A/N: Be warned that this chpater is very descriptive and gory. You have been warned. And I'd like to give my typical "Happy Reading" to you all but...well...this chapter is not so happy. But I'll say it anyways. Happy Reading

Chapter Eight: A Night to Remember

They made it silently to the dungeons and thankfully without being seen. Kristen, merely waved her hand in front of the locked cell door that Caspian's beloved Professor Cornelius was being held in. Kristen watched as Caspian knelt down in front of Cornelius and egged him into consciousness. It was clear to see that this man practically raised the boy, had cared for him and taught him when no one else would and upon further inspection Kristen could see the Black Dwarf hidden in his blood.

"Five more minutes?" Caspian teased and Cornelius looked up at him with wide fearful eyes.

"You should not have returned!" He gasped looking around and then spotting the blonde beauty standing at his cell door. He gazed upon Kristen and then slowly shuffled to his feet and bowed his head. "Milady de Wilde. It is an honor to meet you."

"As is the man who for the most part raised Caspian." Kristen pat the young Prince's shoulder and then smiled at Cornelius. "We've come to spring you out."

"Yes come, we haven't much time."

"But if Miraz finds out you're here, it could mean the end of us all."

"Not if I have anything to say about that." Kristen said passionately.

"You don't understand, milady, the things he's done."

"Done? What do you mean?"

"There was so much I kept from you, My Prince. So much truths."

Caspian's face fell as he searched for the meaning of those words, but as simple as they were they hit home. Caspian arose, standing at his full height and Kristen could feel the tension running through him. She gripped his bicep with her hand tightly, and then spun him about to look at her.

"Breath." she said softly and commanded it of him. "Look at me."

He couldn't bring himself to do it at first, but when he felt a soft hand touch his cheek he looked up and was met with the cool calm of the ocean as he looked into Kristen's eyes.

"Lasto beth nin, Caspian. Have hope. Do not let this consume you, we have a mission." her voice lulled him for a moment but he grabbed her hand and pulled it away from her face.

"I have to know." and with that he tore away and was running towards the prison door and out of sight, his hand firmly on the hilt of his sword.

"Go after him. I will go to the stables...and hopefully get some horses. He needs you, now more than ever." Cornelius said and Kristen nodded and in a flash she was gone as well, sprinting off after Caspian.

She barely caught up with him as he stormed into a chamber, sword drawn and as she entered she saw that it was at the neck of whom she assumed to be his uncle. He was awake and so was his wife, who was now aiming to grab the crossbow above the bed. She grasped it and quickly reeled it back and pointed it at Caspian. Kristen drew her bow quickly, addressing her presence to everyone in the room as she pointed it at Caspian's Aunt.

"Did you kill my father?"

"Now we get to it."

"What are you talking about?" his wife asked as she lowered the crossbow some, and looked upon her husband in confusion. "You said your brother died in his sleep."

"More or less."

"Over a crown?" Kristen asked and now Miraz's glinting black eyes turned to her.

"Ah yes, the legendary White Lady. This is a family discussion."

"Too bad. I'm not going anywhere." Kristen tightened her grip on the bow. "And your wife fires, I put a hole through her head. Then I shall move onto you, and your child will stand no chance of being King. You may not think Caspian has the stomach to do it..." she said as she slowly heard the whispers running across his mind. "But I do."

"A true woman..." he said as he turned back to Caspian. "But the first time Caspian shows any backbone and it's such a waste. I had to do what I could for my son, so he wouldn't end up like Caspian, fatherless!"

"No!" Prunaprismia fired but Kristen shot, nicking her hand as it deviated the trajectory of the arrow and it grazed Caspian's arm. Just as this happened Miraz bolted for a wall as he pulled a lever and a secret door was revealed. He dissapeared behind it just as Kristen dove to her knees, propping Caspian up and Peter and Susan stormed into the room.

"What's going on here?" Peter asked and Kristen looked up at him with a glare.

"Not now!" she said loudly and Peter pursed his lips.

"Where's Miraz?"

"Got away." she sighed as she turned back to Caspian and looked at the wound on his shoulder.

"It's not bad." he said lowly as he hung his head.

Kristen reached out comfortingly and stroked the hair out of his face, lifting his chin so he may look at her. There was no anger shown across her beautiful face, there was no disappointment or even annoyance...just compassion and love. She understood the feelings because she could pick up on them, and the young Prince was in terrible pain from learning the truth.

"Sometimes, the truth sets us free in ways we cannot imagine." she whispered.

"We have to go." Peter said commandingly.

"Then go!" Kristen yelled at him as she now looked up at him in annoyance. "This is your fight remember...so go take charge of it. We'll be along."

"Kristen I–,"

Kristen's eyes narrowed dangerously as they even started to glow a bit and Peter clenched his jaw tight and backed up a few paces before walking out and Susan following. She gave Kristen a sad look and then looked to Caspian her gently eyes softening deeper. She turned, her dress billowing about as she followed after her brother.

"Up you get." Kristen pulled Caspian up with amazing strength and then bent down retrieving his sword. She handed it to him and then backed up a few paces. "Go to the stables and meet up with your Professor. I have a battle I need to be in."

"Thank you."

"Be safe." she said and started for the door but Caspian took her hand and stopped her.

"No, you be safe. For Peter's sake. He loves you, don't ruin that over me."

"It's not your fault. This is of my own doing. My choice. I have to go...but here." Kristen removed her other ring on her right hand. It was simple, just a silver band with a small sapphire in it that had been a gift from her mom for her birthday. She settled it in his palm and clasped his hand over it. "My mother gave it to me, and it's precious to me. Give it back to me, when we see each other again. For now, it's a means of friendship. That I'm here doing my duty to you. I'm not here for Peter, Susan, Edmund or dear Lucy...this is your hour of need. You're my King, Caspian."

"I'm not fit to be King."

"There will be a time, when you will be." she said and then turned and ran out of the room towards the courtyard.

When she arrived, the portcullis had been lifted and the drawbridge lowered and suddenly massive amounts of Narnian troops were meeting Telmarine soldiers. Kristen's instincts kicked in as she turned facing a group of soldiers head on. They looked at her in question as she made no move to strike, so they charged at once. Drawing her sword with fluidity she met them head on and sliced through them in seconds, her speed increased to its fullest. She stood straight after slicing down another soldier and then ducked down kicking the legs out from another, leaving a satyr to finish him off.

Battles weren't something she thought too much about, but she left her body to do the thinking for her. Kristen turned, and grabbed an arrow in mid air that would have struck her in the back and spotted a soldier with a cross bow aimed at her. He lowered it, his eyes widening and Kristen flipped the wooden instrument in her hand and with a powerful thrust sent it back towards him, hitting him square in the eye.

She hadn't noticed much else going on, but the firm sounds of Peter yelling for a retreat. She couldn't though, not when she was trying to keep most at bay, even jumping in on a few fights so as many Narnian's as possible could make it out the gate...which was now being held up by Mortar, an aging grey Minotaur. An arrow flew by her, whizzing in the air, lodging itself in Mortar's leg. Kristen's eyes widened as she ran towards the gate, evading around massive amounts of firing arrows. But as she was feet away, Mortar crumbled and the gate came crashing down in front of her and on him. He was killed instantly, but now a good hundred soldiers were trapped in the castle courtyard, along with Kristen.

Peter, who had been escaping by horseback, turned around and saw two eyes looking back at him through the gate. His heart stopped as he looked at her, and then his breath caught in his chest.

"Kristen!" he called.

"Peter, the drawbridge!" Caspian yelled above the shouts.

He was torn. But he only had seconds left to decide.

"Go." she mouthed to him and he nodded as he turned and kicked his horse's side. He jumped the space between land and the drawbridge and caught up with the others, but he said not a word as they sped off in a rushed state back towards the How. Susan who was riding on Glenstorm's back looked at Peter and then looked around.

"Where's Kristen!" she screamed at him and Peter looked at her and then away quickly, unable to look upon his own sister. "Where is she Peter! Do not tell me we left her...no! No! Go back!"

"We cannot." Glenstorm said.

Susan sat there, her already porcelain skin draining of any color. She sat there, her body starting to tremble and then her soft cries echoing out into the night.

Kristen turned from the gate, her body rigid with determination. The rest of the Narnian's where now looking to her as their last line of leadership.

"For Narnia!" they chanted and cheered and Kristen looked around, many were falling, and all were an easy target because they were crammed into the archway of the portcullis. She stepped out, her legs evading around bodies as she held her hands up. Using the energy from the fires and the draining life around her she was suddenly conjuring a giant wall of ice that quickly created a dome from part of the wall to the other side, encasing whatever Narnians surviving under protection. But just as the last bit of ice was fusing together, two arrows escaped and suddenly Kristen fell to her knees screaming as one lodged into her shoulder and the other leaving a long gash in her neck as it grazed her.

"Milady!" a centaur called, coming to her aid and Kristen looked up to see it was Bane.

"Ba-ane." she choked out as she felt her neck to feel blood oozing from it as well as her shoulder wound. "The port-cullis, help me...to it."

"What good will it do...we're trapped." he looked up at the massive wall of ice and Kristen choked as blood splashed to the ground from her lips, staining the stone red.

"No–. Tr-ust me."

He nodded and took her as he helped raise her to her feet. She leant against his strong body and he guided her to the portcullis, the remaining Narnian's parting for her. She reached out with her only good hand left and pressed it flat against the metal frame. Suddenly everyone could feel the charge in the air as this small being summoned whatever magic was left in her and burnt a hole through the tough iron gate.

Kristen shook violently through the process, her eyes flickering between ocher and blue. But the moment there was an escape, Bane picked her up, settling her on his back and she faintly heard him telling her to hold on.

"We will find you help, milady." she heard the voices of reassurance all around her as the cold air whipped at her through the night.

There was no rest for her, as her body ached too much for her to fall asleep. She feared if she did, she would not wake. Slowly her body felt colder, slowly she could see the dark edges of the picture close in and become duller.

She was on deaths door once more, and it was only a matter of time before it claimed her.