Lost boy || Prince Caspian

8

"Put them in irons!"

Otto immediately stepped back as the men, the slavers, advanced. One grabbed him by the back of the neck and forced him forwards as two more men began to slap iron cuffs round his wrists. He made a noise as they were tightened painfully and the men laughed. "Let go of me!" He heard Lucy shriek. "Get your hands off me". She was kicking but her small frame couldn't do much against the men. Still, her expression was furious.

The man who was holding Eustace switched his hold to the boy's ear. He squirmed as the man pulled him along like some prized animal. The boy whimpering and not fighting back as he was dragged. "Let's take these three to market", The man said, flicking his blade to point at Lucy, Eustace and Otto. "Bung the other two in the dungeons. We will deal with them later".

"Listen to me you insolent fools", Caspian spat, his accent heavy with indignation. "I am your king!" At his side, Edmund shoved one of the men holding him back. The slaver smacked him across the face before doing the same to Caspian. Otto gasped as he watched his lover's cheek bloom red from the blow. He didn't like seeing Caspian hurt. The king shook his hair out of his face, eyes dark as their gazes locked. A pink patch on his cheek.

"You're going to pay for that", Edmund swore as he recovered. The men laughed at him.

"Actually", a new voice responded. A older man, wearing more finery than Otto had ever seen Caspian wear, emerged from behind a statue. It wasn't so much that it looked more gaudy than impressive. He had some sort of weird goatee thing that made Otto pull a disgusted face. "Someone else is going to pay. For all of you". At his words the men began hauling them away. Beginning first with the ones they intended to sell.

"Edmund!" Lucy screamed as she was dragged towards the doors. Eustace was whimpering as he was marched out in front of her. "Edmund!"

"No! Lucy!" Edmund struggled against his captors but the men were twice his size and could not be moved.

Otto yelped as a hand squeezed his butt and he kicked out, catching the man between the legs. He fell back with a Oof as the other slavers laughed. "Get your hands off me!" Otto snarled, bearing his teeth. The man growled, face red with humiliation and pain as he stormed over to grab Otto's neck. The meaty hand squeezing tightly as he pressed close and lifted his arm up. Otto gasped, already beginning to feel light headed as his feet left the floor. His legs kicked but the man was large and heavy and didn't seem to budge.

"Otto!" Caspian shouted, struggling wildly. "You're hurting him! Let him go! I'll kill you!"

"Don't ruin the merchandise", the man with the goatee remarked causally. The slaver holding Otto dropped his hold and backed away. Otto fell forwards gasping for air. He inhaled greedily before he felt himself being picked up. He was thrown over a shoulder, legs held firm to stop him from kicking out again. He twisted his neck to glance back at Caspian as he was taken away. Caspian's wide brown eyes disappearing behind the church doors.

——

"Why does this always happen to me?" Otto huffed. They had been tossed into a stone cell. A small window high above them let in light but it was barred and the stone underneath was smooth and without footholds. Old mouldy straw was stacked in the corner as a makeshift bed and markings from other prisoners were scratched into the walls. The sight of the numerous names and small drawings made him feel ill. How many people had come before them? He leaned back against the wall with a sigh. "How come I keep on getting captured whenever we come to Narnia?" He asked.

Lucy huffed and sat down by the straw bed. "At lest you're not alone this time", she offered with a slight smile.

"Yeah. Fat lot of help that's going to do us", Eustace snorted. He kicked the heavy wooden door. "I demand to speak to the British consulate! It's a very bad idea keeping us locked up you know. We are British citizens!" Outside men laughed. Eustace's cheeks flushed.

"That's not going to work", Otto said. "They don't know what British is here. They know nothing about our world. They are not going to listen to you". Eustace glanced down in a sulk. Otto took pity on him. The child was scared. "Chin up", he offered. "We will get out of this. We always do. Though Edmund had to save me last time. But at lest I can guarantee that these captors are nicer than Caspian's uncle. I haven't been scarred yet". He rubbed at the bruises around his neck sheepishly. Bruises didn't count.

Lucy giggled tiredly. "You're not making this much better you know".

"Hey", Otto grinned as he moved over to sit next to her against the straw. He leaned back and cross his shackled arms behind his head. The chains clanging loudly as he leaned back. "The last time I was captured I was chained out in the courtyard for a day and a night. It rained and it was very uncomfortable. No lovely straw beds like here". He patted the straw for emphasis and a mouse scurried out. He chuckled with a wince.

"What's going to happen to us?" Eustace mumbled. He slouched over and hesitantly curled up in a ball on the other side of Lucy.

"In the morning they're going to sell us", Lucy answered. "Let's just hope Reepicheep and the others will arrive before then. It's nightfall. They should come looking soon". She was right. Outside the sun was dropping. The cell becoming increasingly gloomy.

Lucy suddenly giggled. "That man's face when you kicked him between the legs", she blurted. Otto smiled and began to laugh.

"Yeah. I got him good. Serves him right for pawing at my arse. Did any of them touch you?" He asked gently.

"One tried to fumble for my butt too", Lucy shrugged. "But I was kicking and screaming so much that he gave up. This tunic is luckily big enough to hide my breasts".

"Good", Otto nodded. "Edmund would slay anyone who wanted to hurt his sister. I'd be right behind him of course".

Lucy giggled again. "Imagine if Peter was here".

"Oh god", Otto sighed with a wide grin. "He'd be furious at the indecency of being locked up. Him? High king Peter being captured by slavers? Banish the thought".

"Caspian didn't look very please either", Lucy smirked and nudged him with her elbow. "But that could just be because someone laid his hands on you. He was so furious".

Otto smiled sheepishly, cheeks colouring. "Yeah. Protectiveness looks good on him".

"Swooning", Lucy giggled. For a second Otto recalled how she had teased back when he first visited narnia. The little girl giggling at his bashfulness. Only now she was a young woman, almost his age. But she was still like his little sister.

"Shush", he sighed dreamily. "Let me swoon over my fairytale prince".

"Yuck", Eustace groaned. "Do I have to hear you two gossip all night? I'd rather they'd put me with Edmund".

"Shut up", Lucy waved a hand. "Go to sleep if it bothers you. Now", she grinned at him eagerly. "How are you guys? Any relationship problems?"

"Why are you so eager?" Otto chuckled.

"You're my favourite couple. Let me live my romance dreams vicariously through you".

He tipped his head back as he laughed loudly. "Lucy", he beamed. "You will have a romance someday. But if you want to know then we're fine, thanks for asking. A lot of things have changed but we're getting to know each other again".

"Are you happy?"

"I'm home. How could I not be?" Otto paused. "Are you?"

Lucy sighed and leaned back. The straw rustling at her movement. "I'm glad to be her but I miss Peter and Susan. It's nice and freeing being here without them but also weird too".

Otto nodded. "I miss them too. But you'll tell them this when you go home".

"Of course. We just need to finish this quest first. As soon as we get out of these chains".

Unedited

AN: sorry for updating for so long. I've been watching narnia edits to get me inspired again.