The Consequences of Staying Behind

The joyous feeling of victory engulfed him as he lay down under the lavish, scarlet bedsheets. Merry Narnian music still sounded from outside his open window – the festivities seeming to last forever. Breathing in more happiness than he ever believed to be possible, the newly-crowned High King of Narnia began feel himself drifting off into sleep.

His mind wandered through peaceful thoughts; Narnia was finally free. All of them would be safe now, here in their castle. No more war. They could all live happily together forever…

His blue eyes snapped open. A terrible, awful thing had just occurred to him. They weren't all together. A chubby, curly-haired toddler grinned in his head and all the joy he had been feeling vanished like a light going out. Little Claire, the baby of the Pevensie family, was still in the Professor's house. Peter had been so relieved that Claire had been taking a nap when they first discovered the danger in Narnia. He remembered thinking, at least one of them is safe. But his heart broke when he realised that the celebrations and parties had distracted him so much that he'd forgotten his own sister!

Would he even be able to get back to her? And if he did leave, would the wardrobe let him back into Narnia? His new home. Trying not to cry at the thought that it wouldn't, the new king did the most responsible thing he could. He stepped out of bed, pulled on his boots, and went to collect his littlest sister.

Riding through the moonlit forest, Peter prayed to Aslan that he would be able to get back to England (and then back into Narnia again after.) Guilt wrapped around his gut at knowing that Claire had been left behind. She was just a baby, and images of her waking up to find all of them gone made him feel sick.

Oh, please just let me get her, he prayed. And please let us both get back into Narnia.

Out of nowhere came a powerful gust of wind, so forceful that it knocked the king off his stallion. Grunting as he hit the soft, forest ground, he heard the brown horse cry out, "Your majesty! Are you alright?"

Hurriedly standing, Peter reassured his companion that he was fine, asking also, "Did you see what caused that wind?"

Looking around, it was too dark to see much, only shadows and shapes. Drawing his sword, the king squinted his eyes and tried to see the source of the gust. A twig crunched to his left and he swung around to aim his sword at the noise.

"Who's there?" he shouted strongly.

A small figure emerged slowly from behind the trees, and Peter's heart sped up nervously. Moving towards them, the creature stepped forward into a beam of moonlight, and the young king gasped. Dropping his sword, he cried in delight, "Claire!"

Rubbing her eyes, the little girl had the common look of a two-year old who had just woken from her nap. Her mad, light brown curls danced in the gentle breeze as she mumbled in a half-asleep way, "Peter?"

He reached down and scooped her up into his arms, "It's alright sweetheart."

Hugging her tightly, relief seeped through him. But how could she have got here, he wondered silently. It wasn't until the next morning, when he told the others what had happened that Lucy gave him his answer.

"It was Aslan of course! He knew we couldn't have lived in Narnia without her," the cheerful queen explained as though it was obvious. Peter was never one to show his faith as openly as Lucy did, but later that night he quietly whispered his thanks to the lion, and the Pevensie family spent the next fifteen years living happily together.

Seventeen-year-old Claire Pevensie was nearly bouncing with excitement at breakfast that morning. It took all her strength to appear calm, as though it was any other day. Her sky-blue eyes were glittering though, and her lively shoulder-length curls swayed around her freckled cheeks as though each lock had a mind of its own. Thankfully her older siblings were too busy in their own exciting discussions to notice that she was being unusually quiet.

Nibbling on a piece of buttery toast, the youngest of the household tried to look interested in what the others were saying.

"…that's where Mr Tumnus said it was spotted," explained Lucy, who had an adventurous gleam in her eyes.

"Then that is where we shall start!" Peter exclaimed with a bright smile. Claire enjoyed seeing her family so happy – things had been a bit tense after the Archenland conflict a few months before. The memory of the battle that had occurred during the conflict dampened her joyful mood slightly. The battle of Anvard was the first (and only) battle in which Claire had been allowed to fight. The curly-haired girl was an excellent swordswoman, she had been learning to fight her whole life, but the kings and queens loathed to let her go to war with them. After begging for years to see a real battle, the teenager experienced an unexpected shock at the brutality involved. Even back home, the fighting still found itself in her dreams.

Susan's gentle voice brought her out of her dark thoughts,

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us to hunt to the white stag Claire?"

The girl's mind went straight back to her plans for later and she nearly laughed with the excitement of it, but she forced herself to look calm as she answered her sister.

"I'm not sure it interests me that much Susan," she lied smoothly. Truthfully, it did seem like an amazing thing to do, but she had made better plans already. Ones that she could absolutely NOT let her siblings find out about.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Claire! You'll kick yourself if you miss it," Peter tried exasperatedly.

Claire tried not to look anyone directly in the eye as she lied again, "I promised Sage we would go swimming today," she moaned a little for effect, "We've been looking forward to it for ages!"

With sighs and shrugs the royals gave up, clearly not understanding the whims of their strange teenage sister. Edmund however didn't quite buy her story and he narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. Trying to look as innocent as she could, Claire helped herself to another piece of toast. The younger king was always the most difficult to trick. He spent the most time with his baby sister, training and teaching her, and he was usually the only one to notice when she wasn't being honest. After a second though, he seemed to let it go, obviously deciding that whatever she was up to couldn't have been too bad.

Moments later, a servant arrived to tell them that the horses were ready and waiting for them at the castle gates. Everyone quickly made their way outside, the youngest of them eager to see them off.

"Behave yourself," Peter said seriously, the warning clear in his tone.

Rolling her eyes, "Yes, of course," Claire kissed him on the cheek then stood back to let him mount his horse. Each of her brothers and sisters called goodbye to her fondly, as she waved them off. This was going to be the best day, she thought, grinning wildly to herself.

Enjoying the nervous thrill of doing something forbidden, Claire glanced around quickly to make sure she was alone. There wasn't a guard in sight. She ducked under a crimson tapestry, and pushed against the stone wall behind it, which moved stiffly backwards a couple of feet, leaving enough room for the slim girl to squeeze through. In the pitch black, she moved sideways along the wall until she was no longer between two walls, but instead facing a silent tunnel. Feeling her way around, she hurriedly pushed the tapestry wall back into place, and made her way along the narrow tunnel, both hands gliding across the damp walls. She didn't mind the dark, so she hadn't bothered bringing a torch. She knew exactly where the tunnel came out anyway – she had used it a few times before on her secret escapades.

Butterflies fluttered about her stomach whilst she walked. It had been weeks since she'd had the chance to sneak out and see him. She could only imagine the fury her siblings would feel if they knew what she was doing. Childishly, the thought only made her giggle. Breaking the rules was something she could never resist.

Not quite an hour later, the darkness began to recede, and she exited the tunnel through a dark cave beside the Eastern Ocean, several miles north of Cair Paravel. The stone floor of the tunnel led out onto a grassy bank above the shining water.

Sitting on the edge of the cliff, he was staring out at the ocean, waiting for her.

Grinning, she silently went over to sit beside him, the salty breeze feeling warm after the coolness of the tunnel. His head snapped up as she approached and his handsome face broke into a breath-taking smile that turned her insides to goo.

"You made it princess!" he said delightedly, wrapping one arm around her as she sat down. Rolling her eyes affectionately at the nickname she leaned over and kissed his cheek, blushing only slightly. Technically she was a princess, but rather than being proud about it, it had only ever served as a reminder that her siblings were all ranked much higher than her. High King Peter the Magnificent, Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just, Queen Lucy the Valiant and… Princess Claire. It was a little embarrassing.

Somehow, she didn't mind it as much when he said it though. His deep, smooth voice made it sound much more special.

"I hope you haven't been waiting for ages," Claire thought out loud, noticing the midday sun.

He snorted happily, "Barely an hour," he reassured.

His dark eyes had a mischievous glint in them as they bore into hers and she blushed again at noticing how good-looking he was. He had short, thick hair as black as coal that complimented his flawless dark skin beautifully. Under his thin grey shirt, she could see defined muscles, and he was barefoot, looking as comfortable in nature as though he were an animal. His name was Maro, and he was originally from Calormen. Claire had come across him wandering through the woods one day while she was riding and had found the mysterious traveller impossible to resist. The fact that her siblings would never approve of their relationship only made it more exciting.

It was a well-known fact in Narnia, that any of Princess Claire's suitors must have been approved by the kings and queens before courting her. This was after the teenager had been caught sneaking around the shuddering wood with a much-older tree god, a few years earlier. The fury on both of the Kings faces when they found out was enough to make anyone quiver and the line of interested suitors reduced dramatically. Not that Claire minded – anyone her brothers picked out was sure to be dreadfully boring.

Maro grinned at noticing her blush and reached out with the arm that wasn't around her shoulders to tuck a lock of brown hair behind her ear. The lively piece of hair only bounced back out again and they both giggled.

"Your hair is like its own person!" he exclaimed, laughing.

Shoving back playfully, Claire weakly attempted to feign annoyance, but her smile gave her away.

"It's beautiful though - so alive," Maro complimented sweetly, twirling the same lock with his fingers. Claire's chest tightened blissfully at his closeness. After a second of playing with her hair he dropped the strand and placed a small kiss on her nose.

"Do you fancy going for a swim?" he asked, the challenge showing on his face.

Looking out over the cliff, a gleam appeared in her eyes. This is what they had been planning for weeks. Nodding eagerly, Claire bounced up and kicked off her shoes.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" she teased, as he stared over the cliff's edge. He turned back to her and she saw the nervous excitement she felt reflected in his deep eyes.

"I've been ready for weeks," he boasted, stepping back so he was beside her. Grabbing his hand, she tried again, "It's awfully high…" she sang, smirking. He only chuckled at her.

"On the count of three," he said, as her heart began to beat faster.

"One...," she squeezed his hand in anticipation.

"Two…," the wind whipped her wild hair behind her.

"Three!" The couple took a big step forward and leapt into the air.

Warm wind rushed past her as she screamed in delight, hearing Maro laughing beside her. The bright blue water sped towards them at a thrilling speed and in a second, they were engulfed by the cool, salty ocean. Adrenaline pulsed through her as she let go of her sweetheart's hand to swim to the surface. He rose just after her and she wrapped her arms around him, both of them laughing giddily. Kicking their legs to stay above the water, their faces both shone with exhilaration.

"That was the highest I've ever jumped from!" Claire cried proudly. Maro beamed at her and leaning his head forward, placed a long, warm kiss on her lips. After they pulled away, she let go of him and dived under the water, enjoying the feeling of freedom swimming gave her. Moments later she broke the surface again, this time behind Maro, and splashed him violently, starting an hour-long water battle, that was broken up a few times by sweet kisses.

What must have been hours later, the couple found themselves lounging on the small sandy beach, looking out across the ocean. Claire wondered why Maro had come to Narnia, something he had never told her even when she asked. Knowing better than to pry though, she kept quiet and just enjoyed the feeling of his arm around her.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her, his deep voice making her smile.

"A little," she confessed, not sure where they would find any food. They could try fishing, she wondered.

"I think I saw an apple tree on my way here," Maro suggested thoughtfully. Agreeing that apples sounded good, Claire felt that it was much better than her idea of fishing.

Together they stood, and the handsome boy led the princess to a small flowery meadow, where a few tall apple trees lined the opposite side. Barefoot and still damp, the pair helped themselves to some of the fruit, and sat peacefully in the meadow to enjoy their little meal.

Lying back, Maro finished his last apple and gestured for Claire to lie with him. Laughing, she curled up into his side and looked up at the luscious blue that was the Narnian sky. All thoughts of time, and her siblings, and breaking the rules drifted away and without even realising it, she was closing her eyes and falling into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

A cold breeze brushed Claire's side, and her eyelids fluttered open. The moonlight shone above her, lighting the field with its pale glow. She lay for a moment enjoying the stillness before her brain began to wake and she jolted to sitting. How long had she been asleep?! It was impossible to tell the time in the dark, only that it was very late, and her siblings would most certainly have returned from their hunt by then.

Glancing beside her she saw Maro snoring softly.

"Maro!" she hissed, nudging him. Groggily, he started to stir.

"Maro, wake up. I have to go!" she pleaded, beginning to panic. The kings and queens would be so angry if she was gone when they arrived home. Maybe it isn't as late as it seems, she tried to reassure herself. And the hunt might have taken longer than anybody expected.

"What… what time is it?" mumbled Maro as he slowly sat up. Even in her panic Claire couldn't help but notice how adorable he looked when he was still half-asleep.

"It's late," she answered, stress in her voice, "I really have to get back."

Frowning, Maro shook himself awake and stood, pulling Claire up with him.

"Come on, let's go," he rushed, having woken up enough to realise the direness of the situation. If the royals found out about Claire sneaking out, then they would never let her out of their sight again. As fast as they could, the pair ran back towards the beach, stopping when they reached the bottom of the cliff. There was a narrow grassy pathway that led about three quarters of the way up to where the high ledge was, and they both carefully followed it, Claire leading the way. When they reached the end, the curly-haired princess turned around to face her sweetheart.

"I'll come and see you again soon," she promised, staring into his moonlit face. Cupping her cheek in his hand, he kissed her again firmly. Then, as she turned back, she heard him say worriedly, "Be careful!"

She rolled her eyes to herself and climbed up the last quarter of the rocky cliffside. She may have been small, but she was surprisingly agile, and besides – she'd climbed back this way the last time they met.

Running through the chilly tunnel, the princess hoped that she would get lucky and her family wouldn't be back yet. It seemed unlikely though, so she sprinted faster. About thirty minutes into the tunnel she had the sudden thought that she better slow down, or she would crash straight into the end wall in the pitch black.

When she finally burst out from behind the tapestry, she didn't waste any time in sneaking through the corridors to get back to her bedroom. Sighing with relief when she finally made it, she flung herself into bed, still fully-clothed, and waited for Peter or Susan to burst into her room. Prepared to feign being asleep at any moment, Claire felt completely wide awake, a faint smell of sea coming from her sun-dried hair. She lay there for hours, waiting for her scolding, until eventually her eyes begun to droop and in the early hours of the morning, she fell back asleep.

Shining brightly through the curtains, the warm sunlight brought Claire back into consciousness. She groaned and stretched, before lazily flopping out of bed. A hopeful thought occurred to her; Nobody showed up to yell at me last night. Maybe I got away with it!

Feeling positive, she had just walked over to open her curtains when a knock sounded on her door.

"Come in," she called, expecting one of her brothers or sisters. Surprisingly it was Mr Tumnus that entered, a worried expression in the place of his usual smile. An awful feeling came over her – that one that you get when you suddenly realise that something is very wrong. The anxious faun didn't even seem to notice that she was still wearing her crumpled dress from yesterday, something he usually would have questioned her about.

"You best come quickly Claire," he panted, leaning against the doorway. Alarmingly he seemed to have ran there - his cheeks were a tomato red and a sheen of sweat covered his forehead.

Claire rushed over to him, "What is it Mr Tumnus? What's happened?" Concerned, she touched his arm, a panic building inside her. The faun was like an uncle to her, she had known him all her life, and yet she had never seen him stressed like this.

"I don't know yet. But you must come downstairs," he began explaining, still a little out-of-breath.

Nodding, Claire crossed the room quickly to slip her shoes on. "Where are the others?" she questioned, as she hurried to follow him out into the hallway.

Her friend hesitated in front of her for a moment before answering quietly, "They haven't returned yet."

Claire froze. They had been gone all night. Stunned, her mouth formed an "O" as she wondered what that meant. Where had they gone? Composing herself, she began walking again, completely startled at the news that they weren't home yet. The shock she felt wasn't worry for their safety, her brothers and sisters were the toughest people she knew, and wherever they were, the princess had faith that they would be fine. It was very unlike the royals to leave the castle unattended for a whole day though. Especially for something as mundane as a hunt, no matter how special the animal might be. The white stag must have led them further away than they expected.

They were rushing down the stairs when a panicked thought entered her mind. Whatever Mr Tumnus had called her about was obviously serious, and none of the kings or queens were around to take care of it. For the first time ever, Claire was the only royal in the castle. Would this mean that she would have to deal with whatever had happened? Praying, she begged for her siblings to hurry up and get back.

Mr Tumnus unexpectedly led her outside, where a small group had gathered. General Oreius was among them, much to the princess's relief. At least there would be an adult there who would know what to do. The large, muscular centaur was not only a Narnian war general, but also Peter's most trusted friend.

"Your highness," he turned to her, bowing his head. She noticed the tense expression he wore and feeling unnerved by it, she glanced behind him. What she saw made her blood run cold. In among the group was a large, chestnut-coloured horse. It was unmistakably Edmund's loyal steed Phillip. But Edmund was not with him.

Making her way to the centre of the crowd, her voice sounded panicked, "Phillip, are you alright? Where are the others?"

The usually proud, tall horse hung his head. "I do not know your highness." His voice was croaky with exhaustion as he explained, "We were riding deep into the Western Woods, having lost sight of the White Stag, when we came across a most unusual tree. The Kings and Queens spoke of it being familiar and dismounted to look around. We horses waited behind (I was the only talking one among them), but they never returned. I went to search for them, I covered the whole area, but they had vanished! When I returned to where we first lost them, the other horses had run off, and I didn't have the energy to look for them as well, so I came straight back here. I'm so sorry your highness, I have failed you." The sorrowful horse looked away in shame.

Patting him gently, Claire tried to reassure him, but truthfully there was a deep terror growing in the pit of her stomach. Her mind fought to push the feeling down and stay focused, knowing it would do no good to let fear overcome her.

"We must send out search parties immediately," her voice was unexpectedly (but thankfully) strong. General Oreius nodded at her seriously and turned away to begin gathering people. Shocked-looking guards and servants began to flit around, preparing for the search and leading the exhausted horse away.

Mr Tumnus's quiet voice piped up from beside her, "I think I might know the strange tree Phillip was referring to."

Looking at him, Claire saw that his eyes were lost in a memory. "Do you think they're alright?" she whispered to him, not wanting the other Narnian's to hear how scared she was. Startled out of some deep thoughts, the middle-aged faun's gaze snapped to hers, and he didn't answer.

Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed the first part. Please let me know what you think - it would be super helpful as I'm not that experienced at writing and any tips would really come in handy!

Just a quick note regarding the story - There will be some slight changes from the books. I have shortened the Dark Ages of Narnia quite dramatically, and some character ages and details like that will vary slightly from the books/films.

Thanks again :)