Hello and happy Saturday! I come bearing an update. Again, this chapter might seem more like a filler, but we're slowly but surely getting closer to more exciting things in the story, I promise. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter 5

The morning sun peeked through the crack in the velvet curtains and shone on Caroline's face, the light jolting her awake. Groaning, she stumbled out of bed, throwing open the curtains before dragging herself over to the washbasin, splashing her face with water and drying it with a clean white towel. She stretched her arms over her head, her muscles protesting the sudden movement.

Caroline and the girls had stayed awake rather late the night previous in Katherine's room, mostly gossiping about how handsome Elijah, Kol, and Damon were. Caroline had taken the opportunity to tease Lexi about Damon's apparent interest in her, to which Lexi responded by blushing furiously and denying Caroline's claim that he had noticed her.

Caroline grinned. If she cannot win the king's hand, she may have a chance with a certain raven-haired Council member.

Bringing her attention back to the present, Caroline turned to the dresser and began rummaging for a suitable dress to wear. She was not entirely sure what the plan was for today, as Bonnie had given them no hints last night. In the end, she decided on a gown of pale yellow, the color of daffodils, with cream-colored sleeves. Not her most appealing outfit, but it would have to do. Slipping out of her warm nightgown, she pulled on the dress, and then sat in front of the vanity mirror to fix her blonde curls in a twist at the nape of her neck.

Abruptly, she remembered Stefan's instructions to ingest some vervain-water each day. Standing up, she pulled open the topmost drawer of her dresser, retrieving one of the vials Stefan gave her. She opened it, took a small gulp, and closed it, placing it back in the drawer. That should do the trick.

Finished with her morning routine, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror once more. Her mother's necklace glinted from the sunlight now streaming through the window. Stroking it once for good luck and realizing it was close to eight o'clock judging from the sounds outside her room, Caroline wandered out into the hallway, where a majority of the girls were already heading down to breakfast. She spied Lexi, Elena, and Katherine in the throng, who waved her over to join them as they descended the stairs and made their way down to the dining hall.

"Good morning, Care. Did you sleep well?" Elena inquired, still fixing the ribbon that held back her pin-straight hair.

"I did, although I swear I could hear Katherine's snoring through the walls," Caroline joked, provoking an eye-roll from the curly-haired Gilbert.

The four girls entered the dining hall and claimed seats at one of the circular tables that covered the room. In addition to glasses of fresh blood (which Caroline politely declined, making sure no one noticed), servants presented them with various dishes, some of which Caroline had never even seen before. Piling her plate with a little bit of each food, she dug in enthusiastically.

"I wonder what is in store for us today?" Lexi asked in between bites of toast.

"Who cares as long as they keep feeding us like this?" Katherine quipped, her mouth full of bacon. The other girls giggled at her feigned indifference to their situation.

Just as they finished eating, Bonnie entered, immediately causing the girls to cease their banter and pay her their undivided attention. The beautiful house-keeper looked around at the nervous faces before relaxing into a reassuring smile.

"Good morning, ladies. I hope your first night here at the castle was pleasant." Several girls nodded their assent.

"The majority of today will be spent picking out a gown and accessories to wear to the welcome ball tomorrow evening. I am sure you will each find something to your taste from the collection of gowns and jewelry we have provided for you. After all, you must look your best for the king and his family," she continued, her smile widening.

Excited murmurs followed her words. Caroline herself felt a shiver of excitement run through her body. Despite her frustration at being here in the first place, she was not immune to the allure of fine clothes and jewels that were reserved for royalty.

"Now then, if you have finished breakfasting, we are ready to proceed," Bonnie concluded, clasping her hands together.

A sudden scraping of chairs and flurry of skirts betrayed the eagerness of the group, who moved quickly to follow Bonnie out of the room.

"This is so thrilling! Just think, we'll get to pick out and wear our very own ball-gown and perhaps even dance with the king!" Lexi half-whispered, her face lit up with excitement.

Katherine snorted. "Somehow I doubt they will allow us to keep it, Lexi," she cautioned. "The royals are far too stingy for that type of magnanimity."

Lexi faltered slightly, but was quick to regain her high spirits. "Oh, I don't even care if we don't get to keep it! Just wearing it once is enough for me!"

Her obvious enthusiasm was contagious, and Caroline couldn't stop herself from allowing it to spread throughout her body as well.

The group returned back to the east wing of the castle, but instead of stopping at the corridor where their chambers were located, Bonnie continued up the stairs to the next floor, entering a large room. It was filled to the brim with tables which were covered with a wide assortment of dresses and jewelry, all organized by color. Gasps of amazement filled the air as Bonnie gestured for the girls to enter.

Elena let out a barely-contained squeal of delight.

"Good heavens! I've never seen such fine clothes in my life!" she whispered to Caroline, who nodded in astonishment at the wealth before her.

Bonnie clapped her hands to regain order of the room. "You are free to pick one gown and as much jewelry as you wish. Unfortunately, it is all on loan, so you may only wear them while you are here at the castle."

Lexi grimaced, while Katherine raised her eyebrows at her, communicating an unspoken 'I-told-you-so.'

"I and some of the seamstresses will be around to help you if you need it," Bonnie finished warmly. "Have at it, then," she smiled, gesturing at the tables.

A loud babbling broke out as the girls gleefully scattered across the room, inspecting jewels or rifling through the dresses on display.

"What should we look at first? Jewels or gowns?" Elena asked, facing the other three.

"Gowns, of course," Katherine replied, rolling her eyes. "It's better to settle on the dress and then find jewels to go with it. Otherwise you might find stunning jewels but no dress that matches them," she concluded in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Gowns it is, then," Caroline said cheerfully.

"How about we each pick our own gown, and then we can meet up and help each other choose jewelry? It will be good to have a second or third opinion on our choices," Lexi proposed, earning a positive response from her companions.

"Good luck, then!" Elena grinned, walking off towards the section of yellow and gold gowns.

Caroline wandered about idly for a time, occasionally pausing to inspect a dress or piece of jewelry. Her mind vaguely wondered what the king's favorite color was when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Startled, she spun in surprise and came face to face with Bonnie's kind face.

"Need some help?" Bonnie asked gently.

"Well, I—I mean—yes, some help would be nice," Caroline stuttered, caught off-guard by Bonnie's offer.

"I believe I have just the dress for you," Bonnie said encouragingly. "Here, come with me."

She took Caroline's arm, guiding her to a secluded corner of the room containing dresses in a variety of blues. Caroline stood by as Bonnie delved into the pile of gowns.

"So, I must say I'm surprised to see a witch brave enough to answer the summons and enter this competition," she remarked casually as she worked.

Caroline's eyes widened in surprise and alarm, looking up quickly to ensure that no one was around to eavesdrop and feeling as if the wind had been knocked out of her. "How did you—"

"How did I know that you were a witch? Simple—I am one too," Bonnie responded with a soft smile.

Caroline gaped at her, too stunned to respond. A witch? Here in the castle?

Bonnie stopped for a moment, facing her and giving her reassuring look. "Don't worry, I am not about to reveal your secret. Although I am curious as to how you managed to pull off a full-blown concealing spell on your necklace, considering it takes an awful lot of power and you seem quite young for a witch," she added, her eyebrows raised in question.

Caroline's features contorted into a puzzled frown. "My necklace is spelled?" she asked, confused by Bonnie's statement and fiddling with the object in question.

"Yes. I can feel the energy radiating from it. It has a concealing spell on it—a spell specifically cast to make the wearer appear to be a vampire," Bonnie explained, gesturing towards the blue and silver pendant.

Caroline paused for a second, her mind racing. Why would my necklace be spelled to make me seem like a vampire? Who…

Suddenly, it hit her. "Stefan," she breathed in realization.

"Stefan? Do you mean Stefan Salvatore?" Bonnie queried, intrigued by her answer.

"Yes, do you know him?" Caroline asked curiously.

"I believe I've met him once or twice. He's a guard, is he not?"

Caroline nodded. "He's my older cousin and guardian. He must have spelled this before he gave it to me yesterday, before I left home. He warned me not to reveal my identity to anyone inside the castle, especially because I am the only witch of age to compete. But he didn't tell me about the spell. He only told me the necklace contained vervain to protect me from compulsion," she said, her words spilling from her mouth in a rush. She wasn't sure why, but she felt that she could trust Bonnie and wanted to confide in her.

"I think he made the right decision by warning you not to reveal your identity," Bonnie said slowly, brow creased in thought. Sighing, she returned her attention to Caroline. "The Originals, like most vampires, are inclined to distrust witches on the basis that they could use their magic to take over the city. I am the one exception. My family has been in the service of the Original family for centuries, so I was raised here in the castle and took over my duties as their official witch when my mother died. Since then, I've almost come to regard them as my own family—although they can be quite the temperamental bunch," she chortled, staring into the distance for a short time, seemingly lost in memories.

Caroline studied her, intrigued by her confession and feeling more and more at ease with the green-eyed witch.

As if remembering she was not alone, Bonnie collected herself and cleared her throat, reaching back into the pile of dresses.

"I know that dress is in here somewhere…aha! Yes, here we are!" Bonnie exclaimed triumphantly, holding up the most beautiful blue gown Caroline had ever laid eyes on. It was a royal blue, made of silk, with silver sleeves and a low, scoop neckline. The bodice was form-fitting, studded with sparkling rhinestones and embellished with a pattern of silver thread.

Caroline simply gawked at it for a long moment.

"Do you like it?" Bonnie prompted softly.

"Do I like it?! It's gorgeous!" Caroline recovered her voice, reaching out to run her hands over the fabric. But she hesitated, hastily retracting her hands. "Although, I'm not sure I will be comfortable wearing something so elegant. It is hardly the type of thing I wear at home. I think I should wear something simpler."

Bonnie laughed. "In all my years here, never have I witnessed a young woman refusing to wear a gown fit for a princess. But I will brook no refusal, Miss Forbes. Besides, the king's favorite color is blue," she winked.

Caroline raised an eyebrow. How did she know I was wondering that? "Why are you sharing that little fact with just me? Shouldn't the entire group know what the king finds appealing?"

Bonnie chuckled. "For the obvious reason that I like you, Caroline Forbes." Her face grew thoughtful, her green eyes catching Caroline's in a searching gaze. Caroline noticed her shift in mood, regarding her cautiously. Bonnie finally spoke in a quiet but firm voice. "And I believe you would make a perfect queen."

Caroline remained still, shocked by the woman's frankness and sincerity.

"But…but you hardly know me," she finally said, hanging her head, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I know enough," Bonnie said kindly. She cleared her throat once more, placing the dress in Caroline's hands. "Wear it," she said, cutting Caroline off as she opened her mouth in protest. "It brings out your eyes. And I have one final piece of advice."

She reached forward, her hand brushing lightly against Caroline's necklace.

"Wear this necklace as your only adornment to the ball. The king will appreciate your simplicity and your choice not to flaunt an excessive amount of jewels, trust me," she advised, the corners of her mouth quirking up slightly. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Caroline," she said, bobbing her head politely and taking her leave of Caroline to check on the other girls.

Caroline just stared after her, an equal mixture of bewilderment and elation running through her being.

I believe I just found a new friend.

With that thought in mind, Caroline beamed and looked down at the dress, finding a small part of her silently hoping Bonnie's advice was correct.

After settling on a lilac-colored, sleeveless dress make of fine satin and picking out a matching gold ring, bangle, and necklace all studded with amethysts, Katherine grew restless. She glanced around the room, noticing Elena and Lexi still chattering away and looking for their perfect dresses, while Caroline conversed in the corner with Bonnie.

We've been at this for a while now. When do they serve lunch? She wondered.

Struck with a brilliant idea, she decided to sneak down to the kitchens and see if she couldn't coax some unsuspecting servants into fetching her a snack, or preferably some blood. Figuring that she wouldn't be missed, Katherine stealthily backed out of the room and started down the stairs. She silently hoped she would not get lost on her way to the kitchens.

Vaguely wondering if the cooks made chocolate-covered strawberries, she rounded a corner and smacked into another body so hard she almost toppled over backwards. She yelped, bracing for the inevitable impact with the hard stone floor, when a pair of strong arms caught her. Flicking her eyes up to her rescuer's face, she opened her mouth to speak her thanks, when the identity of her savior crashed over her like a flood, rendering her speechless.

Prince Elijah returned her surprised look with an equally shocked expression.

"Forgive me, I did not see you there. I apologize for running into you like that," he spoke finally, his expression shifting from surprise to polished formality in a matter of seconds.

Roused by his apology, Katherine quickly found her voice.

"It is I who should apologize, my lord. I was not paying attention to my surroundings," she said, pulling away from him and dropping him a deep curtsey.

Elijah returned her gesture of politeness with a bow of his own.

"You are one of the candidates, are you not?" he inquired curiously, tilting his head to the side as he regarded her.

"Yes, my lord," she answered, subconsciously fidgeting with her hands in her discomfort at being caught red-handed, and by the prince no less.

"Might I inquire as to why you are sneaking around the castle, and not upstairs with the rest of them?" Elijah asked rather sternly, frowning slightly at her unexpected presence.

Katherine paused. She almost decided on lying to him and pretending that she had gotten lost or another similar story, but something stopped her. She couldn't explain it, but she didn't want to deceive this man.

"I—I was hungry and I have no idea when lunch is going to be served, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and scavenge for food myself from the kitchens," Katherine stated bravely, meeting his stare head-on.

For a moment, she honestly thought he was going to scold her and send her to the torture chamber or possibly rip her heart out for her disobedience and cheek, but to her complete astonishment, he suddenly smiled at her, his brown eyes radiating warmth as he chuckled lightly.

"And what food, pray tell, are you craving at the moment, Miss…?"

"Katherine. Katherine Gilbert, my lord," she curtsied once again, ducking her head in respect. "And to answer your question, I was craving chocolate-covered strawberries, although a goblet of blood wouldn't go amiss either, my lord," she added as an afterthought, rising.

Elijah continued smiling at her. "Well, Miss Gilbert, I think you shall find what you are looking for in the kitchens. And if any of the servants give you trouble, tell them that I gave you my permission to eat to your heart's content."

"Thank you, my lord," Katherine sighed with relief, returning his smile and dropping another curtsy.

To her utter bewilderment, as she rose the prince caught her right hand with both of his own, and placed a light kiss on her knuckles. Shifting her gaze to his face, she trembled slightly at the jolt of electricity she felt as their hands touched.

"My pleasure, Miss Gilbert," Elijah replied softly, bowing as he turned away. "And please, call me Elijah," he called over his shoulder as he rounded the corner and out of sight.

Once she was certain he was gone, Katherine collapsed against the wall to regain her bearings. What in hell was that about?

"Elena, that color will look spectacular with your skin tone!" Lexi squealed, as Elena showed off the cerise pink gown she had tried on, together with gold earrings and a large golden chain encrusted with diamonds.

"It certainly took you long enough to find one that you liked!" Caroline scolded her friend with feigned irritation.

Elena stuck out her tongue at her and did a quick twirl, her skirts billowing out around her.

"Don't poke fun at me, Caroline Forbes! I just want to look my best at the ball," Elena responded airily. "Besides, we have all day to look around to find the perfect outfit, and it's not as if we have anything better to do."

"Speaking of looking around for something—or more accurately, someone—wherever can Katherine have run off to?" Caroline asked, her eyes darting around the room in search of the other Gilbert.

"I haven't seen her recently, either," Lexi replied, frowning as she too searched the room.

As if on cue, the girl in question sidled back into the room, striding over to join them, with a small smile on her features.

"Kat, where were you? We started to worry!" Elena exclaimed, berating her twin and lightly smacking her arm.

Katherine leaned forward, motioning the girls' to come closer. "I was hungry, so I just nipped down to the kitchens to wheedle some food out of the cooks. You'll never guess who I ran into on the way, though," she whispered conspiratorially, her grin widening.

"Damon?" Lexi guessed excitedly, glaring when Caroline shook her head and laughed at her lack of subtlety.

"Good guess, but no. Two more guesses left!" Katherine sang.

"Prince Kol?" Caroline questioned.

"I know, the king himself!" Elena said in awe.

"None of the above," Katherine replied.

"Come on, Kat! You can't just leave us in suspense! Who was it?" Elena whined, scratching her head in confusion.

"If you must know…it was Prince Elijah," Katherine admitted, blushing slightly.

"You mean—and I quote—the 'frightfully handsome' Prince Elijah?" Caroline teased, pretending to swoon.

Katherine rolled her eyes at her antics.

"You are hilarious, Caroline; you should apply to be the next court jester. And of course that one—how many other Prince Elijahs are there? It's not a very common name," Katherine grumbled, suddenly very interested in her fingernails.

Her companions, exchanged knowing glances, grinning at Katherine's unusual display of shyness.

Eventually, Katherine lifted her head, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What?"

"I knew it! You do have a crush on him!" Elena giggled, her eyes glinting in triumph. "I've never seen you so reluctant to talk about a man before. Just admit it, Kat—I was right!"

"I will admit no such thing!" Katherine retorted. "I like him, I suppose, but that is the extent of my feelings. End of discussion," she stated with a determined finality.

Elena opened her mouth to respond, but, catching Katherine's closed expression, thought better of it.

Taking her cue from the abrupt mood change, Caroline jumped in to change the subject. "Katherine, you've arrived just in time to help Lexi choose her dress."

"Yes, please help me out, Katherine! I've narrowed it down to these two, but for the life of me I cannot decide which one looks the best on me," Lexi pleaded, holding up two dresses in her arms. The first was cream-colored with a gold belt and a pattern of gold flowers sewn all over, and the second was a mint green, with a silvery underskirt that peeked through from where the dress cinched in at the waist and down to the floor. Katherine studied them, tilted her head to the side and flicking between the dresses and Lexi's face.

"Definitely the mint green, it will look better with your hair," she decided, confident in her assessment.

"Good, that's the one I liked better! I just need to find some jewels to match, though," Lexi added, looking at the dress intently.

"Why don't you wear those ropes of pearls and that emerald bracelet?" Caroline suggested, pointing over to the items she discovered on a nearby table.

"Perfect!" Lexi exclaimed, picking them up and holding them against the fabric.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I am starving," Caroline said, her stomach rumbling.

Luckily, Bonnie chose that moment to announce the lunch break.

"Let's stop by our rooms to drop off our outfits, then we can eat and enjoy the rest of the day to ourselves," Caroline suggested.

"Hmm, whatever shall we find to entertain us in a centuries-old castle?" Elena joked sarcastically, gathering her things.

"I'm sure we'll find something interesting to do, 'Lena. But first, let's eat!" Katherine said enthusiastically. They started for the dining hall.

"I thought you already ate?" Caroline teased. Katherine just shrugged.

"So? The food here is delicious. It'd be a shame for my portion to go to waste," she reasoned with a straight face. "And in any case, Prince Elijah gave me special permission to eat to my heart's content. His words, not mine. And I intend to take complete advantage," she added primly, flouncing her curls over her shoulder.

Caroline snorted in amusement. "No wonder the prince is in your good books, he's feeding into your food obsession. Pun intended," she chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Hurry up, you two, or we'll be late!" Elena called over her shoulder, silencing their teasing.

"Yes, Mother!" Caroline joked, hurrying to catch up. "God forbid Katherine misses lunch."

Katherine stuck out her tongue. "Just you wait, Forbes. I'll get you back for this," she warned with fake indignation.

"I'm looking forward to it, Gilbert. Give it your best shot." Caroline responded, the light of challenging shining in her expression.

"Oh, don't worry. I will."

So my love for Kalijah is showing immensely! I know you're probably yelling at me for more Klaus/Klaroline, but fear not! It's coming soon! Please review and let me know your thoughts or suggestions!