Hey guys, I'm back and since I had some free time, I decided to get this chapter done. Thanks to Guest, AngelfromBeyondBelow, Goddess of Darkness 97, Guest (Ugh, fine! :P), grapejuice101, michelle88222, , fiction-girl18, GoldenKeeper2567, SmileyKatie, redvelvetlover13, NightWindAlchemist, Sora Namikaze, Hogwartsgirll15, Gabriel is busted, just-go-with-it7, ElliGordon, Beta of all the worlds, littlerose568, sage1992, Apus Black, AngelofDarkness1999 and claraxyz for reviewing/following/favoring along with all 4,994 readers! I hope you all enjoy this chapter but I have some slightly bad news. This story will only have a few chapters left, so soon we'll be saying goodbye until I can get the Prince Caspian story out (By the way, any title suggestions for it are well appreciated). Now, enjoy and let me know what you think!
As the Pevensie siblings and the princess stood and waited for the Witch to arrive.
"Jadis, Queen of Narnia!" The troll leading the way as the Witch entered the camp, or rather, was carried in. The warriors yelled out insults as the troll added, "Empress of the Lone Islands!" Alana's face remained a neutral calm, refusing to show any fear or anger towards the woman, if she could even be called that. She stood strong and tall, like the princess she was. The Witch, Jadis, was set down on the ground, staring at Aslan, who stood on a rock plateau, staring back at her. Dead silence came over the camp before Jadis spoke.
"You have a traitor in your midst, Aslan." She stated. There were gasps in the crowd as eyes went towards Edmund. Lucy grabbed her brother's hand while Alana gripped his shoulder tightly.
"His offense is not against you." Aslan stated.
"Have you forgotten the laws upon which Narnia was built?" Jadis asked, obviously trying to get a rise out of Aslan.
"Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, Witch." Aslan snarled, "I was there when it was written."
"Then you'll remember well that every traitor belongs to me." The Witch replied calmly, "His blood is my property."
"Try and take him then." Peter said as he stepped forward, holding out his sword. In turn, a warrior of the Witch's came forward to intimidate Peter. Alana gripped Myrtenaster, prepared to take it out if the Witch pulled anything.
"Do you think mere force will deny me my right…little king?" Jadis said, "Aslan knows that unless I have blood, as the law demands," The witch turned to the entire camp as she continued, "all of Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water." She pointed straight at Edmund as she finished, "That boy will die on the Stone Table…as is tradition. You dare not refuse me. Or else, your daughter will take his place." Alana showed no reaction, not wanting to give the Witch the satisfaction.
"Enough." Aslan growled, "I shall talk with you alone." With that said, both the King and the Witch returned to the tent. The entire camp remained silent, none of them knowing what to make of the Witch's words.
The Pevensies and Alana sat in the grass, waiting for the meeting to end. Alana reached out and squeezed Edmund's shoulder, whispering,
"Everything will be alright, Ed. Neither Father nor I will let her hurt you."
"We won't let her touch you either, Lana." Susan told the princess and her siblings nodded in agreement. Alana smiled a soft smile.
"I know." Just then, the Witch burst from Aslan's tent and the whole camp stood. As she returned to her seat, she kept her eyes on Edmund until she sat down. Aslan came out next and finally broke the endless silence.
"She has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam's blood." The King stated. Cheers broke out throughout the camp and the warriors patted Edmund on the back.
"How will I know your promise will be kept?" Jadis asked just then. Aslan let out a fierce roar and the Witch fell down to her seat in fear, earning more cheers from the King's army. As the rest of the camp celebrated, Alana's eyes found her father's imposing figure only to see he looked incredibly sad. When he went into his tent, Alana debated if she should follow when she was dragged into the celebration.
Alana knelt near the river, holding Myrtenaster in her lap as she thought over what happened. She just couldn't forget her father's figure in her mind, it was as if it were branded there permanently.
"Lana?" Alana looked up to see Edmund standing there. "Are you…okay?" He asked, unsure. The princess smiled softly.
"I'm okay, why?" She asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.
"You just seem…so sad." Edmund said, looking awkward.
"Do you want to sit, Ed?" Alana asked. After a minute, the future king walked over and knelt beside the princess. "You actually wanted to ask me something, didn't you?" She asked. Edmund looked down as he played with the grass.
"Would you…really give up your life for me? After everything I did to you?" He asked softly. Instantly, Alana wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
"Of course I would!" She said, "Besides, you're nicer than some of the other people in my life. And you're my friend now, so…yes, I would give up my life for you." Edmund was surprised but he smiled at the girl all the same.
"And I would do the same for you." He swore. Alana simply smiled. After a couple minutes, the rest of the Pevensies came and sat down near their brother and friend. Alana smiled softly as they all watched the river silently.
No matter what happens, we'll get through it, together.
"Susan! Lana!" Alana's eyes snapped open as she heard Lucy's loud whisper. Lucy quickly explained what she had seen and the trio instantly grabbed their cloaks, Lucy's was red, Susan's was purple and Alana's was royal blue, before they ran out into the woods, following Aslan.
"Shouldn't you three be in bed?" Aslan spoke as he paused in his walk. The three came out and Lucy answered for them.
"We couldn't sleep." She said.
"And we were worried, Father." Alana confessed.
"Please, Aslan. Couldn't we come with you?" Susan asked.
"I would be glad of the company for a while. Thank you." Aslan agreed and Alana swore she saw a smile. The three girls put their hands on his mane, Alana and Lucy on one side and Susan on the other. They walked silently until Aslan stopped and said, "It is time. From here, I must go alone."
"But Aslan…" Susan started.
"Father…" Alana said at the same instant.
"You have to trust me. For this must be done." Aslan said, "Thank you, Susan. Thank you, Lucy. Thank you, my daughter. And farewell." The girls stayed behind as Aslan continued on towards his destination. Once he disappeared slightly, Susan led the girls to another area where they could see the Stone Table. Alana looked down as she saw the Witch and her creatures. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see what was next.
"Behold. The great lion." Jadis said and Alana just knew she was smirking. She heard her father being knocked over and Lucy whispered,
"Why doesn't he fight back?" Both girls must have seen Alana because they grabbed her hands tightly, though she still refused to open her eyes.
"Wait! Let him first be shaved." The Witch cried, her voice so loud that the princess couldn't block it out. "Bring him to me." Jadis said once Aslan had obviously been shaved. "Tonight…the Deep Magic will be appeased! But tomorrow, we will take Narnia forever! In that knowledge, despair…and die!" The two sisters clung to Alana as they all began to sob once the knife was plunged into Aslan. Alana couldn't hear anything else over her sobs and over the breaking of her heart. Her father, who she had only known for days, if that, was gone.
Once the Witch's army left, the three girls went up to the Stone Table and began to cry on the lost King's body. Lucy took out her healing potion but Susan stopped her, saying,
"It's too late. He's gone. He must have known what he was doing."
"He always knew…he did it for all of us." Alana whispered as she sobbed into her father's mane. Suddenly, the girls heard the sound of biting. Alana looked up as mice chewed the ropes holding Aslan down.
"Get away! Get away, all of you!" Susan cried in her grief.
"No. Look." Lucy pointed out.
"They're removing the ropes." Alana whispered as the three girls helped them. Once Aslan was free, Susan spoke.
"We have to tell the others." She said.
"We can't just leave him!" Lucy cried as Alana hung her head low.
"Lucy, there's no time. They need to know." Susan argued. Just then, the trees began to blow in the wind.
"The trees." Lucy whispered as the sisters look around in awe while Alana just buried her face more in her father's mane, wishing he would return to her.
There's the chapter! I know, sad and not a lot of Peter/Alana but I wanted to develop her relationship with Edmund and focus on her sadness over losing her father. I hope you all enjoyed and please review! Later!