"Niklaus was king, he was king and he burned for me as he wed another. Every night he slept with me and awoke with her, his queen of the people. But he called me Caroline the queen of his heart." - With one last look to Caroline and heavy heart he says, "I do." To his bride, to the priest, to all the people of the falls. "It's been weeks, yet you have not touched me husband," his wife reminds him as he enters her rooms upon request. "I'm very tired Queen, if that is all you meant to say, I'll take my leave," Klaus tells her in an annoyed tone exiting. He enters his own room finding Caroline pacing back and forth smiling as he sees her bickering with herself. "I should not be here, you cannot keep asking me to stay," she cries as soon as she sees him amused at her neurosis. He walks to her quietly undressing as she speaks, "I must marry, I must be with a man that isn't you," she says. He takes her waist holding her to him, "No, for I will never take the people's Queen to bed," he informs her. Caroline looks up tears in the seams of her eyes, "The Falls needs an heir," she reminds him delicately. "Then you shall give it to them," his whisper is a caress as his fingers begin to loosen her corset his mouth meeting hers. "Husband, I've talked to the council, beseeched them to listen," his wife says upon entering his private chamber. "They're under the impression that I might be barren,"she says loosening her robe, "I assured them that I am not." "I've informed them that it is you who is impotent," she clarifies with a satisfied look, "And they will believe me for there is no child within me." Klaus rises from the bed, "It will not matter my Queen," he says bitterly titling her, "The whole castle can hear how eagerly I bed my love." "But I am not your love, I am your wife, the rightful Queen and I demand-" she says storming to him. "You are not the rightful Queen, and you do not demand of me," Klaus shouts his body tense as she shrinks. "No, but the council will," she replies softly leaving his room as Caroline reenters from his washroom fully dressed. "Did I miss something?" She asks making Klaus let out a breath before striding over to her melding their lips as one feverishly. He doesn't let her leave him that morning in lieu of lovemaking that has Caroline reminding everyone nearby who the King truly loves. "Sir," his most trusted friend and ally addresses him his eyes silently asking for a private moment. The King nods aquesting walking them to the edge of the ballroom waiting for the man to explain himself. "Mikael is dead," he informs him, "You know what this means" the man tells him as Klaus lays a hand over his chest. "How long before I can remove her from the throne?" He asks in hushed tones eyeing his wife at the other end of the room. "I thought you might say that," the man remarks as he walks him further back, "I've already spoken with her parents." Klaus averts his eyes to Caroline who has men flocking to her even now but only has eyes for him. "They'll take her if you keep to the treaty and assure them she is viginal." The man before him adds. "Upon my word she is," Klaus says quietly keeping his face void of emotion to not draw attention to the topic at hand. A few minutes later the man leaves and Klaus slips a note into Caroline's hand asking her to follow. He leaves a moment later hearing her catch of breath and polite excuses as he walks back to his bedroom. Caroline feels his lips on hers the moment the door closes making her gasp into his mouth in surprise. An invitation he greedily accepts sliding his tongue over her own, "My Queen," he murmurs against her lips. "Surely you didn't ask me to leave a party so you could kiss me," Caroline sighs as he cups her cheeks brushing softly. "Not at all my Queen," he pants his eyes alight with happiness a look she matches unable to resist. "Things are changing," he promises, "Soon I'll kiss you in front of all the kingdom," he murmurs hugging her tighter. Klaus grins as she absorbs his words walking her backwards to his bed, "But my King," she begins "There is nothing and no one to stop us now," he tells her as he eases her on her back over his sheets. Soon his Queen is removed leaving their marriage annulled as tradition stated the King must have a Queen. Klaus allows whispers to grow through the kingdom, wanderings of whom it might be, the whispers that were returned made him smile. The people wanted Caroline, his childhood love, nothing gratified him more than to hear her soft steps coming down the aisle of his church. Nothing filled his heart more than seeing her before him accepting his hand and heart in marriage. Nothing of course except later that evening when they were alone in the honeymoon chambers and she told him. Told him he would soon have an heir kissed her with joy, immense jubilation as he promised it didn't matter if their child was a boy or girl. Their love bloomed creating heirs for their throne for years to come but the most important fact was they lived happily. Always. And forever.