Whisked Away

21. A Feast for Archanland

Shifra's POV
Caspian and I spent the rest of the day with King Nain, Queen Diana, Corian, and Cori. Queen Diana had never liked me, but I had learned long ago that I did not need anyone to like me, but it did cause problems quite often when I made my trips to Archenland and when they came to Narnia. Caspian and I had figured out a seating arrangement that would work for everyone.

Caspian would be seated with me on his right and Nain on his left. Queen Diana would be to Nain's left and Corian and Cori would sit by Queen Diana and I. We never tired to assign one seat to the boys, for halfway through they would want to switch with one another so we just gave up. We had just sat down to the feast when I picked up on Queen Diana's whispers to Nain.

"...and who's to say that she hasn't just been sleeping with them all? You can't expect a man to say no when a woman, dare I say an attractive one, is throwing themselves at you. You should warn King Caspian unless she's already gotten to him too." My hands had begun to shake so much that I could no longer hold my fork.

My appetite was completely gone and I whispered quietly to Caspian, "I do not feel well, I think I need to turn in early." He nodded, looking concerned, but let me go. As I looked back, I saw that Cori had started talking to Caspian and they seemed to be having a delightful conversation. I felt tears threatening to spill and I wasn't entirely sure why her words had effected me so.

I was soon running to my room and when I had finally slammed the door shut behind me I let the tears fall. What had I ever done to her? Why would she think such a thing? There had never been anything more than friendship between me and the two kings. Edmund had been my best friend and Peter was like an older brother even if I was older than him. I crumbled to the ground, the sound of sobs echoing in my room.

I did not hear my door open, but the next thing I knew a soft, comforting voice was saying, "Shifra, sh it's alright." I did not fully process who it was before I buried myself in his chest and continued to let the tears fall. I felt him run his hands through my hair comfortingly and just hold me. He did not say anything more. He did not ask me why I was crying or if I was ok.

Caspian knew me well enough to not have to ask me those things. He might have even heard what Queen Diana had said, but that made me cry harder because if he had why didn't he stand up for me? When I had finally quieted for the most part, aside from the occasional gasping for breath, Caspian finally spoke, still running his hands through my hair, "What happened?"

He did not push me to speak, but patiently waited until I replied, "Q-queen D-Diana has n-never liked me and I had thought it was because I was s-so close w-with her h-husband and s-sons, b-but s-she thinks...she thinks that I." Tears formed again for I have found that once you begin crying it is much easier for you to start crying again.

"What does she think?" Caspian asked. His voice was soothing and gave me courage to continue.

"She thinks t-that I..." I broke off again and took a deep, calming breath before continuing, "She thinks that I'm a whore, and t-that I j-just fling myself at t-the royals of Narnia. S-she thinks t-that I seduced P-Peter and E-Edmund and...you." I felt Caspian tense and the movement of his hand in my hair stopped. No...he doesn't believe her, does he? "But it's not true," it came out as no more than a terrified whisper, for I was now terribly frightened.

Caspian's voice was lanced with anger as he asked, "How could she think that?" I relaxed in his arms when I realized his anger was not aimed at me. "You would never do that. You're her husband's godmother, by the lion's mane! How could she think so lowly of you?" When I did not reply, he asked, "How on earth did King Nain fall for her lies?"

"Oh he doesn't," a small voice from the door said. We looked up and saw Cori at the door.

"Cori, what are you doing here? Why aren't you at the feast?" I asked, pulling away from Caspian. We didn't want any fuel to add to his mother's fire.

"Mother was becoming unbearable so Corian and I snuck off to explore. I heard you crying and I wanted to make sure you were ok," Cori explained.

"Well, we both did," Corian said, walking into the room. The two boys jumped on my bed and sat by Caspian and I. "Father doesn't believe any of it, you know," Corian continued. "He said that you are too noble to do such things, but we don't really understand what she's accusing you of. What does 'flinging yourself at men' mean?"

Caspian and I chuckled. "Don't worry about it," we replied at the same time.

Cori then whispered, not so discreetly, to Corian, "You think they're going to get married some day?"

Corian whispered back, "Defiantly and don't tell them, but I want to be ring bearer." The boys then broke off into a slightly hushed argument on who would be ring bearer. Caspian and I were both trying to contain our laughter, not wanting to boys to know that we heard them.

"Tell you boys what," Caspian interrupted, "how about I show you my favorite part of the castle that I used to go to when I was your age." The two answered excitedly and rushed out into the hall. Turning back to me, Caspian asked, "Are you going to be ok?"

"Yeah, Cas," I replied, "I think I will." He gave me one last smile before going to chase after the boys. The Archenland royal family departed the next morning and more than one farewell was rather stiff. While I embraced Cori, Corian, and Nain I gave Queen Diana a stiff nod.

Caspian was also stiff to her and as they were leaving I could hear Diana saying, "You see that, they were both terribly cold to me. They are both jealous of me."

I heard Nain's reply as well and he said, "Well you did bad mouth the General of Narnia within earshot of both of them. Need I remind you she is also the godmother of your husband and children and Second in Command to Aslan?" That seemed to knock some sense into her, but as they were departing, Caspian and I could hold in our laughter no longer.

When it had finally died out, Caspian asked, "So, about that voyage?"