Hello once again! Wow, I am still so excited at the response from you amazing readers-thank you for your lovely reviews/follows/favorites! I really appreciate the support! I took advantage of my lazy day yesterday (and the fact that I was jumping for joy that the amazing Joseph Morgan won a much-deserved PCA last night!) and cranked out a new chapter for you! Happy Reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries!
Chapter Three
Caroline lifted her head in amazement as she, Katherine, and Elena exited the cart and rescued their luggage. The city square was essentially an enormous marketplace crawling with all kinds of people, supernatural and human. Street vendors and merchants lined the perimeter, boasting a variety of goods and services. A large fountain graced the square's center, the rushing water sparkling as it caught the rays of the morning sun. Caroline immediately noticed a large crowd gathering at the fountain, mostly females, where a small contingent of guards in their black uniforms was standing on the fountain's raised wall. Behind the fountain, she could make out a line of horse-drawn carriages.
"Come, Caroline. We don't want to be late for the summons," Elena's voice drew her from her observations. Gripping their belongings, the trio quickly made their way over towards the crowd at the fountain. Caroline gawked at the sheer numbers of women that were present.
"How on earth are we going to fit in the castle? Surely they don't have that much room to spare," she remarked, turning to her friends.
Elena frowned. "I haven't a clue. I'm sure they have a plan of some sort."
All of a sudden, one of the guards blew a short fanfare on a trumpet, effectively reducing the crowd's loud chattering to a dull murmur that quickly faded to silence. Another guard began speaking in a loud, piercing voice.
"By order of Niklaus, king and sovereign of Mystic Falls, and by the will of the Council, you have been summoned to the castle to compete for the honor and privilege of the royal title of Queen of Mystic Falls," the guard's voice rang out. "However, there has been a late addition to the criteria of eligibility."
The silence of the mob was deafening. Caroline listened with bated breath.
"An age restriction has now been placed on candidates for the queenship. No female above the age of four decades is permitted to participate."
His words were met with a roar of angry voices. Katherine and Elena exchanged glances.
"Damn, we just missed the cut-off. It seems as though we are stuck with you, Care," Katherine said in an undertone.
Caroline felt sorry that her friends were not quite old enough to escape, but she couldn't help feeling a bit selfish and thankful that they would be remaining with her. Still, she was puzzled by the announcement.
"Why would they do such a thing? Wouldn't they want an older, more experienced vampire to rule?" Caroline asked.
"No, an age restriction makes perfect sense," Katherine answered. Seeing Caroline raising an eyebrow in disbelief, she elaborated. "They obviously want someone young and impressionable enough so that she won't try to defy the king and create a problem like Queen Tatia did. Everyone knows that the queen has no real authority, what with the king's temper and obsession with power."
A blast from the trumpet brought the clamorous shouts of the crowd down to an angry muttering.
When it was once more quiet, the guard continued, "Those of you who are above the age of four decades, you are dismissed."
Caroline was shoved into Katherine as vampires all around her cursed under their breath and left the crowd, leaving only about twenty young vampires remaining at the fountain. Caroline shifted uneasily on her feet, a pit of dread forming in her stomach.
"That's all of you then, is it? Well then, it's off to the castle for you. Four to a carriage. Step lively, now!" The guard barked out orders.
The remaining contenders frantically started moving towards the carriages. Caroline caught hold of Katherine and Elena, and they scurried over, climbing into the first carriage they came to. Just before Katherine could shut the door, a pretty blonde girl with a cheerful face and bright dark eyes clambered in.
"May I join you? All the other carriages are full," the girl explained with an apologetic look.
"Certainly," Caroline smiled at the newcomer, who proceeded to sit in the vacant seat next to her.
"My name is Alexia Branson, but you can call me Lexi," the blonde offered her hand to Caroline.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lexi. I'm Caroline Forbes, and these are my friends Elena and Katherine Gilbert," she replied, shaking Lexi's hand and gesturing to the twins across from them.
After making the necessary small talk, Caroline turned to look out of the carriage window. They had almost reached the northern end of the city where the Mikaelson castle was located, judging by the increasing elegance of the buildings that flew by. After a few more minutes, the carriage came to a halt just in front of a wall with a wrought iron gate, where a wide avenue continued onward, lined with tall fir trees.
"We've reached the castle's outer walls. Not much longer now," Lexi said with a nervous edge to her voice.
The carriage rumbled on through the gate, the four girls lapsing into an uneasy silence.
In spite of her fear, Caroline also felt a twinge of excitement at seeing the castle for the first time. She often imagined what it looked like after hearing Stefan's description of it when he returned from his occasional visits there. Her expectations were not disappointed by the reality, as the last trees blocking her view disappeared, revealing an immense structure, with walls made of grey stone. Numerous turrets jutted into the sky, their roofs decorated with gargoyles. There were more windows and balconies than she could count, and the whole castle was surrounded by lawns covered in green grass and dotted with flowers. It was a strangely beautiful place, and Caroline found it difficult to imagine dark creatures such as vampires residing here.
Finally, the carriage stopped at the front of the imposing structure. As they descended, servants came to whisk their bags away to their chambers, the guards motioning the pack of girls to follow them.
The guards led the way inside the castle, passing though the gigantic carved wooden doors and into the entrance hall. Caroline uttered a soft gasp, as did most of the other girls around her. Never had she seen such grandeur in her entire life. Directly in front of her was a marble staircase that led up to the second floor and branched into two directions, one for each wing of the house. Large stained glass windows let in the sunlight and produced a myriad of colors. Tapestries hung on the walls, depicting scenes of epic battles and the like. It was a beautiful yet intimidating atmosphere.
Caroline was so overwhelmed that she barely noticed the two figures standing in the middle of the staircase facing the candidates until Elena nudged her.
"Care, look! It's Prince Elijah!" she murmured.
"Is it really? Who is the woman with him, then? Princess Rebekah?" Katherine asked quietly, studying the prince intently.
"No, the princess has blonde hair," Lexi answered. "I suppose we'll have to wait and find out."
Caroline focused her attention on the imposing pair. Prince Elijah was tall, with an attractive face and a dignified and noble air. His hair was a dark brown that matched his eyes, which were roving over the visitors with a calm yet calculating gaze. There was no doubting his royal blood as he stood silent and imposingly, dressed elegantly in leather trousers, a loose dark green shirt, and a vest of silvery-white. The woman beside him, though much shorter, was no less pleasing to look at. Her dark skin and long black hair contrasted beautifully with her dark green eyes, and she wore a riveting navy blue silk gown. She also was observing the crowd, though Caroline perceived her eyes contained much more warmth than the prince's. Caroline was drawn from these thoughts by the prince clapping his hands loudly.
"Good morning. I am the Prince Elijah, and on behalf of my brother, the King Niklaus, and on behalf of the Council, I bid you welcome to the castle that has housed the royal monarchs of Mystic Falls since its foundation many centuries ago." The prince spoke with a gentle accent, and though his voice was by no means loud, Caroline thought that here was one who would suffer no provocation. She shuddered inwardly, recalling that Prince Elijah was after all a vampire like the rest of the royal family, and had most likely ripped out hearts on many occasion.
"Today, you will be touring the castle and later settled into your chambers, which are located on the third floor of the east wing. While you are here, you are in the charge of our housekeeper, Miss Bonnie Bennet," he gestured to the woman at his side, who smiled. "If you have any troubles during your stay, she will attend to you. Now, I would like to—"
"ELIJAH! Where are you? Off lecturing servants again for forgetting to polish the suits of armor, are we, brother?" a voice bellowed, echoing loudly off of the walls of the entrance hall.
"Elijah, come join Kol and me for a drink, it might make you look less grim and miserable for a change!" a second voice joined in with mirth.
Some of the girls erupted into silent giggles at the interruption. Almost succumbing to the temptation to laugh, Caroline managed to keep a straight face, while Katherine snickered and even Elena had a slight grin on her face.
Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose, cursing under his breath. Bonnie muttered an irritated "Oh for goodness' sake!" as two young men emerged from a door off the left side of the entrance hall, laughing raucously while holding large mugs of ale. Caroline looked on in an almost horrified fascination as the pair meandered through the murmuring group and up the stairs towards Elijah and Bonnie, howling gleefully.
"There you are, noble brother, here, have a drink—"
"Kol! Damon! Silence!" Elijah barked out, effectively shutting up the handsome men who were drunkenly swaying on the stairs, clutching the railing for support.
"Oh my stars! That must be Prince Kol!" Elena breathed in Caroline's ear.
Prince Kol was well-known as the hedonistic black sheep of the Original family, always chasing women and often disregarding his responsibilities to pursue his own pleasure. He looked strikingly similar to Elijah, although shorter and lankier, and obviously lacking Elijah's dignified manner.
"Oh, come now, 'Lijah! We were just having a bit of fun!" Kol whined, his beady, mischievous black eyes crinkled in mirth as he chugged some more ale.
"Kol and I decided to come inspect the crop of lovely ladies and see if there aren't any we can sneak away for ourselves before Klaus finds out," the taller raven-haired man added loudly, smirking seductively as his light blue eyes surveyed the pack of women in front of the staircase. Caroline wasn't sure if she imagined it or not, but she thought she saw his gaze linger on Lexi a bit longer than necessary. Interesting.
"Exactly! Nik is far too moody and boring to be of any interest to the ladies, and besides, he shouldn't have all the fun! Surely you agree with me, Miss Bennet?" Prince Kol asked Bonnie flirtatiously, reaching for her hand and kissing it, smirking up at her. With a roll of her eyes, Bonnie pulled her hand away and gave Kol a light smack.
"Enough, Kol; you are making a scene and frightening the candidates," she replied calmly.
"My mission has been completed, then," Kol laughed triumphantly, bowing deeply to Bonnie. "Come, Damon! Let us leave the beautiful ladies to their own devices. We shall see them all again soon enough," he said mysteriously, beckoning to Damon. The pair staggered up the stairs and disappeared off to the left, their laughter echoing behind them.
Surrounded by girls tittering softly, Caroline allowed herself a brief grin at the scene she had just witnessed, but quickly turned her attention back to Elijah and Bonnie as the prince clapped his hands for order once again.
"I apologize for Prince Kol's rude interruption. As I mentioned earlier, Bonnie will now take you on a brief tour of the castle and grounds. You will then have the rest of the day to yourselves to settle into your rooms and familiarize yourselves with the castle. I now take my leave of you. Good luck." Elijah bowed to the girls, who responded by curtsying deeply, and ascended the staircase.
"So that's Prince Elijah? I will admit, he is frightfully handsome, although he could do with some loosening up I imagine," Katherine muttered to Caroline.
"Careful, Katherine. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're developing a little crush," Elena responded, smirking.
Katherine huffed. "I am not. I am just stating a verifiable fact. No need to make a fuss over the truth," she said, smoothing down her red dress.
Caroline chuckled. Katherine would never admit it, but she was a hopeless romantic underneath her rather rough and brash exterior.
"Now then, ladies. Prince Elijah introduced me as Miss Bennet, but please, call me Bonnie. I am far too young to be called Miss Bennet," Bonnie's voice addressed the group, smiling. "If you would be so kind as to follow me."
Caroline fell into step next to Lexi, with Katherine and Elena just behind them. Bonnie descended the stairs and motioned for the group to follow her to a large door on the right. They emerged into another hall, but it was much grander and more elegant that the entrance hall. The floors were golden-brown, with a series of large windows along one long wall that stretched from floor to ceiling, adorned with scarlet curtains. Caroline was almost dizzy with the elegance of it all. What would Stefan say if he could see this? What is this place?
As if reading her thoughts, Bonnie spoke. "This is the grand ballroom. It is where feasts and balls are held when a celebratory occasion arises. Speaking of which, you may have been wondering what Prince Kol was referring to when he let slip that he would see you all again. There will be a ball held here in two days' time to welcome you all, and to give you a taste of royal life here in the palace. It doesn't hurt your chances with the king, either, as he will be in attendance along with his other family members," Bonnie smiled at the girls, some of whom were looking around anxiously.
Caroline internally jumped in excitement. She adored dancing, recalling all those times that she had forced Stefan to be her dance partner in order to learn. At least my dance skills were not entirely wasted, she thought.
Exiting the ballroom, Bonnie returned to the entrance hall and led the group through a myriad of other rooms, including the armory, library, dining hall, and kitchens, each as beautifully furnished as the rest of the castle. Caroline was especially intrigued with the armory. Having never learned to fight with a weapon, she was fascinated by the shining, lethal swords and burnished shields on display. She thought it would be interesting to learn how to sword-fight, not only to learn a valuable survival skill, but to be able to enjoy the beauty of the swords themselves in action. Although with my magic at full power, I could probably set an enemy on fire instead, Caroline thought, her lips quirking up at the unbidden image her mind conjured of setting Prince Kol on fire.
"There is but one last stop I would like to make before we break for luncheon: the gardens," Bonnie said, guiding the pack outside glass doors and onto a patio at the back of the castle, which overlooked the extensive grounds. Caroline had never before seen such natural beauty. Nearer to the castle, magnificent flowerbeds of all sorts were charmingly arranged into geometric shapes, with paths running in between. Rosebushes and hedges were trimmed and formed a maze-like walk with benches at various points along the path. In the distance over a green lawn, she spied a small river, with trees lining its banks. Caroline inhaled deeply, smelling the fresh air and relieving the tension she had been harboring all day. The gardens radiated a peaceful, serene atmosphere.
After eating a sumptuous lunch in the dining hall, Bonnie had given permission for the girls to take some time to run about the grounds in the sunlit afternoon, which is exactly what they did. Caroline, Elena, Katherine, and Lexi (with whom they were becoming fast friends) strolled along the pathways through the flower beds, smiling and taking in the beauty around them. While the other girls were content to walk in the gardens, Caroline decided she wanted to explore the banks of the river for some much-needed time alone. As a witch, she felt most comfortable and whole outside in nature, and it was hard to do that at her home inside the city walls.
"It's alright, Kat. I'll be fine. I just want to go down to the stream for a few minutes and clear my head," Caroline assured a slightly troubled Katherine.
"Just this once, Care. But don't stay out there for too long. You know Stefan will kill us if anything happens to you," Katherine replied, concerned.
"Don't worry so much, Katherine. It might give you wrinkles," Caroline quipped, chuckling as Katherine shot her a sarcastic look.
"Touché, Forbes," Katherine grinned, waving her away and turning back to Elena and Lexi, who were chatting by some hydrangea bushes.
Finally alone, Caroline ambled over the lush lawn, reveling in the freedom that seemed to sparkle in the air. She walked for a few minutes until she reached the river, which was semi-secluded by the trees. Sighing heavily, she sat down on a nearby rock, not caring if her nicest dress was dirtied.
No matter how lovely this place is, it is an illusion. It is no more than a cage. A beautiful cage, but a cage nonetheless. If I became queen, would I want the stay locked up here forever? With a sadistic vampire for a husband? Caroline wasn't sure what she would decide, if it even came to that. As if the king would let me decide my fate if he did pick me, she internally scoffed.
As much as she tried, she couldn't shake the melancholy thoughts overtaking her brain. She let out a noise of frustration as she rose, pacing along down the bank of the small river, pushing past the shrubbery that obstructed her path. She had just made her way around a particularly large bush when she froze. In the river not ten feet from her and lazily swimming around with his back toward her, was a man. Caroline blushed as she noticed with alarm that he was naked from the waist up, exposing a strong back with muscles that rippled as he swam. Catching herself quickly, she held her breath and stealthily turned around to make her escape, when she stepped on a branch that split with an audible crack.
Oh no. Closing her eyes in terror and whimpering softly, she waited for a moment, before slowly turning towards the river and opening her eyes. The sight that met made her freeze, goosebumps rising on her flesh.
The man in the river was standing upright, facing her, his sinewy body glistening with water as the current swirled around him. Caroline's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't stop herself from simply gazing at him. The stranger had a mop of curly, dark blonde hair that glinted in the sunlight, full red lips that were currently fixed in a predatory smirk, and a strong jaw covered in blonde stubble. Before Caroline had a chance to ponder if she was dreaming, the man broke the silence.
"Hello, love. Come to join me for a swim?" he asked casually, flashing her a dimpled grin and gesturing towards the water with his arms.
Caroline's eyes snapped up to his face, finally meeting his intense gaze for the first time. His brilliant blue eyes were such a piercing blue that Caroline felt as if lightning had struck her and burnt her to ashes.
Recovering her faculties, she dropped his stare, looking at a point past his shoulder.
"N-no," she stuttered. Regaining her confidence, she continued in a stronger voice."I was not aware anyone was out here, otherwise I would not have trespassed on your privacy. I apologize," she managed to say, already turning to leave the stranger.
"Wait."
Caroline paused, lifting her head to look at him. The man's tone held a commanding edge, and she knew it would be unwise to try to run. Who is this stranger, anyway? One of the servants, perhaps?
The man spoke again. "Turn around, sweetheart, and close your eyes," he commanded softly.
"Why? What are you going to do to me?" Caroline replied, panicking slightly as the man started towards her through the current.
He chuckled. "Relax, love. I would like to be more formally attired to continue this little introduction. Unless, of course, you'd prefer to join me in here." He raised his eyebrows at her, a smug grin in place.
Caroline nearly choked, spinning around and clapping her hands over her eyes. "I think I prefer your first suggestion," she replied, utterly amazed and rather indignant at the man's audacity. Who does he think he is?
She heard the sound of water sloshing, followed by the rustle of clothing being pulled on.
"Am I free to look now?" Caroline asked cautiously.
Without warning, she felt warm hands on her shoulder.
"Yes." His voice breathed into her ear.
Gasping in fright, Caroline jumped and turned around, only to be seized by her upper arms and pulled close to her captor's chest. She breathed a sigh of relief that he was now dressed in a burgundy shirt and black trousers, his hair still dripping with river water. She struggled in his arms, but he was having none of it, only tightening his grip on her. Giving up any chance of escape, she stilled and lifted her chin in defiance as she faced the gorgeous man.
"Who are you?" She demanded, striving to not show any fear or uncertainty to this cocky stranger.
"Ah, that's the existential question, isn't it?" he chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "Believe me, sweetheart, it would take an eternity to discover and unravel the mystery of who I am. Therefore, to save precious time, I believe a more appropriate question is to ask who you are," he replied, his lips quirked into a smile.
In spite of his arrogant attitude, some small part of Caroline found that she rather liked his smile.
Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, Caroline decided to exercise politeness and answer his question instead of shoving him into the river for his forwardness. "My name is Caroline Forbes."
"Caroline," the stranger breathed, her name rolling off of his tongue in a delicious, lilting accent. "A fitting name for an exquisite creature such as yourself."
Caroline scoffed, her exasperation quickly overcoming her manners. "Flattery is merely a form of insincerity. I much prefer honesty over charm, a trait you clearly lack as you have not yet deigned to answer my question," she continued, wondering where on earth her sudden courage was coming from.
The handsome stranger shot her a penetrating stare, a small smile playing around his lips. Caroline felt as though he saw right through her, his eyes were so blue.
"You are making assumptions, Caroline," he responded lightly, still holding her eyes with his own. After a beat, he looked away and began walking through the trees towards the castle. "And you will find out the answer to your question soon enough," he called over his shoulder, disappearing into the trees.
Caroline stared after him, a million questions racing through her mind, before she growled in frustration and started after him. What in heaven's name had just happened?
There you have it! Please review and let me know your thoughts!