Rilian’s disappearance

Rilian’s disappearance is the unresolved loss that sets the search for him in motion: after his mother’s death, the young Prince encounters a mysterious green woman in the northern woods and vanishes without leaving a trace. The discovery that he is still alive makes his absence more than a private bereavement; it signals a danger to Narnia and gives Jill Pole and Eustace Scrubb their mission.

The Loss of the Queen

About ten years before the story of the search, Rilian rode with his mother, the Queen of Narnia, in the northern parts of the kingdom. During their May outing, a serpent came from the woods and killed her. Rilian pursued it with his sword but could not reach it. The Queen died before she could deliver the message she had been trying to speak to her son.

The Queen was mourned by Rilian, Caspian, and all Narnia. She had been wise, gracious, and happy, and was said to have the blood of the stars in her veins. Rilian took her death hard. He repeatedly rode in the northern marches, initially seeking the serpent in order to avenge her.

The Green Woman and the Vanishing

In time, Rilian told Lord Drinian that he had almost forgotten the serpent and had seen the most beautiful thing in the woods. Drinian rode with him to the fountain where the Queen had died. At noon, a tall, shining woman in a green garment appeared at the north side of the fountain and beckoned to the Prince. She disappeared before Drinian could learn where she had gone, but he suspected that she was evil.

Drinian considered telling Caspian what he had seen, then kept silent because he did not want to be a tale-bearer. The next day Rilian rode out alone. He did not return that night, and thereafter no trace of him was found in Narnia or any neighboring land. His horse, hat, and cloak were also missing. The disappearance left no physical clue by which his fate or destination could be established.

Drinian’s Silence and Caspian’s Grief

After Rilian failed to return, Drinian went to Caspian and asked the King to kill him as a traitor, blaming his own silence for the loss of the King’s son. Caspian seized a battle-axe and rushed at Drinian, but discarded it before striking. Having already lost his Queen and his son, he refused to lose his friend as well. He embraced Drinian, and the two men wept; their friendship survived the revelation.

The episode binds Rilian’s disappearance to two distinct forms of grief: Caspian’s loss of his son and Drinian’s remorse over withholding what he had witnessed. Yet the crisis does not end in the destruction of their friendship. Caspian’s decision to spare Drinian preserves a relationship even as the Prince remains missing.

The Search Begins

When Jill Pole and Eustace Scrubb hear Rilian’s story, Jill identifies the serpent and the green woman as the same person. The owls agree, and Eustace explains that Aslan has told Jill that Rilian is still alive somewhere. That assurance rules out the simplest conclusion—that the Prince was killed—and makes his unexplained disappearance more troubling: the woman may have a use for him and a scheme against Narnia.

Eustace and Jill accept the task of finding Rilian. They know they must travel north and reach the ruins of a giant city. Thus the disappearance becomes the starting point for the quest: Rilian’s absence is not evidence that his story has ended, but the mystery the travelers must pursue. The contrast between the complete lack of traces and Aslan’s confirmation that he lives sustains the search while leaving his whereabouts unresolved at this stage.