Things changed in the coming months, subtly, but there. The scales of power tipping evermore in Miraz's favour the more lady Prunaprismia's stomach grew. It was only a matter of time before the baby that would reveal Caspian's fate was born, and with the Lady spending more and more time locked in her and her husband's shared rooms with her handmaids and the royal physician the time was drawing near.
Professor Cornelius did what he could to prepare both Caspian and Alessandra of what was to come should Miraz have a boy, as beside he could without the two of them there together being spotted together now was more dangerous than ever. But to each of them he told a different story, in not so many words in case things went wrong.
The ultimate plan was that they were to leave the castle one way or another, it would be all too easy for Miraz's loyal followers to attack while they were there. Ideally they'd leave together too, a matter Caspian insisted on and wouldn't hear of leaving without her, since they often spent the night together it should be easy.
It should have been easy, they shared a bed most every night. Except the night they needed to the most.
Caspian trusted Bruno, a bond that the guardsman didn't take lightly. He revealed to him parts of the plan, partially so that the prince could unload on what was weighing him down to someone who wasn't his lover or his professor, the other half was that they'd have another pair of eyes and hands should something go wrong.
Bruno wouldn't consider himself a man of any particular faith, he knew that most Narnians all but worshipped the great Aslan, some worshipped another God that he could probably put a name to if he tried hard enough to remember but he himself put his faith in what he could see and feel.
However the night Miraz cancelled training for the evening to retreat to the high tower, advisors and physician in tow, he found himself praying, hoping was perhaps a better word that tonight wasn't the night. That Miraz's wife would birth a girl instead of a boy.
When his Stephanie joined him in bed that night she could tell something was off with him, when she asked he told her that he suspected tonight might be the might, then her worry matched his. Somehow they managed to sleep although it was far from restful and Bruno couldn't shake the feeling that this was the night that would change things forever.
His fears were confirmed when his roommate Jacob woke him from his restless sleep with a manic grin in the middle of the night.
"Get up Brother," he said offering a hand which Bruno accepted automatically trying to gather his bearings, he went to speak then noticed a bleary eyed Stephanie rolling over curiously, "A full moon rises at dusk." That simple phrase nearly caused Bruno's blood to run cold, but he had to save face in front of his brother on arms.
"Great night to enjoy the fruits of the land aye?" Jacob grinned tossing his armoured vest over his arm grabbing his sword before rushing out the door. "Shit." Bruno cursed, peeking out the small window to see guards quietly rushing across the yard, few of them meeting up in groups. "Shit." He cursed again grabbing his boots and dropping down on the edge of his small bed to tug them on.
"What's happening, love?" Steph questioned sitting up placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Miraz has had a son."
"What?" She gasped sitting up an unmasked look of shock and fear in her eyes, "But that means-"
"Yes it does," he cut her off standing to pull on his tunic.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"A few weeks ago Miraz put a ransom out for Caspian, Glozelle and a small company will be headed to his chambers. The rest of the men," he sighed pulling on his armoured vest feeling the weight of it now more than ever, "The rest of them, will be going after the Prince's lover."
"What!?" She gasped now fully awake nearly springing up out the bed, "That means Ales-"
"Sh," Bruno snapped, rushing back to the bed slapping hand over her mouth, "No one knows who she is yet, that's the only advantage she'll have right now. But it also means that no one is safe." his hand left her mouth as he explained and she nodded tears welling up in her eyes at the thought of Alessandra's safety, "If I can get to her first, I can get her out, hopefully before Miraz puts the castle on lockdown."
"What do you want me to do?"
"I need you to stay right here, most of the boys know you and you're with me. But tonight everyone of you is a suspect." Now fully regaled he approached the bed again sitting down on the edge cupping a hand around the back of her neck, "I can't keep Lessy safe if I'm worried about you too."
If this were any other night, any other time, with any other stakes Stephanie would push back. But it wasn't and the stakes tonight were all too high, so she nodded, "Alright. Please find her and be careful."
"I will." He nodded, kissing her once before jumping up and rushing out the door.
Hoping and praying that he'd get to Les first.
Alessandra rarely spent time in her own room, especially now things had improved between Steph and Bruno. She'd gone back to spending most nights with Caspian, but with things around the castle becoming more and more tense her days were as mentally draining as they were physically. So for the first time in quite some time she fell asleep in her own bed alone.
Only to be woken up by the very last person she'd expect, "Bruno?" She gasped while sitting up.
"Get up," he snapped looking over his shoulder.
"What's going on?" She questioned hurriedly tossing her legs over the side of the bed, sliding on her shoes, "How'd you get in here?"
"Not important," he said, grabbing her robe from the foot of her bed urging her to put it on, "I have to get you out of here."
"Why?"
"Miraz has a son."
She froze in the middle of typing her robe, mouth agape in shock, "Bruno?"
"I know," he took her hand in his tugging her behind him, "I have to get you out of here," he opened the door to her room peeking out, "Stay close."
She didn't have much of a choice as his grip on her hand was almost bruising as he moved them through the hallway and to one of passageways in the walls, "Where are we going?"
"Out," he pulled her though the passage pulling it shut behind them, "To the stables, everyone will be looking for you in the castle, it should be empty."
"Me? Why are they looking for me?"
"Miraz put a bounty on your head."
His professor's words fly over Caspian's head in a blur, the woods, the river, dancing lawn all become noise simply ringing in the back of his mind. All he can focus on is the fact that he's in the stables and time is running out, Bruno promised that he'd meet him here, with Alessandra so they could leave together, but they weren't here and Professor Cornelius had already wrestled him onto Destrier's back.
But this wasn't right, something must have happened to Bruno which meant that he had to go back for her, find her, kill for her if he must.
"It's too late to go back for her now, my prince."
Too late? The man is mad, didn't he care for Alessandra? She could be dead and they were wasting time arguing.
"Miraz knows how much you care about her, he'll keep her alive for that reason alone," he presses the reins into Caspian's hands, "You've made her too valuable to kill, take comfort in that."
There was little comfort to be found in that thought. She was there and he was here, about to run for his life when hers was still in jeopardy.
"It has taken me many years to find this," his professor said as he pressed something into his hands. Caspian looked down and blinked, Queen Susan's horn? "Do not use it except at your greatest need."
Greatest need? He made the mistake of looking up into his professor's eyes just as the thought formed in his. The horn never met his lips before Cornelius yanked his arm, nearly pulling him from Destrier's back.
"Narnia's greatest need," he hissed, "Not yours. You have to go now my boy, go if you want to keep her alive."
That is perhaps what did it, even though it tore him apart to leave her behind, he was certain that when she was found his uncle would indeed keep her alive until he could kill him. Caspian rode on autopilot, he thought nothing of the fireworks popping off behind him nor the bodies he left in his wake. His mind holds a single thought, he had to run to keep her alive.
There's a pounding, Alessandra is sure that it's her heart until she looks out the window and sees the fireworks going off making it truly official.
Bruno pauses before they cross a hallway, "You trust me?" he questions seriously and she nods without hesitation.
He tugged her to him covering her mouth with his hand along with half her face. When they went out into the hall it makes sense why he did it, there were more guards patrolling than she'd ever seen before, Bruno made sure that none of them recognized her. They made it nearly to the other passageway before someone grabbed her arm, stopping them.
"Alessandra," Tamara gasped fear bright in her eyes, "What's going on? They said the Prince Caspian has," she trailed off looking down towards Alessandra's dress. Her necklace had fallen out, "It's you?" She gasped.
"Please don't." Alessandra begged tucking the necklace back into her dress.
Tamara gaped for a moment, "Guards! She's over here!"
"No!" She shouted the same time Bruno snapped, "What the hell is wrong with you?" Then Bruno nearly pulled her arm from the socket yanking her through the passage.
The passage was quiet before now thundered with dozens of footsteps coming towards them from all angles, Bruno paused, realising the same time she did that there was nowhere left for them to go, "Look at me Lessy." He said, taking her shoulders in his hands, "I'm gonna get you out of here alright?" She nodded despite her doubts, he huffed a breath through his nose, spinning her around, bending her arm behind her back and covering her mouth once again, the pendant around her neck felt hotter and heavier than it had before.
"I've got her!"
Shorter chapter than normal, but it sets us up quite nicely to start the 'Prince Caspian' plotline ;).