Orphic || Prince Caspian

five

The seven lords left at the end of June. Less than a month since they had been officially sent to explore the eastern isles. The excuse was that Miraz was looking for support from the lords there, but as the ships were filled with supplies and the heat of summer began to increase, the excuse became weaker. A facade to loosely disguise the real reason why he wanted the lords out of Narnia. They were strong supporters of the previous king and together they all held enough power to oppose the Regent's decisions. For power, they had to go.

Caspian held his hand the entire time through the sending off ceremony as Ahren tried not to sob. His father waving from the deck of the ship as it left the dock and set sail. When it was too far away for his father to be seen anymore, he burst into heaving sobs that soaked the shoulder of Caspian's tunic. It was strange to see his normally so cheerful friend so upset. Caspian had never seen Ahren cry until this moment and he hated it. He hated the sight. Ahren shouldn't have to cry. It did not suit him.

Othello stood over them, stern and silent. His presence a reassuring balm as Ahren curled over to wrap himself around the smaller boy. Caspian's hand stroking over his hair as be sobbed until he was half asleep. Then Othello picked him up and carried him back to the carriage to take them back home and Caspian was bundled back to the palace.

Caspian hadn't wanted to leave his friend in such a state. Eyes swollen and red rimmed, puffy and wet as tears dripped down his cheeks. Ahren had been limp and pale. His lips trembling as he gripped tightly to Othello as if it would offer him the same comfort as his father. Caspian wanted to stay with him, sooth his friend until he fell asleep. But he was a prince and he had to return to the castle. Miraz wouldn't let him spend a night anywhere else. He claimed that it wasn't safe. (Later, Caspian would regret not going with his friend that night).

Then a week past and Caspian had not seen his friend. He asked his nursemaid. She said that he was probably busy with the estate, since Othello had been left as guardian of the lands and of Ahren. He asked again a day or two later. She said that Ahren had taken sick and couldn't visit for the time being. Caspian wrote him a letter but he got nothing back.

A second week passed. Still nothing. He sent a second latter. No reply. He asked his nursemaid. She said that Ahren was still sick. Then he asked his uncle. Miraz had blinked and stared at him with an expression of great sadness. Caspian was eight, but he wasn't dumb. He knew that something bad must have happened. Ahren would have written back even if he was sick. He would have visited before now even if he was busy. He had promised after all.

"My dear nephew", Miraz had spoken in the same gentle, coaxing tone that people used when they thought the child they were talking to was dumb. Caspian hated that tone. "Were you not told?"

"Told what?" His voice trembled and he straightened as if to make up for the vulnerability. His father said that kings did no show weakness. Caspian knew that he was weak and that he showed weakness too often. He wanted to be strong. Like his father had been, like his mother. Like Ahren was. Younger than him by seven months and still he had only ever seen the seven year old cry once in the eight months they had spent together. Eight months yet he was the bestest friend Caspian'd ever had.

Miraz sighed and leaned forwards in his seat to lay a hand on Caspian's shoulder. Around him, the king's study was cast in orange flickers and shadows as the fire crackled. Caspian was in nothing but his sleepwear, having snuck out of bed to talk to his uncle. He barely saw the man anymore, the regent too busy. The summer heat had faded into nighttime chill and he shivered.

"Caspian", His uncle's tone was sad. Fake sadness. He knew that his uncle did not care. Not at all. "I am afraid that your friend is dead".

"What?" It was a squeak but he couldn't find it within himself to draw up a shield.

"I am afraid that there was a fire last week. It happened during the night. The manor of lord Restimar burnt to the ground. There were no survivors", Miraz kept that same slow voice, as if that would make the information sink in better for him.

Caspian dimly recalled the death of his father. His mother had wept while telling him the news and it had been a shock that he fully did not understand at the time. Death was a foreign concept until that point. Then when Miraz told him about the death of his mother. How Ahren had held him close and warm and he had sobbed because he knew what death was by then. Death was an end. Both times it had hit hard. But now, this time it felt like he was distant. Something between him and the word spilling from his uncle's lips.

"The funeral was small. He is buried with his mother and the servants are all buried with all expenses paid for by the crown. I will give you permission to go and visit soon. When you can ride, then you can go by yourself. But for now you will have to go with your nursemaid".

"Othello wasn't a servant".

"What was that Caspian?"

"Othello". The name was weird on his tongue. He could hear Ahren in his mind. "Tello. I always call him Tello cause Othello is too many sounds". He licked his lips. "Othello. He is Ahren's protector. He wasn't just a servant".

Miraz blinked. "Oh. Yes. Him. He's buried in the cemetery too. I guess that you can visit him as well if you wish. You must really go back to bed now boy. Don't want you getting sick. Growing boys need their sleep". He waved at a guard and Caspian let himself be ushered from the room and down the corridors towards his bedroom. His mind was replaying the information.

Was Ahren scared? He was a child and yet he knew what it was like to be afraid. He knew that his friend would have been terrified. A choked sound escaped him as the door closed behind him. His bedroom was dark. Only one candle flickering in the corner. A pinprick of light, just enough to see the edge of his bed. Caspian stepped towards it and climbed up, wrapping him up in enough blankets to cocoon himself. He felt so desperately cold.

He wanted to replicate the warmth that Ahren gave off. Sunny smiles and warm hugs. "You promised". The words were small. "You promised! You promised!" He was suddenly filled with a burning anger. The blankets fell back as he kicked them off and grabbed hold of a pillow. It thumped against the post of his bed as he hit it hard enough to produce a sound. "You liar! Ahren! You Liar!" He was screaming now. "You liar! You liar!"

The pillow burst and he was covered in a burst of feathers. The bust blew out the candle and for a moment, the only light was the moonlight through the cracks in the curtains as feathers fluttered over the room. Caspian threw himself onto the bed and sobbed so hard that his whole body shook. Hands gripping the sheets tight enough to rip. He felt far too small to contain so much emotion. This time there was no-one to hug him, to sooth his grief. "You promised you would stay with me forever! You liar! You liar".

unedited