Drabble entry for #8: evil at susancaspian on LJ.
Disclaimer: All rights to CS Lewis and Walden Media.
--
.masked.
Caspian knew that he should be sleeping. There were no late mornings for a king of Narnia, especially in the middle of a series of negotiations with a neighboring kingdom. The newest king had already escaped the meeting rooms several times when the appointed midwife informed him that the queen might have gone into labor leaving Peter and Edmund to deal with the diplomats.
They were false alarms, of course. All twelve of them.
"Honestly, Su. Is it really necessary to call Caspian out of our meetings for every single one of your episodes?" asked Peter when the kings visited her chambers after dismissing the negotiations for the day.
"I'd like to see you try this. The back aches; the trips to the lavatory," Susan scowled and cringed, waving for Caspian to help her into another position, "And these bloody contractions, all of them. It's not like I ask for this, really."
"We're just fortunate that the ambassador from Ipsys is so understanding," Edmund said. "He says he looks forward to the celebration to welcome the new princess… or prince."
Caspian arched an eyebrow, "And?"
Edmund hesitated, but gave a wry smile. "And he's told me that he just had a son and hopes to have a match with a princess of Narnia."
"Always politics, the lot of you." Susan remarked.
"Well, I don't find it fair that that this new baby's already got suitors before me," said Lucy from her spot on the other side of Susan. "Oh, Su. Do get Peter to stop chasing them all away."
Caspian chuckled while Susan replied with a helpless look to her sister, "I'm afraid there'll be no sense in doing that. Even if Peter does decide to listen to me for once in a whole Golden Age, there'd still be Edmund and we all know he doesn't listen to anyone very well."
"With the sort of things the ambassador is offering, you'd be chasing away suitors, too," said Peter. "Besides, we don't want that nose in the family."
He watched the moonlight light up the curves of her features as she slept; each breath she took was accommodated with the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Caspian followed each beautiful strand of dark hair that billowed out against the white pillows. Her simple nightgown exposed her arms, a necessity for the warm summers. He trailed his finger lightly against her skin, careful not to wake her but still wanting to feel her presence; the softness Susan always had.
His finger came to a stop at her hand, which lay protectively on her swollen abdomen. It was the ninth month and the baby would arrive any day, but as his queen had irritatingly remarked, "It's not exactly sending a letter to inform me of its intended arrival!" Caspian extended his fingers and placed his palm against the underside of her belly, marveling at the tingle it sent through his fingertips.
But the Telmarine king frowned at the dread that pulled at his stomach whenever he thought of the baby. There was something deep in his mind that wouldn't reveal itself. It was always there, gnawing away at his subconscious. It was fear, he supposed, but it was an uncontrollable fear, one he knew he probably couldn't fight. Countless nights he spent lying awake, contemplating. Sometimes it wouldn't even be fear. It would be righteous anger and despair at the unfairness of it all.
"Caspian?" He looked up and saw his wife blinking up at him. "What are you doing?"
"Thinking." He gave a small smile, and scooted closer to her (for it was a bigger hassle if she tried to close the gap).
"You've been doing that a lot lately," Susan noted, wrapping her hand around his upon her stomach. "You never seem to sleep much anymore."
Caspian nodded, not quite meeting her eyes.
"Caspian? Why can't you talk to me?" She tried shifting herself to face him but he held her tightly, giving her a look to tell her not to move too much. "I can feel you withdrawing yourself from me. I mean, you're here-- but you're not quite here. What is it? I don't like to think that you feel you can't tell me."
She bit her lip, and Caspian saw the beginnings of tears. Almost nine months of what Edmund constantly referred to as hell fire helped Caspian get used to the idea of Susan changing moods at the drop of a pin. But he knew he couldn't stop the tears by getting her favorite foods or cracking a joke this time so he rolled onto his back.
"The politics," he said simply.
Susan blinked. "The… politics?"
"They'll always be there, Susan." Caspian said, "The easy ones, the harder ones. The lighter ones, but… the darker ones. They're always there."
By that time, Caspian knew Susan probably regretted asking him what was on his mind.
"When I was younger, I had a nurse." Caspian explained, "I don't remember much of her, but she was pretty. I remember that. One day, she was sent off. I wasn't ever supposed to see her again."
Susan nodded, still wondering what any of this had to do with any of the other stuff. "And… did you see her again?"
"No," Caspian shook his head, and closed his eyes. "For years I wondered why she had to leave, if maybe it was something I did or something I didn't do. I never really asked until Professor Cornelius started explaining the dangers of politics to me. It wasn't until I was twelve that he told me what really happened to my nurse."
She waited for him to continue with small suspicions as to what he was about to say. She had lived a Golden Age, but the politics were the same. She had had her fair share of them. When Susan saw that Caspian seemed to be in a reverie, she squeezed his hand both to draw him out and to reassure him.
"Cornelius said she overheard something one night in the council rooms. Miraz was meeting with a group of shady fellows. The professor couldn't say he knew who they were. She overheard it and it was only a few days later that she decided to discuss it with the professor. He advised her to keep face as Miraz was a tyrant and he would be quick to be rid of her if he felt he was being spied on." Caspian paused, pushing himself up further on the pillows. "She couldn't keep it to herself though, it seemed. Soon Miraz discovered her and she was gone."
Susan sucked in a breath, "… killed?"
Caspian merely shook his head, "I don't know. I didn't used to think so but now… All of these… Evil is being disguised as negotiations, diplomats, and ambassadors, even crowns. Evil presides in them. It could lash out at any time."
His wife somehow easily sat up and rested a chin on his shoulder. "And you're worried that you'll be like your uncle?"
He looked over to her, his dark eyes shining against the moonlight.
"No," he started slowly. "I was scared. Scared for you, and now I'm terrified for this one." He gestured to her abdomen. "There'll always be people that won't deal with the politics, they'll go straight to the evil and I'm afraid that something will happen. And I'll end up having two more missing nurses."
Susan brushed his hair back, her expression gentle. "You're right, Caspian. There will always be evil, but you can't let that scare you off from keeping it at bay. There's a difference between you and others. You're a king, Caspian, and you've the power to fight it away. Be a good king, leader, brother to all. Don't concern yourself with the evils of men, because there are much worse evils in the world." There was a crack in her voice, "Have faith in yourself and Aslan. We'll be fine."
Caspian brushed his hand against her cheek as he leaned in to give her a kiss. It was short and chaste but Susan accepted it as a sort of thanks.
"You'll be happy once the baby comes, right?" Susan asked, face contorting in a painful expression.
Caspian nodded, confused.
"Good, because I think it's on its way." His queen exclaimed, grasping her bulging stomach. Caspian jumped out from the covers.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
"… Really?"
"Caspian!"
"Sorry, it's just--twelve times, love. Twelve."
Susan cringed trying to keep from crying out. "If you want proof I don't think we'll be sleeping in wet sheets tonight."
Caspian rushed out to the halls and sent the guard to retrieve the midwife.
"Yes, it's really happening this time." Caspian answered when he saw the guard was going to inquire the same questions he did. "And wake the other kings and queen."
The king returned to Susan's side, hands twitching anxiously. He didn't know what to do. It was the happening for the thirteenth time and he didn't know what to bloody do. So he settled on just trying to calm her, and holding her hand (something he soon regretted and prayed the midwife was quick of foot). Sure enough, she arrived promptly with several other servants and Caspian was dismissed from the bedchambers.
Edmund arrived first to join Caspian in waiting in the sitting room. Lucy rolled sleepily in and Peter was last.
"Are you sure it's really time?" Peter asked dubiously upon arrival.
Caspian's answer was cut off by an ear-splitting scream from the bedroom.
"… Wow," was Peter's reply. Lucy patted the seat next to her on the sofa and Peter joined her.
Hours passed and the sun was soon peeking from behind the horizon. Caspian still paced back and forth and Edmund still tried to calm him out of pure concern for the rugs.
"They're fine rugs," Edmund mumbled. "It took an arm and leg for us to convince the Duke of Pilfrey that we only have one castle in Narnia that could need so many bloody rugs. I think that took up a good day of negotiations."
Servants would come bustling through, in and out of the bedchambers grabbing blankets and water, blankets and more water. Caspian would always have to fight the urge to barge in. Lucy had since fallen asleep against Peter on the sofa and the high king was barely keeping his lids from drooping himself.
Edmund sighed, "… I suppose we won't be up for meetings today."
By noon, Narnians, old and new, were huddling around the chamber doors discussing amongst themselves about the new arrival to the royal family. Lucy was still asleep and Edmund had woken Peter up to play six rounds of chess.
Caspian still paced.
"Checkmate," Edmund moved his knight.
Peter groaned. "Yes, because that's a huge surprise. Right now, I can barely see straight let alone outsmart you."
"As opposed to any other time?"
"Shove it, Ed."
Edmund smirked and opened his mouth to say something but a scream sounded through the room. The kings looked at each other and then to the door barring them from the excitement inside.
"That's not Su anymore." Peter said and walked over to the slumbering Lucy to wake her up.
"No," Edmund replied numbly. "No, it isn't."
The door opened, and the midwife peeked her head out from behind. "Your Majesty, you may come in now."
Caspian swallowed the lump in his throat and glanced at the Pevensies. Edmund nodded his head towards the door, urging him to go ahead. Caspian wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and moved forward through the door. The midwife nodded to the kings and queens and shut the door soundly again.
Caspian watched as the servants hurried about the room, gathering all the blankets and buckets. He saw that the sheets were changed on the bed and he reveled in the sight of his Gentle Susan propped up against the pillows with a bundle in her arms. Susan looked up and caught his eye. She smiled brightly, nothing indicative of the experience being at all tiresome besides the damp strands of hair that clung to the sides of her face. Caspian came to her side and situated himself next to her, looking down at the small, wrapped baby.
The pink face stuck out from the opening in the blanket and blue eyes peeked around the room. Tiny fists unconsciously waved back and forth and Susan kept brushing the small strands of hair flat.
"It's a boy," Susan said, offering the bundle out to him. Caspian took it obligingly, and smiled down at the young prince. "He's beautiful."
"He has to be with you as his mother," Caspian said as he slid down against the pillows and kept the baby open for Susan. He couldn't believe it. He was closer than he'd ever been in the past nine months and he didn't feel the dread like he thought he would. It was gone, replaced with pure joy and contentment.
Susan placed a hand on his arm. "See? He's fine. I'm fine. You've nothing to worry about."
Caspian started rocking him, "There's still a bit to worry about." He glanced at Susan. "Someone has to tell the ambassador of Ipsys that he might have to look for another princess."
The bundle gurgled causing a bit of drool and both king and queen laughed merrily.