Autumn Nights - A Narnia Oneshot Challenge

Flax-Golden Tales

Prompt: Rainy Days

~4 years after the birth of Caspian X~

Rainy afternoons at the Lord Protector's castle were the worst nightmare of the palace children. There was no time to shed the gloomy brick shell of the fortress and run wild in the gardens or terrorize the city streets. Anxious mothers claimed the rain would make their children catch cold, so it was safer that they stay inside. But a few old souls knew better—head colds were no one's concern. Water, even rainwater, carried too much potency. Perhaps it was magic.

So the sons and daughters of lords and ladies wasted away their days inside, spinning tops for the eighteenth time, playing hide and seek only to be scolded for climbing in a suit of armor. The children were miserable to be stuck inside, and the mothers were miserable dealing with their children's sour temper. Truly, a good time was had by none.

None, that is, except Prince Caspian. Of course, like all little boys, Caspian was thrilled to wake up to a sunny day. That meant that Nurse would take him outside to play, and he could pretend to be any manner of things, and search for signs of faerfolk in the garden. Even the tiniest glimmer of a pixie would have satisfied the boy's longing to find something, anything from the old stories. But, despite all his love of the outdoors, rainy days might have been even better; for rainy days meant foul tempers, and foul tempers meant Caspian and his Nurse were left alone to do as they liked. These were the days Nurse told the best stories.

"Up, little lord, the sun has risen—" cooed a gentle, familiar voice.

Caspian opened his eyes, straining them against the light. The kindly face of his nurse loomed over him, pulling back his covers. He shivered in his nightgown, goosebumps rising on his bare legs.

"Nurse—" he whined. "Can I sleep a little longer?"

"Hmm," she tapped her chin, "how much longer does his lordship want to lounge?"

"A hundred million more minutes!" Caspian shouted, throwing his hands wide.

Nurse gasped and Caspian burst into giggles. "A hundred million more minutes? You'd be asleep for a hundred years! You couldn't possibly want that."

Caspian bobbed his head, blond curls frizzing against his pillow. "Yes, I do."

"Oh, you naughty boy," Nurse tutted. "You'd miss your birthday—"

"No, I won't. I'll just celebrate my birthday a hundred more times when I wake up."

"Well, when you put it that way—" she stopped. "Oh, but my Prince! It's rainy today, and you know what that means—"

Caspian bounced into a seated position, sea-blue eyes wide. "A story day!"

Nurse laughed, a gorgeous peal that always set Caspian's heart a flutter. She was the only real lady he knew. Sure, he knew his aunt—but she was hardly a lady—she had perfect hands and a hard look in her eye, a sharp tongue but a mind too dull to think about faeries. But Nurse, oh, she was a real lady—she had hard hands and soft eyes, a kind tongue, and a sharp mind.

"Yes, a story day. But before we start, you've got to get out of your nightclothes and come sit down for breakfast."

The golden-headed prince tumbled out of bed, racing for the laid-out clothes beside the wardrobe. Without stopping for help, he yanked his nightgown over his head, mussing his already wild curls, then wiggled through the neck hole of his tunic. A moment or two of struggle later, the prince had dressed himself, tunic half tucked into his waistband, collar askew.

"I'm dressed!" He declared, hands above his head in triumph.

Nurse finished smoothing out the bedspread and turned around. She smiled at the haphazard ensemble. Caspian beamed, watching his nurse carefully as she walked over to him, waiting earnestly for her approval.