Wow! This thing is a monster! I've never done a one shot this long! Anyway, I wrote almost seven and a half thousand words one day, then went through, spellchecking, adding stuff, removing stuff, then ended up over thirteen thousand! It's taken a few days, but now it's finished. If only I could write like this with my other stories, though. Sigh.
Anyway, I hope you will all enjoy this, and remember that I don't own anything in the Narniaverse! Unfortunately. :(
A Song For Susan
Susan Pevensie stared up at the stately house before her, her emotions in a jumble. Just seven months ago, she'd become the sole owner of this place. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, holding back tears that threatened to spill as she remembered why that was. A rail accident in London… Her whole family ripped away from her in mere seconds.
Shaking herself, she stared back up at the house once more. Professor Kirke's will had stated that her brother Peter was to inherit, but of course with him gone, the succession in all the wills had ended up with Susan as the sole heir. Everything was signed, and she was out here now to get away from the house in London, away from all the reminders of what she'd lost.
A lawyer was handling the sale of the London house that she'd inherited from her parents, and Susan intended to buy another, possibly in the city, well away from Finchley. And she'd probably end up selling this one too, once she sorted through everything inside. Maybe. She hadn't decided yet on whether or not to keep hold of it.
The day the two police officers had turned up on her doorstep, informing her of the accident, was a turning point for her. Suddenly there was all this responsibility piled on top of her, and in her grief, Susan threatened to break. Her uncle Harold had been a rock throughout the entire thing, holding both her and her aunt Alberta up during this time. Susan had stayed with them, as she couldn't bring herself to go home afterwards, especially once the funerals were done.
Her best friend Hannah had bee a god-send, organising people to pack up the house, so that Susan wouldn't have to go back there. All of their things were in storage, and Hannah had promised to go through everything with her when she was ready to return. Now, Susan was here to do just that with the Professor's belongings, and she found herself wishing Hannah could have been here as well.
Pushing all of that aside, Susan went up to the door and rang the bell. Edna Macready was still the main caretaker here, and Ivy and Margaret were still here as well, along with the gardener Harry. Betty had married and moved away a few years ago. Susan had sent a letter a week ago to inform them to expect her.
The door opened a few minutes later, and Ivy, in her maid's uniform, was the one on the other side. "Oh, Miss Pevensie!" she greeted. "Oh, come in, dear! Let me call Margaret and we'll bring your bags in!"
"I only have the one bag," Susan said, indicating the suitcase next to her. "Everything else will be here in a few days, I'm afraid I couldn't get it all sent up at once."
"Well then, let me take that off your hands," Ivy said. "Edna's put you in the east rooms, I'm sure you remember where those are?"
"Of course," Susan said. "Where is The… I mean, where is Mrs Macready right now?"
"Oh, she popped into town to get some supplies and handle some personal business," Ivy said. "She shouldn't be too long."
Ivy led her to the rooms that she would be staying in, then went off to prepare her a light meal, since Susan had voiced a mild hunger. Susan unpacked her suitcase slowly, pausing to take the meal Ivy brought her, then decided to 'explore' the house. She ran into Margaret and Ivy as she wandered the halls, and when she went outside, decided to see to Harry, who was tending to a bed of gardenias when she found him.
When Edna Macready returned, Susan was in the library, leafing through a book on history. "I suppose you'll be wanting to sell the place then?" she asked point blank in that no nonsense tone of hers.
"I don't know what I'll do," Susan admitted. "I already have a realtor selling the house in London… I will be staying here for awhile, though, and I would like your help with cataloguing everything here."
Macready stared flatly at her a moment, as if sizing her up, then she grunted in acknowledgement. "There are already some files in the Professor's study," she said. "We can start from there."
The rest of the day was spent going through the late Professors extensive listing on what he had, and how much it was worth, though the dates on them were at least a decade old. Susan decided that she would have an appraiser come in to check everything out, and update the value of the house and its contents. Macready then retired for the night, and Ivy and Margaret headed off to the servant quarters, then the house was dark and Susan was alone.
She sat at a desk in her room, reading through a few papers she'd brought with her. There was nothing really interesting in them, they were mostly filled with legal jargon. But it was something to do to hopefully make her a little drowsy before she prepared for bed. And yet, hours later, and she was still up, and still dressed in her day clothes.
"This is ridiculous," she muttered as she paced the floor before her bed. "I've been doing better with sleep lately, so why am I suddenly wide awake after the middle of the night? There's nothing for it, I suppose. I shall just have to find something to do to pass the time. Perhaps I'll find a book to read in the library?"
Decision made, she headed out.
Of course, she'd forgotten how dark the halls of the old house could get at night, and she found herself getting lost when she otherwise wouldn't have. But then she found a door with a light shining out from underneath it, and she frowned at the fact that someone had left a light on. She opened the door, and found herself in one of the spare rooms, with a few cupboards, sealed and unsealed boxes, and a wardrobe.
Susan moved over to see what was in the boxes, and found random trinkets, nothing of much interest, really. The cupboards were empty, and the sealed boxes were marked 'miscellaneous', probably with more of the same trinkets inside them. The wardrobe didn't look all that out of the ordinary, and Susan reasoned it probably had mirrors on the inside of the doors. She stepped over to it, feeling a sort of nostalgia wash over her.
"I think I've seen this before," she murmured. "But I can't remember where… Though, it was probably when we all stayed here during the Blitz."
She reached up to the top of the wardrobe, checking to see if anyone had left a key for it up there, but came up empty handed. Susan decided to try the door anyway, and found it to be unlocked. Inside there were four fur coats, a ladies cloak, three sets of suits, and a dress. The latter she recognised as one that had belonged to Polly Plummer, and old friend of the Professor's.
A breeze blew and Susan startled, because it had come through the clothes from the wardrobe! She took a step back, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. What was that? Stepping forward once more, she reached out and pushed the clothes aside, staring as she saw that, instead of the wooden back of a wardrobe (like there should be!) there was instead what appeared to be a corridor, or a tunnel.
Panic swelled in her, and Susan started to back away again, moving to close the wardrobe and chancing the darkness of the corridors outside the room. But then something stopped her, and she went back over to it. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the wardrobe, pushing past the clothing, until she found herself exiting through the entrance of a cave, with a curtain of overgrown moss in front of it.
Blinking, Susan found herself in strong sunlight, though it was not painfully so. The world felt young (though how she knew that, she had no idea) and she felt her fears being chased away. Looking back, Susan saw the door of the wardrobe, still wide open, and hesitated, wondering if she should go back out. But then she heard singing, and felt compelled to follow the sound.
Soon she began to realise that there was no sound. Rather, it felt like the music was happening inside her mind. She walked for a bit, not paying attention to some animals that saw her, then skittered away. Instead she concentrated on the call, and soon found herself before a Great Tree. Standing underneath its boughs, she felt a comfort that she hadn't felt in… well, she honestly couldn't remember.
"Hello," a voice said, startling her, and she turned to see a centaur, who'd spoken, and a dwarf (why wasn't she more surprised to see them?) standing behind her. "Are you a daughter of Eve?"
"Do you mean, as in Adam and Eve?" she asked, still remarkably calm for someone talking to a mythical being.
The centaur nodded. "I am Bedros," he said. "This is Rivagik. May I ask your name?"
"I-I'm Susan," she said.
"And how did you come to be here in Narnia, Susan?" he asked.
Narnia? That word stirred a lot of mixed emotions in her. Denial, hope, pain, joy, heartache… Then she remembered. That was the name of the land in the game she'd played with her siblings when they were younger. A game that they'd all insisted was real, all the way up until they'd died. A tear fell down Susan's cheek. Rivagik and Bedros looked on, concerned.
"What's wrong?" the dwarf asked.
"I-I… I remember," she said, as memories of her time in Narnia flooded her.
Susan turned back to the tree, reaching out to place her hand on it, aware of the uneasy shifting of her two companions. "Narnia. I remember," she said. "Oh Aslan, forgive me! How could I have let myself forget?"
The tears came in a steady stream then, and the tree's song in her mind, which had remained there the whole time, did its best to soothe her. But Susan fell to her knees and wept as she remembered Narnia once more. Rivagik patted her back consolingly until she could no longer shed any more tears, and once she'd composed herself, Susan stood and faced them.
"Perhaps you would like to accompany us to tell us more of what you've told us so far?" Bedros said, and Susan nodded, following them as they walked away from the tree, with Susan glancing back every now and then until the tree was out of sight. After walking for a few hours, they reached a castle that she remembered from books and paintings as the first one in Narnia, built in the time of King Frank and Queen Helen, the first King and Queen of Narnia. She remembered that Jadis had torn it down within days of conquering Narnia.
"Who rules here?" she asked.
"King Frank the Third," Rivagik told her. "Third in descent from King Frank the First."
By her calculation, Susan supposed that Narnia was only about a hundred years or more old. It was rather odd that she was, for all intents and purposes, back in time. The last she'd heard, Narnian time flowed forward with earth's time, not backwards. Still, being here was an opportunity she wasn't going to squander.
Soon, Susan was standing before the King, a rather handsome young man, who stood smiling before her. "It is an honour to be meeting you," he said. "I have heard tales passed down through my family about the land my earliest namesake came from. Tell me, how has that land fared?"
"It's held up well over the years," Susan said. "Though it has been beset with wars, there is a tentative peace now."
King Frank frowned at this, then sighed. "How sad it is," he said, "to hear of wars. No matter. My Lady Susan, perhaps you could tell your tale, and why you are here now?"
"It's a bit of a long story," she told him, "and really begins back in the beginning of Narnia. You see, when Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer went home, he planted the seeds from the apple in the backyard of his house…"
Susan told him the basics of what had happened, from the Professor planting the seeds of the fruit he'd been given, to his having a wardrobe built from the tree when it fell, to her and her siblings arriving in, and subsequently ruling over, Narnia. The King was delighted when he realised that she was a future (though past for her) Queen of Narnia, and interrupted her tale to have her washed up and attired appropriately. Then the rest of her story, which covered their fifteen year rule, return to England, and then return to Narnia to help Caspian claim the throne, was told over dinner.
"This is quite an exciting tale you've told me," he said. "Though I feel there is more to be said about it. For instance, you said that you and your older brother were never to return (though you are here now, which is simply marvellous!) but what of your two younger siblings?"
Susan took a deep breath and smiled. "They did return," she confirmed. "Though I do not know all the details. It pains me to admit it, but after going back home the last time, I pushed Narnia away, in order to cope with the loss and heartache I felt."
A sad look crossed King Frank's face. "It is indeed a pity that you forgot," he said. "But now that you remember, I'm sure that won't happen again. You've returned Narnia to your heart, I'm sure all will be well."
Susan smiled wanly, she still wasn't sure why she'd been granted to come back, centuries before she ever had in the first place.
King Frank offered her the hospitality of his home, and Susan accepted. The King was quite charming, and would often take time out of his schedule to talk with her about all that was happening with Narnia. And when he was busy, Susan would take a horse, by the name of Moonrise, out to the Tree of Protection, and would sit under it, listening to the soothing melody of its song. Moonrise would alternate between grazing, and telling Susan all about her filly, Dandelion.
Susan was enjoying her time here, hoping that she would be able to stay. But three weeks in, and Aslan appeared before her. Her face lit up at the sight of him, then fell as she suddenly realised that her time here was over.
"Dear Heart," Aslan greeted her. "I am glad you've allowed Narnia and I back into your heart."
"I'm sorry, Aslan," Susan said, as she buried her face in his mane, having run to him to embrace him in much the same manner Lucy would have.
Then she pulled away. "Why am I here?" she asked. "I thought I wasn't meant to return to Narnia?"
"You weren't," Aslan admitted. "But then, your brother Peter came to me with a request. After the accident that claimed their lives, your siblings, your cousin, and the others came to my country. Peter saw how grieved you were, and asked if there was anything that could be done to help you remember Narnia. All I could do was open a door, you had to make the choice to step through it, and now you have a journey ahead of you."
"What kind of journey?" Susan asked.
"One that could see your dearest wish granted," he told her, "if you so choose to take it. But be warned. In undertaking this journey, you risk changing the history of Narnia from that which you know. You will be stepping back into your world, and each time the door opens between that one and this, you will be able to come back. But it will never be the same each time."
Susan took in a deep breath. "So it will be my choice to step though?" she asked. "What if I don't go through? And how will I know when to?"
"If you miss one on either side, the journey is over," Aslan told her. "But each time, the door will be open long enough for you to go through. And you will know when it is open each time, when you hear the Great Tree's song in your mind. Remember, each trip is an important stage of your journey, I hope that you will see it through to the end."
"Will I be in Narnia, or England at the end of it all?" Susan asked.
"That will ever be up to you," she was told, then Aslan said, "Come. I will lead you back to the cave where you came through."
"Can I not… say goodbye?" Susan asked.
"I will convey your farewells," Aslan spoke. "For now, it is time for you to leave."
The two walked in silence back to the cave, the entrance of which was glowing with a soft golden light. Susan stopped in front of it, then turned to look at Aslan. "Thank you," she said. "For everything. And again, I am so sorry I forgot you."
Aslan nudged her lightly. "Be safe, my daughter," he said. "I wish you well, and hope that you learn what you need from this."
Susan smiled, then stepped back through.
Once on the other side, Susan found that once again, no time had passed here. She sighed when she realised that meant she was still not going to sleep this night, since it had been daylight, and she was nowhere near tired. But she found her way back to her rooms, and did her best to rest a little at the very least.
The following five days saw her engaged in routine, alternating between writing up a catalogue of the library, seeing to some minor issues with the staff, and the arrival of the rest of her belongings. All this time, the wardrobe remained just that, and Susan took to wearing some clothes that wouldn't stand out as much on a return trip to Narnia. She also found herself sometimes thinking of King Frank the Third, as well as all the others she'd met there.
It had been refreshing to be in Narnia, and not be the Gentle Queen.
Of course, now that she remembered Narnia, other thoughts plagued her. Like the fact that she remembered how much she had missed Caspian, and how devastated she'd been when she learned that he'd moved on and married. After Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace had returned from their voyage with him, that was when she'd started pushing Narnia away properly. She also vaguely recalled overhearing once, talk of Caspian's son.
After the five days had passed, Susan was in one of the studies, reading an old copy of one of Shakespeare's works, The Tempest, actually. She was rather engrossed in it, and at first didn't realise that the tune she'd been humming along to had changed. Carefully putting the book away, she walked up to the spare room, making sure that no one was about when she stepped into the room. The wardrobe door was ajar, light was shining though.
Stepping through, Susan found herself in the middle of winter. Before the Doorway disappeared, she grabbed one of the coats. Then, when the glow disappeared, she looked back and saw that she'd stepped through the door of a little house, rather reminiscent of a badgers. But it was a frightful mess, like it had been ransacked, and there was a note on the door. With a growing realisation of when she might be, Susan read the note.
'The former occupants of this residence, namely the badgers Fieldheld and Redvane, are under arrest and awaiting trial on a charge of High Treason against her Imperial Majesty Jadis, Queen of Narnia, Chatelaine of Cair Paravel, Empress of the Lone Islands, etc., also inciting rebellion against her Majesty's person, and invoking a riot in the Shuddering Wood.
signed Maurtege, Captain of the Secret Police. Long live the Queen!'
Susan felt a chill go down her spine as she realised that Jadis was here somewhere. She hadn't had much direct confrontation with the witch herself, that had been mostly Edmund, and then Peter. But she remembered that terrible night, when the witch had slain Aslan, the fear Susan had felt as she'd clutched Lucy tight…
Looking around, Susan realised that she was near Rush River, which wasn't that far from the Stone Table. She rather doubted that anyone she knew was here, as something told her that it was far too early for the Beavers or Mr Tumnus to be alive. But she was here for a reason, whether she would learn what that reason was, or not. So she held the coat in closer, pulled the hood up over her head, and let her feet guide her to wherever she needed to go.
Soon, she heard some noises, like the chattering of animals. Treading carefully, she came upon the sight of a small gathering of foxes, fauns, birds, and others. They were all arguing, and the subject seemed to be spurred by the arrest of the badgers from the house she'd arrived at.
"We can't keep doing this!" a satyr cried. "No matter what we do, the witch's wolves find out! So many have gone over to her side… Darkspung, Viskar, even Brightmane! Who will be next to be arrested? Not me, I tell you!"
"It is unfortunate that those you mentioned turned traitor," a hare spoke up. "but that doesn't mean we should give up! You all heard the prophesy! The witch's time is numbered!"
"But how long will that take?" a dwarf demanded. "It's been thirty years! Are we to wait thirty more? A hundred? A thousand?"
There was a general murmur of consensus, then a centaur spoke, "The stars have not been forthcoming of the time allotted for the witch's reign. But they do agree on the fact that it will end. We must have patience and trust in Aslan."
"Aslan, ha!" the dwarf scoffed. "Where was Aslan when the witch and her armies invaded? Where was he when the Great Tree fell, and we lost its protection? Nowhere! In fact, no one has seen him in over two hundred years! I, for one, won't be waiting around for him to save me!"
And with that, the dwarf stormed off. Others followed him, some quite quickly, others more reluctantly, but in the end, only the hare, the centaur, and a leopard stayed behind. "Well?" the hare said. "Are the two of you leaving as well?"
"I will always stand with Aslan," the centaur said.
"As will I," the leopard spoke. "But first, I think we should greet our guest, don't you? You can come out now."
The hare's ears perked up, and he stared unerringly in Susan's direction. Sighing, she stepped out, revealing herself. The hare gasped. "A Daughter of Eve!" he exclaimed. "I'm right, aren't I?"
Susan nodded, and the hare rushed over to her, sniffing her. "How did you come to be here?" he asked. "Has Aslan sent you to save us?"
"She is not here to save us," the centaur said, before Susan could speak up, and his wise gaze bore into her own.
"That is true," Susan said, and her heart ached at the sad look on the hare and leopard's faces. "While I am here because of Aslan, it's because I've been set upon a journey. But what this good centaur said before is correct. The witch's time is indeed numbered. You all need only to keep faith. Two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve will indeed come to overthrow the witch and take their place upon Cair Paravel's thrones."
The hare's ears fell back, and the leopard butted his head against her hand. "Do you know why you are here?" the leopard asked.
"I have things that I need to learn, to remember," Susan said. "Right now, I think my being here is a reminder to me of the importance of waiting, and trusting in Aslan. That is something I did not do before, but it is a lesson I can at least impart to you. Even if you do not see it in your life time, Narnia will be restored. Have faith in that."
"We will," the hare promised, and suddenly Susan heard the Tree's song.
She smiled at them. "It's time for me to go," she said, and bent to kiss the hare and leopard, and grasped the arms of the centaur. "Goodbye, dear ones."
Susan made her way back to the badger's house, casting one last, sad glance back through the woods. While she knew everything would turn out, it pained her to leave Narnia in the hands of the witch. She stepped through, then hung the (surprisingly dry, for having been covered in snow) coat back in the wardrobe.
It was only the following day when she heard the song again. She was alone in the house this time, as Macready, Ivy, and Margaret were all in town, and Harry was off at the far reaches of the property. Susan stepped out into warm sunshine, with a hint of the sea on the breeze. The song still sung in her mind, and she saw that the door she'd come out of, which looked like a side door into possibly a castle, was still glowing. Hesitantly she stepped away, looking back a couple of times, wondering if that meant that her stay here would be very brief.
Susan followed a path, one that soon became familiar, and she realised that she was at Cair Paravel. Smiling, she made her way down to the docks, where she saw a splendid ship coming in. People and animals and other creatures were gathered at the docks, and she wondered who was aboard the ship to be getting such a royal welcome. As she got closer, the ship docked, and she saw waiting at the head, a Prince. Trumpets sounded, the gangplank was lowered, but when nothing happened at first, the music faltered.
A man came striding down the plank, and had a word with the Prince and what appeared to be an elderly dwarf. There was silence, then a litter was brought down from the ship. The Prince knelt beside it, and Susan saw that he was weeping. Looking around, she wondered what was going on, and saw something that caught her breath.
Cousin Eustace and his friend Jill.
With dawning horror, she realised just when this was, and what was going on. She knew who the old King on the pier was. It was… It was… A sob tore through her, garnering the brief attention of nearby people. No! She couldn't be here! Not now! Susan ran back to the doorway, the song in her mind mourning, even as it also tried to comfort her. She rushed back through, practically throwing herself to the floor as tears overwhelmed her. Sobs wracked her frame as she mourned.
Macready found her like that and, apparently assuming that her grief was that of the loss of her family catching her unawares, saw to it that she was seen safely back to her room. As stern and unyielding as Susan often found the woman to be, this opened up a new side to her that she'd never even imagined. Macready had Ivy stay with her until her tears lulled her into sleep.
Susan dreamed of Caspian that night, of the times she'd had with him. And when she woke the next morning she felt lighter for having mourned the one great love of her life, in a way she'd never allowed herself to before. Macready was stiltedly kind to her for the next few days, and Ivy and Margaret were extra attentive.
The next time Narnia called a month had passed, and Susan stood indecisively in front of the door of the wardrobe. Aslan had hinted that at any time she wanted, she could end her journey. And she was tempted, she was sorely tempted. But she took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and stepped through once more.
"Oof!"
Susan stumbled backwards as she quite literally ran into someone, but before she could actually fall, a pair of strong arms reached out to steady her, with the side effect of pulling her up against someone's chest. "Careful now," a rich voice spoke. "I wouldn't want my Lady to hurt herself."
Looking up, Susan found herself staring into a deep blue set of eyes, and she felt herself blush lightly. And then even more so when the owner of those eyes released her, and she stepped back to see him a bit better.
"Um, hello," she said, and he let out a hearty chuckle.
"Hello indeed," he greeted her. "I must say, when I was told that I was going to be meeting the beautiful Queen Susan of the Golden Age, I didn't expect such… eloquence."
Susan blushed again, this time from embarrassment. Then she registered what he said. "Wait, does that mean you were expecting me? How? Why? Who?"
He laughed once more, and Susan decided that he was quite the happy chap. "Forgive me," he said as he introduced himself. "I am King Derren of Narnia, and I was told of your coming by my father, who heard it from his father, and so forth."
He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, kissing her fingers lightly. It was a move reminiscent of Caspian, and she wondered at how charming this King was. His blond hair was a deep gold colour, and his blue eyes were set in quite the handsome face. Susan was quite sure that her blush was trying to be permanent, and she chastised herself, trying to regain control. She attempted to pull her hand gently from his, but he didn't let go, though he allowed their joint hands to fall.
"So, how exactly did you and your father know I'd be here?" she asked once she felt she'd gained enough of her thought process back. (he was quite distracting)
"My great great grandfather knew you well," he told her. "And he was the one that you told about this originally."
Susan thought on that, and supposed he might mean King Frank, then realised that didn't quite line up. Obviously she was going to meet his great great grandfather at some point, and tell him about this.
"And who might your great great grandfather be?" she asked.
"Why, King Caspian the Navigator, of course," King Derren said, and Susan froze.
Caspian? This would mean then… She looked up at the King before her once more, and this time, she could see that he was descended from him. The shape of his face, and even his nose screamed it our to her.
"I told Caspian about this?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.
She was going to see Caspian again? Her heart hammered in her chest, and she felt a fearful sense of anticipation at that fact. She didn't really want to see him again, not really considering how she knew everything was meant to go, what had happened before. And yet at the same time, she felt desperate to see him, to beg him not to marry the stars daughter. Or, if he already had, to beg him to run away with her. So many conflicting thoughts and emotions ran through her, and were all interrupted by King Derren.
"Come now, Queen Susan," he said. "I have a hunting lodge near here, and the door back to your England won't be open again for another week. We have much to talk about. Please accept my hospitality in the meantime. And don't worry, we won't be alone, since that wouldn't be very proper. There are a couple of maids and a few guards there as well."
Susan felt a bit reluctant, but went with him in the end. The song was silent, she couldn't go back even if she wanted to. So she followed him, and they reached a rather magnificent lodge that overlooked the drop-off of a waterfall. The maids were Penny and Daisy, and they were quite delighted to meet Susan. The King was rather flirty with them, especially Penny, and Susan rolled her eyes at his boyish charm.
That evening they sat by the fire, and King Derren told her everything that he knew.
"I was told that the precise time of day was uncertain," he said, "but the day, month, and year were exact. I'm not sure when you told my forefather, but I do know it wasn't when you next see him."
"And wh-when will that be?" Susan asked a little breathily.
"That, I do not know," he told her.
They then proceeded to spend time talking about how Narnia was faring, and he even asked her about her own world. It seemed he'd inherited Caspian's curiosity about earth. As the week passed, Susan found herself quite liking this young man. And then, when her time was up, she sighed.
"It's time," she told him, interrupting his flirt with Penny.
King Derren turned to her, a solemn look on his face that was, quite frankly, out of place on his features. "So our time is up," he spoke mournfully, then kissed her hand again. "It has been an honour to get to know you, and I hope the lesson you learned here will be clear in time."
So did Susan, because she wasn't quite sure what it was. Oh, she had an idea, but she didn't like that one bit. So she hoped that she'd missed the point, and would instead realise it later on. He walked with her back to the small hut that had been her entrance into Narnia this time. "Farewell, Queen Susan," he said. "I'm sure one day we'll meet again in Aslan's Country!"
And with that, she stepped back through the wardrobe.
The next several times were mostly uneventful, with three trips pre-Golden Age, and four post. The lessons she learned there seemed to be along the lines of how to find joy in multiple circumstances, how to leave her 'logic' behind and just accept what was right in front of her, and also when to accept that she was wrong, and cede gracefully to others. It was quite the journey of self-discovery.
Back in England, she received word when the Pevensie house was sold, and an appraiser came by, revaluing the house and its contents. Margaret came down sick for a few days, and Ivy met a rather handsome naval officer who'd come to the countryside to visit with family. Macready had a visit from her nephew, who tried to flirt with Susan, at least until his aunt whacked him upside his head and told him off.
The call next came when Susan was talking with Harry about the recent problems with the roses. With cooler weather coming, he seemed to be a bit concerned about them. She listened patiently, then tried not to rush back up to the house. She was quite a mess from being in the garden (Harry had roped her into helping out a few times) with dirty fingers and knees, and smears of green over the front of her.
Susan stood in front of the wardrobe, wondering if it wouldn't be too terrible if she quickly went to wash up. But she knew, somehow, that she wouldn't have time, so she stepped in. Immediately she noted that she was in a hallway in Cair Paravel, and the door she'd stepped through was one for a storage closet. The song faded in her mind, and she took one step before she stopped in her tracks.
"Susan," a voice spoke.
Susan froze and shivers ran down her spine. She knew that voice! Her heart lurched, even as she turned slowly to see Caspian standing there. He was older. Much older than when she'd last seen him. He looked to be perhaps in his mid to late thirties, though still as handsome as when he'd been eighteen. Her heart ached as she stared up at him, and tears threatened to fall.
"Caspian," she breathed, and he smiled, coming forward to grasp her hand and kiss her fingers, uncaring of the state of them.
Her heart nearly broke in two.
"It is good to see you," he said. "Come, we've got until evening before you have to go."
Still holding her hand, Caspian led her through the halls and out to a garden, where a luncheon was prepared for them. Susan got the feeling that, just like with King Derren, Caspian had been expecting her.
"You knew I was coming," she stated softly.
"Right down from the year, to the month, day, and time," he confirmed, then handed over a small pastry to her. "Eat something."
Susan nibbled on her food, not really having much of an appetite, as her stomach was already so full of butterflies. She kept stealing glances at him, not sure what she should say or do.
"What are you thinking?" he asked her.
"I…" Susan hesitated briefly, then went on, "I'm just thinking, you mentioned that you were expecting me? How did you know?"
Caspian eyed her speculatively, then sighed. "You told me," he said simply. "You're going to see me twice more, Susan. Though what happens with the first one of those times will determine whether or not the second even happens."
Susan frowned. "That doesn't make sense," she said.
Caspian shrugged. "I'm just repeating what I was told," he said. "The first time, it will have been only a matter of weeks since you and your siblings walked through that portal. The second, when I arrive back from my journey to the world's end."
The reminder of that trip brought a cold, hard reality back to Susan. "Where is your wife?" she asked a bit stiffly. "The stars daughter? I can't imagine she's too happy with this, unless you never told her it would happen?"
Caspian put down the food he'd been eating, and looked her square in the eye. "My wife," he said, "is out riding, and won't be back until after you're gone. Don't be so worried about who I'm married to, Susan. There's still a lot that could happen, and it could change things, one way or another."
"What do you mean by that?" she asked, hardly daring to believe what he seemed to implying, what her heart was crying out. "Caspian… Who did you marry?"
He didn't answer her, instead he finished his lunch, urging her to do the same. They spent the rest of her time there, with Caspian catching her up on what had been happening in Narnia, and having a run in with Trumpkin, whom Caspian had to rather forcefully see off when it appeared the dwarf had something in particular that he wanted to say to her. Then all too soon, he led her back to that hallway, after prompting her to admit she heard the song once more.
"I don't want to go," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "Oh, please don't make me go, Caspian!"
"You have to," he told her, then leaned down to lightly kiss her cheek, and she leaned into it. "You'll see me again, don't worry about it. Your choices will guide your path, whether to Narnia or to your England. Remember that."
Susan flung herself at him, hugging him tight, before she forced herself to step through, hearing him whisper something, but not knowing what it was that he said.
She went to her bathroom, stripping off her clothes and washing under the running tap in the tub, before she sat on the edge waiting for it to fill up. She sniffled and shook lightly as her tears ran unchecked, then lay in the hot water until it cooled completely, and she ended up wrinkled like a prune. She forced herself to act naturally the rest of the day, and silently cried herself to sleep that night.
The next morning, Susan pondered over Caspian's unwillingness to reveal who his wife was. She also remembered Aslan's words to her, how this undertaking could alter Narnia's history. Could she… perhaps change who he would marry? Aslan said she could end up with her dearest wish, if she so desired. And her dearest wish was, quite honestly, to be in Narnia, by Caspian's side. Would she really…?
Susan resolved to wait, to see what happened next.
Her next trip was mostly uneventful. Then on the next one, she arrived at the castle for the Kings before the Hundred Year Winter in time to catch a royal wedding. And when she stepped through again, she was in Cair Paravel once more. Susan's heart leapt at the thought of seeing Caspian again, but she quickly learned that that wasn't when she was.
"Susan? What are you doing here?"
She turned to see Edmund standing there, a confused look on his face. She wasn't prepared for this, and her eyes went impossibly wide, before she burst into tears, throwing herself at him, clutching desperately to him. He caught her effortlessly, awkwardly patting her shoulder as she cried.
"Uh, there there," he murmured as she wept, and when she managed to compose herself, Susan stepped back out of his embrace.
"Sorry," she said, her voice slightly choked with emotion. "I know how much you hate having to deal with 'crying girls'."
"Uh, that's okay," he said, then peered over at the door she'd come through. "What on earth were you doing in a broom closet, anyway? And how come it was glowing before?"
Susan knew there was no way she could lie to him, but she knew that he could and would keep her secret for her. "Um, I'm kind of travelling through time," she told him. "Sort of. Ugh! I'm not sure entirely how to explain it, but I go from the Professors house, to Narnia, back to the house, then back to a different point in time in Narnia!"
Edmund gaped at her, glancing between her and the door as he tried to absorb this. He opened the door, saw the broom closet, closed it, then opened it again. "How?"
Susan shrugged. "Aslan," was the simplest answer she could give him, and he seemed to understand that part immediately. "He opened the way through for me. Oh, but so much has happened, is going to happen… I really don't know where to start!"
Edmund regarded her for a bit, then seemed to come to a decision. "Well, Peter, Lucy, and… you… aren't here right now," he said. "How about we find somewhere better to have a talk?"
Susan nodded and readily followed him to a study that she recognised as his from the Golden Age. Edmund settled in on his desk, with Susan rolling her eyes at this, and she sat on a chair.
"So," she asked, "where are the others exactly?"
"Pete's gone to deal with some rogue leftovers of Jadis's," he told her. "Lu's off with Mr Tumnus to visit some dryads for some special tree… thing. And you're in Beruna to catch up with that friend of yours, Myrtle."
Susan took that all in, wondering at how she hadn't thought of Myrtle in years.
"So…" Edmund said awkwardly. "Why did you cry all over me when you saw me? Or can't you tell me?"
Susan closed her eyes briefly and sighed. "I'm not sure what I should or shouldn't say," she admitted. "Aslan didn't really give me any guidelines on what to do or say, and he even mentioned that I could end up changing things."
She looked over to the side, thinking a moment. "I would love nothing more than to tell you everything," she admitted. "But I don't know whether or not it would make a difference. If it doesn't happen, I might not get this opportunity. But then, what is this opportunity really worth in the face of that event?"
Edmund was listening with a puzzled look on his face. "You're making it sound like you want to warn me of my impending death," he half joked, though the look on Susan's face wiped any jest from his face. "No… Sue, you look about the same age as I am, possibly younger… How in all of Narnia would that even work?"
Susan wasn't sure if she should say anything, but the words just rushed out of her mouth. "We were here for fifteen years," she said, "then we ended up stumbling back through the wardrobe."
"Back… to the other place?" Edmund asked, and Susan nodded.
Her brother stood and began pacing. "I've really never considered that we wouldn't get to stay here," he said, then went to stand by the room's window. "This is our home after all."
He turned back to her, then asked, "Will we ever come back?"
Susan nodded. "We came back, centuries later, to help a later generation regain Narnia," she said, then gave him a very, very brief overview of what happened.
"This Caspian fellow," Edmund said. "Is he a decent King?"
Susan nodded. "I met his great great grandson, who told me all about the things he did for Narnia," she said.
Edmund stared at her. He stared so much, Susan began to get a little uncomfortable. "What?"
"Did you know," he said rather conversationally, "that you blush ever so slightly whenever you mention Caspian?"
Susan's eyes widened, and a full blush overcame her. Edmund laughed. "Has the Gentle Queen finally met a suitor that she would actually consider?" he asked.
Susan's blush intensified. "Shut up, idiot," she muttered, but he only laughed harder.
They spent a few hours talking, and Edmund even coaxed her into a chess match. (which he won, of course) But then a Great Dane came to tell them that the High King had been sighted, and would soon return. Susan really wanted to see Peter, and Lucy too, but then the song began playing in her mind. She sighed.
"It's time for me to go," she said.
Edmund gave her a sad look. "The song?" he asked, for she had told him about it.
Susan nodded, then hugged him tightly. "I've missed you so much," she whispered. "All of you."
Edmund walked her back to the door, which was glowing lightly, and he eyed it off speculatively. "What are you going to do about what I've told you?" she asked.
Edmund considered that, then shrugged. "Probably nothing," he admitted. "You said Narnia will be fine, in the end, and Aslan would have prevented the Telmarines invading, if it really wasn't supposed to happen."
"That's unusually fatalistic of you," Susan said with a frown, and he shrugged.
"Maybe I'm just going through a phase," he suggested flippantly, then had to brace himself when he suddenly found himself with his arms full of an emotional sister once more.
"I love you," Susan told him fiercely. "I love all of you, so much!"
"I'll be sure to pass that on to Pete and Lu," Edmund said. "Take care sis. And remember, we will meet again one day. You can count on it."
Susan's smile was sad, but with a tinge of hope, as she then stepped back through the doorway.
All throughout the rest of that day, and the next five, Susan wondered what Edmund had decided to do. Careful questioning (which still earned her sympathetic, if confused, looks from both Margaret and Macready, since Ivy was on holiday now) showed her that her family were all still gone. So Edmund really hadn't said anything…
Though Susan suddenly had a really vivid memory of her brother acting weirdly for a few months back during their reign. Peter had called him out on it, challenged him to a duel, and lost when Edmund used a particularly sneaky, but perfectly legitimate, move to disarm him. And then, when they'd returned to Narnia that second time, she remembered him being especially watchful of Caspian. Which had had the side effect of the two becoming really good friends. More than they had been before.
The two conflicting sets of memories gave her a headache, though.
After this last visit, Susan turned twenty two. Three days after her birthday, and she stepped through to the sight of Miraz's castle, and she figured this was when she was going to see Caspian again. If what his older self said was true, then he was eighteen here, about four years younger than herself now. Thirteen hundred years and a fifteen year reign notwithstanding.
Susan walked through the small town that was built around the castle. She had only recently awoken when she heard the song, and she deliberately picked a dress that she knew would fit in well enough with Narnia. She'd also grabbed the cloak that was in the wardrobe, and wore it now with the hood up as she walked.
She was rather glad she'd done so once she saw Narnians wandering about, a clear sign that the Telmarine regime was over, and Caspian was now King. Someone could easily recognise her, and she didn't want that just yet. Susan wandered between stalls in the marketplace, browsing as she waited to see how she would come across Caspian.
It was a couple of hours later when she ended up wandering close to the castle near some stables, that she found him. He was in a heated argument with Trumpkin, a faun, and what seemed to be a couple of Telmarine Lords. Susan was unfortunately not close enough to hear what was being said. Caspian was gesticulating quite fiercely, and Trumpkin had his arms crossed and was tapping his foot. The faun didn't look particularly happy either, and the Lords looked positively thunderous.
Finally, all but Trumpkin stormed off, each in different directions.
Susan made her way over to where Trumpkin was. "That looked like quite the disagreement," she said, startling the dwarf.
"Yes well… Telmarine lords can prove themselves to be every bit as stubborn as fauns," he said, then muttered, "or mules."
"I'm sure whatever it was will be sorted fairly by the King," she said, and Trumpkin grunted in assent.
"He'll handle it," the dwarf said with faith, then looked over to her. "Should you really be over here? This isn't an area for the general public after all."
"I apologise," Susan said. "I was merely looking for an old friend of mine."
"Well, you won't find them here," Trumpkin said and was about to leave, but what Susan said next stopped him in his tracks.
"Oh, but I have found my Dear Little Friend here," she said, a cheeky smile on her face as she pushed the hood of the cloak back slightly, allowing Trumpkin to catch sight of her face and gape appropriately.
His eyes bugged out of his head as he stared at her. "Your Majesty!" he choked out, and immediately fell to one knee. "How in all of Narnia are you here?"
"I stepped through a magic door," she told him simply, pulling him to his feet. "Honestly, DLF, didn't Pete, Ed, Lucy and I say that you didn't need to kneel to us? You're our friend."
Trumpkin had gaped at her rather simplistic description, but now he shook himself. "You're a Queen," he reminded her in a slightly reprimanding voice, then looked around. "Are… are the others here too?"
Susan sighed sadly. "Just me, I'm afraid," she told him.
Trumpkin just stared up at her a moment as he absorbed this, then his eyes narrowed. "You look older," he commented. "Just how old are you now?"
Susan faked a hurt gasp. "DLF!" she chastised. "Do you have any idea how rude it is to ask a lady's age?"
He spluttered a bit, but then he caught onto her joking manner, and glared good-naturedly at her. "Whether that's true or not, it's a valid point," he said, arms crossing defensively.
"Well, I suppose it's only natural that I'm older," she said. "It has been six years since I was last here, after all."
Trumpkin's brow rose. "It's only been about seven weeks here," he told her. "Fifty one days, to be exact."
"You've been counting the days?" Susan asked, mildly surprised.
"Actually, his Majesty has," he told her. "The weeks, the days, the hours… I'm sure you get the picture."
Susan sighed. "Well, I'm not sure how long I'm actually going to be here for," she said. "I'm waiting for my magic door to open again."
"Are you not going to see the King?" Trumpkin enquired, his expression mildly surprised at the thought that she might not want to.
"I've already seen him twice," Susan said. "The first, when he was about to die. Old age," she hurriedly reassured Trumpkin. "Don't worry, he's going to have a good long life."
Trumpkin looked relieved. "And the other time?" he asked.
"He was in his thirties, I think," she said. "We had lunch."
He snorted in amusement at the way she said that so matter-of-factly. "So you don't want to see him now?" he asked.
"I don't know," she admitted. "When I saw him last, he told me I'd see him at about this time, but he didn't say if he saw me. And I have seen him, I saw the argument, remember? But, I suppose I could go see him, if you want me to."
"Maybe you shouldn't," Trumpkin said slowly. "After all, if you're just going to leave… I don't want you to break his heart. Again."
The two were silent a moment as they both absorbed that, then Susan said, "I honestly don't know what to do. Caspian, he… As I said, he told me that I would see him again. Here and now, and again when he returned from the world's end." (Trumpkin's brow rose with more than a mild interest at that) "He had a wife, you know, but he wouldn't tell me when I asked if he married that stars daughter or not. And Aslan told me right at the start of this, that I would have a choice between staying in Narnia, or staying in England. And Caspian said something similar… How would he know that, though, unless when I stayed, it was with him?"
"Maybe he read it in a book?" Trumpkin half-joked, then tried to take it back when he saw her depressed expression at what something like that could possibly mean.
He reached out to awkwardly pat her arm consolingly. "Sorry, didn't really mean that. Bad joke."
Susan blinked away threatening tears, and took a steadying breath before she spoke again. "When I was here last, it was the Golden Age," she said. "Ed was rather surprised to see me, I'm sure you can guess."
"I surely can," Trumpkin said, then stood a bit straighter. "The King's on his way. Decide now what you want to do."
Susan froze briefly in place, then her hands flew up to her hood as if to hide herself. Suddenly it felt as if she were standing on the edge of an abyss, as if the next move she made would finalise everything. Susan wanted to run, to hide, but ultimately, she lowered her hands and kept her face in full view. The deep knell of what could almost have been a church bell sounded in her ears, but it was not from the Tree of Protection's song.
"Why is he coming back?" she asked, surprising herself with how calm she sounded. "Did you miss a meeting with him?"
"I might have been supposed to meet him inside," Trumpkin admitted with a bit of a wince. "Can't blame me for being distracted though, can you?"
No, she really couldn't.
"Trumpkin!" Susan heard Caspian calling out to the dwarf, and then heard the sound of his boots as he got closer and closer. "You were supposed to meet me inside! Why aren't you…?"
She heard him stop in his tracks, and Susan turned to face him, to find him only a few feet away. "Hello Caspian," she said with a smile.
He stared at her, his face the picture of astonishment. From the top of her head, to the tips of her toes, as if he didn't really believe she was here. He took a few steps closer, hesitating for each one, as if afraid moving toward her would make her disappear, like a figment from a dream. When she didn't, that was when he finally managed to find his voice.
"Susan," he breathed, hardly daring to believe his eyes. "Is it really you?"
Susan nodded and was about to speak, but then she quite suddenly found herself swept up into his embrace. She felt him shiver a little as he held her, his nose buried in her hair, his lips brushing against the crook of her neck. Susan mimicked his shiver as his ragged breath against her skin gave her goosebumps, and she embraced him back.
He pulled away from her, hands grasping her arms, as he stared down at her. "How are you here?" he asked. "Why are you here? I thought you weren't coming back! Wait, you're older than me now…"
Trumpkin coughed delicately at that last bit, and Susan spared him a glare. "I'm twenty two," she told the King before her. "And I'm here because Aslan has set me on an important journey. Though it was my choice to walk this path."
"But… you're back for good now, right?" he asked, and she clearly heard the hope in his voice.
Susan shook her head, and his hands fell from her as he took a step back. "I know I have at least one more trip to make," she said. "Possibly more. But you said I would see you again twice, and this is only the first one since."
Caspian frowned. "What do you mean, I said that?" he asked.
"I saw you before already," Susan told him. "You were in your thirties, and you told me I would see you again two more times. Once now, and again in about three years for you."
Caspian's frown deepened. "So, I have to wait three years to see you again?" he asked, then shook his head and reached out to hold her once more. "No. I don't want you to go. Please stay, Susan."
The way he asked her, no, begged her, by his tone, reminded her of when she'd wanted to stay with the older version of him. But she realised now how right he was in making sure she stepped through that door. Susan was on this journey for a reason, and Aslan only knew where it was going to end up, even if she did have hope. She had to see it all the way through.
"I have to go," she told him, pulling away. "This is important, I know it. But as I told you, I'll be back."
"In three years," he said rather bitterly, and she sighed.
"What is three years compared to six?" she asked. "At least you're not waiting as long as I did. And you know you'll see me again. I had no such hope in all that time."
Caspian looked away, a hint of shame on his face. Susan sighed. "I'll be here for a bit," she told him, reaching out her hand to him. "Come on, you can tell me what you've been up to, and what you've got planned."
After a moment's hesitation, he reached out and took her hand, and was about to lead her away, when Trumpkin spoke, "Ahem! I hate to be a mood killer, but how will you know when you have to go back?"
"I'll hear a song," Susan said, then elaborated at their perplexed expressions, "My first visit when I started all of this was to a point around a hundred years or so after Narnia's creation. The Tree of Protection… It called out in song to me, and that song has been my guide this whole time."
"You saw the Great Tree of Protection? And it sang to you?" Trumpkin whispered in awe, and Susan nodded, smiling.
Susan ended up spending two days there, which meant it was unavoidable for people to know she was there. She told Caspian all about her previous future visit, and about King Derren. She also met up with Reepicheep, Trufflehunter and others, all of whom welcomed her eagerly, and were equally saddened by the fact that she wasn't staying. Only Reepicheep wasn't truly daunted by this.
"The Great Lion knows what he is doing," he said, his faith as unwavering as Lucy's. "You say you will be returning? Then you'll return. And when you do, I'm sure there will be great feasting, and everyone shall shout for joy at their Queen's return!"
Susan smiled at his strong belief, and really wished that she could give him a hug, but knew that his pride wouldn't allow for it.
For her and Caspian, the time they had was filled with embraces and stolen kisses. Though the shadow of her departure hung over them, Susan was determined that they would not be morose and depressed in one another's company. But inevitably the time for her to leave came, and when the two were enjoying their dinner on the night of the second day, the song of the Great Tree flitted into her mind.
Placing her fork on the table before her, Susan wiped her mouth delicately with a napkin, then said softly, "Caspian. It's time."
His actions stilled, and he looked up at her, a plea in his eyes. But she resolutely ignored it as she stood, and went to change out of her Narnian clothes, back into the ones from her world. When she returned to him, the food had been cleared away. She held her hand out to him and he took it, and together they walked out of the castle, and down to the little house at the edge of town, whose front door had served as her entrance into this time.
"I will be back," she told him.
"In three years," he lamented.
"Plenty of time for you to get this kingdom into order," she told him with a smile. "Also, we'll be much closer in age, thirteen hundred years notwithstanding."
Susan leaned up to kiss his cheek, but Caspian moved at the last moment to capture her lips with his. They kissed for some time, before Susan reluctantly pulled away.
"I'll see you soon," she promised, then stepped backwards through, keeping her eyes on him until she was gone, not missing it when he mouthed 'I love you' to her.
Over the next few weeks, Narnia called her back three more times. And when she stepped through for a fourth time, it was to confront chaos. It was so dark, so bitterly cold, she had no idea where she even was.
"This is the end," a voice spoke, and she turned to see a centaur standing next to her.
"The end?" she asked. "The end of what?"
"The end of Narnia," the centaur said. "There is another door here, a stable door. Night has fallen, and soon, all those who dwell here will walk through that door. They will either join Aslan in his Country, or turn off into everlasting destruction."
"Why am I here?" Susan asked.
"To understand that all things end," she was told. "Even though you have made a choice, this visit is to show you that your decision need not be final. This is essentially your last chance to leave things as they were, to move on from Narnia, though never to forget it. After this, there will be only one more call, and whether or not you answer that call… Everything will be decided from there."
"…Can this be avoided?" she asked, looking out at the desolation that Narnia had become.
The centaur shook his head. "This is Narnia's inevitable end," he said. "It has no connection to your choice, one way or another. All worlds end, as one day, so too will your own world. It is the way of things."
Susan bit her lip and cried for the Narnia she knew, then heard the call. "Go," the centaur said. "It is time for both of us to leave this place, though you may return still. Farewell, Gentle Queen. I hope to see you in Aslan's Country, one way or another."
The centaur turned and took off then, and Susan stepped back through the door behind her, back into the wardrobe and back to England. (which was oddly warm after the cold of the End)
The next few weeks were quite busy. An electrician had been hired to come in to rewire almost everything, and much to Macready's dismay, he and his assistant had all but taken over the place, with people tripping over his tools, or running into ladders all the time.
"This is really too much!" she complained.
"You're the one who insisted this needed to be done," Susan said as she watched the electrician chastise his apprentice, and Macready glared at her before stomping off, muttering something about never trusting scheming old men again.
Finally the electrician was done, his tools all packed up and ladders tucked away into his truck. He gave Susan a rather in-depth explanation of what to do and why, and to remind her that he was returning the following day to make sure they hadn't short circuited anything overnight. Once he was gone, they all tentatively switched on lights and such, and breathed a collective sigh of relief when nothing terrible happened.
Later that night, Susan was dreaming she was with Caspian. They were in a field, holding hands, and he was leading her somewhere. But they never seemed to reach their destination, always walking, smiling, holding hands. It was nice. Caspian smiled sweetly down at her and leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"Wake up, Susan!"
With a start, Susan woke, coughing as she did. Her whole room was filled with smoke! Pushing her blankets aside, she grabbed a coat and put it on, covering her face as she rushed to the door. Outside her room, the smoke was thicker, and the fabric of the coat barely protected her. She stumbled through the hallway, trying to figure out where the smoke was originating from. Along the way, she found Margaret with Ivy.
"We don't know where Edna is!" Ivy coughed.
"Get outside," Susan ordered. "I'll find her."
"But we can't leave you, Miss!" Margaret cried. "We won't!"
"Fine, let's go find her then," Susan conceded.
They searched, and they found the fire, which was blazing on the second floor, then found Macready flat out on the floor of one of the libraries. She was barely breathing, and Susan helped Ivy and Margaret get her to the first floor. "Out!" she ordered, pointing at the front door. "I'm going to use the phone down here, call the fire brigade. The two of you, see if Harry's awake, and get him to start with bringing water up from the river and the tank near the gardens."
"But Miss Susan!" Ivy wailed.
"Go!" Susan ordered. "Don't worry, the fire isn't down on this floor yet."
The two women hesitantly obeyed, then Susan went to put a call in to the operator, who immediately put her through to the fire brigade. When she hung up, it was in the knowledge that they would be here soon. So she started heading back out to the front door, only to find that part of the roof had collapsed and a room upstairs had partially fallen down here. But there was still room to get around.
Susan made her way around, and was about to open the door, when she heard it. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" she cried as the Tree of Protection's song rang through her mind.
She hesitated only briefly, before rushing back upstairs, earning herself a whole new lungful of smoke, a rather nasty burn on her hand, and a stubbed toe. Up past the second floor to the third, and there it was. The fire was pretty nasty along the way, and she had to practically leapt through the flames to get to the spare room.
"No more leaps of faith like that, please!" she half joked to herself as she stumbled into the spare room, shutting the door behind her.
She backed up against the wardrobe, watching with a sort of morbid fascination as the light of the fire slowly reached the door, and the room began to fill up with smoke. There was no safe way out of this room, other than the door she leaned against. Turning around, Susan opened the wardrobe, sparing one last glance in farewell to the smoke filled room, then stepped through.
She stepped out into a green wood, one that felt familiar, but she was pretty sure she'd never been here before. A cool breeze blew, and she heard her name being called out. The voice was familiar, and she walked toward it trustingly. Soon enough, she came to a small clearing where a magnificent Lion she knew well sat waiting for her.
"Aslan," she breathed, and went over to him, knowing she must look a fright.
"Susan, dear heart," he greeted her, then bent to breathe upon her, healing her injuries.
She looked down and saw that she was also no longer in her nightdress, either, and instead was in a purple dress with a dark green corset and cloak. It was beautiful and elegant, fit for a queen, and Susan felt quite comfortable in it. She looked back up at the Lion before her.
"Is this where I decide properly where I'm to go?" she asked.
"Tell me, Susan," Aslan said instead of answering her. "What do you think would your life be like right now if all of this hadn't happened?"
Susan bit her lip and thought about the person she was before all this started. "I'd forgotten," she remembered. "On purpose. So I guess I would still be like that. And I probably would have moved back to London long before now, as well. I wouldn't have stayed in the countryside past the first month, and I probably would have set up for that realtor to sell the Professor' house, too."
"Your path had led you away from me, my dear child," he confirmed for her. "Away from Narnia. You remember that I said at the start, that it was at your brother Peter's behest that I give you the opportunity to rediscover Narnia again?"
Susan nodded as she looked up at him, though she didn't quite look him in the eye. Who could, really? Lucy didn't count, that girl sometimes seemed to be part lioness herself.
"So what will happen now?" Susan asked. "What happened with the fire? Are Ivy and Margaret and Macready and Harry alright?"
"They will be fine, dear child," he assured her. "Though they will be out of work because of the fire, they will all land on their feet."
"I went back into a burning house," Susan said, her tone indicating that, despite everything, she was rather surprised that she'd done that. "Do they think I'm dead?"
"Since you stepped through the door one last time, it will be that you died there," Aslan told her. "And now that you're here, you have one last choice to make. The choice on whether or not to come with me to my country, or…"
"Or," Susan breathed hopefully and nervously, "to return to Narnia, and Caspian?"
"Ah yes. Caspian."
Aslan's voice was solemn. "A side effect of this venture was the possibility of changing the time-lines," he told her. "Caspian did indeed marry Lilliandil, the daughter of Ramandu. At least, that was what happened originally. Now, what happens next depends very much on what you decide to do. Which door you will step through."
The Great Lion stamped his foot and roared then, and two doorways, each much like the one used to send the Telmarines, and herself and her siblings from Narnia, appeared. These, however, were both ornately decorated, with carvings from the dawn of Narnia upon them. The only difference between them seemed to be the light emanating from them. One was brighter than the other, and called to a deeper place in her soul than the other. Susan wondered if that one led to Aslan's Country.
"And now, Queen Susan," he spoke then. "I would hear your answer: Will you come with me to my Country? Or will you spend your remaining years with Caspian, ruling Narnia by his side?"
Susan stared consideringly at both doors, though she already knew her choice. "I will go to Caspian," she said firmly. "Besides, I will surely see you in your Country one day anyway, won't I?"
Aslan laughed heartily. "Of course you will, dear heart," he told her. "Your logic is as impeccable as ever."
"Go now, Susan," he told her. "Caspian will join you shortly once you arrive. I grant my blessing upon you, and look forward to the day I shall greet you in my Country. Live well."
Aslan leapt off into the woods and vanished, and the door to his Country faded away. Susan headed eagerly for the other, stepping through and nearly tripping over…
"Ow! Beards and bedsteads! Why can't people watch where they're going!?"
Susan stumbled as she stepped on Trumpkin, then she gasped in realisation and bent down to hug him. "Oh Trumpkin! It's so good to see you again!" she exclaimed.
"Queen Susan?" he asked hesitantly, then he gasped. "Queen Susan! You've returned! Aaand you're hugging me. Alright, alright. I think that will do, don't you?"
Susan pulled away, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "Where's Caspian?" she asked.
"He sailed east," he told her. "But there's been word from the Lone Islands, he's on his way back. By all reports, the Dawn Treader should pull in early this evening, or later tonight."
He eyed her speculatively. "Have you been smoking something, Your Majesty?" he asked. "You look a bit… euphoric. You didn't eat any funny mushrooms, did you? Do they even have that sort of thing in your world?"
Susan huffed and slapped him lightly on the arm. "I am not impaired, thank you very much!" she said in a bossy tone. "I'll have you know I've just come from seeing Aslan! Although… there was smoke before that. I'm afraid my house burned down."
"Sorry to hear that, Your Majesty," he said contritely. "But what about your magic wardrobe? Is it gone too?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so," she told him, following him as he started walking to wherever it was that he'd been going. "The wardrobe, the house, all the things I ever owned there… Gone!"
"You don't sound too torn up about it," he commented.
"Well, it's not like I'll be needing them here," she remarked, and he stopped to look at her.
"Is that your way of saying you're back for good now?" he asked, and she nodded.
"You can wait until Caspian returns for the whole story," Susan said.
She spent the remainder of the day with him, Trufflehunter, and Cornelius, until the King's ship pulled into the harbour, then they joined Glenstorm down at the docks. Susan was still in the lovely dress she'd received from Aslan, though she now had a delicate golden circlet upon her head. A gangplank was raised up to the ship, and Caspian appeared at the top of it. Susan's breath caught and her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. He looked so ruggedly handsome… Three years and a sea voyage had done wonders for him.
The people who had gathered were cheering the return of their King, and Caspian disembarked with a confident stride, followed closely by a steady stream of his crewmen. Susan was standing a bit behind Glenstorm, she wanted to wait a bit, to surprise him. Aslan's assurances told her he wouldn't have, and she utterly believed in that. She had utter faith in Him now, and it felt good.
Caspian had reached the end of the gangplank now. "Trumpkin," he greeted. "I trust Narnia has fared well under your regency?"
"Of course," the dwarf said. "I told you I'd do a good job. Though I'll be more than pleased to hand everything back over for you to deal with."
Caspian grinned, and Susan smiled at how happy he was to be home. "How was your journey, your Majesty?" Cornelius asked.
"It was quite the adventure," Caspian said. "We picked up a few strays along the way, including King Edmund, Queen Lucy, and their cousin, Lord Eustace."
"Were they the only ones?" Trufflehunter asked.
"No. Someone from the Lone Islands joined us," Caspian told him. "And his daughter stowed on board as well."
"Was she a lovely young lady?" Trumpkin asked.
Caspian looked rather amused. "Young Gael was indeed lovely," he said. "She bonded with Queen Lucy rather quickly, as she was only four years younger than the Valiant Queen."
Susan shook her head in amusement. She remembered mention of a little girl who'd stowed away on the ship, Lucy had gone into great detail about her. "Did you bring any of them back with you?" Trufflehunter asked hopefully, peering up at the ship as if he expected Lucy or even Edmund to suddenly appear.
"No, no extra people," Caspian said, then his expression turned solemn. "Though we are down a few. Reepicheep, for one. He travelled all the way to the world's end and beyond to Aslan's Country."
Susan saw Trufflehunter bow his head, and she caught Trumpkin's eye, which reminded him that she was still there. "Well, er, we had a rather interesting guest," he said. "Have, I mean. We have a rather interesting guest. Who will probably be sad they missed Reepicheep."
"Oh?" Caspian asked. "And who would this… guest… be…?"
His voice trailed off as he seemed to remember something important, and his gaze expectantly search the crowd. Trumpkin indicated for Susan to step forward and she did, instantly garnering his attention. She curtsied to him as he stared at her.
"Welcome home, Your Majesty," she greeted him with a smile.
"Susan," he breathed. "You came back."
She stepped up to him until she stood right in front of him. "I came back," she confirmed, then reached up to touch his cheek. "You grew a beard."
Caspian smiled brilliantly at her. "Well, it was a bit hard trying to shave every day on the ship," he told her, then his expression turned serious. "Are you… Are you staying?" he asked.
Susan nodded, and his grin was back. He pulled her to him, lifted her off her feet, and whirled her around. She laughed happily, then cried, "Caspian! You smell!"
"Apologies, my Queen," he told her. "Regular bathing was yet another thing I found difficult aboard ship."
He let her go, and Susan felt the loss. He didn't smell that bad, she tried to reason, wanting an excuse for him to take her up in his arms yet again. Finally, she just decided to take matters into her own hands, and reached up to pull him down for a searing kiss. He returned it just as fervently, then when it seemed to be going on too long, certain peoples cleared their throats, and Caspian reluctantly pulled away from her.
"Sorry to interrupt, Your Majesties," Cornelius spoke, "but perhaps we should head up to the castle? I don't doubt that you'll have plenty of time to catch up."
Susan smiled up at Caspian as he took hold of her hand. "We'll have forever," she promised, and they walked hand in hand up to Cair Paravel, eager to plan for the rest of their lives together.
So what did you think? Review please! :)
Ps: The dress Susan wears at the end can be found if you put in 'Princess in Exile Dress' into google images.