Beyond the Sea

PROLOGUE: ANNALIESE

"Caspian," Annaliese said in a questioning tone as they walked the castle grounds at sunset. "Do you remember what you swore, three years ago?"

Three years ago she was fourteen. Three years ago she had not known she would be queen of a land far different from the one she had grown up in. Three years ago, she would never have imagined, not in a thousand years, that she would fall in love with a prince (now a king) of that very land.

King Caspian the tenth, the Seafarer, took her hand, linking his fingers with hers, and smiled down into her eyes. "Do you mean my oath to find the seven lords, the friends of my father?"

"That's the one," she nodded. The wind tossed the curls that had escaped from her braid against her face. "You swore an oath, that when peace was across all of Narnia, we would go out and find them."

"I swore that I would find them," Caspian corrected her, and stopped her, turning to face her. Annaliese gave him a playful frown as he added, "I can't expect you and Kara to come with me, not after what the past years have held."

"Don't be ridiculous, Cas," she said. Reaching up, she placed her hand against his bristly cheek. "I am ready for a new adventure; I think Kara is growing restless, too."

"There would be no use arguing with you, my darling." Annaliese laughed at the endearment that still made her heart flutter. "It is incredible, you know? To look back on all we have accomplished. First—oh, watch your step, Annaliese—" he stepped her around a new badger hole, "—there were all the years of prejudice and cruelty to undo. I thought it would take ages to bring about that kind of peace, but between the three of us and Aslan, we accomplished it."

Annaliese nodded. She remembered it well. She and Kara had had a rough go of it at first, learning how to be leaders, both good and just; besides that, they had to grapple with homesickness and desperately missing the Pevensies. But their first year and a half had been good practice, for their main focus was bringing about peace between the Telmarines and the Narnians. Her role as 'Peacekeeper of the South' served her well. Her natural sweetness was talked of amongst anyone who met her, she'd often been told, and her heart and love for all of her people had grown the more time she and Kara had spent with them.

"Peace is not easy, but worth fighting for," Annaliese replied, and Caspian lifted her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm.

"You are a woman of wisdom, Annaliese," he said softly.

Annaliese blushed. That habit, at least, had not changed, though she knew much of her had. She was not quite so timid, shy, or fearful now.

"Our second year of reigning was awful at times," Annaliese said in a more sober tone.

Caspian nodded. For a moment the only sound was the wind whispering through the trees, who giggled and whispered back.

Annaliese could remember this too, but not quite as vividly. The battle with the giants had lasted for what had felt like an eternity, though it had been a year and three months. Kara had begun to live up to her title of Warrior of the North during this time, and by now she was nearly unmatched in her skill with the sword. She had led the charge against the Giants more than once, even going so far as to push past her fearful tendencies and speak to them, attempting to reason with them. Annaliese knew that of all people, her sister was the one to be trusted with the protection of Narnia.

It was also at halfway through their second year, when Annaliese was sixteen, that Caspian had asked her if he could court her.

"And now it is our third year of reigning," Annaliese mused aloud, meeting Caspian's dark, handsome eyes.

"Things have changed," he said in reply, piercing her with his gaze.

"Yes they have," she replied, wondering where he was going with this.

"I want you to marry me," he said abruptly, his hands lifting to cradle her face. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, because I am so in love with you. Will you, Annaliese, Queen of Narnia, Peacekeeper of the South? Will you marry me?"

Annaliese was stunned to stillness. "You... what?" She was completely melting into a puddle. How was she even standing right now?

"Will you marry me?" He asked softer, more uncertainly.

"Of course," she gasped. "Cas, I love you."

His hands pressed her against him and his lips touched hers. Waves of heat, warm bliss, washed over her. She could've lived in this sunshine forever.

"I wanted to get that out of the way before we head out on our next adventure," he said when he pulled back enough to let her breathe.

Annaliese threw her arms around his neck, laughing, and they embraced each other tightly. "I can't believe this— I never dreamed you would actually—" Annaliese giggled into his shoulder, and felt his chest vibrate as he laughed. "I can't wait to tell Kara!"

He kissed her again in reply, and Annaliese rose up on her toes to wrap her arms around him.

They resumed their walk across the grounds, hand in hand, enjoying the beautiful early summer wind. In the next two weeks, they would begin preparations for the voyage in search of the seven lords.