Watching the Stars

“Do you see the stars, Caspian?”

That was what an old professor asked one night to a young boy, only of about 7 or 8.

“Yes,” young Caspian had replied. He hadn’t understood what was so great about the stars, or even the moon for that matter. They were bright and shone through the curtains and onto his eyes when he was trying to sleep.

The man heaved, and his breaths were short, “Young Prince,” he had started. “If ever you are confused, look up at the stars. They stay in the same place every night, and they are your loved ones watching after you.”

“Is this true, professor?” Caspian questioned, leaning forward out of the covers of his bed. This was the nightly advice of the Old Professor, his tutor. “That is who the stars are?”

“Yes,” Doctor Cornelius replied before sputtering into a coughing fit. He was quite old already, and Caspian was used to his habits like those. He waited patiently until the professor stopped, and then leaned forward eagerly.

The young boy’s face held an expression for a minute, and then he finally whispered, “Professor, does that mean my father is up there too?”

The professor’s face fell almost immediately, having to tell the boy if his father was all right up in the sky. It put shame on his shoulders for keeping the horrible secret of Caspian’s father, Caspian IX (young Prince Caspian was Caspian X), from the boy.

“Yes,” the old man grumbled, and then pointed to a spot on Caspian’s pillow. “Sleep now, my Prince, tomorrow will be another day, and tomorrow night, I shall show you the stars again.”

“All right,” Caspian sighed, “One night, Professor, I wish to watch the stars forever.”

Cornelius chuckled. “We’ll see, my Prince, we will see.”

* * *

A few days later, Caspian lay awake in his bedroom. Sleep wouldn’t settle in his eyes, so he used them to watch the stars instead.

They twinkled so brightly, and Caspian wondered why and how. Usually at night, the Professor would come and tell him stories. Secretly, of course—Caspian remembered what happened to his nurse when he accidentally told his uncle of the stories she told him. She was sent away, and then he received Doctor Cornelius as a tutor instead. His uncle had told him that stories were for little children and not for boys his age.

He wondered if his father was actually up there, watching over him.

Shuffling in the thick sheets, Caspian thought back on the words of the professor. “ If ever you are confused, look up at the stars. They stay in the same place every night, and they are your loved ones watching after you.” If that did make sense, Caspian wondered how every star could stay in the exact same place without becoming impatient, as he often did during lessons.

Caspian fixed his gaze on the sky, focusing hard on one star. That was too difficult and it was blurring his vision, so he concentrated on a specific part of the sky.

It wasn’t moving. It was almost like it was just sitting there, watching him.

He shifted on his bed to lean closer to the window, the stars still shining brilliantly through the thin, wispy curtains. They were mesmerizing, yet Caspian just wanted his eyes to stay open longer so that he could gaze all the night.

There was a creak and the door, and the Professor stepped inside the room. Caspian jumped and tried to cover himself with his blankets, but he had already gotten caught.

“If you wish to stay awake during your lessons tomorrow, my Prince, then I suggest you sleep now,” Cornelius chuckled.

“But—” Prince Caspian started to disagree, but the professor cut him off.

“For now, you shall sleep, or do I have to call your uncle in?” the professor threatened lightly. But Caspian did not like his uncle, so he took the threat rather seriously.

Caspian cleared his throat. “Okay, I shall sleep now,” he sighed. Doctor Cornelius nodded, and he went out of the room just as quickly as he had come.

The moon was just setting as Caspian finally closed his eyes and fell asleep.