Blue Blood || Caspian X

Chapter 16- Die

Have I found you?
Flightless bird, jealous, weeping
Or lost you?
American mouth
Big bill looming
- Flightless Bird, American Mouth • Iron & Wine

It was day by the time the Narnian army arrived back to the tomb, and Lucy was standing at the opening. She'd heard the sounds of melancholy footsteps, but first she saw Peter and Caspian. Her heart sank.

Where was James?

"What happened?" Asked the youngest Pevensie, concerned. Her eyes were wide as the minimal troops began to settle back in.

Peter, spat, infuriated. "Ask him."

"Peter." Scolded Susan.

"Me?" Caspian gaped, almost as angry as the King. "You could've called it off. There was still time."

"No there wasn't, thanks to you." Insisted the blonde boy. "If you kept to the plan, those soldiers might still be alive."

"If you'd just stayed here like I suggested, they definitely would be!"

The harsh outburst was to be expected. After all, Caspian had predicted it, and he knew what would happen. Even James had expressed his unease with the plan, and more often than not, the blonde king was right.

"You called us! Remember?" Peter retaliated.
Softly, Caspian replied. "My first mistake."

"No! Your first mistake was thinking you could lead these people."

As Peter walked straight past Lucy, ignoring what was being said to him. They all knew he could hear him. "Hey!" When he shouted, Caspian's accent only thickened, more of his words merging together. "I am not the one who abandoned Narnia!"

"You invaded Narnia!" Peter spun on his feet, facing the Prince. "You have no more right to lead it than Miraz does." Caspian barged past the King. "You, him, your father..." he stopped in his tracks. "Narnia's better off without the lot of you."

With a pained cry, Caspian drew his sword. Mimicking the noise, Peter revealed his blade. The two held at close range, but didn't act upon it. Before they could, the youngest King called out.

"Stop it!" Edmund's voice rang out, defeated.

Everyone turned to face the black haired King as the centaurs parted like the Red Sea. That was when they saw it.

With everything that had happened, they were all so forgetful. They'd all forgotten about someone very important, someone who risked his life time after time for everyone. James.

On the ground, lying in Edmund's arms, was a body, limp and unmoving. A boy with blonde hair, and scarred skin. A boy wearing clothes which were once white and red, but were stained blue with a substance no one wanted to admit was there.

"Hey, what's happening?" Alfie bounced through from the tomb, Harvey following suite, but he paused. His movements died at the sight.

Everyone stayed silent as Lucy ran towards her eldest brother. The sight of him in such a way was heart wrenching. Caspian, Peter and Susan joined them, crowding over the King. He deserved space, and Edmund knew that. He would've pushed everyone away, but he didn't want to risk hurting James even more.

As Lucy knelt down beside him, they all realised that he was barely breathing. Every movement of his chest was minimal, and breaths were shallow. From James' cold lips, blue staining them, a few muffled words escaped him.

"Don't let me die." James was whispering. "Please don't let me die."

"Don't worry, James." Edmund promised, pushing back some of his brothers hair. "You're not going to die. We're gonna take good care of you."

Lucy poured a drop of her elixir onto her brothers lips. Very little changed, which was endearing. Usually, they were brought back to full health- but not James. His breathing only became slightly stronger.

"What is this?" Caspian asked from beside James. He took the King's hand in his own as a form of comfort.

"This is the blood of a shapeshifter." Susan muttered, not interested in the conversation. Whether James lived or not was taboo, and was the only thing that really mattered.

To Harvey, Alfie whispered. "That's so cool."

"Not the time." The elder Gallagher hit his brothers chest. Alfie was the most unaware person he had ever met. "aren't you worried?"

"Yeah, of course I am." Nodded the younger of the two.

"Good."

"We should take him inside and get him settled." Edmund told his surrounding friends and siblings. Peter agreed, and went to pick up his older brother. However, as he did, the black haired boy scolded. "Not you."

Caspian, instead, out his arms beneath James's knees and his back in an attempt to keep him comfortable. "Don't let me die." Mumbled James.

"Don't worry, James, I've got you." Said the Prince, softly. "Nothings gonna happen to you."

When inside of the tomb, they found one of the more acceptable beds, and James was lain onto one. Then, with the aid of Edmund, Caspian began to clean James of his blue blood.

Maybe then they didn't realise from the horror of the situation, but this was going to be one of the critical points in their lives. As Caspian kept James cool, and watched over him as he slept so nothing bad happened, it was the beginning of something new. Not just new, but revolutionary.

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ʜᴇʏ ɢᴜʏs,
sᴏ ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴠɪᴄᴛᴏʀɪᴏᴜs ʀᴇᴄᴇɴᴛʟʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀɪɴɢ ɪғ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴀ ʙᴀᴅᴇ ғᴀɴғɪᴄ.
(ᴊᴀᴅᴇ x ᴍᴀʟᴇ ᴏᴄ x ʙᴇᴄᴋ)
ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀʟsᴏ ᴘʟᴀɴɴɪɴɢ ᴏᴜᴛ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛs ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴠɪᴏᴜs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛᴇᴅ, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ.
- ᴇᴍᴍᴀ

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Disclaimer!!!!
I don't own anything to do with the Narnia book series or film trilogy. These predominantly belong to C.S. Lewis. However, I do own James Pevensie, Alfie and Harvey Gallagher, and their respective alterations to the storyline.