Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing Narniarelated (though I wish I did!). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Here it is, the long awaited meeting of Ali, Caspian and Lilliandil, the Blue Star! It's towards the second half of the chapter, but hopefully it'll make for an interesting read all around. Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!

Chapter 14: The Blue Star:

Upon reaching the shore, Caspian saw that the sun was close to setting, and that the supply group had returned, but with very little to show for their efforts. They had brought numerous baskets ashore, but many of these were empty -the few that had some kind of contents in them did not look appetizing.

"What food did you find?" Caspian asked, looking at the scant provisions.

Master Rhince knelt beside the baskets and gave an apologetic look. "It's a volcanic island, Your Majesty," he explained. "Not much grows."

Ali came up to peek into the baskets, and when she saw what was in them, she wrinkled her nose. "Hmm…Cactus leaves, odd fruits, some fungus, and I'm not even sure what those are," she said, pointing to one basket. "Are they nuts, or something in that family?"

Even Caspian wasn't sure what they were, but the men were sure that the items were edible, so he agreed to let the baskets be taken back to the ship. "It's getting dark, and quickly. If we leave now, we can make it to the ship with little trouble."

Ali winced. "Would it be too much to ask for us to sleep here on shore? It would be nice to have solid ground under my head, rather than moving sea."

Lucy seemed to agree, and thought that young Gael should join them. Rhince agreed to let his daughter come ashore, as there was no wildlife to threaten her safety.

Within an hour, the longboats had gone to and from the ship, and there was a quaint camp set up on the beach. The ground was warm; a combination of the heat of the volcano, underground vents, and the day's sun absorbed by the ground, so there was no fear of freezing. A large pile of driftwood had been found and lit for light, and some rations had been brought from the ship, so there was just enough for an evening meal and breakfast at dawn.

The camp was a very small one, consisting of Caspian, his friends, Gael, and Master Rhince (who decided to not let his daughter out of his sight after all). It was a quiet night, and a clear one, leaving them a perfect opportunity to sit by the fire and enjoy the stars.

After supper had been eaten and all of the bedrolls had been spread around the fire, Caspian couldn't help but notice how Ali, Lucy and Gael had set up close together –the older girls would sleep on the outside, and keep Gael safe and warm in the middle. It never ceased to amaze him, how Ali could be so gentle and motherly to the little girl, and such a good friend to Lucy. He had no doubt that, one day, she would be a good mother to her children.

Perching on a log that had come ashore long ago, Caspian tilted his head up and stared at the sky. It was a beautiful evening, and he could only be dazzled at the number of stars glittering down at him.

"I've never seen these constellations before," Edmund said from his bedroll. Like Caspian, he was staring upwards, admiring the heavens.

"Neither have I," Caspian whispered in reply. "We're a long way from home."

Someone came up and sat to his left. "We certainly are," Ali softly commented.

He chuckled, but didn't turn to look at her. "When I was a boy, I dreamed of sailing to the end of the world, of finding my father there."

Ali reached out and patted his hand as Edmund replied, "Maybe you will."

A sound reached his ears, causing him to turn and spot Gael shifting restlessly on her bedroll. Beside him, Ali sighed. "I think she's missing her mother again," she whispered for his ears only. "So far, it's been simple to distract her, but sometimes, when there's a quiet moment…"

Caspian smiled at her. "Go," he murmured, nudging her with his shoulder. "She needs you."

Smiling her thanks, Ali got up and went over to her own sleeping roll. He watched as she lay down and both she and Lucy began whispering comforting things to the little girl. After a few moments, things became silent again, and deep breaths began to fill the air, signaling that everyone had fallen asleep.

Grinning, Caspian looked at the people around him. To his left were Ali, Lucy and Gael; after them were Eustace and Reepicheep, the two of them now very firm friends indeed. Then there was Rhince, Edmund, and Caspian's own bedroll. And speaking of his bedroll, the thing seemed to be calling him, reminding him of the hard day he had just experienced. It was time for some well-deserved rest!

"Ali! Ali, wake up!" a voice said into my ear as a hand began shaking me. "Ali!"

Thinking that something was wrong, I sat bolt upright, looking around for danger until Gael began pointing out over the sea. Staring out towards the ocean, I was astonished to see a blazing blue star in the sky. It was the one Coriakin had sent us to find!

My heart immediately sank as Lucy was awakened and both she and Gael began rousing the others. Soon, we would encounter the Star's Daughter, and then...Well, I have no idea what would happen, but just thinking about it made me sick.

'I'll pull through it,' I thought with determination. 'No matter what happens,I'll do whatever Aslan tells me to.'

Not like that idea helped much. I only knew I had to go through with this quest, but what about when we reached the end of the world? Would I be sent home, like Edmund, Lucy and Eustace would be sent back to their England? People and animals were expecting me to return to Narnia with Caspian –if I didn't, what effect would that have on them?

Looking around, I saw excited looks on everyone else's face. It was time to head onwards towards the star, and see what fate held for us there (though I was fairly sure I already knew what it was).

The voyage to Ramandu's Island wasn't as bad as the films made it out to be –there were no storms and nothing trying to prevent us from getting there. In fact, the winds were with us, the sky was clear, and the weather wasn't too hot, so we made excellent speed to our destination. We didn't even have to use the oars, which the men were relieved about.

Within a few days, we found ourselves at an island that seemed to be nothing more than forested mountains and beautiful waterfalls. Drinian looked through a telescope to see if there were any signs of civilization, and found nothing except a set of ruins atop one of the low-rising mountains. Caspian took a peek, and after considerable thought, decided to weigh anchor a short distance from the island.

"There doesn't seem to be any coves or safe places to dock, so we must anchor here and row ashore," he said, nodding at Drinian. "See to it, will you? We will take a quarter of the men with us, no more, and take sleeping provisions with us. If the island is safe, we may stay the night."

It was quickly decided that Gael and her father would remain behind, as we didn't know what to expect on the island, which Rhince was happy to agree to. To our surprise, Eustace and Reepicheep both agreed to remain aboard, to keep an eye on Gael and guard the ship with the men left behind.

By the time the boats were ready and in the water, the sun was setting, and the men had to row hard in order for us to reach shore before dark. We reached it just as the sun sank below the horizon, and at that point, Edmund whipped out his flashlight and began leading us up the pathway that headed deeper into the forest.

But it wasn't just forest that was here. The path wasn't dirt, but was actually cut stone that had been overgrown with trees, grass, and vines. All around us were ruins of a great castle, complete with fierce gargoyles that stood upon bridges that connected walkways over waterfalls. Whomever had lived here had long ago died and given the place up to the fauna and flora.

Through a large tree whose roots created a large archway, we found a stone table covered in what resembled a buffet. After being at sea for so long, the variety of elegant food was tempting to everyone, even me. It had been many months since any of us had seen a meal like this.

But with all that we'd been through so far on this quest, it was clear that most of the men were wary of the food that was laid out, and wouldn't touch it. Tavros tried to edge closer, but was stopped by Drinian.

Stepping around the table, I nearly jumped out of my skin when Caspian, Edmund and Lucy drew their swords, causing the others to do the same. Getting a hold of myself, I followed Caspian towards the head of the table, where he had already located the other Lords.

"Lord Ravilian," Caspian said, pointing at a ring that rested on one of the men's fingers. "Lord Mavramorn, from the look of this insignia. The other must be Lord Argoz."

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Lucy tried to inspect one of the Lords through the thick hair and branches that had grown over him, and leaped back, startled.

Stepping forward, Caspian bent closer. "He's breathing," he whispered, clearly trapped between wonder and fear.

Edmund shone his flashlight over the other men. "So are they. They must be under a spell."

Turning, Caspian cried, "It's the food!"

Tavros, who had again picked up an apple, dropped it in surprise. Edmund looked around the table and cried out. "It's the Stone Knife! This is Aslan's Table!"

Caspian immediately began to look down at the Lords' sides. "Their swords! Quick, put them on the Table!" he ordered, drawing one while Edmund and Lucy drew the others, including the ones they'd brought with them from the ship.

Quickly, six swords clattered as they were brought together in a circle, their blades overlapping as they were laid out. After a swift count, I realized that we were one short. Caspian looked a bit crestfallen, but that didn't last long; the swords on the table began to glow with a blue radiance, and from up above, a matching blue beam of light shown down on us.

"Look!" Lucy cried, causing everyone to look up. Thinking that it was a danger, Caspian drew the sword of King Peter and held it aloft, in case it was an attack of some sort.

From the heavens fell a large orb of white-and-blue brilliance that was so beautiful that even I had to gawk as it came to settle on the ground, taking the form of a lovely young woman with blonde hair and silver-blue eyes. She was garbed simply in a white dress, and on her lovely face was a kind smile.

"Travelers of Narnia," she said, her voice chiming lightly as she addressed us, "Welcome."

The men all fell to one knee while Caspian, Lucy, Edmund and I remained standing. The woman smiled a little in amusement as she asked the men to rise. Looking closer at us, she asked, "Are you not hungry? Why do you not eat?"

Seeing that the men were all a bit star-struck (literally), I cleared my throat. "I'm afraid they thought the food to be enchanted, and that it was the meal that put these men into their spelled sleep."

The woman turned her smile towards me, and rather than be jealous of her, I felt my negative emotions towards her vanish at her outpouring of kindness. "They have never tasted it," she said. "The food is safe, and without danger."

Caspian, however, didn't seem to buy it. "Who are you?" he asked, coming up beside me. Rather than gazing at her in admiration, as he was supposed to be, he actually seemed a bit suspicious. His attitude towards her surprised me, but I couldn't seem to find the words to ask him what his problem was. After all, Edmund sure seemed to find her appealing.

"I am Lilliandil, daughter of Ramandu," she replied. "I am your guide."

Edmund stared at her in surprise. "You're a star?" She nodded. "You're very beautiful," he complimented her.

She looked a bit concerned. "If it is a distraction, I can change form," she suggested helpfully, fully meaning what she said.

"No!" Edmund said hastily, "That's alright!"

Lucy and I exchanged knowing looks and rolled our eyes, sharing the same thought: Men!

"Please," Lilliandil said, "The food is for you." With a wave of her hands, the candles lit themselves. "There is enough for all who are welcome at Aslan's Table. Please, help yourselves."

"Wait!" Caspian cried as the crew reached for the laden dishes. "What happened to the Lords, if it was not the food that enchanted them?"

She looked over at the sleeping men. "These poor travelers were half mad when they reached our shores. After they had sat down, they began to argue over what they were to do next. Were they to return to Narnia, or live out their lives here in peace? Or would they sail on to the End of the World in search of Aslan's Country? Their arguing grew so fierce that they began to threaten one another with violence, which is forbidden at Aslan's Table. They were sent into a deep sleep to protect them from one another."

Lucy looked worried. "Will they ever wake?"

Lilliandil gave her a sympathetic smile. "When all is put right." She gestured towards me, Caspian, Lucy and Edmund. "Come, time is short."

Turning, she began walking down a stone pathway, blue and white wisps of light coming off of her as she walked. As the others followed her into the woods, I saw the men looking at me as though asking for permission to do something. Glancing at Drinian, I saw him giving me the same look, though his was more out of amusement than for actual orders.

"Go ahead and eat, but leave some for the rest of us," I said, waving a hand at them. "We'll be back soon."

I'd barely turned my back when the sound of food hitting metal plates reached my ears, causing me to chuckle. Men and their stomachs!

It took only a minute to catch up with the rest, and by the time I had, Caspian was clearly looking for me. Smiling in relief when he saw me, he gently grasped my arm and pulled me after the others. I had to roll my eyes at his protective nature.

The five of us eventually reached a crumbling wall at the edge of a cliff, where we could look out to sea. Lilliandil's lovely face grew grave. "The magician Coriakin told you of Dark Island."

We nodded and looked out towards sea, quickly spotting the black mass that glowed a sickly, toxic green in the near distance. It looked like a poisonous spider floating in the water, and I felt ill just looking at it.

"Soon the Evil will be unstoppable," the Star said, staring out.

"Coriakin said to break its spell, we had to lay all seven swords at Aslan's Table," I said, feeling Caspian's hand come to rest on my shoulder, as if to give me strength.

She nodded. "He speaks the truth."

"But we only found six," Edmund pointed out. "Do you know where the seventh is?"

She pointed out towards the island. I sighed. "Of course. It would be out there, where the Evil is," I muttered, earning weak chuckles from my friends.

Lilliandil gave me a soft, but encouraging smile. "You will need great courage to face the Evil that lies there," she said.

Turning, her face suddenly grew firm as she looked at us. "Now, waste no time. You must act quickly if you are to prevail."

Caspian nodded his head in thanks. "Thank you for your help."

I could only stand there in shock and unease as Lilliandil said goodbye to us all and transformed back into a glowing blue star before shooting upwards into the night sky. What had just happened?

Or more importantly, what hadn't happened?

As we made our way back towards the men and the Table, I began to worry. Caspian hadn't showed any interest in the Star's Daughter, and that seriously worried me. He was supposed to fall in love with her at first sight, and all he'd done was be civil towards her. It had almost been like he was talking to the young ladies back at court in Narnia –he was polite, made decent conversation, and made a graceful exit, all within the space of about three to five minutes. What was going on here?

The whole thing nagged at me all the way back to the Table, but completely vanished as soon as Caspian sat me down on a bench at the table and began serving me food from the many overflowing platters. Then, all worries ceased.

I have no idea how the Table managed to feed more than two dozen hungry sailors, plus myself and two Kings and a Queen of Narnia, but it did. There were many different fruits in bowls, plus a variety of cold meat, and plump prawns that were longer than my hand. For some reason, the men seemed to be avoiding the artichokes, and when I asked Caspian about it, he explained that they were unfamiliar with it, and would not touch it.

Thinking back, I realized I hadn't seen a single artichoke in the entire time I'd been in Narnia, and made a swift grab for one. The men proceeded to watch in fascination as I cut and pulled the leaves away, revealing the delicious heart of it. After dicing up the artichoke heart into bite-sized pieces, I poured a bit of salad oil over it and began eating it with pleasure. In minutes, the others were copying me. While some did not appear to care for it, many did, and Caspian decided to try and see if there was a way to take a few back with us, to plant back in Narnia. I didn't think there was, but it was sweet of him to think of doing it.

Once the meal was over, Caspian ordered the men to bring up the sleeping rolls while we cleared areas for everyone to rest in. We thought of returning to the ship, but it was fully dark now, and rowing in full darkness was dangerous. Instead, Caspian, Edmund and I grabbed some branches and swept aside fallen leaves and debris while Lucy gathered firewood.

By the time we settled in, it was quite late, and everyone was exhausted. As I lay staring up at the night sky, I couldn't help but worry again about Caspian's lack of interest in Lilliandil. Had I changed something I shouldn't have? Would Aslan be angry with what had happened? I couldn't bear it if he was disappointed in me.

'What if he isn't interested in her because he doesn't know her very well?' I wondered. I believed in love at first sight, but getting to know others is important, too.

Well, we'd have to return to the island later anyway, to pick up the three Lords that were here, so perhaps I could convince Caspian to try and spend some time with Lilliandil?

Yawning, I fell asleep, ideas of playing matchmaker to him swirling through my head, even though my heart wasn't in it.

AN: Hopefully, this chapter answered many questions. Review?