The Strangest Voyage | Casmund

three.

They all walked into a private room to discuss what Caspian and his people had accomplished in the past three years that the Pevensie siblings had been gone.

Caspian talked about how people had surrendered and that there was peace across all of Narnia.

"Caspian?" Lucy asked.

He looked over at her.

"Have you found yourself a wife in all the years we've been gone?"

Edmund rolled his eyes. Of course, Lucy would ask questions like that -- she was a romantic after all. But Edmund wasn't interested about Caspian's love life, and didn't want to hear about it. What he wanted and needed were adventures.

"No. Not yet." Caspian smiled politely at Lucy.

Edmund froze. He didn't talk about Susan. Wasn't that strange? Didn't he love her the last time they were here?

Edmund's mind was racing about Caspian's love for Susan.

If he did love her, wouldn't he just say that instead of saying he hadn't found anyone? So that meant that Caspian must not love Susan anymore, and that meant that he didn't have a queen, like he said...

"Edmund?"

Caspian.

"Sorry," Edmund apologised, realising that he had zoned out. "What were you saying?"

"We got a bit worried," Lucy said. "You were staring at Caspian for a long time." She sounded like she was trying hard not to laugh but was failing miserably.

He had been staring... at Caspian?

"Right, er, I just got lost in thought." Edmund shook his head, trying to make his thoughts about Caspian disappear. What was going on with him? "Why are we here if there is peace across all of Narnia?" He asked, getting his mind back onto the topic in front of him.

Caspian looked at him, biting his lip, making him look oddly attractive.

Nope. He did not just think that.

"Honestly, I've been wondering the same thing," Caspian replied.

Edmund sighed. "Where are we sailing to?"

"Before we took the throne back from my Uncle, he tried to kill my father's closest and most loyal supporters -- The Seven Lords of Telmar."

Caspian turned to look at drawings of the Lords; Edmund moved around next to him, so that he could look at the pictures.

Caspian stared at Edmund, but he didn't say anything -- only stared. Edmund turned to look at him, too, and time seemed to slow.

His eyes; his hair; his nose; his lips... so beautiful, Edmund thought to himself.

Caspian turned toward the pictures again, and Edmunds cleared his throat, embarrassed by his thoughts but also signaling for Caspian to continue talking.

"They fled to Lone islands." Caspian gestured to it on the map. "No one has seen them ever since."

Edmund looked at him. "So you think something has happened to them?"

Caspian sighed. "Well, if something has, it's my duty to find out."

They continued to stare at each other.

"You don't have you to," Edmund advised. "Your duty is to rule, not look for lost people."

Caspian narrowed his eyes. "I'd prefer to try. It'd haunt me if I didn't at least try something. Since..." He cleared his throat awkwardly, as if he didn't want to admit something. "Since they're all I have left to think about that involves my father." He looked away, obviously feeling uncomfortable.

"OK, then. Lu and I will try to help you."

Caspian looked up, grinning at the raven-haired boy. Edmund's eyes softened. He would do anything to keep that smile on Caspian's face -- it made him seem like he didn't have the burden of having a kingdom to rule, it also made look even more attractive.

Lucy interrupted, asking, "Sorry, but what exactly is East of the Lone islands?"

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Uncharted waters," the Captain said. "Things you could barely imagine. Tales of sea serpants and worse."

Lucy looked at Edmund, who laughed: "Sea serpents?"

"All right, Captain," Caspian said. "That's enough of your tall tales."

•••

Lucy was walking around when she heard singing. She had reached the edge of the ship when she saw that it was Reepicheep singing the soft melodies of a sweet lullaby.

"That's pretty," she said -- though she felt bad about saying something since she made him jump.

"Oh, uh, thank you," Reepicheep said. "A dryad sang it to me when I was a mousling."

Lucy smiled, and crouched down beside the mouse.

"What do you think is beyond the Lone Islands, Reepicheep?" She asked.

He looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, "Well, I've been told that the furthest one can sail East is to the end of the world -- Aslan's country."

"Do you really believe in such a place?" She looked over at him, away from the sea that surrounded them.

"Well, we have nothing, if not belief," he replied.

She smiled at him. Lucy liked Reepicheep. He was very... wise.

"And there's only one way to find out if it's real. I can only hope that I will one day be able to see it," he continued to say.

Lucy felt content when she breathed in the sea air -- calm, relaxed -- as Reepicheep walked back to where he was before. They stood there, silent but not uncomfortable.

Then the most beautiful thing happened: Mermaids.

They were in the water swimming along side the ship, prancing around each other. They're bodies were defined, but they didn't look real. They were like a glittering kingdom, shining. Their skin was glassy -- it camouflaged them as if they were water. But they had already appeared to Lucy -- they couldn't hide away now. One mermaid looked at her and waved.

Lucy gasped. They were glorious -- the definition of majestic.

Her smile was now even wider, no matter whether her cheeks were aching from already smiling, and waved back.

Then the mermaid disappeared under the waves -- so did the others.

Feeling tranquil, Lucy leaned against the side of the ship, enjoying the breeze in her hair and the smell of sea salt.

She felt like all her senses were coming to life. She could see anything; feel everything; hear everything. She frowned... she could hear swords?

Lucy, confused, turned away from the ledge, and walked towards the sound.

When she walked to the destination, she saw Edmund and Caspian stood in the middle of the ship, both of their faces inches apart, swords on the floor, breathing rabidly.