The first thing I noticed when I came too was the looming form of the White Witch.
The second was the sinister smirk gracing her satanic face.
The third, and probably the most important, was that I was alone with her in a room replete with various torture devices.
"Queen Susan, how good of you to join me." She began, striding towards where I lay. "Please, sit." She said motioning to a chair while she herself sat down upon one I hadn't noticed before.
"Queen Susan, I have a proposition for you."
"And what might that be?"
"I wish you to join me." She whispered into my ear. "Join me, together we could be great. We could rule the world, Aslan himself couldn't stop us." She said, the proposal sounding so seductively delicious. I took a moment to consider, having a good clue as to what might happen should I refuse her, given the current state of the room we're in. I smiled, and I could see the triumph shining through her face.
"Why would I join you to rule the world, when I already do?" I questioned smugly. Her face went from triumphant gloating to seething anger within an instant, and I knew I was right in refusing her offer.
"Well then, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?" She asked, as she snapped her fingers. Suddenly, I was dumped from the chair and chained to the wall so quickly my head spun. "Let's see what you have to say after this." She said, pulling out a wooden hand trap.
I time it perfectly within my mind, and as soon as she's within striking distance, I threw out my leg and delivered the most powerful kick I'd ever given, straight to her stomach.
Rage filled her face as she discarded the hand trap and picked up a whip. The sight of her face filled me with terror, not for myself, but for my unborn child. Pain erupted from my chest as the whip hit there first, my voice calling out as yet another lash came.
"Susan! Susan, wake up!" Caspian cried as I opened my eyes and attempted to shield myself away from the next blow. However, I soon came to my senses, Caspian's worried face inches from mine. "Susan?" He asked as I latched myself onto him.
"Silly nightmare." I mumbled against his chest.
"Tell me about it." He said, and even though I didn't want too, I found myself telling him every detail of my relived memory.
As I finished telling him about the dream, I glanced up into his face. I was surprised when I didn't see the pity in his eyes, as I thought I would, but rather, a loving gaze marred by his anger towards the White Witch.
Glancing at the time, I realized dawn was fast approaching. "It's time to get up." I said, standing from the bed not bothering to hide my naked form. Together, Caspian and I dressed for battle. I helped him with his difficult ties and he helped me with my chain mail.
"Susan." Caspian began as I finished putting the last piece of protective amour on. "I know you know how to handle yourself, better than I most times." I smiled at that. "But please, promise me you'll stay safe. Don't throw yourself in front of someone to save them, even if it's me." He pleaded. "If I could keep you from this, I would. But I know that you can protect yourself, and I also know this battle is just as much your fight as it is mine, if not more so... I love you Susan, and I can't loose you again." He finished, pulling me to him for a desperate kiss, which I hungrily returned.
"I'll do my best not to die." I said, in all seriousness, but at the same time attempting to bring a smile to his face.
"It's not funny." He said.
"I know it's not. I love you Caspian the Tenth of Telmar. Don't you dare die on me." I ordered him, as I leaned against his chest, my arms still wrapped around his neck and his still around my waist. "Besides, you think it's this easy to get rid of me? Have a battle and I'll be done with?" He attempted a chuckle, and I smiled warmly at him. "I know that we'll be fine." I spoke, a sudden confidence I hadn't felt last night shining through. "I know that the White Witch will be destroyed, never to be heard from again. And once she's gone, we can go back to the way things were. And we'll fix all of Narnia's problems and make the world perfect for our children."
"How do you know all of this Susan? The next minute isn't guaranteed to any of us."
"I know, because we both have far to much to live for." I said as I leaned up and captured his lips in a passionate kiss, a kiss that spoke of what would come, after all of this was over. A kiss to live for...
"You are what I fight for," His warm breath whispered against the skin of my neck as we stood in our tent, embracing tightly. "What I live for." He finished, kissing the sensitive spot his whispers had only just vacated.
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The battle was full force, we'd been fighting all day, and night was fast approaching. While we did surprise the White Witch, her numbers were large and they soon fought back with an eased practice that one would think they had been prepared for.
I searched desperately for my wife, fighting off men and creatures as they came, and finally, I found her. She was fighting neck and neck with a Fury. I jumped to help her, and together we took down the Fury.
"I was right!" She called to me, as we were both soon engaged in yet another fight. Confusion marred my face, along with a quick forming bruise as my distraction allowed for the man I was fighting to land a strike to my face.
"What?" I called back, retaliating and soon gaining the upper hand.
"Last night wasn't our last night!" She called out smugly; as she finished off the man she had been fighting before coming over and helping me.
"Does this mean I have to keep you around?" I joked as together we went on to yet another Minotaur.
"I guess so." She answered me, as she dodged a swing from the Minotaur's blade.
"Good." I said as I lifted my sword above my head and brought it down on the Minotaur's skull while it was distracted with Susan. "We work best together." I said as the creature fell to the ground and I grabbed Susan by the waist for a quick kiss.
"Caspian!" She screamed, alerting me just in time for the incoming swing of a sword. I rolled the both of us out of the way, and then I turned to fight the man who'd just interrupted our kiss, Susan turning to an advancing creature. This man's skill was astounding. I felt like I'd been at it for ages, before he slipped upon the blood-drenched ground, and fell at my feet. I knocked him unconscious, before moving on and looking for Susan. Just as I'd spotted her, a blow to my shoulder took over my attention, and soon I was fighting with the first Empusae I'd ever encountered.
I had been fighting this creature for nearly thirty minutes. I was tired, and loosing to the Empusae. Just when I'd nearly given up, it's teeth against my throat, when someone came along behind it and decapitated the creature.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it." High King Peter said.
"Where's Susan?" I asked.
"I don't -" Peter began, but was interrupted -as was the whole battle- by a sinister laugh. All eyes, both good and evil alike, turned to the sound.
"Do you honestly think you could defeat me? You couldn't even come close during the last battle, King Edmund." The White Witch laughed. Edmund was lying on the ground, his sword lying just out of his reach. The White Witch raised her spear, ready to strike. I shut my eyes, not wanting to see the death of my friend and brother-in-law. "I can't, but we can." I heard Edmund's voice call.
"This!" A loud, demanding voice called, as my eyes shot open only to see Susan standing, sword clenched in both hands, and stabbing through the White Witch's stomach. At the same time Edmund thrust his sword into the witch's chest. "This is for my siblings!" She said, plunging the sword deeper.
"This, this is for my baby!" She cried, as she twisted the sword and pulled upward. "And this!" She went on, pulling the sword from the witch's stomach, "This is for me!" She finished, swinging the sword swiftly and severing the witch's head. The moment the White Witch died, along with her went all of the satanic creatures, leaving a small amount of opposition.
A moment of silence, and then a deafeningly loud roar. We had won, and our few opposers could do nothing but remain in shock. It was quick work, rounding up those few that had survived, barely twenty Telmarainian men.
"Are you alright?" I questioned my wife, coming up behind her and placing my hand upon her shoulder. As she gazed off into an unseen distance, she lifted her hand to hold mine.
"I think so... I know I'm not perfectly fine, but I think I'm getting there." She answered me, keeping her hand in mine and turning to embrace me.