The Choice

The marriage

The months after the goodbye I kept myself busy with learning more about Narnian history, Caspian gave me the task to redecorate the castle since he thinks I should do it to make it more a home to me, I had to fulfil several duties that came with being a queen, I improved my combat and horse riding skills, Caspian had almost planned everyday a date for us because he wants to spend time together even when we have loads of work to do and the biggest and most stressful task of all was planning the wedding. Oh boy, I've spent months planning it, luckily I got help from Caspian and Emma. Emma and I really became best friends so I asked her to be my maid of honour, it was difficult though, knowing my family wouldn't be there. Today is the day, today I'm going to get married to the love of my life. Emma did everything in her power to keep me and Caspian separated for a day, something about bad luck, so I hadn't seen Caspian for a whole day and I already missed him. I was just finished washing myself when I heard a knock "Maria? Are you decent?" "One sec Ems" I answered as I put on a bathrobe. "Come in!" Emma came in, she was dressed in this beautiful dress with pearls and lace "Oh my god Ems, you look stunning!" "Haha thanks M, but not nearly as stunning as you will!" "Thanks! Let's get started then, we've got work to do!". I walked up to my wardrobe where my dress was hanging, I looked at it and I was still in love with it just as when I first saw it. The dress was white and covered in pearls, it had a lowcut v-line neck and an open back, the material was flowy and light, it was like being surrounded by clouds. The vail was a couple of feet long, I chose children from poor families to let them carry it. I put together a whole team so that would like small princes and princesses, I wanted everyone to enjoy this day as I did. Today there would be no difference between anyone, not under my watch. I looked in the mirror as I was now fully dressed and I couldn't believe it, I'm going to get married today to the love of my life. I started feeling nervous and Emma noticed "You don't need to be nervous M, everything is going to be amazing." I nodded, she continued "Come on, take a seat and let's do hair and makeup." Me and Emma chose for a light and natural makeup look with some slight touches of gold, the hair was half up half down, like that we could easily secure the vail in my hair all we needed to do now was finding a tiara that matched the dress. "What about this one?" "No, I don't like that one, it's too shiny." "This one?" "No" "What about this one" "No" "This one?" "No" "Yeez M, you're picky." We were running out of options, suddenly there was a knock on the door "Who is it?" I asked. "Caspian" I heard him saying, I wanted to open the door but Emma pushed me back down onto the chair "No, I'll go! You can't see him yet!" "Yeez Em, ok ok, you go!" "That's what I thought!" Emma walked up to the door, got in the hallway and closed the door after her. I couldn't hear the conversation I could just hear Emma squealing "Thanks Caspian, she will love this! Now go, before she sees you!" she entered my room again with a grin from ear to ear holding what looks like a tiara "What is it?" I asked curiously. "It's a tiara, but not just any, it belonged to Caspian's mother." I felt a tear prickling in the corner of my eye "It's beautiful, it's perfect! This is the final touch we needed!" Emma nodded and put the tiara together with the vail in my hair. "Done" she giggled enthusiastically as I walked up to the mirror "I'm beautiful" I said admiring myself, I've never felt beautiful in my entire life until this very moment. "Ready?" Emma asked standing at the door holding out her hand, I walked up to her and grabbed it "Ready". We walked out of the room towards the throne room and I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. "Let's do this." Emma left me standing alone in front of the door waiting for my cue to enter the with people filled throne room, the music started playing and I knew it was time. I opened the doors and everybody arose looking at me, I walked slowly towards the altar where my love was standing together with the kids that carried my vail. All my nerves disappeared when I looked into his warm brown eyes, he held out his hand and I happily accepted it. We were now standing at the altar waiting for the priest who was not there yet "Where's the priest?" I asked Caspian confused "You'll see" at that moment Aslan appeared and walked towards us, he was now standing in front of us. "Today we have gathered to witness the love between two young and beautiful persons, today they will become one. Now it's time for your vows, Maria whenever you're ready my dear one." I looked into Caspian's eyes and began "Caspian, I didn't fall in love with you, I walked into love with you with my eyes wide open, choosing to take every step along the way. I do believe in fate and destiny, but I also believe we are only fated to do things that we'd choose anyway. And I choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you and I'd choose you. You're all that matters to me, you fight I fight, you lose I lose, you die I die. From the moments our paths crossed, you've surprised me, distracted me, captivated me and challenged me in a way that no human being ever has. I've fallen in love with you again and again, countless times, without reservation and I still can't believe that today I get to marry my best friend. I promise you to be true, to uplift and support you, to frustrate and challenge you and to share with you the beautiful moments of life. Someday, if the stars align, I might even let you win an argument." I heard the crowd chuckle and saw Caspian's beautiful smile, I continued "No matter what trials we encounter together or how much time has passed, I know that our love will never fade, that we will always find strength in another and with that, we will continue to grow side by side. I believe in the truth of what we are, and I will always love you, with every beat of my heart." Caspian was now crying and smiling, clearly touched by my words. I love this man. Aslan spoke up "Caspian it's your turn now." Caspian looked at me and began "When I first met you, you almost decapitated me luckily you didn't. I knew from the start that you were special and that you would change my life, and you are and you did. Today I choose you to be my wife. As I stand here and look at you, I see all the things I fell in love with. Today I take the responsibility of caring for my partner, comforting my lover and laughing with my best friend. I promise to always protect your life with mine. You're the bravest and strongest woman I know and I'm lucky to call that woman my wife, you're the most selfless people I've ever met, you gave your life for the freedom of others. When I thought I lost you I couldn't function anymore because when you die I die, when you fight I will fight next to you because when you fight I fight, when you smile I smile because I love that smile of yours. I love you Maria and I will always love." At this point I was sobbing, I was so emotional after his vows. Aslan continued the ceremony " Maria Pevensie, will you take Caspian the Tenth as your husband?" "I do" "Caspian the Tenth, do you take Maria Pevensie as your wife?" "I do" we both slid the rings around each other's finger. "Then I pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride!" Aslan said. Caspian pulled me close to him and we kissed, we kissed long and passionate like never before. After minutes we finally pulled away and the crowd started cheering like their lives were depending on it, everybody was happy. Now it was time for the reception that took place in the courtyard, Caspian threw his arm over my shoulder and looked at me with his loving eyes "Wife, I like the sound of that!" I chuckled " Oh yeah, husband." "Yeah, let's go to the reception my queen." "I'm going to change first, I don't want any stains on this dress." "Sure, do you want me to come with you." "No, it's okay! You go to our guests!" "Okay, see you soon my queen!" "See you soon my king" I said as I left his side going to my room. I picked out a new dress and got changed when I looked in the mirror I was satisfied with my look, I was ready to leave again when I suddenly felt two hands holding my mouth shut and a dagger pointing at my back. "If you make a sound you're dead" I tried to fight off the intruder, I almost succeeded but a second man hit me on my head knocking me out. My room was a mess and completely destroyed, it was clearly visible that there has been a fight, there was blood everywhere, some of it was mine and some of it was of the intruder.

~Caspian's POV~

When Maria went to change I got to the reception and welcomed our guests, there were so many people! After some time I got worried about my wife, it was almost time for dinner and she still didn't return. I figured I would ask Emma if she has seen Maria "Hey Emma, have you seen Maria?" I asked her, "No I haven't, not since the wedding. What's up?" "I'm starting to get worried, she went to change hours ago and still hasn't returned." "That's weird indeed, let's go search for her." "Yeah, let's go to her room first." We excused ourselves from the reception and ran towards Maria's room, Emma got in first and as soon as she entered she stopped me "Caspian, you don't want to get in this room." "Why not, what's going on?!" I said frustrated as I pushed beside her. When I entered the room it was like living in my worst nightmare, our bedroom was completely destroyed and covered in blood. I fell on my knees as I thought about my loved one getting hurt, what happened here? "She clearly put up a fight" Emma said "the question is against who" I nodded with tears in my eyes, I just married the love of my life and hours later she's gone. "We need to find out who did this!" I said getting up angrily, I began throwing with everything that crossed my path.

How could anyone hurt her?!

"Aaaaaah!" I yelled as I threw one of the vases against the wall. Emma grabbed my shoulder "Caspian calm down, this isn't helping! We need to find her and in order to do so you need to calm down." She was right, I focused on my breathing for a minute and pulled myself together "Where do you suggest we start?" "We need to search the room for clues." After hours of searching, Emma yelled "I think I found something!" I sped to her "What is it?" "It looks like some kind of coin," she said as she handed it to me. I was completely shocked by this discovery "This is no ordinary coin Emma" I started, "What?" she asked confused, "It's a Telmarine coin, when Miraz appointed the Telmarine lords he gave each of them a coin as a kind of token of their lordship." I explained, "Is there a way we can find out whose coin this is?" "Yeah, actually there is. Miraz engraved every coin with the initials of the lord." "What does this one say?" "S" "S?" I started using every neuron to figure out to which lord this coin belonged. "It can't be," I said confused and worried at the same time "What Caspian? What can't be?" "Lord Sopespian, but he was crushed by the water. Everybody thought he drowned that day." "But have you ever found his body?" Emma said and she had a point, nobody found any proof that he was actually dead. I shook my head, "What would he want with her anyway?" Emma asked. "Isn't that obvious? She is high queen, she's the one that defeated his whole army, she's the one that ruined his plan and gave the Narnians back their freedom. Lord Sopespian knows that Maria is my whole world, he knows that she's my weak spot. It makes sense though, he is the only one that would recognise her." At this moment I was panicking because if this is true and it's Sopespian that abducted my wife then there is a chance that I would never see her again or that she would be dead by the time I get to her. "We have to find her, I can't lose her!" I said crying "I know, I can't lose her either! Let's find Maria!" Emma said, and so our search for my true love began.