Edmund was woken by light filtering into the cave from a small sky light far above him. He looked down at his wife sleeping peacefully in his arms and smiling he pulled her closer to him, kissing her tenderly on the forehead.

"Good morning" Tess murmured sleepily. She pulled herself up so that she was eye to eye with her husband and returned his kiss with a soft kiss to his lips. When she went to pull away, however Edmund brought his hand to her head and held her to him deepening the kiss, running his tongue over her lower lip to seek entrance which Tess gladly allowed. Tess moaned softly, she had missed this; waking next to her husband, holding him, kissing him … Breathlessly she pulled away slightly, "Edmund we can't … the others…" she gasped.

Instead of moving away, Edmund moved his attentions to her neck.

"What others?" he murmured into Tess's neck.

Looking around for the first time, Tess noticed that they were indeed alone. They usually shared the cave with Peter, Susan and Lucy. Of course, she knew that the two Queens were not there, but Peter must have risen and left early.

Stretching her neck to give Edmund better access, Tess ran her hands through his hair luxuriating in being alone with her husband for the first time since they had returned to Narnia. She had missed this so much; waking next to him, holding him, kissing him … Tess's breathing accelerated as Edmund moved further down her neck.

"Ahem!"

Peter was standing at the door, his facial expression torn between guilt and amusement.

"I hate to interrupt" he said. "But you both need to come and see this."

"Aslan's Mane" breathed Edmund. "There's thousands of them!"

The scouts had woken Peter early that morning to report that Miraz would soon be at The How with his army. And now, here he was. Miraz and his army of faceless, masked soldiers, line after line stretching as far as the eye could see.

They were hopelessly outnumbered.

Peter and Edmund stood watching armed might of Telmar form below them.

"Aslan will come" Peter reassured his brother.

Edmund raised his eyebrow. This type of blind faith was usually more Lucy's style.

"I'm sure he will Pete" he answered his brother. "But we can hardly ask Miraz if he would kindly mind waiting until then. And then, there's that …"

Edmund gestured to where Miraz rode at the head of the army, Susan on a white palfrey beside him, flanked by two heavily armed, masked guards.

Susan nearly tripped over one of the guards again. Really, the man was taking his job way too seriously. Every time she turned around, he was there almost on top of her and when he was not beside her, she could feel his eyes constantly on her. Oddly enough she did not feel any overt threat from him. Maybe it was because he was masked …

She turned to pace again. Miraz and his men were in the command tent and she had been relegated here, to wait. Susan ran her hands through her hair in frustration. She was not emotionally constructed to wait. She preferred action, any action.

At that moment a soldier appeared in the doorway to her tent.

"King Miraz requires your attendance in the command tent, Your Majesty." He said, bowing to her respectfully.

Nodding Susan followed in his wake to Miraz's tent, flanked by her silent, faceless guards. When she arrived at the tent, Miraz made no secret of looking her up and down.

"My Queen" he leered at her. "You look ravishing today."
Susan coloured. She was wearing the dress that Miraz had provided for her and 'requested' that she wear. In truth she had had little choice in the matter as her other clothes had mysteriously disappeared when she was bathing. The dress was distinctly Telmarine in style and was more revealing than Susan typically wore, being off the shoulder and showing much more of her upper breasts than Susan was comfortable with.

"I am not your Queen Miraz" Susan answered him coldly which at least had the effect of raising his eyes to her face.

"Not yet!" he snapped.

Miraz turned his attention to his commanders.

"I need three volunteers to take a message to the Queen's brothers." He commanded.

There was some uncomfortable shuffling at this. The men were truly intimidated by these Monarchs who had appeared out of legends. Not one of them relished bringing them the news that their sister was at the mercy of their King.

Miraz's brow creased.

"Do not tell me you are all turned craven" he sneered. "Which one of you is man enough to face the Kings? To tell them to come and give their blessing to my marriage to their sister?"

Susan started at this and she felt the grip of the guard who was holding her right arm tighten.

"That is not what we agreed Miraz!" she protested. "I said I would consider your proposal, but that I needed to talk to my family first!"

Miraz stalked up to her and came dangerously close to her face.

"You have seen my army Queen Susan" he purred to her, grabbing her roughly by the arm, causing her guard to lose his hold.

"Do you really think you have a choice."

Susan's ears started ringing. She again heard voices echoing from the past …

… "The Tisroc may force Your Majesty to stay even if you decide to end your courtship with Prince Rabadash"

"While the Prince had hope that you would take him, we were honoured guests. But by the Lion's Mane, I think that as soon as he has your flat denial, we shall be no better than prisoners."

"When first the Tisroc suffered the Prince to come to Cair Paravel as your lover, sister, it may be that he was only seeking an occasion against us." …

Susan shook her head. She refused to be made a pawn in any man's war. Shoving Miraz away she drew herself up regally.

"I have every choice Miraz." She spat at the Telmarine King. "And my answer is no. I will not marry you under any circumstances. I would rather die."

Miraz raised his fist, and for a moment he looked as if he might hit her. Susan could feel her guards tense at her side, and she could see that they had their hands on their swords as if poised to draw them. Perhaps they feared her reaction if Miraz struck her. However, at the last minute Miraz backed away.

"Take My Queen back to her tent." He commanded the guards. "We shall see if her brothers will listen to sense and they will be more likely to do so if she is out of sight!"

Peter, Edmund and Tess were in council with their friends. By this time everyone had seen Miraz's army and they were all discussing their options, which in truth seemed limited.

"We are not strong enough to meet the numbers that Miraz has in pitched battle nor have we enough to intimidate him into returning Queen Susan to us." Trumpkin insisted.

Edmund could not disagree with him. He had been their chief strategist during the golden age, but even he was struggling to come up with ideas. What they needed was to delay or avoid meeting Miraz in pitched battle and find a way to rescue Susan, at least until they were sure what Aslan was planning. No one had been able to think of a workable plan. Well, Edmund had thought of one, but there was no way he was going to suggest it, it was too risky. He would just have to hope that the idea would not occur to Peter until he had a chance to think of an alternative.

"I'll send Miraz a challenge to single combat."

Edmund closed his eyes in resignation. Too late. Every fibre in his body wanted to argue with Peter, wanted to persuade him not to do this. But the only reason he could think of was that he feared that Miraz might win the duel and kill Peter. He could not undermine his brother like that, not in front of their advisors. Could not show his doubt, his fear, fear that he might lose his brother.

While Edmund struggled with his emotions, the others were discussing whether or not Miraz would accept the challenge given his superior numbers and how much time this strategy might buy them in any case.

Edmund (reading): "I, Peter, by the gift of Aslan, by election and by conquest, High King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands, in order to prevent the abominable effusion of blood, do hereby challenge the usurper Miraz to single combat upon the field of battle. The fight shall be to the death. The reward shall be total surrender and the return of our most cherished sister, Queen Susan."

As King Edmund sat in front of him in the command tent, Miraz was sore placed to decide where to place his eyes. Edmund regarded him with a steely gaze which made Miraz all but squirm. He shook himself to pull himself together. Who was he to be intimidated? This was only a man after all, albeit one who had appeared mysteriously from the shadowy depths of legends. One who had an almost overpowering presence as he gazed at him with steel in his dark eyes, waiting for his answer to his brother's challenge.

"Tell me, Prince Edmund" Miraz began but Edmund interrupted. He was not going to allow Miraz to disrespect the title that Aslan himself had given him. The title that he had been told not ten minutes ago, and which Edmund was sure he was only pretending to forget in an effort to undermine him.

He looked at Miraz with a raised eyebrow.

"King." He stated firmly.

Miraz looked at Edmund with feigned confusion.

"Pardon?" he asked.

Edmund smiled grimly. Miraz wanted to play, so be it.

"It's King Edmund actually."

As Miraz well knew

"Just king though."

A reminder of just who Edmund was – The Just King. Caspian had assured Edmund that his legacy was intact and his reputation of being an astute and dangerously intelligent man was still well known. A man who one underestimated to one's peril.

"Peter is the High King. I know, it is confusing."

Now Miraz looked like a fool for being unable to retain information barely ten minutes after he was given it as it was too 'confusing' for him.

As Miraz was glowering at Edmund, trying to think of a suitable response, one of the Captains entered the tent. Hurriedly he approached Miraz and stooped to speak softly in his ear.

"The Queen Susan" he whispered. "She's gone!"