Disclaimer: I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia or any of its characters or fictional land/lands; I am not C.S. Lewis, sadly. I only own the plot and characters not featured in the original books.

Ryder couldn't stop fidgeting in her seat, she wasn't a very patient person and all the waiting around was making her anxious. Susan had kindly allowed for Ryder to use her private sitting room for her meeting with Nicolás, but Ryder couldn't get comfortable in the room, she'd rather have been out in the open or in her own room. Luckily Ryder didn't have to wait much longer.

She heard a soft knock on the door and it gently swung open, Susan smiled at Ryder but she didn't take notice of Susan but the towering young man behind her. Everything about him was the same, the unique gold eyes that had first caught her attention, the handsome, dark face with a strong jawline that was covered with short black stubble, his long black hair tied at the nape of his neck, strands falling around his face. Susan shut the door behind Nicolás, leaving them alone for the first time since she was fourteen years.

"Hello again." Ryder managed to choke out.

"Aeliana… I cannot believe it is you." Nicolás closed the space between them and hugged her, pulling back to look at her face. "You are even more beautiful than I remember." His hand caressed her cheek and Ryder shivered at his intimacy, distancing herself from him.

"You haven't changed at all." Ryder managed to say, fear creeping into her.

"Mi amor, I have been lost without you." Nicolás exclaimed fondly, taking her hands in his and kissing them. "I looked for you all those years ago, but it was like you never existed."

"I can't remember what happened, I don't remember anything, except a few memories that have come in snippets." Ryder explained. "I hoped you may help me, Nicolás, see if I can recollect anything more."

"Anything for you, mi amor." Nicolás smiled fondly, still holding her hands in his. Ryder blushed and pulled her hands away, the roughness of his palms sent shivers down her.

The way he affectionately called her 'mi amor' or my love, terrified Ryder but also how open his was about his affection for her. Like Jason, Nicolás was gentle and soft with his words and touch, as if she was delicate as a flower, whereas Edmund shared the same passion and fire as Ryder, that burning desire for each other. The way she felt around Nicolás was different to how Edmund made her feel; she felt shy and small like a mouse around Nicolás but with Edmund she was bolder, wilder and confident, which was effortless for her. She was terrified by this sudden change in character she felt with Nicolás.

"Umm… wow I cannot think straight." Ryder said stepping back from Nicolás, edging herself to a wall. "I feel weird with you being here." Ryder managed to stumble the words out of her mouth.

Nicolás looked bewildered at Ryder, a sign of hurt flashed across his face but not long enough for Ryder to register it. "I haven't stopped loving you, I hoped and prayed you were safe." Nicolás once again closed the space between the two of them, backing her against the wall. His hands reached up to her face, caressing the curve of her mouth with the one hand and using the other to stroke from her neck to her shoulder.

"Nicolás, please, you are being inappropriate." Ryder felt Nicolás face draw closer to hers, she could feel her heart hammering in her chest, not out of excitement but fear. She tried to shove Nicolás away from her but she'd cornered herself against the wall, with no way of getting out.

Suddenly, Ryder felt his hot mouth crush against hers and she let out a shout of protest. She tried to pull back but was only met with the hard stone wall and couldn't use her hands as Nicolás has pinned them to her side. Something familiar flashed in her mind. The night of her parent's murder and the night she disappeared, it all came unravelling back in her head.

She collapsed in his arms as her mind thrust the old memory back to her consciousness – the event that had scarred her for life, the event she felt she could have stopped.

I remembered being wrapped in Nicolás arms as he slowly kissed me, for the first time, pressed up against the willow tree; our willow tree. The evening was just drawing to a close, welcoming the dark and night in; the moon sat above us, allowing us a little light in the darkness. I pulled away from Nicolás and beamed up at him.

"I'm so glad I met you." I whispered to him, the night swallowing up my words in an instance.

"I am to, mi amor." He whispered back, holding me more tightly.

I felt different here than in my other memories. I felt young and foolish, innocent and free, whereas in others I felt anger, pain but hope, a hope to be free. In this memory I was merely a young Princess, with no experience of the evil that existed in this world nor the agony that we had to endure through life.

"I wish I could have been there to protect you from that man." Nicolás spoke softly but with a hint of disdain at the end.

"You can't always be here to protect me. Besides Vino was there so no harm could have come to me." I answered, smiling at Nicolás protectiveness.

"Your brother has yet to tell you what happened, so we have no idea who tried to kill you or why." Nicolás retorted, a tone of annoyance evident in his voice. She understood his annoyance but didn't share it; Vino would tell her in the morning once she was rested and better from her ordeal, she knew that.

In the shadows, figures began to emerge – one or two at first but then more and more appeared from the darkness of the woods surrounding the castle. I spotted them first and pulled Nicolás around the tree to hide, a nauseating feeling of panic hitting me.

"We must find my father or someone quickly." I whispered urgently to Nicolás, but he refused to let me move from the safety of our hiding spot. "Let me go, we need to warn everyone."

"We can't." Nicolás stated, still holding me back. "They'll see us if we try to get back into the castle. Is there any other ways in?"

"There's the old kitchen door but it's sealed shut, it hasn't been used since the new kitchen was added." It was our only hope of getting back in and warning someone, so I led Nicolás along the castle wall, making sure we were pressed hard up against it, hidden in the shadow of the castle. It didn't take us long to get to the door but the only problem was that it was sealed shut.

"Move out the way." Nicolás instructed to me.

He took a few paces away from the door and positioned himself to run, his right shoulder pushed forward, then sprinted at the door and came colliding into it. The door didn't budge. So he tried it again as I looked on, the sound of his body colliding into the wooden door rang through my ears until finally the door shifted. I slipped through the tiny gap and helped pull it open as Nicolás pushed so he could fit through.

Once we were in, I navigated us along the corridor to my parent's room. It was unusual that I was not met with a hundred guards on my journey, but all the corridors remained silent and still. I came to the corridor in which my parent's room was situated and gasped. Lying upon the stone cold floor in a pool of his own blood was Felipe, the King's guard, my father's protector. I hurried to his side but it was too late, he was dead.

At that moment, I heard my Uncle's voice, it was loud and menacing, and it terrified me. Then came the sound of my father shouting angrily… a coward, traitor, bastard, she heard him scream. My curiosity got the better of me and before Nicolás could stop me, I swung the door to be met with a scene that stayed embedded in my memory.

My father sat clinging to a lifeless body, an arrow struck through her chest, the crimson blood soaking through onto her white night shift. I'd recognise that women anywhere, my mother, the sun in my darkness, lay white and bloody on her bed, murdered. My eyes met with my father's and he shouted for me to run but I was grabbed suddenly, yanked by my uncle who stood with a crossbow in his hands.

"Come to watch your father die, have you?" I barely heard him sneer at me, throwing me to the feet of the bed, where my father quickly gathered me into his arms, letting go of his dead wife and resting her beside him.

"You will not get away with this, Sergio." I heard my father angrily reply.

Just then, Nicolás came charging into the room at Sergio. Using the crossbow, Sergio swung it across the air and it came crashing into Nicolás skull, causing him to crumble to the floor. I shouted out in worry and scrambled from the bed to Nicolás side; luckily he was just knocked out.

"Ah, in love with a peasant boy. Why aren't I surprised? Just like your whore of a mother." Sergio spat at me, as I cried.

"Don't you speak a word more, Sergio." My father threatened him, I'd never seen him so angry before.

"Why ever not? She deserves to know the truth." Sergio grabbed me by the hair and dragged me to my feet, holding my face between his thumb and index finger with much strength that I couldn't turn away from him. "Anyway, I'm not being blamed for this little bitch nor should father have been."

"I don't understand." I managed to say through sobs.

"Do you finally want to know who your real parents are?" Sergio sneered at me.

I shook my head violently. "I know who my parents are, King Favino and Queen Hespera."

Smack!

I held my cheek as it stung from his slap and sobbed even more. "Don't defy me you stupid cow." He turned and faced my father, his voice raised. "This man here is not your father. Your mother isn't that dead beauty there, haven't you ever wondered why you look like our sister or our mother? How could you possibly look like them if you're adopted? Hmm."

He locked eyes with me, that glint of hatred and fire bright in his eyes, that it scared me. "It's because my whore of a sister decided to sleep around with a stable hand and nine months later you arrived, you're nothing but the illegitimate bitch of a dirty whore and a poor peasant. You have no place here with us, it made me sick to see you walk about MY castle as if it were YOUR home. My father should have just left you to starve on the streets like he did your father." He spat on the ground next to her then hit her once again across the face.

"Now back to business," Sergio positioned the crossbow at my father, his brother. "Are you ready to watch your King, your protector, your father, die you slut?!"

As if he had ignited a fire within me, a volcano that lay dormant within me rose to the surface and burst. I was suddenly filled with this burning hatred, this seething anger that I had never felt before. My mother, the person who had raised me, lay cold and dead in her own pool of blood, this wasn't how she should have died. I felt a duty of revenge as I looked at my father, not cowering as any man would but standing tall, accepting his fate.

I lunged at my uncle, catching him off guard, the crossbow released the arrow, shooting up into the ceiling. He fell with a hard thud and the crossbow was thrown from his hand, he grabbed hold of my shoulders and threw me off him, but I was quick, faster than I knew I could be and I lunged at him again, sinking my nails into his skin then as he thrashed, I sank my teeth deep down into his shoulder blade until I could taste his blood; his screams ringing throughout the room.

"Aeliana, get back from him." I heard my father shouted, I looked up to find him stood glaring down at Sergio with the crossbow in his hands, pointed directly at him.

I heard Nicolás stir behind me and approached his side. He blinked slightly and looked up at me. "Aeliana? What happened? Where am I?" He tried to get to his feet but swayed slightly on his feet having to hold on to me for support.

"Aeliana, go fetch the knights and your brother. I'll deal with this traitor."

I did as I was told and pulled Nicolás from the room, when I came face to face with my brother. "Vino! I'm so glad you're hear. Uncle Sergio has murdered mother and tried to murder father, he's –" He cut me off.

"Aeliana, you have to get out of here. The castle is surrounded, Sergio's men are waiting for his signal to attack." Vino spoke with such urgency that it frightened me.

"But Sergio cannot signal his men if he's dead, father's got him now in his room."

"Aeliana, listen to me. We are no longer safe here, there are traitors amongst our closest friends. If Sergio doesn't kill father, they will and then they'll place our cousin on the throne." Vino looked down at me with great sadness in his eyes. "They'll kill me too Aeliana."

"I won't let them!" I snapped, but just then a crash came from my father's room and I left Nicolás slouched up against the wall, rubbing his head gently.

"Father!" Vino shouted, charging into the room, as I trailed behind him to witness what was happening. The crossbow was thrown across the room and Sergio had his sword drawn, father was defenceless but Vino threw him his own sword, and he braced himself for the fight.

The two men charged at each other, swords raised, then they clashed together and the sound vibrated through the room. They swung and ducked from each other, father seemed to have the upper hand, always having been the better fighter, that I didn't see it coming.

In a flash, Sergio pulled a concealed dagger from his boot and as father made to attack, Sergio struck the dagger up into his abdomen and father came crumbling to the ground.

Before I could register what I had happened, I felt Vino's arms around me as he dragged me from the room and down the corridor, I felt Nicolás hand on my back as he pushed me along. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, Vino and Nicolás shouts were muffled, our running seemed slow and sluggish. I was propelled down a flight of stairs where we were met by our tutor, Emiliano, who snuck us out through a hidden door in his study that led out to the courtyard, near the stables, where father's loyalist men were waiting for us with horses.

Just then the bells began to ring.

"That's Sergio's signal. Come on!" Juan, the Commander of the Guards, shouted.

I was lifted up onto the same horse as Nicolás, just as Sergio's men attacked. "Your King has been murdered, the rightful heir has be usurped. If you wish to see Telmar back to its glorious days, protect your King, Favino III!" Juan shouted at the bewildered guards and knights of Telmar as they witnessed the attack of Sergio's men. Juan led us straight into the heart of men, the only way out was through the courtyard gate, where the raiding soldiers were entering from.

I glanced behind me as we rode away, and spotted Sergio standing watching his war wage on our soldiers, he may have killed her father and took her brother's rightful throne but they would be back and she knew Favino would sit on his rightful throne.

Suddenly, the horse reared. I and Nicolás were thrown backwards off the horse and we came crashing to the ground in a heap. I heard shouts of my name, I looked up and Vino was shouting for me, he tried to turn around but Sergio's men tried to grab hold of his horse but they were cut down by the knights like thorns.

"Protect the King!" I heard someone shout.

I tried to get up and run but I too was grabbed from behind, I screamed, called out but Vino was being hurried out of the courtyard, I saw him as he tried to reach me. He locked eyes with me, those eyes full of sadness and despair, he shouted my name again, tried to retreat for me.

"But she's my sister, we have to go back. I have to save her." He cried to the knights. "Aeliana, I'm sorry. I will come back for you, I promise, mi pequeña paloma!"

I cried out again, my father always called me 'mi pequeña paloma', my little dove, but what made him think I'd be alive for him to come save me. I stopped fighting against whoever was dragging me away. I spotted Nicolás, he was fighting against some soldiers but he had no shield nor sword so it was useless, they kicked him to the ground. I couldn't look any longer.

I was dragged up the stone steps that led up to the balcony and was dumped down in front of Sergio, who stood grinning down at me. He remained smiling as he struck me across the cheek again and then grabbed me by the throat, lifting me up off her feet. I sputtered and choked as the air from the lungs was cut short, then when I could had lost all feeling in my body, Sergio threw me back to the ground.

"Just kill me already!" I snarled, once my lungs were filled with air again.

"I had the opportunity to do that today. At the beach this morning, that man was a friend of mine. I couldn't stand you anymore, you little whore, tarnishing my family's name with your dirty blood. But now, you're of valuable use to me. I could have fun with you." He smirked. "See how your brother feels when he comes back for you and –"

Ryder awoke with a sudden jolt – her body shaking uncontrollably and she felt a sudden sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. What was the last part? Her mind had cut it off but Ryder knew it was important, very important.

Ryder felt someone's warm arms around her and her mind jumped immediately to Edmund. But when she looked up, through hazy eyes, it wasn't Edmund staring down at her but Nicolás. The event quickly jumped back into her mind and she pushed herself away from him. Ryder fumbled to get the words out of her mouth, her head was spinning and her mouth tasted metallic.

"Let me help you up." Nicolás offered Ryder his hand but she pushed it away.

Ryder struggled for the words but it was too late.

She threw up.

She coughed and spat out the taste from her mouth onto the carpet of Susan's sitting room.

She's going to hate me for it, Ryder thought to herself.

Nicolás had run out to find someone, leaving her alone. Ryder pulled herself over to the nearest piece of furniture and tried to pull herself up right but it was useless, her body felt limp and weak. She still couldn't stop shaking and tried to will herself to take control of her own body.

Instead she slumped back to the floor and rested her aching head against the back of Susan's chaise longue. She'd never felt so drained in her life, the only thing keeping herself from passing out again was repeating his name.

Edmund… Edmund… Edmund.

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The constant tap, tap, tap of Edmund's fork against the table was driving his siblings crazy. Ryder had been with Nicolás for less than an hour, possibly not even half an hour and Edmund was already anxious.

"Ed, please stop the tapping." Peter finally piped up "it's driving me round the bend."

"Sorry." Edmund mumbled, setting the fork back on the table. Instead he opted for something less annoying, pulling the string out of the table cloth; although, he'd probably end up annoying the maids so he ceased doing anything. He couldn't eat nor drink, all he wanted was to see Ryder, make sure she was alright, because for some reason, in the pit of his stomach, he knew something was wrong.

His fears were confirmed almost instantly.

All of a sudden, a loud bang from the corridor reached the Pevensie's ears and then shouts. Nicolás came barging into the room, dishevelled, Lycuson following at his heel, looking at the young man with a bewildered expression.

"Where's Ryder?!" Edmund asked urgently. A cloud of dread fell over Edmund and panic set in. He closed the space between him and Nicolás.

"She passed out." It was all Edmund needed to sprint from the room to Susan's sitting room, that was situated in the East wing. His siblings rushed after Edmund, Nicolás following close behind.

Edmund threw the door open with such force that the door went crashing into the wall and bounced back at him. He scanned the room and nearly missed Ryder's tiny figure, curled up in a ball behind Susan's chaise longue, her feet slightly sticking out. He rushed to her side and found her whispering to herself, rocking back and forth.

"Edmund… Edmund… Edmund." She repeatedly uttered.

"Ryder, I'm here." He effortlessly lifted her from the floor and gently placed her upon the sofa. He could still hear her uttering his name, so he tried shushing her softly and stroking her hair from her face, then he leaned down a planted a light kiss on her lips.

But she wouldn't stopped saying his name.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"She's in shock." Galena diagnosed.

Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy all crowded around Ryder who sat rocking back and forth, still repeating Edmund's name, which raised questions by Peter, who stared suspiciously at Edmund. Nicolás was told to remain outside by Edmund, which didn't please Nicolás but he obliged.

"But why won't she stop saying my name?" Edmund asked, desperate to shake Ryder out of her trance.

"From my past experience with cases like this, repeating something comforting like someone's name, it blocks out the thing that's shocked or scared them." Galena answered.

"Why would Edmund's name comfort her though?" Peter inquired, glancing at Edmund. "Why not Lucy's or Susan's?"

"I cannot answer why she chose Edmund's name, but perhaps her memories of him, their first meeting, their constant quarrels, is powerful enough to block out that thought. It doesn't necessarily have to be comforting, just powerful enough to repress the thought." Galena had saved Edmund's skin, he must thank her for it later, Edmund thought to himself.

But his attention was drawn back to Ryder. She was saying something else.

Edmund… dungeon…beach... duel… practice… ball… garden… bedroom…

Edmund knew what she was referring to. In the dungeons, where they had ended up in a very compromising position. At the beach, where he had saved her and the ride back. The duel in which Edmund had beaten her and also he started to trust her more. The sword practice every day for a week where they were left alone and where they had almost kissed for the first time. His birthday ball, where they danced together and then in the garden, where they finally kissed and confessed their love for each other. Lastly, in her bedroom then his bedroom, where they made love for the first and second time.

"What does that mean?" Peter asked, frowning slightly.

Edmund knelt beside Ryder, who had her eyes focused on her feet, she didn't stop repeating those words. "Ryder please look at me." Edmund pleaded. She heard him and locked eyes with him. "Tell us what happened."

She shook her head viciously. "Don't make me. I don't want to remember."

"You need to Ryder, please."

She took a deep breath. She knew she couldn't stay in this state forever, she knew that she had to tell them what she had remembered, not matter how much it scared her. She ceased her words, and let the memory she'd been trying to force out back in. Looking up at Edmund and locking eyes with him, pretending it was just the two of them, no one else.

And Ryder just blurted it out.

By the time Ryder had finished telling them, she was choking back sobs. She was refusing to cry, because it hurt to cry and made everything real. She was sick of crying, she was tired of feeling all this hurt and pain. She rough rubbed her eyes and swallowed hard.

Be strong, she thought to herself.

Edmund remain knelt in front of her, frozen to the spot, his hands tightened around the wooden arms of the chair Ryder sat upon – his knuckles white from how tight his grip was. Peter's jaw was clenched tight, trying to hold back his emotions, it made him angry; Ryder had been so much and through it all she had remained strong. Susan and Lucy were hugging each other silently crying, and Peter slowly placed his arm around them in a comforting manner.

Edmund tried to hold his anger in, the arms of the chair snapped between his grasp and he threw them aside. He got up off his feet, his blood boiling; his hatred for Sergio more intense than ever before. He couldn't hold it in any longer. He threw a punch at the wall and his hand crashed into the stone, but he didn't feel anything. Ignoring the crying pleads of his sisters and the angry shouts of Galena, Edmund just threw punch after punch until he felt the blood, wet between his fingers.

He let out an angry grunt and kicked the wall, then rested his head up against it.

"Are you done?" Peter asked.

Edmund looked up at his brother and let out a regretful sigh. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." He looked over at Ryder who hadn't moved from the seat, still ghost white with blood shot eyes. "I think Ryder should go to bed."

"Yes but first, I have one last question for Ryder." Peter stated, taking his eyes off Edmund and approaching Ryder's side. "What did Nicolás say to bring this memory back?"

The meeting with Nicolás had completely slipped Ryder's mind and now it came tumbling back – he had kissed her. She briefly glanced at Edmund, who seemed intrigued by Peter's question then looked at Peter, swallowing hard. She wasn't sure what Edmund would do, he'd been jealous before, he was jealous of Nicolás, and so what would he do if he knew he'd kissed her?

Ryder was silent for a short while staring intently at the floor, then she spoke, mumbling to the floor, so that no one could hear.

"Ryder, you'll have to speak up." Peter said.

Ryder sighed and looked up, trying hard not to look at Edmund, but her eyes drifted to him. "He didn't say anything… He kissed me."

AN: So I'm hoping this chapter sort of shocked you and hopefully people are slotting things into place regarding Ryder. I had tried to post this a few days ago however I hadn't finished it due to my busy life and a tiny bit of writer's block. Anyway, thanks to my new follower ChrisDaughterOfApollo and as always to DawnDestination, for loving my story possibly more than I do and for being here from the start. Reviews are appreciated, I love to know your guys thoughts whether it be good or constructive criticism.

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