Risika returned to her place alongside the men and cheered Peter on. Susan and Lucy had already left. Edmund accompanied his brother, holding Peter's sword and helmet. Peter looked very determined and brave in his armor, but Risika assumed he was quite terrified. They both walked over to the ground where Miraz, her father, stood. This duel frightened Risika. She did not want Peter hurt. And despite her hatred, she did not want her father hurt either. Caspian came up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. She clasped her smaller hand over his and shut her eyes. Risika breathed deeply. She was scared.
Risika watched as her father stood to face Peter. Edmund handed his brother the sword. Glenstorm, a centaur, stood beside Edmund as Peter entered the fighting ring. Miraz took up his own sword and the two circled.
Circling, circling, and circling again, Risika knew that her father must be uttering words of discouragement to Peter. She felt torn. Why did her father need to be this way? Why could he not just seek peace? Why must he cause chaos with his every move?
And suddenly, after many circles, the two ran at each other. Sword to shield; sword to shield. Hit again! And again! Miss! Dodge! Over and over again, the two swung and dodged and blocked and stabbed. Risika was very frightened for them. She knew not why she cared if her father got hurt. She just did. He was still her father, after all.
Then, Peter tumbled. He lost his balance, and tumbled. Miraz took this as an opportunity and swung at him. Peter fall onto his back. Miraz stepped on his shield, twisting it around along with Peter's arm. Peter let out a cry of pain and misery as his arm was jostled from its socket. Risika gasped and took a step towards them. Trumpkin stopped her.
"No, let me go," she said, tugging. Trumpkin shot her a warning glance.
"They'll be fine," he assured her. Risika stopped fighting against him, but she still worried. Oh, God. She worried. She was so scared. No more deaths were needed. This battle wasn't really supposed to end in death! It was just supposed to last long enough to keep everyone at ease until Susan and Lucy got back…
Risika jumped as her father tumbled to the ground next. No, no, no, no, no, no! Risika wanted this to stop. But she couldn't move. She wouldn't. She hadn't the strength. Her fear pinned her tightly to the spot she was standing.
Then, there was the whinny of a horse. Risika saw her cousin, Caspian, riding up on his horse. Susan was on the horse as well, riding the back. This frightened Risika more. Where was Lucy? She ran to them, despite Trumpkin's protests. Peter and Miraz left the ring. Peter had called a respite. It seems, he was just as worried, if not more, than Risika.
"Where's Lucy?"
This was Peter's greeting to the two. Edmund was also watching Susan, his eyes tired and afraid for his little sister.
"She got through…" Susan said slowly and softly. She glanced at Caspian. "…with a little help." Risika sighed a breath of relief. Peter and Edmund did as well.
"Thanks," Peter said, nodding to Caspian. He nodded back.
"You were busy."
Then, Peter groaned loudly and Risika could only imagine the pain he was going through with his dislocated arm.
Behind them, Risika could hear her father making a racket about something, but she paid no head to him. Right now, her mind was on Peter's injury. Peter told Susan to take a place by the troops and she did as she was told. She hugged him, which he flinched at. Susan had brushed his arm. Then, he said the same to Risika about going back with the troops. She only shook her head.
"I'm staying with you," she protested. Edmund glanced at her, but only slightly. Peter groaned in pain, but did not answer her. He was in no mood to argue.
"Keep smiling," Edmund stated as he glanced at the Narnian troops. They looked afraid and discouraged. Peter turned to them and smiled, encouraging that he was alright. They all cheered loudly.
Caspian and Edmund sat the High King down on a rock. Caspian gently pulled off the shield from Peter's dislocated arm. He cried out in pain.
"I think it's dislocated," he mumbled as Edmund sat him on a rock. Risika shook her head hastily, but in a way that confirmed the theory Peter had come up with. She touched his shoulder and he flinched.
Peter mumbled quietly to Edmund. Risika couldn't hear them. She spoke to Caspian.
"I'm afraid," she told him. He touched her shoulder and nodded. He was breathing deeply as he bent over to tighten the laces on his boots. Then, he glanced slightly at Susan, who was speaking quietly to the troops.
"You…like her, don't you?"
It was a simple question, but Caspian stared at her as if she had asked something extremely difficult to answer. He sighed and ruffled his long dark hair.
"She's…something else. That's for sure," he mumbled. Risika smiled and hugged him. He seemed a bit taken back.
"Sorry…I had to."
"No…it's alright."
It was awkward, because Risika hardly showed any usual affection for her cousin. But she was afraid…afraid that she might die here. She wanted to at least show him that she cared he'd been the closest thing to her friend. Risika almost jumped as Peter screamed out in pain, clutching his arm. It occurred to her that Edmund had shoved Peter's arm back into place. She and Caspian made a face. That had to hurt. Risika wouldn't know, though. A princess wasn't obliged to fight.
Soon enough, Peter was geared up again to fight. He was in the ring again, waiting for Miraz, who was limping from an injury on his knee. Miraz glanced slightly at Risika, but she looked away. She hadn't the heart to face her father at the moment. She didn't know if she ever could again.
Then, it started again. Thrust, swing, duck, doge, block…Risika took these movements into her mind. She absorbed everything in. Edmund, Caspian, and Glenstorm stood at her side. She gasped as her father slammed his shield into Peter's face. Peter stumbled back.
He caught his guard, but Miraz rammed again and again, and finally, Peter fell to the ground. Risika jumped into a step forward, but Caspian held her back. She bit her lower lip. Peter dodged a blow from Miraz and swept around to kick him down as well. Miraz fell to the ground beside Peter.
Then, both got to their feet again. Again with the thrusts, swings, ducks, dodges, and rams. The troops on both sides were going wild with shouts of encouragement.
Then, Peter knocked Miraz's sword from his grasp. Miraz blocked Peter's hits with his lone shield. The Narnian troops roared with cheers.
But we all gasped as Miraz managed to take Peters sword from him. This time, the Telmarine troops shouted cheers. More cheers came from them as Miraz rammed his shield into Peter again and again. Peter grabbed the shield, and twisted Miraz's arm around his back. Miraz elbowed Peter in the face and broke free.
He threw Peter into a rock and grabbed Peter's sword from the ground. He swung the heavy sword at Peter, barely missing. Peter took it from his grasp and slammed a hit into Miraz's injured knee. Risika gasped as the Narnian troops cheered on again.
Risika watched in agony as Miraz fell to the ground. He put his hands up. He called for a respite again and again. Peter seemed to struggle.
"Now's not the time for chivalry, Peter!" Edmund called out to his brother. Risika glanced at him.
"That's my father!" she cried. He looked at her. Caspian looked at her. Still, she didn't move. She looked at Peter. He glanced at her and put his fist down. He turned his back to Miraz and walked away.
Then, Miraz stood and charged at Peter. Risika cried out in shock as Peter swerved and drove Miraz's own sword into his side. Risika bolted. She ran for her father, but Caspian held her in place. Risika didn't care anymore about this war. This was her father! Whether she liked it or not, this was her blood father!
Miraz fell to his knees and Peter put the sword up to his neck. Caspian's arms around Risika limped, and so she took this moment to act. She grabbed Edmund's sword from his waist and bolted for her father. She shoved Peter aside, who fell easily as he was not prepared for such an attack. Just as he was about to turn to Risika and protest, she had the sword up to her father's neck.
"Repent, father. Give the throne back to Caspian. Stop this war. Please, I beg you."
She spoke softly. Her father stared at her. Risika's lip quivered and tears stung her eyes, but she would not cry. Not now.
"Please, father. Or you give me no choice."
There was not reply. Miraz only glanced at the ground.
"Please. I have never asked anything of you. Please. Take your troops home and give the Narnians back their freedom."
He finally looked at her.
"You look just like your mother. You have her spirit, too. But I will not repent. I can not."
Risika closed her eyes and then sighed.
"You give me no choice."