Hello lovelies! This is my first attempt at writing fan-fiction. I was suddenly struck with an idea for a Klaroline story based on the events of the Book of Esther from the Bible (Check it out, it's a pretty awesome story!). I've mainly stuck with TVD mythology, the one exception being that despite its medieval setting/time period, there was no curse placed on Klaus so he has always been a hybrid. Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter One

"Are you out of your senses? This is the second pillow I've destroyed this week! Stefan is going to catch us and kill me, and it will be your fault, Katherine!"

"Caroline, there is no chance of that! He's still out on the night watch at the gate. It'll be hours before he returns!" Katherine pouted, a childish plea resonating in her voice.

"Oh…fine! Just once more, Katherine, but if I am caught you are going to wash my clothes for a month! Stefan is already irritated with me as it is what with my attempts to levitate everything in the house." Caroline Forbes hissed as her two best friends Katherine and Elena Gilbert ripped one of Caroline's pillows and let the feathers fly all over her room. The beautifully tan, brunette twin sisters chuckled with mischief, spreading the feathers until they carpeted the dark wood floor of Caroline's small bedroom. Their equally stunning blonde friend grunted in exasperation.

"Seriously? Is it necessary to destroy my room like this?" Caroline fretted in spite of the slow smile beginning to spread over her face at her friends' antics.

"Oh, Caroline, don't be such a spoil-sport!" Katherine snorted, shooting Caroline an amused glance and jumping on Caroline's wooden bed. "Besides, you know you can never resist showing off."

"Please, Caroline! Show us the magic!" Elena begged excitedly, joining Katherine on the bed with a grin.

Knowing resistance was futile, Caroline nodded, inhaling deeply while stretching her arms outward into the air. Suddenly, the pillow-feathers that carpeted the floor slowly rose into the air. Katherine and Elena gasped and whooped softly in pure delight as Caroline twirled a finger and the feathers slowly began circulating in the air around them, the light from the candles giving off an eerie, mystical aura.

"It's amazing, Care! I still can't believe you are a witch!" Katherine said in awe.

"Believe me, I can hardly believe it either. Stefan only told me about a month ago," Caroline replied, grinning. Stefan Salvatore was Caroline's older cousin and legal guardian and had taken care of her ever since Caroline's parents had tragically died in a fire when she was a girl. He also happened to be a warlock, as was the rest of Caroline's family before they died. Caroline had lived in blissful ignorance of her identity as a witch until her eighteenth birthday the month previous, when she had accidentally almost set the house on fire in a fit of rage over a ripped dress. After dousing the small blaze and calming down a shell-shocked Caroline, Stefan decided that it was as good a time as any to enlighten her on her status as a witch. Initially terrified, Caroline overcame her fears and had acclimated to her new-found powers with relative ease, most likely due to her rather controlling personality. It also helped that Stefan was a brilliant and patient teacher.

"It must be exhilarating, Care. Having all that power at your fingertips…you're free to do practically whatever you want," Katherine remarked enviously, watching as the feathers swirled around in the dim light.

Caroline's smile faded into a more pensive look. "It does feel wonderful and exciting, Kat…but I'm not certain I would agree that I am free to do as I wish. Especially in Mystic Falls of all places," she finished seriously. Katherine and Elena shared a grave look at her words.

"Stefan should have told you about your magic sooner. It's a rather large burden to spring on someone, considering how the general populace views witches," Elena said quietly, giving Caroline a concerned look.

Elena and Katherine were vampires (albeit young ones—only about four decades old) and part of the few vampires in their city who did not belittle and talk down to witches as lesser beings than themselves. Mystic Falls, the supernatural capitol of the world, was controlled by the vampires, although a modest population of witches called it home as well as a number of humans that the vampires allowed in to serve as a source of food and 'entertainment.' The witches lived in their own section of the city where they were allowed to practice their magic, but it was no secret that most of the vampires took advantage of their abilities and threatened them with force to do their bidding, whether the witches agreed with them or not. All in all, being a witch was not exactly the best lot in life.

Caroline sighed heavily, her elation at performing magic waning. She brought her arms back to her sides, dropping the floating feathers into a neat pile on the floor, and then proceeded to sweep them under the bed. She shook out her blue dress to rid it of any remaining feathers. "Stefan was only trying to protect me. Don't worry, Elena. I can take care of myself. I am eighteen after all and I have Stefan to protect me, and we know that he is much more powerful than he lets on."

"Yes, he could probably set the whole city on fire what with his 'smoldering eyes' as Elena describes them," Katherine teased her sister, who they knew harbored a crush on Stefan.

"Who has smoldering eyes?" A voice called from the entryway.

Elena blushed bright red, jumping up and straightening her modest dark green dress while Caroline and Katherine collapsed into silent giggles on the floor.

"Stop laughing, you two traitors! He'll suspect something!" Elena pulled them to their feet. Breathless from laughing and with mussed curls, Caroline and Katherine exchanged amused glances while brushing off their own dresses in a poor attempt to look presentable. They made their way out into the main living room of the small house Stefan and Caroline called home. The room consisted of a worn oak table and a few stuffed armchairs, along with a large bookcase where Stefan kept most of his grimoires and an adjoining cabinet that housed magical herbs and ingredients for spells. A fire roared in the hearth, casting a cheerful glow over the cozy room. A young man with dark blonde hair, dark eyes, and an easy-going smile stood in the doorway.

"Good evening, ladies. How are my favorite girls this evening?" Stefan smiled fondly at the trio. "And you still haven't answered my previous question. I'm waiting," He added, raising his eyebrows in anticipation.

"Never you mind, Stefan, although if you must know, it is someone you know very, very well," Katherine hinted with a smirk, her sparkling brown eyes contrasting wonderfully with her burgundy dress. "And before you ask, no more hints."

"No more hints? It must be someone important for you to be so guarded around me. All the more motivation to figure the riddle out," Stefan joked as he removed his cloak and sword and hung them by the door. Stefan acted as a gate guard to the Mikaelson castle, the home of the Originals, the ancient family of vampires who had founded and ruled Mystic Falls for centuries.

"Your intelligence will do you no good, Stefan. I doubt even your powerful magic can help you figure it out," Caroline laughed, her blue eyes dancing with amusement as she busied about the small kitchen preparing Stefan's supper. As a night-watch guard, he often returned home late at night and as such ate at odd hours.

"We shall see," Stefan smiled, sitting down at the table and motioning for Katherine and Elena to join them as Caroline placed his food on the table.

Clearly not amused by her friend and twin's joking at her expense, Elena quickly changed the subject as they sat down. "How was guard duty tonight, Stefan?" She asked him with a soft smile.

Stefan returned her smile over the rim of his mug of ale. "The same as always, Elena. No one tried to break in and storm the castle, at least," he chuckled. "Inside the castle, however…" he trailed off, his face abruptly contorting into a serious frown. Caroline watched him, confused, as he appeared deep in thought about something. After a brief pause, Stefan looked up suddenly and cleared his throat. "Now, I truly dislike breaking up the fun, but it is late and there is important news I must discuss with Caroline."

"News? What news? What do you mean, Stefan?" Caroline queried, her curiosity piqued by Stefan's sudden change in demeanor. Katherine and Elena had equal looks of confusion on their faces.

Stefan hesitated, glancing at the twins. "I would rather wait until Katherine and Elena have returned to their homes to discuss it, Caroline—"

"Stefan, you know Caroline would tell us anyways. Isn't that right, Care?" Katherine interrupted quickly, looking to Caroline for confirmation.

Caroline nodded eagerly. "Out with it, Stefan."

Stefan sighed as he settled into his chair, running his fingers through his brown hair in resignation. "Well, I suppose I can tell you all now. You would have found out sooner or later in any case." He paused. "Queen Tatia has been…disposed of…by King Niklaus."

The girls let out gasps of shock and horror. The queen of Mystic Falls was dead?

"What happened, Stefan?" Caroline asked softly, hardly daring to breathe.

Stefan exhaled sharply, his brown eyes glancing around at the girls and taking in their worried features. "You all know that King Niklaus recently defeated the army of vampires from France led by King Niklaus's father, Mikael the Destroyer?" he began.

The trio nodded silently. Mystic Falls had been under siege for about two weeks before its forces finally managed to rout the opposition by sending in a surprise force led by Prince Elijah to pin Mikael's army between his own forces and the walls of Mystic Falls in a brilliant pincer movement. Surrounded, Mikael and his forces were utterly destroyed, thanks to the meticulous cruelty of the Originals, who killed even those vampires who begged for mercy. It was truly an epic battle, the stuff of legends, and only added to general belief that the Originals were the most powerful rulers of the supernatural world.

Stefan continued on. "Queen Tatia Petrova, as a relative to the Petrova vampires who sided with Mikael and sat on his council, was extremely angry with the death of her relations at her husband's hands, not surprisingly. So angry, in fact, that she apparently refused the king's invitation to the feast celebrating Mikael's defeat…and everyone knows King Niklaus is not a patient or forgiving man when met with defiance of any kind."

His speech was met with silence. Caroline shuddered inwardly, rubbing her sweaty palms on her cornflower blue dress, imagining the king torturing the queen with vervain and driving a stake through her heart. King Niklaus's hot temper and brutality were legendary even among the vampires of Mystic Falls. No one crossed him and lived to tell the tale.

"So, what happens now? There must be something else, Stefan, or you wouldn't look so worried," Elena finally spoke up, breaking the silence.

Stefan nodded, dragging a hand over his face. He spoke his next words so softly that Caroline had to strain her ears to catch them. "The Council has decreed that all the single female vampires and witches of Mystic Falls be taken to the castle in order for King Niklaus to choose a new wife and queen."

Silence. Then…

"What?! You mean…we are going to the castle?!" Caroline cried out, not processing Stefan's words. He must be joking!

"For how long, Stefan?" Katherine asked, a tremor in her usually carefree voice.

"One week, at least," Stefan replied somberly. He slouched over the table and finished off his remaining ale in one large gulp. "Then each girl will be given one evening with the king to showcase her talents and aptitude for the crown, and the king will choose who he sees fit."

"A whole week?!' Caroline repeated. She jumped up and began to pace the room anxiously, her long glossy curls bouncing frantically with each step. "What are we going to do at the castle for a whole week? Or longer, depending on when we meet with the king?"

"I am not entirely certain," Stefan said, brow furrowed. "I expect you will find out when you arrive there."

Caroline's mind spun. How could this be happening? It must be some sort of sick nightmare. She in no way wanted to become a queen and rule a city. She had just found out about her powers, for goodness sake! What if I am tortured by the Originals? Or even killed? Or even worse, what if by some twist of fate, I am chosen to be queen? What then? Her head ached from all the worry and the questions springing to her mind.

Finally, after a long moment, Elena turned her gaze to Stefan. "Stefan, when do we leave for the castle?" She whispered with fear in her brown eyes.

With a shaky breath, Stefan looked at her grimly. "Tomorrow morning."

Klaus Mikaelson settled back into his comfortable chaise lounge, sketching away on a piece of parchment. After the disaster of the previous evening, the king of Mystic Falls needed a calming distraction, and art had always been his way of escape. Alone with his thoughts, he drew in peace for a while, his mind blank and relaxed. It was only when he was adding the finishing touches to his landscape sketch that a knock on the double doors of his study interrupted his serenity. He ignored the knock and stubbornly settled deeper into the chaise, an annoyed frown etched on his handsome features. A moment later, the knock rang out once again, much louder this time. Cursing the visitor under his breath, Klaus continued sketching, still as absorbed in his work as ever.

"Niklaus, I know you're in there. You've been hiding in there since last night. We have much to do thanks to your impeccable show of restraint towards a certain queen who is now dead," his brother Elijah called through the door.

Klaus groaned at the unwanted interruption of his elder brother and made no move to answer the door. "Leave me in peace, Elijah. I am in no mood for another of your infamous lectures on my moral ambiguity and impulsivity," he shot back in annoyance.

In response, Elijah burst into the study, prompting a sigh of resignation from Klaus as he rose to greet his brother, abandoning his sketchpad on the mahogany desk in the corner of the large and elegantly furnished room. "Seeing as there will be no peace until you speak, out with it, brother. What is it you wish to speak to me about?" He asked, retrieving a bottle of wine from his desk and pouring two glasses, offering one to Elijah.

Accepting the wine, Elijah took a dignified sip. "While you have been lurking in your chambers, the Council held an emergency meeting over what to do about the Tatia situation." He settled himself into the armchair opposite Klaus, fixing his brother with his usual cool and intelligent stare.

Klaus snorted and collapsed back onto the chaise, drink in hand. "'Situation'? You mean betrayal, brother." He took a swig of his wine, sloshing a bit down the front of his loose white shirt in his anger. "She deliberately defied my orders in front of the entire court, not to mention the delegations of vampires from the surrounding country, and made me look like a fool. Surely you must know we still have enemies. In their eyes, if I cannot control my own queen, then how shall I control my own people? Would you rather leave to chance that a spark of rebellion in my own household will not catch fire among the people, brother?" He asked with a patronizing glare at Elijah.

"I agree with your assessment, Niklaus, although I believe you could have bestowed a less cruel punishment than death for mourning over the loss of loved ones. Even you can understand and admire family loyalty," Elijah replied calmly, sipping more wine as he leaned toward his temperamental younger brother, his brown eyes meeting Klaus's cerulean ones.

"Ah yes. Family above all. Ever the sentimental, honorable nobleman, Elijah." Klaus recited their family's motto with a smirk, propping his boots on the intricately carved oak table in between them. "Of course I admire familial loyalty. You of all people should know that by now." He lowered his voice. "However, when it comes to threats to our family, I do not care who is involved. I will gladly rip their hearts out without hesitation," he hissed threateningly, a flash of gold shining in his normally blue eyes, betraying the hidden ferocity of the Original hybrid.

Elijah nodded solemnly as he gazed at his younger brother. "I am glad to hear it, Niklaus." After a pause, he cleared his throat. "Now, back to the matter at hand: The Council has decided that in order to appease the people and to minimize the damage that Tatia's execution may cause to your public image, you must choose a new queen to rule at your side."

Klaus groaned loudly. "I could not care less about my public image or finding a new queen, Elijah." After Tatia's defiance, women seemed more trouble than they were worth to him.

"Even so, a new queen must be selected, whether you like it or not," Elijah replied firmly. "Now, we have acted quickly and already issued a decree throughout Mystic Falls instructing the guards to collect any single female vampires and witches and bring them to the castle to present to you as possible candidates. After a week of preparation, you will spend an evening with each candidate and subsequently decide on a queen."

Rolling his eyes in irritation, Klaus gulped down the rest of his drink and poured himself another. "As I said before, brother, I do not give a damn about this queen nonsense. Do as you see fit with the situation, and do not bother me with it until absolutely necessary. I wish to be left alone," He growled, rising and already reaching for his sketchpad.

Recognizing his dismissal, Elijah sighed. "As you wish, brother," he said quietly, and left the room, leaving Klaus to lose himself once again in his artistic pursuits.

A/N: Please review and let me know what you think! I'm not sure if I should continue as this is my first attempt, so any and all criticism and comments are welcome!