randomosity | For Caspian: The King is Dead?

For Caspian: The King is Dead?

The messenger had been clear: The flagship of Caspian X, King of Narnia, Emperor of the Lone Islands, had been sunk by the enemy.

There were no survivors.

Anne fell to pieces.

She barricaded herself in the library, knees tucked to her chest, fingers tearing at her dress. Anne had seen death before, God knows that in England death was a frequent visitor. But this place, this Narnia, it just seemed so surreal, like paradise. Death couldn't possibly have happened here, could it?

Evidently. Because the man she loved had drowned.

While the courtiers debated over who would take over stewardship of Narnia until a proper heir could be chosen, the kingdom prepared for a grieving ceremony. Anne attempted to get up a few times, but she just couldn't find the strength.

So she stayed in the library, buried her face against her knees and sobbed hysterically.

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Anne was momentarily surprised by his reply. She recovered though, and settled a bit, bringing her legs up to rest more comfortably on the bed beside him. Her head rested softly beside his. She could still feel the chill of the sea about him, and she draped her arm carefully across his chest.

"Then I'll stay. I'll always stay."

He didn't notice the moment of surprise. He did notice the sensation of her settling comfortably down. He did notice her weight on the bed, her soft arm safe across his chest.

This was better. This was something he had absolutely been fighting for once he pulled himself out of the water.

"Thank you."

It would be easier when he woke again. It would be easier to keep his eyes open, to keep his mind sharp; to actually speak with her rather than gasping for the thread of conversation.

Anne pulled the blankets up a bit more. To keep him warm, to keep him safe. As if she could protect him better this way. Anne pressed her forehead against the side of his head.

"You needn't thank me, my love," Anne smiled into his hair. The smell of salt and sand didn't bother her in the slightest.

It reminded her of England, not that she missed it. No, she didn't miss England, there was too much good here - Anne was overwhelmed with happiness here.

"I will always be here. I will always be beside you. For as long as you will have me."

He couldn't help but smile. He also couldn't help but drift easily into sleep with her warmth beside him and her voice soft in his ear.

He needed her. It was strange, having lived nearly his entire life without her and now finding how much he needed her.

Waking would be good. Waking would mean he could tell her exactly that. Waking first needed sleep, of course, but waking would bring him back to her side.

As it happened, for better or worse, waking also came some hours later with a stormy dream. The stillness of his sleep began to crash down into twisting and twitching and gasping for breath.

It wasn't long before Anne drifted off herself. The scent of the sea, his warmth beneath the chill of his skin, the rhythm of his breathing all combined to lull Anne slowly to sleep.

But when the twitching began, when Caspian began gasping and twisting, as if thrown into turmoil, Anne awoke immediately. Ignoring his wounds, fearing for his mind now, Anne gripped Caspian's shoulders and shook him.

"Caspian? Caspian!!" She called to him, worry gripping her tone. "Wake up, wake up! It's only a dream!"

The shaking sent a slight shock of pain through him. It did, at least, wake him up properly, body bolting slightly upright before another shock of pain arrested his motion. His breath came in rough gulps, heart pounding in his chest as he cast his eyes in terror around the room.

It didn't take long to focus in on her. It didn't take long for her voice to penetrate through the fog of his mind, for her face to swim properly into focus.

He was home. He was with Anne. He was safe.

He was alive.

It took a moment nonetheless to find his breath again.

Anne's hand cupped his cheek, stroked his hair, hushing him softly. All the while her eyes kept focused on him. Her forehead pressed against his, bringing him close.

"Shhh, shhhh, it's all right," she tried to soothe him further. "You're safe, love. I'm here."

She pulled back a bit, to look at him properly. Her hand slowly stroked down his cheek, down to his shoulder to rub where she had shook him. Anne wanted to rub away any pain she may have caused.

"Caspian? Are you all right?"

Her fingers were something to focus on. Her soft voice was something to focus on. Her eyes were, for a moment, the entire world as he came properly into wakefulness.

"...yes."

His voice was still hoarse. His focus was still just a little hazy at the edges.

"Anne..."

Anne tipped her head up and kissed his forehead. She knew how painful nightmares could be, she could see the panic beginning to ebb in his eyes, which was a good sign.

"Yes?" Her brow furrowed as he spoke her name.

She was ready at a moment's notice - she was ready to do anything he needed, retrieve something from the kitchens, get him a book from the library, or even something as simple as hold him closer. Whatever he needed, she was there.

She was so close. She was so warm and so real. She was something he could let block everything else from his mind, even the last tendrils of fear.

"I missed you."

There was some obvious soreness in his shoulder as he lifted his hand to catch at the back of her neck. It was crucial to drag her slightly closer for the brief brush of a kiss against her lips.

"Is that... very selfish of me?"

Anne smiled and wrapped her arms around him, more completely, more fully. She kissed the top of his head, wanting that same warmth they shared not so long ago, before he'd left in the first place.

"It's not selfish, no," Anne whispered. "Why would you think that? I missed you too. So much."

He hadn't been gone that long but still...the danger in the situation, obviously displayed by his near-death experience, made it seem that much longer.

Her arms were easy to settle into, familiar and gentle. The feeling of her whispered words was thrilling, somewhere below the ache in his entire being.

His smile settled more properly over his lips with a calm sigh.

"To think of personal matters when leading men into battle?"

Anne couldn't help but laugh a little, shaking her head ever so slightly.

"I have news for you, Majesty," Anne replied. "All men do it."

She let that thought sink in before she continued.

"All men, when faced with dire circumstances, think on loved ones, on those they had left behind," Anne explained. "It's natural. A good man will use it to draw strength and survive. A cowardly man will use it as an excuse to run away."

She kissed the top of his head once again.

"You didn't run, Caspian. You stayed strong, you stayed with the ship until it sank," she moved to cup her hand under his chin and tilt his head up to face her. "You were not wrong."

"How did you become so wise, Anne?"

His voice was still slightly strained from the half-drowning. It was nevertheless beginning to be tinged with warm affection and genuine marveling.

"You seem always to know just what to say."

And it always settled into his heart so wonderfully. It always felt exactly right.

"Don't call me 'wise' it makes me sound old," Anne teased. "I know what to say because I'm a woman, we naturally know these things."

An attempt to lighten his mood, but it was also a little true. Anne looked down, smiling at Caspian, running her fingers through his hair.

"Any woman who says she loves a man has a duty to comfort him," Anne continued. "If he's hurt, it's her duty to heal him. If he's afraid, it's her duty to remind him of his courage. If he's angry, it's her duty to calm him, or make sure his anger is redirected productively. If he's happy, it's her duty to make certain he is happy for as long as possible."

Now, he could manage to lie properly down again. Now, his eyes could briefly drift shut with a comfortable sigh.

"Why are there so many rules for women?"

It was, after all, a less distinct problem in Narnia. Men and women had been working and serving the Kingdom side by side since the Golden Age. Seeing the world beyond the Eastern Sea--such as the land Anne had come from--had been a strange sort of adventure.

But it still sounded familiar. It still sounded like something his mother had spoken once in the haze of his earliest memories.

"Because there are just as many rules for men," Anne countered. "Men are meant to defend not just their king and country, but the women they love as well. Just to name one."

The fact that women were less subservient here in Narnia, that two of the greatest rulers in Narnian history had been women - women from England - gave Anne a great deal of comfort. Like she could do more here, and it would be acceptable, even encouraged.

"The rules required of men are often more perilous than those for women," Anne added softly.

Moving was still a difficulty. Since he couldn't lose himself to the kisses which had been burned so clearly into his mind, losing himself to the sound of her voice would have to suffice.

Besides, she was always as fascinating to listen to as she was soothing.

"What other rules are there, then? For men?"

Anne leaned down, nuzzled him softly, kept their foreheads close again.

"You realize these aren't laws set in stone, do you not?" Anne pointed out. "Just to be clear. I'm not sure if you have similar tales here, but in England we had tales of King Arthur and his knights - they're pretty much the standard to which all men are held."

Anne paused, trying to think of all of them and how to explain properly.

"The only rules that really matter are these: A man must protect the woman he loves from each and every threat. His first duty after that, if he claims to love her over all others, is to remain loyal to her - his heart and his body can only belong to her. But then, the same can be said of women in that regard," Anne pursed her lips. "It's...all a matter of opinion really."

She glanced down to him again.

"It's based upon what is important to you."

The shrug of his shoulder was slight. It didn't work well, with the ache in his entire body, but the emotion was the same. She had been so kind in her efforts to learn the ways of Narnia; how should he not wish to learn more about the ways of the land she had come from? The land of the Pevensies?

Easier was pressing his nose gently against hers. It was an innocent sort of affection, but it hopefully served.

"Protecting you is important." Not more than protecting the nation, no, but somewhere near it. "So is giving you my devotion and loyalty."

Anne was happy that he wanted to learn more about her land. In this particular topic though, there was just so much to cover. Minor things that etiquette demanded, like standing up when a lady passed by or left the table, was not something she felt merited discussion.

And she did not think it wise to bring up that most men were married when they first shared a bed with a woman. But then again, not everyone held true to that rule.

"I'm glad to hear it," Anne replied with a smile, reaching up and pushing a lock of his hair out of his face. "You're a good man, my king."

The marriage question would arise, he knew. It was as he had been raised, after all; but everything had been changing with Anne.

He had adored her despite the fact she was a married woman. He had pressed his lips to hers in a passion of lust before she'd left her husband's castle.

Her first husband, at any rate. It was still unclear to him where the world would stand on his desire to make Anne genuinely his own.

"I hope you've not doubted it."

Anne gave a crooked smile and leaned down to kiss him gently, carefully.

"Of course I haven't doubted," Anne replied. "How could I doubt anything about you?"

Her fingers pushed through his hair, down his jaw and neck to his chest.

"I love you, Caspian. Doubt has no place between us," Anne added. "Did you have any doubts about me after you left?"

The gentle kiss kept his own smile easy. The movement of her hand prompted his own fingers to shift, searching carefully to smooth up and down her spine as much as he could without tugging at his wounds.

"None at all, Anne." And it felt wonderful to admit. It also felt important to say, in the light of the fact she'd left her husband and crown for him. "You have been nothing but constant in my heart."

Anne gave a soft little sound at the feeling of his fingers tracing along her back. Any little touch he gave her was pure heaven and made all her worries fade into nothingness.

"Good," she replied softly, leaning in to kiss his forehead, then kiss his lips once again. She pulled away slowly, settling in beside him again, leaning a little against his body, not putting pressure on him, just enough so that he knew she was there, right beside him.

And would remain there.

"Then are you happy, Majesty?" Anne asked. "Is there anything I can do to make you happier?"

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