Disclaimer: As much as I love Narnia, I don't own it. That honor belongs to CS Lewis. Disney, 20th Century Fox and Walden Media has more ownageship.

A.N: Nothing to say.

Summary: Takes place during the Golden Age. The most unthinkable has happened. Could some good come from such an act? Perhaps it would be enough to light the way home.

Chapter 3: Day Two- A Sign slow in the making

What was supposed to be a happy time was now a sad time. Cair Paravel no longer had a jubilant air about it, even on its so-called uneventful days. The hallways, so rich with bright colors, seemed to dim, in respect, to the cold air that flowed throughout it.

The Queens spent most of their time trying to run the kingdom, speaking to a few that came to offer condolences. They were both vividly aware that two of the four thrones weren't filled. It was almost painful to go into the throne room and it was getting to the point where Lucy in particular was beginning to get physically ill when she walked by the room. When they didn't have to run business, that needed their attention they spent a lot of time in their own rooms. Sometimes they sat with Peter who hadn't moved from his spot next to Edmund. A rare time at night found all four curled up in the big bed.

The High King Peter hadn't been seen by anyone but his sisters since his self imposed reclusiveness. Even when they were in the room, he said nothing, just continuing to hold Edmund and mumble under his breath.

The general exhausted every resource he could to find the missing valet and to find the culprits responsible. True to his word, two trusted guards were stationed outside the High King's room at all times. And a trusted bodyguard was stationed to each Queen. Since either sister was rarely without the other these days, it doubled the protection which was good.

Peter only stared blankly even as he heard the door ease open. "Peter?" Susan called.

He heard rustling and soft clinking but he didn't shift in acknowledgment.

"Peter?" Lucy tried.

"Peter, you need to eat. When was the last time you ate?" asked the oldest Queen, gently.

"Please, eat something" Lucy urged when the High King said nothing then she amended, "Please say something."

Silence grated on the ears of both girls.

"I've been praying almost non-stop to Aslan. He hasn't sent a sign yet, but we have to believe its coming", Lucy spoke up to break the silence.

Peter twitched at this shifting.

Susan spoke hesitantly, "I have as well. I want to believe something…..good can come out of this." She would not wish for the impossible no matter how probable. Though there was as small part of her that wished to Aslan himself.

There was a brief pause before Susan begged, "Come on, take a bite of something. A sip of something, anything."

"I'm not hungry", came the mumbled reply.

"Please, something", Lucy pleaded.

"I'll eat when Edmund wakes."

"….." Neither young girl knew what to say to that as they exchanged stricken glances.

"Then, we'll leave this here. Please try to eat something. Edmund would not want you to be like this", said Susan.

"When Ed wakes, I'll eat", came the repeated reply.

Susan nodded clumsily as she and Lucy turned and walked out the door, pausing to give a lingering glaze towards their brothers before shutting the door quietly behind them.

"Please, Aslan, why haven't you come or sent a sign yet?", Peter muttered, "Can't you hear us? Hear me? Please. It's been….how many days…..hours I don't know. Please, grace us with something. Anything. Please….."

"Do you really think Aslan is gonna come?" Susan asked breaking the silence that lingered in the sitting room.

Lucy paused in all her movements, which wasn't much as she looked up from her window sill seat to Susan who was sitting attempting to read a book.

"Why would you ask such a question?" Lucy asked her voice eerily calm.

Susan glanced up at Lucy before looking at her book. She shook her head.

"Susan", Lucy drew out her sister's name.

Said girl sighed and closed the book, "It's just….it's been what? Two and a half days and still there isn't a sign! I mean if Aslan was going to do something or come wouldn't he already?"

"His time is not ours." Stated the Valiant Queen.

"Lucy, Edmund is….he's dead. There I said it! He's dead, do you get that? He's dead and Peter's on the verge of a breakdown or meltdown. He refuses to move from Edmund's side, refusing to say he's dead." Susan normally gentle voice was taking on a air of hysterics.

Lucy was still calmly listening as Susan popped up from her seat and paced, "Everything is falling apart, Lu! We both know that if something doesn't happen soon we'll lose not only Edmund but Peter as well. Didn't the prophecy say, four thrones have to be filled? Maybe my math isn't right, but last I checked we are down definitely by one throne and temporarily and I foresee it becoming permanent by two. We can't do this by ourselves! And Aslan has to know this! He's got to but he's been silent for all this time! What are we suppose to do?" she cried stopping and facing Lucy in a helpless gesture.

Lucy said nothing but stare at her.

"LUCY!" Susan cried.

"Are you done?" Lucy asked suddenly looking older than her ten years.

Susan blushed and tried to get herself together and gracefully sitting back down on the couch. She nodded, as she just realized that tears had tracked down her face and proceeded to wipe them away. She was now ashamed that she had lost it, like that, but it had been building up all this time.

Lucy stood up and walked over and sat next to Susan taking her hand. "Susan, calm down and breathe."

Susan obeyed her little sister, taking in deep breathes.

"Good. Now. Aslan knows all of this and he'll do what's best. I can't even fathom to guess why this is happening nor why he hasn't said anything or sent a sign, but he works in his own time. You know that. I don't know what Aslan has planned but I will continue to call him and pray and hopefully we'll get an answer sooner rather than later. I know an answer is coming but when is the question."

"How do you know it's coming?" Susan asked looked through teary eyes at her younger sister.

"I believe with all my heart it is."

Susan looked skeptical, "That's it?"

"Faith is believing without seeing." Lucy stated simply.

Susan nodded, "I know. I'm sorry, Lucy that I went lost it like that. I just….."

"I know. It's okay." Lucy hugged Susan.

"What about Peter?" asked Susan, "Is it not healthy what he's doing?"

"No, but he has to work through it his way. This is the only way he knows how. I know it'll get better. I know it will. We just have to wait on it. Even if it's a long time."

"You think it will be?"

"I don't know, I just know it's coming." Lucy pulled back and looked her sister in the eye. "You gonna be okay?"

Susan nodded even as more tears spilled out of her eyes. She noticed that Lucy's were slowly filling up with tears. "Oh Lucy!" she cried pulling her sister back into a hug.

Somewhere, they both found each other sobbing.

"I know it's coming, but still….when I think about all this…." Lucy trailed off.

"I know. We just have to keep pleading to Aslan." Susan cried.

"Please, Aslan. Hear us! Send us something to work with. Anything. Please. In your name, we pray." Lucy cried.

"In your name", Susan repeated.

They sat like that for a long time murmuring their prayers to Aslan and together calming down. They didn't know how long it was when a knock resounded.

"Come in", Susan called wiping her tears.

Lucy was wiping her own tears as Oreius stepped through. Both Queens tried to collect themselves and Oreius waited patiently with sad eyes.

"Uh…..sorry. Um…." Susan could not articulate well at that moment so she shut up turning to look in front of her, out the window.

Lucy fared a little better, "Please come in. What do you have for us?" she asked, looking over the back of the couch they were sitting in facing the window.

Oreius paid his respects, "My Queens, we thought we'd keep you updated."

"We thank you." Susan managed to say, over her shoulder.

"We have found Geramius", the general stated gravely.

"And?" Susan asked turning to look over the couch at the centaur.

"He was trying to escape our borders into what was once the White Witch territory. We had some Birds that saw this and alerted us to this. We currently have him in a holding cell. He was questioned hard and finally confessed to being part of the conspiracy and that there were others. He refused to give us any more than that. But fortunately, many Narnians have been eager to help out. Many of the dryads were searching for clues and have alerted us to some. They are greatly disturbed that it happened in their backyard essentially and are appalled to think they have a stray dryad among them that would participate in this. I'm heading out now and hopefully we are one step closer to bringing justice to our King."

Lucy and Susan both nodded.

"Keep us posted, general." Susan re-ordered firmly.

Oreius nodded and bowed, "I shall, my queens." Then he left.

There was silence for a long while before Lucy voiced a thought in her head, "See? One step closer. Maybe this is part of a sign. A sign that is coming together slow in the making."

Susan nodded ready to believe in anything.

TBC….