Previously

As Brielle started eating her toast she couldn't help but wonder at Ironhoof's strange expression when she had said her last name.

Did it really mean something?

Did my mother…did she mean something to people here?

Chapter Two. Caspian and Lili

While Brielle was pondering on the strange comings in the royal kitchen, way up in the royal bedchamber King Caspian X was pondering questions of his own.

Just out of a meeting with the royal court of Narnia, the young king was more troubled now than he had been in years.

The meeting needless to say did not go well.

7:15 A.M. – Royal Court of Narnia

"It has been almost ten years and still Queen Liliandil has failed to produce an heir!" said Lord Drien.

"This may come as a shock to you," Caspian replied angrily, "but I married the queen because I loved her not because I wanted her to be a simple tool for the line of succession!"

"Well, you see where love has gotten you," Driel said calmly.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Caspian fairly shouted, leaping up from his throne and almost attacking the arrogant lord.

He would have succeeded had not Lord Drinian ran up behind him and grabbed him.

The room was filled with angry shouts and murmurs. Everyone had their attention on the young angry king and the smug lord who had just insulted him.

"QUIET!" shouted Trumpkin the Dwarf who was Lord Regent.

The room went into immediate silence.

"That is enough!" he went on, "Lord Driel you are out of line! Now sit down or I'll have you thrown out!"

Driel sat down without a word, but his face held contempt for being put down publicly by a dwarf.

"You need to calm down," Drinian whispered to Caspian.

He had stopped his struggling, but was still breathing heavily. He eyes glared menacingly at Driel.

"He's trying to provoke you. Don't let him," said Drinian calmly.

He let him go and Caspian walk back to his throne. He put his head back against the chair and tried to relax.

He glanced over at his Lord Regent for only a second.

"This meeting is over," said Trumpkin getting the message quickly, "Get to your work, now."

The room filed out quickly. Only three people remained afterwards.

"I don't know why that fool is still in the council of lords," said Trumpkin.

"Because we need him," said Caspian looking up.

"We may not necessarily like him, but he has been a great asset for this country's defense," added Drinian.

"Well, asset or not," said Trumpkin, he got lucky this time. Next time though…"

The two other men couldn't help but smile.

8:35 – The royal bedchamber

As Caspian went over the morning drama, a small white hand reached out and stroked his cheek. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. Finally, peace and comfort.

"What's wrong? Why are you distressed?" said Liliandil so softly it was almost a whisper.

She sat down next to him and began to stroke his thick dark hair.

"You don't know what went on in court?" he asked.

"Oh, I know," she said. "It's not court I'm worried about. It's you. You didn't need to get angry like that."

"Yes, I did," Caspian said. "He insulted you and me. He was out of line."

"What he said about me…not being able to produce an heir…was true," Liliandil said softly. Her voice sounded like she was trying to hold back tears.

Caspian looked up at her. His deep brown eyes staring into her startling blue ones. He reached over and took her hand and kissed it.

"Lili," he said, "What I said in there was true too."

As hard as she tried, Liliandil couldn't stop the couple of tears that fell from her eyes.

She wiped them away and then leaned in and kissed her darling husband. He accepted the kiss without argument.

When Lili placed her hand on his left arm, Caspian broke the kiss and winced in pain.

Grabbing his arm with his right hand, he tried to ease the pain that seared through his entire left side.

"It's still in pain?" Lilindal said getting up off the couch and running to the medicine cabinet.

"Yes, and worse than ever," said Caspian.

The pain came from an arrow wound that Caspian had received from his aunt eleven years ago when he almost killed his Uncle Miraz.

The wound healed up quickly only leaving a small scar and there was no pain after that for years.

Several months ago Caspian had been in a riding accident where he had fallen off his horse and scraped his scarred upper arm on a jagged tree branch.

After that, his left arm was almost in constant pain.

Liliandil came back holding Queen Lucy's magic cordial in one hand and a bottle of white lotion in the other.

"Take off your shirt and I'll put this on," she told her husband as she poured a drop of the cordial into the cream and then began to mix it.

Caspian unbuttoned his shirt and carefully pulled it off his shoulders trying to avoid rubbing the fabric against the pained area.

"Here let me help," said Lili as she set the cordial down and helped him pull it off the rest of the way.

"Thank you," he said.

"I would just like to know it there's something better we can do with it," said Lili as she rubbed the cream onto his arm.

"I know," said Caspian, "Not even Lucy's cordial is helping. And if that's not helping, that what will?"

"All you can do is just wait out the pain," she said.

After Lili finished putting the cream on, there was an immense relief in Caspian's arm.

"I wish it would stay like that," he though as he pulled his shirt back on.

"Did you here about the little thief we caught last night in the kitchen?" asked Caspian.

"Yes, I did," said Liliandil, "And I can't believe you threw that little girl in prison."

"I can't believe she got pass the guards!" And it's not exactly a prison…it's the ground floor of the castle that just so happens to have a couple of jail cells in it."

"Caspian," said his wife looking him straight in the eye, "It is a prison."

"Ok, you're right. You have to be careful though. Keeping them a night in prison is better than just letting them go and steal from somebody else."

"Somebody who may not be as kind…or as handsome as you," said Lili wrapping her arms around her husband's waist.

"Exactly," Caspian said bending down to kiss her.

They kissed for a few more seconds.

Warm, sweet, romantic. All problems seemed so far away. All that was there was them.

"Lili," said Caspian breaking the kiss.

"Hmmm."

"I just got done buttoning up my shirt."

"Oh fine, if you're going to be like that," she teased as she buttoned his shirt back up.

"Putting duty before love, like always."

"Oh please," said Caspian, "I ended up sleeping in an hour late because I put love before duty last night."

Lili giggled as she finished with his shirt.

She then reached up and stroked his dark hair.

"I hope you're feeling better," she said.

"Always, after I've been with you," Caspian said as he stroked her face.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," said Caspian.

Ironhoof came in, bowed and then walked toward him.

"Your Majesty, that thief we caught last night. I've been talking to her and I may have found out something very valuable.