Royal Sacrifices

Until Death Do Us Part

Caroline Forbes' wedding night is not what most would expect. Instead of tentative kisses followed by roaming hands and eventual joining of bodies, she and her new husband sit tensely in her bedchamber, in separate red plush chairs beside the fireplace. She has not removed her wedding dress, but his jacket lays forgotten by the door and a glass of brown liquid rests tightly in his hand.

"I think the reception went well", Caroline says professionally, as though speaking in a strategy meeting "a rocky start but we had everyone convinced and happy by the end of the night. Be sure to thank Elijah for suggesting we bring out the stronger liquor. Generosity and foggy heads are the only way any noble needs to remember this day"

Klaus looks up from the flames for the first time since they entered the room, he takes a long sip from his glass goblet and pins Caroline with his eye "how did you know?" his voice is rough and impatient

Caroline scoffs "how stupid do you think I am?"

"I never said you were stupid"

"You did actually." She challenges him "the third time we met you told me that angering you made me a very stupid girl, that refusing to obey you made me a very stupid girl."

Klaus curses under his breath "can we please skip the dramatics? This is not exactly how I pictured my wedding night so why do you not just catch me up and we can both go to bed"

Caroline shakes her head "Are all vampires so arrogant? Is that what taking human life does to you? I can assure you we are both disappointed in our wedding nights." Klaus fixes her with a steely gaze and she continues in a slightly more cooperative fashion "my parents did not know in case you are wondering." She turns her head to tell the story to the fire, not wanting to look her husband in the eye. "Bonnie is like a sister to me, but she is also a witch. As such she has feelings that are not easily ignored. I knew the Salvatore brothers my entire life and so did she, then all of a sudden war breaks out in Italy and Damon is on the front lines. I was sure he had died in battle, but imagine my surprise when, as I am spending days at the English court, he and Stefan arrive together to seek alliance."

"Why are you telling me of the Salvatore brothers?" Klaus interrupts impatiently "I care not for the politics of their country. Get to the point, Caroline"

"I am" she turns her head to nail him with an unimpressed stare "honestly you would think being as old as you are would have taught you some patience-"

"Careful sweetheart" he says and she knows he is serious, knows he is growing tired of the game. She can always tell with him because he will use those pet names. She is certain it is how he detaches himself from victims, by denying them a name, refusing to see them as anything but food. When he is angry he calls her love or sweetheart, when he is speaking to her genuinely he uses her name or title. It is how she separates the man from the monster. How she knows which one she is speaking to.

Caroline sighs "do you remember the battle at Sicily last winter?"

Klaus nods "England arrived with reinforcements and Italy was victorious. It started a very lucrative alliance"

"Why would England help Italy though?" she says with a raised eyebrow "think about it? It turned out well in the end, but England never gets involved in wars that are not their own or for territory." Klaus cocks his head and his mind is clearly buzzing with the realization that she is right. "Well Stefan told me one night that he thought England agreed to help because I asked Prince Tyler to help my friends. He convinced me that is was a tactic of the prince to win my affections" Klaus growls "and I thought nothing of it, I was naïve and wanted to believe myself as important as he was telling me I was. I wanted to believe that the prince put his country on the line for me."