The Lost Queen (a Caspian Romance)

11. A Battle of Wills

"Destrier has always served me well," Caspian said, tightening the stirrups to better fit Zoelle. "You are in good hands."

"Or hooves," Lucy said with a laugh.

Caspian smiled at her before turning his gaze to Zoelle. All humour left his face as he stared up at her and said, "Good luck."

With a soft smile, she replied, "Who needs luck when we have Aslan?"

Caspian grinned up at her, taking her hand in his own. After hesitating a moment, he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. Zoelle blushed, averting her gaze as though to try and hide it.

"Goodbye, Zoe," Caspian whispered, letting go of her hand.

"Goodbye, Cas," Zoelle replied in an equally quiet voice.

Then, they were off.

Lucy was holding onto Zoelle tightly around the waist as she directed Destrier through the woods. They had only been riding a few minutes when the sound of hooves rose up somewhere behind them and to their right. Lucy's grip on her tightened slightly as Zoelle nudged Destier to a faster pace.

"Ride!" one of the Telmarines shouted.

"They've seen us!" Lucy shouted.

Zoelle kept them moving as fast as they could until they reached a clearing.

Dismounting, she said, "Take the reigns. Go as fast as you can, and don't look back."

"But-" Lucy began.

Before she could finish, Zoelle nudged the horse to a gallop, and she disappeared into the forest. The hooves became louder and louder, and soon, they had joined her in the clearing. A whizzing sound shot through the air as Zoelle flicked her wrist. The first rider fell, a throwing knife in his throat. Whiz. One by one they fell until Zoelle reached for another only to find nothing there. She just had time to draw her short swords before a horse barrelled into her, knocking her down.

The final horsemen stopped before her, his sword drawn as he dismounted and rushed towards her. Zoelle only just stopped the blade from hitting her before rolling out of the way and finally to her feet. Then, with a cry, Caspian appeared, taking down the Telmarine with a slash of his sword.

"Sure you don't need any luck?" he asked cheekily.

"Oh, ha ha, you're hilarious," Zoelle replied sarcastically, sheathing her swords and accepting his hand.

Once she had mounted, Caspian got the horse moving as Zoelle wrapped her arms around his waist to secure herself. They rode in silence until they had reached the How again. Peter and Miraz were just rising to their feet as they entered the clearing.

"Oh my Aslan," Zoelle whispered, quickly dismounting and rushing forward as Peter limped over to the Narnia side. "Are you all right?"

"I think my shoulder's dislocated," he admitted with a wince. "Where's Lucy?"

"She got through," Zoelle said. "With a little help."

"Thanks," Peter said, catching Zoelle's glance towards Caspian.

"Well, you were busy," he replied.

"Sit," Zoelle ordered, reaching inside Peter's armor to find his shoulder and feel the displacement while Edmund took his shield.

"What do you think happens back home if you die here?" Peter asked, glancing at Edmund who didn't answer. "You know, you've always been there and I never really-"

At a nod from Edmund, Zoelle snapped Peter's shoulder back into place as he cried out in pain.

"Save it for later," Edmund said quickly.

"Are you ready?" Zoelle asked as Peter got to his feet.

He nodded, taking his sword and shield again. After hesitating a moment, Zoelle quickly hugged him before moving over to Caspian's side. Refusing his helmet, Peter stepped out again. Irritably, Miraz refused his own as he faced Peter. Then...they pounced.

Peter dealt the first strike, but it seemed only to infuriate Miraz as he pushed Peter back again and again with blows from both his sword and shield until he had at last shoved him so far back that Peter collapsed on the ground. Zoelle drew in a sharp breath, forcing herself to keep watching. With a sweep of his legs, Peter knocked Miraz to the ground.

Rushing back to their feet, they struck again, this time catching their swords on one another. With a deft twist, Peter took Miraz's sword into his own hand and began hitting him with both. Throwing aside Miraz's sword, he fell back on his own as Miraz desperately blocked with his shield.

Peter aimed a strike for his chest, but Mraz caught the sword between his side and arm, knocking Peter's hand off of the blade and beginning to hit him with his shield. Peter took hit after hit until finally, with a speed Zoelle did not quite see, he caught hold of both sides of the shield and turned, twisting it over Miraz's head and finally under his shoulder by his back, trapping his arm in place.

Elbowing Peter in the face with his free arm, Miraz shoved Peter into a rock and sprang for his sword where it had fallen on the ground before attempting to strike at him. He only just missed. Shoving Miraz off of himself, Peter clenched his fist and punched as hard as he could into Miraz's wound where Peter had slashed at him before.

Crying out in pain, Miraz shouted, "Respite! Respite!" He collapsed onto his knees, muttering, "Respite, respite," over and over.

"Now's not the time for chivary, Peter!" Edmund shouted.

Peter hesitated a moment, standing over Miraz, before turning and walking towards his own side. Letting out an angry growl, Miraz grabbed his sword, forced himself to his feet, and sprang towards Peter.

"Look out!" Zoelle shouted shrilly.

Peter turned just in time to dodge the strike before Miraz swung at him again. Taking hold of the blade, Peter turned in a full circle, driving the blade into Miraz's side. Miraz collapsed, his face frozen in that of shock as Peter towered above him, the sword raised to kill.

"What's the matter, boy?" Miraz hissed. "Too cowardly to take a life?"

Lowering his sword, Peter retorted, "It's not mine to take."

Turning, he held the sword out to Caspian. Zoelle looked at him, curious as to what he was going to do. Slowly, he stepped forward, taking the sword into his hand and facing his uncle as Peter stepped back. Caspian raised the sword, staring into the black pits of Miraz's cold eyes unflinchingly.

"Perhaps I was wrong," Miraz remarked. "Maybe you do have the makings of a Telmarine King after all."

Miraz lowered his head, awaiting the death blow. Caspian let out a scream and let the sword fly. It pinned itself to the grass in front of him. Miraz looked up in surprise.

"Not one like you," Caspian retorted. "Keep your life, but I'm giving the Narnian's back their kingdom."

As he turned back towards them, the Narnians cheered, and Zoelle raised his fist in the air and cried, "For Narnia!"

The troops echoed her call, and there was much celebration until a sudden cry of pain from the Telmarine side caused everything to be thrown into confusion again.

Turning, they all saw an arrow, one of Susan's in fact, sticking out of Miraz's back. He fell dead not a moment later.

Turning to his own people, one of the Telmarine lords called, "Treachery! They shot him! They murdered our king!"

"Be ready!" Peter called to the troops.

"Peter!" Caspian yelled.

Turning, Zoelle, Peter, and Edmund saw that one of the Telmarines was approaching, sword drawn. Sharing glances with the other two, Zoelle drew her short swords and rushed forward ahead of them. Not a moment later, the man was laying dead, but the battle was not over yet. Indeed, it was only just beginning.