Sorry for the long wait in an update, I had to study for a maths and science test and my keyboard broke on my laptop, so I didn't get time to type this, but I hope you can all forgive me with this chapter as we get closer to the end.
Note: The Italic's that are in this chapter later are for Edmund.
Many men slaved away over the building construction of the wooden bridge placing in the final parts of long trees to complete their passage to the other side. To the Narnians.
Back at Miraz's castle the council hall was full of Lords and important people. Two guards stood at the front next to Lord Glozelle with a struggling Edmund, who was attempting to break free of their grip. Lord Miraz entered the room, dressed in a similar outfit to the one that Edmund had worn when he was crowned at Cair Paravel.
As Miraz walked through the room, Edmund was forced to listen to the Lords shout out their allegiance to a tyrant and a murderer.
"Beruna pledges its troops."
"Galma pledges its troops."
"Tashbaan pledges its troops."
"Ettinsmoor pledges its troops."
From being inside Edmund couldn't see the marching troops heading towards the bridge covered in armour.
Miraz knelt down and Lord Sopespian placed a golden crown with different coloured jewels onto his head before stepping back and walking to stand at the side. Lord Glozelle who stood at the side looked over briefly at Edmund before looking back at Miraz.
The newly crowned King stood and faced the people that were stood in the room.
The troops continued their march towards the King and Queens of Old, the rightful King, Prince Caspian and the unsuspecting Narnians.
Miraz turned around, smirking as he caught Edmunds eye, the young King could only glare back. Lord Sopespian watched the King of Old carefully as Miraz walked up a few steps towards what was now his throne.
Edmund had yet another word to add to his list about Lord, or should he say King Miraz. Lord Glozelle and Lord Sopespian were sending glares at each other and although they weren't looking in his direction, Edmund did the same.
The two Lords broke eye contact and then bowed down slightly as Miraz sat upon the Throne of the castle. Edmund could only manage to glare at him, but if he wasn't being held down, the new King would be fighting for his life at this moment in time.
"Long live the King!" Chorus of voices shouted out while Edmund kept his mouth sealed shut. Everyone else in the room was bowing, except for the small black haired King who was still standing straight. If he was going to bow down to anyone then it would be Aslan, either of his sisters, the Prince, Caspian and his brother, Peter.
But it seemed that Miraz wouldn't allow that as he signalled for the guards to push the younger King to his knees which, even with Edmund fighting against them to keep himself up on his feet, they found an easy job and Edmund felt his knees kit down hard on the concrete floor.
"Long live the King!"
King Miraz and Lady Prunaprisma walked out onto the balcony, where below stood a huge mass of people all looking up at their new King and his wife. All of them were shouting the same as the Lords had, while they waved at them.
The Telmarines wooden bridge, made out of Narnia's dear trees stood strong in what was, at the moment, a calm, clear blue sea. On the top of that bridge marched every one of the soldiers who were aiding King Miraz. They all carried shields and swords or weapons of any other sort that were good enough for fighting Narnians.
Their banners were carried near to the front and in between every set of guards that walked across the bridge in sets of hundreds there was a huge catapult and horses, that were also covered in armour and this went on for miles back.
Caspian stood inside the How looking at the picture of the four Kings and Queens of Old and wondered if the final King of Old was anything like the others. Caspian found that he was liking the silence that had fallen over him at this moment in time.
But it was soon to be broken.
"Are you so glad of that magic horn now, boy?" Nikabrick asked breaking Caspian's thought and causing the Prince to turn his head to face the small dwarf. Caspian continued turning to face him until he was looking at him straight on, "Your Kings and Queens have failed us."
He was right.
"Your army's half dead. And those that aren't will be soon enough." Nikabrick walked closer to Caspian until he was stood at the young Princes side.
"What do you want?" Caspian asked, "Congratulations?" What was the dwarf after an award for stating the obvious?
"You want your Uncle's blood. So do we." Nikabrick replied latching on to Caspian's anger. "You want his throne? We can get it for you." And with that the dwarf walked off. Caspian turned and followed him. The pair entered at the top of the room that contained the stone table.
"You tried one ancient power. It failed. But there is a power greater still. One that kept even Aslan at bay for near a hundred years."
Caspian heard growling and moved his hand to draw his sword and point it in the direction that the low growling was coming from before quickly stepping forward towards the cracked stone table.
"Who's there?" He asked the near silence.
"I am hunger," A low growling voice replied for him, a figure with a long nose and wearing a black hooded cloak appeared form the shadows, "I am thirst. I can fast a hundred years… and not die. I can lie a hundred nights on the ice…"
Another figure approached them from the other side. Caspian was scared and Nikabrick was, smiling?
"…and not freeze. I can drink a river of blood and not burst. Show me…" Caspian looked to Nikabrick who just nodded as the growling voice continued its speech. "….your enemies!" And with that the figure removed the cloak, to reveal a wolf; Caspian pointed his sword at the creature's throat.
"What you hate, so will we. No one hates better than us." The other removed its hood to reveal another creature, one that Caspian remembered being told of. A hag, if he remembered correctly.
"And you can…" Caspian's anger took over. He had no idea what he was saying, "…Guarantee Miraz's death?"
"And more." The hag bowed slightly and Caspian placed his sword away, feeling that there was no longer a need for it. He looked to Nikabrick, who looked to the hag and nodded.
"Let the circle be drawn."
Using a sharp claw, the wolf drew a perfect circle around Caspian while the hag chanted some words that Caspian didn't recognise, so the young Prince assumed that she was speaking in that of the Narnian tongue.
Nikabrick moved to stand behind the Prince at the stone table, seeming to always want to be behind the Prince's line of sight and Caspian faced towards the image of Aslan. The hag raised an ice tip staff and finished speaking before slamming it into the stone steps. Caspian watched as it lit up, ice suddenly covering the stone that was around it as the tip of the staff glowed a white, blue sort of colour.
The hag walked back to stand closer to the wolf and Nikabrick as the whole archway became frozen solid ice. Caspian looked at it in confusion and when he let out a breath and was quick to notice the small cloud that you only ever get when the temperature is quite literally freezing.
The suddenly a human figure appeared inside the frozen block. See was pale, very pale, wore a completely snow white dress and her hair from what Caspian could see was a similar colour. Her hands hang at her sides as if there was no tension in her body at all and if the ice wasn't there she would just fall backwards.
Then Caspian realised. With his anger gone, even if it was just for a moment to be replaced by his confusion, his brain clicked and he remembered what Doctor Cornelius had told him of the Old Narnia.
Of her.
"Wait." The three creatures behind him were bowing to her and the flames behind the ice only helped to add to her appearance. "This isn't what I wanted." Caspian tried to step out of the drawn circle, but the wolf was quicker and grabbed a hold of him and pulling his hand out, extending it towards the White ice figure.
"One drop of Adam's blood and you free me." Nikabrick smiled and the hag drew a knife and made her way over to Caspian, "Then I am yours, my King."
"No!" Caspian shouted before the hag ran the blade across the palm of his hand, blood instantly running up to the surface. The pale figure kissed her hand before extending hers towards Caspian's, her flesh coming through the ice that held her prisoner.
Caspian looked on in fear at what he was doing. The wolf let go of him and Caspian found himself drifting towards her, his fear being suddenly replaced by something else, something that he couldn't name.
"Stop!" The White Witch looked up, recognising the voice to be that of an enemy.
High King Peter ran in with Trumpkin not to far behind him. Nikabrick turned around as Peter drew his sword and ran forward. The wolf jumped up onto the stone table and the hag ran around the side.
The wolf made a leap for Peter who moved to the side towards the hag, the huge claws completely missing him allowing the growling form to hit the ground. Trumpkin, made his way over to Nikabrick, the other dwarf of who was already predicting the fight between the two of them.
Knife on knife, dwarf vs. dwarf.
Peter's sword clashed against the hag's knife and the stronger King was easily able to land a hit, but then she managed to grab a hold of the hand that held his sword and pull it down towards the stone table, causing Peter to let it go and allow it to drop to the floor with a clang.
Edmund opened his eyes to see himself standing in the stolen Telmarine armour that he had worn at the raid of the castle when he tried his best to help Narnia the best that he could, without being spotted by Miraz.
Like that worked.
Edmund blinked suddenly aware of his surroundings. He didn't recognise the place as somewhere that he knew, but he did recognise Peter and the form of a hag and two dwarfs who seemed to be against each other. The young King thought that he recognised the chill and ice coloured glow from behind him.
He was distracted from his thoughts by the sudden notice of a wolf that was in front of him.
The giant wolf made a leap for Edmund who raised his sword and tried to slash the wolf, however he missed and the furry beast went underneath his arm, slashing its claws across Edmund's ribs from the right side of his boy. The young King, however didn't notice the pain, it was as if he couldn't feel any pain, for he couldn't even feel the cut that the wolfs claws had made.
Edmund was tripped up by the wolf and used this as an opportunity to make a small cut on the wolf's leg before he hit the floor, landing on his back. The wolf was injured as well and began limping more on its back left leg.
Nikabrick and Trumpkin's fight had been pretty much decided as Trumpkin was on the floor leaning against some stone and Nikabrick victoriously held a knife above his once friends head.
Lucy grabbed Nikabrick and held a knife to his throat, pulling him away from Trumpkin, who looked up in shock at where the young queen had come from. Nikabrick pulled himself free from her weak grip and quickly made a strong grip onto the small youngest Queens right wrist. He pulled her forward by her right wrist before twisting it behind her back.
Lucy screamed as he forced her arm back unnaturally. Whilst her arm was behind her back, he grabbed her knife and threw it to the floor before doing the same to Lucy, leaving her defenceless.
Peter, who was on the ground, finally managed to force the hag off of him, throwing her across the open space and into a stone pillar. From there she slipped down onto the ground. Peter sat up and looked over at Caspian whose hand was getting ever closer to the White Witches.
Edmund ran his sword through the wolfs stomach and turned running off to where ever it was that his feet were taking him. For the young King of Old had never set foot in this place, all he knew was that he had to stop her…
The wolf got back up and charged after Edmund who jumped off of a stone, turning and running his sword straight through the wolf who fell to the ground with him.
Nikabrick now held a tight grip on his knife as he glared at the young queen, who tried to move backwards, away from him, but there was nowhere for her to go. Nikabrick held the knife above her and Lucy was sure that he was about to run her through when he suddenly froze and fell forward to his knees and then to the ground.
His fall revealed the friendly face of Trumpkin, her D.L.F.
The White Witch extended her hand out further. "Come on! Come." Her enemies were winning.
Peter pushed Caspian out of the way, his now retrieved sword pointed at her ice shielded form, "Get away from him!" Jadis instantly withdrew her hand. Caspian landed on the floor with a groan finally noticing the pain in his bleeding hand. Peter looked at the Witch fiercely, while she just smiled.
Peter had a small cut that was just above his left eye that was bleeding slightly.
'Peter, dear, I've missed you.'
That voice. He may not know where he was, but that voice was far too familiar. It was her voice. She was trying to tempt Peter, like she had tempted him. Edmund didn't know what to do, but he knew that he had to do something; his siblings were in danger, or well his older brother
"Peter, dear, I've missed you." Peter realised that she was trying to temp him, but he wasn't going to do the same as his younger brother, Edmund and Caspian, was he?
She extended her cold hand out to him. "Come. Just one drop." A shadowed figure ran down the steps behind Peter who found himself loosening the grip on his sword, "You know you can't do this alone."
Peter lowered the sword, she was right, he should take her hand, it will help him, it will help Narnia. But no, it wouldn't, she's evil, why was Peter even questioning this, the answer should be a no.
Suddenly something went straight past Peters head and then the ice that contained Jadis cracked and she pulled her hand back towards her body that was still inside the ice.
Edmund had no clue as to wear he was going, but he managed to find the back of the giant ice shield and from hearing the way that the conversation between Peter and Jadis was going he instantly ran his sword through the sheet of ice. Then his eyes flew open.
Peter looked on at the ice in slight confusion before noticing something sticking out of the ice. Caspian was now stood beside him and Peter thought that the Prince must have noticed it as well and then without any warning the ice broke. Peter and Caspian shielded their faces from the scattering pieces of ice shards.
Lucy was now stood on her feet and Trumpkin held his arm out across her to stop the Valiant Queen from running forward and making any stupid moves.
Suddenly Peter's head was filled with words. Six horrible words that he didn't want to hear. Spoken by his own younger brother's voice, 'I know. You had it sorted.' Peter heard them clearly, despite the fact that he was nowhere near Edmund.
Peter swallowed and looked down finally noticing a red and gold tipped arrow on the floor with the shards of ice. Susan. So that explained the object that flew past his head and the reason for the ice cracking.
Peter and Caspian looked deeply at the stone picture of Aslan for a moment before turning to face the entrance to the space and as Peter thought their they saw Susan, stood behind the stone table looking at them, or well looking at Peter. She adverted her eye sight towards Lucy, before looking back at Peter.
Caspian looked at Susan. The Gentle Queen looked at Caspian for barely a second before she turned on her heel and walked away, bow still in held in her hand, her grip on it tightening as she walked away.
The Prince looked to Peter who seemed just as shocked as he was at the events of the last few minutes. The two exchanged no words as Caspian left. Lucy and Trumpkin followed along behind. Peter sighed and sat down on one of the stairs on the stone table.
Edmund's eyes flew open and he was suddenly once again aware that he was walking or being pushed along by Lord Sopespian. He had no clue as to where that strange dream had come from.
As he was pushed along, he suddenly became aware of a mass amount of pain in his ribs, more on the right side than the left and placed his hands over them to try and take away the pain, but it only increased.
When Edmund looked down and removed his hand he saw that it was covered in blood and so was his clothing. His vision blurred and he couldn't see straight everything flashed and Edmund was no longer sure if he was even standing, walking, awake or dreaming.
He hit the floor he knew that much and then he felt something pull him up, his ribs screaming in pain at the action. He heard talking, but couldn't make the words out clear enough to understand the full conversation.
Something, well someone, picked him up while everyone else continued walking or riding on in front. Edmund managed to make out the face of the person who held him before blacking out completely.
Lord Sopespian pushed the young King along reluctantly. He wanted nothing more than to the kill the boy, observing just how ill-mannered he is and how sneaky he can be.
It was then that the King fell forward on to the floor. Most of the troops stopped behind not being able to see what was going on. King Miraz dismounted from his horse and Lord Glozelle who had been walking along with both his and Lord Sopespian's horses in hand stopped and let them go to eat the grass, so that he could make his way over to the young King.
"What's wrong?" Questioned their King.
"He just fell, your Majesty. I think he's unconscious." Lord Sopespian replied.
"Well do something then." Miraz told him.
"How about we kill him?" Lord Sopespian asked, drawing his sword and making move to kill the young King of Old anyway.
"Wait!" Lord Glozelle shouted, causing the other Lord to stop and Miraz to look at him in question. Lord Glozelle had already thought about what he was going to say next, "He might be useful against the Narnians."
"He won't fight his own kind." Lord Sopespian replied outraged, but he did put his sword back in its place.
"No," King Miraz started as he began to walk back towards his horse, "But they won't fight him." Lord Sopespian walked away as well and grabbed his horse's reins, pulling its head up, mounting and walking off with their new King.
Lord Glozelle asked another guard to lead his horse for him and he carefully bent down and picked up Edmund. He could see clearly that the boy saw his face before his eyes rolled back and he became unconscious. As they continued to walk along the Lord noticed the reason for the King of Old's earlier passing out.
An injury to his ribs, but were he got it from, the Lord had no clue.
Caspian, now with no armour sat on the top of the How on a ledge looking over at the green grass and the old battle ruins that were in the middle of it. The wind blew lightly and Caspian just stared out at the open space, sat in silence.
His professor, Doctor Cornelius walked out onto the ledge and sat down next to his Prince.
"Why did you never tell me about my father?"
"My mother was a black Dwarf from the Northern Mountains." Doctor Cornelius started, not answering Caspian's question, "I risked my life all these years so that one day… you might be a better King than those before you."
Caspian looked down, "Then I have failed you."
Cornelius looked up at the Prince, "Everything I told you, everything I didn't, it was only because I believe in you." Caspian turned to look his professor in the eye, "You have a chance to become the most noble contradiction in history."
"The Telmarine who saved Narnia." The two sat on that ledge in a happy silence until a figure walked out to join them. She carried armour with her, wore her own and her bow and arrows were carried with her as well.
"Caspian." The Queen spoke gaining Caspian and Cornelius attention.
"Susan." Caspian spoke, but the sound didn't come out of his mouth and he found that he had just mouthed her name, but the Gentle Queen of Narnia had still noticed his action as she nodded.
Doctor Cornelius stood up and bowed to her slightly, but Susan could only shake her head, a simple telling that there was no need for a friend of Narnia to bow to her.
"I'll shall leave you, my Lady." He told her. Susan nodded before replying.
"I see that Trumpkin is looking for some company."
"A most noble friend." He replied before leaving Susan with the young Caspian. The Queen turned her attention to him and walked to sit where Cornelius had once been. She handed the armour to Caspian who took it with a mouthed thanks still not able to find his voice in order to actually speak to the Queen.
And then he found something that he could actually say.
"Sorry."
Susan knew what he was referring to and was quick to answer. "It's alright, I forgive you." She placed a hand onto his arm, "Like I did Edmund."
"I'm sorry about your brother," Susan looked at him confused for a minute. "Lucy mentioned it before we left for the castle. She asked me to keep a look out for him."
"We all miss him." Caspian pulled Susan close into a hug for a minute before they pulled apart and looked out once again at the green grass, however this time there was a major difference.
Trumpkin and Cornelius walked back up onto the ledge and they too noticed it. Susan quickly asked Trumpkin to find Peter and Lucy and get them here quickly. She and Caspian stood up and the joined the professor. The three of them looked out at the quickly changing foreground.
Peter sat looking at the stone tile with the picture of Aslan. Lucy who had now detached herself from her dear little friend walked over to her older brother and sat down with him. She sighed and placed her arms, crosses over, in her lap. Peter held a knee close to his chest with his hands keeping it above the ground.
"You're lucky, you know." The youngest Pevensie turned to face the oldest.
"What do you mean?" She questioned
"To have seen him." Peter replied, before turning his gaze to the stone image of Aslan answering Lucy's question. "I wish he'd just given me some sort of proof."
"Maybe we're the ones who need to prove ourselves to him." Lucy replied placing a hand on her blonde, older brother's arm. At that moment Trumpkin walked in.
"You'd better come quickly."
The three ran up to the ledge where Caspian and his professor had been talking earlier. Already stood there waiting was Caspian, Cornelius and Susan. Peter and Caspian looked to each other before looking back at the ground. Down there stood a lot of the Narnians, but it was what was visible in the distance that was worrying the Narnian group.
A giant Telmarine army emerged from the trees, marching with their weapons behind them and horses beside them.
Reepicheap and his mouse army appeared on some stones down on the ground to watch for what all of the commotion was.
Lucy looked over at Trumpkin and her sister before back down at the ground and suddenly became even more worried than she already was for her black haired brother's safety. Wherever he was, she was scared that he wasn't safe or even… alive.
Caspian looked to Peter before they too adverted their gaze back down to the grass covered ground.
A white horse walked through the halted army, its rider covered in a golden coloured armour, a shield carried on his arm and sword at his side. The pure white horse halted at the front of the entire army and looked over at the Narnians. Its rider did the same and so did Peter. Only being able to presume that the rider of that horse was Miraz.
The leader of this whole attack.
Thanks for reading, my next update should be quite soon as I have almost all of the next chapter written up.
Thanks for reading, please review and thanks for reviewing.
P.S. They'll be more on Edmund next chapter and that chapter will also be more of a revealing chapter than the ones before it, but not too much, because I like to keep you all guessing.