Author's note: k, so just bare with me here, this is sort of a cross between TVD and the Tudors/Elizabeth/Young Victoria... all movies (and shows) that btw I absolutely adore! Just don't put too much stock in real names or timelines... I'll be working only with the characters from TVD... :)

"Her Royal Highness, the princess Elena!" One of the King's men yelled through the hall as Elena wrung her hands for a short moment, pulled her shoulders back and lifted her chin before giving her hand to the duke of Suffolk's son, Tyler Lockwood who was meant to escort her in. He was one of the boys that Elena had known since childhood, but since she had been estranged from the court and her father for most of her life she had hardly seen him in years. He was a changed person now, if he had not been introduced to her before she wouldn't have recognized him. Caroline followed shortly behind her as her only lady in waiting and Elena did her best to remember everything her aunt had instilled in her.

When she stepped into the large room where the entire court sat staring at her she knew they were all staring at her with inquisitive and judgemental eyes. They always were like this, measuring her height and the size of her waist and hips and breasts, whether or not she was of a proper age to be married off and give birth to sons who might be better heirs than the reckless prince Jeremy who was only a nephew. Though Elena had always been told that she had been sent out into the country for her health she knew it was because of the fact that she had been a girl and not a boy. If she were a boy she would be respected and loved by the king, her father, but instead she was a girl, and as such she was simply another pawn in their large game for power. She breathed her anger away quietly as the stomacher lessened her ability to breathe significantly and turned her dark eyes around the room. Taking into account and doing her best to remember the faces of the men that ruled this kingdom.

There was the duke of Suffolk, Tyler's father Richard Lockwood. The duke of Buckingham was here, in all his self-righteous glory, William Tanner thought he deserved the right to everything that came to him which Elena thought presumptuous, since he neither came from royal blood, nor did he truly deserve the title which he had gained through his political schemes and intrigue. Now that he had his title he reserved most of the country's military force in the north and so not being an ally with him was a threat they couldn't afford. The only thing worse than a foreign war was a civil one, and her father had depleted their country so deeply that they could not afford an uprising of any kind.

Ambassador Saltzman was here, the one man who had proven to be loyal to her mother during the hardships of her father's new reformation of the church and the way this country was run. Her mother had suffered under her faith and her beliefs, that all things were creatures of God, she had believed in the supernatural and had tried desperately to reach out to those who needed it. The presence of the supernatural creatures in this world and in particular their kingdom was not unknown to anyone but how one dealt with it was different in each region. Too many people lived in fear of them but her mother had believed that if they had rights they would also be restrained by those same laws that gave them rights. Her mother was a humanist to the core and Elena had believed the same thing. Until her mother died and her father had appointed her tutors that drilled the 'truth' into her. These things could not be human, they were devils and demons and worst of all they were heretics and they should all burn. Elena had nodded and repeated the words so many times she had sometimes come close to believing it but then she remembered her mother's face. And her saddened letters and how the woman that had once been a beloved queen had died alone and in exile from her own daughter and rumour had it that she had been poisoned. Ambassador Saltzman, from her mother's home country of Bulgaria had only recently been an advocate for the late Queen but he had been a comfort to her when she had no one else to turn to. And now Elena frequently received secret messages from the ambassador, none of them ever contained anything worse than encouraging words but she burned them immediately anyway. She couldn't risk being mistaken for a spy, or worse for conspiring against her father. And she had been accused of worse her entire life. Ever since she was old enough to speak up. And so she had learned to be quiet, not to speak. It was not a woman's place to speak up, but she listened carefully and she learned very quickly and she saw everything.

Master Logan Fell was present, quietly in the shadows of the room and Elena glanced over him quickly, she still could not comprehend whether or not he was trustworthy or not but she preferred to consider it as not. And then there was her father. King Jonathan Gilbert III, the man who had regained his throne through ambition and civil unrest and had brought this country to peace at least for a little while, the man whose greatest ambition was to have a son to secure the future of his kingdom and the man who didn't like to be reminded of the fact that he had no son. Only a daughter, a useless girl that could only be married off. There would never be any security, but Elena hadn't expected the sight of this great king as she walked past the men who ruled her world and her eyes rested on the king that was her father.

He was old, much older than she remembered, of course she hadn't seen him in six years. Many things can change in six years, but the man was old and sickly and thin. She had seen other old men before, God she was surrounded by them but for none of them could she have said with any kind of certainty that they were near death. Her father was near death, and she didn't care.

With his blond hair and blue eyes it was a miracle that the man had even recognized Elena as his legitimate child, though he couldn't have afforded to do so otherwise. It would have caused civil unrest since she and her mother had always been well-loved by the people. Her father looked her over carefully with his searching blue eyes that were always filled with a sense of contempt for his only daughter.

She knew he was watching her for the same reason every other man in the room was. The last time she had been at court was when she was eleven, and she hadn't looked on the verge of womanhood yet, she had been small and tiny and still very much child-like. Now however she was grown, and already past the age where she should be married. But with the king's questionable health he hadn't given her marriage a second thought and Elena didn't expect it would happen anyway. She had been engaged twice since she was seven, first to one of the Russian princes and then to the French dauphin but both times the agreement had been severed because of the imminent threat of war, but Elena was certain it was also because of her father's fickleness.

Elena curtsied deeply, the skirts of her intricate cream and gold gown billowing under her as she remained kneeling in front of her father. He stood up with the help from one of his boys and moved forward to where Elena could only see his boots, she was not permitted to look up at him unless he asked her to. Unless he acknowledged her presence in this lowly state. She hated this so deeply she swore that she would change the protocol of women bowing to the men in this country if she ever became queen. Knowing full-well that would never happen. She heard the man grumble something under his breath before he finally held out his hand to her so she would first kiss the ring on his hand and then so she could stand.

As he smiled at her and pulled her around the room the whispering and conversations of the court commenced and her father guided her into the room of the privy council where he allowed her to sit. Elena never did anything to let onto the fact that she was tired and already sore from the stomacher that Caroline had tied exceptionally tight around her ribs today. She sat with her back straight and her eyes pinned to the ground as she considered what this might be about. She wouldn't have been invited to the palace unless it was of some importance and so she remained quiet. As always she was quiet.

"You're too quiet." The man finally spoke and eyed her suspiciously from where he was standing a hand resting on his chair as he looked at her accusingly.

"Your Majesty?" It was Majesty now, his royal highness wasn't good enough. Your Grace wasn't good enough, he had to be majestic. And so the title had changed. He scoffed at her response and shook his head, taking a seat across from her and having a boy bring them wine.

"Too quiet, like your mother. You know that expression, 'It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for' it's as true for dogs as it is for humans. You're too quiet and then one day, I'll discover that you've been planning to bite me all this time."

"A dog only bites when it's been beaten." Elena retorted, hurt. She wouldn't be compared to a dog, she may be a woman but she was no dog. He laughed and Elena felt herself skidding at the very edges of his good temper. Luckily her father seemed to be in good spirits today, but his spirits were precarious, they were as changeable as the wind and they were dangerously unpredictable.

"Don't be ashamed girl. Speak your mind, most especially when the words carry meaning." He took a heavy sip of wine and then looked at her carefully. "In this court, meaningful words are few and far between. I do not take them for granted, despite what you may have been told by that wretched aunt of yours." It was no unknown fact that the king had decided that he didn't like Lady Jenna Petrova, but her aunt was her only living connection to her mother and she was the only woman of royal blood who could be trusted in safeguarding the king's only child. "You're to be reinstated as my successor. If I die, which may be sooner than we all think, you will take my place as queen of England."

"Your majesty may still have a son. And there is Jeremy-"

"That boy is a drunken wretch, he's going to eat, drink, and fuck his way to an early grave. He openly declares his love for that common whore Vicki Donnovan and he thinks that he will inherit my throne?" He stood up from the table and slammed his hand down onto the table, frightening Elena again and forcing her to swallow and take a breath. She feared this man more than anything.

"I've made his father an earl, he will inherit a great deal, and perhaps as he grows older he might understand what it means to be a leader of men but in the meantime, you will keep this country safe." Elena was having difficulty understanding the meaning of his words, she had never imagined her father to acknowledge her in the succession let alone name her sole heir, as a woman it hadn't been anything she thought truly possible. He looked at her carefully now though and narrowed those blue eyes as he pointed at her. "If you in any way conspire against me, my daughter I will have you put to death before a crown ever touches your pretty little head. Do you understand me?" Elena nodded her head carefully hoping not to anger him any further, but he simply took a sip of his wine and set the glass down harshly on the table before grunting his approval. "You may leave." He nodded and Elena stood up and curtsied to her father, finding herself staring at his boots once again and entirely out of breath over nothing. The skirts of her dress suddenly felt heavier than ever and she wished she could be anywhere else but here. "You'll go back to your aunt until I call for you. We shall have you married and in pup soon enough." Again with the dog references Elena thought, he was being deliberately cruel but instead of calling him out on it she simply smiled sweetly and looked up at him with her dark eyes trained on his blue ones.

"Your majesty is most generous."

"Hmmph, you may leave now." He waved her away and turned his back on her and she took her leave of the room, feeling flustered and overwhelmed and the urgent need to go home. She didn't want to be in this stiflingly dark palace with the constant eyes of the court on her. She needed to be with her aunt and consider the things that had just been said to her. Her father was entrusting her with his kingdom, unless he still had any children which Elena thought highly unlikely since he had grown estranged from his wife and was known to have more than one mistress, none of which had born an illegitimate son from him, she would be queen. Queen of her kingdom, free to make her own decisions and help the people that needed her. To make her own reformations and lift this kingdom to the power and wealth that it deserved. She moved through the smaller inner halls that fell away from the prying eyes, the few people that did see her were hastened into curtsies and bows. Elena suddenly felt filled with a new-found sense of power, her presence had always demanded respect from the people around her but now she deserved it. She'd earned it, and she swore to herself she would earn it again and again. She would earn it by the husband she married and every son she bore to him, she would earn it with every change and freedom she gained for her country. She would be a queen, in every sense of the word, and she would have fought for it.

The king was dead. Her father was dead and all before he had found her a husband and suddenly everything that had been assured her, a true future as queen to her people was crumbling down around her in a wave of uncertainty. She received sudden letters from the French and the Russians assuring their loyalty to her if she would only honour them by agreeing to an unbreakable contract of marriage between their countries. Her country that had been at peace for years was suddenly moved to disarray as some of its rulers flocked to her side in the defense of the king's dying wishes to name his daughter as heir and those who were using the title and royal blood that flowed through poor Jeremy to gain power in naming him as the true king.

"Those bastards!"Elena slammed this letter down on the table, this was the last straw. It was a letter from Jeremy himself, her dear cousin who had always been a true friend to her, even if he was spoiled and privileged, he was above all things loyal to the throne, loyal to this country and she knew that he would not betray her. This letter by his own hand was proof that he was being used by the duke of Buckingham and Suffolk so they could gain power against her.

"Language girl- I mean your Majesty." Aunt Jenna said the words almost mockingly but Elena glared back at her with the darkest look she could manage.

"They can't do this, they would rather see a boy on the throne than a woman!"

"What did you expect? You're still only a woman." Jenna shrugged her shoulders sounding slightly amused at the situation and Elena couldn't comprehend this, if anything her aunt Jenna had always been filled with a fire for their cause.

"I may be a woman but I am also queen! This is my kingdom, and if they do not subject to me there shall be consequences."

"Oh I hope so."

"We're leaving. Call upon the ambassador Saltzman and the Lord Forbes and his wife, we shall leave for the palace immediately. The Donnovan and the Fell families have also always been loyal when we've needed them. Tell the lord Forbes that he has our permission to arrest the duke of Buckingham and Suffolk for conspiring against the throne." Elena was issuing orders and all the while Jenna was smiling at her as if she'd discovered something marvelous, instead of making her usual witty retort she curtsied, down to her knees and smiled.

"As you wish your Majesty." It was only now that Elena realized that her title had been changed from Highness to Majesty and it was only now that she realized the true extent of her words. But it was necessary, she had to secure the throne, she had promised her father security for this kingdom and she would not go back on her word. Even if she had hated her father she would not refuse him his dying wishes, nor would she stand back and be quiet now that she had a chance at truly being free.

"The Master Lockwood your Majesty." Tyler Lockwood came through the double doors and bowed to where Elena was seated, she still could not grow accustomed to all the bowing and scraping that occurred before her constantly. Ever since Jeremy had publicly declared his loyalty to Elena's true reign as queen the rest of the privy council had had no choice but to submit to her rule. She had never been more grateful for Jeremy and his wishes to simply be left alone, he had no interest in ever becoming king. The boy was a poet, and an artist and he was clever, he was more interested in his education than ever bearing the responsibility of ruling a kingdom.

Elena nodded towards the man that had once been a sweet playful boy when she was very young and waited for him to speak.

"Your majesty, I have come to you to beg your forgiveness for the traitorous reasons that compelled my father to turn against you. I come in hopes that-"

"Mr Lockwood, we are well aware of the fact that the treasonous acts committed against us by your father were his decisions and his alone. I can promise you that we hold no grudges towards you or your family." Tyler looked truly stricken by this as he looked up at her and Elena smiled towards him. "we wish to bestow upon you all your previous titles and lands and in return we expect nothing except your undying loyalty." Elena held out her hand and smiled towards Tyler as he moved forward to kiss her hand and whispered his gratitude to her. She smiled at the warmth of his breath on her skin and then stood up. "Walk with me." She demanded as they moved out of the throne room and past the curious gaze of the courtiers. They moved through the stone halls that Elena was still growing used to and trying to memorize before they reached the gardens. Elena always felt safer outside as she walked carefully next to Tyler.

"I don't know very many people at court. There are very few people here I can trust." She admitted to him, Tyler Lockwood may seem a bit of a wild-card but it was that wildness in him that she found appealing, perhaps useful. She turned her head a bit to take in the expression on his face and was pleased to find that it was completely neutral, he was clearly a well-practiced courtier.

"I'm sure that a queen such as you could win over the heart of any subject." Elena allowed herself to giggle, this was another thing she was trying to get used to, the constant complements to her beauty and her wit were never-ending. Men vied for favour in every way possible, and when it came to women they knew only one way.

"Nevertheless, I intend to make some changes. I need men on the privy council that will be loyal to the reformations and be loyal to the throne, and the people."

"The people your majesty?"

"Yes the people. If we are not true to the people we represent how can we call ourselves leaders of men?" She giggled at the expression that was peeled across Tyler's face. "I take it you haven't heard those words before?"

"Never spoken by royalty, and never so sincere." He admitted and Elena flicked a hand towards the small court that was duty bound to surround their queen at all times. They stopped and Elena continued on so they were further out of earshot.

"I mean what I say. I am bound to my people. And I believe it is in their best interest to bring forth a new way of ruling. All these men, these current leaders are loyal to the old ways, they believe that their blood puts them above the welfare of the common people when really it simply makes them responsible for it."

"You're talking about replacing the current leaders."

"Yes, I have no intention to begin stripping men of their birthright and their titles, however. I believe now is as good a time as any to introduce a new generation of men that might lead this country."

"That won't be simple."

"You see why I need a friend here at court?"

"You have a most loyal friend in me your majesty. Always." He bowed over and kissed her hand again, bringing a smile to Elena's face. "If I may suggest a few people who could be of service to your grace?"

"You may."

Caroline kept her blue eyes on her oldest friend as she talked in silence with the man that was so intensely mesmerizing to her, he had brown eyes that were nearly hazel in their brightness and he held himself with an air that demanded respect. She recognized that air of self-worth that came only with those that were born into the royal family. Born to rule. Not like herself, though her family came from old blood it was her mother that had brought them to this place, her father cared more for the company of other men, his indiscretions and sins were constantly overlooked because of his birthright but her mother and father had lived separate lives for years now. Her mother had cared for their estates and their servants, and kept Caroline safe in the keeping of Jenna Petrova for as long as the princess was there. It was her mother that had foreseen the rise of the princess Elena to queen of England, and it was her mother who had guided her and prepared her for these walls and these people.

Caroline had never found it difficult to befriend the princess, from a very young age she had been kind and generous and intelligent, she trusted only Caroline and Bonnie with her deepest secrets. Like the fact that she truly wished to one day be married, she had a love for children that surpassed even her will to be free from the political games that tugged at her skirts.

When they finally went back inside it was nearly time for dinner and so the ladies followed carefully as Elena moved towards the royal banquet hall, judging by the look on Tyler's face she had gained one more ally. He was right in believing that she could melt the heart of any man. It was her gift, one that all the girls under the ward of Lady Petrova had learned, they knew how to ensnare a man just long enough so he grew to trust you, but not so long that he became in love with you. Love was always misplaced in this place, it could even be dangerous. Caroline smiled as she took her seat at Elena's side and leaned over so that Elena could whisper in her ear once they had finished their meal.

"Talk to him, dance with him-"

"Beguile him-" Caroline finished her sentence and gave her a sidelong smile.

"I need to know if we can trust him." Caroline stood up from her seat, her red gown swishing at her feet as she felt the heavy skirts tugging the stomacher down and revealing the curve of her breasts. The length of her golden hair was tucked under the hood but she had pushed it back on her head to show off the glow of it against the dark red of the gown and hood. She was well-aware of how she looked, how daring a colour red was to wear as one of the queen's maids but there wasn't a soul that could touch her. She gave the new duke of Suffolk a quick glance before turning away and speaking to Jenna Petrova, who was widely known as Aunt Jenna to the girls who had been under her care.

It didn't take long for Tyler to make his way over to where they stood, Caroline curtsied lightly as was appropriate for a man of his standing, even a man as young as him.

"Will you dance Mistress Forbes."

"If it please you, your grace." Tyler moved her around the room to the centre of the dance floor where they took their place amongst other people and Caroline smiled as the music took up. She moved around him gracefully, her feet light and her smile slightly careless as she let the music overtake her.

"Are you married Mistress Forbes?" Tyler whispered into her ear as his arm locked around her waist and she turned away to hide the redness that had overcome her neck and cheeks as he spoke so softly into her ear and turned her.

"Betrothed your grace."

"Betrothed is not married." Caroline giggled at that and covered her mouth with a hand as if she were truly embarrassed, she was slightly offended if he thought that she would just give herself to any man out of lust but she ignored that. She needed to know how well she could trust him, how well her queen could trust him and a man that would sleep with a betrothed woman was not very trustworthy she thought. "Betrothed to whom?" He asked when he pulled her close again and she smiled, glancing away carefully as if she were thinking sweetly of the man that would be her husband.

"Master Mathew Donovan." She saw him frown as he was pulled away and stomped his feet on the ground before he took her hand and twirled her. When the dance finally ended he placed a very chaste kiss on her hand and stood away from her carefully.

"I thank you for the dance Mistress Forbes. Please forgive me if I in any way offended you, Master Donovan is a friend of mine. I would do nothing to offend him or his future wife." Caroline couldn't help but be startled at this, she had not expected to find him so loyal to a friend at the prospect of bedding a desirable woman. It was more than Elena could have bargained for, Tyler Lockwood would prove to be more loyal to them than his father had.

"Has your majesty considered any of the marriage proposals that have been offered to you?"

"I have your eminence. But I do not care for any of them." She was tired of these never ending questions about whether or not she would marry. Elena sat very still in her chair by the fire while she sipped her wine and watched ambassador Saltzman consider his next move.

"Your majesty should marry."

"That is not the question, but my current council members would only make England part of Russia or France or even Cleves. All these prospective husbands wish to marry me for the wealth of my country and how many ships we have. I will not marry only to become a bargaining chip in a war."

"Your majesty would be hard pressed to find a man that would marry you for love." He spoke levelly as he moved his bishop across the board, leaving it open to her knight but forcing herself to bare the tower. She understood why her mother had found him such a good friend, despite his official position here at the English court he was a true friend, in every sense of the word, he spoke honestly and openly. Even though it might get him into a great deal of trouble, he cared more for the truth than for flattery.

"Love has no place in matters of state. I'm no fool ambassador Saltzman, but I will not marry for a war. For peace, perhaps but I won't shed a drop of English blood for a foreign throne. I refuse to send my people into battle for a cause that they can't understand nor should they have to." He watched her carefully as Elena found an alternative to take his bishop but protect her other pieces and she had now positioned herself to take his king in the next four steps. Alaric smiled at her then before turning his head back down to the board.

"In that case my Lady, might I suggest you look further than England's usual allies for a husband. Perhaps if you married a man of noble birth from a country far enough to have no military interest in England but close enough to enrich the wealth of both countries, you might find yourself more amiable to marry." Elena couldn't help but smile, she had already considered this of course but to hear the words spoken back to her gave her a sense of confidence and relief that she so desperately needed. England's future wasn't only in it's impressive navy and military force, it was in its trade and arts. If power couldn't be gained by force, it had to be gained by wealth.

"Your majesty." Someone was whispering and Elena felt a gentle tugging at her shoulder but she did her best to ignore it. She was exhausted, all she wanted at the moment was to sleep a few minutes longer. "Your majesty." There it was again, that awful whisper. "Elena!" There was a plump smack over her head as someone had hit her with one of her pillows and she sat up angrily. She couldn't be angry at the sight of her two best friends though, instead she smiled and leapt out of the bed in her nightshift, wrapping her arms around Bonnie's tiny frame.

"Bonnie you came!"

"You didn't think I would miss all the fun did you?" She unlocked herself from Elena's grip and all three girls went to sit on the bed, the royal bed didn't have as much meaning to it when it was the three of them and Elena felt like a young girl again. Not a queen.

"Bonnie you being here it's-"

"Dangerous, she knows. I tried to tell her but-"

"You didn't honestly think I would just let you have all the royal fun to yourself did you? Besides you're going to need my help. Even a black girl has eyes and ears, and I blend into the shadows better than Goldilocks." Bonnie snickered as Caroline nudged her looking slightly offended but Elena saw the truth in what she was saying, she did need her friends. And Bonnie being here gave her a sense of home, a sense of security. But the danger of her being discovered within the palace walls was terrifying to her, Bonnie was one of her oldest friends. But even a queen couldn't protect a witch if she were ever discovered.

"Besides she has news for you." Caroline continued, the same way they had always spoken around each other, finishing each other's sentences. Elena had always felt as if they were sisters not just friends and she would always need them around her.

"Oh?" Elena turned her dark eyes on Bonnie in the candlelight Bonnie's dark looks were indeed more imposing than otherwise but the girl was so pretty that Elena had always found herself jealous of her darker skin and the curls in her hair.

"About your marriage-" Elena rolled her eyes and leaned back against the padded headboard already tired of this conversation, she received enough 'advice' from her privy council she didn't need her two best friends interfering as well. "Don't you roll your eyes at me I have a suggestion to make and it's yours to consider."

"Very well, who's your candidate?"

"Stefan Salvatore."

"Who is he?"

"The younger prince of Naples, his father Guiseppe Salvatore has been desperate to establish themselves as a true force to be reckoned with. Everyone wants Naples, Spain, France and Rome have all been trying to claim it as their own. A marriage to the Queen of England for either of his sons would prove to be highly advantageous. Naples could give you the access you need to trade in the rest of Italy and your power and status provides them with the security they need for their country."

"You said either of his sons?"

"He has two sons, Damon and Stefan. Both are eligible to be married at the moment, and marrying the older son, Damon would mean you would eventually be Queen of England and Naples, but-" She broke off and Elena raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"But what?"

"But prince Damon Salvatore is a known heretic." Caroline finished and Elena eyed them both carefully, to associate herself, even with the brother of a heretic could be dangerous. "He was born as the oldest son to a very pious and devout catholic, being Italian of course they depend on the support of Rome for a certain amount of power. Damon when he was younger was much enamored by the prospects of joining the church and people said that he was even more devout and passionate than his father was since he was willing to relinquish his right to the throne and take the vows."

"So why is he still prince Damon and not Cardinal Salvatore by now?"

"Because after he had taken his vows, after years of devout worship he began to rise in power but it was because of his sudden rise that he struggled with the corruption of the church. He had become another pawn in someone's battle to become pope and he was infuriated that the church, our religion could be thus used for one man's personal game." Bonnie spoke silently, any talk against the holy church was blasphemy, even this conversation being overheard could put Caroline and Bonnie in a great deal of danger, and Elena understood now why they had come to her in the middle of the night.

"He spoke out against it, and left the church but he was careless about it. He nearly got Naples excommunicated because he openly spoke out against the church. Finally his father had to silence him but he still refuses to take part in regular mass. He has devoted himself to theology and philosophy and only attends church functions when absolutely forced by his father or his brother."

"As much as I admire his efforts I suggest that in your current title as queen you don't associate yourself with a known heretic. Instead it would be advantageous to allow Stefan Salvatore to court you." Bonnie looked at her seriously and Elena waited for her to finish her argument. "He's said to be kind and gentle, he's well-liked by his people and whoever meets him. He's as educated as his older brother since he thought for a long time that he would inherit the throne instead."

"Both brothers are travelling through Europe, and ambassador Saltzman being an old friend to the Salvatore family has invited them both to come stay with him as his guests at his house outside the city." Elena smiled, knowing already that this visit wasn't at all by accident, neither was her little game of chess with the ambassador. She was well aware of the fact that they were all speaking to each other and probably being guided by the woman whose schemes were always silently being executed. She had no doubt in the fact that her aunt Jenna had a hand in all this.

"It's also said that both men are remarkably handsome." Caroline smiled but Elena didn't really consider looks in these matters, she couldn't really afford to.

"Perhaps we should meet these Salvatore brothers before either of you begins planning my wedding for me." She finally smiled and then laid down in her large bed with both her best friends on either side of her, hoping that they were right in this matter, and praying that she would make the right decision. She needed to be intelligent in choosing a husband, she would not be ruled by a man whose interests lay in another kingdom, but marrying anything less than a royal prince was impossible for a queen and so she had very limited choices here. Her freedom in being queen came with strings attached, she still felt the weight of every politician in her court vying for her favour and begging at the hem of her skirts for some kind of advancement, but she refused to relent to them. She was queen of this country and she would not have her role usurped by any man, commoner or royalty.

Author's note: Hope you enjoy this as much as I do... I'm an intensely insane history buff, I have a huge amount of respect for writers like Phillipa Gregory and Alison Weir, they are fantastic and lyrical and I've always wanted to explore these characters in a setting like this. I did want to include the idea of the supernatural creatures because otherwise it wouldn't be the vampire diaries... but still... Let me know what you think, if this goes well, it will probably be quite long, like an episode type of thing...

In the next episode Queen Elena meets the Salvatore princes and faces disruption amongst her privy council... the relationships between Caroline, Bonnie and Tyler will still progress and Matt still needs to be introduced, so stay tuned ;)

Please review as much as you want... :) curious to know what you guys think.