A/N:

I hope that you enjoyed the last chapter. This chapter focuses more on the storyline of Klaus and Marcel than Caroline. But don't be disappointed! This chapter is essential to understand the turmoil brewing in Marcel's head, and his relationship with Davina. I also introduce a new character who I LOVED creating!

Enjoy.

~Erin

Chapter 38: Knight in Shining Armor

KLAUS POV

I waited patiently as our allies congregated together into the formal living room, near the far east side of the manor. They were all anxiously awaiting word from either Elijah or myself, which so far neither had happened. What they wanted was a plan of attack, one of which I had completely formulated yet. Elijah was still busy recovering the secret passages and openings of the Abattoir from the some almost illegible blueprints we had scrounged up from our collection of family documents.

"Niklaus, they need you decision. Your guidance as well. They are becoming antsy in anticipation. You cannot keep stringing them along until you feel comfortable enough to attack. It's now or never, brother." Elijah entered the study, already lecturing me. A solemn look was about his face.

"Then I will go tell them that they might be walking into their own slaughter." I rebutted, and my elder brother shook his head at my sarcasm.

"Niklaus, I have watched you lead armies into battle numerous times without even the slightest hesitation. You have conquered villages, created your own kingdom from nothing. Now you have even found a queen, a woman that you love more than anything I've seen. She brings you so much happiness, and draws the man out of the monster. You cannot simply shy down from this fight, brother." Elijah gave me a detailed and glorified pep talk, and I couldn't help but scoff.

"How can your greatest opportunity become your strongest weakness." I wondered aloud, and Elijah chuckled.

"That's because Caroline means more to you than anything. And, hopefully someday the twins will be held in the highest regard with you as well. Niklaus, she is not your strongest weakness. She is your greatest strength. Your are going to rescue her. Be her 'knight in shining armor', as they say." Elijah embellished his comment with the cheesy sentiment. But my brother held a point. Caroline meant more to me than anything in this world, and I was going to save her.

"Thank you, Elijah. For your persistence." I thanked my brother, before attempting to leave the study in pursuit of speaking to the allies gathered in the living room. But Elijah stopped me, with a sudden urgency.

"Niklaus, did you remove Miss Forbes daylight ring?" Elijah asked me suddenly, and I gave him a perched look.

"Of course not. Why?"

"Her ring just appeared on the desk."

Immediately I strode over to the desk. When I looked down, there in the middle sat Caroline's lapis lazuli daylight ring. Attached was a piece of sketching parchment, with the word Klaus scrawled across it in elegant cursive.

"That's not Caroline's handwriting." I confirmed with Elijah.

"Nor is it Marcellus's. He could never get a complete grasp on cursive." Elijah had taught Marcellus how to read and write, so I assumed he knew what the boy's handwriting looked like.

"Shall I open it?" Elijah offered, approaching the desk. I nodded silently.

Elijah removed the parchment from Caroline's ring, gently placing the ring back on the desk as he did. He unrolled the letter carefully, and his eyes scanned the paper in a manner of seconds. When he was done, he simply handed the paper to me to read for myself.

"It's from Caroline." Was all Elijah said.

Looking down, I wondered what had gotten my brother so riled up. When I read through the letter, my heart clenched when I read that Tyler had bitten her. That meant that Caroline only had a few more hours before she was gone completely. But it was when I got to the end of the letter that I truly knew that Caroline had sent this note.

"We have to hurry. Caroline needs my blood, otherwise she will die. And I will not let that hybrid have the satisfaction of killing the love of my life." I snarled, and Elijah nodded into submission. He knew I had regained my fire, and I was going for the kill.

"How do we really know that this is Miss Forbes?" Elijah questioned me, and I couldn't help but smile. There was something only I and Caroline would get in that letter. Something that I hoped would be happening in the future. A lot in the future.

"I know. She included a quite personal detail that only I and her could decipher. Trust me, brother. It is better if I don't explain." I cautioned Elijah, who gave me a rare wicked grin.

"Do not worry, Niklaus. I get your notion."

"We should address the crowd gathering in our living room. I have an idea of the perfect words to inspire them."

Marcel POV

I watched as Tyler paced in the courtyard, his hands gripped in agitation. He was a child, and had ruined my chance of leverage with Klaus because of his ridiculous selfishness. Because of him, I had nothing. Now I was back at the start, trying to plot the demise of the Mikaelson family.

"She's fading. I think she has maybe ten to twelve hours left, max. She doesn't deserve to die, Marcel. She's an innocent in this battle. Whatever grudge against Klaus Mikaelson you have, there was still no reason to hurt Caroline." Davina spoke harshly, walking up beside me next to the window.

She was dressed in a blue dress that one of the girls had bought her. With her arms crossed her chest, and her blue eyes were sharp with accusation. I knew she was upset, but Caroline's impending death was Tyler's fault. He was the one to blame; him and his jealous rage.

"Davina, there is nothing I could have done. Tyler made the decision to nip her all on his own. So don't go blaming me for a novice hybrid's mistake." I explained, but Davina didn't back down.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked me, shaking her head in confusion.

"Why am I doing what, Davina?" I sighed. I was beginning to get frustrated with the young witch. She had a tendency to

"Why are you trying to destroy the Mikaelson family? I know the story. Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah helped raise you. They saved you. And yet you want to destroy them. You should be grateful for the fact that they gave you another chance at life." Davina thought it was her place to berate me about my hatred of the Mikaelson family.

"Davina, drop it. You don't know the full story, so stop making assumptions, and go to your room." I took a sterner tone with the teen witch. I admit, I wasn't normally strict with Davina. I let her live her life freely around the compound, doing whatever she wanted whenever she wanted.

"You can't just send me to my room like a ten-year old. You aren't my father, and so you need to stop acting like you are." She snapped back.

"I might not be your father, but you live under my room, and you will be obey my rules. So I will repeat myself one more time; go to your room." I spoke through gritted teeth. I hated being stern with Davina, but she was beginning to get on my last nerve.

"Why do I have to do everything you say? 'Davina, no magic' and 'Davina, no communication with the outside world'. Do you really think that the Harvest witches are going to track me through a television screen while I'm watching Grey's Anatomy? You said you wanted to give me as normal of a life as possible. Having a phone, watching netflix, having friends that aren't undead is a part of being normal." Davina was ready to start an argument, and I was ready to silence it.

"Fine. Do what you want. Because from now on, you're no longer under my protection. If you feel that my ways of protecting you are wrong, than you can find shelter somewhere else. I highly doubt though that anyone would be willing to take in a stranded girl who's the most wanted teenager in the French Quarter. The Harvest witches have a bounty on your head, and I'm sure that one of the mangy fools out there wouldn't look twice before turning you over. Davina, I know you hate living this way. Separated from the life you've known. But honestly, I am doing this to protect you. I wish you would understand that." I sighed. Davina's ice-blue eyes looked down at her feet, before looking me in the eyes.

"I'm sorry for arguing with you. I'm just tired of being by myself all the time." Davina looked down at her feet again, the small fragile girl that I had rescued from the Harvest Ritual appearing. Davina feigned toughness sometimes, but I knew that she was still an innocent young girl as well.

"It's okay. Just go to your room and hang out. We'll do something tonight, like watch a movie. Okay?" I said, and Davina nodded silently. She left my study in a hurry. Something was off about her sudden change in demeanor, but I would figure out what was up at another time.

"She's even prettier than when she was a young one. Inherited her ancestors beauty. Such a shame that the Claire line had to end with her. Her great-grandmother was such a hoot." A melodious voice floated from the corner of my study. I recognized it almost instantly, since it was a voice that had been known to me for the past thirty years.

"You have to get know her before you know her, Corentine. Her life is more complicated than either of us can understand." I defended Davina to the auburn haired witch who was slowly entering my study. Her pale face was framed by her shoulder-length, glossy curls, and had eyes the color of jade. She was someone who did not want to cross.

"Marcellus, my dear boy. How many times do I have to tell you? Only my grandmother called me Corentine. It's Corrie. I would expect after knowing me for this long that you would be kind enough to call me by my preferred name." Corrie purred, perching herself in one of the leather chairs in front of my desk. She crossed her jean-clad legs, waiting for my response.

"I'm not paying for your sass. I'm paying for your assistance in helping Davina, and in taking down the Mikaelson family. So what do you know?" I asked her sternly. My goal was to destroy Klaus's happiness, and to make him pay for his betrayal.

"Well, the blondie vampire is lounging around at the Mikaelson family in Rome with her human plaything. His name is Matthew G. Donovan, or Matt for short. Good looking, blonde. Was the quarterback of his high school football team. Rebekah scored with that one, if I do say so myself." Corrie gave me one of her wicked smiles, and I couldn't help but clench my fists at the thought of Rebekah with anyone else. I had loved her once, long ago. The pain that our relationship left me with was still harsh at times.

"Can we stick to information that is relevant, please?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Oh, fine. Anyways, Bekah is on the oust with Elijah and Klaus because she put some wicked love spell on Caroline, Klaus' baby vampire love affair. He's infatuated with her, by the way. But anyways, that's the relationship status between Rebekah and her other siblings. She knows about the twins, and doesn't give a damn. Basically, she's not going to be involved in this Original family affair." Corrie explained, and I nodded. No Rebekah just meant one less Original sibling to deal with.

"What about Kol?" I asked, curious about the fourth Original brother. Kol had always been the most mischievous, and I wanted to plan for any of his antics.

"Patience, my dear Marcellus. I will explain what's happening in order." Corrie spoke.

"Well, get on with it."

"Pushy, pushy. Well, as you know, there were five Original siblings turned into vampires. Klaus, being the disturbed monster he is, kept his family daggered in custom wooden coffins to dagger and un-dagger at his own personal enjoyment. Well, eventually all this stuff happened up north in that small hinky-dink town of Mystic Falls. Ester, their mother, brought back all the siblings, Finn was killed, blah blah blah. Mikael is dead too, by the way. But then some of the little blonde vampire's friends shish kabobed Kol with the White Oak stake, which happens to be the only true weapon that can kill an Original." Corrie tried to continue speaking, but I stopped her.

"There's a weapon that can destroy the Originals? Where is it?" I asked, and Corrie gave me a sly smile.

"There is indeed a weapon that kill the Originals, but Klaus himself is in possession of it. Knowing that, you shouldn't pin your hopes on using the White Oak stake." Corrie crossed her arms across her chest.

"Just keep talking."

"So Kol and Finn are dead. Finns ashes were lost in the wind, whatever. He's unimportant. Kol's ashes, however, are being safeguarded by Klaus in the basement of the plantation house. That's where Klaus is storing the family casket collection right now. If you had a spy on the other side, we could easily obtain those ashes. Anyone you have in mind?" Corrie suggested, and I shook my head.

"Klaus would recognize a double agent the first time he met them. His senses are sharper than a knife."

"Whatever. Since Klaus impregnated the young she-wolf, we have the impending issue of the twins. You already knew about that, thanks to the ever helpful Tyler Lockwood. His connections in Mystic Falls turned out to be quite informative." Corrie continued. I didn't know she had gone through with the plan to send a spy to Mystic Falls.

"Who did you send?" I asked, and Corrie grinned.

"A trusted friend and fellow wanted witch. She's been quite helpful. Her name is Arin Wilmington. She successfully bonded with the Bennett witch and was able to relay the information back to me." Corrie picked up the brass letter opener from my desk, and began to pick her nails.

"Well, what did she say?"

"She said that Klaus is completely in love with Caroline Forbes. And that Caroline's friends have no idea that she has run off with the Original hybrid. Her mother does, and is down here though. Oh, and she also gave me one very important detail."

"What's that?" I said, leaning against the windowsill.

"If an Original vampire is killed, their entire bloodline dies with them. That means that if you kill Klaus, you die with him. So what's your plan of revenge now, Marcellus?" Corrie taunted me.

"Damn it." I muttered. I needed to find another way to eliminate the Original family.

"Poor Marcellus. I have given you all the information I have. So where is my payment?" Corrie snapped, and I looked at her.

"Your job isn't over yet." I cleared my throat, and Corrie looked at me in surprise.

"And what left is there for me to do?"

"You are going to teach Davina to control her magic." I got up from the windowsill and walked towards Corrie, who was looking at me with a smirk.

"I'm not going to be a babysitter Marcellus." She sighed.

"$400 a lesson." I offered, and Corrie smiled.

"You have a deal." She responded before getting up.

"Thanks for your help, Corrie." I said, opening the door to my study for her. She gave me a small smile as she left, the heels of her pumps smacking against the hardwood.

"You are truly welcome, my sweet Marcellus." Corrie placed a chaste kiss on my cheek before leaving. I shook my head as I shut the door.

I had the demise of the Original family to plan.

A/N:

So what did you guys think of Corrie? Her background will be explained more later on, but I imagined her as a flirtatious, badass b****. Hope you guys liked getting to see Marcel's perspective. It was challenging writing from his POV, but it's awesome as well!

~Erin