Prologue: A flight in the night

"Come here, my dear Caspian." The queen lifted her hand and waved her young son over from where he stood in the doorway. "Come and meet your sister." The queen smiled down towards the bundle in her arms and the young boy carefully climbed into the bed to watch.

In the arms of the queen, rested a little baby. Dark, short, damp hair was glued to the little head and a pair of blue-green eyes looked back up on him.

"Hello, little sister." The young boy smiled and stroke a hand over the smooth cheek of the baby.

"Her name will be Meera." The queen met the gaze of her son, her eyes the same colour as the baby's. "Promise me, Caspian, that you will protect her. She is your little sister and always will be. Protect her and keep her safe." She stroke the cheek of her son and he nodded, his eyes showing that he understood.

"I promise, mother." He turned his eyes back to the baby in her arms. The blue-green eyes were now closed and the little chest was moving rhythmically.

Over his head, his mother met the gaze of his father, the king, and they exchanged a happy smile. They knew Caspian was the one to protect their daughter. None could do it better than a brother.

-oOo-

"And in death, their souls shall never part. Send a prayer to the mighty lord above for that they never shall feel more pain." The man closed his book and bent his head down in mourning.

In front of his feet, stood two beautifully carved coffins, which all knew contained the bodies of their beloved king and queen.

Their deaths had been sudden and hasty and none in the kingdom had expected them to be so soon. They had both been young, too young to die, and they now left their two children behind in the care of the king's brother.

The people that had gathered sent pitying looks towards where the two children stood. The young prince, firm and serious even at this young age, and by his side, the little princess, tears streaming down her small cheeks.

They stood there together, the prince with his arm wrapped closely around his sister. Their entire world had been turned upside-down within the amount of just a couple of weeks and their lives would never be the same. None of them had reached the age of ten, and yet they had seen more death than any child should.

The people felt pity for them, and that with right, for the king's brother was not loved by the people. He was a hard man whom had wanted the throne for many a year and the people knew he would do anything to get it. They did not doubt that he was going to try and use the young prince and heir for his own plans.

-oOo-

Through the dark paths of the palace, slipped a dark figure. A hood was drawn over his face and he walked silently and carefully, looking around him as he went. It was clear that he did not want to be seen, as he slipped through the sleeping palace.

Hiding behind a corner from one of the nightly guards, the hooded figure took a deep breath. If he was to succeed with his mission, he had to be quick and quiet. Lives were at stake here.

With a quick motion, he passed over the hall and slipped in through a door. The room was dim and only lighted by the rays of the moon and the stars.

The hooded figure crept slowly towards the bed, surrounded by heavy drapes. With his old, wrinkled hands, he pushed them aside and then clapped a hand over one of the sleeping figures' mouth.

The young man woke at once and his eyes snapped open with a start. His hand searched for the hilt of his little knife, but stopped short as he recognised the hooded face.

His body relaxed once more and he pulled the hand off of his mouth, turning to fall asleep once more.

"Five more minutes", came his tired murmur as he placed a hand upon the shoulder of his sleeping sister and closed his eyes.

"You will not be watching the stars tonight, my prince." The hooded figure gave him a serious look and the young man opened his eyes once more. "Come, we must hurry. Wake your sister."

Caspian frowned slightly at his professor, before he gently shook his sister and pulled her up from the bed.

"Meera, come." His hand hugged hers tightly, as their professor pulled the young prince towards his wardrobe by the elbow. "Professor, what is going on?"

Professor Cornelius turned towards the brother and sister, out of which one was just coming back to the land of the wake.

"Your aunt has given birth", he whispered and pulled the door to the wardrobe open. "To a son." The eyes of the two youngsters grew wide at his words and they were quick at following the old man as he stepped inside the wardrobe.

"What is happening?" Meera had finally awoken fully and she stood shaking in her thin nightgown next to the sturdy form of the professor, as Caspian looked out through a crack in the door.

Her question never got a verbal reply, as the door to the room was suddenly pushed open.

Frightened, she pressed her eye to the crack and watched together with her brother as their uncle's general came in, followed by a group of armed soldiers.

Within seconds, a dozen crossbows was pointed at the bed of Caspian's. General Glozelle eyed his soldiers seriously, before he signalled to them to shoot.

Over the sound of the firing crossbows and the terrified screams of Caspian's hunting falcon, none heard how the three in the wardrobe carefully backed towards the hidden door and left the soldiers to find that their prey had already fled.

"Come!" Caspian gripped the hand of his sister tightly and together they ran with their professor down a steep, winding stair. Above them they heard the heavy footsteps of the soldiers and they knew that they did not have long before their flight was to be known everywhere.

"Put these on." The professor pulled out clothes from under his cloak for the two and waited patiently while they dressed themselves in the dim light of the armoury and then picked up weapons.

Caspian chose a sword from a rack, while Meera took a quiver and a slim bow. Their eyes were the only thing that told the old man that they were utterly afraid.

"Where are we going?" Meera looked up at her brother, her eyes shining with fear as he helped her put on her armour.

"Somewhere safe, I imagine." He smiled carefully and brushed a strand of her dark hair out of her face. "Do not worry, dear sister, we will be fine."

Following the impatient professor, they soon found themselves in the stables. Here their horses, Destrier and Centrier stood ready, already carrying small packs.

"You must make for the woods." The professor watched as they mounted their horses, dark cloaks covering their weapons and armours.

"The woods?" Caspian frowned, his hands gripping the reins of his impatient horse.

"They will not follow you there", came the reply and the old man stretched a wrapped object up to the young prince, while the sister watched in silence. "It has taken me many years to find this. Do not use it except at your greatest need." The prince nodded and gripped the wrapped object in his hand.

"Will I ever see you again?"

"I hope so, my dear prince. There is so much I meant to tell you. Everything you know is about to change." Doctor Cornelius stepped back and studied the two for a moment. The young prince upon his nervous, black horse and the princess on the calmer, white, one. "Now go!"

Caspian exchanged a frightened look with his sister, before he urged his horse forward and out through the stable doors.

Meera met the eyes of the professor, tears falling silently down her cheeks, before she followed her brother out into the dark night.

Doctor Cornelius watched as the two horses fled across the courtyard and through the mighty gate, listening as fireworks crackled above. The night illuminated into colours and as a cry echoed through the night, he turned his gaze upwards.

"A son! Lady Prunaprismia has blessed Lord Miraz with a son!"

The cry also reached the two riders, where they had stopped on the other side of the mighty bridge to watch the fireworks, and with renewed strength, they continued their flight. The flight that would decide whether they were to live to see another dawn or not.

A/N: So, this is the new and improved The King's Sister! After having a terrible writer's block for months, I decided to change the concept of the story entirely and I am currently in the process of rewriting it. The prologue is literally the same for those of you who has been reading it before, and the changes will not come until in the first chapter, which is already done and dusted. I will be uploading that as soon as I'm finished with chapter 2 :)
Until then, you can find me roleplaying Meera on Instagram! The account is named MeeraOfNarnia and follows Meera after the Narnian revolution, when Caspian is king and the Pevensies are all back in England. There, if you don't have a account, is the place where you will first find out when a new part of this story is up and I really hope you would like to follow that and interact with her character there :)