I have good news and bad news for you. Which do you want to hear first? ;) ...

The good news is that here is the next chapter (finally - I am so sorry for the long waiting - but as you know life happens when you're bussy making other plans ;)) - and I've to say that this chapter is my second favourite chapter after the last one - I hope you'll like it too!!

The bad news is that this is the last chapter of this story - even though I would have some ideas how to continue, I just don't want to change the story - this was my first fanfiction and I just think it should stay like it is - like I first wrote it! (but there's still my other story The Return of the Kings and Queens and I am planning on writing another story as soon as I can spare some time! :))

And this chapter is again dedicated to mae-E - for all your wonderful reviews throughout this story - they were truly inspiring and I love to read them - thank you sooooo much! :)

And here we go again ;) ...

When Susan woke up, she could feel a wonderful smooth bed underneath her, a bed in which she hadn't been sleeping for a long time. But she didn't only feel good because of the comfortable bed underneath her, she also felt warmth, ease and pleasantness filling her own heart and the room, she was lying in. Susan took a deep breath and noticed a wonderful smell in the air. She hadn't experienced this feeling a long time. She felt like she was at home.

When Susan finally opened her eyes, she was blinded by the sun, which was shining inside the room through the big opened balcony doors. But the harsh light didn't feel uncomfortable in her eyes, it felt familiar.

Suddenly she noticed another person in the chambers. When her sapphire blue eyes met those wonderful brown eyes, she had longed to see, her heart leapt for joy. Susan felt relief and delight flowing through her body.

Caspian sitting next to her alive without any injuries could only mean one thing. Okay, to be honest it could mean two things and Susan immediately asked the question to ensure, that it wasn't the thing that would lead her to misery.

"Am I dreaming?" she whispered, not able to speak out this thought loud. Caspian shook his head. But before Susan would allow herself to live out the joy, she felt, she wanted to make sure, she had a reason to, "Then were am I?"

"Where you belong." Caspian said, moving his hand on top of hers to show her that he was real.

A tear of joy was running down Susan's cheek, "So am I in Aslan's country? Am I dead?"

"Yes, you are." Caspian could barely answer, before Susan swung her arms around him.

"Oh, thank Aslan!" Susan whispered, leaning against Caspian's chest.

"I've never heard or seen that somebody was that happy about one's death!" Susan suddenly heard the familiar voice of her younger brother from the hallway and within the next moment, Lucy was rushing towards her, nearly knocking her back into the pillow as she threw her arms around her.

"Oh Susan, I knew it! I knew that you would regain your faith. I knew that you would join us." Lucy cheered into her sister's ear.

"Lucy!" Susan looked into her younger sister's face, noticing tears in Lucy's eyes. But there was also a bright smile in her face. How much had she missed just the presence of her sister, who had always believed that everything would turn out right and who had never unlike her lost her faith to Aslan. Lucy's innocence and her confidence were still obvious in her face. She hadn't changed but for maybe even more wisdom and understanding in her eyes.

"Nice, that Lucy is getting all the attention, as always" she heard again her younger brother's voice, but this time he was standing right in front of her bed, where Caspian has been sitting few moments before. Caspian had stepped aside and left the room, to give the family reunion some privacy.

Susan now jumped out of her bed and hugged her brother, laughing heavily not only because of happiness but because of his comment. It was great to have Edmund around again, he had always brought her to laughter and as generally known a smile helps in every situation. He had never judged any of them, if they had made a mistake, because he knew from experience how easy one can be tempted. And as he hugged Susan, she knew that Edmund understood her bad behaviour, she knew that Edmund wouldn't judge her and that they would never talk about it again.

"It's good to have you back, Su." he whispered into her ear.

Then Edmund stepped back and Susan noticed Peter leaning against the doorframe, watching them. She caught his gaze and hesitated. She didn't know why she hesitated, maybe because of the look at his face. Of course there was joy and delight in his face about seeing her again but there was something else, something she had seen very often in his face. It was guilt.

There was a moment of silence and the two older siblings just looked at each other. Finally Susan walked over to him and hugged him, feeling relief flooding her body. Now she couldn't hold back the tears anymore and they ran down her face on Peter's chest one after the other.

His name was all that she could say, but that was enough. There was a bound of understanding between those two and Peter knew exactly what she was feeling. He knew exactly how much she had gone through to get here and how glad she was about seeing them again. And exactly because of that he felt guilty.

All the misery she had gone through, he hadn't been able to help her. He should have done more, more than writing this stupid letter, he should have helped her regain her faith before he had left her. He had left her. All of his life he had been watching out for her but this time he had left her alone. He hadn't been there for her, not because he hadn't wanted to but because he hadn't been able to and this guilt had followed him the last few weeks.

"I am sorry, Su. I am so sorry" was all that he could tell her, after all she had gone through.

Susan pulled back, looking straight into his eyes, still tears in her own ones.

"What for? It is me who has to be sorry, sorry for letting you down, sorry for not believing you. You've looked after me all my life but this time you couldn't have done anything. This was my war to fight. And the only thing that matters is that I am here now, with you." And with this she hugged him once more, feeling how his body was flooded with release as well.

Then, still one hand on Peter's shoulder, she looked at Lucy and Edmund, "And all of you gave me strength. The thought of seeing you guys again kept me fighting. You can't imagine how much I missed you."

Susan was standing outside on her balcony, watching as the sun faded behind the wide blue sea. There were so many different colours up in the sky, she wouldn't have been able to describe neither the view nor the feeling inside of her to anyone. She hadn't watched this breathtaking sunset for a long time, but even then when she was able to watch it every day, it had always been special to her. It had something magical.

But it was not only the sunset that had something magical. Here in Narnia everything seemed magical, nearly unbelievable to her. But she had learned to believe in it.

She heard somebody approaching her, but she needn't turn around to know who it was. Now, here in Narnia, she could feel his presence, his power even when he wasn't around her and when he was, this feeling got stronger.

The great lion stopped next to her without saying a word. But Susan herself had questions to ask, "Does every person that dies go to another world? And if yes, does death actually exist, if we live on in another world?"

"Of course, death exists. Everyone has to die, it's natural law, like birth. But it isn't the end of everything; it's the beginning of a new life. It's like after night follows day, after death follows life." Aslan explained to her.

Susan nodded, "Thank you so much for bringing me here, Aslan. It's like I am finally home."

She looked at Aslan with her wonderful sapphire blue eyes, which were now, after they had been glassy and sad for such a long time, bright and full of joy.

"You aren't here because of me, dear one. Well, at least not completely because of me," the lion smirked, "You are here because of your own strength, because you have learnt to believe, you have chosen to have faith and that's what finally brought you here. Because of this you belong here."

But Susan needed him to understand her behaviour, she needed to explain him, why it had taken her so long, why she had struggled so long before she could overcome her doubts and truly believe in him and Narnia,

"I am sorry that I listened to my doubts for such a long time. But the grief I felt after my siblings' death felt so much like fear. Letting this fear control my body was just much easier than facing it. I didn't have the courage to, I was weak" Susan could feel, how the tears were coming to her eyes once more, but she managed to hold them back. She didn't want to cry again, after she had lost so many tears, now that she was that happy.

"No, my dear one" Aslan shook his head, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. You've overcome your fear and your doubts and with this you've shown more courage than anyone here. Nobody here has proved himself the way you did, I even doubt all of them would be able to. How long it took you or how you came here is not important, the only thing that matters is that you earn it to be here."

Susan nodded and although she had many more questions to ask about this magical world, she knew it wasn't the time to. So they stood together side by side silently watching as the sun sank slowly into the sea.

When it had finally disappeared from their sight, Susan whispered, "I have learnt to believe in you like I believe in the sun, not because I can see it, but because of it all things are seen." And as she said these words, one could see the wisdom in her eyes, the wisdom of a far older person, the wisdom of an ancient queen, who had reigned over a country for half a lifetime.

Susan took a deep breath, straightened her dress and arranged her hair once more, like she had done a hundred times before in the golden age. But she had never been that nervous before a ball, not even at her very first one.

The doors in front of her opened and as she stepped into the wonderful decorated room, she left all her nervousness and unease outside in the hallway.

Suddenly there fell a deep silence in the room and Susan noticed that everyone was watching her in admiration, but she wasn't uncomfortable with that. She had to admit that she looked great in this royal blue narnian dress with a low cut neckline. Every curve was defined by the clinging fabric and corset, flaring out into full skirts. Her wonderful dark curls were pinned up and the thin silver crown on her head matched with her long twinkling earrings and the little silver stones on her dress.

Moreover when she glanced through the room, she saw only familiar faces, people, whom she knew and loved. There were her brothers and sister, Reepicheep, the brave mouse, Trumpkin, the red-dwarf, Doctor Cornelius, trufflehunter, the old wise badger, Tumnus, the faun, Glenstorm, the centaur and many others. So many dear friends she hadn't seen for such a long time and she was looking forward to talking to each of them.

But right now Susan concentrated on the person, with whom she was looking forward to spending the rest of her life with. She hadn't been able to talk to him since the few moments after she had awoken in this wonderful world. Caspian was approaching her, holding out one hand. "Your Majesty, will you do me the honour of beginning the ball with me?"

Without saying a word, she slid her hand into his, his fingers curling about hers. The musicians began a slow waltz. Susan could feel her heart beating faster as he gently pulled her close, her hand resting on his shoulder. They moved gracefully into the dance, his lead strong and confident.

The world around them melted apart. They danced, only eyes for each other, their faces only inches apart. There was none of the new hesitation of unfamiliar partners, only the seamless communication of step and spin.

Not until the song had ended, Susan realized that many other pairs had started dancing. Caspian brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. Then as the other couples started the next dance, he guided her to the balcony.

Susan laid one hand upon his chest, the other one still in his; she looked straight into his eyes. "I wanted to thank you. Without you, without our love I wouldn't have been able to get through this..." Caspian wiped away a tear that was running down her cheek, resting his hand there.

"I guess all I want to say is that I love you, I love you right up to the moon and back. I have loved you since I have first seen you and I will love you forever." And with this she tiptoed and kissed him.

"You know, eternity is quite a long time." Caspian smirked, pausing the kiss, keeping his face close to Susan's.

"Yeah I know, but I can't think of anyone with whom I would rather like to spend it."

Caspian kissed her again, their bodies abutting against one another as he shifted a hand into her hair to deepen their kiss. When they finally broke apart, they just stood there, arm in arm, enjoying each other presence. After everything they had done, after everything they had gone through to get here, to be here together, they just wanted this moment to never end, even though they knew everything has to come to and end sooner or later - everything except for eternity and their love for each another.

"Are you cold, my love?" Caspian asked worried, noticing her bare shoulders and the cool air. Susan shook her head, "No, I am ... "she paused, searching for the right words, "I am completely and perfectly and incandescently happy."

The End

So this is it - I hope you liked it - not only the last chapter but the whole story. How did you like its end? Some may have preferred Susan to stay in her own world, finally coming to peace with herself and her story, but I just think that Narnia is the place where she belongs - along with her family, her friends and Caspian...

So reviews would be great as always ;) - and I would like to thank all who reviewed troughout this story - I really loved to read all of them! So thanks again.

So I hope I'll hear from you... (don't hesitate to contact me ;)) ...