Fic: Royal to Royal (G)
Title: Royal to Royal
Author: Mai
Pairing/Character: Caspian/Susan
Word Count: 1040 words
Rating: G
Summary: Caspian needs a bit of a pep talk.
Spoilers/Warning: Movieverse; takes place during the movie timeline
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Characters belong to C.S. Lewis.
Note: This one-shot was written in response to the Drabble Challenge #2: War at
susancaspian. This is a very liberal interpretation of the word "war." It's much longer than a traditional drabble; I hope you all don't mind!
It had been a week since Caspian and the Pevensies returned from the battle with Miraz as victors. The week had been one of much recuperation and contemplation, especially for the Telmarine prince.
For his whole life, Caspian had lived the life of a prince. He studied under the tutelage of Professor Cornelius, he trained in the art of war with the royal guards, and aside from the occasional public appearance in a parade or ceremony, he possessed no real responsibilities. His first taste of responsibility was leading the Narnians to victory over his power-hungry uncle, but he was guided in his leadership role more by his instinct to survive rather than political reasoning. He might skilled in leading people on the battlefield, but when it came to politics, he felt like he was wading into foreign territory. Unlike all the Telmarine kings before him, Caspian had no example to live by; his father had been murdered before he was old enough to understand the gravity of his birthright, and his immediate predecessor was a sociopath.
With his coronation set for that evening, Caspian was besieged with insecurity and worry, which were emotions unfit for a king. His doubts warring in his mind, it was no wonder that the soon-to-be king completely missed the mark on the target.
"Today has not been your day, Caspian," quipped Susan.
Due to the marked reduction in the Telmarine forces after the battle, Caspian had taken to sharpening his fighting abilities with the four Kings and Queens of Old. Since he spent most of his mornings couped in the discussion hall, trying to establish balance among the Telmarine lords, he looked forward to his afternoons with Pevensies in the practice fields. He was able to expend excess energy during these meetings and get to know the people he would forever be indebted to for their aid. Kings Peter and Edmund were experts with the sword, but Caspian was able to keep up with their skills. Queen Lucy showed him simple healing techniques whenever their "swordplay," as she liked to say, became out of hand. Then there was Queen Susan.
During the past few days, Caspian often wondered how she attained the title of "Queen Susan the Gentle." The elder Daughter of Eve more than proved her prowess with the bow in the skirmishes with Miraz and his troops. Caspian's own capacity with the bow and arrow was considered average at best, so the afternoons when he tutored exclusively with Susan were awe-inspiring. Not once has he witnessed her missed the center of the target, even after hours of shooting. Plus, he appreciated the time spent alone with the Queen. This was the one instance where his poor shooting skills were an advantage. Since Susan's talent far out-paced his, there were many private lessons scheduled in his days. There were moments when he purposefully missed the target by a large margin so that she would sidle up to him and show him the proper form. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those times.
"No, I just have a lot on my mind," Caspian replied. He set down his bow and arrow; it was pointless to continue practice if he could not focus on the task at hand. Susan mirrored his movements, and he motioned for her to follow him away from the target boards. They walked in silence for some distance, enjoying the warm weather and each other's company. Other than practice times, they rarely had a private moment together. The castle was filled with Telmarines and Narnians alike, all vying for some of the would-be King's time. Though he was not yet king, Caspian was busy discussing with various advisors about the type of regime that he should establish. Susan was equally busy. An abandoned wing of the castle had been converted into a makeshift infirmary, and she spent most of her days tending to the wounded there.
Susan was the first to break the silence. "Does it have anything to do with the coronation?"
Caspian gave a short laugh. He should have known that she would figure out the cause of his stress. In the short time that he had been in her acquaintance, he quickly learned how bright she was. An astoundingly astute observer, Susan was able to diffuse a conflict with great insight and reason. "How did you know?"
"Anyone would be nervous about taking on such a big responsibility. I know my brothers and sister and I felt the same way when were crowned Kings and Queens of Narnia."
"What did you do about it?" Caspian was desperate for any remedy to his lack of confidence. No one wanted a self-doubting king.
"Nothing," replied Susan. "We couldn't have prepared for our roles as Kings and Queens. We just tried to do our best, keeping in mind what we knew was right and wrong."
"Yes, but you were destined to be Kings and Queens. It was written in the prophecy," Caspian argued.
"The same can be said about you, Caspian. You were born to be king."
Caspian wanted to argue more, but he chose to remain silent. Just because he was born into royalty did not mean that he would make a good king. All the Telmarine rulers preceding him were testament to that, using their power to erase the existence of Narnia.
"Look," Susan said, stopping him in his tracks by grasping his hand. "You've already accomplished more than any other Telmarine king. You saved Narnia, Caspian."
"But I had help."
Caspian received a squeeze of the hand in response. "You will always have help," Susan said.
Caspian smiled. He had to remember that the Narnians and Telmarines were about to be united. While he was to be King of the Telmarines, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy were still Kings and Queens of Narnia. He would not have to rule the land alone. With Susan ruling by his side, he couldn't do too much harm.
"All right," Susan said as she slipped away from him and began to make her way to back to the target boards. "Now let's work on that form of yours."
This is my first Narnia fic and my first piece of writing in nearly 3 years, so this story is rough around the edges. I'm having a bit of trouble getting down the characters, so any form of critique is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!
Author: Mai
Pairing/Character: Caspian/Susan
Word Count: 1040 words
Rating: G
Summary: Caspian needs a bit of a pep talk.
Spoilers/Warning: Movieverse; takes place during the movie timeline
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Characters belong to C.S. Lewis.
Note: This one-shot was written in response to the Drabble Challenge #2: War at
susancaspian. This is a very liberal interpretation of the word "war." It's much longer than a traditional drabble; I hope you all don't mind!
It had been a week since Caspian and the Pevensies returned from the battle with Miraz as victors. The week had been one of much recuperation and contemplation, especially for the Telmarine prince.
For his whole life, Caspian had lived the life of a prince. He studied under the tutelage of Professor Cornelius, he trained in the art of war with the royal guards, and aside from the occasional public appearance in a parade or ceremony, he possessed no real responsibilities. His first taste of responsibility was leading the Narnians to victory over his power-hungry uncle, but he was guided in his leadership role more by his instinct to survive rather than political reasoning. He might skilled in leading people on the battlefield, but when it came to politics, he felt like he was wading into foreign territory. Unlike all the Telmarine kings before him, Caspian had no example to live by; his father had been murdered before he was old enough to understand the gravity of his birthright, and his immediate predecessor was a sociopath.
With his coronation set for that evening, Caspian was besieged with insecurity and worry, which were emotions unfit for a king. His doubts warring in his mind, it was no wonder that the soon-to-be king completely missed the mark on the target.
"Today has not been your day, Caspian," quipped Susan.
Due to the marked reduction in the Telmarine forces after the battle, Caspian had taken to sharpening his fighting abilities with the four Kings and Queens of Old. Since he spent most of his mornings couped in the discussion hall, trying to establish balance among the Telmarine lords, he looked forward to his afternoons with Pevensies in the practice fields. He was able to expend excess energy during these meetings and get to know the people he would forever be indebted to for their aid. Kings Peter and Edmund were experts with the sword, but Caspian was able to keep up with their skills. Queen Lucy showed him simple healing techniques whenever their "swordplay," as she liked to say, became out of hand. Then there was Queen Susan.
During the past few days, Caspian often wondered how she attained the title of "Queen Susan the Gentle." The elder Daughter of Eve more than proved her prowess with the bow in the skirmishes with Miraz and his troops. Caspian's own capacity with the bow and arrow was considered average at best, so the afternoons when he tutored exclusively with Susan were awe-inspiring. Not once has he witnessed her missed the center of the target, even after hours of shooting. Plus, he appreciated the time spent alone with the Queen. This was the one instance where his poor shooting skills were an advantage. Since Susan's talent far out-paced his, there were many private lessons scheduled in his days. There were moments when he purposefully missed the target by a large margin so that she would sidle up to him and show him the proper form. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those times.
"No, I just have a lot on my mind," Caspian replied. He set down his bow and arrow; it was pointless to continue practice if he could not focus on the task at hand. Susan mirrored his movements, and he motioned for her to follow him away from the target boards. They walked in silence for some distance, enjoying the warm weather and each other's company. Other than practice times, they rarely had a private moment together. The castle was filled with Telmarines and Narnians alike, all vying for some of the would-be King's time. Though he was not yet king, Caspian was busy discussing with various advisors about the type of regime that he should establish. Susan was equally busy. An abandoned wing of the castle had been converted into a makeshift infirmary, and she spent most of her days tending to the wounded there.
Susan was the first to break the silence. "Does it have anything to do with the coronation?"
Caspian gave a short laugh. He should have known that she would figure out the cause of his stress. In the short time that he had been in her acquaintance, he quickly learned how bright she was. An astoundingly astute observer, Susan was able to diffuse a conflict with great insight and reason. "How did you know?"
"Anyone would be nervous about taking on such a big responsibility. I know my brothers and sister and I felt the same way when were crowned Kings and Queens of Narnia."
"What did you do about it?" Caspian was desperate for any remedy to his lack of confidence. No one wanted a self-doubting king.
"Nothing," replied Susan. "We couldn't have prepared for our roles as Kings and Queens. We just tried to do our best, keeping in mind what we knew was right and wrong."
"Yes, but you were destined to be Kings and Queens. It was written in the prophecy," Caspian argued.
"The same can be said about you, Caspian. You were born to be king."
Caspian wanted to argue more, but he chose to remain silent. Just because he was born into royalty did not mean that he would make a good king. All the Telmarine rulers preceding him were testament to that, using their power to erase the existence of Narnia.
"Look," Susan said, stopping him in his tracks by grasping his hand. "You've already accomplished more than any other Telmarine king. You saved Narnia, Caspian."
"But I had help."
Caspian received a squeeze of the hand in response. "You will always have help," Susan said.
Caspian smiled. He had to remember that the Narnians and Telmarines were about to be united. While he was to be King of the Telmarines, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy were still Kings and Queens of Narnia. He would not have to rule the land alone. With Susan ruling by his side, he couldn't do too much harm.
"All right," Susan said as she slipped away from him and began to make her way to back to the target boards. "Now let's work on that form of yours."
This is my first Narnia fic and my first piece of writing in nearly 3 years, so this story is rough around the edges. I'm having a bit of trouble getting down the characters, so any form of critique is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!