A/N: I got inspired to write this after watching Prince Caspian. That movie just blew me away and made me appreciate the story more. It's a wonderful example of how a film could enhance the book. I particularly like how the film gave Susan and Lucy a more active role in the fighting and show them as strong warrior-like queens that can fight when they need to.

I know this is not complete book-canon based. I'm not very fond of the Susan-Caspian romance, but I suppose it wasn't so bad the way they did it in the movie and so I decided to use it here.

This story takes place back in England, a few months after the Pevensies return to school after they've helped Caspian. Edmund and Lucy haven't had their adventure on the Dawn Treader yet and Susan hasn't completely forgotten her kingdom yet.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Chronicles of Narnia. But C. S. Lewis did give permission for his children fans to write more stories to fill out the unfinished tales. I took that to heart and so I came up with the story for the enjoyment of other Narnian fans.

Warning: Mild spoilers for the movie Prince Caspian. If you haven't watched the film, do so. I promise you, it's amazing.

Kings and Queen in a Common World

Chapter One: Another Suitor

The image flew down from her mind and smoothly down to the paper. Slowly, the lines formed the outlines of his dark hair, the well-chiseled chin, the firm torso clad in hard iron armour worn with dust, grime, blood. On his hand, his blade held out firmly, thrusting at his enemy—a figure she had yet to sketch. His expression was fierce yet in his eyes burned the passion of determination to survive, to conquer for the sake of his country, for the sake of his people.

Susan put down her pen to admire her doodled work. Her finger lightly touched the ink-made face.

Caspian.

Her mind longed to scream with frustration and longing of what could have been. She shut her eyes to imagine him for real standing across her just as he did on that day when Aslan had them assembled by the magic tree. His eyes held the longing that was in hers. How pained they were when she uttered those words: "That's just it, we're not coming back."

She opened her eyes. The only image of him left was that of her sketch on a napkin next to her coffee that had turned cold long ago. She gulped the remainder of the coffee all the same as she became aware of her surroundings. All around her in the café were men of all ages—from the young school boys 

in their wrinkled ties to the elderly professors in their smart jackets. But she could feel their gazes on her. Most of the older men tried not to show it. The pretended to talk academics and politics to each other while they stole occasional glances. The youngest boys openly gawked at her as if wondering why a girl was sitting all alone at their usual café on a Saturday. The teenagers and the university boys however, didn't even try to be subtle. They were all staring intently, waiting for the chance for her to look up and find an opening to approach her.

A room full of men. All wanted her.

It was the one thing that didn't change. Just like before when all the men in the world sought her.

But she didn't want them. She wanted only one—just one who could be worthy enough.

And she did find him.

Then lost him forever.

Her heart clenched at the injustice of it all.

So here she was, seeking the one solace she always sought when the frustration caused by the countless unworthy suitors became too much of a burden. She fingered the piece of paper half unfolded a little away from her plate of half-eaten scones. She was careful not to drop any crumbs on the neat handwritten letter. She read the words again as if they were poetic balm to her soul.

Dear Susan,

All is well here in school. Edmund and I have settled back into our study routines and getting along quite well in all our subjects (the horrible Latin and Algebra included). It would please you to know that I haven't had a single fight since we came back and I am thoroughly behaving myself as I should.

I am channeling the energy into something else more productive though. I have taken up fencing lessons. I know you will say that I don't need it since I am already an expert but I need an outlet somehow and this is the only thing available to me at my school. I pretended to be a beginner at first so it wouldn't seem so obvious. But little by little I managed to show off my skill as to make it a quite convincing progress of a fast learner. I was hoping to let it all out once I get into the prestigious school fencing club where I can have more challenging opponents. But to my dismay, I found out there are some seniority issues that bar me, an "amateur," from joining. My instructor though found "I had potential" so he decided I should join the open fencing competition this coming Saturday where I can duel with even some of the most senior members of the team. If I can win a slot among the top ten during the competition, I can be granted automatic membership to the club. It's just too bad my number one cheerleader (Edmund) will be missing it since he has exams slated the following week and will be too busy studying to watch. I suppose I'll give him the blow-by-blow alongside the letter I'll send to you and Lucy about it.

I'm sure the competition is not quite as exciting the tournaments we have back home, but I'm still grateful for them. I take what comes and I resolve to be content. Our last adventure has taught me enough patience and humility that I submit to my lot. I want to do good in this world as I have in the one we left, even if the ways of doing so are not so grand.

Courage Su. I know what happened to us pains you as much as it does me. But know that you are not alone in this experience. I will always be here for you whenever you need me. And even if our kingdom is lost forever to us, remember this: you still are and always will be my queen.

Your High King and forever loving brother,

Peter

He always had a way to make her feel better even with just words written on ink. So just for the comfort of that one letter, she decided to reciprocate the gesture and make his day. Early Saturday morning she scribbled a note to Lucy, left her dormitory of the girl's school she went to and took the first train to his boarding school. If Edmund couldn't be there to cheer him on during his competition, then she would. It was too bad Lucy couldn't come either. She was still out on a school field trip to the country and wouldn't be back until Sunday.

She arrived just in time for a late breakfast that she chose to take in this café nearest to his school. His competition wouldn't start until 10 a.m. and Susan planned to just show up at the match and give him a pleasant surprise. She was just imagining the look on his face when she saw a shadow above his letter.

She looked up to find a tall, handsome, red haired young man in a neat white fencing outfit with the emblem of Peter's school on the left breast. On his waist he had a sheathed foil. He looked a few years older than Peter, about a year away from going to college at her estimate. He had a rather long nose and a hard-chiseled chin. His hair was slicked and greasy with pomade. He grinned at her with a set of perfect pearly whites. She could just imagine he practiced smiling in the mirror.

"Oh hello there. You seem to be quite alone."

Susan fought the urge to roll her eyes heavenward at the rather obvious statement. She decided silence was the best way to tell him she wasn't interested.

But the boy didn't take the hint. He flashed her another grin and this time the glint in his eye spelled obvious desire. "I thought you could use some company, Miss..." He stared at the top of the letter and read her name. "Susan?"

"I'm well enough on my own thank you," she replied curtly then turned to fold Peter's letter and put it in her pocket before the boy could read the rest of it.

The boy however didn't appear to hear it. He sat down on the empty chair next to her, drummed his fingers on the table and gave her a swagger of eyebrows. "Ahhh…" he said with mock realization. "Miss Susan, don't think you can deceive me, I know what you're playing."

Susan didn't reply. She knew what was coming and she didn't want to take the bait.

The boy however, went along with his line. "You come here to be admired don't you?"

Susan continued to ignore him.

"Oh I know all about the games you silly girls in those Catholic schools plan up. You send a girl out on a Saturday to go to the café a stone's throw away from the all-boy's boarding school where you know we chaps all hang out. Then you find out how many boys' heads you can turn and you keep count."

Susan fumed. She didn't know about other girls, but she certainly wasn't like that. She glared at him for the insult but he seemed to take that as a compliment.

"Uh, uh, uh," he said, shaking his head. "I know all about it. But not to worry, Miss Susan. I think you won. And I'll even admit it, you've turned my head. You should be flattered, you will have quite a story to tell all the other girls. I'm not just any boy." He held out a hand. "James Henry Narciso III, Captain, Varsity Fencing Club."

His sheer arrogance was remarkable. Susan had met a lot of arrogant men in her life but she would have to chalk him as a runner-up to Rabadash in a competition of her suitors with the most swelled heads.

"What's this?" he asked as he pointed to the napkin Susan had doodled in earlier to draw Caspian. He snatched it up before she had a chance to keep it away. He stared at the image.

"Have you been drawing me the whole time?" he said with mock surprise. "And here I thought you were uninterested, Miss Susan."

Susan could only stare at him in disgust. He looked absolutely nothing like Caspian and certainly nothing like her drawing. "That's not you!" she couldn't help but blurt out.

He seemed pleased that he was able to get a word out of her and he gave her another waggle of his eyebrows. "But it is me. See, the sword? I have one just like it, though you seem to have drawn my sword a little bigger… but then again that's your perception." He looked at her knowingly with his lascivious grin.

Susan had had enough. "I have to go," she declared and stood up. She reached for his purse to pay so she could leave. But he tossed in some money on the table before she could.

"Allow me, Miss Susan."

Susan didn't care. She continued to fumble in her own purse for her wallet but kept missing it. The boy took advantage of her confusion to continue talking.

"Well, I'm inviting you to watch me in the tournament later. School's open to all visitors of course. It starts at 10 o'clock. I'm the reigning champion for two straight years now. I'll make it a third this year."

Susan finally found her wallet but to her dismay she only had a rather large bill. She didn't want to wait for change and allow this boy more time with her. But on the other hand, if she gave away the whole bill without change, she wouldn't have enough money to get on a train back to her school.

"It's alright. I've taken care of it," he said.

"No I'd rather pay for it myself, thank you," Susan replied, keeping her voice as even as possible for she hated making a scene even if he was the most annoyingly arrogant man she had ever encountered in this world.

"You only have a large bill, consider it me buying you breakfast." He gave her another swagger. "And if you want, after I win, you can celebrate with me and I can buy you dinner."

That last invitation made the decision for Susan. It didn't matter anymore if she had to beg Peter and Edmund for money to get herself home. She wasn't staying a moment more in his presence. She tossed the entire bill on the table.

"I said it was covered!" the boy exclaimed.

"I like to give the waitress a big tip," Susan replied before she hurriedly walked out.