Okay so im slightly obsessed with this story..
Well yes, i have found my love for Prince Caspian...*giggles* ;)
This is the second chapter, titled 'The Trust In Him' ; I swaer naming the chapters is harder than writing them? It took me ages!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters apart from the OC. The rest of them belong to C.S Lewis and his own Genius :D
"Well," He spoke, pointing to the scratch and now dried blood on my forehead. "Let's change that, shall we?"
**********
He explained that he had been wandering through the corridors when he had heard my plea, becoming curious as to what it had all been about. I learned that he taught Caspian of the Stars and of Old Folk Tales from books that were in his study and his library. I also learned his name was Cornelius as I nodded to his story. He listened intently as I explained my side too.
"I see," He replied, when I had finished. "The Guards won't let you out now that they think you're an intruder to the Castle, especially when Miraz hears of this."
I thought for a moment, "Who is 'Miraz'?"
Cornelius looked away for a moment as he seemed to be checking who was in the room. After a few more moments, he turned back.
"Miraz is Caspian's Uncle. He acts as if he is King, even though the High Court do not agree with Miraz's methods, and often wait for the Prince to come to finalise any decisions that Miraz has hastily made." He said, his face contorting in disgust every time his name was mentioned.
"I see." I replied, waiting for him to go on.
Cornelius hesitated for another second as two Guards came in, most likely to take me away. They opened the gate and waited for Cornelius to back away from me, but he didn't.
One of the Guards coughed expectantly. "Excuse me, Sir, but we need to take the thief to the High Court for questioning."
"I do believe, Sir," Cornelius replied, getting to his feet and standing in front of the Guard who spoke up, "This girl is innocent, and should not be presented in front of the Court. There is no need for this."
The Guard shrugged. "We were only sent to collect her, Sir."
Cornelius sighed, rubbing his eyes and patting the Guard on the shoulder. He turned back to me for a quick moment, his eyes holding the hope that I needed. "I will get the Prince to save you, dear one. He will get there in time."
The other Guard quickly pulled me up by the restraints on my arms, and pushed me out of the cell, and out of Cornelius' sight. I smiled at him before his face was only a memory that I could hold on to.
The Prince will come for me.
He will.
**********
They shoved me into the centre of a room as the men stared at me, eying my up like meat in a Barber Shop. I suddenly felt nervous as their unwavering gazes rested on me, as there were at least fifteen men sat in huge, grand chairs around the room. There was the biggest chair at the furthest wall, but no man sat in this chair, as this was where I assumed the King sat.
"So you sneak into my Castle, and then refuse to admit your wrong doings?" A man asked, stepping up from his chair on the far left. He circled around me a couple of times with his hands behind his back, almost mockingly.
I laughed quietly, not being able to help it as it rose from the bottom of my throat. Suddenly the man used the back hand of his left hand to slap me, echoing in the room as every other man let out a gasp of surprise.
He sneered. "How dare you laugh at me, you insolent child."
One of the other men rose from their seats, not stepping from it, but just staying out of range from the angry man in front of me. "Miraz you must calm yourself, I'm sure the girl meant no offence to you."
Ah, so this was Miraz. Slightly on the short side with short, jet black hair and a short black beard to match. He also had dark, brooding eyes with thick, dark eyebrows that hung over them.
Miraz turned to the man and glared at him, causing the man to sit back down slowly into his chair.
"I think you've all forgotten that this...thief is wearing the late Queens clothing. Do you think this is acceptable in my Kingdom?"
I fought the urge to laugh again and won. "You don't understand, I-"
Miraz whipped round and struck me again on the same part of my face, this time knocking my off my feet as I hissed in pain.
He laughed, "How dare you speak without permission in my Court!" He screamed, throwing his hands in the air and then pinching the bridge of his nose as he vented the obvious anger he fought.
"She will be sentenced to death immediately." He said plainly, slowly returning to his chair.
"Hold on a minute!" I said, managing to pick myself up as Miraz turned around in shock. "I've done nothing to you, and you haven't even let me explain myself!"
Almost lazily, he made his way back in front of me, pausing for a second to brush back a stray hair. I shivered as I tried to back away, his arm shooting out and gripping my top arm in an almost bone-crushing grip.
"I don't need to let you explain yourself, child." He replied, smiling cruelly. "What I say goes."
His hand rose for the third time as I turned away, awaiting the blow that I was sure would follow. Suddenly the door burst open as footsteps sounded across the floor, Miraz releasing his grip on me almost instantly.
"M-my Prince." He stuttered, bowing his head slightly. "How nice of you to...join us."
Fingertips grazed my chin as they pulled my head up, gazes clashing together as I gasped in joy.
"My love," Addressed Caspian, making me smile in return. "Sorry I'm late."
He quickly untied my hands as I examined them. Bruises were already forming but they weren't too bad, only aching. Anger showed in his normally calm eyes as he saw them and my already painful and swelling cheek.
He looked to Miraz. "Would you like to explain the meaning of this, Uncle?"
"It was a genuine mistake, Caspian." He replied, sitting back down in his chair in subtle defeat. "The guards thought she had snuck into the Castle, as well as stealing clothes."
Caspian nodded, "How does that compensate the obvious bruising on her face?"
"She was being insolent."
"Insolent how, exactly?"
Miraz chuckled to himself, "She spoke back to me."
Caspian turned to me, checking me once over before tugging me to his side. His voice was more of a growl and a command. "She is not to be touched, understand?"
"Yes, my Prince." He automatically replied, not sounding as convinced as I would have liked.
"Court dismissed." One of the other men said, as all but Miraz left the room.
He sat with his head on his hand, looking as if he were brooding at the loss of killing an innocent person; I shivered in shock knowing that person was going to be me.
Caspian just held me tighter as he pulled me out the room and down the corridor, pulling me into a room and shutting the door. As I looked around, I noticed the room full of books. Books on shelves, books on desks and books piled up on the floor.
"Young ones, I have been waiting." Cornelius said, coming out from behind one of the shelves and pulling me from Caspian. Still in shock, I didn't reply or make any indication that I had heard him, even though I knew I had.
Caspian paced the room. "Is she okay, Professor?"
"Yes," He replied, shining a bright light in both my eyes as I made no response to react. "and no."
He stopped pacing abruptly, coming to my side and shaking me back and forth.
Cornelius stopped him, pushing him aside roughly but meaning no harm. "My Prince, you must let her have some space to breathe. She's had a shock to the system, she was sentenced to death."
Caspian took in a gulp of air, falling back into the chair and closing his eyes. I looked over to him briefly to see his beautifully tanned skin and dark locks just brushing over his closed eye lids. I longed to push them back, to see his eyes open lovingly at me.
I took in my own gulp of air, savouring it in my lungs before letting it out slowly, cautiously. I also ran my fingers through my damp, unkempt hair, readjusting the clip in my fringe and trying to smooth it down so that it was more presentable.
"Okay," I sighed, stretching my sore limbs. Caspian opened his eyes and sat up in his chair intently. "I'm back now."
Cornelius chuckled, "I knew it wouldn't take you too long."
He turned to Caspian. "Why didn't you tell her not to leave the room? You know Miraz is tightening the security because Prunaprismia is in her last week of pregnancy."
"Because I-"
"No, my Prince, there is no excuse." Cornelius said sternly, silencing Caspian with his tone. He shrank slightly into his chair as I placed my hand on Cornelius' shoulder.
I smiled. "Don't worry its fine. No harm done, right?"
He smiled back as his hand came to rest upon mine. "How is the swelling, dear?"
"Not too bad," I said, prodding it with my other hand but hissing when I felt the bruised skin. "Could be better."
Cornelius got out of his chair and made his was over to his desk, opening up one of the draws and sorting through it for a few moments. He seemed to find what he was looking for, pulling bandages, cream and tape out of the draw and piling them in his arms.
He came and dumped them on the desk next to me, examining my chin for a second.
"Caspian, would you please put some of the cream on this? Its swelling quickly and I need to take this book to Miraz." He asked, picking up a large book from the floor and smiling when Caspian nodded slightly.
Cornelius made his way out the room before shutting the door behind him, echoing through the silence that lay between us. I sighed loudly, reaching for the cream.
"Stop." Caspian commanded, halting me just as I was about to lift the cream and instead grabbing it himself. I glared slightly, folding my arms in a childish manner. Caspian only laughed whilst squeezing out some of the white cream onto his fingertips.
His laugh stopped, "This will hurt a little."
I nodded, pushing my hair back and waiting. As soon as the cream touched my face I felt as if a million tiny needles were jabbing at my skin, making me yelp loudly. My eyes start to water as Caspian continued to rub the cream in with soothing circles of his fingertips, numbing the pain a little.
"Don't worry, my love. It will soon fade, I promise." He hushed, using his other hand to wipe the tears away, and then holding my head as I leaned it into his hand. It fitted perfectly, and I wondered if it was made for him, if I was made for him.
Soon the jabbing did cease, but I kept on resting my head in his palm, seeking the warmth that came with it.
"I'm so sorry for what happened. It truly was my fault; I left for a moment to see the gardens and completely forgot-" My heart sank as my body moved away from Caspian, seating itself by the window in anguish. He paused for a moment, obviously wondering what he had said to offend me. "No, no! I didn't forget about you, how could I do that? The thought alone is absolutely preposterous!"
He made his way to me in large steps, grabbing my face in both of his beautifully tanned hands, whilst also managing to miss my face. His eyes enchanted me, and for a few moments I forgot what it meant to breath, his own breath fanning over my lips. I forgot what my name was, where I was from and where I was.
"You don't understand that I've been waiting for you." He whispered, my eyes closing for a couple of seconds before they opened to his mesmerising brown ones. I wondered briefly what he was thinking about, but my thoughts were soon changed when my eyes locked on his lips. Full round lips that made me think about how soft they would be under my own.
Suddenly he pulled away, brushing through his hair in what looked like frustration.
"I'm sorry, that was completely inappropriate of me." Caspian said, rubbing his eyes and leaning on the desk.
So close, so damn close...My mind was shouting, repeating every few moments. I looked down to see the dress; it was ripped at the bottom and ripped at the waist line, showing a small section of my stomach. It was also grey in some places, where the fabric had been scuffed.
Caspian saw me looking and laughed, making my heart flutter. "Don't worry, I have plenty."
I laughed as his cheeks turned the slightest pink. "No, no! I didn't mean I have plenty, I meant, that, oh..." He simply sighed as I continued to laugh, holding my stomach as I laughed harder and harder.
There was a knock at the door as a guard entered, stopping when he saw me. It was the same guard that had taken me from outside the room and thrown me in the cell.
"My Prince, this is the prisoner that I captured from earlier. Did she escape?" He asked, pacing across the room and grabbing me by the neck. His fingers crushed round my throat as I struggled to breath. Luckily, within seconds he was pulled off me as I dropped to the floor.
Then I remembered.
Suddenly my mouth and nose was covered by a hand that whipped out from behind me. I couldn't breath as tears clouded up my eyes. My breath came in short, ragged gasps through his thick fingers as I tried to scream, the forest turning into a blur of colour as I wished so desperately to be in the arms of a lover.
My breathing became harder as I tried to block out the scene in my head, screaming for the voices to go away. My hands clasped around my ears as the world around me was blanked out, I needed space to breathe; to think.
I ran past Caspian and the Guard, ignoring Caspian's shouts as he pleaded for me to stay. I couldn't stay, not where there was a threat.
I kept running, pacing past several courtyards and many oak doors, unafraid of what lay around each corner. Would it have been better if Miraz had killed me back there? It would have been easier on everybody, right?
"Hey, wait!" Somebody shouted as I recognised the voice instantly. I turned around to see Caspian quickly catching up with me as I kept running faster to get away from him. I wouldn't let him catch me, I couldn't let him. "Bella, please wait!"
A couple more tears leaked out as I took a sharp left, hearing the skidding of his heels as he turned the corner too. "Go 'way Caspian!"
Suddenly his arms circled around me, pulling my body in a backwards motion towards his chest.
"I cannot leave you alone in this state," He said, hugging tighter "It would be a crime."
I whimpered. "Something happened to me before I came here, and I don't know what to do."
"Do what your heart tells you too, my love."
My sobs subsided as Caspian brushed away the tears. He held me for what seemed like hours, as his warmth eased the pain I felt inside; pushing it away for the time being. I felt contented, like nothing else mattered; for that moment anyway.
"My Prince," called a different Guard, coming round the corner and disturbing our 'moment', if you could call it that. I pushed Caspian back slightly away from me before he could see my blush. "The changes to the gardens have been made, would you like to come and view them?"
Caspian smiled, grabbing my hand and pulling me with him, supposedly to the gardens. We twisted along many corridors before we came into an open space seemingly behind the great Castle, the green land filled with various, colourful flowers and fountains. There was a path down the middle, filled in with cobble-stones that lead to the great fountain in the middle, a statue of a man looming in the middle. He looked magnificent with his heavy looking armour and a large, magnificent sword lifted over his head in a battle stance.
Caspian caught my staring and gripped my hand tighter. "It looks wonderful, does it not?" He asked, looking it over himself before returning his gaze to mine.
I smiled back politely taking my hand out of his and walking over to the statue. "Who is it? He bears a resemblance to you..." I thought for a moment, slapping my forehead with my hand, "It's your father, isn't it? I'm so sorry Caspian; that was completely insensitive of me."
He laughed, the sound echoing through the garden as he made his way to me in about four large paces. "Don't be silly, I had it restored and placed here in remembrance. I'm glad you see the likeness."
"It's the eyes." I replied, reaching up to touch the face but realising that I was far too small to touch it.
Caspian didn't reply, but instead put his hands on my hips and effortlessly lifted my body onto his shoulders, not showing any sign of pain at the new weight. I giggled slightly, nearly falling backwards but managing to catch myself as Caspian's hands came to rest upon my thighs for support. My heard lurched almost painfully in my chest.
"Be careful, my love."
My hand went out to reach for the statue's face as I smiled when it came into contact. I traced the smooth contours of the fine sculpture, the eyes staring back into mine.
I laughed again, "Definitely the eyes, Caspian."
Even though I couldn't see his reaction, I was pretty sure he was indeed smiling at my antics.
My mouth screamed in protest when suddenly I was dropped from his shoulder into his arms, my heart pounding louder and quicker than it had ever before. His eyes, his nose, his face was so close to mine and my arms instinctively circled around his neck tightly from the fear of falling, even though I knew Caspian would never drop me.
Was it possible for strangers to fall in love?
I had never met this man before, not before yesterday. Yet I was attracted to him in a way in which I had never been attracted to another male. I ached for him; for his sweet, kind words to his gentle and loving touch which soothed all my worries. How could such a situation be real?
Was this feeling that I felt love? The incessant pounding of my heart and the constant urge to be locked deep within his beautiful eyes. I didn't know, but whatever feeling that it was I knew that I didn't want to lose.
I wanted this man so badly that it almost hurt.
Prince Caspian.
My Caspian.
Those words felt good in my head, and I was sure they would feel even better coming from my mouth. Even so, I was too distracted by other things to say them at this moment, and I made a mental note to try it out later to see what it felt like.
His face was so close to mine I could taste his breath again. I was so close to passing out, the emotions overwhelming me as I leaned in for more, and I did exactly what I was hoping I wouldn't do.
I passed out cold into Caspian's arms.
Good, not good?
It was rushed but i did check it over :) Promiseee ;)
Review? Would be a nice beginning/middle/end to my day, yes please? XD
Thankyou for reading and i will get straight onto the 3rd chapter :D x
