Ch 5: First Visitors
The soft creak of the door broke the heavy silence of the ward, a subtle intrusion that signaled more than just company—it was the return of politics, masks, and veiled threats.
Caspian’s eyes shifted toward the sound, slow but alert beneath the guise of fatigue. He didn’t move much—couldn’t—but he didn’t need to. He could see. He could listen.
Queen Isabella steps into the room, regal and composed, her posture impeccable, her expression carefully serene.
Her smile was delicate, well-rehearsed, like porcelain lacquered over steel.
Prince Valerian follows a step behind, his gait measured, eyes glinting with a cruel sort of amusement.
He looked at Caspian the way a hawk might look at a wounded rabbit. Curious. Calculating.
Caspian lies still, watching, measuring.
Queen Isabella Alistair(ml mother)
“You’re looking better, Caspian. It’s remarkable, truly. The doctors say your recovery is… faster than expected.”
Her voice was soft silk pulled tight across thorns. Her gaze drifted to Valerian—just a flicker—but it said more than her smile did.
Caspian offers a small nod, lips pressed into a line, saying nothing.
He didn’t waste energy pretending. Let them wonder. Let them squirm.
Valerian steps closer, slow and casual, like a predator testing a trap.
Prince Valerian Alistair
“Mother, it’s good to see him awake. Though I must say, I wonder how much of this is true recovery. Sometimes, the body heals… but the mind?”
He tilts his head slightly, lips curling.
Prince Valerian Alistair
“That’s another matter, isn’t it?”
Caspian meets his gaze, quiet, cold.
That smile of Valerian’s was polished filth. A show for his mother. A warning for him.
Queen Isabella’s eyes harden for a brief second.
Queen Isabella Alistair(ml mother)
“Valerian, spare the dramatics. He’s still fragile. We should be grateful for any progress.”
Prince Valerian Alistair
“Progress is progress,”
he says, smooth as wine but laced with poison.
Prince Valerian Alistair
“But I wonder—what exactly did he see? Or remember?”
He lingers on the word remember, watching Caspian’s face too closely.
Caspian gives nothing away. Just a flick of the eyes. A slow blink. A silence sharper than words.
Caspian Lucas Alistair(ml)
[ They’re not here to comfort me, he thought. They’re here to measure the threat. ]
He watches without blinking, his mind moving faster than his mouth ever could.
Queen Isabella glances away, adjusting the silk at her wrists.
Queen Isabella Alistair(ml mother)
“You must rest, Caspian. Your body needs time to heal. We’ll be watching over you.”
There it was. Not a promise. A warning. A chain disguised as care.
Prince Valerian Alistair
“Of course. We all want to see him strong again. Isn’t that right, Mother?”
He grins. A little too wide.
Caspian forces a faint smile, jaw tight.
Caspian Lucas Alistair(ml)
“Thank you.”
His voice is hoarse, quiet. But steady.
It was enough. Enough to reassure. Enough to deflect. Enough to hide behind.
Queen Isabella and Valerian exchange a brief look—something unreadable, something practiced.
Then they turn, and leave.
Caspian exhales, slow. Eyes narrowing.
They weren’t here out of kindness. They came to watch him. To probe for weakness. To decide if he still fit inside their game.
Let them play, he thought. I’ve played better ones.
And that was all he needed.
Cherrie
Hey, thanks for sticking with me through Chapter 5. This one was all about tension—reading between the lines, watching the masks shift. Caspian may be broken on the outside, but inside, he’s sharper than ever. Hope you enjoyed the subtle power play. More unraveling (and plotting) to come in the next chapter. See you there!
Comments
Ashleydew
I can't wait for the next chapter
and thank you for the update, author
2025-05-16
1