So, I've decided to interpret the lack of reviews for the last chapter as reader's being upset over what I did to Caspian's heart...(or maybe people have lives and jobs outside of ?) Either way, I won't let it bring me down...too much.

Here's chapter 11. By the way, I had SOOOOOO much fun writing the beginning of this chapter! I totally understand why C.S. Lewis made Eustace such a brat to start off with.

The Naiad Trilogy

Part 2: The Naiad and Her King

Chapter 11

"Dear Diary…" Eustace didn't know where to begin as he sat on the deck between a couple of barrels. He couldn't believe his rotten luck. First he was told that two of his cousins would be coming to stay with him, and then they had to drag him along to this blasted place. Yes, he had to admit that he was no longer in his beloved England but in some rotten fairytale world. The people here were simply barbarians; some of them weren't even men but talking beasts! The worst of the lot (other than his stuck up cousin Edmund) was a fellow named Caspian, who thought he was some kind of great king, and the talking circus rat Weepysheep (or something like that). Eustace despised rats.

They were on some outdated wooden rowboat that lacked all the proper necessities, and yet everyone on board acted as though it were the most magnificent ship to ever exist. They were now about two weeks sailing from the last known island with no land in sight. Still, Caspian decided to continue on, even though they didn't seem to have enough supplies to accommodate everyone. No matter what anyone said, Eustace just knew that he always received less than everyone else. He thought about what happened yesterday when they all received their afternoon water ration, and how horribly it had gone…

Once more Eustace had to wait in line behind his cousins before he could receive his cup of water. He didn't understand why he should be made to wait; he was already ill from lack of water! He mentioned this to Lucy, but he didn't know Caspian had been standing behind them and he overheard everything. Caspian had the nerve to say that they were all ill and that Eustace would just have to wait like everyone else. Eustace wouldn't have minded so much if it weren't for the fact that everyone else didn't have to wait as long as he did.

Then Eustace had a brilliant thought! (Well, all of his thoughts were brilliant to be honest.) His cousins were supposedly a King and Queen, he didn't understand how exactly. If that were true, then why did they have to wait? Shouldn't the King be the first to get anything to drink? And shouldn't Eustace, being related to a king and queen, be next in line for water? He mentioned this as well, making sure this time that Caspian wasn't around, but Lucy (the silly girl) said that the crewmen should get their water first since they were the ones working. Working? Ha! Eustace saw most of them standing about doing nothing for most the day! If they were working so hard then why weren't they any closer to civilization yet?

At last Eustace received his cup, but just as he suspected, as it always was, he had the least amount of water among any of them! Eustace was fed up. He'd had enough. He was tired of being treated as he was. He was never one to complain, much, but he would not stand for this anymore! He had to speak out this injustice!

"Why does this always happen? Why do I always get less than everyone else?"

"Eustace, you have received just as much as any of us have," Caspian insisted.

"No, I haven't. Look for yourself, if you must. You can clearly see how little I have compared to what you all have."

Eustace continued to argue his point for a few more minutes before she intervened. She was probably the best thing about this trip. She was different from all the rest. She never treated him poorly. She was civilized, well, compared to the rest of them at least. She could still be deluded like all the rest thinking the ship was nice and its crew favorable, but at least she was more pleasing to look at. She was someone Eustace could respect.

"Oh bother it all," Ava said exasperated. "Here, Eustace, have mine."

"Ava no!" Caspian and Edmund began, but before they could stop her Ava had already poured the rest of her water into Eustace's cup.

"Ava, you shouldn't have done that."

"Oh don't patronize me, Caspian. It was my water to use as I pleased, at least I did not waste it. And besides, if I should truly feel the need for water, I will simply take a swim." With that, Ava arose and left the galley in a fury. Caspian and Eustace's cousins then turned their angry glares on him; they seemed to think it was his fault Ava got upset. How ridiculous was that? If anything Caspian was to blame; he was the one who talked down to her.

Eustace looked around the deck, deciding what else he should include in his entry for the day. He saw Edmund picking away at the shells on his new tin sword and that grotesque talking rat. Out of nowhere, a gull landed on one of the barrels beside him.

*"In England we have mousetraps for that sort of thing,"* Eustace told the bird, in reference to the talking rat. The bird squawked and cocked its head at Eustace as his stomach suddenly growled. "You don't know where I can find any food do?"

*"Uh, why are you talking to that bird?"* the large beast named Tavros asked. Eustace tried to explain how he logically assumed all the animals in this world could speak, but before he could barely get a word out Tavros and the man next to him started laughing at Eustace and calling him mad. How rude!

"Alright, that will be quite enough of that," Ava said as she stepped in front of Eustace. "All will be respected equally on this ship."

"Sorry, Princess," Tavros said, bowing his head in shame.

"Don't the two of you have some work to do?"

"Yes, Princess." Tavros and the crewman then left and went about their work, and Ava turned to Eustace.

"I apologize for them, Eustace. They should know better than to behave in such a way."

"Well, thank you, for that. At least someone around here knows how to behave," Eustace said.

Ava smiled. "How are you feeling today?"

"I've been better."

"Yes, I suppose we all have." Ava walked to the side of the boat and leaned against the rails. "I don't think anyone suspected that it would take so long to find the next island. Though, I suppose if it were easier to get to it would have been found long ago and be on maps today."

"How do you even know there is another island out there? Wouldn't it be best to just go back, where we know there is land?" Eustace asked as he stood beside Ava and leaned on the rail as well.

"I guess I can't say that I do know for certain that there is an island out there, but isn't that the adventure of it all? Discovering the unknown?" Ava looked at Eustace and saw that he clearly did not find pleasure in that idea. "You're not much of an adventurer though, so I suppose you wouldn't quite see the thrill of it."

"Oh, are you a writer?" she asked, noticing his book. "I think writing truly is a magnificent talent. I'm more of a dancer myself, but father writes a lot."

"Don't you mean he did write a lot?"

"No, he still writes quite a bit these days."

"How? Isn't your father…not to be rude or anything, but isn't he dead?"

"Dead? Why would say such a terrible thing?"

"I don't mean to. It's just, wouldn't your father have to be dead for Caspian to be king?"

"Why would my father have to be dead for that? Oh." Ava seemed to suddenly realize the problem. "I know what you're thinking. You believe Caspian is my brother, that our father was a king." Ava couldn't help but to giggle a little.

"Is that not so?" Eustace was confused.

"It is not."

"Then, are you a princess of another land?"

"I am not. I am a Narnian Princess. I'm the Naiad Princess actually."

"Naiad?"

"I am not like you, Eustace, or Lucy rather. I am no more a Daughter of Eve than Tavros is a Son of Adam. I am a Naiad, a water nymph. I was born of the water, and one day I shall day of the water. Just as my parents did before me."

"But you… you look normal."

"You know, I think that was almost a compliment." Ava ginned. Eustace ducked his head to hide the faint reddening of his cheeks.

"Wait, just as your parents? I thought you said your father still writes today."

"The father I speak of is Dr. Cornelius. He's my adoptive father really; I never knew my real parents."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks." Ava could tell that Eustace was sincere with his sentiments, and she smiled brightly; she knew this must be a rare aspect of his character that few, if any, ever saw. Ava and Eustace stood talking on the deck for a while longer, before Eustace wandered elsewhere.

XOXOX

"Good morning, Ava."

Ava didn't have to turn around to know who was talking to her now. There was only one person who could set her heart aflame and make her stomach flutter just by saying her name. Ava sighed. It had been nearly two weeks since she told Caspian that she couldn't feel for him in that way, and yet, her feelings for him have not diminished. If anything they have only grown stronger in the absence of his touch. Ava bit her lip and smiled as she tried to reign in her feelings once more.

"Good morning, Caspian," Ava said as she turned her head to the right, unconsciously tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"I hope he wasn't bothering you," Caspian said referring to Eustace's retreating figure.

"Quite the opposite actually. We were having a rather pleasant conversation."

"Pleasant? Him?"

"He has a name, Caspian, and yes, he can be pleasant when he wants to be."

"I cannot seem to understand what it is you see in him that no one else does."

"I see a great good in him, Caspian. He has all the makings to be a noble lord, passion, knowledge, strength, if only he would learn to wield them for the good of all. I will not give up on him, even if he himself refuses to believe, I will believe."

There was a moment of silence between them when Ava looked back out over the sea. Caspian took the time to soak up her appearance; he had been trying to refrain from doing so, but couldn't keeps his eyes off her any longer. She was in the sailing suit given to her by Princess Tianna today, just as she had been for the past couple of weeks.

The Redhaven style was very different from the typical loose Narnian style. Ava's black pants literally hugged every inch of the skin on her legs and molded to every curve. Most of her legs though were covered by her knee high boots. Today she topped her ensemble off with a simple red shirt and a leather corset around her waist. Caspian had to peel his eyes away from her. Seeing her like this was not helping him to keep his thoughts and feelings in check like she asked him to.

"You look beautiful today, Ava," he said softly.

Ava sighed as she turned her head back to him. "Caspian, we talked about this. You agreed…."

"I agreed that we'd be friends. I never said that I'd cease to find you beautiful, and when a lady is beautiful she should be told so."

"Well, then I suppose I should say thank you." Ava quickly looked him over. He was keeping it simple in red pants and a beige shirt. His hair was down and the wind tossed it about. Losing control of her actions for a moment, Ava stepped closer to Caspian and tucked a bit of hair behind his ear, running her fingers over his cheek as she did so. The sensation sent shockwaves through both of them.

"Doing that doesn't help," Caspian murmured huskily.

Ava sighed heavily, dropped her hand to her side, and took a step back. "I know. I'm sorry."

Caspian felt he was about to plead his case for them to be together once more, but he was saved by a crewmen interrupting them and asking for the Princess.

"Yes, Rhince, what is it?" Ava asked.

"Rynelf has become feverish. Voltinus said you might be able to heal him, before it spreads to any other crewmen."

"Of course, Rhince. I will see what I can do. I will need a bucket of sea water."

"Sea water?" asked Caspian. "I thought you needed fresh water for healing."

"It is preferred, but I dare not risk using what little drinking water we have. I will make do with sea water."

XOXOX

After fetching a bucket of sea water, Ava followed Rhince down to where Rynelf was lying ill. Ava began the healing process immediately, but it took her over an hour to get Rynelf back to a healthy condition; even then he would not be on duty that night. Healing Rynelf to the best that she could took a lot of magic and energy from Ava, more than it should, and she had to retreat to her cabin to rest and recover.

Ava missed all the excitement that happened that afternoon. Reepicheep had caught Eustace trying to steal an orange and challenged him to a duel. The duel really turned out to be more of a training session for Eustace; regardless though, the whole crew gathered around to witness the hysterical event. Caspian, who had sat in the State Room all afternoon watching Ava sleep, missed the duel, but had he seen it he might have seen what Ava meant about Eustace having the makings of a lord.

As the afternoon sun began to give way to the evening sun, the Dawn Treader came upon land at last: a group of islands with nothing but rolling green hills and tempting beaches. Edmund had come for Caspian when the islands had been spotted, and they went to the poop deck with Drinian. After some debate on whether or not they should stop—Drinian thought the apparent deserted island could be a trap, Edmund thought it could hold answers, but they all knew the Lords would have stopped there—Caspian decided that they would spend the night on the ship and explore the island in the morning.

There, a little correction from the movie. King Caspian would never opt to spend the night on shore of a strange island he knows nothing about. As usual, the * indicates direct quotes. The quotes in this chapter are from the movie.

So, yes, Ava still has strong feelings for Caspian. How many problems will this cause? How long will it take before they cave into their feelings again? I suppose you'll just have to keep an eye out for future chapters to find out. ;)