Inheritance: Shade Of Hope

Chapter Three - Return of the King

    You hadn't slept so deeply in a long time. Though you stayed up very late with the crewmen, you woke up feeling well rested and... happy? Optimistic? You weren't sure of the feeling since it had become unfamiliar to you, but it was a nice one. You look over to the bed to your right, where you sister was still sound asleep. As silently as possible, you slip out of bed, throw on your robe, and sneak out of the room.

    Standing outside the door you instinctively look to the right, down the hall to your parents' room. You can't even remember the last time you could bring yourself to open the door. A few times you considered moving out of your shared room into theirs, so you and Sis could each have your own, but doing so would mean admitting that they aren't coming back. Besides, what do you need extra space for?

    You make your way down the other side of the hall, into the kitchen, reminding yourself that you need to prepare coffee and tea for more than just two today.     Once it's finished, you pour yourself a cup, and head into the common room to enjoy the silence before everyone wakes up.

    The big front window looks out across the street towards the docks, and the sun rising over the horizon of the ocean makes for a beautiful view. It was one of the reasons your parents chose this building for the inn. Little by little you see the fishermen emerging from their homes, loading their boats, and casting off for the day, signifying the start of the work day.

A creak on the stairs makes you jump.
You turn your head, to see Sir Tavros coming down, looking more awake than he has any right to at this hour.
"Good morning," you greet him "did you sleep alright?"
"Like a bear in the winter." He responds, "It has been months since any of us had slept in a real bed. I almost didn't want to get up!" He laughed.
"Well, after breakfast you are more than welcome to go back to bed." You smile. "Coffee or tea?"
"Tea please, if it's not too much trouble. And I cannot allow us that luxury miss, we have much work to do in the village today. "
"Oh I was only joking. I can imagine there is a lot of mess to undo after the damage from the Slavers. "
"Oh yes, of course, my apologies. We Minotaurs are very literal beings, I forget sometimes man's sense of humor!
His Majesty constantly pokes fun at my expense because of it."
You smile at him as he sat in the chair across from you. " You and your crew seem to be very close with him. He must be a good man. "
You poured a cup of tea and handed it to him.
"Very much so. He is young, but wise beyond his years." Tavros drops some sugar into his cup.
" Young?" You asked confused. "Forgive me but, surely his Majesty must be in his 60's by now?"
Tavros looked at you as if you grew an elephant trunk.
" Lass, you don't think we have been speaking about King Caspian the IX this whole time?"
" What.... What other King Caspian is there?... " You felt like an absolute fucking idiot.
Tavros laughed the most booming, hearty laugh you have ever heard.
" His SON!! King Caspian X!"

You turned beet red.

" Oh forgive me young lass," he said between laughing, " it is completely my fault for not clarifying. Of course you would think we were speaking of his father! He was the last King you knew! "
" Wait.. so.. when did he have a son? When did he become king? "

    Tavros then regailed an amazing tale of murder and war. Of kings and queens of ancient times. Of how Caspian X, an orphan by his uncle's hand, brought together two kingdoms and is correcting all the wrong his uncle did.

"But to your initial comment, " he ended his story, " yes, we love him dearly. Aside from his wisdom he is also very kind hearted, and gentle by nature, which makes him beloved by his people. I cannot express to you how saddened and angry he was that your Islands were in the state that they were. He felt personally responsible for it. "
" But he didn't know, he couldn't have. " You respond as he took a sip of tea.
" King Caspian... meaning his father...left us in good hands until the Slavers came back, and they ensured our isolation.
What's more is now I understand why we were left to fend for ourselves all these years. Lord Miraz wasn't about to give us any resources, was he? Poor Lorn Bern."
"Yes. We told him the same." Tavros explained. "But he holds his people so dear to him, he felt as if he let you down."
"Well. I can't speak for others but, I can say that his actions yesterday spoke volumes for me. He, and your crew, freed us. That is something Sis has never known in her life. To not have to wake up every morning in fear of today being the day they take her away is... well... foreign to us. Furthermore I will make sure the rest of the town knows the whole story. He can be sure no one will blame him."
"I am sorry for the years of suffering you and your sister endured." Tavros responded sincerely. " This is why we stayed behind. To get the Lone Islands into the same condition as the mainland. To assure everyone that they are safe, and well looked after again."
" Thank you. Truly. " you smiled, " your presence means more than you know. "

* * * * *

    The next several months went by like a whirlwind. The old castle was in such disrepair that it was deemed unsalvageable, and construction has begun on a new one. Though it would be several more months before it was completed. As such the crew of the Dawn Treader stayed at your inn. Taking care of a full inn was fucking exhausting. Though after living together for all this time they felt like family, so you really didn't mind.

    The kitchen had now been fully stocked consistently for the first time since you were a child, the wood was always chopped, and what's more is you didn't have to make a single item of clothing to sell in months.
    One of the crew members, the Dwarf, was a banker back in Narnia, and he offered to help you set up a new business plan for the inn. Sir Tavros was more than gracious with his pay for their stay, and assured you that with the trade routes to the island back open, business would be consistent.

    One day, you decided that you finally had enough saved up for some new fabrics. You and Sis desperately needed some new clothes. She went off to play with her new friends, (the townsfolk were now allowing the children to play outside together again), and the men were off patrolling. So you took the opportunity to go shopping.

    It felt very strange, knowing this fabric was to be for clothes for you. You allowed yourself to pick things you liked, rather than what you knew others would. As you walked, you began to notice how many people actually lived on the island. You wondered how many more there would be if no one had been taken...

    You suddenly realized that there only seemed like more people because everyone was crowding in the same direction. You looked around, and they were all hurrying towards the docks. You heard "ship" and "boats" mentioned as people rushed past you.

"What's going on?" You asked an elderly woman you recognized as one of the fishermans' wives.
"A big ship with purple sails was seen headed this way." She answered.
"Purple sails? " you repeat back.
" Yes! Which can only mean the King has returned to the Lone Islands! "