HEART | Caspian X [2]

Memories

*Third Person's P.O.V., The Telmarine Castle*

    Doctor Cornelius made his way to his study, but stopped once he heard someone inside. The door was slightly ajar, so he looked around to check if anyone was near, before uncertainly walking inside. Once he entered, he walked up a couple of stairs and looked around, freezing in his tracks as he saw the tall figure of Lord Miraz.
"You have some very interesting books in here, Doctor." Miraz praised, not looking up from the book he was looking through as he turned around to face the Professor. Once he turned around completely, he looked up from the book and stared at the old man coldly. Cornelius sucked in a breath, before placing the parchments he was carrying down on a stool, trying to act nonchalant.
"And are you looking for something in particular, Lord Miraz?" He asked, and Miraz nodded, putting away the book he was holding before making his was towards the Doctor.
"Yes, and I think I have already found it." He said, making Cornelius look up in slight fear. Miraz then stopped once he was behind the Professor's desk, and picked up something from it before embedding the object into one of the pages in the book that was on the desk, opened. "In my guard's corpse!!!" The object that revealed to be a majestic arrow pierced couple of the pages, and stood in a vertical position stiffly. Professor Cornelius stared at the arrow in amazement and disbelief, walking over to the desk slowly, taking off his glasses in slow motion. He then looked down at the page it was stuck in, and saw the illustration of the five Kings and Queens of Old riding through Narnia. He then put away his glasses on the desk before looking up at the Lord with a little smirk. Miraz then sat down in the chair slowly, not taking his eyes off the Professor, and put his feet up on the table. "What do you know about High Queen Annabelle's locket?" He asked in a monotone voice.
"It is told to be a magical piece of jewelry." Cornelius replied.
"Magical?" Miraz repeated in a flat tone, not admitting to anyone, not even himself, that he was actually considering it to be true.
"High Queen Annabelle was the only one out of the five Kings and Queens to have magical powers. The locket was given to her by Father Christmas, who told her that it will glow when her powers reach their fullest. It illuminated with the brightest light anyone has ever seen on her 18th birthday. The Narnians believed that her locket can bring her and the other Kings and Queens back to Narnia. They believed that her power would save them all again in their biggest time of need." Cornelius explained. He then gave a snort, trying to cover the dreamy tone he had while speaking about the legend. "But of course, it's only a childish myth." Miraz stared at him with an unreadable expression, before taking his legs off the table, never breaking eye contact. He then walked around the desk to stand next to the Professor.
"And does our Prince Caspian know about this myth?"
"My Lord, you have forbidden me from teaching Caspian about the Golden Age." Cornelius replied swiftly, not looking up. Though he couldn't help but smirk, knowing that the Prince surely opened the locket, and the Kings and Queens of Old have returned. The Destined Beauty might yet save them all once again. Miraz gave a smile and a small laugh, thought there was no humor in it.
"Exactly." He said, looking towards the door. Not a second later General Glozelle and two other guards stepped in, ready to take the Doctor. Cornelius glanced at the soldiers, and then looked back at Miraz.
"You should know one thing. If Caspian has found out about the Deep Magic, you have in fact a reason to fear him."

*The River*

    The Pevensies and the Dwarf, whose name they learned is Trumpkin, sat in the boat that King Edmund pulled onto the shore after they saved the Narnian. King Edmund sat at the very back with High Queen Annabelle next to him. High King Peter sat in front of them, rowing the boat. Queen Susan and Queen Lucy sat side by side in front of him, and in front of them was Trumpkin. There was dead silence between all of them, as no one knew what to say. High Queen Annabelle, however, was silent for a different reason. Her powers told her that something is wrong. She couldn't feel the usual aura of magic she used to feel back in the Golden Age that came from the nature around them. The five siblings all looked up at the tall cliffs and the tress that were on them, wondering why they didn't move. Not even the slightest bit. They just stood there still as statues. As if though they had no life in them.
"They're so still." Lucy finally broke the silence, looking up at the trees in confusion. Trumpkin, upon hearing her voice, looked at her, confused, before glancing at the tress as well.
"They're trees." He remarked, still confused with the young Queen's comment. "What do you expect?" Just as the words left his mouth, all of the humans, except for Peter whose back was to Trumpkin as he rowed the boat, looked at him in confusion and slight bewilderment. What did they expect? What kind of question was that? They expected to see the trees moving, dancing. They expected to be the only humans in Narnia. They expected Narnians to be everywhere, free and happy. They expected a lot of things, but most of all... They expected everything to be the way they left it.
"They used to dance." Queen Lucy explained sadly.
"Shortly after you left the Telmarines invaded. Those who survived retreated into the woods. And the trees... They retreaded so deep into themselves that they fell silent forever."
"I don't understand." Lucy spoke up sadly. "How could Aslan let this happen?"
"Aslan?" Trumpkin scoffed. "Thought he abandoned us when the lot of you did." He remarked in a tired tone, though his words made the siblings wince. Now they all turned to look at him. Even Peter, who stopped rowing and turned around to stare at the Dwarf. They all looked at Trumpkin for a second or two, before looking down in shame and guilt. Maybe he was right. Maybe it is their fault. Annabelle looked at Peter with tears in her eyes, feeling the guilt come over her. He looked back at her with a sorrowful gaze, and then continued rowing once more. Edmund saw the tears in Annabelle's eyes, and put a comforting arm around her, letting her head fall on his shoulder.
"We didn't mean to leave, you know?" Peter spoke up strongly, despite what he was feeling on the inside.
"Makes no difference now, does it?" Trumpkin retorted, before resting his gaze on the Destined Beauty. "Although maybe we do have some hope after all." Everyone looked at him once again as he said that, and Annabelle's eyes widened a bit as she saw him staring at her, and her siblings looked at Trunpkin confused as they followed his gaze.
"You think Annabelle will save you?" Peter asked, and Trumpkin shrugged.
"She has once before." He simply replied, before returning his gaze onto the water. Edmund, Lucy, and Susan smiled at Annabelle, despite their bad moods. Annabelle simply just sighed and closed her eyes, leaning into Edmund a little more, causing him to tighten his arm around her. Could she do it? Could she really save them? It wasn't just her last time. It was all five of them. If it wasn't for Lucy, they wouldn't have even gone to Narnia. Yes, Annabelle knew about it, but she thought it would be better to keep it a secret from their siblings. Lucy however, told their siblings, and despite the difficulties, brought them to Narnia. If it wasn't for Edmund, Peter would probably be turned into stone right now. Edmudn broke the White Witch's wand, almost loosing his own life in the process. If it wasn't for Susan, they would all probably be dead by now, seeing as she looked out for all of them for all this time. And if it wasn't for Peter, the battle against the White Witch would have been lost before it even begun, seeing as it was him who led the army. How can she do it alone this time?
    Whilst Queen Susan, Queen Lucy, and King Edmund all smiled at High Queen Annabelle, High King Peter felt anger rise up in him. He led the army against the White Witch. He killed Maugrim. He became the High King, so why was Annabelle receiving all the gratitude from the Narnians?! And even though he wouldn't admit it just yet, he started to feel jealous of his younger sister.