Chapter 11

Susan's sitting room.

Helen was nervous as she sat beside Susan she could feel something was wrong and by the slight tremor in Susan's hands she did too. The tension in the room was palpable barely covered by the inane chatter of the wood nymphs and others who sat with their queen.

"Mother, would you take a walk with me?" Susan asked suddenly.

"Of course dear." Helen murmured and the two left as they walked Helen noticed the imprint of a dagger in the sleeve of Susan's gown.

"Peter always says that even though the Cair is well defended we should always have a way to defend our selves." Susan said before Helen could ask.

"Su there's something wrong isn't there?" Helen asked quietly. Susan glanced around sharply though the five trusted their people they never knew who would be listening and most importantly if that one person who overheard something was a spy.

Susan drew her mother into an alcove and spoke quietly.

"I don't know if something is wrong, but the last time I got this feeling was when…" She trailed of and Helen tensed it must have been bad.

"Whe…when Lucy was kidnapped after her eighteenth birthday." Helen felt as thought the floor had given way. Lucy her sweet happy go lucky Lucy had been kidnapped.

"What happened?" She could barely get the question out as she studied Susan's pained expression.

"When we found out who had taken her Peter Serena and Edmund rode out with some of our troops to get her back…" Susan trailed off obviously unwilling to say the next part.

"Su, what happened?" Helen asked again.

Susan turned to her mother her eyes normally warm milk chocolate were hard and cold like diamonds.

"Slaughter."

Moorland Village.

Orius and Serena stiffened glancing at each other.

"We should alert the others." Serena murmured and Orius nodded giving a soft whistle he signaled one of their messenger finches to find Peter and Edmund. When the boys met up with them they cautiously made their approach to where the crying was coming from.

They saw a child crouched near the back of a building partially hidden by some barrels.

"I'll go forward, Edmund you follow just behind, and Peter, Orius you two stay back a bit you're more intimidating to an upset child." They nodded this was their modus operandi when dealing with distraught children; still it didn't hurt to reiterate their positions. For some reason the children often took to Edmund more than Peter when upset no one really knew why but they used it to their advantage.

"Little one are you ok?" Serena whispered softly crouching a little bit away from the child trying not to startle him.

The boy seemed inconsolable, at a loss Serena and Edmund turned to speak to Peter and Orius when the crying changed to laughter…

Archery range of the Cair.

Helen watched as Susan with a single minded focus shot arrows into the center if the target before her.

"Seems to be stress relief." She turned to see John standing behind her. Helen nodded and they saw Harold coming over to them rubbing the back of his neck.

"How are you Harold?" Helen asked.

"Well, Alberta and Eustace are holed up in our suite for now." Harold grimaced.

"They're not settling in?" John asked.

"Ha, no they don't say anything in public but when we get to the rooms its all vitamized nerve food this and guns to shoot the un-natural things that." It was funny Harold thought he, Helen and John were settling in well, but then again they were more open minded. They were startled when they heard a messenger calling for Susan.

They walked over to see what was happening and found Susan's face as white as a sheet her eyes like hard diamonds again.

"Go and find the Captain of the guard and the war council have them meet me in the war room." Susan said she turned.

"Come." She said to her parents and uncle before striding quickly away not bothering to put away her bow and quiver of arrows.

War Council Room.

Lucy and the council were going over plans again when the doors opened and in walked Susan Helen John and Harold and the captain of the guards.

"Sister what is it?" Lucy asked straightening her hand going surreptitiously to her dagger.

"Grave news Sister." Susan motioned for them all to take a seat before she spoke.

"News has come to us from the Southern Wild village of Moorland, Serena and Edmund have been taken by an unknown enemy we assume they are the same people who attacked Moorland and Orius and Peter have been grievously injured." They all went pale and Lucy's eyes hardened and she looked for a moment like the lioness she had been named.

"Then I will take my troops immediately."

"No Lucy." Helen said and everyone looked at her she quailed internally for a moment then straightened.

"I don't like the idea of you going out there can't someone else go?"

"I am not about to leave my brother and sister with our enemy, as I said before Narnia is a peaceful country and we peaceful rulers until such a time we are threatened and must go to war."

"But I don't see..."

"Helen think in this world they have been ruling this country for the past fifteen years they've been to war and fought hard to regain peace. We weren't here to stop them and tell them that they couldn't go to battle, and who are we to tell them that now? From what Harold and I have heard they are capable leaders and beloved monarchs Lucy is going because it is her duty to her people and to her siblings." Helen looked at Lucy helplessly she didn't want to lose her kids so she sighed and nodded.

"If you need anything I will be with my troops." She said gently hugging her mother sister father and uncle before leaving quickly.

Some unknown place.

Edmund groaned as he lifted his head he found that he was kneeling on the floor chained to the wall. He blinked blearily and cursed when he saw Serena was across from him in the same predicament. Edmund licked his lips his mouth was dry and it was painful to swallow.

"S…Serena..." he coughed trying to speak again.

"Serena… wake up Rena…" he was gratified when he heard a soft groan and saw Serena try to lift her head.

"Ed…" she whispered her voice just as hoarse as his.

"Eddy… what happened?" Edmund frowned when he saw the large bloody gash in Serena's hair line.

"I'm… not sure the child…something about the child." Edmund tried to remember. The two heard the sound of boot steps outside the door then the sound of a key in the lock and the door squeaking open.

A/N Well hi i know this was a pretty fast update but my muse wouldn't leave me alone until i wrote it. So here it is for your enjoyment i know it's pretty dark but i think it make our chosen ones more human because nobody is perfect. So i'm gonna go start the next chapter now so enjoy happy reading and Long live Aslan!