I would like to dedicate this chapter to pevensiePOTTER. Thank you sooooooooo much for your reviews, your constructive criticism and especially for the banner! I was so touched that my work inspired you :) ...Thanks again! I hope you like it!

Enjoy reading!


The news of an imminent war spread like wildfire through the whole country. The population was in an uproar and by the next morning hundreds of humans and talking beasts had come to Cair Paravel seeking shelter.

Peter had ridden to the boundaries to Archenland with a few soldiers to inspect the situation there, but not before promising to Susan that he wouldn't start a fight and that he would keep out of harm's way.

In the meanwhile Caspian was discussing the current situation with the Telmarine council.

"And so High King Peter, Queen Susan, Queen Lucy and I have decided to send a messenger to Anvard to offer negotiations to the Calormen." Caspian informed the council.

"Why risking a war? The Calormen haven't attacked Narnia so far. Archenland regards nothing to us. We owe nothing to them!" one of the Telmarine lords, Lord Delian exclaimed, standing up from his seat.

"We are trying to avoid a war but maybe we will have to fight. Sometimes war is inevitable! Archenland has always been friendly towards Narnia and if they ask for our help against the Calormen, Narnia will answer!" Caspian answered, trying to stay calm.

"I ask myself if this decision is influenced by the former close alliance between the kings and queens of Old and Archenland. I ask myself who is ruling Narnia at the moment. Is it King Caspian or the king and queens of Old?" Lord Delian pointed out, the Lords to his left and his right nodding in agreement.

Caspian was seething in rage, not only had that man doubt his credibility, he had also spoken ill of his friends, when they weren't there to defend themselves. He rose from his throne, making himself ready to defend the Pevensies, but he never had the chance to let his temper out.

"You doubt your king's decision?" rang Susan's voice clearly from the doors.

"I doubt that it was the king's decision, your Majesty!" Lord Delian said, bowing to the queen, adding those last two words sneeringly.

"And what are your reasons for thinking that?" Susan asked calmly, walking into the room.

"We all know your Majesty's influence on our king. May I remind your Majesty that your Majesty is not a sovereign queen?" Lord Delian said impudently.

"And may I remind you, Lord Delian, that the Telmarine Council only has a consultant function and not an executive power?" Susan answered, her body filling with anger, but as a queen of Narnia she had learned to control that anger, at least so far. Addressing to the whole council she continued, "My siblings and I came to support Caspian, to help with words and deeds, not to cause trouble."

"Of that I have no doubt! But whom are you helping? All of Narnia or only the Narnians?" Lord Delian asked, his followers again nodding in agreement.

It was now that Caspian intervened, not only because Lord Delian was behaving impudent, but also because he could tell that Susan wouldn't keep her temper any longer and he didn't want her to get in a fight with the council, not wanting her to make herself any more enemies.

"Guard your tongue! I will not tolerate any insults towards her Majesty." Caspian warned the Lord.

"Thank you, Caspian, but I am perfectly capable of defending myself on my own." Susan said without turning her angry face towards Caspian, focusing on Lord Delian. With a trembling voice she continued, "We are all Narnians, no matter Telmarine or Old Narnian! If you can't accept that, you should have left with the others through the portal!"

"Well you and your siblings left through the portal and where are you now?" Lord Delian answered back.

"Aslan sent us back to help you..."

"Help us like you helped your brother?"

"Enough!" Caspian shouted, but it was already too late.

In a blind fury Susan moved towards Lord Delian, attacking him with bare hands, "Don't you dare mentioning my brother!" She would have strangled him, if Caspian hadn't restrained her from doing that.

Now Caspian was holding her in his arms, her whole body shaking, tears running down her cheeks. Caspian's insides tore at the sight of the young woman so hurt and he couldn't believe he had let this gone that far.

He waved one of the soldiers at the door, "Will you please escort Queen Susan to her chambers?"

Susan's head snapped back in surprise at his words and she backed away from his grasp so quickly it was as if she had been burned.

"You are sending me away? After what he just said, you are sending me away?" she asked with plain hurt in her eyes.

"Susan, please..." Caspian laid one hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down, but Susan withdrew from his touch, shot an angry glare at him, turned around and flounced out of the room.

Caspian's heart tore apart, when he watched her leaving, knowing that he had just hurt her even more. It was never his intention to hurt her, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't let this fight develop any further.

Without turning to face the lord, he said, "You crossed the lines today, Lord Delian. I will forgive you this time but trust me I will not be that kind if I see you talking to her Majesty like that once more! The council is dismissed for today!"

The members of the council left the room until only Caspian and Lord Delian remained. The Telmarine Lord bowed to the king and went towards the door as well, when Caspian called after him with a low voice, "One word like these towards her Majesty again and it will be your last!"


"I hate this!" Susan screamed, slamming the door to her chambers behind her.

Lucy looked up, "What happened this time?" she asked, knowing the moods swings of her sister pretty well.

"Caspian sent me to my chambers! How dares he doing such a thing? I am a queen of Narnia! He can't just send me to my chambers!" she said, fretting and fuming.

"I am pretty sure Caspian didn't mean it like that! What did he say exactly?" Lucy tried to calm down her sister, knowing that she was likely to overreact.

"He told a soldier to escort me to my chambers. I don't need escorting. I can go wherever I want in this castle. I have been at home here longer than Caspian has been!" Susan stated, her voice still trembling from anger.

"I am sure he had his reasons for doing that! Why did he send you away in the first place?" Lucy asked.

Susan hesitated, "Well...err... I kind of attacked a member of the council, but after what he had said..."

"You did what?" Lucy exclaimed disbelieving.

"This idiot of Telmarine Lord, Lord Delian, insulted Caspian and our family, he kind of told me that this wasn't my place and that we are influencing Caspian to our own good. Can you imagine that? After everything we sacrificed he accuses us that we are only thinking about ourselves and the Old Narnians!" Susan told her sister discomposed.

"Susan what did you think? That they would welcome us with open arms after we fought a war against them?" Lucy said, shaking her head.

"Well we came here to help them and that's what I told Lord Delian as well. You know what he answered?" Susan asked furiously, "He asked me if we would help them like we helped our brother! Can you believe this? After everything we sacrificed..."

Susan threw herself on the bed. Her anger had changed into frustration; tears were running down her cheeks, revealing her grief about everything that was happening. Lucy walked over to her sister and sat down next to her on the bed, lying her arm around her shoulders.

"Susan, I can understand that you are angry and frustrated and sad. I know how hard this is for you but you shouldn't have attacked the lord!" Lucy said caring.

"You don't know how hard this is for me. You were supposed to come back. You hadn't had to leave everything behind, thinking that you would never see the people here again!" Susan sobbed, "Tell me, why is he doing this to me?"

Lucy needn't ask, whom her older sister meant by he. "Well he needed our help, but maybe this wasn't his only reason, maybe he is giving you a second chance, ever thought about that? Maybe he regrets tearing you and Caspian apart. Why don't you take that chance? What if you would have to leave tomorrow? Aren't there things you would like to do, you would like to tell somebody?"

"I just can't! I can't lose him again! I can't go through all this hurt and pain again!" Susan whispered sobbing.

"It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all!"


Peter spurred his horse even faster. The young king didn't care for the soldiers who he had left behind some time ago. He just enjoyed riding through his beloved woods, hearing the rustling of the leaves and the thundering of the hoof beats that shook the ground, with the wind in his hair.

Riding through Narnia made him feel complete, made him forget his problems. Even back in the golden age, when things had been outgrowing him, when he hadn't been able to handle them anymore, he had taken the fastest horse in the stables and had just left everything behind. It didn't matter where he went, he just needed to get his mind free. The journey was the reward.

And right now he had plenty problems to forget, his brother and his cousin still missing, an impending war and anxious people rioting. So he had seized the chance to inspect the boundaries at once. They had been riding for more than six hours now, without noticing anything out of the ordinary. They had met some humans and talking beasts, which were flying to the castle to seek refugee after they had heard of the coming war, but in spite of that everything was as customary.

Suddenly his stallion reared up and Peter barely got hold of the mane to avoid falling off. When he looked around to search for the urge, he caught sight of a beautiful dun horse that was tied to one of the trees. Warned he looked around searching for the owner and possible enemy. His right hand moved automatically to his sword, ready to fight an attacker.

But there was no sign of anybody, so Peter got off his horse and moved slowly towards the mare. Suddenly he heard the leaves rustling behind him. Unsheathing his sword he turned around and was standing in front of a hooded man, who attacked him with his sword.

His blocks and blows were that quickly and hard that Peter was taken aback although he had expected an attacker. The young king could only just fend off his attacks, being pushed back. With a quick move the attacker knocked the sword out of Peter's hand and Peter stumbled back, falling over a root to the ground.

The hooded man held out his sword towards Peter and asked with a disguised voice, "Who are you?"

"High King Peter!" the voice of one of the soldiers sounded through the air and within a minute the two opponents were surrounded by Narnians.

"Well that's a pleasant surprise!" the stranger said, taking off his mask, revealing his face.

When Peter caught sight of the face of his attacker, he was taken aback by what he saw.


Well that's it! I hope you like it! Do you have any guesses who the attacker is? Well I give you a hint - it is definitely not the one you're thinking of! ;) ...

Reviews would be great as always! :) .. And thanks to those who reviewed so far! You guys are great!

PS: For those who are reading Susan's Tale as well - I don't have the time to update it right now - but I'll try to update soon!!