I'll be honest and say that this chapter was a lot of trouble to write and I'm still not entirely sure that it's all worked. But this is the version I am most satisfied with and so chose to publish. Let me know what you all thought! Thanks again to all my reviewers.
WillowDryad: I'm glad you enjoyed, that is the point after all! I hope you like this chapter too.
Narnia and Harry Potter 4 EVER: I'm assuming that you meant 'but to be honest' instead of homestead? And I'll admit, it was something I did think about and I even wrote out an alternate chapter with that exact story line, but there are things that I wanted to do in this chapter that wouldn't have been possible if that had happened. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story regardless!
Daisy54154: I'm very happy to hear you say that, thank you so much!
Cerulean89: I'm glad you did, so I won't make you wait any longer!
I almost ran straight into Lucy and Trumpkin as I followed Peter and Edmund.
"Trumpkin, with us!" Peter called as he ran past, and the dwarf quickly obliged.
"Anna? What's going on?" she asked, giving me a confused look as I indicated for Peter and Edmund to go on.
"Something's wrong," I said, breathing heavily with exertion. "Ed saw Caspian at the Stone Table and came and got us. Follow me," I explained quickly and we both took off after them.
We tore through the tunnels of the How and eventually reached the Stone Table, where Peter and Edmund were fighting off the hideous creatures Nikabrik had summoned, while he was engaged in a sword fight with Trumpkin. Lucy gasped and immediately rushed forward to help her Dear Little Friend, but I hesitated in the doorway, unsure if I should enter or not. But I noticed the hag suddenly stop when she saw me, and she forcefully threw Peter against the Stone Table when she began to advance towards me and he tried to stop her. I heard his head hit off the solid stone and he fell on his hands and knees, clearly dazed. I looked back at the hag and quickly drew my swords before running forward and engaging in a fight with her. I would worry about altering story lines later.
It didn't take me long to dispose of her in my anger and with the adrenaline coursing through my veins, but when I glanced at Caspian I saw that his hand was far too close to Jadis', and Peter was still too incapacitated to stop him.
To hell with it.
Almost without thinking I ran forward and pushed Caspian out of the way, only realising when it was too late what I had just done. But regardless of this, I stared determinedly back at Jadis as her eyes lit up with malice at the sight of me.
"Anna, how wonderful to see you," she said sweetly. "You'll help me, won't you? Especially since your blood will give me even more power."
A sudden red glow from the wand distracted me from the fog that had begun to cloud my judgement and alter my mind, and I stared stupidly at it. But before I could try and process what it meant, an unexpected sharp pain at my side had me on my knees and gasping for breath, and when I pressed my hand against it a warm and sticky liquid covered my skin. I slowly removed my now shaking hand that was stained a deep red, and I unwillingly stood and began to extend it towards the Witch. Despite the still rational part of my mind screaming at me to stop, the influence of the magic was too strong and I simply ignored the voice. My hand could have been no more than a few inches from hers when Peter finally appeared.
"Get away from her!" Peter said angrily as he pushed me out of the circle and took my place, brandishing his sword threateningly at the Witch.
Upon seeing him, the Witch drew back slightly and gave Peter her sweetest smile.
"Peter, dear, I've missed you. Come. Just one drop," she coaxed smoothly, once again extending her hand. I had landed heavily on my back next to a slightly dazed Caspian, but once he saw me he helped me sit up as the Witch continued to tempt Peter.
"You know you can't do this alone," she said, before suddenly adding softly. "And I can bring back your children. I can return what has been taken away, and prevent anymore loss. But you must free me first."
My eyes widened in horror and I gasped in shock, not having expected this in the slightest. "No, Peter, don't listen to her!" I cried. But Peter was totally oblivious to my warning and began to lower his sword, before slowly bringing it up again to his palm, ready to slice it open and free the Witch.
I turned to Edmund, who had been frozen to the spot in horror at the turn of events, and desperately indicated what he had to do. He gave me a questioning look as if to ask if it would work, and I nodded before glancing back at Peter, whose blade was nearly at his palm. Caspian and I waited with baited breath while Edmund ran behind the wall of ice, and just as Peter was about to draw his sword over his skin, another sword was suddenly thrust through the Witch. She fell back with a gasp, and the ice shattered into hundreds of pieces as Jadis' final, agonised scream reverberated around the room. Still a little confused, Peter slowly stood and looked at Edmund.
"I know, you had it sorted," he said dryly, before looking at me and walking towards us.
Peter was by my side at an instant and I leaned against him as he called for Lucy, who promptly appeared with her cordial and administered a drop. As the fire flower juice went to work I felt a slight tugging sensation at my wound before it completely closed over. When everything had stopped spinning Peter carefully helped me stand before we all turned to Susan, who looked incredibly hurt and disappointed as she walked away briskly; Peter, Caspian and I watching her go as the two boys briefly exchanged looks before Peter turned back to me.
"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly, unable to prevent his eyes from flickering to the blood on my hands.
"Lucy's cordial is magic for a reason, Peter. I'm fine, honestly," I tried to assure him, but he bit his lip and I could see the concern in his eyes.
"Maybe you should lie down for a little bit," he suggested tentatively, unsure if I would agree with him. But I had to admit that the experience had been quite draining, both physically and mentally, and I suspected Peter wanted to talk to me.
"Maybe that would be a good idea," I conceded, allowing him to lead me off to our bedroom.
After changing my blood stained clothes, I lay on the bed as Peter sat next to me.
There was silence for some time before he suddenly spoke. "Do you hate me?" he asked quietly.
I looked up at him in shock, horrified that he had even asked the question. "No," I answered with slight bewilderment. "Why would you ever think that?"
Peter shrugged. "I would if I were you. I allowed the Witch to tempt me with an empty promise of bringing back Emma and Josh; I allowed her to use our children against me. I hate myself right now," he explained miserably. I sat up and placed a placating hand on his cheek, forcing his eyes to meet mine.
"I do not hate you," I said firmly. "You were under an enchantment, you were not the one in control. And I know that you would never try to do anything like that willingly. You miss them, as do I. Wouldn't anyone jump at the opportunity to see their children again if they had been separated?" Peter regarded me silently before wordlessly reaching forward and gently embracing me.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
But when we eventually broke apart, I hissed with the sudden pain the movement brought.
"It was the same place she stabbed you with her wand the first time, wasn't it?" Peter asked quietly. I nodded silently, not at all surprised that he had noticed. "And you interfered with the story, didn't you?" he continued.
I sighed. "It wasn't my intention, but something seemed to go wrong and I did my usual doing without thinking," I admitted.
"Do you think it will have any effect?" he questioned.
"I honestly don't know. In the end what was supposed to happen did happen, though not by the original story line," I explained.
"Just promise me you won't ever scare me like that again, especially when you interfere," he said softly, taking one of my hands in his.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," I apologised.
"It's all right," Peter replied as he gently put his arms around me and slowly pulled me back down. I wasn't sure when, but at some point I did fall in to an uneasy sleep.
I woke some time later to find Peter had left, leaving me a quick note to explain that he had needed to go and see Glenstorm. Groggily, I pulled myself up and noticed with relief that the pain was now practically non-existent. I decided that some fresh air was what I needed, and I made my way up to the small platform above the entrance to the How. When I arrived, however, I found Caspian and Cornelius sitting together in silence and I quickly turned to leave, but they had already heard me.
"Anna?" Caspian called, and I turned back to face them as the Professor stood.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," I apologised.
"It is quite all right, your majesty. I was just leaving," Cornelius said as he bowed to Caspian and I, before disappearing back inside the How.
"Would you mind if I sat with you?" I asked Caspian.
"Not at all," he replied, seeming to be a little surprised at my request.
"Don't worry," I laughed. "I'm not going to bite your head off like Peter." I assured him.
"I would not blame you if you did, you are his wife after all, and entitled to take his side," he pointed out.
"I may be his wife, but even Peter knows I won't always agree with him," I said.
Caspian gave me a worried look. "I did not mean to imply that you are beneath him," he said quickly.
I gave him a small smile and waved my hand in a dismissive gesture. "I know you didn't, don't worry."
"Then is there something you wished to discuss?" Caspian asked tentatively.
"It's more an apology than anything else, really," I began. "Peter's decisions and behaviour have been nothing short of stupid and irrational. While I won't make excuses for him, he only learned of our children's deaths upon our return and it has deeply affected him since, and I believe it to be one of the reasons he has acted so impulsively. That coupled with his headstrong and stubborn nature is not exactly the best combination. But he's not really angry with you, no matter what he says or does, but more so with himself and the situation we've been placed in," I explained.
Caspian nodded slowly. "I understand, and obviously I can not begin to imagine the pain of losing child. But I always admired Queen Emma and King Josh for their bravery after you left. I sometimes even drew strength from the stories about them after the death of my own parents. They really were quite remarkable," he admitted.
I gave him a grateful smile. "Would you mind telling me those stories?" I asked.
"It would be my honour," Caspian replied.
For the next hour or so, Caspian recounted the eight years of Emma and Josh's lives that I had missed. He told me of their initial heartbreak and confusion at our disappearance, before it was decided we would not return and the regency act was put in place. It seems that once they were coronated, the Telmarines already had a firm grip on Narnia and much of the land had already been taken shortly after our departure; something they were not able to recover from. Emma and Josh tried to help those left under their rule live as well as possible, but ultimately ordering the retreat to the woods and facing the Telmarine army for the final time. As they were so depleted in numbers compared to their opponents, it wasn't long until Emma and Josh were one of the few left standing. The Telmarine King killed Emma first, and it would appear that Josh truly was his fathers son, because his anger got the better of him and he too died shortly after at the hands of the King.
Once Caspian had finished, we sat in silence for some time and I simply stared at the horizon as I fought back my tears. But I could not help but feel proud of my children. If the stories were accurate, then they had endured more than I could ever have asked of them. Though I also felt worse than ever about leaving them. I never wanted to put them through that. If only I had remembered.
Aslan, will this nightmare ever end?
I did not expect any sort of reply, and so I almost fell over in shock at the soothing voice that filled my head.
"Have faith in me, and you will overcome anything."
"I do," I whispered.
"I'm sorry?" Caspian asked with confusion, turning to me.
I blinked in surprise and was momentarily dazed before I remembered where I was and shook my head. "Nothing. Thank you for talking to me, I'll leave you be now," I said as I stood.
Caspian nodded. "It was my pleasure. And thank you for listening." I smiled at him before making my way back inside the How.
I quickly decided to go outside for a little while and made my way out of the How, but when I stepped outside I noticed Peter was pacing back and forth on the grass. I stopped and watched him for a few moments, becoming increasingly worried by his frown that seemed to get deeper and deeper with each step he took. But before I could move forward or say anything, Peter spotted me and suddenly stopped before making his way over to me.
"How do you feel?" he immediately asked, concern lighting his eyes.
I tried to give him a reassuring smile. "Better than you right now, I think," I replied.
Peter grimaced. "What gave me away?" he said sardonically.
"Years of being married to you, I would suspect. Come on, you still owe me a dance. It'll help clear your mind," I urged gently as I took his hand and led him to the ruins in front of the How, and we both easily fell into step with one another and danced in wide, slow circles.
There was silence between us for some time before Peter spoke, "Where do you think they are?" he asked quietly. I didn't need any clarification on who he was talking about.
"With Him, I'd expect," I said simply.
"And where is that?" he questioned further.
"Come on Peter, you know this as well as I do," I replied.
"His Country," he said softly.
I nodded. "We will see them again one day. We'll just have to wait and be patient until then," I said gently, stopping our dance and bringing my hand up to cup his cheek, which he covered with his own hand.
"It still hurts," he whispered.
"I know. But have faith," I said quietly, before reaching up and placing a gentle kiss to his lips. But when we broke apart Peter didn't look entirely convinced.
"You know it's not that easy," he pointed out.
"But you have to at least try," I countered.
Peter sighed. "I think I just need to be on my own for a little while, just to think," he said gently before giving me a small smile. "But you were right, the dancing did help. Thank you."
"I understand, and I'm glad it did. Go do what you need to do," I said.
Peter gave me a quick kiss, before he turned and walked back towards the How. I watched him go, and was about to follow him inside when Edmund emerged.
When he saw me, he gave me a small wave and indicated the two swords he was carrying. I smiled once I understood what he wanted and walked forwards to meet him.
"Ready for me to kick your ass again?" I said mischievously with a wide smile.
Edmund rolled his eyes but grinned at me. "I'm not so sure that'll be the case, I am getting better you know," he replied.
"We'll see about that," I teased. We made our way outside and chose a secluded spot before we drew our swords and began to circle each other. Edmund struck first, but I blocked his attack and returned with one of my own, which he only just managed to defend himself against.
We continued this for a while before returning to circling each other when Edmund suddenly spoke, "So how badly did Peter blame himself this time?" he asked.
I sighed. "You know he's still upset about Emma and Josh, and what happened with the Witch only made things worse. Peter's lost faith in both himself and Aslan, and he just can't seem to understand that he is not to blame for the twins deaths. Honestly, I just don't know what to do or say anymore to make him see sense," I explained.
Edmund relaxed his defensive stance and motioned for us to stop training for the moment. We both sheathed our swords and sat on the grass. "Peter's incredibly stubborn, everyone knows that. With time he will eventually realise that there was nothing he could do about Emma and Josh. We'll just have to wait for that. As for Aslan, I think he's just a little lost at the minute. Once he starts to forgive himself he'll see sense." I bit my lip, knowing that Edmund was right, but even I didn't know how long that would take.
"I hope so. But never mind Peter for now, how are you coping with all of this?" I asked.
Edmund sighed. "I miss Em and Josh too, and I still can't quite believe we're back in Narnia and this is what we've returned to. But we'll just have to deal with it, I guess," he replied.
I regarded him silently for a few moments before speaking again, "And what about Adrya?" I asked softly. At the mention of the Dryad's name, something in Edmund's eyes and expression changed, and he looked down at the ground.
"I've asked around, but no one seems to know what happened to her. It's almost like she disappeared into thin air too," he explained sadly. I bit my lip, unsure what to say, when Edmund looked back up at me.
"I was going to propose to her after we came back from the hunt, you know. I was going to take her out in to the woods and to that little clearing she loved, surrounded by all of the trees and filled with flowers, and ask her to marry me. But I never got the chance."
"Ed...I had no idea," I said quietly.
"No one did, I was going to surprise you all," he said with a small, wistful smile, but it soon faded to a frown. "But when we came back through the wardrobe, something strange happened. It was almost as if my feelings for her disappeared, and the idea of girls and all of that sort of stuff being silly returned, just like I had felt before going to Narnia. But you and Peter were still in love, so I began to question if my feelings for her were ever genuine," he admitted. I frowned, also confused by Edmund's revelation.
"I believe you did love her, anyone could see that. But maybe because when we returned you changed back in to your twelve year old self, you thought the idea of getting married a little strange at that age," I suggested, though I was still unsure.
"I don't think we'll ever know, but it's not that important anymore. She's gone, like everyone else. Maybe I will see her again, and maybe I won't," he said with a shrug.
Before I could reply, our attention was diverted to some movement in the trees. Edmund and I turned to face the woods and my heart sank when I realised who was approaching.
I turned to Edmund and saw that his eyes were wide with horror. "Edmund, get Peter and Lucy. I'll get Susan and Caspian and we'll meet on the platform above the How," I instructed quickly. Edmund nodded and we ran towards the How together before separating. I ran desperately through the corridors hoping to find either Susan or Caspian, and by some miracle ran in to them just outside the armoury.
"Susan, Caspian, you'd better follow me," I said quickly.
They glanced at each other before running after me. We were one of the first ones there and I stood next to Caspian, only to be joined soon after by Edmund, Lucy and Peter who stood next to me. Caspian and Peter exchanged worried looks, but I kept my eyes trained on the advancing Telmarine army and the figure of Miraz that rode at the front. Everyone stared morosely at the scene before us, and the sense of doom was almost tangible. Our greatest challenge yet lay before us, and it was only together that we would make it through.
As I was reading over this chapter last night, I began to think about doing a spin off about Emma and Josh and their time at Cair Paravel after their family's departure. Would anyone be interested?
