•King Caspian: A New Dawn•

Chapter Six

Night had fallen and a gentle summer breeze floated into the haven, playing with the soft ringlets of hair that caressed Melioralee's face.

Caspian's gaze followed her every movement, from the stroke of her pen to the fluttering of her lashes. It had only been three days since Caspian had met Melioralee, but seemingly every moment found him becoming more and more captivated by her.

"Tell me about your family, Melioralee."

A warm smile spread across Melioralee's face as she looked up from the star map she was working on.

"Hm. The very first memory I have of my family when it was whole; we were at the edge of the ocean...I was sitting on my father's shoulders, he was holding my mother's hand and Aloysius was chasing our dog, Bean, across the sand, shouting, 'My shoe! My shoe! Bean that's MY shoe!'"

Melioralee giggled as she recounted the story. "I remember looking out to where the ocean met the sky, then down to my mother. She was looking at my father with such a deep love in her eyes. Then she looked up at me with those same loving eyes and smiled. That's when I fell in love with the ocean. It was the place that made me feel full..."

Melioralee sighed quietly.

"We didn't have much, in a material sense anyway, but we were so happy...so filled with joy. No matter what hardships we faced, I always felt safe and sure because I never questioned how loved we were."

"How old were you when your mother died?" Caspian asked softly.

"Not quite six years old."

"Mmm. You were lucky to have her while you did."

"Beyond lucky. She didn't just teach me; she spoke into who I would become. So many of my poems and writings have been inspired by her memory. She and my father had something special...so special it spilled over into every aspect of their lives."

"How did they meet?"

"My father was serving as captain of the guard for an ambassador from Anvard, who was visiting Telmar on official business. As I've shared, my mother was serving as one of your mother's ladies in waiting. They met each other in the courtyard on my father's second night in the castle. He only stayed in Telmar for three weeks, but when he left, my mother left with him. They were married the day they arrived back in Anvard."

"Wow. You don't hear of bonds that strong very often. What a beautiful story."

"It is. And they never lost that bond either. My mother and father...they completed each other; made each other whole."

"And what of your bother? You seem very close with him."

Melioralee's face lit up with a smile.

"Aloysius is my best friend in the entire world. But more than that, he's been my teacher, my protector, my rock. Aloysius has a fire in his spirit that he received from neither our father nor our mother. It makes him an incredibly strong leader though; he was named a company officer in the Archenland army at just 20 years old."

"Most impressive... although, I was crowned king of Telmar AND Narnia at 18 so..." Caspian looked up slyly at Melioralee as she rolled her eyes and grinned back at him.

"Such humility, oh king!" She remarked and bowed sarcastically.

Caspian let out a rolling laugh, but quickly grabbed his chest and huffed out, "Oh, don't make me laugh so... I may be king, but this king still has a broken body."

Her voice filled with concern, Melioralee apologized, "I'm so sorry Caspian, I didn't think about laughter causing you pain. I'll have to hold my tongue until you've recovered."