Sooooo…((sly grin)) For all of you who remember…Caspian kissed Lucy in the last chapter. ((knowing chuckle)) This is where things get interesting…. Enjoy!

CASPIAN'S POV

It was dark by the time we were thrown into the cell. It was damp and cold and uncomfortable. I couldn't believe I was in this mess. I blinked until my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I looked over at Edmund, who'd probably been knocked unconscious when pushed carelessly into the cell. The place on his forehead where he'd been struck was an angry red, and I winced. I sat back against the cold stone wall and put my head in my hands, thinking about Lucy and wondering if she was all right.

"Lucy," I sighed, resting my head back. I hadn't thought of her more than my best friend before…but after that kiss I gave her, I started feeling…differently. It was just to make my claim of her as my wife more realistic, not to incite any feelings. But nevertheless, I found myself thinking about it. Her lips had been so soft and warm, and even though I knew she was completely taken off guard at first, she kissed me back. I knew it didn't mean anything other than keeping up appearances, but she still did it. She didn't have to kiss me back; I hadn't planned on the kiss being as long as it was. It was just going to be a quick "it'll be all right" kiss and that was it. But when she kissed me back…I felt I had to make it last. I was so lost in thought I didn't notice when Edmund came around until he spoke.

"Your wife, huh?" he asked. I opened my eyes and peeked at him.

"It was the first thing that popped in my head," I replied. "Anyway, you saw the look on the man's face. They may be immoral enough to sell people, but they're not immoral enough to try and mess around with married women."

"She's fifteen, Caspian."

"They don't know that," I answered softly, trying to keep calm. I didn't know what he was so worked up about. None of it was true. It was silent for about fifteen minutes before he spoke again.

"Did you have to kiss her like that?" I couldn't help but laugh at him, despite our circumstances. "What?" he demanded.

"Isn't the over-protective brother role Peter's?" I asked.

"We share it," Edmund answered, and when I looked at him again, I saw a faint half-grin. Then it disappeared and his tone became serious again. "That kiss looked pretty real."

"Good. If it fooled you, it will definitely have fooled those morons," I replied coolly.

"Caspian…don't go falling for my sister. You know we're not staying here."

"It was just to keep up appearances, Ed," I sighed exasperatedly, lifting my head and opening my eyes fully to stare at him.

"Caspian…they may be morons, but I know you. You may have intended it as nothing at first…but it turned into something." I flinched when he said that. It was almost as if he'd been reading my thoughts earlier. "And don't think I'm just getting on your case for this," Ed added as he lay down. "I saw the way Lucy reacted. She'll be getting in just as much trouble." He was out the next moment, but I didn't really think it was from exhaustion so much as his head. It had to be pounding from that injury by now.

I was unable to sleep, so the rest of the night, to keep my thoughts off of my worries for Lucy, I attempted to kick the cell door open. Morning light came, and eventually Edmund came back around.

"You all right?" I asked him. He started to nod, but then grimaced at the obvious pain it brought.

"Yeah," he answered instead. I nodded and went to kick at the door again, hoping the hinges were somehow worn enough by now that it'd break open.

"It's hopeless," came a voice from a darker part of the cell. It startled me, and the first thing I wondered was if the man heard my conversation with Edmund during the night. "You'll never get out," it went on. I moved towards the voice cautiously.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"No one," the man answered. "Just a voice in my head." As I neared him, I realized I recognized him. It took a moment, but…

"Lord Bern?" From the look on his face, I'd startled him. It seemed no one had addressed him as "Lord" in many years.

"Maybe once," Bern answered. "But I'm no longer deserving of that title." He froze and stared at me for a few moments before continuing, "Your face…you remind me of a king I once loved."

"That man was my father," I answered, smiling slightly at him.

"Oh! My king!" he said, startled, beginning to bow, but I stopped him.

"No, it's all right," I replied gently. I helped him stand and was about to ask him about his encounters over the years since he'd been sent away by Miraz when there was a commotion outside. I looked over at Edmund briefly, my mind flashing to Lucy as I headed over to the small window in the cell.

"Helaine!" a man was shouting, and I saw him running after a cart of people the slave traders had captured. A little girl followed behind the man, and I realized with a jolt that it was a family.

"Mummy!" the girl called. The woman reached out to her husband when he neared her, and he was thrown back violently a moment later.

"I'll find you!" he shouted after her. My hands tightened on the bars in the window as I realized that those were the last three words I had promised Lucy before we were separated. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment before opening them again when Edmund tapped my shoulder.

"You all right?" he whispered.

"I'm fine," I sighed. "But is Lucy?" I saw the look on Ed's face, and his gaze shifted to the people being loaded into boats, and I could tell he was looking for her.

"What's going on?" I asked Bern.

"Keep watching," he told me. So I did. I could barely tear my eyes away from the sight as the boats were sent into the sea. A green mist rose up from the water and engulfed the boats. When it receded, the boats and their passengers were gone…just like that.

"What?" I whispered, shocked.

"It's a sacrifice," Bern told me as I jumped down from the window. "Those who aren't sold are offered up to the mist. It first appeared in the east." I could tell he was about to continue when a few of the slave traders that we'd encountered the night before walked in. Two of them moved towards me and Edmund, putting harsh, metal cuffs around our wrists. I winced as the metal cut into my skin, and gave a glare to the man who pushed me out of the cell.

I need to find her, I thought. Before something terrible happens to her. We were led up out of the dungeon-like cell block and I stopped a moment to blink in the sunlight. The men shoved me forward, and I glared at him before continuing on. As we passed over what served as the town square, I looked down and saw it was Lucy being sold. I stopped walking, ignoring the men shoving me. I had to see what would happen.

"Now for this fine young lady," the man I recognized as Pug announced. "Not the dainty type, as we can tell from the way she struggles"—as he, spoke, Lucy elbowed him away from her—"but she'd be of some use. Just be careful, men. This one's married." I sighed in relief as the air about the men buying her changed. Obviously most of them changed their minds, but people still called out bids.

"I bid 60!"

"I bid 80!"

"100 for the little lady!" Once there were no more bids, Pug put a "sold" sign around her neck and pushed her off the stage roughly. She shot a scowl at him as she was led over to the man who'd "purchased" her. He handed silver crescents to one man, and put his hand on Lucy's arm. She just shoved him away.

I was able to see Eustace put up on the stage before I was shoved onwards more forcefully by the men around me. I glared at them before meeting Edmund's eyes. He nodded towards the square.

"If you're lucky," one man near me hissed, "you'll be bought by the same man who bought your wife." He chuckled darkly. "So few are so lucky."

"Come on, are there no bids?" Pug's voice came up from the square.

"I'll take him off your hands," a very familiar voice said, and I looked down to try to find the Mouse. "I'll take them all off your hands!" As the many cloaked figures in the square threw off their cloaks to reveal the crew of the Treader, I took the opportunity to attack our captors. I noticed a moment later that Bern had, in fact, been pulled out of the cell with us. Not long later, I called for the keys to the harsh cuffs around my wrists. I got them off and made my way down towards the square. I saw Reepicheep get Lucy's cuffs off of her, and sighed in relief. I'd have to thank the Mouse later.

Just as Lucy pulled the "sold" sign off her neck, the man who'd purchased her grabbed her arm from behind and roughly pulled her towards the archway that led out of the square. She glowered at him and shoved away. He raised his hand, as if intent on striking her, and I made it over to them just in time to grab his wrist.

"I wouldn't," I hissed at him. He looked at me in surprise, and stumbled backward, letting go of Lucy's arm when she elbowed him in the side of the face. The fight was over within a matter of minutes, and when it was, I pulled Lucy to me in a hug.

"Are you all right?" she asked me, pulling back to look up at me. I laughed at her.

"Am I all right? Shouldn't you be worried about yourself?"

"You said you'd find me," she answered, grinning and shrugging. I gave a breathy chuckle and hugged her close to me again. After seeing what happened to the people in the boats, and hearing the same three words I'd promised her, I'd started to lose hope. I was glad she hadn't.

We found our weapons and Lucy grabbed her dagger and healing cordial, clipping them on securely. Once I had my sword, I rubbed my wrists where the metal cuffs had cut in and winced. Lucy reached out tenderly and poured a drop from her cordial on my cuts. They were healed completely a moment later. I smiled gratefully at her and she nodded before heading over to her brother and healing the injury on his head. We walked out of the armory and were walking towards the port when the man who'd been chasing after his wife called out to me.

"My wife was taken," he explained. I knew as much, but let him continue.

"It's all right, Drinian," I told the captain when he tried to stop the man.

"I'm a fine sailor," the man told me. "Been on the seas my whole life."

"Daddy!" the little girl called out. "I want to come with you!"

"No, Gael, stay with your aunt." She kept following him until he stopped and whispered, "Have I ever not come back?" I turned and continued walking a moment later. Bern stopped us as we reached the port.

"My king!" he called. He held what appeared to be a sword.

"That's an old Narnian sword!" Edmund pointed out.

"It's from your Golden Age," Bern confirmed, nodding. "There are seven such swords. They were given to the Lords for protection. I've kept mine hidden in a cave. Here, take it." He handed it to me, and I hesitantly took it. As we neared the boats, I looked over at Edmund.

"Ed," I said, stopping him. I handed him the sword and gave him a half-smile and a nod. He chuckled as he took it.

"That was sweet," Lucy commented as we got into the boat.

"It means more to him than it does to me," I told her. She grinned at me and laughed lightly as we headed back to the Treader.

Another really long one! o.o ((wipes imaginary sweat off my brow)) It was interesting to write, too. No kiss in this one. ((sigh)) Oh well. Review for me!