Misdirected Anger

Susan walked into the room of the How where the Stone Table sat. Peter had looked up when he had heard her footsteps echoing down the hall.

"What is it, Su?" he asked in a very agitated tone.

"Peter, why were you so hard on Caspian?" replied Susan.

"It was his fault."

"That is not true! What's wrong with you? Just because you've won practically every battle that you've ever fought, that doesn't mean that you had nothing to do with the fact that we lost! You could have called a retreat after we left Miraz's room, but you wouldn't!

"And furthermore, just because an idea isn't yours, that doesn't qualify it as a bad idea!"

"So you're saying that you and Caspian are geniuses, and I'm an idiot."

"No, I'm not! I'm just trying to say that it isn't solely Caspian's fault!"

"He should have stuck with the plan! Instead of going to open the gate, he went to get his professor-"

"Who is the reason that Caspian's even alive!" Susan angrily interrupted.

"Oh, and that makes it so much better! He went to Miraz's room! He didn't go to open that gate! So, are you going to tell me now that he was so chivalrous, while meanwhile we have HAL OF OUR ARMY DEAD!" he yelled.

Susan sighed, and looked her brother straight in the eye. "Why don't you just admit it, Peter?"

"Admit what?"

"That the person who you're really upset with is me."

"You?"

"Yes, me, and I don't understand why!"

"You supported Caspian's idea about staying here."

"Well that didn't matter much, because we did what you wanted! I know that's not the issue. What is?"

"Since you're so smart, why don't you just-"

"What has happened to you, Peter?" Susan exclaimed. "You're not the same person anymore. What happened to my fun-loving, kind older brother? What happened to Peter the Magnificent, the natural born leader and role model?"

"See, I'm the leader! That's how it always was. When Narnia was in trouble, I led the armies! Do you think that it's easy to come back to my kingdom, find everything changed, and find out that if I had stayed we wouldn't be over-run with Telemarines! To come back and find out that Narnia has got themselves a new leader, who makes my authority look trivial next to his, and then have you falling in love with him in top of everything else!"

"I never said that I was in love with him."

"You haven't even said that you like him, but I've got eyes."

"So, let me get this straight. You're mad at me, because I like Caspian?"

"Susan now's really not the time to understate how you feel."

"Considering the mood that you're in right now, I don't think that I dare be honest, because if I say anything more than like, you'll kill me."

"No, I won't. I just want to know how you feel about him, so that I can prepare myself!"

"You don't need to prepare yourself."

"You're falling in love, and you're my sister. Don't you remember how I chased off all of your suitors in the Golden Age? I—good grief, Susan! Couldn't you have fallen in love with someone else?"

Susan rolled her eyes. "Love doesn't work that way, Pete. Look, I realize that Caspian is not your favourite person in the world, and I can respect that, but I want you to respect him, too! I'm not saying that you should treat him that same way that you treat Ed or even your own friends. Just treat him with civility, that's all I ask. Please?"

Peter sat down, and pondered what she had just said.

"Remember Pete, Caspian came to the Narnians to be their leader, knowing what they all thought of the Telemarines. He'll never be able to prove himself to the Narnians if you never let him lead. You had fourteen extra years to be a leader. Letting Caspian lead won't make anyone doubt your ability," added Susan, causing Peter to go into even deeper thought.

The events from the night before played out in his mind. Getting into the castle, breaking into Caspian's professor's study, Susan and himself going into the nursery by mistake, and then finding Caspian in his uncle's room holding a sword up to Miraz's throat. The flee to the courtyard, a hasty attempt to open the gate, and then, the bloody work.

The truth of the matter was that he blamed himself for the death of so many of the Narnians. It just seemed so much easier for Peter to blame someone else. To him, it almost felt as if he did, that would bring back all of those Narnians who fought so valiantly 'til their death.

"I'll bet that you wouldn't have just spent all of that time defending Caspian, if you didn't love him." he finally said.

Susan sighed in exasperation. "Is that all you took from what I've just said?"

"No, I was simply stating a fact."

"Then, my dear brother, will you please be civil to Caspian?"

"Well, if you had said, 'my dear, wonderful brother', I might be more inclined."

"Peter, just answer the question!"

"Fine, don't get so hot about it! Yes, I will be civil to him."

"Thank you," said Susan, and she turned to go.

"But only because you love him."

Susan whirled around, and shook her head. "Why, Peter Pevensie! You-you-if you dare tell anyone that that's the reason that you're actually treating him like a human being, I'll-"

"You'll what?"

"I'll think of something, but don't worry. It will be something that you'll never forget!"

Suddenly, right out of the blue, Susan hugged her brother.

"Um, Su, I don't really see the threatening part of a hug."

Susan stepped away from him, and said, "Do you realize that you could have been killed? Do you realize that you could not be here right now? Peter, life is short enough as it is, even with our extra fourteen years. Don't make your own regrets. There are thousands of people worse than Caspian. Will it really hurt you to be kind?"

"I agreed to be civil. I never said that I would be kind to him."

"Is it really that much of a stretch?"

"I'll go halfway between civil and kind for now, and see where I get from there."

"Thank you."

Peter ran a hand through his hair. "Why do I find it so hard to say no to you?"

Susan shrugged. "How should I know? I'm just glad that you do, because it makes my life a lot easier! If it was Edmund I was trying to convince, I wouldn't even have him slightly convinced, yet.

"I'd better go and find Lucy."

"Why?"

"I doubt that anyone's told her what happened, yet."

Susan left to go and find Lucy. Peter also left and practically ran into Caspian in the hallway.

"Did you put Su up to it?" Peter asked.

"Put her up to what?" Caspian replied.

"Coming to talk to me just now?"

"No."

"Oh, okay." Peter continued walking down the hall, leaving Caspian, who was very confused. Why had Peter asked if he had put Susan up to something, and furthermore, why had he just been so…civil? Caspian started off to find Susan. Maybe she could explain this all to him.

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