"Lucy? Edmund?" called Tessa. "Where are you?" "Up here Tess!" she heard Lucy call. Whirling around, she ran up the stairs of her home. Lucy and Edmund were her cousins, staying with her family while their brother and sister, Peter and Susan, stayed with their mother and father in America. Her brother, Eustace, was horrid to them, as were her parents. But in the time that they had been with them, Tessa had grown incredibly fond of her cousins and immensely enjoyed their company. Lucy was beautiful, just like her sister. With her long curly brown hair and slim figure, all topped off with gleaming hazel eyes and a smile that could stop someone in their tracks, Lucy looked like a model, no matter if she believed it or not. Edmund had thick brown hair, with a slim but incredibly muscled figure and the same shining hazel eyes that Lucy had, and the same crooked smile.
"Hey guys!" she said with a smile as she walked into Lucy's room, the only place they ever hung out. "Whatcha up to?" she asked. Edmund looked at her thoughtfully. She had obviously gotten her looks from her grandmother. Long, thick, auburn hair fell in waves to her lower back. She was a slim but curvy girl, with a gracefully proportioned hourglass figure. She had a dazzling smile, high cheekbones that emphasized her bright blue eyes. "Just thinking." said Edmund. "About Narnia again?" she asked curiously. They had told Tessa all about their amazing adventures in a magical land known as Narnia where talking animals, centaurs, minotaurs, dwarfs and fauns were everyday things, where time passes differently and they had ruled for years and years, only to come back a few hours later in their world. Edmund had even taught her some of his sword fighting skills, which he was wonderful at. She had gotten pretty good herself. "Of course!" said Lucy with a laugh, and then she suddenly got up and walked over to a painting hung on the wall. "Edmund, look at this ship!" she said. "Yes, it's very Narnian-looking, isn't it?" he said. Tessa got up and walked over to it, looking at it thoughtfully. "I'd love to see Narnia." whispered Tessa, touching the ship in the painting.
"There once were two orphans who wasted their time believing in Narnian nursery rhymes." said Eustace, who had appeared in the doorway. He was a short, slim, blonde boy with a know-it-all expression, and an attitude to match. Edmund turned around and glared angrily at the boy. "Please let me hit him." growled Edmund. Lucy put her arm out and stopped him. "No!" she said. Tessa wasn't paying any attention at all however. She was more concerned with the painting on the wall. It had begun to move and turn, as if it were real. When sea water sprayed her face, she jumped back. Water began to pour out of it. "Lucy!" she shouted. Whirling around, Lucy's lips spread into a huge smile. "Look, Edmund!" she shouted as the rush of the water began to get louder. The two boys turned to look where she was pointing.
Edmund smiled as water poured onto the floor. "Looks like you'll be seeing Narnia after all, Tess!" he shouted as the water climbed higher. Girlish screams broke Tessa away from the painting. "What's going on?" screamed Eustace. "I'll just smash the rotten thing." he said, matter-of-factly. "NO!" shouted Lucy as Eustace walked forward and grabbed the painting off the wall. Fighting him off the painting, Tessa grabbed it and set it on the floor. And then she couldn't feel the floor anymore. She couldn't feel anything below her and looking up, the water level was rising. Taking a deep breath, she let the water swallow her whole. When she opened her eyes, she saw Lucy, Edmund and Eustace swimming for the surface. She followed, gasping for air when she broke the surface. There, right in front of her eyes, was the ship from the painting, the one shaped like a dragon, only life sized. That was when she heard Lucy. "SWIM TESS!" she shrieked. Tessa screamed a little, and followed Lucy, swimming and kicking as fast as she could. Behind her, she heard a few splashes. "Don't worry, you're safe now." said a voice, and arms wrapped around her waist. Looking around, she saw men swimming to get Eustace, Lucy and Ed. "Caspian?" called Lucy. "Lucy!" said the man holding Tessa with a smile in his voice. A lift was lowered into the water and the man helping Tess pulled her over to it. "Step here." he said, stepping on beside her. "Now hold on tight." he instructed her, securing one arm tightly around her waist as they were lifted out of the water. As she stepped onto the deck of the ship, she got a look at the man who had helped her out.
He had longish, shoulder-length brown wavy hair and pretty brown eyes that sparkled when he smiled. His clean-shaven face looked kind and gentle, but fierce and powerful too, like someone of importance, a ruler. Under his soaked clothes, she saw that he was incredibly muscled and looked strong, but not in the ripped-buff way. Lucy stepped on deck, and catching sight of Tessa, ran over to her. "Oh, Tess, you're in Narnia!" she said, her voice full of happiness and excitement as she threw her arms around Tessa's neck.
"Well aren't you going to introduce us, Lucy?" asked the man. Lucy smiled. "Of course. King Caspian, this is Tessa, she's our cousin. Tessa, this is Caspian, our old friend and King of Narnia." Tessa smiled and curtsied politely. "Thank you for saving me, your majesty." she said. He laughed and smiled at her. "Call me Caspian, Tessa. Any friend of Lucy and Edmund's is a friend of mine." he said, his eyes skimming over her, lingering on her lips that were pulled back into a joyful smile.
"Get that thing off me!" screamed Eustace. Whirling around, Tessa saw a large mouse on top of her brother. With a thrash, it was thrown off, rolling to land at Lucy's feet. "That thing just tried to claw my face off!" he shrieked. "I was merely trying to expel the water from your lungs, sir!" said the mouse. "Reepicheep!" said Lucy joyfully. "Oh! Your majesty." said Reepicheep, bowing. "Did- did anyone else just see that? It just talked!" Eustace squeaked. A crewman laughed. "It always talks." "Yes," said Caspian, "it's getting him to shut up that's the trick."
Eustace's face had gone pale, and he began to have an emotional break down, screaming about pranks and British consul and wanting to wake up. Angry, scared tears began to roll down his cheeks. "I demand to know just where in the blazes I am!" he shrieked. A black minotaur, who Tessa assumed was just another crew member,, answered in a growling voice. "You're on the Dawn Treader, the finest ship in Narnia's navy." he said with pride. As the last words fell from his lips, Eustace's unconscious body fell to the deck. "Was it something I said?" the minotaur asked, his voice full of curiosity. Caspian laughed and smiled. "See to him, will you?" The minotaur nodded. "Your majesty." he responded with a chuckle.
"Come." said Caspian, laughing as Eustace was carried to below deck. "Let's get you some dry clothes." they followed him and each found an outfit that fit them. Lucy and Tessa got loose shirts that had tight, elastic-likes cuffs and seams, their tops fell off their shoulders. Their pants were the same way, but their waist-line covered the shirt bottom to their belly button and each had a belt (large, wide ones) to cover the line. Edmund had almost the same thing, but his didn't have elastic-like seams, and his shirt was un-tucked just as Caspian's was.
When they were all changed, they met Caspian in his study. Tessa's breath caught in her throat at the sight of him, his hair dried and his clothes changed into ones that matched Edmund's. His eyes found hers as he watched her walk in. She looked beautiful, even in men's clothing. Her long hair was still dripping. Her eyes were lit up with a smile, and she looked more than insanely gorgeous. He found himself staring at her, and her eyes were locked with his. She looked away, hiding her face with her long hair, embarrassed. "Here." he said to Tessa, handing her a towel as she wrung out her hair. "Thanks." she said with a small smile. He nodded, walking back to Lucy and Edmund as they found some of their old possessions. Lucy picked up her dagger and cordial that could heal any injury with a single tiny drop, and Edmund grabbed his torch, which he had forgotten there on their last visit.
"Here. Since you left, the Giants surrendered unconditionally, and we defeated the armies here in the Southern desert." said Caspian, pointing out the places on a map. Narnia is at peace." he said. "In just three years." Edmund grinned. "And have you found yourself a queen in those three years?" asked Lucy with a smile. Caspian chuckled. "No. Not yet." he said as his eyes flashed to Tessa. "But I have a feeling I will soon." Lucy laughed. "Well, if no one's in trouble, and there are no wars to fight, why are we here?" asked Edmund, almost as if thinking out loud. "It's a good question." said Caspian thoughtfully. "I've been asking myself the same thing. NOT that I'm not glad you're here, or that your cousins are with you." he added hastily as his eyes flew to Tessa again. She smiled shyly, looking away as her face flushed bright red.
"Well where are we sailing?" asked Edmund. "Before I took the throne back from my uncle, he tried to kill my father's closest friends and most loyal supporters." he said Caspian, turning to a wall where there were seven drawings of men. The drawings looked old, yellowing and crinkling at the edges."The seven lords of Telmar." Edmund looked curiously at the drawings as Tessa walked away and gazed out the window. "They fled to the Lone Islands, and haven't been heard from since." said Caspian. "Do you think something's happened to them?" asked Edmund. "Well, if it has, then it's my duty to find out." said Caspian, as if the thought tired him. Lucy was studying the map. "What's east of the Lone Islands?" she asked curiously. "Uncharted waters." spoke up Drinian. "Things you can hardly imagine. Tales of Sea Serpents and worse." he said, his voice dark. Edmund looked up, a smile playing on the edge of his lips. "Sea serpents?" he asked, his tone full of amusement. "All right, captain, that's enough of your tall tales." said Caspian, chuckling as he bit into an apple.
Lost in her thoughts, Tessa hardly noticed their conversation. "Tess?" asked Lucy,
her eyes concerned. "Huh?" mumbled Tessa, shaking herself out of her thoughts. "You alright?" Lucy inquired. "Yeah." responded Tessa, "Yeah, I'm fine." she shook her head, fully bringing herself back to reality. Looking around, she saw that it was only herself, Lucy and Caspian left in the room. Caspian's eyes watched her intently, and his smile lit them up like diamonds when she met his gaze. "Are you alright?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking about a lot." she said quietly. "Like you..." she thought silently.
His eyes searched hers, trying to figure out the puzzle of emotions hidden behind them. Looking away, she turned and walked out the door. Confused, Caspian looked to Lucy. Lucy looked back at him and shrugged. "I've never seen Tess like this before." she said, answering his unasked question. He nodded, turned and followed her. She was leaning on the railing, gazing on the waves as they lapped against the ship. "Are you sure you're alright?" asked Caspian, walking up beside her. She jumped, looking around. "Oh, hello your majesty." she said, looking away again. "Like I said, call me Caspian." he said with a laugh. "Hello, Caspian." she said, a smile pulling at the corners of her lips. He grinned and looked on the waves. "So tell me, why do you seem so upset?" he asked gently. She smirked and chuckled. "I guess I'm just in shock." she said, a smile perking at her lips as she pulled her hair over one shoulder and looked at him.
"I never ever thought that I would actually get the chance to see Narnia, to meet the people here, to share it with my cousins. I never thought I would be this lucky." she said, gazing out on the waves. His eyes were fixed on her as she sighed contently. "I just don't know if I'm dreaming, and I'm afraid of waking up." she said. He looked at her, the way her hair fell around her face like a curtain that separated her from him. She looked up, a smile that wiped away every trace of fear from her face. "Well if it is a dream, I want to enjoy it." she said. Caspian grinned, and looked out onto the rolling waves.
As they watched the ocean, each became lost in their own thoughts. "Why... Is it right for me to feel like this?" wondered Caspian. He was lost. His heart beat faster every time he looked at her, every time she met his gaze he lost the words, and all he wanted was to be the one she looked at and wanted. "Damn, this is so wrong. I've only just met her." he thought angrily. "But I can't help it!" he realized he was clenching his fist. Tessa looked over at him, still thinking. "This. Is. Wrong." she thought. "All I want is him. I want to call him my own and hear him tell me 'I love you.' I want to be the one he wants.. But I've only met him, and I doubt he'd even choose me if we knew each other well." she thought sadly. Looking at him out of the corner of her eye, she met his and realized he was looking back at her. She dropped her gaze, embarrassed. He chuckled and tucked the curtain of hair that hid her face around her other shoulder. "Tessa.." he said softly, looking at her. She looked at the ground, afraid to meet his eyes. Putting a finger under her chin, he pulled her face up to look at him. She was almost his height, just 5 inches shorter. But she still refused to meet his gaze.
"Tessa, please look at me." he whispered, his face close to hers. Taking a deep breath, she looked up, meeting his eyes. "Caspian!" shouted someone. Tessa stepped back quickly. Edmund was running up the stairs and stopped at the top, looking between the two of them for a moment. Shrugging, he pulled Caspian away to spar for a while. After they had finished, Edmund and Lucy sat and talked for a while while Caspian went to deal with some business. "Edmund?" asked Lucy. "Hmm?" "Do you think if we keep sailing to the end of the world, will we just.. tip off the edge?" she asked curiously. Edmund laughed. "Don't worry. We're a long way from there, Lu." She smiled. "I see you two are still talking nonsense." said an annoying voice. Lucy looked down at her cousin who had emerged from below the deck. "Are you feeling better?" she asked sweetly. "Yes, no thanks to you." he snapped, walking over to stand by them. After all, who else did he know or could possibly even stand to be around on this blasted ship? "It's lucky I have an iron constitution." Reepicheep, who had appeared out of nowhere to stand beside Lucy while she sat on the railing, laughed. "As effervescent as ever, I see." he said, amused. "Find your sea legs?" "Never lost them." he retorted. "Mother says I have an acute disposition, due to my intelligence." Edmund choked on the water he was drinking, and Lucy suppressed a giggle as Reepicheep looked at her and said "I don't think he has a cute anything." Eustace looked angrily at the mouse. "I'll have you know, as soon as we reach civilization, I'm contacting British consul!" he shouted, storming away. "Have you all arrested for kidnapping!" as he was stomping off in a huff, he ran straight into Caspian. "Kidnapping, is it?" he asked, laughing. "That's funny. I thought we saved your life." "You held me against my will!" shouted Eustace. "Oh, did I?" asked Caspian, thoroughly amused. "Ha!" scoffed Reepicheep. "In case you don't remember, I offered to throw you back." he said. Eustace rolled his eyes and walked away. Everyone involved in the conversation burst out laughing.
After talking to Edmund and Lucy for a while, he excused himself and walked towards where he had talked to Tessa before. She was still there, leaning on the prow and watching the waves, seemingly deep in thought. "It seems your brother is having a hard time adjusting to Narnia." said Caspian with a laugh as he walked up beside her. She jumped. "Oh!" she said, jumping. When she realized who it was, she smiled and laughed, nodding. "Yeah, probably. He's a very practical person." she said, rolling her eyes. "Are you SURE you're related at all, much less that closely?" asked Caspian. She tossed her hair back and laughed. It was a high, tinkling laugh. "Believe me, I've asked myself the same question more times than I can count." They sat and talked, laughing and joking and telling each other secrets and things about their lives until Caspian had to go to talk to Drinian. "I'll find you tomorrow, Tessa." said Caspian as he left, bowing slightly. She smiled. "See you tomorrow." and he was gone.
As the sun set, Tessa went below deck to the room she shared with Lucy, listening to the sounds of Edmund and Caspian dueling above, the crew shouting and laughing as their swords clanged together. Laying on the hammock, she gazed at the ceiling, lost in thought until she dozed off into a fitful sleep, dreaming of Caspian and home, and Narnia, a world she had already fallen in love with.