Susan sat down on the edge of the Stone Table, running her fingers through her dark hair as she did so. A rather large sigh escaped from her mouth, vocalizing her anxiety. Caspian promptly sad next to her, but the two dared not to look at one another. Susan felt bad for losing her temper; of course the actions of Caspian and Peter weren't exactly rash, nor were they to be taken lightly, but the were not unforgivable. As Lucy had said, it could have ended much worse. The White Witch could have been brought back to life, and then the trouble that Narnia would be in would be unfathomable. They would have to fight two forces at once, or perhaps the White Witch would help them, only to win Narnia for herself. But the White Witch remained as she should, dead and a distant memory, and Susan had chastised the two men too harshly.
This guilt on its own was bad enough, but Susan was now alone in Aslan's tomb with Caspian, so of course she felt it in excess. If it were under any other circumstances at any other time that she and Caspian were alone, Susan would have been the happiest being in all of Narnia. But she had lost her temper, had let her mind wander too far, and was now regretting it deeply. The pair sat in awkward silence, still not even daring to look at one another. It seemed so strange to Susan that it had turned out this way. Their stolen moment in Caspian's room earlier that same day had felt as though it were a life age away from the current moment. Her feelings toward Caspian had not changed at all, but she feared that she had ruined things with her "logical" analyzation and overreaction to the events of a few moments past.
She wanted so badly to speak, to atone for what she had said, but she could not find the proper words to do so. Susan partially attributed this lack of words to her pride. It held her tongue, not wanting to admit that she was at fault and to blame for any of the trouble that had passed a few moments ago. Susan was quite comfortable with never being in the wrong, and she would hate to say that she was in the opposite policy. But she did not attribute it wholly to her smugness; her heart also played a huge part in her tacit disposition. Susan cared deeply for the man, and she did not know how to properly apologize for someone that she regarded so highly. What words do you say when you have offended someone that you have deep feelings for? Susan didn't know. After all, she had never before felt so strongly about someone in all her life.
"Susan?" Caspian's shaky voice asked quite abruptly, catching Susan off guard.
"Yes?" she responded meekly, still not looking towards him.
"Susan, I'm so sorry," he said now turning and searching for her gaze. "It was wrong of me. I know the pain that she has caused you and your family. I let her tempt me too easily. All I wanted was a way out of this alive, for all of us. I forgot what it would mean to myself and all of Narnia, and I forgot what it would mean to you. I'm so sorry."
Susan turned and looked him in the eye, holding back tears of frustration and rue. "It is I who should apologize," she said after a moment's silence. "Caspian, I'm so sorry. I lost my temper; I overreacted. It was wrong of me to go off on you like that. I know what a power the witch can hold over her subjects. Please do forgive me."
"I do forgive you, Susan," Caspian smiled, taking her hand.
"And I, you," she smiled in return. "It's just…I don't see a way out of all of this, and it's all happening so fast – the war, Narnia changing...and us. My dreams, my thoughts are haunted by the worst possible results of tomorrow's battle. Is there any hope?"
"Susan," Caspian breathed. He brought her hand to his lips, kissed it, and returned it to her his lap. "There is always hope."
Susan would have embraced him, but she could not, for a clank sounded in the hall leading to the tomb. Susan and Caspian quickly released hands and separated themselves for worry of who was approaching. It was only Edmund, not Peter as Susan had feared, accompanied by a bear, Reepicheep the mouse, and Truffelhunter the badger.
"What's going on?" Edmund asked as he entered the room. He raised an eyebrow in suspicion, having walked into the room to see Susan and Caspian hastily separate themselves.
"Nothing," Susan answered almost too quickly for comfort. "We were only talking."
"Really?" Edmund continued. Both eyebrows were now very much raised. "You were sitting awfully close for holding a conversation."
"Well I didn't know that it was a crime for wanting to hear what someone else is saying," Susan retorted hotly.
The badger settled himself between Susan and Caspian, and that seemed to have helped Susan's case, for Edmund stopped jeering at the two. He gave his sister a look and made to walk past her. As he reached Susan's side, she abruptly stood up. Her mouth was in line with her younger brother's ear.
"Don't tell Peter," she whispered. She then sat back down and looked up at Edmund for a response. He shot her a look of both curiosity and surprise and nodded to her once, just as Lucy, Trumpkin, Peter entered the room.
"My King," Trufflehunter addressed him, "we are ready. What is your plan?"
