" His royal Majesty, High King Peter the Magnificent!" The herald shouted as the royal trumpets sounded forth the regal greeting. It echoed in the magnificent halls of the Telmarine Castle, and every lord, Narnian and Telmarine alike, bowed to the powerful King that had entered the halls.

Several of the Lords restrained a surprised gasp and then looked at the King. His features were taut with anguish and his eyes hollowed out into a deathly blue. Caspian barely restrained himself from rushing forward to support the King. But he knew better.

Only two days had passed since the death of the King's daughter by the rapacious Telmarine. Watching her die upon the field had softened even the hardest of Telmarine hearts and several had pledged allegiance that day.

But this did nothing to assuage the guilt, sorrow, and endless mourning that Peter felt at loosing the daughter he had barely come to know. Elain hadn't even been encouraged by the renewal of the union between Telmar and Narnia. She had retreated to the highest tower at the Castle of Beruna and cloistered herself there. Only her father had been able to see her so far.

Caspian bowed to the King and then greeted him. " I greet thee, dear Cousin, and ask that you will sit by my side. It should be a great evil if the High King did not stand by his most loyal successor."

Peter bowed gracelessly and then took his position. Caspian sat down upon the preeminent thrown and Lucy and Edmund stood at ceremony by both sides of the thrones.

The Telmarines waited until they had situated themselves and then Doctor Cornelius spoke, " Their Majesties will hear you now, my lords."

The Telmarines were just about to speak when a great wrenching scream cascaded through the heights and depths of the castle and stopped them in their steps. Several covered their ears at the aquiline howl and Peter gasped in pain, seizing the rests of his chair and then quivering with tears that refused to come.

Edmund shook Peter awake and moved away as he lashed out with a powerful fist. He was knocked against Lucy and both of them fell to the floor of the railway carriage.

" Blimey, mate, what are you doing?" Edmund exclaimed before dodging back to get away from the wrath of his brother.

Peter gasped for breath, seizing against the awful grip of the memory, its dreamlike substance still clinging to him with its deathlike claws. Then with a shuddering sob, he was free. Free to mourn and cry, hating the existence that was promised to him. Alone, separated from everything he loved.

The door slammed and the devilish sound cut through the recesses of Peter's brain. He groaned in agony as the sound cascaded about the vaulted room and then leapt to his feet, while covering his eyes from the assault of midday light.

" Ed!" He snapped, " I'm not going to come out. Just give me a little time, or I'll bloody well make you!" His desire ended in a groan as his voice cracked from weeping.

There was no noice, nothing to imply that the one who had invaded his room had heard him. Gradually, he cracked his head out of the duvet and glanced around the room.

A fragrant breeze wafted in from the forest and the piney bite of the air comforted him with its familiar taste. It'd been all he'd been tasting besides his tears.

With a reluctant sigh, he pulled himself forcibly from the bed and then walked trembly to the balcony doors. Glancing out, he gazed in wonder at the mighty castle yards, the truncheon, the gate towers, and just beyond the wall, he could make out the ghosting of the village houses and the marketplace.

The humble view with its gentle essence was soothing to his tired soul; deep down he knew that Lyra would be the first to exult in such a vista.

" She'd love it, wouldn't she?" A shattered tone surprised him and he turned in alarm to gaze behind himself. There was no one there, but the foresty scent increased and the sky grew clouded.

His eyes darted overhead and he beheld the form of his wife. Her hair hung in bedraggled icicles, matted together. Her eyes were red, but from the bloodshot torture of the last days. The limpness of her wings and the shuddering of her body easily convinced Peter that she was in physical pain because of the depth of her sorrow. And yet he rejoiced knowing that at last she'd let him see her and share—if only a little—their greatest loss.

Peter stared at her silently; he did not dare to speak to her for fear that she would leave him and that she would cut off their interview. He watched her red eyes flicker as the flow of holy blood and held his breath as he waited for how she would react now that she saw him face to face.

" Aslan desires to meet with you." Elain's voice was hard; it trembled slightly, but he knew that it was from grief and anger. " He is going to inform you of his next command. Yet I am certain that I know what it will be."

Peter reached his hand up to her. " Please, don't talk about that. Don't think about that right now."

Elain's eyes flickered and her wings quivered as she lowered herself to be equal with Peter. " Don't make me talk about it, Peter. Please don't make me."

Peter shook his head and then pulled her into his own arms. Elain fought against it for a moment and then relaxed. Her head rested against Peter's shoulder. For a moment, she was still. Calm slid between them, and Peter could only hear the ripple of the wind blowing through the trees. And then it happened.

Elain shuddered and then the flood of tears released. " Oh, Peter, why? Father says that she's still alive, but where? How? How is she still alive?"

Peter didn't answer but allowed her to cry in sorrow and anger. During the course of her sorrow, she occasionally struck out against him, her wings pushing him back against the glass doors to the balcony. He grunted in pain as the propulsion cracked the doors and caused his back to bruise.

He was worried that he was going to have start restraining her when she went limp. Her body convulsed by the agonizing rack of tears and her head leaned against him as she sobbed.

Peter choked back his own tears and fought against the power of his grief. He desperately wanted to argue against Aslan's direction and command, but he knew better. Right now, his wife needed him, but eventually, he was going to have to face his father-in-law and learn the truth that he already knew.

Peter heaved the sobbing Elain into his arms and brought them both to the bed. He sighed as he laid down upon the soft surface and settled his wife against his bosom. He felt her reticence to rest and to be still. It went against everything in her to relax into the pain and to be still in the depth of it. But his presence and his calm bestowed peace upon her and for that moment, she could finally do away with the anger and just be soothed by the presence of her husband.

And just before she fell into the unconsciousness of peace, she murmured, " I'm going to loose you too, aren't I? He's going to take you away and tell you to go home and take care of your family? Your mum, that's why. I know it."

Peter snuggled his chin into her frozen hair, " I won't ever leave you again. I swear upon all that is holy."

" You can't promise that."

" Do you remember what I told you? It's not if I'm with you here and now, it's about my love. My love will never leave you. Ever."

" I'm still going to loose you."

Peter was silent and then said softly as he held her to his heart, " I know."

Peter glanced at his siblings and saw how they had removed themselves away from him. " Was I pretty violent?"

Edmund sighed and exchanged a glance with Lucy before he answered. " It wasn't pretty. Pete, you've got to get it through your head that you're not going back. You just have to accept it."

Peter laughed at himself even as he started to cry, " Ed, I know I can't go back. And I have accepted it. But-" he pushed himself to speak coherently. " It's hard being alive and dead all at once. I'm dead to them and they're dead to me, but our love is the one thing keeping us alive."

Lucy gulped in pain and saw the pain wracking through her older brother. Unable to stop herself, she leapt to his side and pulled him into her arms. " Oh, Peter, I love you."

Peter sobbed. " Thanks, Luce, I love you too."

Edmund gave a wry smile and then joined the embrace. And in that moment he held in his arms life and death, hope and despair.