"Susan!" Lucy greeted eagerly. "Will you be telling your story again? It's so rare now that Caspian was crowned King that you are here, so everyone wishes to hear from you."
"Yay! More stowy!" Rilian cheered as he jumped into Lucy's outstretched arms. Lucy indulgently picked him up.
"Rilian! You already had more than enough storytime last night," Susan teased.
"Well, I didn't," Lucy teased. "Neither did any of these younglings here."
"Please, your Majesty," a wide-eyed young faun asked.
"I've never heard it from you before," a puppy added.
"Well, Caspian and I met at Lantern Waste. I had told Peter that I was visiting Mr. Tumnus," Susan began.
"Is Mista Tummy here?" Rilian suddenly asked excitedly. "I like his music."
"Then I'll make sure he plays for you later. But shush. Others want to hear the story too," Lucy said as she bounced Rilian in her arms.
"Well, Caspian and I had an ahhh…" Susan trailed off, remembering the first night they had spent reunited. She wasn't about to go into detail, particularly not in front of such young children. Lucy stifled a giggle as she saw how Susan was blushing from embarrassment at simply the memory of what she and Caspian did. She eventually settled for, "We greeted each other with warm friendly hugs."
Edmund had inconveniently chosen that precise moment to walk up and sniggered, knowing what an outrageous lie it was. "Sure that's what happened."
"I…I have no clue what you mean, dear brother," Susan said through gritted teeth. "So Caspian and I went to seek out Valentine."
Narnia 10 years and 5 days earlier:
"How was your search?" Caspian asked anxiously as Susan entered his tent.
"It's hopeless! It's as though Valentine does not wish to be found. We had so many leads, but then every time they said he had just passed through," Susan said exasperatedly.
"I wish I could be out there searching," Caspian said irritably.
"You know why you can't! We have no clue which Trees or Animals may report to Peter," Susan said, annoyed.
"I know," Caspian said. "I just – I just don't like sitting around doing nothing while you do all the work."
"Maybe I like doing things for my love," Susan teased, sliding next to him.
"Maybe I'm just afraid you'll decide you don't need me at all and leave me," Caspian teased back, although he somewhat believed it.
"Oh I know I don't need you. But eh, you're nice to have around," Susan said jokingly.
"What an adorable couple," a cheery voice said.
"What? Who's there?" Caspian roared, sword already in hand.
"Careful, love," Susan cautioned, although she was nervous as well. But perhaps the stranger in their tent could be reasoned with to not reveal Caspian's presence. "It's just a badger. Hello, friend. What's your name?"
"Oh my dear. I think you already know that wee bit of trivia," he said jovially.
"Are…Are you?" Susan asked, elated.
"Am…am I?" the badger said slyly.
"Who are you?" Caspian demanded.
"Are you Valentine?" Susan asked, clutching Caspian's arm.
"Somebody's sharp! That I am, that I am!" the badger said. "Now, I hear someone is hoping for a wedding?"
"I…Wait, first I…I need to know. Are you truly acting under Aslan's permission? I cannot be wedded by you otherwise," Susan said sternly.
"My dear, Aslan heard your prayers. You asked for a miracle to save Narnia. But Aslan helps those who help themselves. You merely need ah..push to help you," Valentine said.
"To…save Narnia?" Susan said, finding the badger's words dizzying.
"That is your plan, is it not? That if you could get your brother to accept this lad, he will end his cold war against Narnia," the badger said.
"I…What?" Caspian said angrily. "What am I, just a means to an end?"
"No! I mean, yes I wanted that. But I had given up. It seemed impossible. I had then only held out hope that at least we might get our happy ending, and then from Telmar offer whatever help we might," Susan said hastily.
"But tis not impossible. Your brother loves you more than you know," the badger said.
"But what I heard of you… I heard merely that you are a minister appointed by Aslan who has been conducting weddings," Susan said.
"That I am. And that is the help Aslan will give you. The love the two of you have is strong enough for the rest," Valentine said knowingly.
Those words seemed to placate Caspian who had still been a bit suspicious of Susan's motives for marrying him.
"How do we know Aslan truly sent you?" Susan said, becoming more nervous now that it seemed she might have a chance at marrying her true love.
"By this! Your favorite constellation will shine the brightest tonight. The Stars of the Honeysuckle," Valentine said.
"I…there's no way you could have known that was my favorite…So…Ah, now? Or should we get some sort of wedding preparations? I should tell my followers to stop searching for you," Susan said, beginning to panic.
"For your Majesty, whatever you wish," the badger said indulgently.
"Now," Caspian insisted. "Before your brother finds out and stops it."
"But my siblings," Susan said.
"They'll have the Telmarine wedding to attend if Peter allows it. Meanwhile, my life is on the line every second I am in Narnia. As soon as we marry, Peter cannot deny that I have a decent right to be here," Caspian said.
"Then…now. I'll have my followers that are here though come in to witness," Susan insisted. Soon the Narnians were assembled and Valentine began the ceremony.
"Queen Susan of Narnia, doth your heart invite this man in to be a part of thy life for as long as thee may live?"
"Indeed may it be so," Susan replied, the words easily slipping from her tongue.
"Prince Caspian, doth your heart invite this man to be a part of thy life for as long as thee may live?" Valentine asked.
"Indeed may it be so," Caspian repeated.
"Then by your love may Telmar and Narnia be united. Let it be known; let it be known," Valentine concluded. The Narnians there cheered at the proclamation.
Susan smiled as Caspian reached for her face. She slowly covered his hands with hers as they drew closer together. "I love you so much," she whispered just loud enough for Caspian to hear.
"Not as much as I love you," he whispered just before his lips met hers.
And then all Tash broke loose.
"What was that?"Susan shrieked as she heard a commotion from outside. But all of her guards had come inside for the ceremony. Peter and his men had almost no problem forcing their way in. "How did you get here?"
"Did you think you could leave and come here without my spies who are scouring the land for Valentine not see you?" Peter roared. "What the Tash is going on here? Guards, restrain that villain and I will cut him down!"
Peter's guards quickly restrained Caspian, forcing him to the ground.
"Wait, you can't," Susan begged, tugging on her brother's arm. "He…He has diplomatic immunity!"
"He is committing a crime by trespassing on our lands," Peter demanded. "He will die!"
"Telmar will – " Caspian began with a sneer, but Susan cut him off with a slight sideways kick.
"Peter! He cannot be killed for being on our lands anymore!" Susan said, throwing herself between Peter and Caspian.
"What the Tash do you mean?" Peter sneered.
"He's my husband!" Susan said, terrified of how Peter might respond.
"Susan," Lucy muttered under her breath, tearing Susan away from the story. Peter had entered the other side of the room and all the younglings were staring at him, horrified.
"Oh, there's nothing to fear! Peter was simple…in a very, very bad mood," Susan grossly understated, mentally kicking herself for not censoring that bit of the story as well so that the younglings would not fear her brother. "But he loves me and thinks of Caspian as a brother. So absolutely nothing to fear."
"How did that work out?" a young fawn asked anxiously.
"I'll tell you tonight," Susan said, seeing that Head Maid Ythia gesturing towards her agitatedly.
"Not now?" a few of them said sadly.
"I need to go. And I'll try to finish the story sooner, but for sure I'll have time before twilight. And I promise I'll finish it then," Susan said, blowing a kiss before leaving.