Jadis smiled coldly as she looked down at the kneeling Juliet.
"Smart girl" she said. Jadis raised her wand and pointed it at Juliet, "However, I cannot trust you"
Juliet looked up at her with alarm. "What?"
"You will speak your visions to me and only me. If you speak of it anyone else...the people you love" Jadis spat out the word "love" her distaste for it clear, "The people you love shall die - and it shall be your fault for your loose lips"
Jadis' wand glowed and Juliet felt something icy cold go into her. Jadis had spelled her - cursed her, more likely. Juliet clenched her hands. All she wanted to do was punch the witch, but she knew that it wasn't the right time yet.
It was then that Jadis noticed Prince Troilus still on the ground, groaning. With a wave of her hand, he turned immediately to stone.
Juliet flinched, but she tried hard not to show her emotions.
"A weak boy" Jadis sniffed. "Now come, Juliet" she turned to the dwarf who seemed to be her lieutenant, "Ginarrbrik, go prepare a room for Juliet - and bring me the Apple of Youth"
Ginarrbrik scowled at Juliet but said nothing. He bowed to Jadis before hurrying away.
"Come with me" Jadis told Juliet briefly before leaving the dudgeon, leaving Juliet to scramble along to follow her.
Before leaving, she cast one last look back at Troilus and Queen Elin.
"I will avenge you both" Juliet thought, starting to feel anger. "I will crush Jadis to dust just as she crushed our King"
As the seer followed the witch turned Queen, she surveyed her surroundings. Cair Paravel seemed to now be an entirely different place. Stone statues littered the corridors, and with a sick feeling in her stomach, Juliet realized she recognized a few of them.
There was Duck, the old gardener, who although never befriended her, never shunned her away either. The cook, a nymph named Marigold, stood in another hallway, turned to stone as well. She had always been kind to Juliet, having known her mother.
And there were many others as well. Juliet felt another sharp stab of anger. Jadis had destroyed the only home she had.
"We will not stay here for long" Jadis told her as she led the younger girl to the balcony. "I have my own castle near the Great River"
Juliet nodded. She wondered if Jadis would kill her soon enough if she did not prove to be useful.
Suddenly, Jadis laughed. "Juliet, my dear, even if you had not pledged yourself to me I would have let you live. You are too valuable for me to kill"
With a chill, Juliet realized that Jadis had known what she had been thinking. She had to guard her thoughts now whenever she was in the witch's presence. Juliet only nodded, before turning to look out of the balcony. She almost gasped when she saw that snow was falling. Already, the ground was covered with it.
"But it's the middle of summer!" She said, before remembering that she was talking to the new Queen, "Your Majesty?"
"One of my many talents" Jadis said smoothly. "An eternal winter shall crush the hearts of any Narnian rebel"
Juliet nodded. She only turned once she heard the door open. It was Ginarrbrik. He scowled at Juliet before bowing down to Jadis. He held a golden pouch. Jadis took the pouch from him and took out a silver apple.
"This apple is from the Tree of Youth" she told Juliet. "I had taken it during thw Creation of Narnia. It shall grant you eternal life with one bite"
The girl stared at her. "You want me to eat it, Your Majesty?"
Eternal life seemed lonely to Juliet. Eternal life at Jadis' side seemed to be a great punishment. But Juliet remembered her vow to her fallen Narnians. For Troilus, she reminded herself. He was your best friend when you were children.
Juliet took the apple and gingerly took a bite. The silver fruit had the most tempting smell, and as soon as she swallowed it, Juliet started to feel something change within her. She felt stronger - but there was something else growing inside her, something like misery and bitterness.
"Wonderful" Jadis said as she took the apple and returned it to the pouch. She pushed the pouch into Ginarrbrik's hands before dismissing him. "Now, you are immortal. You shall live forever serving me, and I shall reward you greatly if you remain loyal"
Juliet nodded meekly. "Yes, Your Majesty"
For Troilus and for Narnia, Juliet remind herself again as she tried to curb the anger inside her.
Fifty Years Later
The great castle of Queen Jadis was as cold as her heart. Although Juliet had one of the best rooms, she hated it there. She may be treated as a princess, but she knew deep inside that she was only a glorified prisoner. Her only solace was her maid, a terrified nymph by the name of Cassiopeia. Jadis had used Juliet as she saw fit, and many a rebellion had been put down before they began, due to her visions. Everyday, Juliet bent her head at the scrying bowl specially placed in her chambers, and almost every hour Jadis would come in and demand what she saw.
As every day turned to weeks and then to months and then to years, Juliet felt even more miserable and hopeless. She did indeed retain her youthfulness, just as Jadis did, but it was a curse to her. The beauty that Juliet retained only reminded her of her past.
She may have been just a servant in Cair Paravel then, shunned by many as a Seer, but it was home. She was a princess now, but Juliet knew it was just another word to Jadis for prisoner, wrapped in pretty packaging. She had not left her room in the highest tower of the castle since she had arrived.
The door opened and Juliet jumped up. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was just Cassiopeia.
"Are you alright, my lady?" Cassiopeia asked her in her usual quiet whisper.
Juliet nodded. "I'm fine"
She watched as the nymph bustled about her room, cleaning and fixing the things Juliet left strewn about. She was never one for keeping her possessions neat and tidy.
As Juliet watched Cassiopeia, her thoughts suddenly drifted to the Great Lion. Aslan had not been seen ever since the White Witch invaded Narnia and turned it into a winter hell. Juliet wondered if the Lion had forsaken them. Her mother, Juliana, had always told her about how the Lion cared for everyone, and that he would not abandon them at all. She wasn't so sure about it now.
Suddenly, Juliet sat up. Her eyes stared at nothing. It was as if she was in a trance.
Cassiopeia noticed this and her eyes grew wide with fear, "My lady! What is it? What's wrong?"
"Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, at the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more" Juliet recited dreamily. She continued to stare into space, "When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death. And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again"
Juliet came to herself when she heard the sharp scream of Cassiopeia. She jumped up to see the nymph suddenly burst into pink petals, fluttering for a moment in the air before turning black and falling on the floor.
She stared at the remnants of her fallen maid as she realized what she had done.
Unwittingly, Juliet had revealed a vision to Cassiopeia. It was more of a prophecy than a vision - as Juliet saw nothing, but it revealed future events regardless. She sank down onto the floor and released a loud sob.
The White Witch's curse had done its job. Juliet screamed, furious with herself. She had loved the nymph as her only friend, and now she was gone - due to Juliet's own carelessness.
That was where Jadis found her an hour later, on the floor, staring into space.
As she repeated the words to Jadis almost numbly, Juliet made a vow to herself.
She would hide her heart deep within herself, she would never reveal it to anyone.
She would not risk her curse upon anyone else.
1940, London
The train station was crowded with parents and children. Peter Pevensie made sure to take a firm hold on his youngest sister Lucy's hand as they navigated the platform after their mother, closely followed by their other two siblings Susan and Edmund.
"This is it" Helen Pevensie said, stopping in front of one of the train cars. She looked at her four children, trying to surpress her tears, now that she was to part with them for their own safety. "Now, I shall see all of you at the end of summer. Hopefully by then the bombings shall stop"
Lucy let go of Peter's hand and threw herself at her mother. Helen wrapped her arms around her youngest.
"You must be strong, my Lucy" Helen told her. She kissed her forehead, "Think of it as a grand adventure. You will be home before you know it"
Lucy nodded. There were tears in her eyes, but she tried to be brave and act like a grown up in front of their mother. Even if Peter and Susan would comfort her later, Edmund would only tease and taunt her. "I wish you were coming with us"
Helen sighed, "You know I can't, my girl. I have to stay here" she smiled, "But you can write to me all about your day, and it will be like I was there with you"
"And you'll write back?" Lucy asked her, her lower lip quivering.
"Of course" Helen promised. "I'll write to you as soon as I get your letters"
Lucy nodded, and hugged her mother one last time before stepping back for her sister Susan.
Susan hugged her mother just as tightly as Lucy. Although she understood the reason why they were being sent away, she still felt a little afraid to be away from their mother. Even if they were safe in the country, their mother would still be in London where she could be hit by the bombs.
"Oh Susan" Helen hugged her eldest daughter. Susan was almost as tall as her now. "Be a big girl, alright?"
Susan nodded. She watched as her mother stepped forward to hug Edmund, only for her younger brother to dodge it. Susan frowned. Edmund had been acting out ever since their father had gone to fight in the War. She thought that it was quite immature of him, as more than ever now their mother needed them.
Peter, however, accepted Helen's hug gratefully. "I'll watch out for them, Mum" he promised their mother. "Don't worry"
Helen smiled, "I know I can trust you in taking care of them" she touched Peter's cheek gently, "Be a good brother, and watch out for them"
Peter nodded and allowed his mother to hug him one last time before he shepherded his siblings to the porter standing by the door of the train.
Despite the clamour of the people, Peter could still hear the little sniffle from Lucy. He bent down and took his youngest sister's hand.
"It's going to be alright, Lu, don't worry"
In the midst of comforting Lucy, Peter hadn't realized that it was their turn to hand the tickets, and only once the porter repeatedly asked for their tickets that Susan exasperatedly took them from Peter's hand and gave them to the porter.
The two older siblings shared a look, but they both knew that any argument wouldn't help in comforting Lucy, so they silently boarded the train.
Helen watched for them in any of the windows and smiled and waved once she spotted the four heads that she adored completely. She continued to wave even once the train started to move, turning around the bend and finally going out of sight.
There! Now the Pevensies have entered the scene. Do please review! They're always appreciated