Hey! Elactress here! This is the first chapter of a Narnia fanfiction I've been working on. I spent over a year on this! (No promises). I'm publishing this as a one-shot but if there's enough interest I'll keep working on it. So read and review!

The patter of bare feet against stone floors echoed through the large, drafty halls of the Telmarine castle. A young girl, no older than seven, came dashing around the corner, giggling as a young girl does when filled with a blissful naivety. Her dark, ebony hair and soft, olive skin promised great beauty even at such an early age. Already she had attracted the wandering and jealous eyes of many in the court. As she ran past several servants, who turned to look at her with bewildered expressions, another small figure rounded the corner. It was a boy, some years older than her, with the same innocent look of joy on his face and the tell-tale dark hair and skin of their people.

"I'm gonna get you, Angie!" He shouted, inciting a squeal of excitement from the girl.

"Only if you can catch me!" She teased, picking up speed.

Evangeline, for that was the girl's full name, shoved through the doors at the end of the stone corridor and ran into the empty throne room. Her stomach tingled in anticipation, expecting to feel the boy's arms around her at any moment.

"Hurry up, Caspian!" She giggled eagerly, listening for his footsteps close behind her and waiting for a playful retort.

There was none.

Evangeline's giggling stopped abruptly as she slowed to a halt in the middle of the room, her delight slowly fading into distress. She listened apprehensively for the sound of sneaking footsteps, but was greeted only by a silence that made her heart drop ever so slightly.

As a mild panic built up in the back of her mind, she slowly turned around to face the doorway and her fears were confirmed.

No one was there.

Feeling somewhat lost, the young girl glanced timidly around the room, which suddenly appeared much larger and more intimidating than it had before. She was beginning to wish she'd never let Caspian talk her into skipping lessons in the first place. As she backed towards the doorway, a loud bang echoed through the room and she jumped around to find both doors slammed shut. A frightened whimper escaped her pale lips.

"Caspian?"

"GOTCHA!"

Evangeline let out a shriek of terror as two arms wrapped around her waist and whirled her about the room. Her face was as white as a sheet when her feet touched the floor again and she turned to glare angrily at her companion. Caspian's eyes were gleaming brightly as he beamed down at her, chuckling loudly at his innocent trick. Like Evangeline, he was already displaying signs of great strength and physique, and was thought of as quite a dashing young boy. He stood now, towering over her as tears filled her eyes.

"Caspian! Don't do that!" She cried.

"Aw, come on. I was only messing with you!" He smirked.

This only made her more upset. With as much pride as she could manage, the young girl stomped over to the steps in front of the throne. She threw herself down with a 'humph', her lip quivering. Caspian's smile faltered.

"Evangeline?" He asked softly.

The girl said nothing, but he could hear her quiet sniffling. Guilt overtaking him, the young prince approached the steps and lowered himself onto his knees beside her.

"Hey…Evangeline?"

"Go away." She mumbled, but Caspian didn't miss the tremor in her voice.

"Angie, I'm sorry. I was just playing around; I didn't mean to hurt you. Honest, I didn't!"

Evangeline turned to him, tears running down her face.

"Why do you have to be so mean?" She cried. "You always scare me!"

"I do not!"

"Do to!"

"Please? I promise not to do it anymore, okay? I really am sorry."

The young girl continued to pout angrily, avoiding his gaze with fierce stubbornness.

"Please don't be mad at me, Evangeline. You're my bestest friend in the whole wide world."

Evangeline said nothing, but he could see the hesitation in her eyes. He smiled teasingly.

"C'mon, Angie. I'll let you hit me, okay? Will that make things better?"

The young girl's eyes darted up to stare at him incredulously, and somewhat hopefully. Knowing he'd caught her, Caspian shifted himself to make his shoulder a target, upholding his offer with a smirk of encouragement. Her eyes brightened and Caspian felt relief flow through him as a grin appeared on her face. Her hand balled up into a fist and the prince braced himself as she gave him a hard whack to the shoulder, turning away in satisfaction.

"Does this mean you forgive me?" He asked. She nodded.

"I forgive you, Caspian. Promise me you won't do it again?" Evangeline pleaded.

Her big, brown eyes gazed distressingly up at him, still gleaming with unshed tears. Caspian nodded, pulling her small form into his arms.

"I promise, Angie."

"EVANGELINE!"

A loud, harsh, booming voice from the opposite side of the room sent the two children darting away from each other, guilty expressions mirrored on their faces. General Glozelle stood with an expression of irritation and anger. His eyes narrowed at their close proximity. With a frustrated sigh, he strode towards the dais and pulled Evangeline to her feet, dragging her swiftly towards the door.

"Your nurse has been scouring the castle all day looking for you! How do you believe I felt when she came dashing into the middle of a very important council with Miraz telling me that you were missing? I've wasted an entire day searching for you, scared out of my wits, and what have you been doing? Running through the halls like a madman with Caspian!"

"Please, Lord Glozelle, it wasn't her fault! It was all mine, really!" Caspian pleaded, running in front of them. "I'm the one who wanted her to play with me. Please, don't be mad at Angie!"

"Your Highness, you should be with the Professor now. This doesn't concern you." Glozelle brushed him off.

As he pulled Evangeline through the doors, she turned back to look longingly at Caspian, who returned her gaze sadly. As the throne room disappeared behind them, Glozelle stopped suddenly and kneeled down in front of her, his eyes firm. He let out a heavy sigh.

"Evangeline, Caspian is the future king of Telmar. You must stop distracting him from his lessons with these silly games and learn your place, even if that means keeping you apart."

Evangeline's eyes widened in terror.

"No, please don't! I promise I won't distract him anymore! And I'll never run from Tila again, I swear I won't! Look, I'll go to my room right now, okay? Please, daddy?" She begged, tears threatening to spill once more.

A long silence passed. Glozelle contemplated her plea, stroking his beard in thought. Slowly, he nodded.

"Very well, Evangeline. But you must keep your promises. Stick to your studies and never interfere with Caspian's lessons. Understood?"

"I understand." She nodded eagerly.

"Good. If I hear any nonsense about missed lessons again, I will not hesitate to go back on my word."

Yet even as he said this, the General's gaze softened. Rising to his feet, he placed a rough kiss in her hair.

"Now, go on. Tila is waiting for you."

XXXXX

5 Years Later

Despite her father's harsh warnings, Evangeline and Caspian only continued to grow closer as the years went by. All day long they were kept apart, each engulfed in their studies while their minds were elsewhere, both wishing for a freedom they could never have. They saw each other as often as possible with the generous assistance of Caspian's tutor, Doctor Cornelius, who sometimes encouraged that the two take lessons together. Little was accomplished during this time.

XXXXX

It was another quiet day at the castle, the rain drizzling down outside and pattering softly against the windows of the library where two young teens sat quietly at one of the tables in the center of the room.

Caspian, now a clever boy of fourteen, glanced up from the map he was studying to observe his young companion. Evangeline had her head bowed low over a large and thick book. Her eyes were trailing the words on the page with great disinterest, while her cheek rested lazily against her fist. At twelve years old, she continued to grow lovelier with each day, though Caspian hardly paid attention. Right now, his mind was filled with mischief and a wicked smile crossed his face. With a swift movement under the table, his foot came into contact with Evangeline's leg.

"Ouch!" She yelped. Immediately, her eyes rose to glare daggers at the young prince, who grinned.

Evangeline merely grimaced, then returned to the book in front of her.

Caspian frowned. Quickly scanning the area around him, he grabbed hold of a dusty, old book and flipped to the last page. As inconspicuously as possible, he ripped it out of the binding and crumpled it into a ball. Leaning forward, he flicked it forcefully at Evangeline and watched with satisfaction as it hit the center of her forehead. She raised her head with an exasperated sigh.

"Caspian, we're supposed to be working." She said.

"Come on. When was the last time we actually got anything done in here?" Caspian leaned against the table nonchalantly.

"Maybe doing something would be nice for a change."

Caspian was suddenly directly in front of her, hand on her forehead.

"Are you feeling alright, Angie? You don't sound like you. Let's see. Your eyes have this look of complete and utter boredom and you're glaring at me quite irritably. I've seen this before. You've been struck with a horrible case of responsibility!"

"Alright, alright! I give up!" She laughed, pushing his hands away. She closed the book on the table with a satisfying thud and turned to face him.

"So what'll it be today, then?" Evangeline asked.

"Your pick: restricted books or rail sliding."

"Aren't we getting a little old for these games?"

"Restricted books it is, then."

With a bell-like laugh, Evangeline stood from her chair and they took off racing to the back of the library, where all of the oldest and most "forbidden" books lined the shelves. Though they had failed to find any information worthwhile in the past, Caspian was determined to uncover the secrets he was sure remained buried within the pages of these books, and so their quest continued.

Evangeline had lost interest in the search long ago, finding nothing exciting about looking through dusty old books, but continued to search tirelessly in an effort to humor her friend and perhaps discover some secrets in the process.

She took her place now, hunting through the lower shelves, while Caspian sprung to the top of the ladder that gained them access to higher ledges, excitement practically radiating off of his body in waves. For a moment, Evangeline's own task was forgotten as she watched the prince heave open the first book his hands touched, his eyes gleaming brighter than torches as he was showered in a layer of dust. A barely concealed laugh escaped her lips as Caspian gazed down at her curiously.

"What did I do?" he asked.

Evangeline only grinned and continued paging half-heartedly through the old books in front of her.

"Hey. Hey Angie, I think I've got something!" Caspian called excitedly.

She looked up in surprise.

"Really?"

"Did you know Lord Sopespian is part goat?"

He just managed to dodge the book Evangeline threw at him.

"It was a joke!"

The girl below him only laughed, beaming up at him with a smile that could have outshone the stars. Caspian watched her with a hidden smile of his own, slightly unnerved as his heart began to pound against his chest. With a start, he realized Evangeline had caught him staring at her.

In an attempt to regain some dignity, the prince quickly turned away and reached for the book she had thrown at him. Then he froze. Noticing his expression, Evangeline paused to look up at him in concern.

"Caspian? What's wrong?"

He gave no reply, but flipped rapidly through the book's contents, a frenzied and animated excitement growing within him as his eyes glowed with a thirst for knowledge.

"I see you've finally found it."

Evangeline let out a squeak of surprise as the two whipped around to see Doctor Cornelius calmly watching them. Caspian jumped down from the ladder and approached his tutor, book in hand.

"Are the stories really true?" He asked, eyes gleaming.

Evangeline gasped. Scrambling to her feet, the young girl dashed to Caspian's side and practically tore the book open as her expression quickly mimicked his.

"Old Narnia!" She trembled in excitement. "Oh, professor, please tell us!"

The elder man smiled with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, slowly bending down to his students.

"I think it's time we begin your astronomy lessons."

XXXXX

3 years later

Snow fell through the frozen air, dusting the castle in a layer of white. Night had fallen long ago, and the halls were dark and quiet.

The peace was disturbed as Evangeline stepped quickly from her room, feet bare and candle in hand. She shivered as an icy draft came upon her, then hurried quietly down the hall. As two guards turned the corner, she gasped, dropping the candle and dashing into a shadowed nook within the wall. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest. She listened apprehensively as the guards passed by unfazed. Letting out a breath of relief, Evangeline slumped against the wall and glanced at the blown-out candle on the floor. She sighed.

"Well done, Evangeline."

She was suddenly yanked back against a tall figure as two arms wrapped tightly around her waist. She opened her mouth to scream and a hand quickly stifled her.

"Shh! Do you want the whole castle to know we're here?" A familiar voice hushed her.

Evangeline relaxed immediately, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Caspian, you idiot!"

She turned to glare at her companion, who kept her firmly in his grasp as he smiled down at her.

"Is that any way to greet me? After I went through all the trouble of sneaking out to meet you?"

"This was your idea!"

"Yes, and I see now how little my ideas are appreciated."

"You-!"

"Shh!" Caspian placed a finger gently on her lips, looking anxiously about the hall. Seeing the questioning look on Evangeline's face, he smiled reassuringly and pulled her to walk beside him.

"My uncle has been keeping me under high watch as of late." He sighed. "I believe he suspects something of our friendship, but the professor thinks otherwise."

"Otherwise?"

"He believes the only reason I live is because my uncle has no heir."

"And you disagree?"

Caspian stopped in his tracks.

"Evangeline. In just over a year I will come of age and take my father's place on the throne. Miraz has given me no reason to suspect foul play and, until he does, I cannot allow myself to worry over what will never happen."

"The lack of an heir will not stop Miraz from doing whatever he can to obtain the throne. You know this better than anyone, Caspian. Please, please do not assume there is no danger." Evangeline begged, her grip tightening on his arm. Caspian looked down at her in slight surprise.

"You're really that worried about me?"

She nodded, eyes fixed upon his. Caspian smiled softly.

"There's no need to worry, Evangeline. I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself. And I'll always have you, won't I?"

Evangeline smirked, playfully bumping his shoulder.

"What on earth would you do without me?"

Caspian laughed and took her hands in his own, brushing his fingers over her palms.

"What indeed." He grinned. Then his expression sobered. "I don't even want to think about losing you. You've always been my strength and without that...well, I might as well let Miraz take the throne."

"Don't say things like that, Caspian! Don't even think them."

She took his face in her hands, forcing him to look into her eyes.

"You have strength, Caspian, much more than I'll ever have. You have courage and passion and you give our people hope that things could be different. They're depending on you."

"Is that a compliment?" He teased.

"I'm serious!"

"So am I, Angie. Whatever happened to the girl I used to chase through these halls?"

He pressed his forehead against hers with a smirk.

"It's gonna take a lot more than that to get rid of me."

Evangeline smiled softly.

"You're going to be a great king, Caspian. I have faith in you."

Little did they know, someone was watching.

XXXXX

"Sire, she's filling our prince's head with dangerous thoughts!"

"She's his friend, my lord! She doesn't know what she's doing! Let me talk to her-"

"We gave you that chance years ago, and look what's become of it! You know what we have to do!"

"No! Sire, I implore you. Give me one last chance."

A cold silence filled the room, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife.

"Please, my lord. She's all I have left."

Another long silence. Then, at last:

"Very well, general. One. Last. Chance."

XXXXX

Caspian woke with a start, sweat dripping down his brow. His eyes darted around the room warily, searching for signs of disturbance, yet finding none. All seemed peaceful. Pondering what could have woken him, he fell back against his pillow with a sigh, rolling over to go back to sleep. That's when he heard the cry. It was a voice he would recognize anywhere. Fear struck his heart and he leapt immediately from the bed, throwing open his doors and running towards Evangeline's room. Halfway there, he heard the crying again. It came from the direction of the courtyard. Taking off again, Caspian flew to the nearest staircase and ran down several flights before he nearly crashed into a group of servants crowded at the bottom. What he saw broke his heart. Servants carried a trunk and several bags out to a waiting carriage, while Glozelle stood watching with a stony expression. Evangeline was dragged in by two soldiers, sobbing uncontrollably and still dressed in her nightgown. Caspian ran towards her.

"Evangeline!"

The professor stopped him. Hearing his voice, Evangeline twisted desperately in her escorts' arms.

"Caspian!"

"What's going on? Where are they taking her?!" Caspian struggled against his tutor.

"Glozelle is sending her to Archenland, for schooling. It's for the best, Caspian." The elder man added in a hushed tone. "For her safety, and yours."

"Damn my safety!" Caspian pushed him back. "Evangeline!"

"Caspian!"

He ran towards her, bowling over the guards that tried to stop him with blind violence. Briefly released, Evangeline gripped onto him in desperation.

"Caspian! They're sending me away!"

"Shh, Angie! It's going to be alright." He held her tightly to him. "I won't let them take you away from me."

"I'm afraid you have no choice, your highness." Glozelle seethed. "Guards."

"NO!" Caspian cried.

"Caspian, look at me!" Evangeline took his face in her hands. "Never stop fighting, alright? Remember what I told you!"

The guards seized their arms, dragging Evangeline towards the carriage. Caspian struggled frantically against them.

"Evangeline, please!"

"We will be reunited someday, Caspian! I promise you!"

"You can't leave me! Evangeline! Evangeline! Evangeline!"

XXXXX

"Evangeline!"

Caspian shot up in his bed, the name a cry on his lips. His face was dripping with sweat and he was shaking violently. He looked about the dark and empty room. A year had passed since that night. A year since she'd been taken from him. A year since the nightmares started.

Come back soon, Angie. I still need you.

Remember, if there's enough interest I'll turn this into a full-fledged story! So tell me what you think! (Please? Pretty please?)