Edmund's torch, that's the signal. We set off toward the Telmarine castle. Caspian insisted upon rescuing his professor and Peter let him. We figured it would be less effort to not argue with him.
I heard arguing voices as we reached Miraz's bedchambers. It sounded like…Caspian. What the bloody hell did that boy do?
"Caspian! What are you doing here?" Peter yelled as we entered. He had his sword on Miraz's neck. Miraz's wife was pointing a crossbow at the prince. I pulled a dagger out of my thigh sheath and one out of my boot. Susan had her bow pointed at the queen and Peter had his sword on Miraz.
"Did you kill my father?" Caspian growled.
"You said your brother died in his sleep!" Miraz's wife shouted.
"That's technically not a lie." Anger overcame me and I threw a dagger at Miraz, landing in his shirt, pinning it to the wall behind him.
"You missed, little girl."
"My name is High Queen Kassia and I did not miss," I told him angrily. I took out another and Peter handed me a third. I threw it straight to my right, without looking. It stuck in the wood of his wardrobe. I walked over to pull it out.
"Shoot, Pruniprismia," Miraz said to his wife.
"Why did you kill your brother?"
"For the same reason you are going to pull that trigger. So our son can be king! And so that he's not fatherless like poor Caspian over here." Miraz was unable to pull my dagger out of the wall. He ripped his shirt and fell through the window. I ran over there and quickly yanked it out of the wall.
"Let's go," Peter commanded.
"You need to call it off!" Caspian yelled.
"There's no time. We can still do this." We ran past Edmund, who was fighting a guard. I threw another dagger and killed him.
"Thanks, Kass!" Ed yelled.
"Anytime, go to your post!" He scurried off and I kept running. We raised the gate to let the Narnians in. The entire time, a sense of dread didn't leave my stomach.
They had just entered the gate when it happened. The Telmarines were out and we had to fight them. I drew Raleigh as Peter drew Rhindon. We always fight together, back to back. We occasionally are separated, but rarely.
I cut through many Telmarines, but there were too many. We couldn't fight them all.
"Peter, look out!" Edmund yelled. I looked up to see archers pointing bows at Peter. Edmund's presence distracted him and they turned to shoot him. Crap.
The Minotaur ran toward where Miraz stood on a balcony, just watching.
"Susan!" I yelled, flinging my foot toward her. It knocked her opponent backwards and Glenstorm killed him.
"Thanks, Kass!"
"Welcome, Su!" We continued fighting. At one point, Peter ran from me, to where Miraz was. He stopped, realizing there was nothing we could do.
"Fall back! We need to retreat!" he yelled, though it pained him to say so. I ran to him. Susan was pulled onto Glenstorm's back. They rode through the gate. A minotaur was holding the gate open. There were three horses being led to me by Caspian. One had the professor, another Caspian, the third was empty. He gave it to Peter and Peter pulled me up behind him.
"Get out!"
We managed to get under the gate in time, but many didn't. They were trapped. They were going to die. Peter stalled behind for a minute and my grip on his waist tightened.
"Peter!" Susan yelled. "Come on!" The drawbridge was raising, we would be caught too if we didn't leave. Peter got the horse to canter and we followed the remaining Narnians. I had no idea where Edmund was.
I leaned my head on his shoulder, comforting both of us.
"I love you," I whispered, gently kissing his neck. I didn't say anything false like, 'It's going to be okay,' or 'Everything's going to be alright.' That's not what Peter needed.
"I love you too, Kay," he replied, his voice cracking.
"Where's Edmund?" I asked, seriously worried. I asked loudly enough that most of the army could hear me.
"I don't know, Kay," Peter answered.
"Up here, Kass!" I heard. I glanced up to see a gryphon. Edmund was waving to me from it. I breathed a sigh of relief.
~X~
It was dawn when we arrived back at the How. Trumpkin was injured, Lucy had to use her cordial. You could see that it hadn't gone well from the looks on our faces. Glenstorm's wife cried as she saw us, many of her sons were dead.
"What happened?" Lucy asked us.
"Ask him," Peter and I growled simultaneously.
"It wasn't my fault! You could have called it off!" Caspian defended himself.
"No, we couldn't have," I said.
"Because of you, there wasn't enough time," Peter continued.
"It wasn't my fault!"
"Caspian!" I yelled. "Have you no sympathy? Can't you see we feel badly enough as it is?"
"I am not the one who abandoned Narnia!"
"You invaded Narnia!" Peter snarled. "Narnia is better off without all of you!" They raised their swords and went at each other. Lucy stopped them and Caspian stormed off to the How. Nikabrik chased after him. That's odd, Nikabrik hates Caspian.
"Peter, I have a bad feeling about this."
"Trumpkin is fine. The army is coming. We have time to prepare."
"No, Peter, Caspian! My feelings have never been wrong. We have to go. Now!" he nodded and we set off into the How.
We got there in time to see a hag, Nikabrik and a werewolf. The White Witch was in a sheet of ice in an archway.
"Just one drop, Son of Adam."
"Caspian!" Susan yelled. We all rushed in. Peter went after Caspian and I helped Edmund with the werewolf. It was dead when I realized that Peter was now stuck, staring at the witch.
"Peter!" I yelled. He didn't turn around. I ran to him, somehow ending up inside the circle.
"Just one drop, Peter. That's all I need. All of this will be over," she said. His hand stayed by his side.
"Your blood will work as well, daughter of eve. You can't do this alone." Our hands started to stretch toward her. There was a sound of metal and the ice cracked.
"I know, you had it sorted," Edmund said.
"Thank you," I whispered. The others gathered the bodies of the wolf, hag, and Nikabrik. Peter stayed staring at the ground. I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the Stone Table.
"Kassia, why isn't He here? Why is it so hard to follow Him this time?"
"Aslan has a plan, Peter. There's nothing we can do about it. I believe that. I really do. And I know that you do too. You've got to." Lucy walked in. She sat on his other side.
"You're lucky, you know."
"How do you mean?"
"You've seen him. I wish he'd just given me some sort of proof. Maybe we're the ones who need to prove ourselves to him."
"Pete, you'd better come quickly." The army was advancing and there were many of them. We'd never fought so many, not with so few troops.
Our original plan was to send Lucy to find Aslan. Susan was to go with her.
"We need a battle plan," Peter said. Caspian and the Professor were sitting off to the side.
"There's an old tradition, it might be of some help to us. It should stall them."
"Tell me what it is."
~X~
"This is so much fun!" I yelled as I jumped up and down on our way to Miraz's camp. There were three of us.
"I, Peter, by gift of Aslan, by election and by conquest, High King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands, in order to prevent the abominable effusion of blood do hereby challenge the Usurper, Miraz, to single combat upon the field of battle. The fight shall be to the death. The reward shall be total surrender," Edmund read.
"Tell me, Prince Edmund…"
"It's King."
"Excuse me?"
"It's King Edmund. Just King. Peter's the High King." Edmund used his persuasion to get them to agree.
"Ed, I'm going to go outside and get some air."
"You let a woman talk to you with such disrespect?" Miraz asked.
"Kassia is High Queen of Narnia, Lady of Cair Paravel, Empress of the Lone Islands and wife to the High King. She has more titles than I do." The soldiers were very…primitive.
"What's a woman doing armed? And alone?" one of them said to me.
"This woman is High Queen of Narnia," I said. "And she's most likely better than you at swordsmanship."
"Let's just see, shall we." I smiled, stupid man. I pulled out my sword and the fight began.
He blundered at me, more power than grace. I blocked. Many men had gathered to watch.
"Kassia! What on Earth are you doing?" Edmund yelled. "This is exactly why Peter didn't want you to come!"
"I know what I'm doing, Edmund!" I continued to fight the man, I had the advantage. I disarmed him and bowed.
"See you on the battlefield. Let's go, Ed." We got back soon.
"Why is your dress torn, Kay?" Peter asked. Then it hit him. "You didn't."
"Come on, Peter. We have to put on armor. I'll explain on the way." I changed into a battle dress. It was red and had armor on it. I left my circlet on my head. Hopefully I don't lose it.
"It's time, Peter," Edmund said. "He's here."
