CHAPTER 9

Edmund gasped for air after what felt like the longest moment in history. Peter lunged and wrapped Edmund in a hug, tears of joy flowing down his face. As he pulled he smiled "when are you going to learn to do as you're told?!" They laughed and hugged again, the girls joining in. Kate was about to pull back when Susan pulled her in. When they broke apart Susan looked at her hand. "Kate...You're bleeding!" She had forgotten about her head, caught up in Edmund.

"It's fine really!" but now she noticed it she couldn't stop and she now felt the pain in both her head and wrist. "You're not! You're as pale as a sheet" She said all four of them standing. Lucy had run off to help the wounded and Kate was aware of the 3 sets of eyes watching her.

"really...it's nothing some sleep won't fix!" she tried to smile and started walking away the others following. They met Aslan by the end of the mountain. "Well done! You led them well Peter" he smiled at Aslan's words and once Lucy rejoined them the headed back to camp. Kate was tired and lagged slightly behind the others, focusing on not falling through blurry vision and a major headache. "Susan's right! You're not fine!" a voice said in front of her. She had at this point been pinching the bridge of her nose trying to figure out away to make it go away. She knew she wouldn't been conscious much longer.

"Really! Don't worry, I'm fine...you're the one who was stabbed, how are you?" She looked up to see Edmund smiling, looking the picture of health. That juice Lucy gave him must be good. "I'm perfect but I can't say the same for you!" Kate was starting to feel unconsciousness falling and wanted to get back to the camp before she passed out. She stumbled slightly and Edmund jumped to catch her. "See, You're not fine!" She pushed off him. "I am I stumbled that's all" Edmund stayed next to her incase she 'stumbled' again. They were maybe 5 minutes from camp and the others were well ahead by now. Kate couldn't fight the pain anymore and stopped. "Kate?" she fell. She did hear Edmund call her name again but then nothing.

Edmund had seen her stop for what he presumed was to settle her head "Kate?" but then he saw her fall to the ground. "KATE!" he jumped down by her side and tried to wake her. "Kate...come on Kate..." it reminded him on the night at the witches camp and he remembered she had hit her head already. He needed Lucy. The rest of the troop had walked on ahead but he had to try.

"LUCY...SUSAN...PETER...SOMEBODY?" A faun straggling behind the group came running at the call. "Yes your Majesty?"

"Go and get my sisters, tell them it's Kate! Hurry please!" he watched the faun go and turned back to Kate.

It took the faun only a few moments to get to the camp "Your Majesties....Your MAJESTIES!" He called running through the now curious crowd. Peter, Susan and Lucy turned to look at the worried faun. "What's the matter?" Lucy asked.

"Your brother sent me...he said it's Kate?" Peter and Susan looked at one another. "Her head!" and the three took off back the way they had come. Orieus followed them and they soon found Edmund on the top of the hill. What they did notice was he also had blood on his hands. Lucy ran forward and administered the Fireflower juice. Once Kate took a deep breath Orieus lifted her and ran back to camp Lucy and Susan following behind leaving Peter and Edmund where they stood.

"She'll be fine Ed! Don't worry!" He nodded "I know and Peter?" he looked at him "sorry...for not leaving when you asked..." Peter smiled "Same old Ed!" and the two set off back into the camp. Susan informed them that Kate was resting and was fine and they all went to wash and change. Edmund went to see Kate later that night. She was awake but still in bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. "I'm fine Edmund!"

"You had me worried there..." she blushed slightly "Sorry...I was trying to make it back before I passed out...but Lucy's juice cured everything so I'm perfect now" Edmund smiled. "I hear we're going to Cair Paravel tomorrow...excited?"

"Yea but I'm worried" Kate looked confused "About what?" she asked sitting up, slowly.

"I' worried I won't be a good king...I mean most of the troops here know what I did to my family and I don't know if I can win their trust back!" he came and sat on the edge of the bed. Kate took his hand.

"You'll be a great King Edmund, trust me!" He squeezed her hand and she returned it they had both been leaning in when Lucy entered "You're awake!" she said. Edmund gave his sister a small scowl but Kate laughed. "Yes, thank you! But I am hungry!" she said. Lucy said there was food ready and left Kate and Edmund again. He stood offering her his hand which she took. They were just about to leave when Kate stopped. "Are you alright?"he asked but she leaned up and gave him a single kiss before stepping back. "I'm perfect!" She giggled slightly and pulled him from the tent. They ate their meal but Kate decided to go back to sleep. Edmund walked her to her tent and gave her one goodnight kiss, seen by the other 3 Pevensies. Edmund walked into his own tent with the biggest grin on his face.

"You are NOT to tease him! Do you hear me Peter?" Susan said seeing the glint in her brothers eye. "Of course not!" he smiled. Susan sighed before she and Lucy took off into their tent for the last time.

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The next day everyone was busy packing up their things. The tents were taken down and the soldiers said their goodbyes. Kate had been asked if she wanted to live in the castle to be near her 'family' and she accepted and the Beavers didn't mind. They said goodbye and the 4 Pevensie's, Kate, Aslan and a few other knights went ahead to Cair Paravel. It was the most beautiful building she had ever seen. They were each shown to their rooms and then Aslan showed them around.

Kate spent the next week exploring everything in Cair Paravel. But the one place she loved more than the rest was the Library. She loved books and was now on great terms with the Badger that looked after the books. She was excited for the upcoming coronation of the Pevensies. She had read some of the books about Narnian history, about the old Kings and Queens before Jadis. Edmund would often watch her from behind the shelves, he too finding the Library to be one of the greatest places in the castle. Kate pretended not to notice but she knew he would watch her.

Lucy and Susan really had become her sisters. She even began to open up about Sara to them. Peter too had been incredible to her. Making sure she was ok, constantly checking on her and his real sisters. For the first time in a long time she felt like she belonged. She just couldn't believe that in a few days he adopted brothers and sisters would become Kings and Queens of Narnia.

And that day was today. It was 2 weeks since the Battle with the witch and Narnia was starting to return to normal. All the people had gathered in Cair Paravel to witness the crowning of the Pevensies. Kate was wearing a velvet purple dress, purple being her favourite colour, and her hair and been curled. She barely recognised herself. She walked into Susan's room where she was getting ready. "Susan?"

"Come in Kate!" Lucy called. Kate entered to see her sitting on Susan's bed. She was wearing a sliver velvet dress and a red cloak. Her hair was styled similar to Kate's. "Kate you look amazing!" Kate blushed and thanked her and Susan came out. The only word was breathtaking. Her hair was clipped up simply at the back and her dress, silver and blue, fit her perfectly. "Susan...you look amazing!" Susan smiled and walked to the mirror, Kate following. Lucy joined them.

"We all do!" she said and they broke into laughter. There was a knock at the door and Peter walked in. "Are you girls ready...Wow!" his sisters laughed at him. He had a blue tunic on and a gold cape. His hair its normal blonde, perfect state.

"Why Peter...don't you look dashing!" Kate joked. He smiled blushing slightly. "You look very handsome!" Susan said passing her brother. Edmund entered "Are they still looking in the mirror?" he asked pretending to be annoyed. He had a on a silver tunic and his hair was its usual state. "Nope were ready!" Lucy said. Peter left and Susan and Lucy followed. Only now did Edmund see Kate. "Well...what do you think?" she asked blushing at his staring. "Wow!" was all he said and Kate smiled dragging him by the hand after his sisters. "I'm not being responsible for you being late!" she said.

She stopped when she saw Peter, Susan and Lucy getting themselves ready and told them she would be up the front. She walked in ahead of them and stood off to the side and watched as the four and Aslan walked through the procession. They stood in front of their respective thrones as Aslan spoke. The Beavers and Mr. Tumnus followed behind, carrying the crowns.

"To the glistening eastern sea I give you Queen Lucy, the Valiant!" Tumnus placed the silver crown of her head and walked to Edmund as Aslan spoke.

"To the great western wood I give you King Edmund, the just!" Tumnus place the Silver crown on his head. He turned to Susan.

"To the radiant southern sun I give you Queen Susan, the Gentle!" He place a gold crown on her head. And finally it was Peter.

"And to the clear Northern skies I give you King Peter, The magnificent" Peter received his Gold crown and the four took their thrones. When Aslan spoke again "Once a King and Queen of Narnia, always a King and Queen of Narnia!" A large cry of long live the King started and a huge applause broke out in the great hall.

The rest of the night was a blur of fun, dance and happiness. Lucy told them that Aslan had left which made them slightly sad but they knew to trust the Lion so continued with the party. This is going to be a great life, Kate thought as Edmund walked towards her. Yea pretty great!

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"What are we doing today?" Kate asked as she joined the Pevensies for breakfast. It was one of the rare occasions they were not busy. Kate had just returned from the Lone Islands as an ambassadors for Narnia and was looking forward to spending time with her family.

"I don't know...What do you want to do?" Peter asked. Edmund decided to enter then. "Have you heard...there was a white stag spotted on the Lantern waste?" He asked his brother. He gave Kate a quick kiss before sitting down. "Well I guess we have something to do!" Kate smiled.

They ate quickly before going to the stables to get their horses. "Are you sure you ladies want to come?" Edmund asked as Kate jumped on Sorel, her horse. "Who else id going to catch it? You?" Lucy said smirking at her brother. Peter laughed and Susan answer "Oh I suppose you will Peter?"

"Of course!" he smiled before leading them out of the castle and across Narnia. They arrived for midday but Edmund was starting to slow down, or should he say Philip was. "Are you alright Philip?"

"I'm not as young as I once was!" he huffed. Kate came back. "Everything alright?"

"Just catching my breath" Edmund said as the others came to join them "Well that's all we'll catch at this rate..." Susan said.

"What was he said again girls?" Lucy asked looking between Kate and Susan.

"You girls wait at the castle; I'll get the stag myself!" Susan said mocking Edmunds tone perfectly. Edmund turned to Kate. "Are you going to let them speak to your husband like that?" he asked smiling at Kate. She smirked "Yea I think I am!" Peter laughed at them and jumped down from his house. "What's this?" he asked looking at the lamppost. It seemed very familiar.

"As if from a dream...or a dream of a dream" Susan said. Lucy turned "Spare oom?" she ran off the other 4 following. "Come on" she said catching Peters hand and pulling him along. They ran until the space became very small and they ended up shoving into one another. Suddenly they were falling and Kate found herself on the floor of a room, the others spread around her. They looked at one another and realised they were their younger selves again. The door opened and a man in his later half of life walked in.

"What were you al doing in the wardrobe?" he asked, not having seen Kate yet.

"I don't think you would believe us if we told you sir!" Peter said. The professor smiled, tossing a ball at Peter. "Try me...hang on..." he finally looked at Kate "Who's this?" he said kindly extending a hand to Kate. "I...I'm Kate sir"

"Do you have a surname?" he asked and she shot Edmund a quick look. "Pevensie, sir. Kate Pevensie" He looked at the four. "We have a lot of talking to do!" he said leading them out of the room and down the stairs to his study. He sat behind the desk and the 5 stood in front of it, Kate and Edmund holding hands. "Alright, talk!"Peter decided to explain about Narnia and the witch and how they were gone for almost 15 years and Ed and Kate were married and so on. Amazingly the Professor believed them.

"You do sir?" Susan said shocked. He nodded "Stranger things have happened...the question now is what we do you do with you my dear?" he said looking at Kate. The Pevensies had only realised this too. "Where are you from?"

"I...I don't know sir...I was in Narnia for years before they came, I don't remember my old life at all..." Edmund looked worried.

"But she can stay here right?" he asked. Kate then noticed her rings. When they had fallen out of the wardrobe all their Narnia possessions had been left behind- the clothes, crowns and swords and such but she and Edmund were both still wearing their rings. She smiled inwardly on herself.

"Please Professor, she's family now..." Lucy said the others nodding. "Well of course she can stay what I meant was what story we shall give you, people will start to grow suspicious" They all looked at each other unable to think of anything. "Not to worry we will think of something, but now let's have something to eat!"

Kate wasn't sure what had happened but she had a good feeling here.

AN: Obviously there will be a sequel so just wait. Review please I know this story is so over used but I wanted to try.