Chapter 39
The Invitation
A week after Caspian's return, Carol sat at the breakfast table feeling more content than she had in weeks.
The morning sunlight streamed through the windows, warming the dining room. A spread of fresh bread, honey, preserved fruits, cheese, and cold meats was arranged beautifully on the table.
And best of all, Caspian sat across from her, home and safe and here.
In the side area of the dining room, three feeding bowls had been set out for their growing pet collection.
Shadow—now massive, easily the size of a small pony—was enthusiastically devouring his portion of raw meat and specially prepared kibble. His tail wagged so hard it kept hitting the wall.
Mochi, stretched out to his full four feet of Dreamweaver length, was delicately eating fish and cream from his bowl, purring between bites.
Sunny, the baby griffin, had his own smaller bowl filled with chopped meat and grain. He kept hopping excitedly between bites, his downy feathers fluffed up.
And in the corner, Snowball's egg rested in its warming nest—still unhatched, but Carol checked it obsessively to make sure it was the right temperature.
"More tea?" Caspian offered, holding the pot.
"Please," Carol said, pushing her cup toward him.
As he poured, Shadow abandoned his bowl and padded over to the table, his massive head appearing beside Carol's chair. His golden eyes fixed on her plate with intense interest.
"No," Carol said firmly. "You have your own food."
Shadow whined softly, his tail wagging hopefully.
Mochi finished his breakfast and immediately jumped onto the table—completely ignoring propriety—and sat directly beside Carol's plate, staring at her with wide, innocent eyes.
"Mochi, down," Carol said half-heartedly.
The Dreamweaver just purred louder.
Sunny, not wanting to be left out, spread his tiny wings and managed an awkward hop-flight up onto Carol's lap. He chirped plaintively, his beak opening hopefully.
Carol looked at the three pairs of eyes staring at her with shameless begging.
"Oh, fine," she sighed, tearing off a small piece of her ham and giving it to Shadow. Then a bit of fish to Mochi. And finally, a tiny piece of meat to Sunny.
All three consumed their treats immediately and went right back to staring at her expectantly.
"You're spoiling them," Caspian observed, amusement clear in his voice.
"I am not," Carol protested, even as she gave Shadow another piece.
"They know you're the weakest link," Caspian said. "They don't even bother begging from me anymore. They go straight to you."
"That's because you're mean and don't share," Carol said.
"I'm not mean. I'm teaching them discipline."
"They're babies."
"Shadow weighs more than you do."
"He's still a baby," Carol insisted, scratching behind the shadow wolf's ears. Shadow's tail wagged even harder, nearly knocking over a chair.
Caspian shook his head, but he was smiling. "You're impossible."
"You love it."
"I do," Caspian admitted.
A knock at the door interrupted their banter.
"Enter," Caspian called.
A servant stepped in, bowing respectfully. "Your Grace, a royal messenger has arrived with a letter for you."
Caspian's eyebrows rose. "A royal messenger? Show him in."
The messenger entered moments later—wearing the formal livery of the royal household, carrying a sealed letter with the royal crest prominent on the wax.
"Your Grace," the messenger bowed deeply. "I bring an invitation from His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Alexandros Vaelindor."
He presented the letter formally.
Caspian accepted it, broke the seal, and read.
Carol watched his expression shift from curiosity to something warmer—genuine pleasure.
"What is it?" she asked.
Caspian looked up. "Prince Alexandros is having his birthday celebration. He's turning twenty-four. The festivities will be held at the royal palace in one month's time." He glanced back at the letter. "It's a formal ball and week-long celebration."
"Oh," Carol said.
Her mind immediately went to the guest list.
Percival would definitely be there. He was a noble and a hero.
Rosalie would be with him—the Chosen Heroine.
And Lucinda... Lucinda would absolutely be there, probably still scheming.
Carol's stomach twisted slightly.
"We don't have to go if you don't want to," Caspian said, reading her hesitation.
"No," Carol said quickly. "No, we should go. Prince Alexandros is your friend. Your close friend. Of course we should attend."
She meant it. Caspian's friendship with the Crown Prince was important. She wouldn't let her own discomfort with certain attendees get in the way.
"Are you sure?" Caspian asked. "It's a long journey, and you're four months pregnant."
"I'm pregnant, not fragile," Carol said. "And besides..."
Her mind was already working.
The capital.
THE CAPITAL.
"What?" Caspian asked, seeing her expression change.
"The capital has shopping," Carol said slowly. "Really good shopping. The fashion district. The merchant quarter."
"Yes..." Caspian said cautiously.
"And sightseeing," Carol continued, warming to the idea. "The Great Library. The Cathedral of Light. The royal gardens. The entertainment district. The food district—oh, the food district!"
Caspian was starting to smile now.
"And I'll need new gowns," Carol said, gesturing to her growing belly. "The northern fashion is lovely, but I've heard the capital has completely different styles. More elaborate embroidery. Different cuts to accommodate..." she patted her stomach, "...current circumstances."
"So you want to go," Caspian concluded.
"I think it could be wonderful," Carol said honestly. "How long is the journey?"
"Five days with proper stops at inns along the road," Caspian said. "We'd need to bring our pets, obviously."
"Obviously," Carol agreed, glancing at their four companions. "Can we stay at an estate?"
"We have a townhouse in the capital," Caspian said. "Large enough to accommodate us and our... growing menagerie. It has a private courtyard and gardens for our companions."
"Perfect," Carol said. "How long would we stay?"
"The celebration itself is several days," Caspian said, consulting the invitation. "But we could extend our visit if you wanted."
"A week?" Carol suggested. "That would give us time for the celebration and for sightseeing and shopping."
"A week," Caspian agreed. "I'll send word to have the townhouse prepared."
Carol felt excitement building, pushing aside her earlier hesitation.
Yes, Percival, Rosalie and Lucinda would be there. But so what?
She'd be there with Caspian. Her husband. The man she loved. And they'd have an entire week in the capital together.
"We never had a honeymoon," Carol said suddenly.
Caspian looked up from the letter. "What?"
"A honeymoon," Carol repeated. "We got married, I was awful to you for months, and then we finally became... us. But we never had a honeymoon trip. A journey together as husband and wife."
Understanding dawned on Caspian's face. "You want this to be our honeymoon."
"Why not?" Carol said. "We'll travel together, stay in inns along the way, explore the capital, attend a royal ball, eat amazing food, see beautiful sights..." She smiled. "It sounds perfect."
Caspian stood and came around the table. He pulled Carol to her feet—carefully, mindful of her belly—and kissed her.
"Then that's what it will be," he said. "Our honeymoon. Better late than never."
"Much better late," Carol agreed. "Now we actually like each other."
"I more than like you," Caspian said.
"I love you too," Carol said, kissing him again.
Shadow barked, demanding attention. Mochi meowed. Sunny chirped from where he'd been displaced from Carol's lap.
"And we're bringing the children," Carol added, laughing.
"All of them," Caspian agreed. "Shadow, Mochi, Sunny, and Snowball."
"Even if Snowball is still an egg."
"Especially if Snowball is still an egg," Caspian said. "We'll pack the warming nest. It'll be an adventure."
Carol settled back into her chair, her mind already racing with plans.
"So," she said. "Five days travel. What should we do along the way?"
"The inns are comfortable," Caspian said, returning to his seat. "Some have excellent kitchens. There's a particularly good one about two days south that serves the best roasted duck I've ever had."
"Ooh, I want that," Carol said immediately.
"And there's a small town with a market day that we could time our arrival to catch," Caspian continued. "Local craftspeople, fresh produce, baked goods."
"Yes, definitely."
"Once we reach the capital," Caspian said, "what do you want to see first?"
Carol considered. "The Great Library. I've heard it has books from all over the world. Ancient texts. Maps. History."
"You like reading," Caspian observed.
"I love reading," Carol corrected. "And this is supposed to be one of the greatest libraries in existence."
"We'll spend a day there," Caspian promised. "What else?"
"The Cathedral of Light," Carol said. "Everyone says it's breathtaking. The architecture, the stained glass, the gardens."
"It is beautiful," Caspian confirmed. "I'll take you."
"And shopping," Carol said. "Definitely shopping. I need new gowns, and I want to see what the capital's fashion looks like. Maybe bring some ideas back for our seamstresses here."
"How much shopping?" Caspian asked warily.
"Lots," Carol said cheerfully. "You married a duchess who likes nice things. Accept your fate."
"My fate seems expensive," Caspian said dryly.
"You can afford it," Carol pointed out. "You're a duke."
"Fair point."
"And the food district," Carol continued. "I want to try everything. Street vendors, fancy restaurants, bakeries, everything."
"You're eating for two," Caspian said. "I'll make sure you try everything you want."
"The entertainment district has theaters and performances," Carol said. "Music, plays, exhibitions. Could we see something?"
"Whatever you'd like," Caspian said.
"And the royal gardens," Carol added. "Before the ball, I want to walk through them. I've heard they're spectacular."
"They are," Caspian said. "Acres of manicured lawns, exotic flowers, fountains, sculptures. We can spend an afternoon there."
Carol leaned back in her chair, her hand resting on her belly. "This is going to be wonderful. Our honeymoon. Just you, me, our son, and our four pets."
"Five days of travel, a week in the capital, five days back," Caspian calculated. "Seventeen days together."
"Seventeen days of adventure," Carol said.
"And shopping," Caspian added.
"And shopping," Carol agreed happily.
Caspian reached across the table and took her hand. "I'm looking forward to it. Truly. It's been years since I visited the capital for anything other than military briefings or formal obligations. Exploring it with you will be... different. Better."
"Everything is better with you," Carol said softly.
They sat like that for a moment, hands clasped, simply enjoying the peaceful morning and the anticipation of their journey.
Shadow, deciding the humans were sufficiently distracted, carefully stole a piece of sausage from the serving platter.
Mochi knocked a small jar of honey onto the floor.
Sunny attempted to climb the tablecloth and nearly pulled the whole thing down.
Carol and Caspian looked at their pets, then at each other.
"This is going to be an interesting trip," Caspian said.
"The best kind," Carol replied.
And despite the chaos of their growing pet collection, despite the political complications that would come with attending a royal celebration, despite everything—
Carol couldn't wait.