Whisked Away

17. Doubts and a Corination

Shifra's POV
Aslan had told me to set up three pieces of wood like a door leading to no where at the far end of a glade near Caspian's castle. I did so after we had all been set up in our rooms. When I had finished, Caspian met me when I was heading to the kitchens for some breakfast. "Care if I join you?" Caspian asked.

"Not at all," I replied and slowed down so that he could catch up.

"How would it be if we got some breakfast and ate in the glade?" I agreed and soon that was where we were, both munching on the bread and cheese we had gotten as well as some apples. "I've been meaning to ask you something," Caspian admitted, "You have been a General for over two thousand years. You have led armies and wars and defeated more enemies than you can probably count."

When he paused, I interrupted with a chuckle, "Was there a question in there?"

He let out a small laugh as well, but soon turned serious. "Do you still want to be? I of course want you as my general, but have you had enough of fighting? Do you want to have your life to yourself?"

I thought about it. I let the silence stretch and then I realized what I should have the moment he asked. "No." He looked up in surprise, but I continued before he said a word, "I know that I am still someone without being a general, but I don't know what I would be doing without it. I am a general who can train and you would never find anyone better, but in all honesty I can't see myself doing anything else. Besides, it would be an honor to serve you, my lord."

Caspian winced playfully at the title. "Please, just Caspian. I may be king, but I don't want my friends calling me 'my lord'. It sounds too formal." For some reason, my heart slightly dropped at the word friend, but I pushed it aside as we walked back in to the castle. We both had much to do in the coming days, for we had to plan Caspian's coronation, get the message to the other Telmarines that a new king was in power and that Narnia was now the talking animals as well as man's, and we had to see after Miraz' army who was still under lock and key in one of the towns.

It was the morning of Caspian's coronation when I received a knock on the door while I was in my chambers. I opened the door to find Caspian. "Hey, Cas," I said, letting him in.

"You all ready for the coronation?" he asked.

"I guess," I replied, "Although if I'm being honest, I'm a little nervous for the party afterwards. I haven't danced in over a thousand years. I've nearly forgotten how." Caspian laughed slightly. "Hey it is no laughing matter," I said, faking sternness, but I could not help the grin that followed. "I'm so screwed tonight." Still with a smile on his lips and laughter in his eyes, Caspian grabbed my hands the positioned my right on his shoulder and my left remained in his.

"How about I remind you," he suggested, moving his other hand to my waist. My heart fluttered as he started to move, gently leading me with his hand that held my waist. I began to hum a tune I remembered from my childhood and soon was softly singing.

Home is behind
The world's ahead
There are many paths to tread
Through shadow
To the edge of night
Til the stars are all aligned

Mist and shadow
Cloud and shade
All shall fade
All shall fade

Caspian stopped as soon as I did and we looked up into each other's eyes and Caspian whispered, "That was beautiful. What was it?"

"A-A song f-from my childhood. I know not where now, but I have always sung it as I headed into an adventure." I then realized that I had wrapped my wings around him and pulled away blushing. "Thank you, Caspian, it's all coming back to me now." He was blushing now as well and while it was slightly awkward, neither of us seemed to mind. "Well I should, I should make sure everything has been seen to."

Caspian nodded and we separated from each other. Unknown to me, Caspian was ginning from ear to ear for a long time that morning, but I was doing the same. The day passed busily, but it was soon time for lunch and I made my way to the room Caspian described to me and found the other four royals there as well. They all seemed to have just sat down when I came in and sat in between Caspian and Edmund. Peter was next to Caspian at the head of the table and the two girls sat on the other side by Peter.

We struck up a delightful conversation about when I was training Peter in sword fighting. Caspian had heard many of these stories before, but his laughter still filled the hall. Peter was slightly annoyed, but he got his revenge by turning the conversation to when Edmund was learning. Our gay laughter echoed down the hallways until an hour later when we all had to get back to work.

We were all refreshed after some time of laughter and relaxation so none of us went back to our tasks with heavy hearts. When the coronation had ended and the party began I was talking with Glenstorm. I had not spoken to him much since the fighting began, but when I spoke with him I suddenly remember. "Oh!" I exclaimed, "I'm sorry Glenstorm, there is someone I must find. I shall see you later."

"Until then, Shifra," he replied, but I barely heard it as I looked about for Lucy. Pulling her away from Edmund and a fawn they were befriending into a hall I turned to her a little desperately.

"Lucy, I need to talk to you about something." She told me to go on and I continued, "The Stone Table. I hate to ask this of you, but please tell me, what did Aslan go through." I had long suspected that the books had not been honest about what really transpired.

Lucy sighed when she realized I was not going to drop this. "Well," she started, "if you must know then you shall. Aslan was whipped. Over and over and he was stabbed in all four paws. They cut and pulled his mane and then drove the stone knife through his heart." So I hadn't gotten the worst of it. We suffered the same pain, his possibly even worse than mine.

"Thank you," I told her and she soon returned to the party. I could not bring myself to do it. Instead I walked outside in the moonlight. I let my wings drag behind me. They had changed slightly through the years. They had become stronger and I noticed during the winter the feathers became thicker, but on the whole they were the same. They also never seemed to become dirty. I never understood it, but was still grateful for it.

I stopped at a tree and looked up. The moon shone through the branches and leaves and created a very pretty light. Footsteps sounded behind me and I did not need to turn to see who it was. "They'll be looking for you," Cas' voice said.

I turned and gave him a small smile and a playful scoff, "Says the King of Narnia."

Caspian grinned, but retorted, "They are not interested in me. I'll be here these next fifty or more, if Aslan grants it, years. They are more interested in the Kings and Queens of old."

"They will grow to love you though," I said softly, "Most of them already do." Caspian nodded, but I noticed a sadness about him. "What is it Cas?" When he made no reply, I gently tilted his chin up, for he had been looking down at the ground. "Cas, talk to me. What troubles your heart so?"

He finally met my gaze and replied, fear showing in his face, "What if they don't. What if I turn into as bad a king as Miraz was? What if I can't live up to Peter or Edmund or any good king who has ever lived? What if..." He stopped as tears filled his eyes and he looked away form me. A lump formed in his throat and I felt sympathy rush through me.

"Cas," I replied, sympathy flooding my tone, "You are nothing like Miraz and you never will be. You are going to become a great king. A king that will be spoken of to the end. People will still talk about and think about and remember you when this world collapses and I die with it." My words finally gave Caspian enough courage to look in my face. We said no more, but nothing more needed to be said.

As we stood in the moonlight I wondered what the next three years would be like with Caspian, but I knew that he would bring peace to all of Narnia and be as great as King David of Israel.