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

Escape

The train ride was long. And very, very boring. The siblings spent their time in different ways.

Peter occupied himself by constantly arranging and rearranging the luggage. Susan was comforting Lucy. Edmund was looking out the window and scowling. Rose didn't try to talk to him.

Instead, she spent her time reading. The little girl had always been a bookworm, and a very advanced one at that. She had learned to read at 3 and a half, and was reading novels by the time she was five.

Today, her book of choice was Sense and Sensibility. Rose adored Jane Austen's works, and often wished that she could escape into the pages of one of her novels. A world in which there was no war, no fighting siblings, no constant pain, fear and loneliness. A world where people wore pretty dresses and beautiful jewellery, and danced and sang. In which there was no pressure to be normal, or to fit in.

Instead she was stuck in England, with a world war raging, fear and pain and sadness pulsing in her veins, constant shouting and arguing. She was stuck in a constant pattern of pain and confusion and frustration and depression. And she couldn't get out. No matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn't escape.

At school, things were no better. It had been her first year at boarding school this year, and she hated it. She hated being away from home, and Peter and Edmund and Lucy. She hated the other girls, who called her weird and a freak. She hated that she cried herself to sleep every night without fail, and was then told off for being a crybaby simply because she missed her family.

Rose had been so lost in her thoughts, she didn't even notice that the train had stopped. She only realised when she felt Peter tugging on her arm. The five sibling made their way of the train, onto a tiny platform that couldn't really be called a station. When a car drove past, they grabbed their trunks and ran, but it wasn't their car after all. They slowly made their way back to the platform, to wait. They waited. And waited. And waited.

At last Susan spoke. "The Professor knew we were coming."

"Perhaps we've been incorrectly labelled," Edmund suggested.

"Perhaps this is the wrong station?" Rose asked anxiously.

"No Rosie, Peter said gently." "This is definitely the right one."

So they continued waiting.

At last, no more than a horse and cart came up and stopped in front of the children, with a very stern looking woman holding the horse's reigns.

"Mrs Macready?" Peter asked tentatively. "I'm afraid so", she answered curtly. "So", she barked. "Is this it then?" "Haven't you brought anything else?" "No ma'am", Peter slowly replied. "It's just us". Rose nodded. Mrs Macready allowed herself a small smile. "Small favours", she said.

Before Rose knew it, she had gotten onto the cart, and was inside the biggest mansion she had ever seen. As Rose and her siblings looked around in awe, Mrs Macready went over the house rules.

"There is to be no shouting". "Or running". "No improper use of the dumbwaiter. "No touching of the historical artefacts"! She practically shouted, as Susan went to touch a statue that was on the wall. "And above all", Mrs Macready continued, "There is to be no disturbing the Professor".

Right, Rose thought. No shouting, running, improper use of the dumbwaiter, whatever that is, and no disturbing the Professor man. Should be easy enough.

"We shall make sure that those rules are upheld, Ma'am", Rose said politely, addressing Mrs Macready.

"Good", she replied, looking pleased. "Now come along". I will show you to your quarters".

It was much later, and everyone was asleep. Everyone, that is, except for Rose. She didn't do well with change, so being in a strange house in a strange room all by herself, was scaring her. She kept jumping at the smallest noises, and whatever she did,
she couldn't will herself to sleep. Instead, her mind wandered to the past. Life before the war. Where everything was peaceful, and good. Where her and Edmund were unbelievably close. Where she was happy. The memories overwhelmed her, until eventually, she couldn't take  it anymore, and burst into tears.

Rose didn't know how long she lay there, crying her little heart out. She wasn't aware of anything until she heard a quiet knocking on her door, and it opened to reveal Peter.

As soon as Peter saw his little sister in such a state, shaking, her little face streaked with tears, he immediately made his way to her and started to comfort her.

He knew his sister, knew how hard this adjustment had been for her, and he had only expected an outburst.

"Rosie", "Rosie, it's okay". "I'm here, okay"? "I'm here".

Rose cried into Peter's shoulder until she couldn't cry anymore. Then she just lay there, in silence, until Peter broke it.

"I'm sorry".

Rose looked up at him.

"What"? "Why are you sorry"? She whispered.

"Because all of today, me and Su have been focusing on Lucy". "Making sure she was okay". "But I haven't thought to check up on you". "I mean, I've thought about it, but I made the mistake of thinking that you were okay". "That's how good you are at bottling up your emotions". "I'm sorry for not reading the signs".

Rose looked up at him.

"It's okay Pete". "I don't expect you to know the signs". "Back home, it was always Dad who did that".

A look crossed Rose's face, a look much too old to be on a ten year old's face. And that was the moment that Peter realised just how much the war had forced his little sister to grow up. I mean, he knew his dad leaving had taken a toll on her, but he hadn't realised just how much the pain consumed her. Her and Edmund had always been the closest to their father. Their grief had just shown in different ways. Whereas Edmund had begun pushing them all away, Rose had begun to cling onto them more. She wanted normality. She craved the past.

And when the little girl fell asleep, Peter stayed with her. As he looked down at her face, he made a promise to himself.

"I will protect you, Rosie. From this moment on, I will be the big brother you need The rock you need. I will protect you.

Next chapter down! I decided to omit the scene with the four of them in Lucy's room, because it wasn't really necessary. I wanted to add that Peter & Rose scene instead.  I hope you enjoy!