A/N: Here's another update for you guys! Thank you so much for your continued support, it means a lot! :)


Goldenflower 2: The Prince From Telmar

Chapter Eleven:


"What's going on, Pete? Why hasn't Lucy or Cornelia been brought in on this?" Susan questioned her older brother from her seat on the Stone Table. Peter had called the leaders of each Narnian race to a council that morning; a council which also included Peter himself, Edmund, Susan, Caspian, Glenstorm, Trufflehunter, Trumpkin and Reepicheep.

Peter sighed. He knew that his youngest sibling and younger cousin might take his decision the wrong way once this council's decision had been revealed, but he would tell them himself later, he swore.

"I know that I haven't been the best example of a leader, not even close." Peter looked especially at his siblings and Caspian. "But I know that this is the best tactical way to handle the issue, which revolves around Tristane."

"…who is with Lucy and Cornelia right now. It would awaken his suspicion if we called both girls in but not him." Edmund clarified.

"What is the issue with Tristane, sire?" Glenstorm questioned, looking back and forth between the High King and the Telmarine Prince.

Both Peter and Caspian looked at each other, Caspian more so because he didn't want to interrupt and disrespect Peter like the last time they held a meeting. But when Peter nodded at him and sent him a small smile, Caspian relaxed before addressing their friends. "I'm afraid that we have a traitor among us."

"Tristane?" Susan gasped, her eyes widening.

Caspian nodded solemnly, looking to the ground. In the name of Aslan, how could one be so stupid? Caspian was kicking himself inwardly for his stupidity. He had in fact recognized Tristane back when Peter, Edmund and Cornelia had brought him back as their prisoner. Tristane was some years younger than Caspian. He had seen him when he had sparred with the other Telmarine noblemen's sons. He had been scrawny, but he had given the much larger boys a good fight. Now, Tristane had built more muscle on him, and his face resembled Cornelia's in the way that they both seemed to contain old souls. Tristane was however not just any nobleman's son – he was lord Sopespian's.

"We're afraid so." Peter replied, sending Caspian a concerned look. "Caspian, Edmund and I followed Tristane from the How and into the forest where he met with his father last night. He was telling them about us."

The Narnians instantly began talking loudly.

"Quiet!" Trumpkin yelled, the talking immediately dying down. Then Trumpkin looked to the royals. "What did he tell them about us?"

"His relations to us and that we were weakened after the attack." Caspian answered quietly.

"How did your majesties know that he would go out into the forest?" Trufflehunter then questioned.

"I discovered it." Edmund stepped forward, suddenly having all eyes upon him.

Edmund sighed and continued. "On the fourth day of Tristane staying here, I saw him sneak out from the How and into the night. I found it weird so I went to Caspian, and we decided to keep an eye on him from then on. Later, we brought Peter in on it and last night Caspian saw him and the three of us followed him into the night."

The anger was slowly building up in the Just King. He wasn't mad at anyone but himself. He used to have an excellent judgement of character, but somehow Tristane had slipped under his radar. Why? Because he had become a child again and he could see himself in Tristane? Was it because of the fondness the girls immediately had showed him? No, it had to be because of how he had seen Tristane making Cornelia feel. He hadn't seen her so happy about a friend since the beginning of the war, Gavin and least of all since Andrew's disappearance in Europe. He had wanted to see his cousin happy and not hurting and the view had clouded his judgement entirely.

"Let's make it clear that this was no one's fault." Edmund looked to his older brother who had spoken, and whom was watching his younger brother with a reassuring look.

"He fooled us all." Peter continued, looking at the council.

"What do we do?" Susan asked, looking to Peter. She had still not forgiven Caspian.

Peter knew that there were two versions to that question. What to do with Tristane and what to do with Cornelia and Lucy.

"Peter and I will talk to Cornelia and Lucy." Edmund spoke, "As for Tristane…."

"We should send him away." Caspian spoke abruptly.

Protests sounded from the Narnians while the humans' brows furrowed at the Telmarine's suggestion.

"We should make a point and sentence him to death! He's a traitor!" A Narnian exclaimed angrily.

"And become like them?" Caspian retorted, his booming voice immediately silencing the uproar.

"If we kill him, we'll be no better than them. He's still just a child, lord Sopespian could easily have manipulated him into doing it." Caspian continued, trying to reason with the angry Narnians while looking at the monarchs pleadingly.

Murmurs began again, and Edmund looked at the Telmarine for a long time before finally stating, "I agree with Caspian."

"What are you thinking, Ed?" Peter asked curiously. He recognized the spark of justice in Edmund's eyes from the Golden Age. He trusted his brother with his life, and if he agreed with Caspian, then he would hear them out.

"Think about it." Edmund spoke up, "As Caspian said if we kill Tristane, we're no better than them. Instead I agree with Caspian that we should send him away, let him know that he's not welcome here anymore and that he has lost a lot of friends because of his betrayal."

The room went quiet. Slowly, the Narnians started murmuring among each other, obviously discussing the issue. Peter looked to his younger sister, wanting her opinion on the matter. Susan met her brother's gaze, noticing the questioning and unsure look in his eyes, which reminded Susan of a younger Peter back when the siblings first had gotten coronated. It warmed Susan's heart to see the older brother she knew coming back to the surface.

She sent him a reassuring smile and nodded, letting him know that she was with them. Peter smiled gratefully before looking up to address the Narnians.

"Let's vote. Will you support Caspian's suggestion?" Peter's voice was dominating; kingly.

Trufflehunter then stepped forward and nodded. "Speaking on everyone's behalf, I say that we all support Prince Caspian's suggestion, your majesty."

Peter then nodded determinedly at the Narnians in the room, his look however changing when his eyes met Caspian's and his siblings' gazes. Their expressions mirrored his own: Concern and despair. Traitor or not, Tristane had had particularly one positive effect; he had made Cornelia happier than they had seen in a long time and had given her a friendship no of them were able to give her. And now they wouldn't know how she would react to the news of Tristane's betrayal. Peter just knew that they had to step up and act like a family now more than ever; himself in particular. As the room cleared all except for his siblings and Caspian, he looked up at them with a determined look. "Let's get this over with."

~OOO~

Cornelia swore she must have looked like one big question mark when she walked out on the terrace connected to the front of the How. Trufflehunter had found her with Tristane, telling her that Edmund wanted to talk with her and where to find him.

"What's going on here?" Cornelia questioned concernedly when she noticed his facial expression. Her cousin displayed a sad and nervous facial expression. Cornelia's brows furrowed in confusion.

Edmund then sent her a smile that did not in any way reach his eyes. "Come sit down with me, Cor, okay?"

"Why?" Cornelia asked suspiciously.

"I have to tell you something that you won't like." Edmund replied with a sad look.

Cornelia absentmindedly blinked before automatically sitting down next to Edmund, a thousand thoughts going through her head.

"Wha-What is it?" Cornelia questioned nervously.

Edmund closed his eyes regrettably and sighed before opening his eyes, his brown orbs looking his younger cousin up and down, noticing how tense she seemed.

"I-I'm not sure how to tell you this, because I know you care a lot about him, but…" Edmund paused, trying to find the right word.

Cornelia was, for once, lost for words. Edmund never hesitated, he always knew what to say. His behavior made her severely nervous, so she just sat and watched him struggle with the words.

Edmund took a deep breath and then looked at his cousin with a sympathetic look. "Tristane has betrayed us."

Cornelia swore she would look like a fish that had been taken out of the water if she could see herself in that moment. She felt as if she couldn't breathe, then an enormous pain erupted in her chest.

"What?" She squeaked, not being able to comprehend what Edmund had just told her. And Edmund would never lie to her.

Edmund sighed. It hurt him to see Cornelia hurting the way she did. "Caspian, Peter and I followed him into the forest last night where he met with his father, one of Miraz' lords. They talked about us, all of us."

Cornelia immediately looked down, the tears steadily starting to fall. She searched for any reason at all why Tristane would do this to them, to her.

"Could he—have been forced to do it?" Cornelia sobbed, automatically leaning on Edmund, whom also automatically wrapped his arms around his cousin, pulling her closer to him.

"I don't know, Cor. I don't know." Edmund said quietly, the very same thought going through his head.

"It can't..he wouldn't do something like that, Ed." Cornelia cried.

"I can't believe it either…but I saw what I saw and heard what I heard. And he definitely aiding the Telmarines." Edmund said carefully.

Cornelia felt a turmoil of feelings going through her. Pain, sadness, anger, confusion. She couldn't and wouldn't, to some extent, believe that Tristane would do something like that to them. They had taken him in despite his heritage as a Telmarine. She felt it all come crashing down upon her. She felt so stupid. She should have seen through it all. But he was so kind and caring, so intelligent and took an interest in all of them. Had all that just been an act?

She didn't want to believe it, but Edmund would never tell her such a lie – he even vouched for Tristane back then, he must feel just as shocked as she. And the more Cornelia thought about it, she realized how little to nothing at all that Tristane had told her about his family. He had explained that his mother died when he was little and his father being distant. Was that a lie too?

"What's going to happen to him?" Cornelia finally asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. She remembered what would happen at times in the Golden Age with the worst traitors, but surely Peter wouldn't decide to execute Tristane. He was only a year older than Cornelia.

"We're sending him away." Edmund replied. Cornelia released a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"We decided that we would hurt him the most that way, so he knows that his betrayal cost him a lot of friends and that he isn't welcome among the Narnians anymore." Edmund explained, Cornelia silently agreeing to the reason behind the consequence.

"When?" Cornelia questioned quietly, relaxing as Edmund rubbed soothing movements up and down her arm.

Edmund looked down beneath them absentmindedly, his other hand fisting in controlled anger when he saw Tristane walk confusedly towards the How, flanked by Glenstorm and another centaur.

"Now, it would seem." He replied, motioning his head towards Tristane. Cornelia reacted fast enough to see him exactly as he entered the How.

In the meantime, Edmund had stood up and was now holding a hand out for Cornelia to grab onto. He looked down at her with a saddened expression. He knew this was going to be hard for her. "Are you ready?"

Cornelia simply nodded and let her cousin hoist her to her feet before he with a hand on her back slowly led her towards the room with the Stone Table.

The two cousins practically didn't say a word while walking through the underground corridors. They would both greet the Narnians they passed with the utmost respect like they always did and for which they all were known for.

"The people before yourself." Cornelia reminded herself of something Aslan had told them when she had been appointed her title as the Goldenflower and advisor, and her cousins appointed the titles as kings and queens. And that was also what they needed to think of right now. If Tristane was a threat to the Narnians, then the Goldenflower and the monarchs needed to get rid of him in the most sensible way. And right now, the most sensible way was to banish Tristane.

When they entered the Stone Table room, Tristane already stood in the middle of it all, looking utterly nervous and confused.

"I would be nervous too, if I was him." Cornelia thought dryly.

When Tristane noticed Cornelia, he immediately tried to catch her eye. He did, and the two children looked at each other; Tristane pleadingly, obviously confused and Cornelia put up her best emotionless face she could muster, before she almost immediately looked away again. Edmund saw the exchange and gently pushed Cornelia towards Peter who stood at the bottom of the steps in front of the platform with Aslan on the wall far behind him. Because of this, he also noticed Tristane's confused and hurt look he looked at Cornelia's retreating figure with. Edmund took a stance beside his brother, placing Cornelia between himself and Caspian. He noticed Caspian giving his cousin's hand a small squeeze and almost half-expected her to snatch it out of his grip, but instead she looked up at Caspian, who sent her an apologetic look from the night before. Edmund smiled a little when he noticed Cornelia giving Caspian's hand a squeeze in return.

"One forgiven." Edmund thought and looked to his older brother, who watched the teen in front of them intensely. "One to go."

"Quiet down, please." Peter voiced, immediately causing everyone to halt their talk.

Cornelia noticed Lucy standing with Susan on the other side of Peter. It was almost amusing seeing the youngest Pevensie staring Tristane down with a dark look.

"Peter, what is happening?" Tristane voiced, obviously confused at all the glares and the large gathering. But Cornelia also noticed the nervousness rolling off the teen.

"He knows something is wrong." She observed.

Peter's cold stare met Tristane's confused one. "Why don't you tell me, Tristane?"

When the High King only received a confused look back, he continued, "Where were you last night?"

"My bed, why?" Tristane replied nervously.

"Liar." Caspian muttered loudly.

Tristane met Caspian's eyes, surprise written all over his face.

"I'm asking you again." Peter bristled, "Where. Were. You. Last. Night?"

Tristane looked down in regret, holding his tongue. He knew it. They knew he had betrayed them.

"All right, then I'll tell you where you were last night. You snuck out of the How and into the forest where you met with the Telmarines, didn't you?" Peter's voice rose.

"Please, I can explain." Tristane pleaded.

"I doubt it." Peter snorted.

"Peter." Cornelia warned. When her oldest cousin looked questionably at her, she elaborated dryly. "Let him try to explain himself, and notice that I said try."

Peter looked understandingly at Cornelia and then at Edmund who nodded. Though the emotions were high, they needed to be fair.

"Thank you, Cor." Tristane said gratefully.

Cornelia snorted. "Don't you dare call me that. I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do."

Tristane looked down, obviously hurt by her words. Cornelia suddenly felt guilty, but she kept telling herself that he deserved it. Then he looked up and nodded in acceptance before speaking. "All my life I've been chasing my father's acceptance and acknowledgement. It's true what I told you about my mother, she died when I was little, and my father was distant because he wanted nothing to do with me, a son he got outside of wedlock. So when you arrived and my father came to me with his proposition, I finally saw a chance to have what I wanted." Tristane paused, the tears slowly beginning to build up in his eyes. "But then I got to know you, all of you. And I soon realized how wrong it was, and that you could gain a family in other ways. I really wanted to tell you, I really would. But I was afraid."

The whole room had gone quiet. Cornelia angrily wiped the tears that had been building up and which had already spilled away from her face.

"Edmund, please." Tristane pleaded, looking to the Just King with tears in his eyes.

Edmund's eyes saddened. He looked at Caspian and Cornelia and then at Peter, Susan and Lucy. He noticed the Narnians starting a murmur amongst themselves.

Edmund cleared his throat. "If what you just told us is true, then I'm sure you've had your reasons to do what you did. But according to Narnian Law – don't look at me like that Peter, you helped writing it – the right to decide what to do with the ones that are considered traitors lies with the heir or ruler of Narnia."

Everyone's eyes then landed on Caspian, who looked unsure at Edmund, who in return nodded at him reassuringly.

"Caspian." Tristane's voice was almost unbearable. It was like he was being tortured and he was begging to die. Cornelia shuddered. She could feel the despair and sorrow building up inside her, and she didn't know for how long she would be able to keep the façade. It would kill her to see him off.

"Cornelia?"

The twelve-year-old looked at Caspian who had called her name. She pitied him a great deal. He looked so lost and so vulnerable. Here he was asked to decide a young boy's fate. He knew that he was telling the truth. He had heard whispers from the other lords talking about Tristane and Sopesian's treatment of him. He couldn't make that decision himself, but he also hated having to bring Cornelia into it. Not just because of her youth, but also because of her friendship with Tristane. He feared seeing resentment towards him in her eyes as he said her name, but there was nothing but sorrow, yet an understanding look. He valued her opinion more than anyone else, but he couldn't help but feel weak at not being able to make the decision himself.

Cornelia stood on her tip-toes, and he automatically leaned down, so he could hear what he was saying.

"The people before yourself and the individual. But listen to your heart." She whispered, a sob escaping her lips.

Then Cornelia sent him and her cousins an apologetic look before hurriedly walking past everyone and out of the room, questions of 'where is she going?' sounding at her back.

~OOO~

She didn't mean to leave like that. She just couldn't stand there and watch the boy she thought was her friend being sent away because he had betrayed them, betrayed her. She was laying face down on her bed, locked inside her room. It was quiet all around her. The only noise was the thoughts inside her head. Her head and heart was pulling her in two completely different directions. In her head there were anger and the sorrow. In her heart, there were understanding and sadness that Tristane would leave. She started sobbing violently for the second time in the period she had been lying there. It felt as if everything inside was being ripped apart and twisted around. It was like losing Gavin or Andrew again, perhaps a combination of both pains. Gavin was both her best friend and also her fiancé while Andrew was her brother, someone she loved and that she could look up to. Deep inside, Cornelia doubted that the reason for her melt down was solely because of Tristane's betrayal. It was a huge part of it, no doubt, but she also cried because of everything she and the others had been through. The war was still raging on at home, and Cornelia didn't know if her older brother still was a part of that war or if God had claimed him. Then they returned to their second home in Narnia, only to find it had been 1300 years since they accidently left, all their old friends are dead and their home have been invaded by barbarians. It was too much for her twelve-year-old brain to bear, though she guessed that she in her subconscious somewhere had several years of adulthood behind her, which would come out every once in a while. But because of her physical form she felt more helpless than anything. She could do remarkably well in combat but nothing near as she had done in the Golden Age. She was groomed to be a fierce warrior and an unquestionably intelligent advisor to her cousins who, unlike her, bore the titles of kings and queens.

"They're coming! They're coming!"

Cornelia frowned and sat up instantly at the shouts and the new hurried activity outside her door. Hurriedly and out of old habit, she grabbed her belt with her sheathed sword in it and bound it around her waist before locking her door up and went out into the hallway, immediately being swept along with the current of frantic Narnians. Instead of going outside, she made her way through the masses and up a twisted staircase that would lead up to the terrace at the front of the How where Edmund had told her the news about Tristane.

Caspian was already standing out there with several Narnians, and the view that met her when she fully was free of the shadows nearly made her heart stop. At the outskirts of the forest, Cornelia could just about glimpse more silver-ish helmets than she could count. And hundreds of shadows could be seen all around the tree line.

"Here they come." Caspian said quietly without looking at the Goldenflower beside him.

"I should go." Cornelia replied quietly. "You wouldn't want me by your side after all that's happened."

Caspian snorted and looked at the little girl with the old soul beside him with compassion.

"Quite frankly," He spoke in his heavy accent, "you are one of the only ones I would want by my side. I trust you, with my life. I always have since I met you, and I always will – even after all that's happened."

The last remark was said with Caspian's trademark of a boyish smirk. Cornelia swore Caspian would have no idea how much that admission of trust meant to her after everything that had happened. She finally felt warm again.

"Thank Aslan." She thought, immediately feeling the warm sensation she had missed desperately at the mentioning of the Great Lion's name.

"I sent him away." Caspian said quietly as the both of them turned their eyes towards the war that had come knocking on their door. That was when nervous and tense looks replaced the happy looks on their faces.

"I know." Cornelia replied quietly, now being able to come to terms with what Tristane did.

"I had to." The twelve-year-old could hear the desperation in Caspian's voice as if she was angry with him.

Instead of lashing out at him like Caspian deep inside had feared, Cornelia turned and smiled softly, acceptance in her eyes. "I know."

She could physically see the burden that was lifted from Caspian's shoulders at her acceptance, and it made Cornelia feel at peace as well. There was nothing between her and Caspian now, which was a relief for the both of them.

Soon enough, Peter, Edmund and Lucy joined them; Peter and Edmund standing on Cornelia's right side and Lucy on Caspian's left. Cornelia barely noticed the nervous glance Caspian and Peter shared over her head before turning back to watch hundreds of Telmarines marching towards the How. There were many Narnians below them who was standing ready and alert at the threat marching towards them, the rustling of heavy armor sounding loud and clear through the calm air. No wind was moving.

Cornelia's eyes then widened in horror at seeing the catapults and war machines the Telmarines had brought with them, drawn by whinnying horses.

While this was going on, Susan, Professor Cornelius and Trumpkin had come out on the terrace as well, standing next to Lucy.

Cornelia felt Caspian tense beside her as a rider on a white horse who was wearing golden armor instead of silver rode up to the front of the Telmarine army. Caspian gritted his teeth beside her. Cornelia realized that it couldn't be anyone else but Miraz. Deep inside, Cornelia was glad that she couldn't see Tristane among them.

War was upon them, and only time would tell if they were ready.


A/N: The "Narnian Law" Edmund mentions in the chapter is something I completely made up to show Edmund's diplomacy and political side - if there in fact are signs of there being such a law I'll immediately say that I absolutely didn't mean no intend of copyright (you have to be on the safe side these days)!