Chapter 23

CASPIAN'S POV

"Edmund! I don't understand what the problem is. Just one drop from my healing cordial and your wound will go away," Lucy said in a whining, protesting voice. The two had been arguing for quite some time over the matter, and Caspian knew that Edmund would not falter. He was as stubborn as Lucy. Which was pretty stubborn.

"No, Lucy. The nurse said I was going to be fine, so we don't need to waste it just so I don't have a little pain. Besides, I've been hearing whispers of a war, so I think it will have good use in no time at all," Lucy looked put out by his denial, and shrunk back in the chair she had pulled to sit next to his bed. Caspian, who sat in a chair next to her, took her hand and rubbed soothing circles on the soft skin with the pad of his thumb. He turned to Edmund.

"Have you been told why exactly this is taking place?" Edmund shook his head, an expectant look on his face as he waited for Caspian to continue. Caspian looked down at Lucy and nudged her side to look at him, as if asking her if she wanted to tell him. She shook her head. "King Nain is set upon forcing Lucy to be his wife," Edmund's eyes widened and he gripped the sheets that covered him in anger. "It seems as if the only way to get through to him is to have a small war." Edmund nodded, understanding.

"Yes, and we've sent Drinian over to Archenland in disguise to fetch a spy for us," Lucy finished, still not making eye contact with anything but her hands in her lap. She said this as if she could not believe it was true, even though it was her idea in the first place. Caspian saw Edmund open his mouth in suprise.

"A spy? Narnia's never done anything like that before, Caspian."

"His name is David. He is one of my friends," Lucy piped up once more, ignoring the meaning of Edmund's words completely. "Hopefully both Drinian and David will be back before Nain decides that he does want a war." Edmund nodded gravely, clearly not liking the idea of a war. Caspian sensed, however, that he would rather let this happen then have Nain get his way with Lucy.

"Well, what else has been going on?" Edmund was trying to change the upsetting subject. But before either Lucy or Caspian could speak, they heard a knock at the door, and then Annebelle was in the room. Strutting across the floor casually as she wheeled in a few trays of breakfast food.

"What's the point of knocking if you're only going to barge in?" Caspian asked in an annoyed tone. Annebelle stuck her tongue out at him and gave Lucy a wink, making her giggle.

"How are you feeling?" She asked Edmund, who stared at her a few moments, looking dazed, before he shook his head as if to clear his head. Annebelle raised an expectant eyebrow.

"Uhh-I'm fine," He muttered, and Caspian could've sworn he saw the King of Old blush deeply. Annebelle didn't seem to notice, and brought forward a breakfast tray to sit in front of Edmund, who looked as if all worries were gone as soon as he caught sight of the food, and started shoveling it down immediatley, as if he had not eaten in weeks. Annebelle also placed a tray of food in front of both Caspian and Lucy, smiling at their thankful eyes.

"I thought you two might want to spend as much time with his majesty as possible," She explained as she finished setting up their meal before them. Caspian dug in, just now noticing how hungry he was. Lucy cleared her throat, nudging his side and then jerking her head from Edmund to Annebelle pointedly.

"Oh yeah, right. Edmund this is Annebelle, Lucy's lady's maid. Annebelle this is Edmund, Lucy's brother," He got turned to Lucy for approval of his introduction. She rolled her eyes and waved her hand towards his food, telling him to continue, which he did gladly.

"Nice to meet you," Edmund choked out. Annebelle nodded, looking flustered, and she quickly averted her eyes before excusing herself from the room with a bow.

"Engaged," Caspian muttered with toast in his mouth. He swallowed. "Sorry mate," He finished with a sly grin. Edmund tried to look offended.

"Why should I care?"

"Just an assumption, seeing as you had drool trickling down your chin," Lucy said with a giggle, starting on her own food. Edmund groaned, holding his stomach and rolling his eyes at the same time.

"Think what you want," He shot back defensively, looking away from his two grinning friends.

"I wonder how long Aslan will let you stay..." Caspian and Edmund looked over at Lucy as she gave this thought out loud. Caspian noted how sad her eyes looked, and did not look forward to the time when the great lion would take Edmund away from her. Edmund, on the other hand, smiled as if he had a secret.

"He says I cannot go back. He brought me here in a split decision but now that I am here I must permanently live in Narnia," Lucy and Caspian's eyes shot to the boy, who was grinning like a mad man and his eyes were resting on Lucy, waiting for a reaction.

"You're staying in Narnia? Forever?" She whispered, as if she wanted to clarify it. Edmund nodded slowly, his smile never faltering. Lucy squealed with excitement and bounded out of her chair, throwing her arms around her brother. Caspian chuckled and wrapped his hand around her arm, tugging her back gently.

"Careful love," He warned, and Lucy's hand clapped over her mouth and her eyes got a concerned look in them as she realized she may have hurt her brother.

"Oh! Edmund..."

"I'm fine, Lu," He assured her, letting Caspian sit her back down in her chair. Lucy looked incredibly pleased, but a flash of sadness went through her eyes.

"Mother and father will be even worse now. They'll think something's happened to you," She muttered. Neither Caspian nor Edmund had any words for comfort, because they both knew that she spoke the truth. Their parents would not know of their saftey until they reached Aslan's Country, and that was jusst the way it had to be. All of the sudden, the sound of the door bursting open ripped through Caspian's thoughts, and he guessed who it was without looking.

"Bella.." He groaned in frustration, but when he turned around he saw the nurse, eyes wide and beady. She yanked Lucy and Caspian out of their chairs and practically pushed them out of the door.

"Out! I must change his majesties bandage! He needs rest! Out, out!" Lucy shot the nurse a cold glare before waving to Edmund, who didn't look too pleased about being left alone with this woman.

"I'll see you later!" Lucy called as they were given one last shove out the door, it slamming in their faces only a split second later.

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CASPIAN'S POV

"I can't believe he got out," Lucy mumbled, a worried look in her eyes. The two were taking a stroll around the castle grounds, because Caspian wanted to show her the new garden that had just been planted before the voyage. "What if he hurts my family?" She whispered, looking at Caspian with slightly watery eyes. He sighed, hating so see her upset, and took her into his arms.

"Aslan won't let that happen. You know that," He assured her, resting his forehead against hers.

"Aslan couldn't stop Edmund from being hurt," She said weakly. Caspian gave her a squeeze.

"They will be fine," He told her, lightly brushing his lips against her forehead before reaching to take her hand. "Now come, I want to show you something," He said with a smile, tugging her along with him. Lucy was a little less energetic than usual, seeing as her brother was injured and refusing her help, and that the man who sexually assaulted her was on the loose and was a threat to her family. Caspian wanted to see her smile again, and hoped this would do it. They slowed slightly as they reached the garden, and Caspian looked to see Lucy's jaw drop in awe.

"I had it made in your name," Caspian explained sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I hoped that one day you would come back and be able to see it." Lucy remained speechless, turning in circles to look around her. Dozens of lilies, her favorite flower, were strung through the archway that led to the garden. Flowers of every kind and color were scattered all around, with a few apple trees here and there. A small pond sat in the very middle, and the sound of rushing water indicated the presence of a miniature waterfall nearby. A stone walkway was threaded throughout, and there were a few fine stone benches scattered about for resting. To Caspian, the garden was always his favorite place to be in the castle. He would come in the early morning, before everyone else rose, and bask in the silence and beauty. After naming it for her, the garden always made him think of Lucy, and it had sort of pained him to visit whilst she was away for those dreadful three years. Though, it did bring back memories of the time they had spent together, so he had endured the twinges of sorrow and visited the garden anyway, anticipating the time when he could show it to Lucy, and it would come to life with her laughter and playfulness as she skipped around it merrily.

"It's so beautiful," He heard her whisper, and then she was in his arms. "Thank you Caspian!" She exclaimed, snuggling into the crook of his neck. He chuckled, glad that she liked it, and drew her away to observe her. After leaving Edmund's room, they had parted momentarily to wash and be changed. Lucy now wore a turquoise gown with sleeves that hung off her shoulders, and beading at the breast line. She had her hair down, but had braided two strands and clipped them in the back. The rest of her hair fell down her shoulders and back, and her big, hazel eyes looked up at him lovingly.

"You're beautiful, Lucy," He whispered, making her blush. He pulled her closer, resting one hand on the small of her back and weaving the other through her petal soft hair. Lucy linked her arms around his neck, and let him lift her easily so that she could reach his lips, which met hers as if they were magnets being yanked together uncontrollably. She kissed him passionately for a few moments, making his body heat, until she pulled away abruptly. He frowned as she gave him a playful smirk. She rose herself up again so that her lips her a fraction of a centimeter from his.

"If you want to kiss me again, you'll have to catch me," He stared at her, dumbfounded for a second before she dashed away, her hair flying behind her and her child like laughter filling up the entire garden. He shook his head in amazement before darting after her.

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PETER'S POV

"Did we give them the most up to date photograph? Are you certain you got her height and weight correct?" His father questioned his mother as they trailed up the walk way to their house. Peter ached to tell them that it was all a lie, that Lucy wasn't missing, and that she was completely fine, but he knew that Aslan did not want them to know, so he kept his mouth shut. He tried to soothe them when he could, but found it hard to balance making them feel better and acting distraught at the same time. After all, his baby sister was "missing" and he ought to be rather upset about it. Still, he hated seeing his father pace back and forth, constantly shaking, and hear his mother cry herself to sleep at night from all the way down the upstairs hallway. Susan was no help at all, and remained fairly quiet, neither crying nor trying to calm their parents worries. Peter suspected this was because she was still upset with Lucy, and he wanted no more than to shake some sense into her and remind her that she was the one who chose to leave Caspian in the first place. Mother and father assumed she was so silent because she was in shock, and didn't want to believe that this was all happening. Peter knew that Edmund felt awful, and heard him once say that it was his fault, and that he was supposed to be responsible for bringing Lucy home. Peter had to keep reminding him what he already knew, however, that Lucy would have never been truly happy without Caspian by her side. He sighed one last time at the sobs he heard escaping his mother's throat, and opened the front door. Immediatley, he sensed danger, a skill he had acquired from his days as King of Narnia. He looked back and saw that Susan did as well, and was giving him one of her stern looks that said "be careful." He stepped across the threshold cautiously, wishing he had a sword he could pull from a sheath to protect his family. His parents did not seem to realize there was a problem, and made their way inside just as they normally would. Peter watched his mother walk into the sitting room, and then she gave a piercing scream that could have shattered a glass window. Peter, Susan, and their father were immediatley at her side, looking to the pool of blood she was pointing at with a shaky finger.

"Where's Edmund?" Susan whispered into Peter's ear from behind. He snapped up, before running throughout the entire house, looking in every room as he called his brother's name at the top of his lungs. He went back to his family, trying to catch his breath and saw that his father was holding something small and shiny in his hand.

"Where did this come from?" He asked with a peculiar tone, holding up a golden piece of a chess set. Edmund's chess set. From Narnia. After exchanging a look with Susan, Peter knew exactly where his brother was.

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CASPIAN'S POV

"Gotcha!" Caspian cried, grabbing Lucy around the middle from behind as she yelped in suprise. "You're mine now," He whispered huskily in her ear, turning her to face him. Her cheeks were flushed and she giggled sweetly as she looked up at him. He looked around to see if anyone was around, and after seeing that it was clear, he backed her up against the stone wall, lowering his head so his mouth was against her ear. "Now you have to pay up," He felt her shudder in anticipation before he claimed her lips, placing a hand on her waist to keep her pinned against the wall and letting the other trail down her side, feeling the curve of her hip. Lucy let both her hands glide up his chest before letting one rest on his shoulder, and tangling the other in his hair, pushing his head down closer. She whimpered as he dipped his tongue into her mouth, and moved hers to meet his shyly. His hand continued to roam her body, not sure where to go and where to stop. He let it run up her side again, slightly grazing against the side of her breast and making her let out a small noise from the back of her throat. It then went behind her to rest on her back, going all the way up to feel the soft skin where there was no dress and then back down to momentarily run over her bottom. Lucy's tongue was exploring his mouth, and he was not sure where she acquired these skills, but tried not to think about it as he enjoyed the sensation. She moved to his neck, gently nipping at the skin before sucking lightly. He groaned as chills went down his spine in response to what she was doing, and he found himself grabbing her hips and pulling her forward, needing her closer. He could not wait until she was finally his bride, and would lie under him on their wedding night, calling his name as he pleasured her.

"Oi! That's-uh! That is completely disgusting!"

"It looks like she's sucking his majesties blood!" Caspian jumped away from Lucy, turning around to see who had graced them with their presence. Glenstorm and Trumpkin had walked into the garden, and stood a few feet away with distorted looks on their faces as they made gagging noises.

"Go away," Lucy groaned from behind him, making him give an amused snort. Their friends shot them glares and were about to retort when a strangled cry broke through the air.

"MURDER!" The four shot up, as if called to attention. Caspian instinctively reached for Lucy, tucking her into his side before rushing behind Trumpkin and Glenstorm towards the noise. All three men had a hand on their sword, ready for an attack. Lucy shook beside him, and she was probably running faster than he was, pushing him forward with the arm she had around his back. Glenstorm and Trumpkin stopped, holding out a hand for Caspian and Lucy to halt, and going forward in the corridor to make sure it was safe. Caspian heard the sound of swords hitting the ground, and desperate pleas for help. A crowd of Narnians had gathered a small circle around something, and tears were being shed in numerous amounts. More people were dashing towards the commotion as the nurse wailed that a murder had been commited. Caspian felt his body go numb as he held Lucy tighter, silently shoving through the people to see who it was. The arm around Lucy dropped. Lucy let out a cry and dropped to her knees as she brought a hand over her mouth.

There on the ground, lying in a pool of his own blood, and with skin as white as a ghost, was Andrew.

"NO!" Annebelle surged forward, tears flying from her eyes as her arms reached out for her fiance. Caspian turned just in time to catch her, holding her tight and refusing to let go. "LET ME GO!" He shook his head, tears pouring from his eyes as he held her back. She fought him, smacking any part of him that she could reach, but he still would not falter. He felt her give up, and she resorted to burying her head in his neck as strong sobs overtook her body.

"I'm so sorry Bella. I'm so sorry," He kept muttering over and over, the sound of her frantic sobs breaking his heart. He heard Lucy telling a few men to move the body. Her voice snapped him back into reality, his king-like authority washing over him.

"Glenstorm, take Annebelle back to her room," He gently let her go, handing her off to Glenstorm, who picked her up and carried her down the hallway. Lucy gasped behind him.

"I have to check on Edmund!" She started to turn hurriedly, but Caspian grabbed her arm roughly.

"You aren't going anywhere by yourself. Do you understand me?" She nodded weakly, shaking slightly. His gaze softened and he ushered Rynelf over.

"Go with her," Before they left, he pulled Lucy into a comforting embrace, kissing the side of her head. "Stay with Rynelf and Edmund until I come get you. I need to figure out what happened, and then go take care of Bella." Lucy nodded, pulling herself up to kiss his lips chastely before rushing away. He turned to see Trumpkin and a few of his other men ushering the crowd away, tears in their eyes. At this point, he could not stop his own, kneeling down beside his friend.

"Why would someone do this?" He choked out, using his thumbs to close Andrew's eyelids. A throat cleared behind him.

"Your majesty, look at this," Trumpkin handed him a piece of parchment he had found on the ground. Caspian's eyes widened as he looked it over, realization washing over him. The words "WE ACCEPT" were spread across the page in bold letters, written in what he could only assume to be Andrew's blood.

Da-da-dum!