Stepping down the line of stalls that scattered squished next to each other down the street, Caspien looked up to the sky and sighed, “I’ve wasted so much time messing around already, I should hurry up with these.” Reading down the list of fruits and meats he’d need to order for the trip back to his home country, Arla, he shook his head. He tried thinking of anything but the girl wearing the luxurious blue dress from the docks, ‘father will be happy to see me. He keeps telling me how Catalina asks about me and when we’ll meet again. I’m sure he just wants to marry me off quickly to make sure the kingdom will be in safe hands when he’s gone. Damn, to think this may be the last time I see that old bastard.’ Caspien laughed to himself as he approached a nearby stall.

“And what can I fancy you, young lad?” The small but plump lady beamed up at Caspien as he showed her his list. She looked it over and chuckled, “are you part of the Murilia navy? I heard they’re sailing across the map just ‘cause their captain felt like it. Bah! Can you believe that nonsense? What a character that Captain James is.”

At the sound of the Murilian navy’s captain, Caspien’s smiled dropped from his face and was quickly replaced with a disgusted sneer. He remembered the feud between Arla and Murilia was under wraps by the docks and shook the nasty look off of his face. Laughing along with her he corrected her, “actually I’m the captain of my own fleet. We just got done with our trading rounds and we’re stopping here before returning back to Arla.” He tried his best not to make it seem like a big deal but the woman’s eyes shone brighter than they did when she saw how much supplies he was going to need.

“Well, Mr. Captain, let me put this order in and what name will be the one to pick up these supplies?”

“Neptose.”

The woman was ecstatic when she found out exactly who she was talking to. Quickly scribbling down the name on a note, she stuck it to a nearby box and told him the follow her to the back, “I’ll let ya inspect the goods you’d like Prince Caspien.”

“Caspien is fine. We’ll be needing these supplies for only a month even though we’ve been traveling for around 6 only stopping for supplies when need be and for trade.” He looked at the plants sprouting from every wall of the greenhouse and shrugs his shoulders before saying, “really whatever you have is fine, ma’am.”

Without minding what Caspien was saying, the woman waddle to the back of her extended stall and into a room where a younger and more scrawny woman was packaging goods. “Ah, Brandy! There you are, my sweet girl!” She pulled the girl by the wrist and set her in front of Caspien boasting, “this is my wonderful daughter, Brandy! She usually works down at the local pub but I asked her to help with the orders today, she’d a real sweetheart with the sailors that come in.”

Being shoved forward, the shy girl twiddled with the locket around her neck and flushed, “h-hello, sir.”

Caspien wished he could roll his eyes at the woman but knew he’d have to find a new stall to get the supplies he needed. So, with all of the goodness in his heart, he grabbed the young girl’s hand and kissed the back of it and softly said, “it’s a pleasure to meet you, Brandy. My name is Captain Caspien P. Neptose. May I bring you out into the sunlight to admire your radiance?”

Without being able to answer for herself, the plump woman from behind then pecked up, “of course! Take all the time ya need Prince Caspien! I’ll be starting your crates for ya.” She shooed the two of them out.

Stepping into the street hand in hand, Caspien sighed.

Before he could reject the poor girl she burst out, “I love someone else so please don’t be upset with me but I can’t allow you to court me!” He jumped from her confession but started to chuckle from the outburst. She tilted her head as she uneasily fiddled with her necklace and asked, “can you please just tell her that you’ll invite me to a ball or something then forget about me?”

He tilted his head and saw something in her that reminded him of himself years before, “I’m glad you’ve found a fellow lucky enough to be around you for the rest of his life.”

She flushed and stuttered, “I have no idea what you mean.”

“You’re a fine girl, Brandy. I’m sure you’ll make a good wife.” With that, he kissed the back of her hand and disappeared into the sea of customers. She smiled and looked down at her necklace with love in her eyes before walking back inside.

Walking along the street, Caspien noticed people flurrying down the road whispering among themselves. While women gossiped by the stalls, children raced to see the commotion further into town. Passing a group of women Caspien heard them whispered frantically, “my husband was fetched during lunch just now about a man falling from a window.”

“I heard he jumped himself,” another one of them exclaimed.

Caspien’s steps hastened to the scene, his overprotective nature settling in. Turning off of the avenue, the number of people bustling in one direction came to an immense amount.

“I heard she made his head explode!” A nearby boy was telling his friends as they ran along. While his friends cackled calling him a liar. He boasted, “I was there! I saw her demon eyes as she pushed him from the fourth floor then jumped out to drink his blood!”

Without needing any more information, Caspien was already running with the crowd to make sure it wasn’t one of his men lying bloody in the grass. Coming to a large group of people surrounding a small motel, he tore through the people while their words seeped into his ears. It was impossible for him not to listen, making it easier to figure out who had been here before him.

“She was obviously a foreigner. No one in this town could afford such luxurious clothing.”

“I mean did you see the brilliant blue dress she was wearing? Don’t even get me started on how immodestly her shoulders were put on display. Has she no shame?”

The women scoffed at her but were relieved to say, “I’m sure she was just a whore. After all, she let a pig like him drag her into his motel room. How dense can you be to let yourself get into that situation if you weren’t?”

The men in the crowd talked about her maybe trying to escape from the drunkard, “even if it was an accident, did she think she would get away with it?”

Caspien turned to the gentlemen and enquired, “she escaped?”

“Of course not!” The men laughed at his remark and corrected him, “I’m sure she expected to after hurdling herself from the sill as well. Luckily a nearby guard took care of her.”

“She jumped out after him?” Caspien choked on the words before frantically asking, “do you know which way she headed after that?”

“Didn’t ya hear me, chap? A red guard came and took her away, I’m sure you already know what I’m talking about without even having to tell you,” the man chuckled while jabbing his friend in the side. “She won’t be back so we don’t have a lick to worry about.” The man grabbed Caspien’s shoulder to reassure him but was shaken off.

Lower his gaze he asked again, “Which direction?”

The eyes coming through his lungs froze the man on the spot making him back away. He quickly pointed towards to trees at the edge of the town and pushed through the crowd elsewhere.

Without another minute to lose, Caspien ran back to his ship thinking endlessly to himself, ‘why’d I have to meet her here? On the very docks that I have no jurisdiction at. She could be on his turf by now and there’s nothing a dead man could do for her that he hasn’t already tried!’ He boarded his ship and whistled for his men to round up.

Scurring aboard, some brought supply boxes while others held boos and home-rolled cigarettes. They jeered each other while lining up for their captain while others noticed his serious stare before they even got on deck. He waited until everyone was silent before calling out, “Pierson, Logs, Kenny!”

Three men stepped out of the line with sweat dripping down their temples, not knowing what was to come. Caspien set the rest of the crew out for their regular jobs while keeping the three back for a talk.

His eyes were unfocused on the men until he saw them line up directly in front of him. With a click of his tongue and an annoyed sigh, he cleared, “the Prince of Murilla has taken one of our own hostage. You three are the best trackers I have, I need you to take me to him.” Without any questions, the men agreed and listened to their respected captain’s explanation further.