"She won't speak, my lord," The voice sounded from the top of the stairs, "I've tried everything."
There was rumble of footsteps as the men entered the dungeons. Automatically my pained expression switched to a neutral one at the sight of Miraz. He would not see my pain. The old man saw me and I almost grinned at the sight of my knife wounds on both his cheeks. He sneered in my direction before facing the torturer.
"What exactly have you tried?"
The man was flustered, "The usual trick, m'lord. A few knife wounds, starvation, dehydration. She hasn't spoken since she woke up."
"Well try harder!" Miraz's voice boomed. His expression was lived as he crouched down outside the bars of my cell. His anger sent chills throughout my aching spine, but I kept my face placid, "You will talk, little girl. And when you do, all will be revealed."
He exited the damp stone dungeon with his guards and the torturer following suit. Once the door closed I collapsed to the ground from my sitting position, the tears already spilling. My body curled itself into a ball, trying to take away the pain I felt in every corner. My stomach was ravaging, desperate for food. My mouth felt as dry as a desert and my arms and legs ached with several cuts. I knew they could do worse. I knew they were going to do worse, but that didn't numb the pain.
Edmund.
Somehow his name brought comfort. For a moment, I wondered if he had made it out of the castle. He didn't leave with the others, he had disappeared after he killed the archer who shot me. Was he dead? Were we never going to see each other again? He left you Amelia, an evil part of me whispered, but I countered it, No he didn't. He didn't have a choice.
My heart felt like tearing itself apart. So many choices. So many decisions I needed to make. Did he chose to leave? Was he forced to leave? Do I love him? Do I hate him? Do I want Caspian? Do I want Edmund? But the events of my love life didn't matter here. This dungeon didn't care who you were, it broke you down either way. The damp cold and the darkness left me wondering what it felt like to feel the sun on my skin. Warmth. Something I had taken for granted before they brought me down here.
I heard the main entrance open again, but I couldn't bring myself to sit up and act strong. So many hours spent down here. At first, it was easy to pretend that I was strong, but as the hours ticked by in the slowest pace, it got harder. I started to yearn for sunlight, for warmth, for people.
"Up, girlie."
I grunted as I pushed myself up. My green tunic was stained with blood and my brown pants were torn in so many places. I laid my eyes on the masked torturer, trying to build up my barrier again. His arms were crossed behind his back, and I knew he was hiding his new torture device.
"What do you want?" The words came out stronger than what I felt.
"Who are you?"
I'm afraid I can't tell you that you have the Silvanus. I remained silent.
"I said who are you?"
Silence.
He moved his arms, and from behind his back he revealed a blood-stained whip. My eyes started to water.
"Who are you?"
Don't break. Don't break. Don't break.
Silence. The torturer walked into the cell.
"Turn around, girlie."
I did as I was told and faced the opposite wall, gritting my teeth as I waited for impact.
Silvanus please help me. But I knew the spirit would not come. I was weak – too weak to heal myself. My body was starved for sustenance, and the Silvanus was too. There was no power for magic.
"Who are you?"
Silence.
CRACK.
Edmund POV
He could hardly hold himself up. Each footstep felt like he had tied stone blocks to his legs. He kept his eyes down, not wanting to show his saddness. But somehow, he knew everyone felt the same as he did. She was gone. The Narnians lost their leader. Edmund lost his heart.
He stared at Caspian's back, wondering if yelling at the Prince would make it any better. He was supposed to protect her!
Edmund gritted his teeth and shut his mouth tight. He knew any words he would say now would only make he situation worse. He had to be strong for her. He had to make sure her people were safe. It's what she would've wanted. Is she dead? He didn't know. He didn't see her final moments, but Caspian and Peter did. From the way they were acting, she might as well have been burned alive.
He tried to feel something, anything to show him whether she was alive. Maybe she had sent a sign to them, but so far he hadn't seen or felt anything that appeared to be her doing. It felt like she had simply disappeared.
Edmund followed his brother and Caspian through the ruins and up to the front entrance of the How. He saw Lucy and a few other soldiers who were left behind, but he couldn't bare to look at their faces. They had failed, and the consequences were extreme.
"What happened?" Lucy asked as they approached. Edmund's mind jumped to the last time he saw Amelia, but he pushed it away. He didn't want to feel the pain of her loss. He didn't want to feel worse than what he already did.
Peter sneered, "Ask him," he gestured to Caspian.
"Peter-" Susan tried to interject.
"Me?" Caspian questioned, "You could've called it off, there was still time!"
"No there wasn't thanks to you. If you'd kept to the plan, those soldiers might be alive right now."
"And if you'd just stayed as I suggested they definitely would be!"
Peter gestured around him, incredulous, "You called us, remember?"
"My first mistake," Caspian sneered.
"No," Peter paused, "Your first mistake was thinking you could lead these people."
"Hey!" Caspian yelled as Peter walked away, "I'm not the one who abandoned Narnia! I'm not the one who left Amelia to fend for herself!"
Caspian's words sent a blow to Edmund's chest, and he felt the familiar guilt creep into the depths of his heart and mind once again.
"No!" Peter countered, "You invaded Narnia! You have no more right to lead it than Miraz does!" Caspian pushed passed Peter and started making his way into the How, "You, him, your father. Narnia's better off without the lot of you." Caspian paused in his step, "You're the reason she's dead."
Edmund spotted a familiar body being carried by Glenstorm. Trumpkin. Caspian drew his sword with a yell and Peter did the same. The two faced each other, but Edmund rushed to stop the fight, "Stop it!"
He caught their attention, and their eyes landed on the limp dwarf in Glenstorm's arms. Edmund felt another piece of his heart chip away. Not Trumpkin too. Edmund helped to lower the dwarf's body to the ground, and he saw Lucy rushing towards them from the corner of his eye. He hoped with all his heart that she could save him. Despite his irritable personality, Edmund had grown rather fond of the dwarf. He knew Amelia would kill him, dead or not dead, if he let Trumpkin die. Stop it. It's not your fault. But it was. He couldn't shake the guilt.
He watched as Lucy poured a drop of her firefly juice into the dwarf's mouth, and he recalled how it had tasted when he had lain on the battlefield after attacking the Witch. He held is breath, waiting for a sign of movement. Trumpkin was still for a moment, but then his chest lifted and he took a deep breath. Edmund let out a sigh, relieved that not everyone had died today. Almost everyone did. All because you didn't listen to Amelia. You didn't stop Peter.
"What you all standing around for?" Edmund was brought into focus by Trumpkin's voice, "The Telmarines'll be here soon enough." Edmund knew he was right. The Telmarines would retaliate, and they would not hold back. Trumpkin looked at Lucy, "Thank you, my dear little friend."
Edmund didn't allow himself to feel happy at the small moment between Trumpkin and Lucy. He forced his guilt to the surface, and it hit him with a hard blow, You did this, Edmund. You killed them. You killed her.
He walked into the How without another word.
Caspian POV
Caspian found himself staring at the paintings on the wall. He admired them and walked along, watching Amelia's story play out before him. She had painted her time with the Pevensies on this wall, and he found that the paintings told her story far better than any book the Professor had given him ever did. He saw the faun, Tumnus, she had called him, standing by the lamppost. He saw the White Witch, the stone table, Aslan. But the painting that intrigued him the most – the one that caught his eye no matter where he stood – was the one of the Pevensies by their thrones and her standing to the side. No throne. No crown. Only her. You should've been Queen...
"You so glad of that magic horn now, boy?" Caspian turned to his right and saw Nikarrbrik leaning against the wall, "The kings and queens have failed us. You're army's half dead. Those that aren't will be soon enough..." He walked closer, but Caspian only stared at him, silent with guilt crushing his heart.
"What do you want, congratulations?" Caspian asked.
Nikarrbrik's expression turned dark, "You want your uncle's blood? So do we. You want his throne? We can get if for you. You want revenge for the Silvanus? We can make it happen..."
The dwarf trailed off and gave Caspian a chilling smile. Revenge... he thought of Amelia. I'm sorry I couldn't save them all.
He followed the dwarf.
They entered the large cavern where the stone portrait of Aslan was kept. The fire was lit around him, giving the stone table an orange glow.
"You tried one ancient power, it failed," The dwarf beside him said, "But there is a power greater still- one that kept even Aslan at bay for nearly a hundred years."
Caspian's brow furrowed in confusion. Was there another option? Was there a power stronger than the Kings and Queens? Could this power give him what he wanted...
Caspian suddenly heard multiple growls fill the room. The sound echoed off the walls and bounced against his eardrums. He faced the entrance as saw the unmistakable glint of firelight walking towards him. He drew his sword and quietly walked forward. Was this part of Nikarrbrik's plan? Or had something come to devour them both.
Caspian swallowed his fear, "Who's there?"
A shrill, dark voice answered him, "I am hunger. I am thirst." From the shadows a cloaked being emerged. His whole body was covered by a dark cloth, but Caspian saw the wolf-like snout that peeked out from under the creature's hood, "I can fast a hundred years, and not die." The wolf-like creature stalked towards him, but he kept his sword raised, "I can lie a hundred nights on the ice, and not freeze." Caspian saw another creature walk towards him. This one was fouler, it's head a slimy green and it had a beak for a mouth. Its skin was shriveled and its eyes seemed to be bottomless pools of black. Its hands were like a bird's – tipped with claws and crunched up as if it was holding something invisible, "I can drink a river of blood, and not burst. Show... me.... YOUR ENEMIES!" The creature lifted his hood and Caspian raised his sword, which had slowly begun dropping, at the sight of his wolfish features and large canines.
"What you hate, so will we," The other creature spoke with the voice of a witch. The high pitched sound hurt Caspian's ears, but he listened to her words attentively, "No one hates better than us."
Caspian was careful to choose his words, "And you can guarantee Miraz's death?"
"And more," The green creature spoke. Caspian sheathed his sword, interested in the proposition. Caspian looked back at Nikarrbrik, and the dwarf nodded at him, "Let the circle be drawn!"
The wolf creature used its claw to draw a large circle in the sand around Caspian, right in front of the portrait of Aslan. The green being started chanting words in a strange language, and Caspian suddenly wondered what deal he had agreed to. Was this truly something he wanted or was it black magic trying to lead him astray? Caspian didn't have time to decide for the creature started chanting louder and louder. She revealed a long silver structure, and Caspian noticed the pointed ice tip. The White Witch's wand... somehow, this thought did not scare him away. He felt drawn to the wand. It was as if it was keeping him in his place. He could not move even if he wanted to.
The creature gave one last yell before she slammed the wand into the stone staircase before Aslan's portrait. Caspian watched, amazed, as a wall of ice appeared before him. The ice creeped it's way up to the ceiling, sealing off the image of the powerful lion.
Caspian swore he saw movement behind the ice, but he could not see what lay beyond. He watched his breath come out in white clouds and felt the sudden cold nip at his skin. But he didn't move. He watched the movement, and slowly the image became clearer and clearer until he could see her face. The pale skin, the blue eyes, the blond hair. The White Witch.
Caspian's head finally caught up with what was happening. This woman had held Narnia captive for over a hundred years. This woman killed so many Narnians. This woman was Amelia's mother. The woman Amelia hated.
"Wait," Caspian shuffled backward, "This is not what I wanted." Her eyes seemed to bore into his soul. The wolf creature stopped him before he exited the circle. Caspian struggled, but the wolf held his body still and then lifted Caspian's left arm towards the Witch.
"One drop of Adam's blood and you free me," The Witch's voice chilled him, but mesmerized him at the same time. Amelia sounded just like her, only her voice was slightly warmer, "Then I am yours, my king."
Mine? Caspian was suddenly not so repulsed by the idea of Amelia's mother. He could see the resemblance between them, and he wondered if she could bring her daughter back to him.
The green creature brought her knife to Caspian's outstretched hand and cut into his palm, "No," Caspian struggled, This is wrong. But his mind was quickly swayed to the other side, and it felt right. He watched as the witch raised her hand pushed it through the ice. Her hand was a rosy pink from the cold, and her presence seemed to draw him closer. The wolf let go of him, confident that Caspian wouldn't run.
"Stop!" Caspian heard someone shout, but it was as if his ears were wrapped in cotton wool. He could only focus on the witch in front of him. Everything I've ever wanted...
He heard muffled sounds of battle, but he could only focus on the witch's blue eyes. Amelia's eyes looked exactly the same. She can bring her back. She can undo what Peter did.
He was close now. He could feel the warmth roll off her skin. The Witch muttered to herself, "Come on, come on."
Little closer...
Caspian grunted as a large force knocked into him and sent him sprawling to the ground. He looked up and saw the familiar blond hair of Peter Pevensie.
"Get away from him!" The Witch's hand was back in the ice, and Caspian suddenly realized what he was about to do. I almost doomed us all. Guilt seemed to draw Caspian into its arms until he felt his entire body encased in it. He felt terrible for losing Amelia, but now he felt worse. This was much worse.
"Peter dear," Caspian heard her mesmerizing voice, "I've missed you." Her hand was out of the ice again, "Come, just one drop." Caspian watched, shocked, as Peter seemed to fall under the same trance that he did, "You know you can't do this alone."
It was silent as Peter began to lower his sword.
"Peter, no..." Caspian called out, but the oldest Pevensie ignored him.
The Witch was winning. She was manipulating the King. Caspian felt for his sword, but before he could do anything a loud SLING echoed into the cavern. Caspian watched as a blade went right through the ice and into the Witch's middle. The woman gasped, he arms spreading out to the sides as if she had been crucified. She let out a sharp wail, the sound hurting Caspian's eardrums, before the entire wall of ice burst into a magnificent onslaught of ice shards. Caspian covered his head as the ice rained down on him.
When the storm passed, Caspian lifted himself off the ground alongside Peter and saw Edmund standing behind the remainder of the wall, his sword still raised. Caspian only stared at him, shocked that he had saved them all.
"I know," Edmund said, looking at Peter, "You had it sorted."
The dark-haired king left the room, leaving the portrait of Aslan in his wake. Caspian and Peter turned around, only to find Susan giving them both disappointed stares. Caspian looked at the ground ashamed. Her intelligent eyes seemed to be burning themselves into his skull and he felt crushed that he had disappointed the only Pevensie who he had respect for.
Then the guilt overtook him once again.
IM BACK!
Sorry for the late update everyone - I was writing exams and I'm finally finished! (Well, I hav one left, but screw life.)
So, what did yall think? Not much Amelia, but I needed to show the other events of the story aswell. I hope you guys got a good glimpse into Peter and Caspian's minds Amelia will definitely be dominating in the next chapter!
Is Amelia on team Caspian of team Edmund? Are you on team Caspian or Team Edmund? Who's fault is it that they lost the battle? Will Amelia make it through Miraz's torture?
Let me know in the comments :)