Queen Rose the Intelligent: The story of the fifth Pevensie.

I Don't Want To Go

They were on the platform. The platform with the train that would take them deep into the countryside where they would be safe. They were being evacuated. After the bombing last night, Helen had decided that it was not worth risking the five children staying at home any longer than they had to, not with the war going at the rate that it was.

Rose remembered the conversation of that morning very, very clearly, mostly due to her and her siblings uproar at the idea.

"Evacuated!?" Peter had shouted very loudly. "But why?" "Peter, you and Edmund were nearly killed in a bombing last night! Helen had replied.

Lucy had cried all morning at the idea of going away from home, and Edmund had been even more irritable than normal. Susan was the only one who thought the idea sensible. It was very logical, she thought.

But whatever their protests, the plan was going ahead, much to everybody's disapproval. And so they stood on the platform, having labels attached to them.

"Labels"! Rose thought. "We are not cattle!".

She watched as her mother attached Lucy's label to her coat, the little girl looking very close to tears. Her mother checked to make sure she was warm enough, them moved on the Edmund.

As Helen was labelling her brother, Rose occupied herself by examining her outfit. It was a plain red dress with a matching coat, brown lace up shoes, and her dark hair was tied back into its signature plait, courtesy of Susan.

Susan had been plaiting Rose's hair every day since Rose was five years  old. It had started on her first day of school, Rose liked it, and the tradition began.

Rose was snapped out of her thoughts by the rather loud whistle of the train, signalling that everyone needed to get on soon. Her mother went around saying goodbye to all of her children (Even though Edmund rejected her attempts), and when she reached Rose the little girl couldn't help but burst into tears.

Edmund scoffed and rolled his eyes, causing Peter to shoot him such a scathing look that Edmund immediately fell silent.

Rose continued to cry as her mother hugged her, trying to console her. She clung onto Helen, taking her in, learning her by heart. Her facial features, the fabric of her dress, her special smell.

When Helen eventually pulled away from her daughter, Rose objected and immediately clung back to her mother, saying through sobs, "I don't want to go!" "I don't want to go!"

Helen sighed. "Darling, this is for your own protection." "I hate having to send you all away like this, but I don't have a choice." "You understand that, don't you, sweetheart?" Rose nodded, wiping her eyes. But the tears kept coming.

"Rosie, just try to be a brave girl." "You can do that for me, can't you?" Rose hesitated. "And", Helen whispered in Rose's ear, out of the other's earshot, "you can be in charge of making sure that Peter and Edmund don't fight too much". "Okay". Eventually, Rose nodded. "Okay Mummy", she whispered.

The train whistled again.

"Alright", Helen said, now addressing all of her children. "On you go".

The five slowly made their way onto the train. About halfway there, Rose reached forward and gently grabbed Edmund's hand, smiling at him. He looked back at her, surprised.

They had about a moment of looking into each other's identical brown eyes before Edmund scoffed and pulled away. This moved Rose to tears again.

Peter, who had seen the whole affair, took his little sister's hand instead, glaring at Edmund.

The children finished their journey through the bustling crowd onto the train.

Rose got one last look at her mother before the doors closed and the train slowly began to move.