Back at the How, Peter sat alone on the ledge overlooking the field. Tears formed in his eyes as he thought of the last moment he saw his sister. Deep down, he thought it was the last time he would ever see her.
He heard footsteps and put his head down, knowing it was Edmund, "It was my fault Ed...I should have saved her."
Ed sat down next to his brother and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "It wasn't your fault Peter...we'll get her back."
"How do you know she isn't dead already?" Peter asked as he fought back tears.
Edmund sighed, "The professor seems to think that she's being kept alive..."
Peter shut his eyes tight and turned his face upwards, "Aslan...keep her and protect her."
The bridge was just a week from being finished and the Narnians were desperately attempting to prepare for the impending onslaught.
Susan, for the most part, stayed quiet. Whenever she was left alone in his room, she pulled out the professor's journal and read. Not only were certain parts entertaining, but it helped give her a glimpse into the person Caspian was beneath the anger and gruffness. It was like a study guide had been handed to her.
It was during her fourth night as his captive that she made a startling revelation, thanks to the professor's journal. As she read, she discovered that Miraz murdered Caspian's father. The professor kept the fact that he knew of the murder a secret, which is why he felt it was important to treat Caspian as his own son.
Caspian was having his weekly dinner with his aunt and uncle and sat quietly as conversation swirled around him.
When his aunt dismissed herself to nurse her newborn, Miraz turned to Caspian, "So...have you had your fun with the prisoner?"
Caspian looked down at his plate, "Her company is pleasant enough."
His uncle laughed and put his elbows on the table as he leaned forward, "I did not give her to you for her company dear nephew. Why have you not bedded her?"
"Well uncle...although I do not consider her to be my queen, she was a queen to her people. I--"
Miraz suddenly raised his voice, "Weak! Every time you open your mouth, you remind me of how glad I am that I saved the Telmarine people from your limp wrist and soft hands! She is a prisoner, gifted to you by the ruler of your land and you are too cowardly to even practice your rights over her as a Telmarine! Imagine if you had real decisions to make concerning this kingdom...your weakness would ruin all of us!"
Miraz silenced himself as Prunaprismia walked back into room. Caspian stood, "Thank you for dinner your majesty...I must be going."
Caspian rushed from the room angrily.
Later that evening, Miraz met with General Glozelle in the privacy of his study, "What of Caspian and his prisoner your highness?"
Miraz scoffed, "If he beds her, she will be disgraced in the eyes of her people...it will severely damage their morale...which is already weak since her capture."
Susan jumped as she heard Caspian's rushed footsteps stalking toward the door. She put the journal back in its place and sat down in front of the window. He burst into the room, muttering angrily as he slammed the door behind him.
"I am NOT weak!" he yelled.
Something happened while he was gone and now she had the distinct feeling she was about to pay for it.
He began undressing himself as he walked toward her, his dark eyes flashing. She trembled as her eyes darted for an escape as he grabbed her by her shoulders and roughly threw her on the bed. She fought desperately, slapping and clawing at his face as he ripped at her dress.
Through the struggle, the top of her dress was ripped open and he had managed to hike up her skirt. She cried out, "Caspian! Please! Stop!"
He bit at the skin that he had exposed, "Quiet! You will learn your place Narnian! I will prove to you, Miraz and everyone else that I am not weak!"
She relented slightly as he began to pull down his pants. She tried to catch her breath as she spoke, "Caspian...please...listen to me! You don't need to prove anything to Miraz!"
"Shut up!" he yelled as his erection sprang free from his pants.
She felt his manhood press against her thigh and panicked. She needed a way out of this situation, and fast. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out the only thing she knew would stop him, "Miraz killed your father!"
He froze and lifted himself up to look at her. She took the opportunity to kick away from him and scramble to the other side of the bed as he stared at her wide eyed. His expression changed from surprise to anger, "Don't you dare say such things!"
He rushed after her, chasing her as she darted to the other side of the room. When he caught her, he grabbed her by the neck and slammed her into the wall, cutting off her air supply. She grabbed at his arm and clawed at his face as she gasped for air, "Pl-please! St-stop! J-j-journal!"
Caspian's eyes flashed to Cornelius' seemingly forgotten journal as it lay on his book case. He released her, causing her to drop to the floor. She coughed and held her throat, desperately trying to gasp for air as he walked over to the journal.
He grabbed it and threw it on the floor in front of her, "Show me."
She weakly grabbed the journal and opened it, flipping to the page in which Cornelius describes him finding out about Caspian's father's murder.
He snatched the journal from her and read. He dropped the journal and fell to his knees before her. She finally caught her breath and sat upright, noticing tears in his eyes as they darted about, "I was told he died in his sleep..."
She sat across from him with her back to the wall for what felt like hours until he broke the silence, "Everything I believed...everything Miraz told me has been a lie...hasn't it?"
"Yes..." she whispered.
He put his head in his hands and sighed as he hid his face from her. She couldn't see it, but she knew tears were falling. She just watched him that night, eventually falling asleep on the floor near him. Sometime during the night she felt herself get lifted and placed on the plush surface of his bed. That was the first time she ever slept there.
She woke up to find him sitting on the other side of the bed. Susan sat up and ran a hand through her hair as he glanced back at her, then turned back away. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin was pale. He looked as though he'd been awake all night.
He spoke, looking at the open journal that sat on his lap, "My father was a good man...but I never knew him well. Somehow I thought since Miraz was his brother...he was teaching me everything my father would want me to know. But after reading all of this...I know now that it was all a lie...a facade put up just to steal my crown. The professor tried so hard to help me...to make me see the truth and I turned my back on him." Susan jumped away as he tried to reach for her. He looked down in shame and moved away from her, "I am sorry for what I have done to you."
She looked down at the torn dress she still wore from the previous night and shut her eyes tight. Even if she was afraid of him, she had to help the Narnian in him break through. She dug deep for the strength she knew she had...the strength that would allow her to be gentle and kind to the man, who only hours ago, had physically assaulted and tried to rape her.
She reached over and took his hand, causing him to give her a surprised look, "What are you going to do Caspian?"
He stood, "I will avenge my father's death and I will become the king I was meant to be."
"What of the Narnians Caspian?"
He gave her a long look, then glanced down at her dress, "I will grant them equal rights under the law if we can manage to remove Miraz from my throne. It will be my gift to you...to repay you for the treatment you have endured at my hands."
They sat in silence for a while as Susan thought. She wasn't quite sure what their current arrangement was. He must have come across some pretty shocking revelations in that journal for him to change his demeanor so drastically overnight...but then again, she knew he had good in him all along. Her conflicted thoughts resigned herself to continue acting as his prisoner.
"May I have a bath?" she asked.
He nodded and stood, walking to the door and calling for servants. After her bath had been drawn, she stepped behind the curtain of the bathing room and began undressing. Caspian, who had continued pouring over the journal suddenly closed it and sat it aside as he stood, walking over to the curtain.
He watched Susan through the small area between the wall and curtain. He held his breath as she stood undressing with her back facing him. Caspian felt a strong sense of guilt well up in him when she dropped her dress, revealing dark bruises spotting along her hips, back and arms. He shut his eyes tight and repressed a cry of conflicted anguish as he backed away from the curtain.
She bore the marks of an angry, ignorant Telmarine...she bore his marks.
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