Mary woke as if from a nightmare, her heart beating quickly and her body covered in sweat. She clutched her chest as she tried to calm down, not able to remember having a dream. She lay back down and pulled the covers close to her as if they were her shield, closing her eyes tightly and hoping to find a peaceful rest. However, once her heart returned to its regular pace, a loud noise quickened it once again. She heard running in the hallway outside her door and loud clanging from outside her window.

"The front gate is open! They've entered the courtyard! All men out, now!" Mary slowly eased out of her bed and reached for a candlestick from her desk. The footsteps disappeared once she reached the door, and when she barely opened it to look outside, the hallway was clear as if no one had been there moments before.

"Father?" she whispered, wondering if maybe he was making his way to find her, hoping he would be able to hear her but at the same time fearing that someone unwelcome would hear. If the intruders were in the courtyard, she figured it highly possible that some had made it inside the castle. But who were they? Why were they here?

She stepped outside of her room and looked both ways before rushing down the hallway in the direction of her parents' room. There was no sign of the guards that usually lined the corridors, or the ones who stood outside the rooms. She figured they had gone to fight with the other men. But again, she wondered who the intruders could be. She didn't remember her father saying anything about nearby threats or disagreements with other people. Despite this lack of knowledge, she knew they were dangerous and extremely violent. They had invaded her home, and now she feared they would kill the people she loved.

"Father?" she called quietly into the dark room, tears running down her cheek upon finding no one was in there. Had something happened to them, or had she been forgotten? It seemed as though everyone had been evacuated, and yet here she was alone, roaming the castle at night in the middle of a siege. She picked up the bottom of her nightgown and clutched the candlestick, running down the hallway, hoping maybe she would find someone in another room who would help her. She wondered now why her father had never taught her what to do in this kind of situation, but she reminded herself he had never even mentioned the possibility. He had been convinced they would always be safe.

She hurriedly turned the corner at the end of the hallway and ran into something hard. She found the thing to be a boy, who quickly pulled her against him and covered her mouth with his hand. She started to breathe heavily as she struggled, trying to hit her attacker with the candlestick, but he quickly disarmed her.

"Calm down, it's ok." She steadied her breathing as he loosened his grip, allowing her to turn to face him, his hand still over her mouth. She looked over his dark hair and dark eyes but found him to be unfamiliar. She wondered if he was from the kitchen, or the stables possibly, but then she noticed his clothing. She didn't know who he was or where he was from, but she knew that he was not a Telmarine. "Listen, I'm going to take my hand away, but please do not scream. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. Okay? Don't scream." He hesitated for a moment until she nodded her head, then he dropped his hand.

"Please don't kill me, I'll take you to our vault. We have gold and jewels and everything you would want-"

"I'm not a thief, but I have to go help my brother. I'm sorry I ran into you-" Suddenly the sound of marching feet came from the other end of the hallway and seemed to be approaching quickly. The boy reached for his sword and Mary's eyes followed, noticing the glint of the metal. Her eyes grew large and she quickly took a step back, tripping over her nightgown and hitting the floor hard.

"Guards! Help!" she yelled, continuing to push herself backwards and away from the threat. For a moment she noticed worry and fear flash across his face, maybe even disappointment. He turned to run but the guards had already entered the hallway and had seen him, following him back around the corner and out of sight. One of the guards stayed behind to help Mary, pulling her up to her feet.

"Are you hurt your highness? Did he hurt you? Why are you out here alone? Why aren't you safe with the others?" He continued to ask her questions that went unanswered as she tried to listen to what was happening, wondering if the boy had been caught and wondering if she shouldn't have yelled. She had been scared, but maybe he wasn't trying to hurt her. He wasn't much older than she was, and she could only imagine what the guards would do to him if they caught him, thinking he had tried to harm the king's daughter. She couldn't help the feeling of guilt that followed her as she was escorted to a safe room, reunited with her mother who told her what was happening. Narnians? Why had she never heard of them, and what were they doing here? She figured the boy must have been one of the Narnians, but he didn't seem anything like what her mother was describing them to be. That night she tried to sleep, her head in her mother's lap, her mother stroking her hair gently, but all she could think about was that boy. Who was he? And more importantly, why hadn't he killed her?

Yes, this is short, but it's just the opening. I've had this idea for awhile now and finally decided to write about it. I hope you liked it and I hope you'll leave a review :) Next chapter she'll actually face him and learn his identity as well as see a darker side of her father in the way he handles the issue. It will get interesting, I promise!