A/N: Hey, folks! Before y'all begin reading, I just want to say thanks to my best friend (well, one of the many I have), lucypotter14! Yes, I do know her in the real world; I'm the one that convinced her to get a fanfiction account. Anyways, read her story "Susan's Story: The Discovery". It's really good!

Secondly, I want to thank my wonderful reviewers. I've been slacking off for the past couple of chapters and not doing this, but I want to show my appreciation! So thanks to the following people:

Allie Danger, Hella Monetza, Narnia and Harry Potter 4EVER, Guest, Cherry, Daisy 54154, lucypotter14, Counting Airplanes, kaia, StereoHearts64

You guys are awesome! Now, without further ado, let's see what Lucy plans to do about Susan and Caspian, and what will happen between Avaline and Edmund. Also, maybe a new surprise coming up soon… read and find out!

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia. If I did and I actually published this, you'd own a copy.

-Chapter 10-

"Avaline, it's time to get up," a woman's voice said. It sounded like Susan, but so early in the morning? It seemed like I'd only been sleeping for an hour. I decided to ignore her.

"Avaline, wake up, we have a big day ahead of us!" Susan announced enthusiastically. If my eyes were open, I'd roll them. Susan sighed; she didn't have much patience. Just then I heard the bedroom door open and footsteps walked over to my cot.

"What's up?" a man asked. I'd know that voice anywhere. Edmund.

"She won't get up!" Susan exclaimed, obviously exasperated.

"Calm down, I'll wake her up. You just go find Lucy, I think she's with Peter and Caspian, and get them something to eat," her brother replied.

"Alright," she replied before warning me in a quieter tone, "Princess Avaline Leigh Turner, if I were you I'd wake up right now, before he gets a hold of you!"

"Avvvaaaaline. . . it's time to wake uuupppp," the Just King said. I continued to breathe evenly so the person would think I was still sleeping. "Ava, wakey wakey!" Edmund shook me, but I just held my breath, hoping he'd just leave me alone.

Edmund sighed. "Avaline, I know you're awake. I am not as dumb as you think." When I didn't reply, I heard him get up and leave, and then a door opened and closed.

Finally, I thought. Maybe I can get some sleep. I heard water running and figured he was taking a bath. I had at least twenty minutes to go before he came back to annoy me some more.

I hadn't been alone for five minutes when someone again entered the room. Who could it be this time? "Avaline, I'm going to give you one last chance. Are you sure you don't want to get up now?" I didn't answer, and boy did I regret it. Within seconds, icy cold water was being dumped onto my head. I squeezed my eyes tighter closed, my mouth dropping open as I jerked into a sitting position. Expecting that the waterfall was over, I opened my eyes but the next thing I knew, yet another heavy stream of freezing liquid ran down my back. When this one was over, I opened my lids again and glared through the drops of water on my face at the offender.

"Edmund!" I screamed, snatching my pillow off the cot and throwing it at him. He looked very amused, and had a seemingly smug expression on his face. "What in Aslan's name was that for?!"

"That was for not getting up when I knew perfectly well that you were awake," he replied, moving a few feet away to lean casually against the wall that my cot was pressed up against.

"But was ice water really your remedy for it?" I asked.

"Well, it worked didn't it?"

"Edmund, you know what I mean!" I exclaimed, slapping his arm. He wasn't too far away from me that I couldn't reach him; I just had to lean over a bit.

"Do I?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow and smirking all the while.

"Ed!"

"Fine, fine. It's time for breakfast and we have a lot to do today, so I need you to get up and dressed. We're meeting at the Stone Table in ten minutes, so hurry up and get ready." He paused. "Or I'll have to make you."

"Is that a threat?"

"It is if you want it to be." And with that he walked out of the room. I glanced around and noticed that I was alone now. Susan and Lucy must have already gotten dressed and headed out. I shrugged and headed to the bathroom; I washed my face and hair, carefully combed through each individual strand, and went back to my bag.

As I was looking through the bag, I noticed that I had absolutely no idea what we were doing today, therefore I did not know what to dress myself in. I went through everything that we could be doing. Going over battle plans, spying on the enemies, or (this made me shudder in fear) we could be fighting the enemies. The enemies that, no matter how much I wish to deny it, are my people. I rule over them, I am their princess. I'm not the rightful heir to the throne, but for now they have to deal with it.

I shook my head. Why did this matter? I went back to picking out a dress. There was a heavy, silk, ice blue dress with tight sleeves and a figure-hugging top along with metallic silver underskirt, under sleeves, trim, and thin braided collar. It went along with metallic silver flats, and it was the first dress I came upon. But then I came across a dark purple dress that laced up at the top with gray laces and a black undershirt showed underneath. At the skirt, there was a black underskirt that showed between the thin slit at the middle of the dress. It went with black flats.

I finally decided upon the dark purple, thinking that the blue was too formal to wear during such unpredictable times. When I was dressed, I pinned back my bangs and let my medium brown hair fall in a curtain of waves behind my back. I looked in the mirror and was satisfied with my look, so I headed out.

The four monarchs and Caspian were already at the Stone Table when I got there, and it was obvious they were waiting on me. "Finally, I thought you were never going to come!" Edmund exclaimed. I stuck my tongue out at him playfully and he just smiled. Seeing him smile at me made me feel happy.

So we dug in, making small talk until Peter cleared his throat loudly and looked around at each one of us. "I think we should go over what we are going to do today, if that is okay with everyone else?" No one spoke up, so he continued. "Today we will be discussing battle plans and strategies. I need to know everyone's strengths and weaknesses before lunch, so we can train you in your unknowledgeable places and practice in your strong spots. Also, the six of us have specific tasks we need to complete before the end of the day."

"This ought to be good," Edmund muttered from his seat next to me on the steps of the table. I chuckled quietly; what could Peter possibly want us to do besides train?

"Susan, you are going to assemble your small army of archers and make sure they know how to shoot, where to shoot, and who to shoot. They must know the plan, and you must go over every possible situation with them." Susan nodded. "Lucy, you must get to know Destrier, Caspian's horse. Also, I need you to speak to Doctor Cornelius and find out as much as possible about the trees. We may need help in battle, and we would have the advantage if the trees joined us. Understand?"

"Yes," Lucy replied. She nodded her head and looked to her brother for him to continue.

"Okay. Ed, you and Avaline will be needed. Telmarine soldiers have been spotted outside the How at the edge of the forests, spying. We already know they have a base set up not too far from here. I need you both to go to it and send King Miraz a letter that I will write for him. Edmund, I will need you to read it aloud to him, and Avaline, you will be there due to your relationship with the King. He will be intimidated by Edmund, but he will be shocked when he discovers that you will be fighting with him. You may take three others to ensure that you get there safely and nothing goes wrong, but only three. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Edmund and I said at the same time. We looked at each other and exchanged glances before laughing.

"Ed, look what you've done to poor Avaline! You are making her immature, just like you," Lucy said, mock-scolding her seventeen-year-old brother.

"Ah, whatever," he replied, rolling his eyes. He poked his sister in the side playfully and she giggled. Then we were back to business.

"Caspian, you will stick with me," Peter announced. "It will not be to anyone's good to have you anywhere else but at the training grounds, or what will be the training grounds anyway." Caspian nodded.

"Will I be trained in sword fighting and archery also, your Majesty?" he asked.

"No, you will be training others in sword fighting."

"And archery?" he asked.

"That is Susan's job," the High King replied. He paused before adding, "Are we all clear on what we are to do?" When everyone nodded their head, he left the room, Caspian trailing behind him. Susan left soon after to begin teaching at the new 'training grounds' and Lucy left later when a faun arrived telling her that Destrier was ready for visitors.

"Guess that leaves you and me," Edmund said.

"Again," I added, giggling. Then I remembered that we weren't going to be for long. The smile was wiped from my face. "When are we leaving?"

"A few minutes," he replied, matching my tone. He looked nervous, though not anywhere near as nervous as I felt.

"Oh," I responded, my eyes dropping to the floor.

There was a pause, then he said, "It'll be alright, you know."

"I know. It's just that I'm a little scared to see my father again."

Edmund nodded, and we let the silence of the place take over. We sat there for a while just like that, looking down, deep in thought, until he stood up. "I think it's time to go."

"Who are we bringing?" I asked.

"Wimbleweather the giant, Glenstorm the centaur, and Trufflehunter."

"Okay," I nodded, and followed him as he made his way to the door.

00000000

"I, Peter, by the gift of Aslan, by election and by conquest, High King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel and emperor of the Lone Islands, in order to prevent the abominable effusion of blood, do hereby challenge the usurper Miraz to single combat upon the field of battle. The fight shall be to the death. The reward shall be total surrender."

"Tell me, Prince Edmund…" my father said before being interrupted.

"King," Edmund corrected him.

My father looked as if he was about to say something, but then changed his mind as confusion overtook him. "Pardon me?"

"It's King Edmund, actually. Just 'king' though. Peter's the High King." Edmund paused to see Miraz's reaction. "I know, it's confusing."

My father sighed before asking, "Why would you risk such a proposal when our armies could wipe you out by nightfall?"

Edmund looked between him, Lord Sopespian, and the other Lords. "Haven't you already underestimated our numbers? I mean, only a week ago, Narnians were extinct."

"And so you will be again."

I blinked in surprise. My father's army may be good, but is really so deluded as to think that he can wipe out the entire Narnian population so efficiently that they die out completely?

"Well then you have little fear," Edmund replied.

Miraz looked taken aback for a moment, but then recovered. He spoke through his teeth, "This isn't a question of bravery."

"So you're bravely refusing to fight a swordsman half your age?"

"I didn't say I refused."

Lord Sopespian spoke up then. "You shall have our support, Your Majesty, whatever your decision. Sire, our military advantage alone provides the perfect excuse to avoid what might otherwise be..."

"I'm not avoiding anything!" Miraz said, standing up straight from his chair and glaring at Sopespian.

"I was merely pointing out that my lord is well within his rights to refuse," Sopespian said.

"His Majesty would never refuse," one of the lords said, "He relishes the chance to show people the courage of their new king."

Miraz looked between the two of them for a moment before turning to Edmund. "You," he growled in his thick Telmarine accent. "You'd better hope your brother's sword is sharper than his pen."

00000000

"Well, that went well," Edmund announced as soon as we were free from my father's meeting tent. We were only a few yards outside it and we could see them just as well as they could see us, but we were safe to talk without them overhearing us.

"Yes, it went much better than I thought it would," I replied, smiling up at him.

He smiled back down to me and slowly began to lean in. I didn't know what was going on any better than anyone else did, and yet there was a part of me that did. His face was only inches from mine before he flashed a beautiful smile at me and said, "You're so beautiful when you're happy."

And then his lips reached mine and the world stopped turning. What just happened?! I asked myself, and then I knew.

Here we go again.

A/N: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!