Excerpt from the Diary of Daniel Pevensie

Nov 2, 1944

Caspian remained unconscious almost all of yesterday and we began to fear that there might be some greater injury that we had over looked. Our physician examined him again but found nothing. He concluded that either being abducted from his own world placed undue stress on the boy's body from which he could not quickly recover, or he has never been treated with modern medicines before, thus has much stronger reactions to them anticipated. Our commander then ordered the doctor not to treat the boy with medicines again unless his situation grew life threatening. Thankfully it didn't come to that. Caspian awoke in the evening, still confused and scared, but calmed down quite quickly.

Heseems wise beyond his years, and though it seems almost preposterous, I don't doubt that he was a king. His manners are unimpeachable and there is something very regal in his bearing. There is some confusion as to his age. He believes himself to be 66, though I'd swear he's not a day over eighteen and that's pushing it. Perhaps in his world years are measured differently than in ours, though I can't help but remember in the bible how long lived men could be. Maybe he is 66. It's a strange thought though. He looks about the same age as my eldest.

He wants to leave our world and I cannot blame him. From what I gather his world is similar to how ours was in the Dark Ages, or the Renaissance at best. He doesn't understand guns or aeroplanes or tin cans. It's a wonder at all that we speak the same language though he does have an accent which sounds almost Spanish.

I talked with Caspian quite a bit last night and more today. That seems about all that I can do to help him. I don't know if it's within our power to send him home.

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Chapter Two

Peter didn't know why they were taking the news of Caspian's death as hard as they were. When they'd first returned to their world after putting their friend on the throne, Peter had done some math on the train taking them to school. The figures he came up with were depressing, so much so that he'd never shared them with his siblings, but to him they had made things so much more final, because by his calculations, if time had continued to move at its prior rate in Narnia, Caspian would have been dead of old age before three weeks were up.

He'd accepted that, though he hadn't liked it at all. Yes, he and Caspian had their differences but Caspian was a good man. Had Aslan allowed them to stay Peter was certain that the two of them would have become great friends.

So when Lucy and Edmund had reported that Caspian was alive and well and only three years older than when they'd last seen him, Peter's math had been thrown for a curve ball. It had been easier to make a clean break when he'd thought the other king gone for good.

Now though, only half a year after Lucy and Edmund had reported that their friend was still young and in excellent health, they found that Caspian had died of old age.

"It's not fair," Lucy whimpered, trembling.

That summed it up about perfectly.

"He lived a good life," Eustace said. "I mean, he died because he got too old and his heart gave out or some such. It wasn't like he cried himself to death after his wife was murdered and his son was kidnapped and . . . well he went peacefully is the point."

Peter wondered whether Eustace was trying to be helpful or reverting back to his old prat-like self. "Shut up, Eustace," he snapped. He hadn't missed how Susan's head snapped up at the mention of Caspian having a wife and a son.

"What?" Susan whispered.

"Er – sorry. Right." Eustace scratched the back of his head.

"What did you say?" Susan repeated.

"Susan," Peter said, trying to catch Edmund's eye and give him a warning look. "You don't have to –"

"I want to know what he said!" Susan all but shrieked.

"What did I say?" Eustace asked, looking panic stricken.

"Caspian's wife," Susan reminded him. "And son. Tell me about them."

"Right. Ah . . . You remember that star we met on that island?" Eustace asked Lucy and Edmund. "Well remember his daughter? Ah, apparently, I've been told, or at least it's reported that Caspian married her and ah, well they had a son."

"Did he love her?" Susan asked.

"Er – I don't know. I suppose . . . He married her, didn't he?"

"Was he happy with her?" Susan said very softly.

"I don't think so. I mean, she was killed years ago in Narnia time by a horrid witch who could turn into a snake, and the witch kidnapped his son," Eustace tried to explain. "But my friend Pole and I found him and brought him back so Caspian could see his son right before he kicked it and –"

Susan's wail cut Eustace off. Edmund hugged her again and patted her on the back.

"It's not so bad as it sounds," Eustace said quickly. "I mean, it's true he was old and grey and decrepit and couldn't even stand on his own, but –"

"Shut up!" Edmund and Peter shouted together.

Eustace shut up.

Peter walked closer to Lucy who sat on her chair again, crying softly. He took her in his arms as he had when she was much younger then carefully stepped closer to where Edmund held Susan. "Susan?" he asked, putting one hand on her shoulder while carefully holding his youngest sister with the other.

Susan looked up through wet crystal blue eyes.

"He wouldn't want you to grieve for him like this."

"I know," Susan choked. "But it's not exactly a choice one can make, is it? I feel like my heart is shattering into a thousand pieces." She turned her face away. "I could have loved him," she whispered. "And now, until I die, I'll be haunted by what if."

Peter didn't know what to say to that. Thankfully Edmund did.

"There's no 'could have' about it, Su. You did love him," he said softly. "We all did. Do you think we could have left Narnia to him if we didn't?"

Susan shook her head and Edmund disentangled himself from her and stepped to the cabinet. He returned to the table with a bottle of wine and five cups and began pouring.

"We left him a daunting task, but he was more than a match for it. He lived. He loved," Edmund met Susan's gaze evenly as he said this, "He lost, and he suffered but he did all that we expected of him and more though it caused him greater pain than we could have ever anticipated. The only thing we can do for him now is honor his memory. Would you deny him that?"

For a long moment Susan said nothing. Utter silence reigned in the kitchen. Even Lucy had stopped sniveling. Then, at long last, Susan shook her head. Peter let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding as his sister reached for one of the cups of wine. Edmund and Eustace quickly handed out the others.

"We'll send him off in Narnian fashion," Edmund said and raised his cup.

"To Caspian," Susan said before Edmund could speak again. Her voice was thick with tears. "Tenth of that name, King of Narnia" she raised her own cup and all the others did the same.

"Once a king of Narnia," Peter said, unashamed of the tears that glistened on his cheeks.

"Always a king of Narnia," they all said together, and drank to their dear friend's memory.

End of Chapter Two

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Thank you everyone who's read this far. Double thanks to Fegli, narniafanfics, DracoLover3, flyingxdragonx123, and RleFay for your encouragement. The next chapter will focus on Caspian and how he's coping. I hope you've enjoyed what you've read so far enough to keep an eye out for updates.