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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 all the colours of the rainbow as the rays of the setting sun fell upon the gentle moving water. The cries of the seagulls echoed throughout the salty air, occasionally accompanied with the laughter of merpeople who jumped through the water's surface with the grace of dolphins. Their fins were translucent against the golden sky and their pale skin glistened like starlight as the water droplets glided off their scales.

On the top of the cliff at the edge of the ocean stood a white-stoned castle, its vibrant colour almost functioning like a beacon and calling out to every magical and mythical creature in the area.

It had taken the new King of Narnia five years, but at last, Cair Paravel stood tall and proud as if it had never been destroyed during the Telmarine Conquest.

The rebuilding of the citadel called for a celebration and at the eve of this year's summer's solstice, the main road to the magnificent castle was packed with noble families from Archenland, Calormen, and Narnia alike.

Darkan Evander, however, did not travel over the main road. The silver golden grains of sand muted the clickety-clack of his dappled grey stallion and Sunfire snorted when the cool water engulfed around its legs.

Darkan swiftly put the reins in his left hand and used his other to pat Sunfire's muscular neck. 'Easy, boy,' he said, all while not taking his blue eyes off the castle that grew in size with every step.

Cair Paravel's many towers seemed to reach for the clouds and Darkan smiled when he noticed one of the towers pointed right at the first appearing star in the sky. He hardly thought that was a coincidence.

Ever since he had heard about King Caspian's plan to rebuild Cair Paravel, Darkan had been determined to see it with his own eyes some day, and the adrenaline rushed through his veins by the sight right in front of him.

The temperature dropped a few degrees when Darkan and Sunfire stepped into the castle's shadow looming over the beach, and the raven-haired Archenlander had to stretch his neck upwards to see the top of the citadel. Out of the corner of his eye, though, Darkan spotted a narrow path leading up the massive cliff. He swung his leg over the saddle and landed with a soft thud on the sand, his chainmail ringing like bells due to the movement and he quickly made sure the longsword was still safely strapped to Sunfire's back.

'You see that,' Darkan said to the horse, gesturing to the hidden path as well. 'That's our way in.'

Sunfire whinnied softly, his dark eyes almost giving Darkan a judgemental look.

Darkan shrugged and grabbed the reins once again, leading Sunfire by hand towards the path overgrown with apple trees. He pushed a pair of branches away and observed the path for a few heartbeats. The orchard seemed to be the wildest here at the foot of the beach, but farther up ahead it looked doable; even for his horse.

Darkan clacked with his tongue and reluctantly, Sunfire started to follow his master.

The smell of apples, bark, grass leaves and earth surrounded Darkan as he searched a way through the unkept orchard, but after a few yards, the path became indeed less trying as he'd expected. He even could've been able to ride Sunfire again if only the branches hadn't lingered at exactly the same height as his face would have been.

The golden sky darkened to a kingly purple, but hinted at a royal blue when Darkan and Sunfire finally entered the northern courtyard of Cair Paravel through a small yet open door.

Darkan's chest heaved up and down from the steep climb and the muscles in his legs burned, but he still smiled with content. He had made it into Cair Paravel without being seen, although. . .

'Who are you? What are you doing here?' a young man's voice asked suspiciously, and Darkan whirled around while Sunfire nibbled nervously on the bridle bit.

At his side stood a stable boy who seemed to be a few years younger than Darkan. His short, dirty blond hair moved rhythmically with the nightly breeze and he crossed his arms over his chest as the two boys observed each other.

'My name's Darkan. Just looking for a place to stall my horse,' Darkan said, keeping his voice even, but the stable boy raised an eyebrow.

'You're a long way from the main gate, sir.'

Darkan raised one of the corners of his mouth in a half-smirk. 'I never said I came through the main gate.'

The boy's eyes darted to the small door behind them leading to the hidden path before turning his attention back on Darkan. 'I require your invitation, sir,' he said while holding out his hand, and Darkan pondered about his options. Then, with a sigh, he yielded.

'Alright.' He opened Sunfire's saddle bag and carefully felt around. 'I haven't been home in quite a while, so I don't have exactly an invitation to the feast, but I do have this. . .' With a small chuckle of victory, Darkan held up a roll of parchment.

The stable boy's jaw dropped. 'Are those. . ?'

'Papers of nobility? Yes, they are,' Darkan finished his unspoken question. He unrolled the parchment and handed it to the stable boy whose fingers trembled as they glided over the golden inked letters.

'The Evander family,' the stable boy read, slightly in awe.

'Yes. Give them to your superior if you don't know who I am, but I'm fairly sure I have received an invitation, even though I haven't been home in quite some time, as I said.'

The stable boy shot him a look. 'I know who the Evanders are.' He visibly paled, though, when he realized his mistake. 'My apologies, Lord Evander.'

Darkan shuddered. 'Please, don't call me like that. Lord Evander is my father, you're making me feel ancient. What is your name?'

The stable boy opened and closed his mouth a few times, unsure if he could trust the stranger's kindness. 'Caolán,' he eventually answered.

Darkan tossed him a golden coin. 'Well, Caolán, please take good care of my horse, and I'd like those papers back. I'll probably need them again before I can enter the castle.'

Caolán stared wide-eyed at the coin and Darkan patted him on his shoulder while taking back the scroll of parchment. (He didn't tell the boy he had stolen those coins from pirates roaming between the Lone Islands; sometimes it was better not to know the whole truth.)

'Thank you, Lord Ev─, Darkan, sir,' Caolán said, quickly catching himself and he took Sunfire's reins. 'If I may, sir, next time I suggest you use the main gate. This path is not meant for regular use. The trees of the orchard are old, ancient actually, planted during the Golden Age. The King doesn't want to see them damaged.'

Darkan eyed the trees just peaking above Cair Paravel's castle walls, but then he nodded in understanding.

'The Great Hall is. . . that way,' Caolán muttered the last words when he noticed Darkan was already crossing the courtyard with long and determined strides.

Darkan simply followed the growing sound of the voices until he could join the crowd gathering at the foot of some broad stairs. They led to a pair of massive doors, and beautiful sculpted roses decorated the white stones of the archway.

The conversations between the nobles silenced, however, when the doors swung open and a warm, golden light penetrated the ascending darkness of the night. A silhouette, dark in contrast to the light coming from inside, appeared and it spread its arms in a welcoming gesture.

'Welcome, my Lord and Ladies─' King Caspian's voice echoed over the silent courtyard─ 'to Cair Paravel. Please, come inside.'

Excited murmurs rose up from the crowd as the ones at the front solemnly ascended the stairs, following the King to the Great Hall.

Darkan, on the other hand, couldn't contain his enthusiasm and ran up the stairs with two steps at once when it was his turn. Though he still carried his papers of nobility, the guards at the sides of the door didn't ask for any invitations, and Darkan slightly gasped for air when he set foot inside the throne room.

Dozens of columns supported the glass roof far above their heads. Starlight fell right onto the floor, lighting up the tiles with a silvery glow whereas the flames of the torches created dancing shadows on the ground. At the end of the Hall, on an elevated platform, stood five thrones, belonging to the Kings and Queens of Old for eternity.

Darkan slowly spun around his axis to take it all in, but he stopped halfway when he spotted a familiar face nearby. He made sure her father wasn't close (he'd be in trouble if another Lord of Archenland realized he was here) and then closed the distance between them.

'My Lady,' he greeted her with a bow and he could almost feel her frowned eyes on his back as she tried to recognize him, but she gasped when their eyes met.

Noelle wore a simple yet beautiful purple dress that went down all the way to her feet. Though most ladies would wear high heels under it, Darkan knew she despised heels and probably wore flat shoes. Her hair still resembled the colour of fire and hung loosely and in elegant waves over her shoulders. The crescent moon charm dangled on her silver necklace, and the prized possession moved a bit more chaotically when Noelle grabbed Darkan's arm, pulling him closer towards the shadows of a massive column.

'What are you doing here?' Noelle whispered in a scared tone. 'If my father sees you. . .'

Darkan loosened her grip on his arm with his hand and shook some of his dark hair out of his eyesight. 'Not really the greeting I expected to get after four years.'

Noelle's eyes softened and she embraced him tightly but short. 'It is good to see you, but it's too dangerous here, even for you. You know how Archenland punishes deserters.'

'With death, I am fully aware,' Darkan said. 'But I'm in Narnia's jurisdiction now. The Lords of Archenland can't just drag me back home in the middle of this public space.'

Noelle pulled a thoughtful face, as if she didn't believe a word he had just said, but whatever she wanted to say, died on the way to her lips when a deafening lion's roar thundered through the air.

The roar grew in strength until everyone's bones and jaws shook violently, and Noelle clasped her hands over her ears to try and protect them from the torment.

The glass roof shattered in thousands of pieces and the crowd screamed as the pieces fell down in a horrifying rain.

Darkan acted quickly though and pushed Noelle on her knees as he turned his back towards the falling glass and shielded her with his own body while protecting his eyes with one of his arms.

The lion's roar cut off as abruptly as it had started and the silence ringed in the sudden stillness.

The last pieces of glass shattered on the tiled floor, and Noelle carefully peeked around Darkan, only to see the first of many snowflakes falling through the now open ceiling. . .

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𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓:

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