A/N: Hi, ya'll! I'm sorry this chapter has taken me some time to publish! Work and school's been tough this and last week!
Alas, here is the next chapter!
Enjoy!
Soundtracks:
"Raido" by Wardruna
"How Fare the Gods?" by Syven
By the time the first rays of the morning sun had set upon the mountains afar, Peter, Edmund and Lucy trekked through a never-ending bed of moss as they quested to find the path. Or, a path, rather. They were clueless as to where they were, the tall pines all looked the same. The only sorts of orientation they had, was the location of the sun as it shone through the trees.
"How deep is this forest?" Peter groaned as his feet sunk into a patch of moss.
"I'm more concerned as to what is in these woods, thank you very much," Edmund retorted from not too far behind. These were, as far as they knew, unknown lands to them, and further unknown if they would encounter any talking beasts to guide them (if they still existed).
"Yeah, and the fact that we have no provisions," Lucy added.
"Look," Peter said, stopped in his tracks, and turned to face his siblings. "I know being back concerns you lot, I'm quite apprehensive about being here as well. But we need to stay focused on the road ahead of us and concentrate about finding a path that leads us into civilization! And, if we are lucky, we will find something to eat too, alright?" Peter told his siblings, attempting to sort their minds out. Frankly, it didn't do much for his own train of thoughts, but it was at least something to keep their minds on - finding a path.
When the youngest Pevensies didn't say anything to oppose their brother, they moved on.
They walked in silence, making comments about the area along the way till the sun stood high in the sky, until Lucy broke the silence.
"You know, Susan once told me, that in situations of survival, you could eat this root… It looks like a tiny fern… Poly… Poly-something…"
"Polypody roots?" Edmund shot in.
"Yes! She said to look around ponds, or moist areas," she continued. In fact, Lucy felt hunger bite her stomach so awfully, the thought of raw root was pleasantly welcoming.
"Well, remind me if we do find water." Peter replied, and decided to leave the thought behind thereafter. He too, was hungry, almost nauseatingly so.
"Oi. Got me thinking, now, Lu!" Edmund exclaimed. Peter and Lucy halted. He exchanged glances with both.
"Susan. Is she here as well?" he questioned. Lucy and Peter shared a glance.
"I mean, if Pete is here, then why not her?" Edmund continued. Peter exhaled through his nose; he hadn't thought of that.
"If she was, why wasn't she with us the moment we came back to Narnia?" Lucy added.
"Think about it; we were split apart when we were thrown back. You and I entered together because we were together in America. Peter was further away from us; hence he was placed at a different place. Surely the same could have happened to Susan?" Edmund explained. To anyone else, he would have sounded like a lost lunatic, but Peter followed his train of thought.
"She said she was going to Charles' before lectures…" Peter mused.
"I don't know what exactly happened to us, but… I don't think Susan would have been left behind… We don't know why we are back, and how it is even possible, so…" Edmund said, trailing off.
"Aslan wouldn't be so unkind." Lucy piped in quietly. She knew it in her heart, that if Narnia needed them again, the Great Lion wouldn't abandon one Pevensie left, not Susan. They were back against all odds, so why not her?
Peter rubbed a hand behind his neck as he thought.
"Even if she is somewhere out there, she's the most reasonable out of all of us. She will be fine, and possibly closer to familiar terrain. In fact, it's more the reason for us to find people; only then can we get help to search for her. Out here we will die of exposure or worse if we split up and search for her," Peter told his siblings, hoping he sounded surer of himself than he felt. He honestly had no idea what would be best to do as of right now, but he was right about one thing; if they found people, they would find help (hopefully).
The three shared thoughtful looks but said nothing. They knew Peter was right.
"Now come on…" Peter told them as they continued their tiresome journey.
. . .
The sound of dripping water was the first thing Susan heard. She then felt it drip onto her temple as she rested her head on the moss in cave floor.
Opening her eyes, she remembered the events from the day before; that she was back in Narnia, found Astraea, being led to the cave… Astraea… The pegasus was no longer by her side, Susan registered.
She sat up, rubbed her face and sighed deeply. What to do now…?
Her body was sore from sleeping on the cold, hard ground, and she woke up several times during the night because of the chill. Luckily, she wasn't prone to frostbite just yet.
"Astraea?" she called calmly as she stood up. Straightening her white blouse and black skirt, she exited the cave. She squinted at the bright sun and felt an initial panic at the fact that the sun stood higher than she first realized. She should have awoken hours ago to get the most out of the daylight! Cursing silently at herself, she peered around the area after the winged horse.
"Astraea?" she called again, louder this time.
"Here, your Majesty," a familiar teeth-gritted voice replied from behind her. Susan turned, but failed to spot the pegasus.
She soon startled at the loud crack of several trees bending way for the winged beast as it descended from the sky. Landing heavily, yet with elegance, the black beast folded her large feathered wings neatly over her back and trotted her way across the moss to Susan. She carried a branch of wild raspberries in her mouth, which she presented to the raven-haired woman before her.
Dropping it before her feet, she snorted before explaining;
"You were still resting when I awoke at dawn and made assumptions that you would be hungry. Children of Eve do eat wild berries, yes?" she said in her ever-so-calm voice.
Susan had to chuckle at her question.
"Yes, Astraea, thank you," she said gratefully and picked up the cluster of berries.
Astraea shook her mane before walking over to the small creek to drink.
Sitting down by the bank, Susan picked the berries off the branch and ate, all the while looking at nothing in particular. Most of the berries were ripe, some were not, and others were comfortingly sweet. It was only a handful of berries in total, but she savoured the taste of each one. She didn't know when her next meal would be, and so appreciated the tangy, yet sweet taste of each one.
Leaving the branch behind, she stood up and made an attempt to put her hair up in a messy bun with the elastic band she had from her previous do.
"Where shall we go next, hmm?" the black pegasus asked Susan, looking attentively at her with perked ears.
"My best chance of getting help, and to know what is going on, would be at the Telmarine Castle," Susan explained. The pegasus said nothing, but kept looking at her with perked ears.
"I have thought about it, quite a lot, actually, before I found you, and I have a feeling, a rather nagging one, that I'm not alone. I have three siblings, and they are most likely here as well." Susan told her.
"High King Peter, King Edmund, and Queen Lucy." Astraea said.
"Indeed. It would be meaningless to send me here, alone, when I was strictly told I was never to return; knowing my siblings, they would have thought the same thing, to go to the castle. If we are lucky…. The King is still alive," Susan explained.
"He is."
"Well… Great," Susan said, not knowing what to reply. Of course, she was happy to hear he was alive, and assumingly doing well, but how was she going to face him again, in terms of their last good bye? She had kissed him, kissed him, thinking she would never meet him, or someone like him, ever again, and yet here she was. Even more so, she had told him they 'would never work out'. In the moment, it was to make light of the situation, but now… She wasn't so sure.
"Then I shall take you to the castle, Daughter of Eve. Are you ready to see the world as only a winged creature of Aslan can?" Astraea said as she flapped her wings twice, seemingly anxious to go. Susan smiled at her whilst tiny butterflies fluttered about in her stomach at the thought of flying. Then a thought of practicality struck her.
Grabbing the hem of her skirt by her thigh, she tore it up alongside the side of her thigh, all the way up to her hip. Now she could move freely.
"There. Ready to go."
"Then I must advice you to mount, my Queen."
Astraea kneeled before her so that Susan could climb onto her back with little effort.
Doing so, Susan grabbed a hold of her mane, and hoisted herself onto her back behind her wings.
Standing up, Astraea carried her out of the forest in an easy trot, and onto the sands where they met.
"Hold on tightly, daughter of Eve. Do not fear, I shall carry you all the way. The journey will be long, but we will make it," Astraea told her as she accelerated into a canter alongside the lapping waves.
"I trust you!" Susan said as she gave the beast's neck a gentle stroke.
"That is good to hear; here we go!"
Familiar with the movement of a… well, normal horse, Susan held on tight when Astraea flapped her wings, ready to ascend into the sky. They extra set of powerful limbs felt strange to Susan as she rode, but knew that the pegasus needed no guidance. She knew she would take her back to where she was once a reigning Queen.
With several powerful beats of her wings, Astraea ascended, kicking the air with her legs before she soared up, and out towards the sea. Daring herself to not look down, Susan could not resist to look. They were already so far up into the sky, and they were still going up. She held on tight to the mane and clamped her legs against the pegasus' body.
The view from above was truly a vision… Such a world… And now this world needed aid once again.
. . .
"Haven't we passed this log already?" Edmund asked his company.
"No, we haven't," Peter replied, feeling impatient at their slow progress.
"Are you sure? The mushrooms on it looks strangely familiar."
Peter sighed, "I think I'd recognized it, don't you?" he retorted.
"I'm just saying, I think we should head back and take a different turn!"
"And get even more lost? Forget it!"
"Pete, if you just-"
"Look!" Lucy, who had walked further before them, pointed down a slope before her feet. Peter and Edmund ran up to her and felt extraordinary relief at the sight.
A path, seemingly taking them to the river, as it did in fact look familiar.
"It's our best shot, come on!" Peter told them before they made their way down the rocky slope and down until they found footing on the human-made path.
"Finally!" Peter exclaimed, a smile broadening across his lips.
"Well, that was the hard part. I suggest we follow it north," Edmund suggested.
Reasonably enough, the trio walked alongside the path, going north, until hooves trotting hard against the gravel could be heard.
Stopping, the three Pevensies stood uneasy, not too sure as to what would meet them ahead. A bush blocked their sight, and they found it best to stay still until whatever coming towards them on the path appeared. Peter grabbed Lucy's hand and held it tight.
As the sound came closer, it became apparent that there were several horses coming, and several men.
Surely enough, when they passed the bush, four men clad in armour and burgundy cloaks appeared on horseback. They carried swords and maces, and the lion emblem carved in their armour told the Pevensies that they were in fact Narnian.
Spotting the two young men and the girl before them, the soldiers held their horses.
The man on the horse before them scrutinized Peter and Edmund, before looking Lucy up and down. Puzzled at the attire, he held up a hand to stop his company.
"State your business… citizens," the man spoke, slightly accented.
Peter raised his chin.
"We are lost, and in need of help. Could you aid us?" Peter told the man, who squinted in thought.
"They look foreign," another guard said.
"Where are you from?"
Not sure how to exactly explain that to the patrol, Peter held his tongue as he thought.
"Well?" the man demanded, now putting a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"We come from the Spare Oom!" Lucy quickly told the guard as she stepped forward.
The guards looked between themselves, and the man cocked a brow at Lucy.
She looked nervously from face to face, desperately hoping he would understand.
"From the city of War Drobe," she continued as she met the guards gaze, who looked at her peculiarly.
"An odd lot, this is," a guard from behind the first two stated.
"Are you patrolling from the castle?" Edmund asked. The first guard sneered at him.
"I ask the questions here, boy. Now answer me one more time, what. Is. Your. Business?" he said, now drawing his sword at the three.
"I could be asking you the same thing, Adranos, for pointing your weapon at the High Kings and Queen of Old," a familiar voice called from further behind.
Looking between the horses' legs and riders, the Pevensies beamed at the sight coming towards the guards from behind in a fresh trot.
It was Glenstorm.
Standing tall, with shiny black fur and a guard's mantle draped over his shoulder, the centaur made his way towards the Pevensies, a subtle smile crossing his strange face. The guards whispered and murmured between themselves, half-denying the fact that the Kings and Queen had returned, and concluding that Glenstorm truly was mad, as many suggested.
"Greetings, your Majesties. I thank the stars for our reunion," he spoke in his deep voice, meeting the gaze of each Pevensie. He bowed before them, a hand over his heart.
"Glenstorm, it's wonderful to see you again!" Lucy said, as she and Peter walked over to shake hands with him. Edmund too, could not stop beaming.
"Likewise, your Highness."
"What luck that we happened to come upon you on your patrol! We've been wandering for days, not really knowing where we are-!" Peter said.
"You are in luck. The Kingdom of Narnia surrounds you, and the Castle of Caspian is not far," Glenstorm said as he turned to face the patrol.
"Men; before you stand High King Peter the Magnificent, King Edmund the Just, and Queen Lucy the Valiant. The Seafaring King needs to face the monarchs of the Golden Age himself."
"If you should wish it, we will bring you to him," Glenstorm told the siblings.
"Please do, old friend," Peter told him, utterly grateful at this meeting.
Nodding, he turned towards his company once more.
"We shall ride together."
And so, it ended up with Peter, Edmund and Lucy sitting behind a guard each as they rode together to familiar grounds. As Glenstorm had spoken, the castle was not far away. After a short, but arduous ride to the courtyard, the three jumped off their mounts and re-joined Glenstorm as he led them inside the castle walls.
The castle looked the same as it had when they left, apart from improvements being made and damages from the battle three years ago having been repaired.
The grey walls and tiles would have made the castle look gloom, if not for the lanterns, the chandeliers and banners of the Narnian emblems and colours.
Servants, Lords and Ladies, nobles and guards of all creatures murmured once the Pevensies walked inside the great doors and followed Glenstorm to supposedly find Caspian. They nodded and smiled to familiar faces, feeling warmth in their heart at the thought of actually being back inside these walls.
They followed Glenstorm through different hallways and several turns around corners until he stopped before a set of great doors. Shooting them an affirmative gaze, he opened the doors, and announced his presence.
"Your Majesty."
Following him inside, they were met with the sight of a study. A great fireplace with a large table in front of it, where a large map was draped across. Shelves hugged the walls of the room, and a chandelier hung above the table.
At said table, stood three advisors of both Telmarine and Narnian race, Professor Cornelius and leaning over the map; Caspian himself.
All five looked in their direction, and several gasps were heard.
"I have news, my liege," Glenstorm spoke and stepped aside for the Pevensies. Peter, Edmund and Lucy stepped forward with tired smiles on their faces, meeting Caspian's awed gaze. He leant up from the table and watched them with an expression of both shock and rejoice.
"News, indeed, my friend!" Caspian spoke so all could hear and walked around the table to greet them once the sight of the monarch had sunk in and he could comprehend the fact that he had those he called family before him.
"Caspian," Edmund said merrily as he was the first to greet him. Meeting him in a brotherly hug and a manly pat on the back, the two men looked at each other and grinned. Edmund noted that Caspian had grown even taller since they parted on the sands of Aslan's Country.
The advisors behind them watched in awe at the reunion, murmurs all around.
"I never thought I'd see the day…" Peter said with a grin as he too, met Caspian in a manly hug as they laughed.
"It's great to see you, Caspian," Peter said as he grasped a hold of Caspian's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Standing just as tall as him, Caspian returned his wide smile and shouldergrasp.
"Good to see you, Peter. And you, Lucy!" Caspian said as he scooped up Lucy in a bearhug, swinging her a bit with a happy groan. Lucy squealed in joy and returned his hug.
"I cannot believe you're here! I… What even-?" Caspian asked in amazement as he looked from sibling to sibling, not quite finding the words.
"Believe me, we don't know either!" Lucy explained as she failed to stop grinning.
"Not that I'm not thrilled, but what in the world are you doing here?" Caspian asked, his lopsided grin still there, a glimmer in his sable-brown yes.
"It's kind of a long story," Peter told him, and now meeting the gaze of the rest of the people in the room.
Studying their attire, Caspian made a conclusion that they had possibly been through hell, by the looks of it.
Their clothes, damp, dirty and torn certain place, were way out of fashion in contrast to Narnian attire. They had smudges of dirt on their skin, dishevelled hair, both Edmund and Peter having a stubble, and with Lucy's tired expression, he decided now wasn't the right time for them to tell their tale. Giving Edmund's shoulder a pat, he turned towards his advisors.
"Gentlemen, our meeting will have to be postponed. Meeting adjourned." He spoke, receiving nods from each member. One minotaur flicked his ear.
With that, he brought the Pevensies with him.
"You look worse for wear," he told them, once they were settled in his study.
"Well, after being thrown through time and place, finding yourself in some foreign land, supposing it's Narnia, spending a day finding your siblings, and trekking through woods and beyond, I suppose this isn't too bad," Edmund explained. Lucy was sat in a nearby chair, resting her head in her hand. Peter too, looked exhausted from his seat.
Caspian looked from face to face and noted how they all looked older from last they met; Peter, now a young adult, looked close to his own age now. Edmund had aged a year or two, and looked a bit lankier and taller now, compared to how he looked on the Dawn Treader.
Lucy had grown slimmer, her hair long and auburn as always. She had grown into a pretty, young lady, despite having touches of grime on her. She looked more like her sister now.
Her sister… Susan…
"And Eustace? He is not here?" Caspian asked, wanting to transcend into the subject of Susan after asking about the boy-turned-dragon-turned-boy.
"No, but we suspect Susan is." Lucy explained, head still in her hand. Caspian furrowed his brows at her statement.
"Suspect?"
"Well, we didn't exactly come here together, you see. Edmund and I were thrown into Narnia together, but we didn't find Peter until much later. Or, he found us, rather," she continued.
"We thought that since Lucy and I came back, and even Peter, when we were not to return, Aslan said so himself, you remember? So, I figured that since we returned all at possibly the same time, then Susan too must be out there somewhere," Edmund continued.
"But we couldn't find any trace of her, nothing. It's merely an intuition." Peter added.
Caspian stood up, paced, and traced his beard (of which Peter felt a hint of envy) in thought.
"Alright. How about you get something to eat, change into dry clothes, and meet me in my study later, and then we can make a plan of action?" Caspian suggested as he faced them.
. . .
It's amazing what a bit of food and pampering can do to a person, Edmund thought as he took a final look in the mirror of his gifted bedroom. Agreeing with the thought that he looked presentable in Narnian garments, he exited the room, met up with Lucy who was waiting for him, and made their way to Caspian's study with some directions.
Peter, Caspian and Professor Cornelius was already present by the time they arrived. Peter and Caspian stopped murmuring between themselves when Edmund and Lucy entered the room. It was obvious that Caspian and Peter had the same cordial tone between them, like when last they parted. Peter had trusted Caspian to rule the kingdom fairly, and after Caspian had told him, alike what he had told Edmund and Lucy on the Dawn Treader, that the kingdom fared well, Peter knew he had made the right choice back then.
After greeting the Professor as well, Lucy and Edmund gathered around the table to face Caspian and Peter.
"Alright, my hope now, is that we come to an agreement as to what we should do. I will send out a searching party, but in order to find your sister as quickly as possible, I want to hear your thoughts as well. Firstly, where do you suggest beginning?" Caspian asked them as he shifted his gaze from Pevensie to Pevensie. He noted how they all looked more like themselves now that they had tidied up and eaten, and he were relieved to see the journey back to Narnia hadn't been too hard on them.
"Well, I have no idea where you two ended up, but I believe I could see Beruna far south from my location." Peter explained.
"I am not sure where we ended up. We were just lucky to find you. Lu?" Edmund said.
"I have no idea. We walked longer than a day to find the outskirts of the Shuddering Woods, where we met the patrol and Glenstorm," Lucy said with a shrug of her shoulders. Finding Susan would be difficult, even with griffins patrolling from above.
"But then again, Susan is smart, I'm certain finding water would be her first priority." Edmund stated.
"My liege, if I may, I believe starting from Beruna, and following the Great River both sides would be a good start," Cornelius said, looking at each face over the rim of his spectacles.
"I agree. If the search should fail there, then River Rush is next priority." Caspian said.
"What about the sky?" Peter asked.
"I'll have two griffins per party scan from above. They have a better chance of spotting activity in the woods. Now, for the parties… Peter, do yo—"
A heavy banging on the door interrupted Caspian. Thought slightly annoyed at the interruption, he granted the guard access.
"My Lord, you should come see this. Foreign intrusion from the sky, west wall," the guard told them under his heavy breathing. He had apparently been running, alarming the royals.
Exchanging glances with the Pevensies, they followed the guard as he led them to the west wall of the fortress.
. . .
The west wall of the castle overlooked the courtyard, and from above, Lucy could see guards ushering servants inside, in case of a conflict with whatever had entered the perimeter.
Caspian, Peter, Lucy, Edmund and Professor Cornelius stood against the stone railing as they joined the guards patrolling there.
"My liege," a guard called as he handed him a periscope. Two guards on each side of the royals held their crossbows at the ready.
"What is it?" Lucy asked anxiously as Caspian peered through the periscope. From afar, a black dot could be seen circling the bridge before changing direction and staying true.
Trying to identify the dot, Peter assumed it could be anything from a dragon to a harpy.
"Is it a dragon?" Edmund asked.
"No. Too small." Caspian declined as he handed the periscope to Peter, who in turn handed it to Edmund, who then turned it to Lucy. By the time Lucy had received the periscope, whatever on the sky had become close enough for her to properly identify it.
"I'm not too sure, but it looks like… A winged horse?" she stated, handing the periscope back to Caspian. He adjusted the periscope before peering through it once more.
"I think you're right, Lucy."
A moment of silence appeared as they concentrated to identify the intruder from the sky.
That was, until Caspian's face broke into a sound grin.
"What is it?" Edmund asked when he heard more than saw Caspian's smile. Lowering the periscope, Caspian's face had turned into an expression of amazement.
"See for yourself," he said, handing Edmund the periscope. Scrutinizing the dot, which was no longer a dot, but a fully formed figure coming closer, Edmund too smiled.
"It's Susan!" Edmund exclaimed. Caspian signalled for the guards to lower their weapons.
"Susan? On a pegasus?" Peter asked in utter confusion, yet amazement could be heard under his voice.
"That's one way to travel," Edmund commented whilst handing the guard the periscope.
"Well, come on, then!" Lucy said before running down the stairs in the nearest tower. Following her, Caspian, Peter and Edmund ran down until they met Lucy in the courtyard. She looked up into the sky, an open-mouthed smile upon her lips. The boys too, squinting against the sunlight, watched as the winged, black creature descended in lazy beats of large wings.
"Think she sees us?" Peter said as the siblings walked closer to where the creature would supposedly land.
"Susan!" Lucy shouted as she waved her arms, skipping forward.
The pegasus cast a great shadow upon them as it descended, and not before long, prepared to land with powerful beats of it's wings to brace the impact of the landing.
Landing hard upon the stone floor, the pegasus galloped towards them before halting harshly.
And as Edmund had stated, on its back sat Susan who held a firm grip on its lush mane. Looking just as beaten as they had when arriving, she sat barefooted, with a ripped skirt and filthy blouse. Her black hair was up in a messy bun, but now looking just messy from the flight. Her cheeks burned a healthy red, and she grinned at her siblings from atop the pegasus.
"There you are, you lot!" she called, both happy and relieved to see them.
"Su, you're mad, you know that?" Peter exclaimed amusedly as he jogged along with Edmund and Lucy to greet her.
"Desperate times calls for desperate measures, brother!" she replied, making them all grin.
She had barely slid down from Astraea's back, before she was engulfed in hugs from her siblings as they all laughed merrily and commented on her grand entrance. Caspian grinned at the scene, all the while trying to contain the heart drumming inside his chest.
She was beautiful; she too, had grown since their bittersweet goodbye. Her shape was slender, yet she had curves in the right places, her face was now leaner, and her cheekbones refined. Her rosy lips just as cherry, and her eyes just as icy-blue. Her hair had darkened and contrasted perfectly to her pale skin.
"Where did you end up? Oh, Su, I'm so glad you're back as well!" Lucy said as she threw her arms around her sister once more. She had grown taller than Susan by an inch or two, making Susan overwhelmed at the thought of the time that had passed.
"On the coast of the Galmanian sea, can you believe it? Luckily, I got some help, or I would've never found you!"
"Could've given us a warning, ey, we were just about to aim crossbows at you," Edmund said cheekily, earning himself a nudge in the shoulder by his older sister.
"Well, I for one, am glad you found us, so Caspian didn't have to send out the whole army after you," Peter retorted as he slung an arm over her shoulders.
"What?" she asked.
"I believe he means it was a happy coincidence that you appeared just when were sending out a party for you." A voice before her spoke, one that she knew well, but were no longer accented. Turning her head, she saw him; Caspian. The one she never thought she would see again.
He was a man now – quite tall, he had grown muscular and broad-shouldered since they parted. His saber gaze was just as warming as she remembered, and she also noticed he had grown a beard since then. It suited him, very well, in fact. The look of him made her feel funny all over again.
He was shooting her a kind gaze and a handsome smile as he took a step closer to the reunion.
She too took a step away from her siblings, a hand covering her mouth in shock as she met his gaze. Not really knowing how to react, she certainly hadn't expected herself to even react this way; tears threatening to escape and her heart galloping like wild stallions. Her stomach made a pleasant flip as she kept silent. Not having much to say, she instead gasped out:
"Oh my God…" and threw herself into his embrace. Caspian laughed in happiness at her reaction and scooped her up into his arms as he hugged her front against his. Burying her face into his hair, she chocked out a laugh at the feel of seeing him again, the handsome King she so regretfully had told "they would never work out".
If someone had told Caspian that the Queen of his heart would return to him in about three years' time on a pegasus, before holding her in his arms again, he would question their sanity.
But now that he actually held Susan Pevensie in his arms, Caspian felt nothing but happiness. Pure, sheer happiness that lifted his spirits almost to the point that he felt like flying. The fact that her siblings were watching didn't bother him. He had her in his arms.
She was so tiny against him, he was afraid to hurt her if he held her any tighter, yet he couldn't not hug her closer with his strong arms.
She was cold, absolutely freezing, presumably from the flight, which made him want to bury her against his chest in front of a hearth. Unfortunately, he knew her brothers were watching, and decided to put her down as to not create an awkward moment.
Putting her down on the floor, he still held her close. One hand rested against the side of her neck whilst the other tucked a stray curl behind her ear.
"Welcome home," Caspian murmured sweetly as she met his gaze shyly.
Closing her eyes, a tear escaped down her cheekbone. He gently removed the tear with a stroke of his thumb.
Lucy too, had gotten emotional from the tender moment before her.
"We are home again, aren't we?" she said, and received a comforting squeeze around her shoulders from Peter.
"It would seem so," Edmund agreed.
Parting from their embrace, Caspian and Susan turned towards the others with smiles on their faces.
"Well, I am extremely happy to be back, no matter the circumstances," Peter added.
This made the Pevensies thoughtful – their reunion may be a happy one now, but when they learn the nature of they return, it might not be just as joyful.
The pegasus behind them snorted and stomped once, making them aware of its presence.
"Astraea…" Susan called gently as she walked over to the winged creature.
"I cannot thank you enough for bringing me here," she said sincerely and stroked Astraea's cheek.
"You have my gratitude as well, my Queen. Should you ever need me, simply call - I shall hear you," the pegasus said kindly. The others shared looks in awed surprise at the talking beast.
"Take care, my friend." Susan said, and leaned her forehead against Astraea's, who blew warm air at her through her nose.
"And you, daughter."
Stepping back to let the winged horse ascend into the sky, the five royals watched as the black pegasus took off into flight, and slowly disappeared in the sky until she was out of sight in the blue afternoon sky.
A/N: There it is, fellow Suspians and Narnian fanatics! The reunion. Fret not, there will be so much more to come, I cannot even comprehend how much! I look forward to writing it, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Until next we meet,
Dragon
