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Disclaimer: No TVD for me... I should write a song about my grief :(

Chapter 9

You And I

London, England 1550

Caroline stood awkwardly, shuffling quietly on her feet as she held Lord Klaus' dark cloak out to him, waiting for him to take it. She could feel the heat of his gaze on her, pinning her down and locking her in her current position. Her own eyes stayed firmly glued to the floor, not straying. She heard his footsteps as he approached her slowly, as if she would run at the slightest misstep.

Once he was so close that she could nearly hear the steady rise and fall of his chest, his fingers reached out and barely brushed hers and he took hold of the cloak. To her chagrin, she could not stop herself from glancing up at him. She swiftly brought her head back down, trying to look the perfect servant, knowing that it was a quality she much lacked the last few days.

The cloak was now in Lord Klaus' hands and Caroline breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped back and sat in one of the mahogany chairs that the dining room was filled with. He looked at her in curiosity, as if she were an enigma, impossible to figure out but intriguing nevertheless.

"Thank you, m'lord, for lending me your cloak; you are too kind." She said formally, curtsying once.

"You are welcome, Caroline." She made to leave when Lord Klaus' voice stopped her. "Wait. Have a seat." He pulled out the chair next to his, sliding it from other the shined wooden table. "We have a few business matters to discuss before you attend to your other duties." Obediently, she sat at the edge of the seat, as far away as she could get from him, distancing herself physically and mentally. "You there, bring us some goblets and wine." Lord Klaus commanded a serving girl, not looking her way. The girl immediately scurried off, returning a minute later with two elegant goblets, filled with the sweet wine he ordered. Caroline frowned, not one for drinking, but she knew not to refuse her lord so she accepted it and took a small sip as he smirked at her. She put her cup down heavily.

"M'lord tells me we have business?" She questioned him.

"That we do. I would tell you a few things of the binding ritual that you may not have known about before you decided to break through the boundary," He said evenly, kicking his chair back to prop his legs up on the dining table. How rude.

"The binding ritual, m'lord?"

"Yes, just a few minor details is all. For example, the fact that, now the boundary has been shattered, I will always know where you are... Also, I will continue to feel your emotions. That is just about it, I believe." He mused, not batting an eye as her face went slack jawed in shock. Feel my emotions? He can feel my emotions? What on Earth? And know where I am all the time? He must be jesting with me...

"Feel my emotions, m'lord?" She asked, tight-lipped.

"Yes, but not to an extreme, naturally... I only feel them when they are particularly strong. So when you feel terror, rage, bliss... lust..." He took a long sip from his goblet, looking at her through his lashes. She tried not to shiver under his heated glance, knowing it would only spur him on. He's going to feel my emotions? Oh, Lord. This is not going to end well.

"And my location, m'lord?" She said, trying to show that he wasn't affecting her in any way. From the looks of it, she was not doing very well since Lord Klaus' smirk grew.

"I will able to detect you wherever you are through a mind connection." At her horrified glance, he was quick to reassure her. "Again, it will only happen if you are feeling a high amount of emotion." She was still not convinced as her panic rose; He can't be in my mind. That means he will be able to invade my most private space. No one should have such an ability.

"Can we not get the spell re-done? To make the boundary intact?" She asked, voice surprisingly high pitched.

"I'm afraid not, sweetheart. Witches and their spells; tricky things, really. You see, the transaction with the binding was that, should the boundary be broken, it cannot be unbroken or fixed, shall we say. This would of course be an advantage to me, if my Forbes servant should try to escape..."

"Because then there will be nowhere he or she can hide, since the bond will forever be holding them to you." She finished, realizing. Lord Klaus nodded in approval, suddenly all business.

"Precisely, love. So, even though you did not intend to escape, you still broke the boundary and these are the consequences." He stated, taking his legs from the table and turning completely to her, elbows on his knees as he leaned forward.

"B-But, there must be a way m'lord!" She exclaimed, ignoring the fact that he had moved even closer to her and how her heart skipped a beat because of it.

"There is none, Caroline." He stated. Her shoulders sagged, and she looked to her hands. When did everything become so... different? She didn't want him to know so much of her, to control so much of her. She saw a hand move towards hers and grip it tightly, covering her small hand with his larger one. She did not move away but looked to him, questioningly.

"I give you my word I will not use the bond unless there is no other option." She briefly smiled at him, trying to say 'it's alright! I'm fine.' She could tell he didn't believe a thing of it though and he tightened his fingers around hers before letting go and grabbing a small cloth bag from the table. He held it lightly with his fingertips, a look of disgust upon his face. He handed it to her, and she took it, brow creased in curiosity. He gestured for her to look inside and so she did.

Vervain. And lots of it too, crushed into powder.

"I believe that may come of use to you. It may also help with the bond... According to my sister, the more you take of it, the less easily I will be able to connect to you." He paused a moment, before continuing. "It will also, of course, stop compulsion and make your blood poison to any vampire." Lord Klaus cleared his throat. "Be sure to take it every day and should you need more, just ask for it."

Caroline wanted to say that the Forbes family had their own stores of vervain, that she did not need him to give her things, but something stopped her short. He was willing to give up on some of his control of her for her own protection... So she had some form of being able to stay true to herself. Yet he had no ill feelings towards compelling me a few days ago... So instead of protesting, she nodded and tied the bag of vervain to her belt. There was an awkward moment of silence between them, neither sure what should proceed.

"That concludes our business today, darling." Lord Klaus stated as he abruptly got up and went to stand behind Caroline's chair. He leant forward, placing his head by her cheek. "Come with me, I'd like to show you something." He whispered in her ear. Caroline stilled, taken off-guard. I should just say no... But I can't refuse him. Mama said never refuse him. For once, she cursed her family's many rules, but knew she had naught a choice but to follow them. Lord Klaus circled her, so he now stood before her, hand held out to her. In defeat, she sighed, and placed her hand in his.

His replying smile made it seem worth the trouble.

Lord Klaus had, surprisingly, led her to the stables. As he walked her in, he brought his hands up to cover her eyes and immediately she tried to pull them off. Alas, it was to no avail.

"W-What is going on, m'lord?" She questioned, cursing her sudden shyness as blood rose to her cheeks.

"It's a surprise, Caroline. Do not worry yourself, sweetheart, I have no nefarious intentions." He whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. She let her hands fall from his, clenching them at her sides. He led her forward, hands covering her eyes. Caroline wondered why she was not more afraid; after all, he was a vampire. He could easily injure her and yet she believed that he would not. Eventually they must have reached their destination, for her lord stilled. He took his hands from her eyes, and placed them both on her shoulders.

"Open your eyes, love." She obeyed, and gasped in delight, walking forward. Before her stood a horse she did not recognize. It was beautiful beast, huge with a sleek, dark brown coat. It had a white spot on its snout and its mane was a wild mess of black. It snorted loudly, surprising Caroline, who automatically stepped back. She bumped into a solid body behind her, whipping around. Lord Klaus was smirking down at her, arms crossed in front of his chest. Caroline cleared her throat, trying to stop her thoughts from running wild.

"Is this..." She trailed off, suddenly unsure.

"She's for you, love. I thought you could use a little... compensation, for your troubles." He stated, looking at her as if trying to gage her reaction. Though she did not particularly like his wording of the situation, she couldn't help the blinding smile that came to her face.

"She's beautiful, m'lord." She stated, turning back to look at the horse, her horse. She leant on the wooden gate of her pen, Lord Klaus joining her not a moment later. She could feel his eyes on her as she watched her horse. "How did you know, m'Lord Klaus?" She questioned, shyly gazing at him.

"You seem to spend a lot of time in my stables, Caroline." He stated, chuckling. She looked at him, disbelieving, raising an eyebrow. "Alright, Elijah told me..." He confessed, causing her to giggle. He smiled at her, boyish dimples showing. They both turned back to watch Caroline's horse.

"Does she have a name, m'lord?" She asked.

"I thought you might like to give her one."

"Myra..." She murmured. "I'd like to call her Myra."

"Good choice." Lord Klaus commented. There was a moment where nothing was said before Caroline turned to face her lord fully.

"Thank you, m'lord. This is truly a kindness. I have never received such a gift before." Caroline said, curtsying. "I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you." She instantly regretted her words when she saw Lord Klaus' smirk.

"Well, there is one way..."

"M'lord?" She asked, nervous of what he wanted of her.

"You could give me a chance."

"I do not know what you mean, m'lord." She replied, playing dumb.

"I would make you mine, Caroline." He leaned closer, and took her hand, holding it to his chest, over his heart. "All I ask is for a chance to court you without you refusing me at every turn."

"You presume too much, m'lord." She ripped her hand away, surprised that she was actually able to. She had a sneaking suspicion Lord Klaus only let her take her hand back.

"Give me one week, just one." He stated amiably, with a shrug. "And if you still dislike me then... I will leave you be and you will only be my maidservant... Come on, Caroline, I dare you." He smirked at her and she sighed; damn him for knowing what buttons to push.

"Fine... I give you my consent, m'lord..." She met his gaze head on. "But, only one week and I need your word that you will leave me be should I decide so." She quickly added when she saw his smirk widen.

"You have my word, love."

"Good." She sighed. Suddenly, Lord Klaus opened the gate to Myra's pen, ushering Caroline in as well.

"Then I have the perfect way to start..." He began pulling things off racks and started fiddling around.

"Wait, right now, m'lord?" She thought he would wait a day or two.

"Now is as good a time as any, is it not?" He said with a smile and Caroline abruptly realized that he was saddling Myra up; she took a step back.

"I-I'm afraid I might have mislead you. I don't know much about horses, m'lord." She gulped nervously.

"You don't know how to ride?" He asked, incredulous.

"No, m'lord. I-I apologize... I should have told you sooner." She whispered, looking down.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Caroline." Lord Klaus said softly, she returned her eyes to his, surprised to see him gazing tenderly at her. "I sometimes forget that others have not lived such long and privileged lives as I and my siblings." He's not mad? She was actually rather shocked. From what she knew of her lord, he always had a foul temper and was quick to anger at the smallest offense. And, yet, here he was reassuring her. She was confused, to say the least.

"Well, there is only one thing we can do about it then..." Lord Klaus stated, tugging at the saddle one last time, before approaching the blonde girl. When he was right in front of her, he smirked. "... I suppose I'll have to teach you." He grabbed her suddenly by the waist, causing her yelp in shock. Quickly, he blurred back to Myra and placed her on the horse. Caroline automatically adjusted herself to the saddle, trying not to fall as she looked for something to hold onto.

"M'lord!" She cried, indignant, with a huff.

"First lesson; you need to be on the horse to ride it." He chuckled in response. She glared at him, annoyed at his amusement. She made to get off, but Lord Klaus' hand on her leg stopped her. "Ah, ah, you made a deal. Seven days, Caroline. You have to give me a chance."

"And this constitutes as giving you a chance?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Of course it does, sweetheart." She sighed, knowing she could not go back on her word. She nodded her consent. "Good, now all you need to do is hold onto that there, the horn." Lord Klaus stated, as he took her hands and placed them on the 'horn', "Just keep your balance and Myra and I will do the rest." He placed her feet one by one properly in the stirrups, looking up at her every once so often, smirking a bit when he caught her blush. He took a step back, admiring her.

"There, much better." He reached for the reins, and began to lead Myra out of the stables. Caroline squeezed her legs tighter around her horse, afraid that if she let go an inch she would fall. Her heart beat faster with anxiousness. "Don't be afraid, love. She can feel it if you are. A confident rider is a better rider." She gulped as she looked down at him.

"I'm going to fall, m'lord."

"No you are not, Caroline. Besides, I'll be right with you the entire time." Lord Klaus said, gazing back at her sincerely. She felt a warm feeling at his concern for her.

Lord Klaus slowly walked them to the gardens, staying by them steadily. Myra was obviously a reliable horse; she had not once tried to throw Caroline off, for which she was very grateful. Eventually they had gotten to the pond and Caroline was surprised by the fact she was actually enjoying herself. She had finally gotten used to the steady rhythm of riding and her fear of falling drifted away from her. The fact that Lord Klaus was there probably helped as well.

The entire ride Lord Klaus had been silent, and Caroline didn't mind at all. It said something to her that she could enjoy a comfortable silence with him. Though she often babbled, she wasn't one for nonsensical chatter when it was unnecessary and out here in the lovely gardens, with the sun shining and a cool breeze in the air, she felt calm and content, even without talking. When they arrived at the willow tree, Lord Klaus turned to her, a mischievous look in his blue eyes. Immediately, she felt her calm melt away and be replaced with nerves.

"I think that you have learned the basics, sweetheart." He handed her the reins before she could protest. "It's time you ride on your own." He smacked Myra's side once, causing the horse to go suddenly running. Caroline, taken by surprise, nearly forgot how to hold on. Through her panic though, she managed to get ahold of herself. Instinctively, she was able to gain control of Myra, leading her with the reins. Her initial panic and fright left her as she felt the speed of her horse underneath her. The wind blew through her hair and she let out a laugh of glee. She had never realized the utter fun riding could be. She looked back to Lord Klaus to tell him this when she lost her precarious balance.

She felt herself falling before she knew what was going on, her heart jumping to her throat. She closed her eyes and waited for impact when Lord Klaus was suddenly there and caught her swiftly. Her eyes were still glued shut when she felt his rumbling laughter. She peeked up at him. He looked so young, the smile on his face erasing the weariness that usually lay there. She joined in with his laughter, knowing she must have looked ridiculous. When their laughter subsided however, they were left staring at each other and Caroline realized he was still holding her in a very improper way.

"You can put me down now, m'lord." She said quietly, not breaking away from his gaze. He gently placed her feet on the floor, but did not move away. She was so close she had to crane her neck slightly to look at him.

"You needn't call me 'm'lord' anymore Caroline..." He whispered, eyes burning into hers. "You are not beneath me..." His voice turned husky as his arm slowly wrapped around her waist. He did not make another move, however, leaving the decision of what would happen next with her. Caroline knew she shouldn't, but she had also told him she would give him a chance. And the way he looked at her, eyes smouldering and yet still gazing at her tenderly... She never felt more her, until this moment.

Coming to a decision, Caroline quickly wound her arms around Klaus' neck and placed her lips over his. The kiss started off sweet and innocent but soon grew more passionate. Klaus' other arm went around her shoulders, pulling the blonde girl flush to him. His hand soon rose to her hair as he deepened the kiss. Caroline tightened her grip around his neck, standing on her the tips of her toes.

"Klaus," She murmured as he pressed another kiss to her lips. She only pulled away when she needed air, but even then she did not step away. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks when she realized what she had done.

She had kissed him. She had kissed Lord Klaus.

Hastily, she backed up and walked to where Myra stood, grazing. Caroline tried to mount her but found she wasn't at all sure how to. A pair of hands came swiftly around her waist, lifting her up with ease until she sat in the saddle. The hands stayed there as she looked down at the vampire they belonged to. She took one of them, and, much like the day before, she placed a light kiss to his knuckles.

"I thank you for today, m'lord." She smiled genuinely at Klaus, before taking the reins and setting Myra to a trot. Before she left him standing there, a few of his earlier words made its way into her mind and she decided to address them.

"And if you still dislike me then..."

"To let you know... Klaus... I don't dislike you." With that, she rode off as quickly as she could, trying not to fall and telling herself that her heart was only racing because of the speed Myra was going at.

Even she did not believe her lie.

Klaus watched the blonde spitfire as she rode her horse clumsily back to the stable with a smile on his face. She was truly extraordinary. He smirked as he thought of how she took control and kissed him. And now he had seven, well, six more days to commence with his plans.

For the first time in a long while, Klaus felt that things were alright. Mikael had yet to discover them. Elijah was still searching after Katerina and he was getting closer every day. Rebekah had yet to throw another tantrum. Kol was no longer causing any trouble. And Caroline... Caroline was giving in. Just as he always knew she would.

She was such a temptation, this little human girl. So intoxicating and so very young... But also fierce and she had a fire unlike any other. She was a worthy opponent, to be sure.

Klaus was going to enjoy this game very much.

Caroline groaned as she sat on her bed. She had finally been able to leave the stable after trying, and failing, to unsaddle her horse many times over. Eventually, she had had to find a stable hand to help her with Myra. And now she was sore everywhere, her body unused to riding.

Her thoughts quickly turned to Lord Klaus and what had happened between them. He had given her vervain... and a horse... and she had kissed him. Let's not forget their little arrangement as well. How he had managed to turn everything so out of order in one day, she would never know. It must be a talent of his, she decided. Still, part of her was glad for the whirlwind known as Lord Niklaus. Though he brought fear and dread to people, he also brought her other, more confusing feelings. Feelings she was not ready to admit to.

As she glanced around her chambers, she noticed a roll of parchment lying innocently on her clothing chest. She took it, hesitantly, already suspecting who it was from. She ripped off the ribbon tied around it and unrolled it. Inside was another drawing. In this one she was riding Myra, looking to all the world like a wild princess as she glanced back to the artist. She was smiling in the drawing, happy. She again wondered if she really looked like that to him. In the corner, there was an inscription.

You're welcome,

Klaus.

Caroline smiled as she placed the picture with the other and was strangely excited for what the next day would bring.

Maybe staying away from him will be harder than I thought.

A woman sat in a carriage, looking immaculate, her chocolate brown curls styled to perfection, olive toned skin glistening. She waited patiently for the arrival of a very important guest, smirking. Her plans were finally coming to fruition. She would get her vengeance.

As the door to the carriage opened, she smiled in anticipation. Finally.

A human man entered, the arm of a weakened vampire around his shoulder as he brought him in with him. The human placed the vampire across from her and looked to her for instruction.

"Thank you, John. You've served your lord well." She stated with false sweetness before viciously snapping the human's neck. This caused the vampire to look to her in shock.

"Hello Kol. It's a pleasure to meet you." She smiled darkly at him. "My name is Katerina and you and I have much to discuss."

That's it for now! I know it's shorter but I thought this was the best ending for the chapter.

You know what I just realized, John has the same name as John Gilbert. I guess when I was looking for a name for a d-bag I automatically thought of him, though he did redeem himself, kinda, when he saved Elena, I must say. Anyways, kinda random but there you go.

I just want to apologize that the wait was longer than usual; there are a bunch of reasons why this wasn't up earlier so I won't bore you with all of the details, but, just to let you know, I hope to start updating more regularly ;)

Next chapter: More from the other Original siblings and we explore Klaus' week with Caroline. What is dear ol' Katherine up to?

Sorry if the kiss scene sucked, it's the first time I've ever written one :(

Let me know what you think!

RW

Edited - 19/08/12