Susan could not believe how perfect every second alone with Caspian was. Every moment they spent together took her breath away, and every time she thought about leaving Narnia her brain blocked the thought out and she found herself thinking about how their lips fit so perfectly together. The war was drawing nearer and nearer and she became more and more sure that they could win. She sat in on several of Peter and Caspian's war planning sessions and Caspian began to join everybody for dinner at Trufflehunter's house again.
Susan was very aware that people knew the true nature of her and Caspian's relationship, even if they both insisted that they were just good friend. Nobody other than Susan, Caspian and Peter knew the true reason why they had not been speaking for so long and suddenly seemed closer than ever. Susan had only told her brother what had happened after he left, and he had warned her that her and Caspian should have just continued being friends. She knew he was right, and yet being with Caspian was the best thing that had ever happened to her, and she did not want to end it, even if she knew that it would not last forever.
The only thing that was forbidding her from completely happy was the knowledge that Edmund and Lucy were still somewhere in Narnia, probably lost and confused. She had suggested several times since they arrived in the city that they arrange a search party for her siblings, but every time the idea was rejected, claiming that they could not risk sending any Narnians outside of the village in fear of the Telmarines discovering that they were not extinct.
"Do not worry" had comforted Caspian, taking her hand in his, "We will find them"
"How can you be sure?"
"Because we found Peter" he whispered, and she felt completely reassured. Somehow Caspian had a way of making her feel like everything he said was true, and she found herself not fearing for their future as soon as he told her they would make it through anything that life threw at them.
xxx
Susan woke up one morning, exactly fourteen days after her and Caspian had shared their first kiss, and could instantly sense that something was wrong. She walked down to the dinning room and found Caspian sitting alone at the table. She slid into a chair beside him.
"What is wrong?" she asked.
"Telmarines" said Caspian quietly, "Two of them. They were spotted this morning"
Susan's eyes widened.
"What does this mean?"
"We do not know yet. The minotaur who spotted them is searching for them"
"Well if that isn't enough to scare them away I do not know what is" she replied, and Caspian nodded.
"The problem is that they saw the Minotaur. They know there are still Narnians out there"
"Do not worry," said Susan, patting his back. The door burst open and Peter came in, completely out of breath.
"Susan!" he exclaimed
"Yes?"
"Come quickly, you too Caspian"
"What is it?" asked Susan.
"They found the Telmarines and brought them to me. You are never going to believe this" he started to run and Susan and Caspian followed him.
"Do you have any idea what is going on?" asked Susan and Caspian grinned at her.
"I have an idea"
"Care to share this idea?"
"I would rather not. I do not want you to be disappointed if I am incorrect"
"Disappointed?" asked Susan, completely lost. She was beginning to run out of breath, having forgotten just how far from Trufflehunter's house was from the cave where the split table was.
"Yes" and with that Caspian set his eyes ahead, on Peters back. Susan tried to imagine what he was talking about, but her brain simply wasn't working. When they finally reached the cave Susan stopped to catch her breath, leaning on the wall.
"There's no time for that Susan!" cried Peter, and Susan groaned, following her brother until they reached the place where she had first encountered Peter.
She wasn't exactly sure what to expect, she had never seen Telmarine soldiers before, and the only Telmarines she had ever really known had been Caspian and the Doctor. She had seen Telmarines when she first arrived in Narnia, but nowhere else.
What she saw took every breath out of her lungs.
Standing in front of her were a young boy and girl, the boy no older than 14 and the girl probably only 12 or 13. She didn't recognize the girls' long ringlets, or the boys' shaggy black hair. She didn't recognize the girls deep blue eyes or the boys tall lanky body. What she recognized was the small phial that the girl wore around her neck as if it were a necklace. She covered her mouth with her hands as tears appeared in the corners of her eyes.
"Susan, you look BEAUTIFUL!" cried her sister as she ran towards her, and Susan met her with a giant hug. She ran her hands through Lucy's hair, pulling her away from herself.
"Your hair!"
"Do you like it?" asked Lucy innocently.
"I love it! And Ed!" she cried, running towards her younger brother and hugging him as if she hadn't seen him for years, kissing his cheek.
"Ew, Susan! You act as if I just came back from the dead," joked her brother and Susan smiled at him.
"You guys are the Telmarines?" she asked, and they shrugged.
"Apparently. Why did you guys think we were Telmarines anyway? They told us that the Telmarines never came to this area"
"They?" asked Susan.
"That's the best part," said Peter, a giant grin on his face, "Edmund and Lucy have found another Narnian city!"
"And we believe that they would agree to join your cause" said Edmund assuringly. Susan could barely recognize her own brother. His hair had grown longer and his voice seemed to have deepened. When she looked at him again she realized that he wasn't as lanky as he had been before. He looked like a true king… like he had when they had ruled Narnia.
"Is this what you expected?" she asked, turning to Caspian who nodded, smiling smugly. Edmund and Lucy noticed his presence for the first time and Edmund quickly drew his sword.
"Telmarine!"
"No, Ed!" cried Peter, "This is Caspian!"
"Oh" said Edmund putting his sword away, "Hello"
"Hello" said Caspian, raising and eyebrow and Susan laughed.
"Susan, why don't you show Lu around the city? I think we need to… catch Edmund up"
Susan nodded and her and Lucy left. She smiled at Caspian as she left, and he gave her one of his crooked smiles and then did the same to Lucy who flushed. Susan giggled and led Lucy out of the cave.
"Who is he?" asked Lucy, her eyes wide, her cheeks still red.
"Caspian" said Susan, smiling. Lucy grinned at her mischievously.
"He is very handsome" she said simply and Susan shrugged, not sure if her sister was old enough to understand her and Caspian's relationship.
"I suppose. He is a very kind man though, and he will make a wonderful king when he reclaims his kingdom"
"Do you fancy him?"
"Lucy!"
"What? It wouldn't surprise me…"
"Well to answer your question, no I do not fancy him" she said, sounding almost disgusted at the childish word.
"So you love him then?" asked her sister. Susan looked at her surprised. It seemed Edmund wasn't the only one who had changed while they were separated. And to think it had only been a month…
"Can you keep a secret Lu?"
"Obviously" said Lucy, rolling her eyes.
"Alright. Yes, I do love Caspian"
"I knew it! And does he love you back?"
"Yes"
"It must be because you are so beautiful," said Lucy grinning, and Susan laughed.
"You can talk! What happened to you and Edmund?"
"We appeared by Cair Paravel," said Lucy, looking at the ground sadly, "We were very… disturbed… when we recognized it. We found our room with all our possessions, took ours and left as fast as we could. We travelled through the forest for several days. It was not much fun… we were almost constantly hungry and we found ourselves weaker and weaker every day. Around the fifth or sixth day since we arrived a centaur centurion found us and recognized who we were. He took us back to his city, saying that they were the only Narnians left. They told us the story of the Telmarines. We have been living there since then, reigning over them, unsure as to why we were there at all"
"Caspian summoned us"
"Yes, Peter has explained everything to us," said her younger sister.
"You have changed Lu. You and Edmond both"
"We have not changed. We have changed back," said Lucy with a smile. Susan had to agree with her sister. Since she had been in Narnia she seemed to be returning to the way she had been as a Queen, more kind and gentle than she seemed to be in England.
"True. But you have also changed physically" she said, and Lucy nodded.
"One of the female centaurs asked for my permission to… fool around with my hair, and she ended up coming up with a way to keep it this way for as long as I wish it. It was also she who suggested Edmund grow his hair out"
"It looks good on him," said Susan, smiling.
"Peter has become very handsome too" commented Lucy.
"Indeed" replied Susan, "He has let his hair grow as well"
"He's so built…" said Lucy and Susan nodded, although her thoughts were no longer on Peter but on Caspian.
"Anyway, what have you been doing?" she asked, and Susan smiled. She told her sister everything that had happened since she got to Narnia. Lucy got upset when Susan told her about her and Caspian not speaking, but her expression changed completely when Susan told her about their conversation in the forest.
"So he kissed you?" she squealed, and Susan shushed her. Lucy rolled her eyes, "Please Susan, if I could tell almost instantly I think that everybody here will have noticed already"
Susan thought about what her sister had just said and sighed.
"Lucy, do you have any idea how worried I was about you? And about Edmund?"
"Are you trying to change the subject?"
"Yes and no. Really, I was extremely worried. I was so worried I even got Caspian worried!"
"He wasn't worried about us" said Lucy, shuffling her feet, "He was worried because he knew it would make you feel better"
"Well, at least he was right about finding you… I was afraid he would be wrong and we would end up…"
"End up?"
"End up… leaving… without you"
Lucy slipped her hand into Susan's and gave her a sympathetic look.
"You don't want to leave, do you?" whispered her sister, and Susan simply shook her head. Then she took a deep breath.
"No, I am not going to think about this" she said, "That was the deal. Caspian and I agreed that we would not think or speak of me leaving Narnia"
"Well you aren't doing a very good job, are you?"
"Right now I am not. But it's your fault!" she said, tickling Lucy, who shrieked, giggling.
The two sisters walked through the Narnian city, Susan showing Lucy absolutely everything and introducing her to everyone she knew. Lucy wanted desperately to see the place that Caspian had kissed Susan, but nighttime was falling, and Susan insisted that Lucy get some rest. She walked her sister back to Trufflehunter's house, where she would be staying with Susan in her room. She sighed as she left her sister, walking down to the dinning room where Caspian, Peter and Edmund were sitting around the table.
"Susan" breathed Caspian, and she sat down beside him. Edmund glared at Caspian, something Susan had expected. Out of her two brothers Edmund was definitely the protective one.
"Susan, we are planning on attacking in three days," announced Peter. Susan was shocked.
"What, just like that?"
"Yes. We met up with the other Narnians and they agree that the sooner we attack the better… we have already told our troops"
"Well… what will Lucy and I do?"
"You will come with us," said Edmund, "We will need your skill with the bow and arrow. Lucy however will stay here. It is too dangerous"
Susan nodded her agreement, and Caspian stood up and left the room, glancing at her before leaving.
"That was rude," commented Edmund, and Peter chuckled.
"I'll go see what's wrong with him" said Susan. Edmund's jaw tensed.
"Or Peter could go" he said, his teeth clenched.
"No, I think Susan should go," said Peter and Edmund glared at him.
"Way to take my side Pete" he mumbled as Susan left the room, but she didn't hear Peter's response. She saw Caspian leaning on the doorway, one leg on the frame, his arms crossed across his chest.
"It's a lovely night," said Susan quietly.
"Perfect for a walk" said Caspian pushing himself off the doorframe and holding a hand out for her to take. She took it and he intertwined his fingers with hers as they walked through the empty city, only the sound of the fauns music playing. They walked to the pasture where they had first kissed and Caspian let go of her hand.
"Susan I…"
"The music is so beautiful tonight," she said, sighing. She gave Caspian a mischievous grin.
"What?" he asked, smiling at her.
"Well aren't you going to ask me to dance?" she asked impatiently. He shuffled his feet awkwardly.
"I cannot dance" he admitted and Susan grinned.
"Neither can I! That is part of the fun," she said, putting her hands around his neck. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"You put your hands around my waist," she instructed. According to Peter, woman expert, this was the simplest way to slow dance.
"And now what do we do?"
"Now… we simply sway to the music"
"Who taught you how to dance?" asked Caspian, chuckling.
"Peter" said Susan, a fake scowl on her face, "But I should never have listened to him"
"No, this is fun," said Caspian, and Susan smiled up at him.
"Now, what did you want to tell me?"
"Oh yes. Susan, I don't think you should come"
"What?" asked Susan.
"Hear me out. It's going to be dangerous, and I don't want you to get hurt…"
"I can take care of myself"
"I know," said Caspian, "But if something happened…"
"Caspian, you need my help. You need all the help you can get!"
"We already have two entire armies…"
"I am coming with you" she said, completely serious. He sighed.
"You are so stubborn…" he said, leaning down and lightly brushing her lips with his own.
"Hmm"
"What?"
"Why is it that we only kiss here?" she asked.
"We don't. We kissed yesterday in that spare room" he said, and Susan nodded.
"True…"
"Why? Are you complaining?"
"Of course not!"
"Good" he said, leaning down to kiss her again. She received his kiss happily.
"We should head back," he mumbled. She nodded.
"We should"
He took her hand and they began walking. On their way out of the forest Susan's dress got snagged on a tree branch.
"Oh, hold on" she said, letting go of Caspian's hand and moving back to release her dress. When it was free she took a step forward, not noticing the giant tree branch that was lying right in front of her.
"Susan watch…"
Before she knew what was happening her face hit the ground and a sharp pain shot through her body.
"Ah!" she cried out. Caspian ran to help her, and she winced when he tried to help her up, his hands around her arms.
"Where does it hurt?" he asked, and she pointed to her left arm. He looked at it and bit his lip.
"I think I fell on it," she mumbled.
"I think it's broken"
"Oh you must be loving this"
"Why?"
"Because if it's broken I cannot fight"
"Oh, Susan, that is the last thought in my head right now. Hurry, we need to get you back to the city" he said, hurrying her through the city to Trufflehunter's house. When they walked in, Susan crying out in pain as her arm brushed against the doorframe, Edmund stood up, sword in hand.
"What did you do to her?"
"Ed" said Susan, "It… it wasn't Caspian, I fell and… ow" she groaned as another sharp pain shot through her body.
"Let me see it" said Trufflehunter, appearing out of nowhere. Susan yelled in pain when he held her arm out and yelled even louder as he bandaged it.
"If this is in any way your fault…" threatened Edmund, glaring at Caspian, but Peter shook his head and placed his hand on Edmund's shoulder.
"I don't believe Caspian would do this Susan" he said.
"Alright, all fixed up" said the badger, and Susan sighed.
"I can't fight, can I?"
"I'm afraid not my queen" said Trufflehunter and Susan groaned at her bad luck. She glanced up at her brothers and Caspian and noticed that while Peter and Edmund looked annoyed at the fact that she would not be able to join in the battle Caspian had a relieved look on his face, obviously completely satisfied that the woman he loved would not be in any sort of danger. Susan cursed him for being so worried about her, and cursed herself for being so useless. But there was nothing she could do. She was officially unable to fight, and she knew that no matter how hard she argued she would be keeping Lucy company during the battle.