EUSTACE GET OUT OF HERE! My goodness, you are such a nuisance right now. I can't wait for future Eustace to show up.
Lovely readers of this story! I'm terribly sorry to keep you waiting for such a long time. School crashed down hard on my life and I was stuck indoors with multiple essays, exams, presentations, and such. So it was with a heavy heart that I pushed my entire account back a month. MistroStrings was in a similar state of chaos too. Ugh school: so important and yet such a setback. Am I right? But oh boy is this chapter a long one! I hope you all will forgive me for such a long break then :3
By the way, someone asked for the ages of Margaret and Annette. Well, Annette is older. In Prince Caspian, she was the same age as Caspian and Peter while Margaret was the same age as Edmund. Now In Voyage of the Dawn Treader, everyone has aged one year with the exception of Caspian, who has aged three. So essentially Margaret and Edmund are still the same age but Caspian is now two years older than Annette (who is still older than Margaret). Sorry if my explanation sounds confusing. The actual movie ages were never mentioned.
And now I leave you with a promise. Although life may get hectic in the lives of MistroStrings and MisticLight, we will follow this story through to the end. All of you will get an ending to this adventure no matter what. So even if there is a minor setback, there will always be an update in the works (with the exception of the completion of this story because, well, it'll be completed). We promise.
~MisticLight
~.~.~.~.
Annette hardly made a sound as she strode up the steps leading to the poop deck. Despite not wanting to get out of bed only minutes before, her mind was completely blissful. The sun was bright, the wind freely blew through her hair and around her dark red shirt, the air smelled faintly of salt, and she was at sea. Vague memories of sailing with her family and Margaret briefly flashed across her mind, allowing for a smile to tug at her lips. She hadn't realized how much she missed the sea until its waves welcomed her once more.
The fact that these waters belonged to Narnia and the ship happened to carry both Margaret and Caspian was simply an additional benefit.
Caspian and Drinian both acknowledged Annette with a simple nod, plus a soft smile from the former, when she finally made her appearance beside the King. He and the Captain were focusing on a large parchment held between them, so Annette knew it would be wise to keep her mouth shut. All she really wanted was to spend as much time with Caspian as possible in case she was unexpectedly pulled from Narnia. But if the men needed to concentrate, she didn't want her comments to become a distraction. So she silently stood beside Caspian, allowing her eyes to explore the paper instead of her voice to beg for answers.
It was a map similar to the one she remembered from the library in the Telmarine castle. This map was far larger and more elaborate though. The sea was just as blank, but landscapes were properly displayed and more labels were offered. Thus Annette discovered the body of water the Dawn Treader was currently on was called "The Great Eastern Ocean"—though perhaps she would have known that had she spent even a few minutes researching Narnia's geography before leaving.
Useful information though, she decided with a satisfied nod before lifting her eyes to the men. Though they spoke in low voices, they seemed not to care whether she—or anyone for that matter—listened in or not.
"How far are you willing to go into these uncharted waters before turning around?" Drinian asked with a lift of his head.
Caspian took a deep breath and straightened himself up as though the air made him taller. "I plan on sailing this vessel until she no longer can. We must find the Seven Lords and put a stop to the Mist. Surely you above all others know how important this is."
The two men stared at one another with such serious expressions that Annette feared a duel would soon commence. It was only when the Captain's eyes met Annette's that a slight smile began to stretch across his face. Instantaneously Caspian's laughter filled the air and he lightly clapped his older friend on the back. Annette simply stared on in confusion over the sudden change of moods.
"I was only testing you, your Majesty."
"And have I passed again?" Caspian continued to chuckle before glancing at Annette. Upon seeing her puzzled face, he leaned closer towards her to better elaborate: "Drinian has been asking me these silly yet important questions since we first left Narnia's shores."
"Though I'd been thinking them since you first deemed me Captain of the Dawn Treader. It's only natural of one to wonder such things when the King decides to take a long voyage only three years after being crowned. And don't worry, your Majesty, you have passed," Drinian lightly added. Although this was the happiest Annette had seen the Captain, it was only a handful of words that made her eyes widen.
"Three years? Is that how long it's been?" She was relieved when the man answered her with a nod. It hasn't been very long at all! But her relief quickly burned into embarrassment upon her cheeks and she had to look away. That's how long I suggested Caspian wait when he first told me of the expedition.
As if sensing the girl's thoughts, Caspian tentatively cleared his throat, "And how long has it been in your England?"
"Only one year!" She hastily reassured, wiping away her embarrassment with a smile. "A single uneventful year full of studying… and time with the Pevensies and Margaret of course. They were a delight! Though nothing quite compares with our Narnian adventures."
"I can't quite say the past three years in Narnia have been as dull," Caspian continued with an apologetic smirk.
Annette giggled at his reaction, not understanding why he would feel sorry for having a better time than she. He was a King here, after all, whereas she lived the life of an average English citizen. "I find it hard to believe any day in Narnia would be less than exciting. What did you do?"
Caspian's eyes brightened upon hearing her question. Since she was still unaware of what transpired throughout the past three Narnian years, this gave Caspian plenty of room to exaggerate his tales. He wasted no time in doing so either. The first few stories were those of gaining alliances, creating a private council, knighting officers, and spreading equality amongst all races and beings. A bit formal, but Annette was intrigued nonetheless. This then spun into the war with the Giants of the North. He fascinated her with the bravery of the Narnians and himself, though Drinian and his side comments made sure Caspian kept his boasting to a minimum. Caspian's words would catch in his throat whenever Drinian did so, though he easily resumed once Annette's calming laughter filled his ears. After explaining the surrendering of the Giants, Caspian moved on to the defeat of the Calormen armies at the Great Desert. There was little Drinian could say to counter the King's pride this time because Caspian truly had shown his valor and leadership against the Calormen forces. He decided to let Caspian have Annette's admiration, though the King did not need such tales in order to attain it.
"With Narnia now fully reestablished and peace across the entire country, I saw to it that the Dawn Treader—the finest vessel in Narnian history—be built and set sail to find the Seven Lost Lords. I appointed Trumpkin as Regent in my absence," Caspian concluded with a pleased sigh and a wide grin. Annette noticed Drinian slowly shake his head before taking a step back to observe the crew.
"All of that within three years of becoming King? That's quite impressive, Caspian. Definitely more so than simply graduating," she chuckled with a shake of her head. "And now we're heading into unknown territory. Do you have any idea what lies in store for us?"
"None besides the thrill of adventure," he said while rolling the map up. "Drinian likes to say there are sea serpents, but I don't believe such tall tales. Edmund seemed interested by them though."
"Well don't tell Margaret about them either! She'll become just as fascinated."
"My lips are sealed," Caspian replied with a wink before straightening up again. "Tavros!"
Seconds after his call, a large Minotaur appeared. Annette recognized him from the Lone Islands, for he had proven to be quite an advantage for the Narnians against the slave traders. It took all her might not to gape at the powerful creature, and even then she failed. The dark haired Minotaur briefly glanced at her awestruck face, but kept his eyes well trained on his superior. Caspian, however, saw the exchange and was quick to make introductions: "Tavros, may I present to you Lady Annette. And Annette, this is Tavros, first mate of the Dawn Treader."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Annette said. Not knowing what else to do, she offered the Minotaur a curtsy.
He appeared amused by the girl's actions, though he said nothing of them. Instead he bowed in return. "I remember seeing you and your Margaret friend during the revolution." Annette blinked up at him, unable to place his face within her memory. The Minotaur merely laughed at her lost expression, "You probably don't recognize me. I've gotten much stronger since then." To further prove his point, Tavros began to flex his large arms.
"That's enough, Tavros," Caspian, despite his chuckles, quickly said so the Minotaur would stop his foolish behavior. Annette was unable to stop her laughter like Caspian mostly had, and Tavros was quite proud of that. He smiled down at her with his hands firmly placed upon his hips. Caspian had to shove the map at him just so he'd stop puffing out his chest. "Please take this back to the map room and place it on my desk. Then you may go about your usual business."
"I'll see that it's done, your Majesty," he replied with a smug smile before taking the map and disappearing through one of the doors.
Annette happily watched the Minotaur leave, a few giggles still spilling from her lips, "Well he certainly is quite the character."
"Very much so, but he is also very loyal and a fierce warrior." Caspian respectfully smiled after his friend and first mate for a moment before shaking his head clear. "Now," he exclaimed before holding his arm out towards Annette, "would you like to have a tour of the Dawn Treader?"
"I would love to have one," she chirped as she looped her hand around Caspian's tan-colored sleeve. She was about to take a step forward when a sudden thought crossed her mind: "Don't you have some sort of kingly responsibility to do?"
He snickered. "Yes, and I have been avoiding them for days now."
"Caspian! Despite now being King, you're still a child at heart," Annette teased.
"One never does grow up. It is simply maturity that sets in."
Caspian pretended to wistfully stare out across the ocean. So Annette nudged his shoulder as laughter once more consumed her. "You should probably finish these tasks of yours though. I would hate to burden you by further stalling your duties."
"Annette, you would never be a burden to me." The humor in his voice was suddenly gone as his eyes shifted from the water to the girl beside him. Although their conversation had been light, Caspian knew this was a much more serious matter. Even if Annette was jesting that she was a burden, the thought had still crossed her mind. He didn't want her to feel that way. She needed to know her presence would always be welcomed, no matter what the circumstance.
Intensity lingered in his eyes, making Annette tense up under his gaze. She hadn't expected him to take her words so seriously, even though they did echo the fear she held in her heart. A mixture of both guilt and happiness rose in her chest. She didn't mean to cause such a reaction from Caspian, and yet she was glad for it all the same. It was proof of how deeply he still cared for her.
Caspian's abrupt sternness disappeared in the blink of an eye and a lift of his lips. "These tasks of mine are small and overall are of little importance. Besides, showing you around this ship is one of my duties as it would be most beneficial if you knew where everything was."
Annette was quiet for a moment. She was debating on whether or not to allow Caspian to ignore his responsibilities for a little while longer. It didn't matter that she was one or the other tasks were small, he had a duty to uphold. Narnia needed him, right?
She looked up to him briefly, his grin easily making one appear on her face. Within his eyes lied her answer. Well I need him too.
"Oh very well, Caspian," she finally said, placing her free hand over his forearm. "Lead on!"
And with a soft pull of her elbow, Caspian led Annette back down towards the main deck.
~.~.~.~.
Although the day was beautiful and the Sun warmed her skin, Margaret was not happy. What mostly irritated her was that she couldn't even figure out why she was so upset. For a long while she blamed Eustace and his wrath of a paper cut. Her arm stung whenever her fingers fluttered over the scrape, causing a glare to form on her face. A flash of bitterness towards the boy would pierce her heart every time she harshly stared at the floorboards. Eustace Scrubb had been nothing but rude to her since she first met him. He most definitely deserved her spite.
However, deep down Margaret knew he was only the cause of a minor wound. There was no sense in blaming her unhappiness on him. He was probably only cruel because no one really cared about him. Everyone deemed him a nuisance, which he certainly was but that was beside the point. Margaret had already decided she, no matter how painful it may be, would be the first person aboard the ship to offer the boy sympathy. With her current state of mind though, she decided it would be best not to search for him.
He's probably still angry with me anyway. With his temper, I'm sure very little progress would be made, she thought to herself with a sigh. She was sitting on a crate stacked against the starboard railing. Across the ship from her sat Edmund, who was still chipping away at her sword. She heaved another sigh as she stared at him, admiring his concentration and willingness to help her yet feeling remorse all the same.
She didn't understand why looking at Edmund filled her with guilt. She loved him and had no fear admitting it to herself—though telling him was another story entirely. So why was she feeling so down? Shouldn't she be floating above the clouds with a heavenly song in her heart? Why couldn't everything be as straight forward as one of her fantasy books?
Because this is reality, where a happy ending has yet to be determined. But was this truly reality? She was in Narnia. The land was obviously real, but even then it held a fairytale essence. There were mythical creatures and talking animals, monarchs of a time before her and a powerful lion. If a "happy ending" was in her future, then surely she would know about it here.
Still there was a lingering sensation of doubt, which ultimately consumed what little hope she had gathered. Margaret desperately wished to talk this out with someone, preferably Annette, but how could she when she herself didn't understand what was wrong? Maybe Annette could figure something out though, Margaret mentally debated with her eyes still fixated on Edmund. She felt her chest tighten when he proudly held up what he'd cleaned off so far. The sharp tip glinted in the sunlight, though the handle lacked such luster. He was nearly finished, but even then there was quite a bit of work that had to be done. When he smirked, Margaret's sorrow rose up inside her again, bringing along her desire to speak with Annette. Unfortunately she's run off to be with Caspian. They could be anywhere by now!
"Margaret?"
Oh. There she is.
She turned to her left after hearing Annette's call, finding her friend's arm laced around Caspian's. The couple both greeted her with a genial smile as they strode towards her. Margaret mimicked the facial expression, though hers lacked such warmth.
Annette eyed her friend's strange response, but said nothing. She could tell something was wrong with Margaret, but after a quick glimpse at Caspian's clueless face, decided to address the issue later when they were in a more private setting. Until then, Annette would just have to find ways to cheer her friend up.
"Caspian is showing me around the ship." She offered Margaret her right arm, "Would you care to join us?"
Margaret's brows rose at Annette's gesture. Of course she wanted to go! It would be a distraction from her confusing feelings and allow her to learn about the vessel. At the same time, though, she felt bad. Annette and Caspian have been separated for such a long time. Wouldn't they like to be alone together? "Are you sure you want me to come? Because I don't want to intrude…"
"Nonsense! Of course we want you to come!" Annette exclaimed, nearly cutting off her friend. She enforced her words by extending her arm further. Margaret, however, remained unconvinced. Her eyes lingered upon the outstretched arm before drifting towards Caspian's face. She was surprised to find him looking nearly as happy as Annette.
When Caspian noticed her eyes on him, he agreed with Annette by nodding his head. "Why would you think you're intruding? It's merely a tour of the ship, which you may find useful in case we get attacked by sea serpents."
"Sea serpents?" Margaret excitedly inquired while raising an eyebrow and flashing a smile.
At that same moment Annette temporarily retracted her hand to better lightly hit Caspian across the chest. He laughed at her fake glare and exclamation of: "Caspian!" When his chortles refused to die down, Annette shook her head and turned her attentions back to Margaret. "Don't listen to him. He's only trying to be funny." She briefly sent another glare his way, but the smile on her lips betrayed her. "Nonetheless, are you coming with us or not?"
"Well…" Margaret humorously replied as she stood, "so long as there's going to be sea serpents, I might as well."
"Good," Annette gladly stated as she looped her arm around Margaret's. Words could not describe how happy she quickly became knowing she was in Narnia with her arms linked within both her friends'. "Caspian has already showed me the forecastle at the bow of the ship, where the stars are mapped, and explained how nearly this entire ship is made of apple wood. Apparently the fauns carved the whole thing from apple trees! He was just about to explain something about the mast…"
Caspian carried on the sentence where Annette left off, "Yes, the main mast! It was designed to resemble the lamppost Queen Lucy came across when she first journeyed into Narnia and met the Faun Mr. Tumnus." The girls became fascinated by the link to Narnia's Golden Age, though their admiration of the Dawn Treader was only beginning.
They learned many things from Caspian as he showed them the ship: of how the rigging was done by the mice Reepicheep commanded, the details given to the wooden Fauns holding up the ship's bell at the base of the forecastle, and the location of the armory just underneath that same space. Their next stop was the oar room. It was a large space beneath the main deck and built from Narnia's oak trees. According to Caspian, those trees were chosen for the room because they possessed a rare protective quality. At the bow of the oak room lied the food storage, but none felt the need to explore that space further. Nor did they wish to travel down to the bunks or visit some of the higher-ranking crewmembers cabins. So instead they rose back up to the main deck to walk through the glass doors at the stern of the ship. The room beyond was that of the royal state room, which served as Caspian's private quarters until Lucy came aboard. Beautiful paintings of Narnia's Golden Age lined the walls of the room, and even a golden head of Aslan was melded into one of the cabinets.
"Narnia's greatest treasures were once here," Caspian informed as Annette looked upon the drawing of older versions of the Pevensies and Margaret straightened up a chair she thought looked a bit out of place, "but now Lucy has her cordial and dagger, Edmund his torch, and I carry Peter's sword. All that's left is Queen Susan's bow and arrows." He nodded at a spot behind Margaret, to which both girls instantly turned towards to smile upon the remnants of Susan.
"It's strange not having her and Peter here this time," Margaret sighed. Her fingers tightened on the back of the chair. She truly missed the older Pevensies, but also realized there was really nothing that could be done to bring them back. They had grown under the guidance of Narnia and it was time to embrace their own world. She turned back to Caspian, "Where to next?"
The trio exited through the doors they entered, though it was only to climb up to the poop deck. For a moment they admired the design of the wheel: two carved fish heads holding the Great Aslan's golden head in the center. The ironwork had been done by Dwarves, who were the smiths of Narnia. With nothing else to be said about the poop deck, Caspian led the girls into the final room of the Dawn Treader: the map room. Rather than paintings along the wall, this room was adorned with maps of Narnia. Drawings and sketches of the Seven Lost Lords spread across one of the walls, and Caspian wasted no time in standing before them. It was his habit to look upon the men his father once deemed friends.
As the girls silently explored the contents of the room, Caspian slowly removed one of the pictures. "We found Lord Bern. I suppose he is no longer part of our quest." He smiled at the youthful drawing of the Lord before neatly placing it on a table beside a bowl of fruit.
Annette's eyes momentarily latched onto a shiny red apple protruding from the bowl when she stood at the opposite end of the table, a sudden hunger making her stomach silently growl. To distract her stomach, she lifted her gaze to Caspian with a smile. "And I'm sure he'll enjoy his new title as Duke of the Lone Islands."
"It's a much more fitting position for the noble man," Caspian said. Annette agreed with a nod, her eyes once again falling to the tempting apple. This time her glance did not go unnoticed.
Margaret snickered from across the room. She was looking at some books perfectly aligned across a single shelf, allowing her fingers to gracefully brush against the spine of every cover. "I'm sure anything is better than living as a prisoner… except for being a student in Mrs. Bird's chemistry class."
"Or even worse still," Annette called back with a smile, drawing the other girl's attention, "being her student twice." The two friends' laughter quickly filled the map room. Even Caspian cracked a smile. He didn't quite know what the girls were referring to, but he certainly had his fair share of professors he didn't like. "All the same, Lord Bern is going to make a fantastic Duke. He'll keep away those slave traders and allow peace to remain on the island."
"Not to mention feed the hungry," Caspian continued. When he noticed Annette's face twist in confusion, he held up the apple she'd been eyeing. With a knowing smirk he tossed the fruit at the now giggling girl, who easily caught it with both her hands. He watched her for a moment before lifting his gaze to the other side of the room. "Margaret, would you care for any?"
"No… but could I borrow one of these books instead?"
"Take however many you desire."
Margaret wasted no time in snatching the brown cover of a book all about the legends of sea serpents. She hugged it close to her chest, a mischievous expression crossing her face. Ever since Caspian first mentioned sea serpents, she'd had the desire to learn more about them. How fortunate it was to find just the book she needed! "Do you want me to pick one out for you too, Annette? I know how much you love to read."
"Not right now," she heard Annette say. "It will give me a reason to come back later."
Although Annette's back was to her, Margaret knew she was wearing a smile. It was Caspian's face that gave her away. His eyes suddenly brightened and a large grin rose into his cheeks as Annette spoke. He looked foolish. Annette sounded foolish. They were both acting foolish, though Margaret was positive neither of them noticed that within the other. She did though, and had to bite back her tongue to prevent herself from laughing because of it. The sudden appearance of Edmund made that task much easier to do though.
"Caspian!" He shouted after nearly kicking the door open. Annette jumped back in surprise, but Margaret held her ground. The sight of him made her feel warm and quickened her heartbeat, and yet her chest tightened. When Edmund finally noticed the two girls, he became embarrassed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that. When Drinian said Caspian was in here I assumed he was alone."
His eyes immediately found Margaret's. When he smirked her way she returned the gesture, though she couldn't find any words to say back to him. In fact, she couldn't even gather enough air to speak! All she could do was smile and stare.
Her quietness was a shock for all those present in the map room, but it was only Annette who saw the deeper meaning to it. Margaret truly looked and acted thrilled with Edmund's unexpected appearance, yet he was clearly the reason why she had looked so troubled before. Annette couldn't figure out why though, and she wouldn't know unless she removed Margaret from the area.
"That's all right, Edmund, we were just about to leave," she politely said as she crossed the room towards Margaret. When the girl didn't move, Annette grabbed hold of her elbow and nearly dragged her away. Before crossing the threshold, she sent back one final smile aimed specifically for Caspian because he looked confused. He didn't understand their abrupt departure. "We'll talk later," she promised before pushing Margaret through the door.
~.~.~.~.
"'It will give me a reason to come back later'?" Margaret teased her friend. Although her mind had been clouded only minutes before, her thoughts cleared as soon as the sunlight hit her face. She even had enough sense to realize just why Annette had forced her from the map room. So rather than face her friend, Margaret walked right up to Drinian and asked what chore needed to be carried out. Unfortunately for her, there was nothing. The day was going slow and the wind was in their favor. The crew alone could handle the tasks. It was with a heavy heart that Margaret then plopped herself down on the starboard steps of the poop deck. When Annette sat down beside her, Margaret decided to stall her friend a little longer. "You should have just had me pick out a book and save you from the embarrassment."
"Oh be quiet. It was the only thing I could think of saying." Annette's face turned as red as the apple she shuffled in her hands. She was quiet for a moment, her voice timid when she finally spoke up again. "You don't think he noticed, do you?"
"He was acting just as embarrassing, and did you notice that?"
"He was? I didn't even-"
"There's your answer," Margaret playfully beamed before leaning back on her elbows. She shut her eyes and allowed the Sun to further warm her face. When Annette made no response of her detective work, she cracked open an eye. "What were you two talking about all day anyway?"
Annette's face betrayed her yet again by becoming even redder. With the exception of Caspian's tales of glorious peace-bringing, their jokes, and the tour of the ship, one specific incident crossed her mind, and it wasn't exactly something she felt comfortable saying aloud. It was her discovery of just how deeply she still cared for him, even after a full year. He had assured her she would never be a burden. Just remembering him say those words made her fingers excitedly tighten around the apple in her hands. She also recalled the intensity and sincerity his face held. In that moment it felt as though they had never been apart; that they had simply fallen asleep in the Telmarine castle and woke up aboard the Dawn Treader.
"Nothing;" she finally answered before smiling to herself and taking a bite of the apple, "just a bit of catching up."
"So you've finally figured everything out then? There will be no more worrying over time or Narnia's condition? Of whether Caspian is married or what have you?" Margaret intended for her last question to be a joke, but Annette's frozen features left her internally cursing. She bolted back up into a seated position. "Annette, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"No, Margaret, it's fine." Annette was surprisingly calm when she answered. However, her eyes nervously traced the ocean behind Margaret as opposed to meeting the girl's face. "I never thought to…" ask him. "Caspian would never…" act so caring. "Not if he…" had another. They were sentences she could not bring herself to finish. How did that slip my mind? It's one of the first questions I should have asked, right?… Wrong. What did it matter that she'd forgotten to ask? She was too busy enjoying his presence to think about the events that might have occurred while she was gone.
Still, the thought of Caspian fancying someone else pained her. She didn't want to think of the possibility, though she knew to end her turmoil she'd have to bring up the uncomfortable subject with him. And soon because the more she thought about it, the more wounded she became. She didn't even want to dwell on it for a second longer, so she shook her head and decided to turn the subject around. "Is something happening between you and Edmund?"
"Happening? Why would you think something is happening?" Margaret forced on a grin, but Annette wasn't buying it. She raised her brows and tilted her head, an obvious sign that she knew. "Oh, right… my behavior." Margaret looked to the book in her lap, her fingers nervously tracing the golden image of a sea serpent. The creature may be strong, but it gave her no strength. She sighed, "I don't really know what's happening. Nothing bad, though that doesn't make me feel any better. I don't even think Edmund realizes I'm struggling…" She finished her sentence by biting her lip. Her mind was reeling. She knew what she had to say to Annette, and yet she couldn't grasp the words.
A silence befell the friends. Annette remained still so as not to rush Margaret. She needed time to sort out her own thoughts. Over the course of Annette's life, she found the best way to deal with a troubling mind was to mentally sort out the right path. Speaking with others helped, but it was pointless if the mind did not accept the conclusion. So the best Annette could offer at the moment was a friendly presence. She would speak when the time came.
At length, Margaret took a deep breath and turned her head away from the book. She locked eyes with her friend, a mixture of power and pure terror reflecting in her eyes. "I am in love, Annette. And I am frightened by it."
Annette's eyes widened. Love? The thought hadn't been the last on her mind, but she certainly wasn't expecting to hear such words from Margaret. What do I say back? She, having only ever tasted the emotion but never claimed it, was at a loss of words. How was she to help Margaret if she herself lacked in experience? Fortunately for Annette, she was saved by none other than Eustace. The sudden ruckus of the boy interrupted their conversation as he pushed around men and objects alike. It appeared as though he were fleeing, but from what?
The further appearance of Reepicheep scurrying along the port-side railing was an answer, but also an additional confusion.
"Trying to run away?" He cried before swinging from the railing to a barrel beside Eustace. "We're on a boat, you know."
When the Mouse drew his sword, both girls were instantly on their feet. The only time that blade was ever drawn was when Reepicheep planned on teaching someone a lesson. Whether said lesson be rewarding or not depended on the person. And who knew what side of Reepicheep's temper Eustace was on?
The boy terrifyingly stared down at the tiny sword. "Look, can't we just discuss this?"
"That was for stealing," Reepicheep proclaimed as he swiped at Eustace's shirt. Apparently a discussion was not an option. He then took a jab at Eustace's stomach through the opened hole. "That was for lying… and that," the Mouse slapped the boy across the face with an orange he had just withdrawn from its hiding place, "was for good measure."
Annette suddenly felt guilty for receiving an apple form Caspian. Although he was the King, she still feared what Reepicheep would do if he saw the fruit in her hands. So she quickly began to devour it. Although Margaret found Annette's rapid eating humorous, she became fascinated by Eustace and Reepicheep. More so when she noticed the sword Eustace clumsily held in his hand. He was nearly shaking with anger by this point and looked as though he were ready to strike.
"That's the spirit! We have ourselves a duel," Reepicheep chuckled. He dodged Eustace's attack by leaping over the boy's head and onto a barrel stacked against the railing. "Catch," he called before flinging the orange to the side. Luckily Drinian had made his way down from the wheel long beforehand and was able to catch the fruit.
The entire ship seemed to simultaneously erupt into cheers and fits of laughter as they watched the pair duel. Eustace was positively terrible with the sword, though he did have quite a strong lunge. Regardless, watching Reepicheep roll away from his attacks was humorous, which easily lifted the hearts of Margaret and Annette.
"Stop flapping your wings like a drunken pelican! Poise!" He instructed.
Margaret laughed and pointed at the Mouse. "He nearly told me that exact same thing! Do you remember, Annette?"
"Yes because it was right after I told him not to get involved with your duel," she scoffed. "He's not a very good listener."
"Keep your blade up. Up, up! That's it. Now…" The quick lesson from Reepicheep was over and the duel began once more. He continued to leap about the port side of the ship while Eustace, who was actually following Reepicheep's instructions, attempted to hit the smaller creature.
At one point Margaret got so caught up with the duel that she actually began to cheer… for Eustace. Annette casted a very confused glance at her, but she simply shrugged her shoulders. "I can cheer for whomever I want."
"I realize this, but Eustace? I thought you didn't care for him."
"Well someone has to! Aslan sent him here for a reason!" She threw her hands up in the air, but Annette continued to look confused. That thought had never crossed her mind. Why had Aslan allowed a bigoted boy to enter Narnia? Certainly it wasn't to wreak havoc on everyone in sight.
Margaret incorrectly took Annette's silence for disapproval. She scrunched her nose, "Well if you're not going to at least be supportive then I might as well leave."
Without waiting for a single word of explanation, Margaret hurried down the stairs to stand beside Lucy. Annette remained where she was, laughing as she watched her stubborn friend go.
"Yoo-hoo! Over here," Reepicheep taunted, drawing Annette's attention back to the duel. The Mouse had once again crossed to the center of the ship and was waiting for Eustace to remove his sword from the rigging.
The poor boy must have gotten it stuck, Annette sadly observed before taking another mouthful of apple. Perhaps Margaret was right. Perhaps he does need more support. She thought no more on it, however, and returned to simultaneously watching and eating.
"Now, lunge with your foot," Reepicheep continued before spinning off the barrel. He went straight for Eustace's calves so as to lightly slash his instructions into him. "Not your left, your right. Got it? Come on." He climbed back onto the railing. Now at eyelevel with Eustace, he began to shuffle his paws as is the way of swordsmanship. "Be nimble! Be nimble! It's a dance, boy, a dance. Come on now, again…" Eustace went back to his lunging, this time remembering the words of Reepicheep. Every thrust of his sword was met with a dodge. "And again… That's right… that's right!"
Reepicheep's balance didn't last for long though. With a final cry of "Oh, no!" he fell backwards off the ship.
Margaret immediately rushed forward to make sure her friend was unharmed, but Lucy held her back with a knowing smile. Annette reacted much like Lucy. She knew it was impossible for Reepicheep to lose a duel, let alone lose his balance. So she patiently waited for what sorts of trickery the little Mouse planned on doing. Sure enough, as Eustace peered into the ocean, Reepicheep silently climbed back up on the opposite side of the rigging. He crawled over to the clearly concerned boy, tapping his left shoulder with his tail.
When Eustace spun around to see who had tapped him, Reepicheep swung down to give him a much deserved kick to the behind. "And that… is that."
Eustace harshly fell to the ground, knocking over a large basket in the process. Margaret laughed as the boy fell, though her humor subsided when she heard a girl scream. She looked at Annette and Lucy to see if they had done it, but they only wore similarly confused faces. So she turned back to the basket, taking a step forward when she noticed a small hand emerge from the cloth covering.
"Look," Lucy softly called from behind.
Whichever crewmembers hadn't herd the little girl's yelp certainly had their eyes trained on her now. Her light purple dress was full of wrinkles as she crawled from the basket and her brown hair a mess of swirls around her face. Although her eyes were bright, they looked around the tall crew with terror. For a moment her eyes rested on Annette, who appeared the least threatening because she had recognized the girl instantly as the one from Narrowhaven. Her confusion had then quickly melted into sympathetic concern, a contradiction from the faces of the others.
"Gael? What are you doing here?" A man cried as he stepped forward. Annette recognized him, too, as the girl's father, Rhince. Out of all those assembled on deck, he appeared the most bewildered. Still, he was the girl's father and it was his duty to comfort her. "Here," he gently said as he hugged her to him.
The reunion was moving, yet Annette was still tense. Gael was a stowaway. She had smuggled herself onto the ship and would certainly pay the consequences. Drinian was a fair man, but Annette didn't know what to expect as she witnessed him approach the small family. She slowly made her way down the stairs, readying herself to defend the poor girl if necessary. Only when the Captain paused before Gael did she freeze.
"Looks like we have an extra crew member," he announced much to the relief of them all. As Drinian held the orange out to Gael, Annette could no longer contain herself and happily pushed her way through to stand before the girl. Lucy and Margaret, however, had beaten her to it.
"Welcome aboard," Lucy greeted once Annette stood beside Margaret.
Gael offered a small curtsy, "Your Majesties."
"We're not Queens," Margaret laughed. Although her sentence was genuine, to a child it could be perceived as mockery. Margaret failed to realize that until she left Annette jab her elbow into her side. "That is, we're Ladies of Narnia but nothing… too important?"
Annette shook her head before stooping down to Gael's level. "My name is Annette, and my babbling friend back there is Margaret."
Gael giggled before turning her eyes to Lucy. The Queen smiled down at the small child. "Call me Lucy. Come on."
"Oh yes, you must be starving after sitting in that basket since yesterday evening!" Annette cried as she and Lucy gently led Gael away.
Margaret was about to follow after them, but thought better of it. Having two people fret over Gael was probably enough, especially since Annette had a tendency to become a little too concerned at times. No doubt this would be one of those. Besides, Margaret had other tasks she wished to fulfill: such as discovering Eustace's value to Narnia.
She intercepted the boy with a smile as he headed for the bow of the ship. "Hello there, Eustace."
"What do you want?" He asked with furrowed brows. Margaret was still someone he did not hold in his favor.
"I just wanted say you had a good match against Reepicheep. There's no need to get all worked up about it!" She rolled her eyes with a good solid huff before crossing her arms.
"Oh, well… thank you, I suppose." Eustace was clearly at a loss for words from Margaret's compliment. It was a complete change of character, by his eyes, and took him quite by surprise. However, he still did not wish to speak with the girl. "I just got done telling your Mouse friend how the results would have been different in an entirely different setting. I have read books on ships and books about swords, but never have I come across a novel involving both swords and ships. Had we been on solid ground, there's a high chance I would have won."
Margaret took a breath to respond, but Eustace spun away from her to walk towards the poop deck. He was clearly done with her, but Margaret was persistent. After groaning to herself, she followed after the boy to say what she originally wanted to respond with: "I sincerely doubt that, Eustace. Reepicheep is fantastic with that blade of his. He's even jabbed me a few times with it."
"Good for him. You probably deserved as much."
"He's a terrific tutor too, you know," she continued, ignoring Eustace's reproach. The boy quickened his pace when he reached the stairs, trying in vain to get away. But Margaret would have none of it. "He helped me train once! The issue you had with your arms? I had that too, though that was before I actually developed my skills. Now I'd like to say I'm rather decent with a sword. Not unbeatable like Reep is, but definitely better than you. You couldn't even lunge! Oh Eustace, even my first time had a better ending than-"
"Well if you're so well-off with a sword, why don't you have a go at it?" Eustace shouted back at her. The moment Margaret began mocking his first ever time with a sword was the last straw. He stopped in is tracks suddenly, which Margaret hadn't even noticed, and his face began to redden. Now he stared at her so heatedly he nearly bore holes through her skull. Yet Margaret felt no sting.
She merely laughed at him, "Don't be silly, Eustace, that is-"
"A marvelous idea!" Edmund cried as he emerged from the map room. Caspian came out a moment later, a large grin on his face.
"Edmund no!" Margaret groaned, her displeasure of dueling overtaking her sense of fear. "And whom do you suggest I duel with? You and Caspian are too well-trained and Eustace is… well…" She had to bite back her tongue before she said something insulting. "I don't even have a sword!"
"You could always duel with Annette," Caspian suggested as he scanned the deck for her. "She's probably just as out of practice as you are."
"And you do have a sword because…" Edmund withdrew the weapon he'd been chipping away at all day, "look what I just finished."
He smiled as he handed the weapon to Margaret, who was nearly breathless by the sight. It was plain when compared to Caspian's sword, but she loved it more because of its simplicity. "It's beautiful, Edmund." She lightly touched the handle, her fingers stopping before they reached his. "How did you finish it so quickly? It's only been a day!"
"Because I knew the sword was for you," he nervously replied. Margaret turned from the blade to Edmund, but he averted his eyes. "I know there are other swords available onboard, but with this one being from the Golden Age, I thought maybe it would give you courage. So you wouldn't fear the thought of warfare. That's why I had to finish it… for you."
Edmund didn't want her to be frightened. He didn't want her to panic at the edge of battle like she had during the fight at Aslan's How. If only he knew that his act of kindness frightened her even more than bloodshed ever will. It was the fear of the unknown. Her heart began to pound and her hands shook as she took hold of her new weapon. A mixture of affection and fright towards Edmund pumped through her veins. She didn't even know what to say back to him.
"A-Annette," she called over the railing rather than face him. "You might want to come up here. The boys want us to-"
"To duel?" Annette finished from the stairwell behind Margaret. No one had heard her approach, so her sudden appearance startled more than one person. "I heard the whole thing from below. Although I'd rather not duel you, Margaret, I do think we need to refresh our memory in case something happens."
Margaret mumbled incoherent words under her breath, but ultimately realized what Annette said was right. Both had fared well in Narrowhaven, but that had been hand-to-hand combat. If someone came at one of them with a sword would they be prepared? She'd rather not find out.
"Hold this," she grumbled before tossing her book at Edmund and readying her sword.
He nearly dropped the book because of the unexpected pass, but was able to catch it after a brief shuffle. When he noticed the title, his brows nearly rose off his face. "Sea serpents?" His exclamation was ignored.
Annette admired the reflection of Margaret's new blade until she remembered she still didn't have one. "Could I borrow a sword from someone? I haven't grabbed one from the armory yet."
"You may use mine," Caspian immediately said. He pulled out his weapon and gently handed it to her. She neither thanked him nor met his eyes.
Power could be felt as she held the blade in her hands, since it was essentially the blade of Narnia. Although it was foreign, Annette had the strange sensation that a part of it belonged to her; that she and the blade were somehow connected. The sword was meant for the Kings and Queens of Narnia though, more specifically the Kings, and Annette held no such title. So why was there a connection?
There was little time to ponder over the mysteries of the sword, however, especially since Annette would only hold it for a few moments. So she brushed aside the feeling and readied the blade. "Are you ready, Margaret?"
"This better be short because I don't want to—Hey!" Margaret didn't have time to finish her complaint because her dear friend had suddenly rushed at her with a raised blade. The attack was easily blocked, though that didn't prevent a glare from forming. "Annette, what was that for?"
"Be prepared, Margaret, be prepared," she smiled.
Margaret rolled her eyes at her friend before using all her strength to push Annette away. When she went stumbling back into the railing, there was nothing to hold back Margaret's mocking taunts. "Be prepared, Annette, be prepared."
Everyone, Annette included, offered some form of chuckle before the duel picked up once more. Margaret charged, but soon found her blade stuck within the railing because Annette had rolled away. With the advantage now on her side, Annette swung at Margaret's feet, to which the girl promptly leapt over. The force of her feet finding the floorboards once more was enough to remove her sword from the wood and face her friend. She took another swing, but Annette simply back away. So Margaret tried again, which resulted in a similar outcome. The pattern continued until she successfully backed Annette to the port stairs leading to the main deck. Now Margaret had the advantage of being on higher ground.
Annette recognized her disadvantage instantly, but there was nothing she could do. If she backed away, Margaret would stay and await her return. If she tried to force her way up, her lowered level would result in her defeat. Attempting to run to the other side would not only make her look foolish, but give Margaret time to simply run to the top of the opposite stairwell. After blocking a few more attacks from Margaret, Annette realized there was only one thing to do.
She took a step up, making it appear as though she were trying to push Margaret away, but instead sat herself upon the banister and slid to the bottom. She leapt off once she reached the end, only somewhat clumsily landing on her feet. There was a smile on her face when she looked back up at her opponent. "Come on, Margaret! We haven't got all day!"
"Actually, we potentially do!" Margaret called back down before taking a turn at sliding down the railing. She wasn't about to let Annette have all the fun. As soon as she steadied herself upon the main deck, the fight was back on.
The longer the two girls dueled, the more they remembered their previous lessons. The most effective way to evade an attack, the proper posture to uphold, how to improvise when an attack failed; all of it flooded their minds. Even their individual advantages found their muscles once more. Margaret, despite being slightly shorter, proved to be stronger. Her swift strokes barreled down with such a force that multiple times vibrations would shake onto Annette's hand. The pain was so great that she nearly dropped her weapon a few times, but she remained just as determined as Margaret. Annette had a more technical approach to her dueling. Her movements were fast, and her reaction time faster. This allowed her to dodge and attack so swiftly that at one point Margaret became dizzy. She didn't let this stop her though. She was far better at improvising and resorted to using her foot whenever necessary. No doubt Annette's shins would be full of light bruises.
Whenever a standstill occurred, Annette held the advantage—hence Margaret's usage of her foot. However, one such incident actually had Margaret as the superior one. By this point, both girls were tired and breathing heavily. They were weakening under the Sun's rays, and even then Margaret maintained a powerful swing. When the girl's swords met for the final time, it was Annette who had to grit her teeth because her blade was locked beneath Margaret's. The desire to win shined bright in the latter girl's eyes, increasing her strength even further. She used all her might to push her sword down upon her friend, which resulted in Annette having to place one knee upon the floorboards so she wouldn't completely fall to the floor. Yet even this wasn't enough for Margaret.
Just as she was about to suddenly remove her weapon, thereby sending Annette flying upward since the counter force would disappear, and win the duel, a call from above echoed across the deck: "Land ho!"
Margaret excitedly looked up. Land?
In her distracted state, Margaret forgot all about the duel. When she looked to the crow's nest, her power over Annette inadvertently weakened. And Annette wasn't one to become distracted when her mind was set on something. When she felt the force on her sword lessen, she wasted no time in spinning up from the ground. Her blade whirled around the side of Margaret's, nearly hitting the poor girl in the face. Margaret backed her head away, though there was little she could do as the lower part of Annette's sword forced Margaret's in the opposite direction. The blade suddenly slipped from her hand and onto Annette's boot before being flicked back up and into said girl's palm. Margaret was too shocked by the sudden turn of events to even flinch away from the two blades now aimed at her.
Silence befell the deck, the only sounds being that of the deep breathing of the two friends. At length though, Margaret heaved out a large sigh, "How is it you always manage to end your duels with two swords in your hands?"
A thunderous applause erupted across the crew. They were pleased with the duel and praised the winner. Margaret didn't mind that she'd lost to Annette. Her friend was able to pick up the skill the quickest and therefore had a little more experience. Besides, she happily thought to herself, she didn't technically win. If that man hadn't informed us of land, then I would be the victorious one!
"Margaret, stop smiling like that. I was going to win anyway," Annette teased as she returned the blade, knowing exactly what her friend was thinking.
"Oh really?" Margaret challenged as she snatched back her sword. "And how exactly did you plan on doing that?"
"Well…" Annette nervously started, searching her mind for any sort of answer. She hadn't expected Margaret to continue her joke. "I-I was about to… to…"
"Annette!" Caspian exclaimed, inadvertently saving the girl. His hands wrapped around her shoulders as he proudly stared at her. "You were wonderful! It seems as though your year away has only heightened your ability with the blade."
"Thank you," she sweetly smiled. Her eyes affectionately stared back at him, but those same green eyes abruptly morphed into sadness as a thought crossed her mind. She looked to her shoes and handed Caspian back his sword. "I'm sorry," she mumbled before ducking under his arms. She headed towards Lucy and Gael under the bewildered gaze of Caspian.
Margaret watched after Annette with the same perplexed expression as Caspian, though hers also held a twinge of guilt. She had a horrible feeling that Annette's mind had thought back to their prior conversation, in which case her distance would be all Margaret's fault. Why must Annette and I overthink everything? She mentally cursed before feeling a tap on her shoulder. She spun around to see none other than Edmund and Eustace.
"Here," Edmund smiled as he handed Margaret her book and new sword casing. "It's yours now. Perhaps one day you can use it so slay a sea serpent." He winked at her, causing a laugh to tumble out of her. Just because she was scared of being in love didn't mean she wished to be away from him all the time.
Eustace then stepped forward. His expression was unreadable, though he did fidget with the ends of his sweater. "Good match," he nodded.
Out of all the interactions Margaret ever had with Eustace Clarence Scrubb, this was the first time she ever heard him speak genuinely to her. She beamed at the boy. Progress.
~.~.~.~.
Sunset. They reached their destination at sunset.
After sailing around the island for a short while, an easily accessible shore had finally been detected. It was within a small cove of the island, the only space they could find that did not have an abundance of trees or tall rocks.
Margaret and Annette stood near the main mast, leaning against the structure and observing Edmund, Caspian, and Drinian as they discussed what to do for the night. A telescope was to the Kings eye, though the words said amongst the three of them were mere murmurs to the girls' ears. Lucy and Gael had tried to listen in, but soon grew bored with the activity and decided to pick out a book for Lucy from the map room instead.
"Do you think we'll go ashore tonight?" Margaret asked, turning towards her friend. She was excited by the unexplored land, yet the thought of going there after dusk left her anxious. What if an unknown creature attacked them?
"I don't know," Annette replied. She sensed the worries Margaret held, but knew there was little she could do to shake off her nerves. Her eyes remained on the men, a sudden confidence rising in her voice. "Either way, Caspian will see to it that we are safe."
After mostly avoiding Caspian for the past few hours, Annette saying that sentence without a hint of doubt was a bit strange for Margaret. At the same time, it was also encouraging. She had been pestering Annette the whole time to stop acting so childish and speak with Caspian, but every time Annette would retort with how she should probably talk to Edmund too. That always sent Margaret into a huff since she didn't think her issue was as important—or as foolish for that matter—as Annette's. But at least now her relentless pushing appeared to be working.
Caspian lowered the telescope he held, his eyes instantly moving from the approaching land and locking with Annette's. They shared a moment of intense staring, one in which neither seemed to want to back away from. However, Caspian had orders he had to give and could not look upon the girl for too long. He took a deep breath, "We'll spend the night on shore. Scour the island in the morning."
"Aye, your Majesty," Drinian said as he was handed the telescope.
Caspian rushed down the stairs and immediately headed for the main mast. Edmund was right on his heels, though he was slightly clueless as to where Caspian was leading him. The King stopped right in front of Annette, their eyes locking once more. For a moment they said nothing, which made Margaret and Edmund rather uncomfortable. They themselves exchanged numerous uncertain glances.
"Prepare to go ashore," Caspian finally stated. When Annette nodded, he took a step back and made way to help prepare their provisions. Edmund reluctantly followed, sending a final glance back at Margaret.
"Quit being so terse," the girl snapped before the pair of them headed to their room to grab their supplies for the night.
~.~.~.~.
They made camp next to a cluster of small rocks since the fire would be better protected from the wind. Margaret sat close to the flames, leaning against one of the rocks and reading about the tales of sea serpents. Occasionally she'd come across something so terrifyingly interesting that she had to tell Edmund about it, but for the most part she was silent. Annette was not so close to the fire. After setting up Margaret's bed for the night, she took a few paces farther away to set up hers. Although she rather enjoyed the warmth of the fire, Eustace was already loudly snoring near it. She didn't think she could fall asleep with such a ruckus.
As she rolled out her mat, a pair of boots entered her vision. She lifted her eyes to meet the owner's. "Hello, Caspian."
He hesitantly stared down at her, a cluster of his supplies piled in his hands. He nodded to the spot beside her, "Would it be too much to ask if I slept beside you? Eustace's snoring is a bit distracting."
Although the question should have left Annette blushing, such color did not arise in her cheeks. She simply moved her newly acquired sword to the other side of the mat and smiled, "By all means."
Caspian plopped his supplies onto the sand and set to work on his bed for the evening. They worked in silence with only the occasional "Sorry" leaving their lips whenever they caused sand to fly onto the other's mat. Once the mats were dusted, the blankets spread out, and the pillows properly placed, Annette and Caspian fell onto their individual beddings. Annette herself waited for her dreams to consume her, yet sleep would not find her this night. The stars were bright and made her mind wander.
She was nervous and confused. Caspian was lying so close to her that a simple outstretched hand would be more than enough to brush his arm. Never had they slept so near to one another, and that alone was enough to send Annette's mind into overdrive. She bit her lip, too afraid to move and clutch her hair. Every once in a while she snuck in a glance at Caspian, unaware that he would also occasionally looked over at her.
What was she supposed to do? Her thoughts refused to let her sleep and yet she feared what talking with him would bring. She desperately wanted things to return to the way they had been that morning: joking around with a carefree air about them. And yet, as silly as it sounded, she could not go on wondering whether or not Caspian had his eyes set on another. A mixture of guilt and pain would settle into her stomach if he did, tainting each affectionate memory she ever held with him. Annette didn't want to have that feeling, and not asking would do just that.
But she owed him an explanation. After an eventful morning, she had simply avoided him. As Margaret said, it was childish of her. If there was one thing Narnia had taught her, it was that maintaining her childhood would only get her so far. With a deep breath, Annette spun onto her side with her head resting upon her left arm. A pillow rested across Caspian's face, allowing only a corner of his eye to be seen. Is he even awake?
"Caspian?" Stillness was her answer. Her eyes fell to her hand as her fingers traced circles in the soft sand. She hadn't expected much, having waited so long to say something. It was a fool's hope that he would-
"Yes?" His answer startled her, yet she was glad for it all the same.
Annette lifted her eyes back up from the sand only to find Caspian now on his side facing her. His sheer nearness gave her courage. "I'm sorry. Rather than speak with you again like I promised, I shut down without a word of explanation. I've been nothing but horrid to you."
"I don't believe you could ever be a horrid person," he said seriously, his eyes falling to her hand.
"I appreciate your honesty, Caspian, but I fear it's true," she sadly smiled. "I allowed an innocent joke of Margaret's to spin out of control in my mind. She asked me a simple question, and although in my heart I knew the answer, for some reason I could not accept it." Her face began to redden, but thankfully the darkness concealed that. "And it is such a silly question, Caspian! I feel foolish for simply dwelling on it for this long."
A smile tugged on the lips of Caspian, though he tried his best to force it away. "What is this question?"
Annette buried the side of her face into her arm. "You're going to laugh at me when I ask, I just know it." His answer, however, would be a different story entirely.
"You don't need to ask if you don't want to," he lightly chuckled, despite his curious expression.
"No! I want to; it's just… give me a moment."
Why is this so difficult? She harshly asked herself as she took deep breaths. She was trying in vain to compose herself, but finding Caspian's eyes now staring at her was not helping in the slightest. After many failed attempts at speaking, Annette felt as though she were the most foolish being in the entirety of Narnia. Her embarrassment resulted in the rapid movement of her hand upon the sand. It was a substitute for her hair, yet even then no comfort was drawn. The only reason she was even able to remotely calm down was when something warm grabbed her fast moving fingers.
Watching Caspian's hand gently hold hers, even after a good portion of the day involving her being on little speaking terms with him, took away the fears Annette held. It wasn't the embarrassment that made her hesitant, it was the answer. And even if said answer was not what she hoped for, then she would just have to accept that. She took a final deep breath, "In the three Narnian years that I've been gone, have you… found someone… to rule alongside with?"
Annette withdrew her vision from embarrassment, but snapped her eyes back up when she heard Caspian laugh. In fact, he was looking up to the sky with the palm of his free hand covering his eyes. She knew he was going to laugh at her, she just thought he'd make it more subtle.
As if realizing her thoughts, Caspian squeezed Annette's hand and lowered his outburst to mere chuckles. "No, Annette, I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at myself!"
"What?" Her brows shot up. "Caspian, that doesn't make any sense."
"I'd been wondering that exact same thing about you all day. I just couldn't find the courage to ask." His eyes turned from the stars to her face. "You are very brave, Annette."
"Me? Brave? I think the sea's caused you to lose your mind," she giggled to which Caspian easily joined in. After a moment of laughing, Annette turned their conversation back into the silly seriousness it was before. "But no, there is no one waiting for me back in England. It's just been me, Margaret, and the Pevensies."
Caspian failed at hiding his happiness, especially with the rapidly increasing grin emerging onto his face. "There is no one waiting for me in Narnia either!" Annette laughed at his rushed statement and at how quickly he registered what he said. "Well of course there are my friends and loyal subjects. I must return for them. What I meant was there is no Queen. There hasn't been since… well…" Caspian ended with an uncomfortable cough.
Annette didn't mind though. She understood what he meant. If he had finished his sentence, Annette feared her heart would have pounded with such strength that she would've burst. So she gently squeezed his hand, a signal that he needn't say more.
Caspian visibly appeared greatly relieved by Annette's acceptance. He smiled down at her one final time before raising their joined hands and placing a kiss to the back of hers. His lips lingered for a moment, but he lowered their hands back to the sand when he felt Annette scoot a little closer towards him. They were both on the far edges of their mats, staring at one another with unblinking eyes until sleep finally found them.
Neither one of them even thought about removing their hand.
~.~.~.~.
So yeah… that was very long, wasn't it? I warned you! But I hope the chapter wasn't dull or anything. I mean, how often are you going to come across two duels in one chapter? It's crazy I tell you! CRAZY!
Anyway, a long chapter for a long review? Huh? A fair trade, don't you think? Especially since there is only ONE MORE REVIEW UNTIL WE REACH FIFTY! YEAH! We can all have a Narnian party! ;D
Haha! Until next time! Which MistroStrings and I hope will not be nearly as long of a wait. We love you all!