Reunited At Last

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"It was special for me too." She reminded him. "I have you. I don't think I ever told you how scared I was then, thinking you would leave me because of what Lamont did, but you never did. That day you proved to me how far you were willing to go for me. I could never have asked for anything more. Pete was only surprised because it happened so soon." She hesitated for a while. Peter wouldn't be there forever. She remembered the law stated that the one with the gift of aslan could marry a narnian couple properly. So, if Peter were gone that night who would have been there to marry them? It didn't matter, it was only a stray thought that quickly returned to her love at the sound of his laughter. "If you want to honor it then we'll do that." So often things revolved around her and, while it was flattering, it felt like she was always getting, never giving anything to her husband. He would tell her she gave her love and his children, which were good, but not what she wanted to hear. "But what would we do to cellibrate it?"

[King Caspian X]

He stood up, letting go of her hand to walk from end to end on an imaginary line in the grass. What did people do to celebrate their anniversary? He climbed up into the branches of the tree so that he hung just above her. "Where have you never been?" he asked. "What have you never done?"

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

The first answer that came into her head was easy, but she stopped herself just before she blurted the answer confusing to Caspian. She had wanted to go to Austraila when she was younger to see kangaroos and dingos and just sit on the beach and watch the boys try to surf and fall over and whatever else people do there. But this was Narnia, not England and they couldn't just take a plane to some other country. But what hadn't she done here? She wasn't sure. Just what she had done was satisfactory for anyone else. She had become a queen of an enchanted land, played chess with mermaids, rode centaurs, lived in a castle with the prince she fell in love with. She lived the perfect life of a fairy tale. What more could she ever want?

"I'm not sure," She answered. Narnia wasn't all that big. She had seen the southern deserts and the northern mountains, sailed off to the open waters in the east and felt the pain of fire in the west. She did kind of have a whole lifetime before to do everything and being queen made a person fimilar with the area. "I think I've just about been everywhere." There was bound to be things she hadn't done, but to actually know what it was was different. "Well what about you? I'm sure if you were doing something I'd be happy no matter what it is."

[King Caspian X]

He leaned down against the branch, reaching his arm down to her. He could lift her up, if she wanted to come up. "I am a man." he said simply. "I am easily satisfied," he gave her a wink. "So long as you're with me." But he did give a moment to think. He had not seen all the land, but he was not eager to. There would be time to see this world. He tried to remember the most beautiful place he had ever been, but came up short. The most beautiful place in the world changed as commonly as she changed locations. That the sunlight might lose its glow as soon as she stepped from its rays. So Caspian just chuckled softly to himself, a thought crossing his mind, and he waited for her to decide.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"So? She questioned as she stood. "I am a woman and your wife. am I not allowed to be easily satisfied? Can I not take pleasure simply because you are near as you do with me?" She leaned her back against his chest and held his arms so they wrapped around her. She did not know why the words came to her, the words she had learned in school in a life that seemed so long ago,but she spoke them just the same. "One half of me is yours, the other half yours, mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours, and so all yours. Even if we do nothing I will be satisfied just to have you back again, my love."

[King Caspian X]

"Of course you are allowed to be easily satisfied. There is no one that says you can't. All I meant was that it's in my nature to be that way." Most women he knew were not at all like that. They wanted diamonds, and the finest clothes, and satin curtains, and golden tableware and white tablecloths, and all the latest literature. Not that he minded, though. It was charming, if anything else, and if Susan wanted any of those things she would have only to ask and they would be hers in a heartbeat (though most of the things mentally listed were already hers). He pulled her up into the branches, only to be confused with what she said. "I didn't catch a word of that." he said softly, wrapping his arms tighter around her. "But you will always have me. What do you mean, 'have me back again'?"

[Cotnar]

The demon lay motionless in the highest branches, his fom a young panther. His body rested in the branches, his head resting on his paws and his tail dangling and swaying with the wind. He knew sooner or later the queen would be here, he just didn't expect the boy to be there as well. But they sat and talked about their baby and their little aniversary and blah blah bladie bleh.

"Thank the stars I'm not human." He growled, pushing himself to stand. He dropped down a few branches, "If I was I would have just barfed all over the both of you. That wouldn't be fun would it?" And with that he dropped the rest of the way, catching himself on black wings. Caspian had actually done him a favor, getting himself and his girl trapped in the tree. If Caspian tried to fight he had no problem clawing the life out of him once more. If Susan tried to flee .. well, she was different. But a well placed blow with unsheathed claws should send that child of hers tumbling out.

"You haven't forgotten about me havn't you?" He asked the boy then looked to his wife saying the same words he had used many moons ago, "You were right to fear the woods."

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing, just some thing we do in school." Why did she think he'd understand Shakespear? Half the time she didn't understand a word of it, why would he? "What do you mean 'what do I mean?' You were gone for a month silly. I missed you." She snuggled against him. Even in the tree she searched for a comfortable place to lay against him. But the peace was short lived, as it always seemed to be. Above her, and how could she have not noticed, the panther lay, watching as though the two royals were it's prey (which it might think they are). She held tight to her husband as he came closer, but relaxed when he dropped to the ground. She was thankful at first, but then the thought came to her: How were they supposed to leave?

[King Caspian X]

Caspian rolled out of the tree, taking Susan with him. He alighted on the ground with a soft thud, and set his wife down with a gentle swiftness. He took Galen in his arms, guarding him so that Cotnar would have to pry him from his grasp if he wanted the babe. And he wouldn't let that happen. "What do you want?" he asked bitterly.

[Cotnar]

"Aww, now Caspian. Don't you already know that?" He growled. You'd think after all this time he'd get it. But no, the boy was as stupid as he was weak. Lamont killed him the last time they met. If Lamont could do it anyone could. "I've wanted the same thing since I came to the damned world. Making everything that serves aslan suffer. And you seem to like Aslan. That and that bitch you call a wife!"

[Edmund]

He would never speak about the time that he had been missing. It was a time that was as frightening as it was cruel, and he would never mention it again. No one needed to hear what he went through. No one needed to experience the emotions and the thoughts that he experienced. He wouldn't allow it. But he was forever changed, and he would be forever different. He still had his stubborn spirit, but the light had died within his eyes. He felt as if he had no family, and no friends. He knew not what had happened to his sister Susan, or to Peter, or to Caspian. He knew nothing of his sister's children or what had been happening in the kingdom. He didn't know who was alive or who was dead. For all he knew, he could be the last one alive, and that would shatter him more than any physical pains he had experienced during his time of captivity. The scars would never fade, but he accepted that now. The long gash across his face was the freshest injury he had sustained, and his once broken wrist had been shattered once more. It was healing, but crooked, so he would have to get it fixed.

The torture that he had gone through was nothing like the torture Caspian had endured, but it still marked him. But he needed to push these thoughts from his mind. He was free now, and that was all that mattered. He needed to focus on going home. Stumbling as his paced weakened, he halted quickly as he heard voices up ahead. He recognized Susan's, and his heart skipped a beat. He wanted nothing more than to have his sister in his arms. Hearing Caspian's strong voice confused him because he believed that the man had been murdered, but he wouldn't question it. He was happy that he was alive, thankful even. But the third voice was harsh and slightly familiar. He had never met him, but he had heard of him in the prison cell he was trapped in. He believed it was Cotnar's orders that got him tortured. Gritting his teeth, he stepped forward and unsheathed the sword that he had stolen from the prisons. Stepping forward silently, he stood in the shadows until he heard the man threaten those that he loved. Stepping into sight, he took a deep breath and spoke, his voice cracking and weak. "Leave them be Cotnar." Edmund staggered, hunched slightly from his pain. But he would be strong for his family's sake. He wouldn't be leaving them again.