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DUSK HAD crept up on the Narnians, as the majority of them were gathered in the Stone Table room, where the Pevensies stood. Eliza had spent the past few hours talking among the troops and comrades while her brother tried to figure out some sort of tactic.
"It's only a matter of time. Miraz's men and war machines are on their way." Peter began, "That means those same men aren't protecting his castle."
Reepicheep, the mouse, who Eliza talked to for roughly an hour earlier that day, "What do you propose we do, Sire?" He asked, causing Caspian and Peter to both open their mouths to reply.
"We—"
"Our—"
Peter looked at Caspian almost as if warning him to stop. Caspian conceded and closed his mouth, stepping back to let the other boy talk.
Peter cleared his throat, "Our only hope is to strike them before they strike us." He stated, awaiting the Narnians reactions. Eliza was silent, a twisting feeling was churning her stomach as the boy continued to talk.
Caspian stepped forward once more, "But that's crazy, no one has ever taken that castle." He exclaimed.
Peter shrugged slightly, "There's always a first time." He reasoned, causing soft murmurs of agreement to echo around the room.
"We'll have the element of surprise." Trumpkin added from the corner of the room.
"But we have the advantage here." Caspian argued, his voice strained as he tried to be heard over the multiple noises.
Susan stepped towards her brother, "If we dig in, we could probably hold them off indefinitely." She added, glancing at Caspian.
"I, for one, feel safer underground."
Trufflehunter, the badger stated, making a few Narnians roll their eyes.
Peter turned to Caspian, "Look, I appreciate what you've done, but this isn't a fortress, it's a tomb." The boy remarked.
"Yes," Edmund spoke up, "-and if the Telmarines are smart, they'll just starve us out." Eliza's head dropped slightly as she fiddled with her thumb ring.
"We could collect nuts!" A squirrel piped up in excitement, Eliza looked down and chuckled in response.
Reepicheep rolled his eyes, "Oh yes, and throw them at the Telmarines!" The mouse mocked, "... SHUT UP! I think you know where I stand on this, Sire."
"Eliza you're being awfully quiet." Peter said, as eyes flitted towards the knight as she snapped out of a small train of thought. Her eyes landed on Edmund who scrunched his brows together trying to read her expression. She cleared her throat and stepped towards her little sister who was perched on top of the stone table, in the middle of the room.
Eliza nodded at a concerned Lucy and looked up to meet Peters gaze. "Peter-" The girl started, "You may be the high king, but that doesn't always make you right. I have faith in the troops, but I don't believe that we have the numbers at this very moment to gain the upper hand in this battle".
Peter rolled his eyes, "So you're against the attack?" He raised a brow, Eliza once again looked towards her twin and then Lucy who both looked shocked.
"Yes." Eliza answered firmly, earning a riot of murmurs from the Narnians, "I will fight with you but I don't necessarily think that this plan is the most reliable out of all the possibilities. It wouldn't be logical to send our men into that situation- we don't know how many guards or Telmarines we'd be up against."
Peter glared at her before turning to the centaur beside him, Glenstorm, "If I can get your men in, can you handle the guards?" He questioned, making Eliza run a frustrated hand through her hair.
Glenstorm bowed his head, "Or die trying, my liege." He proudly stated,
Lucy frowned from beside Elisa, "That's what I'm worried about." She spoke up, her tiny voice silencing the room. Everyone gazed at her as she looked directly at her older brother.
Peter looked baffled, "Sorry?" He asked as if he was hearing her incorrectly.
Lucy bit her lip out of habit, "Well, you're all acting like there are only two options: Dying here, or dying there." She gestured.
Peter scoffed, "I'm not sure you've really been listening, Lu." He replied, shaking his head.
Eliza chuckled in disbelief, "Or maybe you're not listening." She retorted, placing a reassuring hand on Lucy's.
"Or have you forgotten who really defeated the White Witch, Peter?" Lucy stated more confidently, knowing she had support from her sister.
"I think we've waited for Aslan long enough." Peter snapped, turning on his heel and leaving the Narnians to talk among themselves.
Edmund walked closer to Eliza who was muttering incoherent swear words under her breath. "Do you really have that little faith in them?" Edmund asked his twin in shock, His arms were crossed as he angrily looked down at his sister.
Eliza snapped her head to the side to face him, "I have faith in my troops, but I will not support anything that may be a 50/50 chance." She hissed.
"Your troops?! They're Peters troops." Edmund snapped, Eliza looked a bit taken aback. She was granted the majority of the troops as a favour from Aslan and Peter.
"Just because you're next in line for 'High King' -or whatever the hell the title is, doesn't mean you have to agree to this stupid plan, where our men will be killed." Eliza yelled, as Lucy looked down, trying to opt out of her siblings small dispute.
"This plan is not stupid!" Edmund shouted back, "I wish you'd just stop and actually think about other people and their points instead of being so stubborn and selfish that you can only do things your way."
Eliza stopped, she knew her brother was just frustrated but he had no right to call her selfish. "That's rich coming from you." Eliza sneered, "Look what happened last time we were in Narnia!"
The two fell silent, they hadn't noticed that the entire room had gone quiet and was listening in on the Pevensies argument. "I'm done here." Eliza concluded, "Have fun with Peters troops. Have fun getting them slaughtered and when you invade that fortress, I'll be there to say I told you so."
And with that the girl stormed off, back through the chamber and passed Peter who tried to talk to the girl only to receive an angry yell and shove. Eliza walked passed the fauns on guard, and walked down onto the fields, despite their words of encouragement not to do so.
The girl waltzed into the half-lit woods, until she came to a small clearing just out of view from the How. Eliza ripped her sword from her sheath and angrily struck a log, hitting it over and over, yelling in rage.
"What did that log ever do to you?" A voice resounded from behind her. The girl lowered her sword, and turned to face the Prince.
She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." She murmured, the anger seeping out of her.
"Then why are you so frustrated?" He mused, leaning against a tree as she sheathed her sword.
"My brother is being incompetent." Eliza snarled angrily, making Prince Caspian raise a brow.
"Peter?" He asked, folding his arms, making the girl chuckle.
"No. Edmund" she told him, sitting down on the log in defeat, after seeing her distraught state, Prince Caspian sighed and joined her on the log.
"As a boy I was told about the Knight of Narnia and her struggles in battle." Caspian recalled, "My professor used to tell me that you were a mix of all your siblings personality, that you had Peters hard headedness , somewhat of Susan's kindness, Edmunds stubbornness and Lucy's courage."
Eliza's ears perked up, "I just want what's best for Narnia- I don't think I could bare to see those men be killed because the High King made an idiotic call." The girl whispered, "Not only will it affect the numbers, but Peter will have to deal with the guilt."
"I can't imagine what it would feel like." Caspian replied, "That's a lot of pressure you have on your shoulders."
"Yes. Yes it it." Eliza shrugged, "I can't change the past, nor can I change the foreseeable future but I know for a fact my brother is deluded by the sight of ruling over Narnia once more." Prince Caspian was silent, she was a mere few years younger than him but she'd been through war and back.
"And then when I speak my truth, my own twin brother thinks I've lost faith in my troops- Sorry, Peters troops." Eliza rambled, "And then he proceeds to embarrass me in front of everyone and basically call me selfish." The girl stopped in disbelief.
Prince Caspian nodded, "You'll work it out eventually. So many tales were told of you and King Edmund, I remember one in particular where you won all of his maps and voyages- I thought it was hilarious that a girl could beat a boy at something like sword fighting." He said before paling, "S-Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
Eliza met the Princes eyes, "It's quite alright Caspian. It's nothing I've not heard over the years." She stated, "Now, enough about me. What about Susan, hm..?"
The princes cheeks tinted pink, "What about her?" He asked in response, making the smaller girl chuckle.
"If you fancy her, make a move. We won't be here forever." Eliza said steadily, she stood up and offered Caspian a hand which he brushed off. The sound of galloping erupted around them, making Eliza draw her blade and stand back to back with Caspian. Much to their relief, it was only Dragos who looked concerned.
"My queen, your brothers and sisters have been looking for you." The centaur informed the girl, as she sheathed her sword once more.
"Let them look but I do not wish to be found" Eliza quoted, biting on her bottom lip out of habit. She looked down solemnly and followed after the centaur who led her and the Prince back to the How.
Lucy stood outside the entrance to the How tucked under Peters arm. Their sister had been missing for quite a while, and with the threat of the Telmarines, they needed her back here safely. Eliza appeared from the trees with Dragos and Caspian by her side, she looked deflated, her head hung as she walked which was quite unusual.
Lucy lurched forward and ran straight into her sisters arms. Eliza wrapped her arms tightly around Lucy, as she chuckled lightly, "Lu-cutting-off-oxygen!" She choked, making Lucy let go and hold onto her hand.
"You were gone for ages." Lucy complained, as they walked towards Peter, "Don't worry I didn't tell Peter about you and Edmund."
"Thanks Lu." Eliza grumbled, as Peter walked towards them. The boy had his arms crossed, and a stern expression on his face.
"What were you thinking?" The older boy snapped, "You know better than to go out there with the threat of the Telmarines." Eliza squeezed Lucy's hand before nodding for the smaller girl to go back inside the How.
"It was a reasonable response to tonight." Eliza replied firmly, once Lucy was out of earshot.
"No, it wasn't!" Peter yelled, unfolding his arms, "You could've been killed!" The girls eyes narrowed as he scolded her.
"I'd rather die here than on the grounds of Telmar." The girl calmly stated, her fists clenching, creating crescent shaped marks on her palm. The older boy went silent, as he stared down at his younger sister.
"Did any of it mean anything?" Eliza questioned, her voice laced with plead, looking for some source of truth, "The whole 'let's let Eliza take control of some troops'".
"Yes." Peter nodded, "When I made that decision, I meant every word of it."
"Good." Eliza responded, "Since we've gotten here, how many of the Narnians have you talked to? Marlop the faun? Trindger the dwarf?"
"The majority of them." Peter lied uncertainly, "And just to enlighten you, yes- I've spoken to both of them."
Eliza laughed loudly in disbelief, making the boy look very confused, "What? What is it?" Peter questioned furiously.
"You're lying! I made up those two names. You're full of rubbish!" The girl yelled, "Since we've found the Narnians I've been talking, listening and laughing with the troops- I've learnt what's happened, I've learnt what they're like skill wise. Yet here you are, the High King- not knowing a goddamn thing!"
Peter looked shell shocked at the girls outburst, "Well I'm sorry I haven't had the time- I'm too busy trying to gain them their freedom while you're just sitting around." Peter shouted back.
"They're not ready for this attack you have planned." Eliza spat, "I have faith in those troops- but even faith can't cover something as destined to fail like this." The girl turned on her heel and began to walk back towards the How.
"Eliza-wait!" Peter yelled after her, "We haven't finished talking!"
"I don't have anything else to say to you." Eliza shouted back over her shoulder, "Don't disturb me tonight come dawn, I will be ready."
And with that, she stormed inside, brushing past Lucy. The girl walked through the weapons room, where a faun stood to attention as she passed, "At ease." She mumbled, making the creature loosen up and get back to his work. The girl eventually found herself on the giant stone ledge of the How.
How had the day gone from amazing to horrible within the matter of hours?
As she sat in the quiet, gazing up at the stars, her eyes slowly dropped shut and she fell into a heavy slumber. Only a mere hour later, Peter stepped out onto the stone ledge, running a frustrated hand through his hair until his eyes landed on his little sister, curled in a ball beside the rocks. He quietly crept towards her and shrugged off one of his layers of clothing, placing it over her as a blanket before leaving her to sleep.
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I know the whole Edmund and Eliza fight was petty and childish but bare in mind- the two are children and they're moods are unreliable.
Also Prince Caspian + Eliza are a new Brotp. #Caliza or #Elaspian but #EdLiza will always be no.1
Anyway, I literally only have inspiration for this book so-
Love you all!