She doesn't consider herself to be the most perceptive person in the world, but even she can see that Katherine Pierce is angry about something.

Mason Lockwood drones on about relations with Serisa and relations with Acamos and it's all very dull if she's going to be honest. She's got a visit to both countries coming up soon and there's dozens of things that are steeped with tradition that she'll need to be coached on and it all seems rather archaic really.

Elijah's posture in the seat next to Katherine is stiff, and he catches her eyes and nods once to confirm what she's thinking. She has no idea if he has it handled, but Katherine tilts her head sideways and narrows her eyes at Mason and she decides that it's time to wrap this meeting up really soon.

She studies the other girl carefully, taking care to ensure that she's not caught staring. Although when she thinks about it, Katherine can probably feel the weight of her gaze upon her and is observant enough to notice it.

Katherine she decides is the sort of person that lets her anger bubble quietly beneath the surface. She's not one for ranting and screaming and yelling, at least in public. In private it might be an entirely different matter, not that she's ever seen it for herself.

That quiet anger is what makes her so dangerous. It's only the really observant people who notice and take their cues from it, others stumbling blindly onwards in their interactions with Katherine Pierce until they find themselves being quietly and decisively ripped to shreds.

It's thankfully never happened to her, and she's not sure if Katherine would be brave enough to dress her down in public now, but she's seen it happen plenty of times and she wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Katherine Pierce is formidable and fierce and not a person that you piss off.

"Mason if you have nothing else to add I think we should wrap this up. It's getting late and I'm sure you all would like to spend time with your families this time of the year." She says politely, more for Katherine's benefit than anyone else.

"Yes of course, forgive me it seems time has slipped away from us." Mason replies smoothly with a short bow.

She tries not to stare at him in surprise, knowing full well how uncharacteristic it is that he's so polite to her.

"We'll talk sometime after Christmas about the visits to Acamos and Serisa then." She says evenly as Mason nods in agreement.

Mason is the first to leave the room, deep in conversation with another councillor who she hasn't had a lot to do with as of yet.

Kol waggles his eyebrows at her with a smirk as she refrains from rolling his eyes.

"Come then Salvatore. I've got a bottle of Qirevia's finest waiting if you're in." Kol turns to Damon who nods in agreement.

"Say no more, I'm definitely in. See you Friday night Blondie." Damon winks at her as he tugs on his pea coat before following Kol out the room.

She meets Elijah's eyes again, both getting to their feet at the same time. Elijah tucks Katherine's hand into the crook of his arm, forcing her to walk with him as he steers her out of the meeting room and down the hall.

She shakes her head at her bodyguard for the night, motioning for him to stay at the end of the hall as she follows Katherine and Elijah into the closest study, pulling the heavy door shut behind her.

She flinches as Katherine backhands a very old and possibly priceless vase into the wall. It shatters into dozens of pieces that skitter across the wooden floors.

Elijah looks slightly horrified at the loss of the vase but says nothing, hands gripping Katherine's shoulders and steering her over to the closest chair.

"Sit." He instructs curtly, and they're both surprised when she acquiesces immediately, tucking her legs underneath her and wrapping her arms around them. All of the fight seems to go out of Katherine as she looks up at Elijah wearily.

"Katherine, what the hell is going on?" She questions the other woman carefully, unsure as to how far she should push and wishing that Klaus was here. His presence alone was always a calming influence.

Elijah squeezes Katherine's shoulders from where he's still standing behind her. She notes these casual touches with interest. When did that start happening?

Katherine leans forward, massaging her temples with a sigh.

"My personal laptop got hacked." She mumbles as Elijah leans in closer to hear her.

"What was that sorry?" She asks Katherine as Elijah glances towards her with a frown.

"My personal laptop got hacked. That's how they got the pictures for the article they released about Elijah and I." Katherine repeats calmly, that dangerous tone to her voice rising to the surface again.

"Is there anything particularly incriminating on there?" Elijah enquires politely. Caroline shudders at the thought of Katherine and Elijah sending pictures to each other. That's something that she'd rather not envision in her mind.

"No of course not, don't be stupid." Katherine snaps at Elijah, who looks miffed but says nothing in retaliation.

She has to hide her laughter at the sight of them together. They really are like a married couple, and completely oblivious to the fact that they're obviously still in love with each other.

"Okay. So what's the big deal then?" She asks in confusion, because she definitely has the feeling that she's missing the bigger picture sometimes.

Katherine lets out another sigh.

"Well its obvious isn't it? The fact that my laptop was hacked means that there's someone out there who either has something against me, or something against Elijah, and they figured the best way to get to him was through me. This isn't a random accident; this was deliberate and personal Caroline." Katherine gets to her feet and starts pacing back and forth. Elijah's gaze tracks her progress across the room.

"This means that if they're willing to try and tear Elijah and I down, they're willing to go further. Perhaps to Alaric, or to Stefan or Damon. Don't you see? It's all connected Caroline. The timing of your mother's death, your ascension to the throne at such a young age. They will go through every single one of us if it means that you don't have enough credibility to keep the throne."

Elijah shivers visibly and she suppresses the urge to do the same.

"Wait what do you mean my mother's death?" She asks suddenly, latching onto the one piece of information that stands out.

Katherine turns to her with a sad smile.

"You don't really believe that your mother's death was an accident do you?"

"What's up with you?" Stefan asks suddenly from where he's seated next to her in the car. "You seem troubled by something." He adds, turning his gaze on her.

"I've got a lot going on." She replies a little lamely as he takes her hand comfortingly.

"Caroline. I'm your best friend, even if I don't see you as much as I should. Talk to me." He says simply as the car pulls up to the kerb.

"Not here. But later." She promises as he nods in agreement. It's Stefan that beats the driver, opening the door and holding out a hand for her to exit gracefully.

There's a line of photographers crowding the pavement, and Stefan shoots an easy smile at them, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm, stepping gently with her towards the entrance of the school.

She exchanges greetings with the principal of the institution, pausing for photos that will no doubt make it into tomorrow's paper. They're guided through the door and into the hallway, the din made by the photographers cutting off instantly as the door is closed behind them.

"Thankyou so much for coming your majesty, and you Sir Salvatore." The school teacher who heads up the class they're visiting sweeps both of them a curtsey. "The children have been so excited since they found out you'd be here."

She peeks her head around the door to see the 20 excited seven year olds dressed in their neatest uniforms. She herself had dressed down for this, jeans, boots, a warm jacket to ward off the winter chill. There was no need to intimidate the kids by putting on heels and one of her dresses.

She'd asked Stefan to come along, mainly because she hadn't seen him since graduation and wanted to spend more time with him, and she wasn't the greatest with kids and was actually really nervous about this whole thing.

In contrast, Stefan was great with kids so that was just an added bonus really.

"What would you like me to do?" She whispers to the teacher, who smiles at her like she gets it, like she totally understands the nerves. The teacher hands her a children's book, a familiar Doctor Seuss title that her dad used to read to her when she was younger. She sighs in relief. She could probably recite this book off by heart if she had to.

"We're about to go into reading time, perhaps just read this to them and then I can let them out for their lunch time." The teacher replies before waving them into the room.

The classroom is big. At the moment the kids are all at their desks, but there's a large spot cleared in the corner, along with chairs for her and Stefan. The teacher leads them into the classroom, motioning for quite as she beside Stefan at the front of the class.

"Alright boys and girls lets quiet down please. We have some very special visitors today; this is Queen Caroline and Sir Stefan Salvatore. They're going to join us for reading time today. Quietly take your seats on the floor and we'll begin." The teacher addresses the class quickly and concisely.

The children obviously do this a lot, because it seems like only seconds later that all 20 are settled cross legged on the floor. Stefan grins and drops down into the vacated spot at the front next to a little boy who stares up at him with wide eyes.

The teacher is looking at her expectantly, and she sighs quietly to herself as she picks her way around the children to take a seat at the chair waiting for her at the front. She stares down at the book in her lap before taking a deep breath and opening it, ignoring Stefan's playful smirk.

"Have you guys heard this story before?" She asks curiously as she turns to the first page. "My dad used to read this to me when I was your age." She reveals as the kids blink back at her with big smiles on their faces.

There are some nods, some that shake their head as she props the book up on her lap, turning it so the words face the children.

She clears her throat and begins.

"I am Sam, Sam I am…"

"Well I think that went well." Stefan says with a kind smile as he sets her cup of tea down on the table.

He'd chosen a café in town that wasn't frequented by many, and she's pretty sure the barista that served him had a heart attack when she spotted just who was sitting in the table in the corner.

Stefan had waved off the offer of a free coffee and a cup of tea, paying for the two drinks with a charming smile and a murmured thankyou.

She wraps her hands around the mug, blowing on the tea to cool it down a little.

"I had fun." She tells him with a smile. "It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"You were really great with the kids. The boys loved the fact that you stayed for recess and were willing to play soccer with them." Stefan replies with a laugh.

Both she and Stefan had accepted the teacher's offer to stay for recess. Instead of heading to the staff room to mingle, they'd both headed outside with the kids, and had quickly been pulled into the impromptu soccer game that had begun out on the back oval.

What was meant to be a serious game quickly turned into a no rules mess, with kids running everywhere, herself and Stefan included. She's still not sure which team had won, although Stefan had loudly declared that he'd scored the winning goal and that was that. She'd lost count of the number of times that she'd slipped over in the snow, the seat of her jeans absolutely soaked through and streaked with mud.

She glances around at the empty coffee shop, eyes taking in the warm and homey décor with a smile. It's been far too long since she's been outside of the palace.

Stefan, perceptive as always, smiles at her brilliantly.

"You seemed like you could use some time outside the palace."

"Thankyou." She tells him honestly as he smiles to himself, taking a sip of his coffee.

And then she begins to talk.

She tells him about what Katherine had found out, and the suspicions the other woman had concerning her mother's death. She tells him about Katherine and Elijah, and how Katherine was actually scared that someone was out to get them, to get her. She tells him about her odd encounter with General Augustine from Serisa, and the photographs that she hadn't been able to make head or tail of.

Stefan listens the entire time, nodding along but not interrupting until she had finished.

"As awful as it sounds I don't think there's anything you can do at this point in time. What you've got is only suspicions, but there's no proof and nothing substantial enough to merit a full investigation."

"I know." She tells him tiredly, taking another sip of her tea. "That's what worries me. That I'm powerless, not in a position to do anything."

"When does Nik get back?" He asks, referring to her still absent shadow and bodyguard.

She shrugs.

"I honestly have no idea. I last spoke to him yesterday, but he couldn't give me a definite time frame."

Stefan frowns, and she can tell that he's concerned with everything that he's heard today.

"You need to get him back here as soon as you can. I feel like I don't have to worry about you when he's around. And I think you need to keep your friends close. But you need to keep your enemies closer."

She hides her shiver, tries not to see her oldest friend show how much his words affect her.

The Thursday of the Yuletide ball dawns bright and sunny, and it's almost hot enough that the snow begins to melt in the gardens. Her day starts with a bang, Elijah bringing her a stack of documents and laws to sign before Rebekah is bursting into her room with a veritable army of hair and makeup people.

She'd been allowed to sleep in today considering she'd be up later than usual tonight, and she tries to hide her disappointment when Rebekah confirms that Klaus didn't arrive back at the palace last night.

She'd hoped that he'd be there for the ball tonight, hoped that they could share a dance and spend some time together. In all honesty she'd missed him, and she wanted him there tonight more than anything.

Rebekah notices the sudden drop in her mood and smiles at her in the mirror, attempting to lift her spirits with a constant stream of chatter, entertaining her with a story about how Kol had gotten drunk for the first time and ended up throwing up into a priceless vase.

She has lunch with Katherine as Rebekah makes some last minute adjustments to her dress, the older woman keeping up a steady flow of conversation that forces her to participate whether she likes it or not.

The afternoon is for primping. Katherine is more than capable of doing her own hair and makeup, waving off the offer of professional hair and makeup people. Soon enough Katherine is lounging around her suite in a silken robe, hair in sultry curls and makeup smoky and absolutely perfect as per usual.

Unfortunately, she hasn't quite got the knack of doing her own hair and makeup. She sits patiently as her hair is curled into an elegant up do, the tiara she'd selected resting on a velvet cushion on the vanity.

Her makeup is simple tonight, natural and relatively simple. A touch of silver at the corner of her eyes, some mascara and eyeliner to brighten her eyes. Blush stains her cheeks and her rose coloured lipstick matches the gorgeous gown Rebekah has picked out for her.

Its creamy beige, Zuhair Murad, and absolutely stunning. Long sleeved, low back, and an intricate beaded overlay. It was a gown fit for a princess, or a queen.

Rebekah is in possession of a nervous energy of sorts as she bounces around her, making last minute adjustments to the hem of her gown. She'd disappeared around 10 minutes ago to take a phone call, and ever since she'd been jittery and excited when she'd stepped back in the room, hurrying over to whisper something into Katherine's ear.

"Are you alright? You seem a little jumpy." She notes as Rebekah blinks up at her in surprise. From behind her in the mirror she can see Katherine smirk a little about the observation.

"Oh no I'm fine. Just excited for tonight." Rebekah supplies, throwing a warning glance towards Katherine.

Katherine simply stands, sauntering over to both of them, looking absolutely stunning in her black gown and towering heels.

"She looks fine. Stop fussing and let's go get a drink or five. After this week I just want to get good and drunk and forget it ever happened. And possibly spend the Christmas weekend in bed." Katherine says with a sigh.

"You're not spending time with your family?" Rebekah enquires curiously as Katherine levels a calm gaze at her.

"To which family do you refer to Mikaelson? My parents are both overseas as always. And so it's always been around Christmas time." Katherine sniffs as she purses her lips at herself in the mirror, applying a last minute coat of lipstick.

An awkward silence falls over the room as Rebekah glances at her pleadingly.

"You're welcome to spend Christmas at the palace Katherine. I'm not planning anything big, maybe a bottle of wine and some shitty Christmas movies." She supplies with a shrug.

"I'll consider your offer." Katherine allows finally as she snaps her purse closed. "Shall we ladies?"

They wait for Rebekah to change into her gown, a pale blue ruffly affair that drapes wonderfully over her body and trails along the floor.

Katherine links an arm through hers as they glide down the corridor towards the ballroom, and she can't help but get an odd sense of déjà vu, remembering being in this exact position only a few months ago at her coronation as they pause before the doors of the ballroom.

This time thankfully, there are no foreign visitors or dignitaries, the celebration limited to the families of Qirevia as it always has been.

Katherine kisses her on the cheek, wiping off the lipstick mark with her black glove.

"Have fun tonight darling. Try and contain your excitement." She says cryptically before taking Rebekah's hand and sweeping into the room as they're announced.

She frowns after Katherine, puzzling over the meaning of her words as she pauses on the threshold of the room.

"Her Royal Highness Queen Caroline Forbes." The herald declares with a booming voice that echoes around the ballroom.

She knows what she needs to do next, make her way to the middle of the ballroom to where Stefan or Damon will no doubt be waiting for her so they can open the dancing.

She takes a deep breath, picking up her skirts and moving into the ballroom. She can't help but sweep her gaze around the crowd of waiting people, hoping against all odds that a towering figure with a familiar head of blonde hair would be amongst them.

She smiles through her disappointment when he's not there. She knew it would be a possibility, knew that he'd want to spend time with his father while he recovered from his illness.

She drops her eyes to the ground as she steps out into the empty floor, heels clicking softly against the parquet pattern.

A gloved hand appears in her field of vision, and she reaches out and takes it automatically.

"Chin up sweetheart and let me see that smile." A familiar voice echoes smoothly as her head jerks up in shock.

Klaus grins down at her, hair slicked back towards his temples and looking absolutely sinful in his tuxedo. Time seems to slow as she lets the grin take over her face, Katherine's words suddenly becoming very clear.

She and Rebekah had probably been keeping this from her for hours, and it was an absolutely wonderful surprise. She really wants to jump into his arms but she knows that it wouldn't be appropriate in present company.

"You're here." She tells him dumbly as his lips twist into a smile. She lets him guide her hand to his shoulder, hand squeezing hers before he's placing his on her waist.

"I never planned on missing it. Stefan was gracious enough to step aside tonight. I hope you don't mind?" He questions cautiously as they pause, teetering very much on what seems to be a precipice that there'll be no going back from after tonight.

It's a very public declaration, Stefan stepping aside for Klaus and she knows that they're going to be the subject of a lot of gossip and rumours after tonight, people wondering at the nature of their relationship.

Honestly she's still wondering that herself.

"I was hoping you'd come." She whispers, resting her forehead against his chest briefly before the music begins to play.

The squeeze of his hand against her waist is reassuring as he guides her in the waltz. She knows he's a great dancer, and she trusts him enough to be able to steer her around the floor because right now she's just going through the motions.

Dancing with Stefan had always been easy. They had an enormous amount of trust in each other and it was always fun. Dancing with Klaus was different in a way. It was just more.

They're joined by other couples eventually, Damon tangoing Elena past them somewhat exuberantly given the occasion. She sees Stefan leading Rebekah on to the floor out of the corner of her eye, Kol twirling Bonnie around him, making the other girl laugh. Kol looks absolutely taken with the Bennet heiress, and it's an expression on his face that she doesn't ever think she's seen before.

There's a mischievous glint in Klaus' eyes as he takes in the floor filled with couples around them. He steers her around people in a waltz position until he reaches the edge of the floor closest to the large double doors.

She hides her giggle with a hand over her mouth as he takes her hand, tugging her away from the ballroom and across the entrance hall.

She dismisses the guards with a wave of her hand, other hand still securely in his as he stops at the mouth of one of the many corridors branching off into the palace.

"Let me look at you." He says suddenly, twirling her around, eyes taking in every detail of her outfit, from the curl of her hair, to her tiara, to the fine beading on her gown.

She feels self conscious as he seems to stare at her for ages, hand held loosely in hers.

"You look beautiful, as always." He finally pronounces, leaning down and brushing his lips against her forehead, hand tucking an errant curl behind her ear. "Hello." He adds with a grin after he pulls back.

She smiles up at him.

"This is a nice surprise. I'm guessing Rebekah was involved?" She replies innocently as he looks slightly sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck. He swings their joined hands back and forth between them.

"And Kol, and Katherine, and Elijah, and Damon, and Stefan." He recounts with a chuckle. "Everyone was in on it apparently. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you."

"I think I like this better." She admits as she bites her lip. "I liked this surprise. I really missed you. Is your father feeling better?"

"Much." He replies as he leads her over to one of the many cushioned benches positioned strategically around the entrance hall. Already guests are starting to filter out of the ballroom and into the entrance hall, curious glances thrown in their direction as she settles in close to him, shoulder pressing against his. "He sends his apologies that he couldn't be here tonight. Is everything okay with you?" He asks gently, body twisting towards hers as one of his arms curls around her waist.

She quickly recounts her conversation to Stefan in low tones, very much aware that sound echoes in this hall and that there's perhaps half a dozen other people who are all dying to overhear their conversation.

He frowns, head bent towards her as she finishes with her visit with Katherine. Footsteps ring against the marble floor and they both glance up at Damon, who smirks towards both of them before holding out a hand for her.

"Sorry to break up the reunion Windsor." He says with a respectful nod towards Klaus. "Your absence has been noted your Majesty." He adds pointedly as he tilts his head towards her.

She nods, smoothing down the front of her dress as she takes Damon's proffered hand. Klaus' eyes follow her the entire time from where he's still seated on the marble bench.

"We'll talk about it in the morning. I'll save you a dance." Klaus finally says with a grin, before motioning for Damon to steer her back towards the ballroom.

Her former misgivings about this whole event turn out to be completely incorrect. She makes a point of stopping by to see Alina, congratulating her on such a wonderful effort with the decorations and the mini orchestra and the food.

Alina blushes, unused to such attention and being acknowledged publicly. As soon as Damon and Caroline move along she's accosted by about half a dozen of Qirevia's matriarchs, all wanting her to throw a similar event and clamouring for her business card.

Frustration grows as the night drags on. She dances with what seems like every single male in the room, including Mason Lockwood, where she has to refrain from stepping on his foot and causing deliberate pain, and Tyler Lockwood, who appears seemingly out of nowhere.

After their dance he presents his fiancé Hayley Marshall to her. The other girls red dress is just this side of inappropriate for such a formal occasion, but she chooses not to comment upon seeing how nervous the girl is at meeting her.

Her curtsey is absolutely awful, and she can't help but compare it to Rebekah's the first time the other blonde had met her.

"Both of you are most welcome. I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening." She tells them both graciously, a polite nod to the surprisingly well mannered Lockwood boy.

There was something different about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on, perhaps it was because he was outside the influence of his errant Uncle, who had very pointedly avoided both Tyler and Hayley for the night so far.

Tyler steers Hayley away as an arm curls around her waist.

"I'm going to sweep you up into a dance and make it look like we're talking about something very important so no one disturbs us." Stefan says with a grin as he pulls her towards him.

"Oh thank god I was wondering where you were." She tells her best friend gratefully with a laugh.

She falls into conversation with Stefan quite easily as they dance, teasing each other and making snarky comments about some of the more outrageous ball gowns in the room.

"Have you seen Kelly Donovan tonight? Her latest squeeze is about a breath away from death." Stefan remarks on the Donovan matriarch, who has a strange habit of acquiring husband's more often than she changes her hair colour.

Absolutely gorgeous, Kelly Donovan was young and beautiful. From all reports, she was up to husband number five, the other four dying under mysterious circumstances. Coincidentally all four had left her large amounts of money.

"Strange woman." She replies as Stefan twirls her away from an approaching male.

"I think I'm still trying to figure out if Vicki Donovan is wearing a sheet or a dress." Stefan replies as he tilts his head in consideration. She turns her head sideways as they turn again, taking in the Grecian style dress worn by the youngest Donovan.

"Wow, you actually can't tell. And here I just thought you were exaggerating." She tells him with a laugh as he grins again.

"Can I cut in? Thanks very much Stefan." Kol Mikaelson interrupts, nudging Stefan away from her with an elbow and picking her hand up in one very smooth, well practiced motion.

She barely has time to react, waving at Stefan with her free hand before positioning it on Kol's shoulder.

"So." Kol begins with a smirk. "You have to tell me everything about what's going on with you and my half brother."

She glances at him somewhat suspiciously.

"Did Damon put you up to this?" She asks, referencing Damon's proclivity towards gossip and need to know everything about everyone. He could actually rival Katherine in terms of knowledge if he really put his mind to it, but Damon had other things to worry about.

This was probably a good thing, all things considered.

"I have eyes darling, and so does everyone else in the room." Kol replies pointedly. "The two of you were quite cosy during your dance. A very public declaration as well." He adds, echoing her earlier thoughts.

"Would it really be a massive deal?" She replies wearily as Kol's eyes light up.

"Strategically it's quite a massive coup. The Windsor's are one of the most respected families in Qirevia; his name carries quite a bit of weight in more ways than one. And it will piss off Acamos which I consider a hobby of mine. And of course I'll be your half brother in law if the two of you get married, so that's just an added bonus really."

"How thrilling." She says sarcastically as Kol rolls his eyes towards her.

"The two of you are being so cryptic. I tried questioning Nik earlier and he threatened to strangle me with his bow tie. I figured you'd be the safer option."

She shakes her head at the image of Klaus intimidating his younger sibling.

"I have no idea why you'd even bother trying after that altercation." She says dismissively as Kol smirks. She refrains from slapping it off his face.

"Oh it was hardly an altercation."

"Oh." She replies with a frown. "Allow me to make up for it then." She jams her heel into the instep of Kol's foot, smiling at the couple adjacent to her as Kol hunches over with a hiss.

"Bitch." Kol whispers through clenched teeth as she gives him a simpering smile.

"Oops. Guess I slipped. You should definitely go and take care of that." She takes a step back from him and turns on her heel.

Klaus is waiting for her by the bar, a drink poured and in her hand within seconds.

"That was amusing to watch. Thankyou for the entertainment." He remarks, tapping his glass against hers and taking a swig of his drink.

"Happy I could be of assistance." She replies sarcastically as she sips from her drink.

"Long night?" He asks, glancing at his watch.

She sighs, slumping a little against the bar.

"You have no idea. My feet are killing me." She bends down to rub at her foot, the sides of her heel pinching the sensitive skin of her instep.

"Do you think they can hold up for one more dance?" He asks politely, offering her his hand.

She doesn't hesitate to reach out and take it.

One dance turns into two, and then to three. As the music begins for the third time his hands go around her waist, raising her up so the balls of her feet rest on top of his. She sighs in relief as the pressure and pain on her feet ease somewhat, the skirt of her dress long enough to hide the fact that she's standing on his feet.

The party begins to wind down as she rests a weary head on his shoulder, lifting it only long enough to bid partygoers a safe journey home as they approach her. She's very surprised that they include Klaus in their conversation more often than not. It would be remiss of them to ignore him considering the amount of time he's spent at her side and the fact that his arm is curled around his waist and she's leaning into him.

"You're dead on your feet love. Time for bed." Klaus remarks some time later after she's waved goodbye to the last of the stragglers.

She yawns, reaching down and kicking off her shoes. She sweeps them up and takes his hand with a happy mumble.

Stefan waves from the corner of the room, where he and Rebekah are swaying back and forth to the DJ's music that had taken over around 10:00pm.

The tiles of the entrance hall are cool against her bare feet, and she stops short when Klaus does, glancing up at him in confusion. He says nothing, bending down instead and sweeping her up into his arms.

She doesn't realise how exhausted she is until she rests her head against his chest, that déjà vu coming back in full force as he navigates the familiar path to her room. He sets her down once they're inside the suite, reaching for her tiara and pulling it gently from her head.

She really wants to be awake and coherent for this, but quite frankly she's exhausted, tries to hide her yawn in her fist. She hears him chuckle, loosening the tight up do of her hair with gentle motions.

"I'll let you go to bed. Goodnight Caroline."

She pulls him into a hug, winding her arms around his waist and burying her face into the fabric of his shirt.

"Goodnight." She replies, voice muffled by his shirt. She feels him smooth back her hair from her forehead and gazes up at him.

There's an odd smile on his face as he sighs.

"Not like this." He says finally, bending down to press a chaste kiss to her cheek.

"Will you spend the day with me tomorrow? I want to show you something." She murmurs, fingers tangling in his jacket, not letting him move.

"Of course." He replies immediately, hand cupping her cheek gently. She nuzzles into his touch with a content sigh. "You're making it very hard for me to leave." He tells her after a pause.

"You don't have to leave." She tells him with a shrug.

"Yes I do." He counters, taking a step back. "Tomorrow, usual time." He adds, referring to their 9am start time.

She offers him a lazy salute as he turns towards her bedroom. She's way too tired to worry about his apparent rejection.

"Sweet dreams Caroline. Until tomorrow then."

It takes her awhile to struggle out of her dress and change into something more appropriate for bed.

She's asleep before her head hits the pillow.

AN: Can I just start off by saying how amazing all of you are for reviewing on the last chapter and showing this some love! I was absolutely overwhelmed by the response, and this crossed the line of 100 reviews! Everyone pat yourselves on the back, you're all awesome! Review or not I appreciate each and everyone of you that choose to review this story, it's you guys that keep me going through this with your words of encouragement!

So much fluff, a little bit more plot, and more fluff. This chapter was so big that I had to split it in two. The second half will come sometime next week after I finish my exams. This was to make up for the fact that I hadn't updated in ages before the previous chapter *whistles*

Not much to say in this one. I apologise for the lack of Mikaelson sibling shenanigans that I promised last chapter, this one got away from me so it will take place in the next chapter.

The book that Caroline reads to the school children is Green Eggs and Ham by Doctor Seuss.

And I quite enjoyed writing sassy Caroline with Kol and stepping on his foot. That's our girl!

In the next chapter what I have planned (so far): Klaus and Caroline spend the day together and find out a little bit more about each other. They may or may not travel to Chatsworth Estate, the mysterious seat of the Windsor family.

Caroline spends her first Christmas as Queen at the palace. But does she spend it alone?

Mason Lockwood floats around generally being an asshole over the whole marriage thing as Caroline prepares for her upcoming visit to Serisa and Acamos.

General Lorenzo Augustine may make a reappearance, but will probably be in the chapter after next. He and Klaus have met before.

Reviews feed the muse as always Xx

Katie