Chapter 11

Susan stood perfectly still as a tailor worked on her dress. She knew she had to have it let out because she was going to show soon, and the last thing she wanted was for Peter or the rest of her family to find out about her predicament before she had the chance to tell them herself. She let out a shaky breath as tears threatened to fall out of the corner of her eyes, but they were tears of happiness. She was going to have the family she wanted, it would happen faster than she expected, but she didn't dwell much on that fact anymore.

'I have to tell them...but I don't know how they'll take it. Lucy would probably be happy about it. Edmund would be shocked, and Peter....Peter would be furious. Maybe it's best to tell him last, when he's in a better mood. Lately he's been angry with every little thing, it's unlike him.'

"Queen Susan, may you lift your arms a little?" The tailor asked as she got on her knees. Susan nodded and lifted her arms as she drifted back into her thoughts.

'I wish Mum was here, maybe then I'd know what to do. I wonder how we're going to get back home if it was pulled here with us. What happened to everyone else on our street? Gosh, there has to be a reason why we were sent back here, especially when Aslan specifically said that we wouldn't be able to return.'

"Queen Susan, I am finished," the tailor announced, breaking Susan out of her reverie.

"Thank you so much," Susan gushed before lifting the bottom of her dress and stepping down onto the floor. "Do you happen to know where my sister is?"

"I think she is in the garden," the tailor responded as she scooped everything into her basket.

"Thank you again."

"It was my pleasure, Queen Susan."

Susan curtsied before rushing out of the room as fast as she could without dripping over the hem of her dress. She almost crashed into a couple of servants on her way out and stopped to apologize before leaving the castle. She stood at the top of the stairs and looked out across the ocean. She stood there letting the salty wind move through her hair as she stared at the ocean as it receded and rolled onto the sand over and over again.

Susan tore her eyes away from the breathtaking sight and made her way down to the garden. She spotted Lucy walking the path, humming softly to herself. Crystal was with her, talking to her about something that Susan couldn't hear.

"Hello, I don't suppose you two would fancy going on a horseback ride?" Susan suggested as she approached the two girls.

"Are you sure you want to?" Lucy asked as she eyed Susan. "I mean, you just got your dress tailored, I don't want you to take the chance that it might get ripped."

"It's quite all right, I know what I'm doing," Susan said before turning around and leading the way to the horse pen. Lucy let out a breath and followed her, nudging Crystal in the side to follow her too. The trio walked across the rolling green grass to the horse pen.

Susan rubbed a black horse's nose before opening the gate and leading her out. Lucy walked out with a butterscotch colored horse and a brown horse with white spots. Lucy held the brown and white horse still as Crystal got on the back of it, with difficulty. She complained under her breath about her dress as Lucy and Susan laughed. Once she was on Lucy and Susan got onto their horses and they took off.

They waved to Edmund as they passed and rode in the direction of the forest. Susan loved the rock and bounce feeling of her horse but suddenly felt bad for riding one. It could harm their baby and she didn't want that. But she was all ready on and she couldn't make an excuse to suddenly get off and go back. She pushed the thought out of her mind and tried to have fun with the ride.

They made their way all the way to the lake and Susan sat on the horse, thinking about what had happened the last time she was there. It was when she, Peter, Lucy, and Edmund saved Trumpkin from being killed by Telmarines. 'We have come a long way for peace in Narnia.'

Lucy eagerly slid off of the horse's back, took off her socks and shoes, held up the bottom of her dress, and rushed into the water. She laughed as she kicked it around and let out a squeal when Crystal suddenly splashed her. Susan watched from the back of her horse how much fun they were having and felt a pang of envy. She knew that her times of fun would soon be over and more responsibility would set in.

Lucy stopped playing when she noticed the look on Susan's face and walked over to the side of her horse. Susan looked down at Lucy as Lucy looked up with a questioning look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked as she locked eyes with Susan.

"Nothing," Susan responded as she forced a smile.

"Don't lie to me," Lucy said in a firm tone, which surprised all of them. "You've been acting differently and we all have noticed it. We may have been nice and not said anything about it but I'm putting my foot down. I know something's bothering you and I want you to tell me what."

"It's...nothing...I can't talk to you about it," Susan whispered as she lowered her head.

"I thought you could tell me anything," Lucy said in a hurt tone. "You know you can trust me and you know you can trust Crystal. We'll keep it between us, you know that."

Susan bit her lip and tried to keep the tears from falling down her face but they slipped down silently. She got off her horse and was immediately pulled into a hug by Lucy. She rubbed her back as Susan silently sobbed and Crystal stood by, waiting patiently for Susan to continue. She had a feeling she knew what Susan was going to say so she stayed quiet to see if she would be right.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not bad. Tell us so we can help you," Lucy whispered.

Susan looked at her with hope filled eyes and Lucy gave her a smile, urging her to continue. Susan wiped away her tears and took in a shuddering breath before saying in a whisper, "Lu...I'm pregnant."

"I knew it," Lucy said with a sigh.

"Wh...what?"

"I knew it," Lucy repeated. "I had a feeling you were when you started to act differently. Your mood always shifted and you always attacked Edmund whenever he teased you. You kept throwing up in the morning too. I had a feeling you were, I just wanted you to confirm it."

"Did you know too?" Susan asked as she looked at Crystal who nodded.

"I had the same feeling as Lucy did," she responded. "It made a lot of sense when you changed your diet and small things like that."

"Edmund and Peter...?" Susan asked.

"They don't know," Crystal told her. "Edmund's kind of clueless and I think Peter thinks there's something wrong with you but he doesn't know what it is."

"Caspian's the father, isn't he?" Lucy asked. Susan blushed and nodded. "Was it the night before we came back home?" Susan nodded again. "I knew it."

"What're you going to do about this?" Crystal asked.

"Caspian and I want to keep it," Susan responded. "But I can't let Peter and Edmund know about this yet."

"Why not?" Lucy questioned. "He deserves to know."

"Peter....Peter's Peter, he wouldn't understand," Susan said as a new batch of tears came to her eyes. "He's probably look down at me for the rest of my life."

"He would not," Crystal spoke up. "Peter is fair and he always listens to both sides of a situation and thinks it through. He wouldn't just shun you like that, you're his sister, and he would never give up on you. You, Lucy, and Edmund mean a lot to him and he wouldn't drop you all because of this."

"I don't know how I'll tell him," Susan said as she wiped her eyes again.

"I can tell him for you," Lucy offered.

"No, I have to do this on my own," Susan said more to herself than to the girls. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and checked to make sure the tears stopped falling. "I'll tell him when the time is right."

"Don't wait until the baby comes," Lucy said with a grin as Susan chuckled.

"I promise I'll tell him before then."

"Susan!" They heard Edmund's shout from the distance. The three girls looked towards the woods as Edmund emerged, riding on the back of Phillip. He stopped so suddenly that Edmund almost flipped off the horse. Once he got Phillip under control he looked down at the three girls with wide eyes. "You have to come back to the castle!" He announced, breathing heavily.

"Why? Did something happen?" Susan asked as her heart started to beat faster than normal. 'Did Peter find out?'

"No," Edmund said with a smile. "Nothing bad happened. This is really good news."

"What is it, then?" Lucy asked as we bounced on her toes.

"We think we've found Mum," Edmund as his grin got bigger.

"My Dad too?" Crystal asked with hope filling her voice as her eyes lit up.

"I'm pretty sure. Come on, Peter's waiting for us."