Caspian was still sprawled out on his bed when he heard a knock at his door. He scrambled up off his bed, his back facing the door. "Come in."
"One week to go, Cas," a familiar voice said. Caspian turned to see his younger yet larger brother, Miraz, walk through the door. Miraz was an imposing figure – over six feet tall and hulking muscle. Caspian was as tall as his brother was, but thinly built. Miraz was certainly an intimidating figure, but Caspian knew that his brother had more might than mind.
"Yes, Miraz," Caspian replied flatly. He knew that, although his parents were worried that Caspian wouldn't marry, Miraz was near murderous. He was hostile towards Caspian all year until the past two months, when planning for the ball began. As his parents began to pressure Caspian about marriage, Miraz seemed to have let off. It was as if he thought their parents were giving Caspian enough pressure without him.
"Why so down? Everyone else is excited," Miraz lightly asked, examining the new doublet that hung in Caspian's wardrobe.
"Don't be Sally Sunshine with me, Miraz," Caspian warned, sitting on his window seat. "You know I loathe this ball more than anything in the world."
"Come on, Brother. It's not going to be a total drag. Besides, you did have an entire year to find a girl, and you didn't really try."
"You are right," Caspian begrudgingly agreed. He loathed the entire process, and therefore, gave it little effort.
"There are some nice ladies out there. Princess Clemency of Archenland is quite agreeable." Miraz stopped looking at the new clothes and began to examine himself in the mirror. His features where sharply defined, pointed, and jutting. Caspian had the same large forehead and high cheekbones, but his face was softer and less angular than Miraz's.
"If she's so nice, why didn't you marry her?" Caspian sarcastically asked.
"Because there's only one woman for me, and you know that," Miraz replied, fixing his bushy hair. "Lady Pruniprissmia Filgrae, the fairest of the fair Telmarine ladies."
"And owner of the oddest locks in Narnia," Caspian added. Pruniprissmia had red hair, unusual for a Telmarine.
Miraz shot him a cold look. Caspian felt a small shiver go down his spine. For all of Miraz's gloating and bluster, it was his looks that could send fear. Luckily, he rarely used his poisonous gazes on others. "I wouldn't talk ill of others betrothed, Caspian, when you have no prospects of your own."
"I'm not desperate enough to take the first woman to look at me," Caspian muttered under his breath, looking out the window. His nose was touching the window just by the tip. Within seconds, his entire body was mashed up against the pane, Miraz's full body weight pressed against Caspian.
"Did you say something, Brother?" Miraz questioned coolly in Caspian's ear.
Caspian, annoyed by his brother's behavior, threw his body back with all of his strength and managed to force Miraz off him. Miraz, slightly surprised by his brother's sudden burst of energy, lost balance and fell hind first to the floor.
"I will admit I was out of line, Miraz, but don't think that I'm not able to hold you off," Caspian scolded.
"I can see," Miraz replied, getting up from his compromising position. He dusted himself off and leaned up against the bedpost. "You know, you're being far too gloomy for someone who is about to be the center of attention at Narnia's biggest event of the year," he observed, quite truthfully.
"I am, but I can't seem to find anything good out of this, Miraz. I'll be bored stiff," Caspian complained.
"Caspian," Miraz said, giving him an earnest look, "you are being far too much of a downer. Only you can make this ball worthwhile. If you keep on saying it's going to be a bore, it will be a bore. But it's a huge party – I'd have as much fun as I can before I have to get married."
They looked at each other in stark silence. Caspian felt something inside of him release and leave at the same time. It made Caspian feel better and confused at once. All of what Miraz said made sense, and was good, caring, loving advice.
And that was what made Caspian confused. For years, Caspian and Miraz were at odds, loathing the other. Yet, the occasion when one would show love to the other was rare and odd for the two. It reminded them that they were brothers, not rivals
"You're right, Miraz," Caspian concurred, running a hand through his hair. It was like he could see clearly now. "I can't believe it, but you said something comforting and good to me."
"Well, I might not like you, but you are my brother, after all," Miraz explained. He got up and clapped Caspian on the back in a chummy sort of manner. "Best of luck, Brother."
"Thank you," Caspian smiled, weakly.
Miraz turned and left, leaving quieter than he entered.
"Miraz can be very surprising sometimes," Caspian whispered aloud, crossing over to his mirror.
Caspian stared at himself, his serious, dark brown eyes surveying him in the mirror. His face was not full of the painful resignation it once had, but with a slight, pale glimmer of hope. If he was going to have to pick a mate, he might as well have fun doing it.
He decided to take a ride around Narnia and went to his door, opening it to see Ornella there, once more. She had a massive pile of clothes in her arms and a fist raised, ready to knock.
"Oh, excuse me, Prince Caspian. I always seemed to be coming at the wrong time. You don't mind taking these, do you?" She handed over the clothes, smiling as she looked at him. Her dark eyes, however, looked a little sad. They were red and misty, almost as if she had been crying…those beautiful eyes….
"Are you all right, Ornella?" Caspian asked. She was always happy, at least, when she was around him.
"Oh, right as rain. Why?"
"No reason," he tossed off, pressing the clothes to his chest. His good mood made him bold, as an idea came to him. "Say, what are you doing during the ball?"
"Probably helping out the rest of the servants. Maybe I'll join their I Capture the Castle tournament. I'm not very good, but it's something," she shrugged.
"Why don't you come to the ball? I couldn't imagine having fun without you," Caspian proposed.
Ornella bit her upper lip, silent for a moment. "I don't think I can, Prince Caspian."
Caspian furrowed his eyebrows. "Why ever not?"
"I'm the hired help. I can't go to these sorts of galas – I'd risk losing my job." She rubbed her right arm up and down, looking down at the floor. "Trust me Prince Caspian, there's nothing more I would want to do in the world. But not everyone was invited to attend this ball," Ornella bluntly said, her voice soft with wistfulness. It was obvious that this pained her, but Caspian never seemed to think of Ornella as below him.
Caspian's face fell. He was just giving an offer. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just suggesting-"
"I understand, Prince Caspian," she replied. "You're just worried that you won't find someone. But you will. You're smart and handsome and bound to find the right woman," she smiled. Her eyes seemed to get blurrier, redder, clouded up with emotion. "Tell me all about it. I'll try to spy, but it's always different first-hand." She turned around and quietly walked away.
"Ornella!" Caspian called willfully. She cautiously turned around.
"Yes sir?" She looked at him with a tilt to her head, her back straight and her smile crooked. She was a figure of gentility and quiet understanding, something Caspian had yet to find. He felt his heart give a small throb, a pain he never felt before.
"I'll tell you all about it the second the ball is over," he said, smiling weakly.
She nodded and left, leaving a small pain in Caspian's heart.
