Hey lovely readers! I apologize for my lateness-real life came out of nowhere last week and attacked me with a vengeance along with the NFL playoffs, but I managed to get this update done! Thank you for all the reviews/follows/favorites for this story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Happy reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.
Chapter Seven
Klaus made absolutely certain that Caroline was taken care of, placing her in Bonnie's capable hands to escort her up to her room. He watched her leave the ballroom, head held high, her golden curls bouncing with each step. He thought he had never seen anything more beautiful, stubborn, and altogether entrancing than she in all his long years spent wandering on this earth.
Speaking of blonde and stubborn…
His mind bombarded with the image of a distressed Caroline, and with fury rising steadily in his chest, Klaus searched the crowd for Rebekah, determined to wreak some havoc on his dear little sister for insulting Caroline. He was not entirely certain why he cared so much about the girl—he had just met her, and by the gods, she was magnificent to look at and with a mind to match-but he had never felt such a strong instinct to protect someone other than family before. He quickly filed that trail of thought away for further examination, allowing his anger to fully take over his faculties.
Spotting Rebekah standing off with Damon, Klaus strode over, his eyes narrowed, blue eyes flashing fiercely.
Reaching his sister, he seized her by the shoulder and roughly spun her around.
"You will not speak like that to Caroline ever again, Rebekah, is that understood?" he growled menacingly.
"What the bloody hell are you talking about, Nik?" she hissed, struggling vainly to pull free from his grasp.
"Don't avoid the subject! I heard every word you said to her, and if you ever cause her distress again I will make sure you regret it for the rest of eternity!" Klaus replied venomously, shaking his sister hard to emphasize his point.
"I was looking out for you, Nik! You do realize that all these tramps are completely unfit to be queen? They just want the power that comes with the title, and I refuse to put up with some trollop prancing around the castle lording the title of queen over me!"
"Jealousy doesn't suit you, Rebekah," Klaus smirked.
"I am not jealous!" Rebekah cried, stamping her foot in indignation.
"Feeling a bit threatened, are we, little sister? Don't want to share and play nice with the other girls?" Klaus taunted.
"You're such an arse, Nik! But by all means, continue carrying on with your little plaything. The moment she recognizes you for the monster you are and she runs for the hills, don't say I didn't warn you." Rebekah replied contemptuously, pulling out of his grip and sauntering off.
Damon gave a low whistle.
"Don't you say a word," Klaus hissed.
Damon held up his hands in surrender. "My lips are sealed."
Rolling his eyes, Klaus grunted, any good feeling that the ball had produced waning rapidly. He would never admit it out loud, but he hated quarreling with Rebekah, as she held the title of his favorite sibling. Nothing that a peace offering of new clothes can't fix, he thought wryly as he walked out of the ballroom, the party still in full swing. He ignored the bows and curtsies thrown his way by the scores of young women fawning over him. A drink in his study seemed to be in order.
The sounds from the ballroom slowly faded away as he climbed the marble staircase to his chambers in the west wing, his mind still processing the evening's events, particularly his time spent with a certain blonde spitfire.
Caroline.
She was a creature so unlike any he had ever encountered before. She certainly did not cower to him, king or not, nor did she put on airs or parade around wearing excessive jewels and playing at being royalty in hopes that he would take notice of her, like the rest of the candidates. No, Caroline Forbes did not want power or wealth.
He didn't know what to make of her behavior. She acted as if he had absolutely no effect on her, but Klaus knew better. Her body had betrayed her in his arms on the balcony. He knew she had tried to suppress it, but she felt something for him. The thought brightened his sour mood considerably.
As he threw open the door to his place of refuge, however, his sister's words rang in his ears, taunting him, deflating his momentary elation. Much as he was loath to admit it, Rebekah had a sensible point. Many of the candidates were no doubt power-hungry peasants who wished for nothing but wealth and luxury and didn't care one jot about himself. As if I give a damn what others think of me, he seethed, grabbing the wine off of his desk and taking a swig directly from the bottle.
Even as he finished that thought, a niggling doubt snaked its way through his mind, whispering that there was one whose good opinion he desired above all else. That seed of doubt gave him pause.
Did he truthfully desire Caroline's good opinion? The notion was exceedingly unfamiliar and frustrating. He had no idea why the thought of the stubborn beauty hating him and thinking ill of him made his heart clench with an uncomfortable feeling of sorrow. He did not want to find out what it meant, either.
Despite his inner turmoil, the events of the evening had made on thing clear to him: he wanted Caroline. Something about her drew him towards her like a moth to a flame-her vivacity, her wit, her breathtaking smile and unfathomable eyes...her unflinching courage and loyalty.
Loyalty. The one thing so frequently denied him, even by his own siblings on occasion-the one quality that Tatia had lacked and had led him into this very situation. Caroline had shown it to him tonight when she protected her friends from his wrath, swallowing her own pride in the process. Her actions only increased his admiration of her.
Klaus balled his fists, his strategic and calculating intellect at war with his naturally impulsive emotions, reminding him that Caroline could prove to be a weakness-and he had no place for such things. He knew he could not afford to care for the girl. After all, had he not always maintained that love was a vampire's greatest weakness?
He was utterly terrified of how much he wanted-no, needed-Caroline Forbes to be his, and his alone.
Growling in frustration, Klaus strode over to the corner of his room where his easel stood, frantically searching for a blank canvas on which to project his muddled thoughts. Seizing his paints, he set to work, lost in his artistic world, allowing his inspiration to guide the strokes of his brush on the canvas.
Halfway finished with his creation, Klaus took a respite, using the pause to study the canvas and what his muse had led him to portray. He breathed in sharply, his eyes perusing the partially-complete painting. A face with pair of familiar blue eyes stared back at him, surrounded by a halo of golden locks.
In that instant, his mind was made up.
He would choose her to rule by his side, as his queen.
Exhaling and with a new-found determination, the beginnings of a plan formed in his mind. He would need to speak to Elijah in the morning to make the necessary arrangements.
Klaus picked up his paintbrush, an immense satisfaction and excitement coursing through his veins as he resumed his task.
Caroline would be his, and he'd be damned if he had to wait any longer.
Elena ate breakfast alone the morning after the ball. She had knocked on both Katherine and Lexi's doors, but received no response. She chose not to wake her exhausted friends, especially Caroline. She walked down to the dining hall, all the while worrying about Caroline after her humiliation at Rebekah's hands. I'll bring her up some breakfast and check up on her, she decided, swallowing the blood in her goblet.
After finishing her breakfast, Elena spent the next few minutes organizing a tray of food to bring up to Caroline. I do hope she is awake and alright, she thought anxiously, carrying the tray carefully out of the room and towards the chambers. Upon reaching the corridor, she almost dropped the tray in surprise at the person poised to knock on her friend's door.
"Stefan?"
Caroline snuggled deeper into the warm blankets, refusing to leave the comfort of her bed and start the day. She figured she had earned a lazy day with all she had been subjected to the night before. Closing her eyes and willing sleep to return, her mind unconsciously drifted to her conversation with Bonnie as she left the ball last night.
"I am so sorry that Rebekah insulted you like that," Bonnie said sympathetically, taking Caroline's hand with her own and giving it a comforting squeeze. Caroline's mouth twitched into a slight smile.
"Don't apologize, Bonnie, you had nothing to do with it," she replied, glancing at the brunette witch.
Bonnie sighed. "I know, but I should have put a stop to it. I should have protected my own," she said quietly.
Caroline knew exactly what she meant, and this time, it was she who gave Bonnie a genuine, reassuring smile. "There's nothing you could have done, Bonnie, but I thank you for your concern," she replied.
Bonnie returned her smile. "You are welcome. Ah, well. At least Kol's drunkenness managed to produce a good deed tonight," she chuckled a bit.
Caroline laughed out loud, feeling marginally better than before. "Indeed."
They strolled leisurely through the corridor in a companionable silence, their muffled footsteps the only sounds that could be heard. Upon reaching Caroline's room, Bonnie broke the silence.
"Do you need any help preparing for bed?"
"No, thank you, Bonnie. You've already done more than enough to make me comfortable." Caroline replied gratefully.
Bonnie nodded, turning to leave. Suddenly, she turned to face the blonde witch. "I watched you dance with the king. He is quite taken with you. Well done," she said softly.
Caroline raised her eyebrows in surprise, scoffing. "'Taken with me'? He hates me! He almost killed me out on the balcony, not to mention threatened to murder my friends in front of the entire room for my impertinence! What on earth gave you the idea that he is even remotely interested in me?" she cried, completely outraged at Bonnie's observation.
Bonnie shot her a half-smile. "When you have known the king and his vicious temper as long as I have, Caroline, you take notice when he acts completely out of character by choosing to dance, something that I have never seen him participate in willingly in all my time here. He also chose as his only partner of the evening the woman with the least amount of vanity and the greatest amount of selflessness, not to mention honesty and bravery in giving her low opinion of him to his face. If those facts alone do not make you believe that he is intrigued and fascinated by you, then the look in his eyes when he is focused on you speaks for itself," she replied wisely.
Caroline gawked at her. Before she had a chance to form a rebuttal, Bonnie bobbed her head and walked swiftly down the hallway, leaving a puzzled Caroline to escape her troubles in her dreams.
A knock on her door snapped her back to reality, pushing all thoughts of a certain hybrid away for the moment. Groaning at the interruption, Caroline rolled out of bed and marched over to the door, ready to give the person standing on the other side a piece of her mind for disturbing her. Yanking the door open, her angry words stuck in her throat at the sight in front of her.
"Good morning, dear one. Surprised to see me?" The beloved voice of her cousin greeted her, his face amused at her reaction.
"Stefan? What in heaven's name are you doing here?" Caroline shrieked, throwing her arms around him and holding on for dear life.
She felt him chuckle deeply.
"Easy there, Caroline. I would rather not be crushed to death at such a young age," Stefan teased cheerfully, hugging her back just as fiercely.
Caroline pulled back, just drinking in the sight of him. "I cannot believe you're here! How…?"
"Today is my day off, and I figured I would visit you and see how you are enjoying palace life so far," he replied.
"Oh she's enjoying it so far," a voice chortled behind Stefan. Caroline finally caught sight of Elena holding a tray of food. "You two have a lot to catch up on," the brunette finished slyly, raising an eyebrow at Caroline.
"Really? I always seem to miss the most interesting events," Stefan remarked. "Now, Care, are you going to let me in? It's a bit drafty in the hallway in any case."
"Yes, and not to mention I'm carrying a heavy tray with your breakfast because you slept in again," Elena teased, raising the tray pointedly.
Snorting with laughter, Caroline pulled Stefan into the room, where he made himself comfortable on the bed. Elena set the tray down on the bedside table, as Caroline thanked her profusely for her thoughtfulness.
"Anything for my best friend, Care. Well, I shall leave you both to it," she said, walking over to the door.
"Wait, Elena." Stefan's voice stopped her. Elena glanced over her shoulder questioningly. "I'd like to speak to you after my visit with Caroline, if you have the time?"
Elena returned his gaze, while Caroline's eyes flicked between the two of them with great interest. "Yes, of course, Stefan. I will be across the hall whenever you are ready," she responded, a hint of shyness flashing across her face. She smiled at them, and the door closed behind her with a thud.
Caroline looked at Stefan, a large grin on her face.
Stefan cocked an eyebrow at her. "Is something amusing you, Caroline?"
Caroline burst out laughing. "I cannot believe my eyes! You like Elena, Stefan!"
She collapsed on the bed, shaking with mirth, even more amused when Stefan scowled.
"It is no laughing matter, Caroline, and I have always liked Elena. She's you friend, after all," he replied mildly.
Caroline huffed. "I can see right through you, Stefan. I know you better than anyone, and I have never seen you like this before!"
Stefan sighed. "Truly, Caroline, you are imagining things."
"You are such a liar, Stef. But because I love both you and Elena, I'll let you in on a secret: she likes you as well." Caroline leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially.
Stefan wasn't quick enough to cover the flash of surprised elation that covered his features.
Caroline beamed in triumph, satisfied with her work of match-making.
"Well, enough about me," Stefan cleared his throat, avoiding a verbal response to Caroline's little revelation. "How are you, Care? Are you enjoying it here?" His dark eyes conveyed so much warmth and affection for her that all the emotional stress from her time at the castle overwhelmed her. She could never hide the truth from Stefan.
Tears trickled unwillingly down her cheeks. "Stefan...it's...it's been horrible," she confessed quietly, stifling a sob.
"Oh, Caroline…tell me everything," Stefan soothed her, hugging her to him and laying against the pillows.
Through her tears and the occasional sobs, Caroline managed to narrate the events that had occurred in the past few days, starting with her chance meeting with Klaus. Stefan listened attentively, stroking her hair affectionately.
When she brought up Bonnie and the help she had given her for the ball, Caroline sat bolt upright and shoved Stefan hard.
"Ow! What was that for?" Stefan cried, his brow furrowed.
Caroline glared at him. "My necklace, you fool! Why did you not tell me that you had spelled it with a concealing spell that gave me the appearance of a vampire?" she demanded.
Stefan sighed. "I didn't lie. I just omitted part of the truth. I didn't want you worrying over it and stressing you out even more. You had enough on your plate as it is. Besides, there's no harm done, as your identity has not been compromised," he said matter-of-factly.
"You didn't want me to worry? I've never heard that one before," she said sarcastically, her eyes narrowed.
"I'm sorry, Care. I didn't think you'd be this upset over it," Stefan apologized, with the slightest bit of guilt in his tone.
Caroline huffed, but laid her head back on Stefan's chest. "I know, I know, you're right. It's of little importance," She raised her head to look at her cousin. "But thank you all the same for spelling it. You're always there to protect me, even if we're apart," she smiled happily.
"No thanks are needed, Caroline. You're my family. Besides, witches and warlocks protect their own." He echoed Bonnie's words, bringing Caroline's thoughts back to the events of the ball and what Bonnie had told her about Klaus's interest in her.
She recounted her encounters with Klaus, Rebekah's insulting behavior, and finally Bonnie's parting words to her, while Stefan listened intently, his face expressionless.
"Do you think what she said may be true?" Caroline asked nervously, waiting for him to respond.
Stefan remained silent for a beat, and then raised his head to face her.
"I've met Bonnie once or twice when I've visited the castle before. She is a very powerful but very kind and wise witch, who still cares for the witch community and wishes to help them from what I have heard others say, although her servitude and sworn loyalty to the Original family makes that a nearly impossible task. But she makes a fair point. She has known the king all her life, and if she speaks the truth…" He paused, running his hands through his hair distractedly, jumping off the bed and beginning to pace the room. Caroline watched him, a little confused by his suddenly agitated manner.
At last, Stefan ceased pacing and came towards her, sitting down on the side of the bed. He grasped her hand, holding it firmly in his own.
"This is what I think: if the king does show an interest in you, there is a fair chance that he might choose you as his queen."
"What? You think he'll choose me?" Caroline cried in astonishment. This was certainly not the answer she expected.
"It's a distinct possibility, Care," Stefan said seriously. "King Niklaus is notorious for getting what he wants in the end. And if he indeed wants you and asks for your hand, I think you should accept."
Speechless, Caroline stared at him. Is he serious? Marry Klaus?
"You're joking, Stef," she barked out a fake laugh, certain that her cousin was toying with her. "You want me to marry a centuries-old immortal hybrid murderer who would rip of my head at the slightest hint of insubordination on my part? And all for some worthless royal title and power that I don't even want?" her voice shrilled, her eyes wide and full of fury and bewilderment.
"No, that is not why I think you should accept," Stefan answered stoically. "You're a witch, Caroline. You know how much our people have been dragged through the mud and abused by the vampires in this city, even by the Originals themselves. Now think of how it might be if a witch was in a position of power. Not a servant like Bonnie, but a queen. You could do so much for the witch community, Care. You're stronger and much more resilient than others give you credit for. You could rule, and perhaps find a way to eradicate the persecution of our people."
Caroline stilled.
"But...what of my freedom, Stefan? My hopes, my dreams...my magic? Klaus would kill me without a thought if he knew what I am!"
"'Klaus'?" Stefan asked, his eyes widening in surprise. "You are on first name terms with the king now?"
Caroline mentally smacked herself for her slip-up. "Only because he forced me to, he threatened my friends when I refused to address him as such," she scoffed, remembering the blazing fury in Klaus's eyes when she had initially declined his request. The rumors about his ill temper had certainly proved true.
Stefan laughed then, to the utter bewilderment of Caroline. "And that is exactly why you have a chance, Caroline. Not only did you stand up to the king, but he allowed you to live after the fact. There are very few in all of Mystic Falls who can say the same. Even his sister recognized his difference in manner towards you, otherwise she would not have lashed out at you. I must say, I'm extremely impressed."
Caroline threw out her arms in irritation and defeat. "Alright, so he may have shown a tiny shred of respect for me. But even if he did choose me, I could never rule a city! I have only just begun learning how to use and control my magic! I am completely unfit to be a queen, and I do not care for power."
Stefan exhaled, bringing his arm around Caroline's shoulders, holding her to him. She leaned her head against him, her head aching. He finally spoke in a low voice.
"You may not realize it now, Caroline, but often those who do not desire power are those best suited to wield it. You are selfless, brave, and loyal, and a myriad of other qualities that render you a good leader that others would look up to and follow. I know that it all looks bleak, but you may be able to do much good for this city in the end. But you will never know unless you take the opportunity and let go of your fear."
Caroline sat quietly, processing Stefan's words. Every fiber of her being screamed in protest, but deep down she recognized that Stefan was right. Was it worth more to keep her freedom and remain in her little bubble of happiness at home than to risk everything on the slight chance that she might be able to help her people? She honestly did not know what she wanted anymore. Her inner turmoil written all over her face, she eventually sighed and pulled away from Stefan.
"Thank you for your advice, Stefan," she said slowly. "But if I am somehow chosen, I cannot promise you that I will accept. I need time to think about it and weigh my options."
Stefan smiled slightly. "A diplomatic answer. I expected no less from you, dear one," he said, squeezing her hand. "I will always love you, no matter what you decide in the end."
"I know you will, as I will love you," Caroline replied, a soft smile gracing her features.
They remained quietly for some time, soaking in each other's presence, each lost in their thoughts. At long last, Stefan cleared his throat and stood up.
"As much as I wish to remain here all day, it is time for me to return home," he said sadly, straightening his clothes.
Caroline rose as well, embracing her cousin firmly. "Thank you for visiting me, Stef. It was exactly what I needed," she said, her blue eyes conveying her gratitude.
"I am glad you hear it," Stefan nodded happily, pecking her lightly on the cheek as he returned her embrace, rubbing his hands on her back.
"Now leave me in peace, Salvatore! Your fair maiden Elena awaits you!" Caroline giggled as they broke apart.
Stefan rolled his eyes. "As you wish, my lady," he mocked, his hand grasping the doorknob. He gave her one last searing look as he opened the door.
"Take care of yourself, Caroline," he whispered.
"You as well, Stefan. "
He smiled once more, and left the room.
Things are starting to get a bit interesting...As usual, please review and let me know what you think!