Author's Note: To my dear readers, I apologize greatly for the fact that I took extremely long to update…. What with the pressure of exams I had no time at all. Rest assured I will continue this story so please don't abandon me…. Alright, so I won't keep you any longer… I present to you: the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia. C. S. Lewis does.

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Isabela lay back heavily, her head aching like anything. Her gown fell in folds around her, cushioning her legs. It had been days since the incident with Peter and Heidi had happened.

She had expected to feel angry, grief-stricken, sorrowful…. But in reality all she felt was an aching emptiness. It steadily grew in her heart until engulfed her whole body. Sometimes she lay shaking in her bed at night wondering why God had chosen her of all people to inflict miseries on.

Her parents gone.

Her brothers gone.

Her sister-in-law gone.

Her home gone.

Her husband gone.

Would anyone ever stay with her? She thought embittered. No. With her past record she knew that nobody would.

She knew now why Peter had thought her to be unfaithful of all people. He himself had been having fun with other women. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe anything. Her life was falling apart in shreds around her. Like tinkling shards of glass that crunched to the earth. Like ashes.

Her head throbbed so badly she felt it would burst apart. She scarcely heard the knocks on her door until they became alarmingly vigorous. She removed the hand she had draped over her eyes and looked around. Finally she pinpointed the noise to be coming from the door and called out faintly.

"Come in!"

One of the castle faun's gently opened the door and peeped in, his horns coming in first and then his eyes.

"My queen, a woman wants to speak with you." He said in a squeaky voice, fidgeting nervously with the door handle. At Isabela's questioning glance he said hastily. "She did not want to give her name. She says it is urgent."

Isabela closed her eyes briefly and said: "Send her in."

Her eyes were still closed when she heard the faun go away. Soon there was another knock, a more gentle one, and someone silently entered into the room. Isabela glanced up.

The figure who stood before her was not a woman but a girl barely as old as Isabela with a worn cloak wrapped around her shoulder. Her face was hooded and when she spoke up her voice was tired but still mysterious.

"I have journeyed from far to meet you, Isabela Petrova."

Isabela forced her aching body to stand up. "Who are you?"

The girl threw back her hood and a pale, heart-shaped face floated out at Isabela. The eyes were deep navy blue and had purple bags under them. Her hair was such a light gold that it was almost white.

"I am Siobhan Wolfheart." She said clearly. "And I have come to warn you."

"Warn me?" Isabela asked cautiously. "About what? And why would I believe you when I do not even know you."

Siobhan smiled faintly. "Oh but you do, Your Majesty. Do you remember your final trip to Liriope, after it fell, to visit your brothers? You were accompanied by High King Peter and you had your fortunes told."

"And?" Isabela prompted, gesturing for her to sit down.

"I am that fortune teller." She said simply, perching on the end of the chair with daintiness. "You should remember it. What I foretold is already taking place."

Isabela frowned slightly. "Do not speak in riddles."

Siobhan smiled again. She said in a clear voice that carried far: "Seers often tell riddles. It is our destiny."

Suddenly, like a strike of thunder, Isabela heard the same voice, the same face saying that.

"What are you talking about? Why speak in riddles?"

"Seers often speak in riddles. It is our destiny."

"You told me something." Isabela said , half dreamily. "You told me about some tree of life…something about it withering."

"I see…great things in store for you. An epic romance shall twirl around you, many trees of life wither and die…..friends…..relatives…..family….. You will lose many and find many….and lose those too. In the end you shall be alone no matter what….but wait…..I still see a flicker, a hope…" Siobhan recited. "That is what I told you. And now I am here to tell you more."

Isabela laughed. "What more can you tell me? My life is already a wreck."

"No it isn't." Siobhan said sharply. "I told you, I saw a flicker of hope and now I know what that hope is."

"There is no hope now." Isabela said dismissively. "You can't give me any hope. All hope I have now is to die soon to be freed from this eternal misery."

"No!" Siobhan said firmly. "No. I see a great life for you, my queen and with that life is tied another one."

"What life? I-" Isabela stopped. She stared at Siobhan, her face colorless. "What did you say?"

Siobhan reached out and turned over Isabela's smooth hands in her own calloused ones. She traced a particular line. "Another life. A new life. A boy."

Isabela stared at her, her heart twisting over. God could not do this to her. Not now. Now when Peter believed she had been unfaithful. He would never consider the child his.

With a cry she wrenched her hand free and stood quivering with tears in her eyes. "You should have known better than to give me such news."

Siobhan stared at her blankly. "But, my lady, a gift, such a beautiful one, from God Himself." She took in Isabela's expression. "Are you not happy?"

"No!" Isabela cried out. "Leave me alone!"

"But, my lady, I have come with a warning." Siobhan started, her eyes wide with fear. "A warning."

"Haven't you given me warning enough?" Isabela hissed, clenching her hands into fists to stop them from quivering.

"My Queen, you have to face an even greater threat in the future. I have seen it and it shall come true soon." Siobhan fixed her eyes on Isabela's. "Cair Paravel is in grave danger."

"Don't worry." Isabela said bitterly. "The High King and his siblings will defend it with their lives."

"No." Siobhan gathered her hood and rose up to face Isabela. "No. You will be the one to defend it. Not with your life but with your might, will and power. You shall defend every inch of Cair Paravel with every drop of your blood."

Isabela laughed mirthlessly. "This isn't even my home!" She flung a hand to signal everything around her. "This-this place isn't my home! I was never welcomed here! I shall never belong here! My home is already destroyed! It lies in the ashes of Liriope!"

"No. Your home is Cair Paravel." Siobhan said calmly. "And it is going to be reduced to ashes. And then you will have nowhere to go."

Isabela stared at her and then said quietly. "What do you mean? Hat danger? When will it come? And where will the High King and his siblings be?"

"I do not know the danger very well. I just saw Cair Paravel gloomed in darkness with forces from all sides and-" Siobhan hesitated. "I saw you. Clad in armor and fighting. But I did not see the High King or any one of his siblings. Nor did I see Aslan."

"So you mean to say that everyone will abandon me?"

"I mean to say that you will be alone in the battlefield but on your heel will be your faithful soldiers. If you advance, your people will. If you fall, your people will accept defeat. You must never fall, my queen. Never."

Isabela placed her hand on the back of the chair, exerting so much pressure that the knuckles turned white. Siobhan, taking this as a gesture of dismissal, silently withdrew towards the door.

"I'm so tired." She said hoarsely. "I'm so tired of seeing death, of seeing my loved ones abandon me. Why must I be alone?"

Siobhan glanced back. After a long pause she said: "Because you are a warrior of Aslan, my queen. Never forget that."

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Susan stared at Isabela over her finely painted cup and repeated her words. "You are going to have a child?"

Isabela nodded but did not say anything.

Outside thunder roared as it lit up the sky in hues of electric pink and blue. For a long time Susan stood staring at it and then said: "How do I now that it is my brother's?"

Isabela's hold over her cup loosened and the cup crashed to the floor sending shard s of glass flying into her feet. Pain shot through her but she did not care.

"What?" She asked uncomprehendingly. "What did you say?"

"I said: how do I know that the child is Peter's?" Susan asked patiently.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She clenched her teeth.

"I know about Alexander." Abruptly, Susan put down her cup. "And I have reason to believe that this child is not Peter's but Alexander's."

Isabela inhaled sharply. "You are saying that I was having an affair with Alexander?" She said flatly. "Do you mean to say that? Susan have a little sense!"

"I have enough sense, Isabela." Susan said coldly. Isabela saw anger flashing through her usually gentle blue eyes. "On the night of the ball, I overheard you and Alexander."

"And what?" Isabela hissed. "And what did you hear? Did you hear, perhaps, my declaration of love for him? Or maybe you heard me speaking badly of Peter?"

"No." Now Susan stood up too and both of them were facing each other. " No. But I did hear Alexander's love for you. I heard his words. They were hinting at something much deeper than that."

"It was Alexander who said that!" Isabela screamed, losing her patience. This was too much. Susan? She had loved her like a sister, trusted her. "Not me! Who cares what he said? What matters is what I said! And I never said anything wrong!"

"Your conduct as a queen has been simply appalling." Susan commented icily. "I have heard your words Isabela, time and again. Not on that night but every day. You criticize Peter. You hurt him with your words. You express nothing but scorn and hatred for him."

"And you brother?" Isabela asked, giving a high laugh. "I suppose he has been gentle and sweet with me? Have you heard what he says to me? His cruel words, his taunts, and the pain it caused me. Did you ever see that, Susan?"

"Have you given him a chance to say something else?" Susan retorted.

"You are my sister!" Isabela whispered. "You are at least supposed to believe me."

Susan drew herself up. "I am Peter's sister. Not yours." She said stiffly and turning on her heel she marched out.

Tears pooled in Isabela's eyes and she felt them trying to force their way to her cheeks. But she resolutely forced them back. No. She wouldn't cry. Never again. Never.

"Did I just hear my name being shouted?" An arrogant voice said from behind. Isabela knew that voice and it's owner and she hated them.

She did not know that it was possible to feel this level of hatred. She did not feel this except when Liriope had fallen. But she felt it now. Blood pumped through her. She could not see clearly. All she could see was Alexander's knowing, taunting face.

He had ruined her life.

Technically she was unarmed but she threw herself at him anyways, her finger nails scratching cross his face.

Blood sprouted from his cheek and he gave a howl. She was not done.

They were screaming at one another. Everything bad enough she could call him, she did.

"Lia!" Somebody yelled. "Lia! Lia, stop!"

And it was that same person who pulled her off Alexander, shaking her slightly. She was engulfed in someone's embrace and somebody brushed back her hair, soothingly wiping her face.

Somebody else helped him to place her on her bed, warm and soft. Instead of sinking her face in the covers she found the head board and started hitting her head against it.

Finally they pinned her down, holding her down to stop her from harming herself.

But Isabela knew only one thing. There was no hope for her. None at all.

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Okay so we're approaching the end of the story….. Keep giving me your thoughts and comments…. Please review!

L. Potter

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