Memories alone

[katrina]

"I know what happened to her, I was there, and she was taken. Don't believe the lies of the demon lord who has beaten her into submission. She saw true love in the eyes of your father. She wanted to stay. I tried to give her that, but wasn't strong enough. She was stolen, blood was shed, and children were murdered. Though it hurts me to know this, you are not the only child of the Great King Caspian the IX. You were going to have a sister, not a half sister like the others, but Cotnar put an end to it when he saw her wide stomach. He wanted her to have only one child that he could easily use his bloodline to manupilate, not two. As for my murder, you won't hear anything of it or my shame until I have your word. I can be content with that as you should be content with mine."

[King Caspian X]

It made Caspian somewhat happier to hear that his mother really had loved his father, but he knew that it couldn't be true. Having children obviously didn't mean much to her besides pain. It was all that she knew while she was with Cotnar. Either being struck or attacked or pinned to the ground or scratched or bearing his children, his mother was always in pain. "She was a good actress." Caspian told her. He would wait for the oath before he promised anything. Once he made a promise, he wouldn't break it. And he wanted to be sure of just what he was promising before he said anything more.

[katrina]

Her head dropped and she shook it for a moment before she looked at him. "What obcession do you have with rejecting love. She was no actress. Cunningly placed to be one originaly, but she did love him over time. If she had here way she would have never left the both of you. If you saw her why didn't you ask her yourself. I know what I saw in her eyes every time the king looked at her, spoke to her, touched her. She was hopelessly and desperately in love." She sighed for a moment before looking to the wind witch. She bowed and gave the girl her left hand, the one she used most often for wand-wielding. "By my honor, by my life, by duty and desire, I swear by magic itself the words I speak are truth, nothing more." She repeated the oath in an acient language of the elves that could not be said as a lie simply because the words themselves are part of the being that was spoken. That was elven magic. She stood again and looked to Caspian, "I await your oath."

[King Caspian X]

"Because she was having another child when we went to see her. That's why." Caspian answered. "And demons can't love. It's impossible. Not even if they want to can they love." he remembered Susan when the demon had taken her heart away. She had so wanted to love him, but she couldn't. She could now, of course, that she had her heart back. But those moments proved it. Demons couldn't love. And they could take the love away from other people.

Caspian hesitated. "I promise." he finally said. "I won't judge you." But then he added, "I reserve the right to feel emotions, of course. I'm human." Half-human. he corrected himself in his head. "But I won't judge you."

[katrina]

"I changed that little detail when I found out what she was." She told him proudly, "My magic can work miricals when I learn how to use it. It took me many weeks, but she had a heart. Whether that demon lord has ripped it from her or not is a diffrent matter." She stopped and waited as he gave his word. She accepted it, but it did not mean she was any less afraid. His emotions could still mislead him and she could still be cast aside as an enemy. "Like I said before, I didn't want to die. I tried to hide, but they tracked me down like I was some animal. Not wanting to kill and not actualy wanting to be seperated from your father I ended up back at the stronghold where they branded me as a runaway fugitive and a traitor. I wasn't allowed anywhere near you or your father and was locked away in a dirty little prison cell with my wand in a desk just out of my reach. They liked that it taunted me. After a few days I was lonely, until someone started visiting me every day. He took great intrest in my power and praised me for it, espessialy when I told him of two spells my master told me to never use. His name was Miraz. He told me he could arrange transport away from the stronghold if I would perform one simple task. I didn't trust him at first, but I went against my instinct in an attempt to save my kind, rare as they are, and gave my word as a wand-wielder and it could not be withdrawn." She stopped as some other unreconizeable emotion drove tears to her eyes. But she had to continue. "I went into the castle the night he freed me with my wand. I made sure I was alone when I went to him. I talked with him for a while hoping to stall what I was going to do. But he said he wanted death to come, and could at least try to make my mind think it was kind of like a final wish. I know it wasn't, it was just a way to make myself feel better. It didn't work, and still dosen't. I used one of the spells, a killing curse that kills the instant it touches the person it was aimed at without leaving any mark. The world would think he passed peacefuly in his sleep, but they were very wrong. I went to where Miraz waited for me and he asked me if it was done. I told him." here her tears came with much more force then she could have ever imagined possible, "Today, in his sleep, the great king is dead."

[King Caspian X]

Caspian backed away, shaking his head. Disbelief, shock, rage, sorrow, and pain coursed through him. Here lie his father's murderer, right infront of him. The one that he had sheltered in his Castle as a friend. A million words flew to his tongue, but only four passed through his lips. The others were forced back by his promise. "You killed my father." it was barely audible, barely more than a whisper. Perhaps dogs could not hear it. He didn't know what to do or think. He had thought that this day would never come, and not with his old babysitter. He had remembered it that night in the Keep, when he confronted his Uncle with the fact that he knew that he had killed his father. Caspian still had the scar on his shoulder from his Aunt's crossbow. But it had been false. His tongue then betrayed him, and he could not speak.

[katrina]

"I am sorry," she said dropping her head in shame and fear of what he might do. He had already stepped back, a sure sign of his growing hatered and distrust for her. "I never wanted to harm my master. I gave my word without knowing the task, a mistake I will never make again. If not for my duty as a wand-wielder to take on an apprentice I would have taken my own life instead. But please, let me find some way to repay what I've done. I want not to be known in this world as nothing but the murderer of the great king. Let me help you."

[King Caspian X]

Caspian sat beneath a tree. She hadn't known what she had done, and it was truth. She had taken the oath. She couldn't lie now. Caspian let his head fall back against the trunk. He banged it there three times, thinking. "You killed my father." he repeated. But she couldn't control it. She couldn't have stopped herself if she had wanted to. And she was ashamed. He exhaled deeply, still thinking. "Help us, then." he said. "I don't know what you can do. Lives cannot be replaced. But you can heal our wounded and fight with that spell. You will be second to Lennia." Caspian said, then turned away. He had never expected his father's killer to be his past friend. He had expected the murderer to be some mindless, heartless, barbaric person. Not a little elf who couldn't control her actions. He had imagined that it would have had to be someone strong to kill his father. Not a young girl.

[katrina]

"I'll never use the spell again." She told him, "The only one who will ever know of it is the demon lord. I will free queen Ophidia, even if it kills me. Hunting the demon down has become my life's purpose, though I have never been close. He is extremly powerful and cunning. Every time I think there's a way to corner him he always finds a way out and escapes, even by the skin of his fangs. I've never once faced him and came out without many injuries, but it will hapen. One day I will defeat him and free the queen. I owe it to her at least."

[King Caspian X]

"Don't kill him!" Caspian exclaimed, jumping up. His face was almost white. "When they die, they are reborn. And he'll be stronger." he said. He couldn't imagine and even stronger Cotnar. "Don't you dare kill him." he repeated.

[katrina]

"Alright then, I won't." She gave in instantly not wanting him to be angry with him even more. "but I will save her, one way or another. Will you help me?" She saw no reason for him to reject except for the lack of trust that was slowly forming between them. With each step towards him she tried to take he took two back. He no longer loved her, she would have to accept it somehow. Her life was as loveless as the demons she hunted.

[King Caspian X]

"Yes." he said. "Susan wanted to save her too, somehow. We could all work together." Caspian said. "But if you harm her, you're as good as dead." he warned.

[katrina]

"What could I do?" She asked, "My magic is weak from my time of not using it. I'd be surprised if I could break a rock. Even if the thought crossed my mind of betraying you I would be dead before the spell took effect. I won't use the killing spell again and I won't hurt you. She not only has my word that I will not harm her but she has my protection as well."

[King Caspian X]

"Good." he said. Caspian extended his hand out to her, "We have a deal then?"

[katrina]

"We do," She took his hand and whipped her face clean of her tears. "I almost forgot." She turned to the forest and whistled and waited a moment, "I stole something for you to prove my loyalty to you. But it could take a moment for it to get here." In this she was wrong. From the forest came a young filly, a black unicorn, prancing happily at the site of the elf who rescued her from her father's harsh training. She tossed her hind legs over her before she noticed the others and went to smell their hands. Caspian she must've reconized for she licked his hands and nudged his side with her nose playfully. Katrina laughed at the sight of a unicorn wanting to race through the meadows with a human. It was an honor not even the elves could claim. "She likes you,"