Rumors

Common

Skyrim (The Rift) | "Caspian's always bringing his potions around town. If you have an ailment, make sure to look for his labels. That kid really knows how to brew, and it doesn't taste terrible, either. That's a plus in my book!"

Skyrim (The Rift) | "My daughter has been begging me for a new dollhouse for this year's New Life Festival. I didn't know how I was going to afford one and thought she'd be disappointed. Then that sweet Imperial, the one who lives way out in the mountains, donated a whole wagon's load of toys to the temple. I was so happy to see a dollhouse my daughter will love. Such a thoughtful young man, that one."

Skyrim (The Rift) | "That young Imperial was spotted around town today, asking about the local barrow again. That boy is going to wind up dead someday, going into those old ruins. Gods only know what drives him, because I sure don't."

Uncommon

Skyrim (The Rift) | "That boy, Caspian, is up to no good, mark me. He passed through town on his way to the mountains with something glowing under his cloak from his latest barrow expedition. He's always bringing shite like that around. You didn't hear this from me, but I wonder if he might be a necromancer or sommat..."

Skyrim (The Rift) | "Caspian always takes the same route out of town. Some people say he has a cottage in the Jerall Mountains, but he's never told anyone where it is. He's so private!"

Skyrim (The Rift) | "Is it just me, or is that Imperial boy always cold? I paid him for one of his potions today and when I touched his hand, it was like ice! He started acting awkward after that and left rather quickly. I hope he found a fire to warm himself up with."

Rare

Cyrodiil (Bruma) | "Caspian, you say? Aye, I know the lad. Adopted by that Arman fellow. Shady bastard who took in all kinds of orphans, just like that one. Wonder what he was doing with them all? Ah, well. Arman's dead now. Good riddance. Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to all those kids...?"

Cyrodiil (Bruma) | "Folk say Arman had a castle hidden somewhere up in them mountains, but no one has been able to find it. I bet Caspian knows, but that boy is in and out so fast, no one ever has a chance to ask. With his father gone, it probably belongs to him. Can you imagine owning a whole damned castle? And at such a young age!"

Skyrim (The Rift) | "I heard Caspian was back in town again, and he looked absolutely awful. That one is always pale, but people say he looked like he hadn't slept in days, and he was lacking his usual strength. Someone offered him a ride home but he refused and stumbled out of town, saying he had to get back to some castle or other. Sounds like he was suffering from a fever, maybe hallucinating. I hope he's all right."

• Back

Screaming only made it worse, Caspian knew that by now, but he couldn’t help himself. The initial pain was always the worst part as the icy collar snapped around his neck and a shock burned through his entire body. The raw scream clawed its way out of his throat, earning him another violent shock that made his knees give out.

He writhed, his body contorting with each wave of pain as he tried to silence his screams. He focused on his breathing, on something other than the agony.One breath, deep and slow.Two. The first breath was raggedy.Three. Better. More even. Less painful.Four…A boot came down in front of his face as he trembled on the stone floor. His gaze followed that boot upward until it found Arman’s dark eyes. They were staring down at him, hollow and cold. He straightened his prim, white shirt, and slipped on a knee-length black coat. He slicked his black hair from his thin face and turned a crooked grin on the line of children standing against the wall.Some of the younger ones were sniffling, but the older ones didn’t dare move. They all knew better.Caspian tore his gaze from Arman, looking back to pick Rohan out of the row.The mer’s red eyes burned with rage, the muscles in his limbs twitching as he glared at Arman from across the room.Rohan was going to do something stupid, Caspian knew it, so he slowly reached his hand out toward him to catch his attention. When the Dunmer looked at him, Caspian slowly shook his head and brought his hand up to his face to make a single sign with his fingers in the gestured language they spent a lifetime creating together.[Please.]He watched Rohan take several deep breaths, his entire body shaking. He closed his eyes and Caspian knew that when Rohan opened them again, he’d be calm. He had to be. Fighting Arman would amount to nothing but more pain, and this time, Rohan would suffer alongside Caspian as punishment.“I’m sure you’re all wondering why I brought you here to witness this,” Arman said, his voice cool and even.It made Caspian’s skin crawl.The children did not answer, their attention focused solely on Arman. Even Rohan had opened his eyes to look at the Breton man who held their figurative leashes. Caspian was relieved to see that the mer’s face had gone blank as a slate, free of all emotion.“As you know,” Arman said, stepping over Caspian to stalk toward the row of children, “I do not tolerate insubordination, not from my family.”Caspian’s stomach knotted at the term “family.” Arman was a sick monster for calling any of them his family, because he certainly didn’t love them like family. A real father wouldn’t have put this contraption around his neck just to watch him squirm and scream.“When I give you an order, I expect you to obey it without question,” Arman continued, stopping just short of the other children and clasping his hands behind his back as he eyed them all. “I rescued you from dying, unloved, on the streets of Tamriel. It is a small price to pay for safety and security, is it not? Obedience?”No one dared answer, and no one met Arman’s gaze — not even Rohan.Caspian held in a groan to avoid another shock as he struggled to get to his hands and knees. His arms and legs trembled so violently, he almost went right back down again, but stubbornness prevented him from falling back to the stone floor. He would not appear weaker than he had to in front of the younger children. They needed him to be strong for them, and he could do that.“I gave you all a home, food in your bellies, warm beds to sleep in, your own rooms, the clothes on your backs,” Arman said. “I taught you to fend for yourselves. I have given you love.”Arman turned away from the children and kneeled down in front of Caspian.It took everything in the Imperial not to glare at the other man, to spit on his face to tell him what he thought of that so-called “love.” He flinched as Arman reached out and hooked Caspian’s chin with a long, thin finger.Behind Arman, Caspian noticed movement. His stomach dropped as Rohan started twitching again.“Look at me, Caspian,” Arman’s velvety voice ordered.Caspian hesitated, but tore his gaze from Rohan to focus on Arman’s smug face. He wanted to tear the grin off his pale lips.“Tell me you love me,” Arman said. “And that you are sorry.”Caspian did glare, then, before he tapped the collar. He can’t talk with it on.“Tell me,” Arman growled, his smile fading. “In front of the others, tell me now.”Arman’s fingers grabbed Caspian’s chin and squeezed hard enough that tears burned behind the Imperial’s eyes.His cheeks felt like they were being cut by his teeth. They probably were. He could taste the copper tang of blood on his tongue.Caspian’s lips twisted in a sneer, but then he sighed and brought his hands up to make two signs.[Love. Sorry.]Arman smirked and he patted Caspian’s cheek.“There’s a good dog.”Caspian flinched away from him, nausea shivering through his sour belly. He looked beyond him at Rohan, begging with his eyes to not do anything stupid.Rohan wasn’t looking at him, his attention on the wall. He was disassociating, finding something else to focus on so he didn’t try to rip Arman apart. It was a mechanism they all knew how to do. It was the only way to mentally defend themselves against Arman’s cruelty most of the time.Arman stood and walked away from him, leaving Caspian glaring after him.“The punishment is one week in the collar,” the Breton said, moving to sit at his large, oak desk in the corner of the castle library. “Anyone who dares disobey my orders, verbally or otherwise, will suffer the same fate.”The children all shuffled their feet, clearly nervous.“You are dismissed,” Arman said. “Return to your training, and those of you with contracts, get to work.”Caspian struggled to get to his feet, the collar cold and heavy around his throat. His skin already felt raw and burned.Strong hands grasped his arms, and Caspian was suddenly on his feet and leaning hard against Rohan.“I have you, my bird,” the mer whispered in his ear.Caspian rested his cheek on Rohan’s chest as he limped toward the door. The aftershocks left his limbs feeling weighted and numb. He couldn’t feel his fingers or toes. Zings ran through his arms and legs, and a final one burned through his spine as he held in any gasps of pain he wanted to breathe.Rohan said nothing as he turned to scoop Caspian into his arms the second they were out of sight of Arman.Caspian sucked in a breath, his arms going around his mer’s neck, but he couldn’t argue. All he could do was accept his fate and be hauled off to wherever Rohan decided to take him. He put his ear on the other’s chest and listened to his heartbeat. It was erratic and fast.Rohan was angry.Caspian reached up to rub Rohan’s shoulder in an effort to soothe him, to provide comfort. It wasn’t okay, of course, it wasn’t, but they couldn’t change it. They had to accept it, live with it for a week, and then it would be over.He just needed Rohan to survive that long and not do anything stupid.The mer grunted at him as he carried Caspian outside. They walked straight to the lake, and then his long steps took them to their standing stones.Caspian lifted his head once they got there, then he cupped Rohan’s cheek to get him to look down at him. He tried to project all of his love through his eyes alone, but also his plea.“I hate him,” Rohan growled.Caspian raised a golden brow at him.[Do you hate him more than you like me?]“Don’t be a shit,” Rohan grumbled.[I’m always a shit.]Caspian smirked as Rohan huffed out a breath and set him down on the rocks.“I like you more than I hate him,” the mer promised.Caspian smiled, but then it faded as Rohan reached out and touched the collar around his neck.“But I hate that he does this to you,” Rohan whispered. “I hate that he gets away with it. I hate that you hurt because of him. I hate—”Caspian reached up and grabbed Rohan’s hands, pulling them away from his raw throat.[Stop. Stop hating. It is doing nothing but poisoning you, Rohan.]Rohan huffed and Caspian watched the inner turmoil twist his ashen face several times into expressions of rage and sorrow.“I hate that I can’t protect you,” he admitted at last.Caspian’s brow furrowed and he reached up to grab Rohan’s ear, making the mer yelp and whip his head to face him.[I do not need protecting.] Caspian gave him a hard stare. [So stop feeling guilty. You are more than enough for me in all the ways that matter, do you hear me?]Rohan blinked owlishly at him.Caspian put his hands on his hips and gave him a pointed glare.Slowly, Rohan’s smile returned to his dark lips.[I'm so cute when I'm angry,] Cas smirked. [And when I try to tell you what to do.]At last, Rohan laughed, giving in, as he always did."Using my own words on me," he said, tapping Caspian's nose.The Imperial felt his own heart slow with relief.Rohan would stay here and let it go, he was sure of it now.“I got you a birthday present,” Rohan said quietly after a moment, and Caspian frowned at him.[My birthday isn’t for another month,] he argued.“I know,” Rohan smiled as he pulled a small pouch out of his vest pocket and handed it over to him.Caspian raised a brow at him again, but accepted the pouch. He pulled open the drawstring and sucked in a breath when he turned it over.A pendant of a small, golden bird fell into his palm. It had its wings spread, head turned, mouth open as though in song. Stamped on the back was a goldsmith seal.Caspian jerked his head up, eyes wide.Rohan’s smile was already there, his red gaze soft.“I couldn’t not get it,” he said.[This is real gold,] Caspian hastened to sign. [Rohan, this must have cost you a fortune.]“Just say thank you and that you love it,” Rohan chuckled.Caspian felt his heart rattle his chest. He could hear it in his ears. Rohan had spent all of his savings on this one gift. On him. He didn’t know what to say or what to do. Part of him felt wracked with guilt, the other was flattered beyond comprehension.“You turn eighteen in one month,” Rohan said. “That’s worth all the gold in the world. We will be free, my bird.”Caspian’s tears were cold as they rolled down his cheeks. He flung himself at Rohan, wrapping his arms around him.Rohan chuckled and caught him, and then he pulled back, much to Caspian’s dismay.“Here,” Rohan said, reaching out to take the pendant from him.Caspian watched Rohan hook the pendant on a leather string and the Imperial grinned as he turned and lifted a little of his hair to get it out of the way. He breathed a sigh as Rohan placed the necklace around his throat and fastened it. The mer’s fingers brushed the back of his neck, making him shiver.“Turn around,” Rohan ordered.Caspian grinned and turned to face him, his hand reaching up to feel the gold pendant resting on his collarbone, just below the cold metal of the collar.Rohan’s eyes held all the warmth his body could not as he touched Caspian’s fingers.“It’s beautiful,” he said. “You are beautiful.”Caspian’s grin widened.[I love it.]Rohan pulled him close and Caspian’s breath trembled as he stared up at his beloved mer.

Promises by Moonlight

Moonlight danced on the surface of the lake, causing thin sheets of ice to glisten like silver in the wake of small, lapping waves. The air hung heavy with cold mist, which crawled over the rocky shore, slow and sluggish. Pale stars winked in and out of existence from behind the gray wisps of clouds in the dark sky. The mountains stood tall, silent sentinels of snow and stone. Pine trees swayed as a breeze swept in from the north, leaving a faint scattering of snowflakes in its wake.

Caspian did not feel the cold as his boots crunched over the pebbled beach. The wind teased his golden hair as he slowed to a stop near an outcropping of black rocks. Thick moss hung like capes around the three imposing stones that marked the place where Caspian would wait. He waited here every night, even when he knew there would be times he would spend the night alone.Tonight would not be such a night.Caspian pulled the collar of his long, fur coat higher on his throat, even though it did little to warm him. He enjoyed the softness of the silver wolf pelt on his pale skin, and it smelled like Rohan.Faint scraping of leather on stone caught Caspian’s attention, and he turned to look down the barren beach. From the mist, a dark figure strode toward him, tall and lean. His ashen skin made it seem like he simply formed out of the shadows. Rohan’s long, white hair waved like a banner as another gust of wind blustered over the lake, and his red eyes seemed to glow with the moonlight reflected in them.Caspian grinned at him, hugging the fur coat closer to his body.“I love watching you skulk out of the dark,” he said.The Dunmer’s own grin came quickly in return, a shock of white teeth against dark lips.“You love watching me do a lot of things,” he replied.“You love that I love watching you,” Caspian snickered.“Maybe,” the Mer said, and then he stepped closer.Caspian looked up at him as the distance between them became nearly non-existent. His heart hammered in his chest and in his ears. He imagined warmth between them, even though there was none. His breath hitched as the Mer reached out and traced the fur, his cool fingertips brushing Caspian’s cheek.“You’re wearing my gift,” the elf said with a faint chuckle.“Of course I am,” Caspian snorted. “That’s what people do with gifts. They use them.”“Only if they’re good gifts.”“It’s a great gift. I love it.”“I love seeing you wear it.”Caspian’s grin grew wide, and he knew by the faintest kiss of warmth in his cheeks that they had a tint of color to them at those words.“I missed you, Rohan,” he whispered.“I missed you, too,” the Mer said, opening his arms to him.Caspian practically jumped into his embrace, his arms wrapping tightly around Rohan’s waist.“You haven’t written in weeks,” he chided, his voice muffled against Rohan’s solid chest. “I was starting to worry.”Rohan rested his chin on Caspian’s hair, and then the Imperial shivered as he felt lips brush the top of his head.“You need to stop worrying about me,” Rohan murmured. “I know how to handle myself out there.”“I know, but he always sends you on the hardest missions,” Caspian says. “He doesn’t care how dangerous it is.”“Only because he knows I am the best equipped to survive them.”“It isn’t fair.”“My golden bird, life isn’t fair,” Rohan chuckled, the sound deep against Caspian’s ear.Caspian did not reply, opting to stew in silence for a moment.He hated that Arman had no regard whatsoever for those he professed to love. When he had been younger, Caspian believed with his whole heart that Arman loved him, loved all of the orphans he had taken in. He had believed that everything Arman had done to them had been out of some form affection. Arman had saved them from the streets, given them a home, taught them how to survive and use weapons… and then, eventually, he taught them how to kill.Over time, Caspian began to see how broken their family was, and just how well Arman had disguised cruelty with sweet words and lies. A loving man would not send the urchins he had raised out into the world to face possible death as assassins. He wouldn’t punish failure with soul magic. He wouldn’t hold their lives over their heads. He wouldn’t leave scars, both physical and emotional, that his “children” had to bear.“When you turn eighteen, you can leave,” Caspian finally said, his voice tight even as he spoke those horrible words. “Then, maybe, life will be fair.”Caspian felt Rohan’s fingers brush through his hair, and then the Mer’s hand moved to catch the Imperial’s chin and lift his gaze upward.“I will not leave until you are free to leave as well,” Rohan said, his voice low.Caspian’s breath hitched in his throat, and for a moment, he thought his heart stopped as well.
He gazed into Rohan’s sanguine eyes, seeking out any lies he feared he might find, but there were none.Rohan would wait for him. He would stay in this hell, would stay and work for Arman, until Caspian turned eighteen as well — one whole year more. He couldn’t ask that of him. He couldn’t ask Rohan to continue risking his life just because Caspian was too young to be free of his debt to Arman.“No,” he whispered. “I don’t want you to be here, Rohan. I want you to run as far as you can the minute you’ve earned your freedom. I can meet you after I’m free, but don’t you dare stay here just because I can’t leave.”Rohan’s dark brows drew together as he frowned down at him.“You’re so cute when you try to tell me what to do,” the Mer said.Caspian scowled at him.“Shut up,” he said.“You’re even cuter when you’re mad,” Rohan grinned.Caspian opened his mouth to protest, but Rohan leaned down, kissing away his words and his breath. His knees grew weak and he flung his arms around the Mer’s neck, pressing closer to him, wanting every inch between them to disappear. He remembered that there had once been a time when Rohan’s breath had felt warm against his own, but over the years, that heat had faded away, leaving only the cold. It pained him, the absence making him only crave it more.“When we’re free,” he panted against Rohan’s lips as he pulled back for air, “do you think we’ll feel warmth again?”Rohan traced Caspian’s lips with the tip of a cool finger, making the Imperial’s next breath shiver.“I hope so,” he said. “Gods, I’ll never want to let you go. Not that I want to now… but being whole again…”“I know,” Caspian breathed. “There won’t be anymore holes, no more empty spaces, no more cold.”“Just us,” Rohan grinned. “You and me, two complete souls making our way in the world.”Caspian giggled and his fingers teased Rohan’s stark locks.“It’s hard to imagine,” he admitted. “This is all I can remember — the castle and Arman.”“Me, too,” Rohan sighed. “But it will get better. I has to.”Caspian nodded, and then tilted his head back as Rohan leaned in to leave a trail of kisses along his jaw. Caspian’s fingers tightened their grip on Rohan’s hair as the Mer’s lips traveled lower, brushing against his skin and leaving gooseflesh in their wake.The kisses paused and Caspian whimpered when Rohan stopped moving. He wasn’t done enjoying that…“You have new wounds on your neck,” Rohan said.Caspian went still and then he pulled back a little.“I thought you said he decided you didn’t need the collar anymore,” Rohan said, his voice growing firm and low, dangerous even.“When has Arman ever told the truth?” Caspian whispered, retreating further and hastening to pull the fur up higher on his neck with shaking fingers.Rohan caught his hand, squeezing Caspian’s fingers with his own.“How long?” he asked. “How long did he have you in it this time?”Caspian struggled to meet Rohan’s gaze. His stomach felt like an empty pit, a sour void that plunged ever deeper beneath him with each breath. He had hoped to avoid this entire conversation, prayed that Rohan would not notice the fresh wounds in his flesh, but he knew better. Rohan had sharp eyes, and an even sharper instinct to protect him.“Caspian,” Rohan pressed. “How long?”“A week,” Caspian finally relented, his stomach churning in a rather unpleasant manner. Dinner was no longer sitting all that well.Rohan’s jaw tightened, causing the muscles under his cheeks to twitch as he ground his teeth.“It doesn’t matter,” Caspian tried to assure him, reaching up to cup Rohan’s cheek with his palm. “It’s off now, and I’m fine. No harm done.”Rohan’s eyes glinted like the edge of a blade.“'No harm?'” he asked. “Your flesh is raw, Caspian. I can obviously see where the magic shocked you.”Caspian brought his other hand up to frame Rohan’s face.“I’m okay,” he promised. “I stayed quiet, I obeyed him, and it only shocked me a couple times when I forgot to hold my tongue. I’m fine. Please, Rohan. Can we drop it?”Rohan’s entire body was quivering under Caspian’s touch. He turned his head to glare back at the looming figure of the dark castle in the distance behind them. His fingers flexed over the hilts of two blades on his belt.“Rohan,” Caspian pleaded, turning his face back toward him. “Please. I’ve missed you. I want you to kiss me, to hold me. I’m a selfish bastard, and I don’t want you thinking of Arman right now. Only me.”Rohan took several deep breaths, and Caspian knew it was taking everything in the Mer to redirect his anger. Going after Arman would be a fruitless task, and they both understood that. He held their very souls in his hand at all times. He would not suffer one of his “children” going wayward and turning on him.Caspian pulled at Rohan’s shirt.“Kiss me,” he begged. “Please. I need you.”Rohan’s sharp features of rage softened and a slow breath escaped him as he closed his eyes.
Caspian leaned into his touch as Rohan’s hands caressed his cheeks, mirroring the Imperial’s hold on him.“How can I possibly refuse you?” the Mer asked, making Caspian smile. “I will not deny you.”“The longer we stand here, the longer you’re denying me,” Caspian laughed.Rohan chuckled and any trace of anger vanished as he leaned over to kiss him again.Caspian’s hands moved from Rohan’s face to his hair when the Mer reached down to hook him under his thighs. He grinned as he was lifted off the ground, breaking the kiss to laugh.“My beautiful golden bird,” Rohan rumbled as he carried Caspian closer to the standing stones. “I love your laugh. Why Arman would want to silence you is beyond me.”“He hates my smart-ass mouth,” Caspian snickered, gazing up at the Mer with nothing less than full devotion.As far as he was concerned, Rohan had hung the very moons and stars in the sky.“There are better ways of taming your mouth,” Rohan grinned back, the gleam in his eyes full of mirth and mischief.“Think you can?” Caspian asked with a bat of his eyes.“Oh, my dear, I have been doing so for years,” Rohan laughed. “I adore the challenge.”Caspian grabbed onto Rohan’s collar to hoist himself up for another deep, desperate kiss. He wasn’t lying when he had said he had needed Rohan. He was the only person in this world that he had ever dared to love this deeply. Arman had stolen his soul, but Rohan had stolen his very heart.“We’ll fly away from here together,” Rohan murmured as their kiss drew to a close.Caspian stared up at him, chest rising and falling with each panted breath that he took.“Promise me,” he said.Rohan pulled Caspian up close until their foreheads were touching.“I promise, my little golden bird.”

• Back

Nightmares

The first scream jarred Caspian out of sleep, shattering his nightmares and leaving him grasping at fragments of distortion as he sat straight up into reality. The room was dark, the only light that of moonlight cascading through the window. Everything was as it should be — his potions cabinet was closed, all of his equipment off and silent, his clothes were still scattered around the room, his shirt hanging off a mirror, his pants a heap on the floor.

Next to him, Rohan stirred, his white hair fanned out under his head. He groaned and his ruby eyes fluttered open.“Cas…?” he mumbled, rubbing his face.Caspian frowned, wondering if he had simply dreamed the screaming. He prepared to lay back down and soothe Rohan with promises to go back to sleep, but another scream echoed in from the hall.“Rosie!” he gasped, stumbling out of bed and starting for the door.“Pants, little bird,” Rohan groaned.Caspian slid to a stop and glanced down at himself. He had nearly forgotten he was completely nude, and he wasn’t about to run to little Rosie’s room without clothes. He turned and grabbed for his pants, hopping into them.“I’ll be right there,” Rohan said as Caspian hurried to the door.“I’m sure it was a nightmare,” Caspian said, offering him a weak smile before he slipped out into the hall. “Go back to sleep.”He heard Rohan mumble something, but he didn’t try too hard to figure out what he had said as Caspian made his way down the dark corridor.He knew the castle like the back of his hand, having grown up in it. He didn’t need light to know where he was going, or to find Rosie. He could hear her crying long before he got to her bedroom door.A few curious heads were poking out of various rooms, and Caspian put his hands up.“Back to bed,” he said. “You all need your sleep. I’ll make sure Rosie is okay.”Slowly, the others obeyed, vanishing into their rooms and closing their doors.Caspian smiled and then turned to gently knock on Rosie’s door.“Rosebud? It’s Cas. Can I come in?”He heard a few sniffles, and then the pitter-patter of tiny feet on stone. The handle jiggled before the door swung open, revealing a tiny girl no taller than Caspian’s waist — which meant she was super small, given his own lack of height. Long, black hair hung loose over her slim shoulders, her green eyes wide and full of thick tears. Caspian noticed her white nightgown had wrinkles in it, likely from wringing it in her hands.Caspian sighed and knelt down, brushing her hair behind her ear.“Hey, Rosebud.”“Cas,” she whispered, little lips trembling.“Nightmare, huh?”She nodded.“Well, that’s no good,” Caspian smiled, taking her hand, his fingers swallowing hers. “Maybe a good story is in order. What do you think?”She brushed at her wet cheeks, clearing them of tears, then nodded.“You want to pick one out?” Caspian asked as he stood back up.Rose turned from him and ran to her bookshelf, picking over the various titles to find one she wanted.Caspian smiled as he stepped into the room and purposefully left the door partway open so he could sneak out later without waking her with creaky doors and rattling handles. He made his way to her bed, moving the blanket so it would be ready for her to crawl into when she joined him. He made a quick sweep of the room with his eyes, making sure there were no threats in sight, not that he expected any. He wanted to be truthful when he told her she was safe in her own room.Rosie made her way back to the bed, a book hugged tight to her chest. She laid it flat on the bed and then climbed up.“Let’s see,” Cas said, reaching for the book and offering his arm to her. “Oh, this is a good one. The Huntsman and the Red Wolf. I like this one, too.”Rosie crawled over to him and snuggled up against his side, rubbing her cheek on his chest.“I like it when he breaks the spell and the wolf turns into a girl,” Rosie said, giving one last sniff as she settled in.Caspian chuckled. “Yeah, that’s the best part, huh? When he frees the wolf of her spell and she’s human again.”“And they get married,” Rosie said, beaming up at him with a wide smile.He grinned and leaned down to kiss her nose.“They sure do. Ready?”She nodded and reached out to open the book for him, obviously eager for him to start.Caspian gave a faint chuckle, turning to look down at the book.“Once upon a time, there was a strong, brave woodsman, who was friends with all the animals in his forest, except for one….”

* * *

Rohan fully awoke when he rolled over and reached for Caspian, only to find the bed empty and more cold than usual. He groaned and sat up, rubbing the last remnants of sleep from his eyes as he looked over the room.“Cas?” he called out softly into the dark, but Caspian was nowhere to be seen.Rohan pushed the blanket from his legs — an object that provided modesty more than warmth — and searched for his pants. He found them draped over a trunk near the window, which made him smirk. Caspian had a good arm when he was in the throes of passion.There had been a time when they never were able to find his pants and Rohan had been forced to make the walk of naked-assed shame to his room. The pants had been found later that day, dangling from the chandelier in Caspian’s room, a place neither of them had even thought to look.Rohan stepped into his pants, then yawned as he raked his long fingers through his hair, pushing the white locks away from his face. He vaguely remembered Caspian mentioning Rosie, and he thought he recalled someone crying out. If Rosie had had a nightmare, Caspian was likely with her.Rohan made his way out of the room and into the hall. He saw a faint light coming from Rosie’s room at the end of the corridor, the door slightly cracked. Caspian’s soft voice echoed from within. As he made his way down, Rohan noticed other doors were left open on either side of him, and he shook his head with a smile. He knew what sight awaited him by the time he reached Rosie’s private chamber.He gently pushed the door open with his foot and peeked in, chuckling softly as he spotted his little golden bird in the bed, a book in hand, Rosie curled up at his side. But they weren’t alone. Four other children had found their way in, gathering on the bed around Caspian to listen to the story. Two were asleep, including Rosie.He didn’t otherwise move to enter the room until he heard Caspian announce the end of the book.“What’s going on in here?” Rohan grinned as he finally stepped further in through the doorway. “A slumber party? I wasn’t invited.”Cas chuckled and set the book aside as the other children perked up at the sight of Rohan.“Rosie had a nightmare,” he explained. “You were still pretty half-asleep, so I came in and took care of her.”“The amount of children has multiplied,” Rohan observed as he sat on the edge of the bed and ruffled the hair of one of the young boys.“We wanted to hear the story,” the child said, and the others nodded in agreement.Caspian smiled and reached out hug each of them.“Story is over now, though, and you all need your rest. I do , too. And so does Rohan.”Rohan watched Caspian with no small amount of fondness. While his little bird could be mouthy, snarky, and terrifying in a fight, he was ever so gentle with little ones. Rohan wondered what a family might be like for them someday, when they were both free of the castle, and Arman. He had yet to bring it up to Caspian, but it had been on his mind now that they were both so close.Caspian would be eighteen in a few months.They were almost rid of this place.The children hugged Caspian back and then rushed Rohan.“Can we sleep in here with Rosie so she doesn’t have nightmares?” the eldest boy asked.Rohan’s brows shot up and Caspian giggled.“Only if you promise not to stay up,” Rohan agreed.The children squealed and ran back for the bed as Caspian climbed out.“Up, you go,” Cas said, lifting each child and kissing them on their brows before tucking them all into bed with Rosie.Rohan moved for the door and watched Caspian step around the bed, offering more kisses and hugs before he, too, turned to leave.Rohan smiled as the children whispered their goodnights, and Caspian did the same. He then closed the door and draped his arm around Caspian’s shoulders.“You’re so good with them,” he said.Caspian ducked his head and blew a strand of golden hair away from his ocean-blue eyes.“Really,” Rohan assured, steering Caspian back into their room. “They love you.”“Someone has to watch out for them,” Caspian answered. “Arman certainly isn’t. It’s not their fault they’re here, and it’s not their fault he’s stealing their souls to force them to become assassins for him, like we are.”Rohan nodded.He agreed in full, of course, but there was little either of them could do to protect the children beyond reading them stories and soothing their nightmares. He didn’t know how to end it, short of killing Arman, and even that wasn’t guaranteed. No one knew where their missing shards of souls were kept. If Arman died, they might never be free of the castle… or worse.He looked down and watched Caspian’s expression grow weary, his shoulders sagging.“We will watch out for them,” Rohan promised, which made Caspian blink and look up at him. “I don’t know how, yet, but we will. We’ll save them someday.”The light that came into Caspian’s eyes made Rohan’s heart flutter. Seeing his little bird so full of hope and joy always shook him to his very core. It had the power to make him shudder and want to see it every day of their lives — and he knew Caspian reserved this true happiness for him alone.“I love you,” Caspian said as they reached his room.Rohan startled and looked down at him.Caspian sucked in a breath and ducked his head, a shy thing he so rarely did around him anymore.
Never had they spoken those three words out loud to one another. They always showed it, expressed it in other ways, like their trysts in the night, their meeting place, their gifts, their kisses, their touches, their glances…Caspian pulled away, leaving Rohan’s arm feeling empty.“I’m sorry,” Caspian said, starting to step through his door. “If you’re not ready, I—”Rohan caught Caspian’s arm, pulling him back into his arms.“I love you, too, my golden bird,” he whispered against Caspian’s hair.He felt his Imperial go still in his embrace, and then he started to shake.Worried, Rohan glanced down at him, then startled when Caspian looked up with tears in his eyes.“What’s wrong?” Rohan asked, his chest growing tight. “I thought that’s what you wanted me to say.”“It is,” Caspian nodded, then pushed up on tiptoes to wrap his arms around Rohan’s neck and dangle there, since the mer was much taller than he. “I just never thought you’d say it.”“I’d say it every day if made you smile forever,” Rohan assured him, and then he reached down to sweep his little bird into his arms.

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Stories

These stories are of Caspian's past and contain major spoilers regarding his history. Feel free to read them if you like, but keep in mind that he rarely speaks of his upbringing to anyone, and will be slow to disclose anything in RP. I will always be adding new stories here as they are written, and you are welcome to follow along. You have been warned of spoilers!

• Promises By Moonlight

• Nightmares

• Bird in a Cage

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