Hey guys!

THIS CHAPTER IS NOW COMPLETE. This is such an important chapter, for the story and for myself if I'm being honest. There are some serious, big issues discussed here and I'm so proud of them and I hope you are too. More on them in AN by the end of the chapter.

Coming up: Part II of chapter 18 and chapter 20. Chapter 20 will have the coronation, which is when things will start to wrap up. You guys, there are some serious amazing chapters coming up. I don't have everything planned out but there are some scenes I have in mind that are just so amazing and I can't wait to show them to you. Hope you guys stick till the end with me!

TRIGGER WARNING: There is serious description of mentally abusive relationships described here. If it is something that is not healthy for you, then please, do not read.

Thank you so much for reading! Hope you like this!

Chapter 19. "No Time To Die."

"I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting." - Leigh Bardugo, "Six Of Crows."

"Maybe there were people who lived those lives. Maybe this girl was one of them. But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren't chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway." - Leigh Bardugo, "Crooked Kingdom."

Indifferent to the chaos below her - the Narnian court rushing to get ready for the arrival of the Archenlandian party -, Susan stood on the tallest tower by her own. Her posture perfect, her slender hands lightly resting on the stone railing, her eyes fixed on the incoming crowd.

She was probably the first in the castle to see them, not that it was a feat in itself. It was impossible to miss them from where she stood. They were already so close that the Gentle Queen could distinguish dark figures of riders amongst the cloud of dust their horses were lifting. Yellow banners glowing under the radiant sun, the golden carriage flanked by soldiers wearing spotless armours, it all made for a sight Susan had seen many times before.

Now, this particular set up might seem quite dramatic from a reader's point of view. The lone Queen, lost in her thoughts, wondering about her life now that she was no longer in immediate danger. We've heard that story many times before.

Susan however, was not looking for an answer. She wasn't looking for peace, she wasn't looking to escape.

She was looking to order her thoughts. She already knew what she wanted, she'd already deciphered what her heart had been speaking to her for long enough. What she needed was the moment to herself, just enough time for her to reduce the chaos her mind had been surrendered to.

That place was perfect. The noises, orders and chatters still reached her, distant enough for her to focus, yet close enough for her not to forget the life that was waiting for her below. And the solitude, so blissful during such a chaotic time.

With no company but the sun and wind, Susan stood on her own, her eyes contemplating something that wasn't laying before her very eyes. She stood almost frozen, as serene as the most gentle of rivers, and she thought. She ordered her thoughts and - with tremendous relief -, the chaos receded.

When Peter stood beside her, Susan wasn't bothered.

The chaos was gone.

And it hurt, knowing what she wanted for sure. Accepting it, in a way. It hurt, and it relieved her.

"I thought you were ultimating the details for the coronation," Peter eventually spoke, his voice gravelly calm. His eyes were also on the incoming guests.

"I will return to my tasks in a moment," Susan replied, her voice quiet. "Are Beth, Adrien and Caspian waiting for our guests?"

"Of course," Peter replied with a nod before snorting. "Beth wanted Ed to be there as well but he had work to do before the Calormene party arrives. I haven't seen our brother flee a room so rushedly."

Susan couldn't help but laugh. "Well, it isn't everyday that a person gets to meet their couple's father. And Beth has two of them."

"We have to make sure we're there to witness Ed's introduction to King Ersan," Peter smirked deviously. He rested his back against the stone bannister and directed his face upwards towards the warm sun rays. "I say he doesn't make it through the meeting without messing it up."

Susan looked at Peter for a second, a fond smile gracing her cherry lips. Soon enough though, her expression sombered as a thought crossed her mind. The Gentle Queen turned towards the landscape before her again, her voice melancholic. "I wonder how long we have."

Peter cocked his head towards his sister. "For what?"

Susan shrugged, her eyes glittering with sad joy as she thought of her family. "For betting. For family dinners. For strolls around Narnian gardens, rides through ancient woods. For afternoons, days and nights with our friends. For watching Ed follow Beth around like a lovesick puppy. For watching her and Caspian become legendary leaders, for-."

"For you and Caspian," Peter interjected softly.

Susan nodded, painfully swallowing down her tears as she gazed at anything but her brother. "For me and Caspian."

"You don't think we'll get to stay?"

Susan hesitated as she finally looked at her brother. She studied his clear eyes, so calming and reassuring, and realized for the first time that if there was anyone she could speak freely to, it was him. Sure, she had never had much of an issue when speaking to her brother (or yelling at him, or accusing him of something - amongst other things), but this...it was more serious than anything they had talked about in a long time.

It felt like a more...permanent possibility.

She had spoken about this to Lucy and Edmund. To Lucy, she hadn't been able to be truthful not only because of her faith, but because her younger sister wasn't ready to hear about her fears.

Edmund might have been, hadn't he had Beth. The same fears Susan had when her relationship with Caspian was concerned, she could only assume Ed had them as well. She couldn't add up to his pain. She couldn't do that to him. And she knew he wouldn't do it to her.

But Peter, Peter he could speak freely to. There wasn't a risk of hurting him or of him judging her. Like her, he had lived his entire life devoted to his people and his siblings. Her brother and herself, they'd suffered the most in England because their life in Narnia had come with comfort, with a joy they understood much better than their younger siblings. And just like they understood the bliss of Narnia better, they also understood the pain and destruction of England much deeper than Edmund or Lucy.

So, she was finally free to speak her mind, to allow her heart to burst out the pain she'd been carrying ever since the war ended, even if it was for a second.

She could only hope it would get more bearable once she was done.

"We've left before," Susan replied, her voice clipped with emotion. "I wouldn't be surprised, if I'm being honest."

"That was different," Peter retorted.

"Why?" Susan asked almost accusingly. She turned towards Peter, her blue eyes flashing. "Because we're younger? Because Aslan hasn't left us yet?"

"Because we have a family here," Peter cut his sister off. He sighed and rubbed his temples tiredly. "Besides, Aslan wouldn't do that to Beth. He knows how much we mean to her, you think He would rip her family?"

"We had a family before," Susan countered. "Mr. Tumnus, the Beavers, Peridan and the others, they were all part of our family. They loved us and we loved them. Aslan knew that. We still disappeared. We were still forced to leave when they needed us the most. We still had to wake up every day with the secret hope that we would finally make it back!"

Peter opened his mouth, a quick reply ready on his lips but there was something in her sister's eyes that compelled him to stay silent. Maybe it was the pain lingering behind the anger brightening her eyes, maybe it was the fact that his sister was finally bursting.

Whatever it was, Susan didn't notice. She sighed and leaned forward to rest her elbows on the bannister, her shoulders slumping in a manner uncharacteristic of her. "You said it yourself, Pete. He made us wait for more than a year. What's worse, he made our friends wait! Our people! Have you thought of the generations that have lived and died, waiting, praying for us to come back! Have you thought about the disappointment, the fear, the rage they must have felt? Their leaders were gone, and all they had was the useless hope that one day we might be back!"

"I think about it every day. I think about all of them every night before I go to sleep." Peter's features were sickly pale, his eyes wide with grief as they thought of his long gone friends. "But, Su, Aslan said it himself. Things don't happen the same way twice."

Susan shook her head, a few crystallic tears falling down her pale cheeks. "What is stopping him? If we are no longer needed now that the war is gone and Narnia will have new monarchs, what's stopping him from whisking us away back to England? What will stop Him from bringing us back here? What stands between us and an existence in which we continuously shift between worlds, between lives?"

Peter's eyes widened. "Su-."

"We had a life in England, Pete!" Susan exclaimed loudly, the feeling she had yet to speak of finally resurfacing. "Sure, the war wasn't a welcome addition and we almost lost our father but Pete, it was still our life. We had each other and we were fine."

"Susan," Peter cut her off. His voice was different, his fear heightening it. "If we left again, would you want to come back?"

Susan wanted to turn from him, she wanted the comfort of having any other sight before her but she couldn't. She knew he had to look into her eyes if he was to believe in any of her words.

So, ignoring the tears rolling down her face, she met Peter's eyes and shook her head. "I can't do this again, Pete. I can't go back and wake up every day hoping it would be the day I travel back to Narnia. I can't have Caspian or anybody else living their lives hoping to see me again. I just- I can't handle it, I can't handle my life, or anybody else's being torn up into pieces again and again because of useless hope."

"If you leave, if we leave after the coronation," Peter gulped as if the mere idea hurt him. "Wouldn't you want to see Caspian again?"

Susan smiled tearfully despite herself. "I would. I love Caspian with all my heart and some part of me will always love him regardless of what happens to me. But Pete...if there is something worse than leaving Caspian and Narnia, that is leaving with the knowledge that Caspian would stop his life while waiting for me. He deserves to form his life with a companion that will keep him in line, one that will follow him through any adventure. He deserves to love passionately and without any reservations. He deserves to form himself a family, one that will give him everything his first one didn't."

"But that could be with you, Su." Peter's voice was hoarse, yet he still managed to smile. "Nothing has been said yet. We could get to stay."

Su nodded twice, before hesitating. Then, she began to shake her head as her lips turned up into a smile. "Maybe. I don't want to hope, Pete. I've done that before and I...if we leave, that hope will break me. If that gets to be my life, then I will consider myself the luckiest woman in Narnia. If I'm not, then I will know that Caspian will lead a happy life and, wherever I am, I will be happy."

Peter enveloped his younger sister into a tight embrace, his voice a whisper as he buried his face in her raven locks. "I love you. No matter what, I'm here. I will always be here. I will fight beside you."

Susan snuggled into her brother, more tears falling down her cheeks as she closed her eyes with sorrow. "That's just the thing, Pete. I can't fight anymore. I'm so tired. I just want to be happy. Regardless of where."

oOo

The Narnian party managed to form by the main patio just as the first Archenlandian horsemen and women crossed the gates. All of them proud and tall, their kind eyes mostly hidden by their helmets, bowed their heads at the monarchs awaiting by the front of the crowd and stood in formation by the sides closer to the gate. Finally, the golden carriage crossed the gateway, and the Archenlandian bannermen raised their flags in salute.

By the front row of the Narnian party, Prince Caspian, Princess Elizabeth and Lord Adrien stood side by side, all of them eyeing the incoming monarch with a spectrum of emotions.

Adrien, the one who was yet to meet the King, looked between Caspian and Beth with narrowed eyes as if sensing their conflicted emotions. "Are you guys okay?"

Caspian felt like snorting right then. The fact that the nine-year-old in the group was asking the soon-to-be king about his well being was hilarious. "The last I heard of King Ersan was when his daughter told me he wasn't going to help Narnia. Also, he is the father of my imprisoned best friend. I don't really know how to face the man."

Beth sighed as she was reminded of Tor, immediately catching her partners' attention.

"Beth?" Caspian asked, much softer this time.

"The last time I heard of him was when he forbade me from coming. That very night I escaped." Beth smirked humorlessly at Caspian before throwing a shrug in Adrien's direction. "I win."

Adrien crossed his arms. "You can meet him inside. I could even fake an illness so you have an excuse to leave, if you want."

"Can you even act?" Caspian asked as subtly as he could, noticing that a guard had stepped forward to open the carriage's doors.

"I would disclose my acting' abilities but they have gotten me so far so no, I will not respond to your question," Adrien replied snarkily, straightening as he too noticed the carriage.

Beth glanced at the carriage with apprehension before taking a step backwards, enveloping Adrien into a loving embrace as she stood beside him. "I love you for even offering and I know it would be amusing for you but it's okay. He's been a father to me. It's alright."

With that, the three of them turned just in time to witness King Ersan plant both feet on firm ground and look around.

Beth felt herself stiffen despite her attempts to calm down. The thing was that she wasn't quite sure what to expect. Sure, she was a daughter to him but at the same time, she had been of little relevance in comparison to Tor or even Torin. She was adopted, so she didn't even have the reassurance of having the same bloodline as the King. And, when he had needed her to be patient, she had fled her home to help a friend.

Now, it is obvious why she couldn't regret the decision she made. More than that, she knew it had been her fate all along to help Narnia and regain her identity in the process. But, even as she knew that, she still felt guilty because Ersan - and Tor, as far away as he was -had given her a home, a place to be herself. And now, everything was different. Things would never go back to when she was an innocent girl discovering the many halls of Anvard.

Though she had rejected Adrien's proposal, she couldn't help but to wish she could run from that place. As she watched the King adjust his robes and slowly straighten, she wondered whether she could at least hide because she knew that eventually, Ersan would straighten. He would look towards the crowd waiting for him and he would see her. And if he looked at her with disappointment, she wouldn't be able to bear it.

Just then, he looked up, straight into Beth's eyes.

"Beth," Ersan breathed, his eyes wide.

Beth gulped, unconsciously taking a few steps forward until she was halfway between her group and her father. She smiled nervously, her hands clasped before her frame. "Hello, father. Welcome to Narnia."

Ersan walked briskly towards his daughter, his eyes watering as he finally stood before her. Then, he smiled. "I know that you are now Aslan's Daughter and the next High Queen of Narnia. Can I hug you anyways?"

Beth laughed, her eyes watering too. "I'm still me, Dad. Of course you can hug me."

Beth hadn't finished talking when Ersan cradled his daughter in his arms. He sighed with relief and rested his head on top of his daughter's golden locks. "I thought I would never see you again, darling. This is truly a blissful day, the day I get the chance to reunite with my daughter."

Beth wrapped her arms around her father's torso and buried her face in his chest to hide her tears, not caring about the way his grayish beard tickled the side of her face. "I'm so sorry I worried you Dad. I never meant to hurt you."

"Shh, we will talk about that later," Ersan quickly reassured her as he straightened. He brushed the tears away from her daughter's cheeks and smiled proudly, his blue eyes crinkling kindly. "What I see now is that my daughter's become everything she was meant to. A warrior, a leader and soon, a Queen. How can I be angry about that?"

Beth smiled widely, her eyes shining brighter than they had in a long time. Then, remembering where she was, she stepped away and waved a hand towards the Narnian party who were watching the pair fondly. "Then you need to meet the ones who helped me become who I am."

Ersan smiled and rested a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Lead the way, Your Highness."

oOo

"King Edmund."

Edmund straightened in his seat, not at all surprised at Aslan´s sudden appearance, though still slightly disappointed that his peace had lasted so little.

Not that he didn't want to talk to Aslan, of course. The amount of respect and admiration he held for the Great Lion was amazing, especially considering how thoughtful and understanding had Aslan been towards him in the past.

Still, there was no point in denying the shift in his reality. Aslan was no longer just his leader, his King. He was also the father of the girl he loved. The girl he had left in another world, for she was too needed to be left in peace, just like her father. The girl Edmund had left once, and would never do so again, not willingly. The girl who now was to become High Queen of Narnia, and who had two fathers who were painfully aware of his existence in their daughter's life.

So yes, maybe Peter had been in the right. Maybe he was running. But not because of fear. If he was running, then he was doing so because he needed to get his mind wrapped around the new circumstances, he needed to understand what all these changes meant for him and for those around him.

Of course, he had had enough time to comprehend what the true identity of his girlfriend meant for him. He couldn't say the same about Aslan though. Aslan, who had pardoned him before his siblings or even himself could, who had faith in him even before he managed to gain himself the reputation of the Just King he was, who had stood by him even when he couldn't see it. Aslan was now someone different in his mind, someone who would first stand by His daughter, someone who was no longer this absolute image in his mind, for He was now a father. And if Edmund did no longer have this reassurance of someone who would stand by him regardless of what, then how was he supposed to regain his footing? Who was he supposed to rely on?

If anything, Edmund supposed he had to be grateful that He had come to him, and not the other way around. He wasn't totally sure he would have been able to approach him otherwise.

"Your Majesty," Edmund voiced as he stood. His steps were graceful yet guarded as he rounded his chair to head for the balcony behind them. Slightly behind him, Aslan was completely soundless as he followed. "I do hope everything is going alright with Beth and King Ersan. I was hoping to finish preparing for the arrival of the Calormene party before joining them."

"It must not be easy, considering your story - and especially your sister´s - with the Calormene." Aslan replied as he stood besides the raven-haired King. The sun, gloriously golden as it oversaw the Narnian territory, cast its warm rays over them.

"I am supposed to discuss a rearrangement of our commercial treaty with them so we should be able to stay on topic," Edmund replied, his eyes stormy as he remembered the arrogant face of Prince Rabadash as he insulted him and Susan before the entire court of Archenland. "Still, the Calormene party has no fault for what their forefathers have done to us. Neither me or my siblings blame them for the past."

"Once again, you honour your title, King Edmund." Aslan replied with a tone of pride. "I have made the right decision by asking you to act as judge on Queen Prunaprisma´s trial with me."

"Regardless of that, this is no ordinary trial." Edmund shook his head. His right hand reached up towards his chin, pinching it slightly as he stared at the landscape before him, not really seeing anything before him. "No matter what happens, Caspian will be caught in the middle. No matter what happens, we will still be judging a woman who did nothing but stay behind closed doors and protect her child while her husband and his army engaged in an unfair war against us."

"Let us wait and hear what she has to say." Aslan´s gaze was knowing, as if he had everything figured out. "More often than not, the person in question eventually tells us everything we need to hear."

Edmund straightened at that, sensing an underlying meaning in his words. With a sigh, and refraining himself from burying his hands in his trousers, Edmund rested his back against the banister and looked up towards the cloudless sky. "Sometimes it's not much, though. It shouldn't be. Sometimes, it is simple. It doesn't need an explanation."

"Regardless."

Edmund smiled then. Talking about Beth with her father, knowing himself to be judged in that very moment, it was as uncomfortable and overwhelming as he had expected. If Beth had been an ordinary love of his life, he would have cowered. He had no doubt about that. He would have closed off, ended everything, and led the ordinary life of a King.

But Beth… she was his best friend. She was the one person who had made him feel as if he could conquer his fears and uncertainties. His life was as messy as it always was and he had no idea of what the future held for him but Beth, she wasn't the girl that made everything better. She was the girl that stood beside him, metaphorical sword in hand, ready to fight any problems or demons heading his way. She was his rock and his voice of reason. She was the one that healed him enough to be able to stand up on his own two feet.

"I´ve made mistakes," Edmund admitted after a long moment, relieved that his voice was as sure as his feelings. "I´ve been too doubtful, too afraid, too much of a coward. I hurt her and that is something I will never forgive myself for. But I would do it again if I had the choice."

"One could argue that it is not wise to hurt someone we love," was Aslan´s reply.

Edmund couldn't help but crack a smile at that. He remembered Lucy´s words when Beth and him broke up, Susan´s concern, Peter´s disbelief and Caspian´s quiet disappointment. "One could also argue that hurting someone we love cannot be avoided. I hate myself for hurting her but Beth, she is so much more than what I expected when I met her. She is someone kind, loving, annoyingly clever and fun. She is my best friend and the girl that challenges me every day. Without her, I would still be able to lead a happy life, just like she would be able to, but she is my equal in every way that matters, just like I'm hers."

"I was once ready to hand you the fate of my beloved country," Aslan said softly after a silent moment. His eyes were on the landscape before him, taking it all in whilst Edmund seemed to be lost in images and recollections of the past. "I have never regretted my decision, not even for a second. But one thing is to be a King, and another entirely is to be someone ready to love. My daughter is the brightest soul in this world, but she is someone who will not have an easy life. In that way, she and I share fates. What will happen if she gets hurt again? If she has to save someone else again? If she has to put the fate of someone else or even Narnia before her very safety?"

"If any of that happens, I´ll be the one to hold her safety as my priority." Edmund replied with certainty. He still remembered how it felt to stand by the entrance of the How, his heart hammering painfully as he took in Beth´s insecurity over his words. Beth had asked him the same exact thing. His answer had been the same but right then, his certainty hadn't been quite the same. Now, as he stood besides Aslan, he felt an entirely different person, for he had figured out just how much he felt for Beth. "She and I are a team. I couldn't quite figure that out before and I'm sure there will be disagreements and fights in the future because we are different people but I respect her now. I truly understand just how much respect I have for her and how much I want to fight beside her, just how she's always been fighting beside me."

Everything seemed to still as silence fell amongst the pair. Almost as if some invincible force was pulling him, Edmund´s eyes drifted towards the main courtyard, where the Archenland party was being received by Beth, Caspian and Adrien. Amongst the crowd, he couldn't quite make up Beth but it didn't matter. He could still feel her bright presence, almost a beacon that led him amongst the darkness that were his fears and insecurities.

Edmund wondered right then whether he had said enough. If it was up to him, he could speak about Beth for hours on end. Still, it wasn`t the quantity that mattered. It was the value.

Had he said enough?

Then, Aslan finally spoke up. "I was always sure that you were in love with her, infatuated even. You love my daughter, Edmund."

Edmund bowed his head, his smile almost shy. "I love Beth."

"I could never stand in the way of that love. You love my daughter with a force and honesty she's always deserved. I expect you to know just how lucky you are, King Edmund. I know that she is aware of how lucky she is as well."

Edmund flustered with pleasure over hearing those words. "Thank you, Aslan. I could never forget it."

"Good, because you were always family to me." Edmund could have sworn there was pride in Aslan´s golden eyes. "Now, our bond is even stronger. Nothing else has changed."

Edmund smiled with relief, his shoulders straightened as his concerns lessened.

Then, a sudden thought caused him to widen his eyes.

"What do you think Beth will say once she hears of this?"

"I know enough of my independent daughter to know she will want to hear it from you," Aslan replied with a chuckle. "Good luck, Edmund."

Edmund sighed heavily. That was sure to be an enjoyable conversation.

oOo

"I want to know everything you´ve been up to, dear." Ersan clutched Beth´s hand as they sat side by side in Caspian´s study. The king of Archenland then glanced at Adrien and Caspian, who sat in front of them, with a warm, friendly smile. "And it relieves me greatly to know for a fact that you were never on your own. You even found a family here and -."

"And you want to hear about Tor," Beth cut the man beside him gently, smiling with understanding as he nodded guiltily. "It 's okay, Dad. We have time to talk about what we've missed. Right now, we need to focus, we need to do everything to protect Archenland until Tor is back."

"What happened to him?" Ersan asked, his eyes lit with the burden of a man who had to deal with the loss of his son. A father's worst nightmare, after all, is to burden their own child. And it was as if that nightmare had become reality for Ersan, in a way even worse when taken into account the circumstances. "I know Torin had something to do with it but you were awfully vague with the details."

"I know and I´m sorry," Beth winced. "I didn't want to worry you or hurt you until I could talk to you face to face."

"Wait, what do you mean with 'protecting Archenland'?" Caspian, who by now could read Beth liked the back of his hand, asked with a furrowed brow. "What can you do to help Archenland other than finding another heir?"

Beth straightened with trepidation, unconsciously clenching her jaw as she tried to figure out just how to explain what was going on in her head. She glanced at Adrien almost with remorse but soon enough shook her head, choosing instead to smile reassuringly at her adoptive father and brothers. "Until recently, I didn't think there was much I could do. I knew Tor was alive because Aslan told me so but I had no idea of where he was or whether there was anything I could do to save him. Now, I know better."

Adrien narrowed his eyes with suspicion. "Now you know better?"

Caspian leaned forward almost with excitement. "Where is he though? Can we really get to him?"

Ersan's voice broke. "My son is alive?"

Beth put her other hand on top of his father's, holding it tenderly as tears gathered in her eyes. "Father, the story Torin told us was accurate to an extent. A pack of wolves did attack them and Tor did throw himself in front of Torin to spare him. What we didn't know - us or Tor for that matter -, was that Torin had planned the whole thing. It wasn't an accident, it was a trap. Tor didn't sacrifice himself, he was imprisoned by his brother's allies. And, unless Aslan is terribly mistaken, he's been confined ever since."

"Tor is alive," Ersan breathed, tears gathering in his eyes as he wrapped an arm around his adoptive daughter. He reached to place a trembling kiss on top of her golden hair, laughing merrily as he pulled away. "And to think his own brother would do this, I- this is so much. I just can't possibly...gods, my words have left me completely! Beth, could this be true? Tor is alive...and gods, Torin, I-."

"Dad," Beth spoke softly, her eyes wide, the weight of her conflicted emotions simmering behind her golden irises. "I have been dealing with this information for weeks and I still can't fully process it's meaning. And I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you sooner but you deserve the whole story and you will get it. You will get your son back and Torin will get the punishment he deserves. You aren't on your own here, I promise."

"I can understand why," Caspian suddenly said, ignoring Beth's glare. Meanwhile, Ersan could only stare at his daughter as if she'd handed him both a blessing and curse. Which, in all honesty, she probably had. "Torin has always wanted to be King, after all. But how could he orchestrate something like this? Maybe it actually is easier than we think but for no one to even be suspicious of him for more than two years?"

Adrien frowned at Caspian but then, he turned towards Beth, faltering as he took in the undiluted fear in her expression. "Beth?"

At Adrien's small, shy voice, Beth forced herself to snap out of it. She swallowed heavily, her hands tightly locked on her lap in an attempt to hide just how much were they trembling. "This is where it gets tricky, I'm afraid. You three are the first who get to hear about and I need you to stand by my side because it's not going to be easy. Not for me and neither for you or the others."

It was then that Caspian recognized the fear in Beth's eyes. He had only seen it once before. "This is about Jack, isn't it."

"Jack?" Ersan asked with a deep frown etched across his forehead. "Your biological father? Well, until you found out the truth, that is."

"That's the one," Beth nodded grimly, her lips pursed with reluctance at having to think of that demon. She glanced at Adrien and smiled as she noticed his wide eyes. Then, she opened her arms and beckoned him to her side so she could hug him. "One of the several things I learned during our journey is that Jack is one of Tash's lieutenants and when he joined His side, he was tasked with bringing me into this world. Nothing was left to chance. Not my arrival to Archenland, not Tor's capture. Jack was the one who took him and hid him from us."

"Where?" Caspian growled, rage coursing through his veins. Tor was his best friend, after all.

"A mountain by our Northern border," Beth replied, her voice faltering for some reason. "Apparently, it contains a portal between this world and Tash's realm."

"We will gather the biggest army in the world," Ersan declared then. His hand clutched Beth's tenderly but his voice was laced with murderous rage as he looked at Caspian. "I will lead it myself. I have to make sure both my son and my daughter get the justice they deserve."

"Narnia will be happy to join your forces, Your Majesty," Caspian was quick to agree. Oblivious to Beth's loud silence, he smirked. "Beth would never let us fight her own battles after all."

"You are right, I would never let you fight for me." Beth took a deep breath, preparing herself for some reason. Then, she looked at her family with stubborn decisiveness. "Which is why I have to go with a small party."

"This is not happening again," Adrien moaned tiredly as he buried his face in his hands. He walked away from the group in a poor attempt to process what he had just heard, leaving a pleading Beth, a shocked Ersan and a disbelieving Caspian behind him.

"Now, you are not," Caspian shook his head as shock slowly left him. He ignored Beth's attempts to interrupt him and stood up as the violent force of his emotions became too much for him to sit still. "Are you out of your mind? Do you actually think I will let you face that monster on your own? After what happened the last time you faced him, do you actually think any of us are just going to sit by and let you go on your own?"

"What happened the last time you faced him?" Ersan intervened then, his shoulders tensing further the more he heard about this. "Beth, what did you do?"

"Ah, because I actually like putting myself in danger." Beth snorted. "Why are the two of you looking at me as if I was a glutton for pain?"

"Because you left your home in the middle of the night to help a friend with a nearly hopeless endeavour?" Ersan replied with disbelief. After a moment, he eyed the Telmarine Prince. "My apologies, Prince Caspian."

"Please, Your Majesty. I agree," Caspian huffed, his eyes on the stubborn princess before him. "One thing is to follow your fate, Beth, that much we can all agree on. You are Aslan's Daughter and as such, we all know that there are things you will need to do that will put you in danger. When those moments come, your family is ready to support you and stand beside you. This, this is not about your fate or duty. This is about a personal vendetta. This is about you having too much pride to accept that you need help."

"I don't need help to defeat Jack," Beth retorted angrily. She stood harshly and pointed at herself with anger controlling her every movement. "I have managed to survive him every single time I have faced him! Here and in England! He has hurt me time and time again and I have managed to rise time after bloody time! What can you do to help me? What could you possibly do when the only one who has managed to defeat the monster is ME!?"

"We could stop you from getting poisoned AGAIN!" Caspian screamed in return, his eyes immediately widening as he realized what had slipped from his lips.

Beth took a deep intake of air, her gaze shocked as she covered her mouth with a trembling hand. Then, she gazed at her father with trepidation.

"Poisoned?" Ersan's voice was frighteningly quiet, his eyes wide as he studied his daughter almost as if he was seeing her for the first time. "You were poisoned?"

Beth sat again, her mouth still covered by her hand. After a couple of endless minutes in which all she could do was shake her head, she slowly lowered her hand and sighed, her eyes slowly looking for her father and brother. "That is why I need to go. Aslan told me there is a flower, the one used to make Lucy's healing potion actually, and that it can be used as an antidote for the poison I'm carrying."

"Please tell me this is not going where I think it is going," Ersan cut his daughter off as he too stood up.

Beth laughed humorlessly, tears gathering in her eyes as she slowly nodded. "Jack was the one to poison me so he obviously knew about the antidote. The one remaining flower is in that same mountain, hidden and waiting for me."

Caspian sat again. "If you go, you are falling under a trap."

Beth nodded slowly. "And if I don't go, I will die."

Silence fell amongst them, so heavy, so burdened, that there was almost no room to breathe, no room to make any noise that would break the heaviness of that moment.

And that's why they knew the exact moment Adrien closed the door behind him with a bang.

oOo

"I wonder what made Him think he had the right to speak to you about me, especially in that way!"

Behind her, Edmund shrugged innocently. "I mean, He is a father looking out for his daughter. I don't see what's wrong with it."

Beth, who had been looking towards the entrance to the Throne Room, turned with raised eyebrows as she heard his reply. "Are you actually serious right now? You're on his side?"

"Is there a side?" Edmund retorted. He cocked his head with puzzlement as he stared into his girlfriend's eyes. "I love you and I want you to be happy, just like Him. I don't think there are a lot of sides related to that."

"Yes, there are," Beth huffed. "Because I'm right and you're wrong."

Edmund snorted. "You're cute."

Despite herself, Beth giggled as she shrugged. "I try."

"Come here," Edmund said with a hearty chuckle as he wrapped his arms around the princess. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes blissfully. "I love you. Even if you have two fathers who scare me to death."

"Please," Beth rolled her eyes as she pulled away from Edmund, though her arms remained wrapped around his waist. "I met your siblings long before you had to meet my fathers."

"As if that made any difference, they all loved you instantly." Edmund shook his head with a snort. "I'm quite certain Lucy prefers you over me."

"Well, how couldn't she?" Beth replied with a shrug of her shoulders, giggling when Edmund lightly pushed her shoulder. Then, she seemed to hesitate, her expression sobering up with a hidden emotion, before she finally burrowed herself in his arms again. "Hey, can we talk after?"

"After?" Edmund repeated, worried about the sudden change in her demeanour. "Are you okay?"

"I am, I promise," Beth smiled thinly, her eyes lit with adoration even as the burdened frown remained on her face. "I just need to tell you some things when we have the time."

"Of course," Edmund replied. His eyes wandered over to the closed doors of the Throne Room. They were now the only two remaining in that hallway, everyone else having taken their places inside the room. "I wish we could just leave and have the afternoon for ourselves."

The trial of Queen Prunaprisma was one Edmund was honestly dreading, yet wanted to get on with as soon as possible. It seemed as if it was one of the last pending things they needed to go through in order to be able to move on with their lives. Once this was over, Beth and Caspian would be crowned and, hopefully, they would have a whole lifetime to be together as family.

Peter and Lucy were already inside, ready to support their brother as he led the trial. Caspian was somewhere in his private quarters, his status as the Queen's nephew forbidding him from being in the trial. Susan was with him.

Edmund and Beth were the last pending pieces before the game would be ready to be set into motion.

"Well, we could go and talk to Ersan. I'm sure you would love to have his blessing as well."

"Hilarious," Edmund deadpanned, laughter shaking his shoulders as he tightened his arms around her frame. "I truly don't know what I would do without your remarkable humour."

"Die from boredom," Beth smirked. She reached up and placed a longing kiss against his lips. "Obviously."

oOo

Even when about to conduct a trial to decide the fate of the Telmarine Queen, the Throne of Caspian´s forefathers remained unused. Instead, an ornamental chair had been placed on the bottom step of the ladder, its presence and height almost eerie in that room where so much history had occurred.

Aslan waited patiently beside the chair, his tail flicking almost in a relaxed manner, his golden eyes filtering across the room and its largely intimidated and revered guests. Narnians and Telmarines stood together facing the Great Lion, their voices accumulating into a low murmur as they discussed matters with their friends and acquaintances. Still, the change was there. It seemed as if since the weeks since Prince Caspian and Princess Elizabeth had made it to the castle with the company of the Kings and Queens of Old, Narnians and Telmarines were exponentially more comfortable with sharing the same territory. It seemed as if they were finally in agreement that what they needed was to heal and move on. Never forget, but take the pain they carried and make it into the drive they needed to improve their Narnia.

Peter stood by the edge of the room to Aslan´s right. Lucy stood by the edge of the room to the throne´s left. Besides Peter, there was an empty place, signaling the absence of the Narnian Princess.

And in the middle of the room, facing the ornamental chair, a simple seat had been placed. Two guards stood on either side of it. Everyone else, they seemed set on staying as far away from it as possible.

The mood was tense.

Still, Lucy couldn't help but be in awe of everything she could sense, perceive, from her position of privilege. She had been in this position many times before, when her status and her knowledge of the court gave her insight she otherwise would not have. So, while never forgetting her responsibilities, she couldn't help but let herself soak in that feeling of wonder that for once, she could see everything.

She could see it in their faces. She could see it in the worried twist of their lips. She could see it in the tense note of their hushed voices.

She could see that half of the attending were anxious, the Telmarine Queen being the only remaining link to their grand dynasty.

She could see that the other half pitied a Prince who might just get to witness the death of his aunt, leaving his cousin as his only family by blood.

What she couldn't really see was what would happen if Prunaprisma lived or died.

With that thought in mind, Lucy turned slightly, her gaze travelling over to the empty ornamental chair. If there was someone with the ability to solve this situation, that was her brother. Still, Edmund did not only have a woman's life in his hands but also, that woman was Caspian´s aunt. She was the last remaining beacon of what Narnia had been until recently, what some of the most conservative members of the Telmarine court wanted it to be again. And, to the Narnians, she was the last standing leftover of an empire that had stopped at nothing in order to drive them to the brink of extinction.

As the doors opened yet again, Lucy closed her eyes and prayed silently.

´Let it be okay. For us all.´

If only, the murmur grew in volume as Edmund and Beth entered the room. Glances were poorly hidden, the whispers were almost like a shout in that atmosphere. It seemed as if the crowd had been expectant, Tense like the string of a bow, and had needed nothing but the slightest stimulation in order to lose.

Regardless, the couple were indifferent to the scrutiny. Edmund strolled straight to the ornamental chair and bowed his head to the Great Lion before taking his seat, his silver crown resting comfortably on his raven curls.

Beth took her place besides Peter as she locked her arms behind her back. Then, she glanced at the crowd before her with a nonchalant glance. "The Telmarine Queen may come forward."

If the volume of the room had increased when the Just King and the Narnian Princess had entered the room, it fell into complete, deadly, loud silence when it was the turn of Queen Prunaprisma.

The Telmarine Queen was the embodiment of an imperious person. Her hair, longer than Susan's during the Golden Age, was black and falling down her back in neat, perfect curls. The crown on her head, golden and proud of her culture, seemed as if it had been made just for her, as if nobody else could have taken the role she had.

And maybe, Lucy wondered, no one else could have taken her role. To be a Queen in a society where women were not valued at best and only seen as human incubators at worst, to be a woman married to a man as crooked as Miraz was. To be a leader in a country that was falling to shambles, poisoned by hate and segregation. To be the last memento of an era officially gone, with nothing but the memories of the old days in which things were simple for her kind...with nothing but uncertainty over what was about to come.

Who else could have dealt with it?

Miraz couldn't have dealt with it. Caspian couldn't have dealt with it.

It was a situation only women would be able to handle, for women have always had to deal with it. Still, Lucy couldn't help but doubt whether Susan, Beth or herself could have dealt with it.

So, as the Telmarine Queen marched through the crowd, her eyes on Edmund as she held herself high, Lucy felt admiration coursing through her. There she was, a Queen that didn't know how to fight, but had battled every single day of her life. As a woman, she had been fighting for her life since always, dealing with her husband, her subjects and her culture as if it were second nature. As a mother, she had been able to protect her kid, even when he had become a target for Sopespian and a prize for Miraz. A woman who had suffered so much, through so long, yet one could only count her black dress and veil as a sign of her grief and pain.

The woman was a survivor and Lucy, she couldn't help but feel as if she just had to bow in respect.

Still, she didn't, and the Telmarine Queen never lost her grip, not even for a second. At last, she reached her seat, the two maids who had walked with her trailing behind her. The three of them bowed to the Royal Family and the Queen sat primly. The two maids retreated to stand behind and to either side of their mistress and the two guards.

As Lucy turned towards her brother, though, she had enough time to see how the Queen clenched her fists before laying her hands on her lap, one on top of the other.

Lucy gulped. There was one other person that would be affected for better or for worse once the trial was over. Her son.

How could one person impart justice when children were involved? Was her brother truly prepared for the task?

Lucy straightened nervously. One way or the other, they were about to find out.

"Queen Prunaprismia of Narnia. Welcome." Beth nodded at Caspian's aunt grimly before glancing at the crowd behind her. "Justice is a concept that cannot elude us. Regardless of our status, power or privilege, we must all be able to be judged if and when the time comes. King, Queen, farmer or beggar, it does not matter. That is a value Narnians and Telmarines have in common and today is the perfect example."

"Queen Prunaprismia of Narnia," Peter intervened then. His icy eyes, determined expression and the golden glow emanating from his crown made him resemble a vengeful angel. "You have been summoned in order to be investigated regarding your involvement in your husband's crimes. Such include, but are not limited to, high treason, murder of King Caspian IX and the attempted murder of the true heir to the Telmarine Throne, Prince Caspian X."

When Queen Prunaprismia remained unbothered, her eyes moving between the different members of the Royal Household who had the word and her expression of polite interest being the only indication of her focus, Edmund decided to intervene, leaning slightly forward as he studied the Telmarine Queen closely. "Of course, we are well aware that there is always more than one side to a story. That is always the case. I cannot be true to myself or to my people if I don't hear yours first."

"Why do you assume there is more to say, King Edmund? It seems as if you have the story figured out." Queen Prunaprismia spoke. By the edge of the platform, Lucy refrained herself from flinching. She had almost expected Prunaprismia to have a voice as cold as ice in order to accompany all the awful things she'd heard about her. That was not the case at all. Her voice was velvety, smooth, so controlled that it seemed almost too calm.

What did Queen Prunaprismia have to go through in order to feel the need to control everything about her person almost in an obsessive manner? Whatever the answer was, it unnerved Lucy to no end.

"I request that you humor me, Your Majesty." If Edmund was surprised by her answer, he did not show it. "We just might be able to find something new to us all."

Queen Prunaprismia looked at Edmund for a long moment, her posture unmoving, her expression so controlled that whatever emotion she was feeling was completely covered. Then, as she made her decision, she straightened her back and lifted her chin proudly. "King Edmund, I understand that your culture is quite different from mine so maybe, this will come as new information to you. Where I come from, a woman never has the right to argue with her husband's decisions, whatever they may be. That is a value undeterred by their status, power or privilege. What my husband decided, I never knew until the very last moment, for my opinion, my concerns, my questions, they were not needed."

"I understand that you knew about his crimes, then." Edmund replied, his frown deepening as the trial seemed to get even more tricky. He momentarily glanced at the women to either side of him before nodding. "I do understand the struggle you speak of, however. Or at least, I understand it to the extent my gender permits. Allow me to voice a question, then, Your Majesty. If you could have said something, would you have?"

Prunaprismia stilled for a fraction of a second before her stoney expression was back. "No, King Edmund. Had I been able to say something, I would have chosen to remain silent. If I had, I would have been imprisoned in my own home, maybe even committed under accounts of lunacy. I would have been branded a traitor. As despicable as it may be, King Edmund, I am a mother. As such, it is my foremost duty to protect my son. I do not regret my choices."

"What about the crimes my royal brother mentioned?" Edmund inquired, his hands clenching both his chair's armrests. His eyes were obscure, burdened with the responsibility of the pending decision. "King Caspian IX's murder? The attempted assasination of Prince Caspian X? When did you learn of them?"

Prunaprismia's answer was swift, as if she had been expecting the question. "I didn't find out of Caspian IX's fate until Caspian X accused my husband of it in my presence. Your royal siblings, High King Peter and High Queen Susan of Narnia were present as well so I have several witnesses, Your Majesty. As for the attempted murder of Caspian X, all I was told at the time was that my nephew was kidnapped by Narnians. I didn't learn the truth until he raided this very castle with his party."

Edmund nodded slowly, his head cocked slightly as he pondered the Queen's reply. He needed to glance in Peter's direction in order to know the Queen's claims were truthful. After all, they had discussed the raid as well.

Lucy knew that too and more than that, she could see the Telmarine Queen's subtle jabs at the institution herself and her family had been working so hard to establish. She could hear the growing murmur by the crowd witnessing the trial with interest. She could feel the unease growing within herself, a feeling she could see reflected in Beth's and even Peter's eyes.

Then, Edmund raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me if I go back to a previous statement of yours, Your Majesty. I offer my truthful congratulations over the birth of your son."

Prunaprismia nodded gracefully but for the first time, her expression tightened with suspicion. "Thank you kindly, King Edmund."

Edmund bowed his head but his expression remained impassible. "I am not the greatest scholar when it comes to your culture, Your Majesty. Of course, my knowledge of it grows every day, but it is still a process, as every learning occasion is, really. Still, I know some things. One thing I know is that in Telmarine's culture, a Queen can not know an honour greater than bringing little princes and princesses into this world. It is how a lineage is preserved, how a dynasty is carried on through time. But, of course, you knew nothing of your husband's plans to take the throne for himself and his kin."

For the first time since the beginning of the trial, decorum was close to abandoned as enraged exclamations were heard from different Telmarines amongst the crowds, whilst the Narnians seemed to bristle with indignation at the idea that this Queen had complotted against their beloved leader.

Lucy could barely withhold from covering her face with a weary hand and, across the platform, she could see that Peter and Beth were not faring any better. Of course, the question Edmund had arisen was a fair one, and one he needed to know the answer to if he was to make the right decision. Still, to ask such a blunt question when the relationships between Narnians and Telmarines were so fragile was not the brightest of ideas. At this point, any major mistake would lead them to a civil war, and Edmund knew that as much as anyone else.

Lucy sighed. The idea was to forgive but never to forget, and maybe that's why Edmund was the right person for the task. Asking this question, creating this havoc, it was not easy. But maybe, just maybe, it was necessary.

Queen Prunaprismia leaned back in surprise before an amused chuckle left her pursed lips. "King Edmund, you are either trying to make me look like a moron or a murderer and I don't care for either."

"I know better than to question your intelligence, Your Majesty," Edmund quipped with a shrug. "Which is why I believe it is wise to question how you could have ignored your husband's true plans."

"Let me be clear, King Edmund. My husband was always conducting some scam or the other in order to serve his own agenda. Like he said to Prince Caspian the night of the raid, we Telmarines would have nothing hadn't we taken it from someone else. Miraz knew that well. And I did not care for any of it. As his wife, I was obliged to be loyal to him, as much as any of his subjects were obliged. I was instructed to do as told and that's where my responsibilities stopped. Whatever his plans were for his son and his son after, I ignored them because I did not care for them. I was, and am, only interested in being a mother. I was, and am, only interested in making my son safe and happy. Nothing else."

Edmund leaned back against his seat, his gaze fixed on the undeterred Queen. Lucy knew that look, she had seen it countless times during the Golden Age. it was the look Edmund had when he had made his decision. When he had countless questions, but knew better than to ask them for they were pointless. The look of someone who just had to figure out how to voice his decision.

After a few minutes in which nothing was heard other than the collective breathing of an expectant crowd, Edmund nodded shortly. He then glanced at Aslan and, as if having found confirmation in the Great Lion's expression, he looked back towards the accused. "Thank you for your testimony, Queen Prunaprismia. I have one last question, if you will allow me."

Queen Prunaprismia nodded. "Go ahead, King Edmund."

"Do you defend your husband's actions, or your lack of own for that matter?"

Queen Prunaprismia took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving Edmund as she thought about her answer. From the sidelines, Lucy couldn't help but feel as if Queen Prunaprismia was the one judging Edmund, instead of the other way around and that caused a strange smile to invade her lips almost before she could control herself.

In any case, her reaction didn't matter for it was then that the Telmarine Queen replied. "I think that when you haven't been taught better, when you haven't grown with one perspective and not more, it is difficult to be able to make a value judgement. I was taught to follow my husband's lead. I was taught that Narnians were extinguished centuries ago. I was taught that you and your royal siblings were nothing but part of a tale we told our children at night. I was taught, well, I was taught that the Great lion was a myth and nothing more."

Queen Prunaprismia hesitated for a second as she glanced at her guards and Aslan but when Edmund did nothing but glance at her with expectation, she rose from her seat and turned towards the crowd gathered behind her. "My husband had a crooked heart and an even more crooked soul. I was in the dark for too long but, if for nothing else, this war and the destruction left in its path has served me as a warning. A warning that there are other paths in order to achieve happiness and prosperity. War is not the only path. Theft is not the only path. Now I know and I am truly sorry for the pain and harm my husband has caused. I am only interested in being here for my son. Not for wealth or for power. I only want my son to have his mother."

The crowd was rendered into stunned silence, never having expected the Telmarine Queen to confront them in such a humble, simple manner. Still, Queen Prunaprismia did, and she had no trouble looking at those closest to her straight into their eyes as she slowly turned towards those with her life in their hands.

When she turned, she found that Aslan had stepped down the platform and was slowly edging towards her. "Thank you for your time and your testimony, Your Majesty. King Edmund and I shall now exit and discuss our verdict."

Lucy watched in silence as Edmund rose from his seat, bowing slightly at Queen Prunaprismia before him and Aslan retreated to the room. As the whispers seemed to grow with the absence of the trial's judges, Queen Prunaprismia was forced to do nothing else but sit surrounded by a crowd unfaithful to her and school her features back into fake calm.

And as she exchanged a concerned glance with Beth and Peter, the Valiant Queen could only hope that whatever she ended up telling Caspian would qualify as good news.

oOo

"You are going to make a hole in the floor," Susan said, her eyes following Caspian as he stalked from one end to the other of the study. When he ignored her, she sighed and stood up just in time to block his path. "Love, please. Calm down."

"I should have never gone to visit her," Caspian uttered, his voice thickened by the swirl of emotions wrecking chaos within him. "Why did you let me visit her?"

Susan barely held herself from scoffing. "As if I had the power to stop you from doing anything."

Caspian merely growled incoherently, walking past her to continue his anxious stroll. "Before I saw her, I had this clear image of what she was, of what they all were. It was easier, not caring about her, not thinking about what could happen to her. If I hadn't seen her, I would not be conflicted and Ed would be free to order her execution if he wanted to."

"My brother would order her execution regardless of your feelings towards her," Susan gently reminded him. Caspian merely nodded grimly so she closed in on him, grabbing his face tenderly when he tried to look elsewhere. "Just like he would listen to her story regardless of how guilty he thought she was. You know that whatever the outcome of this is, there's nothing you could have done to interfere with it."

"I just," Caspian shook his head, as if regretting having opened his mouth at all. Then, he circled his arms around Susan's waist and buried his face in her shoulder. "Nothing. I'm just worried."

Susan would have believed, had she known him less than what she did. And she wouldn't have pressed, had she thought he would have been better off not speaking about it.

But, because the reality was another thing entirely, she had to know he was lying. She had to press on.

Slowly, she lifted his face and looked into his eyes, caressing his cheekbones as he did. "What is it?"

Caspian opened his mouth slightly, his eyes wide as he studied his love's face, almost as if considering whether to tell her. Finally, he cocked his head with weariness, the anguish in his eyes making them shine almost. "Beth needs to tell you on her own terms. She deserves that. And you deserve at least that, as well. You all do."

Susan frowned, her head tilting back unconsciously. She didn't expect that. Whatever she thought she was going to hear him say, it wasn't that. "Beth? What happened?"

It was then that the doors to their study opened unceremoniously, revealing the Valiant Queen by the other side.

The trial was over.

Still, Susan couldn't stop looking at Caspian, not even when he gently pulled away from her and turned towards her sister, his skin almost pale as he gulped nervously.

"Well?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

Lucy looked between them almost with unease. "Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

Susan would have replied in the affirmative, she would have pressed on, she would have insisted until she learned what happened with Beth but she could see the despair in Caspian's eyes and she knew that, just like she'd had to ask before, she had to stay silent now.

So, she shook her head with a small smile. "You didn't. Well? What did Edmund decide?"

Lucy smiled as well. "Edmund and Aslan have decided to leave her with her royal title until Caspian and Beth are crowned. That way, you will be able to stick to the Telmarine tradition and have a Telmarine Queen place the crown on your head. After that, Prunaprismia and her son will be free to stay in the castle as family members to the future King of Narnia without titles, power or alliances. They will be private citizens in every way that matters."

"They were pardoned then," Susan breathed with relief, turning towards her boyfriend with hesitation as she studied his features. "Caspian?"

It was then that Caspian finally sat, his shoulders slumping with relief as he smiled for the first time in those endless, excruciating hours. "Good. That's good."

oOo

Weeks ago, the girls had scheduled a joint appointment with the royal seamstress in order to be able to decide their gowns for the Coronation. Now that Beth was to be High Queen, the appointment seemed even more necessary and important. Of course, they could have had their appointment with the boys but really, between everything, when did they really have time to talk about things the way only girls can?

That afternoon, Beth was able to make it to the appointment only when Susan and Lucy were already standing on different platforms, multiple maids holding different fabris up next to them.

"My apologies, I was congratulating Caspian on the granting of a pardon to his aunt," Beth rushedly said as she climbed on the platform between the sisters. She smiled at the maid who neared her instantly. "I hope I didn't inconvenience you too much with my tardiness, Harriet."

Harriet was quick to smile and bow down her head. "It's quite alright, Your Highness. What colours were you interested in for your gown?"

"I was thinking about blue actually. A sort of sea blue, if you have something of that matter." Beth replied before gazing at both Queens of Old. "I feel like blue fits me better and it's the sort of tone I've always used. What were your girls thinking?"

"Yes, it's what we've been talking about, right?" Lucy agreed, nodding as the head seamstress lifted a forest green fabric with red flowers embroidered. "I've always used green and orange tones and Su has always worn red and violet tones. Your blue gown would fit perfectly. Plus, it's Ed's colour."

"Nice," Beth laughed as she turned towards Susan. It was only then that she noticed the serious look on her face. "Su? Is everything alright?"

Susan returned her look for a long moment, her gaze pensive, her lips set in a tense line. Then, she turned towards the seamstress and the maids. "Will you give me and my sisters a moment, please?"

"What's going on?" Lucy asked as the maids bowed and left in a flurry of rapid steps and flowing skirts.

Beth, however, straightened in her spot, her posture tense and defensive. There was no trace of humour in her features. "He told you."

Susan shrugged. "He told me there was something we needed to know. He figured he would leave the privilege of telling us the content to you."

"Will somebody tell me what is going on?" Lucy demanded, her hands on her hips. "Beth?"

Beth sighed, her eyes closing as she thought of how to begin. Because that's the gist of it, right? When talking about something important, when speaking about the important life decisions, how is a person supposed to address them easily? Especially after everything that's happened, why couldn't they understand how difficult it was for her to speak up, to hurt them again?

Seeing Beth's conflict, Susan couldn't help but soften her demeanor. She stepped down her platform and sat on the stool placed right beside. "Beth, whatever is going on, we will listen. We are family, that's what we do. But if we have to do something, if we have to know something, you need to tell us. You are not protecting us by leaving us in the dark."

At that, Beth cocked her head and lifted her gaze towards the ceiling in a poor attempt of controlling her tears. As if the strength had left her all at once, she lowered herself onto the platform with a sigh, sitting cross legged with the blue fabric spread across her lap. "I'm so sorry. Things just keep happening and I keep trying to leave you out of it but it's so hard. It's like I just can't manage to deal with it alone. I-I, gods, I just-."

"There's no without us, Beth." Lucy sat on her platform too, her sweet gaze concerned as it flicked between her sisters. "I don't know what's happened but we're here. Always and forever."

"Always and forever," Susan repeated reverently, a promise between sisters, more sacred than most oaths.

Beth shook her head before smiling darkly, her gaze on the floor. She bent her legs and hugged them tightly, the blue fabric falling onto the ground beside her. "My father-um, Jack, remember how he kidnapped Tor so Torin would become king?"

"Aslan found him though, didn't he?" Lucy asked quietly.

Beth nodded slowly, her throat tightening with pent up emotion. "Yes. But there was something that nagged me - and Aslan as well I suppose. Why was it so easy to find him? Why wasn't Tor in the Shadowlands? Why didn't Jack kill him as soon as I left Archenland to come here, or before even?"

Susan straightened in alarm, her blue eyes piercing Beth's frame as she seemed to get even smaller. "Oh no."

Meanwhile, Lucy stood up in agitation, the forest fabric she was holding falling onto the ground unceremoniously. "It's a trap. He wants you to go."

Beth shook her head, refusing to go through the same argument she'd gone through with Caspian. She refused to explain the same things and hear the same comments. After all, she wanted to protect everyone else, but she also wanted to protect herself. As she should.

"I have to go, for Tor and for myself." Beth looked up, sensing that the sisters were about to cut her off. "When Jack poisoned Edmund, he knew about the cure. Where it was and how much there was. The cure is a flower, the flower used to make your healing potion, Lu. He knew, and he did everything so that I would have to go. He poisoned Edmund knowing I would save him, he took Tor knowing he would be the incentive I would need to save him and Archenland from Torin's claws...he burned the flowers, except for one, and stashed it with Tor. It's a trap, one I cannot escape."

"Dear God," Susan breathed. She rushed to her feet and sat besides Beth, laying a hesitant hand on her knee. "I'm so sorry, Beth. I didn't mean to push you but I never thought - gods, isn't there a way to outwit him?"

"He expects you to go on your own," Lucy added, carefully keeping the angry venom out of her voice. "He doesn't expect you to go with a team. If we go together, we will blindside him."

Beth shook her head, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes stubbornly. "I have to go alone."

"But why!?" Lucy demanded as she flopped her arms in frustration. "If you're worried he will see us coming, we can go on separate teams! Beth, you don't have to do everything on your own!"

"I do, of course I do!" Beth suddenly exclaimed, her anger at the situation causing her voice to heighten in a way it hadn't before, especially in Lucy's presence. Still, the princess of Narnia managed to reach the table where all fabrics had been stashed before she finally realized her mistake and turned, regret glimmering in her golden eyes. "Lucy, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But I had the same argument with Caspian and I stand by my decision. I need to go alone, for the same reason you had to go alone to see Aslan, for the same reason Peter gave Caspian the chance to kill Miraz."

Lucy crossed her arms, her gaze no longer angry, but doubtful. "Because of fate? Fate does not necessarily mean danger!"

Beth shook her head. "Not because of fate. Because I'm the only one who can do it. Because I'm the only one with powers in this family. Because I'm the only one who knows how his mind works, how actually ruthless he is. Everything he did, he did it because he saw a final battle in which he and I are the only participants. The accident that brought me to Narnia, it wasn't coincidental. That I landed in Archenland wasn't a fluke. That Edmund was poisoned was deliberate. That the bloody rock almost fell on you and Adrien, it wasn't a random occurrence! Every step, every moment, every damn decision I thought I made consciously, it was planned by someone else! I've been a pawn, a bloody pawn for years on end and it stops now."

"So you are letting your thirst for revenge get in the way of asking for help?" Lucy asked, her voice heightening as well. "I understand that you don't want us involved but this is too much! How can you expect me, god, how can you expect Ed to sit by and watch you walk off towards your death?"

"Thanks for the faith," Beth huffed, her face twisted into a bitter smile. "I don't want your acceptance, I don't want you to agree. I want you to understand that I need to do this. I keep thinking of everything that monster put me and my mother through. And all the years I've spent here thinking that asshole had stayed in England with them! God, the idea has haunted me for so long. That my brother was born into an abusive household and I wasn't there to save him…"

Seeing that both sisters had been rendered into silence only served to impulse Beth's urge to finally disclose all of her trauma. The darkest secrets, the darkest memories, those that had been lurking no matter how hard she blocked them, they were finally free. Because that's what came with healing right? She was starting to heal and it was getting harder and harder to keep up all those walls put there to protect her. She had started to heal almost without her realizing and if she thought about it, with the family she'd found, there was no more need to keep those protective barriers so it was good that they were coming down but at the same time...gods, how she craved to have them up again, thicker than ever, so she wouldn't have to hurt again.

She knew this was the sort of moment she had to power through so they would stay down, so the healing would continue but gods, how she wanted to protect herself, how she wanted to obey every single cell in her body and run into safety.

She had to power through.

She had to heal. She had to do it for herself, especially if that was the only thing she could do for herself and no one else.

"It took me so long to admit that what happened to me and my mom was abuse," Beth finally continued, her voice thick with tears. "It's like...this sort of thing happens so slowly, so randomly even that when you finally catch onto what's going on, it's too late. And there's almost no talk about escaping, about safety, because there doesn't seem to be a way out! I...I've been remembering so much about my life in England, so much I had blocked because I needed to cope however I could, I needed to move on until I was free enough to heal. I keep remembering about those little details, like the glare he would throw at me if I made a mistake with my homework or if I broke a plate or a glass. I keep remembering how the atmosphere would darken if my mother dared to suggest he helped with the cooking or the cleaning. Mondays and Thrusdays were the worst days because he would pick me up from school and stay with me at home until mom came back from work so on those hours, I had to be extra quiet and careful because I was alone and mom wasn't there. He would snap at the simplest thing and he could be angry with us for days or however long it took us to apologize because you had to be careful to do that, even."

She had no idea where the tears started rolling but suddenly, she was silent, and her cheekbones were wet. She couldn't face her sisters, though, not until she finished talking, so she kept her gaze on the ceiling. "But through those years, I thought it was my fault. I thought I just had to control myself, that I had to be proper and quiet and polite and responsible and just perfect. I thought it was okay for me to be scared because he was my father and he loved me, didn't he? Everything had to be normal, right? But it wasn't normal, it wasn't normal even before he became Tash's lieutenant and my murderer. Right now, he is a monster but he's always been one. The difference is that he is unrestrained now. Maybe he loved my mother and me before, in his own way, however he could manage to love us. I don't care. That wasn't love. That was abuse. And that's why I need to face him alone. I need to face him and kill him because I won't be able to live in peace until I know that I'm safe, that you and my mom and Robin are safe."

Silence ensued because really, what could be said after those words?. Regardless, the three sisters pondered Beth's story silently, the Queens of Old sitting on the platforms with shock and grief written all over their faces, Beth standing and looking at the ceiling because she couldn't face that grief, she just couldn't.

"It took me a long time to understand that it was abuse," Susan finally commented, her voice serene and contrasting sharply with the torment flashing in her usually clear eyes. "With Rabadash, I mean. The manipulation, the threats, the danger. For years after that happened, I blamed myself for it. I thought I was too stupid, too naive, too in love with the idea of marriage, of family. I understand, Beth. Not everything, because your story is not mine, but I understand. God, I wish I could take your pain and give it to those who deserve it."

Lucy was looking between the other two as if seeing a new side of them, one they had been careful enough not to unveil. She chose to remain silent, though, knowing it wasn't her moment, not a story meant for her to say.

Beth, on the other hand, looked down and felt surprised that her tears didn't feel embarrassing. Not while in the presence of her sisterhood. Still, she wiped them off nervously as a low chuckle left her lips. "I hope you managed to give your pain to those who deserve it."

Susan smirked. "The following year, when Peter came back from the war against the Giants up North, we held a tournament in order to honour the return of the High King. I had our royal troubadour sing the story of how Prince Rabadash thought he could deceive the Narnian Barbaric Queen and got turned into a donkey for it. The relationships between Calormen and the rest of the continent were depleted after that."

"I didn't know you were the one to organize that," Lucy said in wonder, a slow smile spreading across her lips.

Susan smiled back, but her eyes were guarded, almost haunted. "I had to. Aslan was the one to turn him into a donkey because of the attack he pulled on Archenland and Narnia. Ed was the one to defeat him in the battlefield. Even Tumnus, he was the one who came up with the escape plan that saved us from certain death. I had to have a victory for myself, as small as it was."

"From what I hear, the man cherished admiration over everything else," Beth intervened, her arms crossed as she slowly moved back towards her sisters, finally ready to be near contact, though she sat by the far edge of the free platform. "I think you hurt him like nobody else could have. And the reputation he had during his reign, it was certainly helped by you. You had a small revenge, as much as you deserved so much more."

"I deserved not to be hurt in the first place," Susan replied, sharing a sad smile with Beth as she knew the princess would understand. "I deserved not to have to protect myself until I found someone I could be safe with. And the worst thing is that I keep thinking that if I didn't suffer what Rabadash made me suffer, I would still be the same naive girl that wanted nothing but to fall in love and marry. I still didn't deserve it. There were still other more healthy ways I could learn that."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to get married and have kids, Su." Beth gently reminded her. "We should get to do anything or want anything without question, without doubts arising. We should get to feel safe, to live our lives without harm."

"I feel bad," Lucy finally spoke up, her voice quieting when the other two turned towards her. Her doe eyes seemed to get even bigger as she bit her lips nervously. "I can't understand what you are saying. I-I haven't gone through something like this, not even when I was an adult...I'm so sorry I can't help."

"You're helping by being here," Susan reassured her as she raised gracefully from her seat to sit beside the Valiant Queen, embracing her tightly in the process. "You think we could fight without the presence of our brave sister? Do not ever apologize for not having had to endure what we have."

"We have survived, Lu, and so have you." Beth added seriously. She slid over to the edge closest to the sisters but stayed there, reluctant to touch someone else so soon after having opened up about her trauma. "Until we can continue with our lives without having to fear this sort of thing, you are a survivor too. And you're our sister. Like Su said, there isn't us without you."

Lu looked at Beth with contemplation, tears rolling down her cheeks as she nodded slowly. "I understand, Beth. I wish I could go instead of you but I understand. Of course I understand. It's okay. It'll be okay. You need to go."

"We will make sure the others understand as well," Susan replied decisively. She smiled in companionship when Beth looked at her. "Caspian, Adrien, Edmund, Peter. They will understand because you won't go on this quest carrying their blame above everything else."

Beth smiled too. "Always and forever."

Susan straightened with a regal look on her face. "Always and forever."

Still in her sister's arms, Lucy giggled as if she was part of a secret. "Always and forever."

oOo

Adrien had managed to avoid everybody for several hours. For once, he thanked that his new found family were so wrapped up in royal business that he could wander to his heart's desire without anyone bothering him. Of course, he was supposed to be watched over by maids whenever Beth or any of the others were unable but please, what were several maids compared to a kid who had a knack for sneaking around?

Now, anyone reading might have thought Adrien would have ended up outside and it was a solid guess. After all, Adrien was as much predisposed to playing as any other kid. Scratch the loss he had faced and the sadness he carried with himself that had forced him to grow up too quickly, in some ways he was still a kid. He still wanted to play, explore and have fun.

Well, usually, that was the case. On the days he wasn't angry with his sister, that is.

So, on that day he ended up in an empty, forgotten ballroom.

He wasn't really sure what had drawn him there, other than the promise of some peace and quiet. It was even eerie, how he could hear every single breath clearly, how he could hear how his hooves resonated against the dusty, marble floor. Still, there was a certain untouched beauty in all that stillness. By his right, four large windows were partly hidden behind cream curtains. The windows were open, though, so the fabrics looked like friendly ghosts as they danced gently with the breeze filtering into the room.

Adrien wandered into the room, his steps slow as he took into the grandeur displayed across the room. The golden decorations in the gray wallpapers, the ornamental frames marking the windows, even the doorknobs fashioned into resembling eagle's heads.

It seemed all so mysterious, how it made the room seem so important, how those things spoke of the important events that certainly took place in that room. Why had it been forgotten? Why did it seem to have fallen into oblivion?

Adrien wondered whether Narnians would have forgotten too, had the Telmarines never conquered them. If his family hadn't been around to lead, would the others have risen to arms? Would they have started the revolution? Or would they have fallen into oblivion?

He could understand Beth, to a certain extent. His family had done the same thing, after all. His father, mother and sister, even his uncle. They had all lost their lives to a cause bigger than them. He could understand that sometimes, everything seems bigger than our lives.

Still, Beth wasn't going to risk her life to save Tor. Not only because of that. Adrien knew that in her mind, this was about defeating Jack. This was about getting her revenge, as much as she claimed otherwise.

And if she hadn't saved Edmund, she wouldn't be in this place to begin with.

Adrien didn't want him to die either, of course he didn't but...Beth had promised she would never leave him. They were a team. She had appeared in his life when he thought he had no one else to count on with the promise that she would never leave and he had believed her.

Then, she discovered who she was supposed to be and from then on, it was one danger after the other.

He was tired, okay? He wanted a family, he wanted a home!

Adrien finally sat before the window farthest from the door, his eyes expressionless as they followed the sun dancing across the clear sky.

When Adrien felt a light rustle of fabric behind him, the sun was nearing the horizon, dyeing everything with hues of orange and gold.

"I don't want to talk," Adrien grumbled as he felt a presence beside him.

"Who said I was going to talk?"

Adrien scowled as he turned towards Beth. "You are you. You love to talk."

Beth cocked her head in silent agreement as a low chuckle escaped her lips. "That 's fair."

Adrien turned towards the window once again, ignoring Beth as best as he could. But, somehow, he couldn't. Everything that had been so overwhelmingly beautiful and powerful just moments before was now nothing when in comparison to the girl beside him. Not because of the girl per se, in any case, but because of the anger that Adrien could feel heating up in his gut. It was as if he had unleashed every single atom of fury he had accumulated over time - the anger over his stolen life, his stolen family, a concept that was being compromised yet again -, and it was now erupting through his limbs, throat and belly as hot as hellfire.

As if she had sensed it, Beth suddenly turned towards her brother. "Can I show you something?"

Adrien huffed, his eyes still on the sky. "No."

If he spoke, he feared he was going to burn everything down.

"What if I beg?"

"You don't have enough time to beg the amount you need to do if you want me to say yes."

Beth sighed. "Adrien, please. I know we need to talk about what I said but this has nothing to do with it, I promise. You will like it."

Adrien crossed his arms petulantly as he eyed Beth from the corner of his eyes. "Promise?"

Beth tried not to smile too victoriously. "I swear."

oOo

Adrien had no idea what Beth wanted to show him in a library. He didn't know whether he wanted to find out either.

He turned to ask his sister, but instead found she had disappeared through the tall shelves by the other end of the room. He turned in his spot, noticing with relief that the large room was for once unoccupied, and headed for one of the sofas by the right side of the room, where an unlit fireplace had been placed.

"Beth?" Adrien couldn't help but call when several minutes had passed since Beth had disappeared. He didn't want to sound too anxious because, after all, he was supposed to still be angry. "Why are we here?"

There was no response but he could hear his sister rummaging in vain somewhere in the maze that were those shelves, if her hushed curses were to be taken into account. Adrien sighed and sank into his seat, resigning himself to waiting for his answer. Eventually, he stopped paying attention to Beth and instead chose to look around, marvelling yet again at the neatly organized shelves, the variety of colours glimpsed across them a nice compliment to the dark wooden floors and the ivory walls.

For some reason, Adrien had always associated that room to the beginning of an adventure. He often imagined he would come across this dusty, ancient book that was close to being destroyed. He would carefully blow the dust off and open it, cringing at the rusty wrinkling its pages would make. He would then find this myth about a hidden treasure or a magical land where one could stay a kid forever. He would sail there and be happy with the only company of his faithful crew, the salty sea around him and the warming sun.

His eyes were closed, his lips pursed into a small smile, when Beth plopped down next to him.

"Gah!" Adrien gasped before lightly slapping Beth's arm. "Would it kill you to stop that?"

"Ah, my sweet little brother." Beth kissed Adrien's temple before wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "What are sisters for if not for bothering her brothers?"

Adrien was about to huff when his eyes travelled down onto Beth's lap. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the dusty, close to total destruction' book that was resting on her skirts. "What is that?"

Beth took a deep breath, cradling the book close to her chest. "I've realized something and I wanted to talk to you about it to see where you stood."

When Adrien merely nodded, Beth carefully took his hand into her own, smiling when he unconsciously clutched it. "With all of this of finding out who I am, I think one of the things that bothers me the most is that I was only told what I needed to know to save Narnia. Even now, there's so much I don't know. I think you share that with me, Adrien."

Adrien looked at his sister, his eyes wide with surprise at the turn in the conversation. "I...my family never told me much about what they did. Everything I know about it, I know it from those at the How who knew them."

Beth squeezed Adrien's shoulder warmly. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I should have thought about this sooner. You deserve to know everything there is to know, if you want to. You should always get that information, especially when it comes to your own family."

Adrien looked at the book almost warily. "Is that-"

Beth nodded gently. "This book is one of the few written during the Telmarine Dynasty. It was written by a historian who followed your family closely. If you want it, it's yours."

Adrien stammered for a few moments. "I'm not sure I'm ready. I'm sorry, Beth, I just don't think I can place the image I have of my family with what I would learn from this book."

"Whenever you are ready," Beth replied as she hugged her little brother to herself. "This book is yours. For now, I will keep it safe. Until you're ready."

Adrien didn't mean to speak out loud. He really didn't. It seems as if his instincts had other ideas, though, so he mumbled against her chest. "If you're here to keep it safe."

Beth sighed as she pulled back. "Are you ready to talk about that now?"

Adrien shook his head as he felt the rage slowly burning everything within him. "Not yet. I'm too angry to speak."

Beth nodded, understanding as ever. Her golden eyes were heavy as she glanced towards the other end of the room, where the shelves of books stood proud. "Whenever you are ready, then."

The girl and the centaur, sister and brother, sat side by side for a long while in comfortable silence. His gaze was on the book on her lap, hers was on her brother.

Then, Adrien looked up, almost shyly. "Will you read it with me when I'm ready?"

Beth smiled. "Of course."

oOo

"I figured I'd find you here."

King Ersan raised his head as he turned, smiling when his gaze fell on his daughter. "I suppose some things never change."

Beth smiled back, her golden eyes wide and crinkled around the edges before the smile bled from her lips. "I've taken after you, did you know that? I also step outside when I need to think."

When the King didn't reply, Beth sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. Around them the wind was starting to pick up, dancing between them without a care in the world. The sun was already gone but the cooler climate didn't seem to faze either. The gardens they were in were filled with apple trees so there was a sweet aroma, so soft that it was almost distant, yet it served as a sweetener for what was otherwise a very difficult conversation.

"I can't apologize for what I have to do, Father. It's who I am and I never had a choice on that. No one gave me the opportunity to choose."

Ersan shook his head and intertwined his hands behind his back. "I worry that you give too much of yourself, dear."

Beth raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I thought you wanted to save Tor."

Ersan had to smile at that. "I'm not speaking about him. I know that he needs to be saved in order to spare Archenland. More than that, I know that you need to do this. I wish you didn't but I was there during those first weeks in which you were a ghost haunted by your past. You need closure."

Beth raised her arms as she took a step closer. "What then?"

"Edmund," Ersan replied bluntly, cocking his head patiently when Beth took a step backwards and tensed her shoulders. "I'm talking about the fact that you didn't hesitate before taking poison out of his body and into yours."

Beth's breath caught in her throat as shock ran through her veins at her father's harsh accusation. "Father, I know I worried you but if there was someone who could survive that, it was me! What was I supposed to do, let him die?"

"You didn't know you could survive when you took it, did you?" Ersan asked, his gaze filled with anguish, as if he already knew the answer.

Beth gulped, her face contorting with pain. "No," she finally spat out. "I didn't. Still, I was right."

"But you aren't saved," Ersan replied. "Not yet. You spared him but not yourself. You are dying, slowly yet surely, because of someone else."

"I love him," Beth could only reply, her eyes wide as she shook her head slightly. It was as if she couldn't form a coherent train of thought, as if she couldn't find the words to explain how, in that moment when the world was crashing down on her, she had to save him regardless of the cost. "I know it seems silly to risk my life for a boy, but he is my best friend. He-he's saved me many times over, he...he understands me, you know? The trauma, the fear, I don't have to explain myself to him because he understands, in a way no one's ever done."

"And I'm grateful for him," Ersan replied easily. "I can see how he's changed you, how being with him and his family has opened you up to talk about things and I know that, sometimes, your heart and mind are more important than your life, if that makes sense. But Beth, you couldn't have gotten here if you'd lost your life. And I know that he is your family but you almost died because of him and it worries me."

Beth raised her arms as she opened her mouth, her eyes wide as she tried to find a way to answer. Finally, she lowered her arms again. "I didn't want to die. I never did. I had a feeling and it paid off."

Seeing her distress, Ersan approached his scared daughter slowly. "I don't want to frighten you, sweetheart. What's done is done. What I'm saying is that regardless of whether we want to save a person, we have to have an instinct for self-preservation, especially in these situations in which one of you could have easily not made it."

Beth could feel her eyes tearing up and she wanted to slap herself. How many times was she going to cry that day?

"I'm okay, dad," Beth finally croaked, her eyes red around the edges. She bit her lip nervously as she shrugged. "I know I have a lot of issues but I'm okay. I'm getting there, at least, I swear."

Ersan smiled as he hugged his daughter close to his chest. "I know you are. I just worry that one day you won't be lucky and you will sacrifice yourself for someone else. And I get what it is to love someone so much that you'd do anything to spare them. But Beth, you are a kid still. You shouldn't give up on your life for somebody else. Not for me or for Edmund or for anyone. You deserve to be safe, sweetheart. You deserve to be happy and safe and healthy and not worry about dying at fourteen."

At that, Beth burrowed his head in his chest, her throat tightening with pent up emotion. She let out the first sob as Ersan hugged her tighter. "I'm afraid, dad. I don't want to die."

"You won't," Ersan replied before gently lifting her head so he could look into her eyes and know his words were being heard. "But promise me-Beth, sweetheart, promise me you will think of yourself above everything else. Whatever you have to do in the future, promise me you will remember that you matter too. You deserve to be saved too, especially by yourself."

Beth gulped, her head nodding quickly even before she could realize what she was doing. "I promise, Dad. I promise."

Ersan smiled as he pulled away from the hug, reaching to rub Beth's shoulders as a cold breeze slipped past them. "In that case, shall I walk you back to your quarters? We need to get you as much rest as we can before the coronation. Everything will change after it."

Ersan started walking away from the gardens without waiting for Beth's agreement but stopped when a small, warm hand slipped into his.

"Dad?" Beth's voice was small, timid. "Can I say something, first?"

Ersan raised an eyebrow but smiled kindly nonetheless. "Of course, sweetheart."

"I've been thinking a lot, ever since I learned of my true heritage." Beth began slowly, almost as if testing out the words. When Ersan only looked at her with love and understanding, Beth took a deep breath and continued with increased confidence. "I've been thinking about you and what you meant to me under this new reality. Aslan is my father, but you were the one who gave me a home. You made me feel safe for the first time in my life and-and I know I didn't make it easy for you...welcoming a fatherly figure after Jack I-I just couldn't do it but you didn't give up on me and I'm so thankful for you, Dad, I could never forget everything you've done for me."

"It was my pleasure, sweetheart, you know that." Ersan brushed Beth's hair away from her face with a fond smile. "And it makes me so proud to see how you've grown."

Beth smiled, her eyes lighting up so much that they seemed ablaze with victorious fire. "You are my dad. I don't care who I am, I don't care what it means. My life might never be normal again and that's okay because you are my dad in every way that counts. I love you, dad and I...I hope you will still have me as your daughter, after I left Anvard and after I risked my life-."

"Of course," Ersan cut her off, hugging her again as he smiled through his tears. "Beth, you've always been my daughter. I love you so much, sweetheart."

Father and daughter stood in an embrace for a long time, hidden by the tall trees in the deserted gardens and when Beth finally made it inside, dinner had finished a long time ago.

She made her way towards her quarters in a quick manner, wanting to rest and think before continuing with her day.

Instead, she found Edmund perching by the end of her bed.

"There you are!" Edmund called cheerfully as he sat up on her bed. However, his smile bled off as soon as his eyes laid on the exhausted princess. "Love, are you alright?"

"I am," Beth actually meant it, despite her tired look. She stood between her boyfriend's legs and reached down to peck his lips. "Is it wrong if I go to sleep now, though? I'm really tired."

"You are the soon-to-be High Queen of Narnia. You can do anything you want. I'll even guard the door so no one bothers you," Edmund replied as he cracked a smirk. He then frowned as he noticed the weird look in Beth's face. "Beth? What is it love?"

She thought about the conversation she'd had with her sisters, and everything she had left in the open. She thought of how she actually wanted to tell him about her past, everything she was able to tell her at least, because she knew that he would understand.

She thought of the argument she'd had with Edmund several weeks before, right before they broke up. Then, she hadn't understood his anger. She had seen everything from a logical point of view...or as logical as one could get when considering they were in a land where animals talked and a lion ruled over them all. She hadn't been able to see the big deal because yes, she had endangered herself but she had saved him, so they both had survived.

She understood now and, more than that, all she could think was of how easy it had been for her to make the choice. She had had doubts, people she knew she would hurt if she died but those doubts...gods, they had been flicking thoughts at best.

Now that she understood, gods, it felt liberating. Not because she would change her actions - not that she could, in any case -, but because she could see how she hurt everyone else and, most importantly, herself. She hurt herself by not caring enough about her outcome to hesitate. Now, she cared, or at least, she cared enough to want to do better for herself and it felt too damn good to describe.

"I understand now, Ed." Beth ran her fingers through his raven locks and smiled as he closed his eyes and leaned his head into her hands. "What you said when we argued about the poison. Gods, Ed, I'm so sorry I hurt you."

Edmund snapped his eyes open at that as he opened his mouth into a perfect 'o'. He looked into her eyes, trying to decipher whether she actually understood and finally smiled as he found his answer. "It was never me I was worried about. I was worried about you. As thankful as I am, I never wanted you to make that sacrifice."

"I know," Beth replied, her head nodding slightly. Slowly, she sat on his lap and smiled when his arms tightened around her frame. Her golden eyes never left his brown ones, even as she continued to caress his hair. "There is so much I want to tell you about my past, Ed. I-I've been talking to Su, Lu and my dad and I think that...I don't know how long it will take me to understand but I want to do better for myself. And I want to tell you the things I'm ready to tell you...if you are okay with it."

By response, Edmund merely stood up with Beth in his arms and walked towards her side of the bed, depositing her gently before walking to the other side. They both got into the bed at the same time, joining each other by the middle as they lay facing each other, so close that their noses were touching.

"I love you," Edmund whispered as he brushed the hair away from her face.

Beth smiled, her heart melting at the gesture. Then, she reached to kiss him slowly yet longingly. "I love you."

Then, she began to talk.

oOo

It was late into the night when a hooded figure made it silently into the Throne Room. The cloak pitch black, the steps silent, the form so graceful that if one wasn't paying attention, then it would have gone unnoticed amongst the shadows of that large room.

The form walked slowly towards the Telmarine Throne, as if dreading it yet knowing they had to do it.

Only the light of the moon, dim as the windows were almost completely covered by curtains, provided the room with what little light it could, but they didn't mind. They had been in that room countless times before, as a member of the court and more. There was no need for light. They knew it far better than that.

As they reached the steps leading to the throne, they finally stopped its advance. Tension hung in the air, as if there was history between them and that chair. It was funny the way those sorts of things evolved, how one little thing could mean, represent, so much in a person's life.

"This throne has carved my entire life," they finally spoke, their voice velvety and regal, even in the cover of the shadows. "My husband did so much to get it, but it never belonged to him. He did everything to make sure he would have a legacy that would matter, that he would be remembered the way he thought he was. All of that, he did it for his son, his lineage, his bloodline. Now, he is dead, because of a throne that never belonged to him."

"It must have been hard for you, Your Highness. Having to adapt your life, your reality, to the needs of others."

Queen Prunaprisma turned around on her step as Aslan, who had appeared out of nowhere, approached her. She straightened with the pride of a cunning Queen such as herself. "With all of his mistakes, he was still my husband. I would have done everything for him."

"It seems you already have, Your Highness." Aslan stopped five feet away from the Telmarine Queen, his golden mane almost silver because of the slight moonlight. "Now, you are free to choose for yourself."

"It isn't me alone I have to think about, Your Majesty. I have my son to think of." Prunaprisma retorted, yet her eyes wandered around the room in a suspicious manner. "Besides, I know better than to speak openly in this castle. Walls have ears, after all."

"Nothing discussed in this room will be divulged, Your Highness. You have my word."

Queen Prunaprismia's eyebrows rose. "The word of a Narnian."

She could have sworn Aslan smiled at that. "The word of a King who can fulfil whatever it is you desire."

Queen Prunaprismia faced the King of Kings in silence, her eyes narrowed as she pondered his words. Finally, she nodded to herself before straightening even more, her face wearing the determination only a woman could hope to know. "I understand that you have a plan for the Telmarines who do not wish to stay in Narnia. I would like for my son and myself to leave with them."

oOo

By now, readers will have probably understood that this is a story of redeeming queens and kind Kings. It is the story of warrior-like, flawed princesses. It is the story of brave, evolving princes. It is the story of ancient legends, of past and present colliding, of families finding one another in order to defeat whatever comes their way.

And this, this is the story of dark souls. Of great evils. Of treason, greed, and hunger for power.

Miles away from where the Fallen Queen and the King of Kings of Narnia were discussing, a Traitorous Prince lay on his bed, his body immobile even as his heart hammered with distress.

He knew that only the fact that he was the remaining Prince was what had stopped his father from declaring a death penalty on him. He knew his father would find out about Tor, he knew Beth was going to tell him everything, he knew that as soon as her coronation as High Queen of Narnia was over and done with, Ersan would be back to deal with him.

Torin knew he was running out of time.

With renewed determination, Torin jumped from his bed and strode towards the door, punching it with all his force when he found it locked.

"Damn you, you spineless rats!" Torin screamed, completely unhinged as he continued to pummel the door. "Let me out this instant!"

"The game has only just begun, yet here you are, already losing your mind."

Torin turned swiftly, unsurprised yet even more enraged than before. His dirty blonde hair was matted down against his forehead, darkened with sweat. His black shirt and tunic were wrinkled without hope of being salvaged. His lips were curled in a snarl, his eyes wide with madness.

"You. Are. Late."

The hooded figure before him shook as it emitted a cruel, brief laugh. Then, he straightened as a pair of pale hands rose towards his black hood, lifting off their face.

"I'm never late, Your Majesty." Jack smirked. "Shall we begin?"


If I'm being honest, some things Beth discussed with the Pevensie sisters are actually taken out of my personal life. I too am someone who had an abusive father and, while he is no longer in my life, I'm only now beginning to understand the lasting effects his behaviour left in me.

I recently started therapy (let us all normalize taking care of our mental health) and many things have surfaced so writing this has been so terapeutic for me, which is why this will forever be my favourite chapter. I'm proud of who I have become and I'm slowly getting into terms with my own experience but god, dealing with it first hand is so heavy. So healing, of course, but so heavy and emotional. To all survivors who may read this, you are not defined by what happened to you. It wasn't your fault, none of it. You deserved none of it and however you may be coping, you are awesome and you deserve the whole fucking world.

Hope you guys liked this chapter and I'll see you with Chapter 18 Pt II and Chapter 20! Cheers!