Don't hate me for the last chapter! I couldn't leave you guys hanging like that, though, since I myself wasn't too fond of the ending. Yes, Lucy's death sucks! But please, please, please, please don't kill me!
CASPIAN'S POV
"She's what?" I whispered, watching the nurse nod sadly before I ran into the room and fell to my knees next to the bed where Lucy's lifeless body lay. "No, no, Lucy." I shook my head and cupped her cheek gently, pressing my forehead against hers, closing my eyes. I didn't look up when the nurses left, but finally lifted my head when I heard a deep, familiar voice.
"This is the Witch's doing," Aslan said, sitting down next to me with a sad look in hid golden eyes. "She was not meant to die. She had a whole life ahead of her." I shook my head again.
"She should have gone back to her world. This never would have happened."
"You should not think that way. She chose to stay in Narnia because that was what she wished for herself." He paused and looked at me. "Do you want me to bring her back?"
"Please." That was the only word I could manage. Aslan stood and breathed gently on Lucy's face, before turning and walking away. I turned to thank him, but he was gone as quickly as he had come. I turned back to Lucy. The wound on her forehead had disappeared, the color returned to her face, and she began breathing again. Her beautiful, blue eyes fluttered open and she sat up with a puzzled look on her face, looking around.
"Caspian? Wha—" she was cut off when I pulled her into my arms. But instead of returning the hug, she pushed me away. I looked at her, hurt, before remembering that she was mad at me.
"Lucy, I—"
"Get out."
"What?"
"Get out of my room." I started to reach out to her, but I pulled my hand back when I caught her glaring at me. I stood, the pain of her anger coursing through me as I left the room.
LUCY'S POV
I watched Caspian leave with a glare, but as soon as I was alone, I buried my face in my pillow and began to cry. I realized before I had died just why I felt so betrayed by his betrothal to Liliandil. I was in love with him.
I couldn't sleep that night; my dreams were full of my own death. I'd been riding Leilani through the forest and had just crossed a river when I heard a chilling voice call out to me and I pulled Leilani's reins suddenly in a panic, causing her to rear and throw me from her back. A thick, white fog was instantly surrounding us, spooking my horse and causing her to rear again before running away. As I watched her go, I felt someone pull my dagger from my belt and used it to try to stab me, but I moved, and instead got a deep cut in my forehead. I cried out in pain and put my hand up to the wound. When I pulled it away, it was covered in blood. I felt something hard hit me in the back of the head and everything went black as I fell to the ground. The last thing I heard was the Witch's evil laughter. Then the next thing I knew, I was in my room, looking into Caspian's warm, brown eyes. He'd seemed so happy…and all I'd done was push him away.
I was tossing and turning as I thought and didn't hear my bedroom door open. I only knew it had when light streamed in from the hallway. I jumped out of bed and grabbed my dagger—which Caspian had returned—from my bedside table when whoever had opened the door walked in. The person—a man—paused and held his hands up, showing me he wasn't armed.
"It's just me, Lucy," I heard Caspian say. I relaxed my defensive position and scowled at him, setting my dagger back down on the side table with a light thud.
"What do you want, Caspian?" I demanded, crossing my arms and staring at him.
"Can I talk to you without you pulling a weapon on me?" he asked, putting his hands down and smiling slightly. I pursed my lips, resisting the urge to grin.
"Fine," I agreed stubbornly after a moment. While he closed the door and came to sit on the edge of my bed, I turned and lit the candle on my bedside table, blinking in the sudden light for a moment. Then I turned and crawled back under my covers and sat cross-legged facing him. He was looking down, and took a deep breath before looking up at me and letting it out.
"I'm sorry."
"You should be."
"I am."
"Why are you marrying her? Do you love her?"
"No."
"Do you have feelings for her?"
"No."
"Then why are you marrying her?"
"I don't know."
"That's not an answer."
"Narnia needs a queen, Lucy."
"What am I, chopped liver?"
"Why are you so upset that I'm getting married?" That shut me up. He didn't love me. I just knew it. There was no way I could tell him I was in love with him when I knew he didn't feel the same way. I shook my head, trying to hold back the tears now threatening to fall.
"I'm not upset."
"You are."
"I'm just…concerned."
"Lucy," he said, lifting my chin. "You know I know you better than that." My heart fluttered at the proximity between us, and I knew I was supposed to be mad at him, but I couldn't bring myself to pull away. Everything in me wanted to close that gap, to kiss him and tell him how I felt…but I couldn't. Caspian surprised me by leaning closer to me. It wasn't until our lips were almost touching that I stopped him.
"Don't," I whispered. He took a deep breath and leaned away again. I cleared my throat and looked at him.
"So, um…when's the wedding?" An amused look crossed his face at my sudden change of subject.
"A week," he answered. I caught my breath. So soon? "So are we okay?" he added. I looked into his eyes and nodded.
"Yeah."
"Good." He pulled me into a tight hug. "I can't tell you how upset I was when I lost you today. What exactly happened?" When I explained it to him, I felt his body stiffen and his arms tighten around me. He whispered a quiet apology and kissed the top of my head before leaving.
The next morning, he came to my door as soon as I was done getting dressed.
"Hey," he said when I let him in. He took in my green, off-the-shoulder sundress and flats with an amazed expression before chuckling and shaking his head. "You never fail to amaze me, you know that?"
"Well, thank you," I said, blushing lightly. My thoughts flashed to the night before, when he was about to kiss me, and I blushed even more.
"Um…Liliandil is looking for you. She says she wants to talk to you about something."
"Okay." I thanked him and left to go find Ramandu's daughter and see what it was she wanted.
