Okay, I want to thank everyone (because I got so many reviews!), but not now. Sorry it's been so long, my computer got all screwed up and it took a while and I lost some info and I procrastinated a lot and I'm really sorry and I hope you shall forgive me. I don't like this chapter, I really don't know why, but I don't, so I really hope you enjoy it anyway and I'd really appreciate any reviews/compliments or whatever. Thank you for reading my ramblings. I'm sorry this chapter is shorter than the usual ones.

"Elisa? Elisa! ELISA!"

I blinked up at expressionless John, the concerned Emma, and Moonlight.

"How are you feeling?" Emma asked, hovering over me.

"Ow," I replied, and rolled onto my side, wincing at the pain in my stomach and my head. Moonlight nudged me. I ignored him. He nudged me again, persistent. I groaned and sat up slowly. Satisfied, Moonlight walked away to graze.

"He's one devoted horse. Wouldn't leave your side for a second, until now," John said quietly. When I tried to stand, John pushed me gently back down. "I

"I'll go get you something to eat and drink." Emma bustled away, leaving me alone with John.

"Nice fall," John commented.

"Well I'm glad you enjoyed it," I said grumpily. I looked up at him quickly. "Wait… you saw me fall?"

"I was the one chasing you. I had come to get you so that we could leave, and I saw you galloping off. You must be deaf or something. I kept shouting your name, but you didn't respond. Then you looked back and, well, you know. Anyway, we're on our way to Gnome Caverns."

"Wait." I had to process this information in sections. "You were chasing me, so, er, did you by chance, um… see from where I was coming?"

"No," John replied too quickly. "I heard Prince Caspian call to Prince Rilean, and then you came galloping past me. Why do you ask? You wouldn't keep a secret from me or Emma, now, would you?"

My head hurt too much for me to understand what he was implying. I would talk to him privately about it tomorrow.

"What secret?" Emma asked, coming back.

"Nothing," John and I said together.

"Oh. All right, then," Emma said with a shrug. "Now, John, as I was saying to you earlier…"

"By the Creator! Are you going to start that again?" John moaned.

"Start what?" I asked.

Emma sighed and impatiently explained. "Well, we can't run away, can we? The king ordered us to be royal mail carriers. So, I asked John to order us not to be the royal mail carriers, but will he? No, of course not!"

"Because it's a stupid request! Just because the king orders you to do something doesn't mean you have to do it!" John snapped.

"John, just trust us," I pleaded.

"And why," John said slowly, seeming to stare into the depths of my soul, "should I trust you?"

"Because she's your friend, John." Emma looked at both of us questioningly. "What's wrong with you two?"

John quickly looked away from me. "Well, if it will make you happy, Emma, please--"

"Don't say please!" Emma and I shouted at him.

"All right, all right! I order you – is that better? – to stop being the royal mail carriers."

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. "There, was that so hard?"

"Yes, it was very hard," John said with a grin. I wondered at that moment why I hadn't noticed how handsome he was. His smile lit up his whole face, illuminating his perfect features. He had such a strong build, and beautiful gleaming eyes. I shook my head. No, I thought. You're still getting over the prince, remember?

"So," John asked casually, "how does it feel to be cursed? You know, having to always do what you're told? Or are you ordered not to tell anyone about your curse?"

It was so sudden and random that Emma and I just stared at him for a second before I slowly and carefully said, "Well, um, assuming we were ordered, then we couldn't tell you, could we?" I felt a small stab of pain from the curse for coming so close to telling him, but that was all.

"That's true."

Emma was furious. She spluttered, "Then you knew… you could of… why didn't you…"

John was grinning from ear to ear. He looked at me and winked, forgetting that he was mad at me for something that I didn't really know – or want to know – at this point in time. "I love giving her a hard time," he told me.

I laughed. John became serious again. "Now, Elisa, I believe, you owe your sister and I an explanation. Tell us about… you and Rilean."