The Changing of Fate
Summary: When Susan's boat to America is caught in a storm that brings it to Narnia, Susan must figure out why she was brought back to Narnia when told it was her fate to never return and deal with her revived romance with Caspian. Set three years post PC.
A/N: I'm taking liberties with the ages of the characters in this story. Susan was 15 in Prince Caspian, Caspian was 16. In this story she is 17, Caspian 18. Peter is 18, Edmund is 15, and Lucy is 13.
Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace never went back to Narnia, but Caspian did go on the Dawn Treader to find the seven lords. I didn't read DT so I don't know much about it, so all I will pull from that will be the lords at the most.
This chapter is once again dedicated to bookswalower for giving me yet another lovely review and great advice.
Also, thank you to charmed princess imzadi, Anime Princess, trichwin, , Narnia Queen, Fire Dolphin, mae-E, and sexy Seren for all of your kind reviews. Thank you to all who put me on their story alerts and favorites, I love you all!
The Changing of Fate
Chapter 3: A Short Walk
Caspian and Susan walked towards her rooms, Caspian knew the way because he would go there to remind himself of the young queen he feel in love with, though Susan did not know that. However, she was wondering how the Cair could have been so accurately rebuilt and asked Caspian this.
His answer was, "Well, I am not sure how much you explored in the treasure room when you returned three years ago. I had planned to rebuild the Cair ever since I took the throne, but I obviously didn't expect it to match what it had previously been. Fortunately, we found detailed plans of the palace, changes made, and a whole host of paintings and drawings made by Queen Lucy of the palace to base the reconstruction off of."
"Thank you, Caspian, for rebuilding Cair Paravel. Knowing our home was in ruins the last visit was very hard, but you have brought back hope. And the Cair has always symbolized hope and fortune for Narnia. Of course, I also am glad to have my old rooms back," Susan laughed.
Caspian smiled at her, happy that she was happy she had returned.
"My queen, I am happy you have returned," Caspian said shyly. "It has been hard being in this position alone and without the support of trusted people."
"Caspian, I am sorry you have had to do this on your own. I suppose it was easier for the four of us when we were crowned, as we had each other. But also remember, we would never have allowed you to take the throne if we did not believe in our hearts that you were capable of ruling and ruling well. Even if we left, you always had our support…and love," Susan said, impassioned at first, but ending tentatively.
"Thank you Susan," Caspian said, reaching out to grab her hand, then stopping and looking into her sapphire eyes. "I cannot tell you how good it is to hear you say that." Susan blushed slightly at his praise, but turned crimson when Caspian daringly swooped down and placed his lips on her soft hand, lingering slightly longer than was proper. "It is very good indeed," he said.
"Caspian, I…," Susan started, but trailed off, not knowing what exactly to say.
Seeing that Susan did not exactly know what to say, Caspian instead began, "I shall throw a ball in your honor tonight, My Queen. The Narnians will be glad to learn of the Gentle Queen's return. I suppose it would be prudent to have you meet the new men in the government as well as become reacquainted with some of your friends from your last visit. I shall gather everyone in the war room in about an hour, if that is enough time for your majesty."
"Of course, Caspian. That sounds lovely."
"You will be able to, I assume, find your way in an hour."
"After the amount of time I have spent in there, I know the way by heart," Susan replied.
"Yes," was Caspian's response. The conversation was stilted and neither of them seemed to know how to act around the other after the first greeting and briefly afterwards. Now they were very uncomfortable and the air was filled with tentative desire.
I was perhaps a relief to the two teens that they finally came upon Susan's rooms. Located in about the middle of the palace that climbed the cliff, the Gentle Queen's rooms were in a prudent area both for a woman of her rank and close enough to the main rooms that she was always close at hand for helping to deal with the matters of palace life, as per part of the duties assigned to her. Lucy's room was farther down the hall one way and up a small flight of stairs. Peter's and Edmund's were close at hand as well, branching slightly off from the elevated hall Lucy previously resided in.
It was a well worn path for the four ancient monarchs. Peter, always taking his brotherly duties a bit far, would often check in on his younger siblings in their rooms, before proceeding to his own at the end of the hall. However, Susan noticed a discrepancy between the previous layout and the current one. A bit beyond her rooms father from her siblings' rooms was, it seemed another double door bedroom.
Turning to Caspian, Susan asked, "Whose is that?"
With a blush, Caspian replied, "Mine, Your Majesty. I had my own rooms built there in the reconstruction. I hope you do not mind."
Shaking her head, Susan said, "No, not at all Caspian. I am just glad that you have found your home in the Cair." Though she, obviously, did not voice it, Susan was a bit disconcerted, for the lack of a better word, by the fact that their rooms shared a wall. Knowing Caspian would lie in bed not far from her own, separated by just a wall, was doing wild things to her imagination. Caspian suffered from a similar problem.
"I shall send a maid to help you. She will be at your disposal for the duration of your stay. Which I hope shall be a long one," Caspian said.
"I thank you, Caspian, you are too kind."
"Not at all, My Queen."
"I shall see you in an hour then, in the war room," Susan said, removing her arm from its resting place on his, and turning towards her doors.
Caspian caught Susan's hand though, and Susan turned back around. Staring into her deep blue eyes, Caspian could only say, "An hour is too long, my lady." Before letting go and striding off towards the main rooms with only a glance back to the frozen queen.
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A/N: I hope you like this chapter. It's more of a filler chapter than anything, but soon actual events will be happening. If any of my readers have ideas they want to see in the story, feel free to tell me and I might find a way to put it in. Thanks for reading, please review!