C5
Caroline stared at the ceiling of her room. The darkness of the night had engulfed the sky and the only sources of light were the unlimited stars and the bright moon. All the torches in her room had been blown out. She couldn't believe she was being forced like a child to sleep and rest while the kingdom was at the verge of a war that was all because of her stubbornness. Well mostly because of stubbornness.
She could still remember the way her mother and her friends started shaking when she told them about Klaus' threats. Damon and Stefan instantly shared looks and nodded towards the King who seemed a bit too frazzled to handle the whole situation. Forbes' men had never been great under pressure. It had always been the women. But in those days, there were no Damon and Stefan to block their path.
Damon had promptly sent Caroline to her room with a handful of his trusted guards. He had promised to take care of the situation but he didn't realize that she was more than capable of handling everything herself. But regardless she obeyed and went to her chambers to rest like a dutiful future wife and an obedient princess.
She reminisced how Bonnie had instantly run off to call to her own country for help while Elena tried to calm the Queen and the Salvatores and the King seemed to already plan out their strategies. She was sure they could handle everything but that didn't mean that the women needed to sit around like fancy dolls.
Caroline huffed annoyed and was about to push herself out of bed when she felt something cold and sharp against her throat. She instantly opened her eyes to see a figure looming over her holding a dagger at her throat threateningly. It was Kol Mikaelson.
Her eyes widened and she was about to scream for help but he pressed the knife harder against her throat and she gulped fearfully.
"Don't make a sound dear princess otherwise I will have to slit your pretty little neck" he warned with a dangerous smile. That's when Caroline heard all the noise and smelt that awful odor. It was the smell of smoke and … death. She could hear the sounds of metal clanging against metal and screams which sent shivers down her spine.
She nodded towards Kol, indication she won't say a word. But as soon as he removed the dagger from her throat, she produced the loudest scream her body could muster.
Kol turned to her and glared her. If looks could kill, she would've been dead.
He grabbed her by her hair pulled her from her bed and dragged her off the bed. He wasn't allowed to kill her, but there was nothing said about a little roughness. Before he could even attempt to take her any further to his brother, something hit the back of his head and he lost consciousness.
Caroline's head instantly went up to see the face of her savior and it was none other than Stefan Salvatore. She promptly noticed his look. He was a mess. Definitely their kingdom had been attacked. She went to him and hugged him, forgetting all formalities. She was just saved from death, she could care less about bureaucracies right now.
Their embrace was short lived as the sounds of crashes outside broke their moment and forced both of them apart.
"What in the world is happening Stefan? Where are the guards?" Caroline questioned angrily. Surely the Forbes had enough cavalry to protect their own home.
"Everyone was asleep and the Mikaelsons just saw the opportunity and attacked. But Damon will tell you the rest. I have to get to your parents so I will leave you to Damon. We all need to leave now!" He said and held onto her arm and gently led her out of room.
As soon as she stepped outside her chambers, it was a total warzone. Soldiers fighting here and there. Blood and weapons everywhere. Her legs seemed to have frozen and it was only Stefan who kept pulling her along.
"What about Elena and Bonnie?" she finally asked regaining a bit of her senses.
"Bonnie and Elena have already left. You're the only one left behind" he said and they both stopped as they saw two Mikaelson soldiers approaching them with swords in their hands. Stefan backed Caroline behind him and tightened his hold onto his own sword.
The first guard charged at them swinging his sword at the younger Salvatore but Stefan dodged him and quickly stabbed him and then dealt with the other soldier while Caroline looked around seeing her men get slaughtered. Not only her men but also a few of the Mikaelsons. She felt bad for them. They were only blindly following orders of the egotistical men like Klaus, Kol and Damon. They were all getting hurt only in the race of power and that was what she hated most about her lifestyle.
She didn't have much time to think as Stefan grabbed her arm again and began moving. She grabbed the hem of her dress with her other hand and tried to catch up with Stefan ignoring the commotion around her. She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard piercing screams of a woman. It didn't sound very familiar to her. She guessed it might be one of the maids.
"Stefan! We have to go back. The woman… she…" she mumbled and protested trying to reason with him but he just shook his head and stopped abruptly pushing open the main door of their household with a forceful kick.
When the scene unfolded in front of her, she could barely believe her eyes. The limits of her household perimeters were still not as much of a bloodbath as it was outside. There was no one outside except her who wasn't fighting for their lives. She could see the guards she'd known since her childhood fighting to protect. Suddenly her feet stopped moving along with Stefan's. She wasn't sure why but had a good idea, it had something to do with the huge, strong man with a bloodied sword standing in front of them. She couldn't recognize him but from his clothing he seemed like a man of import to the Mikaelsons.
"Well well, what do we have here?" he asked tauntingly as Stefan placed the princess behind him once again and stood in front of her protectively.
"Finn Mikaelson" Stefan replied, keeping his voice calm but Caroline knew that it was his panic voice. She herself panicked. Finn Mikaelson! But Klaus said that he would give her time till the morning before he finally attacked. What did Damon do while she was sent away?
Suddenly Stefan turned his head back to her, "RUN!" he yelled and Caroline just backed away as she saw the Finn attack Stefan. She shrieked and her eyes filled with tears but fortunately, Stefan blocked his attack and again looked back at her, "Find Damon and get out of here! GO!" he shouted while still fighting off Finn.
She turned on her back and looked around. Just as she was about to run, she felt someone call her from behind. "Princess" he called. It was Richard. He was injured, a few scratches on his face and arms but nothing seemed too serious. He ran to her and bowed only slightly but Caroline was not offended.
"This is no time for formalities Richard. Please, help me get to Damon" Caroline pleaded grabbing his arm. He bowed his head low and nodded. "Of course. Follow me" he muttered ran towards the main garden where, now, there was only bloodshed and no more beauty and tranquility. She could see men fighting and getting killed and it frustrated her. Why did everyone have to be so hungry after power?
She saw as a few of the Mikaelson guards tried to attack her but Richard easily fought them off and in a minute's time a two more of Damon's most trusted guards joined Richard to 'escort' her to Damon.
She couldn't help but let the tears stream down her face as she ran after the guards that she trusted with her life right now. Her eyes were puffy and red and her cheeks were pink and wet. As soon as she reached the stables and Richard was about to open the door when blood splatted everywhere. It came on her face, her clothes and her eyes. She screamed wildly as she saw the arrow embedded into Richard's chest. His body fell down onto the floor along with Caroline. She tried to get the arrow out but it was too late. He was dead. Poor Richard whom she had known since she was a child was dead.
The other two guards had enough sense to quickly kick the stable door open and drag Caroline inside who was almost drenched in blood. As they pulled her inside Caroline saw from her teary eyes, Klaus was standing on the balcony alongside the archer who shot Richard. He was looking directly at her with a dead serious expression and then motioned his guards to move towards the stable. That was the last thing she saw before she was pulled in.
She heard the noise of horses and then another familiar voice behind her. It was Damon. She quickly scurried to her feet and ran to embrace him. Damon gladly returned her hug and pulled apart only to look for injuries.
"What happened Damon? I saw Kol and then Stefan saved me and then Finn came and then Richard. Oh my God, Klaus killed Richard and where are Elena and Bonnie and my parents?" she rambled on and didn't care if she did. She was confused and needed answers.
Damon listened to her carefully and patiently and waited for her to stop. "Are you okay?" he asked with concern and worry in his voice.
She nodded weakly as the tears mixed with the blood on her cheeks. The blood of Richard. Damon nodded back at her, smiling encouragingly.
"Good. We have to leave. Elena and Bonnie have already left. I need to get you out of here." He said and nodded towards one guard while the other brought a horse. Damon's horse into view.
Damon helped Caroline get up on the horse and instructed his men while she got comfortable with the horse. She could still hear the rattling of metal against metal and the piercing screams of her people but in that moment, when she stroked the horse's mane, she could only think of the day when her father bought her that white horse once she was little.
She was drawn out of her memories when Damon got up on the horse behind her and held the reigns securing her in between them.
"Get all the gates open. We'll need as many distractions as possible. Make sure we get out at any cost!" Damon warned his men who nodded at him reassuringly.
He titled his head so he could look at Caroline, "I need you to hold onto me no matter what happens. Okay?" he asked and waited for her to respond. She only nodded but grabbed his arm before he moved his horse.
"What about my parents?" she asked. She asked everyone the same question but no one really answered her. But she needed to know her parents were safe before she easily ran off into the sunset with Damon. "Have they left already?" she asked again wondering about her parent's location.
He just sighed and shook his head. "We have to leave. NOW" he said focusing on the urgency of the situation but Caroline could care less about anything than her parents right now.
"WHERE. ARE. THEY. DAMON?!" she shouted at him angrily as more and more tears slipped her eyes.
"They've been captured. I'm sorry but we have to leave now!" he said and gripped the reigns tighter.
Caroline's eyes grew wide as the realization settled in. "I can't just leave. Not when he has my parents. We have to get to them. I have to save them!" She yelled at him hysterically.
"We can't. You can't. It's too late. We're leaving" he argued hoping she would, in fact, understand but she just kept struggling in his arms to get off. Knowing she would be stubborn and would not leave without creating an issue, he slipped his hand into the pocket of his trouser and collected some powder in his palm.
"He will kill my parents Damon. Let go of me!" she yelled at him once more but before she could even get off the horse, his hand covered her nose and her mouth. She inhaled sharply and felt herself losing consciousness.
"I'm really sorry Caroline but I made a promise to your parents to protect you and I'm not going to let anything happen to you" he promised and kissed the top of her head as he readjusted her body so that she was leaning against his chest.
"Damon… no … save them… please…" she mumbled the last sentence before she fell into deep slumber.
Damon didn't waste another second and trotted his horse out of the stables into the gardens once again. But as he exited he saw, a group of Mikaelson soldiers trying to surround him. He looked for an escape route and the only ones he could see were the main gate and another path that was little difficult to go through. The bodies of the Forbes' soldiers had been piled up there. Either he'd have to trot over their dead bodies or he could take the main gate that his men had opened.
He chose the latter.
When Klaus finally reached the bottom of the staircase of castle, he could see all the destruction and havoc caused. He was proud of his army and his brothers who had managed to sneak in the kingdom easily. He easily fought off the few foolish soldiers of the Forbes' and Salvatores' kingdom who were aiming to kill him. Everywhere he looked, he saw blood and destruction. It was a pity he had to destroy such a beautiful place.
He was, however, not interested in the scenery of the kingdom. Right now he was looking for the blonde princess and the Salvatore brothers. He had caught the King and Queen himself and they didn't dare try to fight him off. Not that they could somehow. But his main concern right now was to find Caroline. If she'd get away all his plans would be foiled.
He looked around and that's when all the alarm bells in his mind went off. There she was lying unconscious in Damon's arms as they both rode away. Behind them were two more horse riders. Stefan Salvatore and Mathew of Donovan. He could care less about the two of them when his most prized possession was about to escape his grasp.
He looked towards his brother Elijah and Kol who were fighting off the people who were holding the gate open for them to escape.
"CLOSE THAT DAMN GATE 'LIJAH!" he shouted pointing towards the gate with his sword and already marching there, hoping he would catch them before they left.
Kol heard his brother and could see that Elijah was busy, so he pushed the man attacking him and stabbed him with his sword. He quickly went over to the guards at the gate and sliced their necks with a swing of his dagger. The gate started lowering gingerly as no one kept it open.
"Faster!" Damon yelled as he saw the gate closing in on them. He was sure he would be able to make it but he wasn't very sure about Stefan or the Donovan prince.
Klaus could see the gate shutting down. It was already down half way but Damon wasn't very far off either. He was just a few steps away. All he could do was wait.
Damon watched as Kol tried to lessen the weight on the anchor to make the gate go down faster but he dipped his head low and ran past the barrier and turned to look behind that Stefan and Mathew had also made it out of the gate. He sighed relieved and turned his head back to the front and noticed the peaceful look on Caroline's face, which was still covered in blood. She looked so innocent.
Klaus saw red when he watched Damon and the rest escape. He would've chased after them with his men if it wasn't for the fact that the gate had been closed right after Mathew got out. It unnerved him to watch his plans foil. No matter. He had back up plans after all.
"No more prisoners!" Klaus announced cheerfully. He had the prisoners of value he wanted, these soldiers' lives hardly mattered to him. They were all just collateral damage.
He would have everything he wanted. He had the throne, he had the kingdom and now he just needed his Queen. He smiled cruelly and went to enter the estate as piercing screams echoed through the night sky.