Chapter 1

"Squirt? I'm a King! I have fought wars and have led armies!" Edmund Pevensie exclaimed annoyed as he helped his younger sister, Lucy, load the groceries on her bicycle. He had been just told off by a boy barely two years older than him. Edmund envied his two eldest siblings, Susan and Peter. Peter was off at college, living another kind of adventure and doing what he loved most; studying politics and history.

Susan on the other hand, was off to America with their parents and was having her own adventure, meeting new people, going to social parties that he knew were fun in their own way. And both elder ones had one more advantage; they were away from England, away from the worries the war caused and most especially away from their hideous cousin Eustace Clarence Scrubb.

However, he and Lucy were forced to live with him and his weird family until the war ended. Which might take forever!

"Not in this world." Lucy knocked him out of his thoughts. Sadness and nostalgia were the elements that characterized her once cheerful, girlish voice, before they returned from the second journey in Narnia, one year ago. Now, she had started growing up, and becoming more mature and serious, and not only physically. Her replies always reminded him of the strong woman she once was, when they were Kings and Queens in Narnia for fifteen years. Wisdom had always been a trait she had been blessed with but her childish happiness had never left her, even as an adult. She always looked at the bright side of things, always the optimist of the family. But leaving Narnia for the second time had absolutely crashed her and Edmund couldn't blame her. She had to leave behind new friends, loyal friends, the kind of friends you cannot find in our world and she had to do it knowing that it was perhaps the last time she ever saw them. After all, a year in their world was equal to 1300 narnian years.

"Yes, instead I am stuck in this one living with Eustace Clarence Scrubb!" he complained for the hundredth time about the fact he was staying with his annoying cousin. No one of his family liked Eustace and the feeling was mutual. At least, they didn't have to pretend they liked one another.

Lucy listened to her brother complaining again about Eustace and she couldn't disagree. The boy, who happened to be her age, a fact that never stopped annoying her, never stopped teasing them, especially after the night he had overheard them talking of Narnia. After that, he kept mocking them for believing fairytales. Sighing, she looked away from Ed's aggravated gaze, wanting to distract her mind since remembering Narnia in any way hurt her, remembering what she had lost when she had left both times.

Her blue eyes fell on a young couple of adolescents that must have been barely a year older than Edmund. They were flirting provocatively but the girl tried her best to look innocent and sweet. As the boy told her something that made her giggle, she tucked a strand of her golden hair behind her ear and Lucy couldn't help but notice that innocent, small move was more flirting and inviting the boy to be with her than any other.

Was that what made girls look prettier and boys be attracted to them? Lucy envied those girls so much. She wanted badly to look anything like them, especially to Susan. Susan always gained the attention of many handsome men and boys, including the current King of Narnia, Caspian the Tenth. Oh, Lucy would give anything to look like her. Anything.

Unconsciously, she mimicked the girls movement, and tried to look cute and flirty as she tucked a strand of light brown hair behind her ear, a movement that did not go unnoticed by her brother. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing!" She answered as fast as a thunder. "Come on. Aunt Alberta and Uncle Harold must be waiting for us and I don't want to be grounded again for arriving thirty minutes later."

Edmund nodded lightly and helped Lucy move the overloaded with groceries bicycle.

"Hey, Ed! A letter from Susan!"

Lucy held up a letter, her face overflowing excitement and glee. Every month, their elder sister would send them a letter, narrating all her adventures in America with every little detail and always saying how she missed all three of them and how she wanted to return to England. She, too, missed Narnia very much and wished she could go back. She and Peter had been forbidden to ever return to Narnia since they were too old for it and had learned all they could, according to Aslan and that had crashed their siblings, especially the once Gentle Queen of Narnia. Her siblings knew she also missed the Narnian King Caspian as well. In their last visit in Narnia, it had been pretty obvious those two had a thing going on and the day they left Narnia, Susan had said goodbye to him with her own and very unique way; by kissing him. They all knew that was her first kiss, thus the one she would remember her entire life and they felt sorry for her because she would have to live with painfully beautiful memories of a place that she couldn't be again.

That last letter declared, once more, her sorrowful feelings but also said how a naval officer of the British Counsel had invited her at a tea party and that she was sure he fancied her. It was clear she was very excited and she said that she felt she might like him too. The one thing the younger siblings didn't like about that letter was that Susan informed they had to stay another few months with their cousin. Lucy sighed and stood up walking towards her room's mirror. Once again, Susan had won another man's attention while she had no one's. Back in Narnia, she had many suitors but never as many as her sister. She felt wronged, that she had to share a part of Susan's beauty.

"Do you think I look anything like Susan?" she asked her brother as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. However, he only heaved in nuisance and put the letter aside, aggravated. She hated he ignored her question but didn't mean to pressure him into giving her an answer.

"Have you seen this ship before?" he said after a while and walked towards the painting of a ship next to her mirror. Looking at it, she had to agree; it was very familiar to her and apparently to her brother.

"Yes, it's very narnian looking, isn't it?" she agreed with a smile. "It resembles to the Splendour Hyaline, doesn't it?"

Edmund smiled at her expression knowing very well she was remembering their beautiful times aboard their royal ship. That ship was a beauty and was actually one of the fastest ships in whole of Narnia. "Yes, it does, only this one looks smaller and probably was constructed for sea battles and such."

"There once were two orphans who wasted their time believing in narnian nursery stories." Eustace's annoying voice made Lucy jump startled and Edmund move to hit him. However, Lucy stopped him saying he was not worth it at which Edmund agreed.

"What's so fascinating about this picture anyway? It's hideous!" Scrubb exclaimed sitting arm-crossed on Lucy's bed. Edmund rolled his eyes but Lucy paid no attention to him. She was really fascinated by the painting and the fact that it looked to be real.

"You won't see it from the other side of the door!" Edmund suggested hoping his words worked on their cousin. Eustace only huffed and remained silent.

"Ed the water looks as if it were actually moving…" Lucy informed, uncertainty lingering on her voice. Edmund took a step closer to the picture wanting to see what his sister meant by that. And he was amazed that she was actually telling the truth. He could see the waves going up and down, rocking the ship as they did so.

"What rubbish! See that's what happens when you read all these fairytales of yours, instead of books about historical facts!"

Eustace didn't lose the chance to annoy and try to tell them off with a scolding, stuck-up manner. However, this time neither of the siblings looked at him in annoyance or even rolled their eyes. Just Edmund replied to him with a rhyme of his own causing Lucy chuckle a little. "There once was a boy called Eustace who read books about facts that were useless!"

Lucy's eyes never left the painting examining every little detail of it. She ignored her brother and cousin that had started fighting once again, completely entranced by how vivid and real it all looked. And then the strangest of all things happened; a single drop of sea water landed on her pink cheek before the furious yet gentle sea breeze caressed her face and started wiping and messing her hair. "Edmund, the painting…!" she exclaimed in shock and pure disbelief. She was extremely happy nonetheless since that could only mean that Aslan was calling for them once again. But Eustace was with them too…

"Do you really think…?" not even Edmund dared to voice his hopes of them going back to Narnia knowing there was a small chance that they were not. But when water started pouring out of the painting, filling up the room and the ship looked as if it was real and closing the distance between them, the two siblings laughed enthusiastically and held hands, like they had the other time.

"Stop this! What's going on? I'll tell mother!" Eustace screamed again and again before launching to the painting, grabbing it in his hands and trying to destroy it.

"No, Eustace, no!" Edmund grabbed his hands trying to make him drop the painting and finally succeeding as he banged the boy against the wall. Eustace cried in pain, dropping the painting on the floor. Instantly, the room was full of salty water and all the furniture were floating and swimming in the sea water. The three children kicked their legs as they tried to reach the surface, all of them slowly running out of breath.

Lucy was the first one whose head popped out of the water as she tried to fill her lungs with the salty, sea air. She called for the two boys to swim faster as the ship they had been previously admiring in the painting was sailing towards them and was about to drown them. She heard splashes as if somebody had fallen in the water and was relieved to see someone helping her.

"Caspian?" she tried to say not wanting to swallow more sea water. The young man looked to be as surprised as her at seeing her and eagerly helped her swim towards the ship. Behind her she heard Eustace screaming "I want to go back to England, let me go!" and the men helping him laughing and snorting at his reaction.

He handed her a warm blanket once they were safely on board and told her how happy he was to see her again. And then the two boys arrived as well and the two siblings and Caspian exchanged smiles and words of reunion. The young King informed them he was not the one who had called them, making all three of them exchange glances of puzzlement and confusion.

"Get this thing off me! Get it off me!" Eustace's agonized voice captured everyone's attention. He was lying on the ship's wooden deck and was struggling to free himself from something or actually someone. The mouse that was previously on top of him bolted away from him and tried to fix the spoiled feather on his head and to make his wet fur look more appropriate for a knight.

"Reepicheep!" Lucy exclaimed in delight. She felt the urge to hug the big mouse but she knew that would only make him more embarrassed than ever before.

"Your Majesties!" he replied in delight as well, and bowed deeply to the two siblings. "Such a pleasure! But please tell me what to do with this…this…this hysterical interloper?" he asked pointing with his small thumb behind his shoulder towards Eustace, who was coughing the water out of his lungs.

"That giant rat just tried to claw my face off!" Eustace exclaimed once he was calmer and had found his breath. He pointed accusingly at the valiant mouse making everyone look at him in wonder. Reepicheep looked hurt.

"I was merely trying to expel the water from your lungs, sir!" the mouse objected politely. Eustace jumped up in fright and backed away.

"It talked….it..it…it…did you just see that? It just talked!" he said still pointing at the mouse, causing a roar of laughter out of the crew. Eustace looked around him. "Well, at least tell me, where in the blazes am I?"

Lucy looked amused as Tavros, a Minotaur, approached him and told him "You're on the Dawn Treader, the finest ship in Narnia's Navy!" Eustace fainted just at the sight of the fearsome and majestic creature of Narnia causing once again the crew laugh hysterically. However, the Minotaur looked everyone puzzled and addressed his King. "Is it something I said?"

Caspian smirked at the Minotaur's ignorance and asked him to take care of the boy. He then said to the two siblings to follow him in his cabin. He gave them clean clothes and something to eat and drink before explaining to them the purpose of his journey. He wished to find the seven missing lords and close friends of his father's that had been banished from Narnia by Miraz during his reign.

The two young royalties were more than pleased to see that he had taken Peter, Susan and Lucy's gifts from Father Christmas.

"Peter's sword!" Edmund exclaimed in surprise and delight as he held it, admiring once more the long, heavy sword on which were engraved words about Aslan and Narnia. He remembered Peter holding it and his shield as he lead their army in battles, always looking magnificent just like his title.

"Yes, I looked after it as promised." Caspian smiled kindly. "Have it if you wish."

Edmund, however, shook his head in refusal reminding him that his brother had given it to Caspian not to him. So the King did not insist but showed Lucy her healing cordial and her dagger which she gladly took and then he surprised Edmund by giving him his torch he had left behind during his previous visit in Narnia.

Lucy rested at the head of the ship, which was actually a dragon's head, and enjoyed the spray of the sea cooling her warm, of the burning sun, face. She felt amazingly wonderful for returning in Narnia, she felt as if a lost part of hers was found once again. How wonderful it would have been if Susan and Peter were with them. She missed the adventures she once had with them. The jokes and teases between them. She missed her family together.

"I can see why you like so much up here. It's quite serene." a heavily accented voice made her eyes snap open. She smiled at Caspian who took a place next to her, offering her a sword. She had asked him to give her one so that she can defend herself should they ever found danger in their way. She mumbled a 'thanks' as she strapped it around her slender, small waist.

"No problem. So tell me how things are going back to your world? How are your…siblings?" he asked looking down at his palms and the girl smiled in comprehension.

"They are fine. Peter is off to college and has focused on his studies; he really loves what he does. He sometimes visits Professor Kirk too! –the one whose house hides the wardrobe!-" she informed with a giggle. "As for Susan, well, she has gone to America with mum and dad and she's having the time of her life there!" she said with a hint of sorrow.

"Oh, that's…great, that's really great." The young King said but Lucy knew better than that. She could see sadness in his dark, brown orbs and wanted to comfort him in some way but didn't know how. And she couldn't bring up his relationship with Susan because that would only hurt him and she hated hurting people.

"Yes. What about you? Have you found yourself a Queen yet?" she asked and she didn't know why she tucked her hair, that was pinned in a ponytail, behind her ear the way she had seen that girl in the market do. But Caspian didn't seem to notice and she didn't know if she felt relieved or hurt by that.

"No, no one that can be compared to your sister…!" he answered trying to make it sound as a joke so she faked a smile and lowered her head not knowing what to say. She was glad Edmund challenged him in a swordfight and Caspian eagerly accepted. She didn't understand why she was feeling that way, envious of her older sister and wanting badly some boy to fancy her. She tried to look flirty to Caspian, for God's sake! She didn't like it, not one bit but it was something that was unconsciously making her way in her heart and head, changing her and the girl didn't like that change at all. But she couldn't fight it. It almost looked as if she didn't want to.

A singing voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked before her only to see the noble mouse singing a little poem.

"What are you singing, Reep?" she asked kindly and suppressed a giggle when the mouse jumped up startled.

"Oh, Majesty, well, it is something I was once told by a dryad. I never understood what it meant but these words had never left my mind and I'm trying to figure out what they mean ever since." Lucy looked at him in comprehension. She knew how it feels to want to discover what something you don't understand means and how that will affect your life. The poem spoke of Aslan's Country which is said to be at the world's end, at the utter east, but no one's ever known or answered that question, the question if it really exists. Only the Great Aslan himself could give answers but Lucy knew best of all, the Great Lion always answered in riddles.

"Do you really believe there's such a place?" she asked after a moment, meaning Aslan's Country.

"Well, we have nothing if not belief!" the mouse advised wisely and Lucy was reminded of her siblings' faith in Aslan and in Narnia the two previous times. They had never immediately believed her neither when she had first told them of the wardrobe and of Narnia nor when she had told them she had seen Aslan. She only then, however, realized the importance of faith and belief. Reep was right. They had nothing if not belief.

"Land ho!"

The three royalties, Reepicheep, Eustace, Drinian and a part of the crew went ashore. They had finally reached the Lone Islands but were intrigued and concerned they didn't fly narnian flags and that the city Narrowhaven seemed completely abandoned and deserted. They all armed themselves apart from Eustace who refused to carry any kind of weapon as he insisted he was a pacifist. The children and Caspian walked further in the city hoping to meet someone to inform them of what had happened there but again no one was in sight.

"Should we enter?" Lucy asked her brother and Caspian as they stood at the half-open door of the island's church, or so it looked. Caspian nodded after exchanging a short approving glance with Edmund.

"Eustace want to come here and…guard…something?" Edmund suggested but both Caspian and Lucy knew, he tried not to sound commanding. The boy eagerly accepted, looking quite frightened and desperate, he wanted badly to leave that place and for the first time his cousins seemed to agree with him in a way. Neither was ever fond of such places and Lucy had an especially bad feeling about that particular one.

"Ah, yes! Good idea, cousin! Very…logical!" Caspian handed over to Eustace a dagger, knowing well that the chance of him knowing how to handle it was very little. But maybe, just maybe, he would be able to defend himself with it in some way. Well, maybe his biting tongue could also help him save himself; he couldn't think of one person who would ever be able to stand his nonstop complains and jabbering about incomprehensible things such as a British Counsel.

"I've got it, I've got it! Don't worry!" the boy said again the moment the three were about to enter the building. At his words, they all turned around and looked at him puzzled but he ignored them as he scanned the air for dangers.

The three royals entered cautiously the temple. Enormous bells were hanging from the ceiling of the huge building and one single table was at the middle of the gigantic room. It was pitch black and if it weren't for Edmund's torch they wouldn't have been able to see a thing in there. Caspian was the last to enter, holding up his crossbow cautious and suspicious of them not being alone in that place. Every time he held a crossbow, he remembered clearly the day Susan had taught him how to aim properly and that memory was bittersweet.

"Who are these people?"Lucy asked once they had reached the open book on the table. In it, names were written and actually crossed out and the ink looked fresh hence whoever had written it, he had done it quite recently.

"Why have they been crossed out?" Edmund asked, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"Looks like some kind of…fee?" Lucy suggested uncertain.

"Slave traders." Caspian confirmed her suggestion. At that moment, all the bells started ringing simultaneously and looking up, they saw a bunch of men with knifes at their teeth and swords at their belts sliding down ropes, charging on them. Caspian started shooting them down with his crossbow, never missing once, but they were too many of them whose feet were already on the ground. So he unsheathed Rhindon, Peter's sword, and started swishing and cutting his way through them. Edmund and Lucy had also unsheathed their swords and daggers and were fighting them off. An agonized cry made them all stop and stare at the huge entrance where a filthy looking man had placed Eustace's own dagger at his throat and was threatening to kill him. So they had to surrender. Lucy and Caspian dropped violently their swords as the man ordered them in chains.

"Listen to me you insolent fool, I am your King!" Caspian shouted in fury but that only caused the man laugh wickedly as if he had said some kind of a joke.

"Send the girl and that…boy to the market and those two to the dungeon." He ordered and immediately a dozen of men grabbed all of them, separating them. Lucy screamed in fright and so did Eustace as they were being dragged out of the building, away from the two Kings.

"You all right, Ed?"

Edmund lied on his back in a filthy, dusty jail. He felt sore and there was pain all over his body. He was awoken by the violent banging of the dungeon's door as Caspian was hitting and kicking it with all his might hoping it would break open.

"Yeah…" he mumbled massaging his shoulder while Caspian kept on kicking the door.

"It's hopeless. You'll never get out…"a shaky voice was heard from the other side of the room. Caspian narrowed his eyes trying to see the man to whom belonged that voice but he was hidden in the shadows. He moved towards him and crouched a little after seeing he was sitting on the ground. The man was quite old and his face was covered in his silver beard and hair. However, that did not stop Caspian from recognizing him. "Lord Bern?"

The man looked puzzled and shocked at him. "I once was but I know longer deserve that title…"

Caspian introduced him to Edmund as one of the seven missing lords and the old man immediately recognized his face as he looked a lot like his father. So he immediately explained what was happening to the Islands before the shriek of a young woman cut through the air, making the two Kings clung on the small window's bars to see what was happening below them.

Meanwhile, Eustace and Lucy were tied in chains against the wall of the dungeon alongside some other narnians and villagers. Lucy wanted to blame Eustace for being at that state but knew it wasn't his fault. They have never been able to defeat all of those men anyway. The slave traders were guarding them, but it was still impossible to escape the iron chains. And she couldn't stop thinking of Edmund and Caspian. She was really afraid and worried for them. She knew not what they would do with them. On the other side, Eustace never stopped complaining, saying he knew he shouldn't have come and that it was Caspian's fault for ordering them to do so. Lucy tried to change his mind but it was hopeless.

"Once I free myself of that blasted place I am going immediately to the British Counsel!" he kept saying causing her to roll her eyes in exasperation.

"Eustace, there is no such thing in Narnia. I, Ed and Caspian are Narnia's rulers and people obey to us. So shut up unless you want me to order someone to kill you!" she hissed under her breath and the both snorted ironically.

"Yes, you do that! You are in the same state as I am. We are both gonna be either dead or sold to some lunatic as slaves!"

"Well, I'm not sure someone would ever want to buy YOU! Nobody wants you, Eustace! You never shut up and you complain all the time traits that are remarkably ANNOYING!" she said emphasizing her last word, making him huff in frustration. He was about to say something when they heard a girl screaming and shouting as she was being dragged by the chains around her wrists towards them. No one could see her face but she was very dirty and her clothes were torn and covered in mud. Her dirty hair was falling in front of her face, hiding it from everyone. She looked miserable and hurt and Lucy felt terribly sorry for her. They bang her on the wall next to Lucy and the girl was looking up at them in horror as they put her in irons the way they had with her and Eustace.

"Let me go, you beast! You have no idea who I am!" her voice was shaky and cracked as she yelled at the top of her lungs.

"We know you're a pretty girl and that's enough. We don't give a witch's teat if you're a Queen or a witch or something! You and your friend are here and there's nothing you can do about it!" one of the men, probably the chief, spoke mockingly and held in his hand violently her chin, forcing her to look up at him while his other hand rested on her waist. She spat him in the face, earning a hard slap across the face by him. "And that will teach you to behave, wench! And as for your friend we'll take care of him!"

The girl fell on her knees with her head lowered, her hair used like a curtain blocking everyone from seeing her misery and her shoulders were shaking as she sobbed silently. Lucy bit her lower lip and placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl was startled and shook it off, still not lifting her head up. So Lucy reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. She had guessed her cheeks would be red and puffy and lines of the tears that had been flowing down would be seen. But what she had not guessed who she would see.

Red, full lips, sapphire blue eyes, small but delicate nose and puffy cheeks.

"Susan?"

So I want to apologise because this chapter is very rash and has hardly many important details but I wanted to put Susan in the story at the first chapter. I promise the next chapters will be long as well and will have many details :) and of course Su/Cas!

And I've got a little surprise for you! Whoever guesses who Su's friend is will get a big shoutout (if that's a bribe good enough for you!:P)

If you guys notice any typos or any kind of error I would be glad to know!

As you can see, the story is movie-based not book-based, so if the characters seem OOC blame the movie, not me! I have downloaded the film so it will be easier for me to stay true to the dialog and plot.

I will add lots of Suspian fluff, if that's what concerns you and that friend of Susan's will affect their relationship a lot (and that's me giving away a clue :P)

Anyway! I'll shut up and let you leave me a review if you want to (and you'd better want to! xD)

I hope you enjoyed this! Love, kate (: