Chapter 10

Lucy sighed and played with the hem of her dress.

"You've been sighing a lot, my dear Lucy. Anything wrong?" she turned and smiled at Caspian.

"No, I'm just..." she paused, "thinking."

"Well stop thinking then! If it's making you so sad!" he said. "Come now, most of the Telmarines have sworn alliance to Aslan" he shuddered, "thankfully not as brutally as Miraz asked them to." Lucy shuddered next to him.

"It's horrible what they did to the ones that weren't Telmarines." Lucy said and Caspian nodded, eyes down cast.

"Oh no! Now you've made me sad!" he said, then stood up.

"Narnians! Our dear Lucy here is too sad, sitting moping and sighing. I feel it is our duty to cheer her up!" he cried and his words were met by a roar of approval. Lucy laughed as suddenly fawns produced flutes and violins and a branded Archenland girl stood in the middle of the floor and danced. Soon two fawns joined her and a ferret dragged her husband in as well.

"My dear Lucy, would you give me the honour of having this dance?" Lucy turned and smiled at Caspian.

"I would!" she said and stood up and placed her hand on his.

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Ladine smiled as she watched the horses run free beside the little stream. Boys. Sometimes they were so clueless. They think it's all about waving a sword around and looking fierce. No. She knew Edmund needed support if he was serious about being King. She knew about the hiding Narnians, the places were men, women and children stayed in their attempt to be free from the Telmarines. And they would be. They would have a Narnian ruling them. Only a son of Adam could rule Narnia. A true King would finally take the throne of Narnia for a hundred years. Ladine couldn't help feeling she had helped in this. That by her decisions she would make Edmund a great King. She could hear the tales now: King Edmund the Majestic. She smiled. Maybe, just maybe as they rode together across Narnia, Edmund might realise how much Ladine meant to him. As much as he meant to her. And then she would not only be Princess of Archenland, but Queen of Narnia.

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Susan smiled as she saw Lucy laugh again after days of watching her sit and sigh. She turned to Trumpkin

"It's so good when Lucy's happy." she said

"She seems to almost shine." Trumpkin observed. Susan laughed.

"You're nearly right. She does shine when she uses her power." she said.

"Ah, those elusive powers." Trumpkin said, then leaned conspiratorially towards Susan "I'm sure Caspian believes you don't actually have any."

"No! How could he? It's not like we haven't used them at all!" Susan said, eyes wide in mock disbelief. The dwarf shook his head, like a tree in a breeze.

"I know. It's tragic."

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Terribly sorry that this one is short (Less than 1,000 words: how could I?) but that's partly because there's no Edmund in this chapter. I know. With the news that he is actually a Narnian let out just a chapter ago, just mentioning him in passing seems a little odd, but hey. The other reason why this chapter is short is because I've been working hard trying to get out at least three chapters a day and make sure "Crowns of Ice" wasn't terrible and I feel my creative juices are drying up. SO you got a short chapter...