AN: I do not own TVD or TO or The Princess Diaries.

Charlotte strolled along the line of courtiers sitting in the town square. Lord Mikaelson was striding in her direction to join his uncle. Charlotte held a handful of Bulgarian flags in her hand which she offered to those she passed.

"Welcome, Viscount Mabrey," Charlotte smiled tightly, "may I offer you a flag?"

"Thank you, I am not a waving aficionado."

Charlotte started to move on when she felt his slick hands wrap around her own. He shook her hand back and forth while a smirk spread across his face.

"I will wave out national flag when a true Bulgarian king once again sits on the throne." His smirk broke into a toothy grin as he chuckled: "King Elijah."

Charlotte freed her hand before moving on down the line of people.

Elena climbed into the carriage. She smoothed down the back of her skirt before sitting down. When she realized no one could actually see her at the moment she slumped back against the seat with a sigh. She had spent the night with a sobbing Caroline, and woken to find a missed call from Nik on her cell phone. She was definitely not in the mood for a day of faking smiles for the general public.

She startled when she felt the back of the carriage dip with the weight of her security for the day.

"How are you feeling today, Elena?" Ric braced his hands on the back of the seat and smiled down at the princess.

"Honestly, Ric," she sat up straighter on her seat when she saw Jenna approaching, "not that great."

"Would you feel better if you called me Ricky?" He teased gently.

Elena released a small laugh. She tilted her head back and offered the man she had come to see as a second father a soft smile.

"No, Ric."

"Good," Ric grinned. The soft smile was not her usual one, but he had managed to draw it out of her.

"Come on, Alaric," Jenna stepped up to sit beside Elena. "We're already late. We can't keep the people of Bulgaria waiting."

"Uncle," Elijah greeted. He sat in a vacant chair and crossed his legs. If he strained his ears he could just make out the sound of the approaching parade.

"Elijah, my boy," Mabrey clapped his hand on his nephews shoulder. "How's the palace? Just think soon enough you will be living there permanently."

Elijah merely nodded in response. His attention was drawn to the approaching parade. The prime minister strutted through the streets waving to the cheering crowds. The marching band was led by a peppy blond twirling a baton. The marching band was followed by a group of folk dancers taking turns leaping through the streets. Finally his eyes lighted on her.

A white carriage rounded the corner. Elijah smirked when he spotted her. There was a small smile on her face as she waved gently to the crowds. He had seen her sneaking back to her room in the early hours of the morning rubbing the dark circles under her eyes. There was no sign of the sleepless night on her face now. He was impressed with her ability to fake a smile for the citizens.

Elijah frowned when he saw her turn her head around quickly; the smile faded from her face when she stared at a children's group home behind her. He followed her gaze to see a couple of boys tormenting a small girl. His brow furrowed when he heard her voice ring out over the cacophony.

"Stop the carriage!"

He stared with wide eyes as she practically jumped out of the carriage, despite the queen's protests, and strode quickly towards the group home. She seemed to remember herself halfway there and plastered the regal smile back on her face.

"What's going on?" Mabrey glanced up from his phone when the silence set in.

"She's stopped the parade," Elijah spoke quietly so as not to disturb the stillness that had descended on the people.

"How rude!" Mabrey harrumphed. He followed her striding form with his eyes. "Kissing children, hugging orphans; what a vulgar, low, despicable, political trick."

Elena could see the forced smile on Caroline's face as they rode through the town. She had invited her friend to ride with them after the previous night. Elena's head turned from side to side as she smiled at her subjects. Her eyes caught sight of a group of children.

Two little boys tugged on a small girl's braids; a moment later one of the boys stole the paper crown she was wearing.

When Elena saw tears welling in the child's eyes she cried out in the most authoritative voice she could muster.

"Stop the carriage!"

She jumped down from the carriage and strode towards the children. She stopped before the group and smiled softly.

"Hello, everybody," Elena felt her heart flutter when they all smiled back at her.

"Hello, princess."

Elena approached the little girl.

"What's your name?" She bent slightly to meet the child's eyes.

"Carolina," she pulled her thumb from her mouth to answer shyly.

"That's a very pretty name," Elena smiled. She turned to the boys and raised her eyebrows. "What are your names?"

"John."

"Blake."

"Did I see you two messing with Carolina?" Elena asked with a tight smile. Carolina nodded quickly, her thumb left her mouth long enough to explain.

"They were tugging on my braid," her voice was small.

Elena nodded once before turning her attention to a young man standing with the children.

"Excuse me," she held out her hand to motion to the kids, "who are these children?"

"Most of them are orphans," he leaned towards Elena with a sad smile. "We care for as many as possible, but we only have so much room, your highness."

"Carolina," Elena turned back to the little girl, "would you like to be a princess today?"

"I can't," Carolina insisted, "I'm too little."

"Oh no," Elena bent slightly as the waist and smiled brightly, "because I declare that anyone can be a princess today."

She saw cautious hope dance in the little girl's eyes. Elena gently took a plastic tiara from a man who was selling them in the streets.

"Why don't we get you a tiara, and you can wave, and march in the parade?" She fixed the gold coloured tiara in Carolina's hair. She gazed around at all of the other children. "In fact, why don't you all take tiara's?"

"All of them?" The man whispered. "Give them all free tiara's?"

"I'll take care of it later," Elena laid a hand on the man's arm. She smiled when he started to pass them out.

"You won't be able to wave with your thumb in your mouth." Elena smiled at Carolina. She motioned the little girl to step down from the box on which she stood.

"I can wave with this hand," she spoke around her thumb and waved her free hand.

"Very good," Elena nodded at her quick thinking. She glanced up when one of the boys asked if they could be in the parade too.

"Of course," Elena nodded. "We can always use more princes in the world." She waited until she had everyone's attention before giving them their first lesson.

"So… to be a princess, you have to believe that you are a princess." She paced in front of the group with a small skip in her step. "You have to walk the way you think a princess would walk. So think tall," she stood as straight as her spine would allow, "you're got to smile, and wave, and just have fun." She leant towards them all again, "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Drumroll, please," Elena called over to the marching band. She smiled when they answered her call. The roll of the snare drum gave her a good buildup as she readied the group to march. Carolina strode beside her as the parade restarted.

"Just remember," she smiled down at Carolina, "you are a princess."

Carolina waved timidly at first, but after a moment she started waving with both hands. Elena felt a broad smile take over her face when she saw the joy in Carolina's eyes.

Elena thought she caught a glimpse of Elijah in the crowd. She couldn't quite place the look in his eyes, but she did notice the absence of his smirk. Instead a smile lit up his face and illuminated the unreadable expression in his eyes.

"She's letting the children join her in the parade," Elijah watched her with a fixed gaze. He found himself unable to move in the face of the princesses overwhelming compassion. This was not something she had to do, in fact he could not think of anyone who would have done what Elena was doing now. "How... charming."

Nik tossed his phone on the couch. He had spent the better part of the day, and the past few weeks, trying to find Caroline. Nobody had any idea where she had run off to, and the one person she would have called was unreachable behind her Bulgarian fortress.

He sat on the couch and threw his head against the back rest.

"No luck?" Rebekah dropped beside him. She passed him a cup of coffee before turning opening her laptop.

"No," Nik raked his free hand through his short hair and over the scruff on his face. He had been gone half an hour before returning that night. He couldn't blame her for leaving, he hadn't exactly been on board with the news, but now he was worried sick. "What are you doing?"

"There's a live feed of the Bulgarian parade," Rebekah explained as she opened the video, "partially in celebration of the impending royal wedding, but mostly the independence day celebration." She pointed to the screen when she saw the carriage come to a sudden stop. "Is that?"

"Caroline," Nik was already reaching for his phone to secure a plane ticket.

"Book me one too," Rebekah shut the laptop.

"Why?" Nik pulled out his wallet.

"I want to watch you grovel," she sighed, "also, I'm invited to the wedding and bachelorette party."

Elena sat in a small meeting with Caroline and a few members of parliament the day after the parade. She had her laptop sat up so that it projected a photo of the winter palace.

"And so," Elena concluded her presentation, "the children from the shelter will be housed in the winter castle in Sofia."

Caroline smiled encouragingly when Elena nailed her speech. She frowned at the parliament members who were starting to hum and haw.

"The use of the castle as a resort is," the man waved his hands to mime searching for the right word, "a perk for parliament and dignitaries."

"Exactly," a small man nodded his agreement.

"Oh," Elena frowned at the table before meeting their eyes. "In that case, I am going to de-perk it, and convert it into a children's shelter until money can be raised for one of their own." Elena frowned at the assembled group.

"I feel guilty having two homes while they have none."

"We're going to have to do something," the taller man whispered harshly. "Where are we going to ski?"

"Gentleman," Elena rapped her knuckles on the table. "The queen approves of the plan, and I intend to see it through." Her eyes cut briefly to Caroline as she finished. "I don't think it will take too long to raise the money. Do you?"

What does everyone think? The next chapter will be the bridal shower.