A Promise to keep

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"If it was a boy I always assumed it would be another Caspain. I thought you might've wanted to keep the tradition of your family. But if it's a girl, I don't know. I'm bad at naming things. When we were younger Lucy and I would go to the fields or park and catch grasshoppers. Lucy had names for all of them and sometimes I thought she could tell the diffrence between some of them. I never could think of names for any of them though. I don't want it to be something stupid, that the child can't live with. And not a popular name that when she's in a group of people someone can say her name and thirty people won't come running."

[King Caspian X]

Caspian smiled. "We'll think of a special name." he told her. "But do we have to pick it right now? We're not even married yet." he chuckled. The man was still watching her belly as if it would move, but he knew that she wasn't far along enough yet for that to happen. Cautiously, he stroked her belly, wondering if the child could feel him inside. "I hope that it looks like you." he told her.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"Why? She asked pushing her body up to rest on her elbow as the other hand was placed over his. "I was praying that I could see you in it's eyes. It could still happen and I want it to. It is, after all, your son." She lay back down with her eyes closed again. The sleep she had lost so she could see the tree that had changed her life forever was beginning to want to take her. She could feel herself wanting rest, but when she reached out and touched Caspian's hand she felt as though her body had been shocked back into life and the wearyness was gone. "I love you." She whispered for what must have been the thousandth thime today alone.

[King Caspian X]

"Because you're so beautiful." he said charmingly, smiling at her. "I love you too." Caspian told her sincerely. He was excited for the wedding, and couldn't wait for tonight. "What do you think it'll be like?" he asked her. "Standing up infront of the alter and saying 'I do'?" Caspian couldn't imagine a happier feeling than when she had thrown herself at him this morning, accepting his proposal. "I don't think I could be much happier." he said.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"I don't think I ever will be any happier than I am now." She told him. Why couldn't all things be this way? Why couldn't all days be this peaceful and calm. There was no sign of trouble or danger and all the world was perfect and beautiful. Nothing could ever end this. Her small, simple wedding outside with only family and the closest of her friends to see. She could think of no better way to begin a new life with Caspain by her side forever. "I don't actualy think it's possible to be more happy then this."

[Cotnar]

The eagle soared, racing the sun to reach his old home. The falcon was ahead of him by far, but there must have been something he could have done. Constantly flapping to keep himself moving, never letting weariness force him to be still and rest as he should. The blood of the changeling made him strong, made him have endurance beyond that of any animal. But to be able to soar across continents before the falcon that had many days head start was a challenge even for him.

At long last he could see the keep of his fathers' fathers' and he pushed himself faster as he spilled air from his wings. His legs became fur covered paws as his body took the resemblance of a dog, the most humble of all animals, until he landed and the wings could be pulled into his back. He ran with his long gait through the palace by memory alone to where he knew his son slept. Many stared at him as he passed, but he ignored them until he had pushed the door open with his nose and padded inside.

"Forgive me," He said as he lowered his head and front shoulders in a move that may have been a stretch but was a bow. He could see them and their happiness, he had come at the worst of times he was sure.

[King Caspian X]

Caspian grinned, "Me neither." He stood up from the bed and stretched. "But there are things to take care of." he said, and grabbed his list off the desk, and crossed out the things that they had decided were unneccessary. The list was shorter now, and accomplishable. "What time should the wedding be?" was the final question that he asked her. Then he turned to the door, confused. "Yes, Dog?" he asked. Little did he know it was the shapeshifter.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

Susan almost laughed. Dogs, much less strays, never came into people's rooms panting and bowing. Ususaly they would go and slobber on whoever was in the room begging for attention. She knelt in front of it scratching it between it's big ears. "He's cute," She said to Caspian, "Could we keep him? The baby would love a playmate."

[King Caspian X]

Caspian laughed. "That's a noble Narnian, Su." he said. "That would be like the Giants taking you for their child to play with as a doll. But we could get a pet dog, if you like." he said to her, and also knelt beside the dog and next to his lover, his fiance. His hand rested around her waist. Then he, too, pet the dog because it seemed to like it.

[Cotnar]

"Forgive me my son," he said again accepting the queen's touch. The dog's instinct that was very hard to push away enjoyed the scratching and his tail wagged. "but it is because of the child of Susan's that I have come. There is little time for me to explain. A centaur somehow told Lamont of my dealings with you. He knew it was I who delivered Lucy to you and prevented his escape from Dark Isle. I had left him there, with no intentions of retrieving him, but somehow he has reached the mainland. He said demons were surrounding the castle ready to strike. Their orders were to kill you and to bring the gentle queen to him when the battle was over. Any fool could see what he wanted from her if he were to have her in his lair. I knew you would have fought for her bravely, but I knew the battle would be lost. Susan would be captured and tortured. If not for the sake of her then for the sake of you, my son, did I speak out with words I regret. Forgive me. To spare you of this horrible fate I told the monster of a boy of his unborn son. Forgive me." Again he lowered his head so his nose touched the floor this time.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

Susan stepped back to Caspian, her arms protectivly over her stomach. "He . . . he can't know." She said as tears fromed and her legs failed her and she collapsed, "He'll come and . . . He can't have him." The black falcon will come and steal him away. the voice said again. What could she expect now? Would Lamont come, tonight of all nights, and try to take her? Would he try to kill his cousin now, eliminating the chance of the child ever knowing its 'true' father? How could they be married with the threat looming over them? "Why dose this always have to happen?"

[King Caspian X]

Caspian caught her and held her close to him, his hands laying on top of hers defensively. "His baby isn't even near ready to be born yet." Caspian said, shocked. "Why would he come for it now?" Because he wants to kill it. a voice said in his mind. And then he'll kill Susan, too. It was the voice of fear. The man angerly beat it back until it was away from his mind. I won't let him take her or my child. Caspian shouted defiantly at it in his head. "Are they coming?" he asked. "Are the demons coming today? Are they coming soon? Tell me when. Tell me now!" the man demanded, his voice so full of rage that it almost didn't sound like his own. "I swear, by Aslan, I'll kill them all!" By now he wanted to strangle the dog that sat before him. "And you'll be the last to go." Caspian said, his rage making his voice eerilly calm. "Your hellish mate or whatever you call her is probably with them, and she'll be gone too if they attack us. Do you know what it's like to have even a mere threat come to you of your lover's and child's torture and death? DO YOU KNOW?!" Caspian shouted, his hands now on the animal's throat. "Tell me when they will be here!"

[Cotnar]

The rage in his son's voice was harsh and hurtful against the old King's heart. Yet still, he kept his head down as his tail and ears drooped. "He never said he would come." He said with a voice that kept it's same tone as before. It was a trait he has spent years perfecting as king, to never so rage or sorrow in his voice. "I only know that he knows. He has sent his spy, a black falcon named Swordfeather, to watch over his son and to tell him all he sees. I raced the falcon here and, being that there is no sign of him, I have beat him. But the boy, no matter how insane he may be will not kill his Susan. If, perhaps, when Swordfeather comes it appears that Susan has no child within her then he will report it as so. It will be I who takes the punishment and the both of you will be left at peace."

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

She took Caspian's hand and held it tight enough she thought it might break as he shouted at his father. For the second time Lamont had taken the joy of the day away. The boy would always return until he was dead. Until that day they could never be married. The black falcon will come and steal him from you. The bird that haunted her dreams for months was real. And now it served as a spy against her. She looked out the window through her tears searching for it, as if it would do anything to help her. "Where is he?" She said with sudden rage, "I want him dead."

[King Caspian X]

Caspian could feel his fingers beginning to close around his throat ever so slightly. "If? If this 'Swordfeather' even dares to enter the Kingdom I'll tie a noose around his scrawny little neck myself." Caspian said. "By the time I'm done with him not even the pigs and wolves will find him appatizing." he growled. "What about the demons? Where are they? Will they attack us today?" Caspian shook the head of the dog until his teeth rattled, as if that would make him answer faster.