Caspian POV

The wounded were cared for, the dead were buried, and for the first time in a long time he had time alone. He wandered around the tunnels aimlessly, still in his bloody armor, and thought back to the attack.

He marched further into the hill to where the painting of the days of old were. He stopped before a mural depicting the four siblings each next to their throne, golden and silvery crowns resting on their heads.

"Are you glad for that magic horn now boy?" Nikabrik voice startled him "the kings and queens have failed us, your army is half dead. And the rest will be soon enough" the dwarf came closer giving the painting a disgusted look.

"What do you want?" Caspian asked. "You want your uncle's blood," Nikabrik's grin widened "so do we. You want his throne? We can get it for you" the dwarf pushed past him to go further in, towards the stone chamber. With a last glance at the mural Caspian followed.

The stone chamber was empty but the fires were lit, casting a warm glow on the old stones. Nikabrik led him around the chamber to the large arch that framed Aslan's image. "You tried one ancient power, and it failed you," he walked into the center of the room "but it is not the only power still, there is a greater one. One that kept even the great lion at bay for a hundred years".

Two figures emerged from the shadows, they were unsettling to say the least. One was a wrinkled old hag whose mouth and nose resembled a beak. The second was a hooded humanoid wolf beast who growled as he approached. Out of instinct he drew his blade "who are you?".

"I am hunger, and I am thirst. Show me which you hate!" A deep growing was mixed with his voice, his breath reeked of decaying flesh, that caused Caspian to step back ever so slightly.

"What you hate so shall we, we are servants nothing more" the hag spoke her voice dry and cracking.

"You can guarantee Miraz's death?" He lowers his sword as the hag bows. "And more" she promises. "Show me" at his command the hag begins whispering in a strange tongue while the wolf beast uses a claw to carve a circle around Caspian in the stone floor.

With the circle complete the hag's chanting intensifies as she pulls an intricate looking wand. The middle made of black metal adorned with silver details while the tips looked like broken shards of white ice.

With a final shout the hag jammed the wand in the middle of the arch. Frozen tendrils of ice and frost began climbing the stone, the room got colder and colder despite the burning fires, Caspian could see his breath thick in the air before him.

He stood there dumbstruck as a large ice slab was created blocking the stone picture of Aslan. Inside the ice itself was a woman, her skin pale as snow and eyes hard as ice in the dead of winter.

He recognized her, she appeared in the old legends book his professor used. Caspian was standing before the white witch Narnia's greatest enemy from the days of old. How was she here? The kings and queens defeated her.

"No... this isn't what I want" he tried to leave the circle, break the magic somehow, the wolf beast grappled him. The hag took a dagger and cut his palm, red warm blood started flowing from the wound.

"One drop, one drop of Adam's blood and I will be free. And you shall get what you wish, my king" her voice was soothing, relaxing. Making Caspian instinctually lower his guard.

She held her hand out through the ice, it cracked around her arm which was blue like a frozen corpse in winter.

"Stop!"

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Peter POV

"Stop!" The beast and the hag recoiled at his shout. Along side Edmund he rushed into the chamber, his sisters not far behind.

He had to reach Caspian, having faith in his siblings he ignored the three Narnians and bolted to the young prince. He pushed the dazed and charmed Caspian out of the circle but placed himself there instead. "You will not have him!". He held his ground sword at the ready.

The witch pulled her hand back "Peter!" She sounded amused "I've missed you" her smile was lured him to lower his sword slightly. "Come now Peter, just one drop, you know you can't do it alone" she smiled again.

A hand grabbed the back of his tunic and doublet, the hand tossed him aside landing next to Caspian she looked up and saw Lucy "you will not have them! You will not hurt my family again!" Lucy was furious, were she a lioness like they used to joke she would be growling and bearing her teeth.

"My, little Lucy has grown, it has been far too long dear" the witch smiled. Lucy stood there her dagger from father Christmas in hand.

"Aslan has defeated you, you don't belong here, or now" she threatened the woman in the ice.

"I am not the only one though, how long has it been since you saw your friends those beavers? And what of your beloved fawn? Tumnus, Was it? You are a relic just like me" the witch talked softly almost sympathetic and pitying.

"I am queen Lucy the valiant, Aslan's dear one and high queen of Narnia" her voice was steady and confident as she faced the witch. "And you belong in the past!" As she spoke the last word a sword pierced her from behind. Cracks spread from the blade like spiderwebs across the ice. "NO!" And with that she shattered, revealing once more the stone picture of Aslan, and Edmund holding a sword.

Lucy stared at the stone lion for a moment. Without looking at him or Caspian Lucy turned around and walked away. "Burn the wand" she commanded, this wasn't a suggestion but a direct order from the queen. "I will be outside, send for me is the matter it important" and she was gone.

"What was I thinking?!" Caspian shouted. Susan walked up to them bow still in hand. "You weren't, both of you" her look reminded Peter of the many times she scolded him for getting in fights back in England.

"Should I go talk to her?" He glanced over at the entrance.

Edmund helped him up "she needs some time alone Pete, it must be hard for her" Edmund was always the best at reading Lucy, it seemed like part of their bond reminded despite their situation. "You need to remember that she still thinks of us as the adults we used to be, do you remember how much she relied on you? She is struggling with the fact that you no longer have the experience she counts on" both of them sat in silence after that while Susan and Caspian left.

"Am I a bad brother Ed? I was supposed to keep her safe, I promised mother I would, and I left her behind"

Edmund gave him that awkward side hug that only brothers can share. "You are the best brother anyone could ever wish for, we just need to find the new right way to be a family, cause no matter what she is still your sister and you're still her brother".

Peter let out a soft chuckle "when did you become the wise one?"

Edmund smiled at his attempt at humor "about our third year as kings I think"

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Sorry for the long wait (life has been and still is crazy), this chapter felt weird, I wanted to change it to include Lucy more but at the same time I didn't want to take away Edmund's part. I hope you enjoy.

Stay safe and healthy, any advice or opinions are always appreciated.