A/N: Many thanks to Inkling, Capegio and Lil Princess for the assistance!

Chapter 2

Forest green fabric hung heavily across his legs. Edmund's watery, half opened eyes stared fuzzily past the dress, focusing intently on a beige slipper. He was morbidly fascinated by the movement of the dainty and feminine shoe as he commanded his foot rock and twist.

Once again, the insistent voice hissed in his ear. "Mericu? Are you okay?"

Groaning lightly, Ed closed his eyes again. His head spun and the pit of his stomach swooped and rose. A low creaking sound seemed to echo through his skull where it rested against the wall. An acrid odor and the taste of salt tickled against the back of his throat.

A swish of fabric and the rattling of a chain told him someone was moving around the room. Small, yet strong hands gripped his shoulders and he felt the chain fall heavily against his side.

"Mericu!" The quiet voice hissed insistently. "You have to wake up."

Within him, nausea rose up as his stomach once more pitched and dove. Swallowing hard, he forced it down.

Fluttering open his eyes, his blurry vision cleared to focus on the face that belonged to the whispering voice.

"Lucy?!"

Thunder rattled against the deep-set windows of the castle.

Lucy's fists were firmly planted on the edge of the table and fury colored her cheeks as she stood staring at her brothers.

"We are sworn to protect Narnia! Farmer Olin deserves our best. Can any of the three of you tell me that my plan won't work?"

Peter sighed and glanced at Susan. Her carefully schooled expression was clearly unhappy, but it gave no clue as to whether she was unhappy with Lucy or with the united front he and Edmund were putting up.

"Lucy, there's nothing wrong with your plan." The High King pointed out. "It is your role in it that we are against. Neither Edmund nor myself are willing to allow you to put yourself into that kind of risk."

Edmund shuffled the stack of parchment he had brought to the meeting, throwing down different pages as he spoke. "Fauns. Talking Horses." He slammed the entire stack down. "Talking beasts of every description! Lu, they aren't just taking young human girls. In the last year, someone has declared open season on our subjects. This is far too widespread and organized to be simple raiders or opportunists."

"But my posing as a one of our targeted subjects is the best chance we have to end this threat." Lucy retorted. "Unless you would like to don the back end of a horse costume?"

Peter stood up quickly, a stern edge to his voice. "LUCY!"

"Wait, Peter." Everyone turned as Susan spoke, her quiet voice barely exceeding the volume of the storm raging beyond the thick stone walls. "Lu has a good point."

The younger Queen dropped back into her seat with a slightly smug grin.

"Not that I would be willing to expose her to the danger any more than either of you are," Susan continued.

Lucy's grin faded. "Susan," she whined.

Ignoring Lucy's pout Susan stared across the table at Edmund. Tilting her head, she rose and stepped around the table.

"Stand up, Edmund."

"Beg pardon?" Ed looked up from the top sheet on the stack he'd dropped.

"Su?" Peter's query seemed to hang in the air over the table.

"Stand up please, Ed. You too, Lucy."

Susan grabbed her younger siblings by the shoulders. After placing them side by side in the middle of the room she proceeded to walk around them, occasionally reaching out to tug at Lucy's dress or press in on Edmund's tunic.

"Peter?" Susan spun and locked eyes with her brother.

Confusion graced Peter's face briefly before his comprehending grin broke free. "When did Lucy get so tall?"

Ed glanced sideways, only to meet his younger sister's eyes. He too suddenly came to the realization that he and Lucy were about the same size.

"Wait a moment." Lucy began to protest.

"No, Lucy." Peter replied. "Your idea for baiting the kidnappers is an excellent one but I would be far more comfortable with someone else as the bait."

Chill air stung Edmund's eyes as he stared from Susan to Peter and back again. "But-- but. I'm a boy!"

Susan smiled, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Not when I get done with you."