One note both you read, if you hate the whole Susan and Caspian thing, please do not read and flame. Read if you want to (and maybe start to like) but don't flame.

And throughout the story I'm going to use quotes by C. S. Lewis himself. See if you can catch them. (Hint there's one in this chapter.)

Disclaimer: If you think I owned Narnia, your nuts. The guy who does (or did) died a long long long time before I who even born. And nobody on this website makes money, obviously if this is fanfictiondotnet

A Change of Heart

Book #1 - The Queen Returns

Chapter 1

Home Is Where the Heart Is

"I wish we could have had more time together." Caspian said.

"We wouldn't have worked out anyway." Susan said.

"Why not?"

"Well, I am 1300 years old than you."

Caspian gave a small singular chuckle to this. Then Susan smiled, turned away from him and started to walk away. But then suddenly she turned back and gave him a kiss that he returned. This shocked everyone, including Aslan.

If you had looked at Aslan during that kiss, you would be surprised at his appearance. The usual majestic look was replaced with a sad and contemplating expression. Never in the history, at least as far back as anyone could remember, had Aslan second guessed his decisions. But now he was thinking fast, he had to decide quickly. If he changed his decision now, the entire future would be changed. But would it be a good change?

After Susan had broken off the kiss, Caspian had held her in his arms. Neither one wanted to let go but they knew that they would have to eventually. So Caspian lifted his head from Susan's shoulder and, both holding back tears, they parted, and then Susan joined her siblings. Then the four Pevensies turned and started towards the arch.

"Wait!" Aslan suddenly said.

Peter stopped so suddenly in his tracks that he caused Edmund to walk into the back of him.

"Ow!" Edmund said.

But he was ignored as everyone turned to face Aslan.

"No one else is to go through that arch until I say so." Aslan said. "Susan Pevensie, come with me."

Susan became confused, and turned to her siblings before she started to walk towards the lion. But before she reached him, she paused for a second in front of Caspian and looked at him. Then she walked to the lion and they left out of sight.

The crowd started to murmur once the lion and queen disappeared. Caspian walked over to Peter, Edmund and Lucy.

"What's going on?" Caspian asked.

"I don't know." Peter said.

"I wonder what they're doing." Lucy said.

"I think they're talking." Edmund said.

"Why would you think that?" Peter asked.

"Well, what else would they be doing?" Edmund.

"He's got a point." Peter said.

They couldn't tell if it had been waiting for 2 minutes or 2 hours, it had felt like 2 centuries. It had only really been 10 minutes, before Aslan reappeared with a very sad, confused, nervous looking Susan.

"You may discuss this with them if you wish. But I am warning you this choice is yours and yours alone. I urge you to think this through very carefully, for this will affect not only you, but this world's entire future. For if you choose this, the plans that have been laid out for this world will be changed. Choose wisely." Aslan told Susan before stepping back.

Susan nodded and then slowly made her way towards the 4 other royals.

"What's going on?" Lucy said.

"He- He changed his mind." Susan said.

"Changed his mind? About what?" Peter asked.

"About us and Narnia." Susan said.

Then a confused Edmund asked, "So what is he-"

"He's letting me stay in Narnia." Susan finally blurted out.

"What?" Peter asked shocked.

Caspian smiled, but didn't say a word.

"Oh this is so wonderful!" Lucy exclaimed, "Aslan is letting us-"

"No." Susan interrupted firmly. "Not us, me, just me."

"What?" Edmund asked softly confused.

"Aslan said that I could stay in Narnia, and continue being queen. But he said that only I could stay, and that the three of you would have to go." Susan said.

Although no one had told him, Caspian stepped away, leaving the family to discuss the issue.

"What are you going to do?" Lucy asked.

Susan sighed and then said, "I don't know. I mean I know I should go home, but there's this part of me that wants to stay here with-"

But Edmund cut her off.

"Oh come off it! You know you can't stay here! What about mum? What about dad? What about us? What about everything at home?"

"Stop it Ed! You don't think I haven't thought about it! Look Aslan said that if I choose to stay here, he'll handle everything." Susan said.

"But if you stay here we won't see you again." Lucy said trying not to cry.

"Well it wouldn't be like that." Susan said.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"You don't actually think Aslan would let me just stay here and that would be all there is to it." Susan said.

"What then?" Peter asked.

"I don't know. He said that now was not the time for me to know, but that I have to decide first." Susan said.

"Well what do you what to do?" Peter said.

"I don't know! This is too hard to decide! I mean back home I have all these set goals and dreams! But here there's-" Susan stopped and sighed after she looked at Caspian.

"Su, you are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." Peter said, "Look, they say home is where the heart is. You aren't deciding whether or not to go home. But rather where your home is."

Susan sighed and put her head down.

"Whatever you decide, I know we'll be fine with it." Peter said.

Susan looked back up at at Peter, and then she looked, in turn, at Lucy, Edmund, her Narnian friends, Aslan and finally King Caspian the Xth.

She sighed, put her head down and made her decision.

She looked at Aslan and said, "I've made my choice."

Then she looked at Peter and than Caspian and said, "I'm so sorry."

The Caspian's hopes fell, and Peter felt a little relieved. But that all changed when Susan announced, "I've decided to stay in Narnia."

Everyone, other than Susan and Aslan, looked up shocked at her.

Aslan said, "Every well daughter of Eve. Now since you have chosen to stay, I will tell you what is to happen with you, your family and your home world. You will stay here; I will deal with your parents. You will be able to visit your family every so often, but NOT every year. Or else you will show up in your home world too often. But there's one condition if you stay."

"What?" Susan asked.

"I never reveal the future young one. When you must face the condition, I will reveal what it is." Aslan said before turning to the other 3, "And as for the rest of you. Now that your sister has chosen this, you all each have one more visit to Narnia then what you were going to have before. So Peter this visit is not your last, BUT your next one will be. But Lucy and Edmund you must look forward to more visits in the future. For your next one will be soon."

"How long?" Lucy asked.

"Didn't I just tell your sister that I never reveal the future?" Aslan said.

"Aslan, there's one thing I still don't understand." Susan said.

"What is that?" Aslan asked.

"Well, Narnia time goes faster than my world's time. So when I visit my world, will I be older? And what if I diein Narnia? Will I be dead at home too?" Susan asked.

"No child when you enter your world, you will be the proper age you should be in that world, and when you re-enter Narnia after a visit you will be the same age as you were when you left Narnia. But as for what happens if you die... I cannot tell you. You must find that out when you do die. Now you must tell your brothers and sister goodbye, for now." Aslan said.

The goodbye was a sad one; no one knew when they would see each other again. But they reassured each other that everything would be alright, that they would take care and that they would see each other again. Then Peter, Edmund and Lucy went through the arch. But not without Lucy looking be one last time.

Then Aslan looked at Caspian and Susan and said, "I will stay for one week to help you to get started rebuilding and reinstating Narnia. And then I must leave you, but it will not be the last time you see me." Then he turned to the crowd and said, "Anyone wishing to leave Narnia may go now."

Quite a few people started to go under the arch, and they blocked Caspian and Susan from getting to each other. Then finally Caspian made his way through the crowd and to Susan.

Neither said a word, but instead they spoke through their eyes. Then Susan went into Caspian's arms and they both shed tears. The tears were a mix of sadness, happiness, frustration and regret, but they both were smiling.

They had never meant to fall in love, but they did anyway.

A million questions ran through their heads.

How would things change with her family gone and the queen of Narnia back? Can marriage be in the future? Can jealousy tear them apart? Will she miss home too much? Will the fights they'll eventually have be too much? What's the condition Aslan won't tell them about? Can the love last?

Only time could tell.

All they knew was that this was here their hearts lay.

They were home.

Just to tell you this is not the end. It's only the beginning.

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