When Elizabeth awoke, she stood up from the bed to quickly dress in preparation for the journey ahead of them. But despite the sinister island overlooking them only a few miles away, she couldn't stop smiling. Though a part of her wanted her to believe that the events of last night were nothing more than a wonderful dream, she knew better.
Caspian loved her and she loved him.
The king of the entire land of Narnia loved her.
She couldn't stop replaying him saying those words over and over again, and her heart fluttered so much in her chest that it was a wonder it didn't stop completely from being so overwhelmed with happiness and excitement for the first time in years.
Elizabeth exited Caspian's chambers and looked out across the ocean at the dark and foreboding island ahead of them where the seventh sword rested.
This wasn't going to be easy.
But she had faith that everyone on the ship could defeat the darkness inside the island and inside themselves.
"Good morning," Caspian said with a smile as he came to stand next to her.
"Good morning, Caspian."
"Are you ready for this?"
"No," she softly admitted. "Are you?"
"My answer as a king would be yes. My honest answer…is no." He lightly put his hand on hers. "But just remember. You're not alone anymore."
Elizabeth smiled at him. "Neither are you."
Caspian gently put his hand to her cheek and softly kissed her. Elizabeth could feel glances and stares from the other passengers, but this time, she didn't care. She was far too elated to concern herself with what they thought.
The remaining passengers on the Dawn Treader came up onto the main deck and with everyone accounted for, Drinian began to steer the ship through the surrounding fog.
"So what do you think is in there?" Tavros asked.
"Our worst nightmares," Edmund answered.
"Our darkest wishes," Caspian added.
Drinian looked over at them from the helm. "Pure evil. Tavros, unlock the armory."
"My lord," Tavros replied.
The minotaur headed down the steps from the helm to the main deck and went to open up the armory so everyone was armed for the upcoming battle.
"Archers, prepare yourselves!"
"Aye, Captain!" one of the men called.
"Light the lanterns!" Tavros ordered.
Caspian looked at Edmund. "Let's get ready."
The two of them went into Caspian's chambers to put on their armor while Lucy, Elizabeth, and Eva went to the Chart Room. Gael sat on one of the chairs and watched the three older girls prepare themselves for battle.
As Lucy put her dagger and healing cordial into the belt around her waist, Gael said from the chair, "When I grow up, I want to be just like you."
Lucy froze, reminded of all the times she'd wished she was exactly like her older sister because she'd thought that Susan was better than her in every way. Now able to understand the danger of such thoughts, she turned to the girl with a smile, walked over to the chair, and put her arm around her. "When you grow up, you should be just like you."
Eva smiled fondly. At last, Lucy finally saw that she was beautiful and special in her own unique way. She then smirked at Elizabeth. "So…you and Caspian?"
Elizabeth blushed and she nervously tucked her hair behind her ear.
"When did this happen?"
"Last night. He told me he loved me."
"He said he loved you? What did you say?"
"That I loved him too."
"That's so cute! I'm so thankful that Aslan called you to come with us this time. And I'm sure Caspian is as well."
Elizabeth laughed lightly. "I'm glad Aslan called me here too. I don't think I realized how much I needed to be here."
"Neither did I. Both last time and this time. I know we're all nervous about what we're soon going to face, but if there's one thing that I've been trying this whole journey to keep in mind, trust in Aslan to see us through and help us when we most need it."
Meanwhile in Caspian's chambers, Caspian tied half of his hair up so he wouldn't have to worry about it flying into his face while he was fighting. He gave Edmund one of his breastplates and then slipped another one onto his chest and secured it at his waist and shoulders. "In case we don't get through…whatever this is…" he started, "I want you to know I think of you as my brother, Ed."
"Me too," Edmund said with a small smile.
Caspian began to help secure Edmund's borrowed armor. "You gave up your sword."
"It wasn't mine to keep."
Caspian went over to one of his cabinets and carefully pulled out a very special weapon. "Use this."
"But it's—"
"Peter would want you to have it."
There was a knock on the door, and Elizabeth and Eva stepped inside.
Eva smiled when she saw Peter's sword resting around Edmund's waist. "Are you ready?"
Edmund walked over to her and took her hand. "Ready."
The both of them went back out onto the main deck.
Elizabeth took a step towards Caspian. "I don't know how much help I'll be during this. I've only trained with a sword a few times."
"Do what you do best. Take care of yourself and the others when they need you." He looked at her strawberry-blonde hair resting freely around her shoulders. "You should tie your back so it doesn't get in the way."
"Oh, I…"
"Would you like me to braid it for you?"
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in surprise as she smiled. "You can do that?"
He motioned for her to take a seat and she did so. "You don't grow up with an older sister and not learn a thing or two about braiding."
Elizabeth laughed lightly and then closed her eyes as Caspian's fingers gently grazed across her scalp to tie her hair up into two French braids, perfect for staying out of her eyes with little danger of them falling out in the chaos. "Thank you."
Caspian tenderly caressed the side of her face. "I love you, Elizabeth."
"I love you as well, Caspian."
She stood up from the chair and rested her hands on his arms as she reached up to kiss him. When they broke apart, Caspian tightly wrapped his arms around her. Elizabeth didn't know exactly what was going to happen in the next few hours or if they would even make it out alive, but she held onto this one beautiful and perfect moment where she was completely safe inside the embrace of someone who loved and accepted her exactly as she was.
They stayed that way for as long as they could until Caspian was forced to pull away and go out onto the deck to face his men and prepare to enter Dark Island.
The passengers of the Dawn Treader now armed and ready to fight, Caspian stood at the top of the stern. "No matter what happens here, every soul who stands before me has earned their place on the crew of the Dawn Treader. Together, we have traveled far. Together, we have faced adversity. Together…we can do it again. So now is not the time to fall into fear's temptations. Be strong. Never give in. Our world, our Narnian lives, depend on it. Think of the lost souls we are here to save. Think of Aslan. Think of Narnia."
Caspian started to descend the steps but he stopped when Drinian yelled, "For Narnia!"
"For Narnia!" the rest of the crew cheered.
Eva threw up hers and Edmund's hands. "For Aslan!"
Elizabeth smiled broadly as she met Caspian's stunned eyes. "For Aslan!"
Some of the crew members went below decks to row the ship since the island would cut off all access to the wind. After a few minutes, the Dawn Treader crossed the threshold of Dark Island and began sailing right into the heart of it.
The fog was as thick as blood. Green tendrils of smoky mist floated throughout the ship and between the passengers both above and below deck. Some of it began to take on various shapes and forms to terrorize the crew and bring to life their deepest fears and darkest desires.
"I can't see a thing," Drinian said to Caspian. "This fog's too thick."
A cloud of green mist floated next to the young king standing at the helm. "You are a great disappointment to me," a male voice said to him.
Elizabeth jumped at the voice that felt like it came from inside her head. That wasn't Martin's voice though nor any other voice she recognized. Who was it?
The green mist materialized into a face on Caspian's left. "You call yourself my son, then act like a king."
Elizabeth realized that the mist was bringing to life Caspian's fear of disappointing his father and failing to live up to his name. She didn't know why she was seeing Caspian's father and hearing his voice, but she could only assume that their confession of love last night had brought them close enough to share in each other's fears and allowed her to see what he was experiencing.
She gently put a hand on Caspian's shoulder. "Caspian. It's just your fear talking. That's not really your father."
"You saw that?" he asked.
Elizabeth nodded.
Caspian sighed and looked ahead to try to figure out their course.
"You think this man actually loves you?"
Elizabeth's heart skipped multiple beats when she heard Martin's voice behind her. Suddenly, it was as if she was inside that house again, trapped in the dark and tiny closet, with no hope of ever being able to leave.
The mist floated directly in front of her and to her horror, there was Martin. "No one could ever love someone as pathetic and useless as you."
It was one thing to confront what Martin had done to her, but it was another thing entirely to confront him, even if it was only a manifestation of him.
"Elizabeth!" Caspian said urgently, taking her arms and turning her to face him. "That was Martin, wasn't it?"
Elizabeth felt tears come to her eyes as she nodded a little. Hearing and seeing Martin again made her feel like all of the progress she'd made in moving forward was now non-existent. Would she ever truly be free of him?
"Remember, he does not determine either of our feelings. And he has not once ever spoken the truth."
Elizabeth took a deep breath as Caspian's hands dropped from her arms. She lightly took his hand in hers, as if holding onto him would keep Martin at bay.
"Edmund, Eva," a sickly-sweet voice crooned down on the main deck.
Edmund and Eva looked to their right and saw that the mist had materialized into the White Witch. Eva winced a little as her scar began to sting, just like it had in her dreams.
"Come with me. Be my king. I'll let you both rule. I'll give you everything you ever wanted."
"Go away," Edmund said firmly. "You're dead."
"You can never kill me. I'll always be alive in your minds, silly dears!"
"No!" Edmund and Eva cried out together.
"Edmund, Eva," Lucy said.
The both of them spun around to face the girl.
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah," Edmund said, clearly shaken up.
Eva looked at the scar on her hand, the stinging pain now gone. She reminded herself once more that the Witch could not take away the pain nor could she control her as long as she put her faith in Aslan.
Suddenly, an eerie moaning echoed throughout the air. Everyone ran to the side of the ship to try to find out who or what was making the noise. The archers quickly loaded up their crossbows and prepared to fire the second they were given the order.
"Keep away! Keep away!" a male voice yelled.
"Who's there?" Edmund called.
"We do not fear you!" Caspian shouted.
"Nor I you!" the mysterious voice called back.
Edmund quickly picked up his torch and shined it out onto the nearby rock to reveal a very unkempt man who looked like he had lost his mind. Trapped on this island for who-knew-how-long, he probably had. He held a sword above his head, ready to attack anyone who got too close to him.
"Keep away!" the man yelled.
"We will not leave," Caspian answered firmly.
"You will not defeat me!"
Edmund then realized what the man was holding. "Caspian! Caspian, his sword!"
The man looked at them all terrified, probably thinking they wanted to disarm him and do something horrible to him.
Caspian's eyes widened and he quickly descended the helm's steps. "Lord Rhoop!"
The last missing lord moved to the other side of the rock. "You do not own me!"
"Stand down," Caspian ordered the archers. "Let's get him onboard quickly!"
Some crew members prepared to throw grappling hooks towards the rock so they could safely transport the lord onto the ship. However, before they got the chance to toss them, Eustace flew behind the rock, swept the lord up in his claws, and carefully placed him onto the ship's deck.
The man quickly stood up with a wild and fearful look in his eyes and aimed his sword at them.
"Be calm, my lord," Caspian said cautiously.
"Off me, demon!" the lord shouted.
"No, my lord. We are not here to hurt you. I am your king, Caspian."
"Caspian?" the lord whispered. He slowly turned around to look at the young man. "My lord? You should not have come! There's no way out of here! Quickly, turn this ship about before it's too late!"
"We have the sword, let's go!" Edmund said.
"Let's turn her about, Drinian!" Caspian ordered.
"Aye-aye, Your Majesty," Drinian answered.
"Elizabeth, tend to him."
Elizabeth nodded and quickly made her way down the stairs and over to the frantic lord. "Come, my lord," she said calmly. "Let's get down to the lower deck where you'll be safe and I can look after you."
Lord Rhoop roughly pushed her away and some of the passengers quickly started to come to her defense, but Elizabeth held her hand out to stop them before they made things worse. She did not fault the lord for his behavior. If she'd been stuck on this nightmarish island for even a few days much less months or years, she would react the same way to anyone who tried to help.
"There's nowhere safe! Don't you see?!"
"I will personally make sure that you are safe," Elizabeth told him. "Please, just allow me to help you. Everything is going to be okay."
Lord Rhoop frantically turned to the other passengers. "Do not think! Do not let it know your fears, or it will become them!"
Edmund closed his eyes and swallowed hard. "Oh, no."
"Edmund, what did you just think of?" Lucy asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
He ran to the side of the ship, and to the crew's horror, two of the rocks in the water started moving. Something rammed the side of the ship and everyone onboard tumbled over at the sudden movement.
Edmund quickly helped Eva and Lucy back on their feet while Caspian did the same for Elizabeth.
Caspian then rushed to the side of the ship and pointed to the water. "Look! What is that?"
A large scaly creature slithered next to the ship.
"It's too late," Lord Rhoop muttered. "It's too late!"
"It's gone under the boat!" one of the crew members cried worriedly.
Gael nervously backed away towards the other side of the ship.
Lucy turned around to see where the creature went, and her eyes widened as she screamed, "Gael!"
The creature shot out of the water behind Gael to reveal the head of a terrifying sea serpent that angrily screeched at them.
Lucy frantically grabbed Gael from the railing and clung onto her as the men pointed their swords and crossbows at the horrifying monster.
"Hold fast!" Drinian ordered.
Suddenly, Eustace roared and breathed fire into the monster's face then sunk his claws into its head. The sea monster knocked into the ship several times as it tried to get Eustace off.
"Eustace!" Elizabeth screamed.
Reepicheep disembarked from his perch atop Eustace and scampered onto the monster. "For Narnia! Take that and that!" When Reepicheep plunged his sword into the monster's nose, the serpent flung him off where he landed on the rope just below the crow's nest. "Eustace, hang on!"
The sea serpent finally managed to fling Eustace off its face which sent him sailing over the ship. Eustace quickly gained his bearings and started to fly back around to confront the monster again, but then the sea serpent suddenly grabbed him in its mouth and plunged down into the water.
"NO!" Elizabeth cried.
After a few painstaking seconds, the sea monster shot back up, Eustace still thrashing around in its mouth. It viciously hurled him onto the nearest rock and went in for another attack.
"Come on, Eustace! Fight! I know you can do it!"
Weakened but determined to defend Elizabeth and the rest of the crew from this creature, Eustace lifted his head and breathed fire onto the monster's face again which forced it to go back into the water for relief.
"Out, creature!" Lord Rhoop yelled. He pushed Caspian out of the way and threw his sword directly at Eustace.
"No, the sword! The sword!" Caspian cried.
Eustace roared as the sword sank deep into his shoulder.
"No!" Elizabeth screamed again.
Exhausted and deeply in pain, Eustace flew off the rock and away from the ship.
"No, come back!" Lucy pleaded.
"Eustace!" Elizabeth called.
Lord Rhoop hysterically climbed the stairs towards the helm. "We are doomed. Doomed!" He shoved the helmsman away from the steering wheel. "Turn this ship about!"
Everyone lost their footing when Lord Rhoop made the ship suddenly jerk to the right. With no other choice if they wanted to get out of here, Drinian punched Lord Rhoop in the face hard enough to knock him out.
"Now, crew, to your rowing positions," he ordered. "Oars at double speed."
Half of the crew members went back down to the lower deck and quickly began rowing the ship out of the island as fast as they possibly could. One of the other crew members assisted Elizabeth in getting Lord Rhoop down to the bunks where she could properly tend to him.
Unfortunately, the sea serpent then shot out of the water once again and wrapped its body around the ship once, then twice, then three times.
The crew members shouted and screamed as they all tried to avoid the sea serpent's body. It tightened its hold on the ship which made it began to splinter and break under the pressure.
Lucy quickly rushed Gael into Caspian's chambers and grabbed Susan's bow and arrows and Elaine's staff. "Now you must stay here until someone comes and gets you, okay?"
Gael nodded as she whimpered.
"Ed! Eva!" Caspian yelled from the steering wheel. "We'll ram the serpent! Smash him on the rocks!"
"Steer her to port!" Edmund told him. "I'll keep it on the prow!"
"Eva!" Lucy called.
Eva turned, and Lucy tossed her Elaine's staff. Her fingers tightly wrapped around the weapon she'd practiced using in secret over the course of the trip. Determined to make its original owner proud, she tucked it in the back of her belt to use at the precise moment she needed it.
Edmund squeezed himself out onto the mouth of the dragon figurehead and shined his torch at the sea serpent. "Try and kill me, come on! Come on, I'm here!"
The sea monster lunged for him and snapped off the top of the figurehead.
"No!" Lucy screamed.
"Edmund!" Caspian and Eva yelled.
Edmund, having maneuvered out of the way of the serpent's mouth just in time, quickly climbed onto the top of the damaged figurehead. "I'm still here!"
An arrow suddenly came flying past him and lodged into the sea monster's eye. Eva whipped around to see that Lucy had just released an arrow with her sister's bow. She smiled proudly at the girl who nodded back.
"Brace yourselves!" Caspian shouted.
The ship rammed into one of the rocks and pinned the sea serpent between it and the Dawn Treader which made it let out an ear-piercing shriek. Edmund jumped from the figurehead just as it made impact and rolled over the serpent's body and down onto the deck.
Eva quickly rushed over to him and knelt down next to him. "Edmund! Are you okay?!"
Edmund slowly opened his eyes. "Other than the giant sea serpent attacking, I'm great."
"If we live through this, I'm never letting you live this down."
Despite his guilt at conjuring up the sea serpent in the first place, Edmund couldn't help chuckling.
Eva carefully helped him to his feet as Caspian came over to them.
The ship floated away from the rock and the sea serpent, now angrier than ever, opened up its body to reveal many squirming tendrils. The serpent glared at Edmund and went in for the attack.
"Move!" Caspian yelled. He tackled Edmund to the deck barely a second before the serpent killed him then grabbed a fallen sword and quickly cut off one of the tendrils. The sea monster shrieked in pain, and Caspian's eyes widened when the tendril turned into green mist and disappeared. "We can beat this."