A/N: Thank you to Ambidextrous Drummer I'm glad your enjoying it and Eosneve you may want to give Susan a few more hugs after this chapter and for the Hamlet question I was thinking more so the plot of Prince Caspian, but yeah Lewis probably did think of him for Rilian character.
Disclaimer: Narnia and it's characters belong to C.S. Lewis
Chapter 4
I walk through a town I'm not sure where it is: the buildings look like the ones in London, but the roads look like the ones we paraded through earlier in Narnia. One of the buildings is a small shop that has all kinds of jewelry. I go inside and approach the loveliest jeweled bracelets and pearl necklaces. Then in the center of the shop I see a case with eight diamond rings. They're awfully beautiful and each one has a gold band and a diamond that shine as bright as the sun. "May I help you, Miss?" I turn to see a man who I assume is the shopkeeper.
"I was just looking. These are lovely rings," I tell him while pointing at them.
"Aw, yes, a man bought them the other day. He'll be by to pick them up shortly." The shopkeeper informs me before going to the back room. I keep looking at them, they're so beautiful. But one is the most beautiful and it shines brighter than the others and the gold is more radiant as well. I just have to pick it up. It's nice and warm, I see why the man bought it.
Suddenly a cold wind opens the door of the shop and I clutch the ring until the wind stops. I look at the ring in my hand, but it's gold is now tarnished and the diamond looks like a dull, grey stone. I scream as the ring falls, it feels so cold it burns.
"Alright, the owner is here to pick up the rings," The shopkeeper grabs the case that now holds only seven.
"Wait!" He turns to me, "You forgot one." I point to ring on the floor.
"That one is no good, it will have to go in the furnace. Now I must give these to the owner, he has a train to catch." He turns and goes toward the door. All I can do is stare at the once radiant diamond ring that used to shine like the sun and now lays cold and rusted on the ground.
I open my eyes and find myself in one of the guest rooms in the Castle. What a strange dream. I decide not to think about it and go to the wardrobe to pick out a dress feeling lucky they're all as comfortable and beautiful as the ones during our reign. I'm not sure which one to wear, though I'll probably get a chance to wear them all.
Hopefully we'll be able to stay as long as we did last time and I can do all the things I used to. As I get dressed and do my hair I think of the balls I could host and festivals we can have with the Narnians. I could compete in archery tournaments and visit Archenland, surely they're still our allies. Though I wouldn't care to visit Calormene again, but I would love sailing to the eastern sea to see the long islands. There's so much I can do here. I finish my hair when someone knocks. "You may enter," I say using my queen voice. I'm going to love being here.
Peter enters, "Susan, Aslan wishes to speak to us."
"Whatever for?" I turn toward him and ask while still trying to sound proper.
"I'm not sure, only that he wants to meet us right away." When we arrive at the courtyard where Aslan is waiting for us, Peter asks him, "You wish to speak with us, Sir?"
"Yes, children, come," he says calmly as Peter and I walk on either side of him. "I've asked Caspian to let any Telmarines who do not like the idea of Caspian as king know that I will provide a chance for them to return from where they came."
"Do you mean Telmar?" I ask not really sure what this has to do with Peter and me.
"They came into Narnia out of Telmar, but they came from the same world as you and it is there they will return." Aslan pauses, but it sounds like he is trying to imply something. I don't like where this is going.
"Are we to return as well?" Peter asks the one question I didn't want him to ask.
Aslan says sadly, "It is time, the portal that will send the Telmarines home will also send you four back to the station."
We're going back today? I look at him and eagerly inquire, "Aslan, when can we come back to Narnia again?"
Aslan looks straight at me seeming even sadder then before. "Dearest," he articulates very gently, "you and your brother will never come back to Narnia." What? I can hardly believe those words. I just found out how much I really love being here and now I have to go, and never come back.
"How come?" Peter asks calmly. We're not coming back…
"You are too old, children." We're too old? "And you must begin to come close to your own world now." Own world? But Narnia is my world. England will never be Narnia.
"It's not just Narnia we'll miss, it's you." Peter tells Aslan. He continues, but all I hear is something about Aslan being in our world and Aslan mention another name. All I can think about is that we're leaving and we're never returning. I'll never get to shoot my arrows or host another ball, I won't get to rule this beautiful land with my siblings.
"Your Majesty?" Aslan speaks to Caspian who is approaching us.
"We are ready, everyone has assembled." He says then leaves and I slowly turn back to Aslan. I've never seen that look on his face before, it is as if he longs for something from me. But it's doesn't matter now, I'm leaving. I look away from him and we walk on.
"Come, it's time you met with your brother and sister."
"Aslan, are Edmund and Lucy not coming back either?" I ask trying to hold back my tears.
"Child, do you really need to know that?" Aslan states. I should have guessed, he always said that he could tell no one's story, but their own.
Peter and I go to find Edmund and Lucy then go to where everyone is gathered.
"Narnia belongs to the Narnians, just as it does to man." Caspian tells the people. "Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to. But for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of your forefathers." I listen knowing that it won't be long before we leave.
"It's been generations since we left Telmar," a man in the crowd shouts.
"We're not referring to Telmar." Aslan informs them, "Your ancestors were seafaring brigades, pirates ran aground on an island. There they found a cave, a rare chasm that brought them here from their world. The same world as our kings and queens. It is to that island I can return you. It is a good place for any who wishes to make a new start."
"I will go. I will accept the offer," one of the men says.
"So will we," says a woman who I recognize as Caspian's aunt. We'll have to leave soon.
The people who spoke walk up to Aslan, "Because you have spoken first, your future in that world shall be good." Aslan breathes on them then a large tree becomes a door. The door that will send us back. The people disappear through the tree.
The crowd starts to panic, "Where did they go?" Then one man cries out, "How do we know he is not leading us to our deaths?"
Reepicheep approaches Aslan, "Sire, if my example can be of any service, I will take 11 mice through with no delay." Aslan looks away from him to Peter and me. We exchange a look both knowing what we have to do, but I don't want to.
"We'll go," Peter says.
"We will?" Edmund asks.
"Come on. Our time's up. After all," Peter walks over to Caspian and hands him his sword, "we're not really needed here anymore." I guess not.
"I will look after it until you return."
"I'm afraid that's just it." I blurt out still trying to hold back my tears. "We're not coming back." Everyone falls silent for a moment.
"We're not?" Lucy looks toward me with confusion.
"You two are." Peter tells her and Ed. "At least, I think he means you two."
"But why? Did they do something wrong?" Lucy inquires of Aslan.
"Quite the opposite, dear one. But all things have their time. Your brother and sister have learned what they can from this world. Now it's time for them to live in their own."
"It's all right, Lu," Peter goes to Lucy, I'm not sure how he can be so calm about this. "It's not how I thought it would be…but it's all right. One day you'll see, too. Come on." I watch as my siblings say their goodbyes. I don't want to say goodbye, Oh, Aslan, why can't I stay? England's not Narnia.
I walk over and say goodbye to Reepicheep, Trumpkin, Trufflehunter and Caspian then stand next to my brothers and sister. Lucy takes a hold of my hand and gives me a reassuring smile. I smile back at her. At least I still have them, I realize gratefully as I leave Narnia for the last time.
So I hope this chapter turn out alright, I wasn't sure how to do the ending and I may have miss a few character's. Also I'm moving the rating of this story because it's going to get darker tone in later chapters, but don't worry I'm NOT going to make it a M rating, their's not going to be any sex scenes or cussing anything like that (I don't write those kind of story.) Anyway Thank's for reading I'll have the next chapter up soon. Please leave a review I'd love to hear your thoughts.
