•King Caspian: A New Dawn•

Chapter Three

Caspian awoke to the sun in his eyes, a breeze on his face and throbbing pain throughout his entire body. He tried to push himself up in the bed but quickly aborted the effort, a defeated sigh passing over his lips. Caspian looked around, taking in his unfamiliar surroundings. The room was small and simple but very clean. The only window in the room offered him a clear view of where the mountains gave way to the river basin and beyond that, the great desert.

Caspian was pulled from his observations by the sound of movement in the next room. A young woman stepped inside carrying a basin and towel and had a basket swinging on her arm. She wasn't very tall, no more than 5' 3" and she had curly blonde hair that was pulled back by a handkerchief. She set the basin and towel down on the table under the window and greeted Caspian.

"Good morning your majesty."

She began unpacking the basket, revealing various herbs, jars and a mortar and pestle. "May I?" She asked, gesturing to Caspian's bandages. Caspian nodded, studying the woman's face. She unwrapped the gauze around his chest, arms and forehead, making small noises of contemplation as she viewed each wound.

Turning back to the table, she opened a jar and wet the towel. "Let me know if this gets too painful; I'll try to be quick." Keeping true to her promise, she cleaned the wounds quickly and gently. "This should help relieve your pain, sire." She said, picking up the jar and collecting some balm on her fingers.

"What is this?" Caspian questioned in astonishment as the balm quickly provided relief.

"Clove." She answered simply. The woman re-bandaged the wounds and began to collect her things from the table.

"What are you...a gypsy?"

The woman didn't turn, but Caspian caught a slight grin pulling at the corner of her mouth. "You may call me whatever you wish, your highness."

With that she gathered her things and left the room. Caspian's head sank back into the pillow as he mentally chided himself for asking such a forward question.

Moments later, the woman reappeared carrying a small bowl in her hands.

"I want you to try and eat something." She said, sitting down on the bed next to Caspian.

"Forgive me for my lack of manners...what is your name?"

"Melioralee...and there is nothing to forgive, your majesty. I am not a gypsy, though I have been called much worse. Gypsies use the dark magic of old...I, on the other hand am what they call an herbalist; or a healer. I use what medicines the earth provides to heal. Now here, try this." She instructed, lifting the spoon in her hand to Caspian's lips.

He complied, offering a hum of approval as the savory broth hit his taste buds.

"Thank you...Melioralee. That is a peculiar name. How did you come by it?"

"It is two names put together: Meliora, meaning "bringer of life" and Oralee, which means "my light." My parents couldn't agree on one so they combined them to mean 'bringer of light and life'."

As Melioralee lifted the spoon again Caspian noticed the filigree ring on her right pinkie finger. "You wear the ring of a Telmarine courtier."

Melioralee hesitated before replying, "My mother served as one of Queen Paloma's ladies in waiting."

Caspian looked up at her with awe in his eyes. "Queen Paloma was my mother."

"I know." Melioralee smiled. "Isn't it amazing how the fates collide. Without your mother, I wouldn't even be here."

Caspian's awed expression mixed with confusion at Melioralee's words, so she continued, "Most ladies-in-waiting are bound in lifetime service to the queen, but when my father asked for my mother's hand in marriage, your mother gifted this ring to mine and dismissed her as a friend; and a free woman. That is just one of a multitude of stories my brother and I were told of the queen's heartfelt kindness."