She was going to be furious with him.
He could not have anticipated hours before that he would be killing the doppelganger, let alone after promising Caroline that he would help save her. Technically he had kept his word and freed Elena from Alaric's clutches, but he doubted Caroline would appreciate the difference.
He disliked the idea of disappointing her, but Elena only had herself to blame for her fate. Perhaps it was the folly of youth or simply the doppelganger's self-assuredness, but Elena should have known better than to get involved in his mother's schemes. Now her life was the only thing keeping an enhanced immortal vampire from killing them all.
Immortal killing machine was his job. And he didn't care for competition.
Elena would have to die. After some pointed teasing about her relationship with the Salvatore's and the draining of as much of her valuable blood as possible. Waste not after all. …
Seriously what was it with the Petrova doppelganger and toying with brothers. Perhaps he'd have Kol do some research on the original doppelganger to find the source. That could wait, however. First some unfinished business.
Melding into the shadows, he waited for his wayward hybrid to make his move. The trap would be obvious to anyone with half a brain, but unfortunately Tyler Lockwood was rather lacking in that department. Seriously, did the boy truly think he could outsmart him of all people. Sire bonds may not have been common, but he had seen his share over the centuries. It was immediately apparent when one had been broken. He was just dying to understand how the mutt had accomplished it. Perhaps he'd ask him before removing his head.
Sure enough, he was shushing the nearly comatose girl while he quickly tried to loosen her bonds. "So much for that Sire bond" he stated calmly as he stepped from the shadows, enjoying the look of fear on both teenagers' eyes.
"I'm not your little bitch anymore" stated Tyler, dripping with defiance.
Klaus smirked, amused. The runt had a lot to learn.
"I'm afraid we disagree on that point. I am curious. How did you break the sire bond?"
"By breaking every bone in my body a hundred times for the woman I love" he retorted with a mocking grin. Caroline was his no matter what the elder hybrid thought.
"I'm afraid that's impossible." Klaus responded "extreme pain will break a sire bond sure. But if you were in love with Caroline as you say you never would have bitten her." He stalked up to him and took a loud sniff. "And I wouldn't smell the scent of another werewolf on you. A female. Making new friends, I see."
"How did you..."
"Our senses are stronger than even vampires; it's not hard to recognize when you know what to look for, but to my point. The sire bond can be resisted or broken if the feelings are strong enough. Remember poor Stefan fighting desperately to resist my compulsion? The sire bond is much weaker than that. More a strong suggestion than an actual order" he grinned. "I wonder what Caroline would think of your new friend?"
"She'll never believe you. You are an evil dick. Everyone hates you, even your family."
Klaus frowned. While he didn't think his family hated him, they weren't exactly his biggest fans at the moment. This was no longer amusing. "Goodbye Tyler" he said before wrapping his hands around the boy's throat, delighting with every breath that tried and failed to escape.
Elena was moaning and pleading for mercy in the background, but he ignored her. It was time to teach these children some respect. He lifted his arm to rip out the younger hybrid's heart when a noise from behind distracted him.
Tyler tried to capitalize on this by breaking his grip and twisting his arm, but Klaus merely headbutted him and maneuvered him around to slam into the forms of Damon and Stefan trying to sneak up behind him. The three went flying into a jumbled pile and the hybrid gave them a mocking grin. It had been so long since someone had tried to ambush him.
"Come on boys, at least make it interesting for me"
Stefan and Damon used their century of working together to try and flank him, each of them angled perfectly to limit his maneuverability. A pity that a century together did not compare to a millennia of battle experience. His enhanced senses almost slowed time at the rate he was able to perceive things. He noted that Stefan had a palm outstretched and that Damon was moving to restrain him, not outright attack. A trap then, no doubt helped by the witch. Tyler was clearly not in on it as a frontal assault was all the teenager attempted. Pathetic.
With a blur of speed he caught Tyler's fist and twisted and broke his arm, he then used the hybrid's body to block Stefan's strike and send them both to the floor. He used his free hand to backhand Damon into the nearby fireplace. Tyler was the first to recover, but before he could attack again Klaus had gripped his neck from behind. With a twist his neck was broken, and he was out of the fight. Stefan was next to recover, but without support he was too slow and Klaus dodged his palm before kneeing him in the stomach and sinking his teeth into his neck. He broke his neck as well and relished the screams of horror from Damon and Elena.
"You should have known better than to try such a poor excuse for a hit" snarled the angry hybrid before bursting forward to grip Damon by the throat, slowly crushing his neck and enjoying every whimper he let out. "You thought you could subdue me? With this? You have a heightened sense of your own abilities." Damon tried futilely to break the hybrid's grip on his throat. "Don't worry, I won't kill you. Not yet. You have given me a brilliant opportunity to satisfy a curiosity of mine. I asked Elena which of you Salvatore's was her favorite, and she was mum on the subject. Now I think we can incentivize her answer." He bit into the vampire's shoulder before breaking his neck as well.
Elena was shivering from both shock and blood loss. This wouldn't do. With a sigh he grabbed the girl's phone and sent Caroline a message to meet him at the mansion. The girl's wrath would be even more formidable the longer he kept her in the dark. Based on the tension between her and the elder Salvatore, he wondered if she would want an input on his fate. That is, if she wasn't too furious as to the state of her best friend.
Biting into his wrist, he forced the doppelganger to drink his blood. She looked at him in surprise as the color in her cheeks returned and her wounds healed. She then shrieked in horror when his palm covered her face and slowly asphyxiated her.
That was oddly satisfying. He'd been wanting to murder a doppelganger for centuries now, and while it wasn't quite as fun as torturing Katerina would be, it was nonetheless something he could check off his bucket list. Now he just had to set the stage for his favorite blonde's arrival.
She needed a vacation. At the rate her friends seemed to get themselves into dangerous situations, perhaps she needed several. Seriously. What were they thinking trying to ambush Klaus like that? She may have been furious at him for using Elena as a unwilling donor for his hybrid project, and she certainly hated the fact that he had sired Tyler to him But the Original had not outright attacked them since he had returned to Mystic Falls, and every time they got involved in the plots of the original family, something bad happened.
Apparently, her friends had taken ego pills that morning, as in addition to an unkillable Alaric, they now had a pissed off hybrid on their hands.
She wondered if Klaus's offer of Tokyo was still on the table. Her relationship with the original hybrid, if you could even call it such, was complicated. From saving her life to outright flirtations and heartfelt promises, she had done her best to keep the hybrid at arm's length. Partially because, despite his frequent absences, she wanted to be loyal to Tyler, but mostly because the way the 1,000 year old vampire looked at her frightened her…and intrigued her.
He looked at her like she was the center of his world, and despite the machinations of her friends and his own violent nature, she could not help but feel safe around him. She had been so terrified in her escape from Alaric, and yet knowing he was there, she felt a security she had never felt before. With him she was safe. However, despite his longing looks and tender moments with her, she never lost sight of the fact that beyond his beautiful features lay a monster capable of setting the whole world ablaze with its fury.
She would be lying if the knowledge didn't turn her on, but now her friends had played with fire one too many times. Bonnie had filled her in on the details after she escaped the school. Despite her attraction and admittedly growing feelings for the hybrid, she hoped they succeeded in subduing him, as the hybrids vengeance would likely be biblical in its savagery.
She should have known it would end in failure. Her friends were captured or dead. Alaric had outed her and Tyler to the council, and her life as she knew it was going to change. It was a near certainty that she would be forced to leave the home she had always known. Things couldn't get much worse. Now it was up to her to salvage things as best she could, and never let it be said that Caroline Forbes had shied away from a challenge.
She was dressed to kill in a strapless black dress that highlighted her cleavage. The dress was coupled with a pair of heels that added an extra 3 inches to her gait and made her feel invincible. She plastered on her best Miss Mystic smile and sped towards the Mikaelson Mansion ready to match wits with the immortal hybrid.
Her confidence faltered a bit as she rang the bell, but quickly turned to 11 at the not-so-subtle way his eyes raked over her form. Her heart fluttered a bit at the naked admiration in his eyes, but she quickly shook it away. Now was not the time.
"Welcome, Caroline, Please come in" he said charmingly. His dimpled smile caused her blood to quicken. She gave him a curt nod and entered.
"Would you care for a glass of wine?" he asked, ever the gentleman.
"No. Now let's cut the pleasantries and get to the point. Are my friends still alive?"
Klaus poured himself a glass of wine and smiled at her. "As alive as four undead beings can be"
Four undead beings… oh no.
"You turned Elena?" she asked, horrified. "What about your hybrids?"
"I have no need for more hybrids. My father is dead, and my family is returned to me. Considering that Elena became the only thing keeping my mother's new pet alive, I thought it prudent to make a judgment call. Personally, I would have just removed her head, but I felt you would protest and so a compromise was made."
Seriously, her friends really needed to confide in her before they started plotting. They obviously sucked at it. They had consorted with Esther against her children, and it appeared the ancient witch had double crossed them by linking Elena's life force to Alaric's. Unfortunate, but her friends' new fondness for blood aside, at least she was alive. The same could not be said for the Salvatores.
"And what about Stefan?" she grimaced a bit before adding. "And Damon. Where are they?"
He gave a toothy grin. "Well they have joined my wayward hybrid in the dungeons, I thought we'd play a little game with them"
She glared at him and rose to her full height. "Tyler? Why do you have him? Release him now!"
"I'm sorry love, but your boyfriend decided to betray me. He joined the Salvatore's in trying to kill me; his life is now forfeit."
She would see about that, but first she needed to see her friends and assess how bad things were. Clearly Klaus had an endgame or her friends would already be dead. He wanted something, and she had a feeling none of them was going to like it.
"Take me to them"
He led her to the dungeons, and she withheld a gasp at the sight before her. Her friends were shackled to the wall. Elena was lying on a nearby bench. Clearly, she had not yet awakened from her death. Both of the Salvatore's were groaning in pain, and she could see the deadly bites he inflicted on them. She knew that unless he gave them some of his blood, they did not have long for this world. They were also shirtless and covered in blood. He must have drained them of vervain. Tyler was on the far end, similarly drained and covered in blood. He was thrashing in anger, trying futilely to escape from his bonds. His eyes lit up with rage when he saw Klaus enter, and when his eyes saw her, they filled with cautious hope.
She wished she could return the feeling.
"Look Klaus, I know they screwed up badly, but please give them your blood. I promise they won't go after you again."
"Ah. I wish I could believe that sweetheart. But unfortunately, I cannot just allow attacks on my person to go unpunished. Not even for you. I have a reputation to keep after all"
She was furious, but knew better than to lash out. Time to go on the offensive. She gripped his hand and turned him, so he was forced to look directly at her. She gave him her best pleading look. "Please?" she asked softly.
He looked torn for a moment before sighing. "That won't always work, Love." He glanced away from her in what was clearly a pout. "I will consider sparing Tyler's life, but he will not escape being punished."
She hid a smile. If his feelings were as strong as she now suspected, then she had other tools in her arsenal to get what she wanted.
"Whatever you want, as long as you spare his life. And the Salvatore's?"
He turned and gave her a smirk. "I have something special planned for them."
He moved over and shook Elena. The young doppelganger shot up in shock. Her whole body felt sluggish. Different. However before she could dwell on it any longer she glanced around and noticed the bloody and groaning Salvatore's hanging from the wall.
She screamed. "Stefan! Damon!" She looked around frantically, and seemed relieved when she spotted her blonde friend and the Original. "Klaus, let them go. Please" The hybrid just looked amused and shook his head. Elena glared at him and turned to her friend. "Caroline, you have to help them."
"I'm afraid she won't get a say this time. You see, foiling yet another one of your plots has put me in a good mood only accentuated by Caroline's presence. So, I have decided to be merciful."
Caroline looked at him suspiciously. Mercy wasn't a word that Niklaus Mikaelson knew the meaning of.
He bit into his wrist and poured some of his blood into a small vial. "I have two vials for you. One is for you to complete your transition. Congratulations on your rebirth. The second is a gift. I know you have had difficulty choosing which brother you want to be with, so I have decided to offer my assistance. That vial contains enough blood to cure one of them from the deadly venom now coursing through their veins. The other will face certain death, and an agonizing one at that, knowing that the woman they love chose another."
Elena's face turned ashen. Klaus looked almost giddy with amusement. He handed her the vials
"Live or die, Elena. Make your choice."
It was cruel. Elena looked devastated as she glanced between both brothers, cringing each time one of them moaned with pain.
"I've taken the liberty of compelling them from speaking. No need to make the choice harder with some unnecessary guilt trips. I wanted the choice to be just between us girls."
To Caroline the choice was simple. Despite his recent mistakes, Stefan was at least a vampire who cared about others and acknowledged and learned from his misdeeds. Damon seemed to revel in them. But apparently her best friend did not feel the same. She looked almost catatonic looking between both brothers.
"I can't. Please just give me more blood. We won't attack you again, I promise."
"Of that I am certain. But I'm afraid the die has been cast. Make your choice, Miss Gilbert."
Elena looked back and forth before glancing sadly at Stefan. It was clear she had made her choice but was too afraid to utter it out-loud. Caroline knew Elena Gilbert. Knew that the choice she was being forced to make would devastate her. That guilt would pervade her body, and coupled with her recent death, would likely send her spiraling into turmoil and depression. It was clear her friend was in love with both Salvatore brothers, and it was just as clear who held the lion's share of her heart.
She jumped forward and in a fluid motion snapped a nearby chair leg in half and fashioned it into a makeshift stake. She sped forward at vampire speed and slammed the thick piece of wood into Damon's chest. Elena gasped in horror. She could see the shock in Stefan's face as he watched his brother gurgle his last breath. Only Klaus seemed unperturbed by what had just happened. In fact, he looked almost pleased.
"Well that solves that" he said with a bright smile. "Better hurry, Miss Gilbert. Stefan doesn't look so good."
Tears pouring from her eyes Elena nodded and moved to feed Stefan the lifesaving blood. The Salvatore gasped as his wounds healed and the pain from the hybrid bite dissipated.
Klaus tossed a set of keys at them and moved next to Caroline. She looked tense, her body was flushed with a light sheen of sweat which only seemed to highlight the curves that were being accentuated by the tight dress. The adrenaline was wearing off, and her eyes were furtive, clearly worried about her friend's reaction to what she had done. But there was another emotion that flitted so briefly in her eyes. He almost thought it was a trick of the . Now, wasn't that interesting.
"Now that Stefan is free, it's time for part two of our little game. Be a dear and tell me all about your little assassination plot. Surely you didn't think you could overpower me with just the three of you."
Stefan struggled for a second and shot him a death glare. His fingers clenched in pure rage, but he unclenched them quickly. Rage would not help them here. Humility might. "We weren't going to kill you. Bonnie was going to use the same spell that took down your father to desiccate you. We figured we could bury you at sea or hide you away until Elena had lived out her life."
Klaus frowned. The plan was pretty clever. Most of his enemies tended to lean towards the direct, kill everything in their path type. Ineffective when your adversary was truly immortal. Indirect attacks meant to incapacitate would be much more effective. He would have to come up with a few contingencies for similar plots in the future. While he trusted his family would eventually recover his body and revive him, he would not put it past them to let him sleep for a few centuries as some kind of karmic payback.
"Nice plan, poor execution." he said, finally smiling at the hatred nearly pouring off of them. "A pity it will never work again. Now what to do with the two of you. Oh, and you as well little wolf. I have not forgotten about your betrayal.
Caroline snapped out of her silent observation with a snarl. Her fists clenched against her hips and with a few short strides she positioned herself between her friends and the hybrid. "I won't let you kill my friends Klaus!"
He chuckled at her statement, and it took every ounce of her control not to punch him.
"As if I would be so merciful." He sauntered closer to gaze into her eyes, an unknown emotion shining in them. His stare held briefly before his eyes moved passed her to settle on the two vampires now huddled together. "You should have asked Katerina how merciful I am with those who defy me."
He stepped back and smiled. "I took the liberty of compelling everyone while I was waiting for Caroline to join us. So how about we play a game of Truth or, well, Truth."
"Elena, be a dear and tell us who you were going to save?"
Elena froze and looked guiltily at Stefan, before the compulsion took over.
" Damon."
Stefan's face fell but he did not look surprised. Neither did Klaus. His amusement was clear. "That must have been a difficult choice. Tell us, why did you choose him?"
"Because I love him." Elena was determined to keep her answers short and yet Caroline knew Klaus would never let it end there. And from the look on his face, so did Stefan.
"Quite a conundrum. Are you no longer in love with our dear friend Stefan?"
"I love him…just not as much as Damon"
Stefan was crushed, and Caroline moved to comfort him when someone else beat her to it.
Klaus placed his hand on Stefan's shoulder and refused to budge when the vampire tried to nudge him away. "You have my sympathies mate. I know the pain of a brother stealing your girl all too well. The feeling of betrayal runs deeper when it's your own blood that betrays your bond."
"What do you think Caroline, shall we help the two lovers reconcile?"
Caroline glared at him and squared her shoulders. She refused to play his game.
"I'm a romantic at heart, so let me help you. I want you two to spend the rest of your lives together. You are never to leave the other's side; you will never forget the intensity of the feelings you currently feel towards Damon Salvatore. You are forbidden from contacting any of your friends from Mystic Falls with the exception of our dear Caroline and from moving against myself or my family in any way. I hope you have a long life together. Now leave my sight!"
The two left quickly, and Caroline stared after them too shocked to protest. "That was surprisingly kind of you," she said finally. "Thank you for not hurting them and for allowing me contact with them." She gave him a small smile of appreciation.
Klaus looked uncomfortable. "Well I knew you would throw a fit if I forbid them to contact you. But don't misunderstand love, what I did was not kind. It was cruel and fitting for their crimes against me. "
"I don't understand. You freed them to be together."
"Yes, with the memory of her love and Damon's betrayal fresh in the hearts. They will spend an eternity together knowing that her heart belongs to another. Mourning a loved one and never being able to move on from their feelings for him. Elena will forever love and miss him. And Stefan will both miss and hate his brother for taking what was most precious to him. I have doomed them both to a life of uncertainty and discontent." He gave her a sardonic grin. "From all the poems written on the subject of unrequited love, there are so few on the pain of being the object of that affection. Time will only tell what will become of them."
He shook his head at the look of horror on her face. "Take solace in the fact that I was far more lenient with them than I would have been without your presence. Speaking of, I must say you look simply enchanting in that dress. May I assume you wore it to help in some sort of negotiations?"
She nodded. "I want you to let Tyler go and leave Bonnie out of any twisted plans you have left."
"Well good form sending you to sweet talk me, but I'm afraid even you can't save the mutt this time. I don't care that he broke the sire bond, but I do care that he betrayed and plotted against me. When you come at the King, Caroline, you better not miss. It's time Tyler learned that valuable lesson."
She nearly growled and moved in front of him, jabbing a finger in his chest. "No one sends me anywhere, Klaus Mikaelson! I do what I want, and I don't abandon the people I care about. Now are you going to let Tyler go free or what?"
The smile he gave her could have lit up the room. He looked almost prideful at her outburst. He moved silently over to a nearby cupboard and returned with a bottle and a few glasses. He filled them both and handed her one. He then motioned her to sit and she did, reluctantly.
"Such strength and ferocity for someone so young. And such passion. Careful Caroline, they'll say we're in love." She snorted and sipped her wine. Curse him, it was delicious.
"A rare vintage. I believe it once belonged to Napoleon. Quite an interesting fellow that one, I imagine you would have despised him."
"Why am I not surprised you were friends with a dictator with a god complex? You guys compare notes on torture and mass murder?"
He laughed. "As I recall, that was more his thing with Rebekah. He was quite enamored with her. Didn't even cause a fuss when she spurned his marriage proposal and burned down one of his barracks with three hundred men inside. Personally I always suspected Waterloo was an attempt to impress her."
"Bloodshed as a form of courtship. Wow you two could have been brothers."
"You scoff. But don't underestimate the value of darkness sweetheart. Darkness allows us to understand others, to see what they value when they believe no one else is looking. It allows us to be honest with ourselves, to express those values we would disavow in the light. Take your little show earlier."
"What show?"
"Your little show with the elder Salvatore. I doubt Stefan or the Doppelganger noticed. But you found a great amount of satisfaction in his death. Care to tell me why?"
She looked stunned and turned away from him. It was none of his business.
He sighed. "I told you once that you would need to adjust your sense of time as a vampire, Caroline. But you must also adjust your sense of morality. There is no good and evil anymore. Not really. There are predators and prey. Evil is a word used by the ignorant and the weak. Being a vampire is about unleashing your inner power. It glorifies the strength of the individual. Perhaps that's why you are such an exceptional one."
"I don't believe that. Killing for no reason is wrong. Being a vampire doesn't justify that. You can be a good vampire. Look at Stefan…"
"Stefan is a fool who slaughtered hundreds as a ripper because he lacked control over his baser instincts. He was either prey or a beast, never in control in either state. Frankly it was pathetic." He took a sip of wine. "You compare. It's only natural. Humans are creatures of comparison. Constantly deciding whether things are good or bad, or better or worse than other things. Eventually, they make so many comparisons that their overloaded brains will accept anything, good or bad, right or wrong, without caring which is which. I have lived a millennia Caroline and seen the depths of human kindness and depravity. I can tell you one thing for certain. Good and evil, such terms mean nothing. Ultimately people do what's in their best interest. You are exceptional Caroline. I believe one day you will be a queen amongst our kind, the Queen if I have any say in the matter. Compared to me you will be considered merciful and kind; an angel in the face of my devil, and yet to the humans you will still be a monster. You have experienced this already have you not? Cast aside your human ideals Caroline. They have no place in our world."
She looked thoughtful at his words. That was one of his favorite things about the blonde. Her mind and adaptability were just as astounding as her beauty.
"As much as I am enjoying our little chat together, it's time we settle the matter of your boyfriend." He moved in a blur, and a second later Tyler's chains fell to the ground. The young hybrid rubbed his now raw wrists and glared at Klaus. Caroline moved quickly to check him over. Satisfied that there was no lasting damage, she turned to face the original. She knew better than to assume he was just letting the teenager leave. Klaus merely sipped his wine, having returned to his seat. Not that it mattered. He could easily cut them off before either of them even had the notion of trying to escape.
"Tyler Lockwood, I had high hopes for you as the first of my hybrids, but you've managed to disappoint me at every turn. I had planned on a delightful game of compulsion to force you to spill all the dirty little secrets you've been keeping from Caroline, but I'm afraid the idea bores me now. Feel free to spill the beans about your new friend if you manage to leave here alive."
Caroline glanced at Tyler, and he stubbornly avoided her asking look.
"Your problem, Tyler, is hubris. So often people overestimate themselves, misapply their gifts. Wisdom is learning the boundaries of one's designated lane. You would have made a great beta, Tyler. Your mistake was believing you were an alpha and lacking the gumption to even act on it. And drawing Caroline into your cowardice."
Caroline looked confused, and even Tyler looked lost as to what the original hybrid was talking about.
"Haven't you noticed how his efforts to maintain your relationship escalated once he realized I was interested in you? Before your birthday you two were barely lovers, and yet after he discovers my interest, he's suddenly extra attentive. It's a werewolf thing. They are highly territorial. I thought you would actually have the nerve to challenge me at the Decade Dance, but I suppose you just couldn't muster up the courage, could you little one? Not even with the death glares you shot into my back. It's how I knew the sire bond was broken by the way."
"What does that have to do with anything? So he was no longer your slave and didn't want you flirting with his girlfriend. That's not strange. That's called love," said Caroline.
"Exactly. I told you before that's how I broke the sire bond, turning myself over and over for the woman I love."
Klaus looked amused at this.
"If you loved her mate, you never would have bitten her. Werewolves don't harm their mates. The sire bond isn't like compulsion. It's more of a strong suggestion, not an order. Believe it or not it's natural in wolf packs. The lesser wolves obey the alpha. And the alpha is always the strongest although bloodlines can help in that regard. That's why you broke the sire bond mate, not because you were in love but because you believed you are an alpha and hated submitting. That part is my fault really."
Caroline wanted to refute his words but Tyler's silence and her own instincts told her that there was likely a lot of truth in his words. Tyler had been more physically attracted at first, and their relationship had been built more on lust than mutual ambition or things in common. He had indeed ramped up his attention and jealousy since discovering Klaus's interest. She ignored the dark thoughts that crept in about being second choice for yet another person who claimed to love her. Now was not the time.
"How is it your fault?" she asked instead.
"Normally an Alpha would fight a prospective challenger and force him to submit, which prevents the sort of tension and disobedience you have seen Tyler show me. I never bothered, and the sire bond, coupled with his natural instinct to defer to a superior predator, influenced him to obey anyway. His instincts say challenge me for alpha but he knows he doesn't stand a chance, so he challenges me in the only way he can, for the Alpha female." He smiled at the look of resigned confusion on both of their faces. "For an ancient bloodline, you know surprisingly little about being a werewolf mate. In your next life you may want to pick up a book on occasion."
Caroline bristled and stood protectively in front of Tyler who looked affronted at this. "I'm not going to let you murder Tyler. I don't care what kind of freaky wolf politics are in play."
"I'm not going to murder him Love. I'm going to give him the chance he has been secretly longing for." He pulled two swords off a nearby wall, and with a smile tossed them to Tyler who clumsily caught them. "The winner becomes the alpha of what remains of my hybrid pack. I'll even be unarmed to make our little duel more fair. We battle until death or surrender."
Tyer looked nervous but quickly steeled himself moving to the center of the room. Caroline rolled her eyes. Boys were dumb. She wasn't going to let Tyler get himself killed in some medieval dick measuring contest. In love with her or not, he was still her friend.
She blurred behind him and snapped his neck much to both hybrids' surprise. She picked up the swords and stood between Klaus and her now temporarily dead friend. "I will be your opponent."
Klaus looked stunned and she nearly smiled at finally catching him off guard. His look quickly turned furious. "Clever. But I'm not in the mood for your games love. Step aside."
"No. Haven't you seen Game of Thrones? In a trial by combat a champion can fight on the behalf of the accused. So, I'm Tyler's champion. If I win, he gets to keep his life. Oh and since Alaric outed us to the council, some money to help us get out of town would be helpful as well."
Klaus looked upset but thoughtful. "And if I win? What is my prize?"
"Well considering we'll both be dead, whatever you want I guess." Caroline said sarcastically. She didn't truly expect to be able to defeat the original so it's not like it would truly matter in a few minutes.
"Deal. If we somehow tie, then both of us can claim our intended reward. Are we in agreement?"
"Yes"
He moved in front of her. "Then we have an accord."
She moved quickly, swinging the swords in her hands with surprising accuracy for a clear novice in the fencing arts. He merely danced around her strike and gave her a smile. The next few minutes were a flurry of blurs as she lashed out at him with the swords and he nimbly dodged her attacks, that smug smile never leaving his face.
She was magnificent was all he could think as he dodged yet another one of her thrusts. He had seen her beauty and intelligence from the start. Had marveled at the grace and light that she emanated with little effort, and even appreciated the loyalty she had for those she considered friends. This shattered even his lofty appreciation for her. She was unskilled but clearly, she had natural instincts for battle. The sheer nerve to challenge him to an open fight, being willing to put her life on the line not as merely a distraction, but as a direct combatant against him.
He had never wanted a woman so badly. He smiled at the frustrated grunt she let out as he dodged yet another of her strikes. Frustration finally got the better of her, and she overextended on an overhand swing. Letting the blade miss him, he blurred forward and grabbed her by the wrist. However, instead of twisting it to take her weapons from her, he merely used it to twirl her closer to him.
She was clearly surprised at this maneuver, as she did not protest when he gripped her face with one hand and lightly caressed it before moving forward to gently press his lips against her own. The kiss was brief but intense, and after a second, he pulled back and was satisfied to see that most of the hostility had drained from her eyes." I surrender love if you will do the same."She looked a little dazed but nodded. "I surrender as well."
"Then in accordance with our wager, Tyler gets to keep his life and I will help fund your escape from Mystic Falls. Conversely, I could also slaughter every member of the council which would also eliminate their potential threat."
"Thanks for the offer, but that would be a lot of bodies. I grew up knowing most of them. I don't want to cause their families or my mom any grief if I can avoid it."
"Very well. As for my own prize. I want you to give me one year."
"One year?"
"I want you to accompany me for the next year and allow me to show you both the human and supernatural world. I ask for nothing but a chance for us both to get to know each other, ideally in a proper courtship."
"So, you want a chance without the animosity of the past clouding our interactions? I can try."
"That is all I ask. However, there is one more detail that must be addressed before next steps can be discussed." He moved over and nudged Tyler awake.
The boy looked around in brief confusion before he realized what happened. "Caroline, what the hell?"
"Shut up, fool! Her interference is the only thing that is keeping your head on your shoulders." He bent down and stared into Tyler's eyes until he felt his compulsion take hold. "Your life now belongs to Caroline. You will devote everything you have into protecting her and serving her every need. You will never betray or move against either of us again. You will spend the rest of your eternity in her service."
Tyler nodded in acquiescence as the compulsion enforced Klaus's will upon him.
"My first gift to you, love, to seal our agreement."
Caroline merely rolled her eyes. She would try her best to get him to remove the compulsion at some point, but she couldn't lie and say the idea of her boyfriend completely at her beck and call wasn't appealing. Oh, she doubted they would stay together long, if at all, especially if Klaus had his way. But she wasn't going to make it easy for the original hybrid. In her heart of hearts, she knew she still wanted to be put first. Wanted the painful, difficult, devastating and life changing extraordinary love that she had dreamed of since she was a little girl. She suspected that Klaus would be only too happy to give it to her.
Time would tell.
Thanks to everyone who stood around for that absolute monster of a chapter. I'm not sure how a 1,000 word drabble morphed into this but that's how the cookie crumbled.
This was one of the more glaring continuity problems with the series. Klaus was briefly overpowered by Tyler and then subdued without a fight by Stefan and Damon who incapacitated him easily. They even snuck in on him in his own house. The same Klaus who killed dozens of older and better trained vampires in the Originals single handedly in a similar scenario.
Please tell me what you thought and if you recognized any quotes in the story. I am fond of using quotes from other fandoms when the dialogue fits and obviously I don't own the dialogue if you recognize it. If anyone would like to make a sequel to this let me know.
I may end up circling back to make one myself, but I have quite a few ideas coming down beforehand.
The next chapter should hopefully be a collection of smaller scenes that needed a little revision.
Thank you everyone for your kudos, and comments. They really mean the world.