Memories alone

[Lamont]

The boy rubbed his eyes as they healed. Much of the pain subsided with it, but not as much as he would have wanted. When he looked up, past a barrier of flames he could not hold back his laughter. "You lie cousin," He said unable to keep the laughing from his voice. "Even now she cannot bear to look into your eyes for the shame of her desire of me. She is young and her heart wanders, it is her way and all those like her. She is confused and lost being what she is; No longer a girl and not yet a woman. And now she has grown weary of you. Accept it and let her come to me, where she wants to be."

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"No . . ." The words came out barely more than a whisper. He had to have been wrong there. She loved Caspian, there was never any doubt of it. They had already fought this battle over her love of him and they had walked away scarred, but victorious. Without the knowledge of his love for her she had allowed her heart to be taken away, a mistake she would never make again. She opened her mouth again to say something, but fell short. whether it was because she had forgotten what it was she was to say or she simply decided against it she knew not. But the voice answered for her, Say it, It commanded tauntingly, Tell Caspian you love him truly with no thoughts against it. Tell him. But when she opened her mouth to say it the words did not come. Now not only did the Dark Island command her but her all forced something, anything, relevant to what she wanted to say come out. But when long moments passed and still she had said nothing the island taunted her again, It cannot be done, your love is no more And she burried her head in his chest not wanting to believe.

[King Caspian X]

Caspian held her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "She does so love me, and I will never question it again." he said to Lamont. His voice was actually gentle, simply because it held simple and truthful fact. Caspian knew that the island still taunted her, and he would fix it. He had promised, and he would do it. But things were going slower as planned, and he knew that he would have to do something soon, with or without a crew. If things were not ready to set said in two days time, he would go alone. He would find whatever monster was truly controlling her thoughts, and he would return to her. Never again would his wife be tortured by vile lies and sly goads. Caspian stroked her hair softly as she cried. "You'll be free soon." he told her. Caspian looked down at Galen in her arms. The boy looked ill. "What's happened to Galen?" asked the father, still watching his son. He looked up at Caspian with little tears in his eyes.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

Susan took a moment of thought deciding what to say. She had not expected nor looked forward to his questioned. She looked to the flames again and knew that, by her nature, she must give an answer. "It happened so fast," She told him, "It was confusing and I was lost in it. I am sorry, I didn't protect him well. I only knew that he was bleeding when it ended." she gave her explination and burried her face in his chest fearing his responce for he may have found the hesitation in her words caused by the dark island's own answers. Go on, Gentle Queen, he said tauntingly in a tone that mocked her title, Tell him of how Lamont gave you night's love and you did not reject him. Tell him of how you made him drunk off your touch and kiss. Tell him of how when your child cried how you remained in the bed of the demon and did not tend to him until the child, out of confusion and fear of his mother's rejection, thrashed about in his bed until he fell from it. Do not deny what you did, declare it proudly for it is how you carried it out.

[King Caspian X]

Caspian rubbed her back softly. What had been so horrible to make her cry like this? She hadn't cried into him like this since perhaps the disappearence and death of Lucy. "What happened so fast?" asked the man, looking down at his wife and child. Galen still looked as if he were about to cry, and Caspian stroked the top of his head comfortingly. What had Lamont done this time? And to Galen? Caspian kissed his son's forehead and then his Cuddle-Bug's, waiting an explanation. It wasn't often that he got to hold his family in his arms, the both of them still trapped in the claws of the demon. But they would be free. And soon.

[Lamont]

"Isn't it obvious?" Lamont taunted over the flames, "She has forsaken you and she is ashamed of it. She has forced you to fight many battles over her, allowed you to put yourself at the gates of hell, all so she could leave you behind. Though she knows it is me she wants she dose not know how to tell you, who has always come to her when she called, that she wants nothing of you."

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

She took a long while to speak, allowing the boy to speak first. It was not what she wanted, but when she opened her mouth it deny it she could not. He speaks truth Her grip around her child tightened, how could she have done what she did? She had come wanting only to give Caspian their son, that she could not cause him any more trouble or pain. He was only a few weeks old, and yet he started out with such a bad life and she could give him no better. She was a horrible mother, nothing less, and for his own good he should be taken away. "I am sorry," She said breaking her vow for the first time.

[King Caspian X]

Caspian felt his jaw drop, but quickly he closed it again. "The spell you hold over her doesn't help at all, does it?" he snarled at Lamont. Caspian wouldn't believe that Susan had betrayed him. She loved him too much to do that, and he knew it. "She can barely control her own actions, if at all, when you use it against her. She'll never love you." Caspian snapped at his cousin. He wiped away her tears with his thumb and looked her in the eyes. A look of concern, but love. He felt bad that she could not live a day in peace without the Island's voice coming at her, and the spell always attacking unpredictably. Caspian couldn't imagine living his life like that, and he wondered at times how Susan could do it without going completely insane.

[Lamont]

"Spell?" He laughed confused "There was no spell placed over her. She dose all she dose of her own will. Her initial love for you and now her rejection, you must accept it. She is your lover no longer, but mine. If it wasn't for the fact that the both of you rushed to be married she would be gone already, past the flames and in my arms. No one has dared touch her with magic, Aslan has seen to it that no magic can touch the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve since the day they became kings and queens. Believe me, he tried and it nearly killed him. She is herself, just as she always has."

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

He speaks truth. The dark Island said again and she repeated his words sadly. Everything she had done was because she, in some way, wanted it. Even when she thought her body was controling itself without her own will, but the origins had been from within her before. She did not like what she was thinking, but they continued to come. She thought she had sworn her heart's loyalty to Caspian, but now she found herself horribly wrong. It is your nature Susan, to have what you cannot have. When the white witch ruled you wanted her kingdom because you could not have it. When suitors came to you from distand lands you rejected them simply because their love was freely given. When you were sent back to England you wanted to return simply because you could not. When you first saw Caspian your love blossomed because you knew you must leave, and thus again, you could not have him. You fought for his throne because it was a hopeless battle you were sure to lose and again it was something you could not have. Now Lamont comes and the two of them will fight for you and you will enjoy watching them tear at eachother's throats because it is something you have never had. It is your nature.

[King Caspian X]

"You lie!" Caspian growled at his cousin. But he did say something that he hadn't thought to remember before. It was true that Aslan had protected the Kings and Queens from magic. The man looked at his wife, his eyes pleading that it wasn't true. He was still madly in love with her, and would be for the rest of his life. He was unwillingly to let her wander into the hands of the wicked. Caspian saw the sadness on her face and his heart dropped. He looked down at Galen and held his son's little hand, as the boy still looked up at his mother and father tearfully. Caspian didn't say anything. He waited for Susan to tell him that it wasn't true, that she was still as deeply in love with him as he was in her. Caspian reached for her hand, too. He knew that what he hoped that she would say would never come. She had already told him that Lamont was telling the truth. "Are you leaving me?" he finally forced himself to ask her. He didn't want it to be so. Caspian would win her love again. Somehow. Someday.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"I don't know what I want." she whispered, "Every time I think I know the voice gives me reason to falter or I change my mind. The only thing I know I want is for you to take Galen so I cannot hurt him. That's all I can say." She extended her arms to him in motion for him to have the boy, "Take him, please, I beg you."

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len felt slightly sick as Galen's health grew worse. She didn't care what the others said she would never let the child out of her sight till he grew older and stronger. She walked over to the demon boy as if she was on his side. "Susan you can't take the child from you. I follow you no matter what so I will be the child's nurse maid as long as he is still in need of one. Even if it means I will have to side with Lamont. fighting is not the answer right now" She said in a strong voice. She meant what she said. No one could do anything about it because whenever she pleased she could leave.

[King Caspian X]

Caspian felt his heart burning inside of him. His lover had someone else on her mind. And it was his cousin. "How can you even consider him?" he asked, his voice full of sadness. Caspian took Galen in his arms. "Come back over here, Len, Galen's staying with me." sighed the King. He was heartbroken. But at least he knew that Len would help him protect Galen in the absence of Susan. Then Caspian continued to speak to his wife, "You can't love him. He abused you! He's struck you, not with a fist, but a mace! He's done nothing but bring you pain. And he's only fourteen! He's too young to even have a wife." Caspian felt his tongue begin to silence him, so he spoke quickly. "And I love you. I've always been loyal and faithful to you. What have I done that's turned you away?" he asked. "Did I say something? Am I just boring? Maybe I'm just a bad King? Is it because Narnia and Telmar are actually having difficulty facing merely a demon and a boy? What is it, Susan? What have I done?" he asked. Galen had begun to cry now, and Caspian held him closely and rocked him. Tears bit at the man's eyes, too, but he would not shed them. Instead he forced them away, and they simply bled into his heart, making it sink farther and farther into his stomach. He wouldn't let Galen leave, too. Caspian would protect Galen, no matter what.

[Lamont]

"Id doesn't have anything to do with you." Lamont answered for her, "It has everything to do with me. I am simply the better of the two of us and she knows it now. She's known it for a while, a long while at that. Only in the few short weeks she has shown a side of her that none but the two of us had seen before. And to make things even better she seems to enjoy it. Even if you were to take her from me as you continue to do she will only come back." He looked over Caspian and Susan. He still held her as if by doing so they had a chance of staying together. He knew it was over and he had won, but Caspian, he was too stubborn to admit, too in love to accept. This victory not only granted him a loyal wife who had already proven to be capable of bearing strong and healthy children, but it tore the heart of his greatest enemy. Once he could accept she was truly gone taking his throne would be an easy task. But still more damage could be done. He looked at them still and laughed as he found something he could use simply to taunt his nerves. "Tell me, Caspian, how many times have you made love to her and the image of me come to her mind? How many times is it, when you kiss her and hold her tight and she remembers our night together and she pulls away?"