Princess Caroline Elizabeth Grace Forbes of the Kingdom of Mystic was a beloved figure amongst her people. Beautiful and kind and always with a radiant smile, it was hard for commoners and nobles alike to malign her character. Unfortunately, that was not the case for some other members of her family…
"I will not! I am King, and Kings do not bend their knee."
"Not even for the sake of your pretty daughter, little King?"
King William Aster Roman Forbes, The First of His Name scowled at the figure before him, his countenance regal despite his harsh disdain.
"You do not threaten me in my own home. Now, begone!"
The woman standing before him inclined her head with dark, seething eyes.
"As you command, King."
Turning on her heel, the woman departed with silent steps, skirts swirling about her ankles.
Caroline woke with a start in the night, unsure what had roused her. Her chambers were quiet, the fire flickering merrily in the hearth. A quick glance about the room revealed nothing, and still her heart galloped.
Frowning, the princess turned and burrowed deeper into her covers, taking deep, slow breaths to try the calm the racing of her heart.
It did not work.
Instead she squirmed, shoving the sheets from her body as a jolt of heat seemed to emanate outward from her chest. It started as an uncomfortable burn, summoning a near instant glistening of sweat before worsening. From a sweltering heat to the agony of flame, Caroline writhed, choking on a scream. She clawed at her skin, mindless, some part of her desperately trying to tear the source of her pain out.
It was the blood-curdling shrieks that managed to burst from her lips that woke the castle, sending knights and servants bolting for her chambers.
But they all arrived far too late.
A dozen people burst into the room, casting horrified gazes around the space, all eyes absorbing the destroyed chamber. Somehow the stone itself was scorched and charred, and everything else turned to ashes. And worst of all, the outer wall was shattered, cracked stone and mortar casting dust into the darkness. Their eyes strained to see into the moonless night, and though they could make nothing out they all heard the roar.
It seemed to shake the very earth, rattling through their chests and stealing their breath.
The Princess was gone.
There was a Dragon in the Kingdom.
King William, a once healthy man of five and thirty, seemed to have aged decades in only six years. Deep lines creased his face, with hair peppered by premature streaks of grey.
He looked upon the man that stood before him, their hands clasped behind their back, stance firm and proud.
"Do you agree to these terms, Lord Mikaelson?"
A wicked smirk crossed the face of the declared Lord.
"I do."
"Then go. Save my daughter."
Sweeping a likely mocking bow, the blond lord vanished in a blur of preternatural speed.
The King continued to stare at the vacant spot, gut clenching as he hoped he made the correct decision. An older blonde woman stepped from the shadows behind his throne, having emerged from one of the many hidden passages, giving voice to his concerns.
"Was it wise to strike a bargain with a creature the likes of Niklaus, my lord husband?"
"Our soldiers come back in pieces. Even after acquiring the services of a few witches."
Turning to his Queen, eyes solemn and dark, he spoke as a father and not a King, "I doubt it was wise, but we are desperate."
The Queen's lips pursed as she acknowledged the truth of those words.
"For our daughter," she intoned in agreement.
"For our daughter," he echoed.
Klaus blurred through the forest, mind just as rapidly turning over plans in his head. The King's plight meant nothing to him, but his desperation meant everything. For a human, the man ruled a sizable territory and commanded a vast army. And he had pledged it all to him, contingent only on the safe return of his daughter. Between cannon fodder, a small network of witches, and a Crown in his debt, Klaus would have likely agreed even before he heard word of the dragon.
Yet the dragon made all the difference. As an Original, he had no need of human minions with his own supply of vampire ones nor could a human King's ties to witches outnumber his family's centuries of connections. But a dragon was unique. A dragon's blood could break his curse without the need for troublesome doppelgangers.
Caroline cocked her head hearing an odd whooshing of air. Something was moving rapidly toward her door.
She turned to look, eyes just setting it in her sights as it opened.
A tall blond man stood in the entryway, handsome, cut with lean lines that belied the danger she could sense from him. Perhaps, six years ago she would have mildly swooned at the sight of his features, the curls and deep, blue eyes. The barest hint of dimples and the strength of his jaw. But after the agony of that night when she burned in her bed, feeling as if she were dying only to be spirited away in the night. Well, her intuition and judgement was far sharper to say the least.
She regarded him calmly, tucking away her wariness.
"Who might you be, stranger? One so brazen as to barge into a lady's chambers."
The man stepped closer, regarding her with an odd expression on his face.
"My name is Klaus, Princess."
She could not quite manage to control her jolt at the sound of her title. It had been a long time since she had been addressed as such.
"Ah, so you are she. I had wondered." The man stalked slightly closer, though she held steady in the face of his advance. "You know, I found it quite peculiar when my witch reported that there was only one inhabitant of this tower. Quite the odd arrangement for a hostage, would you not agree?"
Caroline arched a brow, "Now, whoever said I was a hostage?"
"Why, your dear father did, of course. And a man must be in truly dire straights to come to me for aid."
Hiding a wince, Caroline felt guilt churn in her gut.
"How is he?" She inquired, voice far quieter, as if lowering her volume would lessen her shame.
Klaus now stood before her, taking many liberties as he reached up to fiddle with one of her curls.
"Aged. Distraught. Desperate for the return of his beloved daughter."
Caroline narrowed her eyes at his taunting, reaching up herself to push his hand away from her hair. His eyes flashed with a glint of something that stirred a renewed sense of foreboding, but he obligingly retreated.
"What did he tell you of my...hostage situation?"
The man raised a brow of his own at her slightly divergent questioning.
"That an enchantress ensnared a dragon and made off with the Princess one moonless night." Stepping closer once more, Klaus eyed her with a shadow of intrigue in his gaze. "So, where might they be?"
Tired of their circling, Caroline tilted her chin up. She felt the shift in her eyes as gold bled into them, her pupil narrowing into a slit. Vision changing with them, edges and colors sharpened into crystal clarity. A small cloud of smoke came billowing out of her nostrils filling the room with its sharp scent. She could feel the pooling of flame in her breast, waiting to be wielded.
"I ate her."