Susan's eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed in confusion as she stared at Robert.
"How do you know about Narnia?" she asked, her voice growing cold and regal. Robert raised his eyebrows, surprised by his wife's tone.
"I've been there. I was Lord of Cair Paravel. How could you not tell me who you are?" he asked harshly.
"How was I supposed to tell you? How could I tell anyone? I would have been locked up! And I had no idea you had been there!" she cried softly, hoping her voice would not carry through her son's door. The two stared at each other, rendered speechless by the situation.
"I thought it was just an odd coincidence that you and your siblings shared the same names as the kings and queens of old," Robert said quietly. Susan remained quiet, unable to meet her husband's eyes. "The four of you… you were inspiring. I studied your reign while I was there, in awe of everything you did," he continued.
A slow grin appeared on his face as he moved his hand from Susan's arm to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer. Nudging her chin up with his other hand, he said, "Although, I will say… This explains a lot about you."
"What-" she started but was cut off by Robert's lips crushing down on hers. She slid her hands up his chest to wrap them around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. She felt his hand snake around her waist, locking her in place. Susan pulled back, ending their kiss. With shining eyes she asked coyly, "How about you take the queen to bed?" Chuckling softly Robert scooped her in his arms, holding her close to him. He leaned over and resumed their kiss, his lips never leaving hers as he walked down the hallway to their bedroom.
A loud plunk in the water caught George's attention, pulling him out of his daze. The weight of the brooch he had brought with him from Narnia, now in his pocket, was resting against his leg, a reminder of where he had been. He had left so suddenly, unable to say goodbye to any of the friends he had made there. George and his brother had been fishing for nearly two hours and he was still in the same daze he had been in since he had first realized he was home. Looking out at the pond, he saw ripples coming from several feet out, a large chunk of wood bobbing up and down causing more ripples to appear. His head shot up to the large tree that hung over the pond and saw a small leg dangling from it, leaves falling from its movements.
"Robert! What are you doing?" he yelled, dropping his fishing pole as he scrambled up.
"Look at me, George! I'm a hero!" Robert called back, pushing away a branch that covered his face so he could see his brother.
"A real hero doesn't climb a tree over water when he can't swim," George said loudly. He hurried over to the tree, panic setting in as he noticed the rotting trunk of the tree. "Robert! Come back down now!" he yelled.
"No! I just got up here!" Robert whined.
"Robert, now!" George demanded angrily.
His eyes widened in fear as he heard a loud-splitting crack followed by the screams of his brother. A loud splash came soon as the branch and boy fell into the pond. Scanning the surface quickly, he kicked off his shoes and hurried to jump in the water. The pond was deep, its murky brown water making it hard to see. George began to paddle, swimming hard towards his brother. When he reached the spot where Robert had fallen, he dove, squinting against the water in hopes to see him. His arms thrashed about, hoping to make contact, when he felt a soft body against his fingers. Moving closer, he grasped his brother around the waist and kicked off to the surface. Keeping his arm tight around Robert's waist, he began swimming towards the bank.
When they had reached it, George hauled his brother onto the grass before turning on his back, breathless. Robert coughed and sputtered, sitting up as he did. George pushed off the ground, lightly pounding Robert's back to help him cough up the water and catch his breath.
"Are you okay?" he asked. Robert nodded, unable to yet speak. "Are you stupid? Did you not see that the tree was dead? Why didn't you come down when I told you to?" George asked, his voice rising with every question. Robert looked up at his brother, tears in his eyes, as he murmured an apology. Sighing, George put his arm around his younger brother and pulled him into a hug.
"Don't cry about it. Things are alright and you're safe now," he said, chuckling lightly and tickling his brother. Robert squealed and squirmed away from his older brother, laughing. "How about I tell you a story about two brothers who one day became kings?" George asked, smiling widely.
"Sure!" Robert said. He loved his brother's stories; there were many nights the two would sit up late, George telling Robert fantastical stories that left him hanging on every word.
"Once, there were two brothers who one day became kings…"
A lazy smile played on Susan's lips as her head rested on Robert's chest. He pulled his fingers absent-mindedly through her hair, a matching grin on his face. "How did you get to Narnia?" Susan asked, breaking the haze of happiness that hung in the air. Robert sighed deeply and remained silent. Turning her head towards her husband, Susan peered curiously at him.
"It's not an easy story for me to talk about, Susan," Robert said quietly.
"Whose story is when it comes to Narnia?" Susan asked gently as she propped herself up, leaning on one arm. Robert studied her, his smile returning to his face as he took in the sight of his wife, draped in a sheet with hair in disarray, thinking her the most beautiful he had ever seen. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, propping it behind his head before he spoke.
"I went to Narnia after George died. We got a letter from the army saying he had passed away; it was as impersonal as the person who delivered it. George, fool that he was, had added a letter for me that he had written right before he died. He had been wounded, very badly, and was in the hospital. They said he was only there hours; you think he would have used that last bit of strength he had to fight not dying rather than waste it writing me a note. It said to go to his room and find what was in his top desk drawer. I was about fifteen or so, hardly able to really comprehend it was not the time to do that. All I could think was my big brother had told me to do something so I had better do it. I ran up the stairs to his room. My parents were still standing near the door, my mother screaming in grief. I covered my ears to block it out until I reached George's room and shut the door. When I looked in the drawer, I saw a little brown wrapped package with a note that had my name on it. All it said was "Return this for me." I pulled the paper off it and saw this brooch, the biggest yellow stone I had ever seen on it, surrounded by hundreds of diamonds. I thought he'd stolen it!"
He paused when Susan interrupted, "That was Lucy's! Peter gave it to her for her 21st birthday! Yellow diamonds were her favorite." Robert smiled and nodded.
"I know. I was told that when I got to Cair Paravel," he said softly. "After I saw the brooch, I suddenly got mad, madder than I had ever felt in my life. Family trait I guess; my cousin's temper was renowned in our family. I'm sure mine could have matched hers that day. I grabbed the brooch and ran, pushed past my parents and ran. I don't know how I ran as much as I did; fueled by anger, I guess. I ended up at this field that had a pond where we used to fish when we were young. I'll never know what made me do it, but I jumped in. I swam as hard as I could to the other side. When I climbed out, there I was, wet and probably looking like a drowned rat, when this man started walking to me. Only he wasn't really a man; he turned out to be a faun, as I found out later. He took pity on me, I guess, and took me to Cair Paravel. He called me a Son of Adam and said my kind was scarce in Narnia, so the king would want to see me. When we got to the castle I was taken to the prince instead of the king. I had forgotten the brooch in my hand – I still don't know why I never put it in my pocket – and the prince saw it. He was furious that someone stole it from the treasure chamber and that his father had searched for years for it. I was dragged to the old king's room and he asked me about it. I told him how my brother George had it in his desk drawer with a note for me to return it. The king knew my brother, pardoned me, and told me that had George not disappeared fifty years earlier, he would have been made a lord of Cair Paravel and that I was to be made one in his place."
"How long were you in Narnia?" Susan asked.
"About fifteen years," he replied, his voice turning hard.
"What is it?" Susan asked, noting the change in his voice.
"It was just… hard… leaving like I did," Robert admitted, unable to look at Susan. She placed her hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her.
"I know how hard it is to leave, regardless of how you leave," she said. He grasped her wrist and pressed it to his lips, kissing it lightly.
"No offense, love, but you left in a time of peace. I left in the midst of war," he said quietly.
"War? What war?" Susan asked, surprised.
"Telemar attacked Cair Paravel and Narnia. It was a long, bloody battle. Actually, it was more of a slaughter; the Telemarines had numbers we couldn't even imagine," Robert explained. He looked at Susan's face, surprised that it had gone white.
"What is it?" he asked, sitting up.
"I've had dreams about that war, seeing my castle attacked and my people destroyed," Susan said softly.
"It was a hard fight, one we lost before it had begun. As happy as I am to be here, with you and our son and the future we all have, I hate that I left while Narnia fell," Robert said in a wavering voice.
"Tell me what happened that day, what really happened," Susan said quietly.
"Susan, I…" Robert trailed off, seeing a determined look in his wife's eyes that he had never seen before.
"I have to know," Susan demanded.
Robert folded his map and followed the centaur out of the room. His steps felt heavy as he walked to his own bedroom. When he reached it, he sat on his bed, gripping the bedding beneath his hands. Anger like he hadn't felt in fifteen years overtook him as he thought about the hopeless war that they were to face soon. He stood and walked to a low table that stood against the wall and poured a glass of wine. Taking a sip of it only incited more rage, knowing it could very well be the last sip of wine he took in his home. He hurled the glass across his room, the force of the throw shattering it against the opposite wall, red liquid flowing down to the floor. The sight of the dripping wine sobered his anger, a lump forming in his throat that he quickly swallowed. Cair Paravel will end up looking like that at the end of the week. Blood everywhere, he thought. Growling in anger he stormed out of his room and headed to the training grounds.
The Telemarines attacked at dawn before the sun had even fully risen over the sea. The guards who had been standing watch sounded the alarm, alerting the Narnians that war was inevitable. Robert led his army to the castle gates, lining them in front of Cair Paravel. The world began to blur around him as they charged and met the Telemarines, his sword swinging wildly as he moved through the enemy's army.
Hours passed and the battle ensued, the Narnians fighting harder than he had ever expected. He had just removed his sword from the chest of a Telemarine, kicking him away when he looked up and saw a tall man standing in the clearing next to the woods that surrounded Cair Paravel's grounds. Even from where he stood Robert could see the evil smile on his face he wore. Pushing through the battle, he ran to where the man stood, his sword gripped tightly in hand.
"Why are you doing this?" Robert shouted. The man turned to him, drawing his sword, and sneered, "Because I want it. I will wipe Narnia clean of the filth that inhabits it." Robert yelled and brought his sword down furiously, the man meeting the sword with his own blade. The man met every swing of Robert's sword, metal clanging loudly as they hit together. Robert began to tire when he finally saw his opportunity to defeat the man. He crashed his sword down on the man's shoulder, forcing him aside to the ground. Robert swung his sword, the man nearly unable to dodge the blow. The force of Robert's swing caused him to spin around to where the battle raged on below. Running towards him were three Telemarine soldiers. Robert's eyes widened in fear before glaring angrily at the fallen man.
"You'll never win this. Give up," the man panted. Robert braced himself for the attack from the soldiers, neatly meeting their blows. He slit one of their throats before running into the woods, hoping they would follow. He was not disappointed. When he turned to meet them, he heard a loud roar behind him. Turning at the sound, he saw a large lion racing through the woods. He ducked as the lion leapt over him, landing on the two soldiers who had chased him. Fearing for his life, he fled from the lion, running hard back towards the battle.
When he broke from the woods, the battle was gone. No longer was the ground filled with the dead, the soil no longer bloody from its wounds. The castle, which had towered over the battle scene like a beckoning prize, was gone as well. All Robert saw in front of him was a pond that he had once crossed. Looking down at himself, he realized he was no longer wearing his armor and tunic; he was back to the child he had been so long ago, whose brother had been killed. Spinning back to where he had run from, he saw the familiar trees that were from England, not from the woods surrounding Cair Paravel. Realizing he had left Narnia and was now in his own world, he clenched his fists. Tears began streaming down his face as he struggled to breathe. His people, his countrymen, were dying and fighting without him. He had abandoned them in their greatest moment, leaving them to the hands of the merciless Telemarines.
"Why?" he yelled. "Narnia's destroyed without me!" No one answered him; the only sound in the air the cries of a few birds that flew overhead. Feeling all strength leave his body, he unclenched his fists and turned to begin his walk home.
Robert stared at the ceiling, his story leaving him drained, as Susan rubbed his arm soothingly. "You didn't, you know," she said softly. Robert looked at her, confusion on his face.
"I didn't what?" he asked.
"Destroy Narnia," she replied. Robert's eyebrows drew together sharply. "The history books spoke of the Telemarine invasion, of how you fought Caspian I and nearly defeated him! You were a great hero to Narnia. Narnia survived the-"
"How do you know that? They destroyed everything!" Robert interrupted. Susan shrugged.
"We went back," Susan said.
"You went… back?" he asked slowly. Susan nodded.
"Yes. A year after we returned from Narnia we were called back. Years had passed in Narnia since we had been there. Almost 1300 years to be more precise. The Telemarines ruled Narnia, but we defeated them and retook our thrones. After it was all over, Edmund found a book in the library about the battle; you were in it, although not named specifically. I imagine the book was written hundreds of years after you left," she explained.
"How did you come back?" Robert asked.
"There was a storm and we were sailing. A wave knocked us overboard and when we surfaced, we were back at the train station waiting on our train to take us to school, as though we had never left England," Susan said. Susan looked at him, her eyes hard but sad. "We never left in the middle of a war, but our leaving was no less hard than yours. I know how painful it is. Our leaving nearly destroyed me."
Robert was quiet as he remembered Susan when he had first met her, how different she had been then, finally understanding so many things that he hadn't at the time. "Have you been back since then?" he asked. Susan shook her head sadly.
"No, when we left the second time, Aslan told Peter and me that we were too old to return. I didn't handle that too well, much to my siblings' disappointment. Edmund and Lucy went back again, though, with our cousin Eustace," she explained.
"Your aunt and uncle's son?" Robert asked skeptically. Susan laughed slightly and nodded. "He wasn't made a king, was he?" he asked suspiciously. Susan laughed louder this time.
"Goodness, no! At least, I hope not," she laughed. Robert chuckled with her, their laughter growing louder together.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. Susan laid her head on his chest and wrapped an arm around him. They lay together, blissful in silence, for a good while. Susan felt Robert's breathing ease and, thinking he had fallen asleep, began to move to lie on her side of the bed. She felt his arm tighten around her, holding her close. Smiling, she relaxed against him and closed her eyes.
Several moments later, as she had just begun to drift off, she heard Robert ask, "So does this make me a king?" Susan's eyes popped open and a wide smile grew on her face.
"Well, I suppose it does. You did marry Queen Susan the Gentle, after all," she giggled.
"Hmm… King Robert. King Robert the Brave. No, King Robert the Hero. I suppose I like the sound of that," he chuckled. Susan rolled her eyes and muttered, "Don't let it go to your head." Robert laughed loudly and leaned forward to kiss her on her head.
"Goodnight, love," he whispered. Susan smiled against his chest and replied, "Goodnight, your majesty."
AN: Augh! There really was no good place to put this note; I'd wanted to put it at the beginning, but realized that wouldn't be a good place for it because it continues from the last chapter. Real quick... You all had some GREAT suggestions, and I TOTALLY would have taken them into consideration... if I hadn't beaten you to the punch already.
Also, not to ruin your day, but I forsee this story being finished by next Wednesday... MAAAAYBE Thursday if I get too busy. But no worries! I've been thinking about a final story for a while (I know I mentioned it earlier) and figured why not? So tell all your friends to get on the Grace Trilogy Bandwagon! You know it's official now that I've named the trilogy (although it's about as creative as my titles.. meaning not very at all)
