Author's Note- If any of you can believe it, I am back- with a remake of When the King Fails. I was shocked and greatly honored by the amount of comments and favorites that had taken place during the time I wasn't writing on FanFiction. Now that I have a little more time on my hands, I'm redoing it (because, let's face it, it needs a lot of work) I wrote the first few chapters and will be posting them biweekly, but when I actually have to get down to writing on a daily basis again, -ehem- please don't kill me for taking too long.

My greatest wishes,

Caria

Greet, greet, greet, bow. Bow, greet, shake hands, bow. Kiss hand, bow, shake hands, bow, and bow again. It's a wonder my brain doesn't turn to mush, an exhausted Peter Pevensie thought as he made his way through the crowd of people assembled for the coronation. His coronation, he reflected. I am now a High King. He smiled briefly, thinking of the schoolboys that had made fun of him at his old school in Finchley. How would they like him now, a King among princes and lords and fairy-tale creatures? The smile turned out to be a mistake, as a plump middle-aged Duchess had caught his eye and now was rapidly fluttering her fan. Peter felt his eyes go wide and he backed into the crowd of people.

"Need some help?" a familiar voice asked. Peter whirled around to see his sister Susan standing there. Her pale-blue dress and golden circlet looked…well, right on her somehow. As if she had only been living in Finchley and had been simply waiting for Aslan to call her back to be a Queen.

"Very much so," he said smiling as they escaped to the hallway. When Peter was sure they were alone, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Having fun?"

"If you consider being flocked by women with heinous perfume and pretending to listen to palace gossip 'fun,' then I'm having a blast," Susan said dryly. "It's as if they don't make any decisions for themselves!"

To avoid another painful feminist speech from his younger sister, Peter said, "Well, I'm having fun, with the Archenlanders, too," earning him a swat.

"Watch it, Your Highness," he said. "That is most certainly not palace conduct."

Susan made a face. "Hang conduct," she said, but then smiled. "Can you believe this?"

"Believe what?"

Susan's eyes narrowed. "In case you don't remember, King Peter, we're Kings and Queens now. In a place…" she trailed off.

"That isn't supposed to exist?" Peter finished for her. "Yes, I know. Isn't it wonderful?"

Susan looked like 'wonderful' was not a word to describe it. "We could be killed here in battle," she said, almost fearfully. "We could go to war, or on some expedition, and never come back."

"We could very well have all of those things happen to us, Su. But for now, we need to work to restoring Narnia to its former glory." Peter told her.

"But how?"

"We have to strategize. Learn the people; learn how they work and how well our new neighbors will take our taking over. After that, we can worry about not getting killed." Peter's speech would have sounded silly coming from such a young mouth if not so true. Susan turned away and gazed out a window to the sea.

"You sound just like Dad," she said quietly. Peter smiled sadly and put his arm around his sister.

"There you guys are!" came a cry from the end of the hall. Susan lifted her head to see Edmund, his crown slightly crooked as he broke through the sibling bonding moment. "Have you seen Lu?"

Peter rolled his eyes at his younger brother. "No... I was a little busy; maybe you saw her when you were hiding from the Lords and Ladies?"

"Now, wait a minute, you would've been hiding too if you weren't 'High King Peter the Magnificent' with all of your noble self!" Edmund argued.

"Boys!" Susan said, irritated, "If you are done arguing… I think I know where Lucy is."

XXXXXXX

Lucy, the youngest of the newly crowned Kings and Queens, put on a brave face as she saw her brothers and sister come toward her. Mr. Tumnus, looking rather frazzled after his important role in the coronation ceremony, bowed slightly at each of the three before making himself disappear into the throng.

"Lu!" Peter asked, hugging her slightly. Susan, on the other hand, didn't beat around the bush.

"Where have you been?" she asked, straightening Lucy's cloak and causing Peter and Edmund to laugh quietly behind her back.

"With Mr. Tumnus," Lucy said, almost sadly. "We were watching Aslan."

She watched as Peter, Susan, and even Edmund perked up at the sound of His name.

"He's here?" Susan asked, looking overjoyed. "I thought he had left after he finished with us at the coronation."

"He's…He's gone now," Lucy said, blinking back small tears.

"Why?" Edmund asked, looking a little lost. "Why now?" Edmund, more so than any of his siblings, had become more attached to the great Lion. Aslan had taught him so many things about compassion and fairness- qualities that made him Edmund the Just.

"Mr. Tumnus said he shall leave and come again- that he's not a tame Lion," Lucy said. "I don't wish for him to go, not now, but he'll be back."

Peter had been quiet this entire time, his brow furrowed. "I don't know if I can do this," he said, almost to himself. Lucy looked up at her older brother. His blond hair had grown out, his frame becoming more square and muscular. He had on the clothes of a Prince- a King- but he was still the same boy that used to tow little Lucy around on her wagon and tell stories to them about what would happen when they were all a family again. He was still, after everything, their brother.

"You can- we all can!" Lucy said, forever optimistic.

"How do you know?" Edmund said, sounding annoyed. "How can you be sure of anything here?"

"Aslan believed in us," Lucy said simply. "So I believe in us."

"Truth from the mouth of babes," a voice said from behind them. Peter turned to see Orius, dressed in full military garb. He bowed once, his horse half staying still but the man's torso bending slightly. "Your Highnesses, there are people who wish to speak with you."

Peter sighed lightly, but smiled and nodded once. Each of the four stepped back into the ballroom, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Throwing one last look out to the beach, Lucy followed. She noticed, right before she was whisked away, that Peter's shoulders seemed a little lighter; his step more confident as he stepped through the room.

"From the mouth of babes, indeed!" she said to herself, smiling softly.

XXXXXXX

Most of the courtiers had returned from Cair Paraval to their own homes, or to rooms that were reserved for them until they were done visiting the new monarchs. The fires in the kitchen had died down, food no longer needed. The last drinks had been poured, and finally the Great Hall was deserted. All except for a lone figure, sitting on his throne. Peter was up at three o'clock in the morning, shaken from a dream he had had.

Everything was dark, but he could sense it was Cair Paraval. There were pillars and open windows everywhere, but in the dark made it look only menacing. Even though it was nearly black, Peter could see three figures moving- two feminine, one looked like a younger version of himself, only with darker hair. His three siblings sat with their head in their hands as he watched from the doorway.

"What's wrong?" he had asked, but none seemed to hear him. Finally, Edmund stood and walked out without a word.

"Ed…Edmund!" Susan called, but still he left. Lucy turned to Susan.

"He's been like this for days," she said sadly to her older sister. "I…I don't want to lose two brothers."

Susan pressed her hands more firmly to her head, as if she didn't want to hear. "I know, Lu," Susan said grimly. "Neither do I." And without a word, she too walked out.

Now, Peter clenched his fist as he listened to the surf. There was no rhyme or reason to the dream, but it presented an ominous shadow that seemed to bog him down. Like the feeling he had when he had seen Edmund be stabbed, it tore at him. What did it mean? Lion's Mane, he couldn't figure it out! He leaned his head against the throne and winced in shock. It was there again!- a strange pain in the knot on his neck. A bruise, from training certainly, had been annoying him for the past week. First thing in the morning, I'm off to a doctor. Or whatever they're called here, he thought. Even better, Lu can give me some of her cordial… Feeling a little better, he stood from the throne.

XXXXXX

In another part of the castle, Lucy Pevensie had awoken to the startling notion that she was not in her own bed, nor was anyone else in the room with her. Not many acknowledged it, but she was still a young girl.

"Mr. Tumnus?" she whispered, but no one answered back. Of course not- Tumnus would be in his own room now. Slowly, she crept out of bed and sent a spark from a small piece of flint on a candle, lighting it up nicely. She peeked out of the huge door separating her from the hall and was happy to see another candle, still, in the hall. She walked out, getting her bearings and finding her way to the great Hall. She quickly crossed it; looking at the balcony and feeling a small heaviness descend. Aslan, oh Aslan, I thought you would stay! Her mind screamed.

"He's not a tame Lion," Lucy murmured, and for a moment she almost felt His breath across her face. She turned to leave- and froze, her mouth moving in a silent scream. On the floor was Peter, his head resting on the stairway up to the Four Thrones, his legs twisted under him. On the throne, a single candle stayed lit, twisting in the wind and eventually going out.

Author's Note: Well, a cliffie of tiny proportions. I'm guessing you know what happened, if not you'll just have to see! (mwahaha)