The Duke's Hunt

Spoken For

"You look nervous," Klaus comments, watching Claire from across the carriage. Her leg bounces up and down in anticipation, eyes glued to the scenes outside. "Claire."

"Hmm?" Her gaze shifts back to him for just a brief moment before looking back outside. "I'm fine. I'm just a little nervous," she shrugs. "I mean, what am I to even say? What do I do?"

"You do and say whatever you want, Claire, just don't stray too far from Elijah or myself." He instructs, gaining her attention again. "Elijah is living with other vampires, some of which are not the friendliest."

Claire nods and looks out the window again, small houses coming into view. "Is this it? Please say this is it, we've been in here for hours."

Klaus chuckles and shakes his head. "It's the next small town we come to, I promise we will be there within the next hour." 

"The next hour?? I'm starving, Nik." She groans, letting the curtain drop.

"I brought food for you, because I know how much you love your food. It's stored just under your seat."

Claire stares at him for a second and stands up, lifting the seat and smiles. "You're such a kiss ass, Niklaus." She laughs, reaching in to take out the basket.

He rolls his eyes and looks out the window, "I'd prefer if you didn't talk to Elijah about your disappointment in me." Klaus says, dropping the curtain and taking the sandwich she offers out to him.

"Can you just at least tell me why you never told me about anyone else? Or about Elijah?"

Klaus takes a few bites of the sandwich before answering, "they were worried you'd be afraid of them. Or that you'd act different around them, despite you having been around for quite a while now. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't ask questions sooner about why they weren't aging."

Claire shrugs, "I just thought the genes ran really well in your family, honestly, none of you are entirely hard to look at."

Klaus laughs, "don't let Kol hear you say that. It'll go straight to his head and you'll never hear the end of it." He says, only half joking.

"He is pretty full of himself, isn't he?" She giggles, finishing her sandwich. "What about Elijah, though? Why wouldn't you tell me about him? That he's alive, I mean."

"Because we knew you'd go looking for him, that you would make irrational decisions based on your heart." Klaus replies, giving Claire a sincere look. "Elijah didn't want you to know for the same reason, he wouldn't want to see you put yourself in harms way on his account." 

Claire stares at the fruit in her hand, using a nail to pick at the skin of the apple. "I just want to see him, you know? I mean, we've spent years together, in each other's presence... months together in our hearts.." Claire shakes her head and gives a sad smile. "I thought that maybe he was going to propose to me, and that we'd have a baby-"

"He was," Klaus interrupts her. "He was going to propose the day after he was... 'killed'. Believe me, Claire, Elijah wanted nothing more than to make you his wife."

"Really? You mean that?" She asks, the smallest smile on her face.

Klaus nods as the carriage comes to a stop outside a small secluded cabin. "We're here."

Claire drops the apple and looks toward the door and back. "You said the next hour."

"Yes, because it would calm your nerves for the next hour, and you'd stop shaking the carriage with your leg bouncing." Klaus grins, "I didn't send warning to Elijah that you know or are coming, so if it helps, he's going to be more surprised than you are at this moment."