Author's Note: I suppose no amount of apologies will work. You all probably hate me for not updating. So, I resign myself to my fate. I began working another story, and this one slipped my mind. So I wrote this up, hope it works. This story's wrapping up. Thank you all for reading. And reviewing!

Peter sat in his room. One of the Jaselle's servants had informed him that she was having 'female issues', and wished to be alone. Peter knew from his experiences with his sisters to leave her alone.

So he sat on his bed, thinking about her. Picturing her face, her hair, her smile. A feeling of intense warmness came over him. He was in love.

A sudden movement caught his eye. He looked out at the balcony, just in time to see a large white something fly into the glass door with a thump.

Peter leapt to his feet, and ran to the door. The object turned out to be a seagull. Peter reached down to pick it up, when it squawked at him. Then told him to let him be.

Peter wasn't really surprised; after all, he was very much used to talking animals. He was, however, curious as to why a talking seagull was this far south.

The seagull flopped to its feet, and eyed him.

"King Peter?"

Peter nodded.

"Your sister, Queen Susan, squawk, sent me. Cair Paravel is under attack!"

Peter felt the blood falling form his face. What? How…

" She is locked in a tower, with the, squawk, Prince Clorin and General Oreius. The royal ambassador, Hassin, squawk, brought an army, and has taken the castle. Your brother, King Edmund, rode for, squawk, Archenland yesterday."

Peter was shocked. The advisor, Hassin, had taken the castle? He began thinking of ways to get back to Narnia.

"She says, squawk, that you were manipulated by the Lorsolum, squawk, too. To leave as soon as, squawk, you can."

Despite the squawking, Peter got the message. But how to leave? On foot was his only option. The King had the port too heavily guarded.

Would Jaselle go with him? Was she even on his side?

Yes, she had to be. Their time together couldn't be fake. Peter knew she was true.

Had she been manipulated by her father and brother? What exactly had the Lorsolum done?

But the bird had no further answers.

"Then fly to Archenland, and to my brother. Tell him what you have told me. To not worry about me, and to return and save the castle."

The seagull tilted its head.

"What will you, squawk, do, your Majesty?"

Peter's face hardened.

"My betrothed and I will escape, and travel away on foot."

The seagull ruffled its feathers.

"Is her room the one under, squawk, guard?"

Peter paused. What?

"Her room is across the hall from mine."

The seagull's head bobbed up and down.

"When I flew past, there were, squawk, two men standing at her balcony door."

Peter wasn't sure what that meant. But it only reinforced his knowledge that Jaselle hadn't betrayed him.

"Thank you, my feathered friend. Now, fly."

Peter watched the seagull disappear, then went into his room. He stuffed his small amount of belongings into a pack, strapped on his sword belt, and threw on a cloak.

Going out to the balcony, he climbed up onto the railing, then leapt to the next one over. Running across it, he leapt onto the railing of that one.

Swinging around, he hooked his foot into the window, and hopped over. He walked carefully along the ledge, before reaching the end and swinging around the corner again.

He saw the two guards, standing and looking quite bored. Peter ran across the balcony, and leapt instantly.

The first guard looked up, and was met with a fist in the face, a knee in the gut, and a trip off the balcony to the garden two stories below.

The second guard managed to draw his sword, and so Peter was forced to do the same. They fought for a moment, before Peter got in a kick that knocked him to one knee. Peter smashed the man's face with the hilt of his blade, knocking him unconscious.

Blood splattered onto Peter, and his sword, from the man's nose. In too much haste to clean it right now, he laid it down and slipped inside.

Jaselle looked up from her spot on the bed. Her eyes were red from crying, her tear-stained face covered in sorrow. It instantly changed to joy when she saw Peter, and then… fear?

"Are you alright?"

Peter began to walk towards her. Still, that look of fear covered her face.

"What's wrong?"

Jaselle's lips quivered as she opened them to speak.

"I, my father, used me. To trick you into attacking Calormene. He's going to destroy your army, and kill your brother. Take your kingdom."

Peter strode the last few feet and scooped her in his arms. He tilted her face up towards his, cupping her chin in his hand.

"I don't care what he did. It's not your fault. And besides,"

He laughed bitterly,

"Someone beat him to the kill."

He explained what the seagull had said.

Jaselle was appalled. Hassin had betrayed the betrayers?

Peter felt it was all confusing. But he knew one thing: he needed to leave. There was nothing he could do here.

"Jaselle, I need to leave. Back in my country, in Narnia, I can do something. But not here, held captive by your father."

Jaselle nodded once, tears welling in her eyes. Peter wondered at them for a moment, then realized the cause.

"Jaselle, I want you to come with me."

She gasped.

"I don't think I could manage to make the trip without you."

Jaselle hugged him fiercely.

"Hurry and grab some clothes, but not too many. And nothing frivolous."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Jaselle couldn't help but laughing at his comment.

Her laughter drew the two guards from outside in.

Peter looked up sharply. Both guards drew their swords when they saw him. Peter reached for his-

And remembered it was out on the balcony.

He leapt to his feet, grasping a small chest of jewelry and tossing it at them. It caught one in the chest as he ran forward, but the other one came unhindered.

Peter caught up a chair, and swung it. The guard caught with his free hand, then sliced at Peter. The cool steel cut into his ribs, grating against bone.

Both Peter and Jaselle cried out.

Then Peter kicked out, breaking the man's knee, before turning and rushing out to the balcony. Thankfully, both men chased after him, forgetting about Jaselle.

Peter blocked the first sword, then ducked below the second man's thrust. He barreled into him, knocking them both to the ground. Peter caught sight of a knife on the man's belt. As he grappled with him, he managed to break away for a moment and seize the knife, driving it into the guard's chest. As he gasped for breath, Peter pushed him off, and over the railing.

Then he was on his feet, engaging the other one. He parried the blade, knocking it away. The man punched at him, and Peter used his blade to push the guard's arm away. The man used the opportunity to bring down his sword.

Peter caught the blade on his hand, feeling the sharp blade cut into his hand. Already, hot blood gushed out, staining further his tunic.

Peter's sword cut into the man's shoulder, and lower neck. He cried out in anguish, which Peter took as a chance to push against him, careening them both over the railing.

But Peter had been ready, and hooked a foot on the railing. He pivoted, tossed his sword up, and then hauled himself after it. And collapsed on the balcony.
………………………………...

Hassin sat down in a chair, which he had pulled out into the hallway. It had been almost two days, and there had been no hint of movement from the three people up the tower. Another man might get impatient, but Hassin knew better. He would wait them out. To his knowledge, they had no food or water up there. While Hassin had control of the entire castle.

The servants had all fled, while the palace guard had been killed. His soldiers had secured every room, and now lived in mostly relaxation. A small number had to serve as sentries, others were guarding the tower with him.

Hassin had taken a small amount of time to explore his new castle. It was impressive in its beauty, smooth and curving, yet practical. The views were breath-taking, although he had yet to sample the view from the North Tower.

He was getting annoyed, to say the least. He would not act rashly, but that didn't mean he didn't want to act out. Stop this charade. But there was too great of a risk of the centuar escaping, as large as it was. Hassin wasn't planning on making dumb choices.

So he sat, watching and waiting. For a week. He had an idea that they would have died of thirst up there by now, but needed to be sure.

Standing in another tower, he watched as a pair of men scaled the tower. Reaching the top, they then swung down and lowered themselves into a window.

One man came back out, plummeting to his death. The other one didn't.

Hassin cursed to himself. How were they still alive in there, and able to fight? Without food or water for a week? Perhaps the centuar could last longer without water.

And so he waited for a few hours, watching the tower. Watched it as the sun came down. As darkness fell, he noticed it.

Two dark shapes flew down, carrying something between them. They flew into the window of the north tower, then came back out a little while later.

So that was it. They were using beasts to fly them food and water. Hassin posted archers on the roof. The next night they shot down the flyers, a pair of abnormally large owls. Sure enough, they carried between them a package of fruits, nuts, and water.

Hassin was in a slightly better move after that, until the events of the next day. Sitting across from the barricaded door, a soldier ran up.

"Sir, the Narnian army. From nowhere. It attacks"
………………………………...

Jaselle cried out as Peter stumbled and fell again. They had been traveling north for just over a week, and had been struggling through the deserts of northern Lorsolum for the past three days.

For the first couple of days, Peter had been fine. But as they traveled, his wound had grown worse. Jaselle was no healer, but she suspected it was infected.

Now he could barely walk. But still, he insisted on going forward. Once in Narnia, he insisted his sister could heal him. While Jaselle wasn't sure she doubted that, she didn't think they would make it that far. ………………………………...

Hassin stood in the throne room, taking reports. Every few seconds, he muttered a curse under his breath.

The Narnian army had suddenly returned to Cair Paravel. Out of nowhere. Hassin had already put two and two together and determined that the Queen and her centuar had somehow sent a message to King Edmund. But he had gotten back rather quickly.

No matter. Hassin had the advantage of a fortified building. Edmund had to conduct a siege with no engines, with an army full of beasts. Hassin was confident of his victory.

But he was furious that the Queen and that centuar had meddled with his plan. He needed to take care of them now. And without any food for the past four days, they would be weak enough for him to take care of.

Hassin strode forward, up the hall. A small force of twenty soldiers, all that he could spare, flanked him. He reached the barricaded door.

At his nod, a soldier hurried to the window and signaled the two archers in a tower to prepare themselves. The other soldiers began quietly removing the debris blocking the doorway. Soon it was clear.

They crept up the stairwell, as silent as twenty soldiers could. After a moment, they were at the final turn. Hassin motioned for a stop, and signaled the next man down. The silent signal filtered down, and they awaited the archers on the other side.

Then it happened. There was a zing as a pair of flaming arrows, covered in hay, burst into the room above.

Hassin and his men hurried around the turn. The flaming bundles lay on the floor in the center of the room. Hassin spotted Clorin with his writs tied to a chair on one side. On the other, Queen Susan lay beside the wall. The centuar general was on his feet, rearing before the flames.

From beside Hassin, half a dozen soldiers fired arrows at Oreius. He turned at some noise, and raised his armored forearms to block. Three bounced off of his armor, two missed, but one slipped into his gut.

He cried in anguish, and then was leaping forward. Hassin slipped to one side as the centuar charged into the group of soldiers. Drawing his sword, he struck at his backside. Oreius jerked to the side, so the blade only cut a glancing blow.

And then the General was past, cutting down into the men, his twin swords flashing. Hassin left his twenty men to kill one half-man beast, and turned to Queen Susan.

And was met with a boot to the head. He staggered backwards, seeing the Queen wielding her boot in her hand.

Hassin lashed out with his sword, knocking the boot out of her hand. The he kicked out and caught her in her stomach, driving her to the floor. As he stepped forward, a dark liquid obscured his vision, blocking his left eye. Blood.

He brought his sword to bear on the Queen, pointing the tip of the blade to her throat. He grinned evilly.

"So, your highness, did you enjoy your stay in the tower?" He laughed. She just stared daggers at him.

It happened so fast that Hassin barely felt the sword slipping into him. He looked down and saw a silver tip, obscured by blood, protruding from his chest. As he pitched forward, he heard the centaur's hoarse voice. "Are you alright, Susan?" Then everything went dark.

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