5. The Mouse's Oath
Come nightfall on their fifth day on the Dawn Treader, Susan found herself seeking the cool night air to clear her thoughts. The whole experience had come to overwhelm her; their illogical return to Narnia, Caspian's word to find a queen and her own bottled up emotions for the same man.
The young woman preferred it when things could be explained; when it had a reason she could see and understand. Now not only her head was having trouble keeping up, but also her heart.
As soon as she had realized where they had returned, Susan Pevensie had promised herself to remain prepared to be sent back to England when Aslan realized the mistake that had somehow been made. Neither her nor Peter's fate was to be in Narnia, the mighty lion had said so himself, and she must never forget that. She must never forget, either, that England held her path and that this was just a tiny detour on her great trail through life.
That Narnia had never been her future was something the young woman had come to terms with long ago. She thought of this return as a happy dream of sorts, one from which she would eventually awake, heart-grieved and alone in England. It was all a matter of time. And if she was to be prepared to leave all of Narnia behind whenever the mistake was brought to light, she couldn't get emotionally invested.
After her long talk with the Telmarine king about the life and decisions of a regent, Susan had decided to keep some distance to the handsome, young man. This did in no way mean acting uncivilized, but rather to not find herself in another private situation with him. Her fears that old feelings would blossom within her heart and put down roots meant having to stay away from danger. Though, when it concerned the warm, kind king, this was harder than first conceived. He was so sweet and attentive to her in ways that made her heart skip a beat every now and then, even though he surely did not mean anything with his actions.
In truth, Susan had felt her heart beat quite out of control upon realizing the Telmarine man would soon choose a bride of his own. When he had discussed the matter privately with her there had been that one moment when he had gazed down at their hands and declared the qualities such a bride would have to possess. He had said she would have to have a gentle heart. Gentle. As if he was referring to her and not some random queen he had yet to fall in love with. It was a silly thought, the woman knew, to even consider the notion that Caspian had been referring to her at all. She had read more into it because of, she could admit as much, her own secret wish that he still felt affection for her.
The brunette sighed up at the starry skies and tried to clear her mind once and for all. She wanted nothing more than to lose herself in the beauty of a perfect moment at sea, but had to pull back even in this regard. She had to remember the promise she had made to herself. Honestly, though, there were ways for her to minimize the pain, but she would be sad either way to leave this place, to leave the Telmarine king...
Oh, for heaven's sake, she thought as she closed her eyes tight in irritation. Get a grip, girl! It was just a silly teen crush!
There never had been more than chaste words and a farewell kiss to seal their incipient emotions. It had always been meant to end as nothing more and Susan had come to accept this during her year away. Besides, they had only known each other for a brief window of time, during which they had been quite busy with reclaiming a kingdom from his mad uncle. There had been no time to actually get to know each other in peaceful days.
To Caspian, all of it had been three years ago and evidently he had mastered the role of king in great strides since then. Had she truly been foolish enough to believe that a few fleeting moments would make him swoon over her the way she still swooned over him?
Not for three years, certainly. Fleeting crushes ended in half that time, if not sooner still. The handsome Telmarine was a regent with many obligations who had reshaped the peace of Narnia and Telmar; there was no room for old, incipient emotions to last in such conditions. No, he had surely moved on and with the upcoming obligation to find a wife, he would soon forget he had ever felt anything akin to amour for the Pevensie girl.
She would have to bide her time and be secretive with her heart around him, in order to protect both their hearts. If the roles had been reversed, she knew the king would have protected her also. Along with her siblings she would support the man in any way they could, even if it meant finding someone to take the place she had once possessed in his heart. Caspian deserved nothing less after everything he had done for them all and for Narnia.
"It's beautiful, isn't it? Just like I remember it." the Pevensie girl was pulled from her brooding state and turned around upon hearing the man's calm voice. Behind her, Peter walked across the quiet deck with his hands behind his back. Much like his sister, the young man was dressed for bed and there were already traces of sleep in his pale eyes. He came up to stand beside her and, too, gazed at the stars above, before he confessed, "I really missed Narnia when we were away. Last time did feel like a farewell, like we had done our work here. Still… being back… I'm not sure I want to leave this time, Susan."
"Don't be silly, Peter," Susan chastised and gently tugged on the long, dark braid that hung over her shoulder. Her eyes couldn't quite rise to meet her brother's, but instead she sought comfort from the night around them. "You know we can't stay. You and I aren't supposed to be here."
"Yet here we are," the young man said as if having to remind her of such a simple fact.
Lucy awoke the following morning to the warm rays of the sun peeking through the painted windows of Caspian's cabin and she stretched out upon the large bed with a content sigh. She prodded the other end of the bed with her toes and frowned when she met nothing but air and a cool cover. The young brunette cracked one pale blue eye open and looked about the room; there was no Susan in here yet again.
The teenager yawned as she threw her head back down onto the pillows once more. After a few moments of deliberating whether to enjoy the morning in bed or get up, the girl pulled herself out of her comfort zone. A few years earlier, she would have easily given into the temptation, but she couldn't be that child much longer.
She stretched and tiredly got dressed for the day. As soon as she put her shirt over her head and the seafarer smell of the fabric reached her nose, Lucy couldn't help but smile.
"Are you awake, Lucy?" her sister's voice suddenly sounded from outside and the young girl gazed up as Susan appeared in the doorway to the balcony.
"I didn't think you were still in here," the younger girl greeted with a grin and gazed up at the night gown the elder girl still wore. "Not ready for today, ey?"
The elder Pevensie girl opened her mouth to reply when they suddenly heard a quick, rapping sound at the door. Both of them turned as it opened and Reepicheep carefully stepped inside, seemingly unwilling to catch either queen in a compromising situation.
As he spotted both of them decent, the mouse beamed in delight and stepped further inside. "Good morrow. It is quite late and I noted that neither of you were up on the deck, so I figured I ought to make sure everything was well."
Lucy smiled down at the cute mouse and refrained from commenting upon this particular thought. She knew very well how badly the honorable mouse took to being called 'cute'. Instead she read between the lines as she fastened her belt around her waist and questioned, "And?"
"And," Reepicheep smiled up at the queen, obviously amused by her attentiveness, "to take this moment to offer you my sword in protection."
"You mean that you are offering to be our very own personal guard," the younger sister pointed out.
"We can't ask that of you!" Susan breathed as the wind caught the ends of her gown and made it flutter around her slim form.
"Nonetheless, I swear you an oath upon it," the mouse spoke with his chin held high and pride shone in his dark eyes. "Your return is fraught with the unknown and danger will most likely lurk everywhere when we return home. By my tail, I will protect you from any danger, or die trying! I am already obligated to keep King Caspian X safe, but I assure you I can perform both duties."
"You're an honorable mouse, Reepicheep, but there is no need to swear such an oath. None should have to risk dying for us. The possible danger is too great," the elder brunette insisted from her position by the balcony doors.
Reepicheep seemed offended by her words as he puffed out his furry chest. "Are you insinuating I cannot handle my own in the face of mortal danger? That I am standing here lying before you now?"
Lucy raised her arms to calm the mouse and hurriedly knelt by his side as she said, "No! We are all aware of your strength and valor. We simply are reluctant to have you put yourself at risk for us. But if this is your choice, we shall accept your protection knowing that we'll be safe under your watchful eyes."
"Then it is decided," Reepicheep visibly relaxed and bowed his head swiftly as if this sealed the deal. "Now, may I escort you both to breakfast?"
The younger girl skipped from the ground with great enthusiasm but the elder lingered by the balcony. "You two go ahead, I think I'll skip breakfast today. I'm not really hungry."
Lucy turned back around and frowned at her sister's curious words. She studied Susan's silhouette now and realized just how similar she looked to their mother. The older girl stood beautiful and graceful by the doors, with her long hair flowing in the wind and a distant look in her pale eyes - Lucy recognized the gaze as one their mother usually had during pressing war times whenever their father was separated from the rest of the family. "Are you sure you're quite alright, Susan?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" the young woman asked, but it was a question she didn't seem to believe in herself. Regardless, Lucy realized her sister needed space so mutely nodded and followed the mouse from the room.
Left alone, Susan sighed and once more returned to the view outside. As so often these days, she let her mind wander and get lost in troublesome thoughts she found harder and harder to get out of. She knew she ought to voice her worries aloud to her siblings but couldn't find it in her heart to put a damper on their spirits. She had always been the quiet sufferer anyway.
She was pulled from her thoughts quite abruptly as she heard the door to the cabin open. Susan opened her eyes and glanced behind. She was surprised to see the Telmarine king step over to the closet and open the door to it without acknowledging her. As she heard him rummage through the clothes inside, Susan walked back to the doorway and leaned against the wall.
"There's a lot of traffic here today," she mused and immediately regretted it as the king slammed the door shut with surprise and basically jumped as he saw her on the balcony.
With wide eyes he took in her appearance and swiftly turned around so that his back was towards the young woman. "Forgive me, milady, I thought the cabin was empty. I thought you were with your siblings on deck... I wouldn't have imposed had I known. I merely came to change my shirt."
"It's fine, it's your room," Susan smiled at his tense back. As confusion took the upper hand, she couldn't help but ask, "Is there something wrong?"
"You are..." Caspian faltered briefly as he searched for the right words. "You are wearing a nightdress."
"Oh, that's quite alright," the Pevensie breathed though a blush painted her cheeks. Though the pale gown was more concealing than the outfit she'd worn when they'd been rescued from the ocean, she wasn't truly decent either. Still, she blundered, "It could have been worse. It's not like I'm wearing nothing."
The king glanced back and there was apparent amusement written all across his face. He'd clearly recovered from his initial shock as he retorted, "...If you wished me to picture you-" the king stopped abruptly as a pillow hit the back of his head.
Susan stood inside the chamber now by the bed, the other pillow in a firm grip, as she stared at the cheeky king with an aghast look grazing her features. Caspian laughed as he met her eyes across the small divide that separated them. The young queen raised an eyebrow and asked, "Well... did you find yourself a clean shirt?"
The tall man raised his hand to indicate the purple shirt within it as he kept his back to her. Susan nodded and pointed back to the balcony. "I'll... step outside. Give you some privacy to change. It's my turn not to impose."
Without waiting for his reply, the young woman slipped outside and shut the door firmly. She leaned her head against the wood and exhaled as she chastised herself for finding herself in such a stupid position in the first place. She tried to tell herself it was innocent and meant nothing, but her thundering heart could not be swayed. Susan stepped away from the door and let the cooling wind ease her mind until she felt numb inside.
"Eh... Queen Susan?" Caspian's voice was muffled through the door. "You can come back inside. I have changed."
She breathed deeply and slowly opened the door. Sitting on the foot-end of the bed, the dark-haired king smiled up at her. The dark purple shirt fitted him nicely, Susan noted, though it was certainly nothing she would willingly share at the moment. As she came closer, Caspian rose and nodded towards the balcony. "Would you like me to do the same for you? I imagine you want to change as well?"
The brunette smiled as she noticed the king's gaze remained raised somewhere above her head. It was a simple thing, yet she was touched by his gentlemanly manners. At once, she felt her resolve falter. "Yes, that is most kind."
The couple repeated the previous dance as the king stepped outside and closed the door. The brunette walked over to the closet and hurriedly got dressed. She was glad she was alone as her cheeks still burned warm as if on fire, even despite the cooling effects of the sea air. As she at last pulled the blue shirt over her head, she looked down at the complete seafarer look. Though the men's clothes were more comfortable, a part of Susan longed to wear familiar dresses again.
"I'm decent!" she called and put the wide belt around her thin waist just as the king stepped back inside. Susan grasped for an appropriate subject to pull them out of the previous one. "Did you sleep alright?"
With an amused grin, the king replied, "I did... You are aware it's lunch time, are you not?"
Susan closed her eyes tight and tucked a lock of stray hair behind her ear before she faced him. "I am now. Forgive me, I..." she searched her mind for fitting lies but failed to even make a coherent string of thoughts. "... enjoyed the sunrise on the balcony and lost track of time."
"You need never apologize for it," Caspian noted as he walked closer and leaned against the wall beside her. Whether he believed her lie or had chosen simply to play along, Susan wasn't sure. His next words cleared it up, though, "In fact, I wish I had the time to simply be by myself more often. Without interruptions, of course."
The brunette managed an honest smile. "You didn't interrupt. I don't mind it, anyway."
"My queen... It was an interruption, let us not pretend otherwise," the king's dark eyes were full of understanding as he gazed down at the queen. "It was not entirely wanted this time, but... should you ever want company in your solitude to ponder things in the future, I would happily give you the same aid you've already given me thus far with my problems."
In that precise moment, the doors to the cabin suddenly flew open and Lucy rushed inside, closely followed by her eldest brother. Susan and Caspian jumped aside as they watched the wild, childish chase in confusion.
"Peter, please! Don't!" the young girl managed as she laughed and jumped across the bed away from her brother's long arms.
Edmund stepped inside where he came to a halt beside Susan and simply grinned knowingly as he rocked from toe to heel. "What did Lucy do this time?" the elder sister asked.
"Remember the pond?" the dark-haired boy explained.
The three of them watched as Peter finally managed to get a grip of his baby sister by the bed. The girl squealed but didn't manage to break free from his strong, gentle grip. Susan watched the show in amusement. It always amazed her how all four of them could act as the adults they had once been in one moment only to behave truly like the children they were in the next. It pleased her also because she knew this meant her elder brother had accepted their return in ways she knew she never could. Though, of course, in a way that notion was not entirely pleasant to Susan's mind.
"I got you now, Lu!" the oldest boy chuckled as he stepped towards the open balcony doors with the struggling girl in his arms. "I told you I would get even!"
Edmund, Susan and Caspian all moved to where they could see Peter's pretense attempts to throw the young girl over the railing. With a plain form, Caspian turned to the woman by his side, "Do you know what this is about?"
The reply came from the dark-haired boy on his other side. "Payback."
For obvious reasons this was not an apparent reason for the king who alternated between amusement and bewilderment. "We only fished you out of the sea a few days ago and already you are throwing each other back into it?"
"It was a game back home," Susan explained with a laughter as she gazed up at the king's confused face. "Lucy managed to tackle dear Peter into a pond and he swore to get even. Apparently he's decided now is as good a time as any."
"I see... It still does not make it any less weird," the Telmarine breathed under his breath as he smiled at the image of brother and sister playing on the balcony beside him.
"Careful, Caspian, or Su here will have to throw you over that railing, too," Edmund teased and nudged his sister.
The Telmarine king snorted, "I'd like to see her try."
Susan merely smiled timidly. "As opposed to my siblings, I'd like to stay dry for now."
Meanwhile the ship's dark 'shadow' rocked to and fro in the strong waves just out of sight. On the stern of the black wood, Firtkin stood beside his leader. The dwarf feared this man, not for his darkness alone but for the great powers of magic he possessed. He was the greatest sorcerer known to still be alive, possessing powers Firtkin had never seen before, and the black-dwarf was not so dumb as to stray from the Sorcerer's good side. He'd already seen several friends fall to the Sorcerer's wrath.
"Now," the Sorcerer spoke suddenly and thus broke the stillness that had stretched on between the two for a lengthy period. The tall, strong man gazed up at the sun above for a second before he turned finish his command, "The time has come; they shall not escape the mist."
The short dwarf bowed before his master mutely and then turned to the rest of their crew of immoral doers. At the centre of the ship, a large wheel stretched round the mainmast and Firtkin glanced at it with great respect in his eyes. He shouted out the orders and watched as the entire crew jumped alive as if chased by a lick of fire. Several men ran up to the wheel and with great exertion, though five of them they were, they begun to turn the massive wooden thing around the mast. Firtkin watched in awe for he knew what would soon emerge, what the Sorcerer soon would command with his powerful magic.
"Remember, Firtkin," The Sorcerer spoke and distantly stroked the ball atop his short scepter with calloused hands. "The attack is to use the element of surprise and must be over swiftly. There will be no time for the crew to go on a killing spree. Make sure to remind them of our mission before we strike. But make no mistake, there will be blood spilled tonight."
Edmund roared with laughter as the nimble Lucy wrapped her legs around her brother's and hugged him like a zoo animal, making it impossible for Peter to do much of anything.
"Want to call it a draw?" the smaller girl asked from her position as she gazed up at the fair man. "Last time we both ended up in the water, what if neither has to this time?"
Before the man could answer, the group's peace was brutally interrupted as the door to the cabin swung wide open in a flash and the ship's captain, Drinian, came through the doors. The bald man gazed across the room at the small, happy group and the somber look on his face quickly sobered the rest of them up.
"What's wrong, Drinian?" Caspian asked as he recovered first and easily slipped into his role as king. He stepped back into the cabin and his captain's side to await the explanation.
"There's problem, my lord," the elder man said with a firm gaze in his dark eyes as he beheld his regent. "Something's coming."
"What is it?" Edmund questioned as he stepped inside with the rest of his siblings. They could all see how carefully the captain tried to contain his anxieties and thus only made it apparent that whatever this was about, it was no trivial matter. The siblings could not all help but wander if this was the moment they found out the true purpose for their return.
Drinian gazed at them all one by one before he nodded towards the open balcony door. "Have a look yourselves."
All four siblings as well as Caspian turned to gaze out at the vast ocean behind the Dawn Treader. Far off in the distance their eyes met a great wall of mist that climbed towards the sky like a spider in its web. With each second they gazed, the mist blackened the clear, blue skies behind the ship, leaving nothing but darkness and confusion in its wake.
"You'd better prepare yourselves," the captain advised. "And do it fast."
To be continued.