~Peter~
I've always been someone incredibly analytical, and always seemed to act upon gut instinct. Most often, these instincts I had worked out for the greater good. If I were ever to be asked when I began to get these feelings or began to act on them- I honestly don't think I could form an answer for it. It's just something I've always done. Well, until recently. Being in London where it's extremely dangerous to even step above for longer than five minutes, gut instincts were not needed. It was quite simple really. Always assume the worst is going to happen, as horrible as it is. When I came to this realisation, it was when we heard the news about Hillingdon. Prior to their self-inflicted extermination, they were everyone in the North's trade spot. Especially because of the size of the faction, it easily being one of London's largest.
On the border to the outside, direct transport around the country of England only a few minutes away. Most importantly, their southern side of the faction bordered the South. Therefore, there was always active trade from the outside, from the South, and acted as a buffer. But they got cocky with their position and attempted something to end the current war which went incredibly sour. Explosions were not an uncommon sound for me. With the bombings from the main war only a few years prior and imagining what our father described whilst he was fighting abroad to try and end everything. But when that one came, everyone within a twenty-mile radius heard it. Louder than any bomb, sounding like a firework display gone wrong. And the flames. When we heard the bang, some of us dared to scale some of the buildings of Finchley. From where we were, we could see the devastation. Tens of thousands of people probably dead on impact. Whether from incineration from the flames, being crushed under falling bits of brick and concrete that made up the tunnels or being blown to pieces by the deadly weapon.
Hence when I heard my sister's suggestion, I was disgusted. The fact that someone who was literally titled 'The Gentle' suggesting something as dangerous as an explosive if Caspian's theory turns out to be correct was irony on a whole other level. She's always had peoples interests at heart, so what had changed? A part of me knew it was because she is sick of everything and wants it to end, even if it requires extreme measure. But this was extreme even for her. Even in Narnia when we regularly fought in battles, she would never have even considered something so drastic. It made me stop to think if I even knew my sister at all.
And what disgusted me most, was that I understood why she brought it up. A part of me immediately wanted to do it, despite it going against every moral fibre in my body. As nasty as it is, everyone is now at the stage where they will do anything to put an end to all this madness. It's been going on for years now, all of it being years too long. This did not need to happen under any circumstances. And to think it all started because some people got incredibly jealous that another family did not suffer a death during the main war. Or at least, this was the answer everyone unanimously agreed upon.
Of course, there are people in all factions who will go to extreme lengths so they come out on top. It's the same everywhere whether that be area, town, city, county, country. It's a vicious cycle. Why anyone will do what they do to become the top piece of a board astounded me. Coming from someone who for fifteen years was just that person. I miss the respect I had then, I miss being able to prevent something, I miss all the glitz and glamour. But I most certainly do not miss the political battles, wars, and constant slights. Everyone either wanted to be you, or they wanted to take you down. There wasn't an in between. It's much the same here.
Unfortunately, with Caspian's newest hunch, it kicked this realisation into me even more. I don't like admitting shame, nor do I like to admit that I don't get the full picture. I'd gotten so used to politics in Narnia that I could probably be bedridden and manage to still come up with proposals. Yet here, I never had to, not until last year. Those few years in between was nothing short of panic. As people began to pull away, retreated into shelters, began digging further along and further down until the factions created an underground city below the actual city. After war, people should come together, and the complete opposite happened here.
The entire thing was nothing short of shameful. It was greed, it was jealousy, it was fear, and it was most people's isolationist tendencies which caused it all. London will never be the vibrant city it once was again. Even if this does end, there will have been too much damage done to ever fully recover from it all. London was my home, had lived here since I was only a couple of months old. Narnia was also my home, but I no longer had the luxury of being able to go there. A part of me wants to stay here, but another part of me wants to pack up and leave the city straight away. At this point, I don't know what it's like to have a home anymore. And I hated that I had forgotten how to actively lead.
For the first few years we were all just helping to do the best we could. It wasn't until last year where we managed to stop a raid right before it happened that people looked to us as more than kids. Technically, it was only Lucy who was still a kid then, but we were young. Too young in most people's eyes to have any knowledge or experience in these types of things. Oh, how wrong they were. If they knew even half of the things we have done, there is no doubt we would have much more authority than we currently do. After that we were all tested rigorously on our numerous skills from planning to training to fighting. All of which we excelled in due to more than a decade of daily practise. This was when we were offered the positions of head trainers and planners despite us being considerably younger than everyone else.
It took another four months before we were taken seriously in our new roles, the girls especially. Lucy put an end to it rather swiftly by successfully throwing a dozen knifes into the smallest moving targets and landing the bullseye. Susan, it took a bit more work. Those who knew Lucy knew she was a fierce little creature, but my eldest sister was not. Well, unless angered. I don't even remember the exact time where the people of Finchley began to respect her too, one day it just happened. Some people still sneer our way on occasion, but this stops the second one of us quirks an eyebrow as a silent challenge. People speak louder words than actions, it's a common fact. Stomp the realisation in quickly and nothing can be done about it. We were only just getting into a routine and working on deals before we received that letter from Digory alerting us to what had happened.
Everything turned on its axis then. Suddenly, the crippling responsibility of being High King kicked in once more. As much as I hate to say it, I didn't miss this feeling. I always make sure to do my duty by my people and my family, but I struggled with the stress. The feeling was mutual between us all. Now, lessons were picking up, and we had dozens more plans to figure out. Now that we had three smaller allies and one huge ally- we stood a chance. But we still had to play it safely. There is no greater game than survival. Which is what this was.
It didn't surprise me in the slightest Lucy had been successful. The only one who doubted it was Susan, and this was due to her regular worrying nature. It always worried me greatly when my siblings had to go off, and it worried me more when I noticed the hidden looks and quiet words shared between my dark-haired sister and the Narnian King. Their relationship wasn't a secret per say, but they never outwardly confirmed there was more to them until the time came we had to leave the land we called home. Hence why I had asked to speak to her in solitude. If anyone knows exactly what she was going through, it was me. Yes, Edmund and Lucy had courtships, but neither went through with marriage.
"What's up brother?"
I eyed her as a silent gesture to close the door behind her. No one can hear this conversation bar us. Hesitantly, she sat down beside me on the mattress I had in my room. I gulped quietly before turning to her.
"What's going on with you and Caspian? I'm not blind you know."
She opened her mouth to retort, but as soon as she noticed I wasn't angry or disappointed, she went quiet. For someone who worries constantly, it was comical how quickly she jumped to the worst conclusions. But this was a tactic of hers. Ease oneself with the hardest answer and the real one will not surprise you. I never used it, but I know her and Lucy did.
"Honestly, I don't know. I wish I could give you an answer but I really don't have one."
I sighed deeply at this.
"You both still love each other, that much is obvious to anyone who is analytical enough."
Almost immediately, her gaze cast to the ground as she began twirling a stray strand of hair around her fingers. I knew she was bottling up her emotions, and it was my duty as her brother to help her let everything out.
"Even if you don't want to confide in Edmund and Lucy, you can with me. Yes, the other two will understand from personal experience, but not to the same extent I do."
Now, she bit her lip. Her body began to tremble and just like a switch had been flicked, the waterworks were on full blast. Instantly, I reached over to pull her in for a tight hug, trying desperately to keep myself together. I hate seeing any of my siblings upset. A part of me wanting to go out and hunt for Caspian and tell him to stay away. But he wouldn't listen. He goes for what he wants. He would consider it counselling and nothing else. Subconsciously, I felt my hand rest to my ribs where my family's names were written on me permanently with ink.
"What if he gets torn away again? I don't know if I'll be able to handle it this time. I can be myself around him, don't need to hide an entire fifteen years of my life from him. If anything, he would sit for days whilst I recalled the dumbest things from then. But he won't remain in England forever, Aslan wouldn't do that to Narnia. And we can't go back to Narnia until we're dead- "
I rubbed her back as I patiently let her get everything out. Out all of us, Susan is the deadliest when her emotions get the better of her. Edmund and Lucy are both brash and will react on instinct, I will react when I have no other choice. I tried desperately to put myself in her shoes, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't do it. I know if by some miracle Aylene or any of the kids showed up, I would never let them out of my sight again.
"Su, we're all here for you. But please don't let your senses overtake you. The last thing we need is a war amongst ourselves when all of this is going on. I heard the suggestion you made and it's a horrible one- and I hate myself for agreeing with you on it. This will come to an end soon, and there's a very high possibility that at least one of us is not going to make it and will cross over. I hope that's not the case, but the odds are not good. So, don't torture yourself with what ifs. Talk to him, see what he says. He cares deeply for you just as much as you do him. This might be the only chance you've got to be together, don't waste it. You're lucky that you're getting a second chance at this."
Silence surrounded us other than her quiet whimpers. As harsh as my words were to her, they were truth. She cannot let herself constantly think on what may happen as it will consume her mind. This may cause her to do something she will severely regret doing. And when she regrets doing something, she never forgives herself. Neither of us openly speak about it, but deep down we all still feel regret over our treatment of Edmund when we were being evacuated so many years before.
He was always the closest to our father, therefore he took his drafting the hardest. He did not like that I stepped in as he felt I was replacing him, and he was isolated because the girls just went on like everything was normal. And that did not end up good at all. We've all forgiven him for what happened, and I think he's forgiven himself, but it had happened. We need to stick together to have any chance of survival.
"You're not scared over the prospect of dying."
"Nor are you sister."
This is what done it. Just like that, we were stifling laughter. Neither of us fear death, we've faced it too many times now. Whether that be from attempted assassinations, accidents, or in battle. We carried the scars from it here, hence why we always made sure that only our hands and heads were on show. If the people of Finchley saw them, god knows what would happen. People have seen the one Lucy sports under her chin on a few occasions, but she always tells them she missed a knife being thrown her way and it had only nicked the skin. I'm surprised that people haven't noticed that Edmund was missing a couple of fingertips from gripping a blade that was being held by an assassin. Then again, it wasn't an obvious injury as it's such a small body part.
"We've lived long lives, sister mine. Both here and in Narnia. We've done more than most people alive have experienced. Ultimately, there's only so much that can be done before there's nothing left. All I want is that when that day comes when we are no longer breathing, that I still have a wife and three children who remember me- "
"Four kids."
Those two words stunned me into silence. I turned to face her and she looked away guiltily. I felt dread begin to seep deep into my bones at what she had just implied. Surely not?
"She told us all a fortnight prior to that day. She made us swear an oath not to tell you as she wanted to do so on your birthday which would've been days later."
Just like that, I felt the tears build up as immense levels of shock set in. It already ate me alive that they had to grow up without me but knowing there was another who would never know me- that hurt. A lot. I remember her having a sparkle in her eye when I asked if she had anything planned. I thought she was going to through an impromptu party or tournament. Maybe she was, but she had a bigger surprise in store. One that never came to fruition. Silently, I removed myself for the embrace and left the room to begin the next plan of action. Desperately needing something to take my mind off what I'd just found out.
~Susan~
Dread seeped deep into me as I watched the emotions cross my brothers face. We'd all come to a silent agreement to not make him aware of it because we knew it would have a terrible effect on him. But he deserved to know. We've gotten into I don't know how many arguments over the years over it, but it boiled down to me. Ed and Lu did not want to be the ones to tell him, so the responsibility fell on to me. It was a massive weight on my shoulders, but with everything going on it slipped my mind on too many occasions. It probably wasn't a good idea to spill the secret now, but I've got a horrible feeling.
I think we've known for a long time the odds of us surviving this are next to nothing. Alliances have strengthened us greatly, but if Caspian's hunch is correct then this is only a recipe for disaster. Nothing other than that. If it's true, the answer has been hidden under our noses the entire time. But it's a deadly answer. Kensington is a literal fortress. Took over a large warehouse that got evacuated during the first war and built up and down at the same time unlike every other faction building down. Who knows how many levels they have as we can only see the three on top and by default they'll have at least one under.
Something brash will need to be done, hence why I had suggested an explosive. Not one strong enough to maim, but one strong enough to block off an entrance. Something of that size will have multiple exit locations. It'll just be a cycle. One is blocked off; they will use another. What we'll need to do is find them all and block all but one off. This way we can then guard the remaining one and try to infiltrate it. The most humane way to go about this and to try and strike a truce, but everyone knows this will be harder to do than finding a needle in a haystack.
There's no such thing as a war without mass murder.
It was something Orieus had said to me when we were preparing for the battle with Jadis. Even if it was only the boys who took part in that one as Lucy and I were away with Aslan to resurrect those turned into stone. When we got back and we witnessed the devastation that had happened, the elated feeling that we had one had diminished almost immediately. It wasn't the first time I'd seen a body what with the bombings in London. All but Lucy had seen a dead body as we shielded her from it all. Surprisingly, she was the one who went up through them all looking for who was still alive so she could save them.
And the smell. I thought the stench of gunpower was vile and it was a scent I knew well as it was used in explosives. But this was something else entirely. Hot metallic blood pooling and leaving rivers of it over the hilly area. Maggots and other bugs coming out to feast on those who had fallen. And death. The worst scent was the death. If I was given the choice of smelling that or constantly having a rotten sock pulled over my face- I would without question choose the sock. Just thinking that there probably were people slaughtered who had no choice but to support that side sickened me to the core.
That was when he said that to me, and it's a thought that's never left me. Every time we ad to go to war, I made sure that whoever was with me knew to try to avoid those who seemed like they had no choice. The less fatalities, the better. At least in my opinion. Not many shared it, my brothers included. They're very much 'the enemy is the enemy' type but they respect my views on it. Whether they do go out of their way when fighting I couldn't say as we always ended up separated due to our different skills. Lucy and me with long distance whether that be arrows or knives. Then the boys with their swords.
I shook my head before standing up, snorting at seeing the sword in the corner. Of course, Edmund would do that. Stay in a museum whilst on a mission and come back with swords. How in the universe he managed that I've no idea because they aren't exactly conceivable weapons. Then again, there was no denying the joy they brought to them. It was clear both were incredibly rusty, but after a few practise bouts both were going full swing like they had under Orieus' training. How neither of them managed to fatally harm one another was beyond me. Neither held back in the slightest. I'd even seen some of the Narnian's cringing at the brutal swings.
Normally, it was me who would drag them off by their ears for practising so hard. A fact which made people laugh hysterically that the 'Gentle' Queen could take down the Magnificent and Just with their ears. It never stopped them, but it was something I'd always done. But I didn't do so here. This was one thing that brought my brothers joy and allowed them to do something they loved without a care in the world. Edmund is constantly trying to hold us all together and Peter is constantly worrying over the political side of everything. Everyone needs a break on occasion.
Hence how I found myself on my way above to get some fresh air. There's no doubt all my siblings would rip me with worry if they knew I did this regularly, but what they didn't know wouldn't harm them. I smirked in amusement when they found out about my tunnels I'd built under the care without their knowledge. Whenever I needed a break, I went down to them with a fuzzy blanket and a book. I wasn't much different here. Much to my delight, there was an exit to the streets above that was around the corner from a library.
"Where are you off to then?"
I jumped at the strong accented voice and turned to face him. Speak of the devil. He walked over to me with a cocky grin on his face and his arms folded tightly together.
"Somewhere I shouldn't."
He snorted at this before following me. This mans intuitiveness is going to get him killed one day, there's no doubt about it. There's being nosey, and then there's downright stupidity. Which category Caspian fell under I've yet to decide. I really shouldn't be doing this with him, but I wanted to get away for a couple of hours, and he would refuse to leave me to go alone. So, I didn't have much of a choice in it. I reached up to open the latch to let the rope stairs down and climbing up into the gutters. Instinctively I gagged, the scent of sewage blocking my senses momentarily before I got used to it.
Once we'd cracked the surface, I couldn't help myself from taking a deep breath in. Air. Being cooped up underground for years makes even the tiniest things seem like a luxury. He pulled himself up not long after me and closed the entrance before looking around him. He's only been above twice. The first being when we snuck them in and the second being his meeting in Wembley. We were expecting communication via Walthamstow soon regarding our new alliance, deciding on where we would meet up to plan and how we would approach everything. We kept our backs pressed firm against the walls as we slipped through the blocks before coming to the imposing building. It was only once we were inside that I noticed something. We were only two miles away from the ring of Citizens, and they had a couple of miles radius. Where were they? I shook my head to rid myself of the thought before letting him in. Immediately, his face took on an excited kid in a sweet shop expression which made me laugh merrily.
"Before the war started, I always stopped by here on my way home from school. I came so often that the people who worked here knew my favourite authors, preferred genres, silly facts about me. Sometimes I'd come in and they would have a suggestion immediately without even asking me anything."
"I was much the same in the Telmarine castle. It wasn't a large library, but it was decent. The history ones were always my favourite."
I smiled softly his way before leading him to that section. I really shouldn't be doing this, putting him in more danger than he is already in. As both a head trainer and a Queen of Narnia. But right now, I felt like myself again. I never got much of a chance to have a childhood here or in Narnia. It's impossible to do so when there is much responsibility shoved onto oneself at such a young age. Yes, I'm twenty-one and if my memory is correct, will be twenty-two in a month (again). Birthdays don't mean anything to me, it's just another day. Then again, in Narnia it was a massive spectacle- here it was a reminder that you've survived another year.
"They're all arranged in separate continents and countries. And from top to bottom in chronological order."
I had to hide a snort at the way his eyes lit up before I left him in search of my preferred. We must've spent hours there, barely a word spoken. But we had to go back under soon. There's no doubt there will be able searching for us and I will be facing two furious brothers and an equally furious sister. Out all of us, Lucy and Peter were notorious for being reckless. It was out of the ordinary for me. Once again, we slid across the walls to remain hidden. Despite it now being dark out, the moon was bright and therefore shadows were on the ground. Therefore, we had to keep ourselves out of sight and our shadows. It wasn't an easy task. I paused in alarm when I heard voices, the accent being known to me. But what were they doing in London? Did they move down here before everything and didn't leave, or was something else going on? I motioned to Caspian to remain still and to not make a sound as I listened carefully.
"What a state this city is in eh?"
"You're telling me Kyle. Why we've been asked to keep an eye on it for those runaways is beyond me."
I frowned as I eased marginally forward so I could hear a bit more clearly. Also, so I could understand the thick Mancunian accent that I never really took to. I'd gotten used to the Yorkshire one considering we lived there with Diggory but this one was much sharper and much thicker.
"They leave this shitshow to save their own arses, yet expect once it's all over they can just swoop in and assume rule? It'll start another revolution in the damned place."
My eyes widened in shock at this. I wasn't the spy of the family, that fell onto Edmund's shoulder, but I had picked up things here and there from being around him. I analysed in between their words to see if there was any hidden meaning, but I couldn't find anything to be worried about. The rumours were true about our monarchy. No one really believed they were being hidden in Kensington, but there was no concrete proof they weren't. It was just the area where the main royal residence lay. A beautiful building, now just another abandoned block in the city.
"They still have some rule here. They've got insiders in Kensington from their workers who did not flee with them. They're still in contact. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that they're controlling the ropes in the damn area."
That was all I needed to hear. I grabbed Caspian's arm as I noticed their shadows getting close to where we were on the dimly lit road before nudging him backwards so we were hidden. He eyed me oddly, trying to piece together what he had heard as well. It seems the assumption that the rest of the country were not as alienated from us as expected. The monarchy had gone north. Perhaps not to Manchester, but nearby at least. So much anger boiled up inside me over this. I'm a Queen, and Aslan be damned if I were to flee my country when it was going into revolution voluntarily. Finchley were not going to take this well. It very well may cause another revolution and that is the last thing we need. Once we were finally back under, I turned to Caspian with fear written on my face as the repercussions of what we had overheard finally clicked into place.
"The countries monarchy did leave voluntarily, and they are not held in Kensington like we initially thought. They've came from Manchester with their accents, and they were sent by then to keep an eye on the city. Outsiders keeping an eye on the city? Do you understand what this means?"
He frowned as he thought deeply. I bit my lip hard, hoping he had come to the same realisation I had.
"Citizens keep the city in order, they wouldn't let outsiders in. This means- "
He swore loudly under his breath before his face went pale.
"The Citizens are not rebels after all. They're employees to keep the chaos to a minimum. This way there will always be people left over. The monarchy planning on coming back to resume rule."
Silence surrounded at this. Maybe we weren't as many steps ahead as we initially thought. We're still steps ahead, but we now have one less stepping-stone. This could potentially mean a downfall. There's one thing for certain. London will not survive another war in consecution with the current one beginning to come to its end.
