A.N: SO ... having eventually finished my college course ... I at last have time to write. I'm making a promise to you and to myself to update regularly until I'm finished. I'm so sorry for the delay in continuing with this but honestly the last thing I wanted to do after studying was to turn the laptop on again.

Disclaimer: I own nothing off and make no money from Narnia.

Italics = dreams /memories

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Aria tossed and turned on her bed … her bed … here waiting for her after all these years.

"Thank you, Aslan!" she murmured half awake, half asleep as her dreams claimed her once more and brought her back to the last day that she had been in Cair Paravel …

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… Aslan has not come … we can only guess that Jadis's enchantments keep him away …"

Queen Swan white's face was as pale as her name suggested as she turned from the castle window where she had been looking out at the frozen sea.

"The Islanders cannot help us; the ice stops them from reaching the shore."

Passing Aria who stood by the fire she ran her hand comfortingly down the young woman's arm, as she acknowledged General Romus who had just entered the counsel room.

"General Romus what news have you of the border?"

The Centaur's face was grim as he bowed.

"Bad news I fear my Queen," he reported.

"The mountain pass as we know is long since frozen over and is completely impassable. We had some hope that the coastal road might be traversable, but it too is blocked by snow and ice. We have tried sending Griffins and Birds to King Colen in Archenland but the air is too cold for them, they cannot fly high enough to evade the arrows of the Witch's sentries."

Aria held in her dread as she sought for some hope.

"What of the East and North roads? We must find some way of evacuating our people before Jadis slaughters them all!"

General Romus's face told her before his words.

"The Giants hold the North border … some few have tried to flee that way but were slain before they even set foot over the border. The West Road along the river through the mountains is as frozen as the pass into Archenland and in any case our people would find no refuge in the wilds."

"But … the people … the children … we must find some way …"

Aria's voice trailed off.

"There is one route that we have not spoken of."

Aria looked up with renewed hope, hoping that the Queen could come up with some solution to save their people from Jadis.

"It was in the lantern waste that our race first came to Narnia, and it is there that the way to the world of men is. It may be that even if Aslan cannot come to Narnia, he may be able to open that door for our people to escape from Jadis's clutches."

Aria's hope which had at first risen when the Queen spoke sank again. Swan white was clutching at straws. There was little likelihood that the doorway to the world of men would open. It had not done so since Aslan had sent Lord Digory and Lady Polly back to their world hundreds of years ago. It had not in the long years of the war with Jadis. Why should it now?

"Aria."

Aria raised her eyes from the floor where she had cast them in despair.

Queen Swan white was looking at her intently.

"You shall lead our people to lantern waste."

Arai started.

"No!" she almost shouted.

"I need to stay here … with you … to protect you … protect Cair Paravel!"

"Aria!" the Queen's voice took on an unaccustomed sternness.

"It is not given to you, as it is not given to any soldier to determine whether or how to carry out their duty. I need you to lead our people to safety."

Subdued Aria nodded, even though she wished with every fibre of her being to stay and protect the Queen.

Swan white turned to General Romus.

"And I need you to go with Aria to guide and protect her." She told the Centaur.

General Romus had been watching the exchange with his customary gravity, but his frown deepened at the last of the Queen's words.

"But you will be coming with us My Queen …"

Aria's heart nearly stopped beating as Swan white shook her head.

"I shall not leave Cair Paravel while there is breath in my body." She declared.

"If it is Aslan's will that I fall defending my home then so be it."

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Later, as Aria stood with Romus listening to the reports of the scouts, her heart, which had begun to splinter with the death of the prince, broke entirely at the news of the fall of Cair Paravel and of its last Queen, Swan white.

Taking a deep breath, she gathered herself. Queen Swan white's last words to her had been to protect the people and she too would give up her life if necessary to perform her duty. Grimly she turned to the General.

"How far are we from the lamp post." She asked, casting a worried look to the gathered civilians that they had led from the castle. Bundled up though they were, they were not faring well in the bitter cold of the forest.

Romus opened his mouth to answer when a large stag, Trieus by name broke from the bushes.

"Jadis!" he shouted skidding to a halt beside them.

"Jadis and her army approach! We must flee, she will overtake us within the hour!" …

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…. Whimpering Aria woke and sat up in her bed shaking her head in an attempt to shake off the nightmares, the memories.

Looking out of the window she saw that dawn was just breaking on the Eastern Horizon. Knowing it would be useless to try to get back to seep where the past threatened to pull her back, Aria quickly dressed.

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Edmund woke from a strange dream where he was chasing Aria though windows and around the forest. In his dream, his progress kept getting impeded by Princesses Peony and Begonia who kept insisting on stopping him so that they could straighten his clothes and wash his face. Insisting that he was in no fit state to court Princesses and not listening to him when he tried to tell them that he did not wish to court them.

He was almost glad when he was woken from the confusing dream. Groggily he tried to ascertain what had woken him and realised that someone was knocking on his door. Opening it he found his wolf guard Lupa standing in the corridor.

Edmund looked at his guard questionably.

"Lupa" he complained.

"It's barely dawn!"

"Just the time for a walk on the beach."

At Edmund's mystified expression, Lupa continued.

"I think Lady Aria could do with some company.

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Aria stood looking out at the waves crashing off the beach.

She felt rather than saw Edmund walk up and join her, with Lupa not far behind.

"The sea was completely frozen over the last time I saw it" she told him without taking her eyes of the heaving waves.

"Jadis's enchanted winter had lasted five years at that stage, every year the ice stretched further out from the beach. We were too late sending for help to the islands … they could not reach us."

Arai reached up and wiped a single tear which had fallen from her eyes.

"Even the Mer King, try though he might he could not break through the ice to aid us. I wonder … is he there now … Does he ever think of us ... wonder what became of us? I wonder is he still out there, waiting for news …"

Aria started to walk forward as if she intended to stride into the crashing waves when she was pulled quickly back, into a pair of strong arms.

It was Edmund, she had almost forgotten that he was there.

"Aria" he shook her slightly when she turned as if to make for the sea again.

"What are you doing!" he shouted.

"Look at those waves … you would be drowned."

Aria's gaze snapped to Edmund. He was overwhelmed at how despairing she looked.

"I just …

it's just …

there is no one here I know …

no one who remembers me …

I have come home, but home is not where I left it.

Home is not stone and mortar but the people who fill it and they are gone

… there is no place for me here anymore.

Noone who would miss me if I was gone."

Edmund's heart ached at the misery in Aria's voice. He swallowed through the sudden lump in his throat.

"I would miss you" he almost whispered.

He was still holding her to his chest, afraid that if he let her go, she would return to her attempts to enter the sea. At his words her expression softened, and he felt her frame relax. She opened her mouth as if about to respond when her gaze fixed on something in the waves, and she raised her hand as if in greeting. Spinning, Edmund just made out the tail of a Mer as they disappeared under the foam.

Aria pulled out of his arms and as his arms dropped to his sides, Edmund felt and almost physical pain at her absence in them.

"We should get back to the castle." She said and without another word, Aria walked up the beach, Edmund could do nothing but follow.

That's it for now, I'll update soon. Please leave a review. Let me know what you think.