Chapter 10

Evelyn cursed when the storm rolled in. It blotted out the sun and darkness encased the forest, making it harder for them to cover ground quickly. They slowed down considerably, and what should have only taken three and a half hours took over seven.

It was maybe late afternoon when they finally arrived at the edge of the field around the How. The rain slowed, and subsided, and she waited for it to grow lighter. Then the wind came, and it grew even darker. "I don't want to approach in the dark. They might think us Telmarines," she sighed, and Lynn's Elk moved up beside her horse.

"So we wait," the girl said simply.

"Caspian needs me now. I've been away too long, and the war is even closer now," she replied, urging her horse forward. The line of pack horses followed until Evelyn heard a clink of metal from in front of her. Her head jerked up, and then she was yanked from the back of her mare. Lynn screamed and Evelyn twisted to see her pulled from the Elk. "Leave her alone!" Evelyn snarled, ripping herself free. She drew her sword and launched herself at the struggling form of Lynn. Instantly, the two figures holding the girl leaped away and Lynn darted to her side, her dagger in hand.

Then the figures were attacking again, and Evelyn knocked one after another to the ground. She'd spent thirteen hundred years fighting with a sword, and they had to know they couldn't win. Then two figures came forward, and based on their shapes she guessed they were human. She was pretty sure she'd been fighting fauns and Dwarves, and now, the two humans attacked with more skill.

The taller of the two drew her focus as the smaller slipped around her side. She pulled Lynn behind her, facing both attackers. Then they both attacked and Lynn leaped back, towards the trees. Evelyn couldn't stop the smaller from slipping around her once more, but she could stop the taller from getting to close. And she could disarm him after a few minutes and rest the tip of her blade on his collar bone.

And then Lynn screamed. "Drop the sword," a young man ordered. Instantly, she moved behind the man she had disarmed, kicked the back of his leg, driving him to his knees, and brought her sword up against his throat. And she faced the other man.

Then the sun broke through the clouds. Once her eyes had recovered, she saw that Lynn stood opposite her, the other man's sword at her throat. That man was maybe fourteen, with dark hair and clever dark eyes. He held Lynn's dagger in his other hand, and he held Evelyn's gaze evenly. "Drop the sword," he repeated.

Evelyn's heart constricted in her chest as she recognized the man. "You first, Your Majesty," she replied calmly.

"Who are you?" he asked. "How do you know who I am?"

"Well I know you're not Prince Caspian, and I know there are no other humans here. Who else could you be?" she answered.

"How do you know the Prince?" he demanded.

"He sent me to the North to gather the Gryphons and what weapons I could. I'm the one who led the Narnians before he arrived," she lifted her chin as she spoke, and he saw a woman who had seen it all, not the girl she appeared to be.

"And your name?" he asked.

"You know it, Your Majesty," she said, and then she stepped away from the blonde seventeen year old kneeling with his back to her. He didn't move, but the dark haired one went still in shock. His blade fell away from Lynn's throat as he looked down at the blonde's face, and he swallowed. The blonde's blue eyes had glassed over, and both of them were reeling.

"Come here, Lynn," Evelyn ordered, and the girl tucked herself under Evelyn's arm without a word. Evelyn sheathed her sword, and stared at the two teenagers with an unreadable expression. But she could feel the sadness welling up inside her. They didn't know who she was. She sighed, and then she said, "My name."

But she was cut off by the blonde. "Evelyn. Your name is Evelyn. You're the Princess of the Far Territory. You're the Princess of Old," he said.

"Hello, Your Majesties," she replied, and then Peter was on his feet, whirling to face her.

"How are you here? You should be dead," he said, and he moved closer, as he couldn't believe it was her.

"Aslan allowed me to stay the whole time," she told him, and she bowed to him. He took her elbows in his hands and lifted her back to her full height, and their eyes met. Then Peter pushed her hood down and his hand rested on the side of her face. "It's been a long time, Your Majesty," she murmured, leaning her head into his touch instinctively.

"Much longer for you though. It was only a year for me," he replied.

"Thirteen hundred years, Your Majesty. Much has changed in so long," she told him.

"Have we changed?" he asked softly, and her breath got in her throat. "I can understand if there was someone else. You probably thought I was dead," he whispered.

"No. There was only ever you. There will only ever be you," she assured him, and she slid a hand around the back of his neck. "And no, we've not changed. Why should it change; love is supposed to be unconditional," she added.

"That's what makes it love," he murmured, leaning his forehead against hers. Her heart soared and she could feel his pulse under her hand. "The little one, is she yours?" he asked softly, holding his breath.

"No. She's an orphan. I guess you could say I've adopted her," she whispered.

"What happened to our child?" he asked, feeling his heart tighten.

"It wasn't his time to join us in the world. But someday we'll have a son," she promised quietly.

"Aslan promised?" he asked, and she nodded. He was so relieved, and suddenly filled with a need to kiss her. And then she was kissing him.

When they drew apart, she looked down at her arm in surprise. "I could feel your need again," she told him, looking up at him with her gold eyes. Her voice was joyous and sad at the same time, and he kissed her again, quickly and gently.

"I missed you so much," he told her.

"I missed you, too," she replied, and he pulled her tight to him, wrapping his arms around her. She buried her face in his shoulder, and he bent his neck so his forehead rested on her shoulder.

After a minute, Evelyn and Peter stepped apart, and Edmund embraced Evelyn. "Welcome home, Your Majesty," Evelyn said, giving him a shallow curtsy. He clasped her shoulder, and handed his brother his sword.

"It's been a long time, Princess," he replied, and she nodded.

"Lynn, meet High King Peter and King Edmund," she said, turning to the small girl.

"Your Majesties," the girl curtsied and Evelyn smiled proudly.

"Hello, Milady," Peter said, bowing to her. Beside him, Edmund bowed as well. "Will you come inside now?" he asked, turning back to Evelyn.

She nodded, and then turned to look for her pack horses. She found them already gathered and being led into the How. The Gryphons, Wolves, and the small herd of Elk had already vanished underground. Domino was standing at the top of the tunnel, his tail lashing his sides as he waited for her. Lynn took her hand, and she smiled down at the small auburn head. The High King took her other hand, and Edmund fell in on his brother's other side. "Edmund, can I have Lynn's dagger back now?" she asked as they walked. The King laughed and handed it over. Evelyn tucked it back into the sheath on Lynn's hip, and then took her hand again.

The High King's warmth was spreading into Evelyn as they walked, and she realized how much it had hurt to miss that feeling. She'd known her Kings and Queens would return eventually, but as more and more time passed, she'd found it harder and harder to hope for their arrival. She'd returned to the How often after it had been built, and she'd spent so much time on their story. Then she'd thrown her own in as an afterthought, knowing that she couldn't stay in Narnia forever. And now that they were back, she knew she would join them when they left again.

She squeezed Peter's hand, and his blue eyes turned to her. "I missed you," she explained softly. A sad smile touched his face, and he squeezed her hand in reply. He could feel her warming to his touch, and he realized that she'd been cold for thirteen hundred years. He couldn't imagine watching the land he loved change like that, and he couldn't imagine having to watch as the land was invaded and the people destroyed. He couldn't imagine having to go on for so long without her. He'd thought a year had been painful, but now that he knew how much time had passed for her, he wanted to laugh at himself. So instead, he raised their joined hands and kissed the back of her knuckles. She turned her gold eyes on him, and he saw his own sadness mirrored in them.

Then they made a promise. They'd focus on the time they had together and not dwell on the time they'd lost.