Chapter One
There was not many things that could surprise Caspian. As the ruler of Narnia he was used to the unexpected, especially since he had had the Kings and Queens of Old drop in on him twice. But this turn in events truly astounded him. Aslan had said she was never returning and Aslan's word was law. But here she was, standing infront of him. Was it another trick of the mist?
While Edmund was surprised at the appearance of his sister, his shock was quickly overturned, "Susan, what are you wearing!" For she was in something that he was sure their parents would never have approved of. He certainly didn't approve of his sister exposing that much skin. Her gold dress, if he could even call it a dress it was that short, came down to her mid thigh, her legs clad in sheer nylon tights and nothing else. Nude coloured heels encased her feet giving her an extra three inches in height and making it a lot easier for her to fall over. The thin straps holding her dress up were falling haphazardly down her arms as she fell about over the cabin.
"Whort?" Susan slurred, "Do you like?" Giving a small shimmy Susan demonstrated her dress to her disapproving brother. "I'm a twenties flapper see. I've just lost the headdress..." She said vaguely, trailing off uncomfortably as she patted her head almost as if she expected it to reappear there. As she did so, her large suitcase tumbled to the floor causing even more noise to echo through the dingy cabin.
"Su?" Lucy said tearfully, her guilty gaze turning on her sister. Her arms reaching out for comfort before she saw Susan's face. The perfect features Lucy was so jealous of. Her brown hair mussed up around her face. Her blue eyes almost black with alcohol. Her lipstick smeared and puffy. Jealousy raged through her, how could Susan look so pretty when she was in such a state? Suddenly her need for a cuddle off her older sister disappeared and was replaced with outrage. With a sharp cry, Lucy ran from the room, away from her beautiful older sister and her insecurities over her own looks.
Susan watched belatedly as her little sister left the room, "What's wrong with her?" She asked, looking accusingly at Edmund, having not yet noticed either Caspian or Eustace standing nearby. To be fair on her, the alcohol had clouded her eyesight as well as her judgement.
"Su, what's wrong with you?" Edmund rallied back with, looking with disgust at his sister. She sounded perfectly fine in her last letter, what had happened in that short time.
"Wrong with me Ed? Nothing, I was at the G.I costume party darling and now I'm well, well, now I'm here." Susan defended, looking very uncomfortable.
Eustace smirked, ready to tell his cousin exactly what his other cousin had been up to, "Can't you tell Edmund? Su's been drinking, not lemonade, and those weren't just friends you know."
"Shut up Eustace," Susan interrupted, looking both scared and irritated, "Otherwise I'll write to Aunt Alberta telling her I'm worried about your obsession with S.P.A.M and how I think you're corrupting my little siblings with it!" She spat out, looking triumphantly at his crestfallen face.
Eustace's parents were strict vegetarians and S.P.A.M was the equivalent of the devil to them. He was immediately silenced, hating being around Susan again. Eustace could always bully Edmund and Lucy, but the elder Pevensies always alluded his efforts and Susan herself could normally apprehend them in his tracks, even managing to do so in this situation where he had been sure he had the upper hand.
Edmund smiled at his sister, "You're the first person to shut him up since we've gotten here!" And then he remembered why he wasn't smiling at her, "Wait a second, do mother and father know about this?"
Scoffing, Susan began to laugh, "Honestly Ed! I'm the only person who can shut him up, and don't you know about father and mother? They're on a boat home to England. I swear they sent a telegram to Aunt and Uncle. There was a big change of plans just after I sent the last letter."
"So, wait, they're leaving? I'm going to be an only child again?" Eustace asked excitedly.
"Yes, as soon as the boat gets back. Aren't you enjoying sharing a room Eu-ie?" Susan mocked.
"How come you're still in America then?" Edmund couldn't help but question. Everything was confusing him terribly, how come Susan was here, how come she was looking like that!
"Well darling, this wasn't how I imagined telling you mind, but I didn't expect to be on a boat either and well, here I am!" Susan declared dramatically, terribly uncomfortable with the current situation, "Mother and father were meant to tell you, and I was going to mention it in my next letter but, well I'm staying in America. Yeah, so, yeah. You can come and visit whenever you like darling, you'd love it!"
"You're living in a foreign country by yourself!" Edmund exclaimed, "Did mother and father go mad?"
"She's not entirely by herself remember. She's got all those to look after her." Eustace cut in.
"Shut up Eustace!" Both the Pevensie siblings shouted in unison, breaking their glaring contest to shoot daggers at their annoying cousin.
"And for your knowledge, not that it is any of your business, I'm staying with girls! I'm only going on a little trip with Kurt before he goes off to France-" Susan's mouth formed a perfect O when she realised she had said too much.
"Kurt?" Edmund spat out, "That sounds very feminine," he added sarcastically, "Is it an American name? Very butch."
"Oh shut up Edmund," Susan snapped, suddenly becoming full of indignant anger, "At least Kurt is old enough to be fighting in the war-"
"How old is he exactly?" He bit back.
"-Unlike you!" Susan continued, ignoring her brother's comment. "How do you expect me to react when I get a telegram telling me my underage brother is trying to sign up to go fight!"
"How did you find out about that?" Edmund said in shock.
"Someone was kind enough to inform me of it. And thank heavens they did. Using Aunt Alberta's ID card, really Edmund?" Susan ranted.
"Who?" He persisted.
"Just a friend," she waved off.
"You mean one of the servicemen that you've serviced." Eustace cut in.
"Susan!" Edmund exclaimed disgusted.
"Oh, nice word play Eustace. Edmund, you're a boy, stop trying to act older than what you actually are!" Susan scolded, trying to divert the situation completely off her, "And I'm done standing here while my sister has ran off in tears." Moving off towards the corridor that Lucy had ran down, still swaying dangerously, Susan muttered, "I hate boats," and steadied herself against the wall. Clutching her head briefly with her hands, she attempted to move away, staggering slightly as she did so. "Oh, and Edmund, Eustace?"
"Yes?" They mumbled, the look of a child caught stealing cookies present in their eyes.
"Go to sleep. It's way past your bedtime," Almost as if only just noticing him, Susan added, "nice to see you again Caspian," as she left the men's cabin trying to work out where Lucy went among the moving corridor full of doors.
The three men moved over to watch her retreating figure as she banged into the walls as she opened door after door, finally hitting the right one and entering carefully. Caspian was officially in shock, surely Susan, Queen Susan the Gentle didn't act like that. She was calm, modest, natural and the woman he was in love with. That female that was just standing infront of him, she was intoxicated, covered in make up and wearing something highly inappropriate. But he was still in love with her.
"-well Caspian, are you with us?" Edmund broke the King of Narnia out of his thoughts.
"What?"
"Oh gosh. For a so called short trip she didn't exactly pack light!" Eustace exclaimed, having tried to pick up Susan's discarded suitcase and staggering under the weight.
"Leave it alone. Su gets mad when people touch her stuff. Peter went into her room last year and moved her hairbrush and she refused to cook him meals for a week!" Edmund said, swatting Eustace's hands away from it. "Caspian, are you in to going and seeing what Susan and Lucy are talking about?"
"Isn't that spying?" He asked, looking at the two boys who shook their heads as he spoke.
"Oh Caspian. I'm her brother-"
"Oh Caspian. I'm her cousin-" Eustace and Edmund said in unison, "It's allowed."
Overcome with his own curiosity, not much was needed to persuade Caspian and he willingly followed the two cousins as they made their way along the corridor and pressed their ears against the cabin door where Lucy and Susan were. A small keyhole allowed them to peer inwards, watching the scene unfold inside.
When Susan had entered the right door, not the little cupboards that seemed to be plentiful onboard the Dawntreader, her sister was shaking with tears on the bed, tightly hugging what looked to be a life size doll. "Luce? Lucy darling, what's wrong?" She approached the bed slowly and sat down on the edge, gently rubbing her sister's back. Muffled sobs met her in response. Pulling Lucy's body towards her, she rearranged their position on the bed so Lucy was lying with her head on her lap, the tears soaking Susan's thin gold dress.
Suddenly the life size doll turned over, revealing that it was actually a little girl. Susan gasped shocked, trying to recover as the child looked at her in fear, "hello dear. I'm Susan, Lucy's sister. What's your name?"
"Gael," she whispered, drawing the covers around, her eyes darting terrified.
"That's a pretty name," Susan replied, lowering her voice to the same volume as Gael's and holding out a hand towards the girl, "Did you have a nightmare?"
Gael nodded, tears leaking from her eyes, "And I woke up and Queen Lucy was gone!" She cried pitifully, suddenly darting forward to seek comfort in the arms of the older woman. Susan returned the hug with an arm, using the other to keep her sister on her lap.
"Sssh, sssh," Susan comforted, "It was only a dream, you're safe now. Whatever it was isn't going to hurt you here. Do you want to try going back to sleep?" Gael shook her head, clutching tightly to Susan and muttering something indistinguishable. "Would you like me to tell you a story?" Susan tried, wondering how to cope with two sobbing girls at once.
Gael nodded, perking up slightly as she wiped her runny nose and wet face on the bed sheets. "Yes please. Can it have Kings and Queens in it?"
"All the best stories do!" Susan laughed, pulling a handkerchief from the floor and holding it up to Gael's nose, "now, blow. Well done." Letting Gael scurry back under the covers, Susan used all her weight to pull Lucy up and tuck her into bed too. Kicking her heels off, Susan sat at the bottom of the bed and watched as two, albeit one reluctantly, expectant faces waited for the story she had promised. Telling herself that she would talk to Lucy once Gael was asleep, Susan began.
"Once upon a time, in a land far away there lived a King and Queen. And they were a very happy King and Queen, their country had no problems and everyone had enough to eat and drink and thought themselves blessed to live in such a good land. But they didn't have one thing that the Queen was desperate for."
"What was that?" Gael interrupted.
"Ah, sssh dear, I'm getting to that," Susan shushed, "Now the King presented her with rubies and diamonds and emeralds and sapphires but she still wasn't completely happy. Until one day she told him that she wanted a baby. A baby with skin as white as snow, hair as black as coal and lips as red as blood. So the couple prayed and prayed until finally, one day they got their little daughter. Oh, and what a beautiful little girl she was, perfect ruby lips, black hair and white skin. Ten little fingers and ten adorable toes," at this Susan gently tickled Gael's feet through the sheets causing her to let out a tiny giggle and smile, "and so they named her Snow White."
"Snow White" Gael breathed out, "What a beautiful name!"
"Yes, and they thought they were going to live happily ever after. But, the Queen grew very sick and then, oh the poor King and poor Snow White, she died!"
Gael gasped, "Oh dear!"
"And the whole country fell into mourning for their amazing Queen. But after some time went by, the King remarried, for you see every country needs a Queen."
"We don't have a Queen," Gael commented innocently.
"You don't?" Susan replied quickly, much too interested for someone who was going to go on a short break with Kurt just half an hour beforehand. She shook her head and returned to the story, "Anyway, his new Queen was the most beautiful woman ever. Yes, she had perfect wavy hair and piercing green eyes and dressed in fine fabrics and shining jewels. But she was a vain woman, and her prized possession was a magic mirror. Every day she went up to the mirror and looked into it and asked 'mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?' and the mirror would reply 'you are your majesty, you are.' Now the King had grown into an old man and although he liked his new Queen, his heart still rested with his old wife, Snow White's mother and he died, leaving Snow White and the Queen alone."
"Oh no!" Gael exclaimed, "Poor Snow White!"
"Yes, poor Snow White. But she was alright for that moment. The Queen let her play in the palace gardens and run around, and often forgot to make sure Snow White went to her lessons so she was able to play a lot more than she should have. And as the years passed by Snow White grew more and more beautiful as she turned into a young woman. Now one day, as Snow White was playing in the garden, the Queen asked the mirror 'mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?' and it replied 'your majesty is beautiful it's true, but Snow White is much beautifuler than you'. And the Queen flew into an awful rage. How dare Snow White be prettier than she? For the Queen was terribly jealous of Snow White, everyone who worked at the palace liked her better for she was a nicer person. So the Queen called for the huntsman and told him to take Snow White into the woods and cut out her heart!"
"Her heart?" Gael questioned, shocked.
"Yes, her heart. For the Queen was a wicked Queen who was determined to be the most beautiful person in the land. The huntsman was terrified of her, but he loved Snow White dearly so when he took her into the woods, he told her to run away and never come back and presented the Queen with the heart of a deer instead. Now Snow White ran deep into the heart of the forest and came across a little house. When she knocked on the door it swung open and was an absolute mess inside. There were dishes and laundry everywhere and the place needed a really good clean. But Snow White was far too tired from all that running so instead chose to go upstairs and sleep in one of the beds. The owners came home and were surprised to find such a beautiful young woman sleeping in their house, but once Snow White explained, they were quite happy to let her stay as long as she cooked and cleaned for them."
"Yey! Is she safe now?" Gael asked, a yawn escaping her lips.
"Well, how about I tell you the rest tomorrow night?" Susan said, conscious of how tired the drowsy girl was.
Gael nodded and snuggled down into the covers, Susan crawling up the bed to tuck her in, "I think the mirror was wrong," Gael mumbled sleepily.
"Hmm, why?" Susan asked, depositing a butterfly kiss on her forehead.
"Because you're the most beautiful woman ever," Gael muttered as she closed her eyes and let her head drop firmly against the pillows. From outside the cabin, Caspian had to agree with her.
Susan scooted across the bed so she was now face to face with her younger sister, concern having completely sobered her up. "Luce, what's wrong?"
"It's just so typical!" Lucy spat out sharply, but quietly, neither sister wanting to disturb Gael.
"What is?" Susan asked, terribly confused.
"I'm never going to be the pretty one so you rub it in my face by telling Snow White!" Lucy said, knowing herself she sounded petty but unable to care.
"You love Snow White, and what on earth are you on about, not the pretty one? You're gorgeous Lu!" Susan said, trying to comfort her distraught sibling.
"No I'm not. You're the pretty one and I'm just the ugly duck!" Lucy wailed quietly.
"Quack quack," Susan replied causing a little laugh to escape Lucy's mouth at her sister's terrible impression of a duck. "Was that a smile I saw darling? See, you're beautiful, especially when you smile. The whole room lights up. Now what's this about?"
"I don't want to be invisible! Back in Cambridge all the soldiers have a girl and they're so pretty. And then there's me. I'll never be asked to be someone's girl! And you're asked by loads of boys. Last year you told some of them you were called Phyllis to get rid of them. I'll never have that, no one'll ever ask me!"
"Oh Lucy," Susan let out sympathetically, cradling her younger sister close, "your time will come and then Peter and Edmund will have to use broom handles to keep all the boys away. Don't you remember all those princes and dukes that asked for your hand?" Lucy nodded in remembrance, "See, and they were royal! Once you're a bit older, all the local boys will come flocking to you and you'll meet a really nice one who loves you and that'll be that."
Lucy sniffed, almost determined to keep hold of her insecurities even though she could feel them slipping away, "they won't stick around me long when they see you though. Su, you're really beautiful, everyone thinks so."
Susan laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder in a dramatic gesture of beauty, "I think mother and father are lucky to have two extraordinarily beautiful daughters and two handsome sons," hugging Lucy close, she asked, "now, what brought that on? It's all gone now I hope?"
Nodding in consent, Lucy finally explained, "see we were at a magician's house and there was this spell book and I took a page out of it-"
"Lucy, stealing's bad!" Susan scolded half heartedly.
"And tonight I tried the spell that was on it," before Susan could interrupt again, Lucy continued, "the spell was to make me beautiful beyond belief and I turned into you."
"Me?" Susan mouthed, shocked.
"Yes, you. So I was you and you, me, whatever was at a garden party with Edmund and Peter and I, you was the prettiest girl there. Then a photographer asked for a picture of all the Pevensie children and I didn't exist so I panicked. Aslan saved me though." Lucy finished with a rush.
"And the page is now..?" Susan asked, her brows furrowed in thought.
"I burned it," Lucy said with a tone of finality about it.
"Good." The sisters sat in silent for a few moments, Susan gently untangling Lucy's hair with her fingers before she spoke again, "Lu?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you think that's why Aslan brought me here?" Susan asked curiously.
"I don't know, maybe," Lucy replied with a yawn.
Disentangling herself from her sister's limbs, Susan stood up and pushed Lucy along the bed a bit. "I'm making room for myself," Susan replied to Lucy's questioning gaze. Dropping her voice to the smallest whisper possible, "Now how about I teach the eavesdroppers a lesson?" For although Susan could not see through the door and had not heard the three men, she knew her brother very well and knew beyond doubt that he would be listening in on their conversation with the other two. He did enjoy doing that, bad habit or not.
Striding quickly over to the door, she pulled it open, enjoying the identical looks of panic as the men jumped backwards trying to make it appear as if they were doing something other than pressing their ears desperately against the previously closed door. "I thought I told you two to go to sleep?" She asked superiorly as she pushed Edmund and Eustace along the corridor.
"Yes Susan," they chorused, suitably scared of her to do what asked without question.
"Good, now I'm going to take my suitcase into that room-"
"Cabin," Caspian interrupted, gazing almost in awe at the woman who had calmed down two crying girls in the brink of desperation, caused Eustace to be quiet and treated King Edmund the Just like a little boy all in the space of about half an hour.
"What?" Susan blinked, horrendously confused and not just because she was staring right into Caspian's eyes.
"We're on a ship my Queen, rooms are called cabins," he elaborated for her.
"Oh right. I'm much too tired for this. I've not been to sleep yet tonight. See you in the morning." Susan rambled, hauling her suitcase out the cabin, "Edmund, Eustace get to sleep. I should probably tell you the same thing Caspian, but I can only order those two around."
Her suitcase on the floor of the girl's cabin, Susan crawled into bed with Lucy and Gael, tucking the covers firmly around the three of them. Silence fell as they tried to get to sleep. "Lucy?" Susan suddenly whispered into the darkness.
"Yes?" she mumbled back sleepily.
"I'll make you a dress of your own when we get back. It'll be in my next parcel and you can wear it to all the dances you will get invited to." Susan said with finality, "you'll be the best dressed person there. Now, sweet dreams."
"Thank you Su," giving her sister a massive hug, Lucy let the last of her doubts, worries and insecurities go, drifting off to the pleasant world of dreams filled with dresses and dances and handsome men courting her with chocolates, flowers and declarations of love.
AN - I hope you liked, please review =)