Chapter Eleven: Happiness and Sadness
Once the crowd finally started to disperse it was only the five humans that were left standing in front of the tents. Everyone had wanted to know what had happened and how it had happened. Peter wasn't afraid to tell them that it was partially his fault but Kate wouldn't hear any of it. It was her fault through and through and she wasn't going to let them look down on him. Though feelings toward her wasn't as strong as those toward the four of them. But the warm greeting that she got made her feel like she had just come home. It was a relief to finally be with the Pevensies' and knowing that she was finally safe.
"Are you sure you're all right?" Peter said with her hand in his.
"Yes, I promise you that I'm fine. Much better now that I'm back." She told him. He still didn't look convinced. "And thank you." She told him seriously. "You matter enough to me that I would do anything for you." She told him so no one else would hear.
"I feel the same way." Peter told her kissing her hair.
"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Susan told her.
"That would be wonderful." Kate smiled at her.
"Come on then!" Lucy said pulling on her arm.
It hurt but Kate simply smiled at her. She looked at Peter, putting her hand on his cheek. "I'll find you once I'm clean again." She said pecking his lips.
She followed the sisters as Lucy practically dragged her along. As much as Kate loved the girl she didn't think Lucy understood the beating she had taken. Though it would soon be known as they filled a tub with hot water and helped her from her torn and dirt covered dress. Kate slipped into the water and heaved a heavy sigh. It felt glorious and yet painful all at the same time. As she slowly washed her body Susan and Lucy were sitting with her.
"I'm glad you're all right." Susan told her sheepishly.
Kate smiled at her. "I know we haven't always been the best of friends but I do wish to be close." She replied.
"Me too." Susan smiled. Lucy laughed and grinned at the two of them. "Let me help you." She said and took a rag, helping clean the blood and dirt from her back.
"Thank you." Kate smiled but flinched as the rag moved over her wounds.
"Why did they hurt you?" Lucy asked.
"Because they thought it would make Peter make a stupid move. I was just leverage against all of you. It wouldn't have worked though." She told her.
"Why not?" Lucy asked.
"Because Peter knows that I'm not as important as the four of you are to Narnia. Even though he doesn't want to, he knows. I'm extra and in the end…dispensable." Kate replied.
"That's not true." Susan told her sadly.
"It's not?" Kate said looking at her.
"I've always been the one to try and use logic and if I was still the same girl I may agree with you but Peter's right. You are just as important as we are." She replied and paused. "Besides, he would gladly give his life for you. He cares for you deeply. More deeply than I can understand." She told her.
"Really?" Kate said and couldn't help but grin.
"Yes." Susan smiled. "I can only hope that I find my true love at our age."
"If I can, you can." Kate smiled at her. Susan smiled but it soon faded. "What is it?" Kate frowned.
"Do you feel the same for him?" She asked.
"Of course I do." Kate said and smiled. "My feelings for your brother can not be explained. They go so deep that I can feel it everywhere within me. I even see him in things around me." She said and couldn't help but grin at the mere thought of him.
Susan and Lucy looked at each other and smiled. "That's good. I don't think he'd survive a broken heart."
"You don't need to worry." Kate said looking at her.
They sat in silence while Kate finished bathing. Susan helped her bandage the wounds that were the worst. Kate wrapped herself with a blanket while Susan fixed her hair for her. She pulled it half back tying it with some twine before handing her a scarlet dress. It was figure fitting and she felt nice inside of it. It was a little tight, making her bruised body slightly uncomfortable. Though all of it was forgotten when she stepped outside of the tent. Peter was standing there, waiting for her. He looked wonderful. She couldn't help but grin as she looked at him. He had a boyish smile on his face that made her weak in the knees.
"Hi." She grinned stepping up to him.
"Hi." He smiled back putting his hands on her waist.
She put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She ran her hand down the back of his head and couldn't have been happier than being in his arms. He made her feel safe. She let him go and looked into his eyes, gently running her fingers through his hair. He kissed her gently before he pulled her against him kissing her as if he may never do it again. It felt magnificent and she couldn't imagine not feeling like this every day. She put her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat, smiling before looking back up at him. He took her hand and led her just a few yards to his tent. Edmund simply smiled at them before making his way from it. Kate kissed his cheek and embraced him briefly before watching him leave. Once he was gone she turned and looked at Peter with a playful smile on her face. Peter grinned and pulled her toward him. Kate laughed as their bodies met.
"Not to spoil the mood but, I'm sorry I couldn't rescue you…again." He told her, his eyes moving over her wounds.
Kate sighed and kissed his forehead. "I shouldn't have wandered off so far." She told him. "It's my own fault."
"I should have gone after you." He stated with a guilty tone.
"No you shouldn't have. Everything happened the way it should have." She replied.
"If it involves you getting hurt than it didn't happen the way it should have." He told her with a frown.
"Peter, it's not your job to protect me." She smiled.
"It is now." He said returning it, his face softening.
Kate grinned and shook her head. "It's my job to protect you…King Peter."
He did the same and kissed her. He fell back into his hammock with her on top of him, ignoring the pain that it had caused. Their lips found each other's and Kate caressed his face with her fingers. He entangled his fingers in her hair as he kissed her. Kate could feel her body temperature rising. Their breathing became panting as their lips never ceased. Peter moved from underneath her and tried to roll her under him. Kate kissed him hard as he tried but soon the hammock started to rock and the next thing they knew it tipped sending both of them onto the floor. Kate couldn't help but laugh.
"Are you okay?" Peter asked her laughing.
"Yeah." She nodded running her hand down his face with one hand while the other moved to her side where there was a small amount of pain. "Let's go for a ride." She told him standing; not going to let her injuries diminish what she was feeling right now.
"What, now?" He asked looking at her from the ground.
"Come on baby, it'll be fun." She told him with a pouty face.
He looked at her and sighed. "But we were having so much fun." He smiled roguishly.
Kate's heart skipped a beat and she knelt down and crawled back over to him. She kissed him deeply before pulling away, his lips still reaching out for hers. Kate grinned and put her fingers on his lips.
"Just think how much fun we could have away from the camp." She whispered.
She looked at him and he grinned at her. "I guess a ride would be nice." He told her.
Kate laughed and helped him to his feet. She left the tent and looked through the crowd. Peter stood next to her and whistled a nice note. Soon the unicorn appeared through the crowd followed closely by Mari.
"There's my girl!" Kate said excitedly as she saw the horse.
"Kate!" Mari said and nudged her.
"Ready to ride?" Kate asked the horse.
The horse neighed happily and Kate pulled herself up onto the horse's back. Peter was already atop the unicorn. She looked at him and smiled before pushing Mari forward through the camp before turning her toward the fields nearby. Mari was fast and the unicorn had to work hard to keep up with her lean form. Kate leaned far over the horse and urged her to go faster. The horse let out a neigh before Kate could feel her muscles tighten as she worked harder to pick up speed. Soon Kate could feel the horse tiring and she told her she could stop. Mari immediately started to slow and soon the unicorn was at her side.
"She's fast." Peter said once they had stopped.
"That she is." Kate said and patted the horse's neck.
"Faster than the unicorn." Mari said and shook her head.
The unicorn snorted at her and bent his head to graze in the tall grass. Kate rubbed Mari's neck before dropping from her back. Peter did the same and walked up to her. She put her hands on his chest and kissed him gently.
"Did you notice that we're in this field all alone?" She asked him.
"With all this nice tall grass." He said wrapping his arms around her waist.
Kate laughed and pulled him down on top of her as she fell backward into the grass, hiding the pain it caused. He laughed and looked down at her.
"You're so beautiful." He whispered.
Kate smiled and kissed him deeply. "So are you." She whispered airily as she kissed him.
He kissed her passionately. The grass hid them from view. Their steeds wandering through the field. Kate buried her fingers in Peter's hair as she kissed him. She gripped him tightly, not wanting to let him go. Kate rolled him and rested her body on top of his. He had been working hard and she could feel the effects as she ran her hand down his chest. She kissed his neck before his forehead and then his lips. She looked down at him and he had his eyes closed. She placed a soft kiss on each eyelid before kissing his lips again. She put her hand on his face and gently rubbed his cheek with her thumb. He opened his eyes and looked at her. He placed a kiss on her nose and her forehead. She breathed him in, loving every scent of him. She looked at him and ran her fingers through his hair. He did the same as he smiled at her.
"Is it even possible to be this happy?" Kate smiled at him.
He gave a short laugh and kissed her lightly. "It must be, because I'm the happiest I've ever been." He said quietly.
Kate grinned at him and kissed him deeply. "So am I. You wanna know something?" She asked resting her head on his chest.
"Of course I do." Peter smiled.
"Right before I came here I had a talk with my mum. She's been depressed since my father went off to the war. Since it's just me and her she doesn't have a lot to keep her busy. I take care of myself and her half the time." She told him. "Anyway, my mum was telling me how much she missed my dad. She loves him so much. My mum was telling me all this and then I talked to my cousin about it. I told him that I hoped to find love like that. A love that would have me do anything for him. To find someone that I loved so much that nothing would be able to stand in the way. That I would put him before everything else. Someone I could share my life with. Be able to talk with like no other. Someone that felt the same way about me." She said and paused. She lowered her voice to a mere whisper. "I think I've found that man." She said looking Peter in his eyes.
He looked at her and gently ran his fingers through her hair. The longer he remained silent the more Kate thought that she had made a mistake. She didn't like him not responding in some way. She had just given him her heart and he wasn't saying anything. She took a breath and found it sticking in her throat. She kept her eyes locked with his, trying to see what she wanted to see. She wanted to see longing and love in his eyes. She was just about to get off of him when he lifted his head and kissed her overpoweringly. He put his forehead against hers and gently caressed her face.
"I don't have words like yours." He told her. "I'm not going to try and say anything. I wouldn't want it to be anything less than perfect."
"Peter…" Kate said pushing herself up.
"Wait…" He said stopping her. She lowered herself back on top of him. "All I'm trying to say is…I love you too." He said softly.
Kate looked down at him and it seemed in that moment everything she wanted to see in him was there. She smiled and kissed him deeply. He had just made her the happiest girl in the world. Though as happy as he had just made her a horrible thought crossed her mind that it may not last. As strong as their feelings were there may come a time when they didn't feel the same way. Though the thought quickly moved from her mind. She didn't care if it lasted or not. She was happy now and she would remain that way for as long as she could.
They lay in the field kissing. His words had made Kate's heart sore. She couldn't stop kissing him. He didn't seem to mind. When Kate finally needed a chance to breath she rolled off of him, looking up into the sky. She sighed happily, looking over at Peter. He was watching her.
"What?" Kate grinned at him.
"Just watching you." He smiled back taking her hand in his, kissing the top of it.
"Do you think that we're growing up to fast?" She asked him. "Sword fighting, preparing for war, leading people…those aren't things we should be worrying about."
"Yeah, I guess so." He replied, frowning. "We shouldn't be worrying about all of it but I'm trying not to think about it. Susan thinks about it sometimes. What mum would think about what we're doing. I think we're doing the right thing here. They need us and I'm going to be there for them."
"You could lead them if you wanted to." Kate told him.
"No." He smiled. "I couldn't, but I'll be alongside Aslan when he does."
"So will I." Kate smiled at him. He smiled back but he had his worried look in his eyes. "Don't worry Pete. With you there with me and me with you, both of us will be fine."
He smiled at her. She leaned over and kissed him. They laid in the field for some time, watching the clouds go by overhead. They didn't talk while they watched the sky. There was nothing left to say. They were completely content to simply lay together. They laid there until the sun started to set before they finally stood and walked back to their steeds. Kate smiled at Mari and stroked her neck before pulling herself up onto her back. She looked at Peter and smiled. They talked on the way back to the camp. Walking at a leisurely pace. When they finally left the horses they walked back to their tents. Susan, Lucy, and Edmund were sitting at a table talking. There was still food on the table and Kate and Peter sat, filling their stomachs. They enjoyed conversation until the sun was nearly down and everyone started to head to bed. Peter and Kate were the last ones left outside.
"This place is wonderful at night." Kate told him.
"Yes it is." He smiled. "Do you feel like we're the grownups here?" He asked her.
She looked at him and grinned. "First to wake, last to go to sleep…yeah, yeah I guess we are." She said and laughed. "It's kinda funny the way things have turned out."
"But in a good way."
"Yes, in a good way."
They sat a few minutes longer while the camp became quiet. They picked up what was left on the table before standing in front of each other.
"I'm not sure which tent to go to." Peter grinned at her.
"I know which one I'd like." Kate grinned back.
"Separate tents then?" He said after a pause.
Kate sighed and put her hands on his chest. "Yup." She said and kissed him. "Goodnight."
"Night." He said kissing her deeply before letting her go and watching her walk to her tent.
Kate looked back at him before stepping inside. She walked past the sisters to her bed and laid down. She looked at Susan and Lucy, listening to their heavy breathing of sleep before closing her eyes.
Peter filled her dreams as she spelt. Images from the days happenings along with those from the days that have passed. Her mother and father also crept into her dreams and she found herself telling her mother that she was in love. She readily accepted it and it seemed as if years slipped by and Kate found that she was still with Peter. It moved on and she could see the kids that they may have. It was a good dream. It could have gone on forever, but she woke up to gentle shaking. She opened her eyes and Peter was looking down at her. His expression grim.
"Baby, is everything okay?" She asked him sleepily. He shook his head. She sat up and noticed that Susan and Lucy weren't there. "What is it? Where are Susan and Lucy?" She asked trying to rub the sleep from her eyes.
"Aslan's dead." He told her sadly.
She was starting to stand up but now she sat back down and looked at him. "What?" She asked.
"We don't know how but Ed and I got a message from Susan and Lucy, telling us that he was dead."
"I don't understand how this could happen." She said not wanting to believe.
"Neither do I." He said sitting next to her. "I've checked his tent, he's not there. My sisters aren't here, there's little doubt that it's wrong."
"But how?" Kate said looking at him, tears in her eyes. "He's Aslan. How could he be dead?"
"I don't know." He said pulling her against him.
She tried to control her tears but she couldn't help it. Peter turned her into him and she cried, hugging him tightly. When she finally stopped they left the tent and joined Edmund and Oreius under the awning in front of Aslan's tent. Kate stood and looked between the three of them. This was unexpected and the worst thing that could have happened. Not only did they lose their leader, they lost a friend. One that meant a lot to all of them.
"What do we do now?" Kate finally asked.
"Then you'll have to lead us." Edmund told his brother. Peter looked at him with a sad and uncertain look. "Peter, there's an army out there and it's ready to follow you."
Kate looked between them. Edmund just grew older and Peter's expression worried her. She knew he could do it. They all did. He was the only one who didn't seem to think so.
"I can't." Peter replied.
"Aslan believed you could. And so do I."
"Peter, you can do this." Kate told him.
"The Witch's army is nearing, sire. What are your orders?" Oreius asked him.
Peter looked at them before looking at the map on the table in front of him. The plans that had already been set lay before him and he looked at it. Kate could see him working out what to do. He was smart enough to create a plan. He could do this, whether he believed he could or not. Though he had to work quickly. Oreius had said that the Witch's army was nearly here. Kate's stomach turned with the news but she would be ready. She was ready to fight. Now more than ever. They had killed Aslan and now it was their turn to do the same. The Witch would not survive the day.
