The Prince, The Girl And The Lion (Prince Caspian Fanfic)

Chapter 15. Part a. "Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown."

Hey guys!

So, this is part a) of chapter 15! I thought of releasing them all together but I just figured it was better this way, with quicker updates. I start college again next week so the schedule is going to get complicated again. I do however plan to release parts b) and c) before I begin the next semester so stay tuned!

Disclaimer: I only own the storylines and characters of my own invention. Whatever you guys read that sounds familiar, that I don't own.

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Chapter 15. Part a. "Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown."

"I Am Sansa Stark Of Winterfell. This Is My Home, And You Can't Frighten Me." - Sansa Stark, Game Of Thrones.

Since his mother died, Caspian had formed the habit of going to the market.

For some reason, he'd come to associate it with the feelings of warmth, happiness, and cheerfulness. Every morning, he'd leave the grim, silent corridors of his father's castle right after breakfast and spend a few hours in the market just outside its gates; all of it in an attempt of gaining some peace of mind before having to go back to the sadness that was his life.

The thing was that his mother had been the only person he felt he had a bond with. Through the army of maids and nannies that had come and gone, his mother had been his only constant. Without her, he was adrift.

Caspian was slowly starting to think that loneliness had actually united the two of them. Between his lack of friends, his distant relationship with his father King Caspian IX, and his mother's lack of real friends with her being the Queen, the two of them had had no choice but to turn to the other for company. As a result, mother and son had become much closer than the expected of the Queen and the Crown Prince.

That day, he managed to escape the castle much later than usual because of all the preparations for the Archenlandian royal family, who were going to stay with them for a few weeks. He had to hide from his tutor and a particularly observant nanny but just after lunch, he was out of the gates and on his way down to the markets.

The sight was as cheerful as always. Loud discussions could be heard left and right as clients and vendors argued over prices, parents uselessly tried to soothe their kids as they threw a tantrum over something or the other, and children ran around chasing one another. The stalls were filled with colour, the vendors selling from candy and fruits to books, clothes and even jewelry.

Caspian walked past the different groups of people with a little smile. He was wearing a large, heavy cloak over his royal gowns and his hood was pulled up so he could pass undetected by the Telmarines. Usually, he went straight to the candy and books stalls but that day he wanted to take the time to soak it all in.

He wanted to soak in all the different types of families around him. The young couples who had just gotten married, the old couples who walked slowly up and down the roads, the couples with tons of children running around. Regardless of the type, Caspian could just feel the love they all felt for one another and it made him feel nostalgia and hope at the same time. Nostalgia because he didn't get a loving family like the ones shopping around him. Hope that he will find himself a new family someday.

After a few hours, Caspian realized his time was up, and that it was time to go back home.

He made a quick stop by the books' stand, interested by the new display, when his attention was pulled away. As he glanced down the road in a distracted manner, he noticed two men stealing a woman's purse from its place hanging from her side. Caspian's eyes narrowed, playing close attention to the woman who was carrying several packages in her hands to see if she had noticed the thieves.