Chapter 2

"I knew there was some in here last night," Caspian exclaimed. "Who are you?"

"I'm...I'm nobody," she choked out.

"What are you doing in my room?"

"Hiding," Rhian answered, honestly.

The knife was digging into her throat. A thin line of blood snaked out from underneath the blade and down her neck. He hadn't intended to press that hard.

He withdrew the knife and with his free hand passed her a napkin from the dinner table. Rhian pressed it to her wound, feeling the blood pump underneath her fingers.

Now he saw the intruder was a young girl, probably even younger than him, Caspian relaxed a little, but still kept the knife pointed towards her.

The girl eyed the knife warily.

"You know, if I wanted to harm you, I would have done so last night."

Caspian lowered his blade. "I suppose you're right. Who are you hiding from?"

"The guards, who do you think?"

"Why?"

"I don't know. They just started chasing me and I thought it best to hide."

Rhian gingerly pulled the napkin away from her neck. The blood had stopped flowing. She stepped away from him, towards the door.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'll be leaving."

Before she could reach the handle, there came a gentle knocking at the door. The girls' eyes met him, alarm flashing across her flash.

"A servant, for the dishes."

Caspian had made up his mind to her help. She was young and looked so defenceless. And he knew how brutal the guards could be.

"Here, into the wardrobe."

Rhian disappeared inside the dark interior just as the chamber door swung open. The maid hurried to remove the breakfast dishes and left the room again.

"Come on. Put this on."

Caspian open the door and handed Rhian a long robe that would cover her non-Telmarine clothing.

"I can get you to the courtyard. There's a market on today, you should be able to slip out unnoticed."

They made their way through the many winding corridors and staircases of the palace. Caspian deliberately took her through the quietest passages so they wouldn't run into anyone else.

Finally they reached a wooden door. "On the other side is the courtyard. Follow the crowds and you will find your way out."

"Thank you," the girl replied, slipping through the door. She didn't dare hesitate for a moment to ask why he was helping her, in case he changed his mind.

The sun was bright on her face, after the shadowy corridors. She pulled the hood of the robe over her face and joined the throng of people massing through the courtyard.

Caspian paused at a window, looking out over the crowds. He thought he saw the girl look back at him before she disappeared among the stalls.

Slowly he returned to his empty room. He looked under the bed, behind the furniture, in all the nooks and crannies where someone might hide. He didn't know if he really expected to find anyone.

Something shiny caught his eye, on the floor beside the door. He bent down and picked it up. A metal belt buckle, engraved with a lion's head. He'd never seen anything like it. It must have fallen from the girl's clothing.

He was still holding it when Professor Cornelius knocked lightly and then entered. Caspian handed the coin to his tutor.

The professor took it over to the window, to see better in the light.

"By the..." he muttered, rolling the small object between his fingers. "Where did you get this?"

Caspian trusted his tutor absolutely, but he still hesitated before telling him about the girl he'd found in his room. He judged that she would be far enough away by now to be out of harms reach.

"This is the symbol of Aslan himself. That girl, was a Narnian."