Chapter Two
"You are a Daughter of Eve, and Aslan loves you; as he loves all his sons and daughters. He will always be there when you need him. He will never forsake you. But he will never be a tame lion."
The night sky was full of stars, and a silent wind blew all around the young man who walked the length of the beach. His companions had long since retired, but Caspian's mind was racing. He had just been visited by the Great Lion Aslan. But the news he had brought was strange indeed. The young King replayed the scene over and over again in his mind, trying to figure out what Aslan had truly meant by it.
"Are you sure you won't eat with us sire?" Drinian asked, as he sat down at Aslan's table, with the rest of the Dawn Treaders crew.
"No, I'm not really hungry Drinian. I'll see you later." Drinian shook his head, but made no protest as Caspian walked away.
Since they had returned to Ramandu's island, his master had still not been himself. But Drinian was a patient man, and he would wait whatever amount of time it took for his friend to heal. So he would leave the youth to his own devices, and hopefully he would find other distractions aside from his sorrow. Namely the fair lady star; Ramandu's daughter.
Once Caspian was out of sight, he ran towards the shore. He had been trying to escape the loneliness that haunted him, but it was no use. He would never be able to fill the gap that the Pevensie children held in his heart. He was a man with a hole in his chest. Without a family what was he?
Caspian sat next to a large tree, and laid his back against it. He had long since shed all of his tears, but the feeling that he needed to mourn had never left. He closed his eyes, and pictured them in his head. The High King Peter, in all his glory, fighting in battle. The beautiful Queen Susan, with her bow in hand pulling back her string and letting the arrow fly. King Edmund always trying to figure out problems and how to fix them. And dear Queen Lucy, with her cordial in hand healing the sick.
Just thinking of them made Caspian smile. They were his family.
"Yes my son they are your family. But you mustn't dwell on the past."
Caspian's eyes shot open to see two golden eyes looking right back.
"Aslan," Caspian bowed his head. Though the Lion had deemed him worthy as the King of Narnia, he still didn't feel worthy to look at him.
"Rise Caspian, you need not fear me." The Lion growled gently.
Caspian lifted his eyes, and met with the Lions again. For a few minutes they stared at each other, and Caspian knew that the Lion was looking into his soul. It wasn't a horrible feeling, but it wasn't pleasant either.
"You are over powered by your grief, from what you have lost." Aslan said calmly.
Caspian nodded. He couldn't talk right now. He knew he didn't need to.
Aslan came closer, "Let me take away the sorrow Son of Adam."
A few stray tears ran down Caspian's cheeks, "Please," he begged.
Aslan came forward, and began grooming the young King. His tongue was might have been rough, but to Caspian it was like a silken cloth. With every lick, he felt lighter, as if everything bad that had happened to him was being taken away.
When the Lion finished, Caspian didn't feel lonely or heartbroken anymore. Though he still missed the Kings and Queens of old, he was able to cope with it now, and see the bright side.
"Thank you Aslan."
"You are welcome my son. Are you feeling better now?"
"Yes," Caspian smiled.
"Good," Aslan said turning away from him. "Walk with me, Caspian."
Caspian followed him, quietly, walking beside the Lion that was much bigger than he himself was. He felt at peace as they walked the length of the shoreline, and watched the midnight waves crashed against the soft white sand. It was a beautiful night to be sure.
Finally Aslan spoke, "There is a great threat against Narnia, my son."
Caspian's heart pounded hard against his ribs. What was this threat? Who was responsible? And furthermore, how could he correct the error that had or would be done?
"What must I do?" He asked solemnly, brushing his long dark hair out of his eyes.
"You must help a Daughter of Eve find her way, for she holds the key to Narnia's survival."
Caspian wondered what he would have to do to help this girl. So he asked, "What am I to do to help her?"
"You are to help her find me, and bring back the hope she once had." Aslan purred.
"Is she from the same world that Lucy and Edmund come from?" Caspian asked curiously.
"Yes, she is from their world. But she is not as fortunate, as they are."
Caspian silently thought about what he had been told. It was very strange, but he would do the Great Lions bidding.
"Will you help her, my son," he asked in a low growl.
"I will," Caspian promised.
Aslan began to walk away, though his large paws made no tracks or indents on the fine sand. It was as if he wasn't walking at all; merely floating.
"But Aslan, who is she?" Caspian called after the Lion.
The voice that answered was not out loud, but in the Kings' mind.
"She is your future wife."
Adele Wilkins walked back home from the store, her arms filled with bags. Her walk home was a long one, but she didn't mind. It would give her more time to think.
She wore a simple dress under her father's coat, along with his old cracked shoes. Her shoes had long since grown too small for her feet, so she stole her father's old pair, whenever she could.
As Adele neared her home, she walked faster. This part of London wasn't the safest, specifically at dusk. She bolted for her door, and rushed to open it, though it was difficult with all the groceries. Within a moment she had managed, and was in the hallway.
"Adly, get in here!"
Adele closed her eyes. Her father had gotten back from the pub before she had. Now she was in for it.
She quickly put his extra coat on the coat stand, and slipped the shoes off, hoping he wouldn't realize they hadn't been there before. Please don't notice. Please don't notice. She pleaded.
Her father stumbled in, a bottle of gin in his hand. He was a short man, with a beer-belly and shrunken in eyes that never seemed to blink. In years past, he had scared Adele, but now, she just accepted his behavior as a way of life.
"Adly, where did you go girl," he asked eyeing her as he took another swig from his bottle.
"We didn't have any food left besides the bread, so I went shopping." She answered evenly.
His face went red, "You did what?" He bellowed.
Adele didn't flinch, she had expected this. "Don't worry I took it out of my pay roll."
At this the drunk relaxed. As long as she paid for the food with her own money he was fine. But if she had so much as borrowed a penny from his stores, it would have been a right good lashing from his belt.
"That's good," he muttered walking back into the kitchen.
Adele let her mask fall, and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He hadn't noticed the shoes, or coat. She was safe; for now. He would surely find something to yell about before the night was over. He always did.
As Adele walked into the kitchen her stomach fluttered uncontrollably; enough to make her lean against the doorframe for a moment.
She had grabbed some herbs from the store that she needed to take for this. She hurried and began to put the food away, before the pain hit her again.
"Drink the ale, and let it rise. Pour a stout one, for me lad!" Her father sang off tune, as she finished.
He turned to her offended. "Why aren't you singing Adly? You must sing girl or its bad luck for me."
I wish that were true, Adele thought. But she knew if she didn't sing, she would regret it later, so she began singing with him, as she fixed her herb remedy.
"Drink and Drink and Drink some more. Wonder what life has in store." They sang together.
Adele hated the drinking songs. All of them had stupid lyrics and random tunes. She hadn't heard much music in her life, but she knew that these songs her father had taught her were a disgrace. And she wished she could erase them from her mind.
She finished mixing the herbs together, and began eating the nasty tasting paste. It tasted like soot, and garlic.
"Hey," her old man said trying to focus on her. "What's that you're eatin' eh?"
"Just an herbal paste," she answered truthfully.
"Well I don't want any!" Her father yelled dramatically, scrunching up his face.
Adele didn't answer as she finished the dose she had made. She knew he was drunk, and his comprehension was at its worst.
Her father continued to sing for a while, before he passed out head first on the table top.
The young girl, left him like that, and went to lie down on her own cot. She looked out at the starlit sky and made a silent prayer on the wind. "Please help me." Then she cried herself to sleep, like she had done every other night for years.
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