Love, It's An Interesting Thing

Chapter 17

Caspian's POV

I run through the forest and come to the clearing where we were before.

My eyes fall to her and I freeze, falling to my knees only a second later.

"Jess... no! No! No!" Lucy cries, going up to Jess, running her hand on her face.

Ed slowly approaches and puts his hand on Lucy's shoulder. She turns around and hugs Ed tightly, both of them crying at the sight of their beloved cousin.

"I had to fight with the mist to put down the sword... I took too long and put it down too late... I wasn't fast enough!" Eustace cries.

"This is no one's fault except the evil's." Ed says.

I push myself off my knees and I stand up. I slowly approach her. Tears in my eyes, threatening to fall.

"I can't stand to see her like this!" Lucy exclaims, running off just like Eustace had done before.

"I'm going to go with Lucy... as much as I don't wanna leave her I don't want to see her like this either..." Ed says, walking away, following Lucy.

It's just me and Eustace now. He comes up beside me.

"She looks at peace..." He tells me through his own tears.

"Yeah..." The tears that I tried to hold back fell and I started sobbing uncontrollably. I sit down next to her and look down at my knees.

"What's that? It's not gold..." Eustace says.

I look back at her to see Eustace pointing to something she's wearing. He takes it up in his hand and I see what it is. It's her necklace, the one I gave her.

"Wait, I don't understand... her underclothes and everything turned to gold but this didn't?" Eustace wonders aloud, still sobbing.

"I gave that to her." I say, my sobs getting ever so harder.

"I'll um... I'll leave you alone with her. I knew how much she loved you..." Eustace says, backing up and walking away to be with his cousins.

I move my hand to her face. Her face was usually soft and warm but now it's hard and cold...

"I'm so sorry Jess... I promised you that I'd save you but I couldn't... I don't know if you can hear me, I don't even know if you're dead or frozen... but I love you, Jess. I really wanted you to stay with me, here in Narnia. The people would love you. You are so amazing, kind, and selfless. Not to mention beautiful. I'm sorry that this happened to you... I wished you would've told me earlier but I understand why you didn't. I miss you so much already. I wish I could kiss you and hold you once more..." I sob.

"Why don't you?" A deep voice states behind me, making me jump a little.

I stand up and turn around to see who had spoken. But when I see who it was, I drop to one knee.

"Your Excellency." I say. Aslan chuckled as I wiped the tears from my face. "Rise, King of Narnia." He tells me.

"Why don't you?" He asks me again. "I'm sorry?" I ask him.

"Why don't you kiss her?" He asks me as if it were nothing.

"Well, umm... she wouldn't exactly be able to kiss back..." I tell him, unsure how to respond.

"Did anyone ever read you fairy tales when you were young?" He asks me.

"Yes, but, what does that have to do with anything?" I ask him.

"You'll figure it out here soon but I will tell you, she's still alive, she's just... shiny." He tells me. I breathe in slight relief that she's still alive.