Summary: A re-telling of the Prince Caspian movie. What if the Pevensies had returned to Narnia the same age they were when they had left? How would it alter the story and the events that are yet to unfold? How would this effect Susan and Caspian's feelings for each other? How would this effect everything including Aslan, Miraz, and the Pevensies themselves? Special thanks to LiasonMorgan who gave me the incredible idea of this story. This isn't entirely a repeat but rather a "what if" story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All rights go to their respective owners etc.


Chapter I

What would his life have been had Pruniprisma not given birth this night? What would have become of him had his Uncle not impregnated her to begin with? Where would Caspian be in years to come? Would he have taken his Father's thrown; the thrown that was rightfully his, the thrown that Miraz desired so greedily? If the baby had not been born in this frightening labor where women gathered round the struggling, heavily breathed woman who laid partially propped up in her nightgown, would young Caspian have the promise of tomorrow? On the contrary, he would not. So why would Miraz wait until the birth of a child before he could find the courage to rid himself of the Prince? He had killed his own brother, a secret so dark that too few knew it if any but himself. So why had he waited until this one night before ordering his men to do his dirty work in murdering an innocent boy, his own Nephew at that? Perhaps somewhere, in the very back of that ruthless mind, in that empty heart, this night seemed just right. But secrets tend to slip out, voices tend to be overheard, plans tend to be soiled before being achieved and lives tend to be spared even in the bleakest of moments.

The young boy turned and yawned, his dark hair pressed against the white pillow. His eyes flung open suddenly at the touch of a hand and he was greeted by a familiar face; Doctor Cornelius.

"Five more minutes." Caspian asked, brushing the Doctor off as he returned to his rest.

"You won't be studying the stars tonight, my Prince."

It was by those beginning words that Caspian was soon to realize that this night would be unpromising. This night, he would be forced to make a desperate attempt to escape.

In dwindling seconds, Caspian was pulled into what looked to be some wardrobe. It was from the crack of these doors that he witnessed shadowed figures brushing silently into his room with crossbows at hand. In the rush of moments, the boy's dark eyes witnessed the horror of what would have been had Cornelius not have been the Cornelius he was. Feathers were thrust from the sheets as the arrows pierced the covers and it didn't take long for the men to reckon that they had been fooled. There was no Prince Caspian anywhere in this room, and if they did not rid Miraz of his Nephew this night, there would be some hell to pay.

Now Caspian was rushing down a stairwell and making his way into the armory room where he quickly suited himself in leather, fitting a fine sheath and blade at his side. The boy found seating on the saddle of a brown steed, and in this moment he was told by his beloved Cornelius that he mustn't return, not here and not now. Yet, there were still so many things that Cornelius was yet to explain to Caspian, things that would only dampen the boy's faith even further. But he was instead told to leave and so he did.

Crossing the long stone bridge, Caspian could feel his heart skipping beats as the horses' steps pounded against the ground. He knew they were there, they were indeed on his tail, and as frightened as he was he knew his only chance would be to face it head on, to swallow and be a brave man even if he were but a young boy.

Now here was the water, waiting for him to cross, as if rallying him onward. The riders were gaining in on him and he readied the steed and so they ventured forward, risking the strong chance of drowning. One of the riders had toppled over, luckily for Caspian, and he made it out of the water eventually and he carried on into the woodlands from there. The woods ahead were a symbol of hope that the Telmarines would not be so daring in their superstitious beliefs to cross the boundaries of the trees.

Now here was the dodging of trees and the lack of moonlight that struggled to peer it's haze through the shadows of the wood. But the boy was foolish. While glancing behind him in hopes of seeing just how far or close behind the Telmarines were, he missed the chance of dodging the low limbs that hung over the pathway, and when his head was struck the boy was literally drug by his steed until he managed to free himself. The frightened horse carried on, but Caspian was left in alone in the clearing.

The attempt to get back to his feet was challenging. The fall had come hard, not to mention the pain to his head. Caspian knew the soldiers would find him. He was laying here in a clearing, in the woods that Cornelius had told him to flee to, assuming the Telmarines would not follow him. But Cornelius had been wrong. The soldiers did.

Then came a sound, a sound made by a creature un-human. Caspian lifted his head, looking around and seeing a strange phenomenon crawl out from a dwelling hidden beneath a tree. The boy gasped at this sight, not knowing and almost not believing what was before him. He was frightened and it was soon made clear that he was not welcomed by these strangers. The boy struggled to crawl away, but the attempt would be useless. The creature had also noticed the sound of horsemen making way towards the clearing.

They spoke to each other, these bearded little men. One would hold off the Telmarines while the other took care of the stray boy.

Caspian felt the walls of doom closing in on him, the fatal possibility of dying at the hands of an enemy was becoming too much of a reality for comfort. But just when he thought he was doomed, and these enemies seemed to think they had him right where they wanted, he remembered…

The horn! Cornelius gave it to you for dire needs, now is the chance to use it!

And so the horn was blown, and even though Caspian was captured despite any effort he made, somewhere a door would be opened.

To Be Continued…