For Caspian: The King is Dead?

[happyfalcon]

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.

Comments

[happyfalcon]

"You can ask whatever you require of me," Anne replied. "I promised to stay with you, and I shall. But should you need anything more, you need only ask."

Her forehead pressed against his again as she settles.

"But you need not concern yourself with such things now," Anne whispered. "You still need to rest and recover your strength."

[navixator]

"My only concern is knowing you're here."

Which he did. Her warmth against him was a solid reminder of exactly that. As long as she rested here--carefully, the way she was--he would be able to breathe peacefully.

[happyfalcon]

"I'm here love," Anne smiled.

Her arms drape carefully around him, leaning into his warmth. Her eyes close slowly, content and happy now that he's safe.

"Always will be, for as long as you would have me."

[navixator]

His laugh was soft, just a little strained as he closed his eyes again.

"I'll always have you. I swear it by the Lion, just as I swore I'd come back to you."

And he had. He had fought tooth and nail to be here, but he had made it back to her.

[happyfalcon]

Anne smiled as she nuzzled his neck. Indeed he had come back to her. Not just now, but in England too when he had come back to France to take her with him. This proved to her that, no matter what risks, even if it meant falling overboard and defying death, he would come back to her.

"That you did, that you did," Anne nodded. "Then I shall always be by your side, Caspian."

[navixator]

It had always been a joy coming home. There was certainly even more of a joy, now that he was conscious of it, in coming home to her.

His head shifted, lips pressing firmly to the top of her head.

"I need only a small favour from you."

[happyfalcon]

Anne smiled at the kiss but tipped her head in curiosity.

"A favor? Well of course! Anything," Anne replied.

She leaned in a bit, curious what he would ask of her.

[navixator]

"They said I'd be up again in the morning," he sighed, fingers smoothing contentedly at the base of her spine again. "But if I'm not, will you speak to the court for me?"

She wasn't his Queen in name, no, but surely her time here had associated her strongly with having the King's ear and attention. It could be the beginning, perhaps; the warming of the courtiers to the idea of a foreign queen.

[happyfalcon]

The request had her look taken aback. She wasn't offended, just surprised. Shocked, even. Anne pressed her lips together, nervous.

"Of course, Majesty," she replied. "If you tell me what you want said, I shall convey the message to the court. But I must confess, I am not certain that they will enjoy listening to an outsider who claims to speak for the king."

She already had a defense prepared though. Anne came from England, the same island as their beloved Pevensies. What did they call Queen Susan and Queen Lucy...Daughters of Eve? Was Anne not the same?

[navixator]

It would have been better, he knew, to hold back from the devotion he had given her. It would have served their purpose more to crown her before the Narnians instead of simply taking her on the eve of battle as a wife in all but name.

"You speak as if the world conspires against you."

Which it did more than he had generally taken note of. He heard the brightness of his courtiers who were pleased to see the young king actually attentive to a woman the way men in love are; actually beginning to shoulder less of the kingdom with a worthy woman at his side. He didn't hear, although it was there, the lower murmur of the displeased women who had hoped to hold that role themselves.

"My right hand is still at war, Anne." And he would not, for anything in any realm of the world, have called Drinian back from the pursuit of their enemies. There was no one else he trusted to protect the kingdom half so much as his dearest friend. "Show them that you are my left."

[happyfalcon]

She had been so used to the world doing precisely that. Women who wanted to be the wife of Henry VIII; men who wanted more of the king's favor than Anne would allow - they all conspired to be rid of her. Her brother had warned her before Caspian's arrival that there was talk of an assassination attempt.

Here in Narnia, that paranoia had settled a bit, though not completely. There were dirty looks shot at her for being an outsider and for being so close to the king. Whispers had made it to her ear that a select few wondered if she wasn't here to assassinate Caspian. Though she suspected (hoped) that such fears would be set aside after this night, given that his healers had trusted her enough to leave her alone with the king per his request.

Anne froze though, at Caspian's last comment. His left hand? That's what he thought of her? She blushed at that. Her dark eyes fluttered a bit as she looked down, then back up to him.

"I will do precisely that, Majesty," Anne replied, eyes alight with determination. "I will address the court if you are unable, I will show them that the center of the kingdom is still strong."

[navixator]

"Thank you, Anne."

The idea of her being anyone or anything but beside him seemed impossible. The idea that she might return to England, that she might marry another Lord in Narnia, that she might truly run off to be the wife of a fisherman, that she might never wish to be married again--all seemed beyond his comprehension.

And it would be good, he thought, for his court to begin to fully understand that.

[happyfalcon]

She nodded slowly, snuggling beside him again, keeping him safe and secure in her embrace. Anne nuzzled the top of his head, sighing softly.

"You needn't worry about such things now. You need to relax, unwind, and rest," Anne spoke softly to him.

Once he was recovered, however long that took, he could stand before his people himself. Proved that he could survive anything, and was worthy of being their king. Just as she believed.

[navixator]

"I am resting," he protested softly, forcing his eyes to close again. "It's easier knowing that this is settled."

Knowing that she was happy to fall into this role, really.

[happyfalcon]

Anne rapped her knuckles gently against his chest - taking care not to hit any of his wounds.

"Mind the sass, Majesty," Anne teased.

[navixator]

Her tap hardly hurt, but the chuckle in him certainly had him briefly twisting in a mild shock of discomfort through his core. She was right, after all; he needed rest. To recover. To find himself strong again.

"I'm certain I don't know what you mean, my Lady."

[happyfalcon]

Anne didn't protest further, she merely settled beside him, and drifted off to sleep once again. She kept her grip around him firm, but not so tight as to hurt him. Anne wanted to make sure he knew that he was safe, he was in bed, with her. That nothing could hurt him.

She wouldn't allow it.

Morning soon broke over the horizon, and Anne's eyes fluttered open slowly. She adjusted her position a bit, just to look at Caspian and make sure he was still all right. Good, he was still breathing. He looked so peaceful, so serene in his slumber that she could hardly help herself from watching him.

[navixator]

It was entirely easy to sleep beside her. The nightmare gone from his mind, he drifted gently back into far more pleasant dreams.

He kept sleeping past the dawn, although it wasn't the norm for him. The healing elixirs coursing through his system kept him groggy and resting even after the light was properly bright in the early calm hours of the day.

Likely it was the change in her breathing more than anything else which eventually had him stirring, a stretch moving through his shoulders before the slight dull ache dragged him toward wakefulness.

Words were mumbled and incoherent on his lips for the moment.

[happyfalcon]

Anne couldn't help but laugh a bit as he attempted to speak. She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"You might try that again, love," Anne suggested. "Only this time, try speaking in a language that I might understand. English tends to work well."

She teased, giggling a little as her fingers played up and down along his chest. Again Anne nuzzled his neck, the scent of the sea was nearly gone now, the chill of the water completely banished from his skin.

"You feel much better on the outside than you did last night - but how are you actually feeling?"

[navixator]

His smile stayed soft and easy as he focused properly on the fact of who was with him. This was much, much better than nights alone on his bunk between night watches.

"...good morning."

It was repeated just before a quiet yawn, his body shifting back to attempt a soft stretch.

"I feel... sore, still."

An understatement, really.

[happyfalcon]

Anne smiled, leaning to kiss him gently.

"Good morning."

She studied the movements of his body carefully. Watching for any hitches in his movements, trying to identify problem areas.

"Is there any place in particular that is sore? Perhaps if I massaged you gently, some of the pain would fade?" She would have to be careful, of course, but Anne knew how to be gentle.

[navixator]

Kisses were one of the best ways to begin the morning, he was fairly certain. Contemplating the pain still throbbing through him was somewhat less so.

"My... my ribs. The mast-- hit me on the way down."

It had been part of what kept him from surfacing right away.

[happyfalcon]

Anne's expression went soft, sad. She couldn't massage his ribs without doing further damage. So instead, in some attempt to soothe him at least, her fingers smoothed down his chest, near his ribs, trying to give him some sort of comfort.

"That sounds terrible," Anne sighed. "I just...thank God you were able to come back to me."

Anne leaned in to kiss his cheek again, relieved that he hadn't been more severely hurt, or worse.

[navixator]

"The Lion was with me," he affirmed, shifting to lean his cheek more fully against her lips. The bruised ribs would take time to heal, there was no help for it, but at least that seemed to be the worst of it.

He had to thank Aslan for that, given the depths he had been plucked from to live again.

"And now, so are you."

[happyfalcon]

"Of course I am," Anne smiled, tenderly pushing his hair out of his face. "I was with you before you left, and will be, as I promised."

She smiled, sitting up a bit and resting one hand in her lap.

"You should probably be as still as possible today - I'm certain your healers will be here soon enough," Anne suggested. "Frankly, I'm surprised that they're not up and about here already."