𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡 ♱ ˖ ࣪ . ─────
QUEEN TABITHA.
Jareth was right: although small, pixies are very dangerous.
All Kate could do was glare at the small woman as she was gagged with cloth and tied up along with Jareth and Tewkesbury. She felt like a complete failure, a laughingstock. Kate was reminded once again of how useless she was three years ago, how she kept herself hidden and scared.
"This bag only proves that they have attempted to steal our pixie dust," A fairy from their council spoke up. Queen Tabitha adjusted from her throne, tilting her head as she slowly tapped its golden armrest with her fingertips. The Queen had a stern look in her face as she scoffed lightly, "Jareth, Jareth, Jareth, did you really think you could bring friends to help you steal our most sacred dust?"
Jareth answered, although no one really understood what he said since he too, was gagged. The Queen laughed, smirking in delight to see him helpless, "You know how kind I am, elf boy. But once someone has crossed the line, I assume you also know how I love revenge."
Kate had come to the conclusion that she hated the pixie's Queen.
"You know what to do," Tabitha whispered to the guard by her right. Tewkesbury's eyes widened as he groaned repeatedly and started to squirm uncontrollably, trying to break free. Even Jareth paled when the guards flew towards the Princess.
Kate tried to remain calm, but on the inside, she felt as if her heart had stopped beating in fear. Is this it? Will she arrive at Aslan's Country without saying any proper goodbye to her friends? To Caspian? One guard pulled the cloth out of her mouth, which she was a little thankful for.
"I am the Princess of Narnia, Katherine Gornelle, and it is my command that you let us go."
It was silent at first then laughs erupted everywhere. Kate turned red from both embarrassment and anger, they were actually making fun of her. "Oh dear, did you really think we'd believe that? You? A princess? Bless me, you look like a boy with those pants!" Tabitha mocked her, "Besides, everyone knows how much of a brat Princess Katherine is, so even if you are her, we'd still display your head."
A brat.
Everyone thinks of her as a brat.
Kate wanted to ignore the prickling in her heart, but it was too painful. It felt like someone had slapped her in the face. Hard. Finally, she was able to realize how much of a brat she had acted back at the castle. How she acted to every guest that arrived, how she treated Caspian lowly, how she only focused on herself and ignored the pain everyone felt around her.
Aliana was right, she did kill herself-her old self.
What monster did she become?
She took a glance at Jareth and Tewkesbury, seeing the panic and pain in their eyes. How had she not noticed they were hurting too? She practically dragged them into this.
"Huh, you're right. Maybe you are the Princess," Tabitha flew closer to her face, a sinister smile resting on her lips, "that gives me much more pleasure if I have your head."
"You can behead me, if you wish. You can sacrifice me to the demons, if that's what you want. But let them go...please...they did nothing wrong. I'm the one who forced them to steal your pixie dusts." Kate pleaded, her eyes starting to water. After the Pevensies left, she doubted them, she doubted herself, she doubted Aslan. It is only fair that she dies and not them.
Maybe she isn't even worthy to take a glimpse of Aslan's Country.
"A soft spot, how lovely. Usually I'd rather kill my enemy's loved ones, because that's what makes everything much more interesting to watch. But maybe I'll let it slide this time, because I am such a merciful Queen," Tabitha exhaled heavily, "Oh and by the way, you're not only a brat. You're awfully pathetic and too useless to be a royal. I feel so bad for King Caspian."
And she was slapped by the truth again.
For what she thought was the last time, Kate glanced at Jareth and Tewkesbury. The two boys stared back at her, but her focus was only really on a certain Lord who stuck with her day and night, who made her burn in anger and flustered by his shameful flirting. A single tear fell of Tewkesbury's eye, as if he knew what she was feeling.
He always knows.
"Thank you," Kate whispered in a hoarse voice before she was brought to the altar. Since she was a giant compared to the fairies, it took about twenty of them to control her. They made her kneel and look up, it was only when she felt something sharp on her neck.
Kate still hears the sounds of protest coming from the boys she had befriended the past few days. She heard Aliana's disappointed voice. She heard Aslan's enraged roar. She heard Caspian's cries every night when he misses Susan. She had heard it all until all she felt was numbness.
But nothing came.
Instead, she heard a shriek full of fear.
"Intruder! Queen Tabitha, he's destroying the village!"
Tabitha wiped her head to the side and cursed. She pulled the rope back, causing the huge blade placed on the Princess' neck to fall back. "Jareth! Do you have another annoying friend I should know about?!"
Jareth, who looked genuinely confused, shook his head and shrugged. Tabitha cursed again and stated her orders, "Tie the prisoner once again, I don't have time for this. Tinkerbell, you guard them, I trust you with this simple task. The two Jeffs will guard them from the outside to make sure no one escapes. I am far from done. The rest, follow me, we shall defend our village."
A girl who looked younger than the Queen, with a messy blonde bun, green leafy dress, and bright blue eyes stepped up from the panicking crowd, curtsying as everyone left except for them. Once she was sure everyone was gone, Tinkerbell immediately flew to Kate, untying the ropes on her hands then strided to the boys.
"You must go. It is now or never." Tinkerbell started as she also untied Tewkesbury and Jareth. "Tink! Was it you who planned this?" Jareth asked once the cloth was out of his mouth. The fairy shook her head, "No, it is only a matter of coincidence. I've told you to never return, Jareth. Why didn't you listen? Everyone doesn't trust you anymore."
"You know why I had to steal the pixie dust the last time," Jareth muttered fastly, grabbing the bag full of the sacred golden dust and patting his shoulder, "Come on Tink, you need to come with us. Tabitha will kill you if she learned you helped us."
A loud bang was heard and the cave where they were in started to rumble, Tinkerbell's eyes widened in panic, "No time! If I come with you and your friends, the Queen will only find us sooner. You must go, Jareth! Hurry!"
"B-But-"
"Go," Tinkerbell whispered, fluttering her wings closer to the elf, connecting both their foreheads together before flying away, "I must distract the Jeffs!"
"Kate! Are you hurt?" Tewkesbury almost tripped when he ran towards the princess, holding her too tightly as he desperately tried to examine her figure. "Come on, the cave is going to collapse and we have to go!"
"Tewkesbury." Kate stopped him before he could bring her up to her feet. She stayed on the floor, her heart pounding, "You need to go home."
"I'm not leaving you!"
"Hey-"
"No! I've said it once and so I will again! I do not regret coming with you even if I know my life will be in danger. I get it, you're broken, so please, please allow yourself to lean on me. I'll carry you. I'll do it without a price. Cam, don't think of yourself that way, because you're more than that. Y-You're mean, you're sarcastic, you're kind, y-you're beautiful-you have flaws, but those flaws are the reason why I li-"
"We've got to go!" Jareth urged them, rocks from the cave starting to fall. "Go! Go! Go!" Tewkesbury cursed under his breath, wrapping his arms protectively around the Princess as he dragged her with him towards the exit.
The three teenagers jumped just at the same time Pixie Village collapsed.
Jareth groaned in pain and rubbed the back of his neck before standing up to his feet and running towards the broken remains of the village he once called home. His breath hitched as he felt a painful tug in his heart before he forced himself to look away. "Tewkesbury! Kate! Where are you?!"
"We're here!" Tewkesbury coughed, dust entering his lungs. He heard Kate also coughing from the other side and immediately reached for her, helping her stand up. Jareth finally caught sight of them, now running towards their direction.
"Who would do such a thing?" Tewkesbury asked, his voice merely a whisper as he caught a view of the completely destroyed village. "Evil," Jareth breathed out, nodding his head, "Pixies can be brutal and petty, but they were also a lovely family. Oh, right, I have the pixie dust. We can still go to Kharnia-"
"-you two are going back home." Kate cuts him off, causing them to look at her.
"What?" Tewkesbury furrowed his eyebrows. "No, Katherine, stop it."
"It isn't worth it. Your life, Jareth's life, all these lives, are not worth it to waste just because I want to find my mother. For once, I just want to know the truth. My origin, my family history-I just wanted to belong, not even realizing how selfish I was acting. I think I have to do this journey alone now." Kate reached her hand out, waiting for the elf to pass her the bag full of pixie dust, but all Jareth did was shake his head.
"Katherine, do you know what's wrong?" Tewkesbury looked hurt, his lips quivered but no tears escaped his eyes, "You keep pushing yourself away, you keep blaming yourself for things that weren't your fault. You aren't selfish, you're broken. If you want to continue alone, that's alright. But if you start to realize that you can't carry all the burden alone, we'll be here. We won't move nor will we go home. Because we always have each other's back, right?"
Jareth nodded his head, "That's what friends do."
Kate threw herself in between them, wrapping her arms around their necks as she hugged them tightly. Jareth and Tewkesbury hugged back, snuggling on each of her shoulders. "I'm sorry," she whispered before slowly pulling away.
Jareth sighed and passed her the pixie dust, "Here, you'll need this. Only use a few and it'll last you for three days, so if you travel for a maximum of two weeks, the dust is more than enough. You can travel back by flying too. Oh! And, for it to work, you need to think of happy thoughts. It'll make your heart lighter."
"No one is going to kill each other while I'm gone, alright?" She joked while wiping her tears, causing the two boys to roll their eyes playfully back at her.
Alone.
That's what she thought would be for the best.