The Return

Disclaimer: I only own Leica, Julia, their cousins, Adrian, the king of Telmar, and that's all I can remember.

Chapter 2: Adrian's Troubles

Soon the men arrived in a city. Julia fearfully followed. "Some king you are. You're too young to even be considered to be a king." one of the men taunted the boy. Julia started. A king! This boy, who was Lecia's age, was a king! Now, you must attack and save him. She heard Aslan's voice in her head. "Just what do you think you're doing?" she called, stepping out with her bow loaded.

The men jumped, them looked at her and said, "You better put that up, kid, before you hurt someone."

She smirked. "What do you think I have it for?" The men looked at something over her shoulder. A youthful boy's voice rang out. "Let him go, soldier."

"But, your highness-"

"Do it! Now." They did and ran. Julia turned around to see if there was a new threat behind her. Another boy about Lece's age stood, looking at her. "Adrian! Where are you?" a younger boy yelled.

The boy she now knew was called Adrian replied, "Coming, Caspian!" after which he quickly left. She turned back around. The king was just standing up. Julia replaced her bow. The boy turned to look at her. "Thank you. What's your name?" he asked her.

"Julia." she said, wishing Lece were here. For some reason, she had a problem that she had never had before: She now felt uncomfortable talking to a stranger.

"I'm Peter. Hey, where did you get that bracelet?"

"Aslan." she said uneasily.

"Oh, really? He gave my sister a bracelet like that, but then He gave it to a girl named Lecia."

Julia stared at him, open-mouthed. "Lecia? That's my cousin! If we're talking about the same Lecia, of course."

"Is your cousin 13, about my height, blond-haired, and just about fearless?"

"All except the last one."

"Well, that could have come about by meeting Aslan, I suppose."

"Yeah." Suddenly Julia remembered where they were. "Uh, do you think maybe we should get out of here?"

Peter shook himself. "Oh, yes; where is my head today?" That question didn't seem to require an answer, so she didn't answer it. The two hurried out of that city as fast as their feet could carry them.


Adrian, meanwhile, was being interrogated by his father. "Some soldiers had an interesting tale that they told me. They said that they had the oldest king of Narnia in their custody but that you ordered them to release him. Is this so, my son?"

Adrian took a deep breath. He knew that after he said this, there was no turning back. "Yes, Father, it is."

"Why would you do such a thing?" A door opened behind Adrian. He turned to see his brother Caspian enter.

"I bow to a higher power than you, Father, and that power is Aslan. He told me to do it, so I did."

His father sputtered and rose. "You, my son! The Telmarine crown prince has embraced the demon God of the Narnians!"

The words he must speak no longer shamed Adrian; in fact, they emboldened him. He also rose to look his father in the eye. "I have indeed, Father, and He is no more demon than the gods made of wood and stone that you worship! In fact, they are the demons, and Aslan is God! He died for King Edmund and rose again! Tell me, Father, which one of your gods has ever done that? You cannot, because they haven't!"

"Enough! I will hear no more blasphemy coming out of my former son's mouth!"

Adrian stopped for a moment to digest what he'd just heard. "Former?"

"Yes. You are no longer my son. I will have no son that doesn't worship my gods. Caspian," the king turned to his second son, "you are now my heir. And you," he said, looking at Adrian once more, "get out of my house and out of my kingdom. If you ever return, I will have you arrested."

Adrian looked at his father, his disbelief readable in his eyes. Then, he turned and ran out of the castle, silently crying the whole way.