Chapter 20

CASPIAN'S POV

After the previous night, which consisted of learning that Lucy's plan had worked, and Andrew and Annebelle were now together, and Lucy grumbling about what a freak King Nain was, Caspian awoke in his room with mixed emotions. He was determined to find a way to make King Nain leave Lucy alone without marrying her, but was having difficulty thinking of any solutions because he was still seething with anger that Nain thought he could just decide that Lucy would marry him. Lucy had been so furious that she couldn't even sleep, and Caspian had stayed in her room with her until she eventually wore herself out. She had been pacing back and forth, speaking through gritted teeth about how if only Caspian had stayed away from the courtyard a few moments longer, she could have angered him enough to threaten her, giving her an excuse to pull her daggar on him. Caspian was glad that he got Nain away from Lucy, but sort of wished that Lucy had had time to take care of him on her own. Though, he knew that if the moment arose again, he would never stray on helping her, knowing that his instinctive protectiveness would kick in. Lucy always got so angry when Caspian would act protective. I know she is capable of great things, and can take care of herself, but sometimes she puts herself in dangerous situations that she thinks she can handle but then can't. I just don't want any chances taken.. He watched Lucy rant, and eventually forced her to lay down with him, whispering in her ear for her not to worry, and that he would take care of everything. After a while, he had gotten her to go to sleep, and stayed a couple more minutes before leaving her room, locking the door on the way out. Now as he lay awake in his bed, his eyes adjusting to the light, he wondered how he was going to pull this off. He racked his brains for a few minutes until a loud knock at the door made him jump. I hope it's Lucy. Caspian stood and opened the door. To his disappointment though, it was David. His eyes narrowed.

"What?" Even though he knew Lucy had only kissed him and embraced him because she was trying to make him angry, he still didn't want to be friends with a man who he could tell had feelings for Lucy. He saw the way he looked at her, his eyes probably had matched his own watching her upon the Dawn Treader. David raised an eyebrow at his obvious tone, but then shook his head, as if shaking Caspian's hatred off as he did.

"King Nain is requesting an audience with you," Caspian growled deeply in his throat before nodding, turning around to start to get ready. He heard David clear his throat, making him turn back around with a wondering look. David did not say anything, but stepped aside to reveal Lucy standing behind him. She wore a sky blue gown with white trim and a white bow around her waist that tied in the back. Her reddish brown hair was shiny and hanging in loose curls. Caspian's gaze softened when he saw her.

"Good morning," He said, his voice more calm then previously when he had been talking to David. He raised an eyebrown as he saw her bite her bottom lip nervously, a usual sign that she was nervous about something.

"I'm coming with you," She declared. Caspian did not like this idea, and started to open his mouth to protest when her eyes shoot daggars at him. He sighed and turned to David.

"Did he request both of us present?" Before David could answer, Lucy stepped forward.

"No he did not. But since it is about me I demand to be allowed to come. Nobody is going to have any little meetings about me without me there," She said this as if it was the final word, and looked at him as if daring him to challenge her.

"Fine," He muttered, defeated. He excused himself quickly to grab another shirt, he hurriedly opened the door, grabbing Lucy's hand and pulling her close to him, getting her away from David. He led her away, turning over his shoulder to address the other man.

"Thanks for letting me know," He called with fake gratitude, but the hatred simmering underneath his words was clearly evident. He tugged Lucy faster down the hallway, trying to ignore the angry looks she was giving him.

"You don't have to be so hateful. David isn't a bad guy," She protested, hurrying to keep up with his long strides.

"Just because he isn't a pervert doesn't mean he has half a brain. I see the way he looks at you," He grumbled.

"So any man who fancies me doesn't have half a brain?" She asked with a fake insulted tone. Caspian smiled. He stopped for a moment, catching Lucy off guard, who kept surging forward, finding herself stopping abruptly, her hair tossing over her shoulder, because he was still holding her hand. He guided her back to him, putting the hand that didn't hold hers on her waist.

"No. He doesn't have half a brain because he doesn't seem to realize that he doesn't stand a chance with you," He brushed his lips over her forehead tenderly. Lucy put a small hand to his chest, pushing him away slightly so that she could view his face. She gave him a challenging smirk.

"Who said he wouldn't stand a chance if I wasn't with you?" She crossed her arms across her chest. Caspian's stomach lurched at the thought, but let it go.

"It doesn't matter, because who said I was ever going to let you go?" She scrunched her nose at him, making him chuckle. He gently grabbed her arms, uncrossing them from her chest, and pulled her to him. He dropped a kiss to her shoulder before making a trail up her neck. He ran his nose along her jaw line leading to her ear. He placed a firm kiss to the spot behind her ear that made her shudder, smiling into her skin as he felt her do it, and then moved his lips to her ear. "And that'll never happen. I'm never letting you go," He whispered. Lucy raised herself up slightly to kiss his mouth in a slow, loving kiss.

"I'm okay with that," She whispered against his mouth. A broad smile spread across his face at her words, and he drew her little body closer to his harder one in a warm embrace. He buried his face in her hair, smelling her strawberry shampoo. "We should be going," He heard her mumble. Caspian groaned. Lucy linked her fingers through his once more, giving his hand a comforting squeeze. He murmured his thanks before once again leading her down the hallway.

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LUCY'S POV

As Caspian guided her into the room where King Nain and his advisors sat waiting for him, Lucy felt angry at the side whispers she heard while making her way to her seat beside Caspian. Murmurs of wonder as to why she was here, and disgusting comments about her in general made her blood boil. When she was seated, and looked up, she saw King Nain looking her over with longing mixed with anger. Lucy supposed that he was still upset that she had slapped him in the face. You deserve much worse than that, buddy. She thought to herself, as she noticed that his staring at her had not stopped, and his eyes on her made her skin crawl. She put on a proud face and cocked her head to the side, raising an eyebrow and shrugging slighty, as if asking him what his problem was. Nain glared at her before looking away, now towards Caspian. Lucy felt Caspian take her hand under the table, running the pad of his thumb across the back of her hand. She squeezed his in return, thanking him, and not letting go. She heard him sigh deeply.

"You called?" He questioned, his jaw set firmly and his eyes so dark, it was as if they turned black with hatred as he stared at the other King.

"Yes, I called you," He answered pointedly, nodding his head towards Lucy without even sparing her a glance. Caspian squeezed her hand, as if trying to calm her before she got upset. Her composure remained, but answered him defiantly.

"Indeed you did, your majesty, but you will not be discussing my future without me present. You probably aren't used to manners as such. I doubt your wife even knows what your plans are, does she?" Her voice was thick with sarcasm and anger, and Caspian went back to stroking the skin of her hand. Her eyes shot to him quickly, and found him giving her a proud look and grin. She turned back to look at Nain with a raised eyebrow. He gave an amused laugh, waving a hand at her casually.

"Such matters are of no concern to a woman," He spoke through his laughter. Lucy's face fell and her eyes turned to slits. She started to open her mouth when Caspian made a noise in his throat, trying to get her attention. She turned to look at him, wondering why he was stopping her. Caspian leaned closer, speaking in her ear.

"Just let it go," Lucy huffed in annoyance, but he kissed her cheek in apology before straightening himself back up, eyeing the King.

"Get to your point," He said firmly. Nain nodded and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

"I want her. And unless you plan on marrying her immediatley, there is nothing you can do to stop me," Lucy felt Caspian stiffen next to her. His voice was staggered, but he spoke as clearly as possible.

"It is my every intention to eventually marry Lucy, so I will not allow you to become her betrothed. If you insist on making this difficult, I will go to extremes," Lucy pushed her eyebrows together and turned to give him a questioning look. His gaze remained set on Nain, however. "This altercation does not have to draw blood, but if you won't falter, then my men are ready to fight for Queen Lucy's honor." Lucy gasped.

"Wait!" She shouted, looking desperately at both men. At Caspian's words, Nain's men had started chattering about a war. King Nain looked taken aback, but smiled slyly. "No, no war," Lucy grabbed Caspian's arm roughly, forcing him to look at her. "Caspian, you are not going to risk our soilder's lives because of me. I won't allow it," Caspian gave her a hard look.

"If it's the only way, then yes I will," He turned back to Nain. "I suggest you think about this. Decide if your pride is more important than the well-being of your people. I guess we shall see what kind of King you really are," King Nain glared at him.

"If you go through with this, then you are just as bad."

"No. My people will understand. The Narnians know of the legend that is Queen Lucy in herself, and they will never want to see her in the hands of such a horrid man. It suprises me that your people are so set upon disgusting habits and thoughts brought into your head from birth, and that you don't already know that not only are you going against this Kingdom, but Aslan. Lucy holds a very special place in the heart of the great lion, and I have no doubt he will fight alongside the Narnians," Lucy saw a flash of fear go through the eyes of each of the opposing men, including the stubborn King, at mention of Aslan. "For now," Caspian stood, placing his hands on the table. "I order your people out of our borders. I'll have my men personally escort you out. Send word of your decision, your majesty," Sarcasm ran through his words as he addressed Nain formally, and gave him a curt bow. He reached down for Lucy's hand, and she grasped his lightly. Caspian lifted her out of her chair, and led her out of the room full of baffled Archenlanders.

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CASPIAN'S POV

Stupid son of a bitch, Caspian thought as he tugged Lucy along with him towards his bedroom. Her anger with him was evident as her hand held his so loosely that it was like she was trying her hardest not to touch him. She hadn't looked at him since he refused to listen to her about starting a war, and he had his suspicions that her current dislike of him was not to go away very quickly. They reached the stone door to Caspian's room, and he pulled her inside with him, noting how quickly she yanked her hand from his once inside. He shut the door, and sighed heavily before turning to face her. Her expression was livid.

"How dare you?" Lucy's hazel eyes had darkened to a forest green, and her fists were clenched at her sides. He felt a surge of anger go through him, but tried to conceal it. He reached a hand out for her, but snapped it away as he thought twice about it, he knew Lucy did not like to be touched when she was angry. Caspian played it off, running a hand through his hair casually as if that was what he had originally meant to do. Lucy seemed to know him better than that, and took a step backward to reinforce her personal space.

"Lucy, it's the only way," He started. Lucy practically growled as she shook her head.

"No it isn't, Caspian. If you had actually let me talk I could have said something. All we have to do is completely ban them from Narnia, then no lives will have to be lost," Caspian rolled his eyes, earning a glare. He didn't really care though, she was being naive.

"We don't need to break ties with a whole Kingdom just because of the ignorance of one man. Do you realize that if Narnia is ever to get into a war, Archenland is one of our allies? We use eachother for food and supplies that one of us might not neccesarily have. We have never had problems with Archenland until Nain was in power, he is the reason for this. We don't need to ban an entire country, Lucy. Be realistic," Lucy lurched forward and pushed his chest as roughly as she could, even though she did not move him an inch.

"Don't talk to me like I'm stupid, Caspian. Narnia has plenty of allies, and realize that if you start a war with them, you'll likely lose those ties anyway. I used to be Queen of this kingdom," She reminded him, holding her head up high.

"Yes, but I am King now. It's my decision. I will not sit by and watch that filthy man take you away! Just the thought of him putting his hands on you makes me feel sick. Do you realize what you life will be like? He is more than twice your age. You'll practically live in the bedroom, pleasing him whenever he wishes, constantly fat with his child until he decides he's had enough of you! All you will be is his whore!" Lucy stepped back a little, her face dropping and her bottom lip quivering slightly. Caspian instantly felt horrible.

"Lucy-love," He groaned, moving to take her in his arms. She retaliated quickly, though, and flung out of his reach. In half a second, she was gone, slamming his bedroom door behind her.

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LUCY'S POV

Tears flung from Lucy's eyes as she ran so fast that they flew through the air like rain. Sobs came out of her throat in constant waves, getting harder at the thought of a life with King Nain. Caspian's words put horrible images in her mind. Images of lying with an old man until he was practically bed ridden, having to do whatever he liked, while her real love was in Narnia. This possibility scared her to death, but not as much as the picture of hundreds of Narnian corpses on a battle field did. Lucy's feet carried her to the beach without her giving it a second thought. She collapsed into the warm sand on her knees, grabbing her stomach as nausea over took her, and leaning forward, preparing herself to get sick.

"Dear one," A velvety voice poured calm throughout her like hot syrup, and Lucy straightened herself, clearing her hair from her face as her tear stung eyes searched for Aslan. She heard a low rumble, and snapped her head to the left, curls tossing over her back and shoulders, looking towards the forest in the distance. Lucy squinted her eyes and leaned forward just enough to see a flash of a golden mane. He was leaving her.

"No!" She choked out. "Aslan, wait!" Lucy staggered to her feet, grabbing fistfulls of her gown and kicking off her shoes. Another flash of gold. "Please wait," She sobbed, and sprinted through the sand to follow him. She found her feet could not carry her fast enough, and she felt like she was trying to run through water. Her throat burned as she called for him, deprived of water, and Lucy could faintly taste blood. She slowed slightly as she took her first step into the forest, looking back towards the castle. Memories of Caspian telling her to never go into the wood alone filled her mind. I'm not alone, she tossed her head to see Aslan's golden eyes staring back at her warmly. I'm with Aslan. Lucy sighed towards the castle and turned back to follow the great lion once more. She ignored the stabs of pain as her bare feet stepped on sharp rocks and twigs, and branches tore through her dress and at her skin. All she cared about was seeing Aslan. Thankfully, he stopped in a small clearing, turning around and looking at her expectantly. Tears once again came to her eyes as she dashed forward.

"Aslan!" She cried, burying her head in his warm mane. She came at him so fast that he fell over, making him chuckle, and he raised a paw to give her a sort of hug. Lucy cried into the golden hair for a few moments, before pulling her head up, sniffling. She searched his eyes.

"Why does this have to happen?" His gaze changed from excited, to very soft and loving.

"Oh my dear one, sometimes ignorance can over power even the most realistic of minds," He nuzzled her side affectionately.

"Caspian's ignorance," Lucy mumbled, averting her gaze. Aslan let a rumble out of his throat.

"Caspian's actions are out of love. I speak of King Nain," Lucy sighed, reaching a hand to run her fingers through his gleaming hair. She leaned down so she was lying against him.

"I don't want lives lost because of me," She whispered.

"Always worried about others more than yourself. I know you would give up your freedom to be with Caspian in a heart beat if it meant sparing the lives of your people," Lucy brought in a sharp intake of breath, but nodded fiercely. "But the thing is, Caspian is right. No Narnian will want to see that happen to you," Lucy groaned. "Besides, I will be watching over the Narnians. Just as I watch over you, always." A smile threatened to break on Lucy's face as she straightened herself up.

"You'll help?" The lion chuckled.

"Of course," Lucy laughed thankfully and hugged Aslan once more. She sat still for a moment, relaxing against the comfort of her guardian, letting his presence soothe her. This helped tremendously, but other worries started to etch their presence in her mind.

"Do you know how my family is doing?" She heard him sigh. She shot up, her eyes becoming worried.

"I know you don't tell me stories other than my own, but I have to know. Please," She pleaded, eyeing him desperately. He sighed once more.

"Blessed with a face no one can deny with good conscience, dear one," Lucy giggled as she defeated the great lion. "Edmund is most noble about the situation. He is happy as long as you are. Peter was upset at first," Lucy blinked back tears at the mention of her oldest, most protective brother. "But he is now thinking along the same lines as Edmund." Lucy stared at him for a few moments to continue.

"Susan?" She asked in barely a whisper. Aslan eyed her apologetically.

"She loves you, and always will. Right now, I'm afraid she's going through a period of feeling betrayed. It seems as if she still had a small amount of romantic feelings towards Caspian that made themselves known as soon as she learned your news," Lucy whimpered as she felt salty tears brush over her lips that she had yet to notice had started to fall.

"She's angry with me?" She mumbled. Aslan nuzzled her side once more.

"In good time, she will see that your decision was for the best," Lucy nodded, trying to blink back her tears. "Your parents," The tears suddenly speeded up once again. "You know they will take much time to recover as much as they will. I cannot say they will ever have peace until they face you in my country. But what a glorious reunion it shall be, when all of their worries come to rest," Lucy nodded frantically as he tried to comfort her. She knew she was going to break her mother and father's heart, and tried to think as much about the day that she would see them as opposed to the days they will spend apart. She sniffled.

"All will be fine," Aslan spoke gently. Lucy did not respond, but blinked her eyes a few times groggily. She had exhausted herself beyond her breaking point today, and knew that she could not stay awake much longer. As she yawned, snuggling herself up to Aslan to get comfortable, she thought she heard faint calls of her name, getting louder and more frantic as the time passed.

"Lucy! LUCY!" She groaned, wishing the voice would stop so that she could rest. Aslan rumbled next to her.

"It's Caspian," He told her, nudging her so that she would get up. "You've been gone for a few hours," Lucy's eyebrows furrowed, she did not remember that much time passing. "He's worried," She felt a surge of guilt, remembering how she had yelled at him and ran off. Lucy straightened herself up to sitting position, her knees tucked behind her, and watched Aslan stand. To her dismay, he started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" She asked weakly. Aslan gave her a comforting gaze.

"I must see to other things. I stayed to keep you safe, but you'll be in good hands soon enough. I'll see you when the time comes," The lion lowered his head next to her so that she could kiss the side of his face and hug him one last time, murmuring her thanks into his mane. When she let go, he was gone.

"LUCY!" She tossed her head to the side, wanting to see Caspian. As he called her name, Lucy could hear the panic in his desperate voice.

"I'm here!" She called as loudly as she could, but found that her voice still stung her throat and she was too tired and weak to stand. She felt a sense of calm wash through her when she saw him, rushing through the trees on Destrier towards her. Lucy heard the calls of other men, and assumed he had assembled a party to search for her. The other men were not as close, and when Caspian's eyes fell on her, he climbed off Destrier and rushed over towards her. Lucy smiled weakly as he came at her, but caught her breath in her throat when she saw his face. His eyes were black with anger, his jaw was clenched tightly, and he walked so stiffly that she doubted one of the surrounding trees could push him down if they tried. As his eyes washed over her state, Lucy saw a flash of relief go through them, but the anger overpowered it still.

"Where have you been?" He asked clearly and lowly, and she could sense that he was trying to hold back as much anger as possible.

"With Aslan," She answered him gently, trying to move to get up. Her legs were scratched and ached, so it was too hard to support herself. Caspian didn't notice this.

"You went running off by yourself. Have you any idea how worried I've been?"

"I'm sorry," She choked out. "I'm sorry but I was so afraid of what's going to happen. I needed to get away. I came to the beach, and then Aslan started calling me and I followed him out here. He said he'd help us. I'm sorry," She murmured her final apology, tears coming to her eyes. Caspian looked so angry with her that she found she could barely look at him, and suddenly found the dirt on the ground very interesting. She simultaneously ran her hand along her bloody leg, wincing in pain. She heard Caspian groan from above, and then he was next to her on the ground. Lucy whimpered as she felt a strong hand cup her cheek, forcing her to look up. She though he was going to scold her again, but instead, he took her lips with his. Caspian kissed her with so much love and tenderness that Lucy felt lightheaded, and found herself being pulled into his lap. She blushed as he wrapped her in a strong embrace and muttered his love for her in her ear.

"You're hurt," He groaned, brushing a hand down a scratched up arm and bloodied leg. Lucy had not realized how much her leg hurt until now, and gasped in pain when he did. "Sorry," He whispered hurriedly, kissing her forehead. He reached down to grab a rock, then used it to cut a slit in his white shirt and pull of a scrap of fabric. Very gently, Caspian looped it around her cut, knotting it carefully.

"Thank you," She muttered, kissing his neck. She rested her head on his shoulder, and heard him sigh in comfort. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I love you," He ran a hand up and down her back.

"There is no need to apologize, Lucy. I should have talked that over with you before I decided. I'm sorry," They sat in silence for a while.

"Aslan thinks what you're doing is right. He's going to help the Narnians, just like you said he would," He sighed in relief.

"Good," Caspian placed a small kiss to her neck, making her sigh. She felt comforted and utterly safe being back in his arms, and did not want to pull away any time soon. Voices still called her name, however. "I've got her. She's here!" Caspian called to his men. "Thank you for your help. You can go back to the castle," Lucy snuggled closer to him. "I have to get you back. You need to be looked over, make sure you're alright," Lucy knew she was fine other than her leg and a few scratches, but did not want to argue with him, given how much worry she had caused him.

"What did you think happened to me?" She asked curiously. Anger shot through his eyes once more as his thoughts drifted.

"I thought Nain had taken you with him," He whispered, looking away. Relief poured through Lucy's body.

"He's gone?" She asked hopefully. Caspian gave her a reassuring smile and nod. She sighed. "Thank goodness." Caspian then lifted her up off the ground, and had her hold onto a tree to steady herself while he pulled himself up on Destrier, extending a hand to her.

"Do you want to sleep on the way back?" He asked knowingly. Lucy nodded. "Climb on facing me," He ordered gently. He grasped her hand tightly and lifted her easily onto the horse. He wrapped an arm around her back possesively while she looped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. He grabbed the reins with his empty hand and kissed the top of her head.

"Sleep well, Lucy-love," He whispered, hugging her tighter before riding them back towards the castle.

Thanks for reading!