Chapter III
When Elise exited the foyer, she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. Caspian had said that he would help her tomorrow, which left her with hours to kill in the meantime.
"Miss," a young, uniformed woman said to her, "Miss, pardon me, but are you Elise d'Orsay?"
"Yes, can I help you?"
"King Caspian's orders are for me to show you to your chambers. Follow me, please."
She led Elise up two flights of stairs, to a long hallway with beautiful redwood flooring. Towards the end of the corridor, she stopped in front of a pair of French doors with brass handles. She expertly pushed them open and stepped inside, revealing an enormous bedroom with a high ceilings and a window that took up almost a third of the outer wall. The bed was a gorgeous antique canopy piece, and the other articles of furniture in the room included an armoire, a writing desk, and a vanity, all made of the same rich mahogany.
"You'll find that there are toiletries in the adjacent washroom and dresses in the wardrobe," she said, eyeing Elise's outfit disparagingly. "My name is Ophelia, if you need any other help. Oh yes, I almost forgot – I've been informed that King Caspian has given you permission to roam the grounds, if you wish."
"Thank you," she said sweetly. "Is there a library in the palace?"
Ophelia gave her a look that said, "Of course there is, you twit," but instead replied, "Yes, just downstairs to the right. I hope you'll find our collection adequate." She stared at her for a moment longer, before suggesting, "Would you like me to draw you a bath?"
"Oh yes, that would be wonderful!" Elise had completely forgotten to consider the fact that they might not have running water. Which meant, most likely, that they didn't have electricity, either. That was a bit of an inconvenience…
When Ophelia was finished filling the tub, Elise thanked her and happily peeled off her soiled dress and stockings. After a long and well-deserved bath, she emerged feeling completely rejuvenated. She walked into her bedroom and opened the doors of the armoire; inside, were dresses of myriad colors and styles. For what seemed like the millionth time of the day, she was filled with questions: where did they come from? Were they simply spares? Would they fit her?
There were undergarments in the wardrobe as well, but she didn't know quite how to work a corset. However, she supposed couldn't very well go without one, so she tried her best to lace it up properly. The result was deplorable, but luckily it would be hidden beneath whatever gown she chose to wear. She tried on a blue velvet dress first. It fit well enough, but the hem was a bit long and the bust was a bit loose. But, it would do.
Next, she went over to the vanity and tried out the various perfumes and oils. One smelled particularly good, like rosewater, and she put a dab of the liquid on her neck and wrists. She applied a facial powder as well (which only served to accentuate her pale skin) and a bit of eyeliner. She discovered a rouge-like substance, but was unsure of whether it was for her lips or cheeks. So, she dabbed it on both. She was aware – if she were to take this world at face value and compare it to what she knew of Earth's history – that wearing makeup was considered… coarse. But she was a modern woman, and she could do as she pleased. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she put on a pair of slippers and quietly padded out the door.
The library was quite easy to find; it was an enormous room, filled with many large desks, lamps, and comfortable-looking armchairs. There were several other people in the room, but they all looked as if they were content to mind their own business.
She was looking for two specific types of books: a book about the relationship between her world and Narnia and a book about Telmarine history. As she might have anticipated, there were many books regarding Telmarine history; she found one almost immediately. The second book, however, proved to be much more elusive. After digging through copious stacks of ancient scriptures and manuscripts, she finally found what she was looking for. It was not bound, making it more of a stack of yellowed parchment than anything else, and had to be at least four hundred years old (by Earth standards, at least – she had no conception of how time worked in Narnia). It only took her about an hour to read, and would have taken even less time if she hadn't had to sift through all the archaic jargon. In summary, it said this: the only known visitors from the "Land of Royals" were the Kings and Queens of Old, or, as she had come to learn, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie, and the Telmarines.
This bit of information was quite useful – according to the book on Telmarine history, the Telmarines were descendants of pirates who accidentally found a way between worlds withoutthe help of Alsan. She took this to mean that it was possible for her to get home independently, which was a step in the right direction. It also said that there were enchanted portals scattered throughout Narnia and her world, but it was impossible to know what to look for. They were completely random and the only way to discover them was to stumble upon them. That didn't help her at all – it meant, basically, that the only factor she could rely on to get her home was luck, which was discouraging, to say the very least.
Suddenly, a fancifully dressed man wearing a feathered hat entered the library. "Dinner is being served in the Great Hall," he announced.
The other people in the room began to file out. Elise didn't know whether or not to join them; what, exactly, was her place in this palace? Was she a guest or a prisoner? Caspian had certainly treated her like a guest, but she was almost positive that the other inhabitants would not take so kindly to her. But, she eventually decided, what was there to lose? What Caspian said was law, and therefore his opinion was the only one that mattered. So, she joined the others in walking to the Great Hall.
And it was indeed a great hall; "great" was an understatement. There was one long table that seated, most likely, over a hundred people. She had never seen anything like it in her entire life. Where would she sit? She didn't know anyone, and everyone looked as if they knew each other. Swallowing heavily, she went to the nearest free seat (all the ones near the King were taken, naturally) and stood in front of her chair, mimicking the actions of those around her.
Eventually, Caspian, surrounded by his many guards, entered the room and took his place at the head of the table.
"You may sit," he instructed regally. His eyes scanned the crowd discreetly – Elise, who had her own eyes glued to him, might have been the only one to notice. Much to her shock, he locked her gaze. He then whispered something to one of the guards standing at his side, who immediately strode over to Elise.
"His Majesty has requested you presence beside him," the man said quietly, so as to not draw attention to them. However, he failed, and there was an awkward lull while she left her seat and walked halfway across the room to the end of the table.
"I see that you have become acquainted with your quarters," he commented appreciatively once she was seated and the deafening chatter had resumed. "I must say, these garments suit you much better."
The blood rushed to her face and she sheepishly murmured, "Thank you. And thank you for the lovely bedroom, as well. But I have one question – why did you have all that stuff just laying around?"
"At the present moment," he started ambiguously, "there are many females of your general stature staying in the castle."
She had no idea what that meant, but it didn't seem like he wanted to elaborate on the subject.
"So, I trust you have spent your day wisely?"
"I went to the library," she said.
"Find anything interesting?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"I think perhaps we ought to discuss it tomorrow instead," she replied, looking around warily.
"You're right," he said amiably, "supper is a time of enjoyment, not business."
With that, he went on to talk to his other neighbors, including the elderly man (Cornelius, if she remembered correctly) that she'd seen earlier.
The head of the table gave Elise a much better viewpoint of the company. She quickly realized what Caspian had been talking about – there were many young women seated around the table, all eyeing her distrustfully. There were a few young men as well, but the majority of the males were aged and battle-hardened. Her yes flitted to her left, back to Caspian. He looked, she thought, much more like a prince than a king. Or a knight, perhaps. In any case, as she had already decided, he looked like a sort of hero out of a fairytale. He may not have been too young, exactly, but he still had a distinctive boyish aura about him – something that made him seem too young to be king.
"Miss," someone said, dragging her back to her thoughts, "you ought not stare."
Elise's head turned sharply, only to come face-to-face with a kind-looking elderly woman. She hadn't noticed her before, probably for obvious reasons.
"It's all right, my dear," she whispered conspiratorially, "you're forgiven – he is quite handsome, isn't he?"
Elise's cheeks heated up instantly.
"I'm sorry," she continued, "but I don't think we've met. I'm Aurelia, Cornelius' wife." She motioned to the man that Caspian was talking to.
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Elise d'Orsay."
"You're not from here, are you, Elise?"
"What gave me away?"
"You look a tad out of place – and your clothes don't fit, either."
"Yes, well, I'm in a bit of a predicament at the moment. I've come to the King for assistance."
"I can see that," she said sagaciously. "Well, if you ever need anyone to show you around the palace – or Telmar, even – I'd be happy give you a tour. What with my granddaughters all married off, I get a bit desperate for female company."
"That would be lovely! If I ever have any free time, which I expect I will, I'll be sure to give you a call." Oh. Right. There was no "calling" here…
Just then, the first course was brought out. It was some sort of porridge-like concoction, but it appeared to have vegetables in it. There was also bread on the side. And there was wine – lots and lots of red wine. The stew-porridge did not look very appetizing, so Elise settled on the consumption of red wine and bread to ease her hunger. This, perhaps, was not a wise decision, as her chalice was replenished nearly every ten minutes.
Caspian noticed that she wasn't exactly enjoying the meal and whispered, "It's really not as bad as it looks… And judging by the amount of wine you've already had, I imagine the taste will be somewhat numbed."
Humoring him, Elise took a bite. She instantly regretted it, and it showed in her face.
"Perhaps a you ought to have a bit more to drink, then," he quipped in wry amusement.
"You haven't had anything to drink at all," she pointed out giddily.
He wagged a finger at her. "I never drink the wine," he said, "Too easy for someone to slip something into it."
Her eyes widened slightly – was he really that at risk for assassination?
"Plus," he added, "intoxication makes even the noblest men into fools, and I do not wish to be made a mockery of in front of my court."
The next course came out – it was some sort of enormous roasted bird.
"What is that?" she muttered more to herself than to anyone in particular.
"A roc. It is one of the largest birds in Narnia– very rare and very difficult to capture. This one was only a small female," Aurelia said.
The roast took four people to carry out, and the animal itself had to be at least the size of a horse – how could such a creature exist?
"Being the great brutes we are, we eat it more for a show of strength than for the taste, as I'm sure you'll soon find," Caspian whispered to her bitterly.
She was very puzzled. "That doesn't seem right," she protested, "Why don't you tell them that you don't want it?"
"Being the King doesn't mean what you might think it does," he replied cryptically. "Half of everything done here is just for show."
"Couldn't you change that if you wanted to?"
"If only it were so simple. This kingdom is hindered by tradition. Do you see the men at the other end of the room? They're all quite powerful aristocrats. The trick is to keep them pitted against each other so that they're distracted them from turning on me. Politics is a bit of a dodgy business – I really wouldn't wish this responsibility on anyone."
There was a lull in the conversation, before Elise built up the courage to ask, "Why are you telling me all this?"
He turned to her once again and shrugged. "As a warning, perhaps. The people here often aren't what they seem – you'd do well not to trust anyone in this palace. Cornelius and Aurelia are my closest confidents, but I'd be wary of the others, if I were you."
"Why would anyone care about me?"
He broke eye contact once again. "You're foreign and you'll be spending more time with me than many of them. I imagine some people might take that as a threat to their stature or prospects," he said vaguely.
By the end of the night, Elise couldn't help but return to her room feeling sufficiently worried.
A/N: Sorry this one doesn't really have a lot of dialogue... Pleaseee review!
Oh yes, and BrinleyofIreland (I can't PM you, so I hope you don't mind if I do this instead), Caspian X is supposed to be read as Caspian the tenth, I think - as in like Henry VIII. And yes, this story is eventually going to be Caspian/Elise. But I'm glad you like it so far and thanks for the review! :)