This is Home

The next day Caspian had woken up late to the shouts and cries of the soldiers in the distance.

Estella stirred beside him, but he was careful not to wake her as he got up and pulled on his armor. He bent down to the level of the bed, and kissed her cheek. “I will return in a moment.” He thought that she deserved more sleep.

He slipped out of the tent and towards the How. Everyone was rushing and running into it. Caspian caught up with the Pevensies inside.

“What is it?” Caspian panted.

“They have accepted our request,” Lucy mumbled. “Peter.” She threw her arms around her older brother.

“It’s fine,” Peter said gently. He glanced up at Caspian, and then with a terribly mature air, nodded towards him. Caspian gulped, but nodded back.

“When is the duel to happen?” Caspian asked.

Edmund spoke up, “Tomorrow. Miraz says that Peter’s sword should be sharper than his pen.”

Caspian’s nostrils flared; his uncle was truly a horrible person. He poised himself to draw his sword. “I should duel. Not you, Peter.”

“Like I said, Miraz only wants you dead,” Peter said stiffly. He seemed to stare off into space, as if to wonder to himself. Caspian noticed, but everyone else was fluttering around Peter, cheering him on, telling him how good of a king he was. Caspian watched as Peter only half-listened and half-ignored his people.

“What am I to do?” Caspian asked. “I feel responsible. I feel it is my duty to repay you.”

“I thought I told you.” Peter turned his head to the carving of Aslan on the stone walls. “There’s nothing now. Either he dies, or I die. If he wins, he gets Narnia. I only want to settle it.”

Caspian was growing angry. Peter was almost too noble for his own good. Caspian desperately wanted to fight and help save the kingdom. His fists were clenched at his sides, and he fumed silently to himself. Then, regaining his composure, he turned to the high king, who he now noticed was merely a boy, no older than him.

“I will try,” Caspian murmured, “To take back your kingdom, if you cannot defeat Miraz.” He didn’t want to use the word ‘die’. It seemed like a horrible word to use at that time.

Susan piped up, “Where’s Estella?”

Caspian, for some reason, found himself growing red. “I... have not been a good husband so far. If you will excuse me, I must check on her.”

He bowed to the four kings and queens, and then turned to run back to the tent.

* * *

He didn’t rush back to the tent right away. He sat by the banks of the river, recollecting his thoughts. His breathing was slow and he wanted to choose his words wisely. This was their first day of being a married couple.

He glanced at the ring on his hand. The ring symbolized all that he wanted with her, a circle, something never-ending. Spending the rest of his life with her...

He blushed when he thought of it. Making her queen. Something that he always wanted, but never had the chance to tell her. And now, here he was. The thought of it made him smile, the corners of his lips curling upwards.

All of a sudden, he didn’t care if there was a duel the next day. He didn’t care that this duel might end this kingdom or end Miraz’s reign. He was thinking that he could probably run away with Estella (which is not a good thing to think of, especially if one is king, because that would be abandoning his kingdom, and which would also make him a hypocrite considering that he thought that the four kings and queens had abandoned theirs).

He fiddled with the ring on his finger. How strange the feeling was! To feel so attached to her, to almost feel her heartbeat in his chest. He needed her, and it terrified him but fascinated him at the same time.

What thoughts for a prince. It was the most thinking he’d done about his homeland and the people in it so far. Only, he didn’t want to return to Telmar. He wanted to return to Narnia.

He stood up and started to head back to the tent, smiling. He could see her smile in his head.

He opened the flaps very carefully, sticking his head inside. “Estella?”

The bed was messy and empty. The sheets were all tangled and strewn about, but there was no Estella in their place. He glanced at the spots she used to hang her clothing. A dress was gone. So she must have woken and gotten up.

He jogged back to the How. Lucy and Edmund were walking out, clutching each other.

“Have you seen Estella?” Caspian breathed. “Has she been to the How at all?”

“We thought you were looking for her,” Lucy said.

Caspian shook his head. “She is not in the tent. She is not...”

Caspian ran back to the tent, his bones rattling in his armor. “Estella!” This time he didn’t hesitate to throw everything around, checking in the stupidest places for her. “Estella!”

He threw the covers about, and all of a sudden a piece of paper flew into the air. He caught it.

Caspian,
It is not wise to leave your wife alone, lying in her tent.
She is with us now.
Felix

Felix, you are dead, Caspian thought, tears in his eyes, as he crumpled the note.