A/N: Not such a long wait this time. I have a bit of fluff here for all the Suspian shippers out there. Hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Narnia. The books and films are the property of C. , Walden Media, Disney ...
"Where sky and water meet.
Where the waves grow ever sweet.
Doubt not, you Reepicheep to find all that you seek.
There is the Utter East.
Doubt not—"
"That's pretty."
Reepicheep started, he had not realised that anyone was behind him, turning he saw that it was Queen Lucy.
"Oh! Thank you. A dryad sung it to me when I was just a mouseling. I can't divine the meaning, but I've never forgotten the words."
"What do you think is past the Lone islands, Reep?" Lucy asked curiously.
Reepicheep looked at her thoughtfully.
"Well, I've been told the furthest east one can sail is to the end of the world. Aslan's country."
Lucy had total faith in Aslan, but Aslan's country was something that she had always had trouble envisaging.
"Do you really believe there's such a place?" she asked.
"Well, we have nothing, if not belief." Reepicheep answered echoing her own thoughts on the subject. But to be able to travel to it …"
"Do you think you could actually sail there?"
"Well, there is only one way of finding that out. I can only hope I will one day earn the right to see it."
Reepicheep settled back once more to contemplate the ocean before them.
"Reep … What is wrong with Caspian?"
Reepicheep looked back at the young Queen, for once lost for words.
Lucy hoped that he would answer her, that he would be honest with her. Too often people looked at her and saw only her young age and innocence and tried to shield her from things.
They saw her unshakable faith in Aslan. Saw that she was open in her trust.
Some people mistook it as blind faith … blind optimism. But she was not stupid. She saw a lot more that she was given credit for. She saw everything.
Lucy tried to explain herself further, so that Reepicheep would know.
"Caspian … he is different. Something has happened to him. I'm not sure if it's something he has done or something that has been done to him. But something has happened … beyond him killing his uncle. Something that has changed him … and not for the better."
She paused.
"Reep" she beseeched "if you don't tell me, I can't help him!"
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Later that evening Susan stood at the same spot at the prow of the ship watching the play of the golden evening light on the water. Wrapped in her own thoughts as she was, she still was aware of the moment when Caspian approached from behind her.
She could not tell if it was his own distinct scent, something that hinted of sandalwood and spice and something that was distinctively his own, or if it was the distinct sound of his footsteps or some other deeper connection, but she could always tell instinctively when he was near.
Saying nothing Caspian leaned on the rail beside her, seemingly content to watch the play of the sun on the waves as she was. Susan wished that the young King would talk to her, let her know what it was that had happened that had changed him so. If only he told her, then together they could try to mend what had been broken in him.
For Susan knew that somehow, something had been broken inside of Caspian, but he seemed determined to deny or ignore it. Seemed resolved to hide behind this façade of innocent, polite Caspian. Suddenly Susan felt as if she could bear it no longer.
"Caspian!"
Susan almost gasped his name in her sudden need to act … to speak … to do something, anything to save him. This was what she had been waiting for after all, the chance to come back and save her Prince.
"Talk to me … tell me what is wrong!"
Caspian turned to her a charming smile on his face which somehow did not reach his eyes.
"Wrong, My Queen?" he asked. "Why nothing is wrong!"
Susan turned to him,
"Oh Caspian!"
She reached out and touched the corner of his mouth where that false smile started, traced his face up to his eyes that did not shine with sincerity as they used to. As she did, she saw his eyes soften almost imperceptibly.
"Caspian" she breathed, "you can tell me … please tell me!"
Caspian's eyes blinked and for a moment his mask appeared to slip, Susan gazed into the windows to the prince's soul and saw the inner torment there, saw his doubt and even saw a flicker of what appeared to be self-loathing.
"Caspian what happened?"
Caspian drew a deep, shuddering breath. Reaching out he cupped Susan's cheek, tracing the contours of her face with his thumb and for a moment … just a moment it felt as if the old Caspian was back.
"I can't tell you … I don't know how to tell you!" he gasped.
Susan drew in a shuddering breath, she was finding it hard to concentrate this close to Caspian, his gaze locked on hers, his hand on her face as hers was on his.
"Caspian!" she pleaded. "Please!"
With a s strangled sob Caspian reached out and drew her to him in a crushing embrace, it was just short of uncomfortable, but Susan did not stop him for it felt as if he was clinging to her as a drowning man clings to a life raft. He pulled back from her slightly, looking desperately in her eyes.
"It's too late" he choked out.
"It's never too late Caspian!"
And with that Susan too drew back slightly and placing her hand on Caspian's neck, pulled his head down to hers and placed a light kiss on his lips. Caspian's reaction was instantaneous. His arms wrapped once more around her waist and drew her to him again. Deepening the kiss, he clutched her once more as if his life depended on it. Susan felt as if she too were drowning in the emotions that she felt coming from the young king. She ran her fingers through his hair gasping as she felt Caspian's tongue slipping between her lips.
"What in Aslan's name?"
The two broke apart as suddenly as they had joined.
"Peter" Susan gasped.
And indeed, the High King stood there frowning, Edmund just paces behind him, his face too filled with disapproval.
"What in Aslan's name do you think you are doing!" Edmund grated out. "Take your hands of my sister!"
Caspian jumped back as if he had been burnt, but Susan rounded on her brothers.
"Not that it is any of your business" she snapped, "but I kissed Caspian first! He was upset."
Peter looked at her with the expression she hated most, one she had thought that she had seen the last of, one that she had seen only once before when she had courted the Rabadash the crown prince of Calormene.
"Susan" he protested. "I am sure it seemed that way but … men … they know how to manipulate … how to take advantage …"
"If you are all finished talking about me" a sneering voice came from behind Susan. Susan spun around, hoping against hope that the face would not match the tone.
But it was too late.
Once more Caspian's mask had snapped back into place.
Once again, he was the detached, unfeeling king.
Once more her Caspian was gone.
With a final glare at her brothers Caspian stormed off to his cabin.
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Slamming the door shut behind him, Caspian unbuckled his sword belt and flung it into the corner of the room.
How dare they? How dare they talk about him so? Talk about him so?
And he had nearly … he had been about to tell Susan … tell he everything.
Caspian took a deep cleansing breath.
In a way it was good he told himself, he had not realised how quickly Susan would get under his skin. Had he told her … he shuddered … no it was better that they had gotten interrupted … he could never tell her …
Drifting to sleep that night his dreams were full of her.
Her lips
Her face
Her eyes … it was her eyes that haunted him the most, gazing into his as if they could see past all the walls that he had carefully constructed to keep people out, as it they could see into his very soul.
Twisting in his sleep Caspian noticed that Susan's blue eyes were deepening to brown.
Too late he realised that they were changing, that they were shifting into the eyes of his nightmares, the eyes of the Lords, their wives, their families, their children.
Eyes
Staring into his as he passed his judgement.
Eyes.
Begging him silently as he pronounced the sentence,
Eyes
Slowly fading to black as the door slammed shut, only to be replaced by the sound of their voices begging to be released, their fists banging desperately at the door …
… Gradually Caspian realised that the thundering noise was someone banging not in his dreams but on his cabin door. Coming fully awake Caspian struggled out of bed and answered the door to Captain Drinian.
Caspian frowned at the man. He had no respect for social and class boundaries. Had even tried to befriend Caspian when they had first set sail. Had seemed to think that he had some type of precedence over Caspian in command since he was Captain of the ship, Caspian had soon set him straight on that among other things.
"What is it Captain?" Caspian snapped.
"Your Majesty asked to be told when land was sighted." Drinian boomed in his irritatingly loud voice. "The Port of Narrowhaven has been sighted of the port bow."
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Caspian and Peter stood on the poop deck watching Narrowhaven through the ship's "telescope.
"Strange," murmured Caspian, "not a Narnian flag in sight!"
Peter frowned.
"But the Lone Islands have always been Narnia's." he objected. He looked towards the captain who was standing nearby.
"I say we prepare a landing party. Drinian?" he asked, waiting for the captain to make the decision.
Drinian looked uncomfortable. He knew how jealously King Caspian guarded his right to command.
"Forgive me, your Majesty..." he started and then paused as if unsure how to go on.
"The chain of command starts with me on this Ship!" Caspian snapped, he had not yet forgiven Peter for his reaction of last night to him kissing Susan.
"Right." Peter answered a surprised look on his face. "I apologise … I had not realised that things had changed so … in our day it was the captain of the ship who issued the orders, no matter who the passengers were."
He glanced at Captain Drinian who seemed about to say something. But Caspian spoke quickly before the captain could.
"We'll use longboats. Drinian, pick some men."
Half an hour lates saw them all in long boats heading for the docks in the harbour. The place was deserted and deathly quiet.
"Where is everyone?" asked Lucy voicing everyone's thoughts.
Reepicheep was trying to help Eustance out of the boat by offering him his paw, though in all likelihood, if he fell, Eustace's weight would take both him and the mouse into the water.
"Come on jellylegs" Repicheep teased the boy good naturally.
Estance however was not in the mood to be teased, he never was.
"I'm quite capabable of getting out by myself!" he snapped while simultaneously staggering as he disembarked, nearly tossing the whole boatload of sailors into the waters of the harbour.
Caspian turned to the Pevenises with a raised eyebrow.
"And you're certain you're related by blood?"
Edmund grinned in spite of himself; he had often wondered the same himself. Caspian turned to his men.
"Reepicheep, stay here with Drinian's men and secure the place." He indicated himself and the Pevensies.
"We will head up. If we don't come back by dawn, send a search party."
Eustace crept along the street, following his cousins and Caspian. He was beginning to regret coming but he had thought it better than being left behind with 'the giant talking rat' as he referred to Reepicheep. Peeping in a window he saw a terrified looking family crouching in the shadows. He quickly moved away – they looked like trouble.
"Yeah, looks like nobody is in. So do you think we should go back?"
His cousins looked back at him with exasperation on their faces, they were about the enter the central building in the square.
"Do you want to come here and guard...something?" Susan asked, doubt showing on her face at her own suggestion.
"Ah, yes. Good idea, cousin. Very … um, logical." Eustace stammered.
Caspian handed him a dagger, doubt also etched on his face.
"I've got it." Eustace assured them. "Don't worry."
"I'm ready to go when you are!" he called after them as they entered the darkness of the building.
Meanwhile Lucy and Susan had approached a lectern standing in the centre of the building, a thick book lay on it covered in writing, covered in names.
"Who are all these people?" Susan asked puzzled.
Lucy pointed to several of the names.
"Why are they've been crossed out?" she asked.
Susan shifted her eyes to the column to the side of the names.
"It looks like some kind of fee ..?"
They did not notice Caspian pale behind them.
"Slave Traders!" Peter ground out.
Caspian had been looking increasingly uncomfortable as the conversation progressed.
"We should leave!" he insisted with an air of urgency.
They all turned to look at him save Edmund whose attention had been diverted by a slight movement above them.
"Look out." He shouted, jumping back from the centre of the room and unsheathing his sword as about twenty men slid down ropes into their midst.
Even taken unaware as they were, the two Queens and three Kings fought fiercely and might have won had it not been for their 'guard'.
A piercing scream had them all turn their heads towards the door.
Another of the men stood there with his dagger pressed to Eustace's throat.
"Unless you want to hear this one squeal like a girl again, you should drop your weapons."
Everyone glared in disgust at Eustace's quivering form.
"Now!" the slaver barked.
"Eustace!" Edmund snarled, but as one they dropped their weapons. The slavers swarmed them, tying their arms and legs with ropes.
The leader of the slavers strode up until he was standing in front of Susan. He reached out and grasped her around the waist, pulling her to him.
"Well … aren't you the pretty one!" he sneered.
Susan struggled in his arms as her family and Caspian helplessly bound, watched in horror.
"Get your hands off me." She snarled at the man
"Let her go!"
It was Caspian a note of command in his voice.
The leader turned his head to him, his face contemptuous.
"Says who?"
Caspian struggled against the man who held him.
"Listen to me, you insolent fool." He shouted. "I am your king!"
The man spat at his feet.
"You … Caspian?" he smirked "Sure you are, and I'm Aslan himself!"
The slavers guffawed at this and the one holding Caspian dealt him a blow to his face which knocked him to the ground.
Caspian came up spitting blood.
"You're going to pay for that!" he promised.
A voice came from the darkness at the back of the room.
"Actually...someone else is going to pay … for all of you."
A man dressed as a rich merchant strode into the room and paced among the prisoners.
"Take these three to market in the morning" he indicated the two girls and Eustace.
"And these to the dungeons" he added pointing towards the three Kings who continued to struggle in their bonds as the girls and Eustace were dragged away.
Passing Caspian, the man stopped in his tracks and looked sharply at him. He drew a breath
"What the …" he began.
The two Pevensies looking curiously at the man, thought that they saw Caspian, almost imperceptibly shake his head.
"On second thoughts, I'll take this one with me." the man announced and without another word he left, dragging Caspian in his wake.