"What happened?" Lucy asked as the Narnian's returned from Telmar.
"Ask him." Peter replied, giving Caspian a look.
"Me?" Caspian said.
"If you had been at the gate like you were supposed to, those soldiers might be alive right now." Peter said, turning back to him now.
"If we had stayed here like I had suggested, they definitely would be." Caspian retaliated.
"You called us, remember?"
"My first mistake."
"No." Peter said. "Your first mistake was thinking you could lead these people."
"Hey! I am not the one who abandoned Narnia."
"You invaded Narnia. You have no more right to lead than Miraz does! You, him, your father… Narnia is better off without the lot of you!"
Caspian drew his sword now, Peter doing the same in defense.
"Stop it!" Edmund shouted, lowering Trumpkin down from the centaur that carried him.
It drew attention away from the argument, Lucy running towards the dwarf with her healing cordial at the ready. She kneeled down to him, dripping some of the fire flower potion into his mouth, causing his eyes to open. Makeeda smiled at the cocky response that was expected from the dwarf.
"What're you all standing around for? The Telmarines will be here soon enough." he looked to Lucy as the people around him dispersed. "Thank you, my dear little friend."
Makeeda looked over to Shruikan. His large tongue lapped at the arrows sticking out of his front leg. She walked over to him, her touch light on his scales.
"Let me heal you." she told him, gathering the magic inside herself to perform the task needed.
"Will he be alright?" Edmund asked, joining her at Shruikan's side. She nodded. "Will you?"
"Over half of my people are gone…" she replied, her voice shaky.
"Keeda…. They fought knowing that they were risking their lives…"
"I know… But now wives are widows and children are fatherless. I do not take it lightly."
He hugged her just before a shout came from the tomb's entrance.
"Ed! Come quickly!"
Edmund ran towards Susan, who ran back inside. Makeeda looked up at Shruikan as she heard him telling her to follow them. She ran to the tomb with Edmund. Upon entering Aslan's How, Makeeda saw Caspian and Peter fighting a hag. It had been so long since Makeeda had seen such creatures, a werewolf in the room aswell. Trumpkin fought against his dwarven friend, Nikabrik. Lucy was on the ground, recovering from her own fight against the dwarf. Edmund drew his sword, quickly jumping into the battle. He attacked the werewolf, as it went for Lucy.
As this went on, Makeeda helped Lucy to Susan, protecting her from the fight. She looked over to Peter, who had shouted at the ice wall that was formed at the Stone Table. There, inside the ice, was a transparent outline of the White Witch. It made Makeeda's heart burn to see her face, but it burned even more so to see a circle drawn at Peter's feet. He had pushed Caspian out of it, pointing his sword up at the Witch.
"Get away from him!" he told her.
"Peter dear… I've missed you. Come on. Just one drop…" she said, her silver tongue tempting him to free her of her prison. "You know you can't do this alone."
Peter seemed hesitant, dropping his sword slightly at the sound of her words. Jadis groaned after a moment, the ice shattering as Makeeda drew an arrow on her tense bow. Before she let go, the wall fell, revealing Edmund with his sword drawn behind it. Peter looked to him for a moment, seeming to regain his mind.
"I know." Edmund said. "You had it sorted."
Makeeda let her bow relax as Edmund walked towards her. She could tell Susan was angry standing next to her, watching her glare at Caspian. Makeeda followed Edmund.
She watched him for a while, letting him clear his head as he sat on the edge of their bed. She knew he was thinking about the Witch, remembering her and what she had done to him. It was hard for Makeeda to recall on such things as well, but she knew Edmund was unconvinced that he deserved a second chance; the treachery against his own family weighed heavily on his mind, even now.
She stepped forward, sitting next to him. He still didn't look at her as she did so, making her touch his hand.
"Ed… Please… I know what you are doing. It is unnecessary."
"What is? Remembering?"
"Yes."
"Do you not feel badly about what you did in that time?"
"I did nothing while in my right mind. And neither did you. She is evil, Edmund. You know this. She does things to the minds of those she wishes to control. You are stronger than before."
"It doesn't change what I did."
"Nothing ever will."
He looked up at her now.
"I love you." he told her. "If I could take it back, I would."
"You say that as if you need to convince me of something. I know the person you are, and I do not question it just because I see her."
He kissed her then, and she knew he didn't have any other response.
"We should go." he said.
She nodded, following him as he left the room. They went outside, Makeeda greeting Shruikan as Edmund looked over the grassy plain before them. Makeeda looked over to see what he was looking at, her heart quickening. The Telmarine army stopped at the tree-line after approaching the Narnians. She looked back to him as he ran inside the tomb. He returned shortly after leaving with the other, bringing the other Kings and Queens. She knew they had to strategize now, their numbers too few to win a battle against the large army that camped just across the plain.
"What?! That's your next big plan?!" Trumpkin said, standing in protest after Peter told the others what to do. "Sending a little girl, alone, into the darkest parts of the forest?!"
"It's our only chance." Peter replied.
"She won't be alone." Susan said.
"Haven't enough of us died already?" he asked.
"Nikabrik was my friend too, but he lost hope." badger told him. "Queen Lucy hasn't, and neither have I."
"Who is to accompany her, then? I say it should be the Dale, she knows the forest better than anyone."
Makeeda stood now.
"I will not. Queen Susan will. I am to stay here with my dragon. Unless you feel he will not be needed in this battle."
Trumpkin sighed, looking at Lucy.
"I'm going with you."
"No, we need you here." she replied, putting her hand on his shoulder.
Makeeda admire the friendship they had built in the time they had spent together.
"We have to hold them off until Susan and Lucy get back." Peter told him.
"If I may…" Caspian spoke up. "Miraz may be a tyrant and a murderer, but as King, he is subject to the traditions and expectations of his people… There is one in particular that may buy us some time."
As Edmund prepared himself for travel, Makeeda left his side, wandering over to where Caspian sat, buckling his boots up for his own duties.
"I have something to say." she told him.
He looked up at her as she folded her arms across her chest.
"As you wish." he said, standing.
"I am sorry for the information you have been given about your father's death." She saw his face change; he was expecting her to spit more insults at him. "I myself have had misfortunes with my own parents…"
"You have?"
"Yes. It is no easy thing to know, but… You cannot change what the past has dealt you. You can only prevent the future from dealing it again."
"Thank you." he replied.
"I need to know you have my back in battle."
He nodded at her, looking around the forge as the Narnians prepared for the fight.
"I do." he said.
"Then I have yours as well, Shem." she replied.
Edmund, Makeeda and Bane all walked across the grassy plain, walking into the Telmarine camp with green branches to show they come to speak with the King. As they approached his tent, Makeeda could hear the snickers from the soldiers at the sight of her.
In the tent, a table was set up, Miraz at the center of the Lords of Telmar. Makeeda looked around, recognizing the men from the feasts Miraz had had in the castle. Bane waited outside the tent while Edmund and Makeeda walked in. Edmund pulled out Peter's letter to read to the Telmarines.
"'I, Peter, by the gift of Aslan, by election and by conquest, High King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands, in order to
prevent the abominable effusion of blood, do hereby challenge the usurper Miraz to single combat upon the field of battle. The fight shall be to the death. The reward shall be total surrender.'"
He rolled up the scroll as Miraz thought over the challenge.
"Tell me, Prince Edmund-" Miraz began.
"King." Makeeda hissed.
"Pardon me?" he asked.
"It's King Edmund, actually." Edmund said. "Just King though, Peter's the High King."
Miraz did not respond, his eyebrows knitted together.
"I know, it's confusing." Edmund added.
"Why would we risk such a proposal when our army could wipe you out by nightfall?" Miraz asked.
"Haven't you already underestimated our numbers?" Edmund replied. "Only a week ago, Narnians were extinct."
"And so you will be again."
"Then you should have little to fear."
"This is not a question of bravery." Miraz laughed.
"So you are bravely refusing to fight a swordsmen half your age?"
"I didn't say I refused." Miraz replied, his smile fading.
"Sire." a Telmarine Lord interjected. "Our military advantage alone provides the perfect excuse to avoid-"
"I'm not avoiding anything!" Miraz said, standing as he grabbed at his sword.
"I am merely pointing out that my Lord is well within his rights to refuse."
"His majesty would never refuse." said the General from the entrance of the tent. "He relishes the chance to show his people the bravery of their new King."
Miraz looked over the Lords that sat amongst him, then pointed his sword at Edmund.
"You should hope that your brother's sword is sharper than his pen." he said in agreement.
Edmund merely smirked back at him.