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Anna knew she should have been asleep but her mind was also racing. It seemed the only logical explanation was to read a random book she had found until she got sleepy. Reading by candlelight Anna found herself reading about Mermaids and many other creatures in the aged book, Mermaids are extremely territorial creatures and if they feel threatened they can be violent—

A knock echoed on the door and Anna furrowed her eyebrows together. It was dark, wouldn't everyone be asleep?

"Hello?" She called out and the door swung open to reveal a messy-haired Caspian who was still dressed as he had been during the day and bounded across the room in an alarming speed.

"My sincere apologies Anna, it appears I have left my— ah! found it!" Caspian held up a small collection of rolled parchment and a divider pencil.

Caspian hurried towards the door in quite the rush. "I apologise for stealing your room or do you call them chambers? Quarters?" Anna mumbled quickly. Caspian reeled on his feet and turned to face her.

"Quarters. That's quite alright. I enjoy the bonding moments with the crew."

"Alright your magnificence just let me know if you get tired of it," Anna concluded guilty. Caspian cracked a tired smile in her direction in attempts to reassure her that it was no problem at all, "You really do seem to enjoy those unique title pleasantries don't you?"

Anna seemed dazzled by his words or maybe it was that he had noticed, "Well, I thought you'd be sick of 'your majesty blah blah my lord' and I thought I'd make it much more interesting."

Caspian met her eyes and spoke truthfully, "It appears from the very moment you entered Narnia you've made it a much more interesting place."

"Oh thank you — but I highly doubt it. Just think about it for a moment you have dragons and mermaids and griffons and in my world, I'm stuck with not so much interesting creatures."

"What would be the most interesting most interesting creature in your world then?" Caspian asked slightly intrigued.

Anna seemed to think for a moment, "Perhaps giraffes? Yes. Giraffes. Do you have Giraffes here?"

"I believe so," Caspian told her gently but it surprised him when Anna's fist slammed against the mattress and she turned screaming into the pillow with a frustrated scream.

"Are you alright Anna?" Caspian asked his long legs moving towards the bed, his hand reaching out for her but realising he was doing so he moved his hand away — realising perhaps it wasn't appropriate.

"Just dying with disappointment," She hollered in frustration.

Caspian couldn't help but smile as it seemed it was the only thing he ever did around Anna. He pried at the pillow until Anna had let go so that he could see her face. For almost too long they stared into each other's eyes and Anna felt the sudden ooze of butterflies fluttering about in the pitch of her stomach and blush rise to her cheeks once again. Caspian glanced away noticing that the leather-bound book had fallen onto the wooden flooring and he picked it up, dusting the nonexistent dust from its cover.

"It seems you've found my book on what you'd call magical creatures," Caspian mused, his soft brown eyes glancing towards Anna but she seemed slightly guilty.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. I adore books. I tend to read every night before I sleep, it helps make me sleepy. It just felt strange without doing so –– so I borrowed it."

"I'm happy you're finding use of it. Although, I do recommend that you get some sleep, I'm sure you don't want to miss a moment of your grand adventure."

"Technically, I am in bed with my eyes closed, trying to sleep but failing because we continue to chat away — not that I mind by the way," Anna mumbled truthfully.

"Sweet dreams Anna," Caspian whispered to her as he blew out the candle and closed the door behind him upon.

"Good night your greatness!" Anna called out in return with an echoing laugh and it made Caspian chuckle softly.

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Anna was almost always the first one to awake and she often spent the time patiently waiting by the bow of the ship on her barrel and if she was feeling spontaneous she'd climb up to the crow's nest and watch the sunrise but this time she settled by the bow of the ship.

Hues of pinks, yellows and orange scaled above the horizon. It never really ceased to amaze her, Narnia was so colourful and vibrant in comparison to her bland life within her would — it brought a depth-full gratitude that washed over her at an alarming rate.

Anna turned to the sound of the soft thud against the wooden deck and she turned a wide smile spreading upon her lips as she saw Reepicheep bounding towards her.

"Hello, Reep!" Anna exclaimed as she noticed the sudden bustle of life upon the main deck as everyone began their daily routine checks.

"Good morning Anna!" The large mouse spoke in return, climbing up onto the bow of the ship.

Anna's stomach sank just as much as her heart did, she had missed breakfast again. Reepicheep turned to his friend with a slight chuckle but it amazed Anna how he had read her mind, "Did you miss breakfast again Anna? Not to worry! I shall fetch you some porridge!"

It didn't take long for Reepicheep with a bowl and a spoon. Anna felt grateful for such a lovely friend. "You're very kind to me Reep. Thank you."

The mouse smiled and burst into a song which made Anna smiled outrageously as she spooned the porridge into her mouth, it wasn't that his songs were terrible but in fact that they were so outrageously creative.

The day drifted to be uneventful, the seas were calm and it meant much easier work.

Anna enjoyed another blissful day, amazed when she niadids racing along with the ship and it caused quite the moment.

"Oh my!" She yelled joyously which seemed to catch the attention of the crew, "They are wonderful!"

She bounded over to Caspian racing across the deck, almost slipping on the wet surface, where he stood by the helm of the ship with Captain Drininan who was barking out orders.

"Your humbleness! I think I saw a Naiad! Two of them!" Caspian couldn't help but smile in amusement at her mere wonder and decided to add with a hand rested tenderly on her shoulder, "Try not to get into a fight with one or fall overboard, they could possibly be jealous of your beau–"

"Look!" A crew member called out, "Castaways!"

Every pair of eyes turned and Anna raced over to the edge and without hesitation dived into the water after them and due to her quick thinking others followed –– including Caspian.

The water was cool and the saltwater stung her eyes. Anna bobbed up and down in the water, noticing the three and agily swimming towards a blond boy with wet hair as he was the only one left without any assistance. The boy screamed as Anna came closer and possible even louder when her arms locking around him as tried to swim them both towards the shore, "It's alright. You're safe."

"I don't want to go! I want to go back to England!" He wailed and confusion etched upon Anna's face. England! She thought with recognition, I'm from England!

"Stop it!" Anna yelled reaching for the boy to help him stay afloat and above the water, he seemed more interested in screaming than swimming and oblivious to that he was swallowing large amounts of water.

Anna waited patiently for their turn, as she pushed the boy onto the wooden plank so he could stand and hold on to the rope to pull them into the Dawn Treader. Anna clambered up with ease, standing and holding onto the rope. Anna flinched at the sound of his continuous wails that almost deafened her eardrums. The sticks with long hooks drew them in and Anna threw herself onto the deck, falling onto her knees catching her breath and the boy who continued to wail when he did the same but in so much more of a dramatic matter.

What surprised Anna most was that Caspian seemed to know at least two of the castaways and even more so how he seemed to address them like family. Anna's gaze followed after them as Reepicheep seemed to try in his best attempt to help the boy, whilst Anna lingered.

"Did you call for us?" The brown-haired girl asked.

"No, not this time. Although it appears that you lot are not the only ones who ventured into Narnia this time, it baffled me for quite a while as I rescued Anna from a mermaid––"

The blond boy wailed and screamed moving about like a lunatic cutting Caspian off midsentence. "Get off me! Get that thing off me!" Anna gasped when Reepicheep was thrown in the air, scaling across the deck.

It was that very horror, in rage she threw herself on the boy, throwing all her weight on him to keep him still from hurting himself and others. "Calm down you overdramatic imbecile of a boy! Reep was trying to help you!"

The mouse softened his gaze at the thought of his adventurous friend defending him but before he could utter comforting words and perhaps attempt to pry her off the dramatic boy, his attention was turned to the two castaways.

From the way they all spoke to one another, it was clear to Anna that they all seemed overly familiar with one another and perhaps they had been to Narnia before but it started her when Reepicheep addressed them in the same way he did Caspain.

Anna let the boy go, rising and standing trying to make sense of what on earth was going on. The annoying boy coughed and spattered water heaving from his lungs, Anna bit on her lip realising that perhaps it wasn't such as a good idea to keep the boy still. Reepicheep turned to Anna his gaze sparkling as he spoke, "But first what to do about this hysterical interloper?"

The boy turned as he raised a pointed finger to Reepicheep which was shaking, "That giant rat thing just tried to claw my face off! And that weird pirate girl was holding me against my will!"

Anna smiled at being mentioned as a pirate but was slightly hurt when he called her weird. "You threw my friend across the deck! What else were we supposed to do? Paint each other's nails?!" Anna spoke to the boy her words dripping like venom.

"I was merely trying to expel the water from your lungs, sir!" Reepicheep added nobly. The boy stood trying to distance himself from everyone else, "It talks! Did you hear that? It talks!"

A crew member laughed and spoke, "He always talks, in fact, Anna and Reep both do. A lot."

Anna furrowed her eyebrows, she didn't talk that much did she? Surely she and Reepicheep didn't? But judging from the laughter it seemed the only logical information.

"Actually it's getting to shut them up that's the trick," Caspain added, a grin curling upon his lips as he automatically glanced towards the blond-haired girl who seemed to grow red with both anger and embarrassment.

"Hey!" Anna protested with a baffled look as she narrowed her eyes at the King who was surprised at her tone, "That was uncalled for!"

The laughter continued echoed around the ship. Reepicheep turned to his King, "The moment there is nothing to be said your highness I promise you I will not say it."

"I don't know what kind of prank this is but I want to wake up right now!" The boy continued to wail and Anna felt a pang of sorry for the boy. It truly must be horrible if it was hard for him to believe and witness such a wonderful world and want to wake up from it.

"Can we throw him back?" Reepicheep said as Anna stepped forwards to do so, looking intently waiting for the order from Caspian, although she was more so playing along with the joke than anything. The two siblings, the boy and the girl looked at one another before she elbowed him in the ribs and scolded him, "Edmund!"

The dramatic blond boy continued to waltz about very much distressed and close to tears and demanded to know where he was until Tavros the Minotaur stepped forwards and spoke a few words that were supposed to be assuring and then the boy fainted.

Whilst those around her laughed in delight at the boy fainting, Anna could feel a worry rush over her as she clambered to look at the boy.

Anna crouched onto her knees but she noticed Caspian walking towards her with another of those scratchy woven towels whilst Drinian who took over caring for the boy. Instantly he wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled Anna to her feet, offering her a warm smile and motioning for her to return to the crew.

Caspian turned two the other two castaways who followed him up, the steps and onto the raised deck speaking out to the crew of the Dawn Treader, "Behold our castaways King Edmund the Just and Queen Lucy the Valient –– high King and Queen of Narnia!"

Anna instantly fell onto her knees and bowed her head along with the crew but she couldn't deny how she was quite shocked about it all. From Reepicheep's tales, she noted that they were two of the Kings and Queens of old but where were the other two?

Anna had not expected them to be from the same world as her but she noted that they could have been fantasised like all stories or perhaps spoken about as if they were legends but instead, they were real —— living and breathing just like her.