Chapter 23

Susan sagged against Peter. They drew apart and Peter stroked her hair back from her face.

"I've all ways wanted to do that. From the day we first captured you, I thought you were the most beautiful, intelligent, amazing woman I had ever met." he mused and he kissed her again, drawing her closer to him in an urgent passion. He started to draw back, but Susan lifted her arms, intertwined her fingers in his hair and drew him further into the kiss. She let go and he pulled back and smiled.

"I love you Susan Pevensie." he said, staring into her eyes.

"I love you too." she whispered and placed her head on his shoulder, drew back her arm and stabbed him in the back. She felt his body stiffen with shock, then slacken as death silently took him from her. She gasped and her tears welled up in her eyes and burst out onto her cheeks. She took a breath in, her breath sounding ragged as her emotion choked it. She knelt down beside him and kissed his forehead.

"I all ways say the truth." she looked down at his handsome face and for a few moments she let the tears fall down her face. Then she dried her eyes and stood up, carefully taking her dagger with her.

"No point crying. It won't bring him back." she told herself, then she scrambled down the path, without looking back. She carefully brushed her hair back.

"Oh Peter!" she whispered.

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A figure shrunk back from the rocks, their face distorted with shock. Susan loved Peter. The figure stood and scrambled down the mountain, without looking behind to see Susan betray her love.

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Lucy glanced over the battlefield.

"Should we send out a search party for Susan?" she turned to see Edmund looking concerned.

"No. She'll be fine." she replied, then turned back to the field.

"It looks so small. I don't really believe you could fit such a big battle on it." she mused. She smiled as she felt Edmund put his arm around her.

"No. It looks too small." he said, then he kissed the top of her head. She lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

"I will love you forever, you know that." she said and kissed him gently confirming her words. As she pulled apart, Edmund kissed the tip of her nose.

"I'll love you longer than forever." he whispered and he kissed her again, softly, then it became more passionate and he gathered Lucy up into his arms.

"Ew!" they broke apart to see Caspian mock scrabbling at his eyes. "My eyes! My eyes!"

"I know. She's just so beautiful." Edmund said smiling and Caspian burst out laughing.

"Talking about beautiful girls, have you seen Ladine anywhere?" Caspian said and Lucy smiled.

"Ladine didn't tell us about you two." she said and Caspian jokily looked shocked

"Oh dear!" he cried. "Whatever will Ladine say?" his face dropped slightly "when she comes back." Lucy rolled her eyes and patted Caspian's shoulder sympathetically.

"We've got more important problems to deal with." the trio turned to see a beautiful horse, his black mane swirling around his fudge coloured coat.

"Peter has not been seen for a long time. We have the Tisroc's son with us." he said, cutting straight through pleasantries.

" Where?" Edmund asked and Lucy smiled as she heard the authority in his beautiful voice. The horse indicated with his magnificent head, then bent his head.

"Climb on, my liege. I would be honoured to be ridden by you." he said. Edmund shook his head. Lucy looked up at Edmund as he turned to her.

"Lucy, you and Caspian ride to meet the Tisroc's son. I want to look for Peter myself." he said and Lucy nodded and took Caspian away. She leapt on and turned to watch Edmund walk away, then she spurred on the horse.

"Which way?" she asked and the horse whinnied

"Near Owlwood." the horse replied. Lucy smiled as she felt Caspian turn in his saddle, still searching for Ladine.

"She'll be fine." she told him, then giggled as the horse broke into a gallop. The wind whipped up her hair, swirling it around her face the wind settled and before Lucy lay a large camp sitting curled up like a cat in front of a fire. She leapt down and Caspian dismounted beside her. The horse led them through the camp and Lucy saw the soldiers looking at her, examining her. She turned away and Caspian stepped in front, realising she was uncomfortable under the attention. The horse led them to where a Archenland general stood, standing out from the Narnian faces. The Archenlander bowed and stepped aside to reveal a sorry looking man sitting in a chair. Lucy looked at him and he swallowed. She opened her mouth to speak, but whatever she wanted to say was lost.

"Where is Peter?" Caspian asked, his face cold and cruel. The Calormen looked up, frightened into Caspian's eyes.

"I don't know." he said.

"Where's the Archenland princess?" Caspian asked.

"I don't know." The Calormen repeated. Caspian swallowed then struck the rock near the Calormen.

"Tell me!" he yelled and Lucy grabbed his arms.

"Caspian! You're being stupid." she said and Caspian swallowed.

"I'm just more worried than I realised." he told her and Lucy smiled understandingly.

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Edmund knelt down by the ground and studied the foot print. He looked up and studied the mountain in front of him in despair, the wound on his side sending poison arrows of pain darting through his body.

"The Tisroc's son won't tell." he reminded himself, thinking of Lucy again. He blinked then grabbed hold of part of the mountain and hauled himself up. He scrambled around for a foothold, then clambered up till her found the path. He swept his hair out of his eyes and stumbled for a second on the path. He gritted his teeth and his keen eyes honed in on a heavy footstep half in the sand, half on the grass. Edmund narrowed his eyes. Peter was trying to be clever. He followed the laboured footprints up the path then he smiled as he saw Susan walking down the mountain, a dagger in her hand.

"Susan!" he cried, his face happy. Then it fell. "Get back to camp, it's not safe. Peter has come up this mountain." he told and took her arm.

"I know. He's dead." she said, her voice small. Edmund stared at her.

"He's dead. And here's the knife that plunged into his heart to end his short life." she said bitterly, staring defiantly into the distance.