"The Mist"

This chapter is shorter than the others, sorry for that. I hope you enjoy either way. Please review.

Emily groaned as she heard a banging noise, as if someone were slamming against a door.

Her head still hurt as she pushed herself up, her memory of what happened earlier came rushing back to her.

The painting.

Narnia.

The Dawn Treader.

Caspian.

The Lone Islands.

Slave traders.

Lucy and Eustace being dragged off by slave traders.

She looked up from her place on the cold floor when she heard the banging noise had stopped and saw that it had been Caspian who was trying to kick down the door, or at least trying to relieve his anger.

The King looked over and saw that the Queen was awake.

He wanted to rush over to her, but he wanted to leave her, her pride to stand on her own.

"You all right?" he asked as she stood up.

"Yeah." she said.

With that little bit of knowledge, Caspian kicked the door again, but it didn't open.

Emily sighed and walked over to him, patting his back.

"Calm down. We'll get out sooner or later." she said.

He sighed and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down.

"It's hopeless." a voice from behind them said.

They turned and looked into a dark, shadowed part of the cell they were in, Caspian standing protectively in front of Emily.

"You'll never get out." the voice said again.

It was accented, much look one of a Telmarine.

"Who's there?" Emily called.

"Nobody, just a voice in my head."

The two royals walked forward, trying to see into the darkness.

Then, an old man in dirty, ripped clothing slowly crept out.

Caspian had a strange look on his face, as though he was trying to figure out who he was, before a look of understanding came on his face.

"Lord Bern?" he asked.

Emily looked between the two men, a bit confused and startled.

Was this old man really one of the Seven Lords of Telmar?

A look of curiosity came over the man's face.

"Perhaps once, but I'm no longer deserving of that title." he said.

The two young royals shared a look.

"Is he one of the seven?" the Queen asked.

The King nodded before he kneeled down in front of the sitting old man.

"Your face...You remind me of a King I once loved well." he told the young man.

Emily smiled as she sensed the pride and happiness rolled off of him in waves.

"That man was my father." he said.

"Oh, my Lord." the old man gasped.

"Please forgive me."

"No, please. Please." Caspian said, he and Emily helping the man up.

Lord Bern gave the young woman a curious look, his sky blue eyes wide in shock.

"You look like one of the Queens of Old." he gasped.

The two young royals smiled at each other.

"I'd like you to meet Queen Emily, the Just." Caspian said.

The old man gasped as he looked over the young Queen, amazement in his eyes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." she said, smiling gently.

They heard a noise outside, people crying, so the young Queen climbed up to where the bars were on a window and looked out to see what was happening.

She saw some people were in chains and were being thrown into a longboat.

Caspian climbed up next to her to see what she was looking at.

"Where are they taking them?" he asked.

"Keep watching." Bern advised.

Thunder roared as the clouds rolled over, darkness coming and also a green mist was coming over the water towards the boat.

The mist was giving Emily a sick feeling.

The same sick feeling she got whenever Jadis was around or mentioned.

The mist then struck at the slaves like a viper and they were consumed, screaming.

Then as the mist faded, the slaves disappeared without a single trace that they had been there, save for the boat.

"What happened?" Caspian asked.

"It's a sacrifice." Bern said.

"Where did they go?" the King asked.

"No one knows. The Mist was first seen in the east. Reports of fishermen and sailors disappearing out at sea. We Lords made a pact to find the source of the Mist to destroy it. They each set sail...but none came back." Bern explained as they climbed down and stood in front of him.

"You see, if they don't sell you to the slave traders you're likely to be fed to the Mist."

Emily's eyes widened in shock as her worry for her sister and cousin grew.

It was already a horrible thought about what would happen to them if someone bought them and were able to force them to do the most ghastly things, but now that they could also be consumed by a Mist that held the power of darkness, this was even more of a reason to worry.

"We have to find Lucy and Eustace before it's too late." she said.

To be continued...