For King and Country ⭒Caspian x Reader⭒

Chapter 18

"Where are they now? Do they still inhabit this area?" I said looking up at Caspian, the moon illuminating his face in hues of silvery-blue.

"No, they don't," His face became downcast, "Opiris grew to love Anthe in their time together, and Anthe harbored the same feelings for her as well. If someone happened upon the cove during that time, they would probably find Opiris braiding Anthe's hair or Anthe laying on the bank watching the ripples of water echo around Opiris. Narnia soon went through a hard season, and Anthe's tree began to grow sick with a disease from drought while Opiris's waters began to dry up. Nymphs can find a new body of water, but dryads are bound to their tree, so Opiris stayed with Anthe as long as she could before she would have to move on for her own survival."

"They fell in love only to be separated. How tragic..." I gazed off into the pools of water expecting to see the ghosts of the past there before me.

"Opiris prayed to the gods every night to let her and Anthe become human for one night so she could hold Anthe once before she died."

Caspian laid himself back on the grass, and I laid my head on his chest, a tremor of cold in the summer night sent tingles across my skin at the thought of being in Opiris's shoes, to have a love that was destined to be lost.

"One night, as Opiris sat in her glade crying out to the gods she felt her hands of water turn into flesh and bone. The coursing water of her hair became silky and her legs firmed to be able to walk and dance on the land," Caspian's hand traced up my arm and over my hair as he described Opiris's transformation.

"Did she get to be with Anthe that night?"

Caspian glanced down at me as his hand continued to smooth over my hair, "She did. She and Anthe gained their bodies and Anthe laid beneath her tree, her breathing was unsteady, and Opiris laid her head in her lap. She began to wonder if this was all worth it if only to see her lover die a slow death," Caspian pulled me closer, "Opiris had one last request for the gods as Anthe struggled for breath in her lap. She asked that they let her become water so that she could water Anthe's tree."

I sat up beside Caspian, looking down at him incredulously, "Surely the gods let them both live?"

"Opiris dissolved into water once more, watering Anthe's tree. Anthe's tree did come back to life, and in Opiris's sacrifice, the gods let a great rain that came down that filled the glade again. From that came the rest of the water nymphs-born from Opiris's sacrifice," Caspian raised up beside me.

"That's a tragic story," The willow tickled the waters of the pool as if their souls still lingered there, "Is it true?"

"All stories have a little truth to them," Caspian said, shrugging his shoulders.

"What became of Anthe?" I asked.

"Her tree flourished, but the soul of the tree, Anthe, died. So now, the willow is just a willow," Caspian said with a wave of his hand.

"You brought me all this way to tell me a tragic love story?" I said, wiping tears out of my eyes for the two lovers that never got the chance to know joy in each other's arms.

"No, I brought here because of the gods promise," Caspian's eyes twinkled, "The gods grant all nymphs and dryads one night a year, under a full moon, to be human in honor of Opiris and Anthe's great love to each other, and they celebrate here in this glade."

Out of the shadows, stepped dryads and nymphs in human form. They looked like creatures of a different world. Each one of them would pause occasionally to examine their hands and toes with an expression of glee and wonder.

A dryad off to the side, recognizable by the cherry blossoms woven through her dark hair, threw herself into the arms of a strong, young nymph and kissed him on the lips, "I just wanted to know what it'd feel like." She said, casting her gaze down at her feet before the nymph pulled her back in.