Chapter 12: Camisado

Isabella's POV

"How could he do that to me?" I demanded as I paced in my room. I crossed my arms over my chest and clenched my jaw. In my mind I wanted to kill King Peter. 'How could he turn me away like that, how? After everything I've done for him while he was here, even while he was gone! I had to deal with his annoying family and for what? To be turned away like...like...a rejected suitor. And it was all because of that...Ruby girl. She took King Peter's attention away from me and I won't stand for it any longer!'

I crossed the room slid open my father's door as quietly as I could. I listened to make sure he was still asleep, if he woke up before I could even do anything I would be in a lot of trouble. I smiled to myself when I heard his soft snoring. I closed the door and changed into my traveling clothes as quietly as possible.

I slowly opened the door and looked around to make sure there were no servants walking around. I tiptoed out and down the hall, glancing over my shoulder a couple of times to make sure I wouldn't be spotted.

I cheered to myself for my successful escape before going over to the horse pen. I spotted my horse, Rynam, sitting alone at the other end of the pen. She reminded me of me for a split second before I forced that thought out of my head. I called her over and lovingly rubbed her nose before opening the gate to the pen and letting her out.

"Where to, Mistress?" She asked as I hoisted myself onto her back. I made a face when I realized that she didn't have a saddle. I have never ridden sidesaddle on a horse without a saddle. I forced myself to get over it and got onto her. Rynam waited patiently for me to get comfortable before she started forward. It took me a little bit to get comfortable, I almost fell off three times, but I eventually got used to the rocking rhythm.

I drew my cloak closer to me when the cool breeze bit through my traveler's dress. I shivered involuntarily and Rynam could feel it. "Are you all right Mistress?"

"I'm a little cold, Rynam," I responded. "How close are we?"

"We are almost there, Mistress, hang on for a few more minutes."

I let out a breath as I pulled my cloak tighter around me. Even in the darkness I could see the faint outline of the cave and there was a flickering light inside. Rynam stopped and allowed me to slide off of her back before I walked into the cave. 'It's a good thing I switched to my riding boots' I told myself as I stepped over the rocks to get to the mouth of the cave. 'If I were in my other shoes I would have hurt my delicate feet.'

"Who's there?" A raspy voice called out, echoing through the darkness.

'Careful, Bella, don't blow this.' "Princess Isabella of Melshire asks for an audience," I said in my strongest voice possible, even though I was shaking in my boots. My breath came out shaky when I heard gruff whispers before the sound of approaching footsteps. A man appeared in front of me, his face hidden in the shadows while the fire behind him illuminated him, making it look like he was glowing. "Who are you?"

"Carlisle, the leader of this pack," he responded, his unusually long canines glowing in the sliver of moonlight. "What is it that you seek?"

"Your aid," I responded.

"Aid?" He repeated. "For what, Princess?" He sneered. "Your father can't help you?"

"I need your helping getting rid of someone, someone who lives in Cair Paravel."

Carlisle's eyes seemed to brighten, even in the darkness, when I mentioned Cair Paravel. His smile got wider, making it look more menacing. He brought his hand up to his chin as he let out a growl-like breath. "What do you have in mind?"

I couldn't stop the smile that came to my face.

Normal POV

Peter awoke with a start when a scream pierced the air. His heart started beating against his chest as he jumped out of his bed and grabbed his sword, which was resting on a dresser. He quickly pulled on a pair of pants before flinging open his door and charged down the hall. He heard crashing sounds and a cry of pain before Edmund's door flew open. The room to Caspian's door flung open and the two rushed to meet up with Peter before they burst into Crystal's room.

"What's going on?" Edmund asked as he and Peter both drew their swords and held it in front of them.

"There was something in here," Crystal explained as she rubbed her neck. "Whatever it was tried to strangle me."

"Let me see," Edmund said as he moved to her side. She lowered her hand and lifted her chin. He looked closer and saw, in the moonlight, that there were red marks on her neck in the shape and size of a grown man fingers. He whistled as he backed away and looked at Peter.

"Where'd the attacker go?" He asked as he looked around, as if expecting it to pop out at him.

"Whatever it was went out the window," she responded. Peter and Edmund dashed to the window and looked around. Peter nudged Edmund and pointed in the distance. Edmund squinted and looked around before his eyes rested on a small dark shape moving in the distance.

"Edmund, go tell the guards to double up around the castle grounds," Peter told him. He nodded and rushed out of the room, almost crashing into Susan and Lucy as they entered.

"Crystal, are you OK?" Susan asked as she and Lucy dashed into the room. "What happened?"

"Something came in here and tried to strangle her," Caspian said as he pointed to the red marks that were on Crystal's neck.

"Are you OK?" Lucy asked with wide eyes filled with fear and curiosity.

"Yes, I'm fine," Crystal responded, suddenly wishing she wasn't the center of attention.

"It's getting late," Peter spoke up as Edmund came back into the room. "To reduce the risk of this happening again, Ed I want you to stay in Su's room and Caspian I want you to stay in Lu's and I'll stay here."

Peter could feel the girls giving him odd looks but he ignored them and kept his eyes on Edmund and Caspian. They both had confused looks on their faces but it wasn't as intense as the confused look on Edmund's face. Peter crossed the room and sat down in a chair before resting his sword against the desk. Edmund, Susan, Caspian, and Lucy took that as a sign to leave.

"G'night Peter," Lucy called to him before closing the door behind all of them. Peter noticed an amused smile was on her face but he didn't have time to comment on it before the door was closed the rest of the way.

"You're going to need your sleep for tomorrow," Peter told Crystal.

"I can't sleep," she responded as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Why not?" He asked as he rubbed his hand over his face and let out a sigh. She shook her head and rested her forehead on her knees. Peter let out a breath, knowing automatically that he wasn't going to get the sleep he deserved. He got up from his chair and crossed the room. Crystal felt her bed sink and little when Peter sat next to her. "What's wrong?" He asked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and shifted her so her head was resting on his shoulder.

"I don't feel like I belong here," she admitted with a sigh. "Aside from you and your family, no one likes me here and they think I'm in outsider that shouldn't be here. The only reason they pretend to accept me being here is because Aslan made it clear that he wanted me here."

"You were brought here with us for a reason," he pointed out as he gave her a little squeeze. "Narnia needed you here for a reason and you will eventually find out what it is. As for the others, don't worry about what they think. You never did before."

"I'm not in my comfort zone, that's why," she responded with a small smile. "Peter, will I be able to go back home? Not that I don't like it here. This castle and the grounds are very beautiful but...I miss my step...my father."

"I don't know a way for you to get back. If you really wanted to you'd have to wait for Aslan to return, but we don't even know when he's going to be back. And besides, I thought you'd take the chance to show me that you can deal with fighting."

"Oh, I will," she said with a tiny smile. "Then you'll be begging me to cover your arse in battle." She let out a breath and was silent for a while. Peter thought that he had talked her to sleep when she asked, "Why're you so protective of me?"

"I told you, I made a promise to your father," Peter responded as he looked down at her and saw that she was fighting to keep her eyes open.

"I know, but why did you make the promise to him?" She asked before letting out a yawn. Goosebumps spread across his shoulder when her warm breath floated across his skin.

"I felt like I had to," he said after thinking for a minute. "You're like a sister to me anyway; if anything happened to him I want you to know that I'm here, along with my siblings. Consider us your second family. Do you accept that answer?" His response was silence. "Crystal?" He looked down and smiled to himself when he saw that she had fallen asleep. He tried to shift her so he could get off of her bed to allow her to sleep but he would have had to wake her up to do that. 'I'll just stay here, I guess.' He gently leaned back and pulled her down with him. He pulled the covers over them and checked to see if she was still asleep. "G'night," he muttered before closing his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Susan had a soft smile on her face as she gently traced the abs that were sculpted into Caspian's stomach from years for training. To her, his muscles were perfect and no amount of training would change that. She looked up to his sleeping face and saw the peaceful expression that was etched onto it. She took his hand and kissed each finger gently. The soft affectionate action alone caused Caspian to wake up. She smiled at him before tilting her head up to kiss him good morning.

Susan made Edmund switch with Caspian so Edmund was looking after Lucy instead. She felt like she and Caspian should be together, it made sense to her. She would have to get used to it if they were going to get married soon. The thought of marriage always brought a smile to Susan's face that took a while to make go away. She felt that her life would soon be complete once they got married. Edmund respected Caspian and Lucy seemed to treat him like a big brother anyway. Now all she had to worry about was telling Peter and getting him to warm up to the idea. But that was something she wanted to take her time on.

"Were you watching me sleep?" Caspian asked as he kissed Susan on the forehead. The rose blooming on her cheeks confirmed his suspicions. He laughed and kissed her forehead again before kissing her on the mouth. "Don't be embarrassed."

"I can't help it, you look handsome even when you are sleeping," she responded before kissing his fingertips once more and snuggling against his chest. She looked around the room before looking out the window to see the sun rising. Her heart sank when she realized that she would have to, once more, keep her relationship with Caspian a secret. She didn't know how long she would have to pull this off, probably until she gets up the nerve to tell Peter...or after she gets married, whichever comes first. "You should go."

"Do I have to?" Caspian asked in a whine with a slight pout.

"Yes. I don't want Peter to come in here and see us like this," she responded before kissing him on the nose and then on the mouth. "We can spend some time in together later, I promise."

"All right," he said with a sigh, even though he didn't move.

"Aren't you going to go?" Susan questioned.

"Not without a kiss," he responded. She smiled coyly before leaning forward and pressing her lips against his. He held his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her against him. She smiled into the kiss as he ran his fingers through her soft brown hair.

"OK," Susan said once they pulled away, panting slightly. "Now you really have to go."

"Just one more," Caspian said as he pulled her against him once more.

"What have you learned so far?" Peter asked as he and Crystal started down the grassy slope. Peter had a rude awakening that morning when he realized that he and Crystal had fallen asleep in the same bed. He mentally kicked himself for letting it happen, especially because one of his siblings, Caspian, or a servant could have come in and seen them in that predicament. Crystal didn't seem bothered by it at all but Peter couldn't get it out of his mind.

"I've learned to use a sword," she responded. "Remember, that one time I fought Ed?" She asked as she glanced at him. He nodded and urged her to continue. "Susan was going to teach me archery, but she hasn't had any time lately, but I don't blame her. Being a queen must be hard." She stayed silent before asking, "Why won't you let Lucy fight?"

"Because it isn't her place to fight," he responded in a dismissive tone. He pulled Rhindon out of its sheath before pulling out another sword and held it out to her, the blade pointing towards himself. "For starters, I want you to attack me. Don't try to hurt me, but attack me. If you-"

Crystal swung her sword around and Peter quickly lifted his. The blades slammed against one another with a metallic clang. The sword quivered softly in Crystal's hands, humming as it shook there, making her arms tremble. When I thrust it down, it sailed sweetly through the air. When her blade met Peter's blade once more she pressed her weight against it, he matched her move and they stared at each other, trying to overpower the other.

A small smirk was on Peter's face while Crystal's face was void of emotions. Peter got enough strength to push her away before charging at her, blade held high. Crystal found an opening and stabbed at him. He made it out of the way in time as she spun around, swing her blade. He jumped back once more before bring his blade down. The two were caught in a sort of dance; nothing else around them mattered as they focused on trying to take down their foe. Their knuckles were white because their fingers were clamped on the handle.

"I must say I am impressed," Peter said as the two regarded each other.

"Why?" Crystal asked, making sure to keep her guard up as she repositioned her grip on the sword handle.

"You take to the sword like a duck to water," he responded.

"Oh, thank you, then," she said before charging at him. He turned to the side and grabbed her outstretched wrist. He twisted it as she let out a cry of pain and dropped the sword.

"You're very welcome," he said, his mouth right next to her ear. He looked down and blushed involuntarily when he noticed how close they were. He dropped her wrist before taking a step back and sliding Rhindon back into its holder. "You did well," he said as he cleared his throat. "I'm going to have to test you again though, just to make sure you're ready for any type of attack, mainly a surprise one, you have to be ready at all times." She nodded as she picked up her fallen sword before holding it out to them. She opened her mouth to say something when someone's applause. They looked at each other before looking around to see who it was. They relaxed a little when they saw Elvrond coming down the hill.

"If I may say something," he started. The two nodded. "You're too eager," he told Crystal. "You must analyze the situation before you make a move, or it may be your last."

"Thank you for the advice," she said with a nod.

"May I have a word with you? If you're not too busy that is, I don't want to interrupt your training session," Elvrond asked with a pleasant smile.

"Go ahead, sir," Peter told him. "I have to meet with the tailor anyway. Tell me if you see Edmund while you're out, please. I want to have a word with him."

"Sure," Crystal responded. He nodded before turning and walking up the slope to go back into the castle. Crystal turned to the raven haired king and asked somewhat nervously, "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Let's walk," Elvrond said as he placed a hand on the small of her back and led her forward. "I have to say, you remind me so much of my daughter."

"But...Edmund told me that you didn't have a family," Crystal said as she looked at the king in confusion.

"That is true, but I had a daughter before," he responded. "She was a beautiful thing. I lost my wife when she was born but I was glad she was able to give life to the beautiful little girl. She reminds me of you because of her determination. She was with me until she was two, by that time she was the most determined person I've ever met. She, in a way, made it her mission to be able to walk." He let out a sigh and the smile never left his face. "Because of the circumstances I had to let her go and let her live with another family that I saw would take care of her. Anyway, it's your determination that reminded me of her." He noticed the look on her face and said with a laugh, "It's a compliment, really."

"I wasn't going to say anything about that," she replied. "I was thinking about what Edmund told me."

"What is it that the young king has planted into your mind?" Elvrond asked as he pulled a bright orange flower off of a tree and held it out to her. She smiled before accepting it, the cautious feelings she once held in her immediately disappeared.

"He told me that you and I have the same necklace," she responded so suddenly he stopped walking. "And I wanted to know if it were true."

"You mean this one?" He asked as he lifted the chain that was around his neck, the same time she lifted hers. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was the exact same thing: a silver pendant that was embedded by an ocean blue jewel. The only thing that was different was the fact that there was writing in the u shape of the bottom of Elvrond's necklace. Crystal squinted to read what it said. "It says vox per diligo, power through love." Crystal's eyes lowered to the back of hers where she lightly traced the same Latin phrase that was etched into the back. "I think..." his voice made her look back up at him, into his bright blue eyes. "I think...you're my daughter."

So, this is my Christmas present to you, my readers. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I really hate Isabella, and I'm the one writing her that way, lol. Please leave a review!

-Crystal

P.S. for those of you who read my Bittersweet Secret story, I'll be updating that next.