That night, with Chloe and Eustace's fire burning bright, the sky was scattered with constellations and stars. For the past three years, Chloe watched the stars with wonder. Edmund had set himself next to her, however leaving a bit more space between them than normal so as to keep her comfortable if she was still angry with him.
"I've never seen these constellations before," he spoke through the silence.
Caspian was sitting up on the other side watching the stars twinkle, "Me neither."
"That's cause you never payed attention to them before," Chloe remarked.
Both boys seemed to have work past their issues, now looking to make things right with her, "When I was a boy I used to imagine sailing to the end of the world...finding my father there," Caspian confessed.
"Maybe you will," Ed encouraged.
They looked to Chloe, who was staring at the sky blankly, "I'm glad I have my best friends with me," Caspian addressed her softly.
There was silence for a moment, "Me too," she muttered, making the king feel better, he knew she just needed some time but they would be alright. They always were.
Edmund, however wanted to talk to her alone, "Can we talk?" He whispered. She nodded and he offered her his hand to help her up. He led her away from the others, but still in view of their fire. With the two of them finally alone, the both of them felt a bit more at ease, "First I want to say how sorry I am for what happened in the cave. I don't want to use the evil as an excuse because I know what I said was terrible. I want you to know that I would never again say anything that awful about you or to you," he had her hands in his as he forced her to look at him.
"I would never leave you for Caspian," was what she responded with.
He nodded, "I know that... I was just jealous cause you've been here for so long with him and I was missing you so much that I-" he stopped himself.
He thought maybe she wouldn't notice, but she did, "You what? What did you do Edmund?" He didn't want to tell her, afraid of how she would react.
"I....tried to enlist in the army-"
"YOU-" he quickly shushed her, seeing as the others were trying to sleep, "You what?! You're not even eighteen back in our world yet! You could get yourself killed if they took you! What about Lucy?! You were prepared to just leave her by herself? What about when I got back?! Edmund!" Her words sped as her head started racing through the possible consequences of Edmund illegally enlisting. He could see she was freaking out, he softly grabbed her shoulders and brought her to him. Chloe immediately wrapped her arms around him and copied his deep breaths, listening to his heartbeat. It took a minute before she'd calmed down, she stayed in that position as she muttered, "My nightmare was me loosing my power and you leaving me for....someone else."
He tensed in her arms, separating to look at her, "Is that why you were so quiet earlier?"
Chloe wasn't sure if she should tell him the rest, she didn't want him to worry over her more....but Edmund was like her, stubborn. And they both knew that he wouldn't drop the situation until she told him, Chloe sighed taking a step away and crossing her arms, "The both of you were telling me...I should just jump off the ship and into the ocean-"
"Chloe!" He hissed shocked, "I would never-"
"I know," she nodded softly, "But it just...it felt so real. You were mad about Caspian, and then when the both of you were fighting I just..."
He understood, their argument had brought her back to that. He felt even more guilty over the way he'd been acting. She was fiddling with her ring again, a small smile played on his face, "You still have it."
Chloe looked at him confused, before she realized what she was doing, "Oh," she smiled, "I never took it off."
All his previous concerns about Caspian were tossed away. Chloe wouldn't have kept his ring if she didn't still want to be with him all those years she'd been in Narnia, "I love you."
Chloe looked up at him from her ring, a knowing smile on her face as she nodded, "I love you too."
Edmund's grin was like that of the Cheshire Cat as he cupped her face and kissed her. Chloe would later swear she could feel the stars twinkling brighter in that moment. With the two of them feeling a lot better, they were able to bring their blankets closer and sleep comfortably in each other's arms.
💜
What felt like not even a few hours later, the group was being woken up by Lucy and Gael. The reason being they spotted the Blue Star. Chloe groggily lifted her head from Edmund's chest only to immediately alert when she saw the bright star in the sky, indicating the direction they needed to sail. They made haste to pack their belongings before piling into a longboat that Chloe shot toward the Dawn Treader. Eustace flew by its side as they sailed on.
The day went on without any hiccups, everyone thought that the worst was over. Suddenly the wind stopped pushing the ship, leaving them dead in the water. The only option was to have some of the crew rowing from below deck. The sun was beginning to set and the men were sweaty and hungry with exhaustion as they continued to row, making little progress.
"The wind has left us," Drinian stated starring up at the mast where the Narnian colors would've been blowing with the wind.
"So how do we get to Ramandu's island now then?" Edmund asked.
Drinian put his hands behind his back as he paced, "My guess is something doesn't want us to get there," he shrugged passive aggressively as he went to check on the rowing men.
"If I get any hungrier, I am going to eat that dragon," Chloe heard one of the men complain.
Overhead, Eustace and Reepicheep hovered, eyeing him angrily. Reep consoled the boy kindly while Chloe stormed over, "And the minute I see you leave your post, I'll have you tossed overboard and let Davy Jones deal with you," she snapped scaring him and his crewmate, "If you ever say something of that sort again you'll get absolutely no rations. How dare speak of that poor boy that way," she defended.
The man bashfully bowed his head, "My apologies Your Majesty. It won't happen again."
"It better not," she threatened before following the men up to the helm.
Drinian turned back to her with a condescending tone, "If we don't find land by tonight, they may well eat that dragon-"
Before Chloe could respond the ship lurched roughly, everyone falling to the deck. Edmund had grabbed Chloe on his way down in hopes to soften her fall only for the both of them to grown in pain when they roughly hit the deck, "What did we hit?" Caspian asked as he helped up Drinian and Chloe pulled up Edmund.
The ship began to move a lot faster than it had moments prior and everyone ran to the sides of the ship to see what could've caused the commotion. Something was pushing the ship, and when they saw what- I mean who- it was, everyone broke out into grins;
"Brilliant Eustace!" Edmund encouraged.
Eustace roared as his tail was coiled around the dragon's mouth at the forefront of the ship, "Onward ho!" Reepicheep yelled, pointing his sword.
The men cheered, "Bet you don't want to eat him now, do you?" Chloe challenged, looking to the same crew member from before who gulped in embarrassment.
Chloe, Caspian, and Edmund made their way back into the study for a moment to think about the next course of action. Caspian was at the table, counting the three swords they got so far, "We can't be sure the other lords even made it to Ramandu's Island," he whispered.
Looking out past the balcony, Chloe and Edmund saw the approaching island, "Well, I guess we're about to find out," she muttered.
💜
The sun had set and the moon had risen as the Dawn Treader weighed anchor at Ramandu's Island. Much like Cair Paravel when the Pevensies returned to Narnia years prior, the island seemed to be mostly ruins. There were old statues, a weathered path and bridge and a tree archway leading to what appeared to be Aslan's Table.
The only light source they had came from Edmund's torch and a flame from Chloe's hand, the two of them were the first to approach the table, inspecting the food and decor that filled the table. Candle sticks were scattered around the table, and with a flick of her finger, Chloe lit the candles, illuminating what was once dark.
"Mmmmm...food," Tavros licked his lips eyeing the food.
Drinian stopped him, "Wait," he ordered as Caspian, Chloe, Edmund and Lucy circled the table.
Having not noticed in the darkness, at the end of the table sat three men...three Lords. Covered in twigs, and beards that reached the table, they didn't move, "Lord Revilian," Caspian indicated with the tip of his sword pointed at the ring on the Lord seated at the head of the table.
Chloe looked at the Lord on the left of Lord Revilian, recognizing his crest, "Lord Mavramorn," she identified.
Across the table, Edmund illuminated the last Lord, "Lord Argoz."
Lucy slowly approached one of the Lords, moving his hair out of his face before gasping and flinching away. Initially, they didn't know what had frightened her, until Caspian heard the sound of his breath, "He's breathing!"
"So are they," Edmund pointed his torch, showing that the other Lords' chests were moving in time with the breaths they took.
"They're under some kind of spell," Chloe realized.
For a moment she couldn't think of what could've possibly put three men under such a powerful enchantment until Caspian suddenly yelled to the others, "IT'S THE FOOD!" The sudden outburst stopped Tavros a moment before he took a bite out of an apple.
Silence swept the room as all the men dropped the food they were ready to take a bite out of. That was when Edmund noticed, "The stone knife," he looked up, "It's Aslan's Table," he confirmed.
"Grab their swords," Chloe indicated and quickly Caspian, Lucy and Edmund placed all the swords they had onto the table, "...Six," she counted, "We're missing one," Chloe gripped her staff a bit harder when slowly, an iridescent blue glow came from the swords.
"Look!" Lucy pointed to the night sky above them.
The Blue Star, still bright and vibrant as the moment it first appeared in the night sky, seemed to grow larger as it dissented to the Earth. As it neared the ground, the light seemed to shift, and touching the ground was a beautiful woman, emitting the light of the Blue Star.
"Travelers of Narnia. Welcome," The crew immediately bowed respectfully, "Arise," she smiled, "Are you not hungry?"
It was Edmund who was the first to speak, "Who are you?"
"I am Liliandil, daughter of Ramandu. I am your guide," she smiled at the group kindly.
A looked was exchanged between Caspian and Edmund, one that Chloe caught immediately. Edmund looked absolutely intrigued by her, and Caspian looked completely taken with her, "You're a star?" Liliandil nodded, "You are most beautiful."
"If it is a distraction for you, I can change form-" she offered.
"No!" Both boys quickly answered. Chloe looked at Edmund, hurt evident in her eyes as she grabbed her staff tighter.
The woman turned back to the men, "Please, the food is for you. There is enough for all who are welcome at Aslan's table. Always. Help yourselves," she encouraged.
"Hold it," Chloe ordered, stopping the men and eyeing the woman suspiciously, "What about the Lords? What happened to them?"
"These poor men were hals-mad by the time they reached our shores. They were threatening violence upon each other. Violence is forbidden at the table of Aslan. So they were sent to sleep," she explained.
"Will they ever wake?" Lucy asked.
Liliandil nodded, "When all is put right," she looked to Chloe, "And if you place your staff on the table, you'll be one step closer."
Chloe's eyes widened, she knew she was going to have to part with her staff eventually. She just didn't think it would be so soon. After all, she's had it since Father Christmas gave it to her the first time she ever set foot in Narnia. And now this woman was just expecting her to toss it aside like it's nothing, "Go on Chloe, just do what she says," Edmund nudged her side.
Just do what she says.
Suddenly she was brought back to that beach. The frozen wasteland. The girl was smirking at her, "I told you there would always be someone else."
A lump formed in her throat as she looked at her staff, within the orb swirled the familiar purple haze. She didn't want to let it go, but she knew she'd have to. Everyone was watching her, no one knew what suddenly made her so emotional as she placed her staff on top of the swords. The blue light changed to purple and Liliandil nodded approvingly, "Come, there's little time," Caspian and Edmund hurried after her leaving Lucy and Chloe bringing up the rear.
"Are you okay?" Lucy whispered as she slowed her pace for Chloe.
The girl's face was no longer sad, but like stone, emotionless as she shook her head and kept walking without a word. Liliandil led the four of them away from Aslan's table and through the woods, to the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean, "The magician, Coriakin, told you of Dark Island?"
"Yes," Caspian nodded as he and Edmund stood on either side of her.
The star pointed her hand toward the distance, and what was once covered by clouds, now revealed Dark Island, a sinister light emitting from it, "Before long, the evil will be unstoppable."
Caspian looked to her, "Coriakin said to break its spell, we must lay the seven swords and Chloe's staff at Aslan's table."
"He speaks the truth."
"But we only found six," Edmund reminded as he steps closer to her, "Do you know where the seventh is?"
She nodded, pointing directly to the island, "In there."
"Bloody brilliant," Chloe muttered, her comment going unnoticed.
"Waste no time," she warned.
Caspian smiled to her, "I hope we meet again."
"Goodbye," her eyes twinkled as she looked at him, before glowing brighter and arising back into the night sky.
With Liliandil gone, Chloe looked to the boys, "If you're done drooling over a star. Get something to eat and a few hours sleep. In the morning we set sail for the one place I hoped we wouldn't have to go to," she huffed walking away with Lucy, leaving the boys watching her with confusion as to her attitude.