A/n:
Wow! I am very delighted to see that a lot of you reacted pretty positively to Levin/Helena and agreed that it's "one of the best couples ever". I'm really very honored!
Based on your reviews, I have concluded that maybe it would be a good idea for Levin/Helena to have some friendly scenes as well, so not just entirely romantic scenes. I'll see what I can do, and I'll do my best, but if you find that their relationship is moving too fast, well, you're not wrong. It is indeed my intention. Because they're young and in love - they do stupid things. They make mistakes, and I think it would be more interesting to see them break and mend instead of having everything go smoothly. So though they may have a pretty smooth start, the course of their relationship could potentially be really rocky. After all, one of the major sources of trouble, apart from the Green Witch, is, of course, CALORMEN! So don't think I'm going to leave the Calormenes out in this story.
In this chapter you'll get to see the letter Caspian IX wrote to Caspian X. I'm afraid you won't see that much of inter-character exchanges, but then this will sort of be a back-story pertaining to Telmarine history, about Caspian's dad...Caspian. The Ninth. Haha! I hope you'll like this chapter. And yes there will be more mentions of the Green Witch. *cackles evilly and scatters some magic powder to enchant you*
~Narrator's POV~
My dear son,
I know that you are but a little Prince at the moment and are probably too young to comprehend what I am trying to impart to you with this letter's contents, but one day you shall be King, and you will lead Narnia, so you must know what it means to be King, and I hope that you pass this on to your children, and to your grandchildren, and to your great-grandchildren, and so on, after you rule this country for a great long while.
We Telmarines tend to speak of Narnia's history as a myth. I tell you now, my son, that none of the stories of the ancient sovereigns are merely myths and legends. Some will find it hard to believe me, and I know that my brother is an example of one, but you must know that the Kings and Queens of Old are figures to look up to.
To explicate and flesh out my thoughts I have penned you a poem, which I hope you will read and be inspired by. With it, I will teach you what it means to be a man, a leader, a King.
One of the many things that I must instill in you is the paramount importance of communication – the key to building healthy interpersonal relationships. Regularly evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of everything that you do. Though you must aspire to become a diligent, bona fide worker, King or peasant, it is not all about you, solely. Undoubtedly you will be assigned tasks that involved a great deal of cooperation from other parties, and thus disagreements would be somewhat inevitable.
In my experience, whenever conflicts arose, I would attribute them to a lack of proper and clear communication beforehand, which is why you must be good at expressing yourself. You must master the skills of defending yourself while maintaining a certain level of politeness and civility, and not let anybody take advantage of you.
Do not be afraid to take the initiative. Take responsible risks, and be much aware of the consequences that you would have to face for every decision that you make. Your choices have a profound impact on much more than just your immediate circle. Things will not always go your way, but you must be flexible, and you must always adjust your mentality to deal with matters in a most sensible, mature way, with a pragmatic, realistic approach, focusing on the problem-solving process rather than looking for excuses or laying the blame on any person on your team, instead of throwing temper tantrums as some people I have worked with chose to. So, in the end, it is really just your choice whether or not you will be successful in life. Every little thing counts, my son. Make it count.
Over the years, I have learnt what it takes to be a true leader. Leaders are role models living exemplary lives of continuous hard work, during which they should be ready to constantly stoop and rebuild the work to which their time and effort are devoted to. Leaders should be passionate about what they do, in order to be prepared to face challenges, whatever form they may take. While it is true that an individual's ideals and dreams may be mocked by others, I do believe that if you can trust yourself when all others doubt you, you have what it takes to be a leader.
Of course, I also give thanks to your mother who has given me her undying support and in my darkest moments of extreme despair I can always find solace in her. One day, my son, you will find yourself a Queen, but do not only seek fair looks in a maiden. There are things you must pay attention to when picking your Consort, and that will be elaborated as you read on.
Many people have expressed doubts towards my ability to coordinate a team, but at the end of the day I believe have proven myself capable, because leaders are confident, but not arrogant. In fact, they are balanced. True leaders would never let snide remarks bring them down, nor let compliments get to their heads. They welcome success, but at the same time they are also prepared to face failure.
There were times, of course, when I struggled to come to terms with the fact that I have lost, or came second in a contest, even in the more trivial, little things like polo matches and jousting tournaments, but compared to what I have gained in return, I realize that I have to give in order to get. This is what true sportsmanship is about.
Indeed, both triumph and disaster can make me stronger all the same. I am driven to constantly strive for a balance, and I seek to do so in all facets of life, because leadership is not bound to any specific field, just as my vision, passion, and ambitions allow no impediments.
I am quite a determined person and there is nothing that I would not do in order to be at the top of the world where I belong. Perseverance prevails. Adversities may knock you down, but you have to get up again and keep trying. I will never give up. I will stop at nothing. You need to persist, and keep you head up when skies are grey.
My birthright as King has given me countless opportunities to exert my potential to the full and put my talents and gifts and strengths to good use, for which I am very, very grateful, as they aid me in more ways than one on my path to success. Though I still have a long way to go, I am optimistic about your bright future and that one day you will be a multitalented, accomplished, versatile King that Narnia would want and need.
I am a firm believer in equality and forgiveness, and that everyone deserves a second chance. There was a point in life where I was very unforgiving and unsympathetic and stubborn and obstinate, I would have to admit. Yet, there was again your mother who inspired me and opened my mind to a whole new way of viewing things. I have come to realize my own flaws, and I have also come to accept other people's flaws, and acceptance can get me a long way.
So by now you must be wondering what I have to tell you about your future Queen. Well, my son, we are humans, and we make mistakes as much as we try to avoid them. Our forefather, Caspian I, whom you will know as 'the Conqueror' if you pay enough attention in your history lessons, has made a mistake that comes with consequences even you and I have to bear. He was a very ambitious man. His greed for power was his critical downfall, however. He led an army to travel all the way from Telmar to Narnia where we are right now, and Narnia was in a state of anarchy when he conquered this northern land. Warring factions were everywhere, and he faced strong competition as he was most certainly not the only one who wanted to take control of Narnia and become King. There was no length he wouldn't go to just to secure the Narnian throne for himself, and perhaps both you and I have him to thank for allowing us the chance to be King, but he was too brutal, and too blinded by his want for power.
At the time of his conquest he was engaged to a Telmarine noblewoman whom he was very much in love with, and she had returned his affections, I trust. But Aslan the Great Lion came to him one day – and, yes, I know that they speak of the Him as an imaginary deity, but I beg to differ, although it is a pity that I cannot find tangible proof of His existence. Still, the Great Lion came to Caspian I and offered our ancestor a deal, because Aslan, knowing that the good sake of Narnia is paramount, and that it was better for Narnia to have a capable ruler – cruel, but yes, capable – than to be in complete chaos – because that was exactly how the Charn became the Underland.
Aslan came to the Conqueror and told him that one way he could seize absolute power was to bear a curse that he, and every firstborn son from the line of Caspians, must marry a woman who is not from Telmar or Narnia. The decision was a painful one, but he willingly obliged nonetheless. He ended things with his fiancée, and chose another bride who was from a foreign land. Things did not end prettily, I can tell you. Some even say that his ex-fiancée had gone mad after the engagement was called off, and lived in seclusion to practice dark magic, making herself immortal and vowing to seduce every descendant of Caspian I, so that she could haunt him forevermore. But alas it remains unknown to me how much truth there is in this saying, since I have never encountered any woman who might have fit the descriptions of this lady. She was last seen wearing a green kirtle, with a serpent loyally and obediently slithering by her side, and gripping a silver wand tightly in her hand.
Anyway, the Conqueror did not realize how much he gave up until he was on his deathbed. But alas, it was too late, and this curse cannot be broken. Unitus per amorem, evict fatis. This means that each Caspian and his Queen were 'united by love, conquered by fate'. Because Aslan cast it Himself, this magic is too, too ancient and powerful – if any person meddles with it, he shall perish in the most painful ways to ever exist. He, too, shall be cursed sevenfold. I would not recommend that you put the Great Lion's greatness to the test. After all He does appear to be quite a fearful creature.
And that is how our ancestor carelessly let the curse live on as his bloodline continued throughout the House of Telmar. He gave up his love for authority. Very selfish, if I may say, but perhaps his sacrifice was the reason why the Telmarine rule of Narnia did not fall. As my firstborn son, you will have to bear the curse just as I did. Do not get me wrong – your mother is the choice of my heart; she is my salvation. Whether or not I was cursed, she would still be my wife and the mother of my children. My love for her will never end. And you must love your wife and Queen this way. Do not make the same mistake as your forefather did. Caspian, bear thy name and bear thy curse, but bear in mind that blessings and curses can both be disguised.
You will certainly think to ask me how I came to discover this facet of our fate. Your mother and I came to learn our destiny when your uncle – no, not Miraz, but your mother's brother – was charged into a star and now rightfully owns the Eastern Island your mother is from. If you ever can overcome the fear of the seas, build your own ship and sail to that island. From what your mother describes, it is a beautiful place and if I may say so myself, it could be a wonderful place for a wedding to be held. Quite a few years ago I had wanted a seafaring expedition myself, but your mother was pregnant with you, and I was determined to stay by her side rather than please myself with adventures as if I were a private person. When you are older, however, we shall go on a journey together, as a family. I know, however, that it would mean that Miraz would demand that I make him Regent, and though I would admit that he is capable and ambitious, he is too oppressive, and too much like the Conqueror. I do not want my kingdom to be in the hands of my brother for I fear that he is not the right person to be put in a position of authority. He is too dispassionate and too eager to have an heir, even though he doesn't need one to secure a throne. I know that he is my brother and I mustn't speak of him that way, but there are people you need to watch out for. Politics is a dangerous subject. It can get you a long way, or it can sever ties and wreck you.
There is also another confession I need to make. I tell you this in hope that you can avoid making the mistake I did. I was twenty years old when I married your mother. There was a lot of pressure on us because the kingdom expects us to have a child within one year of our marriage, but that didn't happen until ten years into our marriage when you came along. And I have to admit, for a while, because I was too obsessed with wanting an heir, and trying too hard to crush the rumors that I was infertile, I forgot to take the time to appreciate what my wife has done for me. I forgot to take the time to love her, shower her with affection, give her my all as she has given me her all. Of course, I never went to the length of taking a mistress, but I felt very defeated, honestly. Until you came along, as luck would have it, and I had never felt so blessed in my life. As I look back now I realize that I spent too long pondering upon what I couldn't have, and not what I was given. I was given a kingdom, a people, a beautiful, wonderful, loving wife who is everything I have ever wanted and will ever need. I was given a son, and you will mean much more to me than just the heir to my throne. I promised to myself: a better King, to my wife: a better husband, and to you, my son: a better father.
So when the day comes when you will choose your wife and Queen, do not forget to spend every waking moment of your existence to love her with all that you are. There will be expectations, if not pressure, for her to produce an heir to secure the line of succession, but your child should be the result of a loving, healthy marriage, and not born out of duty and obligation to the kingdom. And there will be lots of challenges you will have to face as you grow to be a man, my son. But face them with a brave, noble heart. And always remember what I have taught you, and may you find all the happiness and love that this world – and perchance, another world – can possibly offer you.
Your loving father,
Caspian IX
A/n:
So, do you like the chapter? What do you think of Caspian IX's character?
Were the mentions of the Green Witch intriguing?
This letter won't be read by only you, my readers. It'll be read by four characters in the story as well: Caspian X, Kalyn, Levin, Helena. I'm going to show you their reactions in the next chapter.
I of course won't forget to thank my loyal reviewers: AlanaFaith15, BarnCat23, EarthToNarnia, Caspian the Navigator, Empire of Fiction, elomeno, cupcakemania22, lairyfight, Missey01 because you guys brought me to 300 reviews! I can't even begin to say how happy I am! It's just incredible; I'd never thought I'd be able to accomplish this. To some people 300 reviews might not seem a lot but it is a lot to me, and I'm very grateful for what I have! So, please continue to read & review my chapters; it would really make my day and put a smile on my face! Hopefully this chapter will have as many reviews as the last one did, or, better yet, more!
