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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

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𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 the darkness, growing in intensity until Rosaleen realised its source came from beyond her closed eyelids. Her body burned, her muscles felt sore while an aching had set into the very core of her bones. Still, she forced herself to open her eyes although she immediately regretted it when the light became too blinding. She groaned in pain, trying to lift her hand to shield her eyes from the light source, but an agonising pang travelled through her body, freezing her on the spot.

'Where am I?' Rosaleen managed to mumble, squeezing her eyes shut again and dropping her hand back on the soft surface she laid on.

'You're in castle Anvard,' a gentle, but unknown male voice spoke, and Rosaleen tried once more to open her eyes.

The light came from the sun shining through one of the windows at her left and it wasn't as bright as it had felt like in the first place. The sun seemed to be setting already as an orange colour drenched the stark blue sky in vibrant streaks.

'Castle Anvard?' Rosaleen repeated, her breath getting caught in her throat when she tried to sit up straighter in the bed and her ribs screamed in protest. She glanced down at her body, noticing the bandages wrapping tightly around her upper body under a loose, unknown white blouse. The bandages restrained her movements, but also supported her in a way.

'Your ribs are heavily bruised, but not broken, thankfully,' the voice continued and Rosaleen looked at her right where the sound had come from. A dark-haired man with forest green eyes stood at her side, his nose was a bit crooked and a friendly smile decorated his somewhat plump face. Rosaleen thought he could be in his forties as his hair greyed a bit by his temples.

'Your bruised ribs weren't the cause of you losing your consciousness though,' the man said, sitting down on the chair near her bed and gently taking her wrist to feel her pulse. 'You were poisoned by the desert people. They're known for drenching their weapons in venom, even a scratch can take down the strongest of men.'

Rosaleen's free hand flew towards her side where the dagger of the bandit had grazed her.

'Exactly,' the man hummed. He let go of her wrist again and leaned back in his chair as he folded his hands together, resting them on his stomach. 'I was still in time to treat you, but only a few hours later, and you would have been less fortunate.'

Rosaleen pushed herself up slowly against the headrest with a strained expression, but then she sent him a grateful smile. 'Thank you, sir. I owe you my life.'

'Nonsense,' he responded. 'I'm a physician, it's my life's joy to help people. You may call me Madoc.'

'Thank you, Madoc,' she repeated sincerely.

Madoc inclined his head at her. 'It wasn't all me, my Lady. Young master Seren almost brought his horse to the brink of death by forcing it to go as fast as it could, trying to get you here in time.'

Something inside Rosaleen stirred and she averted her eyes from the physician, focussing on the sheets instead that still covered her lower body. She wasn't sure what to respond, but she got spared an answer when the door at the far side of the room swung open, revealing Seren himself. He pushed the door farther open by leaning against it with his back as he carried two silver plates with a bowl on top in either hand, the steam spiralling up from the food.

'Tonight's menu is vegetable soup with bread, doctor,' Seren said, whirling away from the door that swung close back in the lock behind him and his eyes fell upon Rosaleen who sat up straight in bed.

'Rose! You're awake,' he said with a wide smile although it faded a bit as he added, 'I should have brought three plates.'

Rosaleen smiled at him as he carefully put down the plates on the wooden table that stood near the window. The table was loaded with colourful vials due to the liquid inside, stacks of parchment, ancient books and plucked plants; truly a physician's workplace.

'It's alright,' she said. 'I hear I have you to thank for my recovery as well.'

Seren walked from the table towards the bed, sitting down at the foot end. 'Well, I couldn't let you die,' he answered with a shrug as he folded one of his legs underneath him, turning on his spot so that he could look at her.

'Thank you, Seren,' Rosaleen said, ignoring his nonchalance and she smiled at him; a gesture he immediately returned.

'There's no need to thank me. Anyone would have done the same. Apart from aghas Hashim. I think he might be disappointed you're still alive when they arrive at the castle as well.' Seren paused for a moment, the brown in his eyes darkening for a second, before he snapped out of it.

'Can you stand?' he asked her, rising up from his seat. 'Or do you want dinner in bed? You need to eat something, you can have my plate.'

'You need to eat something as well, master Seren,' Madoc said sternly before rising up from the wooden chair. 'I, on the other hand, could do with a little less.' He patted on his stomach.

'Doctor,' Seren began but Madoc shook his head.

'I still need to go on my evening round. Lady Emilia hasn't been feeling well since yesterday. You two enjoy your dinner, I'll be back in an hour or so.'

Madoc walked over towards the table and lifted his medicine bag from one of the chairs, swinging it over his shoulder. He inclined his head to both Seren and Rosaleen and left the chamber.

'He seems nice,' Rosaleen said after a small silence and Seren nodded.

'And the best physician I have ever met. He never pretends as if he knows everything already; instead he always searches for new procedures, soaking up new knowledge to help the people better.' A faint smile tugged at Seren's lips as he was lost in thought for a moment, but then he walked towards the table as well, lifting a plate between his hands.

'No, wait,' Rosaleen said when he prepared to hand it over to her in bed. 'I think I can stand,' she continued, pushing the sheets back and swinging her legs over the side.

The bed stood low by the ground and the stone floor felt cold and smooth under her bare feet. She still wore the same white, somewhat loose trousers she had worn while trekking through the desert and she pulled the blouse a bit farther back over her shoulders as it was too big for her posture; revealing too much of her bandaged chest to her liking. She took a deep breath and pushed herself off the mattress.

Immediately, a dizziness washed over her and the chamber swayed in front of her while red, blue and purple dots danced through her perivision in a flickering manner. Her legs wobbled underneath her and she feared she was going to collapse until two strong hands clasped around her elbows, steadying her stance.

'Damn it, Rose,' Seren cursed as she rapidly blinked to sharpen her vision and laid her hands on his underarms as well. 'Your stubbornness will be the death of you.'

Rosaleen flinched at his words, dropping her gaze towards her feet when the strength had returned to her. Her dizziness made way for a guilty feeling. 'I'm sorry I denied I was hurt and refused your help,' she apologised softly, glancing quickly up at him before focussing on her toes again. 'It was stupid.'

Seren let out a heavy sigh, softly stroking her arms with his thumbs through the thin fabric of the blouse before he caught himself in the act and withdrew his hands. 'It was very stupid,' he agreed and Rosaleen's shoulders slumped as she dropped her hands back to her side, mirroring his movements.

'I'm really sorry,' she whispered.

'I know.' He paused for a second, searching for the right thing to say as the already spoken words still lingered in the silence. 'I wish I could say I'm mad and scold you more, but that would be a lie. I'm just happy you're still alive,' he finally said.

Rosaleen's eyes shot back up to meet his hazel coloured ones, and his brown of the sharp rocks softened to the green of deep waters. She gave him a watery smile, her vision misty from the kept in tears and Seren was quick to pull her in a hug. Rosaleen was almost as tall as he was, though his broader and stronger posture always made him seem taller. His arms enveloped her and his body warmth wrapped around her like a comfortable blanket while she embraced him carefully, breathing in his familiar scent of cinnamon and oranges.

'Don't ever scare me like that again,' Seren said, strengthening his grip as if she could disappear any second.

'Ow, Seren, my ribs,' Rosaleen managed to bring out between a pained gasp.

He let go of her as quickly as he had pulled her in a hug, an apology falling from his lips as he took a step back.

'It's all right,' she muttered, glancing at him while a part of her already missed the warmth of his embrace as her heart hammered against her chest. However, she shook the feeling off; Seren was her best friend and she refused to use him to fill the cold gap in her heart that a certain High King had left there.

Seren didn't miss the look she gave him and his own heart was torn but he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. 'Let's eat before the soup goes cold,' he said with a half smile and Rosaleen nodded, slowly walking towards the table as her legs still felt a bit weak but she made it without falling or fainting.

She almost collapsed on the wooden chair, taking deep breaths to fight the fatigue and blinking a few times to sharpen her vision. Whatever the poison had been, it had taken a toll on her. She took up the silver spoon while Seren sat down across from her and she slowly stirred with it through the soup, making little eight-figures as her appetite was a bit lost.

'How long was I unconscious?' she asked him, her foggy mind not remembering he had told her the Tisroc and his company still had to arrive at the castle.

'Not too long,' Seren answered her as he blew on his soup. 'You fainted yesterday afternoon and we arrived at castle Anvard in the wee hours of this morning.'

'So that means, the feast is in three days.'

Seren looked at Rosaleen, her stirring with the spoon faltered but her expression was unreadable.

'Sometimes I wonder what's going on inside your head,' he said. Their eyes crossed for a heartbeat until he focussed on his soup, dipping a piece of bread in it and letting it soak up the vegetable green liquid.

'You and I both,' she said with a sigh. She dropped the spoon and leaned back in her chair while Seren raised a curious eyebrow.

'How can you not know what's going on inside your mind?'

Rosaleen shrugged before twirling a strand of her blonde hair between her thumb and index finger, her eyes following the movements as the end's curl flicked from left to right. 'It's as if I feel so many things at once, I don't even know anymore. It's a whirlwind of emotions inside my mind, all screaming to get the upper hand, but it only results in me ignoring it all? It's hard to explain.'

Seren had to admit he didn't understand much of it, but as was his nature, he wanted to help. 'Alright,' he said slowly, leaning back in his chair as well. He studied her green eyes, trying to transport himself in her position. 'Are you nervous to return to Cair Paravel? It's been eight months since you've been home, right?'

Rosaleen nodded, a lump forming itself in her throat. 'Eight months since he─.' Her voice broke but Seren encouraged her to say it by giving her a meaningful look. In all that time, she had only said it out loud once; only to tell her brother what had happened and then she had buried it under layers of denial.

'Eight months since Peter told me we couldn't be together,' she said in a whisper, tears filling her eyes and all of the sudden, they resembled a rained-over forest.

Seren gave her a few moments to regain her posture while he fought his own pain as he sympathised with her. 'Sad as well, then.'

'Yes,' she said, her voice cracking as she took deep breaths and wiped away the tears that fell from her eyes with the palm of her hand. Her cheeks felt hot under her touch and she hated how vulnerable she felt at the moment. She dodged Seren's eyes, her face heating up even more, she didn't want him to see this side of her.

'It's alright,' Seren said as if he had felt her uneasiness. 'It's just you and I here. I would never use this against you nor do I judge. Heartbreak hurts terribly, if not, they would've called it differently. If you want to heal from it though, you must first let go.'

Rosaleen frantically shook her head, her eyes displaying agony while she wrapped her arms around her body. 'I can't. It hurts too much,' she said as she swallowed in the sobs that threatened to escape from her.

Seren stood up from his seat, walked around the table and crouched down at her side. He had to look up now to meet her gaze and though Rosaleen still tried to dodge his eyes, once they locked, her facade started to crumble like cracks appearing in a wall.

'Let go, Rose,' he said softly. 'Let it all out.'

She tried shaking her head in denial once more but when he opened his arms in a warm gesture, telling her silently he would be there for her, she gave in. She broke down as the sobs ripped through her body and caused her to bend forward, her forehead almost touching the table. Her shoulders shook violently and her tears finally flowed freely after months, the hot tears leaving a burning trail on her cheeks as if they were liquid fire.

Seren said nothing, but pulled her out of the chair before she truly could hit her head on the table and sat the both of them down on the floor.

Rosaleen collapsed in his arms, her emotions tumbling out of her like a raging waterfall, and he comforted, consoled and supported her with simply his presence. The physical pain of her ribs throbbed with the agony of her heartbreak in the same soaring rhythm, but as she faced her sadness and pain, she slowly realised there was another ritmic sound that echoed between the corners of her mind; Seren's calming heartbeat.

She clutched onto it like a life-line as she fought to make peace with her emotions, and the sound of his heartbeat grew stronger with every passing second while her mind silenced more and more.

'I'm angry too,' Rosaleen finally said, one side of her face still resting against his chest and she glanced up just as he looked down on her.

He cocked his head a bit to the side. 'Angry?'

She nodded slowly as she broke their eye contact and stared off without seeing anything. Seren's red tunic felt soft under her touch and she gathered a handful of it near her face, strengthening her grip on him in a way while he drew comforting circles with his fingers on her back.

'All those years we were together,' Rosaleen started, voicing the thoughts that started to make sense in her mind, 'and he cast me aside as if it had meant nothing to him. As if I had meant nothing to him, and he never even gave me a proper explanation. So yes, I am angry as well.'

'I think you have every right to be angry,' Seren said, not even missing a heartbeat. 'As long as you don't let it consume you from the inside.'

She pulled away from him, a slight sniff escaping her, and he gave her a half-smile in understanding.

'I'll try not to,' she said with still watery eyes, but both of them snapped their heads towards the door when it swung open and collided with the wall in a bang.

A young boy sprinted inside, his blond hair reflecting the fading rays of sunshine like a light source on its own. His light eyes sparkled like the summer's sea and a small cobalt blue cloak whirled around him as he skipped farther into the physician's workspace.

'Uncle, uncle,' the young boy chirped. 'You promised to tell me about the Great Desert after dinner. It's after dinner now.' The boy came to a halt in front of Seren and a frown appeared on his youthful face as he looked between Seren and Rosaleen.

'Why are you sitting on the floor? Adults never sit on the floor.'

Seren grinned, leaning a bit back and placing the palm of his hands on the stone floor. 'Their loss, honestly. I love sitting on the floor, they're missing out.'

Rosaleen suppressed a chuckle and the young boy turned his attention to her. 'Have you been crying?' he asked, his face dropping as he realised what her red and puffy eyes meant. 'You look like you've been crying.'

Rosaleen moved a bit until she sat cross-legged in front of the boy. 'I was. It hurts to be an adult at times.'

The boy flopped down on the floor as well, the shallow thud of it echoing between the walls. 'I don't think I ever want to grow up, uncle.'

Seren hummed in understanding. 'It's a trap. Try to stay a child as long as you can.'

The boy flinched though, when a woman's voice thundered through the room and Rosaleen looked around the boy to see an elderly woman standing in the doorway. Her wrinkled face was heated and some strands of her grey hair had escaped from the tight knot on the back of her head, peaking in all sorts of directions.

'Prince Corin,' the woman exclaimed between a heavy panting, 'how many times have I told you not to run off like that?'

'I'm sorry, governess,' Corin apologised and he turned around on his bum to give the woman a pouting look, his bottom lip stuck forward. 'But I wanted to see uncle. He promised to tell me a story.'

The governess gave Seren a stern look as well who in return flashed her a charming smile and his hazel coloured eyes twinkled like gemstones in a cave.

Rosaleen probably would have thought both boys looked endearing like that, but her mind was still processing the fact that the young boy was Prince Corin and Seren his uncle, and she felt her jaw slightly dropping.

Seren noticed her bewilderment and he scooted closer towards his nephew, gently turning him around so that they faced each other.

'I know I promised you to tell all of my adventures,' Seren began, guilt sounding through his voice, 'but my friend, Rosaleen, was feeling a bit sad and we haven't finished our dinner yet. If you go with the governess now, I'll find you when it's time for bed, and then I promise to tell you all about the sand serpents that lurk under the desert's surface; ready to strike.' Seren jumped into a crouching position by the last three words and attacked Corin's stomach in a tickling manner, causing the young Prince to let out giggling squeals as he tried to wriggle away from Seren's tickling fingers.

'Stop it, uncle!' Corin said with hiccups of laughter, and Seren grinned as he stopped his attack and leaned with his under arms on the top of his knees.

'You promise?' Corin asked and Seren nodded solemnly.

'I'll cross my heart,' he answered and Corin's eyes lit up. The young Prince jumped up and slipped his small hand in the outstretched one of the governess who led the both of them out of the physician's chamber, and leaving Seren and Rosaleen alone once more.

Seren rose to his feet and offered to pull Rosaleen back up as well, and her green eyes were still wide in astonishment.

'So, that was Prince Corin,' she said when she had gotten up from the floor too and pushed back the shallow pain of her ribs.

'That's right,' Seren agreed after a small silence.

'And you're his uncle.'

He hummed, running a hand through his short dark blond hair before giving her a sarcastic bow. 'Prince Seren, at your service, youngest half-brother of King Lune. Same father, different mother, the scandal was huge.'

Rosaleen let out a short chuckle in disbelief. 'How come I never knew? We've known each other for, what? Three years?'

Seren straightened his back again and gestured at her to sit down at the table while he did the same and leaned back in his chair.

'You know what happened to Prince Corin's twin brother, right?'

Rosaleen nodded, remembering all too well that horrible day seven years ago when King Lune, Queen Lavinia and their infant twin sons had visited Narnia. They had brought their children to Narnia to be blessed by a centaur and while the centaur had spoken a prophecy about Prince Cor and how he would one day save Archenland from the greatest danger it ever would be in, the Prince in question was abducted and never seen again.

'We know Prince Cor must be somewhere in Calormen,' Seren continued but Rosaleen noticed how he suddenly looked tired and seemed older than his twenty-seven years, the loss of his nephew weighing on him heavily.

He took a deep breath and the determination returned to him, strengthening his shoulders and posture. 'I can travel through the lands as an emissary without any questions asked and I hadn't used my title as a Prince in years, it was perfect for me to maintain the relationship between Archenland and Calormen. The Tisroc trusts me, he doesn't know I'm royalty, and King Lune knows I would never betray him. One day, I will find Prince Cor and bring him home.'

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