In Exile - for edenfalling

[nfe-gremlin.livejournal.com]

Title: In Exile
Author: therck
Recipient: edenfalling
Rating: G
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: Spoilers for the ending of Prince Caspian and for the premise of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (book continuity for both)
Summary: This isn't the way Prunaprismia ever imagined her life going.
Author's Notes: Thanks to my beta readers. All remaining errors are mine. This story didn't go where I expected it to (and it kept trying to go even further off course). I hope it's acceptable to my recipient anyway.

In Exile


"This shouldn't take long," Miraz told Prunaprismia as he mounted his horse. He looked down at her from the saddle. "One way or another, I'll have Caspian's head."

Prunaprismia nodded. She came close and put a hand on his leg. "Stay well, husband, for me and for Isidro." Accidents can happen in war, even one so minor as this.

Miraz laughed. He leaned down to cover her hand with his own. "As you wish, my sweet. Trust in your father's advice while I'm away." He straightened and looked around, judging the readiness of his men.

Prunaprismia stepped back, retreating to the steps into the castle. She stood, straight and proud, while the men mounted, formed up and finally rode out. Why, oh, why couldn't the wretched boy stay where he was meant to be? We were to be rid of him quietly. Isidro's position was to be secure. Instead, men will die, fighting monsters, all because of a boy who should have been got rid of years ago. She watched until the riders were out of sight, then turned her back on the empty courtyard and went inside. It's time to feed Isidro.

Miraz sent her news every day. She could tell he was glossing over details. Questioning the messengers gave her more information than any of her husband's dispatches. The men, she learned, were uncomfortable fighting creatures out of legend. The animals weren't so bad. They were too large, but they were animals nevertheless. That they could speak didn't come up in the fighting. The dwarves could almost be mistaken for men. Almost. They also weren't a problem. The real problem was the centaurs, fauns, and giants. The men were whispering, wondering what else was waiting to come out of the woods. Anything might be in there.

So she sent her husband private messages, full of news about their son, and dispatches of her own, meant to be read aloud to whoever might be by. She wrote of her certainty of victory, of the wives and children waiting eagerly to celebrate the end of the fighting. She refused to call it a war. That granted Caspian too much dignity.

The news of the twelfth of Greenroof completely blindsided her. She'd already received the day's letter from her husband. In it, he expressed the belief that it would only take a few hard pushes to completely obliterate the old Narnians. "They have no reserves," he wrote. "We can replace any man who falls. We have only to press without easing." She read those sentences aloud to the court with satisfaction. My husband is King. He's going to obliterate the last of the monsters. This is a country of men.

The rider came as night fell. Prunaprismia was walking along the top of the wall, carrying her son. Taking walks every evening was part of her way of showing that she wasn't concerned about her husband's absence. Walking the wall provided the right combination of high visibility and trusted guards.

The rider came up the road alone. He wore padding as if he had once worn armor. The padding even had rust marks. His horse was clearly exhausted. It could only manage a sort of half-hearted trot that brought them closer to the castle slowly.

Prunaprismia turned to one of her guards. "Go out to him. Find out who he is. If he has news, bring him to me." If he has news, it won't be good. How can there be bad news? Miraz promised. She handed her son to the nursemaid. "Let us go inside. It grows late." She raised her head and straightened her back.

They brought the rider to her in a small, private room. If this were bad news, she didn't want to share it with the court until she'd heard it herself and thought about what to do.

The rider knelt to her, going down on one knee. She recognized him as Lord Orenz, a young man made knight by Miraz only three months before. His family had supported Miraz since the early days. Caspian IX had taken away lands that Miraz had then restored.

"Lord Orenz, what brings you here so? We fear the worst."

He kept his head bowed. "It is worse than the worst, your majesty. His majesty has fallen, killed by treachery when undertaking single combat against a man claiming to be King Peter."

Prunaprismia closed her eyes. She could barely draw breath. But I knew. When I saw him coming, I knew. But he said worse. What could be worse?

Lord Orenz said nothing more for a moment. "That is not the worst, your majesty. The forest walked. Our forces have been routed and have surrendered. Caspian has won."

For a moment, she couldn't take it in. "Caspian won?" Her mind seemed paralyzed. "How could he win?"

"Your majesty, the forest walked. The trees came to life and pursued our forces to the river, at Beruna. The bridge was gone. The only choices were daring the river and surrender."

"You dared the river." Why didn't others? Were they so eager to make peace with-- with-- whatever they are?

"Someone had to bring you word." He looked up at her for the first time, his expression earnest. "You and the young king are in danger. I expect their forces will take some time at Beruna, but someone will think of you soon enough."

Prunaprismia clenched her hands in her skirts. Yes. We must flee. But where? "Our options are limited." Too many people know my face, and I couldn't live as a peasant. I could send Isidro off with his nursemaid. Could I trust her for that? No, I barely know the girl. Even if she did it, he'd grow up without knowing his heritage, his birthright. Archenland is the other choice, probably the best choice. King Nain has been neutral on the Narnian succession. He wouldn't turn us away or, worse, send us back. Archenland is human. It doesn't have all these hidden creatures that Narnia turns out to have. "We'll be ready to go in half an hour." Somehow.

************

Prunaprismia did her best not to let Isidro know how much she worried, how she feared each Narnian visitor might be the assassin. Caspian had made no effort to persuade her and Isidro to leave Archenland. He'd even gone so far as to grant them a small stipend. She knew better than to think that, simply because Caspian was naive, the men-- and creatures-- around Caspian were so foolish.

Narnia's current ambassador to Archenland was a dwarf named Laban. He'd spoken to Prunaprismia once, to tell her about the stipend. She suspected that he'd arranged for Lord Kester to offer to take her and Isidro in. Separating them from the court at Anvard, sending them somewhere out of the way, was basic politics. Prunaprismia didn't mind. She'd never expected King Nain or the great lords around him to support Isidro's claim to the Narnian throne, and living away from Anvard made it easier for her to communicate with those in Narnia who did support Isidro. Living away from Anvard also gave her more of what she desperately needed-- time.

Living at Kester's Keep had another advantage. It was far cheaper than living at Anvard. No one looked down at her for wearing the same dresses over and over, and potential servants asked less in wages. Isidro's nursemaid had only lasted six months before homesickness drove her to quit. Prunaprismia hadn't argued. She'd sent the girl on her way with a letter of recommendation and had hired a local woman, a widow with five children. She thought the chance at additional allies worth the divided attention. She just hoped Isidro wouldn't fall in love with one of the girls.

Everything was harder than she'd imagined. She'd never had to dress her own hair or mend her own clothes before. Fortunately, Lord Kester's servants laid the fires and cooked the meals. She'd have had no idea how to go about either task. She made an effort to learn how to care for Isidro, just in case they had to flee again, and was appalled to discover how much sheer work caring for a child involved.

Still, they settled into a routine. Isidro learned to walk and talk at what his nurse said were the appropriate times. Prunaprismia had long talks with him about his father and Narnia. She looked forward to the time when he would understand her words.

She missed Miraz dreadfully. Her bed was cold and empty at night, and she missed having an equal to talk to. She thought with some longing of marrying again, but men of rank were thin on the ground at Kester's Keep. Lord Kester was sixty if he was a day, and his sons seldom came to the Keep. She suspected strongly that any sign of romance between her and one of Lord Kester's sons would see her shown the door. She didn't dare risk that. She also didn't dare risk a husband who would resent Isidro.

When Isidro was three, Lord Orenz came riding in with letters from Prunaprismia's family. "I can't stay long," he told her, "but the news couldn't wait. Three weeks ago, Caspian sailed east from Cair Paravel. There is no saying when-- or if-- he will return."

Prunaprismia set down the shirt she was sewing for Isidro. She folded her hands in her lap to hide the fact that they were trembling. "Isidro is too young to go to war." But a chance like this might not come again.

"It shouldn't come to war. The Old Narnians believe that they're meant to be ruled by a 'son of Adam,' by which they mean a man. They're as worried that Caspian won't return as we are hopeful. They know as little of the sea as we do. Indeed, of all the creatures, only a Mouse was brave enough to accompany their king. Everyone else on board the ship was a man."

Prunaprismia didn't see how that was relevant, but she nodded anyway. "Surely it's too soon to try anything." She hoped it was and then castigated herself for thinking that. Isidro deserves the throne. He does. But he is so very young. It will be many years before he can grasp power as his father did, and, in the meantime, we would depend on powerful men, men who might not want to give up their power when he's grown.

Lord Orenz shrugged. "It is, of course, but if we don't plan now, we won't be ready when the time comes. I came so that you would know that we have not forgotten you, that we mean to make the most of this opportunity."

I don't even know who he means by 'we.' So many left Narnia after Caspian won. The others-- They all swore fealty to Caspian. None of her handful of correspondents ever mentioned names. There was too much risk that her mail would be intercepted, and trustworthy travelers seldom passed her way. She gripped her hands together. "Who would be regent?"

"Caspian left the dwarf, Trumpkin, as regent. If we're to do this peacefully, we'll have to accept him, at least for a time, until we can discredit him," Lord Orenz said. "He's not a fool, so he'll be working to discredit us, too."

And Isidro will be caught in the middle. "He can't possibly approve of me," Prunaprismia said. "I've tried to be circumspect when speaking of the Old Narnians and of Caspian, but my views-- my husband's views-- can be inferred." I will not let anyone take Isidro from me, not even to make him king. I'm the only one certain to have his best interests at heart.

Lord Orenz nodded and looked sympathetic. "That is a difficulty. I don't think Trumpkin would try to separate the king from you, not with him so young." He didn't sound certain enough to reassure Prunaprismia.

"I think--" Prunaprismia did her best to put certainty into her voice. "--Isidro and I will stay where we are until Narnia invites us home. I won't put Isidro at risk by taking him to Narnia before we can be certain of our welcome. I know there's a risk to that, too. Someone else might take the throne." And Isidro would be more at risk from whomever did. "I can live with that risk." I have no choice. I'd rather not take it, rather not wait. Still, if we cross that border without official backing, someone will kill Isidro.

"I-- we-- hoped you'd come to Narnia. To gain support, we need to show that his majesty is available to take the throne. The Old Narnians, in particular, need to see him. Rumor for them might make him a monster."

Rumor certainly does his father, Prunaprismia thought with some bitterness. Her mother seemed almost to revel in passing on the stories. "We could go to Anvard for a while. People could see us there." I'd rather not go to Anvard. We're not welcome there. "Anvard is close enough to Narnia for visiting. Just let me know when." Because we can't stay for long.

Lord Orenz nodded. "It will be enough."

It will have to be.

"I'll send you word through your father. No names, but if he asks you to meet him in Anvard, go."

"I will." Prunaprismia rose to her feet. "I would like some names, just to know who our allies are. I know those can't be put in writing, but I'd like to know." That will tell me how much to trust them. I'm sure to recognize the names.

Lord Orenz also rose to his feet. "I've spoken to General Ivander and Lord Malchan personally. They mentioned Yepheth and Clotario. I'll see what other names I can get for you."

Ivander doesn't care who's king as long as the army is strong. I wonder what he thinks of non-humans in the army? Prunaprismia nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate what you've done. Isidro and I owe you everything." Malchan, I'm not sure about. I expect he'd like to be near a young king, one he could make decisions for. I don't remember Yepheth or Clotario.

She offered Lord Orenz her hand. He took it and bowed over it. "I've only done my duty, your majesty. I take my oaths seriously." He straightened.

What about your oaths to Caspian? Or have you evaded giving those? Even Caspian wouldn't be so foolish, not even if he didn't know your family history. "Did you want to see Isidro before you go?" That will let you report that he's growing well, that he's healthy.

"I would be honored."

"He's gone for a walk with his nurse. They should be back any time now." He has too much energy to sit here while I sew. Getting him out to run around is the only way. He and his 'sword' take up too much space once he starts swinging that stick around. She hadn't objected to the toy sword, knowing that it would help prepare him for the day when he picked up a real sword. "This way." She led the way out of her rooms.

"Did King Caspian say when he'd return?" Prunaprismia asked as they descended a staircase to the front hall. Just how good is this opportunity?

Like her, Lord Orenz was mindful of possible listening ears. "His majesty didn't say. He took an oath to find out what happened to the seven lords who sailed away all those years ago. That might take quite a long time."

They never returned. He might not either. And the ocean is vast. Finding one ship would be a matter of impossible luck. If their ship went down, he'll never find it. For a wild moment, she was tempted to pack Isidro up and head for Narnia immediately. No. My reasons to wait are still good. If Isidro were even a few years older-- But he's not. He's three. Waiting a few months can't hurt. She considered saying that she would pray for Caspian's quick return, but she knew that no one would believe it. No need to give anyone reason to look at us with more suspicion. Instead, she changed the subject. "Lord Kester, our kind host, has promised to see Isidro trained as a knight." She opened the door to the courtyard.

Isidro, his nurse and her two youngest children were just coming in through the gate. "Mama!" Isidro said, dropping his toy sword and launching himself at her.

Prunaprismia bent to catch him. She lifted him and kissed him on the forehead. At least he's not wet or muddy. She turned him to face Lord Orenz. "This is Lord Orenz. He brought a letter from Grandmother and Grandfather."

Isidro regarded Lord Orenz seriously and silently, his eyes wide. He ducked his head a little, bumping it against her shoulder.

He's so unlike his father. She couldn't imagine Miraz as a shy child. He was always bigger than life. She looked at Lord Orenz and shrugged a little.

Lord Orenz smiled. "I'm pleased to meet you, your highness." He bowed.

Prunaprismia frowned. Now is not the time to tell him that no one calls Isidro 'your highness.' 'My lord,' we can get, no more. "It occurs to me, Lord Orenz-- You might be able to help me with a small matter."

Lord Orenz bowed again. "If it's within my ability."

"Isidro needs a tutor, one who knows Narnia. We can't pay a high salary, and it would require living here, but I thought you might know someone." Prunaprismia swallowed hard. The next bit is hardest. "The tutor need not be human. A human might be more comfortable here in Archenland, but that's not required." Please find me a human. Unless there's something to be gained from having a-- a-- whatever teach him.

"I'm sure I can find someone." Lord Orenz looked more than a little relieved.

I might have asked for something truly hard. Well, Lord Orenz, three years here has taught me to be practical. "I've hesitated to ask my father. His connections aren't what they once were." His connection with me drags him down, politically. Prunaprismia cleared her throat. "The tutor need not know sword work. Lord Kester has an armsmaster who will teach Isidro." Though heaven knows Kenelm isn't a brilliant swordsman. We can worry about that later. Competence will do.

"That will make finding someone simpler." Lord Orenz bowed a third time. "I really must be on my way, your majesty. I'm expected in Anvard."

"Thank you for detouring to drop off my letters." Once again, she didn't correct him on the form of address. I miss being Queen Prunaprismia. It's hard to be simply Lady Prunaprismia. She shifted Isidro's weight to make him easier to carry.

"It was no trouble at all." Lord Orenz looked, for a second, like he was going to bow again. Instead, he nodded. "I see that they've held my horse for me." He turned and walked over where a groom was walking a horse back and forth. He spoke quietly with the groom for a moment, gave the man a coin and mounted his horse.

"Let's go inside," Prunaprismia said to Isidro and Lysis, Isidro's nurse. "It's time for a snack." I won't dwell on the what ifs. Caspian might come back. He might not. Isidro might become king. He might not. I can't do more, not safely. All I can do is wait, wait and do the things I'd do anyway.

Isidro laid his head on her shoulder.

And after the snack, a story and a nap. Just like always.

Original Prompt that we sent you: Here are some semi-specific prompts, in case any of them ping you:

1. The first post-Winter interaction between Narnia and Archenland - the Pevensies meeting Lune (and his wife!), Narnians having to relearn how to deal with the surrounding human-dominated lands, etc. Friendship or tension are both fine. (Or the first post-Winter interaction with any other country, since I am sure Narnia's sudden reappearance after a century of magical isolation -- which probably upset the climate of the surrounding lands -- must have been of interest to almost everyone.)

2. What happened in Narnia in the years around the death of the Tree of Protection? Did Jadis kill it (by magic or by proxy), or it just died of old age? How soon thereafter did she enter Narnia, and did she do so via subterfuge or via conquest? Who set up the resistance and how? (Clearly a resistance exists, along with a black market of some sort, by the time the Pevensies arrive.)

3. Caspian fighting giants before VoDT, maybe using the war to help unite Telmarine Narnia with Old Narnia. Or just tensions between Telmarine Narnia and Old Narnia during his reign. How did his marriage to the Star's Daughter help or hinder his efforts to hold his people together? How often did people try to set his cousin -- Miraz and Prunaprismia's unnamed son -- up as a figurehead king with themselves as regents? Stuff like that.

4. What led to the Telmarine invasion and conquest of Narnia? Aslan says it was a famine, but famine alone is unlikely to lead to the entirety of a settled people migrating to a new country; some must have stayed in Telmar. Was it a regional thing, or did families split down the middle? Also, was Caspian I royalty before the invasion? How quickly (and why) did the Narnian Telmarines lose contact with their home country? That entire episode is crying out for exploration.

5. Susan and Lucy going on an adventure as two sisters together. Ambushes! Captures! Daring escapes and rescues! Deceit and diplomacy! Expressions of love, faith, and trust in each other! Basically, you know those epic brotherly devotion/adventure fics? Write me one of those, but with sisters instead. Preferably in the Narnian world, but if you can find a way to play out something from that genre in England, that would be awesome too.

Prompt words/objects/quotes/whatever: "....for if you live you may yet have good fortune but all the dead are dead alike." (I can't help it; I love that quote.) Swords. Knife-fights. Epic speeches before battles. Conversations about love wherein the word itself is never spoken but the sentiment is nonetheless clearly expressed and understood by both parties. Politics. Arguments. Magic.

"Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

I don't know, I am just throwing ideas around! Hopefully something will click for you!

Comments

[edenfalling]

Quick response from my phone at the grocery store: this is awesome! Please don't worry that it's tangential, because Prunaprismia and the politics are everything I could have hoped for.

More when I get home!

-----

So, first of all I love that Prunaprismia and Miraz had a strong marriage with mutual respect -- they are partners, both knowing how to play the political game, to the point where it seems they planned Caspian's would-be assassination together. I also like how later on she compares Isidro to his father -- thinking Miraz could never have been a shy child -- which helps show how she's come to see Isidro as a person in his own right, not just an abstract ideal or a legacy of her lost husband. I would guess that plays into her growing reluctance to risk their life in Archenland on a gamble to reclaim the Narnian throne.

I like that she finds refuge in Archenland, and also that Caspian (or his advisers) send her stipend. That's interesting for what it implicitly says about the relationship between Archenland and Telmarine Narnia -- I am tempted to wonder whether Archenland ever surreptitiously sponsored Old Narnian rebellions, or whether, being a human-majority country, the Archenlanders found the Telmarines easier to deal with than the Old Narnians (who apparently had been in disarray around the time of the conquest anyhow). A stable Narnia is probably worth a lot to Archenland, even at the expense of the Talking Beasts and other Beings. But anyway, Prunaprismia's flight reminds me a bit of what happened to James II of England and the children of his second marriage during and after the Glorious Revolution. I wonder if Isidro and his children might have ended up doing a repeat of the Bonnie Prince Charlie mess at some point.

I like how, being a noblewoman, Prunaprismia is not used to doing her own chores, or even doing most of the work caring for her own child. I also like how aware she is of the precariousness of her position, and doesn't insist on being addressed by royal titles -- though equally she doesn't corrent Lord Orenz when he uses them. This story makes me wonder what might have happened if Caspian had remained away from Narnia longer than he did. Also, I wonder if Lord Bern sent ships to Narnia to proclaim the Lone Islands' renewed loyalty, and thus give a reminder that Caspian had been alive (and accompanied by Lucy and Edmund, in a sign of supernatural favor!) well into his voyage.

Basically, I love how you've brought Prunaprismia and the complicated tangle of immediately post-PC Narnian politics to life. Thank you very, very, very much!

[the_rck]

I'm so glad that you liked the story. I was afraid that it was too much about Prunaprismia and too little about the politics of wanting to put Isidro on the throne. I just found Prunaprismia really interesting. Going from being queen to being nobody in particular has to be jarring. I wouldn't be surprised if she felt helpless a lot at first, while she was learning to take care of herself and of Isidro. I think she took some of her jewelry with her into exile and is slowly selling it off to pay for things Isidro needs that the pension can't cover. There was a certain temptation to detail her early days in Archenland, but if I'd done that, I'd never have gotten to the possibility of putting a three year old Isidro on the throne.

How Archenland views Telmarine Narnia and Old Narnia probably depends a lot on how much of a non-human population Archenland has. I could see some Old Narnians fleeing there when the Telmarines invaded. I also don't see any reason that Archenland would have forgotten Aslan. I think, though, that the rulers of Archenland long ago accepted Telmarine Narnia as normal and chose not to try to upset the status quo. The ties can't be too close, or Dr Cornelius wouldn't have suggested that Caspian flee there for asylum (an Archenland really dedicated to a stable Narnia would likely send Caspian back or turn a blind eye when Miraz sent assassins).

I think the real attempt to put Isidro on the throne would come after Rilian's disappearance. By many interpretations, Isidro would be the next in line for the throne. I'm not sure what sort of man Isidro would grow into. His mother would probably go back and forth between telling him that the Narnian throne ought to be his and urging him to keep his head down to avoid being seen as a threat. A lot would depend on factors like whether or not he trained to be a knight. If he did, the knight he served would have a large influence.

[snacky]

Oh, wow, I really like this a lot! I love getting Prunaprismia's POV - she's not a character we see much of. And I love how she isn't entirely sympathetic, but doing a bit of scheming of her own. And I like how she comes to think more of her son, and protecting him, from all sides, than of her comfort and her wants and needs - she never gives up what she's longing for, but the adjustment to her vision is well-done.

Thanks for sharing this!

[the_rck]

Thanks for letting me know that you liked the story!

Writing Prunaprismia was a challenge at first, but I enjoyed getting into her head and thinking about what Caspian's victory meant for her. She's barely there in the book, so I wondered about her. All we know is that she has red hair, dislikes Caspian and has a baby boy. I wanted to explore one possible interpretation of her.

[ceitfianna]

This is beautiful and complex and makes me want to go reread Prince Caspian to learn more of her. Its fascinating to see inside her head and how she knows how to be queen but being in exile and without a clear place is difficult. Also your writing of her issues with the Old Narnians is beautifully done as it shows how strange they can seem and her world view, yet that didn't make her less than herself. This is a wonderful and thought provoking story.

[the_rck]

There's not much of Prunaprismia in Prince Caspian. I had the freedom to be creative. I thought she'd be more interesting if she had strength of character (however unsympathetic her views might be). I found writing her fascinating as I figured out what she'd do and how she'd react.

Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed the story!

[autumnia]

How refreshing to see a story based on a character that had melted into the background early on in the books. I like the attention to details, on not realizing how difficult it is to personally rear a child as well seeing her perspective on the political situation in Narnia, whether or not and how to help her son reclaim the throne from her nephew.

(And it also looks a bit like Lord Orenz has a mild crush on Lady Prunaprismia... or it could be me.)

[the_rck]

Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed the story!

I think Orenz might well have a crush on Prunaprismia. He's unlikely to do anything about it, and I'm not sure she's noticed.

I think that, while Isidro is a child, Prunaprismia will be very cautious about any schemes to put him on the Narnian throne. She's very aware of how vulnerable a child is. She might well push harder when Isidro is grown (Rilian's disappearance would give her a great deal of hope).

[wingedflight21.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful look into the politics of PC (and after) from Prunaprismia's point of view! I like that she's a strong queen - writing letters to Miraz that can be read aloud, able to make decisions on her own - and yet she's a good mother as well. Very well done!

[the_rck]

Thanks for letting me know you liked the story!

I thought the story would be more interesting if Prunaprismia were a strong queen. It gave her a more definite point of view and, oddly enough, the possibility of compromising on some issues. I thought that Miraz's wife either had to be strong and ruthless or had to be a doormat. Miraz wouldn't have tolerated much in between.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

THIS is why the NFE is so wonderful. It brings fresh voices and fresh views and makes all think, wow, why didn't I think of that? Yes, this is a small, narrow, slice, but it is utterly unique and brutally practical. I love the simple, day to day brutal practicalities of a woman of station and power brought down hard. The Narnians won't kill a baby, but they don't trust her and they don't want her too close, but they want her close enough. The stipend and the shipping her off is brutal, practical politics.

You succeed in making her, not sympathetic exactly, but understandable. We see how she is very much a product of her time, place and station and she is as brutally practical as the Narnians themselves are. This is a wonderful character piece and you succeed at it terrifically. Thank you so much for this.

[the_rck]

Thanks for letting me know that you liked the story!

I thought that Prunaprismia made more sense if she was pragmatic. Writing from her point of view was a challenge because I don't agree with her on many topics, but it was fun seeing what I could do with her to make her make sense.

Caspian giving the stipend might have been part sympathy for her. He's a nice kid and not yet practiced in politics. His advisors, on the other hand, would see it in much starker terms. It gives them some control over her, and it removes one reason Archenlanders might pity her and want to help her.

[pencildragon11.livejournal.com]

You have done what I thought impossible--made Prunaprismia a sympathetic character. Wow.

[the_rck]

Just about anybody can be written as a sympathetic character. It's a matter of getting inside and seeing how they view the world. As a writer and as a reader, it can be a bit of a shock to step back and realize just who (and often what) one's been finding sympathetic.

Thanks for letting me know that you liked the story!

[lauraandrews.livejournal.com]

I did like this a lot :) I always figured that Prunaprismia went through the door with the other Telmarines, whenever I thought about it (which wasn't often). I liked how you interspersed her thoughts with her words, showing that even while she was talking, her mind was working, weighing possibilities. Sometimes her thoughts almost conflicted with what she said aloud. Sometimes it seemed like she was just testing the waters. I thought it was very good and very enjoyable. Well done!

[the_rck]

To make the prompt work, I had to explain, at least to myself, why Prunaprismia didn't go through that door. I simply decided that she fled before word came about that (and I'm not sure she would have trusted it, left to herself. I could see Caspian's supporters making her go through, however).

Thanks for letting me know that you liked the story!

[ilysia-039.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. Thank you. What you've done with Prunaprismia is gorgeous, and, as rth says, is one of the reasons NFE is so fun. You've fleshed her out, made her real and definite, intricate and complicated. She breathes here, and it's glorious.

[the_rck]

Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed the story!

Making Prunaprismia come alive was fun and challenging. I had to think like she does, at least to some extent.

[lady_songsmith]

I put this aside to read when I could really focus on it, and I'm so glad I did; it deserves better than a skim on a busy evening! I love how you've taken Prunaprismia and made her so practical and patient, ready to look after her son's interests at all costs. She reminds me of historical queens like Elizabeth Woodville and Mary of Guise, planning and holding on desperately to their children's birthright.

[the_rck]

Thanks for letting me know that you liked the story!

I thought that Prunaprismia would be more interesting if she had strength of character. Being queen is really central to how Prunaprismia views herself at the beginning of the story. As it goes on, she's defining herself by other things, but she never loses sight of her conviction that her son is, or at least should be, king of Narnia.

[animus-wyrmis.livejournal.com]

Oh this was super cool! I love that you've given her a cool future and a lot of ambition and remembered the son--one of my pet peeves in the books is that Lewis sort of forgets.

This is also super interesting when I think about SC, since we know there must have been a long time when Caspian didn't have a clear heir...

[the_rck]

When I originally planned this story, I wanted a section set after Rilian disappeared. Unfortunately, going there didn't make sense. The story felt complete as it was. When Rilian disappeared, Isidro would have been a man. I think he'd have learned ambition from his mother. It's hard to say what other good or bad qualities he'd have, but he'd certainly have been in the running, at least in Telmarine minds, to be Caspian's heir.

Thanks for letting me know that you liked the story!

[linneasr.livejournal.com]

I like this. Lewis did not provide much scope for his female characters, and Pruneprismia is one of the neglected ones, for sure. Thank you for fleshing out her story a little, particularly in a different and appropriate manner.

[the_rck]

Thanks for letting me know that you liked the story!

I liked Prunaprismia better by the end of the story than I expected to. I had to come to understand her in order to write her.