A/N:
Disclaimer: How many times do I have to say that I don't own Narnia or C.S. Lewis to tell the moderators of fanfiction that I don't own it? GEEZ!
Summary: Aslan said in Prince Caspian that Telmar was once un-peopled until those six pirates came and inhabited it. This is that story.
………………………………..
History
Chapter 6
Journal Entries and Parties
King Jerome turned to the first page and began reading.
"Entry I:
Father has only died a short few days ago and they have already made me king over Telmar. I am not sure that I am completely ready to do my duty even though my wife, and the new queen; Anna says that I will do just fine. Tomorrow I start my work, making laws and listening to the peasants. I am sure that they will start bringing up cases about their taxes and their families. Oh how I missed the days of being a prince, just riding for fun with my Anna, or hunting with the hounds. Now those days are long gone. Goodbye days of wonderful youth.
Entry II:
The day came as expected. Peasants complained about their living and about their taxes. What was interesting was that one man had enough gall to draw out a knife and try and attack me. The guards all around quickly surrounded him and sent he and his wife to the dungeon. He would then be tortured and would rot down there. I say good ridden.
…………………………….( Entries III-XIV are being skipped because all there is, is account numbers and money tables.)
Entry XV:
Something wonderful has happened today. My wonderful queen Anna has blessed me with a newborn son. We have named him Miran. He looks just like me.
Entry XVI:
I am sorry that I haven't written in this for such a long time. A year has passed and we are holding a great celebration in honor of my son's first birthday. He has learned to walk and has said his first word, king. I was filled with great joy, but suddenly screaming erupted from the village outside of the castle. A guard came back with horrible news of disease. We (Anna and I) of course did not want our son nor either of us to be sick. We have securely locked ourselves within the castle. No one is allowed to get in or out.
Entry XVII:
Many days have passed and we have remained safe within our walls. An eerie silence has crept over the village outside. We have discovered that our entire kingdom has been attacked by plague. Everyone inside this castle may be the only ones safe from it.
Entry XVIII:
It has been a month since last word of the plague. Our son now starts to look green. He will not eat and sleeps a lot. None of my doctors can find a cure. They believe the plague has gotten him and have taken us away from him. A nurse who is already infected is staying with him. Queen Anna has not stopped crying and I too am sorry. We know that he will die and soon.
Entry XVIV:
They have moved us to the dungeons. There are only twelve of my men and lords surviving and have joined us. The guards have killed all the criminals down here so that we will not be harmed. My queen and I have hidden in a corner where a candle is our only source of light. There is silence between us all as we hear the agonizing cries of the servants and lords who are dying from the plague. They are trying to bang open the doors and seek shelter from it, but we have locked them and barricaded ourselves in here. Soon all is silent.
Entry XX:
I have very little time. We have been locked down here for nearly a month with little to eat and drink. My wife Anna is already dead. They say she died from hunger and thirst, but I saw her face and her eyes. Her tan face was green and her eyes were yellowish. Her hands were shaky and her fingers could grasp nothing. She was infected by the plague. My lords and men tried to break the door down but could not. We are all trapped. Now one by one they have fallen and I now know that I am next. My hands begin to shake as I write these last words. A warning to anyone who finds this place to leave at once or risk the plague befalling you. I have left a map of all of Telmar and this castle and Telmar's adjoining lands. Get out. I will now try and open the door. I would like to see daylight one last time…
"That's it," King Jerome said solemnly.
"Those poor people," Marigold cried. She and the other women had tears in their eyes.
"What amazes me is that this land was called Telmar before we arrived," Smits said.
"These were the original Telmarines. Now they are dead. I bet no one was able to get out of the country," said Jerome.
"But didn't you here what that king wrote? The plague may still be here! We should flee!" Franco cried.
"Flee to where?" King Jerome snapped. "If we are infected with the plague then there is no point in leaving. We would just spread it across the country again."
Franco stiffened as he took the realization in. If they were infected, he was going to die.
"We don't even know if the plague is still around," Camille pointed out. "It could have left seeing as there were no more beings to spread to."
"No one looks as though they have the appointed symptoms. We may be just fine," said Tier.
"But what if we aren't?" asked Rummy. (If you hadn't noticed before, Rummy is with Franco on almost everything.)
"We will just have to stay here and watch for any signs. If we don't come down with any of the symptoms, then we must be healthy," Jerome explained.
Murmurs followed until Queen Marigold spoke up. "Now is not the time to focus on troubles. We have a castle that has already been cleaned out. As I remember, our king promised us a party. Would the men be so good enough as to look around the grounds for any meat? Bring back meat and the women and I will prepare it for a feast."
Jerome smiled at Marigold, hoping that her suggestion would lift some of the fear and tension. King Jerome and the other men went out with bows, arrows, and swords to look for any animals on the grounds. They were lucky enough to have found a lone deer wandering in between the broken down homes where the subjects lived. Tier readied an arrow on the string and tried to hit it, but missed. King Jerome and Smits both took it down with their arrows as it started to run off.
While the men hunted, the women and Queen Marigold were scouring the kitchen for anything to cook with. They found spices and a fresh wild vegetable garden outside, behind the kitchen. The fire was stoked and everything was ready when the men brought in the young deer, cleaned and cut.
"We have food, if only we had some drink," said Lonny. Franco and Smits went through the kitchen and found a door to a cellar. The cellar contained different wines. They also went in back where the garden was and found a well, covered in ivy.
The women rubbed the deer with spices and put a large chunk of the meat on a spit over the fire. Tier and Rummy were given the job of turning the meat while Des kept the fire stoked. Another smaller fire was used to cook a stew that had some of the vegetables in it as well as smaller bits of venison.
Soon plates and tableware were found and everyone was seated at the table, eating to the hearts delight. The wine was good though they did not get drunk on it like they had done on the beach with the beach with the other pirates. There were more manners, though still not as mannerly and proper as nobles or lords and ladies.
As the last bites were about to be finished, Tier noticed some odd things in the corner. He picked up a long thin stick with holes in it.
"What is it you've found Tier?" King Jerome asked.
"It's a stick."
"No, it's a flute made out of reed," Marigold corrected as she took it from Tier. She then put it up to her mouth and blew. A high-pitched musical tone came out.
"Here Tier, you play."
"All I have to do is blow through it?" he asked as he took the reed and examined it.
"Well, to change the notes you also have to put your fingers over different holes."
Tier did and the same high-pitched tone came out, only it was a different note. Tier smiled and started playing different notes. Smits picked up another instrument that all of the men remembered.
"It's a mandolin. I remember playing this." Smits started strumming the strings and soon there was music. All of the others started dancing to the music until it was late in the night. When all was over, they each returned up to their rooms and slept until the next morning.
A/N: Tada! That is the end of chapter 6. Please Review.