"This was way easier than I thought it'd be," I mused aloud. Sitting in front of a mirror while Lucy braided my hair, I glanced at her reflection. She was smiling to herself as she tucked a loose end away and pinned it securely.

"What?" I protested, as she kept smiling. "You don't think I'm managing this whole living-in-a-castle thing?"

Lucy shook her head, and broke out into a grin. "No, that's just it… you're doing extremely well." She slid a pin into my hair. "And I'm not the only one who has noticed," she said slowly.

I felt a flush creep up to my cheeks. I knew exactly what she meant. Ever since we'd arrived in Narnia over two weeks ago, it had been hard to ignore the marked attention Edmund had been paying me. I'd be lying to say that I didn't secretly enjoy the way we flirted and laughed together. And it was impossible not to like him. He was so easy going and seemed to love teasing me.

Lucy bent low over my chair. "Be careful, Eloise," she said quietly. I felt a chill inside. Meeting her eyes, I saw worry reflected in them. I felt something in my throat and swallowed hard.

"You don't think I'm good enough for him." It was more of a statement than a question. But instantly Lucy slipped around and knelt down before me. She took one of my hands and shook her head emphatically. "I think you are perfect in every way," she said earnestly. "And it's evident that Edmund and Peter think the same. But Susan…" she trailed off and I nodded, finally understanding.

Susan, while being as gracious and hospitable as a queen should be, had shown reserve in welcoming me to the castle. She hadn't joined in with the others in teasing and making me feel at home. Almost like she resented me being here.

"She just doesn't seem to like me," I sighed, turning my head so I could see the braids from a better angle. Lucy looked down at her hands. "She's just being too protective over Edmund. She acts like our mother, ever since…" she stopped abruptly and turned away, busying herself with picking up a few hairpins on the ground. I gazed at her reflection thoughtfully, and felt annoyance toward Susan rise within me. Who the hell does she think she is, thinking I'm not good enough for her precious brother!

But immediately I felt ashamed. He was king, after all. "Maybe I'll talk with her," I said out loud. Lucy's head bobbed up. "Oh, I wouldn't do that," she cried. "Just… stay out of her way. She'll get over it eventually."

Maybe. Or maybe I should try and fix it on my own.

My chance came sooner than I thought it would.

Later that day, I was in the garden picking flowers with Lucy. The flowers in Narnia were nothing like anything I'd ever seen back home. The colours were so vibrant, and I told Lucy so. She smiled happily. But before she could say anything, we heard a voice behind us speak.

"Lucy."

I felt Lucy stiffen, and I glanced behind curiously. Susan stood on the path, her chin high and her black hair shining in the sun. "Dear," she said, forcing a gentler tone into her voice. "You're wanted inside." Lucy looked at me, then back at Susan. "Now?"

"Yes, right now." Susan didn't move as Lucy, after a worried look at me, slipped past her up to the house. She looked at me steadily for a moment then turned to leave.

"Wait… Your Highness," I called after her.

"What is it, Eloise?" she asked quietly, without turning around. My heart was pounding, but I forced myself to speak.

"I… Has Edmund…" I fumbled over my words. "Has he… said anything about me?"

She turned then, and I saw the flash of her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, and her words were cold as steel. "Why should he have anything to say about you," she asked, looking directly at me.

"I… well, I thought…" I stopped, not knowing how to continue.

She took a step nearer to me. "You thought what? You thought that he liked you?" Her eyes were as hard as her voice, now.

"Well, he seemed…"

"He seemed nothing!" she flashed out, cutting me off. "In fact, he seemed perfectly fine until you turned up!"

I tried to stare back at her, but she took another step toward me. "You, in your insolence and pride, think you can just waltz into our lives and steal my brother's heart," she said furiously, but keeping her voice low. I opened my mouth to speak, but she went on.

"You should know right now that he will never, ever like you. And if you truly wanted what was best for him, you'd stay away."

"Let him be the judge of that," I challenged, but my voice quivered. Was she speaking the truth?

Susan stared at me for a moment in silence. Then she leaned forward and said the next sentence that shook me to the core.

"You aren't his equal, and never will be. You are nothing!"

I stared at her, stunned. You are nothing. The words echoed in my mind over and over. Susan looked at me, then turned her heel and walked swiftly away. My breath hitched in my throat. If I truly wanted what was best for him, I would stay away…

I stumbled over to a ledge that overlooked the ocean. The water was a deep golden in the dying light, reflecting the sinking sun.

"I should stay away," I whispered. I looked down at the sharp drop below me. For a moment, I felt dizzy. Then I shook my head and the feeling went away. I sat there until the sun faded completely. The breeze was cooler now, and I shivered. I should go. Standing up, I turned for one last look at the ocean.

Then it happened. I felt my foot slip on the loose gravel underneath and with a sickening lurch, I felt myself falling.

Desperately, I screamed as loud as my lungs would allow me before the world around me disappeared and I felt my mind slipping into a deep blackness…