Chapter 12:

(So sorry for the long wait… I just never got round to writing and then I had writer's block and… Anyway here it is, it's a short one because I wanted to get something up but the next chapter will be up by the weekend so this is just a transition back into it. Hope you enjoy and thank you all for the support! )

I held Peter's hand tightly as we followed Aslan. I knew this would not be some casual chat otherwise he would not have spoken to us separately. Once we were out of earshot from everyone Aslan turned to look at us before sitting down in the grass.

"You have both done well." The Lion told us.

I looked back at Aslan curiously. He had taken us aside to tell us that? No there must be more but he seemed to be waiting for one of us to react.

"Why did we have to go back?" Peter suddenly asked.

"Some things have to happen for others to fall in place." Aslan revealed. "If you had not gone back that day things would be very different today."

"But you didn't know this was going to happen, surely?" I interrupted.

Aslan chuckled. "I know things some people are unaware of. I did not know exactly what would happen but some things I knew would come to pass."

I sighed then something dawned on me. "Are we ever going to get that happy ending?"

Peter looked at me with confusion etched on his face. As soon as he realised what I meant he looked back at Aslan expectantly.

"That is not in my hands." The Great Lion spoke softly.

"Then in whose hands is it?" I asked again. "Because I don't want to be ripped apart like that again, if there is no hope of us actually being together then please just tell us so I can accept that and stop fooling myself into thinking that there is a chance."

"I'm with Rebecca on this. I don't want to live my life wondering if I'm ever going to see her again or if we're just doomed to be apart."

Aslan looked up at us both. "Your love is such a blessing and yet such a burden." He began to tell us. "A bond so strong that it hurts so much."

I felt Peter slip his hand into mine and intertwine our fingers, a small gesture of reassurance and love.

"Your fate will come down to a single moment. You will know when it comes."

My brows furrowed. "I'm not sure I follow."

"You will understand soon enough." With that the Great Lion turned and walked off leaving both Peter and I speechless.

"Do you know what all that was about?" Peter looked at me quizzically.

"I really have no idea." I shook my head. "Come on; let's get back over to the others anyway."

Hand in hand we both went back over to the others feeling more confused than before. The journey back to the castle was not very eventful. Everyone seemed to be happy. Peter had even apologised to Caspian which had even taken me by surprise. It was just before we entered the castle that things took an interesting turn.

I closed my eyes as I started to feel sick again. I leaned up against one of the walls for support. The sickness didn't seem to be passing just by me no longer walking in fact it only seemed to get worse.

"Peter." I called out to my husband softly.

He had been walking slightly in front of me chatting away with Archer and Edmund. The blond turned round to look at me and his grin dropped. He hurried over, worry etched all over his face.

"Becca?" Peter asked. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." I managed to tell him between deep breaths. "My stomach has been giving me hell."

He frowned. "We're nearly there; we'll get you checked out once we're up there." He wrapped an arm tightly around my waist and helped me forward but I stumbled and even Peter had trouble supporting my weight as he had not exactly rested since his fight with Miraz.

Ed and Archer, I noticed, had also stopped when I'd called for Peter. His brother looked at me in concern. "Pete, is she alright?"

"Do I look alright Ed?" I replied sarcastically. "No, I don't, now help please."

Edmund reacted and came over to me and placed my arm around his shoulder. "Even when you're ill you still find room for sarcasm."

"There is always room for sarcasm." I chuckled lightly before letting out a groan in pain. "Okay so laughing is not good."

"Just hold on a bit longer." Peter told me. "You're going to be fine."

I nodded just as we passed the inner courtyard walls. "Funny how we stormed this place not too long ago." I remarked with a bit of sorrow.

Neither of them commented. I still didn't what had happened after they'd gotten out of there. My brother seemed to have blamed Peter for everything and I guessed Peter would have taken it out on Caspian. I hadn't asked yet, not just because I hadn't really had the time to ask but I didn't really want to rain on everyone's parade by bringing up something so sad.

It didn't take us much longer to reach the castle and soon enough I'd been dragged off in the direction of a room. Women fussed about me for a while either trying to get me to drink something or telling me what a pleasure it was to meet me. I just groaned in response wanting someone to just finally tell me what the hell was wrong with me. Soon a physician turned up and started poking me in the stomach. I winced every time he did so. The older man turned to Peter who was sitting on a chair next to the bed.

"May I lift her shirt, your majesty?" He asked him.

It was weird when I thought about it at first, a doctor having to ask permission to look over his patient but I quickly remembered I wasn't in a hospital in England anymore. I was in Narnia and here not only were the customs different but I also wasn't just some random teenage girl. I was married to the once High King of Narnia and out of respect to him he couldn't just remove my clothes without Peter's solid permission.

Peter nodded without a word and squeezed my hand just that bit tighter as the man lifted my shirt up. He rolled it up so it rested just below my chest. He ran his finger along my skin and I winced in pain again before hearing Peter take in a sharp intake of breath. "It appears a wound was not treated properly and has infected." He told us.

"During the siege… that's where they got me just before I passed out." I remembered. "I hadn't even spared a thought to it."

"What can you do?" Peter asked.

The physician looked at him. "I will do everything I can. I will need to clean the wound and sterilise it as much as possible. I must admit that if you had arrived later I might not have been able to do much for your lady."

I tried as hard as possible not to scoff, I was in the room but the physician just seemed to be ignoring me. I might be royalty in Narnia but this man was a Telmarine and I'm guessing that for them women were far inferior to men. It made my blood boil.

"Whatever you want to do, just do it." Peter ordered.

The man bowed to him stiffly before exiting the room. He came back with different things and immediately started cleansing my wound. He made me drink a couple of potions before announcing he would return the next day advising Peter that he should make me stay in bed and rest.

Once the guy had left I finally sighed in relief. "I thought he'd never leave."

"He's coming back tomorrow." Peter reminded me as he sat down on my side of the bed. "I'm sorry about this… We should have checked for wounds the minute we had you back."

I shook my head at him and forced myself to sit up. "It's not your fault and I don't want you to feel guilty about this. It's just an infection and it's going to heal." I said cupping his jaw with my hand. "I'll be fine."

He nodded and closed his eyes at my touch. "I love you."

I smiled back at him. "I love you too."