Previously on ATCL: 'The city of New Orleans had a new king'.
She wandered through the gory destruction of the Abattoir, looking for the one person she needed to see, though he was not in sight. The dead were being taken out by those who remained alive, and the courtyard was full of activity. The scene was grisly; nearly as terrible as the place she had battled in.
Then, she saw him. Those golden curls of his glinted in the lamplight, and her darker nature yearned for he who stood as a blood-covered ruler. She had heard the cheers of the people from blocks away; heard them proclaiming to all who would hear of the majesty of their new king. Of course, there was much to be worked out, such as peace treaties with the witches and wolves, as well as the integration of the hybrid pack into society, but still. He was king. That was what mattered.
"Klaus!" She shouted, straining above everyone else.
"Caroline?" He turned, his eyes ablaze at the sound of her voice. His voice was filled with awe, as if he was unsure she was actually there.
All time faded away for Caroline. She completely forgot about the fact that she had supernatural speed, and all she could see was Klaus. Distantly, she could hear the murmurs of the people, wondering who she was, but she could not bring herself to care. When she reached him, the blonde could barely breathe. All she could feel, all that was around her, was Klaus. She could see every bit of blue in his eyes, and every piece of stubble on his chin. His aroma was surrounding her; his being encompassed her fully. It was just all…him.
"How come you did not call? After a good hour of waiting, we were gathering a group to go search for your fucking body, Caroline!" His pleasant demeanor turned angry, and he threw his hands up in the air. "You hung up and we thought you had died! Fuck, Caroline, why did you hang up? It was entirely irresponsible and reckless! I could have been there in under a minute and there would not have been a risk to your life!" Klaus's face turned red as he began pacing, her silence irritating him even more. Why she could not deign to respond was beyond his comprehension at the moment. "All you had to do was ask, but instead you go on a suicide mission, and worry everyone in an entirely preventable situati—"
Klaus was cut off, however, by Caroline closing the distance between them, and pressing her lips to his. She could tell the moment he realized this was actually happening, for, after a moment of stillness, Klaus began to kiss her back. And, god, it was the best kiss of her life. If she had known he was this good of a kisser, maybe she would have attempted it earlier. Alas, all good things come to an end, and Caroline stepped back, smiling widely.
"What was that for, love?" Klaus asked, as she looked towards the floor, a shit-eating grin on her face.
"Because I didn't want to die without doing that." She laughed lightly. "And because I'm in love with you. You're it for me. I know I'm young, and I know eternity is a very long concept, but if I am sure of one thing upon this earth, it is that I will never feel like this for another." Caroline's insides fluttered as the hybrid gave her a look of indiscernible expression. "It was what I wanted to tell you over the phone, but I couldn't bring myself to do it like that, so I didn't. So like… If your offer to be my last love still stands, then I wholeheartedly accept." She looked back towards the ground, afraid she had taken too long, or maybe said the wrong thing too often, or any number of other things which could have gone wrong. It was not like they talked about this, after all. His feelings could have changed—even though he still seemed to be interested—but like that could be different now.
Klaus moved two steps forward, keeping eye contact with Caroline. He caressed her face gently, with hands stained with blood, before speaking. "I have always viewed love as a weakness to the mind and soul, Caroline. It is the flag by which I have existed under for over one thousand years. Yet, the moment you made your way into my life, everything changed, and I am unable to live beneath that maxim forevermore. You are a remarkable woman, sweetheart; more than I believe you will ever know, and I love you as much as my heart is able. So yes, my request has and always will stand. If you wish it, you may take your rightful place as my love and Queen for the remainder of time."
All Caroline needed was to whisper a breathless "I will" before she was enveloped in his arms, and the sense was literally being kissed out of her. Klaus's kisses were like a drug, and she was already addicted. She was sure she could go forever only being kissed by him. And what about the sex…
"Pay up, Beks." Katherine's drawling voice broke the pair out of their trance. She was holding her hand out to Rebekah, who rolled her eyes. Caroline turned to look at her two crazy friends, though she still stayed in Klaus's embrace.
"I'll order them when we get back to the manor." The vampire sighed. "Of course you had to pick the right bloody month. Of course."
"You bet on us!" Caroline shrieked, finally getting it. "Seriously?"
"Of course we did." Katherine scoffed. "Kol and Bon-Bon were in on it too, though they placed as a joint bet since he was dead and all. We each picked months, and I picked January." She gestured towards Rebekah. "She picked December, which is why she's pissed, though I always thought that was a bit optimistic of a bid."
"Only by seven days, Katherine. Seven. Days. That's it." Rebekah grumbled.
"Seven days by which you were extremely late." The immortal brunette smirked. "Either way, Bon-Bon picked February, so now you two owe me those Louboutins." Katherine crossed her arms, arching an eyebrow at the sore loser named Rebekah.
"I said I'll order the damn things. Just calm your panties." The Original scoffed. When Katherine went to respond, a wicked glint in her eyes, she cut her off. "And not like that. Get your head out of the gutter for once. I swear, you're as bad as Kol."
"It's not my fault I have an exceedingly sexy partner." The lady bit her lip, winking over in Elijah's direction. Said man had just walked into the courtyard, and was making his way in their direction, causing Rebekah to sigh.
"You two are nauseating." The blonde looked back over to her other brother, but he was entranced with Caroline, of fucking course. It was not bloody fair. All three of her brothers were completely and utterly taken by women who had become her friends, and it was horrid. At least her niece would be arriving soon, so she would have someone to lavish with love and affection. This whole staying-single thing was liberating and all, but it was getting annoying, especially when one lived with three couples. And for that matter… "Where are Kol and Bonnie?"
"Medical tent." Caroline commented, from where she had been delegating cleanup tasks to a couple of hybrids. "Bonnie sort of…passed out during the whole battle, and Kol's hanging out with Davina, waiting for her to wake up. He's promised to let me know when she does." Rebekah simply nodded, and joined the cleanup efforts.
-0-0-0-0-0-
"How you doing, Bon?" Caroline asked from beside the cot.
"I feel like I've been hit by a truck." Bonnie laughed weakly. "A really big one."
"Well, at least you don't look like it!" Caroline faked optimism before looking towards the floor, pursing her lips. "Your job sucks." She deadpanned.
"Yeah." The brunette snorted. "Yeah, it really does. And we should definitely keep any supernatural warfare to a minimum, because I would really love to not repeat this whole experience."
"That sounds like a brilliant idea." Caroline giggled. "I'll put that in the suggestion box. Actually, maybe I should make a suggestion box… That's a good idea too." She shrugged, before breaking into a grin. "Oh! Bon, guess what?"
Bonnie raised an eyebrow, entirely curious as to the reason why her best friend was bouncing on her toes like a little girl. "What, Care?"
"I'm…like…in a relationship with Klaus! And I'm going to be Queen!"
Bonnie just cocked her head to the side for a moment, confused. "Caroline, I love you, but your whole 'I'm secretly a princess from a foreign country and my parents haven't found me yet' routine lost its appeal in like third grade."
The blonde rolled her eyes. "You wound me. I'm actually not being dramatic this time. It's more of the 'Klaus and I have begun a relationship and he asked me to be his Queen for eternity' type. Actually, it's a bit more than just that reason, but still..."
"She's right." Rebekah popped her head in. "Hi, Bonnie." She nodded, receiving a wave back. "Katherine and I saw the whole thing. My brother actually has a heart. Who knew? Anyways, what I want to know, is how you got away from your little suicide mission, Caroline."
"Excuse me?" Bonnie crossed her arms. "You did what?"
"Care-Bear here went all martyr on us and started leaving death-note phone calls. Nik lost his shit when she hung up on him. We were preparing search parties to find her body when she just showed up in the middle of the Abattoir!" Rebekah tossed her hair over her shoulder, giving the other blonde her best bitch-face.
"Caroline," Bonnie sighed, "what happened?"
She rolled her eyes and sat on the edge of Bonnie's makeshift bed, playing with her fingers. "We had found the camp, but it was all a setup. One of our spies had betrayed us, and we were outnumbered. The fighting was…terrible. I killed so many..."
"Milady, I do not believe we will be able to win this fight!" One of vampires shouted to her.
The lady summoned all of the training she had been through with Klaus to her mind, and applied it practically as she snapped a werewolf's neck before throwing another opponent over her shoulder and breaking their spine over her knee. "I know. But we have to keep fighting! This camp must be taken, and we have the power to make that happen!" Caroline gagged as she stuck her hand into an enemy fighter's chest and ripped out their heart, dropping the bloody organ to the ground. God, she hated this killing, but at the same time, it felt natural. Good, even.
"Anyways, I was sure I was going to die, which was why I called my mom and Klaus. I left messages for all of you through them, and just… It was the worst moment of my life, saying those things. I didn't want to, but I had to." Caroline ran a hand through her hair, staring at the ground. "It got to a point where I was about to hand myself over to their leader, in order to get my squadron out. I didn't want any more of them to die than those who already had, you know?"
"But you didn't." Bonnie stated.
"But I didn't." Caroline agreed. She looked up and saw that the rest of the Mikaelsons and Katherine had shown up, as well as Davina. She made eye contact with Klaus, and smiled briefly, but continued on with her story. "I called a brief ceasefire instead, and challenged their leader to one-on-one combat; a fight to the death. His name was Thierry. Unfortunately, that ceasefire didn't last long."
Thierry was good. He was really good. And yet, Caroline could tell she could win this fight. She had studied his fighting style while they sparred, and he only had about fifty years' worth of strength on her, and she had been trained by an Original. It was possible for her to win this.
When she tripped over what was most likely a corpse, and subsequently got thrown into a wall, Caroline shook herself off, and got back up. Yeah, that experience was not going to be repeated. She looked around and saw that the warring sides had collided with each other again, and yet… Some of the hybrids had come to her aid, surely by Klaus's orders. He had to defy her order for help and send some anyways, of course. With backup, she would not have to worry about possibly being overwhelmed if she did defeat Thierry, therefore opening the door of opportunity wide.
The lady rushed the vampire, tackling him to the floor, and snapping his arm in the process. The motions were in a blur after that… They tussled on the ground, hitting each other, and there was a lot of pain. But, the moment Caroline remembered clearly, was when she stuck her hand in Thierry's chest, and pulled. And that was the end of that.
"Not bad," Kol commented, walking over to stand behind Bonnie. "Though I personally prefer decapitation to heart-ripping. That's more of Elijah's style." Said Original gave an amused half-nod, but said nothing, still dressed in his bloody suit, as the rest of them were. Though frankly, he and Katherine appeared to be the most mussed. Oh god, and she was giving him that look, which always signified a visit from the furniture company within the next few days.
"Kol, shut up." Bonnie shot back. "Care, you've got this look on your face and I know there's something more, so please ignore the idiot," She elbowed Kol in the side after he began whispering things in her ear "and continue."
"Honestly, there's not much else to tell." The storyteller shrugged. "Just afterwards, there was this…moment. I think I will remember it for the rest of my life."
Caroline shoved the body of Thierry off of her, dropping his heart onto his body as she stood up. She looked around to see the cleanup beginning, and went to go help, when the noise of the clamoring voices suddenly went silent.
She looked around, only to watch as Susan, James, Nathan, Elise, Maggie, Elliot, and Craig—all part of the hybrid pack she had spent the past few weeks getting to know—knelt down on one knee in front of her, and bowed their heads. From there, a ripple effect spread, with those who had fought under her command kneeling, and even those who had once been a part of Marcel's army joined in. Caroline turned slowly, taking in those who remained, roughly a good hundred or more men and women, all showing deference to her. She was just a baby vampire. Just a girl who had done too much for her nineteen years on earth. And yet, here she was, having fought a war, and won.
"What your pack has recognized, so do those assembled. Being a diverse body, representing supernatural factions from across the wide world," Susan spoke. "we recognize your leadership, Lady Caroline, and henceforth declare you to be our ruler. Long may you reign." The echoes of Susan's decree rang forth throughout the building, and the rest of those who kneeled repeated it, acknowledging the young vampire as their Queen.
"So that's what you meant by a bit more of a reason to be Queen than just you and Klaus." Bonnie put together, breaking the silence which had overcome the room after Caroline finished. She looked up at the hybrid who had made his way behind her best friend. "If you hurt her, I'll find a way to sever your bloodline and kill you myself, no matter how much it'll hurt when you pass through. Got it?" Katherine raised her eyebrows, but contained her initial laughter. From the look on the former witch's face, she would go through with it too.
"Bon!" Caroline gave her best friend a look, though she was more than a bit touched.
"I understand, though drastic measures will not be necessary." Klaus responded. The little…anchor was a match for his brother, that much was certain. He respected that.
"I'm glad we have come to an understanding." Bonnie nodded, seeing he was sincere.
Kol opened his mouth to say something sarcastic and witty, but was cut off when someone barreled in their area, looking frantic. "Mr. Mikaelson?"
"Yes?" All three responded.
The poor girl just looked between the three really attractive brothers in all of their 'I am badass and sexy-looking covered in blood' glory, and was momentarily struck speechless. She then regained her senses after a particularly murderous look from the curly-haired brunette to her left. "Clan Sinclair formally requests your assistance, for the son of our chieftain has been grievously injured."
Klaus nodded, helping Caroline up from her spot on Bonnie's bed. The lady said a quick goodbye to her best friend, and followed him out, and he could sense Rebekah with them as well. "Where is your chief?" He asked the little werewolf, who looked to be no more her early teenage years. "You look young to have been in battle… If I remember correctly, you were not at camp."
"I am the niece of our chieftain, and it is my cousin who fell in battle. I wasn't allowed to fight, as I have not yet triggered the curse, though it will happen within the next year or so, I believe. I was brought along to fetch things and make sure weapons are kept clean; it is a common job for the untriggered weres within our clan." The young girl spoke, and her accent was more identifiable now that she was speaking coherently. Klaus simply nodded as they wove amongst the beds, filled with resting soldiers. "My uncle is simply a few rows over; we managed to receive a slightly more private area."
When his sister took in a sharp breath after seeing who was lying in the bed, the stench of wolfsbane rolling off of the poor being, the hybrid took note, and filed that tidbit away for later use. "Alistair, what has gone wrong?" He asked the white-haired and scarred man sitting on a chair beside the cot.
The chief of the Sinclair Clan of werewolves stood, and bowed his head in deference to the King of the supernatural world before continuing. "It is my son, Lachlan. He was injured terribly, and due to the large quantity of wolfsbane within his system, has been unable to heal. He will not be able to heal from this, as the witches has told us. I request you turn him into a hybrid." The older man looked Klaus in the eye as he continued. "And I request you do not bind him with a sire bond."
Caroline and Rebekah exchanged looks as Klaus contemplated his answer. "And why should I grant your request? I need my hybrids to be loyal to me, after all. My current pack is quite happy as they are."
"My son must have his free will. He has children, Klaus! He cannot be beheld to another's will." Alistair retorted. Caroline thought she may have heard a quiet curse from Rebekah, and the Original definitely looked disappointed, but she brushed it off. "I will not let my grandchildren lose yet another parent; especially as it has been nearly three years since their mother passed away."
"I…was unaware he had children." Rebekah interjected. When she received funny looks from everyone, the Original clarified. "Lachlan and I became acquainted over the past few days." She saw Caroline and her brother share a look out of the corner of her eye, but ignored the idiots.
"Yes, he does. Malcolm and Eleanor are five and three. I am surprised you have not heard of them; they were quite taken with Miss Petrova last spring, when she and your brother Elijah visited us." The old werewolf replied.
Rebekah recovered quickly from her momentary shock. Katherine got along well with children? Not to mention the fact that Elijah had never said anything about going to visit the Sinclair's. "Ah, we were all very busy at the time, and have been recently as well. Must have slipped their minds." She turned to her brother, a deceptively sweet smile on her face. "Well, brother, what is your decision? You would not leave two innocent children parentless, especially with the imminent…circumstances, would you?" She raised an eyebrow, challenging her brother. Rebekah was pleased to see Caroline looked to be on her side in this matter.
Klaus stared into his daring little sister's eyes, before making his decision. "I need a glass, or a cup, or whatever other insipid drinking containers they have in this tent." Rebekah broke into a grin. It seemed there was hope for her brother yet. A cup was procured, and the hybrid bit into his wrist, letting the warm blood flow into the cup before he handed it over. "Pour that down his throat and then break his neck before it begins to heal him. I will send someone over with a vial of doppelganger blood, and he must use it to transition upon. We will discuss everything else tomorrow."
"Thank you, Klaus. My family is in your debt." Alistair, Chief of Clan Sinclair intoned gravely.
"Yes, you are." He nodded, and gave the cup to the elder werewolf. Klaus then swept out of the room, Caroline by his side, and Rebekah right behind the pair.
"Kol just texted me. Said everyone's on their way back to the manor." Rebekah informed them.
"Then that's where we will go!" Caroline decided as they walked back to where the cars were parked. "I've delegated enough cleanup tasks for the evening, thank you very much, and I desperately need a shower. We can leave everything else to the charts I made up and have conveniently posted in high traffic locations."
"We really should have a coronation ceremony, with a ball following, you know." Rebekah mused, changing the topic from corpse disposal. "For the both of you. Go all out in true Mikaelson fashion, and make it an event to be remembered."
"It would serve to cement our standing in the supernatural world…" Klaus caught on to what his sister was saying. "Invite everyone we know, and throw a grand affair. Show our family as a unit, therefore cutting off the possibility of revolts before they begin."
"Exactly." The lady affirmed. "It will be the perfect event, and this city could use a bit of grandiose flair after such a battle."
"Well, I've never really planned a coronation ceremony before, but I would certainly love to try!" Caroline laughed. She decided to try something new, and slipped her hand into Klaus's, interlacing their fingers. When he squeezed lightly, a sigh of relief ran through her, and she knew her action was appreciated. The rules for this…relationship were going to be a bit different than her others. She already felt freer. With her previous boyfriends, it had all been about making sure they stayed; being sure they would not leave her for someone better. But now, in whatever this was with Klaus, she did not feel the weight of expectations. He had been the one to pursue her. He had captured her heart, and kept it safe even when she did not acknowledge that he actually had it. He had proven himself worthy, without being asked to do so.
"Be prepared, love. My sister is a bear when it comes to her parties." Klaus murmured in her ear, causing a shiver to run down her spine.
"Well, I'm a dragon when it comes to mine."
-0-0-0-0-0-
In the week since the Battle of New Orleans, as it had been named, there had been a plethora of activity going on around the manor. A peace treaty had been crafted between the witches, vampires, werewolves, and hybrids, and Caroline's first act had been to sign her name beside Klaus's on the document. She had also taken over crafting a council with representatives from each of the species, while Klaus handled the reconstruction efforts, as well as the integration of the werewolves and hybrids into the New Orleans supernatural society. They were already being called the 'power couple of the millennium' by a few of the younger supernatural beings, in comparison to some of the prominent couples around the world. Honestly, it was all more than a bit flattering to Caroline, though quite overwhelming.
In-between a bunch of political stuff, Caroline had spent her week helping plan the coronation ceremony, and Klaus had not been kidding about Rebekah being very…assertive when it came to her events. Though, with all four women working on the affair—not to mention the reluctant involvement of Hayley, who in her heavily pregnant state was perfectly capable of licking and stamping invitation envelopes, no matter what she said—the entire process actually moved fairly swiftly. Dress shopping had been the most entertaining thing to do, of course, though Caroline had agreed to wait to see her dress until the day of the ceremony, thus causing her a lot of impatience. The other three dresses were beautiful, though, with Katherine in a red and black ball gown with a dramatic skirt, Bonnie wearing a nymph-like white gown with a slit up the front, darkening to rust-colored sides, and Rebekah in a dress which looked like fire. Literally, the dress looked as if it was crafted out of actual flames. It was a masterpiece which suited her temperament, that was for sure.
Finally, it was the day of the coronation ceremony and subsequent ball. Everything had been finished the night before, the men had been given their appropriate attire—due to codes, they each had to have two suits, as the ball was white tie, and the ceremony required ceremonial dress—and everything was utterly perfect. The actual ceremony was due to start at four o'clock sharp, then afterwards there would be an hour break before the formal ball. Overall, it was an exceedingly grand affair, but as Rebekah had said, "Nothing is too good for the Mikaelson family". And that was that.
"Can I see my dress yet?" Caroline crossed her arms and turned towards the other three women, upsetting the guy who was doing her hair. They had commandeered Rebekah's sitting room once again, and had a team of stylists working overtime.
"You've got your makeup done, right?" The Original asked a rhetorical question, as she could clearly see the answer. "Once your hair is done, then you can."
"You're going to be glad you waited, Care." Bonnie said from the other side of room where she was getting her toenails done. "It's… It really is a masterpiece."
"I'm just wondering why you haven't started freaking out on all of us yet." Katherine commented from she was being helped into her dress. "Before Marcel's ball you were running around like a madwoman, and now you're like freakishly calm."
"Why don't you ask your little sixth sense." Rebekah piped up, smiling mockingly. "After all, it has been reliable before, right?"
"Tried that." Katherine retorted. "Unfortunately, all I'm getting from this room is an overload of bitchiness. And oh look! It's all coming from you." Rebekah just rolled her eyes in retaliation, going back to getting her lipstick applied properly.
Caroline just sat in her chair, taking in even breaths and blocking out the noise coming from her friends. She could do this. It was just a coronation. It was like Miss Mystic, but bigger. Way bigger. When she felt the stylist release her head, she took one more breath before standing up. "Okay, I'm done." She looked at the other blonde expectantly.
"Bring it out!" Rebekah clapped, sending two of the attendants off. "Now don't touch your face, and don't you dare cry." She threatened.
When the ivory and silver confection came into the room, Caroline almost did start crying. The only way to describe the dress would be majestic. It looked like it was made of snowflakes, and there was a cape-thingy, and just… "Oh my God." She breathed. "I… Wow."
"We did pretty well, don't you think?" Bonnie laughed, walking over carefully in those ridiculous spa flip-flops and to her hair station.
"It's so much better than I imagined it could be." Caroline smiled. "I would hug you all right now but we're all so prettified so I won't."
"Plus, I would kill you all. We don't have time to redo everyone." The other blonde said sternly. She turned and stepped into her dress, the fierce colors making her seem all the more fearsome.
"Ignore her. She's sexually deprived." Katherine sniped, causing Bonnie and Caroline to laugh, and Rebekah to let out an entirely unladylike growl. "I don't know why you all are laughing. We all know I'm the only one getting any in this house." She bit her lip and smirked. "Then again, I'm not so sure if I'm right about that when it comes to Bon-Bon. Tell me, do we need to get the first-floor spare room disinfected, or not?"
Caroline whirled around and faced her best friend. "Don't tell me you didn't tell me."
"Nothing's gone on!" Bonnie threw her hands up in the air and rolled her eyes.
"If I hadn't accidentally walked in," Katherine smirked, making it clear that she had absolutely known what was going on "then more clothing items would have been removed, cupcake, and you wouldn't be able to say that."
"We were just making out! God." Bonnie crossed her arms. "It's no big deal."
"It is a big deal. If you seal the deal with your boyfriend, you are required to tell me by the laws of the best-friend code." The youngest vampire fixed her best friend with a stern look.
"Yeah, she's definitely not getting any." Katherine deadpanned, raising her eyebrows at Bonnie. "Only someone celibate would be that desperate for details."
"I have been with Klaus for a week! A week! I may move fast, but not that fast!" Caroline shrieked.
"I need new friends." Rebekah pinched the bridge of her nose. "Preferably ones that aren't fucking my brothers."
-0-0-0-0-0-
Caroline paced Rebekah's sitting room, fidgeting with her hands. She had asked for just fifteen minutes of time to think before they had to leave for the cathedral; yes, a cathedral. Rebekah had reserved the Saint Louis's Cathedral in Jackson Square for the event, and when Caroline had gone with her to view the location, she had been blown away. The place just oozed history and culture, and honestly, it was overwhelming. This whole…thing was just a lot. She could handle it, it was just really quite a bit to take in all at once.
The only part of her life she was sure about at this point was Klaus. How fucked up was that? Her former enemy was now the one person she could rely on totally and fully. She had this whole 'Congrats Caroline, you're now accepted as the Queen of supernatural beings everywhere' thing going on, and her mom made it very clear that she and her were going to be having a talk very soon, and she had barely spoken with Stefan or Elena at all within the past few weeks. It just felt like her entire life changed the moment she decided to put Katherine in that car and roadtrip it down South, and this was not the outcome Caroline had expected.
A knock on the door swept her out of her thoughts, and Caroline steeled her hand on the wall for support, looking out at the pretty, and calming, view. "I asked for fifteen minutes! That's not that hard to grant!" Her voice was filled with ire, and her hands were shaking from a mixture of nervousness and sudden anger.
"I apologize, love, but no one informed me you wished for time alone." Klaus sauntered into the room. He was stunned at the vision she made at the window; even with her back to him, she was still beautiful. When she turned about, the gauzy train of her gown twisting around her feet as she did so, he could not contain a gasp. Caroline was…majestic. Ethereal. Wondrous. She wore no adornment other than her daylight ring and the bracelet he had given her, and frankly, she needed none. Between her natural beauty and the marvelous gown which complimented her perfectly, there was no need for anything other than the tiara which would rest upon her head by the end of the evening. "Forgive me, but words are not enough."
Caroline looked towards the ground and back up, smiling slightly. When she heard his voice instead of another's, there was really no reason to be angry. "Though, I do not believe you should be in here. I don't think you were supposed to see my dress before I came down."
"My sister will get over herself." Klaus smirked, his dimples appearing. "She has for over a thousand years, and she can do it once more." At the mention of their true age, Caroline began to wring her hands and pace again. Klaus quickly came to a conclusion of his own for her distress. "Caroline." His voice was serious, causing her to come to a halt. "If you wish to not go through with this, I will understand. I may not seem incredibly forgiving, but if you feel pressured in any way to uphold duties or whatnot, then I do not wish for you to stay here out of a sense of mere obligation."
Caroline paused for a moment, digesting what he was saying. "Are you trying to give me an out?"
"I don't believe it was an attempt, more like I was actually giving you one." He cocked an eyebrow, deflecting emotions with sarcasm, as usual.
"Don't be an ass." She crossed her arms, before quickly unfolding them and smoothing down her gown. "Do you think I'm here out of some twisted sense of obligation to the people of New Orleans? Do you really think that low of me?" She purposefully threw his words to her at their first true interaction back in his face, knowing they would hit home.
"I don't know, Caroline! How am I? How on earth am I supposed to believe that someone would stay for me, and not because of another obligation? Because frankly, it's a bit of a far-fetched concept." Now it was he who began pacing, and Caroline sighed.
"You should believe it because I'm in love with you, okay? And maybe I've been a terrible…whatever we are the past few days, but like we've both been really busy, and I didn't know what to do in regards to like physical actions, so I just let it go for now." She played with her fingers some more, not having anything else to mess with. "God, you don't even know, do you?"
"Know what, sweetheart?" Klaus waited for her answer, not knowing what to feel.
"That you're probably the most important person in my life! You're my best friend, and I know you're always there when I need you, and just… I'm not still here because I want to better the lives of the supernatural people, and I'm not here because I've had two separate groups of people kneel at my feet and proclaim me their leader!" Caroline paused to take a breath, which had accelerated as she spoke. "I'm here, in this house, in this room, and in this dress, because I am totally and utterly in love with you, Niklaus Mikaelson. And there is nothing else that would make me happier, than to stand as your partner for the rest of eternity." The sheer passion in his eyes lit her body and soul on fire, and Caroline was not even able to take another breath before her mouth was covered by his, and his arms were bringing her into him. She looped her arms around his neck and played with the soft curls of his hair as they kissed. Kissing Klaus was like coming home, and it was something Caroline seemed to feel anew every single time.
After what seemed like hours, they broke apart, and she broke into a grin. "You… You have lipstick smeared on your face." Caroline giggled, rushing over to grab a tissue from one of Rebekah's side tables. She came back and removed the stains tenderly. "Somehow or another, I don't think lipstick stains will go very well with the whole kingly image."
"They certainly would match the blasted cloak I am to be wearing." Klaus intoned dryly. "I had enough of those over the centuries, and was quite pleased when they went out of style, thank you very much."
"Just be glad I talked her down from full ceremonial dress." Caroline smirked. "I wasn't feeling up to putting on seventeen million layers of fabric, and I didn't think you were either, so I managed to avoid that. Our compromise, however, was that you wear a cape and that she got to pick my dress."
Klaus glanced at the clock, and offered his arm to Caroline. "I hear my siblings gathering downstairs, and it is time for us to leave. Is there anything you need?"
She looped her arm through his, holding his elbow. "Katherine's got my clutch until after the ceremony." Especially in her heels, which were of a fairly modest height, they stood eye-to-eye. "Are you ready to do this?"
"Are you?" He shot back, causing her to roll her eyes.
"I am now."
With that, Klaus and Caroline headed out the door and down to where the remaining members of their party were gathered. When they reached the top of the stairs, Klaus handed Caroline her train, walked down two steps, and then waited for her to place her right hand in his grasp. In this way the couple descended the stairs, Klaus leading Caroline to where the rest of their family awaited them. And, yes, it had become their family now. No words were needed as they made their way through the foyer and out to the limousine, and none were said. The rest were well aware that something significant had changed between the couple.
After all, they truly appeared, for the first time, as a King and Queen.
-0-0-0-0-0-
When it came to coronations, consorts—for that is what Caroline was apparently now called—entered after the monarch. Or at least that was what Wikipedia said, when she had done a bunch of research upon the ceremony itself, so as to prepare herself mentally. Then again, from the itinerary which had been prepared for the evening, this was really just a crowning, as all the religious segments—even though the event was being held in a cathedral—had been cut out of what would have been a normal coronation. Caroline was not entirely sure why this was so, but she let it go in the bustle of the past week. Her duties for the afternoon were to walk up to the altar, take an oath, have a crown placed on her head, and walk back down the aisle.
"It is time." One of the attendants at the door said to the lady, whisking her out of her personal musings. "You make a lovely picture, milady."
"Thank you." Caroline smiled, taking a deep breath as the two men opened the double doors, revealing her to the standing masses. If she had not been aware that it only a mere three hundred at the event, Caroline would have felt as if the whole city had appeared in the old church. The choir, which had been singing at Klaus's entrance as well, began a new song which lasted until her arrival at the altar. There were so many eyes on her, but she focused on the endgame; the altar where her friends stood.
To her left, on the side where she would stand, Rebekah, Katherine, and Bonnie were arranged. On the right, Elijah and Kol stood in perfect formation. Caroline made eye contact with the last person waiting for her, and smiled. However much he disliked that damn mantle, Klaus certainly appeared regal in it. She could him fighting off a smile as their eyes spoke volumes, and when she neared the dais, he stepped down to help her up the stairs.
The ceremony itself was quite short. Klaus and Caroline both swore an oath adapted from the peace treaty they had created for New Orleans, and they basically swore to uphold peace with humans, and within the different groups of supernatural beings for as long as they both lived. Then, Klaus took his coronet, which was of a fairly simplistic design, and crowned himself. He was the supreme being, after all. Caroline expected no less. Then he lifted her tiara, which was just really shiny and glittery, and she ducked into a half-curtsy, head bowed. The headpiece was placed gently into her complicated updo; Klaus took her hands and raised Caroline up when he was done. Facing the crowd together, applause and cries of "Long live the King and Queen" reigned throughout the building as he stepped off the dais and helped her down, her hand tucking into his elbow as they walked back down the aisle, the rest of the Mikaelsons, as well as Bonnie and Katherine, following behind them.
As two cars had been arranged to take everyone to the location for the ball, everyone regrouped in a reserved waiting area. Caroline and Klaus had arrived before the rest of their party, and they had taken the time to just sit and be with each other. The remainder of the evening was going to be full of socializing—which both enjoyed quite a bit—and sometimes a bit of quiet was needed.
Elijah, Katherine, and Rebekah made it into the room first, and small talk began between the five. A few minutes later, Kol, Bonnie, and an unexpected visitor walked in the room.
"Mommy?" Caroline's face broke into a grin as she shot up off of the couch she and Klaus had been sitting on, and rushed to her mother, train flowing behind her. She grabbed the stoic sheriff in a tight hug, stepped back briefly to look her over, and then hugged her again, laughing. "I didn't think you were going to going to come, and you're wearing a real dress, and like, oh my God I'm so happy you're here!"
Liz brushed a stray bit of hair back off of her daughter's forehead. "I haven't seen you since August, Caroline. I wouldn't miss the chance to come to an event held partially in your honor."
Caroline turned back to look at her friends. "Did all of you know about this?" She was radiating sunshine, such was her level of happiness.
"Kol and I were the only ones who knew before twenty minutes ago." Bonnie smiled. "Your mom and I were trying to keep it a surprise."
Caroline flashed over and hugged Bonnie as well, whispering a "Thank you" before going back to her mother's side. "How much more time do we have until we need to go in?" She asked the room.
"Half an hour, love. You have time to take a walk." Klaus smirked after checking his watch.
"You," She pointed her finger at him, faking a stern face "need to stop reading my mind." Caroline grabbed her mom's hand and headed towards the door. "But good. We'll be back before then."
"Be back in twenty-five minutes, Caroline!" Rebekah shouted after the exiting blondes. "I'll stake you myself if we're late!"
"It'll be twenty-eight now, Beks! And no you won't!" The younger blonde laughed.
"You certainly seem comfortable with all of them." Liz remarked as they walked throughout the gorgeous building. "I never thought I would see that, I must say."
"I've been living with them for two months, Mom. We've all been through a lot together." Caroline shrugged.
"When did you grow up, Caroline? Because I watched you walk up that aisle today, and it took me a moment to recognize my little girl underneath the woman I saw." Liz sighed, a sad smile on her face. "And then you got up there, and just… You looked like a bride on her wedding day." Caroline covered her mouth, not even having considered that event in regards to today, but now that her mom had pointed it out to her, she could see it. "I may not approve of your choice in boyfriend, but I can accept him. He can certainly protect you, and I know by the way you two looked at each other up there today that you know what you're doing."
"I love him, Mom." Caroline whispered. "More than I've ever loved anyone. It's terribly cliché and all, but he's the one for me." When she saw no judgment from her mother, the lady breathed out a heavy sigh and changed the topic. "Tell me, what have Elena, Stefan, Jeremy, and Damon been up to? I haven't talked to them in a while."
"Let's see… I'm sure you know about Elena deciding not to go back to college, but she took the Gilbert seat on the Council during the most recent session. Damon's still head of the Council, but he hasn't been up to much. I've broken up a few parties that Jeremy was at, and Stefan's been spotted around town with some girl, but that could just be the gossip mills making up stuff again. It's been slow around town." Liz shrugged. "The beautification committee has talked about dragging you back by your hair, because apparently the level of perfection they hold the town's appearance to has slipped in your absence."
"I've been getting calls." Her daughter laughed. "The town is falling apart without me there to hold it together."
"You seem happier here, though, and that's more important than any silly committee." Liz said.
"Because I am." Caroline agreed. "I am very happy here."
"I'm glad."
-0-0-0-0-0-
Exactly twenty-seven minutes and fifty-eight seconds after Caroline and Liz left the waiting area, they were back. Well, Caroline was. Her mother had insisted on going in with the rest of the partygoers, but assured her daughter that they would see each other again during the evening. By then, all three men had changed into their white tie attire, and Rebekah was pacing the room. "There you are!" She grabbed the baby vampire and dragged her over in front of a mirror. "Reapply your lipstick while I check over your dress."
"Don't smother the girl, Beks." Katherine snidely commented. "And her tiara is crooked."
"Thanks, Katherine." Caroline rolled her eyes as Rebekah popped up to readjust the tiara. "Now the psycho fashion-fairy has something else to pick over."
"Rebekah, love, release Caroline." Klaus sauntered over, subtly blocking his sister off. "Where did your mother disappear off to?"
"She wanted to go in with everyone else, so I let her." Caroline shrugged, adjusting his bowtie slightly. "I think she stills finds it a bit weird to hang out with all of us—I mean like, we all basically hated each other back in Mystic Falls—so I didn't press the issue. Honestly, I'm just glad she's here at all."
"Alright, time's up, Bekah." Kol announced, bringing them all out of their private conversations. The seven walked as a cohesive group to the staircase from which they would make their grand entrances from, and all stood slightly to the side so as not to block the doorway.
Kol and Bonnie went down first, followed by Katherine and Elijah once they reached near the bottom. Rebekah took the spotlight in her fiery dress, and sashayed down those steps like the proudly single woman she was - even if all the couples she was living with were getting a bit annoying. Descending last, Klaus and Caroline stopped a step above where Rebekah had positioned herself, and Klaus began a short speech.
"Ladies, Gentlemen, I would like to thank you all for your presence here this evening, in honor of a momentous occasion. Order has been restored to the city of New Orleans, through the work of my family, and by the assistance of our allies. Without them, this evening would not be possible." Applause broke out as Klaus paused, working the crowd. "It is my honor to be officially recognized as the leader of the supernatural races, and to present my Queen, Caroline Forbes, who was chosen for this rank by the supernatural people." Again, applause reigned. Quietly, he leaned into Caroline, whispering only so she could hear, "They love you, you know. I do not believe you can do any wrong in their eyes."
"Then they are too kind." She replied softly. "Though they do have good taste, if I may say so myself." Caroline let out a soft laugh and quirked her brow.
Klaus laughed off her comment, and continued on. "Now, I declare this evening officially open!" He began their descent again, leading Caroline out onto the dance floor, along with his siblings. Rebekah managed to find a dance partner in Chief Alistair Sinclair, and everyone else had their obvious dance partners.
On one side of the floor, Kol swept Bonnie across the floor, her dress fanning around her legs as they danced. "You've managed to improve your skills slightly from Christmas, I see." She teased. "At least I'm not hitting furniture this time."
"You wound me, Bunny dear. I am the most fabulous dancer you shall ever have the privilege of meeting, and you have rent my heart to shreds with your lack of faith in me." He dramatically stated, causing her to throw her head back in laughter, the bouncy curls her hair had been fixed into for the evening shaking with the slightest movement.
"I've always thought your ego needed to be taken down a notch or ten. Guess I was right." Laughter overtook Bonnie again as Kol twirled her out and back in, before dipping her with flair.
"Are you ready to take those words back yet?" He smirked, kissing her briefly before moving into another portion of the dance. "Because I can keep convincing you for the rest of the night."
"Not a chance in hell." Bonnie gave him her best sassy look. "I can outlast you every time."
After the first dance ended, Rebekah could be found dancing with a string of men who only ended up disappointed when they did not manage to hold the pretty Original's interest. Eventually tiring of the blatant ass-kissing, she ditched her fan club and headed over to the bar for a strong drink to steel her for more of the same. There, she ran into a certain former werewolf.
"I thought you would be out dancing." Rebekah raised an eyebrow before ordering a drink.
"You certainly appear to be enjoying yourself." Lachlan replied, sipping whatever that was he was drinking. "Though I cannot say the same for your partners."
"They assume too much." She shot back. "It is not my fault they seem to believe a single mediocre dance will earn their way into the privileged ranks of the Original Family."
"Touché." He agreed, pausing for a moment. "I wanted to thank you for the part you played in my current state of being. My father said it was you who convinced your brother to turn me." Lachlan took another sip. "Though it was not exactly on my bucket list to become an immortal hybrid, it is better this than dead."
"Your father was most convincing." The lady played it off. "He mentioned your children, and, well, I have a niece due any day now. It was nothing, really."
"But it was." Lachlan insisted. "Truly, it was. After my wife, Alice, died, my children have needed me more than ever. You cannot know how much it means that I am still walking, albeit in an undead state."
"Think nothing of it. Tell me," Rebekah started, changing the topic, "what terms did my brother eventually agree to? Because I know that he did not bind you with the sire bond, but he must have required something else."
"I'm coming back here, permanently, and within a month." The man announced. "I will be taking a place on the council, as the representative for hybrids. Apparently the first choice, Ms. Bishop-Montgomery, turned the position down, and it was more-or-less required of me to take it. Either way, I'll be gone long enough to pack up the house and kids, and move down here."
Strangely, the thought of seeing the ginger-haired hybrid again pleased Rebekah very much, though she attempted to squash it. It was time to be single and free, not to get involved; besides, he had children. How would that work? "In that case, the city of New Orleans awaits your arrival." She raised her glass in a miniature toast, and he clinked his against hers.
"Why am I getting déjà vu from this?" Katherine crossed her arms, biting her tongue to suppress her laughter. Elijah stood behind her, not even bothering to hide his smug amusement at the hilarity of the situation. They had simply wanted to grab their outerwear and take a walk outside, but when they had approached the room where their things were, Elijah picked up on very peculiar sounds coming from said room. Being the mischievous little shits that they were, the couple burst into the room, and interrupted Kol and Bonnie in the middle of what looked like a marvelous make-out session. Or at least, it had been a good session. Now they were just getting laughed at.
"Really brother, I advise you to pick a better location next time. Or at least lock the door." Elijah teased his younger brother, thoroughly enjoying this. Ah, revenge was sweet. He breezed into the dressing area and grabbed his coat and Katherine's shawl.
"Yes, you would know all about locking doors, wouldn't you?" Kol rolled his eyes. "Considering the fact that you two are extremely proficient at locking them constantly."
"At least we don't get interrupted!" Katherine sang, turning around as Elijah draped the shawl around her shoulders. Though her dress may have long sleeves, the back was completely open, and the top was of thin material, thus making the garment necessary. "Seems I was right in my assumptions, Bon-Bon. Good for you!" She shot the mortified girl an exaggerated wink.
"Bye Katherine!" Bonnie gave her an overly-sarcastic wave, rolling her eyes.
"Bye Bon-Bon!" Katherine shot back, a cat-that-ate-the-canary look on her face. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" She grabbed Elijah's arm and dragged him out of the room, and away from the interrupted couple. "Ahhh, havoc-wreaking. How I enjoy that."
"We are quite proficient at the task." He agreed. By now they had reached the doors leading to the back lawn of the event building, and were met by the brisk January air. They walked in silence for a bit, simply enjoying each other's company, before Elijah broke the quiet. "What are you thinking of, my dear?"
Katherine breathed in deeply before she answered. "You. Us. How a mere walk like this was a pipe dream two months ago. It's all kind of mind-boggling when you think about it."
"It represents us, I believe." Elijah countered. "We spent so much time dancing around each other, that it makes sense we would jump in headfirst when actually given the chance to be together."
"We certainly did in London." Katherine smirked slightly, enjoying those memories.
"We had too much time on our hands in London, what with waiting for informants to actually get themselves together, among other factors. We had nothing better to do than focus on each other." He corrected.
"Touché, my love. Touché." She stepped slightly to the side so as to avoid a puddle, and was back by him in a second's time. They eventually stopped at a stone bench, which was near a fountain at the base of the lawn, and Elijah led Katherine to sit down. Once there, he reached inside his jacket pocket, and pulled out an envelope, which he handed to her. Curious, she raised an eyebrow at the piece of paper before opening it. The contents, however, confused her. "What exactly are you giving me plane tickets for? And to France, of all places?"
"I presumed," Elijah took one of her hands in his, and rubbed it gently, "that immediately after the birth of my niece, we could jet off to a certain chateau and vineyard, and enjoy the place like we should have months ago." Katherine could barely breathe. She set the tickets down on her other side, grabbed Elijah by the lapels, and began to kiss him senseless. He wanted to go to the place she had prepared for them; the place where they were supposed to begin their adventure together, and it simply made her love him all the more.
As the clock waned into the late hours of the night, the noisy ballroom was brought to a still by the tinkling of a knife against a glass. Alistair, Chief of Clan Sinclair moved to the staircase, champagne glass in hand, and began to speak. "Though this was not planned, as my Clan has been allied with the Mikaelson family, and subsequently our King and Queen, for many centuries, I have taken it upon myself to perform the duty which must be executed at every formal event: the final toast." He gestured into the crowd. "The wait staff is coming around with trays of champagne, though, it's certainly not on my tab!" A laugh aroused from the masses, and Klaus offered an amused nod from the head table, where he and Caroline were seated, her mother beside them. "Firstly, to the representatives of the supernatural world, meaning all of us, this is for you. Though we all have our differences, we have managed to unite under the common respect for those we consider royalty. To the Original family, for assisting us in this unification. And to Niklaus and Caroline, our King and Queen, and the figureheads of war and peace in our eyes. Long may you both reign."
The resounding echoes of "To the King and Queen" could be heard throughout the entire city of New Orleans, that night.
The End
AN: Well, that's it. The last official chapter of A Tree Called Life. I started crying when writing that last line, I'm not even joking. This story has become my baby during the past few months, and I just... I don't really know what I'm going to do without it. Anyways, I'm rambling too much.
I know you all are wondering why I didn't update last week, and why I'm updating on a Monday, and yeah. Basically, between a case of writer's block, and college, I was not able to get this chapter out there. However, I decided to update today instead of on Wednesday so that I can give you all a nice and pretty epilogue on my normal update day, and allow you some time to digest this really huge chapter before then.
Anyways, this is me shamelessly review-mongering, and asking you all to share your thoughts about this chapter with me, because I would love your opinions, and to discuss anything which may need clarification.
You readers have made this story possible, and I will forever be grateful for the support I have been given. Expect a short epilogue on Wednesday (it ties up the last plot which I did not resolve in the main chapters in a neat little bow), and just... thank you all. Truly, thank you.
-Abi