Last chapter was bad...or at least that's what I think. Hopefully I can make myself and everyone else happy with this one...(: Oh...and my nephew was born yesterday! He's so cuteeee! Just thought I'd share that(:

Chapter 25

LUCY'S POV

Lucy had just finished changing into a light pink gown with white lacy trimmings that hung of her shoulders, and brushed her hair quickly before starting for the door so that she could go get breakfast when a loud knock made her jump. It was too forceful to be Caspian or Edmund, and Lucy furrowed her eyebrows in wonderment as she grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. Her heart sunk when she saw who it was.

"Oh Annebelle! I'm so sorry!" Lucy said softly, tears threatening to escape her eyes at the mere sight of Andrew's fiance. She went to throw her arms around the girl when Annebelle grabbed her by the shoulders to stop her, and bumped against her shoulder roughly as she made her way past her into the room. Lucy blinked a few times, confused, before shutting her bedroom door quietly and turning to face the girl. "Annebelle...?" She started cautiously, not sure why the girl was acting so strange. Annebelle's eyes shot up to hers and they clearly held daggers.

"You're real pleased with yourself, aren't you?" Lucy winced at the roughness in her friend's voice, and stayed rooted to the spot. She was at a loss for words, and shrugged weakly. Annebelle sighed, and Lucy saw a tear glide down her cheek. "You've gotten everything you wanted. You waltz into this castle hanging all over my best friend's arm, and then act all sweet and nice and get me together with Andrew. But as soon as something goes bad for you, no one else matters. Andrew's dead and you and Caspian don't have a care in the world as long as you can be together." Annebelle finished, hatred pouring into the room from the words she spoke, and wiped a tear away hastily before glaring at Lucy once more. Lucy could feel the sympathy for Annebelle crawling out the window but tried to hold onto it, and tried to calm her anger as much as possible because she knew the girl was in a time of mourning. That didn't, however, stop Lucy from correcting her. She took a step forward, taking a strangled sigh to stop herself from screaming.

"First off, Caspian has always been, and always will be my best friend. It's been like that since before you even knew him. Second, it was Caspian's idea to go to a war, not mine. I thought about just going with Nain because I didn't want any Narnians dying for me. Third, the only reason I went along with the battle in the first place was because Aslan told me it was the right thing, and forgive me for saying so, but he holds a much higher place in my heart than you ever will," Lucy watched as Annebelle's eyes widened at her harsh words, and looked away from Lucy to hide the look of pain that washed over her features. Lucy was too preoccupied with curious thoughts that her own words brought to her. Aslan said he was going to help us...where was he? She shook her head to clear her mind, knowing that in some way, Aslan must have contributed to their victory. He would never break his word, she assured herself. Lucy's eyes snapped back to the girl who was now growing hysterical on her bed. Tears poured from her eyes nearly as fast as a waterfall. Lucy's sympathy poured back into her heart as she kneeled down in front of Annebelle and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. She was taken by surprise, though, when Annebelle smacked her so hard that she toppled over backward.

"I HATE YOU!" Annebelle screamed, with bitter tears falling from her eyes that she would every so often wipe away. Lucy was just about to speak when she heard a throat clear, and she snapped her head to the side to see that Edmund had come into the room just in time to see Annebelle hit her. He looked livid.

"Come with me," he growled, Lucy nodded, and made to jet over to him but he shook his head at her, pointing to Annebelle. "I meant her," he referred to Annebelle as if just the mere mention of her could poison his tongue, and grabbed her arm roughly when she made her way over to him apprehensively. Lucy watched her brother lead the girl out of the room, still having a firm grip on her.

XoXoXoXo

EDMUND'S POV

"How dare you touch my sister!" Edmund hissed after shoving Annebelle into his own room. I'll be damned if I'm going to allow this servant to harm Lucy. He eyed her dangerously, not sure what to do with her. Edmund knew he would never punish a servant with physical harm, especially one that wasn't really his, but he still fought the urge to give Annebelle what he just saw her give to his sister. The girl's bottom lip quivered, and she burst into tears.

"It's not fair! Lucy has everything! And because of her, my fiance is dead!" Edmund's eyes softened at her outburst, but shook his head in disagreement. He grabbed her arm once more, this time much more gently, and sat her on his bed, kneeling down in front of her just as Lucy had moments ago.

"She told me the same thing, you know? Lucy thought it was her fault. But I'm going to tell you the same thing I told her," Edmund brought a hand up to graze the girl's cheek, trying to ignore the chill that went down his spine as his hand made contact with the flawless skin. "King Nain was a retched man and king, and was already causing problems in Narnia when he let his men cross our borders and kill our people. We all know he would not have agreed to any solutions Caspian would have suggested, and that Caspian would have had to propose a war no matter what. I have no doubt in my mind that murder is the way Nain accepts all war proposals, and this would have happened regardless. Maybe not to Andrew, but to someone. You can't blame Lucy. Another thing, Lucy does not have everything. She is hiding it well, but I can tell when she is hurting. She had to give up the right to ever see her family again to be with Caspian. Our mother and father think she's dead. Our family is in danger because of some sick lunatic wanting revenge with her, and she can do nothing being here. She's sick with worry. Caspian is really what keeps her going." Edmund watched Annebelle's eyes shift emotions, and she nodded to him weakly before looking down in her lap. Edmund kept his hand on her cheek, and did not fail to notice how she slightly leaned into it, as well as the tear that ran into his thumb.

"I'm never gonna see him again," she whispered, closing her eyes. Edmund groaned at the sight, never sure how to handle crying girls that weren't Lucy. He could not even calm Susan. He slowly moved to sit next to her on his bed, wrapping and arm around her shoulder nervously, and felt a tug at his heart when she hid her head in his shoulder and started to cry harder.

"There, there," he patted her back awkwardly, wishing he was better at this. He heard her mutter something inaudible to him. "Sorry? I didn't quite catch that." She repeated her words, speaking louder but with the occasional crack in her voice when a sob would threaten to escape.

"Andrew thought I was pretty," she said. Edmund raised an eyebrow, though he knew she could not see it. Isn't it to be expected that a woman's fiance finds her pretty?

"Okay..?"

"He's the only one. Who thinks that about me," she finished, her voice getting lower as embarassment hung on her every word.

"Nonsense," Edmund snapped. "Don't think of yourself so lowly. I happen to think you're very pretty indeed." She sniffled.

"Really?" She asked with her face still hidden. Edmund smirked and blushed at the same time.

"Yeah," he answered, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. An awkward silence rose between them. "I'm really sorry about Andrew, I can tell how much you loved him."

"Yeah, well. He was the only man I ever met to give me any attention." She answered bitterly. What is wrong with these men?

"So...you didn't love him?"

"I cared for him very much," she shot back defensively.

"But did you love-?"

"I don't know! I honestly don't. Oh! Now I feel awful! He's dead! I shouldn't be saying these things! I thought of him romantically, but I don't know if it was love." Her voice trailed off as she seemed to go deep into thought. More awkwardness. Edmund didn't know how to reply to that.

"Whatever the case, I'm still sorry," Edmund whispered, rubbing her shoulder. He caught her gaze, and she seemed flustered and ashamed at the same time.

"Thank you, your majesty. I'm sorry about Lucy," her voice trailed off.

"It's Edmund, and I'm not the one you need to apologize to." Edmund stated, giving her a final squeeze before getting up off the bed, extending his hand to her. "But that can wait. How about you show me around the castle?"

XoXoXoXo

CASPIAN'S POV

How dare she touch Lucy? If she thinks she will continue to live in this castle, she's got another thing coming, Caspian thought as he made a beeline towards Lucy's bedroom. It was hard enough to not burst into Edmund's bed chamber as soon as he overheard the boy scolding Annebelle for striking Lucy, and now he had to fight with the urge to hit her right back. He took in a deep breath to calm himself. You aren't Miraz. He knocked lightly on Lucy's door.

"Come in," he heard her say softly, and he obliged quickly, pushing it open to find her reading on the bed. He smirked. It was a usual position for her. He changed his thought process quickly, however, not forgetting the topic at hand.

"She hit you?" He questioned firmly, anger seething underneath his words. Lucy caught his intensive stare and nodded slowly, chewing on her bottom lip to signal her nerves. He growled. "I'm firing her," he confirmed to himself and Lucy out loud, earning a gasp from her. She slammed the book shut and set it aside, moving to her knees so that she was kneeling on the bed in front of him to make herself taller.

"No you are not!" Lucy argued, crossing her arms defiantly. Caspian raised an eyebrow at her. Lucy sighed, continuing. "She's in mourning, Caspian, you have to be understanding," she grabbed his hand as she sat back on her ankles, pulling him so that he sat next to her on the bed. He immediately snaked an arm around her waist. "Annebelle just needs time to adjust. She'll come around," Lucy leaned over and kissed his cheek sweetly, trying to get her way. Caspian rolled his eyes.

"Fine, but if she doesn't apologize, she's fired." He stated harshly, resting a hand on her cheek delicately and inspecting her face, checking for a bruise. Lucy blushed and squirmed away.

"I'm fine," she muttered. Caspian nodded, moving away so that he sat up against the head board. He watched Lucy pick up the book she had been reading, running a hand over its cover. He noticed it was the same fairytale book that they would read aboard the Dawn Treader. She seemed to like it. His eyes lingered on her face, noticing the way she tucked a stray curl behind her ear, and brought her fingers to her mouth and chew the nail on her thumb while she was deep in concentration. He observed her for a while longer, until she caught his gaze and blushed deeply, making a laugh rumble in his chest.

"Come here," he whispered, and she set her book aside again and let him draw her to sit on his lap. Lucy linked her arms around his neck while his circled her small waist, moving the fingers on one of his hands back and forth on her side in a soothing manner. Lucy got a random surge of energy and kissed him hard on the mouth, making him moan in pleasure when she pressed her form up against him, and also making him protest when she pulled away abruptly and flashed him a dazzling smile that showed her dimples. "That was mean," he complained, but couldn't help but grin when she giggled.

"Sorry! I just got really excited," she explained. Caspian chuckled and tucked some of her fallen hair behind her ear.

"Excited about what?" Lucy tightened her grip on him before going on.

"Just thinking about how I'm actually here to stay. With you," she blushed as she added the last part, and Caspian felt his own surge of happiness at her words. A thought came to his mind that made him even more joyous.

"And you'll be my wife some day," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers and looking into her eyes. They widened when he said this and he grinned, and chuckled when she bopped up and down in his lap.

"Mhmm," she confirmed. He got more confident.

"And someday, have a little prince or princess running about the castle?" He asked nervously, and watched Lucy blush deeper as she nodded shyly.

"Of course you'd want a prince. You need an heir," she assumed, giving him a knowing look. Caspian smiled wider.

"Yes, but I want a daughter as well," Lucy nodded in excited agreement. "I know she'd be the most beautiful princess in the world, considering who her mother would be. Big hazel eyes..."

"And dark brown hair..." Lucy added.

"And adorable freckles..." Caspian went on.

"And a perfect smile!" Lucy finished, giving a melodic laugh and kissing his mouth lovingly. Caspian thought for a moment.

"The boy needs to come first though," he thought out loud.

"Why?"

"So he can look after the girl," he answered as if it were obvious, holding her even closer. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"As if you wouldn't have a close enough eye on her, if you're even half as protective as you are of me," she said in an amused tone. Caspian prodded her side to make her giggle before answering her.

"Well of course. No daughter of mine will have suitors until she's at least..." he thought for a moment. "Seventeen!" Lucy's jaw dropped at his words.

"Caspian! You wanna know what age suitors started to come for me back in the Golden Age?"

"What?" He asked, curious.

"Thirteen!" It was Caspian's turn to hang his mouth agape.

"Peter allowed that?" Lucy nodded, and he huffed in annoyance. His eyes turned to slits.

"And what did you think of these men?" Caspian asked her seriously, and Lucy held her stomach in laugher.

"Oh Caspian! You can't possibly be jealous!" When he continued to give her the same look however, Lucy realized that he could. "I was only friends with them until I was the age I am now," she explained, not wanting to lie. Caspian huffed again. "There was only one I actually liked. But it didn't get far. He fell for Susan," she finished, rolling her eyes at her own story's conclusion. Caspian shook his head, incredulous.

"That's ridiculous. You're so much better than her," he said. Lucy prodded him in the side.

"You fancied her!"

"You were twelve! And even then, who did I spend more time with?" Lucy blushed.

"Me."

"Exactly," he spoke as if finishing the conversation, pressing his lips to her forehead. Lucy reached over and ran her fingers along the page of the book she had been reading, which sat about a foot away from where they did. The picture showed a battle scene, the first war the Pevensie children ever fought in. Aslan stood beside Lucy in the photo, looking authoritative as he looked on. Caspian nuzzled Lucy's neck affectionately. "Do you want to read?" He watched her nod, and went to reach for the book when she put a hand on his arm, giving him a sweet look.

"Can we read in the garden? I love it there," she asked nervously, and he chuckled and kissed her lips as if to answer in the affirmative. I'm glad she likes it, he thought before helping her stand up, grabbing the fairytale book as well as Lucy's hand, before leading her out to their new favorite spot.

Thanks for reading!