17. The Awakening

Susan's eyelids fluttered and a distant display of light and warmth shone through the curtains of her eyelashes. She blinked a few times and tried to make sense of her whereabouts. For a second, the young queen felt lost and completely unfamiliar with her surroundings. Was this Narnia or England? Had she forsaken everything by doubting or had Aslan truly given her another chance despite it all?

Her heart constricted tight inside her chest and she closed her eyes in fear. If this wasn't Narnia, Susan was sure she would rather die than face the truth. She had told the lion she couldn't live in any world without her siblings or Caspian, even if the cost would still be high in the end. She belonged with them and not in England, if the latter meant solitude and desolation. Anyway, Narnia was the home of her heart. It was a part of her just as much as she was a part of it. It had taken her longer than she cared to admit, but she had finally stopped denying the truth to herself.

"Susan?" a low, dark voice spoke from somewhere on her right and interrupted her thoughts. Though it was just a word, the girl heard much dread and agony in the pained voice and it seemed to echo through her blood and veins.

Slowly, she turned her head and opened her eyes. Her gaze met a pair of chocolate colored eyes that glistened with unshed tears from the glow of a nearby candle. The dark pools were filled with passionate gratitude as they beheld the woman and she instinctively reached out for him.

"Caspian..." she croaked and was surprised to hear her own voice so frail and broken.

His hand enveloped her smaller one and held it reassuringly as Susan tried to make sense of the situation. The Telmarine king sat on a velvety chair beside her large bed and behind her she could see the pale light of morning seep through the open balcony door. Her bedroom was silent, yet still full of sounds of life as she heard the man draw a sharp intake of breath. The Pevensie girl turned her attention back to him and took a moment to appreciate his presence.

He was still the same and certainly not an imaginary creature as he sat close beside her with his handsome build, short beard upon a proud chin and long, dark hair flowing around his shoulders. Susan exhaled as relief washed against her like waves against the cliffs.

The man spoke again and this time his voice filled with sorrow as he whispered, "I thought I had lost you."

The brunette ran a weary hand across her forehead as she smiled to reassure them both. "I'm still here. Home."

At first, the bearded king remained silent as he watched her with a distant look to his sharp eyes. Susan wondered if perhaps he was painting a mental picture of her, to preserve the moment forever in his mind. She realized he was holding his breath, as if breathing would shatter the world and throw the pieces of it to the wind. The thought widened her smile. As it did, Caspian raised his free hand and gently stroked her cheek. "You are home."

She closed her eyes against his soothing touch and accepted the comfort she needed after recent events. "What happened after the Calormene lord stabbed me? I know of Aslan's aid afterwards but not much else."

"As it happened, I was searching for you in the gardens and came to you too late. I saw him stab you and rushed at him..." the king explained and his eyes lowered. "I killed him."

"Oh..." Susan breathed. "I'm sorry, that must have been terrible."

Caspian smirked in amusement as his eyes found hers. "The man tries to murder you and you apologize to me for killing him?"

"Well, when you put it like that..." the Pevensie smirked back as the king's hand found its way into her hair. As his fingers ran through her long, dark locks, she continued, "Thank you, though. You saved my life. Again."

"Let's not make a habit of it," the king joked with his thick accent, but his smile barely grazed his eyes. "Suppose we're even now."

"Where are my siblings?"

"Aslan told us earlier that you had chosen to return to us. He instructed us to go to our own beds and rest assured of your decision," Caspian said softly and his hand kept tracing her jaw tenderly, as if touching her was a reassurance she truly was alive.

Susan couldn't help but smile at the man's tenderness and leaned into his touch. "And yet here you are."

"Not even Aslan could tear me from your side," he assured and his hand stilled against her cheek. "Susan… Edmund told me about what the Erinyes showed you. He confirmed what I have long suspected."

The young woman frowned. What was this about? After twists and turns, she wasn't entirely certain she was following this particular sharp turn. She couldn't help the suspicious feeling that he would tell her it was all true. That he had fallen head over heels for the star's daughter and asked for her hand in marriage already during the banquet. So engrossed in her doubts, she didn't realize the king continued to caress her ivory skin.

"What I have long hoped," Caspian corrected himself with a simple breath. "It was all a lie. What the Erinyes said. Even if it was true, it doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I can't distance myself again. I tried, and look where it got us. I knew from the start you were afraid and I thought it would pass in time. Truth was, I feared it, too."

"Feared what?"

"That you will return home to your... 'England', isn't it? That you didn't love me anymore. You nearly had me convinced about that, too, when you rejected me. Except that I now know the truth-"

The young woman interrupted him while only half-thinking about her actions. "You and I aren't destined to be together. The Erinyes didn't lie. They can't have."

"Does not one coin have two sides?" Caspian disagreed. "One alternative does not have to be less than the other. You weren't destined to return, but here you are. Perhaps we write our own stories, and shouldn't bother with what others tells us ought to happen."

To this, Susan didn't have a reply and closed her mouth sharply as she pondered his words and the meaning behind them.

"Your worst fears were almost made true because of your fears, not because of anything else. If you had let doubt rule your heart, you would have been lost to me. But you didn't. You realized that this is real. Us. Narnia. You returned to me and your siblings because you believed. I don't care what might happen down the line, but I know the truth now and I won't close my eyes to it. If I lose you, at least I'll be happy knowing that we tried. That fear didn't rule either of us."

The young queen searched for the right words but eventually released a defeated sigh that seemed to come from the bottom of her soul. "Must you make it so hard not to love you?"

"I'm afraid I must," Caspian smirked victoriously in reply.

Susan's smile fell away slightly. "But... do you truly mean it? Won't you regret it later?"

The king didn't speak a word as he swiftly moved from his chair to sit by her side on the covers. He pressed one hand down on the bed beside her head to balance himself as he leaned down. The young woman practically heard her heart thunder like hooves against a plain as Caspian's lips met hers for a second time. First time, she had kissed him goodbye in belief it was the end of their journey that never even had begun. This time, the young man was inviting her on a new journey with him. As he pulled back an inch, the king leaned his forehead against hers and lingered there to share a breath with her.

The Pevensie girl smiled timidly as she felt a blush warm her cheeks. "I guess you do mean it."

Caspian kissed her once more, this time with more fervor and emotion as he allowed himself the pleasure of the moment. Susan never wanted it to end and tugged on the nape of his neck to make him come closer. She felt him smile against her lips as his chest pressed against hers and he deepened the kiss. The young woman had thought she would never see this day come to past. Granted, that was mostly due to her own doubts, but she had to admit it felt terribly right to do something wrong, if this was truly to be counted as such. Now that she had tasted her desire, she didn't want to let it go at all.

As Susan giggled, the king pulled back an inch to gaze down at her with amused confusion. With a sheepish grin, she pinched his chin and explained, "Your beard tickles."

"I'll shave it, if you like?"

"No..." she refused as she tugged on his shoulders and his face lingered an inch away from her own. "I don't. Keep it."

"The beard does make the 1297 year age gap seem smaller, doesn't it?" Caspian mused before he captured her full lips with his own, and it was a long time before either came up for air.

"Good morning, lovebirds."

Caspian and Susan awoke to the cheerful voice. After a short conversation, the two of them had fallen asleep upon the bed. The queen had made room for the king, though the Telmarine had remained above the covers as she'd placed her head on his chest and soon drifted off into a peaceful slumber. As both blinked against the heavy bonds of sleep, Caspian's gaze at last landed on the tall, slim figure by the end of the bed.

"...Edmund?" he asked with a yawn. "What are you doing here?"

"Not much. I'm just happy I found you above the covers and my sister beneath," the dark-haired king said cheekily.

"Edmund!" Susan gasped and raised her head to glare at her little brother as he pretended to imitate pure innocence. "You're only 16, you shouldn't be saying or thinking about things like that!"

Her younger brother shrugged and couldn't quite hide the amusement in his twinkling eyes. "And you're 18, Su, and definitely thinking about things like that. Now, I wasn't actually here to tease you, though. Aslan's called to a private meeting in the council hall and I volunteered to retrieve the two of you. I wanted to see how my dear sister was doing now that she'd made the right decision. Our siblings are eagerly waiting to poke and prod to make sure you're alive, too."

The brunette sighed as she disentangled herself from Caspian's embrace and scooted over to the edge of the bed. She ducked her head to cover her blush as she said, "If you hadn't embarrassed me, I would have hugged you right now, brother."

The young man chortled. "Still worth it. I'm just glad to see you... better, sis."

"Let me get dressed, and I'll meet you downstairs in a minute," she said and her brother nodded before turning and exiting the room without further ado.

As Susan rose from her bed, Caspian stood up graciously and nodded towards the door. "I'll way outside."

The queen smiled as she faced him. "Sounds familiar," she said as she crossed the small divide and raised her arms to embrace him, when a sharp pain shot through her chest and grimaced. "Ouch. The stab wound still hurts and I can feel it. I think it'll actually leave a scar on my chest."

Caspian's worried frown evaporated into a humored one as he placed his hands on her arms. "You're not even playing hard to get, are you?"

Confusion passed her face momentarily before she remembered their little moment aboard the Dawn Treader, and blushed as she glared up at the tall, lean man. "Oh, har har. I was thinking about the healing process. See, with Aslan's aid or Lucy's cordial, it shouldn't still hurt anymore. And certainly not leave a scar."

"Want me to have a look?"

Susan felt as if her face was on fire as she pushed him toward the door. It didn't help that she heard his amused chuckle linger in the silence of her grand room even as he willingly let himself be steered towards the exit. "I'll be fine as long as you wait outside while I change."

The king's hand reached out for the door knob when the young woman cleared her throat and held onto his strong arm. "Listen, I-"

"I know," Caspian interrupted in a low voice as his eyes found hers and he smiled warmly. "Don't worry. We'll take it as slow as you want."

"Really? You're going to let the person who's not playing hard to get decide the pace?"

"No," the king shook his head. "We're in it together. But you have more to work through, we both know that. I won't push you, I promise."

It was almost noon in Cair Paravel when Aslan's meeting began in the majestic council hall.

The Pevensie siblings, Caspian, Reepicheep, Trumpkin, Cornelius, Greagoir and a few other lords had all gathered in their seats around the table to hear what the mighty lion had to say. Aslan stood at the short end of the table and gazed at each participant in the hall with his knowing, ember eyes.

"I have come back in these darker days, because I could no longer stay away," he explained slowly. "An old evil has risen anew, creating chaos in its wake. There are powers – sorcery – growing in the depths of the great darkness that I should have prevented. Alas, there was little I could have done to stop it."

Peter leaned his elbows against the tabletop and met the lion's gaze as the bold king he once had been and the bold young man he still was. "Please, speak plainly. You only sound more confusing, though you're trying to explain. What evil? Is it Jadis again?"

"No, this is another evil, though they derive from the same source in a way," the lion clarified. The Pevensie man sighed in frustration and Aslan swiftly continued, "I can see your anger, King Peter-"

"Of course I'm angry!" the young man protested as he gazed at everyone around him frantically. He waved one warm in the direction of his sister who sat across from him around the table and his voice broke as he passionately declared, "My sister was almost killed yesterday! I simply want answers."

"If I may, my King?" the Lord Chancellor cleared his throat and all eyes turned to the professor where he sat at the end closest to the lion. "King Caspian asked me to look into the mysterious appearance of the well-known ship, The Mist, upon your unexpected return. I've done some research and I believe everything that's happened since is connected. The Mist, the Erinyes, your return, the events last night…"

In a more patient manner than that of his best friend, Caspian leaned forward and inquired, "How? How is it all connected, Cornelius?"

"Well, it all makes sense, doesn't it?" the half-dwarf offered. "Everything that's happened has occurred after the Kings and Queens of Old returned. And as the gracious Aslan has explained, this all has to do with dark magic. Very dark, indeed. I don't think any of you have fully comprehended yet the extent of the power one must possess in order to control these events."

"Hang on..." Edmund said in confused frustration as he glanced across the table at the Lord Chancellor. "I'm not sure I follow at all. Let's start with the basics. You're telling us there is someone very powerful and evil who's doing this to us? Who?"

"In my research I have found only one possible candidate," Cornelius said grimly. "He goes by no other name than the Sorcerer from the scriptures I've found. He is of ancient breed and was created along with all the other evils of this world. Some sources indicate he was an apprentice of Jadis a very long time ago. He was feared for many centuries, but disappeared thousands of years ago. No one can quite explain how or why, but rumors seem to suspect he disappeared to search for the Scepter of Power."

"Eh..." Peter began and exchanged a look with his brother. "What?"

"The scepter is a long, forgotten myth that not even I knew much about before finding it mentioned in a book. It's claimed that whomever has the scepter in his possession can wield it as a controlling device over lesser evils."

"Maybe that is why he has waited until now to reveal himself again?" Caspian suggested with a disturbed frown. "He has finally found the scepter and learned how to use it. I assume it's with that object he has controlled the Erinyes and the Mist?"

Lucy cleared her throat and all turned in the young girl's direction. "We've established the how and the who. But what about the 'why'? Why is this sorcerer doing all of this?"

Edmund smirked from his seat by his sister's right and nudged her in the ribs. "It's always the same thing with these guys, isn't it? They always want more power."

"Yes, yes… That's the end result. But why everything else?" she turned her gaze back to the mighty lion at the head of the table. "It has to do with what you said about our return, hasn't it? You didn't help us return to Narnia… But someone else must have. Did the Sorcerer send us back here? Why would he call us back only to try and kill us at once?"

Cornelius locked gazes with the youngest queen and smiled kindly down at her as he shifted in his seat. "You ask bright questions for your years, my Queen. I have found another story in my books that might shed some light on it. It's very old and written in a tongue I can't fully comprehend. On top of that, it concerns old, dangerous magic I do not know. I shall try to explain. First, I believe the Sorcerer took control of the Mist for one simple reason. The Dagger of the Mist."

"Say what? He took control over the most dreaded ship that ever sailed these waters… for a dagger?" Edmund seemed about ready to spontaneously combust out of pure confusion of everything he was hearing.

"No, no. It is a very powerful dagger. Remember when you were attacked by the Mist, there were no casualties aboard the Dawn Treader," the Lord Chancellor turned to the bearded king and continued, "You told me, your highness, that the only one the Mist seemed interested in was Queen Lucy."

Caspian nodded. "That's true."

"And, my Queen," the half-dwarf turned back to the young girl in question, "you received only a cut on the hand, did you not?"

Lucy hesitated, "Yes. But that was merely a scratch from the fall. A splinter."

Cornelius interjected, "I believe it came from the dagger. The wound, it did not heal as normal wounds do? It is small and it appears we have all forgotten it, but it still grazes your hand as if inflicted only yesterday, does it not? Such scars can only be created by magical objects."

"Oh God..." Susan breathed from her seat next to Caspian. A chill crept up her spine and she clutched the king's hand beneath the table as she explained her reaction, "My wound. It still hurts, even despite Aslan and Lucy's cordial, I remarked on it just earlier. It won't disappear, will it? Never?"

The Pevensie beside her nodded fervently as he caught on to the line of thought. "Also, the dagger that was used against you was never retrieved. And when I confronted the Erinye, I swear I saw something glisten in the creature's hand. Like a dagger. I thought it was, but when I had killed it I couldn't find anything... Could it all be the same weapon? Does it have the power to... disappear?"

"Yes," Cornelius nodded. "If summoned by its master, it can disappear. The dagger, you see, is very special. Evidently it can be used to inflict harm, but also to store blood."

"Store blood?" Susan questioned with a disgusted grimace. "But why?"

"Ah, that's what I was getting to," the Lord Chancellor said and seemed pleased to finally have arrived at the goal of his long tale. "There is an old ritual, you might call it. Some say it was created the moment you four killed Jadis before the Golden days as a solution to replace the evil in this world. That is what the ancient text I found is about. It's hard to understand…I am no dark sorcerer but tried to translate it into a language I knew. I believe that if a sorcerer who does understand it all completes the ritual he will have powers to conquer everything."

"What is the ritual?" the eldest Pevensie girl asked.

"I have only managed to decipher some of the outlines of it. It does involve you four Kings and Queens of old. You were the greatest sources of good this world has seen. If one collects blood from all four of you and completes the ritual… one can gain the strongest, darkest power Narnia will ever see. It has to do with the balance of good and evil. The greater the good, the greater the evil can become."

"A scepter, a dagger and a dark ritual. Splendid!" Edmund breathed with heavy sarcasm rolling from his tongue. "This guy did his homework, didn't he?"

"If what you're saying is true, Lord Cornelius, then the Sorcerer already has mine and Susan's blood," Lucy commented and her eyes danced with fear as she beheld the people around her. "If he gets to Peter and Edmund he can become powerful enough to overthrow Caspian and put an end to the free world as we know it. Narnia will be as dark as it was during Jadis' reign?"

"Don't worry, Luce," Peter muttered and met her gaze across the table. "We won't let him get to us."

For a second, there was only silence in the room that seemed to linger like a heavy cloak above their heads as the group digested this new information. Though much had been answered, much remained unsure and unclear. The air was tense from fear and anger as everyone tried to comprehend what awaited on the horizon.

It was as if someone had pulled open the thick curtains and exposed the glaring light outside, and it made for a truly rude awakening.

"How…" Edmund began, and his voice lingered behind in the void created by the sudden silence."… do we stop this man from completing the ritual? I'm not saying that the general 'don't let the bad guy get our blood' isn't a good plan… But what else can we do? I mean, it seems to me that he's getting more desperate. Lucy was merely scratched on the hand whereas the Calormene Lord almost killed Susan yesterday. Either the Sorcerer's getting desperate or simply more efficient. Either way, I don't want to wait for him here. I want to go out there and stop him."

"No, Edmund!" Susan spoke strongly and her eyes danced with sorrow as she faced the young man. "As you said, I was almost killed last night! Let us not rush to send anyone off to their deaths right now. Why can't we seek out Cornelius' books for more answers? We need to understand what the ritual truly means if we are to stop this. Riding off, head-first, into battle seems like an awful plan."

"Susan's right," Caspian agreed beside her. "There's much we still don't understand. Let's try to first before we consider the option of attack."

To be continued.