Sorry for leaving you with that little cliff-hanger for a month! This is one of those chapters where I think I did ok but I feel anxious about how I wrote some things-ANYWAYS, I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 18

Klaus stared at Caroline for what seemed an eternity, breathing hard, a myriad of emotions flitting through him, not the least of which was utter relief at seeing her unharmed, aside from a few scratches and dirty tears in her once-white gown.

However, another primary emotion was strongly overriding his rational thought, one he had been accustomed to for too long, one that he even welcomed in this moment.

Rage. Murderous rage at whoever wished to harm his sister and by extension his family and Caroline.

The witch's crony dead at his feet, he could hear Kol taking the main perpetrator into their custody, and none too gently either.

She was still alive. Excellent. He would enjoy making her suffer a long torturous punishment for her misdeeds.

But first things first.

"Rebekah! Come out, come out, wherever you are!" he called out curtly, and was rewarded with an answering groan.

"Over here Nik, and there's no need to be such an arse," his little sister grumbled.

He rushed over to her, Caroline hot on his heels.

"Are you alright?" Caroline asked anxiously, and Klaus felt a burst of pride. Foolishly impulsive or not, his wife had certainly risked much to come to Rebekah's aid, and he felt the faintest stirrings of gratitude.

Whether she would ever admit it out loud or not, Caroline cared about his family. Tonight she had proved her loyalty.

Maybe one day she would extend the same courtesy to him.

"I've just been held hostage with witches and werewolves, I've been tied down with vervain ropes and my dress is completely ruined by this filthy dirt, not to mention that you have been hiding the fact that you are a witch from me—and you're asking if I'm alright?" Rebekah asked with a huff, but the ghost of a smile flickered across her face.

Caroline rolled her eyes slightly, with a small smile. "You are quite welcome, I'm sure."

"And how is Bonnie?"

"I'm fine," Bonnie's voiced rang out, shaking the leaves off of her dress. "A little shaken up, perhaps, but no permanent damage."

Kol sighed audibly with relief, making Caroline's lip quirk up a bit at his concern for her friend.

"Good." Rebekah's face grew grave. "But where is the other warlock? The guard?"

"Guard? Do you mean Stefan?" Caroline asked, anxious.

"I don't know his name, but he came upon us and tried to overpower the Devereaux witch, but she knocked him out and I don't know what happened to him. I dearly hope he isn't dead. That would be such a waste of a handsome face," Rebekah said, frowning as Caroline spun on her heel and sprinted into the forest, calling out for the warlock in a shrill voice.

Shaking her head, she turned back to Klaus, who by this time had untied all her ropes and was helping her to her feet.

"Are you truly unharmed, sweetheart?" His worried eyes betrayed his concern in spite of his carefully calm voice.

"Yes, Nik. It's certainly not the worst that I've endured," she laid a grateful hand on his arm in a brief moment of filial affection. As much as Nik drove her to her wit's end, it was in times like these where she could see a passing glimpse of who her favorite brother used to be, before the unending centuries twisted all of their hearts to indifference.

A strangled cry broke their moment, and Klaus's sharp hearing could pick up Caroline's sobs of relief about a stone's throw into the forest.

No doubt she had found this Stefan.

The name sounded familiar…ah, right. Her cousin who had raised her, and who had taught her to dance so skillfully.

He caught sight of Caroline clinging to her relative with a smile on her face, her around wrapped around him and helping support his weight. He was clearly in pain, his face bloody, but he was alive.

They made a pretty picture, and he felt once more that intense yearning for the devotion and loyalty so plainly etched on her face to be directed at him.

Stefan startled, seeing that he was in the presence of royalty, shrugged off Caroline's arm and bowed low before them. "Your majesty…Princess," he said quietly, lowering his eyes in deference.

Rebekah offered him a bright smile. "At ease, good sir," she replied, and held out her hand for Stefan to kiss.

He did so readily. "I am glad that you are unhurt, my lady," Stefan said, returning her smile.

Rebekah nodded. "And I you. You have proved you have courage. A bit of recklessness, too, perhaps, but it was brave of you all the same to come to my rescue. Even if it didn't work out exactly in your favor."

Stefan merely bowed once more. "It is my honor and duty to protect my king and his family at whatever cost to myself," he said honestly, and Caroline could not have been more proud of her cousin for his chivalry.

She was then aware of her husband's eyes locked onto her.

He held her gaze for a moment, before it traveled to Stefan. Looking her cousin up and down appraisingly, he gave a curt but respectful nod. "Well done. My family could use more men like you."

His thanks spoken—or as close to a declaration of gratitude as he was wont to give—he strode over to where Kol was still enjoying taunting their captive, who still struggled to free herself from Kol's iron grip.

She stiffened as Klaus towered over her.

"Well, well. If it isn't Sophie Devereaux," Klaus greeted the witch, his hands clasped behind his back. "I must say I'm surprised to see you here, although it does make this whole affair that much easier to understand." He leaned closer to her so that he was directly in her face. "And how is your dear sister faring? Still living a delightfully torturous life on the other side, I hope?"

Sophie remained silent, but she was shaking with fury.

Klaus shook his head in amusement, then looked up at Kol. "Throw her in the dungeons, brother. I have no wish to deal with any more traitors at the moment." He made to turn away, and then stopped. "Oh, and one more thing, brother. She stinks of vervain. You'll have to bleed it out of her." He smirked. "I do hope you don't mind the trouble."

"No trouble at all, Nik!" Kol sang, his face positively gleeful at the prospect of torture. "Come along now, darling," he sang in Sophie's ear, picking her up as easily as if she were a feather. "I'm sure we can find a nice damp cell for you to sleep in before your execution."

He sped off, cackling.

Klaus sighed, and Caroline could practically feel his irritation mixed with a hint of exhaustion.

"Come, all of you. There is much left to do to deal with this development, and I'm afraid it won't be a pretty sight," Klaus said sternly, addressing the rest of their party.

Rebekah took her place beside Stefan, ignoring his stammering excuses that he didn't need her assistance and offering her arm so he could walk more steadily. Bonnie walked beside them, leaving Caroline behind with her husband.

Coming over to her side, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace, holding her close to him. She leaned into him gratefully, her hands on his chest, his scent enveloping her and bringing with it a measure of peace to her tired mind.

"Caroline."

She looked up at him, wary of his serious tone.

He took a steadying breath. "You acted impulsively tonight, running off alone. My first instinct is to call your behavior foolish…" He tilted her chin up with one finger. "But I admire your courage and loyalty. And…I wish to thank you, for helping Rebekah, especially as you had no obligation to do so."

"No obligation?" Caroline cocked an eyebrow, studying him intently. "I disagree." She smiled softly. "We are family now, after all—and I will always protect my own."

He was taken aback at that.

Family above all. Those words that had been ingrained into his being for centuries, Caroline had taken to heart this night. He found himself once again in awe and admiration of her loyalty—loyalty that she had proved to him, by protecting his family.

He pressed his forehead against hers, his lips just brushing the corner of her mouth. "You never cease to surprise," he said, smiling slightly.

She surprised both of them when she tilted her head and kissed him full on the mouth, her hands moving to stroke his stubbled jaw. He moaned, his control slipping at the heady feeling of her taste, and he quickly deepened the kiss, tilting his head and nipping at her lips.

She broke away then, breathing hard, and he couldn't help but simply stare at her in that moment: his fiery, valiant witch goddess of a wife, looking back at him with a fondness that he never wanted to leave her face.

As they began their long walk back to the castle, he felt her clasp his hand in her own, and she didn't let go until they reached the castle.

As soon as they reached the castle, which Elijah had mercifully had emptied of guests by the excuse of the newly-wedded sovereigns desiring privacy (and if they were too inebriated to listen, compulsion did the trick nicely), Klaus left Caroline to the care of her friends. He had decided that it would be much better for her to hear about Lexi's demise from them rather than himself. Pressing a swift kiss to her cheek and a whispered promise that he would return to her soon, he caught both Rebekah and Elijah's attention, an unspoken request for them to follow him passing between them.

Elijah told him he had informed Finn and Sage of the events that had transpired, and had advised them to set off immediately for France to begin reconnaissance on any enemies who may be mustering forces.

Klaus nodded at his brother's foresight. Trust Elijah to take care of the minutest details.

On the way to the dungeons, Rebekah recounted Sophie's actions in the forest and her intended plans to exterminate them. Klaus felt his ire spike ever higher as he listened.

"An indestructible white oak stake. Could such a thing be possible, let alone exist?" Elijah wondered aloud, his brow furrowed. "Surely we would have heard of it before now. Our father never was one to allow a chance to openly boast of his power to simply slip by."

"No, but you forget that he is as calculating as he is prideful. He knew that we knew of the existence of the other stakes, so he had no need to conceal his possession of those. Besides, they can only be used once, and there aren't enough to kill each of us. But one that is indestructible? He would have been able to hunt down and destroy each of us, and he would most certainly ensure that none outside of his inner circle knew of it in case it feel into the wrong hands," Klaus retorted.

"But would a linking spell using father's blood even work on you, Nik?" Rebekah wondered.

Elijah chanced a quick glance at his brother, who had immediately tensed at the insinuation, before he shook his head thoughtfully. "I don't believe so. For the spell to work properly for all of us she would have needed Mother's blood. Although she still could have taken down the rest of us and then tried to kill Niklaus. Perhaps that was her plan all along."

"Or perhaps she simply ignored the rumors circulating in the city, and didn't know about Mikael not being your true father—"

"Whatever her plan was, she will suffer for daring to threaten this family," Klaus bit out angrily, wrenching open the entrance to the dungeons. The mere mention of Mikael set his teeth even more on edge. Even in death, the man he had called father still had the power to torment him, the bastard son, who would always be less worthy, never good enough for the name of Mikaelson—

Barging into the long dank passageway with dozens of cells, he could not suppress a triumphant smirk upon hearing the sharp anguished cries further down the passage.

"I take it you incarcerated Lockwood as well, brother?"

Elijah pointed to a cell to their right. "Knocked out cold by an effective blow to the head—if I do say so myself."

Rebekah snorted while Klaus laughed. "Excellent." He patted Elijah on the back, garnering a wry smile from the elder Original. "I'll leave you to interrogate him later. As for right now, there are a few more pressing concerns we must take care of first."

Reaching the farthest cell where their other brother had taken their captive, he sauntered into the cell, followed by his other siblings, just in time to witness Kol marking a deep gash into the forearm of the Devereaux witch, her blood dripping steadily onto the stone floor.

She was held up by heavy iron chains that hung from the ceiling, her mouth gagged, and from the looks of it she was barely conscious from the wounds Kol had already inflicted on her.

"Excellent timing, brother," Kol said cheerfully, handing over the knife. "Would you like a turn?"

Smirking, Klaus accepted the blade, humming to himself and twirling it between his fingers while he decided which part of her body would feel the most pain. Choosing a spot near her cheekbone, he dragged the knife deliberately slowly through her skin, reveling in her moans of pain as the blood flowed down her cheek and neck.

Leaning close to the fresh cut, he sniffed her. "Looks like the vervain is out of her blood."

He caught her chin in a steely grip, forcing her head up to look at him. She struggled, trying to close her eyes, but he was too quick for her. His pupils dialated, his voice taking on that soft, commanding tone. "Now then, love, I need you to do me a few favors. Think of it as a slight atonement for your sins, if you will. First, you will forget that Caroline is a witch, and you will forget seeing her use magic. You will not reveal either of those details to any other being from now on. You only remember being attacked by Bonnie, and that Caroline was simply fighting your little minion before my brother and I arrived."

Sophie repeated his instructions in the dazed, flat voice typical of the compelled.

Satisfied, Klaus turned back to his siblings.

He knew he had to tell them about Caroline. After all, that was the reason he had assembled them down here, away from the prying eyes of the rest of the castle's inhabitants. It certainly helped that Bonnie had sealed each cell with sound-proofing spells to prevent any communication between prisoners once the door was shut, which prevented any unfriendly ears from hearing this conversation.

But for some reason, he hesitated.

He loved his siblings, but they had all betrayed him at one point or another over the years. Trusting them with Caroline's true identity could be exactly the information they could use to exploit him and break his fragile trust in them once more.

But then, not telling them could be even worse, and it would be better for all involved to simply come clean.

He was still trying to decide on how to begin when Rebekah sparked the topic herself. "Nik," she said, crossing her arms over her chest in a show of seriousness, "you need to tell us. About Caroline. We all deserve to know the truth."

"What about Caroline?" Kol asked, puzzled.

Elijah instantly had his impassive gaze trained on Klaus's face.

He exhaled loudly, clasping his hands behind his back. "Caroline is, in fact, not a vampire, as you have been led to believe. At first, I thought so, though I had sensed that something was not quite as it should be. But it was not until the evening I proposed to her that I discovered her true heritage." He sighed, steeling himself for their reactions. "Caroline is a witch."

Kol gave a low whistle. "Gods above."

Elijah's eyebrows shot up in mild surprise. "And you did not deem it important to tell us about that little detail until now?"

"Of course not, 'Lijah," Rebekah chimed in impatiently. "You know as well as I that Nik would never trust us with anything that he might consider a weakness."

"Mind your tongue, little sister," Klaus bit out, a firm denial on his lips, but Kol cut him off.

"Oh, go on, Nik. Anybody with eyes and half a brain can see that you care for her." Kol clapped him on the back. "My brother, the hybrid king of Mystic Falls, married to a witch. I'm impressed, Nik. I must say, I am quite looking forward to seeing her using some magic on you—"

"You will not be seeing any of that, Kol, because it is of the utmost importance that no one outside of this cell knows of Caroline's secret," Klaus finished, his eyes swiveling around to ensure his siblings understood.

"What of Marcel and Damon? Of Sage and Finn? Surely they should be informed of this, as part of the Council?" Elijah asked.

"No," Klaus said with finality, daring his brother to argue. "Caroline is still young, and vulnerable enough as it is being a member of our family now. She already has a target on her back for that, and we would be inviting every witch-hating assassin to our doorstep were her identity common knowledge."

"But Finn's our brother, too," Rebekah argued. "He has a right to know just as the rest of us. After all, this is family business."

Klaus rubbed his temples, frustrated. "Fine. But I will tell him after he and Sage return from their venture into France. Agreed?"

They each murmured their assent.

"Good. I believe we're done here." He fixed Elijah with a stern look. "Drain Lockwood of vervain and compel him to forget Caroline. I don't believe he knows of her heritage, but I will take no chances. And find Marcel and have him ensure that there are no weak links in the city's defenses."

Elijah nodded. "Understood, Niklaus." Mouth grim, he swept from the cell to fulfill his task.

Kol followed after, giving Klaus a wide grin. "Thank you for a truly exhilarating evening, Nik. I expect Caroline will be quite happy to thank you for your part in the rescue mission," he said with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows. "Perhaps she will find a way to thank me as well—"

"Good night, Kol!" Klaus growled, flaring at his insinuation, no doubt the precise reaction Kol was hoping for.

He could hear Kol's laughter echoing off of the stone walls as he flashed out of the dungeons.

Still growling, Klaus turned back to his sister, who was looking at him with a mixture of irritation and curiosity.

"What?" he muttered, well aware that it was in his best interest to allow Rebekah to say her piece now instead of later.

"You know exactly what! A witch, Nik? How could you?" Rebekah said incredulously. "I know that for some strange reason, you are attached to her, but this can only bring trouble."

"I know what I'm doing, Rebekah," he hissed.

"Do you?" She asked, in a surprisingly sympathetic voice. "Use your head, brother. What if she tries to overthrow us? She could be planning an alliance with the others from the city, and I know that we have our own witches and Bonnie is powerful enough, but you know as well as I that if the witches believed for one second that they could take control of the city, they would instantly rally together and wage war on our family." She took his shoulders, shaking him slightly. "Are you willing to take that chance? Is she truly worth everything we have built here?"

He swallowed visibly, considering. Deep down, he knew that Rebekah's fears were quite valid, and he had known from the moment Caroline had attacked him with her powers that he would be taking an enormous risk.

But against all logic and reason, he had fallen for her. And no matter what the future held, he could not think of a world without her in it.

Caroline was worth it, and he would do anything and everything in his power to keep her safe.

Rebekah must have read his thoughts, for she released him with a sigh of resignation, crossing her arms petulantly. "I hope to the gods you are not making a grave mistake." She looked up at him with a small half-smile. "But I will help in whatever way I can to protect her, even if she is still a witch peasant and I don't like her all that much," she finished with a little disdainful sniff.

Klaus simply smiled, relieved. Of all his siblings, Rebekah was the one whose opinion he cared for the most, and although he would never admit it to her, having her support in this matter meant a great deal to him.

He placed a quick kiss on her cheek, murmuring his thanks.

She huffed, taking his arm firmly and steering him away from the dungeons, switching back to her usual bossy attitude. "Now that it's settled, I believe you have better places to be." She smirked. "After all, it is your wedding night."

Dead.

Caroline stared down at Lexi's sickly grey body, a gaping hole in her dead chest where the stake had pierced her heart. Blackish blood still oozed slightly from the mortal wound.

Katherine had related to her in a low tone of the events leading to their friend's death.

Elena was still crying silently, now in the comfort of Stefan's arms. He too regarded their dead friend with a sad, shocked expression.

"Elijah promised an honorable burial for her," Katherine murmured quietly. "She has no family or friends here, and he believed it was best if we lay her to rest here, as she died defending the Original family."

Caroline gave a shaky nod. "Yes. She deserves that much and more," she answered, tears pricking her eyes. "She didn't deserve to die. If only I had waited for you, I might have been able to help—"

"No, Caroline," Katherine took hold of her shoulders and shook her firmly. "Don't you dare start blaming yourself. If you hadn't acted so quickly, who knows what would have happened to Stefan and Rebekah. This is not your fault. The blame rests squarely on the werewolf defectors. Do you understand me? Blaming yourself won't bring her back, Caroline. Yes, of course it's terrible that she's dead, but she lived a good life. Lexi wouldn't have wanted you to feel guilty."

Her tears trickling down, Caroline allowed herself to be pulled into her friend's embrace.

This was not at all what she had envisioned the evening of her wedding to be like. No one was supposed to die—they were all supposed to be dancing and enjoying the celebration and the company of good friends, not fighting off enemies and scheming assassins.

But Lexi was gone, and it hurt to think that the decaying body arranged peacefully on the chaise before them was once the sweet, carefree vampire that had befriended her so easily at the beginning of this adventure.

She couldn't stand to be in this room another minute. She needed to get away, to make peace with what had happened, before she lost complete control of her emotions and her magic. That would only make the evening worse.

Untangling herself from Katherine, she wiped her cheeks furiously. "If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for a little while."

"Of course," Katherine replied. "Go. I'll stay here until the servants come to take care of her."

Caroline gave her a watery, grateful smile before she walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

It seemed to take hours to reach her chambers, and once inside she simply slid her tired body onto the bed, welcoming its soft warmth. Not bothering to even change out of her wedding dress, she curled up and let the tears roll freely.

XXX

On the other side of the door, Klaus clenched his jaw and felt a burning ache in his core as he listened to her grief-stricken sobs.

He knew that Caroline was loyal to a fault, and that she would feel the loss of anyone, even a friend she had only known for such a short time, very deeply.

The guilt that had already begun to seep into his heart made him ache.

If only he had turned around a second earlier, the girl would still be alive…

He wished he could change it, if only to spare Caroline pain, to cease her tears.

Steeling himself, he pushed the door open gently, stepping into the room slowly so as not to startle her.

He knew the exact moment she realized he was there, because her sobs gave way to a brief gasp f surprise and she sat up, averting her face and furiously wiping at her cheeks, trying to compose herself.

For a moment, he hesitated. He was not the sort of man to offer comfort, even to those few creatures in this world that he cared about.

A brief flash of memory swam to his mind, of a young human Rebekah, sniffling over a scraped knee, while he washed it clean and bandaged it, ticking her to make her smile again.

A split-second later, he had poured the cool water from the pitcher on the bedside table into the washbasin, setting the small linen washcloth in it to soak.

Very carefully, he sat down on the bed near her, feeling another pang of anger at the sight of the bloody scratches that marred her fair skin.

Wringing out the damp cloth, he began to gently cleanse the grime and scratches from her ordeal. Her breathing had somewhat slowed, and her eyes peeked up at him from under her lashes, watching him intently as he continued to wash her face, then her neck and arms.

She shivered when he brought his arm around her back, urging her to stand.

Silently, he began to ease her out of her gown, turning away from her to retrieve the warm robe that had been laid out on a chair for her. Averted his gaze, he held it out to her, forcing his awareness of her state of undress out of his mind.

A rustle of fabric a small sigh of warmth caused him to turn back to her, now wrapped tightly in the robe.

Even now, she was still achingly lovely, the remnant of her tears glimmering on her cheeks.

He was seized with an urge to paint her like this.

Catching her hand with his, he gently urged her back onto the bed, tucking her into the silken sheets and warm coverlets. Once she was comfortable, he bent down next to her, breathing in her sweet scent, before brushing his lips across her temple in a fervent kiss.

"Sleep, Caroline," he breathed, forcing himself pull away from her, his hand tugging out of hers.

But she didn't let go.

Swallowing, he flicked his gaze up to hers in a silent question, before he glanced down at their joined hands, marveling at how soft and delicate she felt in his grasp.

"Stay," she said softly.

It wasn't a request. It was a command—a need for him, for his presence and warmth and comfort.

In all of his life, he couldn't for the life of him remember anyone asking this one simple thing of him. His help, his assets, his opinion, his word of honor—his siblings had always demanded those things of him. But his comfort and compassion—those had been buried for so long that he wondered if they even existed within him anymore. He was not certain he had any left to give at all.

But for Caroline, he would try.

He kicked off his boots and removed his tunic, aware of her eyes on him as he moved. After he had finished, he slid cautiously under the covers next to her, leaving a fair space between them so as not to touch her. He knew it would be a tortuous night ahead, but he was determined to keep his hands away from her. Any thoughts of seducing her tonight were utterly out of the question.

He shivered in surprise however when she snuggled into his side, laying her head on his chest tentatively.

He didn't move a muscle, afraid that she would move away.

Instead, she raised her head to look up at him, a watery smile playing across her face. "Goodnight, husband," she said, before pressing the barest of kisses against his jaw and returning her head to his chest.

He could not for the life of him stop the beaming smile that spread across his face. Bringing his arm around her waist, he pulled her closer, stroking her blonde curls with his other hand.

"Goodnight, my dearest wife," he murmured into her hair.

He could feel her smile against his chest, making his heart explode in a warm, pleasant ache.

Soon after, her breathing evened out and she slept.

Klaus lay awake long into the night, still stroking her hair. Although she was peaceful now in her slumber, he knew that Lexi's death had caused her much pain, which would once more consume her in the morning.

He hated seeing her in grief. The mere thought of her tears had fury boiling his blood, the lust for death and blood growing inside him once more.

The Devereaux witch and all who plotted with her would be dealt with swiftly and forcefully.

He couldn't wait to begin.

And once it was over, he would make it his mission to make Caroline smile once more.

The morning dawned bright and clear, casting a warm glow over the lawn behind the castle, the sunlight filtering through the leaves of the ancient cherry tree where they had buried Lexi.

Elena had said some kind words about the blonde vampire who had so quickly become their friend, laying a lovely red rose over her grave. Caroline and Katherine did the same, each whispering their private farewells.

As she returned to stand by Klaus, she chanced a glance at Damon. His face was controlled, but she could sense the sorrow floating just beneath the surface.

It seemed he had cared for Lexi in some small way after all.

Elijah had finished the small ceremony by thanking Lexi for her part in fighting off the werewolves, before Stefan came forward and together they buried the wooden casket in the fresh-smelling earth.

One by one, they departed. Klaus made to move her away, but she gave him a whispered plea to allow her to stay on her own for a bit longer. He kissed her hand in acquiescence, his concerned eyes lingering on her before he walked away.

When she turned back, only Damon, Stefan, and Elena remained, her friend crying softly into her cousin's shoulder.

Finally, Damon looked over at her, his eyes hollow, his brow raised in question.

Caroline took the hint, knowing that he would like a moment alone to grieve, but that he was too prideful to ask aloud. "Come, Elena," she beckoned softly. "We should return to the castle."

Elena looked up and nodded, moving to embrace her.

Over her friend's shoulder, Caroline caught sight of Stefan looking at Damon with an odd, pained expression.

She wrinkled her brow as Stefan took a step toward the raven-haired vampire, moving to lay a hand on his shoulder, speaking in a low voice.

"Damon—"

"Don't touch me," Damon hissed very quietly, shrugging Stefan's hand away and fixing his attention back on the grave.

Stefan sighed, and walked back over to where she and Elena stood, still wrapped up in their embrace.

The moment between the two men had passed so quickly that she almost thought she imagined it. Her frown deepened. Was it possible that they knew each other somehow? She supposed it wasn't exactly out of the realm of possibility. As a guard, Stefan could be stationed in different parts of the city. Perhaps they had met in passing. That must be the explanation.

But still, Stefan had acted with such…familiarity. As if they had known each other as more than acquaintances.

It puzzled her.

She broke away from Elena, who once more leaned on Stefan's arm, the three of them setting off for the castle.

Caroline walked very closely next to her cousin, taking his other arm and leaning in close to his ear. "Do you by chance know Damon from somewhere?"

Stefan started slightly, his arm tensing under her palm. She inwardly smirked in victory. So there was something.

"Well…a little, if you must know," Stefan replied, his tone casual. "I have met him once or twice when on duty, as he is part of the Council and sometimes comes around for inspections of the garrison." He exhaled audibly. "But there was a brief time, years ago, before he became a part of the Council, where we were friends."

Caroline glanced over her shoulder at Damon's distant figure, surprised at this new information. "Truly? What happened, then? Did you have a disagreement, or something?"

Stefan shot her a wry smile. "You could say that, yes," he answered, before looking straight ahead.

Caroline waited, expecting him to elaborate, but he said nothing, still looking away from her.

She knew that it was pointless to push him any further on the subject, at least for the time being. Stefan could be very closed off when he wanted to be, and she knew he would tell her the rest if and when he was good and ready to—if he ever would be, that is.

They reached the castle, and against Stefan's wishes Caroline absolutely forbade them from returning back to the city, insisting that they rest in the castle until the morrow.

Stefan huffed at her persistence before shaking his head in defeat. "As you wish, your Highness," he bowed graciously. "Now, as your honored guests, I must say that I am rather starved." He eyed the entrance to the kitchens hopefully while Elena giggled.

Tugging him forward, Caroline laughed aloud. "But of course, you are right. Follow me—quickly, before Katherine eats all of the good food."

Stefan gazed at her in absolute horror before walking faster. "In that case, we'd better hurry!"

And so, laughing heartily, they ran down the passageway, their heavy hearts lightening somewhat at the promise of good company and food to lessen the sorrow of the day.

"Sophie Devereaux, you have been brought before this assembly on the charges of plotting and attempted treason and murder against the crown, and on your king's wedding night no less," Klaus proclaimed in a steely tone, stone-faced and unyielding.

It had been two days since the wedding, and Klaus had been fairly itching for blood. He had tortured Sophie long and hard for her crimes, and to make her humiliation and failure complete, he had denied her a private execution in favor of making an example of what happens to her brand of traitors.

A dramatic, public trial in front of the court seemed just the thing.

He had already disposed of the Lockwood wolf the day before. He had been merely a pawn, it seemed, as he had claimed that he had joined forces with Sophie to seek revenge for his pack, but he knew nothing of the white oak stake or its location. It had in fact been a complicated cloaking spell that had hidden the werewolves from the superior senses of the vampires. Lockwood confessed that Sophie had approached them with the offer of revenge first, and had taken great pains to ensure that no one would notice the presence of werewolves working within the castle.

Lockwood had taunted him for his blindness to their plot, as they had infiltrated the castle's defenses right under his nose for a few months.

Drowning him in a tub of boiling water laced with wolfsbane had been most satisfactory and had taken off the sting to his wounded pride. He could still hear the man's screams.

No, the wolves had merely jumped at the opportunity to inflict punishment on their rival vampire foes, rather innocently.

It was their manipulator who was more dangerous, and she was standing right in front of him and the rest of the Council, chin jutting out defiantly, and refusing to back down.

"Treason?" Sophie laughed darkly. "I see it as justice."

"Justice?" Elijah echoed from his place beside him. "And by what reasoning could you justify such actions?"

"I was simply taking an eye for an eye. You executed my sister. I was only trying to return the favor. For too long, you and your precious family of murderers have sat on your thrones, killing any who oppose you without a thought, and you dare speak to me of justice?" She laughed.

"And what of the wolves? What grievances have they with the crown?" Elijah questioned, ignoring her thinly-veiled accusation.

"Much the same as I did. Mason Lockwood wanted to avenge the Crescent wolves your brother slaughtered with such indifference—"

"Those traitors deserved much worse than the quick deaths I gave them for aligning themselves with Mikael," Klaus interjected, sneering down at her. "And did I not spare the others from the same fate? They should be thanking me for sparing their skin!"

"Did you really think the survivors would be grateful to you for sparing them, grieving over their fallen husbands and brothers and fathers and sons, and leave you unchallenged?" Sophie mocked. "You must know that loyalty to the pack and its members is the ultimate virtue among their kind, and Lockwood was no exception. His brother Richard was among those you murdered, and as a result he bided his time until the opportune moment came by."

"Surely there is more to this than a simple revenge fantasy?" Elijah probed. "Linking spells require specific ingredients, and therefore take time and patience. But linking five people together at once? I must ask—and forgive me, brother, for my question—"he glanced at Klaus, then turned back to Sophie, "but isn't your quarrel rather directed at the king? Why go after the rest of us? We had no quarrel with you, except to defend ourselves against our father's attack."

"Isn't it obvious?" Sophie raised an eyebrow. "It's simple, really. I want and end to the vampire race, and in exchange the witches would rise up in freedom from their oppression."

"Oppression?" Klaus laughed. "Are you not free to practice your magic?"

Sophie's eyes flashed with fury. "You call being coerced into performing spells on the whims of bloodthirsty ruffians who only care about themselves, who threaten and terrorize to ensure they get their way—you call that freedom?" She shook with fury. "No one should have to endure being beaten into silence and submission for being born with magic." She shook her head. "That is not freedom. No, I want the witches to finally rule as it should be. By right of our duty as keepers of nature's balance, we should be the rulers."

"Well, I'm sorry to say, love, that if you think I'm going to suddenly hand over the throne that I have worked for centuries to control and maintain, you are sadly mistaken," Klaus returned, amusement coloring his features.

Sophie glared at him, and suddenly her gaze traveled over to where Bonnie stood off to the side of the dais, Caroline standing beside her. "Do you hear that?" she said to them in a dangerously soft voice. "That is who you have chosen to align with—a king who gives no thought to the suffering our people have endured. And yet, after all this time, Bonnie Bennett, you have stayed by his side and served him."

She spat on the floor in her direction. "You are no witch."

Bonnie did not so much as flinch, but Caroline could see the knuckles on her clasped hands whiten.

She felt sick. Klaus had told her that he had compelled Sophie to forget her involvement, but the words hit her hard.

In the whirlwind of preparing for the wedding and its aftermath, she had barely given a second thought to her conversations with Stefan. How she was in a position to make changes, to make her voice heard to Klaus and the Council and represent the magical community.

In spite of what Sophie had done, she couldn't help the pangs of guilt and even some sympathy for the witch. Sophie Devereaux wanted the same thing as she and Stefan did, and she had done what she thought was necessary to try to achieve that end; her revenge for her sister and loathing of the Originals aside, her motivations were not entirely without some merit.

And here Caroline stood, wondering how she could have possibly forgotten her people and their misery, feeling the full force of Sophie's insult.

"Enough!" Klaus thundered. "I will tolerate your insolence no more, witch." He snapped his fingers, and a guard swathed in black garments materialized in front of Sophie, sword drawn and glittering in the light.

Elijah rose to his feet, looking down solemnly at the witch. "Sophie Devereaux, you have been found guilty of treason against the crown, the punishment of which is immediate death."

Instantly, the executioner set his sword to her throat.

"Do you have any last words?" Elijah intoned.

Sophie sneered at him in answer.

"Very well." Elijah flicked his hand lazily.

A flash of steel, and a dull thump echoed in the silent hall.

Caroline flinched, her eyes taking in the horrific sight.

Sophie Devereaux's head lay at the foot of the dais, blood seeping out and spreading in a thick pool on the marble floor.

She was dead.

A great roar from the court spectators startled her out of her trance. She could feel her hands shaking in shock, still fixated on the dead witch's body.

A gentle nudge on her arm made her turn around quickly.

"Come," Bonnie urged her quietly, "let us leave before it gets any worse."

Confused, Caroline allowed herself to be led out of the great hall, but not before seeing the beginnings of a vampire feeding frenzy as Kol called for drinks to be served, the line of compelled humans servants already filing into the hall. It seemed that executions were more a cause for celebration than gravity.

It was not until Bonnie had practically forced her to sit in the dining hall and eat a few bites of the lavish meal that the idea hit her.

Perhaps there was a way for her to have a greater influence on the Council.

"Bonnie?"

"Yes, Caroline?"

Caroline took a steadying breath, her resolve already forming. "How does one go about being elected to the Council?"

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?" she asked, eying the new queen warily.

Caroline felt a grin spread across her face. "Because I believe it's high time that the queen has a say in how the city is run. Especially," she added as she reached for her glass, "if that queen is a disguised witch."

She laughed as Bonnie nearly spat out her wine.

Oh, but this would be quite the interesting undertaking.

Like it? Hate it? Let me know in the reviews! I know that there wasn't a whole lot of Klaroline, but I promise there will be more of them coming up! And as always, THANK YOU ALL SO SO MUCH for your support and kind words, I couldn't write this story without each of you lovely readers! Until next time!