The Queen of Narnia

Before

  Apparently I was not the only one who wasn't sleeping well. I sat at a long table of nobles, listening along as one lord explained the troubles he had been having in his land under Miraz's rule. My seat was on the right hand side of the king, which he had requested personally. While I appreciated the recognition as the king's right hand advisor, there was a heavy weight that came with it and everyone at this table knew it. This was why I battled so hard to stay awake. Caspian, on the other hand, was not.

  I first noticed him nodding off when the last lord was speaking, but no one really paid much attention this far down the table. They spoke mostly to make their presence known to the other lords. No one sat across from me, on the king's left side, so only I was truly close enough to pay attention. I'd been grappling the urge to close my eyes when I spotted Caspian jerk himself upright suddenly. Now his eyelids slid closed, hidden under his hand as he tried to make it seem like he was thinking. I contemplated leaving him that way- he was obviously exhausted- but the situation forced me to do otherwise.

  "And should his majesty approve," The lord was saying. My eyes widened a bit, and I sent a swift kick to Caspian's shin. Years of kicking my own brothers underneath the table ensured I didn't startle him too much, just enough to make his eyelids fly open, suddenly sharp and trying to focus on what was happening.

  "I would like to improve the crop yields by reorganizing the lands," The lord continued. "It will take work and time, but it may prove to benefit the kingdom as a whole."

  Now everyone glanced down the table at the king, who nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I agree, Lord Marquiez. We will have the kingdom's architects begin designs to do so swiftly."

  The rest of the lords nodded and muttered in agreement, taking the attention away from the head of the table again. Caspian caught my gaze and gave me a thankful smile, which I replied to with one of my own before inclining my head at the table as if to say pay attention. He smirked, but nodded, and both of us returned our attention to the discussion at hand.

~~~

  "I would have surely humiliated myself already," Caspian shook his head, a laugh playing on his lips. We had both slipped away as soon as the meeting had ended, escaping to one of the balconies that overlooked the kingdom like we usually did. The midday sun was scorching, but it felt nice, especially after spending the entire morning inside. A slight breeze ruffled the long blue silk skirt I was wearing, effectively cooling me down. I didn't know how Caspian could stand it in his royal clothes, but he managed to with grace. His hair was tied up though, pushing it out of his face.

  I grinned. "You're fortunate I was the only one to see you asleep. Though, I can't lie, I was dozing off myself."

  He gave me a sideways look. "Trouble sleeping?"

  "I suppose," I shrugged.

  "Is your room not adequate?"

  "No, it's perfectly fine, Caspian!" I said reassuringly, knowing he'd give up his royal suite if I'd asked. "It's me, that's all. There's too much on my mind for me to sleep at all."

  He nodded. "I understand, I have the same problem. One would think that they'd be able to escape their thoughts at night, but that's not the case."

  "What are you always up thinking about?"

  There was a long moment of silence where I thought he wouldn't answer at all, until he said, "My father."

  "As your father, or as a king?" I already knew the answer, but wanted him to confirm my suspicions.

  "As a king," He confirmed. "I wish he could be here to teach me how to lead, how to be the right king for the Narnians. He was a well-respected leader and was close to bringing peace before Miraz-"

  His voice cut off, and I put a hand on his arm. "I know. But you don't have to be the same ruler your father was. You don't need experience either. When my brothers, sister, and I became High Kings and Queens, we knew nothing of ruling a kingdom. Still, we were able to spread peace after we dispelled the White Witch."

  "Those were different times, Susan," He said ruefully.

  "I know, but the lesson is the same," I squeezed his arm slightly. "You are doing a fantastic job, Caspian. The people already love you because you freed them from Miraz's rule. So long as you continue to listen to your people and do what is right for them, you will be a wonderful king."

  Caspian fell silent, eyes gazing out at the kingdom beneath us before slowly returning to me with a small smile forming on his face.

  "I suppose I might be able to," He said. "Should you stay by my side, my lady."

  I smiled at the sweet remark. "I will be here."