Daughter of Nowhere || A Narnia (Prince Caspian) Story

14: The Final Battle

"Your bones are still broken." Trumpkin paled.

Ina's gaze flicked to Peter again, who seemed like he was fighting for his life. "Help me." She reached her arms out, and Caspian pulled her up, supporting her weight.

She tried to hobble forward. "Peter, no. It should be me—"

A loud cry, fierce and grating.

Everyone snapped their heads to the square.

Peter grabbed Miraz's sword by the blade, moving so quickly that Ina hadn't thought it was humanly possible.

He twisted the weapon out of Miraz's grasp.

And stabbed it into his chest.

There wasn't time to gasp—everything had happened too quickly. Miraz's helmet had fallen off at some point, and Ina could see his face clearly now. His mouth was opened in a wide 'O', his chest heaved with the effort of drawing breath, and his wound was bleeding freely. But above all, Ina noticed his eyes. They were feverish and shadowed, seeing and unseeing all at once. A bleak understanding flashed in them, and he raised his head to Peter.

"What's the matter, boy?" he taunted through a mouthful of red. "Too cowardly to take a life?"

Peter angled the sword right at the old king's throat; one swoop, and Miraz would die. His face looked like it was carved from stone, as if someone who didn't quite know Peter made a statue of him. Someone who had never seen the smile he saved for his family, or the love he had for them.

Slowly, Peter turned. He looked right into Caspian's eyes.

Holding out the sword to him, Peter said, "It's not mine to take."

Ina felt Caspian tense beside her. How many nights had he dreamed of this, of killing the man who murdered his family?Too many, Ina knew.

Yet she also knew that Miraz was his uncle. He might have been a tyrant, but he was still family. Caspian might have even loved him once. "Cas..." she whispered. "You don't have to."

A yell.

Susan's arrow whizzed past, sinking right into Miraz's chest. A dagger fell from his hand as he died. He was going to kill Peter.

But that didn't matter, because now everyone had seen Susan shoot Miraz.

"Treachery!" Lord Sopespian cried. "They murdered our king!"

Chaos erupted.

They didn't even have time to process Miraz's death. The Telmarine generals galloped back to their armies, shouting orders to their men. Far away, the tall, hard shapes of catapults began to screech, and he saw a large boulder hurtle above their heads, crashing loudly into the How.

The ground shook.

Peter spun to the Narnians, his eyes a blue blaze. "Get ready!"

Hastily, Caspian lowered Ina against a decayed pillar. "Edmund!" he called, and gestured vaguely. Then he brushed her arm apologetically and said, "I have to go."

Understanding hit Ina. He would continue their plan without her. "Don't you dare—"

"Sorry, Ina."

With that, he mounted Bree—her Bree!—and swept away. Susan, Trumpkin and Trufflehunter were already taking their positions with the archers. Across the square, Peter stood with Xanthos, blades raised and braced for a fight.

A rush of footsteps stopped Ina's colourful swearing.

Edmund slipped his arm around Ina and heaved her to her feet. "I need a horse," she said, and brightened when she saw a gray steed close by. "That one."