Queen Elizabeth the Courageous

Chapter Twenty - Death

        The night was long. Elizabeth laid in her bed looking at the top of her tent her heart surprisingly slow. She had been trying for hours to fall asleep but knew she wouldn't be able to. She trusted Aslan and when he asked her to stay instead of go with him tonight she followed his last request. Little did she know that in a tent not far from hers Peter lay awake as well unable to sleep. He knew the battle was drawing near and it kept him awake. However, that wasn't the only thing keeping him awake. The look Elizabeth gave him when the Witch left haunted his mind. He couldn't sleep because of it. He found it so weird that she was always clouding his mind, that he worried how she felt physically and mentally. He truly cared for the girl he barely knew, he wanted to change that. He wanted to get to know her more, he wanted to be by her side all the time. He never felt this way for anyone before. He felt attached to her and he never wanted to leave.

Knowing he wasn't going to get any sleep without knowing for sure she was alright he stood up pulling on a shirt. He looked at his sleeping brother and smiled a little happy to know he was alright. He wondered at what cost though, what did his freedom cost? He shook his head not thinking to long about it before leaving his tent. He took slow and short steps towards Elizabeth's tent as he wasn't in any hurry. He also didn't want to attract any attention from the Narnians that were awake and wondering the camp.

Peter was only a few steps away from her tent when she felt it. She could feel the knife entering Aslan and killing him. When Aslan slowed her aging all those years ago she took a piece of him with her. She could feel whatever happened to him physically though she could not feel his emotions which for that, she was grateful for. This night, however, she wished she couldn't feel him at all. The pain was immense and the after math, the emptiness felt even worse. She could feel that he was gone, he was dead. Yet another family member of hers had died at the hands of Jadis and if made her angry. Sorrow over ran the anger at the moment as she curled into a ball and started to cry. She tried to be quiet so that no one could hear her but Peter did.

Peter heard her crying though it was faint. He didn't think she was at first but after listening for a moment he knew it was true. He debated for a moment if he should go in or not. He stood outside her tent inwardly fighting with himself until he just walked in from a moment of confidence. He looked at the Queen of Narnia as she cried on her bed and sighed feeling sorry for her. He didn't understand or know why she was crying but he didn't need to. She had been through so much from what he knew and what he could put together. Her sister killed almost her entire family and she has been here all alone ever since. He couldn't imagine what she was feeling and didn't want to.

Elizabeth opened her eyes and saw Peter standing there looking at her with pity in his eyes. She felt weak but she couldn't stop the tears. Every once in a while everything she bottled up came flowing out like a tsunami. She looked in his eyes with so much pain he felt terrible for her. He wanted to take some of her pain away, he wanted to help her carry whatever burden she had on her shoulders. He wanted to help her but he didn't know how. It was like he was frozen in his spot unable to move. Despite what she was feeling she couldn't help but smile even the littlest as she looked at him. Like a child who had a nightmare she reached her hand out for him and he walked over to her taking her hand. She slowly and gently pulled him down onto the bed moving and making room for him.

He sat down looking at Elizabeth before slipping off his slippers and laid in the bed besides her. As soon as he got comfortable she clung to him like wet clothes. She placed her head on his chest and her arms around his waist. She intertwined their legs together as he wrapped his arms around her pulling her as close to him as he could. He took in a deep breath letting it go slowly as she buried her head into his chest.

"Tell me what to do" He whispered to her. "What can I do to make you feel better?" He questioned her.

"I don't know" She whispered so softly he could barely hear it. "Just stay with me, please don't leave me. Not tonight" She said and he kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. He could do that, he could stay with her tonight. He wanted to stay with her forever but he didn't know if he could.

"I won't leave" He whispered looking at the top of the tent.

"Thank you Peter" She whispered to him and he smiled at her kissing her forehead again before the pair of them tried to fall asleep again. Peter fell asleep easily happy to know that she was alright and that he had helped her. Elizabeth took a little bit longer to fall asleep. She looked up to his sleeping face and smiled at him. He was extremely handsome especially when he was sleeping. She wished he wouldn't leave her when this all was over but she knew he would. He wanted to go home with his siblings, Narnia would manage with one Queen. It was their decision whether they stayed or left, she wished with all of her heart that they would stay but she wouldn't tell them what to do. It was their decision and their decision alone. It's been so long since she's been with humans that she forgot what it was like. Sometimes she wondered if she could go back with them but she couldn't abandon her people, she was Queen now. She couldn't leave, she wouldn't. Whether she liked it or not this was her home now, she just hoped that her empty house would be filled once again with people she would come to know and love.