The Prince, The Girl, The Lion

by AGirlHasNoName20

1300 years after their reign, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are back in Narnia to save the day. But their golden days are long gone and now, the must fight along unexpected allies to save Narnia from new enemies as their people face extinction. But most of all, they must stay strong as this journey...changes their lives forever. Suspian. Edmund/OC.

26. Safe Haven

Hey guys!

Part II is coming up soon enough. It was becoming the longest chapter ever so I had to split it in two.

Longer author's note coming up when I release the other part, so we can comment some things.

Hope you like this and cheers for reading! You are awesome!

Song: when the party is over by billie eilish

Chapter 21. "Safe Haven." PART I.

"Quit flexing, boy," Geels said. "We all know the old man doesn't have the stomach for a real brawl."

Kaz's laugh was dry as the rustle of dead leaves. "But I'm the one at your table, Geels, and I'm not here for a taste. You want a war, I'll make sure you eat your fill."

- Leigh Bardugo, "Six of Crows."

Somehow, Peter made it through the festivities.

His heart was bleeding painfully, his smile too bright, his eyes resembling a pair of shattered glass, yet it was much easier to mask his broken soul than what he had expected.

After all, who would suspect the worst thing in their lives was already in motion?

Once the drinks began flowing freely and propriety was no longer King, Peter found it easy to sneak back into his room and think of his next step. How was he supposed to tell the others? How was he supposed to help them get through this? How was he supposed to protect his people when he could not protect his soul?

How was he supposed to say goodbye?

After countless, restless turns in his bed, Peter found himself opening his eyes to a new dawn, which implied he had fallen asleep at some point, even if exhaustion was still coursing through his limbs.

With relief, he found that under the light of a new day, things didn't seem as daunting, even if they still hurt as much as the night before.

But what was even better was that he had figured out what to do. He still didn't know how he was supposed to help the others, but he knew who was going to help him do it.

"This better be good," Caspian mumbled after Peter had knocked relentlessly on his door for the last fifteen minutes. Wearing only a pair of silk pants, the new monarch closed his eyes sleepily as he leaned his tan form against the doorframe. "I had just fallen asleep."

"Is it wise for the new High King to get completely drunk on the night of his coronation?"

"You're just jealous you were too young to do the same when you were crowned."

Peter pursed his lips. If he didn't need the blubbering idiot, nothing would have stopped him from punching his smug face.

He could only hope Caspian would be too focused on the task to be able to mock him for asking for his help. Peter would never survive that.

So, instead of knocking the moron flat out, Peter pushed Caspian back into the room and grabbed the first shirt he saw before throwing it at his head. "Get moving. Something's come up."

Caspian looked at Peter for a long moment before nodding. Whatever he saw in the King of Old's expression, it was enough to convince him it was not the time for idle banter or laziness.

They had left the eye of the storm.

A battle was knocking on their doorstep.

oOo

"How long?"

Peter sighed sadly, his eyes fluttering through the Narnian landscape. Before too long, he wouldn't be able to do this. Before too long, he would wake up and there would be no green forest, no glittering sea, no golden landscape to greet him. Before too long, he would wake up and there would be no Narnia.

He wanted to take in as much of it as he could.

Before it was too late.

"Three weeks." Peter never turned his focus from his home but his shoulders dropped sadly. "We only have three weeks."

Caspian slowly joined him by the stone railing, his gaze low as he slowly processed this turn of events. It was different for him than for the others. The Pevensie would leave yet again, and they would have nothing to remind them of their time in Narnia other than their memories.

For him - and, he suspected, for Beth and Adrien as well- it would be quite different. Everywhere they turned, they would see glimpses of the family they had formed that had gotten split apart. They wouldn't have gotten to where they were without the Pevensie. They would have never formed the complete, happy home they had formed without them.

For the Pevensie, the challenge would be facing oblivion. For Beth, Adrien and himself, the challenge would be mending something broken without repair.

Caspian couldn't see a silver lining, no matter how hard he looked.

At last, the new High King could only snort. "Did you really have to ask?"

Peter rolled his eyes. "That's all you have to say?"

Caspian shrugged. "Not at all but I just find it hilarious, how you randomly show your ability to be perceptive."

If looks could kill, Peter's glare would have had Caspian five feet underground. "If this wasn't serious, I would throw you down this tower in a heartbeat."

Caspian couldn't help but to laugh at that, slightly surprised that he still could after having his world destroyed. "I know, I'm sorry. I just, I don't know how to process this. And you haven't told anyone but me?"

Peter shook his head. "I don't know how to. Now that the war is over, we were all so looking forward to resuming our peaceful lives in Narnia. I don't know how I am supposed to shatter all of their hopes."

"Do you think we should tell them? Why not Aslan?"

"Because we will understand their pain, more than Aslan ever could." Peter smiled sadly. "We will be going through the same, after all."

Caspian nodded slowly, hesitating as he crossed his arms. He rested his back against the stone banister before turning his head towards Peter with narrowed eyes. "Why would you tell me before the others?"

Peter ran a hand through his hair. The last thing he wanted to do was answer that but, in the end, he trusted Caspian enough to help him with this burden. He could trust him with the truth. Even if it would earn him mockery and sarcasm.

Whatever. He could always team up with Beth for payback.

Slowly, Peter nodded to himself as he came to a decision. "I have two reasons. I just don't quite know how to explain them."

"Try. We have all day."

Peter rolled his eyes with frustration. "Not quite. The bells are about to ring. Our siblings will soon be down for breakfast."

"With the way they were drinking last night? Lucy and Adrien, maybe, will be soon up but not the others. Susan and Edmund for sure went to sleep at the same time I did."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Beth and Susan don't drink, I know that for a fact. Edmund would be the only one up to drinking as much as you but I know for a fact that, if he had to choose between drinking with you and going to sleep with his girlfriend, he would choose the latter."

Caspian narrowed his eyes, his head hung as the sun became too bright for his weary eyes. Then, he reluctantly nodded. "You are right. Your brother is a wretched sap."

I don't know about wretched. The bastard is the happiest of us all."

"Debatable," Caspian retorted before cocking his head. In that moment, a canary flew past his head, chirping happily, which caused Caspian to groan and close his eyes tightly. "Please answer my question before I surrender myself to the hangover."

Peter chuckled at that, his frustration easily evaporated by Caspian's pain. As much as he loved the guy and as much as he cherished their friendship, Peter found comfort in their banter and occasional frustration towards the other. It was good that some things would never change.

Suddenly, he found it easier to confide in the new High King.

"The day King Ersan made it to the castle a week ago, I found Susan standing here. She was ordering her thoughts, away from the chaos and the noise, before she had to go back and resume her activities," Peter went on calmly, even as he felt Caspian's gaze on him. "We got to talking about what we would do if we had to leave Narnia."

As Peter hesitated, Caspian nodded, urging him to go on, hungover long forgotten. "What did she say?"

Peter gulped. He understood his sister's pain, of course he did because he shared it to a certain extent, but he couldn't understand the choice she ultimately would make. He would rather have his heart broken for the rest of his life than willingly forsake his one true home. "She said that if we had to go back, she would want to stay in England for good. She is exhausted from having her life paused whenever she was of need to her people, only for Aslan to discard her when our journey is complete."

Caspian pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "And now, you guys are about to leave again."

Peter nodded slowly. "We had a life in England. We still do, in a way. We have people waiting for us there, we have things we want to accomplish. I want to be a doctor, and that is something I look forward to. Susan wants to be a lawyer. Edmund wants to be a writer and Lucy, she wants to be an artist. And I understand Susan because I lived with her during that year in Narnia. She didn't allow herself to feel so she became detached, sad, defeated. If choosing England over Narnia will help her suffer less, then I understand but I worry her choice will cost her too much. I worry it will hurt her during those weeks in which she will still be here. I need your help with this."

"We cannot control what she feels, Pete." Caspian couldn't say more, but what he couldn't say was clear in his eyes. He knew he would talk about this with Susan when the time came and, because he loved her, he wanted her to be as happy as she possibly could but they hadn't reached that point yet. Things weren't so messed up yet. The others didn't know yet. Susan was waking up in that moment without a clue that her life was about to be shaken up without restrain.

She still didn't know. And so, Caspian could be free to be hurt by Susan's choice. He knew what she would try to do. She would try to forget Narnia because forgetting would mean letting go of the pain. And by forgetting Narnia, she would be forgetting about Beth and Adrien and the others.

Forgetting about Narnia would be forgetting about him.

But, could he really blame her though? After all, he was losing the love of his life, for however long they would be apart. He kind of wanted to forget too.

Or he would, had he known something better than the family the seven of them had formed.

Peter nodded in agreement. "We can't. But we can make sure we are here for her during this transition. This weeks are going to be a rollercoaster for her and for the others. We need to be ready."

Caspian nodded, two tears rolling down his eyes as he looked up, the sun not bothering him anymore as he studied the Narnian landscape. "I honestly believed we guys were going to be together for many years to come. I can't believe you have to leave so soon."

"If there was a way to avoid this, Aslan would have said so." Peter replied, trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince Caspian. "He wouldn't split us apart for no reason."

Caspian shook his head. "You guys don't deserve this. You guys deserve your happy endings."

"I don't ever want to leave. This is my home in a way England can never be," Peter replied with a whisper before smiling slightly as he turned towards Caspian. "But maybe this means this is not the end. And, whether we meet each other again after five months or five years, we will still be family."

Caspian couldn't help but smile in return. "I never thought I would say this but I'm glad you are my brother. And I'm glad you will take care of them until we meet again. I promise I will do the same with Beth and Adrien."

Peter clasped his hand on Caspian's shoulder, once his enemy, now his chosen brother. "That's the second reason why I told you first. I could never trust anyone as much as I trust you with them."

Then, the bells rang, signaling the opening of the castle' gates. Caspian and Peter turned towards the other with dread, their hearts hammering in their chests as multiple birds flew around them, startled by the noise.

The time had come.

They had to know.

"Are you ready?" Caspian whispered at last.

Peter smiled, ignoring the tears that at last rolled down his cheeks. Telling someone else had finally made it real. The shock had worn over and now, the pain was more real than ever, burning him inside out.

He was leaving his home.

He didn't know when he would be coming back.

"I'm not," Peter replied. "But it's not as if I had a choice."

Caspian turned wordlessly, intending to retreat back inside the castle, when a thought made him freeze in his step. Peter, who had been following in his step, hissed as he almost crushed his nose against Caspian's shoulder blade.

Ignoring him, Caspian turned with sorrow. "I'm sorry you are leaving, Pete. I'm really sorry."

At once, Peter softened. Wordlessly, he hugged Caspian, signaling a bond that would never be broken. Regardless of the time they would be apart, regardless of their differences, regardless of their past, they were brothers and they would be so for the rest of their lives.

It was good that some things didn't change.

oOo

Susan's study hadn't been much used for official business, so it wasn't a room her family was used to. It was smaller than the others, perhaps because of the amount of furniture that filled the room, but it was in no way crammed with stuff. The desk was by the window, documents neatly lined up on the mahogany surface. Several couches were forming a makeshift circle around the fireplace, a coffee table in the middle. There wasn't a wall that didn't have bookcases filled to the brim with books. On the windowsill, on the desk and even lined up on the bookcases shelves, vases with roses were filling up the room with their lovely fragrance.

Overall, it was the embodiment of the Gentle Queen's soul. And, as Susan sat behind her desk with Beth standing beside her, the latter couldn't help but wonder why hadn't they had more meetings in that room. She felt as if they had made a mistake with that one.

Before them, the representatives for Calormen were making themselves comfortable on two of the armchairs. Unimpressed with having to deal with female monarchs in Narnia, both Susan and Beth knew that would not be an easy meeting, if only because they would be judging them throughout it for being women.

Usually, neither of the girls would feel the need to impress them. After all, how could two irrelevant tarkaans measure up to the legendary Archer Queen and the Daughter of Aslan?. If anything, their contempt was cause of hilarity for them and for the other members of the Narnian Royal Family. Alas, this was no longer a normal meeting. Not after what Peter had found out.

So, Beth and Susan were pressured to succeed. Not because of who they were talking to, but because of what was at stake. It wasn't about diplomacy. Not anymore.

"While Calormen realizes the importance of this meeting, we supposed Narnia did as well," one of the tarkaans finally spoke, him and his companion finally ready to begin. He regarded both Queens with a barely hidden glare. "Which is why it disappoints us that no King of Narnia will be joining us."

Susan and Beth exchanged a glance, managing to contain their amusement flawlessly. Had it been any other country, they would have found their remarks too offensive to be able to laugh. Because it was Calormen, the same country that had tried to abduct Susan, the same country that had continued to carry out a tradition of slavery, they couldn't take the opinion of two small men seriously. Susan and Beth took their responsibilities seriously but what they thought was of no consequence.

Susan and Beth were warriors, through and through. They were survivors. They were Queens, with an army to follow their every command. They took no man's opinion as the truth, let alone the one of bitter, simple, stupid men.

Tarkaan Grima and Tarkaan Rashkid could insult them to their heart's desire. Queens Susan and Elizabeth were very much above such pettiness.

"It was the plan," Queen Susan replied calmly, only a hint of a smile on her lips. "High King Caspian sends his deepest regrets, but he will not be able to join us as an unprecedented situation has come up. As I am caught up in the update on the treaty between Calormen and Narnia, High Queen Elizabeth has asked that I join you today. I can promise you there is no one better than me to discuss the final terms."

"I would disagree," Tarkaan Rashkid spoke for the first time. "It is not my intention to offend you, Your Majesty, but High King Caspian should be here. It is with him we've been speaking, after all."

"And with me." Beth intervened. She straightened, regarding the men with the same unimpressed glance they had regarded her with. "I have been present in every meeting, after all. In any case, a true diplomat should be able to discuss a matter regarding their country with any member of the opposite nation. Queen Susan seems able to do so, so what is holding you back? Should I tell Tisroc Andradin - may he always live - that he needs to find other representatives to his empire?"

The two tarkaans exchanged poorly concealed enraged glances before Grima cleared his throat. Both of them refused to look Beth in the eye as they fidgeted in their seat.

"Very well, then. Since we have that sorted, shall we move towards the completion of the new treaty?"

His anger made his words come out as a hiss, almost resembling a snake. Beth smirked slightly.

"Of course," Susan smiled graciously before reaching forward to grab the respective piece of parchment. Elegant scribble detailed the terms of their treaty so far and two spaces had been left at the bottom of it for the Calormene and Narnian seals. "According to what we have discussed, Narnia and Calormen shall continue the usual tread of cereals, oil, steel and grain."

"Agreed," Rashkid nodded as he read over from his own parchment. Susan and Beth knew for a fact neither of these so called diplomats had bothered to learn Beth's or Lucy's names, only knowing Susan's because of Rabadash. As such, it was regrettable that they had to know these men's names. But, being a woman in a court ruled by men, the more information they had the better. "Also, we will increase the amount of wood imported from Narnia as long as you do the same with our horses.''

"I believe that'd be all," Grima added, as he skimmed the document one last time. He looked up in poorly concealed disdain at the young queens. What had been a man sitting relaxedly by the beginning of the meeting was now a tense cockroach, his hands clutching the ends of his armchair as he craved for the meeting to be over. "Unless, Your Majesties, there is something you want to discuss before we sign the preliminary treaty."

"Actually, there is." Beth replied. Noticing the barely held frustration from her interlocutors, she moved until she was sitting on Susan's desk, her ankles crossed as she smiled serenely. "We'd like to discuss - and eventually add to the treaty - a matter related to the Lone Islands."

The two tarkaans exchanged confused glances before Grima turned towards Beth with raised eyebrows. "The Lone Islands have been Carlomene territory for over a thousand years. Pardon me, Your Graces, but with all due respect…I don't see how they are any of your business."

"They might be yours by conquest but they've been Narnian by right for an even longer period of time. They were given by my father, the Great Lion Aslan." Beth replied, her eyes innocent as her smile widened slightly when the fearless tarkaans shuddered at hearing Aslan's name. "It is not something we can just forget, I'm sure you will understand."

"We do understand," Rashkid was careful, his former ease also gone. He leaned forward in his seat as he studied the women before him, as if seeing them under a new light. "That the Lone Islands are dear to you, Your Majesties, but they are now Calormene territory. They have been ours long before this day. It is not something you can just demand to be returned."

"I'm sure you can understand that we do have the right to demand their return to us," Susan replied with ease. Her posture was relaxed as she leaned her back against her seat, one arm stretched across the desk. Her eyes, however, were freezing cold. "Given that the cause of it is the slavery costum you've been carrying out on the islands for quite some time. As we still consider the people of the Lone islands to be citizens of Narnia, we are appalled and we demand all cease to this wretched activity. We will name our terms, and you will listen before taking them to your Tisroc."

"Are you threatening us, you barbaric girl?" Rashkid demanded as he shot up from his seat. At once, Grima tried to hold him back, but Rashkid was too altered to listen. His dark features reddened by rage, his glare was set on the Gentle Queen as he pointed a slender finger at her. "Calormen is a much greater nation than Narnia, we will rain down fire on you heathens!"

"We do threaten, because Calormen has never won a war against Narnia. Now, not only are the Kings and Queens of Old here, Aslan is here as well. How do you think your great army would fare against the King of Kings of Narnia? How do you think you - oh so great men - would fear against Aslan and his daughter?" Beth demanded, her voice harsh as she too straightened. "Now, sit back down and shut your mouth while we speak. You are making a fool of yourself."

"And in front of women, on top of everything else." Susan shook her head in shame. "I wonder what your Tisroc would say about this once the rumour was spread."

"And if there's something we women are excellent at is spreading gossip." Beth crossed her arms and regarded the men with boredom. "Now, can we please begin? We are on a tight schedule."

oOo

A perk of having scheduled the meeting with the Calormene so early was that when Beth and Susan were sitting down for breakfast in their private dining hall, they were doing so with the joyful acknowledgement of having the rest of their day set for much more enjoyable activities.

As Beth sat down by the table, making sure the window was in perfect view to her left so she could look into the distance whenever she pleased, she gazed at the wonderful display on the table with raised eyebrows. "This is too wonderful. Do you think our staff has made an even greater breakfast to celebrate yesterday's coronation?"

"That," Susan admitted as she sat in front of the High Queen, "or they know we are going through a hangover and they want to take care of us."

"Not all of us though," Beth replied with a chuckle. Her hand immediately went for the plate filled with chocolate cookies. "Some of us were responsible enough to control ourselves."

"The downside of having a meeting so early in the morning." Susan shook her head gently as she poured a cup of coffee for each of them. "Although we did get to see them completely hammered. I haven't laughed that hard in a long while."

"The best thing about it was that not even them realized just how drunk they were until it was too late," Beth laughed as she downed her cup of steaming coffee. She had fallen asleep quite late, after all. "I would do anything to have a camera in Narnia, let me tell you. When Caspian tried to climb up that tree I almost lost it."

"Why did he want to climb it in the first place?"

"Because he wanted to prove he was as flexible as a cat."

At that, Beth and Susan fell into silence, staring at the other as they processed that and what it implied. As it turned out, they had crowned an idiot and they were only then confirming it.

A moment after, they shrugged and resumed their eating.

"Well, I'm already pitying you." Susan commented as she filled a bowl with cereal and milk. "I know you and him scheduled a joint task today."

Beth pointed a fork at Susan as she smirked. "So did you."

"Yes, but mine will take less than yours."

"He's your boyfriend, though."

Susan sighed. "You won that one."

Beth bowed her head in mock humility. "Why thank you, sister."

"You are insufferable."

"Yet you put up with me."

"I wonder why," Lucy called as she waltzed into the room. Her eyes were bright and clear, even with how early it was. She had brushed her hair and was wearing a simple green dress that complimented her features, while her long hair fell in gentle waves around her face. "Since you are not discussing the most important business coming up."

Beth frowned in confusion. "Whatever do you mean?"

Susan took a sip from her cup before cocking her head at her sister, who had sat between them at the head of the table. "I second that. Care to be more specific?"

Lucy slowly left her own cup on the table, looking at the older women in turns as she tried to decipher whether they were messing with her. When she finally spoke, her voice came out as a whisper. "I'm going to cry if you are actually being serious."

Beth returned her stare for a few seconds before dissolving into giggles, her coffee long forgotten as the dismay in Lucy's face was too entertaining. "Of course we are joking. You actually thought we would forget about the most important event of the year?"

Lucy snorted. "It is hardly the most important."

Susan rolled her eyes. "I must disagree, sister. It's your birthday. For us, it is."

Beth leaned her back against her seat, lazily grabbing a few grapes from her plate. "I was wondering about that. Do you feel like you're turning 13 Lu? Or you guys take the 15 years in Narnia into account?"

Lucy shrugged. "It's weird because I feel older than 13, yet I cannot call myself an adult when I'm back in the body of a teenager."

"Maybe it depends on the circumstances," Susan added with a nod. "And besides, how the others treat us is also a determining factor. It is easier to think of ourselves as adults when we are treated-."

Having been in a relaxed conversation, the three sisters almost jumped to their feet as the doors to the dining hall were thrown open. Their hands wandered to their waists, where they used to keep their weapons, as they turned towards the door ready to fight. With that sound, each of them imagined a threat worse than the previous one.

What they found was a threat alright, yet not in the way they had expected.

"Coffee. Now." he growled from the entrance. His raven hair was a mess that pointed in every direction, his pajamas wrinkled, his pale cheek sporting a glaring red mark from his pillow. Beside him, his companion was shaking his shoulders as he laughed silently in order not to attract his rage.

The three queens looked at the newcomers with stunned expressions. Then, Susan resumed eating, Beth smirked from her seat, and Lucy gestured in the general direction of her brother.

"It is also easier to think of ourselves as adults when we behave as such," Lucy commented, the others laughing while Edmund grabbed his head as if it was about to explode.

"Head. Pain. Ugh. Make it stop." he moaned as he literally dragged himself towards the table.

"I was about to ask you how you slept," Beth commented as he collapsed on the chair beside her. She then poured him a cup of coffee before patting his back. "Now I don't need to."

"Hilarious," Edmund mumbled. Beside him, Adrien was too immersed in the tremendous amount of food before him to care about the conversation. "So blessed I am, to pick someone who revels in my pain as my partner."

"Nobody forced you to make poor decisions, dear brother," Susan pointed out.

Edmund stabbed a piece of toast with his knife before lifting the bread up and pointing at his older sister. "That is a complete lie. Caspian did."

"What was the bet again?" Adrien asked.

Edmund glared at him before lowering his head in shame.

"The one who drank less would have to climb the tree right outside the ballroom," he mumbled with a growl. As the others laughed, he squeezed his eyes in pain and rested his head on the table. "I hate Caspian, I hate my life and I hate myself."

"I thought Caspian wanted to climb that tree because he said he was as flexible as a cat," Susan wondered.

Beth shrugged. "It could have been a mix of both, knowing him."

At that, Lucy cleared her throat. "Not to take the spotlight from the mess that is my brother, but we were talking about important matters."

"Yes, your birthday." At once, Beth straightened. She wordlessly gave Edmund the bacon he was trying to reach for before turning towards Lucy. "Now, what we actually have to know is what you want to do on your birthday."

"Can we take the time off though?" Lucy frowned in confusion. "My birthday is next week. We have much to do."

"There's a reason why we formed the Council already, Lu." Susan added with a smile. "They can take care of things for one day."

"Well, there is a place I want to visit but I don't know if it's possible." Lucy hesitated, twirling her silver spoon between her fingers in a distracted manner. "I was wondering if we could spend the night in the ruins of Cair Paravel. We didn't have much time to explore the ruins when we first came here, I want to have the chance to do so."

Adrien and Beth, who had never been in the ruins, exchanged a glance of enthusiasm. The idea of traveling to the home of the Kings and Queens of Old was one they had dreamed of for an eternity. Cair Paravel had not only been a beacon of hope for many, it had also been the main subject of every fairytale they knew. The amount of myths, legends and beautiful stories that had been given from one generation to the other had always featured Cair Paravel in a way. It was a dream come true.

Edmund felt his hangover recede as he looked up from his seat. He exchanged a glance with Susan, confirming they were both thinking the same thing. Cair Paravel was their home. It was their insignia, it was the palace that had received them and sheltered them while they worked relentlessly to bring a Golden Age to their people. And that home was no more. That home was now in ruins, with only their memories to speak for what had once been. It had been heartbreaking to see those ruins when they first arrived in Narnia because it was the first indication that something had gone wrong.

Now, they had won and the Narnians were saved. Peace had been restored and they were slowly, yet surely, building a society in which civility and freedom would be the main values. They were bringing the Golden Age back.

Now that they had completed their journey, what did it mean for them to go back to their home?

"I think it would be great." Susan finally replied, doing her best to mirror her sister's excitement. "It would be emotional, for sure, but it was our home once. It would be great to visit it."

"We could go the day before, spend the night there, and begin Lucy's birthday already there." At Edmund's suggestion, Beth nodded.

"We need to make sure our schedules will allow it, though." Beth intervened. "And make any necessary changes before it's too late if they don't."

"We need Peter and Caspian for this," Susan replied, her gaze distractedly flicking towards the closed doors. "Has anyone seen them?"

"Have you tried Caspian's bedroom? When I left the night before, he was still drinking." Edmund shook his head as he chortled. "If I know him well, we won't be seeing him until well into the afternoon."

"No, I saw him and Peter walking towards the courtyard." At Beth's inquisitive eyebrow, Adrien shrugged. "I was up early talking to Oreius."

"What about?"

Before Adrien could reply, the doors opened yet again, revealing the two people they had just been talking about.

"There you are!" Lucy squealed excitedly. "Hurry up, we're discussing very important matters."

Susan turned towards the newcomers with a smile, a smile that bled off the moment she lay eyes on them. "What is it?"

Beth, who had been talking to Edmund, snapped out as she registered Susan's tone. Turning towards Peter and Caspian, she immediately shot to her feet. "What happened?"

Peter and Caspian exchanged a look before turning towards the others. They gulped, panicking as they realized their words weren't coming up as easily as they had prayed for.

Edmund, looked at Peter, his eyes widening as he registered the pain featured in his older brother's features. "Pete. Just tell us."

Peter returned his look, opening his mouth and closing it as he didn't quite know what to say. He had heard their laughter as he made it towards the dining hall. Peter knew that, as soon as he told them, everything would change in an irrevocable way.

He couldn't do that to them. He just couldn't.

Then, Caspian lay a hand on his shoulder before turning to the others. "Something's come up. Can you follow us?"

oOo

They ended up in their joint study.

After all, that place had always been the one in which they made important decisions.

So, where else would they discuss a life-changing event?

As they entered the room, they had all assumed their regular positions, as if those meetings were part of their learned habits. Lucy perched herself by the windowsill, as if she needed to keep part of herself in her daydreams, in the beauty that surrounded her. And it was sort of poetic, really, how however things changed or got difficult, Lucy would always remain a dreamer at heart.

Susan and Beth were the ones to sit on the table side by side. Though both queens shared concern for whatever Peter and Caspian had to tell them, they were reacting quite differently to it. While Beth seemed ready to receive the information in order to decide how to solve the problem, Susan seemed grave, as if she already knew the matter at hand was much more personal and graver than any of them cared to admit. As such, while Beth was somewhat relaxed in her seat - only her gaze was a sign that she was going through every possibility imaginable -, Susan was leaning forward in her seat, anxiously waiting for the silence to be over.

Edmund and Adrien had sat by the armchairs in front of the fireplace, their bodies turned so they were facing Caspian and Peter. Adrien was more intrigued than anything else, for being a child meant he was blissfully ignorant to the tense atmosphere around him. And even if he did notice it, he usually knew how bad the situation was according to his sister's reaction. If Beth was calm, then so was him.

If Adrien was ignorant to it, then Edmund was the complete opposite. He hadn't always been that way but, as a true diplomat and the Just King of Narnia, he had had to learn how to decipher the emotions and reactions of everyone around him.

He didn't want to know. Of course he didn't. But he had a feeling, and that feeling was becoming a reality the more he stared at his brother. For that very reason, Peter was avoiding his gaze but it was useless. Edmund had already seen the pain behind his eyes. And the fact that Peter and Caspian were going to tell them something together could only mean one thing.

He just couldn't completely form that thought. The idea…gods it was too horrible to even think about it.

Subtly, he gazed at Beth, smiling when she winked at him. At least she hadn't picked up on it yet. She had a few minutes of peace still. However little it was, it still meant a relief.

For a few seconds, silence reigned over them, four staring at two. Peter and Caspian stared in return, innerly fighting with everything within them to find the right words, to find even the words.

How could they begin? What could they say? Why did it have to happen?

I won't describe that moment. The moment in which their souls sunk deep with grief. The moment in which their hearts were broken. The moment in which peace was over and war, one unlike any before, was knocking on their doorstep. The moment the metaphorical rug was swept from beneath their feet, and they were stuck in that moment of shock, a moment they knew to be only the beginning, for pain would follow. And, gods, they were exhausted. They did not want any more pain.

What's more, they did not deserve it.

Susan was the first to come out from the stupor.

"Three weeks," she said, not even noticing the tears rolling down her cheeks. She clutched Beth's hand with her own as she turned towards Caspian. "That's all we have?"

Caspian felt like breaking the moment he took in Susan's tone. Her voice was suddenly so small, so fearful, so sad. And, what's worse, he knew she wasn't talking about the six of them. She wasn't even talking about her time in Narnia. She was talking about the two of them.

So, that meant he had to reply. He had to confirm it, even if it broke his heart further. Even if it was the last thing he wanted to do. Slowly, he sat by her other side, his hand brushing her tears off. "Yes, my love. That's all we have."

"Three weeks," Peter repeated, his eyes wide and cracked. He looked at Lucy, who had wrapped her arms around her legs, her head buried in her lap as she let out silent tears. He took a step forward, intending to console her, but was beaten by Beth, who sat beside her and wrapped her into a tight embrace. Smiling slightly, Peter faced everyone once again, and tried to be brave. "We still have time. That's what we need to focus on. We can still go to Cair Paravel and celebrate Lucy's birthday."

Edmund stood up from his chair, impatiently brushing his tears as he joined Beth and Lucy."Is there anything we can do?"

Caspian sat up at once. He threw a worried glance at Susan, who was staring at the table with a hurt, cold, and slightly detached expression. She ignored him. And so, his hope grew, because he had to believe there was something that could fix this.

"I know you said that if there was anything we could do, Aslan would have told you," Caspian began slowly. "But maybe that is because He was speaking to you."

Adrien, who had moved to stand besides Peter, frowned. "I don't know if I like what you mean."

Peter shook his head. "I want to believe the same thing but Caspian, Aslan would have said so. If there was another option, he would have gone with it."

"Unless it meant putting someone He loved in danger," Caspian turned towards the trio in the windowsill. "Especially if that one was His daughter."

The room seemed to still as they all turned towards Caspian with the same shocked expression. Susan, finally shaken out of her stupor, turned towards Caspian with wide eyes as fresh tears fell down her cheeks. Before them, Peter was filled with dread, and Adrien's pale skin reddened as he was shaken with anger.

By the windowsill, the trio was no better. Lucy, who had barely listened, buried her face in Beth's chest as even deeper sobs wracked her body. By Beth's other side, Edmund's hold on Beth had tensed and his glare was burning as he directed it towards the Telmarine High King. Between them, the High Queen slowly straightened, her golden eyes almost washed out from the tears.

"How dare you?" Edmund finally snarled.

"She would only have to go back to England and come back once the last of the Telmarines left." Caspian felt his heart heavy with guilt but he had to hold onto that hope. He had to think that by the end of the day, they would all be together. "She would do it in a heartbeat, just like I would."

"Lucky for you then, since you do not come from England!" Edmund retorted hotly, intending to shoot to his feet and being withheld by his younger sister.

Beth looked at Caspian with a frown, her eyes dazed as if she was only now comprehending what had been said. Slowly, she opened her mouth. "I don't even know whether I could go back. I had an accident in Enk."

"We could try," Caspian replied with wide eyes, lowering his gaze when Edmund growled.

"It wouldn't even work," Lucy intervened for the first time. Her voice was thin, but her arms were protectively wrapped around Beth. "Time passes differently in England than it does here. Beth could be gone for years. And she is needed here. Narnia and Archenland need her."

"Why did He even tell you, anyways?" Edmund asked suddenly, his tone aggressive though not directed towards his brother. His gaze remained on Caspian, even as Beth tried to distract him. "Isn't it something He should have told all of us? Together?"

Peter coughed awkwardly. "He didn't tell me per se. He told me what his plans were for the Telmarines who would choose to leave Narnia and I realized we would need to prove to them we are trustworthy."

Edmund gaped at him for a few seconds, conflicted between the admiration that his brother had finally used his brains and exasperated that he had done so with the worst timing ever. Finally, he sunk in defeat. "Your occasional intelligence has the worst timing. Has anyone ever told you that?"

Peter snorted. "Just this once, I have to agree with you on that."

For a few seconds, silence reigned again, yet it was of a different kind. This silence was peaceful, calm even, because in their own ways they had all managed to process that they would be separated in three weeks. They were not near accepting it, of course, but they had processed it. Now, all they could do was make sure those three weeks gave them enough memories until it was time to meet again.

Then, Lucy made the mistake of chuckling as she imagined Peter regretting that he guessed Aslan's plan.

Instantly, Susan's glare was directed at her.

"Did you just laugh?" Susan hissed, so angry that her voice was frighteningly calm, almost a whisper.

Lucy stammered. "I-."

"I don't know about you, but I hardly think this is the time to joke around!" Susan yelled, ignoring Lucy as she pouted and Caspian as he tried to reach for her. The Gentle Queen stood in rage, and glared at Peter. "Aslan has now played us twice! We are going back, again; without our consent, AGAIN!"

"Su, calm down-," Edmund began but Susan threw him such a murderous silence that he was rendered into silence.

"Why!? Are you telling me you are okay with this?" Susan demanded angrily. "Let me remind you you are leaving the one you love as well!"

"Susan," Peter warned but Edmund held up a hand.

Slowly, Edmund stood, his gaze on Susan. He took a few steps and finally towered over his older sister, her fire hot anger contrasting against the freezing rage within the Just King.

"I am painfully aware of that. We are all losing something or someone here so I would suggest you take your anger on anyone but the five of us." Edmund's voice remained a whisper, but it worked to calm his sister down. As fast as she had gotten angry, she was suddenly crying, her shoulders slowly shaking as she was wracked by heartbreaking sobs. "You know as much as I do that this is the only way for the Telmarines to believe we mean no harm. Don't you want to help Narnia?"

Susan took a step back in shock, her eyes wide as she processed that question.

Did she want to help Narnia?

Of course she did.

She would do anything for Narnia.

But she was too exhausted to give up her life for the sake of her people.

She was a person too. She needed happiness too.

Why was she the only one who couldn't have that?"

"Su?" Lucy asked when the silence grew once again, this time deafening.

Susan shook her head. She raised her hands in defeat, gracefully avoiding Caspian as he tried to reach for her. "I apologize but I can't talk anymore about this. I won't just pretend everything is okay when our lives are being ruined again."

"Su…" Caspian began and sunk back into his seat as Susan left without another word, slamming the door behind her.

The slamming door seemed to reverberate within all of them. The fact was that yes, they could have pretended that everything was okay until the time came to leave. They could live in blissful ignorance until it was too late. But Susan's anger, as inconvenient as it was for their desperate attempts to be in denial, was so big, so real, that it affected all of them. They couldn't ignore their anger just as much as they couldn't ignore their pain. And as such, they couldn't ignore that in the end, Susan was right.

They had the right to be happy too.

And more than that, because we can all be happy in many different circumstances, they had the right to choose.

Why were they any different to the others? Why did they have to make sacrifices over and over again?

After a small eternity, Beth stood up, and brushed imaginary flecks of dust off her skirts. "Well, I'm off."

Edmund walked back towards Beth, cradling her hands into his. "Where are you going?"

"Susan is right, Ed." Beth smiled tearfully in return. She melted into him but never stopped gazing into his eyes because, above everything, she wanted to keep looking at him while he still could. "Aslan owes us more information than what he's given us. You deserve the right to choose. You are your own people. It isn't fair for your lives to drift one way or the other time and time again."

"I don't want you to go alone," Edmund whispered. Only then, he allowed the pain to fully invade his heart. His eyes grew tearful as they studied every inch of their beloved's features.

"I'll go with her," Caspian intervened. He stood and nodded at Beth before grinning at Edmund. "I won't leave her side, I promise."

"Besides, you have a meeting to get to." Beth kissed Edmund softly before running her fingertips down his cheek. "I will find you as soon as I'm free, my love. I promise."

"I love you," Edmund whispered, smiling when Beth kissed his cheek.

"I love you too," Beth smiled brightly before turning towards Lucy. "Would you mind looking after him for me while I'm gone?"

Lucy took a deep breath at that, yet managed to crack a smile.

"Always, sister."

To this day, neither of them are able to say what the Valiant Queen was referring to with that.

oOo

"Beth."

"Don't."

"Beth."

"Cut it out, Caspian."

Caspian reached forward, trying to grab Beth's arm, and huffed when a maid cut between them without a care in the world. "I won't just cut it out, Beth. We have to talk about this!"

Beth, who had twirled gracefully away from Caspian when the maid cut between them, slipped her hood more snugly around her head. Her cloak, gray and without any sort of embellishments, accomplished the task of making Beth slip into the crowd unnoticed.

She looked behind her in distaste for a second before walking even faster. "Why do we have to talk about this? Haven't you noticed that we are a family that just likes to talk a lot? Some things are not meant to be talked about Caspian, maybe let's give that a thought."

Caspian's walk turned into a light jog. "We have to talk about this because I was the one who pressured you into trying to do something."

Beth rolled her eyes. She suddenly stopped to help a pair of Archenlandian servants with big piles of dirty laundry that had been dropped on the dusty floor. After nodding her thanks, she resumed her walking through the crowded, yet narrow corridors of the service section of the castle. "You were the one who forced my hand. Aslan was the one who said there was nothing to be done. There is a big difference."

"Yes but, in three weeks, it's only going to be you, me and Adrien." At that, Beth finally stopped walking. She remained looking forward, her back tense, her breathing shallow as she processed those words.

Three weeks.

Behind her, Caspian sighed in relief, his heart burdened to cause his sister pain. However, they both knew. The words 'three weeks' had been imprinted in the forefront of their minds, allowing them to think of little else.

Caspian had little to blame himself for, just like Beth did.

It was just something that had become a reality.

The sky was blue.

The leaves of the trees were green, orange, red, and golden.

Susan, Edmund, Lucy and Peter were leaving in three weeks.

"So?" Beth finally retorted, her voice much less harsh than she had hoped for.

Caspian grinned as he neared her. "So, we are going to have to keep talking about these things, I'm afraid. We are going to be all we have, after all."

Beth turned, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "We will still have them, though. Won't we? They are so important to us. How can that change?"

"It won't," Caspian assured her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them. "And we won't be alone. But I can't lose you too, which is why I need to know if you are mad at me."

Beth cocked her head before rolling her eyes. "Please, if you hadn't said that I probably would have. As if I would have allowed us to be separated and not put up a fight."

Caspian smirked. "I thought the very same thing."

Beth stepped away from his hold, turning to look around her with a studying gaze. The small houses around them were home to some of the services the castle provided. The pantry, the laundry room, the stables, and even some were houses to the different groups of servants the different international leaders had brought with them.

Only, some of them were servants. As Peter had found out recently, Calormen hadn't brought servants.

They had come with slaves.

People kidnapped from their home in the Lone Islands.

"It is so silent here," Beth whispered, her hand automatically reaching for the hilt of her sword, which was hidden by her cape. "Reepicheep told me the quarters of the slaves were just ahead."

"Do you think we are doing the right thing by talking to them?"

Beth closed her eyes and used her powers to make sure no presence had followed them. At last, she opened them once again, her golden orbs shining like fire on that cloudy day. "When you decided you were going to start a revolution with the Old Narnians, did you think you were doing the right thing?"

"They deserved a place in this world. Of course I did."

"And when you told them you would bring peace between Narnians and Telmarines if they helped you obtain the throne, did you feel guilty for giving them false hope?"

Caspian sputtered. "I did not give them false hope!"

Beth raised her eyebrows. "What if we had lost the war? Now Miraz would be King, and we would all be dead."

Caspian crossed his arms, offended by the idea. "Losing wasn't an option for them or for me. We had to win, because there would have been no future if we hadn't."

Beth finally turned towards him. "Exactly. We are doing the right thing now because this is not us giving them false hope. Regardless of where we come from, we are Narnians. You are Narnian and so am I and so are they. Losing is not an option for them. And frankly, it isn't an option for me either."

Without another word, Beth turned and continued her stroll, finally stopping before the last house in that broken down street. The house was made of gray cobblestones, seemingly kept up in shape even if it seemed cold. The door was of a light wood, it's doorknob made of steel. Both of them were beaten down, as if they had encountered more than one altercation in the past.

Beth took a deep breath before knocking on the door once.

At once, the silence surrounding them grew tense, expectant. It was not the silence that spoke of the absence of words to be said. It was the silence that spoke of expectancy, of the awaiting of the following move.

And that move would decide everything. That move was what stood between peace…and war.

"They are waiting for me to make the signal," Beth whispered, her eyes closed again. "They won't open unless I do it."

"Go on," Caspian encouraged. He too rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, using his other hand to shift his brown cloak away from it. "They will trust the daughter of Aslan more than me."

Beth nodded slowly before straightening. Then, she knocked on the door twice, then three times, then once. Finally, she and Caspian stepped back, their weapons still in their sheathes, but their stances defensive.

And then the door opened, and a little girl faced the two of them fearfully.

"Do you come with word from our masters?" she asked with a small voice.

At once, Caspian knelt, smiling gently at the little brunette girl as she quivered behind the door frame. "We come with word from the Narnians. Could we speak with you all inside?"

"Why?" the little girl asked.

"What is your name, my lady?" Beth asked in turn. She too knelt, and lowered her hood. "Mine is Beth."

"Hylla, my lady." Hylla cocked her head, narrowing her eyes as if trying to look better as she focused on Beth. "Your eyes are golden. They are pretty."

Beth smiled. "Thank you, Hylla. My father has the same color of eyes. It's a family trait."

Hylla went very still. "I saw the High Queen when we first arrived at the castle. She had blonde hair like yours, and golden eyes. The others said she was the daughter of Aslan."

Beth bowed her head. "I am. Could we speak to the others, please?"

Wordlessly, Hylla moved aside, allowing the monarchs to go in. Caspian went first, his eyes careful in case a trap was awaiting for them. Beth followed, looking down with a gentle smile when she felt a tug in her skirts.

"How old are you, Hylla?" The High Queen asked lovingly.

"Seven, Your Majesty." Hylla bit her lip before widening her hazel eyes adoringly. Her brown hair was matter and plastered to her face with dirt and sweat, but she was still adorable in the way only little kids can be. "Can I stay with you please? I don't want to go back."

Beth knelt beside her and grabbed her hand with hers. "How about I get you home to your family?"

Hylla beamed at that, wordlessly entering the house with Beth's hand still in hers. She bypassed Caspian as if he hadn't been standing there and led them down a bare, cold corridor. The wooden floorboards creaked within them, the distant sound of drops falling telling them there was a leak somewhere in the house.

As a mouse danced between his feet, Caspian grimaced. Except for Reepicheep and his comrades, he had never cared for mice.

They ended up in a large room, as colorless and cold as the rest of the house. Cots had been lined up by the walls and an empty fireplace glared at them by the wall opposite them. Six people of different ages shot up to their feet at the arrival of the strangers, their eyes wide and their shoulders dropping in fear as they spotted their weapons.

Beth shot a glance at Caspian before stepping forward, Hylla's hand still in hers. She raised her other hand in a peaceful manner, though it did little to appease the people surrounding her. "My name is Elizabeth Kingston, Daughter of Aslan. I brought High King Caspian with me because we want to speak to you. That is, if you will hear us."

Silence enveloped them while the slaves exchanged looks of fear and suspicion. Why would they care? No one had before. What could they have to say? It was just too surreal to do anything but fear for their lives.

At last, the oldest one of them stood slowly from his cot. He was a man in the dawn of his life, if his wrinkled skin served as a guess. His beard was the color of pepper and it fell messily down to his chest. He was obviously malnourished, even if his baggy clothes disguised just how skinny he was. His eyes were the worst thing.

Black and devoid of hope.

"I recognize your eyes, so I know you speak the truth." His voice was raspy, as if two stones were rubbing against each other. He gestured between Caspian and Beth. "Why would the High King and the High Queen want to speak with slaves of the Tisroc?"

"Because first and foremost you are citizens of Narnia," Beth replied.

The old man shook his head. "The Lone Islands have been part of Calormen since way before you or your brother came into this world, Your Majesty."

"The Lone Islands were a gift from my father to Narnia. That means something to me." Beth straightened. "For most of my life, I thought I was a normal girl from England, destined to live a miserable life. I turned out to be Narnian. Caspian here is of Telmarine descendance, but his choices made him Narnian. That means something to me."

The old man cocked his head in inquisition. "Let's say you have a good enough heart that you care about people you have never met. What have you come to say? That you are our savior? That our prayers have been answered?"

Beth shook her head. "Of course not. I've come to apologize."

Hylla frowned, her eyes wide. "Why?"

By Beth's other side, Caspian coughed. "Beth-."

"I should have known about this." Beth ignored them all, her gaze set on the man before her. She had the feeling that if he trusted her, everyone else would follow suit. "I should have sensed something was wrong the moment you set foot in the castle. I didn't use my powers accordingly, and that made us lose valuable time. I would have come sooner had I known what had happened to the Lone Islands while Narnia was devoid of a monarch. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize."

After a moment, a woman close to Beth's age stepped forward as well. Her gaze was pleading as it drifted between Beth and Caspian.

"Fryda," she squeaked. Her voice was deeper than they had thought, yet it wavered. From exhaustion or fear, that they did not know. "Is she okay?"

"She is recovering from her injuries in the infirmary," Caspian replied, smiling thinly when the woman collapsed on her cot again, tears gathering in her eyes. "I assume she is your friend?"

"She is my sister," the woman replied. "I was terrified for her."

"She is the one that let us know what was going on," Beth intervened. "King Peter found her when she was trying to clean her wound by a fountain in our gardens. We thought it would be safer for her if we did not disclose her whereabouts but we will make sure you get to see her tonight."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The woman smiled for the first time, and opened her arms to hug Hylla, who had run towards her in glee of knowing her friend Fryda was alright.

"And so, you have saved our friend." the old man spoke again. His gaze was unimpressed. "Are we supposed to have faith in you now?"

"I have not come for that."

"Then why are you here?"

Beth took a deep breath. "I am here to let you know that now, my family and I know. We will not sit still. No matter what, we will set you free. We will make sure the Lone Islands are never again territory for slavers."

"A girl with a savior complex. I am impressed." The old man sneered. "How do you propose to accomplish that? By asking the Tisroc nicely?"

Beth straightened. "I do not care about the slavers, so I will not speak to them. My family wants to, because they want to spare as many lives as they can, but I will not. I care about you and the other people subjected to the greed and evilness of those more powerful than you. As such, I only speak to you."

The old man crossed his nimble arms before his chest. "I will not have another master."

"And I am not asking you to. I don't bring you another master. I will not ask you to follow my blindly," Beth looked at each slave in turn. "What I bring you is a choice. A choice to do whatever you want with your life again. What I bring you is the power to bring justice to do those who did you wrong. I will not try to act as if I know what you've gone through. What I do know is that war is needed for you and your own to be free, then I'll make sure Calormen knows what's coming for them. I will not break your chains. You will do that yourself. I will just do everything in my power to help you every step of the way."

The old man stepped forward until at last, he stood right before the young woman who spoke of freedom in such a brave manner.

"Why do you care?"

Beth nodded, having expected that question. "Because I too had my life altered by those more powerful than me. I was not a slave, but I was a pawn in a game played by elements greater than me. I will never feel that powerless again. And I will make sure no citizen of Narnia does as well."

The old man leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I will not die a slave."

"I would destroy your chains myself before that happens," Beth promised. "But first, I want to give you the chance to break those chains yourself. Wouldn't that be so satisfying?"

At last, the old man smirked. "You have no idea. My name is Micah, your Majesty."

"And mine is Beth, not 'Your Majesty'," Beth extended her hand for a handshake. "Do you think we can work together?"

"I am sure we could manage," Micah smiled. Then, he turned towards his companions and nodded his approval.

As the other slaves stood to hug Beth, Caspian crossed his arms and smiled proudly. He wondered whether Beth felt like this when he managed to get the Old Narnians to trust him. So proud. So inspired. So happy for her family.

Whatever the case, Caspian knew one thing right away. Just like Beth had stood by him throughout the Revolution, he would stand by her during the war against Calormen.

oOo

The next time Caspian saw Susan was by the workshops, since the two of them had scheduled a visit to the construction site of their ship - the Dawn Treader. The actual construction would begin once they were able to move back to Cair Paravel, of course, but there was plenty to do meanwhile. For the task, Professor Cornelius had been appointed the Chief Consultant, for no one knew more about the ships Narnia used to have (other than the Monarchs of Old, of course). This meant the Professor and his pupil would be spending many hours together on a task they both enjoyed, a prospect they were quite excited about.

It was hard for Caspian to come to terms with the professional, calm woman standing beside him. When Susan had left earlier, she had been desperate, enraged, brokenhearted. And Caspian could understand that Susan had excellent acting skills - after all, you had to be a good actor if you wanted to be a good leader -, but what worried him was that not even him could glimpse beyond Susan's facade.

He had always been able to see her. He did not want to know what was different this time, for the idea frightened him beyond words.

It wasn't until they were riding together back towards the castle that Caspian was able to feel any emotions coming from Susan other than perfected control. The main road towards the castle was strangely empty, but it was fortunate for them as it allowed them to bask in the wonderful scene around them. Being in an elevated ground, the ride towards the castle was quite the climb, but it allowed them to see things in a different perspective.

Before them, the far canvas of the castle stood proudly, delimited by the blue of the glorious Narnian sky. Fluffy white clouds featured across the firmament, the sun partially hidden behind them.

Behind them, the forest extended like a sea of green, golden and warm brown. They could still see the large warehouse that served as their meeting point. Of course, all designs and confidential information was being kept in the castle but they had needed a large to begin with the construction and the safekeeping of the materials so they had had to move operations outside of the castle.

The castle before them, the forest behind them. They in the middle, surrounded by the wind, the woody smells that came from nature, and the silence.

The silence that screamed of everything Susan and Caspian weren't saying to one another.

Caspian remembered what Peter had told them that morning. He knew that living in England hadn't been easy for any of them. Peter had been perpetually enraged, so he had been even more arrogant and dauntless than normal. Edmund had become obsessed with remembering every little detail about their lives in England so first he wrote and remembered, then he lived. Lucy had become quiet, careful, even hesitant because she worried too much. And Susan, she had become detached, determined to be so in control that she would not feel anything other than love for her siblings.

Peter had been right when he said they needed to keep an eye for Susan. Susan hadn't told him what she was planning to do yet, so Caspian shouldn't be worrying before he had to but what he worried was of the pain she would go through. Maybe the pain would be more controlled if she chose England over Narnia but…would she really be happy? How much would she have to hurt in order to master her emotions?

In the end, was it the best decision? Or was it the only decision that allowed her not to give up?

Caspian wasn't really sure what to do.

"You need to stop staring at me," Susan suddenly stated, her eyes on the path before them.

Caspian looked forward as well, her heart fluttering with timid hope. At least she had spoken without being directly talked to first. "Of course, my love."

Susan sighed. "Stop it."

"Stop what?"

Susan rolled her eyes. "You've been waiting for me to snap ever since we left the warehouse. Just say whatever you are thinking about."

"I don't know where to begin."

"Spare me the fake cluelessness. You know exactly where to begin."

Caspian felt himself bristle at that. This wasn't the playful banter he had grown used to. This was anger. Undiluted, fiery hot, venomous anger.

Susan had never been like this. And so, he found himself not really knowing her.

He couldn't blame her though. The last time he had been overcome with pain, he had threatened his best friend's life. He really couldn't judge Susan for whatever way she chose to deal with her pain.

"Well, I'm worried about you. I remember what you told me about your time in England and I just...I want you to know you can talk to me. You can tell me anything." Caspian kept his voice even deciding to go one step at a time with Susan. "I would do anything for you, you know that."

Susan snorted. "Do I know that really?"

Caspian halted his horse, actually worried and hurt. "Have I ever led you to believe otherwise?"

Susan halted her horse as well and turned towards Caspian for the first time since that morning. Unlike earlier, when her face had been streaked with tears, she was now grave and filled with so much rage that her features seemed pointer, even darker than usual. "Why don't you want to talk about us?"

Caspian frowned. "I would love to do that but I won't pretend as if that is the more pressing subject. We have three weeks to talk about us and I'm not going anywhere. On the other hand, you are going back to a place you hated. I thought you wanted to talk about that."

Susan huffed her eyes darkening further. "That's a lie."

Caspian straightened. "What is?"

"That you are not going anywhere. Yes, you are. I don't know when I'll see you again," Susan whispered.

"Su," Caspian began, his voice louder with alarm, but Susan raised a hand in protest.

"This is what I didn't want to go through." Susan wasn't looking at him in the eye anymore. "I didn't want to get attached and I didn't control myself so now I'm leaving and everything has been for nothing."

"Everything?" Caspian demanded. He really tried to remember Susan was hurt but really, she wasn't the only one affected by this. He was too. "Are you talking about us?"

"What do you think?"

"I think that I want a straight answer, Susan." Caspian shook his head, speaking again before Susan could. He was now angry, and rightfully so. He loved the infuriating woman but really, wasn't his pain as important as hers? "You know what, I don't. I think I'm understanding perfectly. And it is so offensive that, because you are leaving, you think this has all been for nothing. I'm losing you too. You think I'm not hurting just like you are? I love you, more than anyone, so it hurts. But if loving you means I have to be in pain, then so be it. I won't pretend that we have been through what we have in vain."

Susan laughed bitterly. "Were you looking for any sort of congratulations? You are officially a much bigger person than me, Caspian. Congratulations."

Caspian let out a gasp of outrage. "Please do tell me what I have done to make you so cruel towards me? I'll make sure to never make the same mistake again."

"You know what you did? You made me love you when we never had a chance. That's what you did!"

Silence reigned again for a small eternity as everything seemed to become still, even Caspian's heartbeat. Caspian turned his horse so he would be closer to her and leaned forward with guarded eyes even as the grieving queen did her best not to return his gaze. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Susan bit her lip, looking down towards her saddle before her resolve made her straighten. As he realized that her demeanor was no longer angry but sorrowful, Caspian felt himself deflate. "I need you and I to get through this as whole as we can. I think we should just avoid each other until I leave. I'm sorry."

Caspian could not crumble. Not yet. Not while he was in the open. "We need to talk about this before we decide to end our relationship. You owe me that at least."

Susan nodded, her eyes glistening with tears. "I know I do but...not now. I can't do this right now just...wait for a few minutes before you follow, okay? I need to be alone."

And before he could utter and answer, Susan disappeared, leaving Caspian to stare at her retreating form, willing for her to come back.

oOo

"You are looking awfully brooding."

Edmund closed his eyes, not being able to help the smile that stretched across his lips. He should have known she would find him. She always did.

After a moment, he turned to smirk at his girlfriend. "Are you saying it is not a good look on me?"

Still on top of her horse, Beth returned his smirk with one of her own. "You know you don't have a bad look. They are all excellent. There are just others I prefer."

After a second, she gracefully dismounted her horse before joining her boyfriend by the edge of the clearing. She sat beside Edmund, unbothered by the muddy leaves that decorated the wood' floor, and kissed his cheek longingly. "I missed you."

Edmund turned his head to kiss her forehead. "I missed you too. I'm glad you found me."

"I didn't think you remembered this place."

Edmund had to smile at that, jokingly bumping her shoulder as he scooted closer to her frame. As if he would forget anything about the best day in his life. "Of course I do. This is where we first met. I remember everything about it."

Beth smiled. She gazed around her, noticing that the clearing seemed more dreary than how it had been that fateful morning. Other than that, it was beautiful as ever, and filled with the calm they needed in that moment. At that moment, Beth decided that if she had to choose, she would always choose to be with him. She was at her happiest with him, after all. Ever since she had laid eyes on him across that clearing, her life had been wonderfully changed.

Turning towards Edmund, Beth felt her eyes filling up with tears. Now that her hopes were crushed, now that she knew there was nothing to be done other than taking advantage of the few weeks they had left, Beth found herself heartbroken that their time was cut so short. There was still so much she wanted to tell him, so much she wanted to do with him, so much she wanted to accomplish with him.

Feeling her eyes on him, Edmund rested his forehead softly on hers.

"What is it?" he whispered.

Beth gulped in a poor attempt to swallow down her grief. "Will you write to me? I hate the idea of missing part of your life so…would you tell me all about it through letters? That way, when we are together again, I can read about it and feel as if I was there all along."

Edmund blindly scooted his face down until his lips found hers. He kissed her with adoration, with careful tenderness, yet with the ache of someone who knew these kinds of moments were now counted.

Eventually, Edmund pulled away before allowing her gaze to drift across the clearing. He wrapped his arm around Beth's shoulders, and scooted so close to her than their knees were pressing against each other.

"I remember this one time, when Jadis and I were trying to cross the unfrozen river in order to get to Aslan and the others," Edmund softly recounted, his eyes drifted, as if they were seeing something other than the forest around him. Besides him, Beth sat still, almost fearful of moving and disrupting her beloved. "We couldn't get past it because summer had come and the Witch was on a sledge. Then, her subjects…they came with a spy, the same one who had put my brother and sisters to safety."

Beth gulped. "What happened next?"

"I was an idiot," Edmund replied, chuckling dryly despite himself. "I told Jadis where Aslan was, even though the fox was willing to give up his life in order to give Him a chance…and Jadis turned him into stone anyways, before striking me."

"I hate her," Beth replied, her eyes stormy as Edmund finally turned towards her. She ignored the tears that fell down her cheeks, but smiled when Edmund gently wiped them for her. "And I hate Him. I hate Aslan. I hate them for what they've done to you."

Edmund smiled with adoration before brushing a strand of blonde hair away from her face. He cradled her face with his calloused, yet gentle hands. "My point is, forces far greater than us have been at play since the beginning of time. They are playing us now, causing me and my siblings to leave Narnia. They've played with you, forcing you to risk your life for others. They played with that fox, when he was willing to give up his life for his King."

Beth took a deep breath as she was wracked by a sob, fresh tears falling down her cheeks. "Aren't you mad at this?"

"I'm heartbroken." Edmund smiled sadly. "I will be away from you and that is the worst destiny I can think of. But I'm not mad. I cannot be, when they both have given me the best thing in my life. Jadis and Aslan, with their own interests, in their own way, they've given me you. We found each other because of the games they've played. And I'm so grateful I get to call you my love."

Beth buried her forehead in his shoulder, blindly reaching until she was holding his hand in hers. She closed her eyes before sighing brokenly. "I was so sure we would get forever, my love."

"I take it didn't go well with Aslan," Edmund stated as calmly as he could but still, his shoulders dropped in defeat. Although he was glad Beth didn't have to sacrifice herself, he had been hopeful that there was something they could do. But now, it was official. There was no other option, no other alternative plan.

This was it.

"I don't really want to talk about it." Beth snorted lightly. She lifted her head and rested her chin on his shoulder, looking at Edmund with pensive eyes. "It was a far-fetched idea so I feel stupid that I was actually hopeful but…it's just so unfair. I would do anything for my people, and I know you would too but how is it that we are asked to sacrifice our happiness time and time again? I've given so much…and you guys have given so much too. I...I thought we would get to have a choice, at least."

"Hey, don't be sad." Edmund bit his lip when Beth shook her head and covered it with her long hair as she began to cry again. "If I promise to write to you, then you need to promise you won't be sad. Caspian and Adrien will be here and I'll be back before you know it. You will never be alone again."

Beth laughed as she wiped her tears. "How can I not be sad, when I already miss you so much?"

"My love," Edmund's voice was hoarse. "I don't care where we might be, I will always love you. There is no without me, for I won't be gone. Not truly. And no day will pass without me thinking about you."

"That one will be hard, given that you are going back to school."

Edmund chuckled despite himself. "I'll just have to say I have an imaginary friend called Beth."

"You can tell them I'm annoying you whenever you can't stop talking about me," Beth laughed.

Edmund laughed as well and hugged her tightly to his chest. "Oh, I will. I'll tell them you are annoying, sarcastic and arrogant. I'll tell them you are kind, selfless and loyal to a fault. I'll tell them that you are gorgeous, brilliant, and that I'm hopelessly in love with you."

Beth smiled, her eyes glistening with tears again. She licked her lips before caressing his pointy cheeks with her fingers. "And I will tell Tor and Robin that you are cynic, mischievous and witty. I'll tell them you are wise, wonderful and protective. I'll tell them you are beautiful, my one person in the world and the man I will be in love with for the rest of my life."

Silence enveloped them as they sat on their in that clearing so dear to the two of them. With the company of their horses, nothing mattered to them but the other. It didn't matter that the sun was finally giving the clearing a well deserved golden hue or that small animals were leaving their homes to gaze curiously at the couple that was peacefully sharing the forest with them. Their faces touching, they both had their eyes closed. Their breathing was sad yet peaceful as they went from exchanging loving kisses to just basking in the presence of the other.

At that moment, Edmund felt content. Because, with Beth, it was so easy to forget just how many problems they had. Eventually they would go back and deal with everything but right then, it was only them. There was no Susan, no reminder of their separation, not even a recollection of their next quest or the problem Calormen still presented.

Right then and there, as they exchanged countless kisses, as they caressed their arms and back with the love only soulmates could give one another, Edmund was so positively amazed that what mattered most to him was still the same.

Later, he would go back to this moment and think he had gone to that clearing for that very reason. It was probably how Beth had found him. Because on that day all their hopes had been shattered and they were robbed of everything they held dear to their hearts.

Because on that day, they both craved for a safe haven and they found it in that clearing, and in each other.

Edmund opened his eyes at that, glancing down at the serene girl before him. Her eyes still closed, her blue skirts drenched with mud from the ride and the sitting on the floor, she cared about nothing other than being with him.

He could understand perfectly, given he felt exactly the same.

As she finally opened her golden eyes, smiling when she found Edmund looking at her already, an as of late frequent idea popped yet again on his mind. The idea that, whatever happened or wherever his life might take him, he would never feel as complete as he was with his best friend, his person, and the love of his life.

If there was anything good about this heartbreaking turn of events, that would be the magic related to them. The magic that causes these moments to cast sparkling clarity on what was most important.

Edmund straightened slowly as he pondered that. He didn't have to think about what it meant. He knew that if that day gave him anything, was the confirmation that she was the only certainty in his life.

Trying not to look too nervous, Edmund gulped as he patted the right pocket of his pants.

Noticing his nerves, Beth smiled with hesitation. "Are you alright, love?"

Edmund nodded.

He was quite alright.

He just had a question for her.

"When I met you, I was incredibly intimidated by you," Edmund suddenly blurted out, blushing when Beth looked at him in bewilderment.

Beth barked a laugh, looking up as Edmund stood up and brought her up with him. As he walked away from him, carefully crossing the clearing, Beth crossed her arms in challenge. "You were? I find that so hard to believe."

"You thought I was awkward to you because I was shy?" Edmund kept his focus on making sure he was heading in the right direction, yet still managed to look back at Beth with a smirk. "Believe me, had it not been because of you intimidating me, I would have charmed you way sooner."

Beth snorted fondly. "You wish, Pevensie."

"Oh Kingston, you have no idea." Finally, Edmund reached the place he had taken all those months ago when he, Susan and Trumpkin witnessed Peter and Caspian trying to kill each other. He looked at Beth, amazed at how different his perspective was now that he had survived the war. That day, Beth had been the beautiful leader he had a crush on. Months later, being back in that clearing, Beth had turned out to be his best friend and the woman he loved. "I had just woken up from a restless sleep on the forest and rushed with my sister and the DLF to aid my idiotic brother...and there you were, bow and arrows on your back, sword at your side, and an army following your orders. You were a true warrior queen. And Beth, I swear to god, you were the most beautiful girl I had seen in my entire life. You still are."

"Well, it was quite the experience for me as well." Beth carrasped to keep the emotion out of her voice. She smirked, yet sobered up as she decided it wasn't a moment to ruin with humor. "You were sporting quite the bedhead but I was drawn to you for some reason. Usually, I don't tend to open up to new people because I'm too afraid of being hurt...but that day I took a risk, and I haven't regretted it for a second. I'm glad I listened to my instinct that day, because I have been my happiest ever since."

Edmund stared at her before chuckling as he shook his head. Then, he began to walk towards her. "See, this is why I think we are going to be fine, no matter what happens. You are the only one who challenges me, who supports me fully, who understands me even better than I do so myself. You are a force to be reckoned with, my love, and since the moment I met you, I knew deep down you were the only girl I could ever be happy with. What does time have to do with any of it?"

Beth smiled in confusion, having noticed his intense gaze yet not knowing what to owe it to. "Would you choose me regardless of the time we have left?"

"I would choose you even if we didn't have time at all." Edmund was sure, more sure than he had ever been in his entire life. "So I was wondering if I could ask you a question."

"You could be about to ask me anything!" Beth laughed, growing quiet as Edmund retrieved the small black box from his pocket. His eyes never leaving hers, he knelt before her and that's when her shock dissipated. She covered her mouth with her hands and choked down a sob. "Oh my god, Ed!"

As Edmund opened the box, revealing a golden band with three small diamonds encrusted to it, Beth walked towards Edmund until she was able to clutch his hand in hers. "Look, all I've heard all day is that we are leaving Narnia and therefore, that I'm leaving you. That is not true. I am never leaving you. Not when I'm leaving my heart, my soul, and my favorite memories with you. You, Elizabeth, are it for me. You've challenged me, comforted me, befriended me and made me a much better man than I could have possibly hoped to be." Edmund was passionate in his speech, aided by the tears that fell down his eyes as he took into Beth's radiant smile and the warm feeling of her hand in his. "So, I give you this ring as a promise. A promise that I will come back, a promise of my love and loyalty to you, a promise to marry you in a future where we're older and we get to be together for good, should you still want to. Elizabeth Kingston, my dearest love, will you accept it?"

The silence between them was beautiful, filled with emotion and unspoken hopes for the future. After a moment in which she feared she was shaking too much to be able to move normally, Beth slowly sank down until she was kneeling in front of her love, too emotional to speak. She no longer was smiling, for she was feeling too much to express with anything but her eyes.

And then, she extended her right hand.

"I can't believe you need to ask."

Edmund laughed happily. "I know you love coming up with witty rebuttals, but I actually need a yes or no answer here, my love."

"Yes. You are my person, my rock and the one I love more than anything. I accept your promise and I in turn promise you the same loyalty, love and respect," Beth whispered before laughing as she wiped her tears away with her other hand. She gazed into his eyes before throwing her arms around his neck. "Now put that ring on my finger and kiss me already, you idiot"

Edmund complied slowly, almost in a reverent manner. Holding his breath, he put that ring on her finger, and both of them stared silently at the small jewels glowing in her hand for a moment. He then looked up, overridden with so much emotion that he could barely speak. "I love you. So much"

Beth laughed tearfully and pulled him to her, kissing him with every ounce of love, devotion and passion she had for him.

As they, after a small eternity, pulled away, Beth's mouth broke into a dazzling smile as she held her boyfriend's face between her hands. "I adore you, Edmund Pevensie."

Edmund's grin slowly widened and then, he shot up to his feet and grabbed Beth by the waist, twirling them both excitedly.

And just like that, one of the worst days of their lives became one of the very best.

And gods, wasn't it a sight for sore eyes, to see them still owners of their own happiness.