A Unexpected Return

Chapter 2: 2 Weeks Later

It has been two weeks since the four Pevensie siblings had returned from Narnia, where the two oldest were told that they wouldn't be returning ever again. The two youngest were having trouble not talking about Narnia since their brother and sister were still upset.

It had taken Peter and Susan longer to get over leaving Narnia, they still hadn't forgotten the place where they learned so much and probably never would. Peter buried himself in his studies and Susan immersed herself in taking care of the children.

"Do you think they're okay now?" Lucy whispered quietly to Edmund.

Edmund glanced at Peter and Susan across the yard and noticed that they were both lost in thought.

"I don't know Luce, it's hard to tell sometimes."

"I know what you mean. I wish they could go back with us to Narnia, it'll be so different without them there." Lucy's eyes glazed over in sadness. She didn't know why Aslan said what he did about Peter and Susan not returning.

"When do you think we'll be returning?" Edmund asked quickly.

"If it's anything like last time I think we'll be leaving after another year passes, but I don't know how much time will have past when we return. I hope Trumpkin will be alive and Caspian." She twirled the flower between her nimble fingers.

Edmund laid back against the grass. "I just hope that it hasn't been another thirteen hundred years. I don't think I could handle anymore changes, especially without Pete and Su.

Lucy nodded.

"What are you two talking about?" Susan and Peter walked towards the pair.

"Nothing really." Edmund answered quickly.

"About Narnia?" Peter asked. Lucy and Edmund glanced at each other hesitantly. "It's okay you know. We're not mad at you two and we can't ask you two to stop talking about it on our account."

Susan smiled. "He's right. We're sad that we won't be returning, but some things weren't meant to be."

"But what if Aslan was wrong or he was testing you?" Lucy asked.

"What do you mean?"

Lucy stared at Susan pointedly. "You remember talking to me about your faith in Narnia?" Susan nodded. "What if this is his way to see if your faith has disappeared? What if he just wants you to fight for it?"

"Luce, that doesn't explain Peter."

"He can't just single you out, so he's using age as his excuse."

Peter looked hopeful, but he knew that wasn't true. Aslan had no problem singling anyone out when the need arose.

"I don't think so Luce."

Susan couldn't stay there anymore and listen to Lucy talk about Narnia and Aslan. They had watched Lucy and Edmund whisper amongst themselves from afar and knew what they were talking about.

They had been grieving for different reasons, but Narnia was at the center of their problems. They had each watched Edmund and Lucy sneak whispered words and after two weeks they felt terrible about putting their siblings in that situation. Peter had thought it would be a good idea to make amends. She didn't agree but she knew it was the right thing to do.

She gave them all a watery smile before she turned to return to the Professor's house. When she was out of view she ran the rest of the way to her shared bedroom.

It had been like this since she returned to London two weeks ago. Caspian had been on her mind the moment she woke up to the moment she fell asleep, she got no peace. The memory of their shared kiss was still fresh in her mind. She still couldn't believe she had the guts to kiss him.

It had happened so abruptly that she didn't realize what she was going to do until after she'd done it. By then it was too late and she had kissed him before all of Narnia and the Telmarines.

"Where are you Caspian?" She whispered into the empty room.

CASPIANXSUSAN-CASPIANXSUSAN-CASPIANXSUSAN-CASPIANSUSAN

Far away, in another world called Narnia, the King of he land stood on his balcony looking down at everything below. It was good to see the Narnians of old and the Telmarines getting along in a way they never had before. It had been one year since the Pevensie children had left Narnia and they were still fresh in his mind.

Susan was constantly there at the back of his mind talking to him when he felt like he was failing as a king. No matter what he did nothing could push the Pevensie's from his mind.

"You highness?"

Caspian turned around quickly and saw no one. He looked down, "yes Reepicheep?"

"You said you wished to visit Car Pairaval today. If you still want to it's best we leave now before it gets dark." Reepicheep bowed low. "I am at your command."

"Can I ask you something Reepicheep?"

"Of course."

King Caspian looks out onto his balcony as the sun is rising, acknowledging the start of a new day. "Do you ever think about them?"

Reepicheep didn't need to ask who Caspian was talking about, everyone in the castle were very aware of where Caspian's heart lay. "Yes, all the time."

"Why?"

"It's hard not to remember the Kings and Queens of Old. They brought such happiness during their reign and helped us have happiness now. Without their help we would never have found such a noble leader." Reepicheep answered.

"Who do you miss the most?"

"I miss them all equally. High King Peter was a most noble leader. King Edmund was a breath of wisdom that we all needed, a man so young and wise beyond his years. Queen Lucy held such an innocence and faith that was becoming of her character. And Queen Susan had a heart of gold that held an unlimited supply of care for others around here. Does the King have something to share?" Reepicheep asked from his perch on Caspian's railing.

Caspian looked at Reepicheep. "I told you to call me Caspian, we are equals." He sighs heavily, it did him little good to think about the past. "Let's go Car Pairaval."

It wasn't a long ride to what was left of Car Pairaval and only a few people went. King Caspian only took his closet friends Trumpkin and Reepicheep and they left without delay. This was the first time Caspian had the nerve to return there, he had only been there once to return the Kings and Queens of Old belongings.

"It's just like I remember." Caspian turned to Trumpkin and Reepicheep. "Should we try to restore it to it's old glory? It would be a nice thing to do for them and everyone who remembered Car Pairaval."

They only nodded because Caspian had already moved on to something else. They saw him zone in the wall that led to Edmund, Peter, Susan, and Lucy's belongings. Caspian walked to it like a man possessed, nothing could take his attention from what he wanted to do.

Caspain pushed open the door and walked down the stone steps that led to the statues and chests. He brushed his fingers over each of the chests before he stopped in front of Queen Susan's statue. He opened the chest and filtered through her belongings until he came upon her bow and horn.

When he had first came to Car Pairaval he had put it back in it's rightful place and had forgotten about it. He traced the lines of lion and was astonished that it was just as he remembered. Nothing was out of place.

He took a few minutes to reminence about his short time with the Kings and Queens of old. His first meeting with them all was something he'd never forget for as long as he lived.

Caspian ran out of his hiding place when he saw a man go to attack one of the Narnians he had promised to protect. A fight soon ensued and he learned that the man was more of a challenge then he had first assumed. Not long after his sword was knocked out of his hand.

He twisted and bent down to remove himself from the swords line of fire. He was lucky that the man's sword got stuck in the tree and had immediately kicks him in the leg. Caspain moved to grab the sword, but it was no use.

"Noooo, Stop!!" He turned to see a small girl scream out and in perfect timing. The man had a stone in his hand ready to knock it into his head.

The narnians all came out from their hiding place and surrounded Caspain and the unknown man. He turned to look at Caspian peculiarly, "Prince Caspian?"

"And who are you?" Caspian asked indignantly. He didn't like that this man knew who he was, but he didn't know who this man was.

"Peter!!" A woman and a boy ran out of the forest behind the small girl.

'Peter, why does that name sound so familiar?" And then it hit him like a ton of bricks. "High King Peter?"

Peter nodded. "I believe you called."

"Your…" Caspian sputtered.

"Yes?" Peter asked in irritation.

"Your younger then I expected."

"If you'd like we can return in a couple of years."

"No, it's just your not what I expected." Caspian turns to look at each of them in turn, taking a little more time on Queen Susan. He notices her blush and a small smile that adorns her lips. He turns to King Peter and sees him scowling at him.

He remembered when he helped Susan and Lucy on his favorite horse before there were supposed to go off to find Aslan.

Caspian adjusts Susan's foot on Destrier, he didn't know what to do since Susan was acting unusually cold. "You'll do well with Destrier, she's served me well."

He looks up at Susan and she turns away coldly. "Thank you."

Caspian's face drops at her abrupt response. He fidgets around to find her horn. "You probably want your horn back, here." He tries to hand it back to her, but she isn't taking it.

For the first time today she smiled at him sweetly. She was looking down at her horn in his hand and shook her head. "You keep it. You might need to call me again." She smiles at him one last time before she gallops away.

He couldn't help but smile now that she was no longer unfeeling towards him and somewhere inside he hoped that she felt an inkling of what he felt for her.

Not even a minute after they left he heard a loud echo of their conversation. "You might need to call me?" Lucy laughed.

"Shut up!" And the smile never left his face.

They were memories he cherished forever of his short time of knowing Queen Susan the Gentle. He closed his eyes as he remembered the feel of her lips on his own. The gentle brush of her lips and the feather like touch of her hand on his face was forever imprinted on his mind.

"Where are you Caspian?"

His eyes opened wide and he fell off the chest, landing in a pile of rumble on the floor. That sounded vaguely like Susan, he turned around but there was no one there. He wanted to bang his head against the pavement, it had sounded so real.

A rush of footsteps could be heard above him and he looked up.

"King Caspian?"

"Reepicheep what have I said about calling me Ki-"

"I'm sorry, but this is important."

Caspian's face scrunched up in concern at the worried voice of his chief knight. "What's going on?"

"We just got word of some devastating news."

"From who?"

"Aslan."

Caspian's head clouded with an overwhelming sense of worry. Aslan has never felt the need to bring news because he's never been afraid of the outcome. "What news does he bring?"

Trumpkin stepped forward. "Apparently the sight of snow has been seen in the East of Narnia."

"That can only mean one thing, the white witch has returned." Caspian looks at his fellow comrades and back to Susan's horn in his hand and he began to think that maybe he came here for a reason.

Reepicheep climbed down to stand in front of Caspian. "What shall I do, your highness?"

"Nothing yet. We don't want to cause worry until we're absolutely positive that it is the White Witch we're dealing with."

"What other proof do you need?" Trumpkin asked angrily. "Aslan himself has been spreading the news."

Caspian looked up, "I don't know and that's what's worrying me."

Trumpkin and Reepicheep stare at Queen Susan's horn held tightly in Caspian's hand. "Are you going to call them?"

"Should I?"