The years of their childhood had come to an end sooner than they liked, making them young adults who had to fulfill their duties at court according to etiquette. But it could not be denied that they had lots of fun as well, thanks to, or perhaps despite of, their privileged life in the circles of high nobility.
"Caspian, it's so nice to see you again!" Emilio's mother happily approached him, crossing the courtyard of the family's town villa with fast steps. She hugged him like a mother, then she would look up at him in amusement. "Emilio's almost ready."
Caspian could easily tell that his best friend, as so often, could likely not decide which coat to wear. He was very much into the latest fashion, in contrast to Caspian, whose clothes seldomly matched his title.
"Well, good things come to those who wait …" the Prince chuckled.
"Es cierto." Danita nodded, but all of a sudden she seemed a bit anxious. "Príncipe, is Miraz treating you well?"
"He's unbearable," Caspian was quick to admit. "I'm not going home tonight."
"I'm so sorry, dear," she sighed. Then she curiously asked, "So … what are you two planning instead?"
She was immediately reproached by her husband Lonaz, who had just stepped out of the small stable behind them.
"Don't be so nosy, Danita, they're old enough to be out and about without our knowledge," he laughed as he joined them. Given the dirty and loose clothes he wore, it was hard to imagine him as one of the most influential merchants of his time. But it was exactly that inconventionality that made Emilio's home such a wonderful sanctuary for Caspian.
"It was just a question," Danita tried to defend herself.
Caspian had already known Emilio's parents for years by the time, and they had never treated him like a guest or a Prince – he had always been a part of the family, as though he was Emilio's brother. Danita and Lonaz would always lend an ear and they were happy about the boys' friendship from the beginning. For this very reason, and also because Danita was an incredibly talented cook, Caspian felt more comfortable around Emilio's family than around his own.
"We have nothing special in mind – we'll probably just pay Ratón a visit," Caspian informed Danita, who immediately beamed due to the given information.
"And is Cyrena coming?" she giggled in excitement. "She likes you a lot, Príncipe, I'm sure of it."
"You think so?" Caspian forced a reluctant smile.
"Come on, while we're at it …" Lonaz patted him on the back. "Do tell, is Emilio in love, too?"
Caspian was not quite prepared for this question and took a deep breath to have more time for his answer, just when his friend finally stepped out on the courtyard as well and spared him from having to leak information.
"¡Listo!" Emilio yelled and spread his arms wide to show off his chosen coat, a rather flamboyant model. "What do you say?" (1)
"Sobresaliente", Caspian rolled his eyes laughing. "¿Vámonos?" (2, 3)
Emilio nodded mischievously as they got moving. "¡Vámonos!"
"Have fun, chicos!" Danita waved them goodbye and Lonaz added, "I'll leave the door to the backyard open for you. But be quiet if you come back late. And I don't want to meet any unfamiliar faces at the breakfast table!"
"Sure, sure, don't worry," Emilio promised, pushing Caspian out onto the street.
"I love your parents," the Prince said as they would follow the path to the old town.
"And they love you, tío," Emilio assured him. Then he groaned. "I'm particularly thirsty today, I can tell you that much!"
It was a hot summer evening and the streets, crowded by the people of Telmar, still seemed rather busy right before sundown.
"Not again, not tonight – I beg of you," Caspian sighed, rubbing his forehead with a grin. "The last time you've said that, I had to carry you home …"
"That's not true." Emilio sounded indignant by the very thought of it as they continued to follow the Calle. "I was just a little dizzy, that's all. I didn't really need your help."
"Dizzy …" Caspian laughed. "You were incoherently drunk, don't you deny it."
"Don't you talk so impudently – you're no better!" Emilio frowned. "And don't forget that almost any girl from around here would hate you if it wasn't for me and my occasional white lies!"
Caspian lifted a brow. "White lies? Oh, come on!"
"It's true," Emilio said. "Just think about last week! The one asks me where you are while you've got nothing better to do than changing taverns with the other!"
"But she just wouldn't stop talking about herself, I had to get away," Caspian reasoned.
"Nevertheless your behavior is impossible!"
"Well, for all I care, you're right," the Prince admitted, smiling tiredly.
"I know I am." Emilio seemed satisfied. "There you go. And one hand washes the other. That's what brothers do."
"That's what brothers do," Caspian agreed. "Well, then be thirsty tonight …"
Lively celebrations were unmistakably a part of their Telmarine culture and even Miraz would never miss an opportunity to invite guests into the castle.
He had married Prunaprismia years ago, but that by no means prevented him from indulging in the company of far too many women, as his brother had before him without regard to morals.
It seemed to be the only trait that actually lay in the family, and Caspian had inherited it to some extend. In spite of his young age he seemed to be quite hedonistic and rarely ever willing to miss out on fun.
Emilio and most of his friends knew that he was deliberately restrained in the castle and Miraz's presence, but Telmar's real night life took place in the Calles of the Barrio Gitano anyway, far away from the boring nobility. Those quarters were vibrant and spirited, the people loved to dance, to laugh and to enjoy themselves, and that was exactly what Caspian and his friends had in mind for that evening as well.
Emilio and Caspian stopped in front of a courtyard right before they were reaching the Barrio, then they shrugged and merely exchanged wary glances.
They were supposed to wait for Lorella and her friend Cyrena to join them, but apparently the girls were not ready yet. Should they wait or at least try to speed things up?
After a few minutes, Caspian lost his patience. With a heartfelt sigh he opened the gates of the courtyard to walk in, closely followed by Emilio.
"Chicas, ya os veis bonitas, ¡vamos!" he called for them, clapping his hands and, just as he had finished, his cousin put her head out of one of the windows. (4)
"Just a second!" Lorella protested and her friend Cyrena laughed as loud as ever behind her. "We're almost ready!"
She went in again and Caspian just shoved his hair back away from his face as he leaned against the wall under the window.
"I told you we would have to wait forever." He frowned at Emilio, but his friend just smiled sheepishly.
"I won't rush them though. I certainly won't start a discussion with your cousin …"
"Why not?" Lorella winked when she finally stepped onto the courtyard with Cyrena.
Emilio had not expected her to hear him and so he only gave a dismissive wave with his hand. "Shall we?"
Lorella nodded, joining Emilio, well aware that Cyrena wanted Caspian for herself – and she wasted no time.
"Buenas noches," Cyrena giggled.
"Buenas," Caspian repeated and tried to force a smile as she linked her arm around his.
She was pretty, but her character's nature was just too exhausting.
"Do you like my dress?" she quickly demanded attention.
"Sure," Caspian said what she wanted to hear, but with little empathy he added, "Juanito will certainly be thrilled. You should get to know him better."
"Juanito?" she asked in disbelief as they left the yard on the way to the Barrio Gitano. "But he's exactly my age and … No. I don't know. I much rather believe that you and me –"
"Lorella?" Caspian turned around hastily before Cyrena was able to trap him forever. "Juanito and Cyrena would make a great couple, wouldn't they?"
"Well, maybe with some imagination …" She sneered and knew exactly what Caspian was up to. However she helped him by distracting from the previous conversation. "Where are we going first tonight?"
"Cuervo's waiting at Ratón's." Caspian replied and winked at Cyrena. "Just like Juan …"
She blew out her cheeks almost a bit offended as she could hardly believe that Caspian did not notice her advances. But to his relief, she did not comment on it.
"Emilio, I wonder … Did you bring some of those infamous herbs that your father trades?" Lorella grinned. "You know which ones I mean …"
"Yes, I did … But at some point my father will notice that something's missing, and then you'll never see me again – he's going to eat me alive …" Emilio gulped.
"He surely won't," Lorella laughed, "I bet Lonaz won't ever notice!"
"Well, considering the amount you steal for Lorella …" Caspian teased.
"Oh, people in glass houses, Caspian," Lorella hissed.
The Prince only grinned and remained silent until they reached La Ratonera. Cuervo and Juanito were waiting for them outside the old tavern. And from the inside, guitar music could already be heard in the streets.
"About time, Príncipe!" Cuervo said and winked as Caspian pointed at the ladies apologetically.
"Cyrena wanted to look beautiful for Juan today," he said and ignored her obvious indignation as he pushed her towards Juanito.
"No harm in that," Cuervo cackled, "come on, let's try to find a table!"
Ratón had his hands full behind the bar, but nobody in his tavern had but a second of doubt that he loved what he was doing. He was living for his tavern and always enjoyed being the center of Telmar's nights.
"Six glasses and a bottle, please," Cuervo ordered as he was within Ratón's earshot – but the innkeeper only snorted and shook his head.
"You have debts from last night already, amigo, pay those first!"
Caspian knew his friend, he was aware that Cuervo hardly earned anything with honest work in his family's smithy. He gave Cuervo more than enough as a matter of course to him.
"No, not again, it's my turn," he wanted to refuse the coins, but Caspian was already looking for a table and would not take the money back anyway.
Cuervo shrugged his shoulders in relief, handed Ratón the clicking coins, and the old man did not hesitate much longer to hand him a tray with plenty of glasses and a bottle over the counter.
Cuervo made his way to his friends and was eagerly awaited.
"Salud," he shouted with a grin as he filled and distributed the glasses. "¡Viva la vida telmarina!"
"To freedom," the others joined in laughing.
The bottle was empty well before sunset and another one followed suit when the evening turned into a starry night.
The small tavern seemed to burst with people as the friends gave up their table inside and exchanged it for one on the street in much fresher air.
"Oh look, Telmar's poor street children," they suddenly heard a scornful voice behind them as soon as they were outside.
Alenoz had to correct himself when he saw the rest of the group behind Cuervo and Juanito.
"Oh, and of course the usual nobility that accompanies them …" He let his gaze wander from Caspian to Lorella.
"What do you want?" Emilio asked, trying to hide his amusement at the fact that Alenoz he was clearly drunk. "Isn't it enough that we have to see each other on the practice field daily?"
"Easy, merchant boy, it's you who's crossed our path," said one of Alenoz' companions, and Lorella and Emilio just rolled their eyes.
"Then keep going, we really didn't mean to stop you," Caspian vowed.
"I normally would." Alenoz nodded. "But I've just recently come across an interesting rumor at court, and now that we're meeting far away from the etiquette, we should probably talk about it …"
Caspian had to suppress a laugh when he, to Alenoz' surprise, took a glass, put it in front of him and filled it to the brim.
"Then take a sip and tell the tale," Caspian said.
Alenoz blinked, then he emptied the glass at once and let out a harsh breath.
"I've heard something pretty crazy about your mother, Príncipe."
Caspian's amused smile immediately turned into a watchful one. No one ever spoke questionably about his mother, and for good reason – she was sacred to him.
"Who's talking about Lykiana?" Lorella inquired suspiciously as well.
"I've heard Miraz himself with Prunaprismia, in the castle corridors," Alenoz said. "They had no idea that I could overhear their conversation."
"I don't believe you already." Emilio waved it off. "You always want to make yourself important – it's been like that ever since our childhood."
"Believe me or not," Alenoz said with a grin. "Our Prince can decide for himself what he likes to think of it."
"Of what," Cyrena asked, running out of patience just like everyone else.
"Do you really want to know?" Alenoz surely had his fun, but of course, at these words, everybody moaned to make him go on.
"All right, all right," he began, "Miraz has revealed a piquant detail about the last Queen." He took to watching Caspian very closely as he continued. "He told Prunaprismia that Lykiana was a stranger at court. No one in the hierarchy knew her before the wedding with the King, no one had ever heard of her name."
He looked around, but apparently this information, so outrageous to Alenoz, did not seem to shock anyone as much as himself.
"That's it?" Lorella asked, giving him an incredulous glance.
"Don't you understand that?" Alenoz shook his head. "It means there is no way she was aristocratic! On the contrary, Miraz even claimed that she came from Calormene borders. I mean, every child knows about the poverty and troubles there …"
He smiled at Caspian, but the Prince's face was stonecold sober.
"That would make you the son of a King, but also the son of a commoner," Alenoz explained his thoughts further. "That finally explains why you get along with scum so well!"
It was the moment when Caspian no longer wanted to control himself. Grabbing Alenoz by the collar he said, "Call my mother or my friends scum ever again and I will see to it that your family never sets foot here again!"
"I didn't mean no harm!" Alenoz swallowed hard, at least as far as it was possible in the light of Caspian's firm grip. He smiled apologetically. "I just found it interesting and thought you'd want to know that you're probably even half Calé …"
"Why, thank you," Caspian said under his breath and let go off him again, disgust written all over his face. "If what you say is true, I'm proud of it, in contrast to your expectations."
"Wonderful, good for you, I just thought you'd want to know," Alenoz sneered. He nodded to his companions with renewed composure. "Let's go. The dancer will be here shortly anyway."
"Which dancer?" Juanito asked before Alenoz could disappear into the crowd.
"The daughter of the Flamenco Tavern's owner down the street is making her debut tonight", Alenoz replied. And he could not resist adding, "You should know, you live here after all."
"Oh please, get going," Juan chased him away and turned back to his friends.
"I've already heard about a dancer." Emilio beamed. "Why don't we take a look as well?"
"Why should we?" Caspian asked.
"You've just heard that maybe you're Gitano yourself and you don't want to watch flamenco?" Emilio moaned. Clearly he was much more interested in art and culture than Caspian.
"You know me," the Prince said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not into dancing."
"But I also want to see Tayana, we've known each other forever," Cuervo said. "She is fierce. She just shouldn't see me, I owe her money …"
"Tayana?" Cyrena almost began to jump. "I know her, too! Come on, we have to go see her!"
"You wouldn't want to miss a minute," Caspian assumed, smiling wearily. "But I'll need something to drink to watch this …"
"Bring me some tapas," Emilio shouted after him as Caspian swung from their place on one of the town walls and begun moving through the people to the opposite side of the street.
He knew that Telmar was passionate about Flamenco, but the enthusiasm for it had never infected him. He had no idea yet that he would find a friend for life in a dancer and meet her that very night.
The whole street was crowded by people. Caspian soon found it exhausting to push through them and knew that in this street, it would take him forever to find something to eat for his ever hungry friend. So he had soon ducked through a small side street into the much calmer opposite Calle and took a deep breath of relief. Here, the people were strolling comfortably and calmly past the townhouses – and Caspian was immediately drawn to one of them in particular. From afar he could see a counter and bread baskets on it, which quickly made him enter there.
But apparently there was nobody inside, he could only hear excited voices from next room.
"The flowers just won't stay in place, believe me," he heard a girl say in frustration, but the other one protested.
"We just have to place them properly, give me another pin."
"No tenemos ningunas más, you have already used all of them!" (5)
"I'll get them, there should be some left behind the counter."
Caspian could hardly whirl around fast enough when suddenly a girl his age stood in front of him with her arms crossed, staring at him suspiciously.
"What are you doing here?"
"Who's there?" they immediately heard the other one. "Is that Cuervo? He owes me money!"
"No, that's not him," her friend shouted, without letting the stranger out of her sight.
"But I know Cuervo," Caspian said, yet this circumstance did not seem to impress the girl.
"Doesn't matter – why did you listen to our conversation?"
"I didn't – well, not on purpose at least," Caspian said and smiled apologetically as he reached for the hair pins behind the counter and handed them to her. "But you'll need these, won't you?" She took the pins when he explained, "I just wanted to get something to drink and some tapas …"
"We're closed!"
"The door was wide open," Caspian replied with a confident grin.
"Oh yes? Then close it behind you!"
Caspian chuckled, nodded and gave up when suddenly someone behind them began to burst with laughter.
"Leya, you're incredible!" The girl in the doorway could not hold back. She was beautiful, she could just as well have been painted, and her laugh was contagious.
"What?" Leya asked, cleary perplexed. "¿Qué pasa?" (6)
"You don't even recognize a Prince when he's standing right in front of you! On the contrary, you immediately send him away again …" She was almost in tears of laughter as Leya turned to Caspian again.
"Oh." She finally nodded. "Wouldn't have recognized you at all. Your Majesty, I mean."
"No need to be polite now, I'm already gone," Caspian promised with a wink.
"Wait, Príncipe," the other girl said. "Leya has no sense for business."
She quickly moved behind the counter, where she spread out a cloth and filled it with bread from the baskets. She laced it up and took a bottle of wine from the shelf, then she came up to Caspian with it.
"What are you going to do with that?" she asked curiously.
"Cuervo told me that a good friend of his is dancing across the street tonight."
"You want to watch me dance?" Tayana giggled and her black eyes lit up.
"Now that I know you, I really do," he said and put some coins on the counter before taking the tapas and the bottle from Tayana.
"That's too much," Tayana remarked quickly as she looked at his payment. "Leya's father takes more than mine, but that's not even his pricing."
"Hopefully that makes up for Cuervo's debts," Caspian replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"The unlucky fellow was supposed to pay for it himself," Leya moaned.
"I also owe him a lot," Caspian said. Then he winked. "And now hurry up with the flowers in your hair, don't keep us waiting too long."
The two girls looked after him for a moment until Leya just rolled her eyes and pushed her friend back into the room next door. "Don't even think about it! You know the gossip – he's trouble!"
Translations:
1. Listo / ready
2. Sobresaliente / phenomenal
3. Vámonos / Let's go
4. Chicas, ya os veis bonitas, vamos / Girls, you look pretty enough, let's go
5. No tenemos ningunas más / We don't have any more
6. ¿Qué pasa? / What's up, what's the matter?