Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The next day I went to the gardens, dejected. I sat on a bench and stared about listlessly. I was still in this melancholy mood when Caspian came through the wilderness door. He saw my face and all traces of joviality in his own were erased. He came to me and sat beside me.
"What is it, Addie? What's happened?"

"My box is gone." I said in a dead voice.

Caspian looked shocked, "Are you certain, you've looked everywhere?"

"Yes, my room is small, so there's not much to search. It's not there. I have no inheritance now. It's strange, I haven't felt so alone since I first saw the graves of my parents and sister. That box tied me to them, and now I've lost everything." A tear slid down my cheek, and I hardly noticed when Caspian reached up and gently wiped it away.

After a moment, Caspian stood and said, "Come, you need a day off. Let's go and see the ocean."

My brows came together, "I can't. Tom is expecting me. I can't shirk my work."

"Not to worry. I'll take care of Tom. You need to get out of this palace for a day."

I stood and reluctantly walked with him out the wilderness door.

We hiked down the hillside to the soft sand of the shore. A picnic breakfast had been set and Caspian led me to the cloth spread on the beach.

"What is this?" I asked, astonished and delighted. My mood lifted considerably.

"It's a breakfast al fresco. I've noticed you like to eat in the garden, so I took it a step further."

"It's wonderful! Thank you so much! I've been here nearly two months and haven't ever had the chance to come down to the shore. It's extraordinary!" I was already slipping out of my clogs, and I reached up to untie my hair. The morning breeze swept it back and I opened my arms wide and smiled. I ran to the surf and danced in the margin where sand and water met. I had almost forgotten Caspian, but then suddenly he was taking my hand and leading me in a whirling country dance. We laughed and twirled in the sparkling sunlight.

"How about some breakfast, before you fly away altogether," He said when we both collapsed onto the cloth beside our food.

"That would be lovely. Caspian, how did you do this?"
"I got up very early," he said mischievously.

"Very well, keep your secret, sir. Please pass me an apple." I smiled crookedly at him and held out my hand. Our hands brushed as the apple passed to me.

"Addie, I need to tell you something." He bit his lip as he looked at me. I nodded my head, my mouth full of crisp apple.

"I am very fond of you. I – I think very highly of you." He blushed, and so did I. I quickly swallowed my bite while I waited for him to continue.

"The fact of the matter is, I want – I want what I cannot have." I stared at him, thoroughly confused, and just a bit concerned. "I am not merely a fellow working in the palace. I am the crown prince of Lyon." He rushed on, "I'm sorry I never told you. It's just that I didn't want to intimidate you with my position. I was captivated by you the very first time I saw you, with potato peel on your cheek. I wanted to just be a normal man, not "royalty". I wanted to get to know you, and that wouldn't have been possible if you'd known who I was. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." I sat in stunned silence, and so he continued. "Addie, I love you, but you must understand that I cannot marry you, even though I desire it. It is required by law that the crown prince must marry a princess. Please, accept my most humble apologies. I never meant to hurt you, I didn't mean to fall in love with you. I hope you'll forgive me in time, and perhaps we can still be friends." He looked at me earnestly, but I couldn't bear to be near him anymore. I had gone from sorrow, to exhilaration, to this humiliation. My eyes stung with unshed tears and I quickly stood and began to run back up the wooded hillside toward the palace. I left my clogs in my rush and stumbled along barefoot. As I neared the top, my eyes were blurred with tears and I took a misstep. I slipped over a precipice and fell, screaming.

When I awoke, it was dark. I was not in my own little room. It was a large circular room with windows in each direction. I was snuggled under the softest down-filled quilts. The pillow beneath my aching head felt like a cloud might feel. I slowly took inventory of my limbs, wiggling my fingers and toes, bending my elbows and knees slightly. Nothing seemed to be broken, but I was very sore. I felt exhausted and tried to roll over into a more comfortable position to go back to sleep, but there was a hard lump beneath the mattress. I was too tired to care what it might be, so I just shifted back a bit on the huge bed and drifted off.

When I opened my eyes again the sun was streaming through the eastern window. I yawned and tried to stretch, but winced in pain. I must have been covered in bruises.

"Where am I," I wondered aloud to myself.

"In the tower, Kevin suggested it." I whipped my head around, causing another wince, and saw Caspian sitting in a chair beside my bed. I stared at him a moment, and then pointedly turned my head away from him.

"Thank you for informing me, Your Highness," I said coldly.

"Don't be like that, Addie" he said to my back.

"Why ever not, Prince? I believe it is customary for commoners to address royalty in such a manner. Please pardon me my former familiarity with your royal self. I was just displaying my profound ignorance. Now please go away . . . Your Highness." My entire being burned with fury. I didn't know if I was allowed to be rude to royalty, but at the moment I didn't care.

"Addie, please. I'm sorry. How many times do you want me to say it?"

"It cannot be quantified."

"Very well, I'll leave you alone, unless you have a request of me." I could hear a bit of irritation in his voice. Frankly, that suited me just fine.

"Actually, there is something. This fine, elegant room; so kindly suggested by the Chief Royal Guard, has a serious deficiency. There's a tremendous lump under this mattress and it caused me no end of discomfort through the night."
"I know," he said quietly.

"How could you know, did you put something under there, to further torment me?" I asked, glaring at him.

"No, I know because I watched you toss and turn all night." He said quietly.

"Oh." I cocked my head a bit, "You mean you stayed up here all night, watching me?"

"Yes, the physician said you might have a concussion, and that you needed to be watched. I insisted on attending you myself."

My shell of anger softened just a little, "Oh . . . well, thank you."

"Would you like me to have a look under your mattress?" he asked gently.

"I suppose so. Just let me get out of your way." I tried to stand up but was overcome with dizziness. Caspian caught me in his arms and carried me to his recently vacated chair. As I sat, he lifted and pushed the mattress off the bed. I gasped. My box was resting on the bed frame.

"What is this?" I breathed. "Caspian, did you-"

"I swear, Addie, I have not the slightest idea how that box got from your room to this one, but I bet I know someone who does. Please excuse me, I'll return in a moment." Caspian closed the door and I heard his steps running down the stairway.

My box, here. What could it mean? My aching head didn't want to think but I forced myself to try and figure it out. I had only spoken of the box to Caspian, and despite his recent bout of less-than-perfect honesty, I believed what he said a moment ago. His consternation was genuine.

I tilted my head back on the seat and closed my eyes. What had I learned these past weeks? My box was connected to Queen Addeliene. The chief royal guard, Kevin, had suggested I sleep in the tower room. The legend of Addeliene that Caspian had told me mentioned common girls and a common item under a mattress. What was it he had said, that a future King could choose to marry a common girl if she discovered the item and was made uncomfortable by it. Queen Addeliene's book at the court of Justices made it clear that someone who had the right to the key would be able to figure out where it was.

I opened my eyes and looked around the room. The key was here, somewhere. I knew I couldn't stand, so I trained my eyes at each object, searching for something out of the ordinary. Finally, my gaze rested on the overturned mattress. The sun shone in a rectangular patch on it, and I saw a darker shaded patch beneath the white material. My heart skipped a beat and I almost rose up, but recalled my dizziness from before. Instead I sat impatiently awaiting Caspian's return.