Heart | Caspian X | ii

Remembering

*Annabelle's P.O.V.*
    We were now traveling to the place where the Narnians and Caspian held their base. Susan and I were walking in the very front, Edmund, Peter and Caspian were walking right behind us, discussing the tactics, troops, strategies, etc... Behind them were some of the Narnians, and then Lucy, followed by everyone else.
"So, what do you think about Caspian?" Susan asked me quietly, and even though she tried to hide it, I saw the small smirk on her face.
"I think he will make a very good King once we're done with all of this." I replied, and she rolled her eyes.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it! What do you think about him?" I sighed and gave her a look.
"I don't know. I hardly know him!"
"But you know him well enough to know that he is a charming, handsome, dashing young man, right?" She asked with a teasing smirk, and I sighed.
"Yes, he is handsome, I'd be blind not to see that. Don't tell me that you don't think that as well! But that doesn't mean that I like him." I protested, and Susan gave me a look.
"Yes, he is handsome, but I'm not the one who he's staring at all the time." She said, jerking her head backward softly, telling me silently to see for myself.
"You're kidding." I muttered, but turned my head to look at the three boys behind us nonetheless. Susan was right. Caspian's eyes were glued to me, and when he saw me looking back, he smiled a small smile before going back to listening to Peter. I quickly turned back around so that my brothers wouldn't notice, but couldn't help the small smile that formed on my lips. Susan, of course, saw it, and hummed 'nonchalantly' with a small smirk on her face. "Shut it!" She just laughed, which made me shake my head with a smile. Even though we always tease each other, we are the closest of sisters.
"Your Highness!" I turned around as a voice called.
"Yes?" Caspian pointed his finger in the direction ahead of me and Susan.
"We're here." I turned around and saw some trees in the way, but through their branches I could also see streaks of sunlight. This was the edge of the forest. I glanced at Susan for a second, before walking forward and pushing one of the branches out of the way with one hand so that it wouldn't hit me in the face, and holding the hem of my dress above my ankles with my other hand. Susan followed me, and everyone else followed her. After a couple of seconds, we were out of the woods and on top of a small hill, overlooking a huge clearing. At the other end of the clearing, we could see a huge fortress made out of stone, covered in layers of greenery, which bonded with the woods on the other side. It looked absolutely magnificent, and I wasn't the only one who thought so, seeing as Lucy gasped in amazement.
*Third Person's P.O.V.*
    The Narnians, Prince Caspian, and the Kings and Queens of Old made their way towards the base, which was named Aslan's How. As they neared, they made their way through the stone area in front of the How and under two stone archways that were placed on either sides of the area. As they approached, they saw the entrance; a ramp leading down into the ground and inside the large, stone structure. On each side of the ramp, centaurs lined up in rows, standing tall and majestic. Caspian and the Pevensies came to a stop, standing in a straight row. Edmund was on the furthest right, with Susan on his right. Annabelle stood next to Susan, and Caspian stood in between Annabelle and Peter. Lucy was on Peter's right. They watched as the centaurs unsheathed their swords and held them so that they would be parallel with their bodies; each held a sword in a vertical position with one hand at the bottom of the hilt and the other twisted backwards to hold the top of the hilt just below the blade. They then lowered their swords, creating an archway for the Kings and Queens of Old and Caspian to pass under.
    Together, High King Peter and High Queen Annabelle left their places on either sides of the Prince, and started walking forward with their heads held high. King Edmund, Queen Susan, and Queen Lucy followed a second or two after, leaving a small respectable distance between them and the High King and High Queen. Together they formed a shape similar to a triangle. Peter and Annabelle walked side by side, in the middle of the path and in front of everyone, being in a higher status than their siblings. Edmund was behind them, but also in the very middle of the path, so that he was seen from the front in between Annabelle and Peter's shoulders. He was walking in the middle of the row, being a King. Susan was on Edmund's right, being the older Queen, but a little further to the side so that she was seen a little on Peter's right from the front. Lucy was on Edmund's left, being the youngest, but a little further to the side, so that she was seen from behind Annabelle's left shoulder from the front.
    They all held their heads high and their faces held small smiles as they felt respect radiating off of the Narnians. Once there was a respectable distance between the Kings and Queens of Old and the Prince, Caspian started walking forward, followed by the rest of the Narnians. He knew his place. He didn't deserve to walk in the front like the Kings and Queens. He was not as important as them. After all, they had saved Narnia from a 100 year winter. High Queen Annabelle killed the White Witch, and became the Once and Future Queen. They all deserved their titles. They all deserved their respect. But he was no one except for a Prince. He hasn't done anything except for running away from the castle and giving the Narnians what they truly deserved. That was nothing compared to what the Kings and Queens have done.
*Annabelle's P.O.V.*
    As we made our way inside, Edmund, Susan, Caspian, and Lucy caught up with me and Peter so that we could walk in a straight row. My eyes wondered around, and I felt a small smile making its way onto my lips. On left and right, Narnians were working hard to make weapons. Flaming torches were on the walls, illuminating with light that the Narnians needed to work. The boys all stopped and looked around, but the girls and I made our way further down.
*Third Person's P.O.V.*
"It may not be what you are used to, but it is defensible." Caspian said modestly as Peter and Edmund looked around.
"Peter!" A voice called, causing the three males to turn around. Annabelle was standing on the other end of the hall near an opening in a huge rock. Caspian stared at her and admired her beauty, once again, in the dim light. He watched at the light from the torches reflected in her eyes, and illuminated form her shiny hair. "You may want to see this." She said, and Peter gave a small nod before walking toward his sister wit Edmund following closely behind. Caspian stared for a second longer, before following as well.
*Annabelle's P.O.V.*
    The boys followed me down a stone corridor, and we all stopped where Susan and Lucy waited for us. On the walls from both sides were many engravings and paintings. Peter took a torch from a wall and held it near the drawings, making it easier for everyone else to see them. There was one of three girls riding on a lion's back, and there was another one of five people - three girls and two boys - standing in elegant robes near their thrones.
"It's us." I breathed out, looking at the pictures. However the one of our coronation was a little mixed up when it came to the order of our thrones. On the drawing Peter was to the furthest left, than Susan, I was in the middle, than Lucy, and then Edmund, when in reality Edmund was on the furthest left, than me, Peter was in the middle, than Susan, and then Lucy.
"What is this place?" Lucy asked Caspian, and we all turned our attention to him. He was watching me, but as soon as the question was asked, he looked at Lucy.
"You don't know?" He asked, although it was more of a statement. He could read it on our faces. We didn't know what this place was. He looked at all of us for a second, before grabbing a torch from the wall and walking further down the corridor. Everyone followed him, but I stayed where I was as a drawing caught my eye. It was a painting of a faun wearing a red scarf and holding an umbrella standing next to a lamp post. Mr. Tumnus.
"Anna?" Susan called, and I looked at the drawing one more time before following after Caspian and my siblings.
    Everything was pitch black and not even I could see a thing. The only way to not trip over our own feet was to have the light of the torches surrounding us. Edmund also grabbed a torch so that we would have more light. We turned left and started walking down the stairs. Caspian led the way, followed by Lucy and Peter who walking side by side. Susan and I were also walking side by side behind them, and Edmund was bringing up the rear.
    We then entered a large room, and stopped as Caspian walked over to the side. The five of us looked around trying to see something, but couldn't.
"Do you see anything?" Edmund asked me, and I shook my head. I looked to my left, only to see Caspian standing near a trench of some sort. He then dipped his torch inside the trench, and whatever was inside it lit on fire. As the fire moved along the trench that seemed to be going around the whole room, it slowly lit up the area around us. The wall behind the trench was covered in many engravings and murals of all Narnian species. The fire then moved further along, and our mouths opened slightly as we saw a giant carving of Aslan on the back wall in the very middle. The carving itself was in between two giant stone pillars. My breath hitched in my throat slightly as my eyes fell on the object in the middle of the room. The Stone Table.
    We all stared at either the Stone Table or the carving of Aslan. I could feel a pain growing in my head, but tried to control it ans I stepped out of the line and slowly walked forward. There were many old rock structures around the Stone Table, and I recognized them as the same ones that were around the Stone Table when Aslan and I were killed. It seemed as though the How was built to cover the Stone Table. Once I reached the Stone Table, I carefully placed one of my hands on it, and put the other one across my stomach, trying to control my breathing.
"He must know what he is doing." Lucy said quietly, taking a few steps forward. I forced a small smile on my face, although I did not turn around.
"He does." I forced myself to speak up.
"I think it's up to us now." Peter spoke up strongly, causing me to whip around to look at him in disbelief. Has he really given up hope? We all then turned to look at the carving of the Great Lion one more time. I let out a quiet gasp as I suddenly felt a pang of pain in my chest.
"Anna? Are you alright?" Edmund asked, and I turned around to see everyone looking at me in concern.
"I'm fine." I forced myself to smile weakly. I could see that no one believed me, so I sighed and proceeded to explain. "It's just... It's not everyday you get to see the place where you were killed." I said quietly, and turned to look at the Stone Table. I suddenly felt tear sting in my eyes as all the memories suddenly flooded my mind like a giant wave.
    The cold eyes of the White Witch.
    The smirk on her lips.
    The cheering of the creatures as they pushed me and Aslan around carelessly.
    The pain plastered on Aslan's face as Jadis stabbed him.
    The White Witch's taunting before she killed me.
    I drew in a sharp breath as I tried to not let the tears in my eyes fall. I noticed my hands shaking, and the pain in my chest increased, as well as the pain in my head from the horrible memories that were branded in my mind.
"Excuse me." I said quietly, before turning around and running out of the room.
*Third Person's P.O.V.*
    Caspian and the Pevensies all stared after Annabelle in concern and worry as she ran out of the room.
"I'm sorry." Caspian spoke up. "I should have known that this wouldn't be a pleasant sight for her." Peter was scowling and was about to say something not nice to him, but thankfully Susan stopped him from doing so.
"It's not your fault. She would have seen this either way." Caspian nodded, but still looked down. He couldn't help but feel awful.
"I'll go find her." Peter said through clenched teeth, still staring at Caspian, before proceeding to leave.
"No." Edmund quickly placed his hand on his older brother's shoulder. "Give her some time."
"Edmund's right." Lucy spoke up. "It's not like Annabelle to get easily upset. This is something big for her. She needs to be alone for a while."
"Maybe what she needs is comfort, not lonelyness." Peter spoke coldly, making his youngest sister give him a hurt look, causing his eyes to soften. He didn't mean to upset Lucy. He was just worried about Annabelle and angry at Caspian.
"Peter." Susan spoke up, her tone scolding. "You didn't see what happened to Annabelle and Aslan. You don't know exactly what she went through. Lucy and I do. And she's right. Annabelle needs some time alone. Then I'll find her and take her and some of the Narnians for an archery practice. Practicing her skills always makes her feel better. Alright?" Though Peter was reluctant, he nodded in agreement.