Author's Note: Hello again! This chapter will be from Ceri's point of view again! Chapter Two is up and I can't wait for you to tell me what you think! Enjoy!

Peter: 20 years old

Ceri (dwen): 18 years old

Lucy: 16 years old

P.S. A great piece of music to listen to while reading this chapter is "The Tour" from the Catching Fire soundtrack; especially in the garden scene! I think it really helps get the mood across!

Disclaimer: None of the characters, locations or names which you recognise belong to me! All honours and the greatest respect to CS Lewis.

Chapter 2

My body felt numb. There was no pain, no grief; nothing. Holding Tara in my arms was a comfort and I felt almost liberated knowing I was free of the Calormenes again.
"We're safe now Tara" I whispered softly stroking her hair.
My thoughts were interrupted then by the man and woman I now recognised to be King Peter and Queen Lucy of Narnia. Such a vivid reminder of home, caused a lump to form in my throat and tears to come to my eyes.
"Shall I take her?" he asked taking my sister's hand in his own.
I nodded my consent and he lifted her up in his arms. Queen Lucy came to stand beside me as I watched my sister being carried away.
"Your daughter was beautiful" she said.
"She was my sister" I responded and bit back a sob. I would not let them see me cry again, I would not show them weakness.
"You're free now Ceridwen!" assured Lucy, taking my hand; "I have no idea how you came to be in Calormen, but I promise you, as soon as we conclude our business here we will escort you back to Narnia!"
"You are very kind" I replied; "but I would sooner see my sister buried and then make my own way! There is nothing for me in Narnia!"
"I insist! We will look after you now!"

oOo

King Peter carried Tara all the way up to Tash's temple. There, a pyre was built for her and I watched in the fading light as my sister became a flaming torch. Long after sundown and after the King and Queen had taken their leave, I stayed by the pyre and watched as it slowly became a pile of ash on the ground. Only then did I let the tears come. The tears came like the never-ending rain of Ettinsmoor and I thought they would never stop.
I cried for Tara and I cried for home, I cried for my mother and father and I cried for myself. For myself, who had nobody left in this world to love or cherish, nobody to have for company, nobody to protect. Tara had been the person who had given meaning to my life again, who had given me something to fight for and now, even she was gone; leaving me perfectly alone.
"May there always be angels to watch over you, to guide you each step of the way. To guide you and keep you safe from all harm." I sang the words softly and imagined Tara with her head on my knees as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
"That was beautiful." I turned abruptly, to see King Peter standing behind me.
"My King! I did not realise you were there!"
"Don't worry" he hesitated; "I'm so sorry Ceridwen, we- we should have stopped it from happening!"
"But you didn't Your Majesty! I will not blame you for something that you couldn't have prevented!"
"How can you be so calm?"
"She is dead and it was Aslan's Will for her to be so!"
"May I join you?" he asked, pointing to where I was sitting.
I nodded and he joined me on the ground, looking out at the city. The sky had turned an inky blue and millions of stars had begun their work of lighting the night sky.
"Where I come from, we never saw stars like this" King Peter said and shook his head sadly.
"What was your world like?"
"Different. When my siblings and I left, there was a war; bigger than anything which has been seen here. There was so much pain and destruction, Narnia was like paradise when we arrived!"
"Don't you miss it?"
"Sometimes. Don't you miss your home?"
I shook my head and tilted my head up to look at the sky.
"I have no home!"
"What about Narnia?"
"Narnia stopped being my home the moment my parents were murdered and I was forced to flee with Tara."
"I'm sorry Ceridwen, I had no idea!"
"Call me Ceri, I haven't been called Ceridwen since- well I haven't been called that in a long time!"
"Then call me Peter" he countered and offered me a smile; "Will you stay with us Ceri?"
I returned his smile easily, "I'll stay with you, but only because it's the least I can do after all you've done for me My King, but when you return to Narnia, I'm afraid I will not be coming with you. I am truly sorry, but I cannot return!"
He nodded his head and offered me his arm. I took it and he helped me to my feet and led me towards the Tisroc's Palace.
"You'll be staying with Lucy tonight. I hope that's not a problem!"
"It is the greatest honour My- "
"Peter, please!"
He led me through the corridors and stopped outside a pair of tall doors. He offered me a small smile and a bow before turning and walking down the corridor.
I stared after him a while, my heart fluttering in my chest, before facing the door and knocking softly.
"Ceridwen!" Lucy cried when she saw her standing outside her door.
"Ceri please" I countered, smiling at her.
"How are you?"
I shrugged, my heart dropping a few inches in my chest. Lucy took me by the hand and led me into her room.
"You'll be sleeping with me tonight Ceri, I hope that's ok!"
"I can't thank you enough your Majesty!"
"How are you?" she asked, her sweet face gazing at me in earnest.
"I have been better, but time heals all wounds!"
"If only there was something we could do to help you!"
"You have been helping me and I cannot thank you enough. You freed me from slavery and took me in as if I were your equal! You have no idea how much in gratitude I am to you."
"Ceridwen" she said suddenly serious; "What we did, freeing you like that, could cause many problems. We really had no right to do any of what we did!"
"But the slave trader was given the money he wanted!"
"Yes, but only after we had made a fool of him and threatened his life. No matter how much we want to, we cannot abolish slavery in Calormen, but we can prevent Narnians from being taken as slaves. There will be a council meeting tomorrow, banning this from ever happening again!"
"And what about the rest of the people? Are they to be left to suffer?"
"It's out of our hands Ceridwen!"
"I'm truly sorry Your Majesty, but I find it very hard to believe that there is no way to rid this land of slavery!"
"Ceridwen!" she called, but I no longer able to stand looking at the pitying expression on her face, ran out of the room.
My hearts pounded in my chest and tears stained my cheeks as I raced down unknown corridors, searching for a way out, for freedom. I finally found myself in a small garden on the East side of the palace. It was deserted and I collapsed on the grassy ground, sobbing and clutching at my sides.
"Oh Tara" I sobbed, my heart aching as I thought of my sister's young face; "I promised I would never leave you!"
Images came to me of her small body, ruined by the wound in her chest, which seeped blood; the staring blue eyes that were so much my father's and the pale skin that had turned milky white. Rage replaced my despair and I knew that I had to have my revenge!
"I'll kill him" I whispered, before looking up at the bright stars; "And you! You Aslan, you abandoned me! I promised I would never leave her and you let them take her from me! You let her die!"
I had to get away from this place, but I knew that rushing off into the night to find the slave traders would only get me killed. I had to bide my time and then take my revenge.
I lay with my back to the grassy ground and my face facing the sky.
"Goodnight Tara" I said and promptly fell asleep.