After one of the most restless nights the whole crew had ever experienced, the storm finally ceased and the Dawn Treader approached the next island. Most of the crew got into the boats and paddled to shore.

"I doubt the lords stopped here, my liege," Reepicheep said. "There's no sign of anything living."

"Right," Caspian said. "Well, once you get ashore, take your men and search for food and water. The five of us will look for clues."

"Hang on, you mean the six of us?" Eustace said. Everyone in the boat turned to look at him. "Come on, please don't send me back to the rat."

"I heard that!" Reepicheep said from the other boat.

"Big ears."

"I heard that too."

Everyone in the boats laughed at the two of them.

They reached the island and some of the men went to go search for anything they could eat or drink while Caspian, Lucy, Edmund, Eva, and Elizabeth went to see if they could find any of the lords.

"Look," Caspian exclaimed. They saw a rope tied to a rock that led down into a small crevasse. "We're not the first ones on this island."

"The lords?" Edmund asked.

"Could be." He took a rock and tossed it down the crevasse to see how far it went. "What do you think could be down there?"

"Let's find out."

Edmund went down the crevasse first and the others soon followed. They found a small cavern with a little pool inside. Something large was sitting inside the pool.

"What's that?" Caspian asked.

"I don't know," Edmund answered. "Looks like some sort of gold statue."

Edmund took a root hanging on one of the rocks and dipped it into the water. Suddenly, the root started turning into gold. Edmund quickly dropped the root into the water before it touched his hand.

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief.

"He must have fallen in," Caspian put together.

"Poor man," Lucy remarked.

Edmund looked over and saw a shield in the water that had turned into gold. "You mean, 'poor lord'."

"The crest of Lord Restimar," Caspian said.

"And his sword!"

"We need it."

"Be careful," Lucy told him.

"I second that," Eva said. "The last thing I need is my boyfriend turning into a gold statue."

Edmund took out his own sword and carefully used it to lift the other sword out of the water.

"Your sword hasn't turned to gold," Lucy noticed.

"Both the swords are magical," Caspian told her.

"Here." Edmund brought the sword over to Caspian who quickly took it before it dropped back into the pool.

Lucy looked at the man in the water. "He mustn't have known what hit him."

"Maybe. Or maybe he was onto something."

"What are you talking about?" Caspian asked.

Edmund took a seashell and dipped it into the pool. Then he quickly put it on the ground before it touched him. The shell quickly turned into gold. He carefully picked it up and looked at it. Eva didn't like that look in his eye.

"What are you staring at?" Lucy asked him.

Edmund continued to stare intently at the gold shell. "Whoever has access to this pool…could be the most powerful person in the world." Eva looked at Caspian and Lucy worriedly. Edmund then looked up at the two girls. "Lucy, we'd be so rich. No one could tell us what to do or who to live with. Eva, the two of us could ensure a future together. Like Elaine and Peter."

"You can't take anything out of Narnia, Edmund," Caspian said firmly.

"Says who?"

"I do."

Edmund stood up and looked at him furiously. "For your information, Peter and Elaine got to keep their wedding rings."

"That was different, and you know it."

"I'm not your subject."

"You've been waiting for this, haven't you? To challenge me. You doubt my leadership?"

"You doubt yourself."

"You're a child."

"Caspian…" Elizabeth said quickly. She lightly touched his arm, but he moved away from her touch.

"And you're a spineless sap!"

"Edmund!" Eva yelled.

"I'm tired of playing second fiddle. First it was Peter, and now it's you. You know I'm braver than both of you. So why do you get Peter's sword? I deserve a kingdom of my own! I deserve to rule!"

"If you think you're so brave…prove it!"

Caspian hit Edmund on the chest, and the two of them started furiously fighting each other with their swords.

Eva went up and put her hands across Edmund's chest while Elizabeth did the same for Caspian before either boy ended up doing something he regretted.

"Stop it!" Lucy cried as she stood between them. "Both of you! Look at yourselves. Can't you see what's happening? This place has tempted you. It's bewitching you. This is exactly what Coriakin was talking about. Let's just get out of here."

Lucy left and started climbing back up the rope. Caspian and Elizabeth followed suit. Edmund looked at the seashell in his hand.

"You have to let it go," Eva said gently. "We'll be okay without it."

Edmund tossed the seashell back into the pool and left the cavern with Eva. Once they were back above ground, Edmund's head cleared and he became aware of how foolish he had been.

"I'm sorry, Eva," he apologized. "I don't know what happened back there…"

"I know. But those emotions all had to come from somewhere. How long have you been feeling that way?"

"I don't know. I didn't even know I was harboring all that."

"You…you said you wanted a future together?"

"…Yeah, I do. We've been together for two years now. I know it's a bit soon to start hoping for something like Peter and Elaine have, but…"

Eva blushed as she smiled. "By the way, if you ever feel like you're 'second fiddle', just remember this."

She put her hands to his chest and lightly kissed him.

Edmund smiled a little. "I think I need another reminder."

Eva laughed and kissed him again.

"Oi, lovebirds!" Drinian called. "When you're quite finished, we could use your assistance over here!"

Eva and Edmund laughed together as they parted. Edmund put his arm around her shoulders and walked over to the beach.

"What food did you find?" Caspian asked.

"It's volcanic, Your Majesty," Rhince replied as he knelt down by the quarter-filled baskets. "Not much grows."

"Where's Eustace?" Lucy asked as she looked around.

"I believe he's out not helping us load the boats," Reepicheep responded.

"Eustace! Eustace!" Lucy turned to the others. "Edmund, I've got a bad feeling."

Edmund sighed. "I'll go find him."

"I'll come with you," Caspian said.

"I'll go too," Eva told them.

Caspian handed the newest sword to Lucy and set off with Eva and Edmund to find Eustace.

"Eustace?"

"Eustace!"

They came across a small canyon filled with various pieces of gold.

"Treasure?" Edmund asked.

"Trouble," Caspian said.

They went into the canyon, and Edmund's heart sank when he found a burnt shoe. "Eustace." He looked over and found a pile of burnt clothing that Eva recognized immediately. "No." He picked up the clothes and found Eustace's singed journal. "Oh, cousin."

"I'm sorry," Caspian said sadly.

Eva knelt down and rubbed his shoulders to comfort him.

"He was just a boy. I never should have left him. What could have happened to him?"

"In this place? Anything." Caspian stood up and walked a little ways away from them. "And he wasn't the first." They looked over to find a fully-clothed skeleton. "It's Lord Octesian. We should find his—" He turned to find Edmund picking up the next sword. "…sword."

The three of them sadly started to return to the beach, uneager to have to tell Lucy what had happened to her cousin.