KING AND LIONHEART | e. pevensie

𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖎𝖘.

Unfortunately, before he could, Caspian gripped his sleeve, anchoring him to his stool with a thoroughly exasperated look. His eyes fell on Nicolas's unfinished composition. Focus. He did just that, albeit with some difficulty, desiring nothing more than to see this Cattia again. 

Nicolas couldn't get out of the study quickly enough, his feet stumbling on the slick cobblestones of the winding hall. Caspian and Mattias appeared beside him, each holding their amusement on their faces rather poorly. 

"You seem keen on Cattia, eh?" Mattias chuckled, nudging Nicolas lightly in the shoulder. He dutifully ignored him, indeed keenly peering down the hall, wondering just where she could've gotten to. 

"Where does she go, after lessons?" Nicolas asked blindly, paying no heed at all to the boys. He started down the hall, not waiting for the answer; he'd search the whole castle himself to find her if he had to.  He missed Caspian giving a roll of his eyes and trailing after, Mattias following. The royals, upon meeting the Archenlandish teen, understood his burdens and the abuse he took on. They agreed then, to protect his honor. The boys vowed to never leave Nicolas to suffer alone. 

"You see her once, and all of a sudden you love the girl!" Caspian called teasingly as Nicolas ran down the hall anyway. He paused, indecisively faltering as he came to the fork in the path. The older prince gripped Nicolas's arm, turning him to look at him. "She's probably gone to the library--"

"Why?" Mattias interjected. "What's this interest all of a sudden? It's only Cattia." 

Caspian glared at the younger boy, frowning over Nicolas's shoulder. This made him recede, coming to the boy's left. "I love her just as much as you do, Cas! Really," he promised fervently, then sighing. "It's just strange, isn't it?"

"No," Caspian stated rigidly. "Of course not. Cattia is all but a recluse outside of attending our lessons. She needs friends." 

"She has friends!" Mattias countered. Caspian rolled his eyes, shaking his head. 

"Besides us, you idiot!" 

Nicolas's mind spun with images of Cattia's hauntingly beautiful golden eyes. "I want to get to know her," he added honestly, nearly bouncing on his feet with anticipation. 

He peered between the royals, finding their gazes narrowed slightly. The blond was already denying their unspoken question. They were surely wondering whether he was naive enough to gain feelings this soon.

 Somehow, Nicolas couldn't disagree; in the least, he did like her. Yet, to give them the satisfaction of being correct--he refused to do that. It couldn't be as serious as love. He only found her interesting. After all, wasn't that what they were insinuating? There was no harm in befriending the girl.

"Come off it, will you?" Nicolas grumbled, unable to stomach their silence any longer. "Where did she go?" He finally ventured into the wide expanse of the main castle, the royals dutifully trailing him. Upon entering, both Caspian and Mattias straightened their composure. 

Already, many courtiers sneered and glared at Nicolas, pointedly giving him a wide berth. Even still, he barreled past the hateful masses, intent on vacating as soon as possible. The outright volume of the exclamations rang in his ears, adding pounds of pressure to his young shoulders. He let it roll off his backside like the relentless rain, stifling their sting, numbing himself to them. Thankfully, Caspian and Mattias acted like a buffer, protecting him from the onslaught. The pair took the brutality with ease. 

Soon enough, the three made it to the other side of the chamber, and Nicolas felt like he had been dragged through the harshest of Ettinsmoor's mountain passes. Beaten raw and bruised. He felt colder than ever, wholly disturbed; his skin was alarmingly ashen, turning sallow. His breath came heavier, each attempt to quell the screaming anxiety in his chest defective, tasting like bile.