Cassia struggled against her bonds, but the ropes were no looser than they were three hours ago, and her skin burned where she'd repeatedly rubbed against them.

The surrounding camp was now empty as all the soldiers had left for the battlefield. She was surprised that at least one hadn't been left behind to guard her, but at the same time, the ropes held her so tightly that she would never be able to escape on her own anyway, especially when she was still only wearing her nightgown.

She could hear the sounds of battle ringing out a mile away from where she was tied to the tree. It had taken longer than she'd expected for the fighting to begin, and she didn't have the faintest idea who was winning. If only she could escape from these blasted ropes. She didn't care if she died out on the battlefield, she just wanted to be there with her brother and ensure his safety.

If he wasn't already dead.

Suddenly, the ropes around her wrists loosened, then the rest of them followed suit and fell to the ground.

Cassia quickly spun around to face the soldier who had freed her. "Drystan!"

The soldier put his hand to his chest and bowed. "Forgive me, my lady."

"No," Cassia said as she made him stand straight again. "Forgive me. I have not been the princess that our kingdom needed me to be. That my brother needed me to be."

"Are you all right?"

"My pride has been severely wounded, but I'm fine. What are you doing here? Why are you helping me? I'm considered a traitor to the Telmarines."

"I know."

"…You side with the Narnians, don't you?"

After a pause, Drystan softly but confidently admitted, "I do."

"Drystan…when you first told me your name, I had a strong feeling that you did, and I hated you for it. If I had told my uncle about my suspicions, he might've killed you."

"And yet, here we are."

"I don't understand. Why would you be here helping now after everything I've done in support of Miraz?"

"Last night…you led the guards in the wrong direction during the raid. I thought maybe it was just a mistake and tried not to think too much into it, but then this morning, I learned what Miraz had planned for you. I knew he wouldn't hurt you unless he knew that you no longer trusted him. I arrived here as soon I could so I could free you."

"…You have been the only one to help me after everyone else that I thought cared abandoned me. Drystan, I'm so, so sorry. For…everything."

"It's all right, Princess. I've already forgiven you."

Cassia's heart throbbed painfully in her chest. How could he possibly forgive all of her mistakes and foolish actions without a second thought?

She forced her tears back and tried to focus on the immediate task at hand. "Do you know what's happening on the battlefield?"

Drystan's face fell. "I only managed a glimpse, but I could see that the Telmarines are winning."

"I see. You have had to hide your loyalty to the Narnians all this time, but now I join you in that loyalty. Will you lend me your sword?"

"You are my princess. I will always fight for you."

"Thank you, but I mean that I need to borrow your sword."

Drystan's brow furrowed. "You don't mean that you intend to go and fight?"

"I have been on the wrong side of things for too long. That ends now."

"Princess, if you go out there with no protection, you'll surely be killed. Please, let me fight for you."

"No. I need you to return to the castle and gather everyone who feels as you do. No matter what happens today on the battlefield, neither my uncle nor any of his followers are allowed to sit on my father's throne again, and I need you to promise that you will ensure that."

Drystan got down on one knee. "You have my solemn word."

For years, Cassia had only given orders based on what her uncle wanted or led her to believe. For the first time, she gave orders according to what she personally knew to be right.

Drystan unsheathed his sword and held it out for her.

Cassia took it from his hands and tested its weight. It was a little heavier than she would've liked, but it would still serve her well. "Long live Aslan."

Drystan stood up. "Long live Aslan."

Cassia spun the sword in her hand and headed for the battlefield.

After almost an hour of galloping all throughout the woods, Lucy and Eva were beginning to lose hope that they would ever find what they were looking for. If they took much longer, the Narnians were going to fall to the Telmarines, assuming they hadn't already.

Eva heard additional hoofbeats behind her and frantically turned her head. "Lucy!"

Lucy glanced back and saw a Telmarine soldier in close pursuit, a loaded crossbow in his hand.

The two girls urged their horses on even faster to try to outrun the enemy.

Noises to their left revealed a large golden animal running through the trees alongside them.

Lucy felt her breath catch. Could it be…?

The animal came closer, and Eva saw that it was in fact a huge lion. He stopped on a small raised piece of land and roared which caused Destrier and Saragon to rear up in fright. Eva screamed as she and Lucy fell from their respective horses' backs and fell to the ground.

The Telmarine soldier stopped on the other side of the makeshift pathway in alarm.

Eva sat up a little and looked at Lucy with wide eyes as the lion growled at them. Then the lion leapt over the two girls with a level of agility that Eva had never believed possible and tackled the Telmarine soldier who had been chasing them. The now riderless horse galloped off.

The two girls slowly climbed up the small hill as they heard the lion growling. Eva thought for sure that the lion would've killed the soldier with his ferocity alone, but she was surprised to see the soldier running away from them, perfectly unharmed otherwise.

The lion's head turned to look at them, his face now warm and loving.

Lucy smiled broadly. "Aslan!"

She excitedly ran to him and hugged him so tightly that they both fell over. Aslan laughed kindly as he wrapped his paw around Lucy's back.

Lucy sat up and crossed her legs. "I knew it was you! The whole time, I knew it! But the others didn't believe me."

"And why would that stop you from coming to me?" Aslan asked.

Lucy looked away from him guiltily. "I'm sorry. I was too scared to come alone."

Eva now knew that Edmund had spoken the truth about what Aslan was like and how he made one feel, but at the same time, she realized that there were no words that could truly describe what it felt like to be in his presence.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest from guilt, fear, and excitement. She wanted to say something, anything, but all she could think about was how she had betrayed him yesterday by nearly releasing the White Witch.

Aslan turned his head towards her and looked directly into her eyes. Under his warm gaze, Eva somehow felt small yet powerful, lesser yet important, unworthy yet known. Tears came to her eyes at the contradicting and overwhelming feelings inside of her.

"Hello, Eva," the lion said gently.

Hearing her name from his mouth filled her entire being with a warmth and kindness and understanding she had never known. All of the doubts and negative thoughts inside of her vanished with the mere utterance of that simple two-syllable word. It was such a wonderful feeling that she didn't even question how he knew her name. From just one look, it was as if he had always known her.

Eva finally took three hesitant steps forward. "Hello, sir."

"You've done well."

She didn't want to contradict him, but how could anything she'd done in the last few days be considered something to be praised? There were so many things she'd done wrong.

As if reading her thoughts, Aslan added, "Everyone makes mistakes. But the ones who are wise will learn from them. As you have."

Eva smiled a little and sat on the ground next to Lucy.

"Why wouldn't you show yourself?" Lucy asked. "Why couldn't you come roaring in and save us like last time?"

Aslan looked at her lovingly. "Things never happen the same way twice, dear one."

"…If I'd have come earlier, would everyone who died…could I have stopped that?"

"We can never know what would have happened, Lucy. But what will happen is another matter entirely."

"You mean you'll help?"

"Of course. As will the both of you."

"But I still don't know how to fight," Eva said. "And…" She looked down at her injured hand, a reminder of what had happened the last time she'd tried to help. "I was terrified just trying to ride the horse."

"I wish I was braver," Lucy added quietly.

Aslan smiled at the two girls. "Bravery does not mean being fearless. It means doing the right thing in spite of your fear. If the both of you were any braver, you'd be lionesses."

The two girls smiled at him and each other.

Aslan stood up. "Now, I think your friends have slept long enough, don't you?"

He let out a tremendous roar that made Eva and Lucy cover their ears. Eva laughed as his roar reached deep inside her and made her feel just as Edmund had said: complete.

Aslan was better than she ever could've imagined.

Meanwhile, the battle at Aslan's How raged on.

The Telmarine soldiers continued to surround them on all sides. For every soldier the Narnians cut down, three more filled his place. They were exhausted and couldn't keep fighting for much longer with their ever-diminishing numbers.

One of the soldiers disarmed Trumpkin and struck his face. Caspian threw a dagger directly at the soldier which embedded into his chest, and Trumpkin quickly rolled out of the way before the soldier fell on him.

The Telmarine soldiers marched even closer, shrinking the available space that the Narnians had to fight.

Some of the Narnians charged directly at the surrounding soldiers, but they just formed a barricade with their shields and killed them when they fell into the brigade.

"Elaine!" Peter yelled.

Without a second of hesitation, Elaine bolted over to him and threw her arm around his neck. Peter clamped his arm on her waist, lifted her up, and spun around in a circle while Elaine used her staff to cut down six Telmarine soldiers around them.

Two soldiers charged Caspian at once, and he was so focused on fighting them that he failed to notice a fallen body near his feet. He tripped backwards over the body and fell into the pit he and the Narnians had previously created.

Clearing the stars out of his eyes and quickly gaining his bearings, Caspian sat up and saw General Glozelle spear one of the minotaurs then yank the weapon out of the dead body and turn around with a battle cry.

Caspian flinched as Glozelle raised the spear and prepared to strike.

"NO!"

To the two men's astonishment, Cassia raced in between them and held a sword above her head with both hands to block the blow.

Glozelle instantly froze as he looked at the battered young woman before him. She was still dressed in her nightgown with no other armor or protection except for the sword in her hands. Her entire lithe frame was covered in filth and grime, her feet were bare and torn, and her deep black hair hung wildly around her shoulders. But in spite of her unsightly appearance, Glozelle looked into her firm and piercing eyes and realized that Cassia was not the naïve and passive princess she had been only two days ago. The very air about her had transformed her into a resilient, indominable woman ready to fight for her family and kingdom whatever the cost.

Glozelle started to lower the spear.

Suddenly, a thick vine sprang out from the ground and wrapped around Glozelle's waist. Cassia's eyes widened in shock when it yanked him back into the land so forcefully that it rendered him unconscious.

The ground started trembling beneath her feet.

Caspian quickly stood up. "Cassia!"

"Caspian!" Cassia turned and threw her arms around her brother's neck. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"I thought you were dead," Caspian said softly. He pulled back and looked at the angry red marks on her wrists left behind by the manacles and ropes. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm all right."

"Come on."

The two of them went to the edge of the pit where Peter and Elaine each took their hands and helped them back onto the ground. To their utter amazement, the trees from the surrounding forest were using their roots to maneuver across the battlefield and turn the tables on the soldiers.

All of the remaining Telmarines quickly began fleeing away from the How. How were they supposed to win against trees?

"Lucy and Eva," Peter smiled.

The two girls had succeeded in finding Aslan. Who else could command trees to come to their aid?

One of the catapults launched a rock that downed one of the trees, and it groaned in agony as it fell. In anger, the other trees drove their roots into the ground and dug them all the way to the Telmarines on the opposite side. Then the roots burst out again and crushed all of the catapults. The Narnians cheered again in victory.

"For Aslan!" Peter yelled as he held up his sword.

"For Aslan!" Elaine echoed, holding up her staff.

All of the Narnians charged at the retreating Telmarine army.

One of the soldiers quickly rode up to Sopespian. "We can defeat them if we draw them to the river!"

"We must regroup!" Sopespian ordered his army. "To Beruna!"

The Telmarine army rushed to the Beruna river and the bridge they had built to cross it, planning to use the rushing water to cut off the trees' abilities and divide up the enemy. Peter, Elaine, Edmund, Susan, Caspian, and Cassia led the Narnian army through the forest and to the edge of the river.

When they broke through the trees, half of the Telmarine soldiers focused on the Narnians and prepared to engage in battle again while the other half focused on something ahead of them.

All of the soldiers from both sides stopped when they noticed two young girls calmly approaching them from the other side of the bridge.

Lucy and Eva smiled at each other. Then Lucy slowly pulled out her dagger. To the Telmarines' absolute disbelief, Aslan walked up and stood between the two girls.

Cassia gasped lightly at the Great Lion's appearance. He was the most beautiful and stunning creature she had ever seen in her life, and her heart filled with a deep yearning to get closer to him. She looked at her brother and smiled. What their father wouldn't have given to be here in this moment seeing the Great Lion with his own eyes.

Sopespian quickly got over his initial shock and raised his sword. "Charge!"

The Telmarines all charged towards Lucy and Eva, both on the bridge and in the water, but neither of the girls appeared nervous. Aslan glared at the approaching army and let out a thunderous roar.

Cassia and Caspian's hearts leapt in their chests. They'd heard stories of Aslan growing up, but none of them came close to describing the raw and infinite power he possessed and how it affected anyone who stood near him.

The Telmarines stopped their charge as the river's water began to recede. When they looked to the right, they saw a huge wave coming straight for them. In terror, the Telmarines quickly turned back around and retreated to the shore.

As the wave came closer, it morphed into the shape of a man.

Cassia let out a small laugh of surprise. Having lived in the castle all her life, she had never witnessed magic or seen spirits before. Watching such power unfold before her eyes was unlike anything she'd ever experienced.

The River Man looked at all of the soldiers responsible for stifling him by building the bridge. Aslan nodded, and the River Man dove under the bridge and lifted it up onto his shoulders. The Telmarine soldiers quickly jumped off and the ones who didn't soon fell into the river which left Sopespian alone.

The River Man brought the bridge down in front of his face and glared at the lone soldier. Sopespian screamed and wildly swung his sword as the River Man swallowed him up. Then he fell back down into the river with a crash. The water burst high into the air then slowly became still again and carried the splintered pieces of the bridge away.

After what everyone had just seen, the Telmarines decided to surrender. Each of the generals and soldiers gave up their weapons to one of the Narnians with the promise that they would not be harmed.

Peter, Elaine, Susan, Edmund, Caspian, and Cassia crossed the river and approached Aslan. Then all six of them got on their knees and knelt before the Great Lion.

"Rise, Kings and Queens of Narnia," Aslan said.

Peter, Elaine, Susan, and Edmund all looked up at Aslan and stood, but Caspian and Cassia remained on their knees.

"All of you."

Caspian looked up in surprise. "I do not think I am ready," he admitted.

"It's for that very reason I know you are."

Caspian looked at the others and slowly rose. "With respect, sir, a king is only as good as those he keeps in his company." He turned to his still-kneeling sister. "Cassia, would you be my adviser and rule alongside me?"

Cassia smiled and opened her mouth to answer but then stopped. "Only if Aslan and the Kings and Queens of Old believe I am worthy."

Aslan smiled gently. "Because you have asked, you are."

Cassia smiled again as her brother took her hand and helped her stand. She had always been eager for Caspian to take the throne, but now that she knew the truth about their history and where he stood and all of his ideals, she was thrilled about what lay ahead for their country with him as king.

Elaine wrapped her arm around Peter's waist as his arm rested on her shoulders.

The sound of small bagpipes alerted them to several mice bringing forth an injured Reepicheep on a tiny stretcher. They gently set him down before Aslan.

Lucy quickly rushed forward and let a drop of her healing potion fall into his mouth. After a few seconds, Reepicheep gasped and slowly got back up.

"Oh, thank you, Your Majesty," he said to Lucy.

Some of his mice comrades helped their leader stand up from the stretcher.

When Reepicheep looked up, he realized he was in the presence of someone he had only dreamed of meeting. "Oh! Hail, Aslan! It is a great honor to be in—" He tried to bow, but he lost his balance and fell forward. When he looked behind him, he saw with horror that his tail was gone. "Oh! I'm completely out of countenance! I must crave your indulgence for appearing in this unseemly fashion." He turned to Lucy. "Uh…perhaps a drop more?"

"I don't think it does that," Lucy told him.

"You could have a go."

Aslan chuckled. "It becomes you well, small one."

"All the same, great King, I regret that I must withdraw, for a tail is the honor and glory of a mouse."

"Perhaps you think too much of your honor, friend."

"Well, it-it's not just the honor. It's also great for balance. And climbing. And grabbing things."

"May it please Your High Majesty," one of the mice stated. "We will not bear the shame of wearing an honor denied to our chief."

All of the mice held their swords up to their own tails.

Aslan chuckled again. "Not for the sake of your dignity, but for the love of your people."

Everyone watched in amazement as Reepicheep's tail grew right back before their very eyes.

Reeipcheep laughed. "Look!" he exclaimed to his comrades. Then he turned and bowed to Aslan. "Thank you, my liege. I will treasure it always. From this day forward, it will serve as a great reminder of my huge humility."

Aslan laughed kindly. "Now, where is this dear little friend you've told me so much about?"

Everyone looked over at Trumpkin.

When he realized everyone was staring at him, Trumpkin slowly walked over to them and got onto his knees before Aslan.

Aslan roared loudly which made Trumpkin flinch.

"Do you see him now?" Lucy asked, repeating his question from earlier when he had not believed she had seen Aslan herself.

Trumpkin gave a nervous but relieved smile to the others.

Peter pulled Elaine close and kissed the top of her head, and Caspian gently put his arm around his sister's shoulders.

All was right in Narnia once again.