The Silent One
Arabella
I'm alone in this darkness. I'm locked away where no one will ever find me. I haven't talked in years. I haven't seen anyone in years. The cold seeps into my bones. My lips have trouble forming words. What's the use if I will die here anyway, I think. I try to picture the sun, bright and shining. But, even that fades from my memories until I'm left with a complete emptiness inside of me.
My hair is a tangled mass upon my head, and I am covered in filth. My dress has turned into rags, faded into a dull shade of brown. I have long limbs now. Hunger gnaws at my belly, a monster constantly wanting to feast, but I only have one meal a day. A sack will appear magically in the far corner of the room, full of a small loaf of bread, an apple, and a container of water. That is all. I have to ration it to make it last the entire day.
"You are going to die here," I say to the stone room, but of course, it does not reply.
It feels strange hearing my voice. It is soft, and unusual to my ears. I sit like I always do, quiet and calm. Silence expands in the room until it presses me into the farthest corner making me afraid of my own voice. Abruptly, there is a noise. My ears hear this excitedly. Hope springs in my chest, and then it collapses. No one will discover me...
BANG!
There's a loud thumping sound coming from outside of my hidden room. Suddenly, there's a crack that has never been on the wall before, a shaft of light pours through the crack, and dust spirals in the air. The slit in the wall widens as part of the wall is forced forward and plunges to the floor swirling up more dust and dirt. I sit frozen unsure of what to do. Bright light floods the doorway, and there is a dark silhouette standing there. I press my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs.
"You busted down the wall," I say quietly.
The figure startles and advances into the room towards me. "Who's there," says a deep voice.
He can't see me; darkness still hides me in the corner. He steps calmly around in the darkness. "Watch where you step," I tell him.
He almost steps on my toes, but he stops when he hears my voice. "Where are you," he asks.
I reach a hand out to gingerly touch his trousers. He looks down at me then. "Who are you?"
I don't speak until he asks again, rather harshly, "Who are you?"
"Someone," I reply.
I watch him lean down to me grasping my wrists in his rough hands, and he pulls me to my feet.
"How long have you been here," he asks.
I don't know, I think, but I don't say it. "Forever," I reply. "Ever since I can remember, I have only known this cold, dark room."
He pulls me along with him out of my prison and into the lighted hallway. I notice that there is a small window that lets light into the hallway. The light burns my eyes causing tears to surface, and stream down my face. He lets go of my hand and turns around to face me. "What's your name," he asks me to view me for the first time.
I can only imagine what I must look like, a grimy, gaunt girl in a dress ripped to shreds with wild, messy hair. He stares a moment longer, his dark blue eyes glimpse my face, and I drop my gaze to my feet, embarrassed. "My name is Arabella," I whisper.
I look up at him to see his reaction, but his face is a mask and reveals no emotion. "I didn't plan to come upon a hidden room with someone inside," he jokes.
A small smile emerges from my lips but dies too quickly. "My name is Caspian."
He retracts backward a few steps and twists around to where his back is facing me. "The sun will be setting soon. I have already been gone long enough. We must hurry back to the castle, or we will be locked out for the night," he explains to me.
"I'm going with you to a castle? We've only just met, and you're allowing a complete stranger into your home?"
I run to catch up with his huge strides. Why would he welcome me into his home? I ask myself. I could be dangerous! "Wait, Caspian!"
I grab his arm to stop him until I can see his face. "What? Would you like me to leave you here, and let you starve to death for the rest of your life? You can go back into that dark hell, and wither away into bones if you want, but if you think I would let you suffer-no matter if I barely know you-then you must be mistaken! That is not something I was taught in my youth- you help anyone and everyone no matter if you've known me your entire life or just a few seconds," Caspian replies intensely.
I didn't know how to respond to his passionate speech, so I let him lead me down the cold stone hall and down a stairwell out into the night. The feeling of free air around me halts me in my tracks. I taste the sweetness on my lips and on my tongue, swallowing the aroma, not drinking it in fast enough.
I feel Caspian's eyes on me, and I feel self-conscious. What did I do wrong?
He nods his head as if in approval and saunters over to a horse. "Come on now, we had better not waste time, "he says giving me a smile.
I walk over to the beast, and he helps me up onto a saddle. He climbs up after me and instructs me to wrap my arms around his middle. "Hold on tight."
...
I am late, is the first thought that pops into Prince Caspian's head. Already, he can see the sun setting. The girl, Arabella, has her arms wrapped around his waist in sheer terror. This must be her first time on a horse, Caspian thinks. He allows Excalibur to run full speed to the castle not even stopping to dismount inside the gate. Dust kicks up in a long trail behind them. Guards jump out of the way as Excalibur rears up on his hind legs, whines, and snorts and stamps his feet on the ground. "Easy boy, it's alright!"
Caspian speaks softly into his horse's ear as he gently pats Excalibur's neck to calm him down. "Hello, Prince Caspian. Did you enjoy your ride?'
Cousin Lamorak greets him heartily as he makes his way towards him. "Did you find anything of value, out on your trip?"
His cousin eyes the strange newcomer curiously. "I see you did bring back a treasure! Where did you find her?"
Caspian can hear the disdain dripping from Lamorak's tongue. No doubt that Arabella can hear it too. "Lamorak, please, control yourself," Caspian told his cousin as he dismounted helping Arabella down as well.
"I'm sorry, my prince, I did not wish to offend your honored guest."
Caspian turned to study Arabella out of the corner of his eye to see her reaction, but she stared down at her dirty feet. "It's alright," he tells her placing a hand on her shoulder startling her.
She jumps and shrugs off his hand. "I don't think I should be here," she says softly.
Arabella looks back at the entrance, casting her eyes toward the closed gate toward the land beyond. "I don't think I am welcomed here," she says with a small smile.
"I'm not going to take you back!"
"I don't think I should have come," she says staring out once again at the land.
A group of servants approaches them. "We have orders to take the girl with us, sir."
A young girl emerges forward to stand in front of the crowd. "Please, come with us, I promise you we won't bite," says the gentle servant dressed in a simple dark blue garb depicting herself as the lowest member of the castle hands.
"Arabella, please go with them, I leave you in good hands," Caspian orders her.
"I don't think I should have come. I think I am too dangerous out here in the open."
Caspian doesn't understand her words. Is she truly insane? How did she end up there in that secret room? How could she be dangerous? She barely looks like she has eaten any food for months...
Caspian finally puts in a voice to his on growing thoughts, "How could you be dangerous?"
He knows that everyone in the courtyard is listening to the conversation. Curious ears will have curious thoughts, he thinks. Their eyes are on him, always watching and waiting to see his next move. "Arabella, what are you babbling on about?"
Arabella drags her gaze away from the gate to meet Caspian's eyes. 'Don't you see the change in the weather," she asked him.
He looked up to inspect the sky and saw grey clouds cast out the sun. It began to darken, and thunder boomed. The wind stirred up sharply. "I think we should find our way indoors, there could be a summer storm approaching."
Everybody advances forward suddenly; someone leads Caspian and Arabella, along with Lamorak inside. Another servant captures Excalibur and takes him to the palace stables. "We will take you to the guest floor of the palace, Arabella."
She locks eyes with Caspian before she is lead away.