Chapter Text
~I believe, I believe you could love me
But you're lost on the road to misery
And what I gave to you
I could never get back.
Don't complicate it,
Don't drive yourself insane.
Say what you will but, I know that you want to stay~
I know you- Skylar Grey
Elena wiped her tears away and pulled a stray lock of her hair behind her ear as she entered her bed chambers. She bolted the huge door shut behind her as she didn't want intrusions of any kind. Her heart was hammering painfully in her chest and when she saw her reflection in the mirror across from her, she almost didn't recognize herself. Her long, dark hair were tangled and her eyes were red and swollen from crying. Even her hands were shaking. What had happened to her? In just a few days, she had gone from a cheerful and lively person to this weak and crying mess.
She had let her expectations get high that Stefan would somehow win; that he would proudly claim her as his wife in front of the whole Kingdom. That her Knight in the shining armor would rescue the imprisoned princess from the high tower like she had read in old story books. It never occurred to her that Damon would defeat Stefan so easily but now when she reflected back on it, she saw that it was somewhat inevitable. After all, he was older and more experienced than Stefan and he wasn't called Knight of the Shadows without any reason.
All of a sudden, a bout of rage over took her and she screamed in frustration as she knocked over a flower vase from the table. She felt helpless and had no control over her body. She picked up her silver jewelry box and threw it at the mirror. She staggered back as it shattered into a million tiny pieces. Behind her, she heard a frantic knocking on the door but she didn't pay attention to it as she sank down at the edge of the bed and covered her ears with her hands to block out the sound.
"Leave me alone!" She shrieked as the knocking on the door continued. A muffled male voice called back to her and instantly her eyes flew open. Damon.
She quickly scanned the room and her eyes rested on the dagger. She picked it up and strode towards the door purposefully. She took a deep breath and unbolted the door and threw it open.
"Elena?" Stefan was standing in front of her, his eyes wide with shock. She quickly lowered her arm which was holding the dagger and held it behind her back.
"Stefan, oh it's you…I thought...I thought it was him."
"Are you alright, love?" He engulfed her into his arms and Elena buried her face in his chest as the tears started flowing down her cheeks once again. She loathed herself for being so weak and fragile but she couldn't help it. The dagger slipped from between her fingers and bounced off the stone floor.
"Clearly you are not." He muttered to himself as he picked her up in his arms and carried me to the bed despite her half hearted protests. Her fingers involuntarily wound themselves around his shirt and she clung to him tightly as she closed her eyes, breathing in his familiar fragrance.
"Stefan, I-I don't know what I will do now-"
"Shh." He placed a finger on her lips, effectively silencing her. With his thumb, he wiped the tears away from Elena’s cheeks as he settled her onto the bed in a comfortable position. He stood there for a minute as if contemplating something and then got into the bed with her.
"Stefan…what if someone walks in?" She asked him quietly as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his chest.
"I don't care, to be honest." Stefan whispered back just as quietly as he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "I am so sorry, Elena. I have let you down in every possible manner and you don't know how much I loathe myself right now."
Elena couldn't bear to hear the pain in his voice and when she glanced at his face, it broke her heart. Apart from the physical injuries, he looked so dejected, so vulnerable at that moment that she couldn't help herself as she pulled him closer to her and kissed him on the lips softly. Stefan immediately responded and this time, his actions seemed urgent and a bit frantic. Elena was a bit taken aback by his enthusiasm as Stefan was usually very controlled and laid back in this… prospect.
He snaked a hand around her waist and pulled her closer yet until there was no space between their bodies. His lips never broke contact from hers as he trailed a hand down her jaw, to her neck, to her collarbone and below…
She knew that what they were doing right now was wrong on at least a thousand levels but she was too far gone to come back. Waves of pleasure rocked through her body as Stefan's lips trailed kisses from her neck to her now exposed shoulder. Elena’s face was flushed red and she bit hard into her lower lip as she felt him against her lower abdomen. His green eyes had darkened with desire and she almost moaned when he whispered her name against her jaw line. The place where his lips came into contact with her skin seemed to burn, as if it were on fire.
"Stefan-" She gasped as he started loosening the ties of her gown. His lips were still against her jaw and she almost lost it again when he trailed a hand over her breast. She clenched her legs tightly together as she tried to move away from him. He understood her actions and immediately let go of her.
"Elena, I forgot myself for a moment…" He murmured as he looked away from, giving her a chance to get decent.
"No, it's perfectly fine. I-I love you Stefan and I want you too. I just don't think that now is the right time." She took his hand into her own as she intertwined her fingers with his. He smiled when he noticed his sapphire ring on her third finger and brought up their tangled fingers and placed a kiss on her knuckles.
"And I love you. Always."
"Always." Elena replied back as she smiled up at him. The moment of happiness was short lived as reality came crashing down on her again. She was now Damon's fiancé, not Stefan's.
When he noticed the sudden change in her expression, he took her face into his hands. "Look at me, Elena."
"Hmm?" She said as she stared into his beautiful blue-green eyes. For the first time, she noticed that there were flecks of gold in his eyes in the inner circle. Her lips perked up a bit at her little discovery and Stefan smiled back at her, completely oblivious to what was going on in her mind.
"Elena, I am going to say something very important now and I want you to listen to me very carefully." He said as he gently stroked Elena’s cheek bone with his thumb. Her hands trembled a bit as she placed them over his own and nodded for him to go on.
"I have a way by which we could be finally together. As man and wife." He added slowly, giving Elena a chance to comprehend the new information. Her eyes widened in shock as she let his words sink in.
"Stefan, what…?"
"Yes Elena, we can still be together. We can still get married, have our own children and get the future that we had dreamed of together."
"How?" She whispered back urgently as her eyes searched his face for answers.
"This is not going to be easy, Elena, so I want you to know what you are getting into. We both will have to make some…sacrifices." He said hesitantly. He sounded as if he was carefully constructing his words.
"Anything. I would do anything to get out of this situation. I love you Stefan. Please tell me."
"Okay…" He took a deep breath. "I have some…friends in Weldenhal and with their assistance, I have made some… arrangements."
"What kind of arrangements?" Elena asked him, thoroughly confused. "And where is Weldenhal?"
"It's a small Kingdom up north, half a day's journey from here." He replied. "And I have made arrangements for us to elope."
Elope? The idea seemed absurd and impossible at first but as Stefan explained everything to her in detail, it began taking shape.
"But if we ran away, it could have some dire consequences."
"As I said, sacrifices." He replied, smiling at her without a hint of humor.
"Stefan, you would go through all that for me? You will not be a prince anymore; we will have to live a simple life. You are ready to throw away your name, wealth, fame and Kingdom all just for me?"
"I didn't fall in love with you just for the sake of it, Elena. My home is where you are, nowhere else."
Elena buried her face into her hands as she tried very hard not to cry but all her efforts came across as vain when she felt Stefan place a chaste kiss on her forehead. This simple act of affection made her believe in him more than she had ever done.
x~x~x~x~x
She wiped her palms on the front of her gown as she nervously looked out of the window. It was a moonless night and there wasn't even star light was obscure due to the heavy blanket of clouds that was covering the sky. She had been like this pretty much the whole day and had shared this plan with no one else but her trustworthy friend, Bonnie.
Bonnie was even more anxious about this than Elena was and she started pacing around the room frantically as the hour of her elaborate escape approached.
"Bonnie, you are making me even more nervous. Please just sit down and let me think." Elena snapped at her as the handmaiden knocked over a jug due to her jittery movements.
"Apologies." She bowed her head and took a seat at a stool beside the fireplace. She had thought that Bonnie would oppose to Stefan's plan and would advice her against it but she was mildly surprised when she had broken into a smile as Elena had apprehensively told her about it.
"Elena, this is the best news I’ve received in days!" She had exclaimed excitedly as she embraced her friend. Elena returned her embrace half heartedly, wondering what was going on in her mind.
"You aren't against me eloping with Stefan and its…consequences?"
"What? No! I am sure you two will find a way as long as you are together." She had taken Elena’s hands into her own slender ones as she beamed at her. "I just want you to get away from here...and from him."
"I am glad you think so." Elena had replied as a smile finally broke through. "But I won't be seeing you or anyone else for a while, a few years at least."
"Don't worry about me. I am just a handmaid; I will find a new job. There is no shortage of vain noble borns in Fells' Church now, is there?" She had replied as she tried to lighten the atmosphere.
"Why don't you come with me?" Elena had asked her tentatively. She was surprised once again when Bonnie shook her head sadly.
"My place is here, Elena. In the Kingdom. It's where I was born and moreover, I would not want to cause you and Lord Stefan any trouble. It will be difficult enough as it is."
"Bonnie…"
"Now, are you going to tell me the details or not?" Bonnie had asked her abruptly, effectively changing the topic. So after a few hours, here they were, anxiously staring out of the window for the Stefan's signal while Bonnie wrung her hands together.
"Okay, I think this is it." Elena whispered excitedly as she saw a lantern light flashing at a distance. After one more glance at it, she quickly got up and collected her packed belongings in her arms. In a leather bundle, she had stuffed her most precious ornaments, a pouch of gold coins, some of her simple dresses and the lastly, her wedding dress.
"So, this is it." Bonnie said quietly as she looked at Elena, suddenly looking unsure of herself.
"Come here." Elena pulled her into a tight embrace and Bonnie held her just as tightly. She felt light sobs wracking through her light frame. She did her best to control her own tears as she murmured assurances and promises to her. Bonnie had been her friend since childhood and she trusted her more than anyone else. She hadn’t even discussed the plan with Caroline, her second best companion and she already felt guilty about it but Stefan had warned her about keeping the scheme to herself. What would Caroline think of her after this?
"I should go." She whispered as she tried to focus on the present. Nothing else mattered now except for her getting out of Mystic Falls as soon as possible. Stefan's plan had been a simple one. All she had to do was pack a few belongings and wait for a signal. After that, she had to slip past the guards and out into the night through the royal gardens until she reached an old oak tree under which an empty horse drawn carriage would be waiting for her. Stefan had already left for Weldenhal the previous day under some pretense to avoid suspicion. The carriage driver was a trusted servant of Stefan’s and by noon, she would be safe in Stefan's arms…away from this place. And away from Damon Salvatore.
"Good luck, Elena." Bonnie simply said as she let her friend go. After one more glance at her and her room, she quickly slipped out, shutting the door lightly behind herself. Stefan had told her all about the guards and their shifts and right now, it was the time for the guards to change places with each other so her coast was clear. The castle halls were mostly empty and her shadow seemed to chase her as she walked on with quick steps, clutching her leather bundle tightly against her chest. She slipped out of the back doors into the royal garden without any incident. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest and she was feeling out of breath with nervousness. She almost got caught once and had to hide behind a thick bush until the guard passed away. After she made sure that she was not being followed, she slipped out from behind the bush and headed towards the oak tree that Stefan had told her about. Soon, she spotted it at a distance and gave a sigh of relief as the horse drawn carriage came into view. A lantern was hanging from its roof. The signal. After one more look behind her shoulder, she quickly ran up to the carriage and got inside.
"You know where to go." She made a statement rather than a question as she tried to sound brave in front of the carriage driver, whose back was facing her. He just nodded his head once and snapped the reins. The horses neighed and broke into a light trot and she didn't relax until they were out of the castle bounds. No one questioned them at the city gates as the carriage bore the Salvatore house sigil. Once they left the city behind, Elena rested her head against the carriage wall and the to and fro motion almost lulled her into sleep once or twice but she willed herself to stay awake, just in case something went wrong.
Soon enough, her eyes started shutting down and before she knew, she drifted off into a deep slumber. She must have been asleep for quite a few hours because when she woke up, clear sunlight was streaming through the flapping curtains. Something about the whole scenery seemed a bit off because for once, it was much warmer than it had been in Mystic Falls. Elena frowned and peeked out of the curtains and saw lush greenery instead of the light snow she was expecting.
"Where are we going?" She asked the carriage driver sharply as she tried to keep fear out of her voice. She started getting uneasy when he didn't reply. He didn't even turn around as he snapped the reins harder and the carriage jolted forward at an even faster pace.
"I said, where are we going?" Elena raised her voice as she quickly grabbed her belongings just in case she needed to jump. She had a strange feeling about this whole situation. "We were supposed to head north and this is anywhere but!"
"Were we? I thought otherwise." Came a velvet smooth reply that instantly made her blood run cold. She broke into cold sweat and her heart beat spiked up as she shook my head in denial. "No…no…"
The carriage came to a sudden halt and Elena grabbed the frame to steady herself. This voice was unmistakable. It was him. Damon.
x~x~x~x~x
"Good morning to you too Elena, where are your courtesies?" Damon took off his hat and the cheap cloak he had been wearing to conceal his noble attire and threw them onto the dirt ground.
"Damon..? How…?" She croaked out, her eyes as round as the sun itself. Her face seemed pale, as if all the blood had drained out of it and her hands were trembling in her lap.
"Details. The first rule to make a perfect escape is to notice the details which, you sadly didn't and neither did that fool who still dreams of fairy tale endings." Damon replied sarcastically and rolled his eyes.
"This isn't Weldenhal, is it?" Elena asked him as she looked around in panic.
"Weldenhal? Is that where Saint Stefan decided to take you so that you could “unite as one and live happily ever after?”" Damon couldn't help but snicker. "That daft boy. He has a lot to learn."
"Where are we-"
"Why, Guildwen of course, where else?"
"Guildwen…" She whispered and when realization finally dawned onto her, she stumbled backwards, shock evident on her face.
"Yes, Guildwen." Guildwen was one of the most religious Kingdoms and it had the largest church in the whole realm. It was considered the most sacred place for marriage and people from far off came here to get married in the Sacred Church of Guildwen.
"There is no way out of it, is there?" She finally said, letting out a humorless laugh.
"I don't understand why you see this as a punishment. You are better off with me than with that imbecile." Damon shot back, annoyance creeping into his voice. Why was it such a big thing for her to accept?
"Are you hearing yourself right now? You are an imbecile, a fool and nothing more than a jealous man who can't bear to see his younger brother happy!" She shouted these words at him, her face growing red with anger. Before Damon knew what he was doing, he had her pinned against the carriage door.
"No one talks to me in that manner, do you understand?" He hissed at her as she cowered beneath his grip.
"Damon!"
He turned around and saw Alaric galloping towards them on his white horse.
"Let go of her this instant!" He got down from his horse and moved towards us, his brows almost meeting in the centre as he frowned. His concerns were unnecessary as Damon had already let go of Elena, remembering the bruises he had inflicted upon her previously.
"Alaric-" Before Damon could utter another word, he brushed past him and kneeled beside Elena.
"Are you hurt, My Lady?" He asked her, concern etched in every angle of his face. I scowled and crossed my arms as I waited for him to finish.
"N-no, My Lord." Elena replied, her eyes downcast. Damon was already starting to resent his actions as his anger cooled down. He hated seeing Elena stutter and cower in fear because of something that he did.
"There is no need for that, just call me Alaric." He said gently as he guided her towards Damon. He held out his hand for her and she hesitated before she took it. There was something about her expression, something about her eyes that bothered him. She seemed...almost resigned. He determined to change that and vowed to himself that he would bring up her happier side, even if just for a moment.
"Elena, my most sincere apologies. I have been away from home too long and I have nearly forgotten how fragile you women are." Damon said, inclining his head. She didn't say anything but just stared ahead, refusing to meet his eyes. Damon avoided glancing at Alaric as he led her inside the church and let some handmaids whisk her away to prepare her for the wedding. Their wedding.
She did not resist or show any signs of her previous her fear or anger as she walked away from Damon. In fact, even she seemed even more composed than usual.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Damon?" Alaric started as soon as Elena was out of hearing range.
"I don't need you chastising me, Alaric. I have a wedding to attend. Oh, did I mention that I am the groom?"
Alaric rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You will never change."
"No, never."
"She is just a child, Damon. I would advise you to treat her a bit more...gently. The only reason I am helping you with this is because you are my friend."
"Gently? What's that, a new word you learned while sleeping around with whores?" And before he could say another word, Damon turned around and walked away. Even he didn't have any explanation for his short outburst but he needed to get away from him, from everyone.
He ducked inside an inn near the church and due to his irritation; he knocked the jug of water out of the serving boy's hand and instead told him to fetch him some wine.
"B-b-but sire, this is a holy place and wine is not permitted here…" He stammered as he kept his eyes locked on his well worn shoes.
"Listen, boy. Are some holy rules more important than human life?"
"N-no sire..."
"Good, then get me some damn wine before I chop your head off."
He was gone before Damon even finished his sentence and within a few seconds, he was enjoying the taste of fine wine. He raised my glass up to Alaric who was across the room from him but he just shook his head and stayed quiet. Damon was constantly thinking about Elena...what she was doing…what she was feeling…
In order to get her out of his mind, he kept drinking more and more and just like that, it was time for him to attend his wedding. He let his mind wander and without any reason, he started going over the conversation that he had with his Mother just after he had defeated Stefan in the melee ground.
"Ser Damon Salvatore! I want you to explain your actions to me right this instant!"
"Mother, you don't need to call me Ser-"
"Did I give permission to call me your mother, Ser? I am your Queen and I want you to be respectful to me."
"Yes…my Queen." Damon replied curtly.
"Good." She nodded. "Now, explain your actions of the past few days, Ser."
"Well, you see my Queen, I came back a few days ago, I drank some beer, then I drank some wine, then I took a bath, then -"
"Damon! This is not a jest, I am serious." She scowled at her son as he grinned at her with ease.
"Mother, it would be for the best if you don't get into these matters." He said as he picked up his helm and tried to leave.
"Not so easily, Ser. You come home after years and the first thing you do is sabotage against your own brother?" She shook her head in disgust. “I thought you were better than that."
"You and I both know that I am way worse than that, so I think it would be for the best if we leave it at that." Damon yawned. "I 'll get going now, my Queen. Have you had your fill of royal courtesies for the day?"
A ghost of a smile crossed his Mother's face as she dismissed him with the wave of a hand.
"Oh, Damon?" She called out as he turned to leave.
"Yes, Mother?"
"Be careful."
"I always am."
"I was not talking about you." She said as she gave him a meaningful look and before he could ask her what she meant, she swept past him and left.
Damon came out of his reverie and shook his head to clear the unwanted thoughts. He have had more than enough goblets of wine and as he entered the church, he almost stumbled and fell but Alaric caught him by the crook of his elbow. For the rest of the ceremony, he kept throwing a string of profanities in Damon’s direction whenever he was within earshot.
"Elena! Where is my beautiful wife to be?" Damon shouted. The priest threw him a scandalized look before he crossed his heart and moved away from him.
"Damon, keep your voice down, you are clearly drunk." Alaric said as he grabbed hold of his arm before he could fall down on a handmaiden. She gave him a terrified look and hastily scrambled away.
"Bonnie! Bonnie, that's Bonnie! Look how she is running, little whore."
"Damon!" Alaric clapped a hand over his friend’s mouth as he dragged him over to the altar. "No it's not Bonnie, her name is Mathilda, just so you know." Around them, people were starting to whisper to one another in hushed tones, amused by the ongoing drama.
"Why, did you fuck her too? Right in this church, eh Alaric? You hear that, ol' priest? Alaric's been fucking your local handmaidens!" Damon roared and then burst into a fit of laughter, not having a care in the world.
"I apologize for his behavior, he is not in his senses right now-" Alaric tried to explain to the priest who had grown very red in the face and was threatening to call the holy guards who guarded the church.
"The bride is here, Ser." Someone beside Damon announced.
"Where? Where is Elena?" His vision was a bit blurred but somehow, he managed to locate her among the crowd. As soon as he set my eyes on her, it felt as if all the wine drained out of my system. She was standing at the church's entrance, looking around hesitantly while some of the handmaids surrounded her, carrying the trail of her gown in their hands.
From neck to ankle, she was clad in pure white satin-silk. Her wedding gown was high necked and even the netted sleeves covered both her arms, but never had Damon thought that a woman could so look beautiful even when fully covered. A light transparent veil covered her face and fell to her bosom and her dress hugged her skin till her waist. Below that, it splayed out in circles of molten silk around her feet. She was easily one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on.
Alaric brushed past Damon purposefully and went up to Elena and held out his hand for her to act as her father figure for the wedding. She tentatively took his offered arm and slowly made her way down the aisle and to the altar, where Damon was standing.
Elena, so beautiful, so irresistible. Damon blinked as he tried to focus on her as the distance between them closed. Finally, she stood beside him and he couldn't look away from her even if he wanted to. Her lips had a rosy tint to them as well as her cheeks and her long, raven hair were held up in an artistic bun, held by silver clips.
Her face, once again was devoid of any emotion except for her eyes which betrayed her anxiety. Her eyes met Damon’s when he took her hand into his own while the priest spoke in what seemed like gibberish which was out of his understanding capacity at the moment.
"You look absolutely breathtaking, Elena." He whispered, unable to take his eyes off her face.
"Thank you, My Lord." She nodded stiffly as she looked straight ahead. Her stubborn expression made Damon chuckle and due to his drunken state, he laughed out loudly, which earned him a glare from the priest but he couldn't have cared less. He was marrying the most beautiful woman in this entire world.
"So do you, Damon Salvatore, son of Giuseppe Salvatore, champion of the trident, heir to Mystic Falls, winner of the Maselen tournament, five times champion of the Silver Bay tournament, designated as Knight of the Shadows take Elena Marie Gilbert as your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do. Can I kiss her now?"
"Damon!" Alaric hissed at him from behind.
"And…" The Father paused for a moment as if to collect himself and the look of pity that he shot Elena didn't escape Damon’s notice.
Later. I will deal with him later.
"And you, Elena Marie Gilbert, daughter of King Grayson Gilbert of Fell's Church, sister to future heir Prince Jeremy Gilbert, and designated as The Raven, take Damon Salvatore as your lawfully wedded husband…?" He trailed off, as if expecting something other than a yes.
There was a long silence in the church for a moment as Elena stayed quiet beside him. She looked up at Damon and their eyes met, blue and brown. In her eyes, Damon noticed a hint profound sadness for the first time but it was gone when she blinked.
"I …do." She whispered, barely loud enough for anyone to hear. The priest made her repeat the words once more before he finally announced them man and wife.
"And now, you may kiss the bride."
Fear streaked through her eyes as her breaths became shallow and fast. She turned to face Damon with her hands clutching her silk dress on both sides.
"Elena…" Damon lifted her veil slowly and threw it back over her head as he cupped her face into his hands. Her skin was burning where he touched her and her eyes were moist with tears.
"I am not going to hurt you." He whispered. "I promise."
She didn't respond as he bent down and slowly kissed her. Her lips were soft beneath his own and he almost stumbled back in shock when she felt her respond to the kiss. Her hands came to rest against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. The people surrounding them, mostly nuns and other locals, cheered for them.
Little did Damon know that he was going to break his promise to her soon enough.