THE GENTLE
Disclaimer: I don't own the Pevensie's but if I did I would make them bake cookies and sing opera.
Authors Note: I would like to explain why I'm writing this story. I know there are many Susan stories out there but they are always about the aftermath of The Last Battle, which Susan was treated very unfairly in (she is also my favourite character too!), so I decided to write Susan's story during the evacuation, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, sometime during the Golden Age and a little bit afterwards. Susan has always been one of my favourite child hood characters, I thought she was perfect (I was five for the record) beautiful, kind and a Queen! I have always wanted to write about her adventure and how she became Queen Susan: The Gentle. I want to keep Susan in character as much as I can and I hope for those who are as fond of Susan as I' am, see that I have tried my hardest of keeping Susan and everyone else in character. I would like to think everyone that read my story and also to Just A Little Bit Dramatic for the great advice! Thanks a lot.
Episode Two: Farewell, Dear Mother.
Susan didn't know what to pack, wether to pick this sweater over that one or that book over another, or to pack more sweaters than skirts, only one coat or wether to pack the white blouse over the black one, she had never had this much trouble packing before.
"Susan are you ready?" Peter asked walking into her and Lucy's room, he stopped when he saw Susan sitting on her bed 'don't cry Susan, you can't cry!' Susan repeated over and over in her mind.
"Everything will be alright Susan," Peter said gently, placing his hand atop her, she turned to him and smiled imperceptibly 'how can everything be alright?' she thought, trying hard to not stand and scream it at Peter, how could he remain this way? After last nights events? She pulled her hand away from his and stood up.
"Is everyone ready?" she asked, clipping up her half packed suitcase, she didn't want to keep anyone else waiting for her, she hated having people wait for her. Peter nodded and offered to take her suitcase but she shook her head and waited for him to walk out of the room, she caught one last glance at her and Lucy's humble room, she closed her eyes for a moment before shutting the door lightly and following Peter down the stairs.
"Have you got everything packed?" Mrs. Pevensie asked, Susan nodded and watched as her mother fixed Lucy's coat up and placed her elegant red coat and matching hat on. Susan had always admired her mother, she had always been so beautiful and kind, she remembered when she was a young girl, she would have her plastic crown upon her head, she would model her church dress for her mother and only hope that she could see how beautiful and gentle she was becoming and say that one day she would be beautiful princess, her father would smile and say that she would always be his beautiful princess; that was when she still believed in fairytales and faraway lands.
Susan hurriedly snapped away from her silly thoughts and walked out of the door, closely followed by Peter who shut the door quietly and took Lucy's suitcase out of their mothers hands and told her he would carry it, Mrs. Pevensie smiled thankfully at him before walking out of the front yard.
"How are we getting there? We aren't walking are we?" Edmund asked snappily, scowling as he walked behind Susan, she had been thinking the same thing but hadn't dared say it out loud, no doubt her poor mother already had enough on her mind 'perhaps we are catching a Taxi or, maybe we are walking' she thought looking around the street for a car.
"Neither, old Mr. Thompson around the corner offered to drive us."
"Why isn't he in the war, I thought all the men went to war?" Lucy asked as they headed towards old Mr. James Thompson's house, Susan found him to be a very sweet dear, always offering her sweets when she passed him, she would always graciously decline but Edmund would always take them with a greedy gleam in his eyes, he would sometimes just walk past the house to receive his sweet, especially on Sunday's when Mr. Thompson would give him Turkish Delight, his favourite treat, Susan hated the sticky confectionery, it got stuck in her teeth and also rotted them.
"Mr. Thompson is to old, he is two hundred!" Edmund exclaimed, Lucy turned and stared wide eyed at Edmund and Susan resisted the urge to roll her eyes, how could Lucy believe such foolish things?
"No he isn't Edmund, do not place such thoughts in Lucy's mind, he has an injured knee, from the first world war," Peter said, Edmund glared at Peter before sighing and fell behind Susan even more, Susan turned around and told him to hurry up before turning back to the front.
"There has been more world wars?" Lucy asked wide eyed, turning around and looking at Susan shocked 'well of course there has been more world wars, why do you think this one is called World War II?'.
"Welcome The Pevensie's!" A croaky voice suddenly exclaimed, Mrs. Pevensie smiled to the small, grey haired, wrinkly man that stood at the front gate of his small home, a large smile plastered upon his face and his cane in his right hand, one leg was injured but that didn't stop him from keeping a positive out look on everything, he would still drive and would always make everyone around him happier, sometimes when Susan had been feeling down she would walk past his home just so he could shout at her to "cheery up my lovely, everything will brighten up soon, just like a rainbow in a thunder storm!".
"Thank you so much for driving us Mr. Thompson!" Mrs. Pevensie said breathlessly as he opened the boot of his small car 'how will ever fit in there!' Susan thought observing the small car, it looked like it would only fit three people.
"No worries my dear! We must keep these young ones safe, mustn't we?" he asked, beaming as Peter placed all the suitcases in the boot but, Edmund insisted on placing his own in the car, all while glaring at Peter.
"Oh dear, how will we all fit in here?" Mr. Thompson said suddenly, Peter peered into the car and turned back to his mother. Susan than followed and looked into the car, it was tinier on the inside than it was on the outside.
"Perhaps, Lucy could sit on Edmund's lap and Susan on mine and mother can sit in the front?" Peter suggested. Edmund glared even more at Peter 'oh dear!' Susan thought as she braced herself for Edmund to start shouting.
"I don't want Lucy sitting on my lap! She weighs to much! Why can't she sit on your lap?"
"Because than where will Su sit?" Peter shot back, trying to remain calm and not let his temper get the better of him.
"She can sit on the floor!" Lucy said suddenly, Susan looked at Lucy and than stared at the floor that looked awfully small and dirty 'I think not, this is one of my best outfits!'.
"I think that if Lucy sat on Peter's lap and Peter, Susan and Edmund share the back seat, it will be cramped but it will be a lot easier, how does that sound?" Mr. Thompson said suddenly, Susan thought about it for a moment before nodding, anything was better than the floor and dirt. She nodded and watched as Peter climbed into the back, than Lucy who rested comfortably on Peter's lap, than Edmund who scowled angrily and than Susan, who was pushed up against Edmund's and her shoulder digging roughly into the door as Mr. Thompson shut it, Mrs. Pevensie than climbed into the front seat and Mr. Thompson into the drivers seat, it took him a few moments and many cuss words before the car revved up.
Susan watched as she, her mother and her siblings made there way through the crowds of crying mothers and children, everyone looked scared and so vulnerable, just like she was. What if something happened to their mother while they were away? What if their home was bombed? What if something happened to dear old Mr. Thompson? Susan hated thinking these horrid things but couldn't stop herself.
"Alms for the poor! Alms for the poor!" Susan heard people shouting, she watched as mothers hugged their children tightly, Mrs. Pevensie soon found an open space and knelt down in front of Lucy, who was sniffling and hugging Charlie tightly 'she really does love that little dog!' Susan thought distracted.
"You need to keep this on darling! Are your warm enough?" she asked as she gently pinned the evacuee label to her coat, Lucy nodded and Mrs. Pevensie smiled softly "good girl!" before embracing her tightly and standing up, Lucy sniffled and chocked back tears, she than turned to Edmund who was staring at one of the many evacuee posters that laid about.
"If dad were here he wouldn't make us go!" Edmund snapped angrily, Peter turned irately to him.
"If dad were here it would mean the war was over and we wouldn't have to go!" He snapped back angrily.
"You will listen to your brother won't you Edmund?" Mrs. Pevensie asked, Edmund glared at Peter for a moment as Susan looked on helplessly 'I can't do this without mother, she is our rock!', Mrs. Pevensie embraced Edmund and attempted to kiss him but Edmund turned away, annoyed, she finally rested with kissing him upon the head and than turned to Peter, who hugged her tightly.
"Promise me you'll look after the others." Susan heard her whisper 'he will, I know he will!' Susan thought as she chocked back the tears.
"I will mum,"
"Good man!" Mrs. Pevensie replied pulling away, Peter looked at her shocked for a moment before hurriedly regaining himself, never had their parents called Peter a man.
"Susan," Mrs. Pevensie as she saw Susan smiling lightly at her, she embraced her tightly and Susan shut her eyes tightly, fighting back the tears, she sniffed as her mother pulled away "be a big girl." she said, Susan nodded 'I will have to be!' she thought determinedly as Mrs. Pevensie looked them all over once again.
"All right, off you go," Mrs. Pevensie said suddenly, Susan hurriedly gathered her suitcase and attempted to grab Edmund's hand with the other as he walked behind her.
"Hey get off me! I know how to get on a train by myself! Get off me!" Edmund snapped crossly and snatched his hand away from Susan's and pushed his way in front of her, Susan glared at him for a moment before stopping at the ticket lady 'I wish Edmund would just cooperate!'.
"May I have your ticket, please? Tickets please." The woman asked, Susan watched as Peter stared disorientated at a young soldier 'I will have to take charge, once again!' she thought angrily.
"Peter!" She snapped, snatching the ticket out of his hands and smiling apologetically at the ticket lady, who merely smiled.
"That's right, on you go." she replied, Susan once again smiled at her and boarded the train, looking nervously around, she tried hard not to cry as she saw mothers crying into handkerchiefs and wiping their eyes.
Susan slowly stuck her head as the train started moving, she saw her mother standing, she smiled and waved furiously to her "bye-bye dear," Mrs. Pevensie said waving back as Peter and Lucy stuck their head out and Edmund stuck his head out lightly but not waving.
"Bye-bye mum, we'll miss you!"
"Bye!"
"We'll miss you!"
"Love you!" all four of them shouted as they waved until their mother was nothing but a figure in the distance, Susan was the first to bring her head back in and smiled sadly at Peter who smiled back and lead them down the compartment hallway, looking for an empty compartment, they soon found one, it only held a brother and sister, who looked around Lucy and Edmund's age.
Susan watched as Peter placed Lucy's suitcase in the compartment and went to do so for Edmund but didn't bother when Edmund sent him a filthy look and did it himself, Peter offered to place Susan's up there too, but she shook her head and did it herself before falling into a seat, placing a comforting arm around Lucy. Lucy
pulled out her fairytale book and for once Susan didn't shake her head but nodded and read the story with Lucy, while Edmund leaned his head against the wall and looked around aimlessly and Peter read one of the war books he had gotten.
The train ride was eerily quiet as Lucy and Susan read the fairytale 'this isn't such a bad book, much more interesting than that English textbook!' she thought as Lucy turned to the page when she noticed that the small boy was crying softly, Susan was tempted to reach out and hug him tightly and tell him everything was going to be alright and his older sister would look after him, Peter looked on helplessly, not sure what to do and Edmund sniggered softly.
Lucy suddenly picked up Charlie and stood up to the small boy and held out to him 'what is she doing!' Susan thought.
"You can take him, he makes you brave! His name is Charlie and he is very friendly, you must talk to him at least once a day and please do take very good care of him, he is a very sensitive puppy!" She said boldly, the small boy smiled and took Charlie, hugging him tightly to his chest and promised Lucy he would do his very best to look after him. Susan felt her heart swell with pride for her younger sister, she had done something so selfless as if it were an everyday thing, Susan smiled and placed a proud arm around Lucy, who watched as the boy held Charlie tightly to his chest.
"What did you do that Lucy?" Susan whispered and Lucy looked up at Susan, an unreadable gleam in her eye.
"He needs it more than I do." She replied simply before turning her attention back to the book. Susan glanced up at Peter who held the same proud look in his eyes that Susan no doubt held in hers, he caught Susan's gaze and smiled proudly, Susan smiled back and than turned her attention back to the fairytale 'that's my Lucy!' she thought, a small smile placed upon her lips.
Susan, Edmund, Peter and Lucy hurriedly raced down as they saw a car heading towards them in the distance. The train had left them at an abandoned station, with no waiting elder in sight. Lucy raised her hand to wave happily at the car but instead she received a rude honk and they car speed past them, panicked filled Susan as she and Peter stared down the empty dirt road.
"The Professor knew we were coming." she said hesitantly 'maybe we have been wrongly labeled' she thought.
"Maybe we've been incorrectly labeled." Edmund said observing his label as they heard a woman ordering horses to hurry up but stopped in front of Susan and her family.
"Mrs. Macready?" Peter asked, Lucy looked up nervously at Susan who smiled reassuringly and than directed her attention back to the woman.
"I'm afraid so, is this it then? Haven't you brought anything else?" she asked as she looked over the four children as Susan felt a small ounce of anger well within inside her, how dare she ask such a question?
"No ma'am it's just us." Spoke Peter, trying to sound as grown up as possible.
"Small favors." She said with a raise of her eyebrow before jerking her head. Susan and her the rest of her siblings boarded the cart on the back and braced themselves as Mrs. Macready ordered the horses to turn around.
"She seems rather icy doesn't she?" Lucy whispered lowly so Mrs. Macready wouldn't hear them 'she does too, for once I agree with Lucy!' Susan thought.
"That's because she's a witch, she eats children like you for dinner, she kills you while your sleeping and when you wake up, your inside her stomach!" Edmund whispered to Lucy, who's eyes widened and Susan rolled her eyes 'how could she believe such things, she is gullible!' she thought as Peter scolded Edmund quietly.
The rest of the ride was a rather silent one between Susan and her siblings, Lucy was still getting over the fact that Edmund had once again lied to her, Peter was staring down at his suitcase, Edmund was no doubt making up some highly exaggerated story to tell Lucy and Susan wasn't lost in thoughts of her mother back home in London.
Susan suddenly felt Lucy hit her arm lightly, she looked up and gasped as she saw a beautiful country mansion standing before her, never had she seen such a beautiful sight, it was like something out of a wonderful story, filled with breathtaking balls, beautiful women in the most fine-looking gowns, wonderful exploring places, libraries filled with books of knowledge and handsome men who are looking for the perfect women. Susan hurriedly shook her head as the cart pulled up and Mrs. Macready ordered them to gather their things and follow her.
"Professor. Kirke is not accustomed to having children in this house. And as such, there are a few rules we need to follow," Mrs. Macready said as they followed her into the mansion, Susan gasped as she looked around "There will be no shouting or, running," She said staring sternly at Susan who stared back 'I will do no such thing' she thought as she walked up the stairs "no improper use of the dumbwaiter," she said.
Susan smiled and stepped forward to touch a beautiful statue "NO touching of the historical artifacts!" She said suddenly, Susan jerked her hand away as if it were on fire. She watched as Peter and Edmund sniggered and Lucy looked sadly at Susan, she glared at Mrs. Macready 'I wasn't going to break it, how dare she speak to me in such a fashion!' she thought as she followed her up a small set of stairs but Mrs. Macready suddenly stopped.
"And above all there will be no disturbing of the Professor," she said in a low voice before walking up the stairs, closely followed by Susan, who glared daggers into her back 'perhaps this isn't going to be as adventurous as I had hoped,' Susan thought sadly.
deep breathing so what did you think? Was it better than the last? It will start to get very interesting in the next one, I promise.
Also the small segment where Lucy gives the young boy the stuffed puppy (good ole' Charlie) is something I noticed in the film, is that when the boy is being dragged away you can see the old man has the dog in his hand and has snatched it away from the small boy and we no longer see Lucy with it, so I assumed that Lucy gave it to the small boy, so I incorporated into the story and I hoped you liked it.
I hope that I have kept everyone in character as much as I can, I felt they were. I could imagine Edmund taunting Lucy any chance he got and I just had to add in some kind old man that drove to them the station and I hoped you also noticed the small parts in it that relate to Narnia (see if you can find them).
Anyway I would like to thank everyone who read, favourited, alerted and reviewed this story, I didn't expect anyone to read it and I was shocked when they did, I hope you keep reading through to the third installment.
Commiato, Jesse.