1518 London, England

The morning light broke softly through the trees, casting a gentle glow across the castle gardens where I stood. The air was cool and crisp, the scent of dew-soaked earth and flowers lingering in the breeze.

Today the castle was quieter than usual, or perhaps it was just the fact that everyone were in the centre of London, preparing and helping with the preparations for the spring's welcoming celebration.

Of course, I wasn't complaining though, lesser people in the castle automatically meant higher chances of having my weekends "magic-practice" lesson in the garden instead of a random dirty cellar of the castle. It was a win-win situation.

Although, as I was plucking a flower and spinning it between my fingers while waiting for my mother to come, I heard footsteps approaching me.

Klaus arrived, his presence as commanding as ever, yet there was something different today. The darkness of night had receded from his expression, leaving a trace of vulnerability in his gaze.

"Stealing from my garden, are we?" he teases me, the tone in his voice light.

"Borrowing." I correct him with a small smile. "I'll return it once it wilts."

He chuckles.

Then reaches out to take the flower from my hand. "Lavender," he notes, holding it to his nose before tucking it into my hair. "It suits you."

I blush but this time I don't look away. "And you, lord Mikealson, what suits you?"

"Perhaps someone who doesn't flinch at the sight of me," he replies, his voice softer now.

My smile falters for a moment, but then i reach out and place my hand on his forearm, steady and sure. "I don't flinch."

—-

2010 Mystic Falls, Virginia

The Salvatore living room was thick with tension, the kind that made the air feel heavy. Damon leaned against the window frame, his phone still in hand as it rang. Each passing second grated on his nerves. Elena sat beside Maddison, her fingers trembling as she held her friend's hand.

Finally, Bonnie's voice came through the phone.

"It's the middle of the night. It better be important."

"Oh, don't sound so thrilled, Bonnie. We've got a situation. Maddison's... out cold. Heart's beating, but she's gone full zombie—white eyes, mumbling nonsense. Elena's freaking out. Fix it."

Bonnie groaned on the other end, but her tone shifted, worry creeping in. "White eyes? What is she saying?"

Damon glanced at Elena. "Something about stars falling, a castle, and Klaus. Ring any bells?"

"Klaus?" Bonnie's voice was sharp now. "Damon, if Klaus is involved, this could be serious. I'll grab what I need and be there in twenty minutes."

"Make it ten," Damon snapped before hanging up. He turned back to the room, his gaze locking on Maddison. Her pale face was a stark contrast to the shadows that danced across it.

—-

1518 London, England

One night, long after the castle had gone quiet, I found myself unable to sleep and in this particular case scenario there were only two options:
1. I could either wake Faith up and talk until the sun goes up,
2. Or I could go to the library and spent my night lost in my books.

So that's what I did.

But to my surprise, as I wandered to the library, I found Klaus there, leaning over a map and sketching something with a charcoal stick.

"Cartographer by day, warlord by night?" I say, not expecting anyone to be there at this hour.

He smiled, but there was a tiredness in his eyes. "Planning is endless, especially when you're trying to keep everyone alive."

I title my head, stepping closer. "You act like you don't care, but you do. You care more than you let anyone see."

Klaus regards me for a long moment before finally speaking. "And you, Maddison? Why do you linger in places you don't belong?"

"Perhaps I'm where I belong after all."

He didn't reply, but the look he gave me lingered longer than words ever could.

—-

2010 Mystic Falls, Virginia

"She's still whispering," Elena said softly, leaning closer to Maddison. Her voice broke as she tried to decipher the fragmented words. "She said... 'I chose wrong.' Chose wrong about what?"

Damon sat down heavily in the armchair across from the couch, his usual sarcasm muted by the weight of the moment. "Maybe she made a bad decision. Or maybe it's something else. Either way, if Bonnie doesn't get here soon..." He didn't finish the thought.

Elena shot him a glare. "She's not going to die, Damon."

"No one said she was." His tone was sharp, but his jaw clenched.

A faint sound escaped Maddison's lips again, a shaky, pained sigh. Both of them froze, leaning closer.

"Blood... darkness... save him..." Maddison's voice was strained, her words trembling like a leaf in a storm. Her hands twitched slightly, but her eyes remained white, unseeing.

"Save? Save who?" Elena asked desperately, her voice thick with emotion.

Damon stood abruptly, pacing again. "This is ridiculous. Why does every supernatural crisis have to involve cryptic riddles and Klaus? Couldn't it just be... I don't know, something simple for once?"

Before Elena could respond, the front door swung open, and Bonnie rushed in, a bag of supplies in hand.

"What happened, exactly?" Bonnie demanded, kneeling beside Maddison.

Elena quickly explained, her words spilling out in a rush. "She was fine one minute, and the next she just... collapsed. Her eyes turned white, and she started mumbling about stars, castles, and Klaus. And then she—she looked at me for a second. Just for a second. But it was like she was there."

Bonnie frowned, her fingers brushing against Maddison's forehead. "This isn't a normal spell."

"So it's a spell?"

"Fantastic," Damon muttered. "So we're dealing with witchy déjà vu. Can you snap her out of it?"

Bonnie ignored him, closing her eyes as she focused on Maddison. Her lips moved in a soft chant, the air around them growing colder. Suddenly, Bonnie jerked back, her eyes wide.

"There's something... someone... holding her there," Bonnie said, her voice trembling.

"What do you mean, holding her?" Elena asked, panic rising

—-

1518 London, England

Me and faith were at a gathering in the grand hall of the castle, laughing and chatting with two of the court's noblemen.

From across the room, Klaus watched with a storm brewing in his eyes. He didn't interrupt, but when our gazes met, there was a fire there that made my heart skip a beat.

Later, when the nobleman excused himself, Klaus appeared at my side. "You seem to enjoy the company of others quite a bit," he remarked coolly.

I raise an eyebrow, smirking. "Why, Niklaus, is that jealousy I detect?"

He leanes in, his voice a low murmur. "It's simply... vigilance. I like to keep an eye on what's mine."

My breath caught, but i quickly manage a playful retort. "Oh, am I yours now?"

He pulls back, his smirk matching hers. "Soon enough, love."

—-

2010 Mystic falls, Virginia

"She's trapped in a vision—probably something that might have happened in the future or in the past. But it's not just that. Someone else is keeping her tethered to it. I felt... anger. Grief."

"Klaus," Damon said darkly, his fists clenching.

Bonnie shook her head. "It's more complicated than that. Klaus might be part of it, but there's something deeper, something older. Maddison's connected to it, but I don't know how."

"Great. So what now?" Damon asked, his frustration barely contained.

"I need to try to bring her back," Bonnie said, her determination hardening. She pulled a few candles and a vial of herbs from her bag. "But it's risky, I've never dealt with it before I don't know what might happen"

"Do it," Elena said immediately.

"Wait," Damon interrupted, his voice hard. "What if this makes things worse? What if Klaus is the one pulling the strings and we play right into his hands?"

"And what's your alternative? We just wait until she snaps out of it on her own?" Elena shot back, her eyes blazing.

—-

1518 London, England

The room was bathed in the soft glow of candlelight, the shadows of flickering flames dancing on the stone walls. Klaus and I were laying sprawled across his grand bed, tangled together beneath a thick velvet quilt.

I was nestled against his chest, my head resting just below his collarbone, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Klaus had one arm draped around my shoulders, his hand idly running through my hair. It was a rare moment of calm, a stolen pocket of time where the rest of the world felt impossibly far away.

"You're quiet," i murmur, tilting my face up to look at him.

Klaus's lips quirked into a faint smile as his hand paused in my hair, his fingers gently tucking a stray strand behind my ear. "I'm simply enjoying the silence. For once, it's... welcome."

I chuckle softly, my voice a low hum against his chest. "Silence and you don't usually get along."

"Perhaps not," he admitted, his eyes meeting mine with a softness that melted my heart. "But with you, it feels different. I don't feel the need to fill the quiet with words or schemes. Just... this."

I smile, my hand reaching up to trace the line of his jaw. "Who knew the fearsome Niklaus Mikaelson could actually be sentimental?"

He raised an eyebrow, his smirk playful now. "Don't let the word spread, love. I have a reputation to maintain."

I laugh, my head falling back against his chest, and he tightened his hold on me, his fingers brushing over mine skin as though i might disappear if he let go. For a moment, he was silent again, his gaze distant as if he were lost in thought.

"What is it?" I  ask, my voice gentle.

Klaus hesitated for just a beat before answering, his voice quieter, almost vulnerable. "Do you ever wonder why fate brought us together? Of all the centuries I've walked this earth, of all the faces I've seen, it had to be yours."

My heart swelled, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. "If fate hadn't, I think I would've found you anyway," i whisper.

For the first time in what felt like forever, his infamous smirk faded completely, replaced by an expression so raw and unguarded that it nearly took my breath away. He shifted, his hand cupping my face as his thumb brushed my cheek.

"I love you, Maddison," he said, his voice steady and full of conviction. "Not for what you've done or what you've endured, but simply because you are you. And no matter how many centuries pass, that will never change."

Before I could say anything, he leans down and kissed me, the kind of kiss that stole every word and thought from my mind. It was slow, deliberate, and filled with a tenderness that spoke louder than words ever could. When he finally pulled away, his forehead rested against mine, and I felt his breath warm against my lips.

"I love you, too"

—-

Author's note:

Okey remember when I said that the last chapter was the biggest I had wrote, well I was wrong :")

Also am I the only one who's LOVING Maddison and Klaus together?? At first i intended to make to more of a slow burn but I just couldn't help it.

Anyways hope you enjoy it!!!

With love,
Chrysa <3