A/N: Happy Easter! Late, I know, but this one took forever. I apologize. Battles are hard, fam. In fact, they are the hardest things for me to write. I hope you had a fantastic time if you celebrated. Personal anecdote: my best friend came and visited me and we all (the two of us and my husband) went to explore a state park nearby. It had been rainy, but I assured them that the path ahead was not too slippery (keep in mind, I am by far the clumsiest of the three of us). Long story short, they both fell on their butts multiple times in close succession. A lady walked by and definitely thought we were high since they were both on the ground laughing, I was leaning against a tree to keep from falling over from laughing, and it was 4/20. Luckily, we did not get thrown out of the park, and a good time was had by all.

Disclaimer: I do not own Narnia.

Chapter 6

I felt as though I had swallowed sand.

The dryad's announcement hung in the air long after she had swept further into camp to spread the news. We could hear the wave of grief washing over camp as she went. I vaguely heard some of the other dryads talking to each other, but I had nothing say. I could have stayed there for hours more, as still and lifeless as though the witch had turned me to stone, too. But I knew I couldn't. I knew there were too many things to face that day.

I stood slowly, wisely not trusting my stiff legs. They tingled back to life painfully as I took a few stumbling steps. I looked down the hill toward the creek where the wolf had attacked us. That's when I caught my first actual glimpse of the naiads I had heard wailing with us last night. Two in the middle of the stream, more visibly humanoid than the dryads, but still difficult to focus on. They each had long, silvery hair that moved as though waves rippled through it. It was hard to tell where their hair ended and their silvery blue robes began. They were all huddled together, holding each other. I wondered if they were sisters.

One of them looked up at me. It didn't make sense as she was a creature of water, but I could see her tears. Her silver, almost white eyes stared at me only for a second before she turned back to the others.

"Emma!" Mr. Beaver came running toward me. "Peter needs you!" he shouted.

I took off after him, though he barely waited on me. We jogged through camp and straight to the command tent, getting some strange looks along the way. I stepped inside the tent, though Mr. Beaver didn't follow. He stayed outside and took the stance of a sentry. Inside, the there stood a table in the middle with maps on it on and Peter standing over it. He looked up.

"Em—" He started, then stopped when he looked at me. "Are you all right?"

I looked down at myself for the first time. My legs and feet were covered in mud, my dress was burned, torn, and stained. My hair was wind-blown and surely a tangled mess, my face most likely tear-stained and pale.

"Yeah," I said. "Are you?"

He looked back down at the map on the table and ran his left hand back through his hair. He was still wearing his sleeping shirt, though a set of armor sat behind him, ready to be put on. He didn't say anything for a long time. I walked to the table and reached out to touch his hand, but he pulled away and cleared his throat. There was a strange tension in the air I had never felt before.

"Your Highness," Oreius was standing behind us in the doorway. "We're ready for Emma."

"For me?" I asked.

"To armor you for battle, my lady." Oreius said.

I tried to ignore how my stomach dropped when he said "battle."

I passed Edmund on my way out of the tent, the sight of a sword on his hip making me feel dizzy.

The armory was buzzing with energy, somber though it was. A centaur with his back to us was busily working over a forge, and the fire brought a thought to my mind for the first time.

"I can't wear armor," I said. "I'll…melt it."

What a strange thing to say out loud.

"Normal armor would be impossible, yes," Oreius said without looking back at me. "Thankfully, that is not our only option."

He led me to what I assumed was his work station. There, sat a box. It was nothing special, worn wood that was even blackened in a few places from age and rot. As he reached to open it, another centaur appeared and slammed her hand down on top of it.

"You cannot be serious," she said.

It was Larina, my centaur friend from the day before. She looked no less terrifying while I was standing than she had when I was on the ground under her staff.

"Do you truly mean to give the witch—"

"Larina!" Oreius cut her off. "This is not your decision."

There was a long moment where neither of them moved, staring at each other. Slowly, she moved her hand but glared at me mercilessly as Oreius opened the box. He pulled out a suit of bright silver armor. It looked similar to what Peter had been wearing, only thinner and more flexible. That made me nervous.

He handed me the breast plate. It was even lighter than it looked. My face must have shown my concern because Oreius chuckled lowly.

"It's much stronger than it seems," he said. "It can withstand fire for as long as you can burn."

"Did you make this?" I asked.

He shook his head. "It was made by dwarves a century or so ago, specifically for an Eshwen. A raiding party found it in the White Witch's castle when I was a boy."

Raiding party. I don't know why the idea surprised me. Of course this was not the Narnians' first attempt to break the witch's hold. I wondered how many times rebellions had been squashed out in the last hundred years of her reign, how many Narnians had already died fighting to be free. I wondered if they would be fighting long after today if we didn't win, if I would be alive to fight with them again if that happened.

"My father kept it," Oreius said. "He gave it to me when he passed on. Now, it is yours."

"So you really did believe I would be good, that I would fight on your side, didn't you? To have kept it all this time?" I said.

"My father did," Oreius said not unkindly.

"Many disagreed with him," Larina hissed. "Many Narnians tried to destroy the armor." She narrowed her eyes even more at me. "Many will not stop trying."

She hurried away. I stared at the ground.

"Lucky for you," Oreius said. "it is not easily broken."

OoOoOoO

I was surprised at how simple it was to put on my armor. It formed against me easily, bending against my body. I was still a bit worried as it seemed too thin and flexible to be of much use but knew I did not have another choice. I strapped my knives to my thighs and was just fastening my bootstrap when Mrs. Beaver poked her head into my tent.

"Thought you might need some help dressing," she said. "But I see you've made do."

I smiled. "Did I do it right?" I asked, turning around for her to see.

"Well, I really don't know, but nothing seems to be falling off," she said. "Would you like me to tie your hair back for you? You wouldn't want it in your way. You just sit down and relax for a moment."

I sat down on the ground while she stood behind me and braided my hair back in a series of plaits. No one had done my hair for me since I was a child. The thought made me dizzy again, my stomach tightening with every breath. I let all my fears and distractions flow into my mind for a moment. I knew this was the time for it, in the privacy of my tent before I was on the field. Weren't we all still children? Did we have any idea what we were doing? I thought of Edmund in his armor and wanted to be sick. Peter was leading us all, painting the biggest target on himself. I closed my eyes and let all those fears flow back out of my mind. Aslan had known what he was doing. Nothing that was happening had been a surprise for him.

"There you go, dear," Mrs. Beaver said.

I stood and ran my hand over my hair. It felt secure, but loose enough to be comfortable. I guess I would find out how perfect it was for battle very soon.

"You'll be sure to turn every head on the battle field," Mrs. Beaver joked, then immediately sobered. "You're expected back in the command tent soon, my lady." She reached up and touched my hand. "Be careful today. Please."

I squeezed her hand and smiled. It fit perfectly. I grabbed my ax and marched out of the tent.

When I came back into the command tent, Peter and Edmund were both bent over the map on the table, Oreius standing to their side.

"I don't know if I can lead these people," Peter was saying.

"Aslan thought you could," Edmund said. "And so do I."

"As do I," I said.

I let fire leak into my ax until it glowed. "Orders, Your Majesty?"

OoOoO

No one ever talks about how long you have to wait before a battle. After rallying at camp, planning our attack, and marching to the field, we simply stood in position and waited for the Witch's army. I would, perhaps, have gotten bored if I wasn't constantly running over the plan in my head. I had mentally drawn lines all over the field in front of me, placing it on a grid like a chess board.

"What are you thinking about?" Edmund asked.

"Chess," I said immediately. It was true, after all.

He nodded. "That game makes a lot more sense now, doesn't it?"

"Strange to start the game with the King already dead," I said, then immediately felt guilty. "Don't tell Peter I said that."

"I won't," he promised. "I know what you mean."

We went back to waiting in silence.

I was a little embarrassed that Edmund looked more confident than I felt. He stood behind me at the top of the cliff, the archers behind us. I hoped I remembered to thank Mrs. Beaver for braiding my hair back. It stayed secure and out of my eyes despite the wind whipping around us. The sun shone brightly above us, almost directly overhead.

We both stared ahead and down at the rest of Aslan's army. The cats were the front line—cheetahs, mostly, but a few panthers and jaguars were mixed in. We had clumps of centaurs here and there, but most of them were behind me with the archers. Fauns made up the second and third lines as they were short enough for others to shoot over. Dryads and naiads drifted along our perimeters, always in motion even as we waited. I had never noticed before how hard it was to focus on them while they moved, but they faded in and out of the background. The dryads blended into the wind, looking more like leaves being tossed around than people. The naiads looked as though they rippled and occasionally reflected images despite being even more humanoid than the dryads. For the first time, I wondered what I looked like when I was in flames. Did I shimmer like they did? Did I fade in and out of sight? Somehow, I doubted it. Fire wasn't exactly subtle.

Our biggest group was talking beasts. Bears, horses, badgers, stags, dogs, foxes, and dozens more stood in different types of armor with teeth, claws, and even some swords and other weapons bared and at the ready. The only humans in the crowd were Peter and Edmund, and maybe me, depending on who you ask.

I skimmed the crowd again until I found Peter in the center. He was easy to find atop his bright, white unicorn next to Oreius.

He had been the hardest to convince to accept the plan we had all come up with. It was dangerous. It put me in the middle of wherever the action was. But, in the end, we both knew Jadis would be looking for me as soon as the battle started. I had to be constantly in motion.

"They're coming," Edmund said suddenly.

I knew immediately that he was right. I heard them before I saw them, the sounds of hissing, stomping, growling, and shouting preceding the witch's army. Then they came into sight.

My first thought was how glad I was that Susan and Lucy weren't there, that they were far away from everything I could see.

The witch's army was an inversion of ours. She, too, had cats on her front lines. Behind them stood scores of hags, dwarves, werewolves, goblins, and minotaurs. There were other creatures mixed in that I didn't know the names of. A giant marched near the back. The witch was in the center in a chariot pulled by two huge polar bears. When I focused on her, my stomach turned. She was wearing Aslan's fur around her neck. I glanced at Edmund, but he did not seem to have seen it. I decided not to point it out.

I focused back on the rest of her army. I memorized the placement of her quadrants. That's why I was up here with Edmund and the archers. I had to know where everyone was. The plan was to divide her army into smaller groups, four or five, and isolate them from the rest with walls of fire. Our archers would pick off as many as possible while we were able to literally divide and conquer.

Her army came to a stop. No one moved.

"Stay safe, Ed," I squeezed his shoulder. "Time for me to go."

I looked at Mr. Beaver, who stood beside Edmund. We shared a look before I turned and began running down the path that led to the bottom of the cliff. I knew he would keep Edmund safe. About halfway down, I saw the eagles flying overhead. That was our next signal. I knew I had two minutes to get in place on the battlefield. I was chanting the plan to myself.

"Our cats go, let them attack the front line, isolate the next line, mostly dwarves…" I whispered to myself as I ran through the trees.

I would come back out of the trees on the far left of the second line. The dryads would be ready to help cover me. I could see the opening where I would come out, still several yards away. I saw a cat still waiting on the front line, so they had not charged yet. Good. I still had plenty of time.

There was a slight whistle in the air. Suddenly, an arrow flew toward me, clanging against my breastplate, but not piercing it. I stopped, stunned.

"I guess that armor is as strong as they say," Larina said, stepping out of the shadows between me and my destination. Her bow was still in her hand.

"I don't have time for this!" I shouted at her. "Let me past!"

She notched another arrow and drew it back. "I guess Oreius didn't give you a helmet, did he?" she said.

I took a step back.

"Larina, stop," I said. "I am on your side. I fight for Aslan!"

My palms were sweaty against my ax. I hoped I wouldn't drop it.

"Don't you dare say his name!" she shouted. "We are doing this to protect Narnia! You cannot be allowed to fight with us!"

I heard the horn blow as the first line of cats charged.

She was putting us all in danger, and I didn't have time to argue. I gripped my ax until it glowed and let my temperature skyrocket. I charged at her. She clearly wasn't expecting that, and her first arrow went too far to the right, whizzing past my head.

She dropped her bow and drew her sword just in time to block my first strike. Sparks flew from my ax as it collided with her sword. She pushed me back, but I immediately swung again, knocking the sword from her hand. She was the better fighter, but I had the element of surprise. Her sword fell to the ground.

I swung as hard as I could into the tree beside her, flames scattering over it. I clambered back as the tree cracked loudly and fell straight on Larina. I clenched my fist, extinguishing the flames. She was trapped beneath the huge tree, her legs pinned but not crushed. She had ash on her face but seemed otherwise unharmed.

"Sleedan!" she shouted.

I started running toward the battlefield again, but I only made it a few steps before a huge black panther jumped out from the shadows and pinned me to the ground. The force knocked my ax out of my hands, and I was left trying to shove the animal off of me. His teeth were inches from my neck. His claws raked across my cheek, pain exploding on my face. I felt my fire trying to come out, sensing my distress, but I choked it back down. These people were not the enemy I needed to fight.

I managed to throw my weight enough to get out from under him and stumble to my feet.

"Stop, you idiots!" I shouted. It wasn't the most dignified thing, but my temper was getting the best of me. "There is an actual war going on! Peter needs—"

"Silence, witch!" the panther said before charging again.

I heard the second horn. Everyone was charging now. My window was almost closed. They were putting everyone in danger by slowing me down. Anger rushed from my chest to my fingertips. I put my hand up and shot a full force of fire at the panther just as he pounced. I saw the fear in his wide eyes as he was immediately engulfed in flames. He yelped, then dropped at my feet, still burning, but lifeless. I think the flames made it easier to look away from him as I swallowed my horror and turned to face Larina, still trapped under the tree and now staring wide-eyed at the body of the panther.

I could hear the sounds of a full-scale battle now. I knew I was still glowing, fire itching to escape my hands. I screamed in frustration and shot a column of flame toward Larina. The grass near her head burned but went out quickly.

"I was not your enemy before," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "But if you have cost us lives, I will be."

I was glad to know my vision was not impaired by the wound on my face, but I could feel blood coursing down my neck from the cuts. I took off through the tree line and onto the battlefield, into chaos. Our armies were completely mixed together. I could tell almost immediately that we were losing ground. Our plan had fallen to pieces because I had been too slow. No. Because Larina had slowed me down. The dryads meant to cover my entrance were long gone. No one was paying much attention to me. I could barely see Peter, no longer on top of his unicorn, now beside it and fighting a minotaur. There were the remnants of fire burning in the center of the field from the archers, but it was mostly out. I had not been there to feed it. I looked up to the archers but did not see Edmund. I could see the witch walking through the field. I watched her turn a centaur to stone, then let him shatter at her feet. She was jerking her head around, looking for something.

No, she was looking for someone. For me.

"You'll turn every head on the battlefield." Mrs. Beaver's words rang in my head.

"We'll see about that," I said aloud.

I sprinted back up the cliff I had come from, sweating and barely breathing by the time I got there. I slid my ax into the harness on my back to free up my hands.

"Signal an eagle!" I screamed at Mr. Beaver as soon as he was in sight. "Signal an eagle!"

Thank God he didn't hesitate. He put his horn to his lips and let out three short blasts.

"Emma, what are you—" he started to ask, but I shot past him.

An eagle I recognized from camp was coming our way.

"Fayda!" I shouted to her.

She saw me, though she was clearly not thrilled that it was my aid she was coming to. She was very close. I kept running, spread my arms, then jumped off the cliff.

I free-fell for several seconds, thinking to myself that I would be furious if I died this way. When Fayda caught me under my arms, it hurt much more than I had expected. But a laugh of relief escaped my lips.

"Whew!" I whooped. "Thank you! Take me to the center of the battle!" I shouted to her. "Right at the big rock, there! If it gets too hot, drop me!"

I focused on keeping my fire concentrated on my palms and shot flames over the field as we flew. There were very few clumps of enemy soldiers, but I was able to at least slow down some of the advancing teams with patches of grass going up in flames. Fayda had to bob and weave all over the place to avoid enemy arrows headed our way. Good. I had some attention already.

"Brace yourself!" Fayda called to me.

She dove down toward the rock and dropped me on top off it. I landed on my feet but let myself drop to one knee to absorb the impact. I straightened and took a quick glance around myself. I skimmed the crowd until I saw Peter. Jadis was right behind him. I had planned to take a moment to get my bearings, but fear shot through me. I looked around the rock and saw not many people were fighting around it.

"You will not be able to trust the army at your back." The witch had said.

I was hoping she was right.

I raised my hand and shot a column of flames into the sky.

"Narnians!" I screamed. "To me!"

Hundreds of heads turned my way. I kept shooting fire at the sky. Enemy soldiers began to charge toward the rock. I knew they had been waiting for me.

"Narnians!" I cried again. "Gather to me!"

Our soldiers kept fighting where they were, regrouping and isolating the smaller groups of the witch's army. At least a hundred soldiers were headed my way now without a single comrade among them.

Perfect.

I waited until a minotaur and several hags had begun climbing the rock. I was surrounded, but I needed to wait a moment more. I drew one of my knives from my left thigh and threw it at the minotaur just as he stuck his head up. Somehow, I hit him in the neck, and he fell. I threw my arms straight out like wings and looked to the sky.

"For Aslan." I whispered. I slowly drew my ax.

I took a deep breath as everything around me went quiet in my head. Then, I swung my ax behind my head and heaved it into the rock below me. A rush of flames shot out from me in a circle. The rock cracked where the axe was, bits of it exploding into the air. There was a light so bright it should have been blinding, but I could still see clearly. Screams erupted all around me as the soldiers all but vaporized in the heat. I realized I was screaming, but I could not stop.

The rush felt good for a moment, then it took a turn. I needed to stop. I could feel myself draining into the flames. For a scary moment, I couldn't stop. Then the flow of fire stopped as suddenly as it had started. I let myself fall to my side and concentrated on breathing. The whole world was spinning around me. All I could hear was my pulse. I closed my eyes, trying to summon the will to stand. Suddenly, something blocked the sun.

I opened my eyes to see yet another minotaur standing over me, ax raised. My own ax was in my hand, but I was far too weak to raise it. I held onto it and rolled away just as he brought his weapon down where I had been. Unfortunately, I did not realize how close I was to the edge of the rock. I fell to the ground, probably about four or five feet down. It knocked the wind out of me and left me in even more pain. I landed in a huge pile of ash. I could only guess that it had been a soldier until flames had shot down from the rock. I kept waiting to see the minotaur jump down after me, but he didn't. I wondered if an arrow had found him. I heard a cheer go up across our army, but I could not tell what it was for. The battle was still raging. I could barely keep my eyes open to try to see what was happening.

I felt myself getting cold. I looked to my right and saw Jadis coming my way. I fought to get to my feet but could only push myself onto my elbow. She was looking me in the eyes, smirking. I was too weak to raise my ax, so I pulled my other knife from my thigh. I didn't see her wand, but she was holding a sword. I tried to pull my fire to my hand. The ghostly wisp of a flame danced on my fingertips before going out. I clutched my knife.

I wish I could say I stared death in the face with pride and dignity. I wish I could say I rose to my feet and meet her face to face. But I didn't. I laid there, much too weak to stand or even scream for help. Tears collected in my eyes. I knew I didn't stand a chance against her like this. This was really going to hurt, and I was shaking in fear.

I shut my eyes and hoped she would do it quickly.

Then I heard a roar. I opened my eyes to see a lion, the Lion, leaping from the rock onto the witch.

Aslan.

He landed on her with a thud and roared again. The witch was still.

The sounds of battle died out. He turned and looked at me.

"It is finished," he said.

I smiled. A tear of relief ran down my cheek. Aslan walked to me.

"Am I dead?" I asked him. "You can't be here. You can't be alive."

He knelt slightly.

"Touch me, my child," he said. "Stand with my help."

I raised my hand to his shoulder and pulled myself up, not by my own strength, but by his. I swayed slightly, but he kept me balanced. He turned his head and breathed on me. Strength rushed into my body. The dizziness and fear I had felt before were gone. I felt tired, but not exhausted anymore. I could stand on my own, now.

I knew he needed to tend to others, so I let go of him.

"Thank you, Aslan," I said.

He walked away toward Peter, Susan, and Lucy. Peter looked shaken, but all in one piece. I let out a breath. I saw them standing in a huddle and wondered where Edmund was. I saw them all take off in one direction, surely going after their brother. I could see Lucy's cordial in her hand. They would find him. There was nothing I could do. I turned away and headed back toward the forest. There was something I needed to finish there. I glanced back at the rock and saw a blackened circle around it about 60 feet in diameter. I couldn't even count the bodies stacked in the radius that had been my fire. I looked away.

I came to where I had left Larina. The tree still lay there, the panther's mostly burned body still smoldering. Larina was gone. But I knew that I had not seen the last of her. I stared at the panther.

"Sleedan," I said. That had been his name. I said it again. Tears ran down my face until I was sobbing. I fell to my knees by his body. My tears stung the wound on my face.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered. "I know you were doing what you thought you had to."

I sat there crying for a moment more before I stood and walked away. I was still wiping away my tears when I saw Peter walking my way with Aslan beside him.

I smiled softly at him. He looked at me, horrified, and quickened his pace to reach me.

"Emma, are you okay?" He asked, reaching toward my face.

"It's fine," I said.

"Lucy's cordial could—" he started.

"No," I said. "I think this is a scar I need to have."

Aslan stared at me, and I knew he knew what had happened.

"But," Peter tried to protest.

"Peace, Peter," Aslan said. "Emma is right."

"Is Edmund…" my voice trailed off. I was suddenly scared to ask.

"He's fine," Peter said. "The girls are, too. Lucy is helping the other wounded."

Peter looked at me for a long moment. "What happened out there?" he asked. "Where were you?"

"I'll explain later," I said. I didn't have the emotional energy to try at the moment. "I'm so sorry."

He wrapped his arms around me tightly. I hugged him back and exhaled.

"I can't believe you're alive," he said in my ear.

He pulled away some to where I could see his face, but still held me close.

"That is the second time I've seen you go up in flames and thought you were dead," he said.

I smiled. "Don't be such an alarmist," I joked.

We stood there like that for a moment, eyes closed and heads together, relishing that we had both lived. I suddenly remembered Aslan was there and pulled away.

"Where did all those reinforcements come from, anyway?" Peter asked Aslan after an uncomfortable moment.

Reinforcements. That must have been the cheer that went up as I laid on the ground. Aslan must have entered with more troops.

"That's actually something I need to talk to Emma about," Aslan said. "Climb on my back, Emma. I have something to show you."

I had been alone far too much today. I touched Peter's arm.

"Could…" I started, feeling like a small child. "Could Peter come with us?"

"If you would like him to," Aslan said.

I looked to Peter with a silent plea in my eyes. He smiled softly.

"Of course," he said.

I was a little embarrassed to need Peter's help to climb on Aslan's back, but my energy was waning again. I wondered when I would go back to normal and if we would sleep in real beds that night. Peter climbed on behind me. I found myself wishing he would wrap his arms around me, but he didn't. Though I did feel his hand against my hip when Aslan started moving.

Riding a lion was much gentler than I had expected. He moved faster than should have been possible, and we reached the witch's castle in no time. It was strange to see her castle in the bright sun without a hint of snow around it. It was far less intimidating now. Aslan took us right through the gates. It was completely deserted. He stopped in the courtyard, and we climbed off.

"What are we doing here?" Peter asked.

Suddenly, I knew where to go. It was like something was pulling me. I walked into the castle, through rooms and halls I had never seen before, but recognized. Peter and Aslan followed me, Peter asking questions the whole time.

"Trust me," I told him. "We're supposed to be here."

Finally, I turned the corner into another open courtyard at the back of the castle. It was mostly empty save for a few fountains and the occasional wild flower poking through the cracked stone. I suddenly felt breathless.

I walked to the back of the courtyard and stopped.

"Auren," I whispered so softly I could barely hear myself.

There she was, just like I had seen her in the memory Aslan showed me. The statue of my aunt stood in front of me, showing no sign of the century that had passed since she had been alive. Her eyes were shut, but her mouth was set in a determined line. She was caught in the motion of leaning back and away from the witch's wand. The more I stared at her, the more I thought we had the same jawline. I reached out and touched her hair softly. The stone felt startlingly cold against my fingers. I felt Peter's hand on my shoulder.

"I thought you should be here when I woke her up," Aslan said.

I didn't understand what he meant. He stepped back and breathed out, a long strong breath that washed over me and onto the statue.

The grey stone began to melt away as her skin became white, then a healthy pink color. Her blonde hair and robes rustled in the breeze of his breath. Then she was falling backwards and would have hit the ground if Peter had not caught her just in time. She took a gasping breath in and opened her eyes.

She screamed and jumped away from Peter, getting to her feet and raising her hand defensively.

"No, it's okay!" I said, jumping in front of Peter in case she tried to blast him. "We won't hurt you!"

She looked at me more closely.

"Who are you?" she asked, hand still raised and ready to strike.

"I'm…" I began. My throat was clogged with emotion, but I was determined not to shed any more tears that day.

"Alyna," she said. She dropped her hand. Tears filled her warm, brown eyes. "How?"

She took a step toward me, reaching out, then stopped.

"It's me, Auren," I said. "It's really me."

At the same time, we closed the distance between us and fell into each other's arms. I lost my battle as tears coursed down my face. I took a deep breath and long-forgotten memories came to the surface as her smell enveloped me. I remembered riding on her shoulders as a child, her warm smile while I played by a fireplace, her teaching me to snap my fingers and make the tiniest spark.

She pulled away and looked closely at my face. She smiled as she tried to wipe away my tears.

"Oh, little firefly, you're so grown," she said. "I must have been frozen for quite a while."

I started laughing and hugged her again. "There's so much we need to tell each other."

OoOoO

We did, indeed, get to sleep in real beds that night. In a castle, nonetheless. Cair Paravel was beautiful. It was right next to the sea, where the air was clean and the water sparkled. I had always heard castles were drafty, but this one wasn't. It was open and warm, every room allowing in the sunlight.

The beds were all made and everything was freshly cleaned and dusted. I asked Mrs. Beaver how this was possible since the castle had been deserted for the better part of a century.

"Many of us never forgot the prophecy for a moment," she said. "We always wanted to be prepared for this day."

I believed even more in the magic of the land when each of us suddenly had full chests of royal clothes that fit us perfectly. I quickly stripped my armor off, then stood there in my thin underdress wondering what to do next.

That was when a badger knocked on my door and introduced herself as Merryweather.

"I'll be the lady's maid to you and the two queens until we gather some more help," she said cheerfully. "It's not easy running a castle, you know!"

"No, I suppose not," I said with a smile. "Do you know where I might have a bath?" I was embarrassed to ask, but I was covered in the blood, sweat, soot, and dirt of battle.

"I'll draw you one right here!" she said. She then drew a curtain on the other side of the room to reveal a large tub.

"Oh, I don't want to be any trouble!" I told her. "I can fetch my own water if—"

"Don't be silly, miss," Merryweather said. "It's an honor and a pleasure to wait on a hero of Narnia."

She walked out of the room before I could protest any further. Before I knew it, she had a steaming bath filled for me and had even sprinkled some lavender in it.

"Thank you, Merryweather," I said.

"Oh, it's no problem, miss," she assured me.

"Emma. Call me Emma."

She smiled and nodded before walking back out of the room and closing the door.

I threw my clothes on the floor and slid into the bath. This was the first time I realized how tired and sore my muscles were. I didn't even want to imagine what I would feel like tomorrow. I washed with the soap and rag Merryweather had left. I smelled like an entire flower garden by the time I was done. I dabbed at the wound on my face but stopped immediately when it stung horribly. I knew I needed to clean it, but I didn't want to be in pain again yet. I leaned my head back on the tub, soaking in the warmth of the water.

I must have dozed off because I jerked awake at the sound of a knock on the door. The water had gone tepid.

"Uh, who is it?" I called.

"It's Auren, could I come in?" she said through the door.

"One second!"

I jumped up and grabbed the towel Merryweather had set out. I hurriedly dried off and wrapped it around myself.

"Come in," I said.

She poked her head in.

"I wanted to look at your wound," she said. "Aslan mentioned that you didn't let Lucy tend to it. Could I?"

I saw that she had a bowl of water and a rag with her.

"Yeah, I guess I should do something about it," I said.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, my hair dripping down my back. She set about cleaning my face immediately. I winced when the rag hit my face but didn't pull away.

"I'm sorry," Auren said, her expression matching mine. "I know it hurts, but if I don't clean it, it'll get infected."

I watched her face as she cleaned mine.

She had been speaking with Aslan. I guessed she knew now where I had been all this time and about the century-long reign of the witch. There was mixture of grief and victory on her face that I felt like I understood to a degree.

"So you go by Emma, now," she said after a long silence that hadn't been necessarily uncomfortable.

"It's what I've gone by as long as I can remember," I said. "But you can call me Alyna if you want."

She shook her head. "Oh, no, I think Emma suits you even better."

The water in her bowl had gone red. She pulled a small jar out of her robes and rubbed whatever was in it on my face. It stung at first, then felt better. It smelled like peppermint.

"I can't believe how grown up you are," she said.

I laughed. "You? I can't believe I have an aunt who's almost my age."

She laughed with me.

"I'm almost sixteen, by the way." I said.

"And you're absolutely beautiful." Her voice was strained with emotion. She let out a tight laugh. "I'm sorry! I don't want to cry again. It's just a lot to take in all at once."

I touched her hand. "I know what you mean," I said. "But we can figure it out together. We can figure all of this out."

I knew when I said it that it was true. I had been given the amazing gift of a teacher in the aunt I had lost once before.

Auren looked away from me and blinked quickly. Her gaze landed on my armor on the floor.

"It was confusing when I woke up," she said. "I thought you were your mother."

"Because I look like her?" I asked. It was rather true. From what I had seen, we had a lot of physical similarities.

She nodded. "And you were wearing her armor. Where did you get it?"

I shouldn't have been surprised. It only made logical sense that the Eshwen armor in the witch's castle would have belonged to Leandra. I just hadn't thought about it.

Auren looked at my stunned expression and shook her head again.

"Nevermind," she said. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that we're both here now. Aslan answered me and kept you safe until I could get back to you."

She hugged me. I squeezed her tight.

"Get some sleep, okay?" she said. "It's been a very long day."

She walked out of the room. I slid into a white nightgown and blew out the candle on my nightstand. I was so tired, but sleep did not come easily. I wanted to go talk to Peter, but I knew he was probably sound asleep. And he deserved a good night's rest. I had left the curtains open. The moon must have been full as the pale light streamed in. My armor on the floor glowed in it.

I threw off my blankets and marched to the window. I shut the curtains. Eventually, I dozed off, only to have the same troubling dream about the foreign palace. I woke up and laid there for a long time before falling asleep again. Then I slept until the birds started singing outside my window.

The morning of the coronation, I stood over my clothes chest trying to choose a gown. I was standing in my underdress and holding a deep red one when Susan walked in.

"Emma, everyone else is ready!" she scolded. "What's taking you so long?"

I kept staring at the dress.

"I don't know what to wear," I said softly.

"That one would look lovely on you," Susan said.

"I don't know," I said. "The last time these people saw me, I was on fire. I think I should look a little less…"

"Ah," Susan said. "I see."

She took the dress from me and laid it on the lid of the chest.

"We'll save that for the future, then," she said.

I looked over at her. She looked like a queen. She wore sapphire blue gown trimmed in white, her dark braided back. The effect was striking and regal. She pulled out a powder blue gown.

"This would be perfect," she said.

I put it on and had to admit she was right. It was a few shades lighter than my eyes and fit perfectly. I stood in front of the mirror and smoothed out the skirt. My hair was mostly down, the natural waves more subdued than usual, with just a few pieces twisted back from my face. The wound on the left side of my face had already started to heal, but the three angry red slashes still stood out. They started almost at my hairline and went down past my cheekbone. I reminded myself that I was lucky my eye and the surrounding were undamaged. My left eyebrow was mostly intact with only a small indent at the top. It could be much, much worse. I wondered how noticeable the scar would be over time.

"Are we sure I should stand on the dais with all of you?" I asked. "I mean, it's not like I'm royal, and we all know how some of the Narnians feel about Eshwen and—"

There was a knock at the door.

"It's Edmund," he called through the door. "Peter wanted to know if you girls were ready yet."

"We'll be right there," Susan answered for both of us.

"Emma," Susan said gently. "You're with us. The Narnians who disagree will have to get used to that. We will show a united front from the very beginning."

"Not to mention," she added. "If I am to be your queen in a few minutes, you should get used to letting me tell you what to do."

I snorted. "Yeah, keep dreaming, Your Majesty."

I knew Peter and Edmund would be wearing their swords for the ceremony, but I left my knife in my room. One of them had been lost in the battle. I considered wearing the other; Oreius had had said they were ceremonial, after all. But I left it. Let them see an Eshwen standing with their kings and queens, unarmed and at peace.

We all lined up behind the closed door of the great hall. The others were dressed in jewel tones just as Susan was. I felt even more confident about my softer choice of dress. I stood behind Lucy, trailing behind the others as the doors opened and people cheered. We made our way to the front, and they each sat on their thrones. I stood to the side next to Lucy's throne.

I saw Auren near the front of the crowd on the other side of the room and smiled at her. She looked almost angelic. Her hair was twisted up in an intricate crown of braids with little white flowers poking out. Her gown was white with green leaves delicately embroidered along the hems. I wondered if her outfit served the same purpose as mine—to appear as nonthreatening as possible.

"To the glistening Eastern Sea," Aslan called out. "I give you Queen Lucy the Valiant."

Mr. Tumnus, whom I had met the day before and already loved, set her crown on her head. She beamed.

"To the great Western Wood, King Edmund the Just."

I watched him take his crown. He stood straighter than ever before.

"To the shining Southern Sun, Queen Susan the Gentle."

The delicate golden crown stood beautifully against her dark hair. She looked just like her mother when she straightened.

"And to the clear Northern Skies, High King Peter the Magnificent.," Aslan said. "Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia."

As the cheers died down, Peter got to his feet.

"As my first act as High King, I recognize a hero of our battle against the witch," he said.

He looked to me and reached out his hand. All three of the other Pevensies were looking at me expectantly. I hesitated, then took it. The room was deathly quiet.

"Kneel, Emma Clarke," he said, a smile playing on his lips, though he was trying to be serious.

It felt strange, but I knelt before him and bowed my head as he unsheathed his sword. He tapped each of my shoulders with the flat.

"And rise, Knight of Narnia, Lady Emma," Peter paused and smiled proudly at me. "The Radiant."

There was a short beat of silence before Edmund got to his feet, raised his fist and shouted, "Long live Lady Emma!"

Soon, the entire hall was repeating after him. I looked back to Auren who smiling hugely at me and cheering loudly. Peter took my hand and raised it above my head. I looked over at him, my own smile so wide the scratches on my face stung. He was grinning at me, every bit the boy who sneaked cake into the garden.

Once the ceremony was over, the Pevensies were swarmed with Narnians desperate to speak to them. Some of them were introducing themselves for the first time, others recounting stories of what they had been Peter or Edmund do during battle.

I liked watching them all so happy. They wore their crowns well. I knew I wouldn't be missed, so I stepped out into the courtyard. I could still see Peter through the door.

"The crown becomes him, doesn't it?"

I jumped at the sound of Auren's voice. I hadn't seen her walk up next to me.

I cleared my throat and looked away. "He wears it well."

I paused, then looked to Auren. She was only a few inches taller than I was, but I still had to look up to look her in the eyes.

"Is it always like this for Eshwen?" I asked.

I looked back at the Pevensies, all having separate, animated conversations with the Narnians.

"What? Not feeling adored?" she joked, but I saw the sad look in her eyes that answered my question.

She was silent for a moment, then said "So, I assume you're having the dreams about the palace as well?"

"What?" I drew back in surprise.

"I thought so," she said.

Suddenly, I understood.

"It's a connection isn't it?" I asked. "We're all connected to each other. That's how I found you in the witch's castle."

Auren nodded. "When there were hundreds of us, it wasn't as strong for everyone. Family members, friends, lovers, they were all much stronger, much easier to sense. But the fewer of us there are, the stronger the connection becomes."

"It's about survival," I said. "When our numbers dwindle, we have to stand together."

She grinned at me. "You get your brains from my side of the family, you know." She turned and looked at the sea.

"The magical borders the witch placed around Narnia are coming down," she said. "No one has stepped in or out of Narnia in a hundred years," she stopped and looked at me. "Well, present company excluded, anyway. Who knows what has happened in the outside world. Narnia will have to be ready. The bordering nations will pounce if they realize how vulnerable we are."

She was right. I hadn't thought about the threat of invading nations, but if other countries found out why Narnia had been closed off for all this time, that our high king was just shy of seventeen…

"This will be a time of unrest," Auren said, echoing my thoughts.

"But if there's another Eshwen out there, we have to go find her," I said.

I wasn't sure how, but I knew it was a woman.

"We do," Auren agreed. "But getting her out of Calormen without starting a war will be difficult."

"I'm okay with difficult," I said.

Auren smiled at me. "Then I think we'll make a good team."

I glanced at Peter again and this time, he saw me. We made eye contact, and he smiled brightly at me. The sun reflected off his crown until I had to look away from the light. I blinked several times, but the image had burned into my eyelids.

All I could see was the king's crown in flames.