Elaine was absent-mindedly fiddling with her wedding ring when she heard movement and saw Caspian walk over to her. She'd lost track of how much time she'd spent out here sitting against the rocky structure, but dusk was now approaching which meant that it had been several hours.

The Telmarines were on their way and the Narnian army was more divided than ever. If they decided to attack now, none of them stood a chance.

"Don't blame Peter too much," Caspian said quietly. "Being inside that circle changes people. I was the one who asked the dwarf for a way to defeat Miraz. Conjuring the White Witch was my fault."

Elaine sighed heavily as she pulled her knees up to her chest. "Peter wasn't always like this. But…when we all suddenly appeared back home with no warning, something changed. When we're in our world, all of this seems far away. Sometimes, it's so far away that it's hard to believe it ever even happened. Do you know what that's like? To lose half of what makes you who you are?"

Caspian slowly sat down next to her.

"Except for our wedding day. I can remember everything about that day as if it only happened moments ago. I can remember how nervous and excited I felt, how handsome Peter was when I stepped into the Great Hall, the way he looked at me when he saw me in my wedding dress for the first time. No one else has such clear memories except the two of us, even if it is only that one day. As glad as I am that we haven't lost the most beautiful day of my life, it also has also made it so much harder on us. Peter was a king for fifteen years and a husband for eight, and suddenly, he was in world that he didn't fully understand anymore. And with each day that passed of us trying to make sense of it all, the angrier he got. Because each day that passed was one more day that we didn't know what was happening in the land we loved. One more day that people had no idea what happened to us. One more day where we worried that everyone was going to think that we just up and left them."

Caspian looked away from her guiltily, realizing that in his own anger, he had essentially confirmed the High King's worst fears.

"And as if all that wasn't bad enough, we couldn't even call ourselves husband and wife anymore. The only way Peter could even begin to feel like himself again and rid his mind of all of those worries and frustrations was getting into fights whenever he could. We thought coming back here would fix everything, but then we quickly realized that we didn't understand this world anymore either. And if Peter doesn't understand this world, then where does he belong? Everything he has said and done is because he just wanted to feel in control of things again for once."

Caspian sighed. "Perhaps I had too high of expectations of the Kings and Queens of Old."

Elaine let out a quiet laugh. "Well, if it's any consolation, you weren't the first. Everyone had rather high expectations for us last time too when we didn't even know Narnia existed."

"I guess I should've tried to be more understanding of where Peter was coming from. The stories I've heard all my life praise you so much that it's hard to remember that you're still only human."

Those words repeated themselves in her head several times, and Elaine realized that she'd made a mistake. It was easy to condemn Peter for what had happened earlier, but in the end, even those with the strongest wills could be influenced by the Witch's powers. She couldn't put herself up on a pedestal when she knew that she could've easily fallen prey to her charms as well. She couldn't put herself up on a pedestal at all. As a wife, it was her duty to lift Peter up onto the pedestal with her and for him to do the same for her.

Elaine stood up. "You're right. If you'll excuse me, I need to find my husband."

She quickly walked back inside Aslan's How and scoured the rooms for Peter. After the seventh empty room, she wondered if he had left the How to collect himself as she had.

But finally, she found him sitting inside a secluded area with his head resting against the wall looking more defeated than she had ever seen him.

"Peter."

Peter's eyes brightened considerably at the sound of her voice and he quickly stood up. Sometime between last night and the fight at the Stone Table, Elaine had changed into a different dress since the last one had been permanently stained with blood. With her brown hair falling loosely around her shoulders, she looked as beautiful as ever, and for the first time in a while, he felt his stomach tighten with adoration.

Elaine slowly walked over to him and sat down against the wall which forced him to resume sitting as well.

They sat in tense silence for several moments as both of them tried to decide who should speak first.

"I've messed up a lot of things lately," Peter finally said quietly. "But one of the worst was making you doubt my love for you."

"I…was hard on you. I know that your emotions were affected inside the circle, and there's no telling if I would've acted differently had I been there instead."

"We both know I've been acting poorly long before I stood inside that circle. And to my shame, it took nearly watching you die in my arms for me to realize it. I've been fortunate enough to still remember the day we married and yet I've forgotten all of the vows I recited to you. I was supposed to look after you and protect you and care for you, and…I haven't. I've been angry at Aslan for taking too long to bring us back, and my anger and pride cost so many Narnians their lives last night…which very nearly included yours."

"You know, I've been trying to figure out why Lucy was the only one to see Aslan when we first got here. I couldn't understand why I hadn't seen him as well. I thought that I had been patient and understanding, but I realized that…I was angry at him too. I hated watching how the long wait affected you. And I was angry at him for taking us out of this world so fast and taking so long to let us back and then not even allowing us to say good-bye to all of our closest friends. I was angry that he would allow you and all of those Narnians to hurt so deeply. And I blamed him for the tensions between us becoming so high."

"It was a test. And we failed. We didn't trust him even after all we've seen him do. I didn't trust him. There was a reason why we had to leave and why it took a year to return. It was so that we could be here now and help Caspian. This world doesn't need us to take the throne this time, it needs us to put Caspian on it. And I messed that up too."

Elaine put her hand on his. "It's not too late. We need to stop trying to do things on our own. We have something the Telmarines will never have. Hope that Aslan will help us when we most need it. And that is our greatest strength."

Peter turned to her and gently ran his thumb across her cheek. "You are my wife, Elaine. Nothing will ever change that. And I promise you, here and now in this moment, that I am going to honor the vows I made to you to care for and protect you."

Elaine put her hand over his. "And you are my husband. And I promise you that I will always love you and you alone, no matter where we are."

Peter pressed his forehead to hers. "Do you know the one good thing about returning home to our younger selves? I get to be with you for two lifetimes."

Elaine smiled and gently kissed her husband, finally feeling like they were standing on the pedestal together.

The door to Cassia's cell clanged open and startled her awake. When she slowly sat up, she found with dismay that her entire body, now filthy with dirt and grime, was sore from sleeping on the hard ground and her stomach angrily growled at her for missing an entire day's worth of meals.

Two soldiers came into the cell and hefted her to her feet before placing manacles on her wrists. Then they pulled her out of the cell to stand before her uncle who had dressed into his golden armor.

Cassia wished that she was wearing her normal clothing instead of her nightgown. It was humiliating enough being a prisoner in her own dungeon, but having to be in this state of dress in front of soldiers she used to command was almost more than she could bear.

Miraz ran his finger over her jawline. "It's customary to bow before your ruler."

Cassia's jaw clenched as she glared at him.

"I said bow."

One of the soldiers kicked the back of her leg and forced her to her knees.

"I suppose you're wondering where we're taking you. Consider yourself a prisoner of war for the moment. My army now prepares to march to Beruna to destroy the Narnians once and for all. And once we've taken care of them, I am going to kill you in front of your brother before finishing him off myself. My people need to see that I don't tolerate traitors."

"The only traitor here is you," Cassia said lowly. "And if you think that it will be that easy to win this battle, then you don't know my brother."

Miraz smirked. "Your confidence in him is touching. But ultimately meaningless."

The soldiers forced her up the steps of the dungeon and outside of the castle to prepare to march to Beruna.

Peter and Elaine sat in front the Stone Table, hands intertwined, looking up at the carving of Aslan. With the Telmarines approaching and arriving at the battlefield any moment now, and with no idea of the outcome of the imminent battle, they wanted to spend whatever few quiet moments they had left with each other. It had been such a long time since they'd simply sat and enjoyed one another's presence. Elaine wished that it could last longer.

Lucy slowly approached them and sat down next to the couple.

"You're lucky, you know," Peter said to her.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"To have seen him. I wish he'd just given me some sort of proof."

"Maybe we're the ones who need to prove ourselves to him."

Elaine rested her head on Peter's shoulder. Lucy was right. Considering what both of them had been through and how they'd reacted, they needed to show Aslan that they were done trying to solve things on their own and that they had full faith in him now.

"Pete."

The three of them looked over at Edmund.

"You'd better come quickly."

Lucy, Elaine, and Peter shared a concerned look before quickly following Edmund to a ledge on top of the How where Caspian, Susan, and Eva already stood. Many other Narnians stood at the entrance below them and looked at the sight ahead.

The Telmarine army had arrived, bringing with them their weapons and catapults. And leading the charge was King Miraz himself. There were so many soldiers. They outnumbered the Narnians five to one. This wasn't the first time they'd dealt with such odds, but they only won last time because…

Peter and Elaine looked at each other, and for the first time in a long time, both of them were thinking exactly the same thing.

The two of them disappeared back into the How and gathered together their most trusted generals to devise a solid course of action for the battle now only minutes away.

"Cakes and kettledrums," Trumpkin exclaimed when Peter and Elaine explained to everyone what they had to do. "That's your next big plan? Sending two little girls into the darkest parts of the forest? Alone?"

"It's our only chance," Peter told him.

"And they won't be alone," Susan added.

Trumpkin stepped closer to Lucy and Eva and looked at them pleadingly. "Haven't enough of us died already?"

"Nikabrik was my friend too," Trufflehunter said quietly. "But he lost hope. Queen Lucy hasn't. And neither have I."

Lucy looked over at her oldest brother who wished that there was something else they could do. But Lucy and Eva were the only ones who could go looking for the help they so desperately needed. Everyone else would be needed on the battlefield.

"For Aslan," Reepicheep said as he put his sword over his heart.

"For Aslan," the Bulgy Bear added.

"Then I'm going with you," Trumpkin said to Lucy and Eva.

"No," Lucy said gently. "We need you here."

"We have to hold them off until Lucy, Eva, and Susan get back," Peter told him.

"If I may…" Caspian interjected. He slowly stood up and walked over to them. "Miraz may be a tyrant and a murderer, but as king, he is subject to the traditions and expectations of his people. There is one in particular that may buy us some time."

"What is it?" Elaine asked.

"Single combat. It's a one-on-one duel between one person from each side. The challenger issues the rewards for the winner, such as total surrender from the opposing side. If Miraz does not take the challenge, he would be seen as weak. But…it is a fight to the death."

Peter leaned against the table in the center of the room. "Even if our side wins the duel, the Telmarines probably won't surrender."

"No. The most this will do is just give us more time."

Peter sighed. "All right. I'll challenge Miraz. Help me write it up."

"No," Elaine said quickly as she put her hand to his arm. "You can't. You are the High King. You're too valuable."

"That's exactly why it has to be me. Miraz won't accept a challenge from anyone else. This is our only option."

Elaine shook her head. "But I can't lose you."

Peter put his hand to the side of her face. "We need to have faith, remember? Trust in our greatest strength."

Elaine sighed heavily and slowly nodded. "Okay."

"Edmund."

Edmund turned to see Eva walking up to him.

"Why would Peter send me into the woods with Lucy? I can't do this."

"You'll be fine. You'll have Susan with you."

"But…what if we don't even find him?"

"…I think you're more worried that you will."

Eva took a sharp breath, stunned that he could read her so well. She nervously crossed her arms. "How am I supposed to face him after what I did yesterday?"

"If you do find him, none of it will matter. Trust me."

If anyone understood her fears, it was Edmund. And having been in a similar position, he also would know that those fears were unfounded.

"Here." Edmund carefully draped a dark red cloak around her shoulders and tied it in front of her. Then he smiled a little. "You look like a true Narnian."

Eva smiled back and put a hand to his arm. "Please. Be careful."

"I will. You too."

Edmund left her side and changed into his Narnian armor. Then he returned to the meeting room to prepare to leave.

"Is the challenge ready?" he asked.

Peter handed him a rolled-up piece of parchment as Elaine pulled on her satchel. "Neither of you have to go."

"Yes, we do."

"Glenstorm and Wimbleweather will go with you."

"All right."

Just as Edmund prepared to leave the How, Caspian stepped close to him. "While you're over there, if you can…just…try to find out about my sister."

"I will."

Elaine gave a gentle kiss to Peter. "Are you sure about this?"

"No," Peter admitted. "But I have to go through with it."

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

After one more kiss, she, Edmund, Glenstorm, and Wimbleweather the giant walked across the field carrying olive branches as a symbol that they were not there to fight.

Miraz eyed the approaching soldiers through his spyglass.

"Perhaps they intend to surrender," General Glozelle offered.

Miraz closed the spyglass. "No. They are much too noble for that."

General Glozelle waited for the Narnians to arrive at their camp while Miraz left for the generals' tent.

Once in front of him, the boy said firmly, "The High King Peter wishes to issue a challenge to King Miraz."

Wordlessly, Glozelle led Edmund and Elaine through the Telmarine camp towards the generals' tent.

Just before they arrived, Edmund noticed a young woman in a dirtied nightgown bound to a tree. He suddenly froze as the memories of being in almost that exact position as a prisoner in the Witch's camp slammed into him.

Elaine looked at him in concern and then tried to see what he was staring at. "That's Caspian's sister."

Now that she said that, Edmund could see the resemblance between the woman and Caspian even from a distance.

"Thank goodness she's still alive."

"We have to help her."

Looking at his somewhat panicked face, Elaine immediately understood why the request sounded so urgent and she gently touched his arm. "We can't do anything right now. We're right in the middle of the enemy's territory. If she's here, that probably means that Miraz wants Caspian to see her and he'll keep her alive. One thing at a time."

Edmund reluctantly tore his gaze away from the young woman.

They finally reached the tent, and Edmund and Elaine confidently walked beneath the covering while Glenstorm and Wimbleweather stood outside.

Edmund unfurled the scroll and began to read it to the council. "'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'."

Miraz looked at Edmund and Elaine condescendingly. "Tell me, Prince Edmund…"

"King," Edmund interrupted as he rolled up the scroll.

"Pardon me?"

"It's King Edmund, actually. Just 'King', though. Peter's the High King. And even though Elaine is not one of our siblings, she effectively took the title of High Queen after she married him."

Miraz just stared at the two of them.

"I know, it's confusing."

Miraz just shook his head and continued, "Why would we risk such a proposal when our armies could wipe you out by nightfall?"

"Haven't you already underestimated our numbers? I mean, only a week ago Narnians were extinct."

"And so you will be again."

"Well, then you should have little to fear."

Miraz laughed. "This is not a question of bravery."

"So you're bravely refusing to fight a swordsman half your age?"

Elaine pressed her lips together to hide her smile.

Miraz did not look amused. He leaned forward and his smile disappeared. "I didn't say I refused."

"You shall have our support, Your Majesty," Lord Gregoire said to Miraz. "Whatever your decision."

"Sire," Lord Sopespian began. "Our military advantage alone provides the perfect excuse to avoid what might otherwise be—"

"I'm not avoiding anything!" Miraz shouted as he quickly stood up from his chair and put his hand on his sword.

Elaine and Edmund shared a somewhat amused glance when they saw that Miraz had reacted exactly the way Caspian had expected he would.

Sopespian leaned back in surprise. "I was merely pointing out that my lord is well within his rights to refuse."

"His Majesty would never refuse," General Glozelle said from behind Elaine and Edmund. "He relishes the chance to show the people the courage of their new king."

Miraz looked at Edmund and Elaine and pointed his sword at them. "You. You should hope your brother's sword is sharper than his pen."

"So you accept the challenge?" Elaine asked.

"Yes. I accept. Forgive me for being frank, but you do realize that you are sending a mere boy to fight a grown man?"

"My husband is more than up to the task."

"You seem very confident."

"As do you."

"With age comes wisdom and experience."

"Well, my husband has plenty of that. He previously ruled over Narnia for fifteen years. Forgive me for being frank, but how long have you been king?"

Edmund hid a smile behind his hand and even one or two of the generals looked amused.

Miraz glared at her, but before he could grace her with a retort, Elaine politely nodded her head. "We shall see you in one hour in front of Aslan's How."