Hey guys!

So like I said before, I wasn't too proud of the last chapter, but hopefully this one will be a whole lot better! I'd just like to let you know that I've started another fic now, which will be running at the same time as this one. Because I have an outline for the other fic as well, this shouldn't effect uploads. But just in case it does, now you know why.

Also, I've planned almost to the end of the story now, and it looks like it's going to be a little over thirty chapters, is that alright with you guys?

I wasn't going to tell you about this, but I've been having a pretty bad time lately, I've messed a lot of things up without meaning to, with a few of my friends, and I broke up with my boyfriend about a week ago. I couldn't feel worse at the moment, so I hope it doesn't affect my writing in any way. I just kind of need someone to talk to, and there aren't really many people left.

Thanks to;

oXxgeorgiaxXo, mikaelsonswife, imaddictedtocarrots, IrishBeauty294, heartvampires, SophieSheeran, PsychVamp, Mystery Girl3, XxLost-In-The-EchoxX, Midnight349, crystalhoney, justine, SarahCullen4, IgnitingFireworks, Kakemann, Grace5231973, and Missyr256.

And here are some questions that were asked;

heartvampires - "Please can there be a Klaroline moment next chapter?"

There will be a Klaroline moment, of sorts . . . . I guess I can say yes, there will definitely be a scene between them. But I'm not entirely sure how much actual Klaroline will be in it. But I'm going to say yes, I'll try and get some of that in there, because it's been a while now.

crystalhoney - "So I'm guessing Klaus will propose next chapter?"

I'm sorry to tell you, but you would be wrong there. He will propose eventually, but that will be a long time from now, sorry! You'll see why though, in this chapter, as there are complications. I won't say anymore, and you'll have to read the chapter to find out what those "complications" are.

crystalhoney - "And what about her family?"

That will also come along in time. If this fic goes to plan, we should see Caroline's family again in about . . . six chapters time. That may seem long, but there's a lot of stuff coming in the next few chapters, so hopefully, it will all be worth the wait.

IgnitingFireworks - "Are we going to see Klaus turn into a wolf yet, or not?"

He did turn into a wolf a few chapters ago, but yes, we will see him turn again. Once again, if the story goes to plan, Klaus should turn again, in about nine chapters time.

Anyway, I won't keep you any longer, enjoy!

Megz

oxox

Klaus led Caroline by the hand through the many twists and turns of the garden, towards the maze that was hidden beyond the trees. He had showed up at her door that morning, telling her to get dressed as quickly as she could, because he had something important to tell her. She'd done as he said, pulling on one of the more comfortable dresses from her wardrobe. Without Anna to help her, she had some trouble lacing up the back, so called Klaus in. He'd pushed her hair to one side gently, and Caroline had shuddered with the touch of his cold hand on her skin. He turned her round when he'd done, and they'd been so close, Caroline had been almost certain that he was going to kiss her. But instead, he just beamed at her, and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the room.

They hadn't spoken the whole way to the garden, and she would have been worried, if it wasn't for the great smile on Klaus' face. His enthusiasm and excitement really was infectious, and Caroline couldn't help but smile along with him, and laugh as he pulled her through the trees. Her hair was in her eyes, and probably just a general mess, due to the wind, but she didn't much care.

He led her to the maze, and then round corners and through small shortcuts. The maze was made up of tall, green hedges, and some even had delicate, but bright flowers blooming from them. Were it any other day or time, Caroline probably would have stopped to admire the flowers, and even smell them. They reminded her of when she gathered flowers for her mother. How she would pick the flowers very carefully, only taking the ones in full bloom, and the ones that caught her eye. The ones of the brightest reds and yellows. Sometimes, though, if she found a particularly interesting flower, she would take it for herself, and tuck it behind her ear. Then later, she would lay it on her window sill, where she would stare at it for hours, daydreaming.

She shook her head, still laughing as Klaus continued to lead her. She couldn't believe that she'd never noticed the maze before, or that no one had told her about it, as it seemed to take up quite a lot of the garden space. Though it was very well hidden by trees and such. Suddenly, Klaus came to a stop in front of her, and Caroline would have run straight into his back if he hadn't turned and caught her. They both laughed, and Caroline took in her new surroundings.

They were in what she presumed was the centre of the maze, and Caroline's breath caught, as she took it in. The soil and grass of the floor had changed to a hard, but worn marble, and they were surrounded by mirrors that were bordered with ivy and various other plants. The way the sunlight reflected off the mirrors, and bounced around her created a beautiful and breath-taking effect that meant she couldn't help but smile again.

Caroline couldn't believe something so beautiful had been concealed from her the whole time, and wished she'd found it a lot sooner. She imagined what it would be like to come to the centre of the maze in the night time, when the moonlight would reflect, and bounce all around her. Looking into Klaus' eyes, she beamed at him, and he took her hands gently. It only took her a few seconds to realize that he looked nervous. His smile was genuine, but slightly weak, and his laugh was slowly turning into ragged breathing. Her eyes filled with concern, but he didn't mention it. She knew then that whatever he was about to tell her really was very important. Klaus was the oldest, and most powerful vampire, or even creature, in the history of time itself, he didn't get nervous.

"What is it?"

"I . . . . I have some very important news," he whispered, and his grip on her hands tightened. Most people would have been scared by this action, but it felt to Caroline like he needed something to keep him stead. And stood, with Klaus, surrounded by the ivy and sunlight, she couldn't think of anywhere she felt more at peace. "When I tell you, though . . . you have to remember to keep an open mind, alright? I'm not asking you for anything, I swear . . . "

"Klaus . . . ?" Caroline muttered, getting increasingly confused. But Klaus just ignored her look, and took a deep breath. And for some reason, he felt a sudden rush of confidence. And when he let out the breath he took in, his lips broke into a great smile.

"Caroline, I know this seems a little sudden, but remember, I'm not asking you for anything, I promise," Klaus began, looking straight into her eyes this time. He was now filled with adrenaline and confidence, and he wasn't going to back down now. "I didn't think this day would come so soon, and I thought we'd be able to get to know each other a bit better first, but . . . in a few weeks' time, I'm to be crowned King, and - "

"Klaus, that's great!" Caroline cried, and flung her arms round his neck. Klaus didn't even care that she'd interrupted him, he wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, and in a moment of pure happiness, swept her feet off the ground and spun her around with him. Her screams and laughter bounced off the walls like the sunlight did, and he could see the grin on her face reflected in all the mirrors. And somehow, it was better than the beams of the sunlight. Somehow, it was more beautiful, and even more breath-taking.

Putting her down slowly, and releasing his grip on her, Klaus felt like before he could truly be happy about it, he needed Caroline to know the full details.

"But, I need a wife, before I can be King . . . " he muttered, and suddenly, he was nervous again, because they both knew what he was saying. Of course, it had been mentioned between them before, that she might have to marry him, but that was always, at least in her eyes, a very small possibility. It was always something that she put off thinking about, because it seemed so far away. Now it was about to become a reality. Of course, he didn't know this. From the beginning, it had been clear to him that it was Caroline that he wanted to marry. But he'd always known that it wasn't really something that she wanted, and that was what worried him. Because she could say yes now, but then, in the future, regret it. And he didn't want that. Because he knew that if he married her, it would be the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"Oh," she replied, because she really didn't know what to say, or what to think. She just stood, in a stunned silence, while Klaus searched for an answer in her eyes. When he found none, he tried to explain in more detail, hoping that would get a longer reply out of her.

"Like I said before, Caroline, I'm not asking you for anything, but you knew I was going to pick you. It's always been you, the other girls never even stood a chance. None could even hold a candle to you, sweetheart. And this isn't me asking you to marry me, I promise. This is just me, giving you a choice. If you want, you can leave. You can leave now, and you never have to marry me, and you never have to come here again, I'm giving you that option. Or, you can stay here for a bit longer, up until a few days before my coronation. By then, hopefully, you'll have decided whether you do want to stay with me or not. I know it's sudden, and it's nowhere near enough time to make such a big decision, but I'm afraid it's all I can offer you, Caroline. So?"

She tried to think it over for a moment, tried to be sensible about it. Because she knew the sensible thing would be to say that she needed time, that she needed to be sure about it. And there was a part of her that wanted to do that, that tried to, but the other part of her, the part that knew the answer, was too strong. She knew there was a possibility that she might change her mind, and she knew that's what he was afraid of, but her heart was screaming for her to say yes. Because she knew there was nowhere she'd be happier.

But instead of telling him, she took a few steps closer to him, a smile creeping across her lips that she just didn't seem to be able to stop. She tilted her head up slightly, looking into his confused eyes, and in one fluid movement, caught her hand in his hair, and pulled his lips down to meet hers.

Elijah cleared his throat, and the two sprang apart immediately, a blush sweeping across Caroline's cheeks. Klaus looked a little less embarrassed running his fingers through his slightly ruffled hair and smiling absentmindedly. Smirking a little also, Elijah strolled out from behind the ivy, and into the centre. He clasped his hands behind his back, and Caroline couldn't help but think how formal he looked. She'd never really seen Elijah look anything other than serious, even now, after just finding his brother canoodling with a village girl in the gardens.

She stepped behind Klaus, looking down at the ground at trying to control her furious blush. Klaus just stood his ground, looking a lot more confident than Caroline herself felt.

"Now's not a good time, Elijah," Klaus said, and Caroline could practically hear his smirk, only making her blush even more. She didn't know what it was, but she'd suddenly turned into a shy little girl again. And she felt so stupid for it, but at the same time, she didn't seem able to stop.

"I apologize, Niklaus," Elijah replied, and looked Caroline up and down smirking as he continued, "I didn't realize I would interrupt such . . . intimate events. Forgive me, for if there were a better time to call on you, I would take it. However, Shane has requested your presence. He says it's urgent."

Caroline lifted her head, and tilted it to the side slightly, a completely confused look taking over her face. The whole time she'd been at the castle, she'd never even heard anyone mention the name 'Shane' before, not even from Anna. It was strange, as she thought she'd met everyone that there was to meet within the castle grounds. She knew it was stupid, though. Of course there would be people she hadn't met before, in a castle that size, it was hardly surprising. However, it was the way that Elijah said his name, that interested her the most. He practically spat it out, as if it were something disgusting on his tongue, but, at the same time, the way he said it was slightly mocking, as if there were something amusing about it.

"Ah," Klaus replied, looking slightly taken aback at first, but then the same mocking tone took over his voice as well. "Well, I wouldn't want to miss an audience with our dear Shane, now would I?"

Elijah just shook his head, and looked over Klaus' shoulder, only just seeming to remember that Caroline was still there. Klaus turned to her at the same time, and placed a hand on her cheek. He smiled at her, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Caroline really hoped he couldn't hear her heartbeat at that moment, because it felt like it was about to beat right out of her chest.

"I'll escort Caroline back to the castle," Elijah said, and Klaus gave Caroline an apologetic look, before stepping away. "Shane is waiting for you in the library,"

"You wished to see me?" Klaus asked, stepping into the library, to see Shane sat in an arm-chair. Klaus hated the royal adviser with a passion. He wasn't really sure what it was about him, but he always thought that he knew a little too much, and it always seemed as though he had some kind of secret agenda. It wasn't as if Shane had actually ever done anything to prove Klaus' suspicions correct, but he just had this kind of air about him.

Atticus Shane was a young man, with curly, dark hair that fell across his dark, mysterious eyes. It was those eyes that played quite a large part in Klaus' suspicions of him. They always seemed to be hiding something, and observing everything at the same time. He was quite tall, and slim, and Klaus knew that most of the servant girls thought of him as handsome, although none really cared for his personality. He was rather boring when it came down to it, and only worth the conversation if he was giving you information.

Shane had come to the castle many years ago, telling them that he knew of a cure for vampirism. Of course, Mikael and Esther would have wanted it right away, if they knew about it. Shane came to Klaus first, telling him all about the cure, and Klaus made him swear secrecy. He didn't want anyone else in his family finding out about the cure. With Shane's help, Klaus went through the necessary procedures to get the cure, not really caring about the consequences. And though it took many years of slaughter and hard work, eventually, they got to it.

With the help of a powerful witch called Emily, they managed to bend the laws of nature, making even more doses of the cure. Emily managed to replicate the cure at least five times, before the efforts of the dark magic she was using, killed her. Klaus blamed himself for her death, though at the time, he was just focused on the cure. He kept it quite far from the castle, but not so far as he couldn't get to it in under an hour. For Shane's efforts and help in gaining the cure, Emily made him immortal before she died.

Although Klaus knew that Shane had other ideas when it came to the cure, he had done since first arriving, he never asked about it. For Shane now knew there was no way he was ever getting close to the cure again, and he knew there was no way to overthrow Klaus. Many people wanted the cure, and Klaus had no doubt that the Salvatore's plan to kill him lead back to that as well.

"Yes, yes I did," Shane replied, gesturing for Klaus to sit down on the chair opposite him. The gesture angered Klaus greatly, and he had only just entered the room. It was his chair, his library, his castle now, actually, so if anything, Shane should be asking his permission to sit. Still, the arrogant idiot didn't seem to notice Klaus' anger, so he sat anyway, repressing the urge to punch him. "I know that you're going to be picking a wife soon, because you know that you have to pick one before becoming King. And I know you've already made your decision. I must say, Miss Forbes is a very well-mannered young lady, but there are . . . complications."

"What. Kind. Of. Complications?" Klaus spat, gritting his teeth. His fingernails were digging into the arms of the chair, and he was already fantasizing about ripping out the adviser's throat. Could he live without a neck? Klaus doubted it.

"You see, Esther, she . . . " Shane began, obviously sensing Klaus' anger, and not wanting to push him any further. He sounded quite hesitant, but Klaus shot him a look that said; "Just get on with it!". So he carried on, "Before her and Mikael were . . . killed, they set up a new law, to . . . to do with you. The law reads that a King cannot marry a girl of a lower status, for example, a village girl. He will only be permitted to marry a princess, or a Lady, nothing below that. To marry a serving or village girl, is to do so on risk of her life."

Shane watched as Klaus went slack in the chair, his head falling into his hands. Of course! He should've known his mother would do something like this. Her and Mikael had always worried that Caroline marrying him would "taint" the throne. So, obviously, they'd done the one thing that would ensure, even after their death, that he would, and he could never marry her. Sensing that Klaus had run out of things to say, he took the parchment that lay on the table beside him, and handed it to the Prince.

Klaus glanced at it, with unseeing eyes. There it was, in his mother's inky script, the law that would stop him from having the one thing that mattered most to him. He felt like he was underwater, and he was struggling to hear what else Shane was trying to say.

"The law is bound with magic, so, if you marry Miss Forbes, or anyone deemed by your parents to be of a 'lower status', she'll die."

Caroline practically skipped back to her chambers that afternoon. She'd spent the rest of the morning wandering the gardens with Elijah, talking about Klaus, and his siblings. Caroline actually felt a lot more comfortable around the older Mikaelson now, after he shared some particularly funny stories about Klaus that she hoped to use in her favour in the near future. Still, she wished Klaus would have returned to the garden, and he could have joined them. Although she would never admit it, she missed him when he wasn't around, and everything just seemed . . . better, when he was there.

But her morning with Elijah had actually been a lot more enjoyable than she would have expected. She'd found that she quickly became quite attuned to the man's sense of humour, which was surprisingly quite dark. And she actually quite looked forward to seeing him again. It was nice to have another friend in the castle, especially as she hadn't seen Anna, Lexi and Rose for a while. Plus, it was nice to get away from all the girl talk, and have a proper conversation with someone. She knew now that Elena had left with Damon, and that thought made her happy. It made her happy because it let her believe that there really was hope for love between a vampire and human. That a relationship like that really could work. She hoped they were happy.

Stopping in front of her door, Caroline saw a piece of parchment had been nailed to it. The writing on it, she knew better than her own. She recognized the sweeping curls of the letters, and their slight slant, and the sight of it made her heart skip a beat. Klaus. She carefully pulled the nail from the door, and took it, and the note into her room. Throwing the nail across the rug, and not caring where it landed, she collapsed on the bed, and lying on her front, read the note to herself.

Dearest Caroline,

I'm sorry about what happened before. Shane, the royal adviser, had some import matters to discuss, about my coronation. Don't worry, though, it's all sorted out now. It's going to be a few weeks before the actual ceremony where I become King, so I think it's best that we don't rush into this. I want you to take your time, and to really think about it. I know we've discussed this already, about waiting, and about getting to know each other first, but I really meant that. I want you to be sure, because it would break my heart if you ever changed your mind.

So up until the day of my coronation, we will talk of this no more, and we will continue as we were, if you like. It is up to you how we spend these next few weeks, just as long as you have come to a definite decision afterwards.

I'm sorry to tell you, as I know you were quite close, but Alexia and Rose will be departing this afternoon at six o'clock. They're going back to their homes, and with the people they truly belong to, I see that now. I cannot just pluck people from their lives, and expect them to do my bidding. I realize that this also applies to you, but it seems that I'm unable to do the same for you. I don't think I can let you go, just yet, not unless you want me to.

I know this isn't the best way to be starting these next few weeks, but tomorrow is Jenna and Jeremy's funeral. I understand that you may not want to be seen with me there, but, I don't think I'll be able to go without you there to support me. I don't think I'd be able to take the looks, especially from Anna. So will you come with me? I will understand if you say no, believe me, I just . . . I don't think I can do it alone.

Klaus.x

At six o'clock, when the bells chimed from the church in the distance, Caroline ran down the steps of the castle, towards the carriage that awaited for her friends. The sun was just beginning to set, and the path up to the castle was bathed in an orange glow. Lexi and Rose stood by the carriage, waiting for Caroline. Getting to the last step, she stopped, taking them in for the last time.

Lexi's hair was straight, and cascading down her back, not a single hair out of place. Her amber eyes sparkled, especially in the light of the sunset. The white dress she wore clung to her figure perfectly, accentuating her tiny waist. Her full, pink lips turned up into a smile when she spotted Caroline standing there, and she twirled a parasol between her fingers absentmindedly.

Rose stood, beaming behind her, her long, brown hair falling around her shoulders like a waterfall. She too was holding a parasol, it's colour matching her salmon-pink dress perfectly.

Caroline knew she was going to miss the two of them, but she was thankful that she got to say goodbye, she wished she'd had that opportunity with Elena. The three of them had been the first to make her realize that living in the castle didn't have to be a bad thing, and although she was sure she'd be alright without them now, she wanted to say goodbye to them properly. Running towards them, she laughed as the two girls flung their arms around her neck.

She tried to remember that moment, as the sun was setting, hugging her friends before they left. The smell of Lexi's hair, the warmth of their hugs. She never wanted to forget it. As they pulled away, the girls gave each other watery smiles, and whispered goodbyes.

"Look after him," Rose whispered into Caroline's ear, as they got into the carriage.

"I'll try,"

Well? What did you think? Please review!