His Majesty, Her Grace - Prince Caspian Love Story

Chapter 3 - The Telmarine Prince

Althea's POV

"Althea." I hear a gruff voice call from outside. The tiny cottage I'm living in was left to me by my aunt. It's pretty far away from Trufflehunter and the others, so I don't get many visitors.

"Who is it?" I ask, moving to answer the door.

"Really?" The voice grunts and I immediately realize who it is.

"Nikabrik?" I ask, opening the door. "Is something wrong?"

"I'll explain on the way but we need you to come help. Someone's been injured." He explains moving into the doorway. I spring into action and run around my house grabbing only the essentials. I stuff my bag with a couple of medicines and pull my cloak on.

I hesitate when I see my daggers. They used to be my aunts, she taught me how to use the deadly weapons and left her set for me. I haven't felt the need to wear them in the year she'd been gone but now feels like the right time. I slip on the deep blue leather belt, a dagger resting on each hip. I slide my bag over my shoulder and follow Nikabrik out.

On the way, he explains that a Telmarine soldier had crashed on their doorstep. Other soldiers followed him, but Trumpkin had intercepted them before they could get to Trufflehunter and Nikabrik.

"I don't understand why Trumpkin and Trufflehunter helped him, it's not like he deserves it."

"Regardless of the reason for helping the Telmarine, Trumpkin saved both of you. Kept the soldiers from discovering you." I say. I'm sad that my friend has been taken but I have hope that he will be okay. Surely they wouldn't kill the first Narnian they've seen in centuries.

Nikabrik then tells me how the soldier had managed to blow a horn before he smacked him over the head.

"How hard did you hit the poor boy?" I laugh as Nikabrik grins with self-pride.

"Hard enough to knock him out. He still hasn't woken up."

"Let's just hope that he's okay."

~

We have been walking for almost an hour when the tree finally comes into view. Nikabrik knocks and the door flies open. Trufflehunter is standing there looking more stressed than usual.

"He's in the back room." He says quietly. I move to the back, passing a white horn shaped like a lion on the dining table. When I step into the room, I see the Telmarine who's been haphazardly dumped onto all three of the Narnian's beds.  He's still in all his armor and his face is towards the wall, away from me.

"Trufflehunter! Will you bring me some water and a cloth?"

"Yes, of course!" He shouts back.

I move over to the man and turn his face towards me. I'm surprised to see how young he is, probably a little older than me. There is a good amount of blood covering the side of his head, causing his hair to get all tangled and messy.

Trufflehunter comes into the room and gives me a bowl of water. I smile and he shuffles back out. I toss my cloak onto a nearby chair and get to work. I awkwardly take off his armor, accidentally brushing his wound causing him to quietly groan. After I start dabbing the wet cloth on his head, his face seems to relax. He's actually quite handsome now that he doesn't look like he's in pain.

When I finish cleaning the wound, I take out some premade medicine and smear the plant smelling poultice on. I try my best to be as gentle as possible, lightly covering the area. I grab some bandages from my bag and turn back to him. I wrap them around his head, his long hair getting tangled up in it. I brush my fingers through his dark hair, smoothing it out.

"Will he be okay?" Trufflehunter asks from behind me.

"Yes, he'll be just fine," I explain, packing my things back up and carrying his armor and sword out of the room with me. I rest both items next to the door as Trufflehunter plops down into a seat at the table. The room feels off without Trumpkin and we're all feeling down. A thought crosses my mind, something that could help everyone feel somewhat better.

"What if I traveled down to the creek and got some of those special plants? So you can make that soup you love so much." Trufflehunter's eyes immediately light up.

"That would be lovely." He says smiling.

"I'll head out right away and be back before noon," I say, throwing my cloak back on. I go to head out the door before turning back to face both of them.

"Don't give up hope." I say, mustering the brightest smile I can.

I leave the house and start walking to the river, the forest unusually quiet. I rest my hand on the handle of my dagger and briskly walk forward. The creek comes into view and I start to follow it downstream. I soon arrive at a small patch of tiny leaved plants. I crouch down and start picking a generous amount of them, piling them into an empty jar from my bag. I quickly head back upstream, starting to feel unsettled by how quiet the forest is. Usually, birds are singing and the sun shines through the treetops but today is the opposite. I pick up my pace and lightly jog back to the tree. I knock on the door and Nikabrik opens it.

"He hasn't stopped working since you left. I swear he loves his soup more than anything else." He sighs, moving to sit back down.

"I got plenty so you should be able to make more than usual, maybe even some for our guest," I say, moving into the tiny kitchen, handing the jar to Trufflehunter. He grins as both of his little paws wrap around it.

"He won't be a guest for much longer, we're killing him." I look back at Trufflehunter who is just shaking his head. I sit down at the table, across from Nikabrik.

"We can't just kill him."

"And why not?" He spats angrily.

"He hasn't done anything wrong, plus I've just patched up his head."

"That's already more than he deserves."

"I won't let you. We would want Trumpkin to be treated with the same kindness." I say.

"I won't let you either, there's a reason he's shown up with an ancient relic from Narnian history," Trufflehunter says, coming out carrying a tray of three soup bowls.

Something suddenly crashes behind me, causing him to drop it. I turn around.

The Telmarine has awoken.
~~~
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