The Secret Chronicles of Narnia Trilogy: Part III

NIGHTMARE

by TastyAsItGets

Susan paced the gateway to Cair Paravel while clutching her pregnant abdomen. Her lip was beginning to bleed; she had been gnawing on it for hours.

"Su, dearest, maybe you should wait inside."

She shook her head. Her dark blue eyes raked the tree line of the forest into which the road from the castle led. "The Squirrels said they'd be here any minute. I've spent months fretting about the trial, and I don't intend to agonize a moment longer than necessary!"

Peridan sighed. He wrapped his arm around the Queen's waist. "Then I'll wait with you."

The beautiful Queen intertwined her fingers with her husband's hand on her waist as she continued to peer out. Her mind raced. What if Saedra hadn't won the trial? What kind of lies had Lord Reine planted against Saedra that made Reine think he had a chance of taking Susan's sister-in-law's duchy from her? How would this affect Peter if his wife was being maligned?

She needed to see Peter and Lucy again, just to know that everything was okay. Things had seemed so off at Cair Paravel for quite a while now. Saedra and Peter's marriage had been strained by losing their son Willem in childbirth and his twin sister Caulitha barely surviving. Edmund had recently withdrawn from his siblings, concealing a worry that he refused to confide to his older sister. Rahai had just days ago fled the palace, looking composed but unusually pale and stating she had forgotten to do something. She had left on horseback, and Susan had gotten no response as to where Edmund's wife was going.

Susan hoped that, however unlikely it was, everything would be okay if the trial went well for Saedra. Peter and Saedra would then be able to concentrate on their marriage, and maybe Edmund and Rahai could be happy (for surely their strange behavior stemmed from worry about dear Saedra!).

"Su," Peridan said, pulling her from the depths of her thoughts, "I don't want you to get your hopes up."

She looked up at her husband, startled that he seemed to be reading her mind. He knew her too well sometimes.

"I just want things to be…normal," Susan said. "I can't explain it, but…"

Her voice trailed off when she spotted the group of riders heading toward them.

"They're here!" Susan left Peridan's embrace and rushed forward as best she could manage with her bulk. She scanned the group for her family and quickly spotted them.

Peter was on the lead horse, Lucy to his right. Susan couldn't spot Saedra or her teenage daughter Talia, figuring they were farther back in the procession of Minotaurs and Centaurs.

Susan's labored steps slowed as she saw her siblings' expressions. Peridan stopped at her side, shaking his head with trepidation.

"Something's wrong, Per..."

Susan would have expected there to be a lot of noise and excitement about the High King and Lucy's return, but there was a somber mood about the group. Peter and Lucy's expressions were even more worrisome: Peter's was pale and vacant, Lucy's hard. Both expressions were foreign to their faces, and they didn't wear them well.

The procession eased to a halt in front of Susan and Peridan. Peter, who was staring over their heads and didn't seem to have even noticed their presence, paused before sliding off the horse. He dazedly handed the reigns to an attendant Satyr. He locked eyes with the tense Peridan.

Peter said flatly: "Where's Edmund?"

"Peter..." Peridan said with a hint of warning in his voice. Susan was puzzled to see that her husband seemed to know something about the situation that she did not.

"Where—is—Edmund?" Peter repeated.

Lucy came up behind him. Her face was hard, but Susan was shocked to see that tears had begun flowing down her cheeks.

"What's going on?" Susan asked, feeling panic start to creep through her. "What happened? Where's Saedra?"

Peter flinched, but recovered after a second.

"Peridan," the High King repeated. "Where is Edmund?"

"Don't speak to him now, Peter, please," Peridan implored. "Take a day or two to think. Don't speak to him with your emotions running high—"

"Tell me where he is."

"What's going on?" Susan demanded. Her heart thumped wildly. Something very important was taking place, but she had no idea what it was! "Lucy, what happened?"

Lucy ignored her sister. She seemed as intent as Peter was to find Edmund.

"Peridan, as your High King, I order you to tell me where my treasonous brother is."

"Treasonous?" Susan shrieked. "Tell me what's going on!"

Peridan backed down at Peter's threatening tone. "I will tell you, your Majesty, if you give me your sword."

Peter's eyes flashed. His hand went to the hilt at his side.

"High King," Peridan emphasized, "you don't want to do this. Give me your sword, and I'll take you to your brother."

With great reluctance and aggravation, Peter relinquished Rhindon. Peridan took it and handed it to the nearest guard.

"Watch over that for the High King."

The Minotaur nodded.

"Take me to Edmund," Peter said coldly. "Now!"

Susan jumped. The attendants around them looked at each other uneasily.

Peridan, who was obviously very aware of the public nature of their conversation, nodded. "Follow me."

Hitching up her skirts, Susan hurried after Peridan, Peter, and Lucy as they entered the castle.

"Please tell me what happened!" Susan begged. "Why is Peter so furious with Ed? Lucy, please—"

"You'll see soon enough, Susan," Lucy said vindictively, tears still trailing over her face.

As they went through the castle, higher and higher, Peridan begged Peter "not to do this," that if the High King kept a cool head, they could work it out. At this, Susan interjected with questions that everyone ignored. Finally, panting with breath and slightly behind the group, Susan came out onto the sunny rooftop of the castle.

So, this was where Edmund had been hiding out lately? And Peridan hadn't told his wife where her brother was, even though he knew? Susan had expressed concern about Edmund's mysterious disappearances so many times to him!

Peridan led the group to the eastern tower and entered it. They climbed the winding staircase. Susan was winded, but the desire to know what was happening kept one foot stepping in front of the other.

She caught up to them when they reached the doorway to the room at the top of the tower. Peter threw the wooden door open. Edmund, who had been sitting at the edge of a cot, jumped to his feet. The embroidered pillow that had been in his hand slid to the floor. Looking startled and guilty, he backed away from Peter's murderous expression. Peridan gripped Peter's arm to hold him back.

In a voice that was loaded with pain, Peter said coldly, "At last the mystery ends."

Edmund looked confused. Peter shook off Peridan's arm and marched into the round chamber.

"I'd been wondering where that pillow was. Nice to know that you and Saedra made your little love nest so comfortable up here."

"What?" Susan screeched.

Peter advanced on Edmund slowly. Everything seemed to be happening at once: Peridan implored Peter to use his head, Lucy burst into full tears and buried her face in her hands as if unable to watch, and Susan screamed for someone to answer her questions.

Peter's voice carried over the noise. "I think I always knew that Saedra was capable of something like this. But you...? How you enabled that—that woman to betray me, your own brother..."

"Don't blame this on Saedra, Peter!" Edmund said. "The fault is both of ours."

"That's for damn sure!" Peter roared. In a few long strides, he was on top of Edmund, fist ready to strike—

Susan jerked awake, her heart pounding. Her eyes darted back and forth in the darkness as she tried to recall where she was.

Her breathing slowed when she realized that she was in her own bed at her parents' house. She was in England, not Narnia. She was seventeen years old, not the adult she had been in the dream.

Lucy, in the bed across from hers, turned over.

The images from her dream haunted her, replaying in her mind. As she awakened more and more, the nightmare became fuzzier in her mind. But the feelings remained. The terror and shock was almost as clear to her now as it had been in the nightmare. The pain from her family ripping itself apart was a fresh wound.

It was only a dream, Susan, she told herself. Only a dream. That never happened, remember? We were happy in Narnia. This never happened.

She calmed as she reminded herself of those truths. Peter and Edmund were best friends; they didn't hate each other. Lucy and Susan were happy. Narnia was a fond memory of all of theirs; it had been the happiest time of their lives.

It was only a dream.

Right?