For King and Country ⭒Caspian x Reader⭒

Chapter 20

The balmy breeze of summer swept through my window as I pried my eyes open. The night before had been fraught with emotion, and something about the hour that everything took place in kept a grey haze over the entire experience. I wondered if I had asked any of those that were present about the debacle if they would even recall it; as if it all had been a dream.

The castle was alive behind my door, the shuffle of feet, the timbre of voices, laughing, shouting, whispering, and everything in between reached my ears, so I rose to meet the challenge of facing the day with the night before still heavy in my heart.

As I opened the door, two guards leaned against the opposing wall, one a faun, with patches of fur sticking out of his leather armor, and the other a young woman, no older than I. When I first arrived, the assigned guards stayed inches from my doorframe, a sign of fear. To see this new guard detail, watching me from a safe distance, allowing me to move around in my room with some level of privacy brought a small measure of peace to me, despite not wanting to be watched over at all. 

"Princess," Said the female guard, stumbling into a clunky curtsy. The faun followed suit in a faltering bow. 

"You must be my custodians," I said, eyeing the two of them.

"I'm Rin," Said the faun pointing to himself, "And this is Cecily."

"Well, I'm pleased to meet the both of you. I figure we'll be spending plenty of time together," I said, clasping my hands in front of me as we began to walk down the halls. 

"We can hang back as much as you'd like. The King said to not let our eyes drift from you though, so we'll always stay within eyesight," Cecily said from behind me. 

"I'm sure you two will be able to read when I need some space, but I'm never bothered by pleasant companions," I said, tossing a smile over my shoulder. The faun, Rin, turned a deep shade of crimson at the fleeting smile. 

With the fields off-limits for the time, I settled for the gardens, enough of my life had been spent away from the kiss of the sun, that I would take it in any way prescribed to me, even if I had to hang halfway out a window with a sheet tied to my waist for the warmth to spread over my cheeks. 

"Where has Caspian run off to?" I said as we stepped into the bright, afternoon light. 

"He advised us that he would be in his office attending to some of his affairs-" Rin began.

"Look who decided to wake," Titus said from behind me. 

"Are you trying to brag on how little sleep you had? Not sure what kind of trophy that is," I laughed.

"Stamina, my friend, it's all about stamina," Titus said, throwing his arm loosely around my shoulder.

"You've been busy this morning?" I said as we paced the garden paths, Rin and Cecily trailing behind out of earshot.

"Morgan has been having a hard morning of it," Titus's face grew somber, "We've been making preparations for Destrian's funeral. Not to mention going through his documents to get her name on all of his deeds."

'Why didn't she wake me? I feel so bad knowing she's having to do this so suddenly."

"She asked that we let you sleep. You both got news of equaling shock last night," Titus said, looking down at me. 

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I just had assumed that many had moved past the traitor theory. I've been here so long and have not so much as tried to escape," I said, a sigh escaping my lips. 

"Nobles are taught from birth to anticipate the worst-case scenario, but bridges are burned that way," Titus pulled his arm back to his side, "Mistrust destroys kingdoms faster than any war."