The Prince, The Girl And The Lion (Prince Caspian Fanfic)

Chapter 14. "Raise A Glass Of Wine (For The Last Time)."

Hey guys!

I'm so sorry about the delay but, to make up for it, this is one of my longest chapters yet! More than 17k words! You have no idea how effort I've put into this chapter so please, vote and comment. 

Disclaimer: There's one line here that I've taken out of the Dark' tv series. Also, the title to this chapter's been taken out from "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran. Also, I don't own the characters of this fic except for Beth and Adrien.

Hope you like this! Update on chapter 15 coming soon so stay tuned!

Chapter 14. "Raise A Glass Of Wine (For The Last Time)."

Lucy stared in silence as the Narnian leaders started entering their meeting room, all of them looking expectant as they waited for their monarchs to explain the new part of the plan.

Ever since they made it back to Narnia, Lucy had found herself in continuous struggle with Peter and Susan. She understood the pressure they were under and, of course, she shared it until a certain extent, being a queen herself. However, in contrast with her older siblings, she knew when it was not up to her to solve things or to save Narnia. Lucy knew from the start that this war, this revolution, it wasn't about her. It was bigger than any of them. It was about saving the Narnians, it was about assuring them a future in which they would be safe and in peace in their own home.

That always set Lucy apart from the others, but it seemed to be more obvious during their second trip to Narnia. Ever since they made it back - and especially after meeting Caspian and Beth -, they all desperately hoped they would get to stay in Narnia for good. Their lives during the Golden Age haunted them, and it made them crave for the lives they had in their beloved country once upon a time; while they also were terrified of saying goodbye to their loved ones in Narnia.

Lucy shared all of those feelings but, unlike Peter, Susan, or even Edmund, she had come to realize, even if not entirely in a conscious manner, that their time as monarchs was coming to and end. Once a King or Queen, always a King or Queen, and maybe they would get to stay by the time the war's over but, if any of them were going to be Narnia's saviours, those were Beth and Caspian.

And Aslan. It was always up to Aslan.

But that day, Peter had realized that too, so he was sending Lucy to the woods in a quest to find the Great Lion. All they had to do was come up with a plan to buy her some time.

Lucy knew she should be excited, thankful that her brother had finally accepted that she was as capable as the others. Instead, as the last officers entered the room and faced Peter with attentive expressions, Lucy hurriedly schooled her expression into a confident one, and tried to ignore her quivering nerves as best as she could. She had been given an important responsibility, yes, and her neverending faith had finally been acknowledged, but she was also beginning to feel the pressure that came with it. She was now an active part of their plan for survival, and she had the responsibility to see the task given to her through to the end.

Lucy sighed wearily, instantly hoping nobody else heard, and tried to toughen up. At the end of the day, all she could do was pray she was worthy of this quest, and that she would be capable of helping her people survive.

As if sensing her conflict, Susan stood behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder as Peter began to explain the new adjustments to their plan. The Narnians set their focus on their High King but Lucy soon enough was distracted, her focus soon moving elsewhere.

Her eyes soon enough fell on her family and friends, and Lucy found herself trying to decipher how they felt about this, while dread filled her senses dread as she remembered the last war council they had.