Two Valentine's Days ago, a reviewer was disappointed that on my story that teased Susan meeting someone new in England that it turned out to be Caspian rather than her actually meeting someone in our world. Here's a new story in which she truly does mean a completely new character. This will be a short but multi-chaptered story, probably 3-4 chapters.
"I know about Narnia."
At just those four words, her hands trembled. She dropped the Valentine's Day card those fateful words were written on in beautiful calligraphy as she stared numbly in shock. Trembling, she bent down to pick it up again, rereading as though the words might suddenly change. But of course they did not. It was plainly written there.
She picked up the two white roses – whose thorns had been lovingly shorn off – and red poppies that had come with the card and walked inside, her mind abuzz with confusion. She had tried to put every last aspect of Narnia behind her. Aslan had instructed them to live in their own world, barring Narnia from them, and she intended to do just that. She had a steady job. Perhaps she was not as suited to it as she had taken to being Narnia's queen, but she had made quite a successful career for herself as a consultant. Rather than the "Friends of Narnia" nonsense, she had found Aslan in this world through her ladies' group at the local Church, spending her weekends as an event coordinator for various charity events. It was at one of those very events where she had met him.
"Peter?" Susan called as she entered. "David sent me a…Valentine's card…"
"That's a day early," was Peter's only comment.
"Hmmm. He wrote something interesting on it," Susan prompted.
"What? What sort of interesting?" Peter interrogated, instantly. He quickly did the math in his head. Susan and David had meet about five years ago, when Susan had been running a charity auction to raise money. They got together so quickly that Peter hadn't even known David before the day Susan brought him over, insisting she would not date any man her siblings didn't approve of.
Peter had been surprised at that and questioned Susan in private. She laughed and responded, "It's about setting a precedence, you know? So that if you or Ed or Lu ever date anyone I dislike, I have the right to say something about it." Because of course she would have ulterior motives like that. But as David seemed amicable towards the family, was a fairly successful accountant already, and did seem to be genuinely interested in Susan, no one objected. In fact, Peter had become decent friends with him, although neither of them would have made the same effort if they hadn't had Susan in common. But almost five years of dating. That would be more than enough time for him to ask the question. Peter genuinely hoped that was not the case yet. As distant as Susan had become, she did still live with them and was just as integral to their family as she had ever been.
"You told him about Narnia?" Susan finally accused, after staring at Peter's vacant face.
"Wait, what?" Peter said, taken aback.
"This. See here!" Susan insisted, opening the card and shoving it into his hands.
Peter quickly scanned the short message. "What the Tash?" he gasped. "How- I swear, I didn't say anything."
"Then Lucy or Ed must have," she frowned. As Peter was the only one to actually become decently close friends with David, she had assumed he would have been the one to tell. Not to mention, Peter had been rather pushy about her denials of Narnia.
"I…I guess. I would have thought they would have said something to me about it first though," Peter frowned, just as confused. "Or, could he have overheard something?"
"I…I guess he could have. I…I don't even want to know what horrid thing he might think of us then. That we're all delusional? Should be locked up in an insane asylum?" Susan said, her voice rising as her hands gesticulated wildly.
Peter gently caught her hands to calm her down . "Hey..hey…hey. Susan. Look at what he said. And how he said it. He sent you a Valentine's Day card. He clearly isn't about to send a card to someone he's planning on locking up," he soothed.
"Right. Right… Right. What am I supposed to do now?" she panicked.
"Talk to him? Find out what it is he knows and how?" Peter suggested, equally at a lost. "I can talk with Lu and Ed for you."
"Thanks. They…if I talked to them about Narnia, they would be all over me again," Susan sighed.
"And…what…what would you tell them then?" Peter pressed, wondering what Susan's mind was about Narnia currently, but not wanting her to clam up again.
Susan gave him a rueful smile, quite aware of what he was doing. "I…I know it was real. It did happen. But it's not real anymore. Not to us. We're in this world…I want to live it. And…I really, really liked David."
"Past tense?" Peter picked up.
"I…I just don't want Narnia to interfere with my life. Not when that avenue is closed to me forever," she said quietly, pressing her lips together. "Better…better to forget it even existed."
After a long, pregnant pause, Peter said, "I'll talk to Ed and Lu when they get back for you."
"Thanks," Susan said quietly as she picked up one of the white roses, twirling it between her fingers. "I…I should call David. See if…See if we still have plans for Valentine's Day."
"I'm sure you do," Peter said reassuringly. "He's very obviously in love with you. And still seems stunned that you're interested in him."
"Oh, really, Peter," Susan blushed as she left to the phone. After what felt like an eternity but was likely just a few seconds, he picked up. "Ah, David? I…I … ah…got your card."
"Sorry it's a bit early for the holiday. I simply couldn't wait. I suppose this means I'll just have to buy you a second card for the actual day," he said smoothly.
"Ah, yes, about that…" Susan began, clearing her throat. "How…ah…what…what was that message about? Have you…ah…been talking with my siblings?"
"We should talk in person tomorrow," he said softly, much to Susan's dismay. "When we go to Hyde Park. I feel speaking in person may be more useful?"
"Ah, yes, of course," Susan agreed, her heart pounding and phone shaking in her trembling, pale hands.
"See you then, love?" he said so softly that Susan felt a bit more at ease. While she still fretted he might think her or her siblings mad, she at least knew he still called her love. After spending so much time on him, she hadn't even realized how emotionally invested she was. With him, she felt whole again, much like she did when she was Queen Susan the Gentle during the Golden Ages.
"Of course. I …I love you," she attempted, desperate to hear the words. He had been the first to say them, much on accident when they slipped out as a joke after she had saved an event his firm had been putting on which had been a disaster until Susan interfered. But as soon as he had said it, he couldn't help but mean them. Ever the cautious one, that was the first time Susan kissed him on the lips even though they had been dating for a year.
"I love you too," he said easily, not joking in the slightest this time. "See you tomorrow."
She hung up, her heart pounding. When she returned to the kitchen, she realized that Edmund and Lucy must have returned and Peter had filled them in as they all stared at her. She froze, not wanting a confrontation. She was about to flee when Lucy began speaking.
"We didn't say anything," Lucy began, much to Susan's surprise.
"About Narnia?" Susan confirmed.
"Yeah. We're not that stupid. Plus, we like him. We wouldn't want to chase him off," Edmund offered. "And not sure how Eustace or Jill would have. She's never met him, and they're both off at that awful boarding school right now."
"So what? The Professor or Miss Plummer suddenly decided to destroy my love life?" Susan asked caustically.
"Su, no one's fighting you on this. We all think letting others know about Narnia is…tricky at best," Peter began.
"Narnia, which does exist," Lucy interjected, giving Susan a significant look which Susan did not deign to respond to.
"Anyways, if there's anything we can do to help," Peter finished.
"Give me a ride tomorrow to Strand station? I'll take the Tube from there," Susan reassured.
"Of course," Peter agreed.
"And if he wants to speak about Narnia with us," Lucy began until Edmund anxiously made gestures for her to keep quiet.
Susan stiffened, rather horrified by the idea. "Rather not when it's probably already your fault he likely overheard any of your many indiscreet mentions of those silly games," she hissed, fearful at the idea of losing David simply for a country she already knew she'd never return to.
"Silly games!" Edmund protested.
"Yes, and once I settle this with David, I want to not hear a single word about it again, do you understand?" Susan said hotly, desperate to have Narnia behind her. She whirled out before they could respond so that they could not see the cold tears splashing down her face.