His Majesty, Her Grace - Sequel to A Prince Caspian Love Story

Chapter 7 - Heiress

Caspian's POV

The night drags on and on. Edmund managed to either fall asleep or pass out, I'm not really paying attention. All I can think about is Althea. I should've been more open with her earlier and now I may not have the chance to. Slave traders work quickly, if Reepicheep and Drinian don't get there in time, she could be shipped off anywhere. The expression on her face when they dragged her away. I should've done things differently. I can't sit here anymore so start kicking at the rusty cell door. It's loud and echoes throughout the dungeon but I don't care.

Edmund wakes with a groan.

"You alright?"

"Yeah." He says and I return to trying to kick the door down, even if it's pointless.

"It's hopeless... You'll never get out." A weathered voice calls from the darkness on the other side of the cell.

"Who's there?" Edmund asks and I slowly start to move towards whoever it is.

"Nobody. Just a voice in my head." The man emerges into the light. He has long grey hair that melts with his beard and I vaguely recognize him.

"Lord Bern?" I ask and he looks shocked.

"Perhaps once, but I'm no longer deserving of that title." He croaks.

"Is he one of the seven?" Ed asks. I nod and approach the Lord, crouching next to him.

"Your face... You remind me of a King I once loved well."

"That man was my father." His face crumbles into guilt and remorse at my words.

"Oh my Lord, please forgive me." He buries his face in his hands. "I failed to protect them all those years ago. The Emperor's family. They were slaughtered because of us, little Althea..."

My heart stops.

"Althea?" I help him stand, eagerly waiting for him to explain.

"Please forgive me."

"No, please please." I hold him steady as he wobbles back and forth, losing his balance.

I'm distracted from Lord Bern by a commotion happening outside. I hear screams and horses so I sprint over to the window and hang on to the bars to see what's going on below. Men are filling a small rowboat with men and women of all ages, even a few children. Althea, Lucy, and Eustace aren't among them thankfully.

"Where are they taking them?" I ask, glancing back at Lord Bern.

"Keep watching."

The men push the boat out into the center of the harbor. Thunder rumbles and clouds start to roll in from the sea at an unnatural speed. A light green mist emerges from the small ocean waves, swirling towards the boat. They start screaming as the mist gets closer. The boat is completely shrouded in the mysterious mist in seconds, then starts to thin out again. The boat and people are gone. The mist dissipates as quickly as it came leaving the harbor peaceful like it had never been there, the bright morning light gradually returning.

"What happened?" I ask.

"It's a sacrifice."

"Where did they go?" I ask again.

"No one knows. The mist was first seen in the east. Reports of fishermen and sailors disappearing out at sea. We, Lords, made a pack to find the source of the mist and destroy it. They each set sail but none came back. You see if they don't sell you to the slave traders, you're likely to be fed to the mist."

"We have to find Lucy. Before it's too late." Ed says.

"Why didn't you go with them?" I ask, referring to the other Lords.

"When the Emperor took us in, I was tasked with protecting his family." His face contorts into one of anger and grief, like before. "I let that sweet child slip away."

"Althea?" He nods his head. "How do you know her?"

"She was the only daughter of the Emperor. The only heir until she was killed... Why? Do you know her? Is she alive?" He grabs my arms and shakes me, a semi-psychotic look in his eyes. "She must be protected."

"I don't understand," I say confused.

"If people find out she's alive, they'll want her dead."

"Why?" Ed asks.

"They don't understand what really happened that night, please she's in danger."

I look at Edmund and he looks dumbfounded, probably the same expression on my face.

The rest of my questions are interrupted by men unlocking the cell door.

"Please, you must protect her, if she's here they'll have already recognized her." His voice is so raspy and desperate that I almost don't understand him.

Men storm into the cell and shackle our wrists again, dragging us out. We're lead through a series of winding hallways, all of them eroded or destroyed in one way or another until we reach a large throne room. There's a large hole in the ceiling with vines growing through it and all over the walls. Bright sunlight streams inside, shining on the man from before, the one who appeared out of nowhere to send Althea away, the other gaudy-looking man standing at his side.

"You wanted to see them before you sent them off?" The man holding me still asks.

"Yes, indeed." The man says, his voice sickly maniacal. "Are you really the new King of Narnia?"

"You already know the answer to that question and if you're a smart man, you'll let us go," I say.

"It's because I'm a smart man that I know not to."

I glance at Edmund hoping he has some miraculous plan, but he seems at a loss.

"Have you already fed the mist?" The gaudy man asks and the men holding us nod their heads.

"I suppose they'll be getting a second course then." He laughs and we're hauled back through the castle, still no sign of Drinian.
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Surprise! I hope this was an exciting twist and that you guys enjoyed. This is another short chapter so I decided on another double update :)
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