Chapter 10
Katherine sits bolt upright on the feather soft mattress the second she feels the tiniest hint of the sun's ray. "Shit!" she cusses under her breath, taking stock of where she is. Asleep, on a bed, in a cabin, in the forest and not her room back at the castle. She is so screwed. She bolts out of the bed, exiting the room in record time, almost at the door when a voice stops her
"Why the hurry?" Elijah smiles at her from the little kitchen where he stands poised with an iron pot and a handful of eggs
"I-it's-we stayed out all night! My sister is going to realize I was not in my bed and then she will tell my father and I will be shipped off to France or Austria as punishment and oh my god the wedding is today! I need to be there for Caroline! What am I going to-"
"Katerina!" Elijah says loudly "Katerina clam down, dawn has barely broken! No one will be up in the castle for hours. Not even the bride" he smiles
"Oh" she says, turning her head for the first time to look out the window and see that indeed, there is barely any light.
"We have plenty of time to indulge ourselves in a proper breakfast and then sneak back into the castle through the servant's entrance" he says cracking the first egg open
Katherine nods, not truly as worried about getting caught as she is about not being there to comfort Caroline should she need her. Katherine has definitely been caught with her share of men, but father also said that the next time would be her last, so who knows if he was serious or not. Katherine smirks, sliding into a chair I guess we shall see " I am certainly not going to say no to a handsome man who wants to cook for me"
"Well I did not poison you last night so I would agree that you have nothing to fear" they both laugh, recalling her upturned sneer when they had first arrived last night and he had pulled out a plump duck and some raw potatoes. Can you blame her for not trusting though? Men hunt the food, they do not cook it. And at her status even the women do not cook it!
"Why is there so much food here?" She asks, "is it not deserted since your family- relocated"
He nods, placing two eggs on one plate and three on the other "I keep it stocked. Like I said last night, I like to come here and think. And it can oft get too late to make the journey back to the castle" Lies. Every word is a lie. He does come here to think but he could be back at the castle in seconds even in the blackest night. He does not need food, but he keeps it there because here in the place he can pretend to be human. He can pretend that everything in his life is normal. A stocked pantry feels like home. Barren cupboards just seem too metaphorically empty for his taste.
"As we saw last night" she says, indicating that she is still wearing her dress
"I cannot believe you slept in that- it must have been dreadfully uncomfortable
"Not really" she shrugs "every morning when the maid tells me to suck in I simply push out- that way when I release to normal I can barely feel the corset"
Elijah laughs "you seem to have an answer for everything" he says placing the plates in front of them.
"I have a trick for everything." She corrects with a smirk "I have spent seventeen years figuring out how to live exactly the way I want without getting in trouble… well, too much trouble" she smirks at him a little more "besides" she continues "sleeping in my dress is certainly more appropriate than sleeping unclothed with a man in the next room" she mock gasps "my poor, weak sensibilities certainly could not have handled that" she lifts her hand dramatically to her forehead as though fake swooning before digging into her eggs
"I would not have looked," he says, seaming a little offended at her implication
Katherine looks up at him with a smile "I know" she says calmly, honestly- her voice sounds almost off when filled with such a genuine tone- no sarcasm or mocking bite hidden behind her words "you are the perfect gentleman and always have been. Everyone you have met seems agreed on that matter. Of the two of us I am certainly the one with the untoward reputation- if anything you should be worried about me taking advantage of you" the last sentence returns the Katherine he loves- cheeky and confident.
He grins lazily "much like you- I believe I can handle myself"
XXX
Caroline would like to say that she wakes to the faint rap of knuckles on the door, but one cannot wake unless they first fall asleep-which she did not. How could she? In just a few short hours she will no longer be Caroline Forbes. She will belong to someone else. She will become the most powerful woman in the country and at the same time lose all power to control her own destiny.
"Come in" she calls and Anna enters the room with a tray
"I come bearing your breakfast breakfast- something special from his majesty I am told" the girl smiles, probably caught up in the 'romance' of it all Caroline thinks and so she smiles back. No need to destroy the girl's view of love. It could some day exist for her. She is not a princess.
"Thank you Annabele, you can just set it on this table" she indicates the small wooden bedside bureau.
She nods and does as she is told, "I have also been instructed to inform you that you have a half hour before someone will be sent to draw your bath and while you clean your preparation team will set up in your outer chamber"
Caroline nods, grimacing a little at the words preparation team. Why did she decide to turn this into such a large affair? She should have simply done it quickly in a dress she already owns with just the Gilbert's, the Mikaelson's and a priest present. "Thank you" she says politely.
"You are welcome. I must return to the kitchen now- there is much still to be done"
Caroline nods "I am sure"
"It is going to be spectacular" the girls says wistfully before excusing herself.
Spectacular- the word bounces around in Caroline's head, a spectacle it is sure to be. Everything is going to be perfect- her wedding is going to be everything she ever dreamt it to be, right down to the white and pink roses. The thought should be comforting. She should be happy that her dream wedding is coming to life, cling to the plans as a part of her childhood- but she is not comforted. She feels cold and distant as she moves through the morning. She does not touch her breakfast tray, not really wanting to know what is under it and knowing she cannot keep food down. She moves like a robot into her bath, lets herself be cleaned, slips into her silk robe and stands in front of a team of people she has never met who are supposed to make her beautiful.
Somewhere inside of her the old Caroline is absolutely beaming at the pampering and attention, loving the luxury. But the new Caroline just feels numb. She lets the servant's paint, curl, and exfoliate every inch of her, turning like a doll for them to makeover.
"You look stunning your highness" one of them comments once they finish and she turns to the mirror. She looks exactly how she feels- porcelain.
"All that is left is the dress. You have some special helpers coming to do that for you though so we will slip out and let you prepare for the happiest moment of your life" the woman who is clearly in charge says with a calculated tone. She knows. Caroline thinks- she knows that this is not what the princess wants. She seems to be the only one though so Caroline lets herself relax.
XXX
"I just saw one of the lovely members of your bride's preparation team- she tells me you are the luckiest man in the world" Kol leers pulling himself away from the mirror in the sitting room to fling Klaus' bedroom door open. The words in of themself are innocent enough, but his expression is not. Everything with him has an innuendo.
"Oh go back to staring at yourself" Klaus growls, fixing his cufflinks.
"hmm, I would much rather stare at Caroline- perhaps we can share once you get your fill of her" he smirks, trying to rile his brother up.
"Say another word and I will tear out your liver" Klaus drops the sleeve to grip Kol's throat and push him up against the wall, effectively cracking the wood
"ooo touchy" Kol says holding his hands up in surrender and Klaus drops him to the ground "careful Nik" he says righting himself and brushing the dirt from his pristine black garments "I might start to think I was right about you caring for her"
Klaus makes a low, frustrated sound under his breath "do you honestly not have anything better to do Kol?"
"On the day of your wedding? Where else would I be but with my beloved brother" he raises his eyebrows in a snarky challenge
Klaus growls "I cannot believe I let this girl plan such an affair. I should have just dragged her to the nearest priest and been done with it-"
"That would not be smart for many reasons NIklaus" Elijah's voice cuts in as he materializes almost as if out of thin air to stand in front of his brothers "A wedding is the best way to secure foreign relations- nobles feel honored to be invited, not to mention adding something to the happiness of your wife"
"I care not for her happiness" Klaus scoffs, and there is so much venom in his voice that even he almost believes it.
Kol nods with a smirk, rolling his eyes at the overcompensation of his brother's attitude. At least he seems to be fooling himself. Elijah on the other hand is not impressed. He fixes his brother with a steely gaze "and I am sure that your happiness is not at the top of her priority list either considering you murdered her father, so maybe just for this one day you could consider treating her like human being instead of a bargaining chip"
Klaus straightens his shoulders and looks at his brother "oh but Elijah, that is all she is. Why treat the girl like something she is not" Truth be told Klaus is not sure why he is so adamant his brothers not know his feelings for Caroline. Perhaps it is because they already think he cares for her. He cannot be seen as caring by his enemies because it makes him weak. But Kol and Elijah are not his enemy's, are they?
"Consider my refrain from commenting your wedding gift Nik" Kol chortles from the corner, Elijah looks decidedly less amused
"She is a remarkable woman NIklaus. The way you treat her is unfair, I understand that compassions and selflessness are not traits you possess but the least you could do is show some respect for them in others" his words are tight and angry
"Oh do not tell me you are in love with the girl too" Kol rolls his eyes
"I am not in love with her!" both Elijah and Klaus say in unison
"Romantic affections are not required to believe the girl should be treated like a person and not another pawn in our brother's game"
Klaus smirks "I treat her exactly like a person. A disposable little human. Now if you will excuse me, I do believe I am about to be married" Klaus exits the room, leaving two disgruntled brothers behind him and sighs against the outer frame of the door. He has made so many mistakes concerning Caroline. He cannot have his brothers know his affections, it would not end well because… well, because… it just wouldn't!
XXX
Bonnie, Elena, and Katherine burst into the room in a fit of forced laughter and smiles as they carefully hang a large garment bag on the closet door
"Oh you must be so excited Caroline!" Elena screeches "you have wanted to be Queen since we were children! Everything is falling into place"
Bonnie rolls her eyes but remains silent while Katherine scoffs loudly "oh cut the act Elena. We get it, you want everyone to be happy and you are trying to make everything positive and sunshine rainbows, but it is not, ok! This sucks! It sucks that Caroline has to marry this monster"
"Sorry for trying to cheer her up" the brunette grumbles
Katherine rolls her eyes and reaches into her larger than usual silk pouch "I have a better way to cheer everyone up" she smirks producing a large bottle of red wine
Caroline gasps "Kat I cannot be drunk on my wedding day!"
Katherine rolls her eyes "Caroline there are four of us and one bottle of wine. Even you will not be drunk form that. Just take the edge off a little. Let loose."
Caroline smiles and grabs the bottle from Katherine who in turn pulls out a metal cork screw and the two girls pop the bottle open and each take a long swig before passing it to Bonnie followed by Elena (each of them take a modest sip and Katherine once again rolls her eyes)
"Alright, now lets deal with the most important part of today. That gorgeous dress" Elena says with a huge grin
Caroline smiles weakly as she watches her friend get up and unzip the garment bag. She has seen the dress before, she went to fittings, but now complete and hanging there in front of her she almost cannot believe how beautiful it is. She reaches a hand gently forward to feel the soft white satin, running her hand along the pure woven gold of the trimming and veil. In that moment of awe Caroline makes a decision- a decision to enjoy what she can of this day. She has dreamed of her wedding since before she could walk and this is going to be her dream wedding. Just not her dream husband, but to be honest, the husband is really just an accessory of the celebration. Today is all about her wedding- tomorrow she can worry about her marriage
"It is stunning" Bonnie says to break the silence
Caroline surprises everyone by smiling like her old self "of course it is- we designed it" everyone looks at her puzzled "do you not remember the sketches when we were fourteen? I gave them to the dressmaker and she just… matured them"
The girls giggle-except Katherine- seemingly placated by Caroline's new attitude "well what are we waiting for?" Elena squeals lunging for the gown; but she is cut off by a faint knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Bonnie calls out
"Klaus" comes the deep; gravely voice from the other side of the door "I need to speak with the princess"
"No! That's bad luck!" Elena says, sounding thoroughly scandalized
Katherine shrugs "so is murdering the bride's father"
"Katherine!" Caroline scolds with a pointed glare before moving to open the door. She gives Klaus a hesitant smile and steps outside, closing the door tightly behind her to ensure they are not overheard
Caroline takes a deep breath, intent on keeping her positive attitude "what can I help you with your grace?"
Klaus cocks his head to the side, confused by her formality and… pleasant disposition "I-" he stutters for a moment, very unusual for him "you look beautiful" he says, getting distracted by the sight of her in nothing but the thin, white silk robe.
Caroline wraps her arms around herself, a shy blush creeping into her cheeks "uh, thank you… is that all?"
Klaus shakes his head, seemingly angered "no"- dammit no! That is not what he came here to say. His lip tenses in anger. He came to tell her to be ready exactly on time and that he did not want to have to deal with her misbehaving tonight. He came to make sure she acted the perfect Queen in front of their foreign visitor's. He came to push her away, to make what he told his brothers true, but then he saw her, and every rational thought in his head seemed to die. Every cell in his body fells alive with the vision of her. Klaus wants to be mad at Caroline, he wants to hate her for making him feel like this, but instead he just exhales an amused breath, laughing at the irony of his own weakness. "I just wanted to make sure all of the preparations are to your liking" he pauses, looking up at her "my Queen"
The second Klaus' eyes meet hers Caroline looks away, not comfortable with the title, with the intimate way he caresses the words, speaking as though she is a part of him. Then again, is that not precisely what she is about to become? She considers giving him a snappy response wedding of my dreams-except the husband of course flits through her mind but she realizes- it could be a lot worse. She could actually be marrying that horrible man she believed Klaus to be the first time she met him. At least he appears to have some sort of affection for her. It may take time, but… perhaps this marriage would not be so bad. Caroline smiles softly at him "it is everything I have dreamed of"
Klaus' face softens at the wonder in her eyes, his body nearly melting, and he hates it. The grand contradiction of Klaus' life- hating the weakness but loving the girl. "I am glad" he says casually "I will see you soon then"
"I shall be the one in white", she says quietly, the two sharing an electric moment of eye contact before turning from each other and going opposite directions.
XXX
"You can do this" Elena whispers supportively, giving Caroline a quick kiss on the cheek before placing the lace veil over her face.
"Thank you" Caroline smiles at the three girls in front of her, her best friends "now go, find the Salvatore's and take your seats. I believe the ceremony is starting soon" she jokes
The three girls smile and say a few last words before scurrying down the hall. Caroline takes a deep breath and allows herself a moment of preparation before she feels another body standing only feet away from her
"Are you ready?" Elijah asks with a sympathetic gaze. It had been decided in advance that since her father is not able to give her away and she is marrying the 'father of the kingdom' it only made sense that Elijah be the one to give her away. Caroline agreed because at least Elijah is a friend, at least she knows he cares for her in some small way. She would have preferred Stefan, but given the history between him and Klaus that did not seem a wise suggestion.
Caroline lifts her head and squares her shoulders "Yes. I believe I am" and so the princess places her arm in the Prince's and takes the first step towards her new life.
XXX
The entire room falls silent the moment Caroline walks into the room, not that Klaus is even registering that anyone but the absolute vision walking towards him even exists on the planet. She is an angel in white and gold, floating towards him. The king's dead heart pulls in his chest in ways he did not think it capable. He feels… alive.
The moment seems to stretch on for hours and yet only last a second. He is not sure how it is possible, but he watches as if in a daze while Elijah lifts the veil from her perfect face, feels her blue eyes connect with his, watches her red lips softly kiss his brother's cheek and steps forward to fix his hand protectively around her slim waist as he leads her up to the alter.
The priest says a few words that neither Klaus or Caroline register, both too lost in their own thoughts to truly be paying attention.
But then, in an instant the luxury of ignorance is ripped away from them by the reaction to a line that neither had even heard
If any has a reason why these 2 should not be joined, speak now or forever hold your peace.
Everything happens so quickly, as if in a blur. Gunshots are heard outside and everyone's heads whip to the east wall. Klaus lunges to protect Caroline and the room erupts into panic. Screams are heard echoing from the hallways and what appears to be an army bursts violently through the closed doors of the grand hall.
Caroline looks up to see at least a hundred soldiers standing right in front of her and then hears a voice that she has not heard in over a year "nobody move. There is no reason why this needs to turn violent"
Klaus resists the urge to lunge at the dark haired man stepping out of the fold of what appears, based on their uniforms, to be English soldiers. Everyone is silent; making the Princess' loud gasp even more audible. "Tyler" Klaus hears her whisper in shock
"I merely have an objection to this union"
:O :O little cliffhanger there ;) want the next chapter quickly? nothing motivates like a nice lil review. Hope you like it!