Author's note: I'm so sorry it's been so long since I last updated. Good news is that i am finished with my exams for a while, and I have already begun the chapters for the sequel to this story. Bad news is there are only a few more chapters until this story comes to an end. I hope you have all enjoyed so far and will continue reading to the next story!

Anyways, for now, i still don't own Narnia, as sad as that may be. Read/review if you enjoy!

"Come on, Christina! Pay attention!" Caspian commanded, striking my blade with his own.

I snapped back to reality and ducked under his next strike, narrowly avoiding a sword to the heart. It was only after I ended up sprawled on the ground did I realize my mistake. After I had ducked, I didn't pay enough attention to jump over the leg Caspian swept out at me.

"Where's your head?" Caspian questioned as he stabbed his sword into the ground and offered me a hand up. I sighed and took it, standing and lodging my own sword in the dirt with his.

"Here," I lied.

"Chris?"

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment. It had been months since the Pevensies left. I had been doing so much better with accepting their departure. But now that the one year mark was near, I had begun to fall back into a slump. I was dearly missing my friend, Edmund.

Sighing, Caspian swung an arm over my shoulder and led me toward the castle.

"You're thinking about him again, aren't you?"

He had led us to the giant kitchen, which I was used to seeing at night, when no one was present, to search for something to snack on after our duel.

We were given large mugs of tea and platters of mini cakes.

I couldn't help but laugh as Caspian tried to balance everything in his hands.

I took the drinks and a platter of sweets out of his hands and led the way to his study, where he and I usually had tea once or twice a week, depending on how busy he was. This was one of those weeks when nothing was really going on. It was only Thursday and this was our third time having tea together.

"It's hard not to think about him, Caspian," I muttered, bringing the steaming liquid to my lips.

We stayed in a comfortable silence for a while, munching on our cakes and taking sips of the tea.

"Besides," I began after about five minutes of silence, "you can't possibly tell me that you don't still think about Susan."

"I do!" he exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes and leaned back in the cozy arm chair I was currently seated in, bringing my legs up to my chest, grateful I had worn breeches to spar today. Since the day the Pevensies left, Caspian and I had bonded immensely, comforting one another and supporting the other when they needed it.

Now he just scoffed at how easily I had made my point.

"Just because I still think about her doesn't mean that I refuse to accept the fact that she's not coming back to Narnia," he explained.

"Hey! Aslan said Ed and Lu would return someday. I just hope I'll be here when they do."

"I wouldn't count on that," he mumbled.

I scowled at him before setting down my mug and standing up abruptly. I wasn't mad at Caspian. No, it took much, MUCH more than that to make me mad at Caspian; but his insistence to completely forget about the prospect of Edmund or Lucy coming back unnerved me.

"Cas?" I whispered, using the nickname I hardly ever used.

He raised his eyebrows and waited.

"How long do you think Aslan will let me stay here?"

He and I always avoided this topic. We both knew that my time in Narnia was limited, just like the Pevensies', but we hadn't seen Aslan for ten months; leaving was always a threat over-shadowing anything I did in Narnia.

"I don't know…" he murmured, looking distressed.

"Alright. Well, I'm going to go practice some more," I brushed off the topic once again.

Before he could say anything else I hurried out of the study and through the halls of the Telmarine castle; I had finally learned my way around. Taking in a big gulp of fresh air, I dislodged my sword from the ground and walked out of the sparring ring.

I headed to the forest, swinging and hacking at leaves left and right.

I finally stopped at a spot in the woods where the castle was still in sight, but, if someone were to come looking for me, they would have to enter the woods to find me. After a while I gave up on my sword and just practiced hand to hand combat, punching, kicking, etc.

I didn't know how long it had been before I finally decided to quit.

I flopped down onto the ground, laying in the soft grass. I was covered in sweat and my breath came in short gasps. I was dying for a drink of water.

Ever since Edmund had left, my training had been vigorous. I felt like I owed something to him. So, to keep the memory of him intact, I trained harder and longer than I had ever dreamed I would in my entire life. I would be the best swordsmen in Narnia if I had to. As long as I knew it would make Edmund proud. He was, after all, the very first trainer I had.

Looking up at the setting sun, I stood and grabbed my sword, heading back to the castle.

Caspian would be worried.

"Lady Christina, where on Earth have you been?"

I looked at Arianna, rushing down the stone steps toward me.

"Hey there, Ari….how are you today?"

"I have been worried sick! You know the only time I get to see you is during the evenings! Today, I go to your chambers to help you prepare for supper, and you aren't there. In fact, you can't be found anywhere in the castle or in the training fields!"

"I noticed that you've been busy during the days recently. Why is that?"

"The calormenes are coming to discuss – Don't change the subject!"

"I was training in the woods and I lost track of time. I'm sorry!"

She rolled her eyes and took my hand, leading me through the castle to my room, where a washing basin was already waiting for me. Crinkling my nose, I turned to Ari and sighed.

"Ari I'm hungry! Can't I clean up later?"

"The only way you're getting food is if you get in that tub now."

I whined a bit more, but she would hear none of it. Finally I just muttered angrily under my breath and untied the front of my corset. Then I pulled my feet out of my boots and looked over at the girl standing next to me.

"You can go now, Ari. I'm capable of taking a bath by myself," I told her.

She left quickly, leaving me to strip the rest of my clothes and climb into the warm water. Letting out a breath of relief, I sunk lower into the water and washed my hair with the different soaps and oils beside the tub. Next I rubbed some more good smelling products onto my body, enjoying the clean scent washing away the sweat.

"Hey, Chris?"

"Caspian, do NOT open that door."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Trust me, don't!" I cried, panic beginning to set in. What if he didn't listen to me?

"Christina, if you don't tell me what it is that's going on in there right now, I'm coming in."

Before I could process what I was doing, I jumped out of the bath tub, wrapped a fluffy white towel around my dripping body, and ran to the door. Taking a deep breath, I opened it just a crack and peeked out to see Caspian waiting outside.

"What're you doing?" He raised his eyebrows and tried to peer inside.

"I was washing up," I snapped.

It took him a moment to comprehend what I was getting at, but once he did, he blushed a furious shade of red and looked away. I saw a tiny smile grace his features and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Sorry, I'll come back later…" he trailed off, turning to leave.

"No, you can talk to me. Just let me put some clothes on. Wait here."

I made sure he had stopped walking before closing the door and running to put clothes on.

Rummaging through my wardrobe, I pulled on a cotton chemise. It had long sleeves, the cinching that was supposed to be at my wrist extending well beyond my fingertips, and reached about to my knee. Before reopening the door I tied my hair up into a sopping bun with a ribbon.

"Ok, I'm back. Come on in."

He hesitantly crossed the threshold of the door, which I closed after he entered. His eyes lingered on the bath, which was still full of warm water, and the puddles that I had splashed onto the floor in my haste to answer Caspian the first time.

I sat down on the bed and faced him as he sat on one of the couches.

"All I really wanted to tell you was that the calormenes are coming in just over a month."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that! Since when has this been planned?"

"About a week. We have diplomatic issues to discuss. I just wanted to warn you that I'm going to be quite busy with the preparations for their arrival that our weekly tea may have to be postponed for a while."

I nodded my head.

Sure, it sucked. Caspian was my friend (and the one I had "feelings" for). I liked seeing him.

But he was a king. And the Kingdom always came first. Always.

"You missed supper, you know," he muttered after a while.

I rolled my eyes and stood up from my bed, pulling my robe on over my nightgown and tying the belt around my waist tightly. Then I looked at Caspian with quirked eyebrows.

"I was just about to go get a snack, care to join me?"

"No need, I already took the liberty of having Arianna bring you some things."

As if on cue, Arianna entered holding a tray loaded with various foods with one hand and carrying a tea pot and two tea cups with the other. She crossed the room and set the things down in front of the fire, putting the kettle on the burner, flashing me a smile, then exiting the room.

Caspian just smiled at me as I stood there, my robe still on, staring between him and the food.

I would never get used to being waited on. Ever.

Rolling my eyes again, I took off my robe and knelt down beside the table, taking a small slice of turkey, pulling off a small portion of it, and putting it in my mouth. It tasted delicious. After my turkey I began nibbling an assortment of the fruits sitting on the plate. An apple, an orange, a handful of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, and a special narnian fruit that looked like a pear but was much larger and richer in taste.

"You eat like a gerbil," Caspian teased, pouring the steaming tea into two cups.

"How do you know what a gerbil is? I thought those only lived on Earth?"

"They do. Lucy explained them to me a while back," he answered.

I giggled, taking a large gulp of the steaming liquid in the cup I held, enjoying the burning I felt as it flowed down my throat.

"Thanks, Caspian," I grumbled after I finished my tea.

He smiled, stood up, and grabbed a small rice cake.

"We should be getting to bed. Lots of work for the next few weeks."

I hopped up and walked to the door with him. He turned, took hold of my hand, planted a tender kiss on the back of it, then proceeded to his chambers down the hall. I watched him go, smiling fondly as he waved once more before closing the door to his own room.

Re-entering my own room, I snuggled under the covers and smiled, cradling my tingling hand to my warm cheek.