The High Queen Book Two

Chapter 10 - Broken

The long walk from Miraz's Castle back to Aslan's How gave each of the warriors time to think over the death of their friends and Queen. The sadness has run its course, and now anger ruled the devastated group. But most of the soldiers were angry at the Telmarines, but Edmund's anger was directed solely at his brother. Inside the How, in the Stone Room, Lucy lays asleep, it would only take one tiny sound, and the anxious Queen would be woken from her slumber. Sitting up sharply as the sound of the horn signally the return of the troop, Lucy springs into action holding her cordial close, hoping she won't have to use it but knowing that chance is very slim. The young girl runs up the entrance seeing her eldest brother beside Caspian leading the group home with Susan and Edmund at the back, where she assumes Tilly is. As they come closer, Lucy can sense by her brother's solemn look it didn't go as planned.

"What happened?" She questioned, making Peter relive the final look into Tilly's eyes as he failed her and their people.

"Ask him," he snaps cocking his head towards Caspian, who snaps right back, knowing it wasn't entirely his fault.

"Me? You could have called it off. There was still time." Caspian may be upset and angry at the High King, but his voice doesn't waver.

"No, there wasn't, thanks to you," Peter bites back, tears slowly wheeling in his eyes. "If you kept to the plan, those soldiers might be alive right now," Peter turns back to head inside, but Caspian has had enough.

"And if you'd stayed here like I suggested, they defiantly would be!"

"You called us, remember?" The King says back sassily.

"My first mistake." Caspian bites.

"No. Your first mistake was thinking you could lead these people."

"Hey!" Caspian bellows, shocking the on-lookers. "I am not the one who abandoned Narnia or let your friend die."

"You invaded Narnia. You have no more right to lead than Miraz does." Caspian pushes past Peter as the King continues on his pain-induced rant. "You, him, your father... Narnia's better off without the lot of you." Caspian draws his sword, crying out in pain, as Peter does the same ready to face off, but a tired scream breaks the two apart.

"Stop it," a red-eyed Edmund yells, holding Trumpkin in his arm as Lucy comes forward, giving him her cordial to save him. Lucy looks at her older brother, who seems to be holding in floods of tears.

"Ed, where's Tilly?" The young King stifles a sob as he gains the courage to look at his sister.

"Lu, she didn't get out in time," he says softly, but the look of hope in the girl's eyes tells him he has to be straight with her. "She's dead." He growls, looking at the two boys in front of him.

"She had time to get out!" Peter cries, trying to justify why it isn't his fault they lost her. "I tried to get her to come with me, but she wouldn't."

"Of course, she wouldn't." Edmund sighs sadly as tears fall down his salt-covered cheeks. "She wouldn't risk others' lives for ego." He bites bitterly at his brother, barely able to look him in the eyes.

"Ed-" He tries, but the younger boy holds up his hand, stopping his attempt.

"Don't!" He snarls angrily. "I can't stand the sight of either of you right now."

"It's not our fault she stayed."

"Or left your side." Caspian and Peter yell to the retreating boy, a mere shell of himself without his other half. Edmund snaps back around, glaring daggers so harshly that both boys step back.

"Yes, it is, actually!" He yells, fed up. "She said she wouldn't sacrifice her people for a power play, Peter," Edmund pauses, his voice cracking, "and she left my side because the plan went to shit because of you." He shouts, shoving her finger harder and harder into Caspian's chest, pushing the Prince back further. "And she would defiantly still be alive had you listened to her in the first place." He barks, storming off to their room, unable to face anyone. As tears streak down their faces, Susan and Lucy stand in each other's arms for comfort. The whole How to stand outside the mound in silence, mourning the loss of their Queen and warriors as King Edmund's loud, heartbreak sobs rack through the fortress. Caspian looks around at the Narnians, finding a few glaring at him in hatred, so he goes inside, heading to his room. Peter stands alone, glancing at everyone and finding many glaring at him, but his sisters are the two that hurt the most.

"I'm sorry," he says to the girls, who shake their heads, walking inside, slowly being followed by the rest of the Narnians showing solidarity. Even Reepicheep heads inside after one sad look at the miserable King.

Standing all alone, Peter falls to his knees, tilting his head back as he cries louder than anyone had heard the boy before rip from his throat. The land shakes, rain pouring out of the sky with the High King shouts in pain at losing a friend, a partner, a Queen...and a first love. Silent tears fall down the broken boy's face as he hears her voice rack through his head, torturing him over and over as he excepts it's not only his fault she's gone, but she was right... he is not fit to be King.

Inside the How Edmund sat on his and Tilly's bed, silently glancing around the room, holding her crown in his hands. Tears streak down his cheeks as he brings it to his chest. A quiet knock on his door breaks the boy from his wallowing.

"Not now, please," he calls to the person on the other side of the door, assuming it is his brother, but the small side figure of Lucy comes out from behind the door. Her eyes and nose are bright red, and her pale skin has a pink coating from her tears as her body shakes. Edmund looks up at his younger sister, sighing heavily before opening his arms and allowing her to run into his arms. Her shrill sobs break his heart.

"Why is she gone, Ed? Why'd she have to go?" The young broken girl looks up at the boy, who has tears in his eyes.

"I don't know, Lu. And trust me, if I could take back letting her go, I would." He mutters sadly, sitting back down, still holding his sister in his arms.

"It's not your fault. Neither is it Peter's or Caspian's. Everyone makes mistakes. All we can do is avenge her death."

"We did you grow up?" He questions, only for her to shrug.

"When my best friend and sister died." She sobs, clinging to Edmund tighter, but the boy winces when she presses against his wound. "We're you injured?" She questions her brother softly, worried for him mentally and physically.

"I was lightly stabbed."

"I'm sorry, you were stabbed?!"

"Lightly," he says, lifting the bottom of her shirt to show her his wrapped wound, which had started to bleed through. Shaking her head, Lu hops off the bed and walks out of the room for a minute, coming back with Susan and Peter with a medical kit.

"We're all hurting, Ed. But Tilly wouldn't want you to die of a wound." Susan says, moving closer to re-dress her wound as Peter stands next to her, gathering what she would need, while Lucy sits back next to her sad brother.

"It's just..." he sighs as a sob comes out of his mouth. "Tilly was always the one to help me if I was hurt." He shrugs, shaking his head and looking up at his family with blurry eyes. "And now she's not here."

"But we are," Peter speaks up, resting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "We may not be Tilly, but we are your family, and we're always here for each other." The four smile at each other as more silent tears fall from their eyes, but none care. They're allowed to be upset and angry. "Ed, Tilly wanted me to tell you that she loves you." The young King nods sadly as he bites the inside of her cheek to stop his tears along with Lucy and Susan, but the High King doesn't even care. He lets the tears flow, letting the others know he is sorry.

"Now, let's make sure you don't die." Susan smiles, taking care of Edmund's wound as they sit silently with the rest of the How, honouring their Queen.

Every Narnian felts the destruction of the Queen's death.

The living...

The dead...

The land...

And even Aslan.