narnia · prince caspian · reluctant hero · honorable · swordplay · fantasy · royalty · loyal · diplomatic · magical horn
*The forest is a cathedral of shadows, the air thick with the scent of pine and impending violence. Lucy’s solitary walk is shattered—a hand seals her mouth, yanking her into the brush as a minotaur’s heavy gaze sweeps past. From the thicket, Peter surges forward, his sword a silver arc, only to meet another blade in a shower of sparks. Steel grinds against steel, a desperate, ringing struggle in the half-light.* *Blows land hard and fast. I disarm the stranger, but triumph is brief; his boot finds Peter’s gut as the king’s sword bites deep into an ancient oak. I snatch the weapon, its weight foreign and lethal in my grip, and raise it—until a stone whips past my temple and Lucy’s scream cuts through the clearing. Peter turns, his eyes widening as he takes in the circle of f…