Author's Note: I feel bad that I left y'all hanging with Davina's lack of oxygen in the last chapter and then made you wait forever to find out what happens. However, I've been trying to plan everything out- so don't think that I forgot about you!

Now remember, y'all, reviews are incredibly good for the author's creative tendencies to make themselves known. I'm spurred by the thought of people reading (and hopefully enjoying) my stories- so special thanks to those of you who have and will review my story. :D

Chapter 26- Hold Me Til Morning

"Hush
I can hear you breathing
Sweet
The taste of your tender kiss
I'm crazy, crazy tonight
Baby hold me tonight
Capture my heart

Hold me til morning
Love me right now
Catch me, I'm falling
Never let go
Hold me til morning
Love me right now"

- Hold Me by Plumb

Lucy rushed over, uncorking her cordial as her feet flew across the cold stone flooring.

She did a once-over of her sister-in-law's sorry condition and her eyes were drawn to the odd way her rib cage sat.

Pouring a drop into Davina's mouth, Lucy's eyes stayed wide as serving platters from Cair Paravel as she watched the girl, fearing she'd come to late.

Blast it! Lucy thought with agitation, tears pricking at her eyes. If only I'd not stopped to admire Drinian's healing and focused on her, she wouldn't be dying.

She heard the strangled cries from those around her and closed her eyes in sorrow, she couldn't discern which cries came from whom, but she hung her head.

It was then that Davina made a great gasp and all heads shot up and stared intently at the girl. She began coughing fiercely and Susan leaned her over again to spit out blood.

Lucy, despite her earlier chastisement to herself, watched as Davina's body healed itself. Her rib cage adjusted, despite Davina's wince at the movement of her bones, and the bruises slowly yellowed and returned to her what they supposed was normal pink-ish skin, only they couldn't tell because of the caked mud that covered that skin.

Davina's violet eyes fluttered open as she looked around weakly. A smile lighted her face.

"Thanks, y'all." she whispered quietly before drifting off into a peaceful sleep. It was funny to hear her British accent pronounce the word that gave away her Texan origins. Susan smiled as she wiped away a matted curl from the girl's face. It was funny how that one little word had become sentimental to them after all this time.

Susan gently dipped a cloth into some warmed water and wrung it out before beginning to wipe away the soot that covered her face.

"She'll have to have a proper washing when she wakes." Lucy heard her mumble as she passed by.

Waving for the rest to be seated on their beds, Lucy began to make her rounds in checking the health of the rest.

Miraz's army was restless.

When the High Queen had been rescued, they'd lost any extra playing card they thought they'd had. What would come of it?

That was the question that everyone asked, yet no one had the answer to.

General Glozelle stepped through the tent flap of his king's chambers hesitantly. With the man in such a foul temper, he could hardly predict the King's actions. He hoped that whatever action he took, it wouldn't end up with his own life ending.

"Your Majesty." Glozelle said, executing a deep bow before righting himself again. His dark eyes flickered as they stuidied his king. "Shouldn't you be resting for the duel tomorrow, my lord? The effort is sure to be taxing, in the least." the general reminded him softly.

"There's not going to be a duel tomorrow, General." Miraz answered, his sword flashing as he spun it through the air, meticulously practicing his skill in swordsmanship. "They've broken the conditions of the treaty and I will not allow that!"

Glozelle took a knee as he looked at the man who'd made himself king.

"Then what are your orders, Your Majesty?"

Davina's eyes fluttered open once again and she blinked multiple times in order to push away the bleariness that clowded her vision.

It was then that she realized that Susan was sitting over her and it startled her somewhat. Susan laughed at her jumpiness and smiled sweetly.

"How are you feeling, Vina? You were in quite the sorry state when we received you." she questioned.

"Well," she began to answer as she sat up. "I feel as if I haven't had a shower in years and like I got hit by a train. Other than that, I fear the damage done to my ribs can hardly affect my 'asthma attacks' in a positive way."

She was referring to the damage done when she had faced the giants with Peter so long ago. Ever since then, she'd had wheezing fits every now and then that would come up quite unprovoked. When they'd returned to England, they'd often had to explain it away as asthma.

Susan nodded, eyes twinkling with relief as Davina lay against a pillow. She looked about and found that the chamber was quite empty.

"Where is everyone?" Davina asked longing to see them all, especially her husband, once again.

"Oh, Lucy and Caspian shooed them away. Peter, Isaiah, and Ed were hovering over you like mother hens and suffocating Lu and I. The others followed them." Susan chuckled.

"And Drinian?" she asked worriedly, remembering the state in which she'd last seen him.

"He's on the mend, dear sister." she replied with a smile. "We almost lost both of you, you know."

It was Davina's turn to smile as she put a hand tenderly on Susan's cheek.

"Well, I'm alright now, Su. There's no need to worry. I'll do my best not to die."

Susan gave a cheeky smile before standing abruptly.

"You need to be washed." she laughed. "I'll go get Peter. We can't afford you drowning and Lu and I not being able to lift you out."

"Are you calling me fat?" Davina laughed incredulously.

"Yes." Susan laughed in response before heading out the door. Davina shook her head, a smile dancing across her lips.

Seconds later, Peter came rushing headlong through the door, Susan and Lucy smiling in the doorway as they watched the two reunited.

Their lips crashed into the one another and the two shared a long, deep kiss. When they pulled away from each other, he planted multiple kisses on her forehead before taking her hands in his and looking deep into her eyes.

Both had tears swelling in their eyes to the point of spilling over. His storm swept blue ones piercing her violet eyes.

"My dear Davina, I have you back." he was choking out. " I was so scared... so scared I would lose you."

"You came for me, sweet husband." she answered wetly, tears streaming down her face as they made the dirt that hadn't been washed from her face become muddy. "You rescued me. That's all I need." she placed another kiss on his lips. "I love you so much."

He pulled her into his chest, rocking her gently.

"I love you. I love you, Vina." he sobbed, great tears wetting her matted hair. "I'm so sorry. So sorry we fought with each other. So sorry I couldn't come sooner."

Davina looked up and wiped away his tears, putting her hands on both sides of his face and giving him another long, sweet kiss.

"I'm here and you're here now. And I never want to be parted again." she told him solemnly, letting out a weak sigh.

They sat like that for a while, each basking in the presence of the other, when Davina heard a distinct sniffle from the doorway.

There stood Lucy and Susan at the front, Isaiah and Edmund behind them all four unashamedly watching the touching reunion, the two girls dabbing at their eyes with small handkerchiefs. Drinian and Prince Caspian were watching from behind, both looking acutely uneasy at spying, but wanting to see what went on nonetheless.

Davina let out a tearful laugh.

"It appears we have spectators." she whispered gently, smiling up at the man she'd married so many years ago and had never once regretted.

Peter looked over and laughed as well.

"Did we entertain you quite well enough?" he asked.

"Quite." Edmund answered, voice betraying the thick emotion he was feeling. He coughed awkwardly in an attempt to hide it.

Peter helped his wife up from her infirm bed and she rushed over to the others, giving each a big hug- including the much abashed Prince Caspian and equally abashed Drinian. She planted a kiss on the cheek of each of her family members, as well.

"Now go get cleaned up and I'll come brush your hair when Peter gives me the 'all clear'." Susan laughed, pushing a stray bit of hair that had fallen into her own face away.

"I'm not sure if that'll be tonight." Lucy commented, mischievious smile alighting her face.

"Lucy!" Peter laughed, surprised but thinking it quite funny.

Davina smiled, but her face reddened a bit.

"That's highly improper, Lu." Susan reprimanded, trying hard to mask her own smile.

"What? They are married, for goodness sake." she answered, a blush now creeping across her face. Everyone was making a much bigger deal about her comment than she'd expected and it was making her feel awkward.

She turned and saw the boys turning red in their attempt to keep their laughter at bay.

"Oh, go on now, you little rascals." Davina said, rolling her eyes. "I'm tired of feeling like I'm stuck in a mud pit. Now go! I need to get washed."

The six turned to leave, the two from present-day Narnia feeling both shock and mirth at the same time as they'd watched the Kings and Queens of Old interact.

"You two have fun now!" Isaiah chuckled and was promptly smacked in the back of the head by a laughing Susan.

Peter promptly scooped her up in his arms, bridal style, and began carrying her away to a nearby warm tub that had been filled without her knowledge. As she knestled close to his chest and breathed in his scent, she smiled.

She was with her husband and all was well again.

Lucy ended up being right and there was never a call for Susan to come brush the High Queen's hair. But two halves of the same heart had been reunited and the two curled up beside each other as they fell asleep an hour or so after her bath, his arms around her smaller body.

Davina let out a soft sigh as she snuggled with her husband. All was how it should be.

And her eyes drifted slowly closed.

The next morning, Davina's eyes drifted slowly open and she smiled up at her husband as she realized she was facing him now. She planted a soft kiss on his sweet lips, which caused him to stir. His eyes opened slowly, looking as if they were out of focus, before they adjusted and looked at her. He kissed her back.

"Thank Aslan." He breathed. "It all really happened."

Davina's smile widened.

"I haven't heard you say that for a long time, dear husband. It's like music to my ears."

"Yes, well, much has happened in your absence, my little wife. I've realized the error of my ways- with a bit of help." he chuckled as he sat up. "What do you say we join the others for breakfast?"

"Yes, indeed." she responded, stomach growling at the proposition. "I haven't received much sustenance in the past few days."

She watched his features tighten at the mention of her mistreatment as she took off her nightdress and pulled on another that Susan had found for her. It was a deep blue one with loose quarter-length sleeves. The other she'd thrown away, glad to be rid of the dress that would remind her of Edmund's wound so long ago, as well as her own imprisonment. Not that it was really much of a dress at all anymore.

She decided to divert the conversation, not wishing to make Peter any more upset at her previous mistreatment at the hands of the Telmarine soldiers.

"I do believe we will be subjected to merciless teasing, though." she commented.

"We never did send for Susan last night, did we?" he laughed in response.

She smiled coyly before turning away.

"Come on, love. It's time to face our torture.

And torture it was not. Though the two did get teased a bit, it was all in good humor, the rest were just happy to have her back and the two getting along the way they had before they'd left Narnia the first time.

"And what's this?" Davina commented when she's swallowed a large chunk of bread, her smile brightening considerably. "Is that Susan and my royal brother holding hands? Whatever brought this on?" she questioned, mirth twinkling in her deep purple eyes.

"Oh Vina, it's just as we've hoped. They've realized their love for one another!" Lucy squealed in response. Isaiah and Susan turned to look at her incredulously. She smiled apologetically. "So I might've been in the hallway when y'all confessed your love for one another." she giggled.

Susan smacked her hand over her eyes and bit her lip to keep a laugh from escaping it.

"Lucy!" Isaiah scolded. "What have I told you about spying? It wasn't appropriate in Cair and it isn't here, either."

"They're perfect for each other!" Peter let out a hearty laugh. "He scolds the same as she."

"What do you mean 'It's just as we've hoped'?" Susan said, looking between the two of them. "How long have you expected us to fall in love?"

"Oh, just a few years." Lucy mumbled, unable to contain her smile.

Davina's smile looked as if it were ready to engulf her face as Susan let out a startled laugh.

"Well it took you two long enough!" she giggled, sharing Lucy's joy. "A match made in Aslan's country, I'm sure!"

Meanwhile, at the end of the table, an awestruck Drinian and a grinning Prince Caspian looked at each other.

"They're not exactly what I expected the royal family to be like." Drinian whispered to the younger boy.

"Me neither, my good fellow. Me neither."