Chapter 35
The Subscription
The next day found Carol curled up in her lounging room, trying to read a book.
Her lounging room—one of the private spaces in Caspian's wing. Their wing now.
The staff had worked efficiently the day before, moving her belongings from her old chambers while she'd taken her afternoon nap.
She'd supervised the initial packing in the morning, then retreated to the gardens with Shadow and Mochi to let them work.
By evening, everything had been transferred—her clothes in the dressing room, her personal items arranged thoughtfully in the drawing room, and her favorite books and cushions placed perfectly in this comfortable lounging space.
It should have made her happy. It did make her happy.
But Caspian wasn't here to share it with her.
Carol stared at the same page she'd been trying to read for the past twenty minutes. The words blurred together, refusing to make sense.
All she could think about was Caspian riding toward danger. Fighting Blightspawn. Possibly getting hurt.
Shadow lay at her feet, his growing bulk taking up a significant portion of the floor. Mochi was curled on the cushion beside her, purring softly.
Both pets seemed to sense her anxiety.
"This is ridiculous," Carol muttered, closing the book with more force than necessary. "I can't just sit here worrying."
Lumi materialized nearby, her golden glow soft in the afternoon light. "He'll be fine, you know. The Duke is very capable."
"I know that," Carol said. "But knowing and not worrying are two different things."
Missy appeared on the other side, her red-purple energy crackling slightly. "You could always distract yourself. Redecorate something. Spend money. That usually cheers you up."
"I don't want to redecorate," Carol said, standing and pacing. "I just... I wish there was some way to know how he's doing. To see that he's safe."
"Like a crystal ball?" Lumi suggested.
"Or a scrying mirror?" Missy added.
"Anything," Carol said desperately. "I just want to know he's—"
A translucent blue screen appeared directly in front of her, making her jump.
SPECIAL OFFER!
Watch Your Husband?
Premium Viewing Service
Keep track of your spouse's location and activities in real-time!
PRICE: 300 Gold Crowns per month
SUBSCRIBE NOW?
Carol stared at the notification. "You've got to be kidding me."
"What is it?" Lumi asked, floating closer.
"The game system is trying to sell me a... a husband-watching service?" Carol said incredulously. "For three hundred gold crowns a month?"
"That seems expensive," Lumi observed.
"It's highway robbery," Carol said. "That's a ridiculous price for—" She paused. "Wait. Does it come with free popcorn?"
The screen flickered and updated:
WATCH YOUR HUSBAND? - PREMIUM FEATURES:
? Live feed of spouse's location and activities
? Theater-sized screen (12-foot display)
? Premium 3D glasses (for enhanced viewing experience)
? COMPLIMENTARY CONCESSION STAND
● Unlimited popcorn (multiple flavors!)
● Nachos with cheese
● Hot dogs and chili dogs
● French fries
● Candy selection
● Soft drinks
● Healthy smoothies
● Fresh fruit and vegetables
● ALL FREE with subscription!
? Comfortable viewing lounge setup
? Surround sound audio
PRICE: 300 Gold Crowns per month
Carol's eyes widened. "Wait, that's... actually a lot of features."
"Free food?" Missy said, suddenly interested.
"How big is the screen?" Carol asked.
A holographic projection materialized in front of her—a full-sized preview of the massive screen, showing exactly how it would look on the wall. The dimensions glowed at the corners: 12 feet wide.
"That's basically a theater," Carol said, impressed despite herself. "And the concessions are really free?"
All concession items are completely complimentary with your subscription! Enjoy unlimited snacks while viewing!
"Three hundred gold crowns is still a lot," Carol said, wavering.
Would you like to try our 7-DAY FREE TRIAL? Experience all premium features with no commitment!
Carol's eyes lit up. "A free trial?"
Yes! Seven full days of premium viewing, absolutely free! You can cancel anytime before the trial ends.
"Hmm..." Carol considered this. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. But—" She pointed at the screen firmly. "You have to notify me at least one day before my trial ends. I want time to decide if I want to keep the subscription. No sneaky auto-renewals."
Of course! We'll send a notification 24 hours before your trial concludes. Is this acceptable?
"Yes," Carol said. "Activate the trial."
TRIAL ACTIVATED! Enjoy your premium viewing experience!
The notification vanished, and suddenly Carol's comfortable lounging room transformed.
A massive screen materialized on the far wall—easily twelve feet across, crystal clear and already displaying an image.
Three pairs of 3D glasses appeared on the table beside her—one regular-sized, two sprite-sized.
And most impressively, an entire concession stand manifested in the corner of the room, fully stocked with every snack imaginable.
"Oh my god," Carol breathed.
"This is amazing!" Missy squealed, immediately flying to the concession stand.
Lumi looked stunned. "The game system really went all out."
Carol grabbed the 3D glasses and put them on. The screen flickered to life, and suddenly she was looking at—
Caspian.
He was on horseback, riding through rocky terrain with his troops. The image was so clear she could see individual strands of his silver hair, the determined set of his jaw, the way Wintersbane and Frostreaver hung at his sides.
"It actually works," Carol whispered, moving closer to the screen.
The view shifted slightly, following Caspian as Edwin rode up beside him and said something. She couldn't hear the audio from this distance, but—
Carol reached for what looked like a control panel that had appeared on the side table.
VOLUME
VIEWING ANGLE
ZOOM
SUBTITLES
She turned up the volume.
"—about three miles ahead," Edwin was saying. "Scouts report multiple clusters converging near the canyon."
"How many?" Caspian's voice came through perfectly clear.
"At least two hundred. Could be more. They're organizing, Your Grace."
"We'll handle it." Carol's heart clenched. Two hundred monsters. An organized attack.
But she kept watching.
"I'm getting snacks," Missy announced. "Lumi, what do you want?"
"Popcorn," Lumi said, already settling in with her tiny 3D glasses. "And maybe some candy."
Carol found herself moving to the concession stand as well. She filled a large container with buttered popcorn, grabbed a basket of nachos with cheese, and—feeling slightly guilty about all the junk food—selected a healthy green smoothie.
She also grabbed some dried meat treats and fresh berries, bringing them to Shadow and Mochi.
"Here," she said, feeding Shadow a piece of dried meat. "Healthy snacks for my good boys."
Shadow's tail wagged enthusiastically. Mochi meowed and delicately accepted a berry.
Carol settled back onto her cushioned seat, arranging her snacks around her. Lumi and Missy joined her, both equipped with their own popcorn and—in Missy's case—a comically large soda.
"This is the best thing the game system has ever done," Missy declared.
"Agreed," Lumi said, munching popcorn.
On screen, Caspian and his troops had reached the canyon. The Blightspawn were visible now—twisted, corrupted creatures that barely resembled their original forms.
Carol watched as Caspian dismounted smoothly, drawing both Wintersbane and Frostreaver.
"Here we go," Carol murmured, leaning forward.
The battle began.
And Carol couldn't look away.
Caspian moved like liquid death. His dual swords flashed in the sunlight, and his Matter Manipulation activated—rocks and earth responding to his will, forming barriers and weapons.
"Oooh!" Carol exclaimed as Caspian executed a particularly impressive spinning strike that sent several Blightspawn flying.
A corrupted wolf-like creature lunged at him. Caspian didn't even flinch—he sidestepped smoothly and brought Frostreaver down in a devastating arc.
"Ahhh!" Carol breathed. "Did you see that?"
"He's very good at violence," Missy observed, eating nachos.
"He's incredible," Carol corrected, her hand moving to her belly. "See, Caelan? Your daddy is so strong and brave. Look how easily he handles those monsters."
Caspian used his Matter Manipulation to pull stone from the canyon walls, forming them into dozens of sharp projectiles that he launched at the Blightspawn with lethal precision.
"That's my husband," Carol said proudly, sighing dreamily.
On screen, Caspian was now dual-wielding while simultaneously controlling six floating stone spears. A massive Blightspawn—something that might have once been a bear—charged at him.
Caspian met it head-on, his swords moving so fast they blurred. Within seconds, the creature fell.
"He's barely even trying," Carol said, awed.
"The other Blightspawn are running away," Lumi pointed out.
She was right. The remaining creatures, seeing their numbers decimated so easily, were fleeing into the deeper parts of the canyon.
"Smart monsters," Missy commented.
Caspian didn't pursue. He cleaned his blades and sheathed them, then turned to assess his troops.
Everyone was fine. Not a single casualty.
Carol felt relief flood through her.
"See?" Lumi said gently. "He's perfectly safe."
"For now," Carol said. "But he'll be out there for several more days."
"Then we'll keep watching," Missy said, refilling her popcorn. "This is way more entertaining than I expected."
Carol had to admit, seeing Caspian in action was impressive. And terrifying. And somehow made her miss him even more.
But at least now she knew he was safe.
She could see him. Watch over him. Know that he was alive and well and—based on the efficiency with which he'd just easily destroyed over fifty Blightspawn—completely in his element.
"He'll be home in a few days," Carol said, more to herself than to the sprites. "And then we'll be together in our chambers. In our home."
She took a sip of her smoothie, eyes never leaving the screen where Caspian was now conferring with Edwin about their next move.
"Until then," Carol continued, "I guess I'm watching my husband like it's a theater performance."
"With unlimited snacks," Missy added.
"With unlimited free snacks," Carol agreed, popping a nacho into her mouth.
Shadow and Mochi settled at her feet, content with their healthy treats. Lumi and Missy flanked her sides, fully invested in the viewing experience.
And Carol sat in her comfortable lounging room, surrounded by her companions, watching her husband be absolutely magnificent at fighting monsters.
It wasn't the same as having him here.
But it helped.
And when she saw him execute another perfect dual-sword combination that made Edwin actually applaud, Carol couldn't help but smile.
"That's my husband," she said again, softer this time. "My strong, brave, absolutely terrifying husband."
"Who you miss," Lumi said knowingly.
"So much," Carol admitted. "But he'll be home soon. And I'll be right here, watching and waiting."
She settled deeper into her cushions, 3D glasses on, snacks arranged perfectly, pets at her feet.
"Come home safe, Caspian," she whispered. "I'll be waiting."
On screen, Caspian looked up at the sky briefly, and for just a moment, Carol could have sworn he smiled.
As if somehow, he knew she was watching.