A/N: Well, it's 30 October where I am, so i'm updating. Enjoy!

Chapter 2:

Previously:

"Caspian!" She heard Edmund shout, and she froze. Caspian? She'd figured they were back in Narnia, but… The last time they'd come back, 1300 years had gone by. Slowly, she turned around to see Edmund embracing Caspian. He still looked young, like only a few years had gone by.

"Edmund! It's great to see you!" Caspian said, and Susan's breath stilled at the sound. She had no idea how to act around him now.

So, of course, Caspian looked up at that precise moment, and locked eyes with her.

They both took a halting step towards each other, before both freezing. Susan desperately wanted to throw her arms around his neck and hug him, to crash her lips to his as she had done a year ago, but she was paralyzed. How long had it been for Caspian? Had he found a wife already? Or perhaps his feelings had faded with time?

With none of the grace she usually possessed, she held out her hand. "H-hello, Caspian."

He took it, clearly feeling just as awkward as she did. Was that a good sign? But if he still felt the same way, wouldn't he have reached out to hug her? "Susan," he said quietly, and it was all she could do to keep breathing.

Suddenly, she was painfully aware that the entire ship's crew had been privy to their awkward reunion, and she could feel her cheeks flame. It didn't help that her clothes were still dripping from their plunge into the water.

"It's great to see you all!" Caspian said, turning back to Edmund and Lucy, though his eyes flickered back to her briefly.

"Didn't you call for us?" Lucy asked, stepping in. Lucy might have been young, but Susan knew she wanted to alleviate the tension between them. The youngest Pevensie had always been intuitive that way.

"No, not this time," Caspian replied, and once again, his eyes found Susan's. She wasn't sure why, but it almost made her uncomfortable. She was probably just overthinking the whole thing...

"Well, whatever the case, we're glad to be back," Edmund said, drawing attention back to him.

Susan wasn't sure what she would have done without her siblings to form a barrier, but she was glad to have them there. Although she was also jealous of how Lucy and Edmund felt at ease with Caspian, and could hug him and laugh with him, whereas she just felt unsure of herself.

"Ah! Get that thing off me!"

A weary sigh escaped her before she could stop it. She could see Caspian raising his eyebrows in something resembling amusement as he watched Eustace wailing and blubbering on the deck of the ship. Reepicheep was attempting to… she didn't even know what Reep was trying to do.

Before long, Eustace had managed to dislodge Reep, who rolled over the deck and came to a stop before the royals' feet. "Reepicheep!" Lucy exclaimed joyfully.

Reep turned around and looked surprised, but happy to see them. "Oh!" he said, fixing his sword belt. "Your Majesties!" He sweeped into a deep bow, and Susan couldn't help but smile.

"Hello, Reep. What a pleasure," Edmund grinned.

"The pleasure is all mine, sir!" Reepicheep replied, straightening his feather. "But first, what to do about this...hysterical interloper?" he asked, gesturing back to Eustace, who was now staggering to his feet.

Susan barely listened to Eustace and Reep arguing back and forth, her attention back on Caspian. He was standing next to Edmund, his arms crossed, and an amused smile on his face. "Actually, it's getting him to shut up that's the trick," he said, pulling Susan back to the conversation as the crew laughed.

Eustace continued to shout about wanting to go back, though honestly, Susan wasn't paying his words any mind. She did feel a little sorry for him, knowing how confusing it could be to arrive in Narnia for the first time. At least she'd had some time to adjust before she'd come face-to-face with a talking beaver.

"Perhaps we could throw him back?" Reepicheep suggested. Susan wasn't sure if he was joking, but Edmund seemed to seriously consider it.

"Edmund!" Lucy exclaimed, though it was clear the younger Pevensie was struggling to hide a grin of her own.

"He's our cousin," Susan said, falling easily back into her role as the Gentle Queen. "He's new to Narnia, and not used to anything other than humans."

"I demand to know where in the blazes am I?!" Eustace shouted, hysteria edging into his cracking voice.

"You're on the Dawn Treader," a minotaur said, "the finest ship in Narnia's navy!"

Caspian walked over, and Susan trailed behind him, unsure of what would happen.

And then Eustace fainted.

The whole crew erupted with laughter, and Caspian ordered the minotaur to take care of him. As he turned around, he almost bumped into Susan, and she scrambled to step back. "Sorry," she whispered. Just what was it about that man that made her lose all poise and grace?

He blushed, and lowered his head - a gesture far more shy than anything she'd ever seen from him - before moving around her. He led her to the stairs leading to the front of the ship. "Men! Behold our castaways; Edmund the Just, Lucy the Valiant, and Susan the Gentle, High King and Queens of Narnia."

The men all sank down on one knee, and Susan felt a little rush of happiness and pride. She'd forgotten how great it felt to be respected and seen as a person, rather than just a pretty face. She was a Queen of Narnia again.

/*/

After Drinian - Caspian's first mate - had sent the men back to work, Caspian gave them all time to change out of their wet clothes, and led them back to his cabin. It was almost like being back at Cair Paravel, with the glass cabinet doors, and Narnian paintings on the walls. It depicted their first adventure in Narnia, starting with Lucy meeting Mr. Tumnus at the lamppost. Susan's eyes traveled across the rest, stopping at their coronation in Cair Paravel. The details were exquisite, and she immediately felt a little nostalgic. Life had been a lot easier back then, even with their new status as Kings and Queens.

Lucy made a beeline for the Lion relief that hung over the fireplace, resting her hand longingly over the carved mane. "Aslan," she whispered lovingly. Lucy had always been the most stalwart of them all.

"Su, your bow and arrows," Edmund said. Susan turned around to find Edmund looking at the weapons in question. Caspian had kept her things? And he took them with him?

"Lucy," Caspian said. Lucy and Susan both turned around to see the King holding out a box which contained Lucy's cordial and dagger.

He even offered Edmund Peter's sword, but the younger King refused. "No, no, it's yours. Peter gave it to you," he said, and Susan had never been prouder of her younger brother. He'd grown so much since the last time they'd been in Narnia. Although, he did look less than pleased when Caspian gave him his torch back. Edmund had always been a little jealous that Father Christmas hadn't given him any gifts, but he'd accepted it as part of his punishment for siding with the White Witch.

Going over to her bow and quiver, Susan trailed a hand delicately over the detailing. The intricate lines seemed to dance under her fingers. She was still painfully aware of where Caspian was in the room, so she wasn't startled when he put a hand on her elbow. He was standing close, much too close. Fighting to keep her heartbeat under control, she let her hand drop from her quiver.

"I kept this as well," Caspian said softly. His breath tickled her neck, and she felt a shiver run down her spine. He was holding out her horn. It hadn't been displayed like the rest of their belongings, so he must've kept it on his person.

Something inside Susan fluttered, and it was too much. Stepping back, she faced her siblings, doing her best not to look at Caspian. "I need some air," she said, and with that, she fled.

/*/

Susan found herself on deck, staring out over the waves. Most of the crew bowed their heads deferentially when they passed, but they all left her alone, for which she was grateful.

She'd dreamed of seeing Caspian again for months after they'd returned, but she'd forced herself to give up that dream, to put her pain behind a door in her mind and throw away the key. But being here again, being so close to him, knowing that she would have to leave it all behind again… it had ripped that door straight off its hinges and left it wide open for her to feel that pain again.

Some sniffling to her right drew her attention away from her morose thoughts. When she glanced over, she could see Eustace, curled up behind some barrels, apparently doing his best to hide. Susan still didn't like her cousin much, but she was 'The Gentle', after all, and took pity on him.

"Feeling alright?" she asked as gently as she could, walking over to him.

He started, but quickly glared at her. "I'll be fine, as soon as I wake up from this wretched dream. This is all Edmund's fault, you know, licking my sweets! I must be infected with something," he groused.

"You still think this is all a dream?" Susan asked, sitting down on a barrel. She was doing her best to keep her calm, though her cousin was already grating on her nerves. But if she could deal with the backwards ways of the Calormen, and still keep her serenity, she could talk some sense into her own family.

"Of course it's a dream, it can't possibly be real," Eustace sneered.

Susan kept her composure, focussing on the task at hand. "How do you define reality? Isn't what is real just what we can see, touch, smell, and feel? And if so, how is this not real?" she asked gently. While she didn't hold a great deal of affection for her cousin, Susan knew exactly what it was like to be a logical person landing in Narnia for the first time.

"Look, when we first came here, I had trouble accepting it was real, too," she explained. "We stepped into a wardrobe and ended up in a snowy forest. And then suddenly, there were fauns and talking beavers and there was a prophecy about us… and I was just as lost then as you feel now. I kept insisting that I'd wake up and everything would be back to normal. But then, before I knew it, I'd started making friends with those talking beavers, and I found that I cared if something happened to them."

Eustace scoffed again, and kept glaring at his knees. Susan ignored his foul temper and pushed on. "And before long, I didn't care anymore whether it was real or not, because we were in the middle of a war, and I had to make sure my brothers and sister were safe, that they wouldn't come to harm. By the time the war was over, I'd come to believe in Narnia, to have faith in both myself and in Aslan."

Eustace was still looking at his knees, but his scowl was more of a thoughtful frown now.

"I admit, I had some doubts that it had all happened once we were back in England, but even if it hadn't… Even if it had all been inside my head, I wouldn't have given it up for the world. It made me a better person."

For a moment, she thought that Eustace might actually come around, that he might see reason. But, of course, as soon as he noticed her looking, he scowled again. "It's still rubbish!" he insisted, crossing his arms. It was a clear 'leave me alone!' if she ever heard one, so Susan just sighed and went in search of her siblings again.

Lucy was alone in the captain's quarters, studying the relief of Aslan on the wall. Susan was both disappointed and relieved that Caspian wasn't there. "Oh, Susan!" she said when she noticed her coming in. "Caspian's offered us the use of his quarters, since it wouldn't be proper for girls to sleep amongst the crew. He's gone to show Edmund where they'll be bunking," she explained.

Susan looked over at the bunk and blushed. She hadn't considered she'd be sleeping in Caspian's bed. It was a large bunk, considering the size of the vessel, so she was sure she and Lucy would be able to fit, but it was still a little embarrassing.

"Oh, and I happened to ask him if he'd found a queen in the 3 years since we were here last," Lucy said, sounding smug.

Susan whirled around. "Lucy!" she said, her cheeks growing even hotter.

Lucy was grinning, a mischievous light dancing brightly in her eyes. "It's funny, he turned the exact same shade of red and mumbled that he hadn't."

Pressing her colder hands to her flaming cheeks, Susan couldn't help but be relieved. Was it horrible of her to be happy that he hadn't found love since they last saw one another? "It was an entirely improper question for you to ask," she muttered, just loud enough for her sister to hear.

Lucy wouldn't stop grinning. "But you're still glad I asked, right?"

Susan didn't dignify that with an answer. Instead, she went over to where her quiver and bow were still displayed and picked up the latter. It felt so familiar in her hands, as though it hadn't been a year since she'd last picked it up. Quickly stringing it up, she drew back, though refrained from loading an arrow. In such confined quarters, that wouldn't have been a good idea.

"I doubt you'll find much to shoot in here," Lucy scoffed. Susan rolled her eyes at her sister, but did note that the younger Pevensie had strapped her dagger to her hip, along with her cordial. Old habits did die hard.

"I'm not planning on shooting anything. Or anyone," Susan replied diplomatically as she set her bow back down. "Unless they're annoying sisters who ask impudent questions, of course," she joked, sending the other girl a teasing grin.

Lucy laughed, a light sound that always made Susan smile wider. She'd always been envious of her sister's lighthearted nature. It drew others to her, and allowed her to make friends so easily… Susan, on the other hand, was always too cautious to let anyone too close. But she'd never let that envy impact how she viewed her sister. Lucy couldn't help the way she was any more than the older Queen could, and pining over their differences wouldn't help anyone. That is why they'd all been Kings and Queens, after all. Their differences balanced each other out.

"Thank Aslan!" Lucy interrupted Susan's line of thought. "I was starting to think we'd brought 'dour Susan' with us to Narnia, and left 'fun Susan' back in England," she teased. The words stung a little, but there was a gentleness in Lucy's eyes that eased the smarting. She hadn't meant it as an insult, after all.

"Yes, well, fun Susan can very easily take a backseat to archer Susan, if you're not careful," she replied with a smile, her hand resting on her bow again.

"In such close proximity, I do believe my dagger would be of more use, dear sister. I remember Oreius's lessons quite well, you know."

Another roll of her eyes, and Susan was ready to put the playful teasing behind them for the time being. They had more pressing matters to attend to, after all.

As if summoned by her thoughts, a moment later, Caspian knocked on the door. "May I come in?" he called from the other side of the door.

Lucy, standing as close to it as she was, simply decided to open it, in favour of calling him in.

Caspian stood on the other side, looking just a tad… nervous? "We're just passing into dryad territory, if you care to come enjoy the view from deck?" he suggested.

Lucy glanced from Susan - who still stood rooted to the spot - to Caspian, who seemed to be unable to look away from the elder Queen. "Of course! I forgot to tell Susan about your mission, Caspian, I hope you don't mind enlightening her?" she asked. If Susan hadn't been her sister - and therefore having known her all her life - she would have thought the question to be completely innocent. As it was, though, she wasn't fooled.

"Of course, Lucy," Caspian assured. The younger Queen grinned, cast one more glance at both other royals, and departed from the room, leaving them alone.

Susan felt herself blush for the hundredth time that day. This should be interesting.

A/N: Please review!