A/N just because i feel so bad for not updating last week i'll give you a second one today! you guys are all awesome especially my reviewers who keep me wanting to update so much!

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Caroline ran her brush through her blonde hair quickly, Damon had just left after informing her of her new duties and she couldn't be more excited, her best friend was here and what was better was that she got to spend all day with her every day. They had so much to catch up on the Caroline didn't even know where to start. She ran out of her room without looking, making her way down the hall's as fast as she could and ignoring the yells of disapproval at her. She finally reached Elena's room and flung the door open and tackling the startled brunet.

"I can't believe you're here Lena! You have to tell me everything missy, what have you been up to, how's your family, why are you here!" she felt Elena pat her on the back a few times and Caroline let go of her although she bounced from foot to foot

"Calm down Care! I'll tell you everything just give me a minute to get dressed okay?" a blonde bang feel in front of her eyes and she brushed it away as she examined the slim girl in front of her

"You haven't been eating properly Lena, what's causing you so much stress?" she sat at the end of Elena's bed as her friend stepped behind the changing shutter. Caroline had never been one to avoid the hard questions and always got straight to the point, a trait that annoyed Damon to no end.

"It's been a rough month Care, I don't even know where to begin but how about we get some breakfast and I'll explain over that?" she was happy with that answer, getting food into her oldest friend was her main priority after seeing her shrunken form

"Sound's good to me Lena, need any help?" Elena stepped out from behind the shutter and shook her head, she was in a simple long blue gown that hugged her curves softly and had her hair in natural waves

"Already done, let's go, I'm starving" Caroline nodded and opened the door, Elena quickly followed her so they could walk side by side

"I heard you were marrying Lockwood" Elena laughed at her and nodded her head. Caroline scowled disapprovingly

"Well…was would be a better word for it. Things have changed…" the blonde girl looked at her friend, a knowing smile on her face. When Damon had come to visit her about Elena she could sense the brunet had gotten under his skin.

"Does it have anything to do with a black hair, blue eyed warlord by any chance missy?" a blush crept up Elena's cheeks and she nodded, Caroline only chuckled, it seemed Damon had had the same effect of her "How did you to meet anyway, was it romantic? Did he sweep you off your feet and get you to run away with him?"

"You're such a romantic Care but no, I've been kidnapped actually" Caroline stopped in her tracks, gaping at Elena and then she felt anger rise up in her. Sure Damon had taken her in, treated her like family and protected her but Elena was her best friend

"He did WHAT, I'll kill him, that sneaky little bastard!" Elena raised her hands to stop Caroline from ranting but Caroline ignored her and continued "Stupid, little, immature idiot! What was he thinking! Your family must be beside themselves and your mother, jesus your mother must be having a heart attack!"

"Care! It's okay really! In all honesty I would rather be here…" she trailed off her eye's and the floor, Caroline knew her friend well enough to see that she was troubled and pulled her into a hug "I guess, I guess he saved me in a way, if he hadn't kidnapped me I'd be making wedding plans and been shipped off to that pig Mason by now" Caroline became angry again, she hated Mason with a passion for if it wasn't for him she would be married to his cousin Tyler but when he became king he had torn the two lovers apart and married Tyler off to another woman called Hayley. It had broken Caroline's heart and she had fled, fearing that Mason would try to tie up loose ends

"I can't believe they would betroth you to that poor excuse of a man, haven't they heard any of the rumours about him! About how he treats women?" they began to walk again, Elena remained silent as she thought over what Caroline had said. They reached the dining hall and Caroline was thankful it was empty, she didn't want anyone to ruin her reunion with Elena "Hey I'm sorry for bringing that up, I know it must be hard"

"It is, but I guess they were just trying to do what was best" Caroline pursed her lips together she always makes excuses for them "But like I said, I'm here now and Damon isn't that bad"

"So what is going on between you two? Should I be shopping for a bridesmaid gown?" Elena chocked on her drink at Caroline's bluntness again. She went to reply but shook her head slowly

"I, We're going to do things the right way" this time Caroline was the one to choke on her drink.

"You got Damon Salvatore, The great man whore warlord to court you?" Elena nodded her head again, her eyes holding uncertainty "I never thought I would see the day, whatever you're doing Elena it must be working because that in itself is a miracle"

…

Elena couldn't help but smile at Caroline, even though she had made her feel uneasy as she confirmed her suspicions about how many women Damon had been with she couldn't help but feel lighter about everything, having a friend to vent to was the best gift she could have ask for.

"Sorry Lena that sounded really bad. I love Damon like he was my own brother and I just thought I'd never see the day when he would actually meet someone he thought was worth his time. All the other women couldn't hold his attention at all, he didn't treat them badly though I think he just like's being challenged" Caroline tapped her fingers on her lips thoughtfully as if she was trying to remember something

"Penny for your thoughts?" the blonde girl looked up at Elena, a serious look on her face

"Elena, you're the first girl he has taken an interest in since Katerina. And I know Damon like I know the back of my own hand and that means he's pretty serious about you so don't stuff it up okay. He may act all big and scary but deep down he want's what we all want and if you treat him right he'll do the same" she felt her body grow warm and she knew she had made the right choice in giving him a chance, his past didn't matter to her, she wanted to get to know him, the real him.

"Who's Katerina?" she avoided her gaze as if she didn't want to answer her but Elena knew she would talk. A part of her didn't want to know, she could already tell it was a sore subject.

"She was an orphan that Damon's father took in, the two brother's both feel in love with her and she played them pretty badly. She messed them around for years and ruined their bond so badly they began to turn on each other. One day Damon caught them together and he lost it, he went to his father and demanded for him to kick her out, Stefan protested but their father agreed with Damon, she was trouble and he saw what she was doing. Katerina lashed out, she went to the Lockwood's and she gave them information about the Salvatore kingdom that Mason's father used to take most of their land and Katerina, she snuck back into the castle and she…she killed their mother in revenge, she took the one thing away from their father that she knew would destroy him. King Salvatore lost it, he killed Katerina and blamed his two sons, banishing them from their land. The kingdom fell to ruin as the king was driven into madness but Damon and Stephan stayed together, they fixed their bond and when their father passed they took over and began to build everything back up to the way it used to be and Damon made it his mission to take back all the land the Lockwood's took and to end the Lockwood's reign as well" When Caroline finished the room was eerily silent, Elena didn't know what to say and once again she had been given an insight into the man she was beginning to grow fond of "Elena, the one thing Damon hates most is sympathy, he's accepted his part he played in what happened and he hates it when people feel sorry for him. He is a proud man and he will not be satisfied until the Lockwood legacy is burned to the ground so you need to promise me to not get involved with that side of things any more then you are…I can't lose you as well"

"Care, you won't ever lose me again. I can't promise to not get involved but I will restrain myself, I can see now that his is more than just a petty war and if 'm honest I want nothing more than to see Mason go down in flames, he has oppressed our lands for far too long" she reached across the table and squeezed Caroline's hand reassuringly and Elena knew that she was exactly where she needed to be.

….

Mason Lockwood sat on his throne, a bored look on his face as he waited for his guest to arrive. He had been shocked when the person had approached him but the man's ideas had intrigued him enough to grant him an audience. No one else knew of the meeting and he had made sure that any loose ends tonight would be eliminated quickly. A man walked through the gold adorned doors of the hall with a hooded robe over him, he was careful in not showing his identity till he felt the time was right in fear he would be found out. Mason held out his hand and the man rushed up, kneeled and kissed his crest ring

"My King, thank you for granting me an audience with you" Mason nodded, he hated such pleasantries as he would rather just get down to the grit of things

"Let's cut the chase, I want to know what you were talking about when you approached me, how can I win this war?" the man bowed and stood up, the shadows hiding his eyes as he talked

"King Lockwood, I offer to you an army that will march straight to the warlord's front doorstep, I just like you am sick of waiting around for him to attack us and loosing time and time again. I'm suggesting a full frontal siege, it's widely known his land is decrepit and that the only army he has is the one he marches with. With two thirds of his army away from his strong hold he will fall and you will finally have control of all kingdoms" Mason sat up straight, it had been a while since someone had spoken about war to him so ambitiously

"And what do you get out of this stranger?" he knew deals like this always came with a catch and if he didn't need the army this man was offering he would just kill him.

"I want Mystic Falls, I want to be king" the man lowered his hood and Mason smirked, standing in front of him was Jonathan Gilbert

"What army do you have Gilbert, your just an advisor" Jonathan's eyes lit up cruelly and Mason leaned forward already knowing his answer

"Help me Kill my brother and his brat of a son and the Mystic Falls army will be at your command" he leant back in his chair surveying King Grayson's brother in front of him

"I already have an alliance with him, what is the difference between you and him?" Jonathan Gilbert looked nervous, he wasn't expecting Mason to question him so much and had relied on his hatred for the Salvatore warlord to get him to agree

"My brother has seen many wars my king, he is wary of them and it will take a lot of convincing to get him to agree, even with his daughter's life at stake. If you help me you will have no resistance what so ever my king, the second you call upon the army they will be yours" Mason nodded, the power hungry fool had a good point, Grayson wouldn't make a move until he had to and he was growing impatient.

"And what of Princess Elena?" Jonathan scoffed and annoyed frown on his face

"Do what you wish with her, if you want her take her I couldn't care less as long as you give me what I want" Mason felt slightly repulsed by the man in front of him, not because of how little he regarded his family but how he obviously had his own ambitions of power and lack of loyalty, he was sure he wouldn't think twice about stabbing him in the back

"Alright Gilbert, I will help you but I want the girl unharmed" He stood up and held out his hand again which Jonathan Gilbert kissed greedily, causing Mason to shake him off in disgust I'll just kill him once he is of no use and once I get my prize I can finally cement my claim over all kingdoms.