WAR OF HEARTS ━ prince caspian x

five

˗ˏˋCHAPTER FIVEˊˎ-

***

THEY WALKED FOR hours, and Wren was getting ready to complain about how much her feet hurt just before they came to a stop, and she stepped around Edmund to see a large, empty field before her. A mountain sat in the distance, built up completely by rock, and a stone archway could be seen, even from her spot across the plains.

As they got closer, dozens of centaurs lined up with their swords raised, greeting the four Pevensie siblings. Both Caspian and Wren fell back behind them, and she could tell just by the look on his face that the prince wasn't exactly too happy about it. Although, she didn't mind. This entire world was new to her, she was glad enough just to be there. She didn't need the whole royal introduction.

Once they got inside, she looked around with raised brows. So many creatures were forging new weapons and some were supplying the pantry with food. She followed behind Susan, having absolutely no idea what to do now. This was about the time she'd feel like she didn't belong. But for once in her entire life, that voice in the back of her head seemed to finally stop screaming. Because deep down she knew that she was meant to be there—somehow.

"It may not be what you are used to," Caspian stated. "But it is defensible."

"Hey," Susan called from a few feet away. "You may want to see this."

Confused by her sudden change in tone, Wren climbed up the steps to meet her friend, the three boys closely behind. Susan led them into a tunnel, shining the torch onto the wall that had drawings carved into them. Her eyes scanned the work of art before her. The one of two girls riding on the back of a lion. They looked relatively like Susan and Lucy, but then Wren realized she was being an idiot. Of course that's who the paintings were of. They were apart of history. Another one showed the four of them sitting on their thrones. And the last one—well the last one made Wren freeze.

It was clearly the folks Narnia, all completely surrounded by the men who wore the armor of the Telmarines, each of them having their swords and bows raised. But there was one Telmarine who did not stand with the rest, instead, he stood with his weapon aimed at his own people, as if he were defending the Narians. Her finger ran along the sketch of this man, who looked so familiar it made her brain hurt as she struggled to come up with an answer. But then she realized where she had seen this person before. She had seen him in her very own house.

"Wren?" Lucy tapped her shoulder, and she snapped her attention back over to the others, who were all peering at her in concern. "You alright? You kind of zoned out there."

"Yeah," Wren shook those ridiculous thoughts away. Plenty of men could've had the same side profile as him. But the more she thought about it, the more the man on the stone walls looked like the man whose face was strung up on her plaster walls back at home. Those same three pictures of her father—completely engraved into her mind. She had that face memorized since she was seven. There was no mistaking it. A small part of her wanted to deny it. There was no way her dad was from this world. He had lived in the other world. A mundane life, just like her mother had told her. But yet, here he was, sketched upon the history of Narnia's walls. "I'm fine."

"You're sure?" Susan pressed on, and Wren met Caspian's gaze. Something in his expression revealed that he had already known this factor about her, because he subtly nodded his head—and her suspicions came true immediately.

"I'm sure."

"What is this place?" Lucy wondered.

"You don't know?" Caspian asked in disbelief. He beckoned for them to follow, and they ended up in a room with odd statues of creatures built into the walls, one including that lion again, and before them laid large rocks, gathered around one giant square, that was cracked in half.

Lucy started towards the middle of the room. "He must know what he's doing," she mumbled.

Peter cleared his throat, a thick silence falling over them. "I think it's up to us, now."

***

Wren sat on one of the crumbling staircases, absentmindedly twirling her dagger between her fingers, staring off into the distance, until suddenly a shadow fell over her, and she looked up to see Caspian standing there. He visibly swallowed, before lowering himself next to her. She shifted, accidentally brushing her arm against his, but neither of them noticed. "What do you know about that drawing I saw? I know you have some idea of it. I saw your face."

"I was wondering when you'd figure it out."

She raised an eyebrow. "Well, do you care to explain? Because my mind is coming up with all of these mad theories and I just-"

"Tell me them," he commanded gently, softer than she'd ever heard before.

She hesitated, before turning to look away again, watching the sun set on the horizon. "That my father was apart of this world. That I didn't get dragged here on complete accident."

"He was," Caspian offered her a slight shrug. "Your father used to be a Telmarine, hundreds of years ago. His face is imprinted in every single one of the history books that are taught to us. But, in our world, he isn't written as a hero. Instead, he's considered a traitor. He was the first man to ever stand up for the Narnians. He protected them, but when the time came for punishment, he vanished into thin air. It's not said what happens next. But now that I've met you, I think it's pretty obvious."

"He came back to my world and..."

"Yeah," Caspian let out a breathy laugh, following her train of thought. "I knew who you were the moment I set eyes on you. The resemblance is keen. I've been studying those same history books your father is in my whole life. It's only a matter of time before the others figure it out, too. If they haven't already."

"What about your people?" She asked. "That means they'll recognize me as well. What will happen then? Will they make me carry the punishment for my father instead?"

"I'm not going to let that happen," he said firmly, and for a brief moment, they locked eyes again. An intense heat laid beyond his irises, and Wren was suddenly so drawn to him in that moment, that she hardly heard the words that came from his mouth next. "Your father was fighting for the right cause. And it's time we see his legacy through. I think you were sent here to carry that on, if I'm not mistaken."

Wren looked back out to the field, which was crowded with Narnians preparing for the upcoming battle. She felt a lump wedge up in her throat, and she bit her lip nervously. All of this was completely new to her, but yet she was stuck carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Although she knew that she couldn't leave. She wouldn't leave. Narnia felt like everything she had ever dreamed of, and now that she was finally there, she wasn't going to abandon the citizens of it. She was going to stay and help, even if it costed Wren the unraveling of her happiness. She'd stay and fight until her last breath, if it came to that. "Then I guess Peter was right. It is up to us."

authors note

so her backstory is somewhat revealed in this chapter. i was really trying to work something out in my head that way it would fit with the storyline?? and i think this is the best thing i could come up with yaaaaayy so exciting 😁😁😁