Susan stayed in bed most of the following day feeling ill and drained. She figured it was simply because of their long travels, so she paid no mind. She drug herself out of bed sometime in the afternoon. A dark cloud had settled over the Pevensies when they finally came to the sad realization that they were fugitives in their own kingdom. After lunch, Susan went back to her room, but soon heard a knock at the door.
As she opened the door, Lucy rushed into her sister's arms and hugged her, "I miss the old Narnia...I miss Cair Paravel...do you think we'll ever be able to go back?"
She hugged her little sister tight and kissed her head, "I'm not sure, but I do know we are all safe. We can at least be thankful for that."
Lucy fought back tears, "Aslan never said anything about this..."
Susan pulled the girl back to look into her eyes, "You have spoken to Aslan?"
Lucy nodded hesitantly, "I didn't say anything because I didn't think any of you would believe me. You didn't believe me when I told you I saw him so I-"
Susan cut her off, "When did you see him? What did he say?"
"I saw him right after you returned to the How after being captured. He said you would have to be strong...and that you have enough goodness and kindness to believe that the helpless can be helped. He said you will bring new life and light where there is darkness."
Susan looked at her sister for a moment, then pulled her back into an embrace. She wasn't sure what Aslan meant by those words, but she hoped they didn't foreshadow the undoing of her family.
Susan attempted to request an audience with King Nain, but he respectfully declined via a messenger who brought her and Lucy treats and gifts.
At the end of the day, Lucy retired back to her own quarters, leaving Susan to bathe and go to bed.
Susan laid in bed that night, thinking of Caspian. She began to dream that he entered her room and watched her as she slept, then undressed himself before climbing into bed with her. He gently pulled the nightgown up as he laid gently kisses on the newly exposed flesh. Her thoughts were cut off as her stomach began churning. She soon catapulted herself out of bed and ran to the bathing room, vomiting into the nearest pot she could find.
She finally drug herself off to bed when her stomach was emptied, leaving her to feel weak.
The following day, she refused breakfast from the servants and didn't eat lunch. Her siblings grew concerned about her weakening state as the days passed and asked the king to send a physician to look her over.
He immediately sent the royal physician to examine her. Peter and Edmund waited outside as Lucy stayed in the room with her sister. Inside, Susan was busy describing her symptoms, "I've been exhausted, sick to my stomach, I've fainted a few times..."
The physician nodded during the examination, then looked up, "Your highness, when was your last menstruation?"
"Her what?" Lucy asked.
Susan thought for a moment before her eyes widened. She quickly turned to Lucy, "Um...Luce, would you mind stepping outside for a moment?"
As soon as Lucy was out of the door, Susan turned and gave the physician a look of panic, "It's a full week late!"
The physician shushed her, "Calm down your majesty."
Susan took a few deep breaths to steady herself, "Am I?"
"Although it is still very early, as far as I can tell, you are with child."
"She is WHAT?" Peter's voice echoed through the room as Susan and the physician's heads snapped around.
Neither one of them heard him when he opened the door which he now stood in, gripping onto the handle for dear life. Edmund led Lucy away as Peter charged into the room, slamming the door behind him, "You're...how did...what did you do?"
The physician quickly excused himself as Peter stepped forward and stared at her angrily. She watched as tears welled in his eyes before he turned away, putting his head in his hands, "How could you Susan?"
Susan fixed her dress and got out of bed, "How could I what? I told you I loved him Peter."
"That's not the point you trollop!" Peter yelled accusingly as he snatched around to glare at her. She jumped at the ferocity of his voice. She just stared at him as tears began welling in her eyes. How could he be so mean? So judgemental? So cruel? Peter clenched his fists as if he were holding back from striking her.
"Peter, I know I was wrong...I'm sorry."
He took a few deep breaths, "Your apologies don't matter anymore. You've disgraced yourself, your throne and our family."
Susan lowered her head as tears fell down her face, "I never meant to do any of those things Peter! You know that!"
He shook his head, "And him...of all people!"
"Peter, I know he seems like the last person I should be with, but he is very loving and good on the inside...he's just misguided."
Peter shook his head, "I don't want to hear of it! God! I can't even look at you!"
Susan called his name as he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. She laid on the bed crying by herself until Edmund and Lucy walked in, "Sue...are you alright?"
Susan trembled slightly and sat up, "Peter hates me..."
"He doesn't hate you Sue...he's just shocked, that's all." Edmund said.
Lucy climbed onto the bed and hugged her sister, "He'll calm down...it will be alright."
Another week later, Caspian had received word from Archenland that the Pevensies were now guests of King Nain. He wanted to get to Anvard as soon as possible, so he had a gryphon called to his service.
He'd never ridden one before and the creature was wary of him, "I need your help Narnian."
The large gryphon shifted slightly, "Be that as it may your majesty, you have held myself and my friends in your camps for over a month...why should a Narnian help a Telmarine king?"
"Have any of your people been harmed or mistreated while in my care? Have any families been broken during your stay in the camps?"
The gryphon shook his head, "But we are not free my lord."
Caspian took a step forward, "Aid me...and once Queen Susan is by my side, you will have your freedom and much more."
Susan tried to talk to Peter everyday that week, but when she knocked on his door, he opened it and saw who it was, promptly slammed it in her face.
Tears immediately formed in her eyes as she spoke into the door, "Peter...you're my brother! I don't always expect you to be perfect so I don't know why you expect it of me. I am sorry, but I made a mistake and you hating me or pretending I don't exist isn't going to make it go away."
With that, she walked back to her room, where she stayed for the rest of the day. She fell asleep and, as usual, began dreaming about Caspian. She dreamt he crawled into bed with her and took her in his arms. When she woke up, she was disappointed to see an empty room.
At that very moment, Caspian was being greeted by King Nain on the other end of the castle, "I greatly appreciate your assistance with this matter your majesty...I am eternally grateful for your services."
King Nain smiled graciously, "Oh it was no trouble...and let me be the first to congratulate you on your impending marriage. Queen Susan is quite lovely."
Caspian smirked, "Yes...she is. Would you please do me the favor of having your guards hold her brothers in their chambers? I wish to greet Queen Susan by myself, with no interruptions."
Susan stood in front of the mirror and ran a hand down her flat belly, wondering what it would be like when she began to feel the child grow and move within her. She began wondering about Caspian's reaction...and for a moment, she got nervous.
She heard her door open and thought it was one of her siblings, so she barely bothered to turn around until she heard that delicious accent, "My love...I have missed you."
She spun around clutching her heart. All she wanted to do was rush over to him and throw her arms around his neck, but her people were in need of her help, so logic had to win out right now. She whispered his name as he closed the door behind him.
He stood there, admiring her, "You look as radiant as ever."
Susan crossed her arms, "And you look like a king who has enslaved an entire race of people."
He looked hurt by her harshness, "I did it for you...for us."
"Caspian! You know I would never want my people shipped off to camps! Do you know what a mess that has made for the kingdom? For my family? It doesn't make things easier for us to be together! It made it even harder! Especially now that I'm..." she allowed her voice to trail off, but he didn't catch it.
Caspian hung his head, "What will you have me do?"
Susan stepped forward, "Sign a royal decree granting Narnians equal rights under the law. Issue a formal apology and grant the Old Narnians exclusive ownership over the southern forests."
He looked hopefully at her, "If that will make you happy, consider it done."
Susan closed her eyes and looked down, taking a deep breath as a wave of nausea threatened to over take her. She leaned heavily on the chair beside her and fought to stay upright as he rushed over to her, taking her in his arms, "My darling, are you alright? You look frighteningly pale."
She nodded slightly before clasping a hand over her mouth. She wrenched herself out of his grasp and ran into the bathing room.
Caspian followed just in time to see her heaving into a receptacle. He stood in the door, frozen for a moment before he approached, cautiously rubbing her back, "Are you alright Susan? Perhaps we should have a healer look you over."
She recovered slightly and rinsed out her mouth with the ginger and peppermint water she had been given by the physician to help with her nausea. She tried to regroup, "I've already been examined by the royal physician."
He guided her over to the bed to sit, "What did he say? Obviously his diagnosis was wrong if you are still falling ill."
Susan laughed bitterly as a few tears formed in her eyes and threatened to stream down her face, "No...his diagnosis was spot on, but I'm fine. Can you just hold me?"
He kissed her head and scooted them back onto the bed, "Of course. You need never ask that of me..."
She fell asleep in his arms and was jolted awake when Lucy knocked on the door. Caspian opened the door and greeted the young queen, "Good evening Queen Lucy."
Susan sat on the edge of the bed and fixed her hair as Lucy walked in, eyeing Caspian warily, "I guess now I know why Peter and Edmund are being kept in their rooms."
"Caspian!" Susan shrieked, reprimanding him. He cringed as if he had just gotten in trouble and immediately stepped into the hall to right his wrong.
Lucy rushed over to Susan, speaking in hushed, urgent whispers, "Have you told him?"
Susan's eyes widened. She thought they had kept Lucy from knowing, but Susan kept forgetting her sister was once an adult...she knows what "with child" means, "No and he's not going to find out yet!"
Just then, Susan and Lucy heard loud voices and doors slamming. They both jumped up and rushed into the hallway to find Peter and Caspian about to engage in a fight with Edmund looking as if he were about to join forces with his brother.
"Stop it this instant!" Lucy yelled, stepping between the three. She looked back and forth, "Caspian has made mistakes, yes, but we need to help him. He is the one who Aslan has ordained to rule this land. He told me so!"
Peter and Edmund looked mostly confused and partly annoyed, "What? Lucy...no one has seen Aslan-"
Susan cut him off, "She did see him! I believe her."
Lucy gave Susan a wide eyed look. Frankly, she thought her sister would be the last person to believe her. Susan seemed to be losing all faith in Narnia...until she returned to the How after being Caspian's prisoner. It was odd. Most people's spirits were broken after being held prisoner, but Susan's only seemed to be restored.
Peter stuttered, "It doesn't matter! He's not fit! He's enslaved Narnians and he got Susan-"
Susan rushed forward and cut her brother off, yelling his name, "Peter! Stop...just please stop it."
He narrowed his eyes at her, then turned to Edmund, who nodded. Caspian straightened from his fighting stance and cleared his throat, "I am working to correct my mistakes and rebuild my relationship with the Narnian people...I love your sister Peter. I intend on marrying her."
Peter started to say something but Susan turned her pleading eyes to him. He glared for a moment before retreating back to his room with Edmund in tow, muttering something about Stockholm Syndrome as they disappeared into his room.
"I'm like Tinkerbell...I need applause to live!" That means I need reviews...so if ya would kindly engage in some ego stroking/constructive criticism/etc...I'd greatly appreciate it!
