"Cambridge"

It's been a year since the Pevensie siblings' last adventure in Narnia, but they were facing a new one at that very moment.

Separation.

Peter and Susan had gone to America with their parents, while Emily and Lucy had the unfortunate luck of staying with their aunt Alberta and Uncle Harold.

And let's not forget their horrid cousin Eustace Clarence Scrubs.

That boy had been driving Emily insane since she first stepped foot in the house about eight months ago and she has been greatly tempted to bash him upside the head, but was held back by her younger sister.

To calm down, she let her mind drift back to Narnia where her friends, Aslan and Caspian were.

She often wondered what became of the young King, Trumpkin, Trufflehunter, Cheza, Glenstorm and Reepicheep.

How many years had gone by since they'd last been to Narnia?

Were they still alive?

Emily was out that day helping her younger sister get the groceries.

She was transfixed by the many men from the ages of 18 and older signing up to fight in the war that was still going on.

She often wished that she could join and help out, but women weren't allowed to fight and she was too young at the age of 17.

Plus, in the war on earth, people used guns, not swords, bows and arrows.

But she could help in the military tactics and planning.

She was broken from her thoughts by her sister calling her.

"Emily, you were supposed to be helping me with the groceries." Lucy said.

"Sorry, Lu." she called.

The two walked out of the building they were in, talking.

Emily noticed that Lucy was staring at something over her shoulder and was tucking a chestnut lock of hair behind her ear.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing." Lucy said, slightly embarrassed.

"Come on then."

Emily looked behind her to see what her sister was looking at and saw a solider was flirting with a pretty young woman.

She shrugged it off and followed her sister back to their temporary home.

"I'm home. Hello!" Lucy called entering the house.

The two sisters brought the groceries in and took off their coats, Emily offering to hang them up on the hook as Lucy brought the bags into the kitchen.

"Hello, Uncle Harold." Lucy said walking into the living room that held their uncle, who was reading his paper and listening to the radio.

"I tried to find some carrots, but all they had were turnips again. Shall I start making soup?" Lucy asked.

The man remained mute, as though he didn't hear her.

"Aunt Alberta's on her way home."

He just coughed and turned a page in the papers.

"Uncle Harold?" Lucy called, growing annoyed.

Emily rolled her eyes at the lack of response from her uncle and stuck her tongue out at him as her sister went back into the kitchen.

"Father." an annoying voice called from behind her.

She turned to see Eustace behind her on the stairs.

"Emily's making faces at you." he said.

He then brought a small tube up to his mouth and blew into it, spitting a small wad of paper at her neck, disgusting and infuriating her.

"Why, you little-!" she growled turning to the stairs, charging up them.

"Father, she's gonna hit me!" Eustace cried running off, but fell on the stairs, lying on his back, becoming pray to his cousin.

"Emily, look!" Lucy's voice stopped the girl, making her hover over the annoying blonde boy and look over to her sister.

"It's from Susan!" Lucy said holding up a letter with a brilliant smile.

"'I do wish you were here with us. It's been such an adventure, but nothing like our times in Narnia. America is very exciting, except we never see Father. He works so very hard. I was invited to the British Consul's tea party this week by a naval officer, who happens to be very handsome. I think he fancies me.' Hmm." Lucy said, reading their sister's letter.

They were up in the room they were sharing, reading the letter in peace.

Emily was looking at a portrait of a ship that was sailing on stormy seas, while her sister continued to read.

"'It seems the Germans have made the crossing difficult right now. Times are hard. Mother hopes you won't mind another few months in Cambridge.'" Lucy finished, making Emily whip around to look at her, horror on her face.

"Another few months?" Lucy said, disbelieving.

"How will we survive?" she asked as Emily sat down on her bed next to her.

"Well, at least we're lucky that none of us have to share a room with mullet mouth." the Just Queen said.

"Susan and Peter are the lucky ones. Off on adventures." the Valiant Queen said standing up.

"Yeah, they're the eldest and we're the youngest. We don't matter as much." Emily sighed as she leaned back on the bed, looking her older sister's letter over as Lucy looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"Do you think I look anything like Susan?" Lucy asked.

Emily sighed, not sure why her sister was asking that.

"Lucy, have you seen this ship before?" she asked standing up to look at the painting again.

"Yes. It's very Narnian-looking, isn't it?" Lucy said, smiling as they both stared at it.

"Yeah. Just another reminder that we're here and not there." Emily said sadly.

Lucy gave her sister a sympathetic look.

"There once were two orphans who wasted their time believing in Narnian nursery rhymes." someone said.

They turned to see their cousin had walked into the room uninvited and had been eaves dropping on them again.

"Please let me hit him." Emily ground out as she advanced towards the blonde, making him take a step back in fear.

"No!" Lucy said placing a hand on her sister's arm, stopping her.

"Don't you ever knock?" Emily asked.

"It's my house. I'll do as I please. You're just guests." Eustace said walking further into the room.

"What's so fascinating about that picture anyway? It's hideous." he said sitting on the bed, crossing his arms.

"You won't see it from the other side of the door." Emily said.

"Emily, it looks like the water is actually moving." Lucy said.

"What rubbish! See? That's what happens when you read all those fanciful novels and fairy tales of yours." Eustace said.

"There once was a boy called Eustace who read books that were useless." Emily said, making Lucy smile.

"People who read fairy tales are always the sort who become a hideous burden to people like me who read books with real information." Eustace said, making Emily turn towards him, anger clear in her chocolate brown eyes.

"Hideous burden? I haven't seen you lift a finger since we've been here." Emily said as the blonde stood up, staring her in the eyes.

He tried to run, but the young Queen was faster and quickly slammed her hand on the door, closing it and cutting off his escape.

"I have a mind to tell your father you stole Aunt Alberta's sweets." she threatened.

"Liar!" he accused.

"Oh, really?" she said.

"Emily, the painting!" she heard Lucy say.

The Just Queen ignored her sister, too focussed on the ugle pug in front of her.

"I found them under your bed, and you know what? I licked every one of them." she taunted.

"Ugh! I'm infected with you!" Eustace cried.

The two were broken out of their arguing as they were splashed with water and turned to see what Lucy had meant.

The painting was alive and water was pouring out of it like a waterfall.

"What's going on here?" the blonde asked.

"Lucy, do you think-?" Emily asked excited.

"It's some kind of trick! Stop it or I'll tell mother." Eustace threatened and began crying for his mother.

"I'll just smash the rotten thing."

He then grabbed the painting, but the sisters tried to stop him, as the water started flooding the entire room.

They wrestled it out of his grasp, but the idiot boy dropped it, the fight making them trip around in the deep water, then the room was completely submerged in water soon after.

They struggled in the water, trying to avoid getting hit by the floating chairs or lamp that was in the water.

The three swam towards the surface, where they saw light shining...

To be continued...