Hey guys!

So, this is part a) of chapter 15! I thought of releasing them all together but I just figured it was better this way, with quicker updates. I start college again next week so the schedule is going to get complicated again. I do however plan to release parts b) and c) before I begin the next semester so stay tuned!

Disclaimer: I only own the storylines and characters of my own invention. Whatever you guys read that sounds familiar, that I don't own.

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Chapter 15. Part a. "Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown."

"I Am Sansa Stark Of Winterfell. This Is My Home, And You Can't Frighten Me." - Sansa Stark, Game Of Thrones.

*Flashback*

Since his mother died, Caspian had formed the habit of going to the market.

For some reason, he'd come to associate it with the feelings of warmth, happiness, and cheerfulness. Every morning, he'd leave the grim, silent corridors of his father's castle right after breakfast and spend a few hours in the market just outside its gates; all of it in an attempt of gaining some peace of mind before having to go back to the sadness that was his life.

The thing was that his mother had been the only person he felt he had a bond with. Through the army of maids and nannies that had come and gone, his mother had been his only constant. Without her, he was adrift.

Caspian was slowly starting to think that loneliness had actually united the two of them. Between his lack of friends, his distant relationship with his father King Caspian IX, and his mother's lack of real friends with her being the Queen, the two of them had had no choice but to turn to the other for company. As a result, mother and son had become much closer than the expected of the Queen and the Crown Prince.

That day, he managed to escape the castle much later than usual because of all the preparations for the Archenlandian royal family, who were going to stay with them for a few weeks. He had to hide from his tutor and a particularly observant nanny but just after lunch, he was out of the gates and on his way down to the markets.

The sight was as cheerful as always. Loud discussions could be heard left and right as clients and vendors argued over prices, parents uselessly tried to soothe their kids as they threw a tantrum over something or the other, and children ran around chasing one another. The stalls were filled with colour, the vendors selling from candy and fruits to books, clothes and even jewelry.

Caspian walked past the different groups of people with a little smile. He was wearing a large, heavy cloak over his royal gowns and his hood was pulled up so he could pass undetected by the Telmarines. Usually, he went straight to the candy and books stalls but that day he wanted to take the time to soak it all in.

He wanted to soak in all the different types of families around him. The young couples who had just gotten married, the old couples who walked slowly up and down the roads, the couples with tons of children running around. Regardless of the type, Caspian could just feel the love they all felt for one another and it made him feel nostalgia and hope at the same time. Nostalgia because he didn't get a loving family like the ones shopping around him. Hope that he will find himself a new family someday.

After a few hours, Caspian realized his time was up, and that it was time to go back home.

He made a quick stop by the books' stand, interested by the new display, when his attention was pulled away. As he glanced down the road in a distracted manner, he noticed two men stealing a woman's purse from its place hanging from her side. Caspian's eyes narrowed, playing close attention to the woman who was carrying several packages in her hands to see if she had noticed the thieves.

The woman, who was chattering animatedly with a friend, didn't even flinch.

Caspian sighed. Time to step into action.

Quickly leaving the book he'd picked up to study back on the stall, he took off after the thieves, skillfully dodging the people around him. Thankfully, his hood stayed on his head so, while his sudden chase caused some heads to turn around - which he ignored without much of an issue - he still wasn't recognized.

After several swift turns, the two men finally led Caspian into a secluded alley, mostly hidden away by the multiple stalls and the crowd filling up the streets. The alley was between two tall, stone buildings, so though there were still several hours until sunset, it was already quite dark. Also, the noise from the streets were mostly muffled in there so the alley was eerily silent, and it made Caspian's skin itch with anxiety.

Caspian skidded his steps to a stop as he took the scenery around him in, alarms blaring off in his head as he caught on the implications of the situation he'd gotten himself into. He'd been led into a road with no exit, he was without weapons and, if these people knew who he was, then they wouldn't hesitate before trying to mug him as well.

"Well done boys!" a rough voice suddenly hollered. "You've caught a fat cat!"

Caspian turned on his spot, trying to remain calm even as he heard the chorus of deep, evil laughs around him. Just then, three men materialized themselves from the shadows by the end of the alley, effectively trapping him. Thankfully, when Caspian spoke, it was with a strong voice. "You don't know me."

The man who spoke before sauntered over to Caspian with a smug smile. Unlike his companions, he wore no rags but a rather well kept shirt and trousers. His sword was strapped to his side and his boots made a rhythmic echo whenever he took a step on the cobbles of the street.

"Oh, but I do," the man drawled as he finally stopped a few meters before Caspian. "You don't think we'd be able to recognize your clothes instantly? No farmer or cobbler wears clothes embroidered with gold, Your Highness, and they show even through that thick cloak of yours."

Caspian paid his embarrassment no mind as he raised his hands in defeat. "I'm not interested in making conversation with you. All I want is the lady's purse and a safe passage back to the castle. Name your price, and I shall get it for you."

The man smirked, as if Caspian's answer was just what he had expected.

"Oh, we have a price. It's nothing you can pay," the man explained before nodding at the men behind Caspian. At once, the three lunged towards the prince and threw him to the ground before restraining him. "Your father however, will be more than able. Personally, I'm interested to see the prize King Caspian IX is willing to pay for his son's life."

Caspian screamed in wordless rage as he tried to get free, the mocking laughter coming from the men robbing him only managing to increment his anger. He tried to get free, using all of his strength but against this many men and while he was on the ground, it was an impossible task. Then, he managed to lift his head slightly, just in time to see the leader of the gang approaching him.

His heart quickened as panic flowed through his entire being. Maybe that was it. Maybe his death had finally arrived.

That thought left him even more angsty. He wasn't done with his life yet!

And then, a silver blade was pressed against the leader's throat as a pale hand encircled his body and grabbed him by the shoulders.

Before Caspian could even process the sight before him, his guardian angel spoke.

"Release him now, or your heads will roll."

From the shock, the grip the men had on him loosened, so Caspian was able to move his head freely, which served him well to witness the scene before him. Whoever was behind the leader of the gang didn't move as the men exchanged shocked glances. Then, the leader gestured at his men, and they immediately grabbed Caspian by the hair, laughing when he grunted painfully.

In that moment, an arrow fell from the sky and straight through the hand of the man who was pulling Caspian's locks.

Taking advantage of the chaos that ensued as the man cursed in pain and the other two tried to pull the arrow from his hand, Caspian scrambled away from them, his eyes on the roof of the building to his right, where a boy his age stood in royal clothes and a bow readied to shoot.

As the boy felt eyes on him, he returned Caspian's look with a smile and a wink before calling, "Do as she says, gentlemen. No one needs to die today."

The gang's leader threw a humourless laugh. "I knew these hands could only be those of a woman. I will not listen to a girl."

The voice behind him was even more venomous. "Then listen to my sword because if you don't order your men to leave the Prince be, I will slit your throat wide open."

The man's eyes hardened at that. He glanced at Caspian and his men before looking towards the archer on the roof. After a few, tensioned moments, he nodded at his men, and the four hurried to the exit.

Or they would have, hadn't the girl raised a hand, therefore ordering them to stop.

"I believe you're in possession of money you do not own," she hissed with a threatening glare.

With a sigh, the man who had taken the purse threw it to the feet of the girl, and the four ran past her and into the sunlit streets.

At once, the girl turned to Caspian with a worried glance. "Are you okay, Your Highness?"

Caspian hurried to his feet, subtly rubbing the spot of his head where his hair had been pulled, and tried not to look too much of a mess before the girl who had saved him. The girl, just like the archer on the roof, was wearing royal travelling clothes and her sword was strapped to her back. Her blonde, wavy hair had been pulled into a long braid, and her green eyes were friendly as she walked towards the prince. All in all, she seemed like a royal he would actually be friends with. "Thank you for that, my lady. I am but how did you know I was here? Who are you?"

The girl opened her mouth to reply but then, they were joined by the archer on the roof, who entered the alley with a big, goofy smile. "If I had to choose the worst cowards I've ever encountered, that group would take the prize."

"I can't believe they bought that story of me being deadly with a sword. I've barely begun my lessons," the girl mused before smirking at the archer. "I don't know about the cowards' thing, though. I think you whenever you see a spider takes the prize."

For all his response, the archer rolled his eyes with a weary sigh before smiling at Caspian. "I'm Prince Tor, Crown Prince of Archenland. The goose over there is my sister, Princess Elizabeth."

Elizabeth elbowed him with a pout before smiling kindly at Caspian. "We arrived in the early afternoon, apparently minutes after you had left, so Thor and I decided to follow you. I'm sorry we didn't show up before but we wanted to see the intention of those morons before intervening."

Caspian shook his head with a disbelieving laugh. "I just can't help to feel like an idiot over this whole thing. When my father learns of this, I won't hear the end of it."

Elizabeth and Tor exchanged a glance before the former picked up the purse from the floor and made his way to the entrance. At once, the two boys followed as Elizabeth spoke again. "I don't know who could possibly tell him though. Those men won't risk their lives in vain and we do not know your father well enough to sell you out."

"Just keep your sword with you next time," Tor chipped in with a smirk as he patted Caspian's shoulder in a friendly manner.

"Or take us with you," Elizabeth continued as the three of them stood by the edge of the alley, their eyes slowly adjusting to being in contact with the light again. She threw an excited smile at Caspian before glancing away. "Aslan knows we could use an adventure."

Caspian nodded with a small smile and glanced at the street before him. It was just like he had left it but still, it seemed different. After a second, he realized that he was the one who had changed but not because of the attempt of kidnapping, but because of Tor and Elizabeth.

Secretly, he had a feeling that his prayers for a true family had been answered. It wasn't a suspicion he would ever voice to either of his two new friends, of course, but it was a suspicion that gave him hope.

He hadn't been hopeful in a long time.

And then, Tor spoke.

"Now, where is the woman this purse belongs to?"


Adrien looked around him with trepidation.

This wasn't his first goodbye. He said goodbye to his uncle before the raid, so he was already familiar with this type of scene. Families all around him were hugging and crying as they departed from one another, desperately praying to find one another well once the war was over.

Because, that was the difference between the raid and this next battle. Whether it was voiced or not, they all had the feeling that the war ended with that battle, for better or for worse. Everything about that day felt final, including the goodbyes.

However, he wasn't saying goodbye to an uncle he barely knew this time. He was saying goodbye to the sister who took him in. He was saying goodbye to Beth.

"See? You tell me I need to stop overthinking things and here you are, following my bad example."

Adrien rolled his eyes as Beth towered over him, smiling down at him as if her joke had been the funniest ever uttered. "You know how people tell you you are funny? They are just lying to you because they fear you."

"Is that so?" Beth replied with a smirk, and narrowed her eyes when Adrien only nodded and raised his eyebrows in a challenging manner. "Should I have expected this? For you to tell me the truth only because we're saying goodbye?"

At once, Adrien sobered up. "Is there any truth you need to say to me?"

Catching on, Beth knelt before her brother and grabbed his hands. "My truth is that I'm proud of you, Adrien. My truth is that I love you. My truth is that I will see you again."

"You're a sap," Adrien muttered tearfully before hugging Beth tightly. "We take care of each other no matter what, right?"

"No matter what," Beth replied. She distractedly brushed a strand of her blonde hair away from her face before wiping Adrien's tears. "Adrien, I want you to know that it's okay to be afraid, okay? It's okay to be sad and anxious but no matter what, you will never be alone again, okay? I don't want you to worry. Everything will be fine."

Now that, Adrien would have usually scoffed at.

However, he knew Beth. He knew that regardless of everything in her mind, she would have made sure he was taken care of no matter the battle's outcome.

If the grounds before the main entrance to the How had been crowded by the Telmarines, the grounds behind it remained sacred to the Narnians. The Telmarines didn't want to risk losing numbers to Narnian' guards so they had refrained from surrounding the How completely. The Narnians could have taken that advantage to leave and fight another day, but that was not the way their monarchs did things. They all knew the confrontation was supposed to come at some point while also, they would never have as many odds of winning as they did then.

Adrien was now supposed to leave with Trufflehunter and the group of children, injured and elders towards Cair Paravel. If things went perfectly, they would then be alerted by the griffins of the battle's outcome so they could make their way back to the How. If things went south, they would make camp at Cair Paravel, as it was the one place Telmarines wouldn't dare approach.

After that, the future was undefined.

Still, Adrien knew that if anyone had been brave enough to make plans in spite of the uncertain future, that was Beth so when he finally answered, he was truthful.

"I believe you, Beth," Adrien voiced with a small smile.

Just then, Trufflehunter began gathering those that would leave with him. Adrien looked in the badger's direction with panic but Beth quickly shushed him and made him look at her.

"Adrien, I need you to listen to me," Beth spoke, a note of urgency behind her calm tone. "Trufflehunter will be keeping a constant eye on you but you need to behave, okay? No running off, no wandering, no complaining. Whatever he orders, you follow. Am I being clear?"

"Crystal. I'll behave, sister." Adrien rolled his eyes moodily before hesitating. Then, she hugged Beth tightly. "I love you, Beth. Thank you for everything."

"Shut up, it's been my pleasure sweetheart," Beth replied. Slowly, she stood up and ruffled Adrien's hair half-heartedly. "Go, Adrien. I'll see you soon."

"Bye," Adrien whispered before running off, frightened that if he dared staying with his sister for another second, then nobody was going to be able to pull him away.

Meanwhile, Beth stayed put, her eyes set on Adrien even when he was a point in the crowd leaving the grounds of the How. Even when the crowd around her started to dwindle. Even when she felt an arm being placed around her shoulders.

"Are you okay?" Edmund's voice was gentle.

"Yes, I am." Beth replied with a smile as she turned towards the Just King. When he only raised his eyebrows almost in disappointment, Beth sighed with frustration. She missed the days in which she could successfully lie to him. "We need to win, Ed. No matter what. We owe it to all of them. To Adrien and to all Narnians who have never met a day of freedom. We need to win for them."

Edmund nodded in understanding before moving to stand before her, which she allowed. After all, Adrien had already disappeared into the woods. "We will. And their Queen will be with them to celebrate their victory."

Beth scoffed as she heard the last part. "I thought I made it clear I'm not going to be Queen."

"You're Aslan's Daughter, love," Edmund replied with an amused grin. "People want you as their leader. You know that as much as I do."

Beth raised her head, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully as she mentally toyed with that possibility. She would be lying if she said she had never thought of becoming Queen but, to tell the truth, she was terrified of making plans when they still had so much to do before regaining peace.

She had just regained her normality, as normal as it could be considered. She and Caspian were back to normal; she and Edmund were back to normal; and Jack had finally become a pressing memory at the back of her mind, effectively blocked until she could deal with it. If she dared to make plans, if she dared to think of the future...she was terrified she would jinx everything.

At last, her answer was a deflective one. "I thought I was meant to be a free spirit. According to the lore about me, of course."

"Free spirits can also have homes," Edmund suggested as he pushed a loose strand of Beth's hair behind her ear.

Beth smiled endearingly at the gesture before his words registered on her mind. When they did, her features turned taunting. "Is this you saying you want me to stay with you after all of this is over?"

"No, this is me saying you deserve to have a true home. You and Adrien," Edmund said with a wide smile before shrugging. "And if that's with me, then I will consider myself the luckiest king in the world."

Beth nodded impressively. "You're quite the smooth talker, did you know that?"

Edmund laughed at that but just then, Caspian skidded to a stop just right next to them. He rested his hands on his knees, gasping for breath under the careful eyes of the startled couple. After a full minute, the Telmarine Prince straightened with a weary sigh and shook his head when Edmund offered him his water' flask.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I just saw Susan and Lucy off," Caspian explained breathlessly before smiling excitedly at Edmund. "Did you tell her?"

Beth frowned in confusion. "Tell me what?"

"Seriously, Cas?" Edmund retorted at the same time, shooting Caspian an exasperated glare.

Caspian widened his eyes in shock and looked between the King and the Princess before emitting a nervous laugh. "Sorry about that."

Just then, Peter appeared beside them. He took a glance at the group before him before snorting. "Caspian already spilled, didn't he?"

Caspian raised his hands in outrage. "Why do you immediately assume it was me?"

Peter and Edmund both looked ready to argue with Caspian but Beth cut them all off by raising her hands above her head. "Hi, yes, I'm still here?"

Edmund rolled his eyes at Caspian before smiling at his girlfriend. "What my dear friend means is that the other five leaders decided that even if you don't want to be Queen when all of this is over, you're still Narnian. You're more Narnian than any of us and, as Daughter of Aslan, you deserve a title."

Beth chuckled at the idea. "I already have a title, Ed, and I don't deserve anything! Everything I did, I did it because of you guys. Really, you don't owe me."

Edmund scoffed at that, mentally berating himself that he should have expected that answer. Him and Caspian turned towards Peter with helpless looks and in return, the High King smiled at Beth in a charming manner. "Well, then consider yourself spoiled by us because we've decided that, in thanks for everything you've done for us, we'd like to make you the High Lady of the court of New Narnia."

"I...when did you even talk about this?" Beth stammered, trying to gain herself some time as she thought for a way out of this debacle. "We've been together all day planning the battle ever since Miraz showed up."

Edmund's eyes widened innocently. "Why do you think Adrien agreed to all of those lessons?"

"Because I intimidated him into agreeing to study?" Beth deadpanned in response, secretly cursing the sneaky centaur.

"Beth, c'mon," Caspian decided to intervene. He spoke softly, as if his tone would make any difference. "It's time I start to plan my court. I couldn't choose anyone better for the task."

That was exactly what Beth was frightened about. She didn't want to plant any roots or make any plans for the future because if she died, her friends and family would be even more hurt.

Still, she knew they wanted to do this for her. She knew it would ease their minds if she accepted because, as Peter had said the day before, she was a part of their group, as important as the other five.

When she thought of it that way, it wasn't that difficult to agree so she finally sighed defeatedly. "Fine but next time you want to thank me, buy me chocolates or a new bow. This is way too much."

"Duly noted," Edmund replied easily. "Now, kneel so the High King can perform the ceremony."

"Bossy," Beth scoffed but knelt all the same. She looked up at Peter, now also her High King, as he stood before her.

"Shouldn't we have more Narnians here?" Caspian asked from the sidelines. He looked around the vacant grounds with a frown. "You deserve to have a whole Narnian crowd watching you become a noble."

"I'm already a noble," Beth retorted as she shook her head. "Besides, I don't need anybody else. Just the three of you is perfect."

Edmund, Caspian and Peter smiled at Beth before the latter unsheathed Rhindon. Beth wanted to roll her eyes at the ceremony but deep down, she was honoured. In a way, being welcomed into the Narnian court, her true home, while surrounded by three of her closest friends was the best way she could have spent her last hours before the last battle.

"Fellow Narnians," Peter announced as he lightly touched Beth's shoulders with the flat side of his blade. "It is my pleasure and personal honour, by the Lantern Waste, to give you High Lady Elizabeth the Wise of Narnia. Raise, High Lady of the Narnian Court and Counsel."

As Beth raised, slightly flustered by the scandal the three boys were making with their cheering, her eyes drifted towards the grounds around her.

It felt good to be a Narnian lady, after all. It came with a sense of belonging that empowered her into the warrior queen she knew she'd been born to be.

Narnia. Her home.

She would stop at nothing in order to defend it.


Lord Sopespian wandered away from the Telmarine committee, his eyes drifting between the different groups of Narnian soldiers as he looked for the six enemy leaders.

He could see Princess Elizabeth standing by the front of the Narnian lines, talking to a mouse and to the centaur who had accompanied King Edmund to the Telmarine Camp. He wasn't worried about the three missing men - High King Peter, King Edmund and the traitor Caspian -, as he expected them to be inside, preparing themselves for the duel.

Still, there was no valid reason why the two Queens of Old were missing, and that made him anxious. As he swept his eyes over the Narnian army once again, confirming that Queen Susan and Queen Lucy were in fact absent, he straightened with deep hatred, and scowled in an attempt to hide the panic erupting from within him.

The success of his plan depended on the Archer Queen.

Being the High Lord of Narnia and the fourth in line to the throne meant a lot of things but mostly, it meant that the power he'd been seeking his entire life was just beyond his grasp.

Only Caspian, Miraz and Miraz's son stood between him and the throne.

The prospect of him achieving the crown had never been too positive but then, Caspian was kidnapped and later revealed as a traitor. When Miraz was crowned, for Sopespian it meant that until the new High Prince of Narnia became of age, he was next in line for the throne.

In what seemed like a split moment, his entire life changed. What had seemed next to impossible before, was more than likely at present. Suddenly, the image of him wearing the Telmarine Crown was crystal clear, and all the more alluring for it.

As a Telmarine, Sopespian was taught to be against silly notions such as fate or destiny. He was taught to fight for his heart's desire and to never back off, even under the most impossible of odds. After all, Caspian IX and the ones before him built the Telmarine Empire from the ashes by taking everything they wanted from the fallen nations. That was seen as resilience, and that resilience had defined Telmarines for centuries.

Still, he couldn't help but feel like the odds had worked in his favour. After all, he had worked to achieve his goal, but also life had been in charge of taking obstacles off his path. Caspian's fall from grace hadn't been his doing, but had put him one step closer to the top.

Sopespian couldn't help but feel that life was telling him it was only right for him to be King. That fact encouraged him to move forward to the next steps of his plan.

Caspian would die during the Last Battle. Miraz would follow him as well.

Once those two were done, it would be easy taking care of the little High Prince.

The absence of Queen Susan admittedly put him on edge but with a subtle shake of head, he decided he wouldn't allow that Narnian scum destroy everything he'd worked for.

Sopespian took careful study of his surroundings. He, Miraz, General Glozelle, Captain Rodrick and Captain Petersan were readying themselves for the duel on the side of a makeshift stone ring. It was surrounded by white, stone pillars on all four extremes, some of them even laying across the stone ring, and moss was happily growing from the ground and around the structure. This ring was closer to the Narnian camp than it was to the Telmarine but still, it was a sort of neutral land in-between two Nations who despised one another.

After carefully confirming that Miraz was busy readying himself with the help of General Glozelle, he wandered off and subtly motioned for Captain Rodrick to follow him.

Once Rodrick reached his side, Sopespian turned his back on the Narnian army and whispered, "Captain, grab ten men of your choosing and ride towards the forests. You are to search for the Narnian Queens Susan and Lucy. Five of you take the left side and five of you take the right. Bring me the two barbarian Queens alive."

Rodrick shot an hesitant glance in Miraz's direction before bowing his head at Sopespian. "If I may, how do you know they are missing, My Lord?"

"Queen Susan and Queen Lucy are High King Peter's sisters," Sopespian explained with impatience, making a mental note to get more intelligent soldiers when he was crowned King. "No respectable sister - and let alone one that's Queen too -, would be hiding while their brother fought to death. Princess Elizabeth is here; why aren't they? Whether they are setting up a trap for us or not, I want them here where we can keep an eye on them. Go now, and make haste."

Rodrick nodded with a slight smirk before rushing towards his horse. Sopespian kept his eyes on the captain's retreating form, wanting to make sure he was following his directions but, before Rodrick reached the Telmarine army, Miraz called Sopespian to his side.

"Caspian will not be witnessing the duel. I suppose his months living with the Narnian pest have made him weak and sensitive," Miraz growled with hatred after Sopespian bowed before him. Miraz then glanced at the Narnian army from his wooden throne before looking up and leaning towards Sopespian. "Let everyone know that this change means nothing. I still want to be the one who kills the traitorous rat."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Sopespian assured his King with a sickly smile. The High Lord bowed before glancing towards the other side of the ring, noticing with a smirk that it was Princess Elizabeth the one taking Caspian's place along with the centaur she'd been talking to before and a monstrous bear.

A woman being an assistant in a duel that would decide the fate of both Narnians and Telmarines. It only made this duel more ridiculous, and his access to the throne much easier.

After all, if High King Peter trusted women with his well-being, then how strong was he really?

Then, sudden cheers coming from the enemy army warned Miraz and his committee that the Kings of Old were approaching the battlefield.

Hadn't it been for their deep read armours, Sopespian wouldn't have been able to recognize them from amongst the crowd. After all, the two of them were kids and physically, they weren't threatening at all when in comparison to any of their Telmarine soldiers.

Still, there was something quite distinct about them. Of course, Sopespian had nothing but deep repulsion for the Narnians and their leaders but, looking at the way in which they bowed and cheered their two Kings, it tickled Sopespian's curiosity.

A ruler should base their leadership on love or fear. Telmarines had always been about ruling with fear.

Looking at King Peter with his shiny armour, his silver helm, his proud stance and unreadable eyes, Sopespian realized this was what the books referred to when they spoke of ruling with love.

And it made Sopespian seethe with ire. War was not about love. It was about fear and destruction.

At that moment, it didn't matter that King Peter and King Edmund seemed to have the respect neither Caspian IX nor Miraz had managed to obtain during their reigns. It didn't matter that, once he became King, Sopespian himself probably wouldn't be able to achieve that amount of respect.

What mattered is that love was going to be the Narnians' demise.

They were all going to die because, even at the edge of extinction, they had the nerve to show hope and love.

Finally, both Kings of Old reached the stone ring. They stood beside Princess Elizabeth, who handed High King Peter a silver shield with a red lion painted on it. Peter took it gravely and tested its weight as if he hadn't used it in a long time. Then, he nodded at King Edmund, who presented him with a sheathed sword. King Peter unsheathed it, causing more cheers from his army as he raised his sword above his head.

Sopespian struggled to refrain himself from smirking at the bunch of teenagers. All the show, all the ceremony, it wouldn't protect them from the Telmarine swords and crossbows.

After a long moment, Miraz stood from his ornamental chair and took his sword from Glozelle's hands. Then, he locked eyes with the General before subtly gazing at the crossword Glozelle held in his hands.

"Glozelle," he ordered, "If I should appear to be going poorly..."

Glozelle gulped before bowing his head. "Understood, Your Majesty."

Miraz nodded and turned towards Sopespian before snatching his morion from the High Lord's hands. "Try not to look too disappointed when I survive."

Sopespian had to summon all of his strength in order not to run Miraz through with his sword.

Miraz, however, was no longer paying attention to him. The Telmarine King put on his morion and confidently stepped into the ring. After a moment, King Peter followed his lead and both Kings slowly circled one another as they studied each other, looking for any weaknesses.

"You have guts, boy. I cannot deny that," Miraz taunted as he slowly neared the Narnian High King. "But this isn't necessary. There's still time to give up."

Peter smirked at that, his eyes on Miraz's feet. "Go ahead, then."

Miraz swinged his sword before leaning forward, his posture that of a wild animal about to lunge. "How many more must die for the throne?"

It seemed as if the tension was freely building itself while the two leaders were preparing themselves to attack. After all of those months of uncertainty, fear and impatience, the war was finally coming to an end. One way or the other, the fate of this duel between King Miraz and High King Peter would be the trigger that would decide the future for both Narnians and Telmarines.

So, as they circled one another, all spectators seemed to be holding their breaths with expectation. Everyone was waiting for one thing and one thing only.

The moment in which the tension exploded.

And finally, it did.

"Just one," Peter growled harshly before lowering his visor. Before Miraz could even grasp what was happening, Peter climbed on a rock and jumped towards Miraz, eliciting cheers from the Narnians by the sidelines.

The Last Battle had begun.


Beth witnessed the whole thing.

She saw Sopespian and Rodrick speaking. She saw Sopespian glances towards the How's terrace, where the archers stood.

It was when Rodrick climbed onto his horse that Beth gestured at Glenstorm to follow her and, in an instant, both princess and centaur were rushing as fast as they could inside the How without raising any suspicions.

Beth had no idea of what were the orders Sopespian gave to Rodrick but it didn't matter. She remembered Edmund's suspicions about Sopespian and General Glozelle. She didn't like the angered looks Sopespian kept throwing the archers, as if he had been expecting someone else there. She didn't like that Sopespian sent one of Miraz's assistants away, and probably without Miraz's consent.

When it all added up, it made her extremely anxious and, honestly, she couldn't help but think it was all related to Susan and Lucy.

Maybe she was being too overprotective.

Again, it didn't matter.

If she was wrong, then they would all be able to laugh about it after the war was over.

"Boys!" Beth screamed hastily as soon as she entered the Stone Table Room with Glenstorm. Bulgy Bear, Peter, Edmund and Caspian were in deep discussions right before the Stone Table but they all turned towards the princess with wide eyes as they took in the note of distress in her voice. "We have a problem!"

"What happened?" Peter asked instantly. He had learned to trust Beth when she said there was a problem. Listening to her had saved them multiple times, after all.

Beth gulped before turning to Glozelle. Her face was even paler than usual but she ignored her agitation as much as she could in order to think clearly. "My friend, could you please tell Captain Petersan that there's been a change in the Narnian committee? You and Bulgy Bear will still be the Narnian judges but King Edmund and I are going to be High King Peter's assistants."

"What do you think you are doing?" Caspian demanded before any of the others could intervene. "There's a reason why I am assisting the duel and not you!"

Beth shook her head, ignoring Caspian as she turned towards Bulgy Bear. "Could you go with Glenstorm? Thank you, my friend."

"How am I supposed to earn the Telmarines respect if I don't even show my face during the duel!?" Caspian growled angrily as soon as they were on their own. "Beth, what is the meaning of this!?"

"Let her speak," Edmund scowled at Caspian, ignoring his own confusion as he walked towards Beth and grabbed her hands in a soothing manner. "Beth, tell us what happened."

Behind them, Caspian threw an expectant look in Peter's direction and raised his arms in outrage when Peter only motioned him to calm down.

"I need you to bear with me because this is only a suspicion of mine but if I'm right, then we could all be in danger." Beth began, taking a deep breath to calm herself. All she could think was of how the Telmarines could be cornering Susan and Lucy already and that only made her more frantic. Still, she managed to steel her voice, and got to explain what happened to the boys without wasting another second.

Had it been under any other circumstances, the reactions of the three boys would have been hilarious. Closest to her, Edmund seemed to be fighting with himself in order not to panic. Only his widened eyes were an indication of the angst he was feeling.

Behind them, Peter cursed under his breath as he paled, probably imagining his sisters being cornered, just like Beth was fearing.

And Caspian...well, Caspian had always been more blunt.

"I'm on my way," Caspian growled, all former anger forgotten as he walked past Beth towards the exit. He only stalled to check for something in his leather bag before he was out of the room.

His quickly retreating steps were the only thing heard from the Stone Table Room as the remaining three recovered from the most recent events.

"I should have gone," Edmund finally quipped. His lips twisted into a scowl as the frustration towards himself washed over him. "Caspian's right. The Telmarines will think of him as a coward if he doesn't show himself at the duel."

"You're my brother. It would have been even more suspicious if you weren't there," Peter shook his head. Then, he looked at Beth. "Are you sure of this?"

"I know it seems far-fetched but what I saw, Ed's suspicions about them...I don't know why would they need Susan for whatever plan they have but it all seems to be adding up slowly," Beth replied with as much confidence as she could muster. "This is a risk and I know not having Caspian here isn't ideal but...none of us would be able to live with ourselves if we thought something was wrong and we did nothing about it."

"As always, you make a good point," Edmund nodded before smirking lightly. "High Lady."

"I did not let you pull that ceremony for you to taunt me constantly," Beth replied snarkily before nervously glancing at Peter. "Are you okay with this change, Peter? I know you were counting on having Caspian beside you."

"I did but now I have one of my favourite girls beside me. Everything seems to be evolving just the way it needs to evolve. The three of us can count on one another in order to lead the Narnians to victory. Susan and Lucy, they have Caspian and Aslan watching over them. We have all gone in different directions. All we have left is hoping we can all meet again once the war is over and peace reigns over Narnia once again." Peter replied before straightening. "I couldn't be more honoured to have the two of you beside me. Shall we begin?"


Deep into the woods, Susan and Lucy were a blur as they rode through the thick, Narnian forest.

Tightly holding Destrier's reins, Susan's eyes were fixed on the grounds before her as she both urged Caspian's horse forward and prayed to Aslan that the green scenery around them would serve as cover. Behind her older sister, Lucy held onto Susan tightly, her face pressed against her back and her eyes frantically studying the trees around her as she too prayed for Aslan to show up.

Both of them could hear the approaching cries of the Telmarine soldiers as clearly as if they were inches behind them.

Lucy fought against her panic in order to think of something, anything that would win them some time and hopefully hide them from the Telmarines. She glanced around them again, desperately hoping to gain inspiration from her surroundings.

No matter how much she thought, nothing came to mind.

"I can't believe they figured it out," Susan spat a humourless laugh as she urged Destrier faster. "Who even noticed our absence? I thought Telmarines didn't care for women, even those who wear crowns!"

"I don't know, Su," Lucy replied nervously. She looked behind her but no Telmarine was in sight, fortunately. "It doesn't matter though, does it?"

"I hate my life," was all Susan grumbled in response before falling again into silence, her present task demanding her focus utterly.

Lucy glanced away again and almost distractedly settled her eyes on the natural elevation to their left.

A lot has been said about the moment just before a person dies.

Some say the life of the person in question flashes right before their eyes. Some say the pain and shock is so intense, so sudden, that nothing is really felt as they fall into oblivion. Some say they encounter themselves looking through a tunnel, their eyes set on the alluring light by the other side.

Right then, Lucy thought it all to be complete nonsense.

Because as she stared upwards at the Telmarine glaring down at her and her sister, she didn't see her life flash before her eyes. She didn't feel any shock. She didn't see any lights.

She was Queen Lucy the Valiant. Narnia depended too much on her. She was not letting her life spill from her fingers so easily.

She was fighting until the last shred of strength and hope spilled from her fingers. She was selling her life as expensive as possible.

She wasn't giving death a single thought because, if she had anything to do about it, there was no way she was dying that day.

"Su!" Lucy yelled, all attempts to hide themselves from the enemy be damned. "They've seen us!"

Susan turned to her before looking up as well. Then, she turned back front and urged Destrier faster. Lucy was left with no option but to watch the chase unfold, knowing that Destrier was already going as fast as it could but that, if they were to survive, then the three of them needed to haste.

Before any despairing feelings could settle in her heart, Destrier halted his race, lifting a curtain of dust as it sunk its hooves into the ground below him. The horse hadn't stopped completely before Susan handed Lucy the reins and hopped down from the horse, grabbing her bow out of her quiver as she placed her feet on the ground.

"What on Earth do you think you are doing!?" Lucy demanded urgedly.

"I'm giving you some time," Susan replied calmly. To Lucy, Susan had lost her mind entirely so it didn't make sense for her to speak so calmingly but hey, who was she to judge?

Before Lucy could voice her complaints, Susan looked up at her with an accepting smile. "We need to find Aslan to win this war. To be able to do that, we need a distraction. I'm the distraction and you will be the one to find Aslan. You were always destined for the task and I know you'll be safe, for He will take care of you."

"But you?" Lucy whispered, too terrified of the sudden change of plan to heighten her voice. She flinched when the Telmarines' screams were once again near. "Susan, please. Come with me."

"Oh, Lucy. You will never have an idea of how proud I'm of you," Susan chuckled before taking a step away from Lucy and Destrier. With her chainmail over her battle dress, her dark hair and clear, intelligent eyes, Susan was once again the Archer Queen from the Golden Age. "I'm sorry but we all need to step up and fulfill our role in this battle. This is mine. Ride away from here and don't look back. Look forward and find Aslan."

Before Lucy could even grasp the meaning of Susan's words, the Archer Queen hit Destrier's buttocks, making it and Lucy ride away from that clearing.

Forcing herself not to look back, Susan faced the approaching Telmarines cries as she notched an arrow to her bow and adopted a defensive stance.

But then, the urge to look at her sister one last time became too intense. Susan looked back at Lucy just as Lucy halted Destrier to a stop and turned her head towards her elder sister.

The two sisters were remarkable because of their merits in different areas. They were warrior queens, ready to give everything up for their home and their people. They were beloved sisters and deeply close to one another.

And, for the first time, the two of them were taking different paths.

For a moment, everything seemed to stop as both sisters exchanged wordless goodbyes. Without knowing, the two wished for the same thing.

To meet one another again on the field of victory.

Then, Lucy bowed her head before riding away as fast as she could. The only thing she could do now was to make sure Susan's sacrifice was worth it.

Meanwhile, Susan hung her head down for a moment before sighing and straightening herself, her features once again determined.

She glanced around her, almost in awe with the beauty of the Narnian forest. The golden sun rays seeped through the clearing, casting its light onto plants and trees alike, and showering Susan with endless comfort at the time she needed it the most.

Anyone would have thought that was a good place to die but not her.

Wasn't she crowned the Gentle Queen to the Radiant Southern Sun? Wasn't the Sun her element? While there was sunlight, there was hope. Nothing was lost yet, not even her own life.

She aimed her bow with anger seeping through her veins. Anger that these mere guards had the nerve to think they were a worthy opponent to the Archer Queen.

And, after a moment, the first Telmarine appeared into her eyesight, sword drawn as he swiftly rode his way towards the Narnian Queen.

Susan took a deep breath.

And shot.