Every Great King - Prologue (Prince Caspian x Reader)
Prologue - Growing Up
*not my gif*
Series Summary: You had grown up with Caspian and naturally you were best friends. Completely inseparable for as long as you both could remember, learning with the professor together, attending (rather boring) balls and banquets and running around the castle grounds in the spring and summer. But then Miraz's own son is born and Caspian's life is at risk. From here the series follows the plot of Prince Caspian and then The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
A\N: This chapter is pretty much an introduction into the pre-existing relationship between yourself and Caspian, running into the next chapter which is set at the start of Prince Caspian :) Nothing very important happens, just a few little windows into your life with the prince so far.
Next Chapter
Posted: 12/04/21
Age 6
Wind raced past your body as you ran as fast as you could across the fields surrounding the castle, giggling and not at all caring that you were getting mud on your shoes and dress. Caspian was only a few feet behind you and so slowing down really wasn't an option, lest he catch you. The stream you were running to was in sight, as well as an old oak tree you knew too well.
Every morning you and the young prince, your best friend, raced each other to the tree by the stream and the winner got to pick which game the two of you would play until being called back to the castle for lunch and being scolded for how messy you'd both gotten.
"HA!" you shouted in victory, leaning on the tree as Caspian caught up to you just a few moments later. "I win."
"That's not fair, you pushed me back at the castle gates!" Caspian laughed, making excuses on why he should have won (just as he did every time you beat him). "I'll let you have this one, but only because as Prince it's my job to be a gentleman." he smirked, knowing you hated being treated this way.
"Oh do shut up, Caspian!" you shoved him playfully and made your way to sit with your feet dangling in the stream. The cool water was a welcome respite from the burning August sun and cooled you down very nicely.
"Do you think if we stayed here long enough we would see a water nymph?" Caspian was sat beside you, staring up the stream where it was a little deeper. He was referencing a lesson the two of you had shared just the day before all about different magical creatures that used to fill Narnia. You both longed to see even just a tiny bit of this magic, even just once.
"I don't think so. Not this close to the castle anyway..." even at such a young age you knew what was happening in the kingdom was wrong. The professor had made this abundantly clear. You heard Caspian let out a sad sigh and grabbed his hand.
"Doesn't mean we can't look for one, though," you smiled, although you both knew very well that magical creatures like water nymphs had gone extinct a long time ago.
Caspian looked lost in thought for a minute then suddenly dipped his hands into the stream and splashed you, making you squeal and splash him back, laughing.
Age 9
Tears were running down your face as you stood beneath the oak tree by the stream, Caspian shouting at you that he 'didn't want to play with a stupid little girl anymore'.
"Caspian, stop it! You don't mean that, you're just in a bad mood and you're-" you were in the midst of shouting back when you were cut off by a harsh shove from the prince which knocked you to the ground.
"I DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND ANYMORE, Y\N!" He practically screamed at you, looking down at you. "One day I am going to be king and future kings don't hang about with stupid girls!" He started walking away from you, back to the castle, leaving you on the floor in shock, tears still running down your face.
"FINE THEN NEVER TALK TO ME AGAIN AND SEE IF I CARE!" you shouted after him, your hurt turning into anger and then back again. Letting out a sharp breath, you moved to sit by the water. With your back against the tree, you pulled your legs to your chest and planted your chin on top of them, watching the water flow.
After a while your tears had dried, leaving your eyes puffy and your face a little blotchy. You stayed against the tree for at least a few hours, not thinking about much before you felt someone sit beside you.
"Y\N..." the person next to you whispered. You sniffed, turning your head so you couldn't see Caspian at all in your peripheral vision.
"I don't want to talk to you."
"Please forgive me," he shuffled closer to you and leant forward, trying to make you see him. "I promise I didn't mean a single word of it, I'm so sorry."
Although you knew you were ultimately going to forgive him, you turned your body away from him. He was going to have to try a bit harder.
"You're not a stupid girl, you're the best person I know and if being king one day meant I couldn't be your friend I would give my crown to someone else." he wrapped an arm around your shoulder, pulling you back towards him. "You're my dearest friend and I shouldn't have spoken to you like that, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, Y\N?"
"I forgive you." you smiled at him and in a few days neither of you would even remember falling out.
Age 16
A warm breeze flowed through the daisies and daffodils growing wildly around the picnic blanket you and Caspian lay on. It caught your hair a little - blowing it away from your face gently, as to not tangle it. You had come to cherish days like this one where you weren't in some tight corset, learning how to dance or drink tea or sew whilst Caspian was learning how to do useful things like fight and ride a horse. He was being trained to serve his people as a King whilst you were being taught how to be an obedient wife and you loathed it. Caspian did too, vowing to never treat you like you were anything other than equals. He also taught you everything he was learning to do, taking you into the woods and sneaking two swords out so that you could duel or taking some bows and arrows so you could use the trees as target practise.
Instead, on days like today you and Caspian could sit and talk and laugh and read in the sun, just enjoying yourselves like when you were just small children.
"Did you bring a book?" you asked him, moving to lay your head in his lap while he was leaning back on his forearms. Humming in response, he pulled himself to sit upright and took a book out from the very bottom of the basket he had brought out. It was a book full of legends and tales from the golden age when the kings and queens of old rules and magic was everywhere in Narnia. He had took it from the professor just this morning, careful not to let any of the guards see it. "Read to me?"
"Of course," a smile ghosted Caspian's lips. He loved reading to you -whether it was cuddled up in the library or by the fire or outside like now, his hand always found it's way to your hair, fingertips dancing across your scalp slowly and gently.
He found your favourite tale in the book and began reading, his voice like honey running into your brain and making your spine tingle as he stroked your hair. It didn't take you long to fall asleep.
Age 17
Your hair was strewn out on your pillow as you slept, some of it stuck to your forehead in your cold sweat. Nightmares weren't very common for you or at least they were never this bad. You tossed about in distress for a long while before finally waking up with a start, your chest heaving while you tried to catch your breath. As your eyes brimmed with tears there was only one thing you could think of doing and so you quietly made your way across to Caspian's room, a few hallways away from your own.
Checking that there was definitely nobody there, you knocked softly at his door. When no reply came you decided he must be asleep and slowly entered, closing the door gently behind you.
"Caspian," you called out softly, sitting on the edge of his bed. Unlike you, he looked extremely calm and peaceful (and, as always, very handsome) in his sleep. "Cas, wake up,"
Giving his shoulder a gentle shake seemed to make him stir enough to open his eyes. "Y\N? Are you alright?" worry laced his voice, as it was very unusual for you to be in his bedroom at all, never mind in the middle of the night.
"Sorry to wake you, I just-I had a nightmare and I didn't know what else to do." you explained to him, regretting waking him up when you realised how silly it sounded.
"Hey, it's okay," he patted the space next to him and lifted his quilt so that you could lie down next to him. When you did so he almost immediately pulled you as close as he could so your cheek was pressed against his chest and his arms securely around your waist. "I've got you, don't worry. You're safe." a soft kiss to the top of your head made you sleepy again and Caspian's fingers started to draw comforting circles on your sides.
"Goodnight, Caspian." you whispered, feeling sleep taking over you.
"Sweet dreams, Y\N."
It was the best night's sleep either of you had ever gotten, although you were both in a lot of trouble for it the next morning.
A/N: It only took me 4 chapters to realize I was spelling Telmarine wrong this entire time O_O well anyways I hope you enjoy and another chapter is in the works!
ALL CREDIT FOR NARNIA TO C.S LEWIS AND DIALOGUE (except from my OC) TO DISNEY
End of Previous Chapter:
“Beards and Bedsteads” the dwarf exclaimed to her right “maybe that horn worked after all…”
All eyes turned to him.
“What horn?” Susan asked
--
“Prince Caspian used it right before me and…” Y/n trailed off, looking awkwardly to the dwarf at her side.
“Trumpkin” he grunted
“…right before me and Trumpkin were taken by the Telmerains” she continued, looking between the siblings.
“I must have lost it on the hunt” Susan stated “when we…went back to England”
“How on Earth did it get in the hands of Telmarines?” Peter wondered, blue eyes flicking to Y/n. She raised her eyebrows, the suspicion in his voice not lost on her. While she couldn’t blame him for hating Telmarines, she did not appreciate being questioned after clearly almost being executed by her “kin”.
“All I know is our professor gave it to Prince Caspian before we ran away. How he got it, I don’t have a clue”
“And why did you run away?” Edmund asked suddenly. Y/n looked at him a moment before answering, considering how well she could trust the Kings and Queens of Old.
“Long story short, the Prince was in danger. He needed to get out of the city and since it’s my job to protect him with my life, I came too. We were separated when I got recaptured by the Telmarines and now I really need to get back to him”
“Can’t take care of himself?” Peter commented, prompting Y/n to glare at him. She didn’t think he was particularly magnificent so far.
“Well, we might as well get moving” Trumpkin said, gesturing to the boat “We have to tell the others about all this”
***
Silence filled the boat. The only sounds that could be heard were the steady swishing of Peters rowing and distant bird song. Occasionally a breeze would push through the forest, causing the leaves to rustle and sway above their heads. Y/n sat near the front of the boat with Lucy and Trumpkin while Susan and Edmund sat near the back. She looked around at the high cliffs surrounding the river, taking in the lush green canopy and misty waterfalls, astounded by its beauty. She had never gone farther than the fields surrounding Miraz’s Castle, where she had often practiced combat on her horse. Memories of riding with Caspian as a child filled her mind and she felt a prickle of anxiety from not knowing where or how he was. Suddenly, Lucy broke the silence,
“They’re so still.” She was gazing intently at the trees above. Trumpkin turned to look at her and then followed her gaze.
“They’re trees. What’d you expect.” He mumbled. Y/n noticed Edmund grimace sadly from the back of the boat.
“They used to dance.” Lucy replied
“Wasn’t long after you left that the Telmarines invaded.” Trumpkin continued, “Those who survived retreated to the woods. And the trees, they retreated so deep into themselves that they haven’t been heard from since.”
Y/n felt a wave of shame wash over her. Shame for the damage her ancestors had caused. Shame for the thousands of lives they had taken. Shame for the blood that ran through her veins and armor she wore on her back. A large lump appeared in her throat.
“I don’t understand. How could Aslan let this happen?” Lucy furrowed her brows. Y/n vaguely remembered hearing stories of Aslan. Something about a great lion…
“Aslan? Thought he abandoned us when you lot did.” The four siblings turned their heads to look at the dwarf who quickly averted his gaze to the rippling water below.
“We didn’t mean to leave you know.” Peter said, and for the first time Y/n sensed humiliation in his tone. Trumpkin turned back around.
“Makes no difference now, does it?” He shrugged, defeated
“Get us to the Narnians… and it will.” Peter set his jaw determinately and began rowing a little faster.
***
Eventually, they reached a gravely beach. Rowing up to the bank, Trumpkin hopped out of the boat and started pulling it ashore with the rope. Lucy stood and followed, continuing down the beach. As Peter clambered out of the boat, he offered his hand to Y/n to help her get out. She stared at him for a moment, baffled, before climbing out herself
“I’m fine, thank you” she snapped, still annoyed at his previous statements about Caspian. They began to help Trumpkin with pulling the boat onto the rocky shore. Him, Peter and Susan using the rope while Edmund and Y/n pushed from either side.
“Hello, there!” Lucy exclaimed from behind them, causing all five to turn their heads. Immediately, Y/n’s blood went cold and her eyes widened. Lucy appeared to be speaking to a massive black bear while slowly making her way towards it. The bear grunted and stood up on two feet, eyeing the small girl.
“It’s alright. We’re friends!” She continued, moving even closer. Y/n looked, alarmed, at the three siblings next to her. None of them seemed very concerned by the situation
“What’s the matter with you three?!” She hissed suddenly
“Don’t move, your majesty” Trumpkin shouted, raising both hands in agitation. Lucy turned to look at him, her face etched with confusion. The bear roared and started to charge towards the tiny brunette, who whipped her head back around and began to run. Immediately the older siblings and Y/n rushed towards the boat to grab their weapons. Susan turned towards the bear with her bow drawn and shouted
“Stay away from her!” but didn’t release her arrow. Lucy tripped on the end of her dress and fell to the ground, mere feet away from the huge creature.
“Shoot, Susan, Shoot!” Edmund cried
The bear raised on its hind legs over Lucy as she shrieked in terror-
Thunk
An arrow found its way into the bear’s chest. It groaned in pain and collapsed next to Lucy. Y/n stood next to the boat; her crossbow, stolen from the Telmarine guards, drawn. Susan turned to look at her, an arrow still lodged in the string of her bow. Y/n lowered the weapon and started towards the small girls still sitting on the ground.
“Why wouldn’t he stop?” Susan questioned, lowering her bow as well
“I suspect he was hungry” Trumpkin huffed, also moving towards Lucy and the bears limp body. Peter and Edmund followed, Peter quickly picking their younger sister up and holding her close to his chest. She looked at Y/n and smiled briefly
“Thanks”
“No problem” Y/n nodded in response, smiling softly back.
Trumpkin made his way towards the body, examining it closely and prodding parts of it with his knife
“He was wild.” Edmund puzzled, looking to his brother
“I don’t think he could talk at all” murmured Peter
“Get treated like a dumb animal long enough, that’s what you become” Trumpkin declared matter-of-factly, “You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember.”
He moved to slit his knife into the bears body, making Lucy turn into her brothers chest with a sob.
