Chapter 8
Lucy watched Caspian draw his sword from the sheath and marvel as the gleaming silver shone like fairy dust in the light. Lucy saw Caspian look at her.
"Hello Lucy." he said, "Didn't have a chance to say that earlier."
"Why hello Prince Caspian." Lucy said, then handed him a shield. Caspian looked at it.
"There's no emblem" he said, puzzled.
"I know. We don't have one yet." Lucy said. Caspian nodded.
"I will make an emblem of a lion, flanked by two crowns: you and Susan." he said, visualising it on banner sin the great hall of his castle.
"Don't you mean three crowns?" Lucy said, tilting her head to one side. "One for me, one for Susan and one for you?" she said, marking out where they were on the shield.
"You are too good Lucy." Caspian said, then turned and faced in the direction of Kind Miraz's castle.
"Lucy? When Susan is free I-" he faltered and stopped. "No, it's a stupid idea." he said
"What?"
"I want to ask Susan to be my Queen." Caspian said, smiling sadly. Lucy clapped her hands in glee.
"Oh I'm so excited!" she said. "Susan will make a wonderful wife for you!"
"I only hope she agrees." Caspian said.
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Edmund brought his horse into the stables, making Ladine jump. He smiled, then leapt down.
"Stable Philip please. Do you know where my father is?" he asked her. Ladine grabbed hold of Philip's reins.
"About to fight that Caspian. Where have you been for the last three weeks?" she asked, but Edmund frowned.
"You mean they haven't already fought?" he asked, taking her by the shoulders. Ladine shook her head.
"I have to go!" he cried and ran off.
"Edmund!" Ladine cried, but he was far away. She sighed and leaned against the stable door.
"Oh please, please let him be safe!" she pleaded with anyone who would listen.
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Trumpkin turned the corner and looked down the passage. Again, there was no one there, all more interested in watching their King fight. Trumpkin smiled inwardly. He has seen Caspian practising. That boy had been transformed from an uncomfortable youth into a handsome, elegant, nimble prince. He had heard him and Lucy discussing how Caspian wanted to make Susan his wife. Trumpkin narrowed his eyes. He didn't trust Lucy any more. She wasn't the sweet little girl he had carried to Aslan's How. Now her mood was always different, sometimes incredibly happy, other times she seemed like the world would end. Trumpkin sighed. He was suspicious about Miraz's second son. Edmund had disappeared a day after Lucy, then came back at the same time as Lucy appeared. And both told no one where they had been. He tried the first of the three doors down the passage and gasped. Unlike all the other rooms he had seen that were pristine and perfect, this room was a mess. Trumpkin thought for a moment it might have seen a struggle, or vandalism. The walls were covered with black and white paint in little tallies, and across one wall was scrawled in black paint 'Everything will be better'. There were swords and bows and arrows everywhere. There were maps showing battles and books with names about tactics, or about battles from long ago. And papers everywhere. There was no space on the floor that wasn't covered by papers, the desk had piles of them spilling over like a waterfall. Leaned down and picked up one sheet of paper. Written across it, in tiny, cramped writing, right in the middle of the page with nothing else on it were the words: 'When I am King, I will have better trained armies.' Trumpkin picked up another one. Like before, there was nothing else on the page except 'When I am King, alliance will be sworn at 15', another one read 'When I am King, I won't brand people.'. Trumpkin looked around the room.
"Who lives here?" he whispered. Feeling disquieted by the room, he left and closed the door. He tried the next door. Finding it locked, her plunged his sword through the wood and cut the door open.
"Trumpkin!" Susan cried, turning around and hugging the dwarf. Trumpkin grabbed Susan's hand and led her away.
"Hurry, I heard that Miraz's son Peter will be looking for you soon." he said and Susan stopped him.
"If you want the quickest way, you'll want the servants way. It's locked and I couldn't unlock it." she said. The dwarf understood and cut the door open and pair crept through the winding stone staircase.
"It leads to the well in the garden. I'm sure I could've climbed the walls, but-" Susan stopped and Trumpkin didn't press for more. As Susan had said, the walls were quite small and easily climbable and Trumpkin and Susan took advantage of that fact, climbing quickly. As they reached the top, a great roar shook the earth and Susan looked at Trumpkin in alarm.
"Probably just the fight. I would ignore it." the dwarf said and Susan nodded. She dropped down from the wall and surveyed the scene before her. She could see the two figures of Miraz and Caspian. She turned to the dwarf beside her.
"Caspian's good." she praised and the dwarf nodded.
"One of the best I've seen." he said, then clambered down the rock face that would lead them to the battle. He looked up at Susan.
"Hurry."
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Aslan watched the battle closely, watching as Caspian led Miraz in the dance. They were evenly matched: Caspian was more nimble, more adventurous with the sword, but Miraz had more experience and drove deeper cuts at Caspian. The lion winced as Miraz's sword drove in just underneath Caspian's armour. He watched as Caspian pulled away, breathing hard now. Caspian's footsteps became a little more laboured and Miraz took advantage of this, pressuring Caspian and jabbing repeatedly at him. Aslan pawed the ground as Miraz's supporters roared, egging on the evil King. Miraz jabbed at the boy and Caspian fell over. Aslan heard Miraz laugh and he watched in horror as Miraz plunged his sword through Caspian's armour and into his stomach and chest. Aslan heard Lucy and many of the Narnians scream and Aslan watched, feeling disgusted as Miraz raised his arms in triumph and yells of joy. Aslan watched his brave prince Caspian pull the sword out of his body and plunge it into Miraz's heart. Aslan saw Susan and Trumpkin emerge from the forest, Susan grabbing Lucy and pulling the small girl towards the stricken hero. Aslan turned away.