For King and Country ⭒Caspian x Reader⭒

Chapter 11

"I can't believe Caspian suggested porcelain dinnerware over crystal," Morgan said, picking up a crystal goblet and looking through it, one green eye distorted in the curves of the glass.

The ballroom was full of servants dusting off sconces, sweeping away years past, and carrying in tables for the upcoming royal ball. The marble floors shone in the morning light causing a glare to reflect upon the crystal chandelier creating a kaleidoscope rainbow to reflect onto the fresco ceilings of the ballroom.

When we had first arrived at dawn to the empty space, large, velvet curtains covered the fifty-foot windows. It was a sight to watch the six men it took to pull back the massive curtains. t

A collective gasp had gone through everyone present. The ballroom had sat untouched for years. Since Caspian had grown up in Telmar in Calormen, his family's courts had not touched these halls or its ballrooms. Even still, since he took up his throne in Cair Paravel, affairs of the court had filled his schedule rather than balls and frivolity.

Seeing this grand room restored to its former glory is just a peek into the ways things used to be. Peter had stepped in at the beginning and the ghosts of the pasts must have danced across the room, for all the color drained from his face at the sight of the room filled with light and people again.

I brushed my hand across the linen tablecloth, tracing the swirls in the damask patterns in the cloth, "Has Doran mentioned anything about escorting you to the ball tonight?"

"I think he assumes I'll be attending with him, but he doesn't even know where my room is so...," Morgan reached over and arranged the baby's breath tucked in the base of the flower arrangement in the center of the table, "I'll walk into this hall on my own,"

"So, Peter won't walk you in either?" I said, leaning against the table before a servant promptly snapped at me for creasing the linen.

"I said I wanted to walk in on my own, not that I wanted my father to toss me into the sea," She brushed a stray, blond curl behind her ear, "Besides, I think coming in without a man escorting me, whatever that means, makes more of a statement,"

The sound of a girlish giggle permeated the bustle of the ballroom, upon the grand staircase Blair stood hands clasped and eyes alight, "It's beautiful," she turned to Corinne who was trailing behind her looking as if she'd rather be anywhere, but here, as usual.

By the way the girl flitted around the ballroom, I was sure that she assumed that Caspian would be offering his hand to her that night. Joy doesn't bubble over so brightly for a woman expecting to be scorned. Blair had done every right thing-she was kind, intelligent, loved by the people, and had an amicable relationship with Caspian, but as he had told me, what she needed from him surpassed what he could give.

Morgan and I continued to move from table to table overseeing the preparations, tweaking place settings to be sure everything was arranged just perfectly and that every chair was spaced out correctly.

Whispers passed between the servants as to who would be arriving tonight and what feuds they believed would take place in between the pillars of the ballroom. Capacity would be tight in the ballroom that evening. Most houses of Narnia were camped out in the fields, and the list had to be selective due to what the ballroom could hold, but I knew that those out in the fields tonight would probably be enjoying themselves much more drinking around a bonfire and dancing to the music of a lute. But nevertheless with everyone pushed in together tensions would be high and quiet threats of divorce and dismemberment would probably grace the noble's conversations in the evening.

"We'll need to get up to my room soon to get ready," Morgan said looking at the grand clock that hung on the wall above the staircase.

"It's still early in the day," I said, adjusting a salad fork to its proper position.