The Naiad and Her King

Chapter 11

The Naiad Trilogy

Part 2: The Naiad and Her King

Chapter 11

"Dear Diary..." Eustace didn't know where to begin as he sat on the deck between a couple of barrels. He couldn't believe his rotten luck. First he was told that two of his cousins would be coming to stay with him, and then they had to drag him along to this blasted place. Yes, he had to admit that he was no longer in his beloved England but in some rotten fairytale world. The people here were simply barbarians; some of them weren't even men but talking beasts! The worst of the lot (other than his stuck up cousin Edmund) was a fellow named Caspian, who thought he was some kind of great king, and the talking circus rat Weepysheep (or something like that). Eustace despised rats.

They were on some outdated wooden rowboat that lacked all the proper necessities, and yet everyone on board acted as though it were the most magnificent ship to ever exist. They were now about two weeks sailing from the last known island with no land in sight. Still, Caspian decided to continue on, even though they didn't seem to have enough supplies to accommodate everyone. No matter what anyone said, Eustace just knew that he always received less than everyone else. He thought about what happened yesterday when they all received their afternoon water ration, and how horribly it had gone...

Once more Eustace had to wait in line behind his cousins before he could receive his cup of water. He didn't understand why he should be made to wait; he was already ill from lack of water! He mentioned this to Lucy, but he didn't know Caspian had been standing behind them and he overheard everything. Caspian had the nerve to say that they were all ill and that Eustace would just have to wait like everyone else. Eustace wouldn't have minded so much if it weren't for the fact that everyone else didn't have to wait as long as he did.

Then Eustace had a brilliant thought! (Well, all of his thoughts were brilliant to be honest.) His cousins were supposedly a King and Queen, he didn't understand how exactly. If that were true, then why did they have to wait? Shouldn't the King be the first to get anything to drink? And shouldn't Eustace, being related to a king and queen, be next in line for water? He mentioned this as well, making sure this time that Caspian wasn't around, but Lucy (the silly girl) said that the crewmen should get their water first since they were the ones working. Working? Ha! Eustace saw most of them standing about doing nothing for most the day! If they were working so hard then why weren't they any closer to civilization yet?

At last Eustace received his cup, but just as he suspected, as it always was, he had the least amount of water among any of them! Eustace was fed up. He'd had enough. He was tired of being treated as he was. He was never one to complain, much, but he would not stand for this anymore! He had to speak out against it!

"Why does this always happen? Why do I always get less than everyone else?"

"Eustace, you have received just as much as any of us have," Caspian insisted.

"No, I haven't. Look for yourself, if you must. You can clearly see how little I have compared to what you all have."

Eustace continued to argue his point for a few more minutes before she intervened. She was probably the best thing about this trip. She was different from all the rest. She never treated him poorly. She was civilized, well, compared to the rest of them at least. She could still be deluded like all the rest thinking the ship was nice and its crew favorable, but at least she was more pleasing to look at. She was someone Eustace could respect.

"Oh bother it all," Ava said exasperated. "Here, Eustace, have mine."

"Ava, no!" Caspian and Edmund began, but before they could stop her Ava had already poured the rest of her water into Eustace's cup.