It Was Never A Choice (AU/AH)

Summary:

Klaus and Caroline are prince and princess of their respective kingdoms. They were promised to one another as infants. When they are each twenty-one, they meet for the first time. Klaus is arrogant and cocky and Caroline refuses to marry him, putting her father's kingdom in jeopardy, as her marriage to Klaus will unite the Forbes's and the Mikaelsons' kingdoms. Klaus and Caroline are forced together in matrimony, and Caroline remains impassive, even as Klaus tries to reconcile with her and apologize for his behavior at their first meeting. When the now-united kingdom falls under attack from the infamous Lockwood kingdom, will Klaus and Caroline, as king and queen, be able to put aside their differences and work together to save their people?

Rating:

T

Pairings:

Klaus Mikaelson x Caroline Forbes

Liz Forbes x Bill Forbes

Mikael Mikaelson x Esther Mikaelson

Disclaimer:

I do not own TVD or any of the characters. All rights belong to L.J. Smith, Julie Plec, and Kevin Williamson.

Needless to say, if I did, Klaus and Caroline would have gotten together after "Dangerous Liaisons".

Chapter 1

"My sweet Caroline," cooed Queen Elizabeth Forbes to her newborn child swaddled in pink cloth, "great things lie in your future. One day, you will unite our kingdom with King Mikael's and you shall go down in history as one of the greatest queens our country has ever seen."

"Just like your mother will," smiled King William, peering over the queen's shoulder into the pink bundle. "You are destined for greatness, my daughter."

"Destined for greatness, my arse," Caroline hissed under her breath as her lady-in-waiting, Elena, tightened her corset. Caroline watched herself in the mirror, contemplating the sentence she'd been hearing for as long as she could remember. She knew the weight of the kingdom was resting on her shoulders, but the idea of an arranged marriage was so appalling that she was uncertain she would be able to go through with it. She wasn't shallow enough that a gorgeous prince would be enough to sweep her off her feet. Caroline, perhaps naively, believed in true love and one day hoped to find it. She didn't want to meet Prince Klaus with the idea in her head that their relationship was doomed and their love wouldn't be possible, but she did deem it unlikely. After all, a forced marriage was far from the ideal setup for love – not that it was unheard of. Caroline's own parents had an arranged marriage, but they had truly grown to love each other. It was for this reason that Caroline remained cautiously optimistic. That, and she really did have her kingdom's best interests at heart, and she knew that merging hers with Prince Klaus's was the right thing to do.

When Elena finished lacing Caroline's corset, she went to the ornate, wooden armoire in the corner of the room and took from it a beautiful, midnight blue gown. It was the dress the queen had picked out months ago for Caroline's and Klaus's first meeting. It was floor length with five layers – the perfect amount to give it volume, but still allow her to move comfortable. Elena carried it over with reverence, smiling at Caroline reassuringly.

"Everything is going to be perfect," said Elena, handing Caroline the dress.

"I know," she replied, unsure if she was trying to convince herself or Elena.

Caroline was torn. She knew she could rely on Elena. She'd been her lady-in-waiting since Caroline turned thirteen. There was only five years' difference between them, and Elena had become like the sister Caroline had never gotten. Caroline could tell Elena anything in confidence, but there was still that barrier – royalty versus nobility. Despite Elena's high-class standing, there was a distinct difference between them, and Caroline has been raised to know that, to keep that in mind. The Forbeses were fair, just rulers and didn't let their royalty go to their heads, but they didn't pretend to be or live like peasants. They were still royalty, still the rulers, and there were lines that shouldn't be crossed. Nevertheless, Caroline felt the need to get her thoughts off her chest.

"Elena . . .," she began tentatively, "what do you think of the arranged marriage?"

"Well, that's not really my place, Your Highness," she smiled, avoiding the question as she helped Caroline step into the voluminous dress.

"Elena, please. I'm not asking as your princess. I'm asking . . . I'm asking as your friend."

Elena sighed. "Not that my opinion matters, but I can see both sides. It's highly beneficial for both kingdoms, but it might not be that way for the rulers."

"'Not so great' meaning Prince Klaus might not be right for me and I'll be stuck in a passionless, loveless marriage." It was not a question but a statement of fact.

Elena began lacing the strings on the back of the dress. "I wasn't going to put it like that, but I suppose that's the worst-case scenario, yes. Just so you know, Your Highness, I admire what you're doing. Really. I'm sure you've thought through all the possible scenarios countless times, but you're doing this for the good of your people, and that is invaluable to us. So, thank you." She smiled up at Caroline, her eyes watering. She shook her head and cleared her throat. "Let's finished getting you dressed. Wouldn't want your mother's hard work at decision making to go to waste."

Caroline chuckled, watching in the full-length mirror as Elena deftly laced the dress's back. It was amazing how a few, simple sentences could solidify Caroline's decision. This was for the best, and who knew? Maybe Prince Klaus would be a perfect, courteous gentleman. Caroline had spent most of her time recently picturing the worst cases and not realizing that her for-all-intents-and-purposes-fiancé could turn out to be a wonderful husband and ruler. The idea crept its way into Caroline's mind, and the more she thought about it, her outlook on the entire situation brightened. She thanked Elena repeatedly when she had finished lacing the dress. Taking a deep breath as Elena left the room, curtsying respectfully, Caroline looked back to her reflection. She looked stunning, her hair loosely curled and her eyes smoky. The only things missing were the necklace and the tiara, and her mother would be bringing them in shortly. They had belonged to Caroline's great grandmother, the former queen, and were kept safely in a secret place.

There was a faint knock at Caroline's door and she spun around to see her mother's hand flying up to her mouth in awe.

"Oh, Caroline," she whispered, "you look beautiful!" She hurried, albeit gracefully, over to Caroline and stood next to her in the mirror. "You certainly have your father's good looks. Let's get your jewels on." She set the aged, wooden box on Caroline's vanity and opened it slowly. The tiara sparkled in the light magnificently, the necklace its perfect match. The queen lifted the tiara from the box and placed it on Caroline's head, securing it to her golden hair. Next, she took the necklace and fastened it around Caroline's neck. It rested perfectly on her chest, the sapphire matching her dress perfectly and bringing out her eyes. After looking at herself in the mirror one final time, she turned to her mother.

"Well? How do I look?" she asked anxiously.

Her mother's eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill over. "Caroline, you are perfect. And I just know that Prince Klaus will think the same! Good luck, my dear," she said, planting a kiss on Caroline's forehead.

"Thank you, Mother," smiled Caroline, feeling confident and reassured. Everything was going to be absolutely perfect.