yet wed to Elijah, our engagement party is the first step, and I am thrilled. He and I will begin the first dance, and we ask that you all find a partner in the second to join us in a waltz. Until then, enjoy."

There was another smattering of applause as the two joined hands, ascending the stairs to the dance floor. Everyone immediately moved out of the way as they went into the centre, going into position. As soon as they were in place, Elijah sent out a nod, which let the band know that they should play.

Caroline would have been surprised at the elegance, but she had been the one who had found them the dance teacher. It was a private studio where she usually sent couples, as many wanted their first dance to be just that little bit perfect- there was more of an emphasis nowadays.

The two spun around neatly, their hands joined as though they belonged there, which was perhaps the reason why they were getting married. As they moved, Katherine sought Caroline, a seasoned dancer's, eye, receiving a reassuring nod in return. Katherine was by no means apprehensive in her abilities, but seeing as her wedding planner was the expert here, she knew when to listen to her. Each step was smooth and effortless, nothing Strictly Come Dancing amazing, but pretty well for a pair of beginners. In fairness, their moves were pretty basic, and they were sticking as well as they could to it.

The band's chord was what made the dance what it was, though. Caroline hadn't had a say in this one- it had been prearranged long before she was on board- but whoever they were, they were brilliant. From the pianist to the cellist, each chord and note was played to perfection, to an almost haunting melody. She was more than just a little impressed.

What struck her the most, however, was the couple itself. There was no place that the couple looked but at each other, their stares totally absorbed into the other's face, like there was no one else. The way they looked at each other, it wasn't like they were in a crowded place, and it was like they were just with each other. Katherine looked stunning, so it was no surprise that Elijah was looking at her like that, but it was obvious that he would still look at her like that if she was wearing sweats. The look they were giving each other was beyond what their wedding planner had seen in most of their couples, even the ones that she'd seen that loved each other very much.

It didn't last for long, but Caroline felt herself missing it when it had. The music and the couple's passion had made for an entertaining experience.

"They were very good, weren't they?" Rebekah stated.

"Yes, lovely."

At this point, the gentlemen went to ask the ladies to dance. Stefan headed over, throwing a kind smile in Caroline's way. He stopped just short of Rebekah, and held out a hand.

"May I have this dance?"

Rebekah indulged him with a little curtsey, "You may, kind sir."

She nodded primly at Caroline as Stefan took her hand, leading her to the dance floor. Her fellow blonde looked around, wondering who would ask her. As long as they didn't look like a total ass, she would accept their offer.

"Well, hello again."

Oh for God's sake.

Klaus grinned at her, his dimples taking away the harshness that usually presented itself on his face. The grin itself was sweet, she guessed- well, at least for Klaus.

"May I, Miss. Forbes?"

She sighed, before accepting the hand offered, "I guess."

"Don't sound so delighted," he shot back as they headed to the floor.

Rebekah and Stefan were the couple next to them. A little ahead were Finn and Sage behind the betrothed couple. Kol was leading a pretty young lady whom Caroline did not recognise into position, with Damon taking the hand of whom she recognised as the Prime Minister's daughter, Meredith Fell.

Tatia, who was dancing with a handsome, dark-skinned man whom Caroline recognised as Klaus' friend but whose name she could not remember at this point, was not far ahead. Upon seeing Caroline with the prince, she sent her a dirty look, scowling over the shoulder of the gentleman. Caroline couldn't imagine why- it was only a dance. When she looked back over, it seemed as though they were making small talk. She didn't look as offended at her dance partner as she did at the wedding planner, so that meant she must like him a little.

The band struck up the music and they began to move.

"You're good," Klaus stated.

"Thank you. I have training- and I was Miss. Mystic Falls when I was sixteen."

"Wow, what an achievement."

"There is no need to demean me and what I have achieved," she shot back, "So please back off."

"Ooh, aren't we a little firecracker?" Klaus' smirk made her shudder, "I am sure it was very nice for you, as someone who clearly enjoys more than that. I must say that I also enjoy beauty pageants, the ladies there are usually very nice."

She rolled her eyes, "You are disgusting, Mr. Mikaelson."

"That's Your Highness, to you."

She rolled her eyes yet again.

They moved quietly for a while.

"You do truly look stunning, Caroline," he eventually broke the silence, "Even more so than all of the other ladies in this room."

Caroline was surprised by the sincerity in his tone.

"You really think so?" she put on an air of haughtiness as to distract him into thinking she didn't give a shit.

"Yes," he replied softly.

They locked eyes for a second, but Caroline (embarrassed) looked away, quickly. Klaus seemed to notice, a firm smirk fixing itself onto his face and a teasing tone appearing on his tongue. Before he could embarrass her any more, the music changed and they switched partners. Caroline found herself spinning into Tatia's partner, with the bride-to-be's twin looking thrilled at her new man.

The man smiled at Caroline.

"Hi, I don't think we've been introduced- Marcel Gerard."

That was it. She knew him now- they'd been good friends since Marcel had got a scholarship into the sixth form of Klaus and Stefan's school. He was from a lower income background- nothing poor, just maybe lower middle class- but that never seemed to bother Klaus, who didn't seem to care about people's social background.

"Caroline Forbes, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Gerard."

"Ah, the wedding planner? And please call me Marcel, Caroline."

"Yes, the wedding planner."

"Must be quite the job, working with Katherine."

"Actually, I find her to be a good person," Caroline immediately defended her client.

"I know, I know," Marcel calmed her, "I'm only teasing, she's alright really. It's Klaus you have to watch out for. Poor you, having to work with this egomaniac until the summer, I can't imagine the toll it's having on you."

Caroline laughed, and Marcel smiled again.

"He's a bit of an idiot, isn't he?"

"Oh yes, as his best friend, I have to agree," Marcel paused for a moment, "Well, after Stefan. I'm sure you'll get to grips with him, we all do. I had a really bad boss at my part time job when I was sixteen, and he defended me. Having the Prince of England on your side isn't too bad, especially since I got a pay rise out of it, and a new superior. That was good of him, I'd only just met the guy, and he was on my side immediately."

"That is good of him," Caroline agreed. Maybe Rebekah was right- maybe he was more than he seemed. Speaking of Rebekah, she noticed Marcel staring over at her as she danced with Finn.

"Are you friends?" she asked, her tone surprising him to a point where he snapped out of his stare.

"Rebekah and me?" he responded further to her nod, "Yes, I would say we're quite close. We got on pretty well when we first met, we clicked straight away. We're nowhere like Klaus and me, but she's pretty alright."

Caroline thought it seemed like it was further, but rejected from giving an opinion to a man she'd only just met regarding his love life.

The music changed again.

"It was nice meeting you, Caroline," he called as she glided back to Klaus.

"You too!" she called as she arrived back in position with the devil himself.

"You having a good time?" Klaus asked.

"Yes, Marcel is nice. Are you?"

"Oh, me? Always."

Ok, Chapter 6 is done.

Next time: it's part 2 of the engagement party. The focus is mainly on Katherine/Klaus, with a side of Elijah and Caroline to show off.

Again, thanks for reading and hope to see you again next time xxx