Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing…

Once again sorry about spelling and grammar!!!!

Chapter 29: Susan finally catches on…

"…Anyway after we heard them saying that Prince Rabadash was going to be the worst ruler ever, we went down to the river." Hailey was in the process of telling Edmund what they had done when they had 'run away' from the tour Rabadash had been giving. However before she could finish they where interrupted by Susan rushing into the room looking frantic.

"Thank Aslan you are alright!" Susan screamed seeing them and throwing her arms around Corin, (who was nearest).

"Queen Susan you're suffocating me!" Corin gasped from the fold of Susan's dress.

But he need not have spoken for Susan now was hugging Hailey making the girl let out a silent squeak of protest. "Hailey, I was so worried! I was scared that you had been captured, I thought I was never going to see you again!" Susan sounded close to tears.

"Susan!" Hailey said pulling herself out of the older girls grasp. "I'm fine!"

But Susan was not finished, "You should not have gone! Why on earth would you do that… running off into a terrible city like that!"

"Well Susan you see…"

"You are in so much trouble young lady!" Susan said, going from frantic to angry.

"But Susan…"

There was a knock on the door. Saved… Hailey thought

"Come in," Called King Edmund. A slave entered, Susan scowled.

"What is it?" Susan snapped the slave shrunk back.

"Susan!" Hailey scolded, shocked that Susan was being rude to the poor slave.

Susan ignored her as the slave spoke. "Rabadash begs your pardon Queen Susan and he would like to see you for dinner tonight." Susan's and Edmunds scowl deepened.

"No thanks you," Susan said to the shock of Hailey, Max and Corin. "I will be dinning alone tonight." The slave bowed and left.

"Did we miss something?" Max asked looking from the bright red Susan to the positively beaming Edmund.

"No." Susan said shortly as Edmund began to speak. "Come on Hailey lets get you cleaned up."

And with that she took Hailey's hand and dragged her from the room.

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It had been three days since the incident. Since then things had changed drastically, the Prince had been his usual old self. But Susan had been different. She was still just as courteous, but she seemed to see the Prince as he really was now, she had even told Hailey that she thought the Prince was 'stuck-up', which had made Hailey's day so much better.

Three days ago the Prince had, once again, asked her hand in marriage, Susan's answer had been vague "I am very flattered your highness, I will take it into careful consideration…" This had not been the answer the Prince had been expecting, he was rather mad about that.

Then the prince had done everything to make Susan fall for him. He threw her wonderful banquets, sent her marvelous presents, and even had a tournament in her honor.

But Susan was having none of it. Something had changed her mind; Hailey was just not sure what…

She found out on the sixth day. The day Corin went missing. The men had gone for another tour of the city. This time on foot, and during the walk Corin had gone missing.

At first they thought it was like last time Corin had just wondered off. But he was not found for hours. Susan was in a state of panic, she had been crying for hours. Hailey sat beside her praying to Aslan that the Prince would be found, and thinking out some choice words to tell him when he was found.

Susan suddenly looked up at Hailey and sobbed "You don't think he could have been captured do you!"

Hailey had not overlooked that possibility but instead she said "Why? Do you think he has been?"

To her surprise Susan began sobbing harder.

"Susan?" Hailey questioned more worried, it was not like Susan to cry this much.

"Oh Hailey! I was such a fool!" Susan cried whipping tears from her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Hailey asked her heart beating.

Susan looked up at her, her eyes where red and her dark makeup streaked down her face. When she spoke her voice shook. "When you had run away the before Edmund was panicked, he thought you had been captured by a slave trader. He sent out all of his guards to go looking for you." Susan hiccupped, "When you where not found right away Edmund went to the Prince and asked him to send out some of his guards to find you and Corin. He refused."

Hailey's eyes widened, if the Prince could have done anything stupid it was that. Susan continued to speak "he said that you and Corin where just stupid little children and it was your own fault that you had gotten captured or run away. I had not been in the room, but I overheard. Edmund had yelled at him before demanding to have some guards sent out."

Susan again hiccupped "that was when I realized that he was not who I thought he was…"

Hailey, wrapped her arms around Susan "Oh Susan, I am so sorry…"

Susan smiled down at her, "Don't be, you made me see who the Prince really was, I'm sorry for not listening to you in the beginning."

"Thanks alright." Hailey smiled before changing the subject "But why does that make you think Corin has been captured?"

"I think the Prince knows that I do not wish to marry him… I am worried he took Corin as a hostage and will hold him until I agree to marry him…" Wailed the Queen.

"Oh Susan…" Hailey's voice was high even in her mind. Susan had much reason to be upset. Though from the past few days it was not obvious, Susan and Corin were very close.

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"Oh Corin, Corin how you could? And you and I such good friends since your mothers death!" Susan flung herself at Corin when he walked through the door accompanied by and irritated Edmund and his soldiers.

Corin looked worse for wear. He was dressed in peasant's cloths. His face was red from and sun and he looked a bit dazed.

He looks… different… Hailey though before she to hugged the young boy. Saying "Corin you should not better than to wonder off without someone responsible."

What shocked the whole room was the Corin did not make a sarcastic comment…

"You do not speak young Prince?" Edmund asked raising his eyebrows in question.

"Your Majesties, his little highness has had a touch of the sun! Look at him he is dazed. he does not know where he is." Mr. Tumnus said looking at the Queen.

Naturally this made Susan fuss even more. She sent Corin to the couch and one of the maids go get him a cool drink. Then they discussed a problem. Susan did not want to marry the Prince. And they all wanted to get back to Narnia, but as Edmund pointed out it was unlikely the prince would let them go…

A plan was arranged; they would plan a banquet and make it sound as if Susan was going to agree to marry the prince at the banquet. The banquet would be held on their ship. Then once they where ready they would set sail for Narnia.

"What a great plan!" Hailey said spinning around the room with Max while Edmund and the others laughed at her. Corin on the bed gawked at her.

"Yes!" Susan said joining in the dance. "Let us go get ready."

Hailey looked back at Corin as they left the room and waved. Corin just stared at her. He really seems different… Hailey thought… but she waved it off, he had just been in the sun to long.

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"Edmund we are missing four of the water barrels!" Hailey's voice rang around the ship. Which was extremely packed, people were running around getting supplies for their journey home.

"Peridan where is the water!" Edmund called to his knight who was seeing to the preparations.

"I will see that it is loaded right away King Edmund!" Peridan called back.

"Hailey come help me load my clothes." Susan called from the other end of the ship.

"Coming!" Hailey called back, she had been standing on the focal deck.

However all activities stopped when another voice called "Queen Susan I'm back!"

Everyone looked down to see Corin running towards the ship followed by Mr. Tumnus.

"Well yes Corin we already knew that." Susan said smiling thinking that Corin had just got his senses back. "Did you sleep well?"

"That was not me!" Corin called, and Hailey noticed that though we was dirty he was not in the same clothes "it was an imposter!"

The whole ship fell silent.

"What do you mean it was an imposter?" Edmund said deadly quiet.

Before Corin could answer Hailey said "I think we should all go below deck before we discuss this…"

Once below deck Corin told his story. It was not very long, but its impact on those who heard it was huge.

"You mean to tell me that some stranger heard all our plans!" Edmund said furiously glaring at Corin.

"Edmund don't get mad at him." Susan said, she was sitting next to Corin with her arms wrapped around him. No one was bothering to scold Corin for running off. There where more pressing matters.

Edmund looked ready to yell at Susan, but instead he took a deep breathe and closed his eyes. "Now how are we supposed to get out of this dratted country?"

"I don't think he would tell anyone…" Corin said shyly.

No one spoke so Corin continued. "I mean he said he thinks he was a Narnian…"

Again silence. Hailey thoughts where bouncing around her head. That boy looked a lot like Corin… he wasn't… he couldn't be…

It looked like Edmund and Susan had the same idea from they way they glanced to each other and then to Corin.

Then Edmund spoke "Corin how sure are you that this boy would not tell anyone about our plans."

For a moment Corin was quiet he looked from Edmund, to Susan, to Hailey and Max. Then he took a deep breath, looked back at Edmund and said "Yes, I don't think he would tell anyone."

Edmund to closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Alright then back to work."

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"Do you think they are following us yet?" Hailey asked her dog peering at the glittering ocean.

"I don't think they will follow us by sea." It was not Max who answered, it was Edmund.

"Why do you say that?" Max asked the King.

"Because Calormen do not have the fastest ships. It will be faster for them to go across the desert by foot and through Archenland. That is if they follow us at all. The Prince may realize that following us would not be in his best interest and may just give up." Edmund was frowning thinking about what the reckless Prince Rabadash would do.

"So you don't think they will follow us?"

Edmund didn't answer. Hailey was not reassured.

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A day and a half later….

"Susan! Edmund! Thank Aslan!" it was Lucy she had been waiting at the docks the moment she had heard that Edmund and Susan where on their way home.

Instantly Susan and Edmund were being hugged and kissed by their little sister.

"Oh Lucy I missed you so much!" Susan said kissing her little sister's head.

"Me to!" Edmund said hugging his sister before asking. "Where is Peter?"

"Off fighting the giants…" Lucy said vaguely.

"Uh oh…" Max, Corin, and Hailey all said together.

"What!" Edmund Exclaimed "I told him not to do that till I got back!"

"Well the giants where rioting, he had to go. Don't worry Edmund he has done it before." Edmund knew it was true, but he grumbled about it anyway.

"Hello to you to Lucy." Hailey said laughing.

"Hailey! And Corin!" Lucy cried rushing forward and embracing them as well. "I can't wait to hear all about you trip to Tashbaan, and the Prince and…"

"Slow down Lucy," Susan said "Let us retire to the castle, I need some sleep as do the whole crew. Then we will tell you all about it…"

The walk back to Car was one of the best things that had happened in a long time. The Naiads and Dryads all greeted the travels as they passed. Narnian had come to see there King and Queen come home so there was much cheering and shouts of "Welcome Queen Susan Welcome home King Edmund!!"

Hailey's friends all rushed up to her to hug her and told her how much they missed her. Fawns played there flutes as they marched back to the castle.

Then they where back in the castle sitting in the library as Edmund told the story to Lucy and the other Lords and Ladies of the palace. Then Hailey crawled into bed as Max yawned.

It's great to be back in my own bed…

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Miles away a hermit was yelling at a small boy to run…run!!!

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