So, after several months, here's the next chapter! And as a refresher, I only own my characters, not any others. R&R! Just a heads-up, I made up the timeline for years, as you'll see later on in this chapter.
Chapter 9: 1300 Years Later
"Oh, hello Professor!" Jade said, smiling at her dear friend.
"Good afternoon, Jade! Now, if you don't mind me asking, what were you all doing in the wardrobe?" The Professor said, looking over his glasses.
"You wouldn't believe us if we told you, sir." Peter replied catching a round object the Professor had just thrown to him. He gave it to Jade.
"Try me," the Professor said, intrigued. Jade's eyes widened in delight as she held the strange object in her hands. It was a ball the size of her fist.
"It's a cricket ball. We accidently smashed a window with it, before we all went into the wardrobe," Edmund explained to her.
"Oh!" Jade said, understanding a bit. She paused, thinking. "What's cricket?" She asked, still holding the ball. Edmund was about to tell her, when the Professor suddenly questioned Jade.
"How is it that you wound up here?" He said, looking at her.
"W-Well…" She began, thrown off a bit by the sudden question.
At once, the Pevensies began to tell the Professor the story of their adventure in Narnia. Jade pitched in bits and pieces that she could. When they'd finished, the Professor stroked his snowy beard.
"Interesting," he said, pensively. "Very interesting," he added. Suddenly, he clapped his hands together. "Well, I won't let you waste anymore of your time! After all, it's a beautiful day out, and I dare say Jade will want to explore." He began shooing them outside.
"Hang on, are you saying you believe us, sir?" Peter asked, slightly confused.
"Why shouldn't I? It's truthful enough for me!" The Professor smiled at them all. "Go on! Enjoy the sunshine, while you can!" He waved his hand, dismissively.
"Thank you, sir!" They all said, grinning back at him. The door closed behind them.
"Oh, now we can teach Jade how to play cricket!" Lucy said, clapping her hands together excitedly.
"What?" Jade asked, dreamily.
"Come on, Your Royal Highness!" Edmund said, jokingly. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to where the game of cricket was taking place. The four Pevensies taught her how to hit the ball with the bat to score a wicket (point). After a time, she noticed the sun was setting. Her heart sunk as she realized her 24 hours were dwindling away.
"Oh, must be well past dinner time," Susan said, leading them all to the door. Jade sighed, deciding not to fall asleep after she'd eaten.
"It's rather sad that you can't stay longer, Jade. There's so much more to see here!" Lucy remarked, sadly.
"Don't worry, Lu. I'll come back someday! Oh!" Jade suddenly closed her eyes.
"What do you see?" The Pevensies asked. She opened her eyes, and they were glowing gold again.
"Narnia will be attacked by Man in 1250 years. People will suffer and die, but you will not be able to save them. It will be only one year for your world. You will be called again. I cannot say when or where… So much pain and destruction!" Jade's monotonous voice broke. A tear ran down her face, and she blinked. The glow left her eyes. She staggered where she stood. Edmund caught her, before she fell down. She shook her head, looking into his eyes.
"Hi!" She said, smiling.
"Hi!" He echoed, returning her smile. Peter cleared his throat. Edmund helped Jade up. They followed Susan back inside. The next day, Jade and Edmund awoke early. She looked at her necklace. It was almost all gray.
"Uh-oh!" She said, gripping the stone in her hand.
"Do you have to go?" He held her other hand.
"Yes, but… You're being called back as well!" She said in astonishment.
"I can feel it now," he admitted.
Before another minute had passed, they both found themselves in Narnia again. Jade raised an eyebrow, looking around for an explanation. The bushes rustled and Aslan appeared, shaking his mane. She smiled at him.
"Hello, my children! I've a gift to give to both of you, which is why you are here. Come." He turned and led them to an opening in the trees. There was a beautiful meadow, with rolling hills and flowers of all sorts growing everywhere. A stone archway was on the topmost hill. Jade was tempted to run into it, but she held herself back.
"Go on! For this is your meadow, and you may share it with the one you love," Aslan explained, nudging them forwards.
She looked at Edmund and they both ran into the meadow, laughing. After a while, they laid on the grass side by side.
Jade pointed to a cloud and said: "That one looks like a faun. See the head there?"
Edmund nodded, "Yeah. That one looks like Aslan!"
She giggled, "I see it, Ed. What about that one?"
"Which one? The one that looks like a castle or the one that looks like a flying elephant?" He asked, looking to see where she was pointing.
"No, neither. It's the one that looks like a couple dancing. There's the arms," she guided his hand to where the couple was.
"Oh, yeah. I see it now!" He smiled and looked at her. She smiled as well, but then her smile faded. She leaned her head closer to his. Yet, before they could kiss, a loud rumble made them break apart.
"What was that?" Jade asked, getting up. Edmund looked to the distance.
"Don't know, but I suppose I should be getting back." He seemed flustered. She looked at him, a sad look on her beautiful face.
"Never fear, Jade. I'll return every week right here in your meadow. I promise," he kissed her cheek.
She smiled sadly and nodded at him.
"Goodbye, my love! I'll see you around," she said, letting his hand go.
"I'll tell you all about England with each visit," he promised.
"I'll look forward to it, Ed. Now go! Say hello to your brother and sisters!" She waved to him.
"I will!" He said, holding the red stone in his hand.
He vanished, in a blink. A tear fell down Jade's left cheek. She looked both ways and ran down the hill. She returned to her home in the trees. Her mother, a beautiful brunette woman wearing her golden dress and holding a crying Lance, frowned at her.
"Hello, mother!" Jade said, with a guilty smile.
"Your father wishes to speak with you, dear." She said, in her strict voice.
"How is he?" Jade asked, afraid of the answer. Her mother didn't answer, but gestured her into the living room. Jade obeyed, taking a deep breath.
Her father, the King of all Elves, was wearing his black robes. His gold, jewel encrusted crown glittered in the firelight.
"Hello, father!" Jade said, tentatively.
"I've decided to give you a new color of dresses, my little Jade." He said, in his deep gravelly voice.
"Oh! Which color?" She asked, hoping it wasn't yellow or orange.
"Something fitting your name, Jade. Green," he said, turning around to her.
"But, wasn't that…? Oh, never mind," she looked at her feet. "Thank you, Father." She said to her feet.
"That's all I needed to tell you, dearest. Dinner in an hour," he said, turning back to the fireplace.
The week flew by, and Jade ran to her meadow. It was actually two Narnian weeks, but Jade didn't care. She waited and Edmund appeared next to her.
"It's been too long!" He said, embracing her. Jade updated him on what news she had and he told her his parts.
They met like this for over 5 Narnian years. However, one day Edmund didn't come. She was confused about this, but decided not to worry. However, when a month passed by without any sign of Edmund, she began to worry.
"Where are you?" She asked, as she sat on the top of her meadow.
Jade didn't know that Peter had taken Edmund's necklace. 5 Narnian years had taken up three months of our world's time. Jade grew sad, and believed Edmund had forgotten his promise.
A thousand years passed by, without much activity in Narnia. Jade kept having the same nightmare that Talmarines would overtake Narnia. She feared that it would come true. On a particular dewy morning, Jade was sitting in her family's tree. She wasn't thinking of anything really.
Suddenly, she felt a huge rumble shake the earth beneath her. She flew deeper into the woods, wearing her new color. It was a dark green summer dress and very flowy. What she saw caused her to cover her mouth in sadness. Narnia was being invaded by Talmarines.
She saw many of the soldiers fight with the Narnians. The soldiers plowed through them, effortlessly. She closed her eyes, crying. Cair Paravel was reduced to rubble. Anger and hurt coursed through her veins. The terrible truth reached her: the peacefulness of Narnia was gone.
Over the next 300 years, all the Narnians were driven out of their homes. Jade's family stayed in their tree, sending one member out at night to get food from the new King's castle. The King that "ruled Narnia" was a terrible man. King Miraz. Yet, he had a nephew that seemed to be kind-hearted, though Jade had never met him.
Jade woke up, wondering why she did. Then she remembered the loud thud near her tree. She flew out of her window, wearing her green nightdress. She didn't see anything that was of consequence, except a large hole in the ground.
"Hello?" She said, noticing something.
"Oh! Greetings, Your Highness," a Red Dwarf bowed to her, his golden hair almost touching his feet.
"Greetings…" She bit her lip, not knowing the Dwarf's name.
"Trumpkin. Just plain old Trumpkin!" He bowed to her again.
"Greetings, Trumpkin! Rise," she added as an afterthought.
"Allow me to introduce my dear friend Trufflehunter. And yes, he's a Badger." Trumpkin gestured to the Animal next to him.
"Pleasure meeting you, Trufflehunter!" Jade smiled, shaking his paw. The black and white Badger bowed his head to her, courteously.
"This is Nikabrik." Trumpkin said, shortly.
"Hello," she said, smiling kindly to the other Dwarf.
He scowled at her. "You might be the Princess of Narnia, but you're not in charge here!" He snapped, a sour expression on his face. "After all, you are a half-breed!" He added.
Jade's smile disappeared and an unpleasant frown replaced it. She glared at Nikabrik. Suddenly, she grabbed him by the front of his shirt. He protested, along with the other two.
"Your Highness, he didn't mean what he said!" Trumpkin tried to soothe her rage.
"He's always saying unpleasant things to everyone! You mustn't take it personally, please!" Trufflehunter took her free hand.
"I won't hurt him this time," Jade said, speaking through her teeth. "Let this be your one and only warning, Nikabrik!" She continued, still holding him above the ground.
"Never. Ever. Call me a 'half-breed' again!" She hissed to him, a murderous look in her eyes. He seemed to shrink down farther than before.
"Do we have an agreement?" She growled. He nodded, too frightened to speak.
"Good!" She let him go. He fell on his face.
"Sorry about that, Nikabrik. That was uncalled for," she said, sincerely. He spat a mouthful of dirt at her. She dodged it easily.
The other two stared at Jade in awe.
"You truly are the Princess Jade!" Trumpkin said, smiling. She returned his smile. That night, she had dinner with them.
"It's nice to meet other Narnians that still are around," she said, grateful for their kindness to her.
She heard a loud thud outside the door. It made her jump.
"What in the name of Aslan was that?" She said, getting up. Trumpkin and Nikabrik joined her outside. A young man looked at her, and then at the other two. He made a movement and took a horn out from beside him. "Don't!" She started to go towards him. He blew the horn, despite her warning. Nikabrik knocked him out. Other soldiers began to arrive.
"Get inside, Princess! I'll take your place as their prisoner!" Trumpkin said, pulling out a sword.
"But-" She began.
"Come on, Your Highness! Get him inside, quickly!" Nikabrik said, pulling the unconscious man towards the house.
"Did you have to knock him out?" She asked flying him inside.
"Yes," Nikabrik replied, surly.
"You've cut his forehead!" Jade said, reproachfully.
"So?" He snapped.
"Never mind!" She said, exasperated. Trufflehunter helped her heal the man.
When he awoke, Jade was sponging his forehead.
"Have I died and gone to Heaven?" He asked, dreamily. She laughed a little.
"No! You're in Narnia. To be more specific, our little hut."
"What do you mean 'our'?" He said, confused. She helped him up, not answering him.
"What's your name?" She asked, kindly.
"I am Prince Caspian. King Miraz's nephew. Who are you?" He responded.
"I'm Princess Jade Green of Narnia." She frowned at him. He ripped his bandages off his head and bowed his head to her.
"I've heard much of you. Weren't you once 'Kind One'?" He inquired.
"Still am! Otherwise you'd not be here!" She smiled at him, in a teasing way.
"You were the woman I saw before I got knocked out!" Caspian said in awe.
"While Nikabrik lacks being kind to strangers, I treat every good person as I would like to be treated if I were to be in their position." Jade led Caspian out to have something to eat.
