Amelia immediately fell into a curtsy and faltered for something to say. Standing before her were two of the most famous rulers in Narnian history. And they were children. Caspian chuckled and introduced her to Edmund and Lucy.
"This is Amelia. She came from England like yourselves." He watched their eyes widen in surprise.
"Really?" Lucy exclaimed. "I didn't know it was possible for- well, adults to come to Narnia."
"I will give you an explanation as soon as I know myself." Caspian placed a hand on Amelia's arm, telling her that she could rise.
"Get this thing off me!" An obnoxiously whiny voice shrieked. Caspian turned his attention to the strange and unfamiliar boy who has arrived with the Pevensies. The boy threw Reepicheep away from him. Amelia and Caspian cocked their heads to the side in confusion. Caspian has never seen the boy before, but Amelia stepped towards him while Reepicheep greeted Lucy and Edmund.
"Eustace?"
"Miss Connelly?" The boy brushed himself off. "Finally, someone with a bit of sense."
"Wait, you two know each other?" Edmund inquired. Amelia nodded.
"Eustace came often to the library where I worked a short time as an assistant."
"Yes, before you left to pursue all of that fiction nonsense," Eustace added gruffly. "If you ask me, you would have been far better off as a librarian than that vandal Jimmy Blossom's secretary. I heard about how he treated girls like you."
Amelia turned red as she earned a troubled, questioning glance from Caspian.
"Now I demand to be told where we are!" Eustace cried.
"You're on the Dawn Treader." A minotaur stepped forward. "The finest ship in Narnia's Navy." Eustace gasped and fainted, hitting the deck with a loud thud. The minotaur stood in confusion. "Was it something I said?" Caspian smirked.
"See to him, will you?" He asked and the minotaur nodded.
"Perhaps we could throw him back," Reepicheep suggested. Edmund made a face, considering his options.
"Edmund!" Lucy exclaimed, smacking her brother. Amelia still couldn't help but stare in shock. They seemed like normal children, but there was something about their eyes. Each held a wiseness beyond their young faces.
"Caspian, why don't you show them around the ship?" She suggested. "I'll see to Eustace." As she followed the crewman carrying the unconscious boy, Lucy watched Caspian's gaze follow her, light filling his eyes. She smirked and followed him into the captain's quarters.
Amelia stayed with Eustace until he woke up. At first, he thought it was all a dream.
"Sometimes I think that myself." Amelia sighed. "I'm afraid I'm going to wake up and this will all be gone."
"Well I am going to wake up and it better be soon." Eustace grumbled. Amelia snickered.
"I'm afraid you're going to be stuck here for a while." She tried to give him a reassuring smile before heading back up to the main deck.
The air was crisp and the sun was bright, filling Lucy and Edmund with joy and nostalgia.
"Since you've left, the Giants in the North had surrendered we defeated the Calormen army of the great is peace across all of Narnia." Caspian informed them.
"Peace?"
"For three years." Caspian nodded.
"So Caspian," Lucy began. The question had been burrowing in her mind ever since they arrived. "Have you found yourself a queen?" Caspian's gaze moved the girl, whose hair shone in the afternoon sun and smile even bright than that. He smiled and turned to Lucy, the admiration still bright in his eyes.
"Possibly…" His voice carried off, lost in his gaze. Lucy and Edmund gave each other knowing glances.
"Well, I simply must get to know her." Lucy concluded, skipping off to join Amelia. Now alone, Edmund curiously turned to Caspian.
"Hang on, so there are no wars to fight no one is in trouble… then why are we here?"
"That's a good question," Caspian replied, though it seemed his focus was still lost in his thoughts. "I have been asking myself that same thing." As the two men discussed, the former queen approached the older woman, who was staring off to sea.
Amelia's nerves leaped suddenly as Lucy appeared next to her. She began to drop into a curtsy, but Lucy stopped her.
"You don't have to do that." The young girl snickered. Amelia blushed.
"Sorry." She said shyly. "It's just very strange for me. For the past few months, I've read so much about you and your siblings and now you're here! And there's so much I want to know."
"There's so much I want to know about you!" Lucy exclaimed. "Not only are you the only person I've met in Narnia from my world, you've captured the heart of dear Caspian, which I didn't know was possible after Susan left." Amelia paused.
"Your sister, Susan?" She gulped. Lucy nodded. "As in, Queen Susan the Gentle, so beautiful that the Calormen Prince nearly started a war for her hand?" Lucy burst out laughing.
"I'd forgotten about that." she snorted. "You really have done your reading. Well, I'm sure the author's exaggerated." She gave Amelia an encouraging smile, but her sunny demeanor faltered. Lucy had grown jealous of her sister's beauty. Amelia suddenly felt ill and excused herself.
As Lucy and Edmund acquainted themselves with the crew, Caspian found Amelia in her quarters, pacing back and forth.
"What do you think of them?" He wondered, worried that she and Lucy hadn't gotten along.
"Oh they're lovely!" she beamed, but her hands still fidgeted with the sleeves of her shirt.
"Wonderful!" Caspian said relieved. "I was hoping you would share these quarters with Lucy since you're the only women on board."
"Of course." Amelia brightened slightly with excitement. She continued to pace. Caspian watched her nervously tuck her hair behind her ear and chuckled.
"What is it, love?"
"Hmm," She hummed, staring off. Caspian stood in front of her and placed his hands on her arms.
"You're practically been scurrying about like a mouse." He smirked. "Do the Pevensies make you that nervous?" Amelia shrugged sheepishly.
"One of them does." She admitted.
"Who?" she looked at the ground.
"Susan." She muttered. Caspian pulled away in confusion.
"Susan?" He remarked. "What are you talking about?"
"You never said you had feelings for Queen Susan!" Amelia accused, jealousy brewing in her stomach. Caspian, like Lucy, burst with laughter.
"That's what this is about?"
"Well, I'm sorry if I'm slightly intimidated by one of Narnia's greatest and most beloved rulers." She replied. "She was a queen… I'm a secretary. How am I to compete with that?"
"Amelia, "Caspian sighed, "You don't have to compete with anything." He gently pressed his lips to her forehead. "Susan and I were mere children when we met. And yes, in the midst of a brutal war we developed feelings for one another. But she left and I moved on. I found you. I love you. And you will never be just a secretary to me."
Her lips curved into a smile and all her worry vanished. His chocolate eyes instantly calmed her. She twirled a brown lock of his hair around her finger and for a while, neither of them said anything. They just stood there, taking in each other's presence. At last, Caspian spoke.
"I promised Edmund a duel." He announced. "Perhaps you would like to join us. I'm sure he'd admire your swordsmanship." Amelia nearly accepted, but then thought of the searing pain of Kasto's blade and worse; the memory of her failure. She had been defeated and she feared to feel it again. She shook her head.
"Maybe next time. But I'd enjoy watching." She tried to sound excited despite her sullen spirits. Caspian could tell that she was thinking of the duel with Kasto by the way her hand subconsciously held her side, but he decided to let it go. He gave her a small smile and took her hand.
IT'S FINALLY BACK! I finally reminded my lazy ass how much I love this story and I am ecstatic to bring it back after months of my notebook collecting dust. I am so excited to have this back and I hope all of you are excited too!