Hello!!! I hope I didn't take long to update!!! This chapter is full of Lucy/Zerind moments!! I hope you like it!!
Special thanks to my dearest friend Star, as she gave me great ideas for this chappy!! This is 8481 words!!!
Enjoy!
Chapter 29: Flashbacks
It was the early morning when the prince of Zharolum woke up in a jump, his breath uneven, a thin layer of sweat covering his body. He couldn't believe what he had dreamt, as much as he seemed to be having fun in it. He looked over to his side and his breath hitched on his throat, Lucy was laying on her back, sleeping soundly. The thin straps of her nightdress had fallen from her shoulders in her sleep, exposing her shoulders completely. He remembered, in his dream, how her skin felt in contact with his whole body, hands travelling furiously over his back. He could feel every inch of her close to his, sending the most pleasing shivers to his spine. He shook his head with force, starting to feel warm again, and decided to get a very cold bath.
In the bathroom, he immersed in the cold water, relief washing over him. That dream was still haunting him, messing with his thoughts and actions. She was driving him insane, now even his dreams were teasing him, luring him into the sweet temptation she had become. But the cold water helped him to clear his mind, regain control of his limits, control over his body.
He felt much better when he left his bathtub, feeling much calmer. He wrapped a towel around him and looked for his clothes, cursing at how, in his haste to get his bath, he forgot to bring them with him. He opened the door and checked if Lucy was still sleeping. She was still laying on his bed, her chest raising and falling evenly. He smiled, but his eyes travelled all over her, only to see that she had kicked her covers and her nightgown had hitched upwards, her creamy thigh peeking from behind the sheets. He closed the door on his back, facing the bathroom again. Images of his own hand moving her nightdress upwards flooded back onto him. He ran towards the sink and splashed his face, looking at his reflection on the mirror. He cursed towards that stupid dream of his for making him almost loose his mind again. Deciding that he needed to get dressed, he marched inside his room, not looking at the sleeping queen on his bed. He was rummaging inside his wardrobe when he felt a pair of soft, warm hands wrap around his uncovered torso. He turned sharply, facing a smiling Lucy. "Nice bath?" she asked. "Y-yes, very" he said, starting to get warm again, the fresh feeling of the bath completely forgotten by her touch on his bare skin. She smiled again and took his hands, placing them over her hips. Her hands crawled to the base of his neck and pulled him closer, his body putting no resistance. Their lips met in a soft kiss, her lips massaging his slowly. He couldn't think of anything else, and then again, the way of how she was pressed towards him, sent a vile trail of images into his head, making him relive the sensations of that accursed dream of his.
They separated and he moved away, holding the towel on its place, making Lucy giggle. "Thank you for this wonderful night, I'll leave you to get dressed" Lucy said, placing one last peck on his lips before disappearing behind his door. He slammed his head against the wardrobe door and let out an exasperated yell. Whenever Lucy was close he would lose all control of his body and thoughts. Why couldn't he hold down that growing need to overstep his limits! The battle between chivalry and desire inside him was driving him mad, desire starting to become stronger than his common sense, and to make things worse, last night's dream was coming in front of his eyes every time he was close to her, pushing his sanity even further. He had to be strong and resist, don't let lust take over him that easily. With this thought he turned towards his clothes and got dressed.
Lucy sighed as soon as she closed her door, leaning over it. She felt warm and had a tickling feeling in the pit of her stomach. Zerind's body had changed a little since the last time she saw him in such conditions, and how she enjoyed the great sight she had of his torso, so lean, each muscle subtly outlined. She let out a sigh, she knew she should be ashamed of looking at him like that and enjoying what she saw, but she couldn't help it, she yearned for his touch and relished each moment when her hands touched his skin. Oh and his kisses! She felt in paradise every time she tasted the sweetness of his lips and when he deepened the kiss, she was so happy of the firm hold he had on her waist, as her knees seemed to be made from butter.
She smiled and closed her eyes to see his shirtless form again, treasuring it in her memory. Sighing she moved from her place, being sure her happiness was going to last all day.
Edmund and Caspian were sitting in the soft, plush rug of the tearoom, papers scattered all over. "Have you got any other ideas for the subjects? Apart from the normal ones like math and such" Caspian asked. "I was thinking that we could have some choice subjects, like personal defence, you know, some kind of physical activity" Ed commented. "I like the idea, but what option do we give for girls?" said Caspian. "I don't know, but I guess something like embroidering, singing, dance, things like that, we could ask Su and Maram for ideas" Ed proposed.
Both kings spent the rest of the morning organizing classes and spaces, making sure everything had its own class. "Alright, now we need to send letters to some other countries, see if they can send some teachers" Caspian said. "I think we should ask Peter and the girls if they have any suggestions for more classes, just in case" Ed said, knowing Lucy had an idea or two.
Lucy was enjoying the sun in one of the gardens, reading a nice book while munching on a bright red apple she had just picked from one of the trees around her. Zerind had just sent a letter to his parents, and saw her sitting on the grass. He smiled and went to meet her. As he got close he noticed the apple she was eating and followed it to her lips as she took a bite. Those lips had travelled over his neck and shoulders, teasing him in the most torturous of ways, finding his most weak spots, until finally meeting his on a passionate clash. Another flashback. He stopped dread in his tracks. "Zed? Are you ok?" Lucy said, noticing him some distance away. He shook and nodded. "I'm sorry a bad thought crossed my mind" he answered. Lucy put her book and apple to the side and stood, shortening the distance between them. "It's such a wonderful day, you shouldn't think of things that could make you sad" she said, caressing his cheek. He ignored the electric bolt he felt when her palm touched his skin and smiled, taking her hand in his and kissing it. "You are enough to make me forget anything", even what it's left of any my decency and self restraint, he added mentally after he spoke.
Later that day, Susan and Maram were sitting under a nice sunny spot in the tearoom, fabrics laying all around them. They had taken over the project of making some plushies for the royal children. "Have you noticed how Lucy seems to prefer more mature dresses right now?" asked Maram. "I do, I must say it's good to see her like that, wanting to use more jewellery, to look even more beautiful, and I guess Zerind is noticing all, I think that even a little bit too much" Susan said, chuckling. "Oh, the poor thing, he is so chivalrous and respectful that he doesn't know how to react, and Lucy is teasing him a bit, I noticed" Maram commented, laughing openly at the discomfort of the prince. "Poor him, Lucy is going to drive him insane one of these days" said Susan, joining Maram in a merry laugh. "Oh, but Zerind is not the only one, at Ed's birthday I saw many young men watching at our Lucy" Maram commented. "Ah dear don't you repeat that in front of Peter, he will have them all cut in half" Susan said, her sentence finishing with a big throaty laugh. "I wouldn't do that to Lucy, a little more overprotectiveness and he'll be having her dressed as old women in Calormen, all covered from head to toe, only eyes flashing" said Maram. "I don't think either Caspian or Ed would have let something like that happen, they seem to actually like Lucy's new style" Susan said. "That is because they love Peter's face when he sees her like that, you can see all shades of feelings across his face. Both have the same goal in life, tease and make Peter feel as miserable as he can be, my poor husband, he is an easy bait for them, he has such a kind heart" Maram said, sighing and smiling. "He is, he truly cares for everyone in this family, so do Caspian and Ed, but well Peter is famous for overreacting with these things" said Susan. "But well, we are all here to keep Peter from Lu's personal business" Maram said, looking at her sister. "Definitely, if only he heard us he would call us little traitors" Susan commented, earning a snort from the other queen. "For sure, but he loves us too much for actually meaning it" the brave queen said. Soon gossip found its way into the queens' talk and they spent hours talking animatedly.
Edmund was extended on the grass, watching the sky, Lia was taking a nap, and their adorable twins were with her, all three sleeping soundly. He was bored, and even that was an understatement. He had nothing to do, not a book to read, not any official papers to look at, not a single school matter to solve, nothing. Not even Peter was available to be teased, he was probably sparring with Caspian somewhere. And so he decided to lay there, watching the sky, waiting for something to occur to him. His mind drifted towards Lucy, who he supposed was around with Zerind. He had noticed how the poor guy seemed to be struggling with something on a daily basis. And then again, those dresses Lucy was wearing lately had to be catching his attention. He felt a slight tingle of brotherhood go off inside him, but he ignored it, he was no Peter. He was content that his little sister had found someone she loved and loved her back, and he liked Zerind, the boy was very well mannered and extremely serene, he had a good head over his shoulders. Oh but he knew his sister, and he was proud to say that she had some of his wickedness, a firm proof that they were siblings. He had noticed how she acted around the boy and he had all the right to be uncomfortable. Ah Lucy, she was losing that sweet naiveté and becoming quite flirty. He chuckled softly, he couldn't bring himself to feel angry at this behaviour, as it was most likely that she learnt that shameless flirtation from him.
He heard some soft muffled sounds next to him and looked to his side, finding a pair or blue eyes staring at him. "Hello Orion!, How's life treating you today?" he asked, moving to support himself on one elbow. "Ello Emun" Orion greeted back, causing the king to smile. "Do you want to play with me?" Ed asked. Orion nodded, and sat next to him, waiting for his uncle to do something. Edmund moved again and took two little sticks that were laying close. He gave one to Orion and held the other, moving it against the boy's on a constant pace, both sticks crossing and touching eachother. Orion soon understood the pace and moved his stick to meet Ed's, giggling as they did so. Little by little, Edmund changed the movement, the sticks becoming miniature imaginary swords. He smiled as his nephew seemed to like the game and soon he twisted his arm touching the boy's chest softly. "Touché little mate, you lost" he said. Orion looked at his stick and fiddled with it, the cutest of pouts appearing on his lips. "Amazing! Peter pouts exactly the same way when he loses! Caspian will love this!" Ed said, bright with wicked joy. Orion looked up to him, his pout more pronounced, his eyes irradiating sadness. "Oh don't be sad! You did it quite amazingly, little warrior! Practice some more and in a couple of years I'm sure it will be your daddy who will be pouting! I'm sure you'll defeat him" Ed said, his heart aching at his nephew's pain, and took the little prince in his arms, tickling him. Orion soon forgot about his first defeat ever as Ed let him stab him with his stick, moaning and yelling overdramatically each time, Orion laughing at the top of his lungs. "Ok enough, it's starting to hurt" he said after some minutes, taking the stick from the boy's hand. Orion looked at him and moved closer, caressing the spot where the stick touched. "Thanks mate, it feels much better" Edmund said, deeply moved by this action and bent to kiss Orion's little head. "Oh there you are! The nanny has been looking for you little mister!" came Peter's voice from the distance. "Papa!" Orion yelled and clapped his hands. "What were you two doing" the older king said, taking his excited son in his arms. "We were duelling" Edmund answered. "Really? Did you give uncle Ed a run for his money?" Peter asked to his son. "Of course not, but I can tell you he will kick your ass when he gets older, he learnt the moves quite fast" Edmund said, smiling at the proud look in Peter's face. "Why is Peter wearing such a proud look?" asked an accented voice close to them. "Capian" Orion said, pointing at his uncle. "Orion here just had his first duel" Ed said, a spark of wickedness crossing his eyes, which was not ignored by Caspian. "Oh well, I hope this little man is better than Peter here, as I just beat him for the third time today" Caspian said. "You were using two swords! How can I possibly compete with you in such a disadvantage!" Peter whined, looking like a kid. The other two kings laughed at him. "Come on, son, at least you like me" Peter said walking back to the castle, leaving the guffawing kings rolling in the grass, biting back the urge to stick his tongue at them.
Zerind was in the apple orchards, taking a nap on the fresh grass, the evening starting to cool down as night was getting closer. It was the perfect temperature for him, not cold, but certainly refreshing after the scorching sun of summer. His body was relaxed and he let a content sigh, feeling peaceful. His day had been plagued by the indecent memories from his dream, drilling into his head in the most inappropriate moments. But now he was calm, and he was starting to drift into a light sleep when he felt something crawling up from his legs. He didn't open his eyes, supposing it to be an insect, but he then noticed it felt like fabric. He opened his eyes immediately, raising a little from the ground and found a pair of ocean blue ones staring back at him, less than two inches apart. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up" Lucy said. Zerind stood there in shock, his body petrified. She was practically pressed onto him, the fabrics of hers and his clothes not being enough to feel her warmth over his skin. And to make matters worse, she had decided to wear a summer dress, this particular one having a rather low cut. Images started flowing in front of his eyes. Every nerve of his body seemed alive, sending millions of different sensations towards his brain. He could see the desirous spark in her now deep, almost navy blue eyes. And he gave in to it, forgetting everything around them, granting each of her wishes.
Lucy could see how Zerind's eye colour changed from a vibrant green to a darker shade, grass green becoming an intense forest shade and then disappeared, as the boy closed his eyes and let himself fall back to the grass, his hand moving to cover his face. His blood was going past boiling point all over his body, his temperature rising at incredible speed. "Are you alright?" he heard Lucy asking. "Yes, do not worry about me" he said, his throat constricting slightly, making his voice come out broken. The queen moved aside and touched his cheek softly, her touch igniting a fierce reaction on the prince. He fought back a grunt, managing to keep it on the back of his throat. Lucy moved his hand away and looked at him, tracing his features with her eyes. she bent a little and kissed him softly, smiling when he returned the kiss. He was trying to be as tender as possible, not wanting to turn things even more heated, but Lucy had other plans. She bit his lip softly, making him take a sharp intake of air, and then deepening the kiss by pressing her head forward. His senses blurred, his thoughts were errant and incoherent. His arm sneaked around her waist and in a swift move, he turned them over, supporting himself in one arm, the kiss remaining uninterrupted. Her hands sneaked under his shirt and started crawling over to his chest, making him groan into the kiss. A fresh wind blew over them, calming the bubbling volcano that seemed to be trapped inside him. He opened his eyes and separated from Lucy. "I am sorry, we should stop, someone can walk into us" he said, sitting on the grass. Both jumped as they heard a voice coming from above their heads. "Oh Lu, I finally find you, dinner is ready" Lia said from one of the windows. "Oh thanks, well be there soon" Lucy said, smiling at the other queen. "You better, Peter will soon ask where you two are, don't give him any excuse to get fuzzy" said Lia, smiling and then disappearing behind the curtain. "Come on, let's go, the last thing we need now is Peter spitting fire at us" Lucy said, taking his hand and pulling him towards the castle.
Dinner passed by in between a lively chat and they all decided to have desert on the tearoom. The air was so lively that Susan called some fauns to play some music and soon Lucy and she were moving at the compass of the music. Caspian joined his wife minutes later, twirling her around. Maram was clapping while moving softly in the sofa, a tingle of sadness present in her eyes. "What is it my love?" Peter asked, brushing his palm over her cheek softly. "It's nothing, I just miss dancing" she said. "Oh but you can, who said pregnant women can't dance?" he said, a smile playing on his lips. "Since when do elephants dance! I'm too big to move, how could you say something like that!" whimpered Maram. Edmund snickered at Peter's face in that moment. The poor king was wincing, trying to calm his weeping wife. "Love, please, doesn't cry" he pleaded, but was only responded by a loud wail. "I am faaat!" the queen said. Lia patted her back rubbing soft circles on it. "Come on dear, let's go have a talk" she said, leading the queen through the door before sending a meaningful look towards Peter. "Mood swing 1, Peter 0" Ed commented, a cushion hurling towards him few seconds after.
Peter moved to the balcony, a little someone following him. "Papa" said a little voice coming from his legs. "Hello little knight" Peter said in a sad tone. Orion stretched his arms towards him. Soon he was eye level with his dad and rounded his neck with his arms, his little head resting on the king's shoulder. "Lop you papa" the boy said, and Peter's sadness vanished magically at those sweet words.
Lucy and Zerind were dancing, a little apart from the rest. Lucy was teaching him the dance, as it was a narnian melody. "You're learning fast" Lucy said, smiling at his expertise. "I have an excellent teacher" he said, flashing a smile at her that threatened the firmness of her knees. The dance ended with a sharp note and Zerind got a firm grasp on Lucy's waist, pushing her backwards. Bad idea. The low cut of her dress revealed a bit more of her skin, his eyes inches away. His had was holding her in place, lifting her from the plush mattress, his lips savouring the delicate skin of her neck, feeling the vibration of her moans under his kisses. Zerind opened his eyes fully and stepped back, almost making Lucy fall on the process. Caspian and Edmund, being as observant as they were, caught the frustrated look on the prince's face, identical smirks creeping to their lips. The fauns started playing another tune and Lucy pulled Zerind into yet another dance, the boy following absently, shock taking its time to wash away from his features.
Susan grew tired and sat next to Ed who was reading over some of the day's mail. "Anything interesting?" she asked. "Not really, just announcements, nothing concerning us" he answered, putting the stack of papers away. "How are you Ed? it's been a long time since we last talked" the queen said. "I am alright, living each day in peace and happiness" Ed answered. "I'm so proud of you" Susan said after some minutes of silence. Ed arched his eyebrows and waited for her to continue. "You became such a grown man. you are an excellent father, caring for your son and daughter, and not neglecting Lia or any of us, you've changed so much since the last time we were here" she said softly. Edmund's smile stiffened a little. "Those were different times, I was just a boy" he said. "And what I did only proved the ice cold heart I had, as much as hers was" he said. Susan smiled, knowing who he was referring to, and ruffled his hair. "You learnt how to be a better person with that, never forget. We should never dwell on what we did or felt, as we always learn something from it later" the queen said wisely. "Have you?" the young king asked. "Yes, that time we spent in England was a test of my faith. I even tried to convince myself that we were never going to come back, but we were summoned back, as if to prove me wrong, as if to tell me how weak I was to let myself think this had been just a dream. If I had lost faith completely, I would have stayed in that station and never met Caspian, and probably never found true love" Susan said, her eyes locked on an opposite wall, but not really looking at it, images of the past passing in front of her eyes. Ed caressed her arm and she looked back at him, smiling. "If I didn't feel any of those things I wouldn't be here now, feeling all the happiness I feel now. What you did can't be erased and even if it's not as important as the present, it's part of you, and makes you who you are now" said Susan softly, caressing the top of his head. "You speak so wisely" he said, making her chuckle. "I have two very wise brothers who have taught me valuable lessons. Peter for instance, has taught me how not to irritate Lucy" she said laughing. "I think we all have learnt that, even though his attacks of overprotection towards her are a true spectacle to be seen" Edmund agreed. "Don't be wicked, leave him alone." Susan said. "I don't plot against him, he falls into these situations all by himself. I don't know how he does it, but he's got the most perfect timing, is as if he was attracted to them by and incredible force" Ed explained, making Susan giggle. "Anyway, I just wanted you to know how proud I am of you and how much I love you, little brother" she said. "I love you too, big sister" he responded, placing a delicate kiss on the back of her hand.
Zerind was in his room, getting ready to go to sleep, when he noticed a light silk robe laying in a little sofa in his room. His nostrils were invaded by a flowery aroma as soon as he picked the garment up. He shook his head and turned on his heel, crossing his room towards Lucy's.
Lucy was coming out of her bathroom when she heard a light knock on her door. she opened, wondering who could be at this hour. "Sorry if I awoke you.. you...um... forgot this in my... my room" Zerind stammered. Lucy was in her thin nightdress, the fabric holding her figure temptingly. "Thanks, I was looking for it" she said, taking the robe from his hand, her fingers brushing against his. In a rapid (and possessed, as he considered later) movement, he shortened the distance between them, his hands on her back, pressing her against him. He leaned in softly, brushing his lips on hers. She responded onto the kiss, a warmth that had nothing to do with the summer night enveloping both of them. She nipped on his lip softly. He felt how she nipped on his lip harshly, not caring if she left a mark on it. Her kiss was desperate, showing her need of him, to which he didn't put any resistance. He separated suddenly, his forehead resting on hers. "It's late, I'm sorry for keeping you, goodnight Lucy" he said, kissing her hand before returning to his room. "Dream of me" she said as he reached his door. "You, my queen, roam my dreams every night" he said, looking over his shoulder to give her a smile. And you don't know how this last dream is haunting me, he added.
A couple of weeks later, Caspian was sitting on his study, a piece of parchment in his hands.
Dear Caspian,
The news of King Rashid being in Narnia has reached me. How relieving! To know that my dear friend is under your care takes a deep weight from my heart. But now another worry haunts me, Amir. It's because of the constant threat that he means, that I have armed my frontier, and I recommend you to do the same, only the gods know what he is planning in that twisted mind of his. I have some spies placed all around the palace in Taasban, ready to send the alert whenever they know something. Shamefully, it's all I can do and the impotence is killing me. I want nothing more than go and bring that insolent back to the prison with my own hands, but I cant. I can only pray for a war not to occur.
Please keep me informed of King Rashid's health.
My best wishes,
Keerthinath
PS: I will be paying you a visit soon, on the occasion of bringing my children to your school.
Caspian put the letter aside. He definitely didn't want to think on that topic again. He wasn't sure of how long he would resist having to lie to Rashid about the welfare of his country, but he had just started to show any progress. The Professor and Trufflehunter had been working long hours in the search of a more efficient medicine, something that would heal him faster, with almost no results.
Lucy entered the room. He jumped slightly when he saw her in front of him, looking concerned; he didn't even hear her enter. "Did anything happen?" she said, noticing the unfolded letter on the desk. "I am fine, I was just thinking, that's all" he said, rubbing his temples. "Are you going to tell me?" she asked. "I'm forced, now that you ask" he answered, a playful smile appearing on his lips. "I know" she added sweetly. "I was just thinking if there really exists any medicine that can help King Rashid to get better faster" he said. Lucy looked at him, and moved to sit on his lap, her finger tapping her chin. After some minutes of deep thinking, she turned excitedly to face him. "My cordial! We can put some drops in his drinking water, I'm sure it will help" she said, bolting towards the door. He smiled, Lucy's optimism was capable of raising anybody's spirits.
In the days that followed, the king's heath gave a significant progress, the magical properties of the cordial working wonders.
August started brilliantly, the weather becoming warmer, the sun covering every surface with an orange tinge. Cair Paravel was sparkling under the sunrays and the stained glasses tinkled gracefully, creating the most beautiful shades in the floors.
Caspian was walking down one of the corridors, having just finished a meeting with the teachers, who had just arrived from all the different countries. Ed had remained with them, assigning each a subject and then leading them to the school building.
The oldest king was heading towards the princes' room, impatient to spend some time with his son. "Your Majesty" said the nanny bowing as he entered. "Good morning, where is my son?" he asked, looking around for his little mini version. "Queen Susan took him with her to the town" the nanny answered. "Capian!" he heard a little voice behind him and saw Orion standing on his crib, holding the railing for support with one hand, the other stretched towards him. "Hi Orion!" he said, and picked the infant up, and said goodbye to the nanny. "Had a nice nappy?" he asked. "'es" Orion responded. "Oh very good, so what do you want to do now?" Caspian asked again, walking towards the garden. Orion looked at him enquiringly, and the king knew he had no idea what to answer. "Ok I think I have an idea" he said. And he changed his course, going to a little store room where they kept some paint and paintbrushes. He took some of the pots of paint and some parchment and headed to the garden. He placed Orion on the floor and sat cross-legged in front of him, extending a big roll of parchment in between them.
"Look, you take one of these" he said, showing a paintbrush to the prince. "And you put it here, in the paint, and then colour the parchment" he showed, following his own instructions. The prince watched attentively to every move. When it was his turn, he repeated the action quite well, except that instead of painting the parchment, he decided to try with his hand. Caspian laughed at this, and took his hand delicately, pressing it over the parchment, leaving his lovely handprint on it. Orion squealed and clapped, both his hands in a vibrant shade of yellow now. The prince loved the idea of having paint in his hands and moved towards the paint pot, immersing his whole hand on the paint. "Ok, careful there, the paint has to go on the parch—" he started but Orion had advanced towards him, and pressed his now violet hand in his shirt. Caspian looked down at the new decoration in his light blue shirt and sighed. This moment of distraction on his side was enough for Orion to trot back to another paint pot and this time get half his arm covered in paint. "Mummy is going to kill me if you stain your clothes, little artist" Caspian said softly. Orion was far too interested this new game to listen, and soon he cleaned his colourful hand in his shirt and trousers. He took the lonely paintbrush that was lying on the parchment and played with it, giggling as he passed it through his cheek, the sows tickling him, leaving a yellow mark on it. The ocean eyed prince forgot about it soon, stepping again towards more paint, stopped by Caspian. "No more, Orion" he said, but the prince managed to touch a paint pot, bright red paint touching his hand. "Alright, come on, we need to clean you up" Caspian said, turning the prince in his hold, stopping in mid air when a wet hand touched his cheek. "Oh you just didn't do that" he said, looking at his nephew. Orion just giggled and smeared the paint even further on the king's face. Caspian sat the boy on the floor again and dipped his finger on a bright green paint, tapping his little nose with it.
Lunch time arrived and Maram went looking for her brother and son, being told by the nanny they were together. She arrived to the garden and gave a surprised sigh. There in the middle of the grass stood both king and prince, looking like a rainbow. They had paint all over, hair, clothes, face, everywhere. "What is all this?" she asked, walking towards them. They looked up to her. "Mama!" Orion yelled excitedly and clapped, showing his few teeth in a smile. "We were painting, we tried actually" Caspian said. "Well, you look like art pieces. Should we frame your clothes? I bet they would look wonderfully in the tearoom" Maram said, smiling. "Maybe another day" Caspian said looking at the state of his clothes. "I think you both need a bath" Maram said. "As much as I love my son having blue hair, I think Peter would have a fit, and I can bet Ed would have an uncontrollable fit of laughter if he sees that stylish streak of green on your hair, brother". Caspian arched his eyebrows and picked the colourful prince up, heading straight over to the castle, asking a maid to pick up the mess in the garden on his way.
Ed was descending the stairs, heading to the kitchen, wondering if lunch was ready. He turned a corner and exploded in laughter a second later, having seen Caspian. "I know I look hideous, thanks for pointing it out" he said, sarcastically. Ed was having difficulties breathing, his laughter echoing all over. He fell to the floor and continued to laugh, Caspian arching a perfectly shaped and orange eyebrow, which of course only got Ed to guffaw even more. "Fine, stay there, we need a bath" the king said and continued his way.
By the time prince and king joined the others on the table, the rest of the monarchy had been told of the story, Ed still snorting from time to time. The just king couldn't help but snort into his orange juice as Caspian appeared, memories flowing back to him. "I would have paid to see you covered in paint" Peter commented. "Too bad, it's not happening again anytime soon" Caspian answered. "I loooved your..... haiiir! Green.... it's definitely.... your colour" Ed said in between laughs. "Thank you" Caspian said, not bothered in the slightest.
The afternoon was pleasant and warm, there was a light breeze moving the leaves in the trees, refreshing the air a tiny little bit. Edmund was sitting on the grass, his sweet daughter looking up at him, her baby eyes running over the details in his shirt. "Daddy is handsome, right?" he asked, faking conceitedness. Astrid just gurgled something and he took that as an agreement, bringing her into a hug. His heart twisted and melted with love as the little girl sighed, snuggling into his shirt and yawned. "Want to take a nappy? I think it's a good idea" he said, falling back slowly until he was resting on the grass. They were half under a tree, sun warming Ed's legs, reaching a little past his waist. He held Astrid securely with an arm, and the other covered his eyes.
Lia was reached the small garden, James looking around curiously in her arms. "It's time for your nappy" she said. As soon as she reached the place where Ed was laying, she smiled, the picture being terribly tender. Astrid was curled in Ed's chest, sleeping soundly, being raised evenly by his sleepy breathing. Still smiling she went back inside and grabbed a small cotton cover, leaving James with the nanny for some minutes. She returned to the garden and placed the cover over Astrid, Ed's upper body getting under the cover too. It would have been cruel to wake them up and breaking such a wonderful picture so she left them there, the great apple tree looking over them.
Orion was sleeping soundly when Peter entered the room. Lia was tending James, preparing him to his afternoon nap. "Hi Lia" he said. "Hi Peter" she answered softly. "Did Orion fall sleep long ago?" he asked. "just a few minutes ago, he wanted to continue playing, but then I had to convince him it was nappy time, when I noticed he was fighting to keep his eyelids from dropping" she said with a smile. "Oh right, so he won't wake up anytime soon" Peter said, sounding disappointed. "In an hour or two maybe" Lia answered. "Ok, never mind, thanks" Peter said, exiting the room.
The magnificent king walked over the castle, looking for things to occupy himself. He wanted to play something with Orion, but the little prince needed his sleep. He was walking through one of the corridors leading to the gardens when he saw a little figure walking alone near the trees. He run over to it, recognizing who it was. "Cas! You managed to lose your nanny again, didn't you?" asked Peter, lifting the boy in his arms. "Pete" the boy said, hugging him. Peter smiled. "Do you want to play with me?" the king asked. Cas nodded and giggled, excited about the idea. Peter had no idea what he could do in there, specially with Cas. He spotted a little piece of wet soil ahead of them and had an idea. "Ok I'm going to teach you how to do mud pies" he said. Both sat in the grass bordering the muddy puddle and Peter lifted both his and Cas' sleeves. He took a good quantity of mud in his hands and shaped it, showing Cas how to do it. "Now it's your turn" Peter said, putting some mud on Cas' hands. The prince examined the substance in his hands for a while, clearly interested, then patted it slowly. "Now you have to shape it" Peter said, but Cas had better plans. In a surprisingly calculated motion, he managed to throw a good quantity of mud towards Peter's face, the rest falling over his little brown trousers with a splat. Peter wiped his face and smiled, he couldn't blame Cas, he was just a little kid having fun. Cas stood up and, walking on the mud (much to Peter's dismay), approached his uncle. "Pete" he said, his little hands covered in mud touching the entire king's face. Peter laughed and tickled him, the little boy squirming and falling on the mud, staining his clothes. "Ah, that was bad" Peter said, standing up to pick the muddy baby. He had to get into the mud too, and as he was raising the boy, he slipped, falling backwards, hitting the floor with a loud grunt. Cas merely giggled, unaffected as Peter's body protected him from any harm. "What have you doooone to my son!!" came an exasperated yell. Susan ran over. "Su, it wasn't on purpose" Peter said, his voice throaty and full of pain. Susan saw his position and changed her mood immediately. "Peter, you alright?" she asked, bending over to see his face. "Yes I just fell" he answered, grunting as he tried to move. "Peter, you need help, I'm going to call the boys" Susan said and Peter tried to stop her, but another bolt of pain made him stop. Ed and Caspian appeared in the garden and Peter could see them snickering under their breaths. Ed took a good look at Peter and choked on a laugh as he noticed his muddy face. "I'm loving the tan" he said, breaking into a loud snort, Caspian shaking softly with laughter on his side. Susan took Cas in her arms, his cute little hands smearing some mud on her face as he caressed her cheek. "Thank you dear, I heard mud is good for the skin, but you, little mister, need a bath urgently" she said, marching back to the castle, glaring at the snickering kings.
Caspian and Ed lifted Peter, who groaned loudly. "Trust you to slip on mud" Caspian said, placing one of his brother's arms over his shoulders. "I have some good memories on that matter" Edmund said, his smirk growing bigger. "Shut up Ed" Peter groaned, walking slowly.
Another week passed and carriages started arriving intermittently, porting the flags from many different countries. A lot of monarchs and lords had decided to travel to Narnia to leave their children in the school.
Caspian, Peter and Ed were running around the castle several times per day, having to organize all the people as well as possible in the castle and in the little inns in the village. This of course, wasn't all, as most of the kings wanted to have meetings with them, willing to talk about treaties and deals. Caspian decided it was better to hear them all at the same time, and so he was now sitting in the main seat of a large table, monarchs sitting at his sides.
"King Caspian" spoke King Pyotr, his ice blue eyes warm towards him. "I hearrrd King Rrrashid is here, I must say I'm verry pleased to know that he is out of any dangerrr" the king said. "Thank you, my friend, it was the only thing I could do to help" Caspian answered. "Yes its true, but his son, Amir, we should remain cautious and attentive, he is dangerous and all of us are in danger" said King Gaetan. "I am most afraid of his plans towards Narnia, after all, we know very well he holds a grudge against you for having opposed him in the past" King Cedric said. "I am most willing to lend you half of my army for protection, just ask me and they will be here" king Makis said. "I thank you for your concern and for you help, but for now I don't want to give any step forward, our plan is to let him make the first move" Caspian said, and by the look in his eyes, the other kings could do nothing but remain silent. "i think is wise for us to have a plan, in case an emergency breaks out, even us, the ones that have no borders with Calormen, as we can be of some help" King Haagen said. "I agree, we can cooperate with soldiers and weapons, one army, as big as the calormene one can be, won't be anything compared to all ours together" King Aurek reasoned. "Gentlemen, please, we are not planning a war. until we know the intentions of Calormen, there is nothing we can do other than prepare ourselves and our armies for any eventuality" Cseke said.
There was a knock on the door, and a very pregnant Maram entered. "My apologies, Your Highnesses, I just came to say a quick word to my brother" she said, curtsying with her head. "My Queen, your apologies are more than accepted" Emperor Keerthinath said. She smiled at him and whispered something to Caspian. A question stopped her from exiting the room. "Your Majesty, what do you consider is the best to be done with the threat Calormen represents to us" King Makis. Maram turned and smiled at him. "I don't see how Amir can be a threat to you, My king" she said, her telmarine cunningness being brought out in her dark eyes. "I worry for Narnia" the king answered. "Don't, if Amir steps in narnian territory, he'll be received by steel" she said, taking the chair Caspian had just offered. "Don't you agree that we have to conceive a strategy, just in case of emergency?" Haagen asked. "I do, the idea of joining forces is good, as our armies together would be quite intimidating, and no general in his right mind would dare to step forward to it" she said. "We should close the borders, put a soldier in every metre of our borders" Keerthinath said. "No, that would show our intentions to Amir, it's too risky and those soldiers become an easy target. I was thinking on something bigger, and yet not able to catch the attention" she said. The men in the room looked attentively to her, and Caspian smiled. His sister was an excellent strategist. "Vigilance towers, not tall enough to surpass the trees, but enough to be seen in a small distance, I believe a kilometre would suffice. A small army of archers could be on top, while the base can hold some soldiers. In the centre of the tower we could have a torch to be lit in case of invasion, and who will alert the others around to make the same. We could position griffins in strategical points to fly by and bring the news to us here in Cair Paravel, to Kapij, Durlar, Anvard and Istra, the capitals of the five bordering countries" she said, the men looking at her in awe. "My, my, I don't think we would have reached a better idea" Gaetan said, patting the queen's hand. "I think I speak in the name of all the other countries when I say we want to cooperate" King Aurek said. "And your help will be greatly considered. I was thinking to take a quarter of each of the armies and have them divided by the number of towers, the other three quarters divided into the five countries" Maram continued.
"Your plan is without a doubt excellent, but from the five countries, I believe Archeland and Krasjhali are the less interesting to Amir, and his mind is set not in conquering, but revenging. I say the armies should be divided into the three other countries" King Gaetan said, and Keerthinath agreed with him. "Amir knows I have my borders controlled, and I represent no threat to him, as all he knows I did, was send my doctors to tend his father. I agree with King Gaetan, he won't attack us"
Caspian was looking at his sister, as she analyzed the new information, and he could almost see her brain working on a new arrangement for her plan. "I guess we should build the towers, and then wait for any news from the calormenes before planning any war" King Cseke said, his calm voice hiding his slight annoyance, but Caspian knew him too well, and his eyes betrayed him, advertence swirling intensely on them. "Please, you shouldn't be working yourself up like this, sister, it's not good for you or for your baby" Caspian said to Maram, who looked at him for a moment, chocolate gazing into chocolate, and she saw the concern in them. "Lunch is going to be ready in a few moments, please don't be late" she said, accepting the help of Emperor Keerthinath to stand up. "We should close this topic here, I would rather move to more pleasant topics" Caspian said, his voice firm, his words subtly imposing.
That afternoon, Lucy and Zerind were on the opposite side of the castle, in one of the inner gardens. In the middle of the wide space of grass stood a tall and delicate marble fountain, and both prince and queen where sitting there talking. "Are you happy to start school soon?" Lucy asked. "I am, yes, but I'm quite sad too, as I wont have as much time to be with you" he said, taking her hand in his. "Oh don't worry, ill visit the school continuously, and I'll make sure to be there in your recesses" she said. "Well at least we won't start classes till September, not seriously at least, these weeks are just for organization, or so King Edmund said" the prince said. Lucy smiled and stared at their reflection on the water. She dipped her hand in the cool water and smiling deviously, splashed Zerind. "Hey! what was that for?" he asked. "For nothing" she said, splashing him again. Zerind did the same and both started a wet war, their upper bodies soon getting drenched. "Lucy, what are you doing?" came a deep voice on their side, and Edmund approached them slowly. "Playing" Lucy responded pointing the obvious. "Peter would have an attack if he sees you like that, you know how he acts around those new dresses of yours, and this one is wet" Ed said. Lucy looked at her dress and smiled, a small blush appearing on her cheeks. "Go get a warm bath, and try to avoid Peter on your way" he recommended. Lucy nodded and went inside, leaving both boys alone. "Keep going like that Zerind, you've proven yourself worthy of my sister" Edmund said, clapping the prince's shoulder. "Thanks Your Majesty, but what are you referring to?" Zerind asked. "Come on, you are a teenager, its normal to feel some lust, specially with Lucy being a little evil teaser, I've seen her. it takes quite a huge self control to stop acting, if you get what I'm saying. You're a good man" Ed said. Zerind was out of words, was his inner struggle as easy to see? "Don't worry, it's not very noticeable" the king spoke again, reading the boy's mind. "If you accept an advice, don't let her play around with you too much, you will end up exploding" Ed added, smirking and then left a very dumbfounded Zerind behind. Ah, if the king knew how his dreams were becoming more and more haunting by each passing day, how his senses were eager to get more from her, but he couldn't, King Edmund had just put his trust on him, and he was honoured for this. no, he had to be strong and try to remain as unaffected as possible with her tempting teasing. As painful as it can be, he thought.
AN: So well, I hoped you liked it!! I can't wait to read what you thought!! Please review!!!
See you soon!!
