Happily Never After

4

Despite their pleasure at Caspian's cooperation, on the third day of the following month the king and queen could no longer bear his incessant whining and lifting his punishment, allowing him to roam free.

On the fourth, Caspian traveled down to the commoner's marketplace to search for Bandit and Baron, but only discovered the latter who was surprised at his sudden appearance.
"Bandit just left to look for you up at the castle! We got scared 'cause we haven't seen you in so long an'-" Baron was cut off when Caspian began to sprint from whence he came, hearing all that he needed to.
After shouting a 'thank you' to Baron, he raced to the castle and reached it in record time, spotting Bandit climbing his turret.
To his horror, he realized that Sadie was probably in his room, and she would see Bandit and call the guards.
Frozen in fear, he began to move too late and arrived into his room to find it empty and hear a commotion coming from downstairs.
Racing from his room and flurrying down the steps, his heartbeat bolting a mile a minute, he arrived to the first floor only to survey its vacany, just as all the others before it.
'What is going on?' he thought to himself, huffing and puffing from his marathon across the castle. 'Where could they have taken him?'
Suddenly, he realized.
The dungeons.
Caspian fled to the cold, stone, endless staircase leading to the dungeons in sheer terror for his friend's fate.
After nail biting flights of stairs climbed, Caspian had finally reached his destination.
With trembling knees, he approached Bandit's holding cell. "Hey," Bandit smiled weakly up at his friend, Caspian wincing upon seeing his bloody nose and black eye.
"Hey," Caspian responded, voice cracking. He fell to his knees and quietly threaded his hands between the metal bars and interlaced his fingers with Bandit's, the thief's presence comforting the Prince. "I'm so glad they just threw you in here, rather than shooting you on sight. If you had died, I would have killed you."
The boys shared a watery laugh. Caspian took a shaky breath and released Bandit's hand, rubbing his eyes with his fists.
"That was so dangerous, you chivalrous moron. I almost lost you. Oh God. Baron could have lost you." He shook his head, not wanting to even consider that possibility.
"Casp, it's okay. I'm still okay." Bandit smiled through bloodstained teeth.
"Well," Caspian stood and grabbed the extra pair of keys from the Guard's desk behind him, regaining his composure, "I suppose I have no choice except transferring you and Baron to a safer location immediately."
"What?! We can't just leave you! Baron will never let us move now that she's so attached to you!" Bandit followed Caspian through the back tunnel exit of the dungeon after being freed, protesting his absence in Evermore.
"I am acquainted with a kind shopkeeper in the kingdom of Oflor willing to house you and Baron." Caspian finally displayed his princely, authoritative voice.
"Oflor?! But that's in the northern kingdoms!" Bandit protested again.
"That's the point. You are now a wanted criminal here, and I can't bear the thought of anything happening to you or Baron, so Oflor will be safe for you to stay until I am legally old enough to sail there myself and join you two."
"And exactly how long will that be?" Bandit questioned.
"A year from tomorrow!" Caspian cheerily replied.
Bandit pondered the entire expedition, but could find no fault to protest, nor a question to ask, so he had no choice other than to begrudgingly accept Caspian's plan.
The next day, Baron and Bandit spent the entire day with Caspian, showering him with as much happiness and affection as they could muster with their imminent departure.
"Be good," the Prince instructed Baron, ruffling her stark-white hair and twirling her around the dock the siblings' boat was set to board them on. "Don't give your brother too much trouble." He turned to Bandit, a melancholy fondness in both of their gazes.
"Please write everyday," Caspian begged, holding both of Bandit's hands in his.
"I promise I will," Bandit replied, wrapping Caspian in a hug
"And stay safe until I can come back to you."
"I'll try my best," Bandit reassured the Prince.
With that vow and some solemn waving, the trio separated.