𝐀 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄, caspian x ✓

four.

04.

PEACE?

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

"Captain!" Carver shouted across the ship as he ran over to her, "Caspian has sent me to ask if you would go to his cabin. He wants to formally introduce you to the King and Queen."

Kathryn nodded and finished bundling the rope that had been left from the swing. She passed the still unconscious body of the boy, or Eustace as she had heard someone call him, which she had covered underneath a blanket wedged between barrels so that he was properly in the shade. 

The Captain entered the cabin just in time to hear King Edmund, "Hang on. So if there are no wars to fight and on one's in trouble, then why are we here?"

"Who said there are no wars to fight?" she asked as she shut the door behind her, finding the three royals and Lord Drinian surrounding her latest sketch of the Narnia ocean. 

She met the eyes of Caspian. Over a week had passed since she first woke and he still gave her an accusatory glare. Kathryn had overheard Carver defending her once or twice in the presence of the King, yet nothing seemed to change his mind. He saw her as a criminal. And she was. She had fought, killed, stole and commit treason once or twice. But he didn't ever ask her why she did it. 

"Narnia has not seen an attack since my Uncle," he finally said, his eyes shifting to the map as to avoid her own.

"Perhaps Narnia has not, my King," she muttered, her hands in tight fists behind her back to calm herself, "But the Ocean has seen drastic violence these past years. Over triple the storms and hundreds of disappearances."

Lord Drinian's lips tightened. 

"None of this has been brought to Castle to be discussed therefore the Crown cannot interfere," Caspian replied, "We cannot lead an investigation based on the words of a criminal-"

Kathryn nodded her head and bit her cheek to stop the string of curses spilling from her lips. She had brought evidence to the Castle. She was willing to lead the investigation. But nobody ever listened to the words of a pirate. To the words of a criminal. To the words of a girl. "Of course, my King. Carver said that you requested my presence, how may I help?"

Edmund and Lucy shared a quick glance before the Queen stepped closer. "I requested your presence, actually. I wanted to formally introduce myself and my brother."

Kathryn bowed deeply, her body still aching but she bowed deeper than she had for Caspian. She wanted him to know that. "It is an honour, Queen Lucy and King Edmund. I am Captain Kathryn of the Tides."

"The Tides?" Edmund asked.

"I have no family name. Bastards born to pirate fathers are given 'Tide' in place of a family name.  It allows us to be identified as criminals from birth," she smiled sweetly as she spoke. Some would consider it blasphemous for bastards to be in the presence of royals, let alone address one so vulgarly. 

"I see," he muttered, meatting her eyes when Caspian would not. He suddenly found the map much more interesting.

"I apologise," she spoke to get his attention, "I am needed to chart the journey." 

Kathryn bowed once more before leaving them staring at the swinging door.

⋆

"Twice in one day? I must be a lucky criminal," she greeted Caspian and shut the door harshly behind her. "I was in the middle of a rather interesting conversation with Mo the Mute."