The Lost Queen

by the Lady of the Mists

Chapter Seven: Knighted

The moment that Aslan mentioned Edmund, Anna looked at Peter, who stood up, sheathing his sword. "That's why we're here, sir," he explained as all three of girls stood up with him, looking towards the great lion helplessly. "We need your help."

"We had a little trouble along the way," Susan explained as they stood anxiously in front of the awaiting crowd, who wanted to know what had happened to the last prophesised one.

Peter finally sighed, looking straight at Aslan. "Our brother's been captured by the White Witch," he explained quietly. Anna heard gasps and murmurs going around the crowd nearby and Aslan's kind eyes narrowed in concern and worry.

"Captured? How could this happen?" Anna looked between Peter and Susan, who seemed unable to answer the question, the guilt coming off of them in waves.

After a moment, Beaver was the one who explained what had happened to Aslan. "He . . . betrayed them, Your Majesty," he explained.

The centaur who had been guarding Aslan's tent stepped forward, stomping one of his hooves angrily. "Then he has betrayed us all!" he declared. Anna flinched at his tone; Edmund had made a mistake, sure enough, but should he really be condemned for all eternity for it?

"Peace, Orieus," Aslan said with a low growl. "I'm sure there's an explanation." His gaze returned to the four humans standing in front of them and Peter looked down, his gaze filled with shame. Anna slipped her hand into his, giving him her support and strength.

"It's my fault, really," Peter confessed. Anna squeezed his hand tightly in comfort and he took a deep breath, looking back up at the lion. "I was too hard on him."

Susan looked at her brother before turning back towards the lion; she too looked guilty. "We all were," she said timidly. Aslan nodded in understanding as Lucy looked up at him.

"Sir, he's our brother."

Anna gazed up at Aslan fretfully. "Can anything be done to help him?" she asked, her voice soft, yet carrying to the furthest reaches of the camp.

Aslan's eyes looked towards her. "His betrayal is against his family and that makes it all the worse," he said at long last. "We will do what we can for Edmund, but it made be harder than you think." He paused. "But for now, you are weary and hungry. And I am sure you could all use some rest and fresh clothes." A few fauns and centaurs came forward and Anna found herself led away with Susan and Lucy to get cleaned from the long journey and to dress in clean clothes.

Once she had scrubbed all of the dirt and sweat off of her, Anna pulled on the under-dress that had been provided her. It was cream coloured, the neck drooping down almost around her shoulders. The dress that went over it was a deep purple, fastened in the back and beautiful gold embroidery on the front of the gown.

Anna slipped on the soft, sturdy shoes that the Narnians had given her before she hurried to find Susan and Lucy, who were at the river, looking at their reflections, twirling in their new gowns. Lucy's eyes lit up the moment that she saw her.

"You look like a princess!" she said as she joined the sisters. Anna grinned as she looked down at her reflection, gazing down at the girl that she saw staring back at her. She barely even recognised her own reflection, with the girl wearing her own face in the beautiful gown and a sword at her side. "Don't you think Susan looks like Mum?"

"Just a bit," Anna admitted. In all of that finery, the elder sister did look a bit like her mother, if her eyes were dark instead of their bright blue. "You both look beautiful."

Susan shook her head with a small smile. "Mum hasn't had a dress like this since before the war," she admitted. Anna nodded grimly, thinking of all the gowns that she and her mother had to give away to support the war effort.

"We should bring her one back," Lucy said excitedly. "A whole trunk full!" But Susan's next words doused Lucy's excitement.

"If we ever get back," she said quietly. Lucy's excited look turned miserable and she looked down at her feet as Anna looked towards Susan, giving her a look.

"There's no need to be pessimistic, Susan," she told her, kindly, yet firmly. "I've got this, haven't I?" She held up the pendant. "And didn't Father Christmas say that it was to guide me home when my journey was over? I'm sure that we'll all find our way home. There's no way that I'd go home without any of you."

Susan smiled at that and Lucy brightened slightly, though she was still slightly disheartened at her big sister's words. "I'm sorry that I'm like that," Susan apologised, looking at Lucy. She paused. "We used to have fun together . . . didn't we?"

"Yes," Lucy agreed, a mischievous smile crossing her face. "Before you got boring!" She laughed and Susan's eyes narrowed. Without warning, she reached down and splashed Lucy and Anna with water. The latter squealed as she ducked away from Susan, returning the attack. She didn't have any problems with rivers that were this low; it was just when they were really deep like the one that she'd nearly drowned at that she was afraid of.

The girls continued to splash each other with water until all three of them were soaked to the skin and they climbed out of the water. Susan grabbed a towel and immediately shrieked, jumping back as a snarl emerged from where the towel had been hanging only a few minutes previously. Anna pulled out her sword the second she heard Susan's scream and directed it towards the wolves as they entered the clearing.

"Please don't try to run," Maugrim requested as they moved closer to the girls, "we're tired and we'd prefer to kill you quickly." Anna caught Susan's eye and her eyes flew to Susan's horn, where it was lying with her quiver and bow.

"GO!" Anna barked, pushing Lucy towards a tree and Susan raced towards the horn as Anna held the wolves back, keeping her sword in hand just as an ear-piercing horn that doubtlessly emerged throughout the entire valley. The wolves jumped at the sound, giving Susan the opportunity to rush up into the tree with Lucy.

"Come on, Anna!" Lucy screamed, but she hesitated, the sword in her hand surprisingly steady. Maugrim growled low at her as she stayed on the ground, keeping her sword at the ready until help arrived. One of the wolves lunged forward and Anna swung, downing the wolf and she plunged the sword into his heart.

Anna yanked the sword out when he was still, unmoving and the two remaining wolves growled at her, circling her. She kept her sword ready just as a familiar voice shouted, "Get away from her!"

Looking around, Anna saw Peter drawing out his sword and pointing it towards Maugrim, who glanced between Anna and Peter before going after her best friend. "Come on," his partner growled at Peter.

"We've already been through this before," Maugrim pointed out, reminding Peter of his failure to kill the wolves back at the river. "We both know you haven't got it in you."

"Peter! Watch out!" Susan shouted from where she and Lucy were safely in the tree, with Anna right below them.

Without warning, the second wolf, about to attack, was pinned down by Aslan, who had arrived with some reinforcements. Orieus, who was about to attack, was stopped by Aslan. "No! Stay your weapons. This is Peter's battle," he ordered them. Orieus halted the company as Maugrim and Peter circled on another. Anna stayed where she was, wanting to help her best friend, but knowing this was something he had to do on his own.

Peter's eyes were narrowed, his mouth set grimly as he held his sword before Maugrim, his face set. He looked more ready to face Maugrim than she had ever seen him before. Anna gripped her sword, watching her best friend as he and Maugrim circled each other.

Finally, Maugrim spoke. "You make thing you're a king," he said, his voice set in a low snarl, "but you're going to die . . . like a dog!" He launched himself into the air onto Peter, throwing him to the ground and Anna screamed, followed by Susan and Lucy.

He's not moving, Anna thought as her legs suddenly developed a mind of their own, running towards Peter with Susan and Lucy right behind her. Why isn't he moving? "PETER!" she shouted as she reached him, pushing the dead wolf off of Peter with Susan's help.

Peter slowly sat up, slightly dazed as he looked at the three girls. Anna flung her arms around his neck and his sisters piled onto the hug, nearly suffocating him as Aslan released the remaining wolf, who darted into the forest, before ordering Orieus and the others to follow him to find Edmund.

When Anna, Susan, and Lucy finally released Peter, Aslan turned towards the four, his expression unreadable. "Peter, Anna," he said, addressing the two sitting very close to one another. "Clean your swords."

Anna blinked; in her worry about Peter, she had forgotten that a sword should never be left unattended after use. She used the grass to clean her bloodied sword before she got to her feet with Peter, her stomach slightly nauseous as she realised what she had done. It was the first time that she had ever killed anything before. That information was a little hard to process as she looked at the great lion, who motioned them to join him.

"Now," Aslan instructed as he stood before them, "kneel." Peter shot Anna a curious look before he obeyed. Anna knelt down next to Peter, wondering what was happening, but she had the most curious feeling that she knew.

Aslan touched each of Peter's shoulders with his chin before doing the same with Anna. "Rise, Sir Peter Wolf's-Bane," he said quietly, "Knight of Narnia. Rise Lady Anna the Falcon, Lady Knight of Narnia." He smiled at their thrilled and surprised expressions. "And whatever happens, knights, do not forget to clean your swords."

--

Anna was walking outside that night, her hand on her sword as she stared out into the wilderness, a shiver travelling up her spine as she thought about a certain friend of hers who was being rescued from the Witch's clutches. How would things have turned out, had she had noticed Edmund's absence sooner? Would they be better or worse off?

She sighed; things wouldn't have changed a bit, if she had. Edmund's stubbornness astounded even her at times. He would have found a way to go to the Witch, despite her interference. And when that happened, things might have been worse off. Anna fiddled with the pendant she wore around her neck, her thoughts on Edmund as she felt someone walk up behind her.

Yanking out her sword, she spun around and pointed her sword directly at—

"Peter!" she hissed, so startled that she stumbled back a few feet. He had a shocked look on his face as he saw the sword pointed at him and she lowered it, the tension leaving her. "Don't you know you're not supposed to sneak up on people at night? You sing or talk or stomp your feet, do something to let them know that you're there."

"Sorry," Peter apologised, relieved now that she no longer had him at sword point. "I just went to your tent and you weren't there."

Anna sighed as she sat down in front of one of the many fires that crackled around the camp. Peter joined her. "I was just thinking about Edmund," she admitted softly. "I really hope he's all right. It might sound strange, but the four of you are more like family than my mum ever was."

"It's not strange," Peter assured her, placing his hand on hers. "You were a part of our family a long time ago, Anna." He paused. "Do you think we're ever going to go back home?"

Anna sighed. "I don't know and I'm not sure I even want to, Peter. I've felt more at home here than I've felt in a long time. Narnia . . . it feels like home and I've got the four most important people in my world here. There's nothing left for me back home."

"There's your dad."

Looking down at her hands, Anna shook her head. "My dad's dead, Peter," she said quietly. She still remembered the dream from the night before they found their way into Narnia, and that was the only interpretation that she could come up with.

Peter looked shocked at her declaration. "How do you know?" he asked, stunned and sympathetic.

"I just know." Anna looked up at her best friend. "I can't explain it, Peter, I just . . . I know. He's gone." Peter paused for a moment before his arms wrapped around her, drawing her against him and she pressed her cheek against his leather jerkin, the tears leaking out, streaming down her face.

Anna wasn't sure how long she stayed there in Peter's arms, but eventually, she must have drifted off to sleep, because the last thing she remembered him saying was, "You'll always be a part of this family, Anna. Always." And he kissed her forehead before pulling her deeper into his arms and she drifted into the most peaceful sleep she'd had in a long time.