The commotion upon their return was beyond words. There was cheering, singing, music, flowers showered down. Little centaur girls placed halo of flowers on Susan and Lucy's brow. Hand maidens in pink and white from the palace brought their crowns and regal cloaks. It was like an impromptu parade right up to the palace doors where they were ushered inside from all the excitement.

Once in the throne room, Aslan lead the children to their rightful seats where they collapsed in joy. Their faces were red from the rush and constant smiling of their return. Peter felt like he was really home now. In Narnia. Lucy leapt from her chair and threw her arms around Aslan again, burying her little heart-shaped face into his mane. Edmund and Susan sat on the steps of the thrones dias, relaxing from all the commotion and excitement. Peter had tried to relax. The excitement had been replaced by this pull, this longing inside. He went to arched windows and leaned out so he could look north. He needed to go north. That's how he'd find her.

He stared into the distance. His blue-grey eyes narrowed and focused intently on the desired direction. In his ears he could hear that thumping rhythm, like a heartbeat, but it wasn't as fast or as loud as it was in the dream. It wasn't that noticeable but it had slowed down. Was it her heartbeat? Peter panicked inside. If it was her heartbeat he could hear, and it was slowing down, that meant she was dying. She wasn't going to survive much longer in her prison.

Peter hadn't noticed the others asking him if everything was alright. Aslan watched the young High King intently. Their connection was greater than he had initially anticipated. Peter hastily left the window and marched out of the room. The others followed calling out to him, calling him by name. He could not hear them. He was focused on his own thoughts and instinct. They followed him to his rooms in the palace. He had started pulling out his sword, his chain mail, and his armor from their resting places. Susan tried to stop him. He pushed her away.

"I have to go. And now." He said bluntly.

"Peter!" Susan exclaimed.

"Peter." Aslan said finally, and Peter stopped, although he looked distressed.

"What is it High King?" his centaur friend and guard asked, who had entered the room after hearing the all the noise.

Peter sat down on the edge of his bed. He ran his hands through his hair and took a few deep breaths.

"I can't describe it. Not in any way that would make sense."

Edmund sat next to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just try Peter." Edmund said.

"I feel this pull in me, to go north, to her. I can hear this thumping like rhythm in my head, like I did in the dream. I swear it's like I'm hearing a heartbeat. Her heartbeat. But it's different now. It's slower, and softer. It's like I can feel her life force leaving. I think she's dying."

The other three children looked at each other confused. Aslan looked in thought and nodded as Peter talked. Peter was trying to stay calm. Then he felt it. Her spirit calling to him. Pleading with him. Her voice inside him calling his name. Peter stood up suddenly and went to the arch windows of his room. He stared into the north horizon which his window faced.

"Mirsan" he whispered.

A few shocked gasps at Peter's whisperings. Aslan walked across the room.

"Is that her name Peter?" he asked. Peter nodded.

"I just knew suddenly. I can't explain it."

"As part of your destiny, I knew the two of you would have a deep connection, but even I was not aware of just how far that connection goes."

Lucy wandered over to Peter and held his hand. She could feel him trembling a little. The centaur bowed to the children and to Aslan then stepped forward.

"Sire, I can have things ready for travel, but it will take me a day, at least."

Peter looked to Aslan hopeful. Aslan nodded that it would be fine. Peter felt the High King inside him. He held his head high and turned to the centaur.

"You have a day to get us mobilized. Then we leave."

The centaur bowed and turned on his hooves to make the preparations. Peter paced back and forth. Aslan instructed other Narnians to prepare tonight's feast. Lucy and Edmund were chattering to each other about what had happened and where this new adventure would take them. Susan was sitting where Peter had. She did not think this was just some adventure. She found it strange and foreboding that some imprisoned woman of such alleged importance was connected to Peter like that.

"I don't like this. Just running off to free someone who could very well hurt us."

Peter frowned and turned to Susan. She folded her arms defiantly.

"I don think this connection you apparently have is right or natural. We don't even know what her intentions are. She could be the one who made sure the other three living ones didn't survive."

Peter shook his head. He knew different. He could feel her innocence. He could see her memories. That's when he saw it. Jadis.

"What's Jadis got to do with this Aslan?" he questioned the great lion.

"Jadis? The white witch?" Susan was in disbelief at hearing her name again. She almost killed both her brothers, and tried to destroy Narnia.

Aslan circled about Peter and then paced about. Then he stopped and looked at Peter with a questioning glance.

"What exactly did you see Peter?"

Peter sat down next to Susan. He sighed as he gathered thoughts. Peter closed his eyes and recalled the memory.

"She's fighting against them. Mirsan I mean. Mirsan is fighting against three others. Inside the volcano. Two of them, I can't see their faces, they hold her down on the stone slab. The other one comes forward, its Jadis, holding that wand of hers high above her. She forces Mirsan to drink something from a small vial. She threatens her, or someone, I cant hear it all, so Mirsan drinks and collapses. They pull the thin red cloth over her. Jadis laughs, and then points the tip of the wand to the stone slab and says something, like an enchantment. And then the ice covers Mirsan's body."

Peter opened his eyes. He looked at Aslan in disbelief as Mirsan's story was flooding his mind. Aslan was looking at Peter with this knowing look.

"This is so not good. This is bad. Jadis? She's not still alive is she?" Susan questioned disapprovingly.

Aslan shook his head.

"Jadis has definitely left this world young queen."

"Ok so what is Mirsan, or whoever she is, to Jadis, that Jadis would need to imprison her?"

"Her sister."

The answer had come from Peter. The room went silent. They were sisters? Lucy and Edmund had their mouths open and Lucy swallowed.

"Oh great, just great. Sisters? I knew this was all a bad idea."

Peter stood up and walked about the room.

"She's not like Jadis."

"You don't know that for sure. How do you know this woman isn't just manipulating the thoughts she's giving you?"

"I just know alright. I feel it."

"Well I'm not trusting your feelings right now. This is not right."

Peter and Susan were face to face. Lucy and Edmund had not seen them fight like this in a very long time. They were yelling so loudly. Lucy's mind started spinning with information. Mirsan is supposed to be a living one and the white witch was her sister that imprisoned her.

"Um guys?"

The arguing had not ceased. And they could not hear Lucy over the yelling. A deafening roar silenced the room. Everyone stopped.

"Yes Lucy?" the lion said softly this time.

"Um, if they're sisters, does that mean Jadis was a living one?" Lucy asked sheepishly.

"Yes she was. Although I was unaware of it at the time."

"The other two were sisters as well." Peter said quietly.

Lucy combined the information. Four sisters were the four living ones. And three turned on one, headed by Jadis.

"What happened to the other two sisters?"

Aslan's face was grave.

"I am under the assumption they too have been destroyed. Going by what happens in our future. Such, damage and loss, could have only gotten as far as it did, with at least three living ones lost."

Handmaidens arrived. They wanted to take Lucy and Susan away to dress for the feast. Lucy jumped up and ran to them, Susan, still frowning, followed after. Aslan walked to the door and stopped. He turned his head back to Peter.

"We will find her High King." Peter bowed his head to the great lion. The great lion turned into the hall and disappeared from sight. Peter was back at the window. Edmund stood next to him. Peter was lost in his thoughts. Edmund understood it must be hard having two persons thoughts in one mind.

The feast was amazing. Glorious rich Narnian food, music, dancing, it was all as Lucy remembered from previous visits. She was in a pale blue gown and her small crown amongst her hair with flowers. Peter seemed to be trying hard to be happy, but he was very distracted she noticed. Aslan had stayed close by him, and they were often leaning into each other, talking privately. Susan was enjoying herself, but Lucy could tell she was sulking. Edmund was in a circle of giggling handmaidens, dancing with them from time to time. Lucy had danced a few times with some of the court. But she was on the look out for old friends.

A white piece of cloth dangled in front of her. Her old hankerchief. A familiar voice.

"A token your majesty."

Lucy excitedly jumped out of her chair and turned.

"Mr Tumnus!" and she threw her arms about the faun. She bade him to sit with her. Then she told him all that had happened. Mr Tumnus was unsure of how to respond.

"That's a lot of weight and responsibility for the High King."

Lucy nodded.

The night drew on. Peter had retired a little earlier than the others. Susan had wandered off to have some time on her own before sleep. Edmund, Lucy gathered, had disappeared with one of the handmaidens. The very thought made her screw her face up. She stood on the balcony and looked at the beach in the night. She remembered the first time she stood here, and watched Aslan disappear after their first adventure. Narnia looked even wilder at night. She could see the mermaids off in the far distance playing in the moonlight. She could hear their soft songs on the night breeze. She briefly forgot the day's turmoil, and just enjoyed the sounds of Narnia. Of her home.