A/N: Well, I'm fairly certain this is the longest chapter to date. In my ending author's note, I've answered some questions about the timeline that I'm sure we'll come up if they haven't already. Other than that, please review.

Chapter Three

Susan straightened her back automatically, uncertain. It was the centaur that first bowed, bending it's horses' legs gracefully.

"My queen," he said in a low, ringing voice, "a thousand welcomes."

Susan dipped her knee and swept her hands out to her sides, though she quickly remembered there was no skirt there to sweep. Still, it was a passable curtsy she supposed. The centaur smiled at her, a centaur's smile, a fierce, proud smile that bared his teeth. Then Susan turned to the man that she had caught a glimpse of earlier.

He was a hunched over, wizened little man, and such a stereotype of a wizard that Susan almost assumed he must not be one. However, as he straightened himself out, the hunch became slightly less pronounced, and when he looked her in the eyes for the first time, there was power stored there. He didn't smile, but looked her up and down gravely, and then he to bowed, though very slowly.

Susan hesitantly repeated her curtsy, unsure just what she was expected to do, and slowly realizing what had happened. She wondered, vaguely, if now would be a good time to panic. However, the man spoke before she could really comprehend the situation, and she desperately hoped things would be explained to her.

"Welcome Queen Susan the Gentle of the Golden Age." The man said, in a surprisingly strong voice. "Welcome back to your kingdom."

So she was in Narnia. There had never really been any doubt in her mind - she had felt where she was, she had known. But, fiercely insisting upon remaining logical, she'd insisted on proof. This, she felt, was proof.

"Thank you." Susan replied, trying her best to remember her courtly manners. When she couldn't, she decided that this was hardly an ordinary situation, and that it might be best to just be as polite as she could under the circumstances. "I am honored to be back."

The man smiled for the first time. "Indeed it is an honor to have you. There is much to be discussed. I am afraid the situation is grave." He was very straightforward, and the tone of his voice did not change, but somehow it gave Susan the shivers.

"A council has been called Your Majesty." The centaur said quietly from her other side. "To be held in an hour. Will this be convenient for you?"

Susan almost laughed. "I do not have any other engagements sir."

The centaur did laugh, though his laugh was as fierce as his smile. It was, Susan reflected, the laugh of someone who hadn't laughed long or loud in far to long. The man however, did not laugh. When Susan turned to look at him he was regarding her with a very serious look in his eyes indeed.

"I am sorry sir. It was not my place to make light of the situation." Susan said quickly, groping around for the diplomatic tact she'd had in the "old days."

"It is not that." The man assured her. "I am just…affirming that you are who we think you are. There is…danger of late. It is no straightforward matter."

Susan merely nodded, but fear swelled inside of her. He just seemed so serious. There was an almost tangible fear hanging about this castle.

Susan really looked at the castle for the first time. It looked like it might once have been a gay, happy place. It's stonework was bright and cheerful, the statues ringing the roof and along the eaves told stories of dancing, feasting, and happy times. They seemed in fact, to tell the story of the Golden Age, down to the White Stag. Susan smiled slightly, but it was a bittersweet smile.

"I will show you to your room my lady." The centaur said, turning towards the castle doors. Susan nodded, though even she realized she was running on automatic. After all, this was something (perhaps a bit more than something) of a shock. Still, she followed the centaur through the doors and into a magnificent entrance hall. Almost absentmindedly Susan noticed that the floor was polished marble and the walls seemed to be some kind of dark-stained wood. This was a splendid castle if it was nothing else.

A few moments later Susan found herself in her room.

While the room was just as splendid as the rest of the castle Susan didn't dwell on that much. Although she'd been told several times lately what a marvelously growing young woman she was, and how mature she was - how she was a young adult already - the minute she got within the room and the centaur was gone, Susan threw herself on the bed with an, "Oompf!" from both herself and the mattress.

So here she was.

That seemed a tremendous understatement to her as she sat there in a room fit for royalty - which I am - she thought, attempting to readjust herself to the idea, she sat there, and tried her very best to make some kind of sense of the past few minutes.

Quite clearly, she had been brought to Narnia. That was, to her, almost the only truly clear thing at the moment. She had been brought to Narnia, and the only reason she would have ever been brought back, after what she'd done, would be if Narnia was in danger - probably terrible danger.

She knew that she'd deserted it. Forgotten it. Pretended it was all imaginary, and after a while, that was what she believed. Even now, when she was solidly in it she wasn't sure if she could quite believe where she was. And beyond that, she and Peter had been told that they would not be coming back. That was after they'd set Caspian back on the throne. So for her to be back - that would require a great trouble indeed.

Susan wondered, if the others were here too? Surely she wouldn't be the only one. Logically, the first person brought back wouldn't be her, not one who'd turned her back on the entire country. It would be Peter, who'd been High King, or Lucy, who'd been the first to find it, or even Edmund, who'd certainly never even considered treachery again, not after the White Witch. It wouldn't be only her. In fact, if these people went about their business sensibly, she'd be the last - and maybe a last resort.

As she was thinking all this, quite a good deal of bustling was going on in the castle around her. Now, looking up at the clock on the wall in her room, she saw that it had been nearly in hour. Susan certainly had enough "royal" sense - and common sense - to realize that one didn't go to a council looking like she did. It had been the middle of the night when she'd put on that necklace, and she wasn't wearing anything nearly appropriate for some kind of officious thing like this.

At that moment there was a knock on her door and what she recognized as a nymph entered. The girl smiled at her and dropped a curtsy.

"Greetings your majesty."

Susan only fumbled for a moment before deciding that just a gracious smile might be best.

The next several minutes were spent with hair-combing and face-washing. Then, the nymph left, leaving a beautiful (and quite royal, Susan thought ruefully) dress behind. It was a deep purple, with elegant green designs running over it, and a small silver crown for her head. Susan stared at it all, feeling slightly overwhelmed. It was the crown that really brought things home to her. She was in Narnia.

"This council is brought to order." Said a ringing voice a few minutes later. Susan was seated in a large, high-ceilinged room, with soaring walls and beautiful tapestries, but her mind was hardly on the décor. Instead, she gazed around the table. She was seated at the right hand of the old man who had met her earlier. The centaur was on the other side. And all down the long table were Narnian creatures.

Of course, if she'd thought about it, she hardly would have expected it to be any other way. Certainly no other "Sons of Adam" or "Daughters of Eve." But looking around the room, she found if full of centaurs, fauns, eagles, hawks, leopards, and all manner of other animals, as well as dwarves and a few dryads. They didn't frighten her, but they only reinforced the truth - this was Narnia. Somehow, Susan still couldn't quite get that idea rooted in her head.

"This council has been called because Narnia is in a time of great danger, as we all know. This council was also called to see the results of our attempt to bring the great Queen Susan back to Narnia. As you can all see I am sure, she has indeed returned."

Susan looked around to see all eyes on her, some doubtful, some admiring, and some merely assessing her, as though trying to decide if she would be useful or not. She blushed slightly. Luckily, the old man (she would really have to find out his name) spoke again, returning the collective attention of the table to him.

"My friends, there is little doubt as to what must be done. The only thing now to do is to inform our queen of the present situation. And, of course, obtain her answer."

Mystified, Susan looked inquiringly at the old man. He returned the look.

"My name is Elfred my lady. I have been ruling as regent, until a true monarch can be found. Now, however, that is the least of our worries. You shall be told the whole story. I think perhaps some people could use some enforcement of the knowledge anyhow." The man's - Elfred's - gaze swept around the table, looking at a few with a critical eye. "This then, is the story as it stands."

"Some years ago, King Caspian went on a voyage to sea and did not return. He did not take many with him, and no word has returned. We could only assume that he had perished, or found a land that required his aid more than Narnia. When still no word was sent, his death was assumed. I took my place as regent (I was an advisor to his majesty) until another Son of Adam or Daughter of Eve could be found as replacement, as Caspian had not left any heirs which we knew of."

"However, a Son of Adam or Daughter of Eve is meant to rule Narnia, and somehow, we could not find one. As the years past and our search wielded nothing, I and several others became increasingly suspicious as to the root of our inability to find a monarch. While we searched for an answer, we found none. That is, not until one year ago."

"That was when a woman emerged and proclaimed herself the true queen of Narnia. Her name was Kali, and she gives all appearances of being an enchantress. She had been gathering support for years, her activities cloaked by what we could only assume was magic. She had an army of all the dark things still to be found here in Narnia. Minotaurs and bats, wraiths, wolves… An army of the size that is rapidly threatening our country I am afraid."

"To state things bluntly, this country has been overrun. This castle is one of the last safe havens in all Narnia. But there is good news as well. There was a prophecy made that a Daughter of Eve would make her return and pick up her bow again. You are that Daughter of Eve - you are here to fulfill that prophecy, as you have done once before."

Susan stared, gaping, at the little man who sat before her, speaking so matter-of-factly. He did not look the least bit ruffled, but she could only stare. She was startled and dismayed to find that he was not done yet as he took a sip of water and opened his mouth yet again.

"Your siblings were called."

Susan started and glanced around, almost expecting to see Peter or Edmund or Lucy standing there asking her why she'd taken so long.

"They set out from this castle and have not yet returned, nor sent word. Before they left they assured us that it was highly improbable - they said impossible - that you could be called back. We deemed it necessary to try. We did. You are here. You may hear more about that later if you wish, but at the moment it would be prudent if you were taken to the armory to get your bow."

Determined not to lose her composure, Susan sat with a look on her face that probably reminded all there strongly of a goldfish. Peter, Edmund, and Lucy were here - somewhere. Probably in trouble. And now all these things expected her a girl from England with no outstanding qualities, a perfectly average girl in most ways, to do… What exactly? To save their country? And her siblings, she reminded herself, dazed.

As Susan stood she felt the weight of the crown on her head. She had once been a queen of Narnia…

Could she possibly be one again?

A/N: About that timeline…

At first this was meant to take place between Prince Caspian and Dawn Treader, but some problems arose with that. Now, I guess it's become slightly AU. Not by much, but as you can see, Caspian went on a voyage and never came back. We can assume the Edmund and Lucy never went with him. Erm, if you've got any other questions about the timeline, leave them in your review please. Oh, and does anyone have an idea of the rough age Susan would be here? Any guesses? Thanks for reading, and please review!