The meeting had started. The council was gathered, but Caspian had still not had the chance to speak to Edmund about his concern.

Lucy leaned to her right, where Susan sat, and whispered: "I thought Trumpkin and Reepicheep would be here."

"They were sent to Anvard about a week ago", Susan replied. "I'm actually not quite sure I remember why, but they should return any day now."

"Oh", she whispered and turned her attention back to Caspian who was in a very heavy situation, but of course she didn't know that.

"Some of you were with me outside of Beruna yesterday." Caspian slowly walked around the room, his hands linked behind his back. "We all felt something, but it cannot be as you suggest. Can it, Edmund?" He turned to the Just King, and forced his own remorseful gaze into his eyes. "Can the White Witch be back in Narnia?"

Caspian perceived a flinch from Edmund, even though it was barely noticeable. The mere name had stirred feelings inside him, in ways Caspian couldn't imagine. An ice cold stream of treacherous and deceitful fear flowed through his veins, paralysing him. The witch's voice and whispers seemed to surround him. "Edmund", they said. "You know you can't forget me, Edmund. I am your past, and I am your future. I am your worst nightmare and reality. You will always remember me, and I will always be there." Her voice seemed to crawl in under his skin, ripping up old wounds, to settle deep into his heart and never let go. "Do you still think you are fitted to be a king, stupid boy? Do you think you are good enough? You might as well realise it now, as ever: You can never have it undone. You know what you did, Traitor. That's what you will always be, a traitor."

Her words cut deep into his mind, and the more he heard them, the more he believed they were true. But another voice, from the very bottom of his heart and soul, small but powerful, and soon grew itself stronger, told him what he already knew: it wasn't the truth. It was a lie. He had been forgiven, and redeemed. His treason and mistakes had been atoned at the stone table.

"No, she cannot", he confirmed with a clear voice, and stood up next to Caspian. "But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't beware of what may come. She is cunning, and is most certainly doing her uttermost for an attempt to return. The adherents of the witch will do everything in their power to trick you, frighten you, and deceive you. You must all be on your guard."

Caspian slowly nodded and glanced back at Susan. She looked as troubled as he felt.

"Who knows where she really does hide", Edmund murmured to himself.

The room was quiet. Waiting, breathing.

"Your majesty", a deep voice said over Caspian's shoulder. Behind him stood Lyranduron, his adviser. "There are suspicious minds with us."

Caspian knew it was true. There was a tension in the air, creating just another discomfort in the situation. The first given opportunity he adjourned the meeting, and when all, but the kings and queens had left the room, he asked for Edmund's attention.

"I meant to speak to you first. I'm sorry", Caspian said with a sigh of guilt. "I've had a lot on my mind lately, but this should have been more important."

"More important than my brother's son, or courting my sister? Leave off! I couldn't do more about it if I had known an hour earlier than I can now." He nudged his shoulder with a distant smile, still a little affected by the sudden insight.

Caspian felt his face slightly heating as his eyes searched the room to find Susan, but found instead that they were alone. All three of Edmund's siblings had left, and he was quite relieved.

"She won't become Mrs Caspian on her own, you know." Edmund couldn't understand why he'd put it off for so long.

"And I shall look forward the day you realise it, but as for today-"

"Caspian, I thought Andy wasn't coming until tomorrow!" Susan rushed in the door, interrupting. "They are here now, all of them."

Caspian and Edmund followed her out, still continuing their conversation. "Tell me about Beruna", Edmund asked as they passed through the the halls.

Everywhere walked servants, preparing for the dreaded wedding of the mysterious relative of Caspian's, that none seemed to know anything about.

"Your majesties", said a familiar voice from somewhere far down on the ground.

"Reepicheep!" Lucy exclaimed when she spotted the awaited mouse and dwarf approaching them. "Trumpkin! How nice to see you both."

"The pleasure is all mine, my queen", Reepicheep assured and took a deep bow.

"We picked up the poor people somewhere in the mountains", Trumpkin murmured.

Edmund and Caspian were quite unreachable as they discussed the situation.

"I didn't see a soul", the telmarine king explained. He felt less afraid when he talked to the Just King. He seemed to have wise answer to almost everything.

"Edmund!"

He turned in the middle of a word. "Not now, Lu. This is important." But as he let his gaze slide from his sister to the crowd in the back, he couldn't take it away. In the company of a tall, dark man (another telmarine, he assumed), was a young woman that made his heart skip a beat. She looked so much like someone he had known, not long ago. The resemblance was shattering, even though she was older. She looked haggard and sad.

But the longer he watched her the less familiar she seemed.

"Ed?" Caspian's voice pulled him out of his own thoughts, and when he looked back, the young woman was gone, instead there was a middle aged lady with similar hair and skin tone, that was all. His mind tricked his eyes to see what he wanted to see.

"Yes. I'm sorry, I was only distracted. Where were we? Ah, yes! The war. If the witch gets the army she wants, it will become a bloodbath and the land of Narnia shall perish…"

The sky was turning pink. Snow was colder than Peter remembered and the walk across the meadow was not so easy as in the summer. Eventually he realised that it would be much easier just to pick Eldarin up and carry him the rest of the way.

He had not once asked about his mother. He seemed to remember, even though he was only a baby the last time he saw her. He still seemed to know her. Maybe because he was special, or because she was especially memorable.

Peter had expected Eldarin to go wild by the freedom that was about to be offered him, and run about like he usually did, the second he let him down on the ground, but to his great astonishment he was perfectly calm. He seemed content to explore the situation with a slow walk.

The icy wind rocked the stiff, freezing leaves of an old beech tree, causing some of them to leave their cold branches and sweep away. Peter took one of them in his hand. It was depressingly cold, but still green because of the sudden change of temperature. As he brought it to his lips and brushed it to them, his mind was filled with memories and it put a sad smile on his face.

On the ground under the tree stood a white stone with a symmetrical and smooth shape. It looked beautiful but bleak, sort of mournful. A snow coat lay on top of it, covering a green veil of ivy that climbed up the side of the stone. Peter had not been there in a long time.

"Eldarin", his father managed with a thick voice as his eyes rested upon the inscription that said:

"IN LOVING MEMORY OF QUEEN CINONDIL

FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS"

A lonely, hot tear slowly fell down his freezing red cheek. "Come meet your mother."

Author's note: Did you see that coming? I hope things are starting to clear... Thank you for reading!

Can I improve my fanfic in some way? Would you like longer/shorter chapters, more from other character's point of view, or whatever it may be... Please review and let me know your thoughts!:)