Woohoo! Another chapter. Okay, so in this installment, we hear the epic story of Aurelia's past so A LOT of info to take it. I hope you enjoy it, I loved writing this chapter :D

Please review, it makes me want to write, and I love reading your feedback, it's very helpful. Constructive criticism is very welcome.

Happy happy reading!

Chapter Nine

The shouts were deafening when the children, Aurelia and Adane reached Aslan's tent on the hill. Although the sun was high, there was a certain chill to the air that certainly hadn't been there before. Aurelia drew her sword and held it by her side, clenching the hilt in anticipation. Adane's hand was once more on her back.

"Calm yourself, cousin," he mumbled. Aurelia took a deep breath and glanced up and Peter whose eyes mirrored the anxiety felt in the whole camp.

"Make way for the Queen of Narnia, Empress of the Lone Islands!" a voice announced and all turned to see a dwarf walking in front of a grand procession.

"Lone Islands?" Peter asked.

"Islands across the sea, traditionally under the jurisdiction of Narnia," Aurelia explained.

"Oh, and at the moment they're…"

"Under the rule of the so called queen," Adane scowled. "When you're king, they'll be yours to govern."

"Mine?"

"Yes, scary isn't it?" Aurelia smiled at Peter's taken aback expression. The shouts suddenly got louder and everyone's attention was drawn to the procession. The witch emerged being carried on a throne. Edmund drew in a sharp breath and Aurelia linked arms with him. He looked at her with sad eyes.

"I know what this is about,"

"I won't let her take you, I promise," Aurelia grasped Edmunds arm tightly, who turned to watch Aslan. Everyone followed suit as the witch, Jadis descended her throne grandly and confronted Aslan. The crowd went silent and held their breath as Jadis opened her mouth to speak.

"You have a traitor in your midst Aslan," she spat contemptuously.

"The boys offence was not against you, Jadis," Aslan replied.

"Have you forgotten the deep magic, the magic upon which Narnia was built?"

Aslan let out a growl, "Do not cite the laws to me witch, I was there when they were written."

"Then you should know… you should remember that every traitor belongs to me as my lawful prey. His very blood is my property," Jadis gave Edmund a scathing look and he tensed even more. That was enough to flare Aurelia's temper and she pushed him behind her, pointing her sword at the witch.

"Well come and take him then, I dare you," she snarled. Jadis jolted in surprise at Aurelia and studied her face in concentration.

"I know your eyes… who are you?" Jadis stepped towards Aurelia who held her ground.

"You knew my father," Aurelia kept her sword raised, and felt Adane step behind her.

"Cousin…" he mumbled warningly into her ear.

"I knew your fa… Tharr's girl. You're Tharr's child," Jadis' voice was soft, as though she couldn't believe what stood in front of her.

"I am,"

"You're supposed to be dead,"

"What?"

"Your idiot father just couldn't follow orders, could he?"

"What did you just say?" Aurelia began to advance but she felt a new hand on her arm and looked around to yell at Adane, but she found it was Peter holding her back.

"You need to calm down," he murmured. Aurelia pulled her arm away and turned back to the witch.

"No, I want answers. Now," she pointed her sword again at the witch.

"Who are you to be giving me orders, you insignificant child. You are nothing. Your father was nothing, your mother was nothing and you are just like them,"

Aurelia screeched and leapt at the witch, but found two strong arms around her waist, holding her back and Peter's voice whispering comfortingly into her ear.

"You want to know the truth? Fine. Your father left your mother for me. He didn't want you or her anymore. He wanted power and I gave him that. And I gave him the order to kill you and that pathetic mother of yours, but he couldn't do it. So he brought your mother to me and I disposed of her, but not before he got in the way and begged for her life. I couldn't have someone like him in my presence," Jadis stared at Aurelia. "And he told me that his insipid little spawn was dead. That you were dead. Obviously he lied."

Aurelia tried to get out of Peter's arms, but he held on tight. Jadis turned back to Aslan, pointing at Aurelia.

"Do you think that a mere force can deny me my right? Her father knew this and you should know too. Unless I have blood as the law demands, all of Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water. That boy," she pointed at Edmund who flinched. "Will die on the Stone Table…as is tradition. You dare not refuse me,"

All looked at Aslan who seemed to think for a moment before looking up at the crowd.

"The witch and I will speak alone," he turned and prowled into his tent, Jadis hot on his heels. Aurelia broke free of Peter and stalked towards the tent. Peter grabbed her arm.

"No, Aurelia let them talk," he pulled her into his chest and she couldn't help but simply burst into tears and fall to the ground, Peter's arms around her. She felt Adane stroking her hair and heard Lucy and Susan mumbling comforting words to Edmund. But all she could do was cry into Peter's shirt for what felt like hours. Time passed and still the witch and Aslan did not emerge. The sun began to go down, but they still remained. Aurelia's sobbing had abated, but she was still shaken, still trying to take in this new information. Why had her father told the witch she was dead? Moments later all heard the tent door rustle open and Aslan and Jadis emerged. No one could read the expressions on their faces; no one knew what had been spoken about.

"The witch has renounced her claim on the son of Adams blood. Edmund is free," Aslan announced. The crowd let out a breath and some yelled until the witch spoke again.

"How do I know your promise will be kept?" she demanded. Her answer was an ear splitting roar from Aslan which made her sit heavily on her throne and her minion's high tail it away from him. The crowd broke into cheers and all tried to get their arms around Edmund who looked happier than he had since he arrived in Narnia. Aurelia hugged him tight and then let his siblings surround him. Adane put his arm around her and kissed her head.

"You'll be fine," he said before turning and joining the crowd. Aurelia looked at Lucy who had an expression of worry on her face. She followed Lucy's gaze to Aslan, who was retreating into his tent. Aurelia touched her shoulder.

"What did you see?"

Lucy shook her head and smiled "Nothing,"

Aurelia smiled back and the two joined in the cheering and hugging Edmund.

Aurelia strolled along the riverbank, deep in thought. Her mind was reeling with the stories that the witch had spun. How could they possibly be true? Aurelia felt the familiar fatigue wash over her, spurned by that day's events, and she had to lean on a tree for a moment for support. She closed her eyes, willing her head to clear, willing the sickness to go away. A hand touched her shoulder and she opened her eyes expecting to see Adane. Peter stood there instead, concern lighting his ocean eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Aurelia pushed away from the tree and him and tried to walk away. He caught her arm and turned her around. "Aurelia."

"I'm fine Peter, I just didn't sleep," Aurelia thought of moving but the warmth of Peter's hand on her arm was too comforting. Peter's other hand came up and stroked her face lightly. Aurelia closed her eyes at his touch.

"You're so pale," he murmured.

Aurelia sighed once again tried to walk away, but Peter's strength was too much for her in her current state and all she could do was struggle feebly.

"Tell me about your family," Peter's voice was soft, cautious as if he was weary if frightening her away. Aurelia thought for a moment before she sat down, leaning against the tree. Peter sat down opposite her, keeping a hold of her hand. She took a deep breath and delved into a past that she'd tried to bury for so long.

"My father, Prince Tharr of Archenland was the brother of King Loric, Adane's father and the Captain of his army. He was in charge of combat, war, battle tactics, basically anything to do with fighting, Father was the expert. We were the lords of the town on the Northern border to Narnia, Narnia's Southern border. I was the apple of my father's eye; I always had everything I wanted. Since birth I had been trained in combat so by the time I was 8 I knew everything I needed to know to become a fearsome warrior. My mother taught me the ways of a lady so as well as knowing how to protect myself, I would know how to charm a man. My cousin, Adane visited very often and he and I became fast friends. I had the best life a little girl could ever have,"

"So what happened?" Peter's thumb stroked Aurelia knuckle and his brow was furrowed in concentration.

"The witch happened. King Loric had been reluctant to interfere in Narnia's business, believing it would be safer to Archenland to stay out of the goings on. But the hundred year winter in Narnia was affecting us too. We could no longer trade with them, as their crops would not grow. Their weather began to change our weather patterns making our seasons unpredictable and in turn, affecting our crops. Prince Tharr was to take a small band of men, only fifty and investigate how we could possibly help the people of Narnia. I remember the day he left. Mother could not contain her worry, and I did not understand why father had to go so far away. 30 of Father's men came back, without father. Mother and I were devastated, she was never the same. A year passed without him and mother grew sicker and sicker. With him around she had been able to keep her sickness under control, but without him, nothing could keep it at bay,"

"Her sickness? The one you have?" Peter asked. Aurelia nodded.

"My mother was born almost a month prematurely and she grew up without any protection from her own body. She was told that the women in her family were affected by this, if their children were female, they would always be born too early. This would make them sick. I was born about 3 weeks prematurely. Not as bad as my mother, but still a worry. That is why my father had always trained me. He wanted me to build my own strength, since I had none of my own. The doctors could never explain it; it was something that had been unheard of, except in my own family,"

"That's horrible," Peter's grip on Aurelia's hand tightened. "What about your father?"

"Oh yes. Well, my mother was almost on her deathbed when father returned. But he wasn't my father anymore. There was something in his eyes that I no longer trusted and he treated mother and I with calm indifference. He told the king that the White Queen was doing good for Narnia and that we should just leave them alone. The king agreed, but tried to have my father examined by a doctor and he didn't fully trust him. My father went mad at the court, killing ten of the kings men and then fleeing home to us, where he told mother and I to pack our bags; we were being taken to Narnia. Mother was too weak for a journey, but father practically forced us into the carriage. My father tried to force me too, but something happened when our eyes met. His seemed to clear as he looked at me and he pulled me into him and whispered into my ear, "You must run from this place. Run from Narnia and never look back," and then he left me there. I knew then that he was taking my mother and he to their deaths. The next day I heard word from a spy in Narnia, that my father had been having an affair with the witch and that is why he wanted my mother and I dead, so nothing would block him from fulfilling his purpose for her. I knew then that before he left, somehow I had broken her hold over him. The spell she had put him under and that is why he died. He sacrificed himself for mother,"

"Wow," Peter whispered in wonder. "What did you do after that?"

"My nursemaid stayed with me for a week, but when the news came about my father, everyone, all of our servants and loyal townspeople thought he was a traitor and abandoned the town. It was deserted within the fortnight. I deserted it too and went to live with my aunt in the hills. But when I turned 13, the age we are considered able to fend for ourselves, I left and have been wandering Archenland ever since, staying with family or nobles that would take me in. I was staying with a man, the Duke of Arden before I came here. I had been there for about a year and we had… he had been courting me, expecting marriage. I ran away and that's when Adane found me," Aurelia let out a breath as she finished her story. Peter looked at her with an almost reverent expression on his face.

"You've been through so much," he reached up and touched her hair, but she flinched away from him, standing and walking away. He rushed after her.

"And this is why you won't trust me? Because of your father? But surely you know now that he was under a spell and tried to protect you and your mother?"

"I don't know for sure that he was under a spell," Aurelia turned to face Peter.

"But…"

"Peter, please. I've told you a story that I didn't want to have to open up ever for the rest of my life. What more do you want from me?" Aurelia felt weaker than ever. Peter cupped her face and put his forehead against hers.

"You know what I want," he breathed and leaned in to kiss her. Aurelia almost let him, but something made her put her hands on his chest and push him away.

"I just… I just can't," she whispered and before he could say anything else, Aurelia was running from him as fast as he could and Peter knew better than to follow her.