Caspian stood below deck, shivering uncontrollably. He nearly failed the second test, and in the process, nearly loosing Lucy. Pacing his cabin he mulled over what had just happened, cursing himself for his stupidity. In his foolishness Caspian had almost given into his baser desires, and no Narnian king should ever be able to sink so low without the sanctity of marriage. That didn't stop others though, but Caspian believed that he was better than such weaker men.
Caspian had been standing beside the dragon head prow, gazing westward over the sparkling seas when something close to the ship caught his eye. At first he had thought that it was dolphins, who liked to run ahead of the ship, but upon closer evaluation Caspian saw it to be merwomen. Their skin had a turquoise tent to it with darker nipples and even darker hair that swirled around their bodies. Eyes as black as night were set in finely bones faces that beckoned him to join them in the cold depths of the sea.
As if caught in a web Caspian climbed upon the rail, preparing to throw himself into the sea when Lucy's laughing face appeared in is mind's eye. Her sparkling smile broke the spell that the women of the sea had cast and forcing him off the rail he was standing on. Like a bucket of cold water poured over him Caspian began to shiver violently as he turned and sought refuge in his cabin.
'If that was the second test, I dread the third trail.' Caspian disrobed and climbed into bed to unknowingly encounter his third test.
* * *
"Come on Lucy, do stop moping around." Edmund cajoled as Lucy sat once again in the window seat, Eustace looking on. She felt like a bug under a magnifying glass in a biology class. She knew that her brother and her cousin cared about her, but she didn't want to deal with them and the heartache she was feeling over Caspian, so she pulled in on herself.
"You wouldn't understand Edmund." Lucy sighed, looking wearily at her cousin and youngest of her older brothers. Like a ghost beyond them Lucy could see the watery image of Caspian standing behind them, looking at her worriedly. Her heart clenched in hopelessness. "No one would."
"Try us." Eustace piped up. He was different now, his trip into Narnia having done him some good. He wasn't as much of a spoiled, selfish brat that he once was.
"I love Caspian." Lucy blurted, feeling her face begin to warm under the scrutiny of Edmund and Eustace.
"Really Luce, you can't possibly love Caspian. You barely know him." Edmund scoffed.
"I know him well enough." Lucy snapped, trying to quell the hurt she felt at Edmund's harsh and shortsighted reply.
"Come off it Lucy." Eustace grumbled. "You know what Aslan said."
"I don't care! I love Caspian." She turned her back upon Edmund and Eustace, ignoring them until they left. Eyes dry from crying Lucy refused to believe their words. She did love Caspian; she knew it all the way to the marrow of her bones.
Despite all of it though, Lucy sunk deeper into despair. She craved Caspian, Narnia, and the life she could lead in that magical world. With her thoughts hovering on what might have been; love, family, a full life, electricity filled the air. This electricity was familiar, making the fine hairs on Lucy's body to stand on end. A low purring reached her ears, as familiar as her own voice.
"Aslan!?"
Caspian had been standing beside the dragon head prow, gazing westward over the sparkling seas when something close to the ship caught his eye. At first he had thought that it was dolphins, who liked to run ahead of the ship, but upon closer evaluation Caspian saw it to be merwomen. Their skin had a turquoise tent to it with darker nipples and even darker hair that swirled around their bodies. Eyes as black as night were set in finely bones faces that beckoned him to join them in the cold depths of the sea.
As if caught in a web Caspian climbed upon the rail, preparing to throw himself into the sea when Lucy's laughing face appeared in is mind's eye. Her sparkling smile broke the spell that the women of the sea had cast and forcing him off the rail he was standing on. Like a bucket of cold water poured over him Caspian began to shiver violently as he turned and sought refuge in his cabin.
'If that was the second test, I dread the third trail.' Caspian disrobed and climbed into bed to unknowingly encounter his third test.
* * *
"Come on Lucy, do stop moping around." Edmund cajoled as Lucy sat once again in the window seat, Eustace looking on. She felt like a bug under a magnifying glass in a biology class. She knew that her brother and her cousin cared about her, but she didn't want to deal with them and the heartache she was feeling over Caspian, so she pulled in on herself.
"You wouldn't understand Edmund." Lucy sighed, looking wearily at her cousin and youngest of her older brothers. Like a ghost beyond them Lucy could see the watery image of Caspian standing behind them, looking at her worriedly. Her heart clenched in hopelessness. "No one would."
"Try us." Eustace piped up. He was different now, his trip into Narnia having done him some good. He wasn't as much of a spoiled, selfish brat that he once was.
"I love Caspian." Lucy blurted, feeling her face begin to warm under the scrutiny of Edmund and Eustace.
"Really Luce, you can't possibly love Caspian. You barely know him." Edmund scoffed.
"I know him well enough." Lucy snapped, trying to quell the hurt she felt at Edmund's harsh and shortsighted reply.
"Come off it Lucy." Eustace grumbled. "You know what Aslan said."
"I don't care! I love Caspian." She turned her back upon Edmund and Eustace, ignoring them until they left. Eyes dry from crying Lucy refused to believe their words. She did love Caspian; she knew it all the way to the marrow of her bones.
Despite all of it though, Lucy sunk deeper into despair. She craved Caspian, Narnia, and the life she could lead in that magical world. With her thoughts hovering on what might have been; love, family, a full life, electricity filled the air. This electricity was familiar, making the fine hairs on Lucy's body to stand on end. A low purring reached her ears, as familiar as her own voice.
"Aslan!?"