Crossroads

Chapter 3. "Fifteen Minutes."

I'm back!

A few things about the direction this fic is going to take:

So, this story is going to go from just after Edmund and Lucy left to England until just after the events during The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, plus an epilogue to wrap things up nicely. I have figured out the main storyline and stuff, so from now on updates are going to be far more often.

From now, on, you can count "Crossroads" as the first chapter of this fic. "Welcome Back" is a sort of epilogue to what would have happened if Susan left Narnia. "Back to You" is chapter 2 of this fic and I now bring you chapter 3, "Fifteen Minutes." Updates are going to be much longer from now on, but I thought you guys deserved some content while I work on the storyline for this fic.

Disclaimer: I do not own this characters.

Remember to fav, follow and review! As always, if you guys have any ideas you'd like me to add here, please me know through PM or review. Cheers for reading!

Chapter 3. "Fifteen Minutes."

A week after King Edmund and Queen Lucy went back to England, Narnia dawned its first spring day since the season had arrived a month ago. The citizens of the Telmarine Castle had taken advantage of that to perform some of their favourite outdoor activities, taking advantage of the forest that surrounded the castle and of the warm weather that would allow them to stay outside until late into the night.

Before too long, a feast had been organized by some of the Narnian citizens, who wanted to teach their dances and customs to some of their Telmarine neighbours. Their beloved Queen Susan had been the first to be invited to the feast, to which she had agreed wholeheartedly. She had demanded High King Caspian and King Peter to get dressed in their finest clothes and meet her in fifteen minutes by the castle' gates so they could go together.

Neither Caspian nor Peter had listened to her. They had been in their joint study when Susan came to inform them about the invitation with an excited smile, and they remained there even as the noise in the castle began to quiet down, clear sign that everybody had left to join the festivities.

Inside the study, the two young men sat on two comfy sofas, facing each other silently as they struggled to find any words that would solve the matter at hand.

Something that had bugged Peter when they met Caspian at that clear in the Narnian forest all those months ago was that the Telmarine was older than him so, as Caspian began to get close to his siblings, Peter seethed, finding it outrageous that he wasn't the undisputed leader anymore.

So, as Caspian struggled to stare into his eyes, clearly intimidated by his girlfriend's older brother, Peter couldn't help feeling smug. Caspian might have been Narnia's saviour and the king meant to lead the country into a whole new Golden Age, but that did not mean he wasn't a normal person. A normal person that should feel intimidated by Peter whenever it came to discussing anything related to Susan.

Caspian never imagined he would feel so nervous. Of course, what his petition implied was daunting, as it meant more commitment and more responsibility than he had ever dreamed of having. Also, he hated having to ask anything of Peter because of how smug he got but still, for everything he and Caspian disagreed on, the two of them were united in the love they felt for Susan.

So, Caspian stared back at Peter, trying to unnerve him into replying to his petition.

The things he did for love.

Finally, Peter shifted his position. He leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands on his lap as he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "You ask for her hand in marriage, yet you guys haven't dated for long enough to consider marriage."

"I agree with you," Caspian replied as calmly as he could manage. He straightened subconsciously when Peter continued studying him closely, almost as if daring him to say another word. "But, regardless of how long it takes, for me, Susan is the one. I love your sister deeply, deeper than I could have ever hoped of loving anyone, and I plan on asking her to be my wife when the right time comes so, I figured I'd ask you for you permission now."

"And why is that?" Peter asked. He raised his eyebrows inquiringly. "Why ask me now if you're planning to do this 'when the right time comes'?"

"Because you and I don't have the best history," Caspian admitted, feeling a small sense of victory when a short flash of surprise crossed Peter's features. "We have been rivals in just about every aspect of our lives so far. I know we have agreed to work together, for Susan and for Narnia, but I know I still have a lot to prove to you, especially as I'm with your sister. And really, Peter, I'd really love that - if I have your permission, of course- when I finally propose to Susan, that you and I manage to become family by then, just how your siblings have become family to me."

Peter pursed his lips as he cocked his head thoughtfully, his eyes in Caspian as he pondered what the older king had said. Caspian, meanwhile, sat as motionlessly as he could, ignoring the nerves coursing through his stomach as best as he could.

At last, Peter smirked.

"Caspian, really, the only permission you need is Susan's. She would kill me if I thought I have any saying when it comes to her life," Peter quipped in a nonchalant manner, wanting to burst laughing when Caspian could only stare at him with horrified eyes.

"So this was useless? I didn't really have to talk to you?" Caspian finally whispered, his usually tan skin pale as the implications of Peter's words dawned on him.

He had beared with Peter's arrogance for nothing.

He desperately wished for Edmund and Lucy to be there with him. They would be really good at helping him plan his revenge on the idiotic King of Old.

"No, you didn't," Peter replied cheerfully as he stood from his seat. He stretched his limbs before patting Caspian's shoulder as he sighed mockingly. "It was good hearing you say all of this things, though. It was quite...sentimental of you. I didn't know you had it in you, Cas."

Caspian rushed to his feet at that, smirking as he towered over the cocky Magnificent King. "You have just declared war between us, my friend."

Peter smirked in return, opening his mouth to reply, when the study door opened unceremoniously and an unimpressed Susan entered the room.

"It's been fifteen minutes," Susan declared with annoyance, glaring at her brother and boyfriend with passion. "Didn't I tell you to be ready?"

"Sorry, Su."

"Sorry, love."

Susan sighed and turned sideways before pointing back towards the hallway. "To your rooms, now. And if I miss the dancing because of the two of you, know that you will have to pay greatly."

Peter and Caspian exited hurryingly, neither of them daring to say a word to the enraged Gentle Queen, but the two of them exchanged a look as they parted ways. At last, they had figured out their arguments over who was the actual leader of their group had been pointless.

Regardless of how many battles they led, how many meetings they carried out, neither of them could hold a candle to Queen Susan the Gentle.