Chapter 7: Second Chances

Susan had already dressed and was tending to her hair when he started shifting about in bed. It wasn't until she heard a groan that she looked to him, only to find Peter staring back at her blearily.

"What do you think you're doing?" he said groggily. "Come back to bed at once!"

She rolled her eyes. "Better get up; you'll hardly have time to dress for the coronation."

"Coronation?" he echoed and then buried his face in the pillow, muttering something unintelligible until she heard, "There's no coronation."

"Nice try, but you'll have to do better than that."

"Come back to bed, Su," he pleaded. "We'll have a lie-in."

"Peter," she started sternly, "in less than an hour Caspian will be crowned King of Narnia. How would it look if Narnia's High King is not there to preside over it?"

He sighed and gazed at her silently for a moment, wanting to speak and yet doing nothing of the sort. Susan's brow furrowed curiously.

"What is it?"

Peter shook his head and rolled on his back, staring at the ceiling of their tent. "Caspian will not be Narnia's ruler."

Shocked, she knew not what to make of this, torn between believing him and wary that this was another product of his teasing. She rose from the pedestal, leaving her brush behind without a second thought, and went to the bedside.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked carefully.

He didn't look at her, his eyes fixed on the sagging cloth above with an expression that was neither pleased nor aggrieved. When he did not answer, it alarmed Susan all the more and she sat down next to him, ready to pursue it further. Before she had a chance to speak again, Peter rose up in a flash and seized her, pulling her down to the bed and pinned her beneath his body.

"Peter!" she exclaimed in surprise and then struggled against him as surprise was quickly overrun by annoyance. His laughter filled her ears and she was baffled – it had all been a joke? "What on earth…"

He grabbed her wrists as her arms flailed against him and pinned them over her head. "You prat! Did they leave your head behind on the battlefield!" She fought him even harder now, truly incensed by his deception, but it wasn't until she noticed the brilliant smile on his face that she stopped. He was beaming at her, filled with an overwhelming sense of joy and peace. He was so happy… so utterly and breathtakingly happy.

It filled her heart to see it.

"Susan…" he bubbled over with excitement and released his playful hold, "Last night, I-I went to Aslan."

The name caused her stomach to lurch painfully. Perhaps it wasn't the name at all, but rather what she expected the named to bring.

"I spoke with him….about us, the four of us, and what was to become of us."

The playfulness of the matter had long since vanished and she pushed him off her with no resistance. Sitting up in the bed, he followed her understandingly.

"And?" her voice wavered precariously.

What was to become of them all? Say it fast. Fast enough so that the hurt won't know when to set in.

"He said we are to stay."

Her breathing quickened and she could feel the room sway under her vision. Impossible…

"Narnia needs us to rebuild what's been lost. She lies in ruin, worse than anything we ever saw after the Hundred Years Winter. Caspian cannot lead them, not like we can. He will be instated today, but not as a King of Narnia, instead he will be Lord Caspian of Telmaria, a noble governing the newest province of our land."

"A-and Caspian knows of this?" It was the only thing she could think of to reply. It was all too much.

"He was informed early this morning and readily agreed. He will lead his people, and we will lead ours."

"Peter…"

"It's up to us again, Su. Like it was before, only we can do even greater good this time."

"It will never be like it was before."

"It can be better."

At her refusal, he encircled his arms around her, pulling her stiff form close to him, she was still resisting.

"We can have this, Susan."

"And when we are sent away again?"

"You can't keep thinking like that! Waiting for what you deem is the inevitable. That's not living! We don't even know it will happen."

"Yes, we do!"

"Then we will be together then as well. Remember what I said? Here, England…anywhere…"

She nodded imperceptibly and finished it for him in a whisper, "We will find a way."

"Just…just love me," he said with a hint of underlying fear.

Susan took his face in her hands and made sure that he looked at her while she spoke. In a clear, determined manner, she said, "That is something you will never have to ask me to do."

They kiss.

"Peter! Susan! Hurry up, we're starting!" Lucy called impatiently from outside the tent.

"Bother!" she cried at the reminder and rushed over to the tarnished mirror to check the state of her hair and dress, smoothing it down quickly. Peter, however, did not appear to share her concerns for their tardiness and languidly rose from the bed, unabashedly nude. Susan spun around and clucked her tongue disapprovingly at his pace. She tossed his trousers at his head, smacking him full in the face.

"Will you hurry!"

With a small sound of indignation, Peter made a face and pulled them on. Susan rushed around, trying to find the necklace that she had put out for herself just the night before. When she finally found it and clasped it round her neck, she turned to see her husband leisurely pulling on his boots, still completely bare-chested.

"Peter!" she burst out in exasperation and snatched his shirt off the chair. Without a moment's hesitation, she stormed over to him and yanked the blue material over his head, hastily tying the front. "I swear, sometimes I think you act like an incompetent fool so I'll…"

She halted in realization, already with his vest in hand, and looked to Peter accusingly. The tiny smirk on his face was all she needed. His guilty, but delighted expression reminded her of a mischievous schoolboy who had just been caught with his hand somewhere it shouldn't have been.

"I just like it when you touch me," he said.

All the tension, the anxiety, the pressure to rush, was expelled from her body with that simple, heartfelt statement. She sighed and tilted her head to the side in a tender acknowledgment.

How was any woman to refuse that?

Edmund glowered at his siblings when they arrived to the ceremony unpardonably late and in complete disarray. Lucy's eyes went wide at the sight of them and she quickly stifled giggles with her hand over her mouth. Peter and Susan pretended not to notice anything out of the ordinary, and watched the ceremony with their fingers firmly laced as Aslan presented the new Lord of Telmaria.