HELLO, everyone. Jesus hell sake, LOOK at this, ALMOST EIGHT FUCKING MONTHS since I last updated a new update for here... welcome back it sure as hell is for me, and I've still so much tremendous, and well worked hard on ever since last year, fun in terms of plotlines still to give for here and the VERY intended sequel that'll be following. This story, my Avengers/Planet of the Apes adventure project, and my still very much ongoing, until it's VERY fully finished indeed, co-ordinated in partnership with our King and brother of all Aragorn Elessar, JJ/GotG crossover roller coaster of fun 'All This for a Jacket' are what I'm fully diverting my absolute focus intention on for the time being, helps so much indeed that my afternoons/evenings after work are now fully free of collection, woohoo.
Last time, the Pevensies learned that Lancelot is the one other man in Camelot who knows full well about Merlin's massive secret; Susan and Peter overheard Merlin and Gaius's exchange of words about the Cailleach and began working out who the culprit of it was; and their conversation with the young peasant woman Drea led to them, Arthur, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table having a first frightening encounter with the killer ghost spirits of the Dorocha.
So, what lies in store for everyone now? Well, as we've seen Peter and Susan have their own first encounter with the terrifying Dorocha in the village, now we start off with the episode parts straight after that, and see how our other two younger Pevensie pair Lucy and Edmund, and also our Andrew Garfield chap Sir Percy of Scandia, are faring whilst in Camelot. So, fasten ya seatbelts and prepare for takeoff, the next stage is about to begin. Hope you enjoy, people.
I do not own the Narnia films and books, Merlin, or any of the characters with either
In Camelot, everything everywhere was sheer chaos and panic. The alarm bells sounded out loudly, and the screams rang out through the city as people urgently hurried over the drawbridge and towards and into the castle, some assisting others. Guards and Knights ran about carrying out different duties, some carrying stretchers, on which lay very still bodies, between them, others holding flaming torches in their hands as they watched the night skies around them, faces full of various emotions, grim faced determination and terror being the two most common.
In the midst of all this, Lucy, Edmund, Percy and Gwen assisted as best they could, Lucy sticking very close to Gwen's side, the older woman bearing a torch in her right hand, as they ferried vital items such as blankets for whichever purpose they were needed to serve, Edmund, also carrying a torch, sticking just as close to them himself so as to protect his little sister, Percy helping the Knights and guards assist civilians who were rushing for safety into the castle.
"Gwen," a torch bearing Agravaine called as Gwen, Lucy and Edmund hurried down a corridor beside two guards bearing a stretcher with a motionless body on it, the three turning back as he spoke. "Warn Gaius. There are more victims by the Western Gate," Agravine continued as he ran off down an adjoining corridor with several Knights.
Then, as Gwen, Lucy and Edmund prepare to hurry on with what they were doing, suddenly a window shattered, and a throughly terrified Lucy screamed as one of the ghostly skulls that had begun appearing only a short while earlier glided through and struck a Knight who was behind them, the man screaming and then falling to the ground where he lay motionless. Still screaming, Lucy took cover behind part of the wall with Gwen, as Edmund, who was just as frightened as his sister despite trying to give a brave composure, bravely stood his ground as another ghostly skull appeared and glided towards them, and without hesitating Edmund waved his torch, the skull and its ghastly shriek vanishing as the flames touched it.
As soon as it did so, Gwen hurried over to the Knight who had just been struck down, turning him over onto his back. "Is he...?" Lucy asked in a shaking voice.
Gwen shook her head. "He's dead," she replied, which was quite true from what the two horrified Pevensies now saw as they came forward, ice crystals showing on the dead man's skin and hair, his eyes empty and staring.
"Lucy! Ed," a very welcoming voice called out, followed moments later by its owner in the form of Peter, Susan right at his heels as they entered the corridor, faces full of panic and desperation, Arthur and Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table arriving behind them, Percy joining them also.
"Peter!" Lucy shouted, she and Edmund not hesitating for a second longer as they tore forward and into the arms of their siblings, Peter and Edmund holding their sisters close as they cried, both in the sheer relief at being reunited and the effects of the horror they had all just experienced along with everyone else. Gwen and Arthur meanwhile did the same as they too embraced each other tightly with the same amount of extreme relief as the Pevensies.
"Is everyone alright?" Arthur asked at last as he and Gwen and the four children released each other from their embraces, but Peter and Edmund still kept a very tight hold of Susan and Lucy.
"I wish Aslan was here," Lucy said tearfully.
Her brothers and sister didn't disagree for a moment. "Me too, Lu," Peter said quietly.
"Susan!" the peasant woman Drea's voice now sounded out, and a moment later she appeared at a fast scurry into the corridor, Susan gasping "Drea!" as more huge relief came over her and Peter at seeing the young woman still alive, and she hurried forward as Drea did the same, the two girls embracing each other tightly, Drea much more strongly to Susan as she burst into sobs.
"Oh thank goodness you're OK," Susan assured Drea, the peasant girl not letting go of her for quite some time until finally, rather hesitatingly at that, she did so.
"Did you see them?" Drea asked in a shaking emotional voice, her cheeks wet with her tears.
Susan nodded. "We did," she answered simply.
A few minutes later, Merlin, Peter and Susan, the two children not wanting to leave their friend, entered where Gaius was pulling a sheet over a dead body, one of several, easily about a dozen, laid out on tables around the room they had just come in. Outside the castle, they could still the sound of people's screams. Lucy and Edmund had taken themselves, without needing to be told to do so, and Drea to Gaius's chambers, Drea keeping a very tight hold of Edmund as they did so.
"Gaius," Merlin spoke up, alerting the old man to their arrival.
"Merlin! Peter, Susan," Gaius exclaimed, a look of immense relief coming over his face at seeing the young magician and the two older Pevensies before him alive and OK as he came forward.
"You saw them?" Gaius asked the three, who nodded at once.
"Here, help me," Gaius said, gesturing with an arm wave, "Give me some more sheets." But as he prepared to do what he was doing, Merlin just walked slowly forward into the room, Peter and Susan sticking with him, Gaius noticing as he turned round.
"Merlin?" he asked in concern.
"My magic is useless against them," Merlin explained, a look of shock now appearing on Gaius's face at the words, "I've tried. I've never felt so powerless."
Peter nodded. "Merlin's right, Gaius," he confirmed in support of his friend, "One of those things, whatever they are, attacked us in Drea's village, and when Merlin tried a light spell it went out after a few moments."
"The same thing happened when he attempted another spell which would've helped repel the ghost skull otherwise," Susan added, "But it was only thanks to Lancelot arriving in the nick of time with a torch that we were saved."
"I felt something deep inside..." Merlin went on, "And when it came for us, I felt this emptiness..." Gaius came slowly forward, "I couldn't breathe." Merlin broke off, several seconds passing in silence, Peter and Susan laying their hands supportingly on the young man's arm or back. "I'm scared," Merlin at last concluded with, the expression very clear to see in his face and eyes too.
"Merlin, it's alright," Gaius said reassuringly as he came up to them, laying his hands on Merlin's arms and joining those of Susan and Peter who had not withdrawn them at all. "It's not your fault," Gaius added in hopeful comfort.
The next day, the four children gathered, along with Gaius, Merlin, Percy and Agravaine, in Arthur's chambers, all of them shaken by the previous night's terrifying events. Also with them was Drea, her arms wrapped tightly around Susan as she squeezed her gently in reassurance that he was there. The Pevensies themselves had hardly slept through the remaining dark hours, none of them wanting to let any of their number or Drea out of their sight.
"We've suffered 50 dead, maybe more," Agravaine explained as Arthur paced, "Mainly in the lower town."
"And there's no way of fighting them?" Arthur asked desperately.
"Forget it, Arthur," Percy spoke up, "The only weapons we have are torches, and even they are no good. The light doesn't kill them, it only repels them."
Everyone turned to Gaius. "What are they, Gaius?" Edmund asked.
"The Dorocha, Edmund. The spirits of the dead," Gaius answered, the answer causing the young Kings and Queens of Narnia to gulp.
"How are they here?" Lucy, she and Peter holding each other's hands tightly, now asked herself.
"Oh Samhain's Eve in the time of the Old Religion, Lucy, the high priestesses would perform a blood sacrifice and release them," Gaius explained further.
"But who would do such a thing now?" Agravaine demanded.
"I think it's rather obvious as to who that answer refers to," Peter replied, everyone, including Drea, now looking to him. "Morgana," the elder Pevensie answered matter of factly, "It has to be."
"Can you be sure of that, Peter?" Arthur asked.
"Peter's right, Sire," Gaius answered himself, "We know Morgana was travelling to the Isle of the Blessed."
Arthur seemed to consider this, then stepped forward a little. "How do we defeat these creatures, these Dorocha?" he put to Gaius.
For a moment, Gaius didn't answer, and looked to the uneasy Pevensies, Percy and Merlin first, then turned back to Arthur. "I don't know, Sire," he replied, "No mortal has ever survived their touch." At that, the four children turned to each other, their faces white with fear, Susan hugging Drea tighter as the young woman turned her head into Susan's dress and began to cry.
"I wish Aslan was here," Lucy emotionally repeated her words from the night before.
"I know, Lu, I know," Peter assured his younger sister as he pulled her in for a hug.
That evening, Percy helped the Pevensies and Drea complete the cleaning up of and the adding of necessary extra things to Morgana's old chambers, which hadn't been used since the sorcerer woman's betrayal, and which Percy had made good on his promise to bequeath to Susan for usage. They had also done the same, helped by Merlin, with three other chambers Arthur had helped arrange to make available for the young Narnian Kings and Queens during their stay at Camelot.
"Are you sure you don't want me and Ed to stay in here with you tonight?" Peter asked his sisters as they finished.
Percy came up to him and laid both hands on his shoulders. "I promise you, Peter..." he then looked to Edmund, "...and you too, Edmund, that as long as I'm here with them until sunrise your sisters will be protected with my very life," he said in a reassuring determined voice, looking right into the eldest Pevensie's eyes as he did so, "I made a sworn promise to do so with this Kingdom and Prince Arthur when I came here with Merlin and Gaius months ago, and now I will make sure of that in the equal fullest with you..." another look towards Edmund followed, "...your brother..." then he turned to Lucy and Susan, "...and your sisters." At last, he looked back once again to Peter, "With my life, I promise."
Several seconds passed after that, as the brothers took in the young Knight of Camelot's words. Then Susan stepped forward, Percy moving aside to let her take his place. "You heard Percy, Peter, we'll be OK with him to guard us if those creatures, the Dorocha, appear again. Besides..." she turned to Lucy. "We know one person who'll always be watching over us, don't we, Lu?" she added, attempting to lighten the mood a little with a smile.
Lucy nodded, smiling back herself as she knew what her older sister meant. Peter and Edmund understood too- Aslan of course.
"OK," Peter at last spoke, "I suppose me and Ed had better go and join Lancelot and the rest."
Edmund nodded. "They said we could join them on patrol with them this evening if we wished, and you know Pete and I accepted," he explained. It was true- Lancelot had come to them earlier and asked if any of them would consider adding a few more extra number to the night patrol group that would be made of himself, Sir Leon, Elyan, Gwaine and Percival that evening, to be ready for when the ghastly Dorocha no doubt returned again. Lucy and Susan had politely declined, but Peter and Edmund, relieved that their sisters had made the right decision given their current situation brought on without arguable doubt by the actions of Morgana, had accepted the offer.
The girls nodded and came and hugged their brothers tightly. "Take care," Susan told them both, kissing them both on the cheek.
Edmund bent down so that he was level with Lucy. "For Aslan, eh, Lu?" he said with a small tease.
Lucy nodded. "For Aslan," she repeated, and after sharing one last tight hug Edmund followed Peter from the room, leaving the girls with Percy and Drea.
After they had done so, Susan went over to Drea. "Are you OK, Drea?" she asked the young peasant woman.
Drea shook her head. "I'm not leaving you, Susan," she answered, her voice choking with emotion, "Please, please don't ask me to-"
But Susan pulled her into her arms, Drea instantly wrapping her own tightly around the young Narnian queen and burying her face against Susan's chest. "It's OK, Drea, you're not going anywhere," Susan assured her, appalled at the thought of sending the poor girl away from her side, which was exactly where Drea had stuck very close to all day.
Lucy and Percy joined them. "She's right, Drea," Percy added in support, laying a hand on Drea's arm, "You're staying with us." Feeling Lucy take one of her hands, Drea turned to her, the youngest Pevensie nodded and smiling in further reassure, squeezing Drea's hand to signal it so.
Then, a faint but unmistakable wailing noise sounded out, and the four of them turned fast as one in the direction from where it must've come, Susan feeling Drea almost crush her in her still ongoing embrace as the peasant girl whimpered.
Lucy edged closer to Percy. "Did you hear that?" she asked in a frightened voice.
Percy wrapped his left arm round her shoulders, pulling her close. "I did, Lucy," he replied, looking down at her, "And I'm just as scared as you and your sister."
Outside in the main courtyard, using burning torches Peter and Edmund helped some of the palace guards light fires, then they set off with Lancelot, Elyan, Percival, Gwaine and Sir Leon to patrol the town, all of them making sure their torches were burning fully, as they had absolutely no way of knowing where the ghastly Dorocha would start appearing again.
As they made their way through the gates which led into the upper town, Edmund and the other Knights kept walking straight on, while Peter and Percival hung back where they were.
Suddenly, Peter heard something, a whimpering noise it seemed, off to his left and turned in its direction. "What is it, Peter?" Percival asked quietly.
"There." Peter nodded to where an open space and some barrels were. He thought he saw something, or someone, hiding behind one of the barrels, though what they were he had no way of telling at the moment, but it certainly needed to be known about.
So together, keeping their torches high, Peter and Percival moved carefully towards the barrel where the "something" was hiding, and as they got closer they heard a faint sobbing coming from the open area. Then they saw what it was that Peter had seen: a young child, a girl with shoulder length brown hair, looking up at them with a scared look on her face.
"Hey hey hey," Peter spoke gently and kindly, smiling and holding up his free right hand to reassure the child he meant no harm to her, "It's alright, you're safe now." Then as he and Percival came forward a bit more, they saw that there were two more children, another girl and a boy, both with the same terrfied expressions.
"Where're their parents?" Peter asked, Percival wondering the same thing as to why the three children were out here alone, at the potential mercy of the Dorocha.
But that was immediately put out of their thoughts when a distant sounding ghostly wail came, Peter looking quickly round and holding his torch bearing left arm up high. He breathed shakily, unable to contain his own fright as he saw, looking in their direction, that his brother and the other four Knights were now some distance away. And now he could hear the awful wailing noises getting louder and nearer- the Dorocha were on their way.
Peter turned back to Percival and the three children, who still hadn't said anything yet, which was hardly a surprise considering just how frightened they were. He then glanced at the flame of his torch, and came to a snap decision. "Let's get them out of here," the boy said, Percival nodding as he understood what Peter meant. Both of them flung their torches away and moved, Peter gathering up the boy with the shoulder length hair and holding him tightly against him, the boy helping by wrapping his arms round Peter's neck, while Percival scooped up the other boy and the girl in his own arms, and together they hurried back into the street intending on getting the three children and themselves somewhere much more secure than where they currently were.
Then, with a horrible shrieking wail, the ghostly skeleton form of a Dorocha materialized from behind them, Peter and Percival turning to face it, faces full of wide eyed terror as the thing moved in on them. But then, with a shout of "Pete", Edmund, together with Elyan, appeared in front of them and waved his torch, the Dorocha vanishing as it was touched by the flames.
For a few seconds, the two Knights and boys remained where they were, emitting shaking breaths as Peter and Percival absorbed the fact that once again, they had been inches away from an unimagniable fate. Then Percival hurried over to a house on their right, Peter right behind him followed by Edmund and Elyan as Percival kicked the door in with his foot and allowed them entry. A group of adults in peasants clothes were huddled around a lit fire, but as the two men and the young Narnian Kings came in, Percival and Peter still carrying the children in their arms, huge relief came upon faces and two of the women who were came forward and took their children back, reassuring them.
"Good timing, Edmund," Percival remarked.
Edmund nodded. "It was the will of Aslan that told my instincts you might be in trouble," he answered back, turning to his brother, "Thank god I was right."
Peter nodded himself. "If it wasn't for Him..." he said, Edmund knowing what he meant as they exchanged a one armed hug with each other.
The next day, the Pevensies, Percy, Merlin, Arthur, Gaius and Agravaine gathered again, Gwen having kindly offered to look after Drea while they did so. The young peasant woman hadn't wanted to leave Susan, but the young Narnian Queen knew that for this meeting they needed privacy, and so had given Drea all the assurance possible with a hug and gentle words before joining her sister and brothers with the Camelot men.
"So many..." Susan now muttered as she, Peter, Edmund and Lucy stood with Arthur at the window and looked down upon the palace courtyard where dozens of people were flooding into through the gates, many of them carrying baskets and bags which no doubt held their most precious possessions, others holding farm tools.
"Where are they all coming from?" Edmund asked.
"They're coming from across the Kingdom," Gaius answered, "They're looking to Camelot for protection."
Arthur turned away from the window, the children doing so too. "And we will give to them," he proclaimed determinedly.
"We cannot house them all," Agravaine objected.
"Why not? They're suffering from the Dorocha as much as we are here," Lucy spoke up in counteract to Agravaine's words, "We have to try and do something for them."
"But how, Lucy?" Agravaine said, "We cannot live like this forever. We must find a way to vanquish these creatures."
"Surely you must know something about how we can do so, Gaius," Peter said, addressing the old man, "You're the physician, and the expert on all things outside of Camelot that can pose a serious threat to us. There must be a way we can fight them without useless torches being the only thing we can use."
Arthur nodded. "Peter's right, Gaius," he responded with.
Gaius shook his head. "I'm fear the Dorocha cannot be defeated by swords and arrows, sire, Peter," he gave in answer, "If I am right, and the veil between the worlds is torn, then there's only one path open to us..." he paused, everyone waiting with baited breath to hear the conclusion of what he was saying, "...to travel to the Isle of the Blessed and repair it."
"And how do we do that?" Edmund insisted.
"I'm not sure, Edmund, but for the tear to be created it would have required a blood sacrifice," Gaius answered.
"Which is no doubt what Morgana must have done to unleash these ghastly creatures among us," Percy said at last himself, everyone turning to him, "You heard what Sir Leon said two days ago after he and Elyan, together with our young Kings and Queens of Narnia, had their encounter with Morgana on the Plains of Denaria two days ago. Morgana was headed there with someone, most probably Morgause." He looked between them all, "Don't you see? It must have been her, Morgause, who Morgana had with her, and who she took to the Isle of the Blessed and sacrificed on Samhein's Eve in order to be able to tear open the veil between the worlds and allow the Dorocha to come here."
Gaius nodded. "I believe you're absolutely right, Percy," he said, the Pevensies, especially Susan, impressed once again by the young Knight of Camelot. "But to seal the tear... will require another," Gaius concluded with.
"Another what?" Susan asked, feeling very uncomfortable at what they might hear next in answer. But she, along with her siblings, noticed when Agravaine turned in Arthur's direction, the expression on his face as he looked to the young Prince increasing the suspicions the young Kings and Queens of Narnia had already been circulating in them that first day they had arrived in Camelot, and the way Agravaine had reacted towards them upon hearing how they spoke of the differences between this land and their old one.
Lucy gulped. "I think he means another blood sacrifice, Susan," she answered simply and quietly, Peter, Edmund and of course Susan seeing how pale her face was as they turned to her.
"We ride before nightfall," Arthur then said, everyone turning to him, Gaius unfolding his arms from where they had been across his chest, as he began moving towards the open door.
"And who will be the sacrifice, Arthur?" Percy asked, fear in both his facial expression and voice at what could potentially be the answer.
Arthur turned back, and everyone held their breath, waiting for the axe to fall. And it came. "If laying down my life will spare the people of Camelot, then that is what I must do," Arthur replied.
At once, six heads, those of the Pevensies, Merlin and Percy, whipped round to one another with looks of the utmost horror- what on Earth was their friend, the young Prince of Camelot and the future King, implying? To sacrifice his own life to banish the Dorocha, and potentially leave the Kingdom, and Gwen herself, without their Prince?
"No," Lucy at last said, hurrying forward and flinging her arms around Arthur's waist, hugging him as tightly as she could. "Arthur, you can't. You can't do this," Lucy pleaded, the emotion choking her voice, her eyes beginning to sting from the wetness rising in them.
Arthur, suprised for a moment by the force at which Lucy launched herself at him, hugged her back. "I'm sorry, Lucy," he said calmly, "I have to do it."
But Lucy wasn't having any of it, and as they and Percy now came over themselves neither were her sister and brothers- they had only known Arthur for three days, and yes, this land and their old one of Narnia may have very different comparisons when it came to the allowance and use of magic. But from the time they had been in his presence, Arthur had proven to be a good man, and certainly far better than what his father King Uther was like thanks to what Gaius and Merlin and Percy had all shared with them about that first night, which meant he had every possibility and chance of becoming a great King and ruler to the Kingdom. And to hear that he planned to throw all of that away by allowing himself to be sacrificed to repair the damage that Morgana had obviously inflicted... no, it couldn't be happening.
"No, please, stay with us, Arthur. It'll be OK," Lucy begged further, the tears breaking free of her eyes and running down her cheeks as she started crying.
"Lucy's right, Arthur," Peter spoke in support of his sister, "Don't do this. Surely there must be another way we can banish the Dorocha without needing someone to die in order to it." He shook his head, "Please, please don't do this."
But again, all Arthur could say, despite the two Pevensies' pleading, was, "It must be done, Peter. If Gaius said a blood sacrifice has to be made to rid our land of the Dorocha, then that's what I must do to help the Kingdom and its people."
"No. Arthur, please, no, you can't," Lucy continued to sob.
Susan nodded. "Please, Arthur, as High Queen of Narnia, I order you, don't do this," she begged desperately.
Arthur now knelt down so that he was at Lucy's level, looking the poor girl right in the eyes. "I know what you and your siblings want of me, Lucy," he told her softly, placing his hands on her shoulders as he did so, "And if there was any other way, I would do it without hesitation. But you heard what Gaius has said, I have to help the people of the Kingdom against what we're facing. And if that means laying down my life to do so, then I must do it. It's the only way to undo what Morgana has done."
All Lucy did in response was throw her arms around Arthur's neck, her body shaking as her crying refused to let up, Arthur responding by hugging her back for as long as he could, before eventually they had to release each other, Lucy now seeking the comfort of her siblings, which they did without needing to be asked of it.
"If you really are determined to go to the Isle of the Blessed, Arthur..." Percy spoke again himself, drawing his sword, his face full of iron hard determination, "Then I will gladly lay down my life for you by joining you on this quest."
"No, Percy," Peter cut in, "I will do it." At that, everyone all looked to him.
"Peter..." Susan began, she and Lucy and Edmund shocked by what their group of four's eldest member had just said, but Peter shook his head.
"You've heard what Arthur's said, Su," he went on, "And goodness knows what he could potentially be facing in way of danger on this journey to the Isle of the Blessed, especially with the Dorocha plaguing the dark hours at night and putting us all at potential risk of instant death if our guard slips for just one moment." He looked between his siblings, "He's going to need all the possible help he could need." Peter looked once again to Arthur, "As High King of Narnia..." he drew his own sword, "I will join you, Arthur."
"Then you count me in as joining you as well, Pete," Edmund put in. When Peter glanced at him, he went on in a determined no argument daring voice, "There's absolutely no way I'm not letting you go alone into the face of major danger, no, sir, your Highness." Peter rolled his eyes at the small tease he knew Edmund had deliberately done with his words, but he nodded in grateful acceptance to his brother's proposal, knowing he was right.
"Then I'm coming too," Susan added her own inclusion, her determination as equally unarguable as Edmund's, "If you think I'm letting you two out of my sight for one second with what Arthur intends to do..." she shook her head, "You're not going to talk me out of this whatsoever. I'm coming, and that's that."
And Peter and Edmund knew their older sister was right, what with who she was as both their sibling and her status as High Queen of Narnia, and that she was their group's archer. So of course, there was absolutely no way they were going to argue with or talk Susan out of what she was intending, she would be just as valuable to Arthur as they themselves would be, which meant she most certainly had to come.
They both nodded. "Of course, Su," Peter said.
"But, Peter, what am I to do if you don't want me to go on this quest with you and Arthur and your brother and sister?" Percy at last asked.
"I'd like you to look after and be here for Lucy while we're gone," Peter gave him in reply.
"I don't need a babysitter, Peter," Lucy, who had at last got her emotion under control again, objected.
Her brother crouched down in front of her, taking her arms in his hands. "It's going to be a dangerous journey, Lu," Peter told her, "And there's absolutely no way me and Su and Ed will want to be worrying about your safety with what we could potentially be facing as we journey to the Isle of the Blessed, especially with the Dorocha plauging us every night."
Edmund nodded as he and Susan knelt down on either side of their youngest member. "We don't doubt you at all, Lu," Edmund spoke, "After all, we were wrong to believe you, especially me, at first when you revealed about Narnia, and thank goodness we were proven wrong about that, or who knows what could've happened to everyone of Narnia's inhabitants if we hadn't been there to bring about their freedom from the White Witch's hold on the land." Peter and Susan both nodded in absolute agreement, knowing full well what Edmund meant.
Lucy nodded and smiled, Edmund giving her one himself, as Susan went next. "Edmund's right about everything there, Lucy," she said, "You are Queen Lucy the Valiant, and the one who knows exactly what's more right from wrong than the rest of us, thanks no doubt to having Aslan's spirit and will in you the strongest, after all, look who convinced us to stay here in Albion to help liberate it from Morgana's presence..." she chuckled, joined by her brothers and Lucy, at that before continuing, "But Peter's right. This journey we've chosen to go with Arthur on is going to be very hazardous indeed, goodness what could be thrown across our path as we travel to the Isle of the Blessed, the Dorocha included. If we lost you on the way, it would break our very souls."
"Exactly, Su," Peter agreed unarguably with her, then addressed Lucy again, "And that's why we need you to stay here in Camelot with Percy and Gwen, Lu, where we know you'll be in a place with more chance of safety than if you were out there with us and Arthur. Besides, you are of course High Queen of Narnia, and someone's going to need to help run the Kingdom in Arthur's absence until we return." He looked her in her eye, a pleading look on his face as he did so, "Can you do that, for us?"
Lucy considered everything her older siblings had all said together, and came to the conclusion she knew they would be hoping to hear from her. Everything they had said was absolutely correct, and despite her still very much standing royal status as High Queen of Narnia, whether it was there, this world or their own, she was still the youngest of the group, and for her to be on a potentially deadly journey her sister and brothers were about to embark on with the Prince of Camelot... No, she had to be here, in Camelot, where it was still undeniably dangerous thanks to the Dorocha infesting the dark hours, but certainly more safer, and Peter was also correct that someone was going to be needed in helping run the place while they were away.
At last, Lucy nodded. "You're right," she agreed, looking between the other three, "I'll stay. But please, please, take care, and come back safely and in one piece." At that, Edmund, Peter and Susan visibly relaxed in the utmost relief, and all four came together in a big group hug, the three elder members holding their youngest as tightly and as long as possible, before, with reluctance, they broke away and straightened fully up again.
Re-sheathing his sword, Percy stepped forward. "As long as there is blood and breath in me, Peter, I will protect and guard your sister, and this Kingdom, with every inch of my life," he proclaimed extremely determinedly, the look on his face proving it as much, "Nothing, absolutely nothing, will stand in my way of it, never."
Peter nodded and held out his hand. "Thank you, Percy," he said gratefully.
Rather than the hand though, Percy took hold of and grasped Peter's arm, Peter returning the gesture. "Good luck to you three," he said, doing the same with Edmund, and when Susan came up to him he gave her hand a long several seconds kiss and then a long hug which the Pevensie sister figure returned without objection.
Finally, they all turned to Arthur, who nodded, an extremely grateful look on his face after observing and hearing everything he had in the last few minutes. "Thank you, all four of you," he gave in response, "I'll see you and Edmund and Susan later, Peter." And with that, he at last departed from the room.
Next to do so was Agravaine, but as he did so the Pevensies noticed the look on his face, and once again, remembering the way he had looked at Arthur after Gaius had revealed about the need for a blood sacrifice to be made in order to seal the tear between the worlds, came to the conclusion that something was very off about the man. And it was Peter who said it first, gesturing with both hands and signaling his siblings to move closer, which was what they did.
"Let's follow him," Peter said, and the others nodded. It was time to find out, if they jolly well could, exactly what Agravaine was up to.
And FINALLY, almost eight months later, and thanks to newfound writing mood motivation in recent days after months of delaying myself with this at a right snail's pace cos of whatever IRL, hey presto, chapter 7 to this great adventure is at last up, hope you guys enjoyed it.
So, the quest to the Isle of the Blessed by Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and in this case also our three eldest Pevensies of Peter, Edmund and Susan, who are the very appropriate and sensible choices of our quartet to do so, and I need them on it thanks to some further great plot ideas I've had in my intention banks ever since last year, is about to begin in urgent earnest. Hope you loved the farewell scenes between them and Lucy, plus the 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' inspired bits- cos that's EXACTLY where I got them from, thanks to the heartbreaking goodbyes between 'Uncle Bob' Terminator and young John Connor and mum Sarah in the steel mill at the end after the T-1000's defeat, it was just too irresistibly perfect to do so- by Lucy to Arthur, as couldn't resist doing 'em.
But first, considering which scene in 'Merlin' 4x01 will follow next, BOY are they certainly gonna have their already big since the first day suspicions about Agravaine proven exactly to a tee, YES, sir, and also learn an additional horrifying something in the process- what that is will be revealed in the full next chapter, so nothing from my mouth for now, so I'll allow you guys to brace yaselves and get ya anticipations and chills up, haha.
And in case anyone's curious as to why I've still got the peasant girl Drea, who we never at all see again in the real 'Merlin' 4x01 after her scenes in the council room where she reveals what happened to her village, hanging around here, I won't hold back on saying that I couldn't at all resist wanting to hang onto her for a bit longer, certainly it was our children quartet who gave her the much needed comfort she needed after her traumatic experience with the Dorocha in previous chapter. Hence, I've got her sticking to their sides as you'll've seen here- I might hopefully come up with a way to write Drea out eventually, and NOT in the dead way, so as I can move the story on without her, but for now, she's staying.
Well, all I can say to finish off is, see you faithful guys next time with next chapter, which this time will NOT be months in the making and waiting, I promise, considering everything I've still gotta deliver so greatly and grandly for this enjoyable crossover adventure, some of the new stuff I've developed helped by recent first time movie watchings I've done. Until then, adios amigos, from Max/Flashraven