High Queen Layla, It Has a Nice Ring to It

Layla, Peter, and everyone held their ground, the only people readying themselves being the archers. When the Telmarines reached a certain point, Peter turned to Caspian giving him the go ahead and Caspian took to the tunnels they had created.

Layla reached over grabbing Peters hand and squeezing without taking her eyes off of the field, Peter returned the pressure before releasing her hand and beginning to count. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine... Get ready!” He shouted taking more prepared defensive stance, as the archers took aim. They all knew what was about to happen, the Telmarines on the other hand were taken by surprise as the ground before them suddenly began to collapse.

“Now!” Susan shouted and the archers released their arrows, injuring those that were trying to escape the hole they had fallen into.

Edmund and the others began to charge forward as Peter gave the order, “Charge!” Everyone rushed into battle. Layla focused on being defense as the other Narnian’s took to offensive maneuvers. Seeing as she wasn’t as focused on beating them down she was the first to notice the reinforcements.

“Peter!” She called to him; he didn’t glance at her instead looking in the direction she was as though he knew what she wanted him to see. The look on his face turned into one of fear as he realized how outnumbered they were. Layla changed to offense as people attacked her from all sides, sending out a blast of energy that knocked them all onto their asses as she smirked in victory. Quickly she pulled a sword from one of the men and ran to Peter’s side. As she knocked someone else over with her magic before plunging her blade into them she turned in time to see Peter turn to Susan.

“Lucy? Yvainne?” He said to her as though she were standing right in front of him, and though she wasn’t she knew what he had said. Susan shook her head in response and Peter turned back in time to see Layla plunge her sword into another soldier who had tried to sneak up on her. “Back to the Howe!” Peter commanded before turning, grabbing Layla’s free hand and retreating. The Narnian’s following.

Immediately the Telmarines began to aim for the Howe with their boulder catapults. “Brace yourselves!” Susan told everyone as she herself tried to do just that. Peter and Layla were almost back to the Howe when Layla pulled Peter to a stop.

“Layla come on!” Peter tried to urge her as he attempted to continue forward but she tightened her grip and insisted he not move anymore just as the entrance to the Howe began to crumble. Peter watched in terror as some of the Narnian’s were crushed and the piece that Susan was standing upon crumbled, another of Layla’s visions came to pass as Susan dangled from the Howe before falling and landing safely on a toppled piece of the Howe. Peter turned then to assess their options, before his eyes met Caspian’s who was stood on the other side of Layla and he realized that there was really only one option left.

To fight.

Edmund, Jared, Susan, Carissa, and Trumpkin joined the three standing before the now useless Howe and readied their weapons before they once more surged forward into the battle. Coming back with a vengeance.

~*~

Meanwhile, Lucy and Yvainne were riding through the forest as a Telmarine soldier was quickly in pursuit behind the two when Lucy saw it.

The flash of gold was almost missed by Yvainne as well but she glanced over and met Lucy’s gaze before it flashed once more. The next thing they knew Aslan was before them. He growled causing both horses to buck and throw Lucy and Yvainne both off of their horses. He wasn’t after then though, because then he crouched before springing onto the Telmarine soldier. By the time Lucy and Yvainne recovered, the soldier had run off.

Lucy glanced at him suspiciously as though he were going to disappear again with the blink of an eye, while Yvainne stood dumbfounded by the majestic lion that was before her. Once Lucy was convinced that she wasn’t dreaming she exclaimed, “Aslan!” then took off towards him tackling him with a hug in joy. Yvaine was less confident and so approached them cautiously as Lucy began to ramble off, “I knew it was you. The whole time, I knew it. But the others didn’t believe me.”

“And why would that stop you from coming to me?” Aslan questioned her before turning to the new comer. “Hello Yvainne. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard much about you.”

“And I you sir.” Yvianne replied with a small smile, relaxing finally.

“I’m sorry Aslan. I was too scared to come alone.” Lucy replied finally in a bit of disappointment with herself.

“Why wouldn’t you show yourself?” Yvainne asked him then truly curious to know.

“Why couldn’t you come roaring in and save us like last time?” Lucy added.

“Things never happen the same way twice, dear ones.” He replied solemnly, Lucy looked a bit distraught as she thought over what he said before asking her next question.

“If I’d—If we’d come earlier, would everyone who died... could I have stopped that?” She asked quietly, ashamed. Yvainne wrapped her arm around Lucy to let her know she wasn’t alone. The young girl looked so sad, so haunted by the thought that she may have been able to prevent the death of so many and didn’t.

Aslan’s reply helped with that a bit though, “We can never know what would have happened, Lucy. But what will happen is another matter entirely.”

“You mean you’ll help?” Yvainne asked in surprise. Aslan chuckled at her shock.

“Of course. As will the both of you.” He responded shocking both of the girls.

“Oh, I wish I was braver.” Lucy told him in earnest.

“I wish I was stronger.” Yvainne agreed. Neither of them really believed they were fit for battle, they weren’t like their brothers and sisters.

“If you were any braver, or you any stronger, you’d both be lioness’.” Aslan told them both with what could only be described as a smile. “Now I think your friends have slept long enough, don’t you?” Aslan questioned before doing something incredible. His roar brought the trees around them to life, astounding Yvainne and making Lucy giddy.

~*~

Back at the battleground Peter and Layla had their usual battle stance going with Layla at Peter’s back playing defense while Peter played offense; their teamwork causing the ranks of the Telmarines to thin out just in the slightest. And the soldiers were noticing.

Next thing Layla knew she was being pulled aside by Carissa who looked like she was about to break down.

“Carissa what is it? Now’s really not the best time.” Layla asked as she pushed back a Telmarine that was surging towards them with her magic.

“Layla, I’m worried, you have to help me. I can’t let it get hurt, I won’t let it get hurt, and you can help!” Carissa began spouting out, confusing Layla in the process.

“Cari, what are you talking about?” Layla asked in concern for her older sister. Was the older girl losing her mind or—

Suddenly Carissa pulled Layla close enough that Layla was almost afraid she was about to kiss her, instead Carissa leaned next to her ear and said as quietly as she could so as to not be heard by those around them but loud enough that Layla could hear her, “I’m pregnant Layla!”

Layla leaned back wide eyed before gulping and nodding. Next thing she knew her sister had a magical shield around her, conforming around her body. “Stand off to the side, if you try to hurt someone else the shield will deactivate automatically, but anyone who tries to hurt you will be unable to do so.” She instructed her before running off into the battle once more. Everyone around her was growing tired, and when she caught sight of him she could tell that Peter was losing his motivation. But then his eyes connected with hers and a new surge of passion seemed to rush through him as he began to fight with a renewed vigor. She smiled proudly at him ready to begin fighting again herself when she noticed something new happening around her.

The trees were moving.

They were fighting.

“Lucy.” Peter smiled next to her as she watched in joy and astonishment.

After a moment of relief where the Narnian’s all rejoiced at the return of life in the trees, Peter shouted, “For Aslan!” before once again running into battle. Layla fell back a bit seeing the Telmarines retreat and feeling as though she could relax some since she knew that her sisters had found Aslan, and they were now on the winning side of the war.

Or so she thought before she heard a scream of “Layla!” then she felt a sharp pain in her back, and someone pressed against her.

“Long Live The High Queen.” Someone snarled in her ear before the dagger that had been plunged into her back was removed and she fell to the ground.

Somewhere near her she heard an arrow whiz forward and plunge itself into her attacker before Carissa rushed forward and leant over her sister who was now bleeding out onto the ground.

“Layla hold on. I’ll go get some help.” Carissa began but Layla reached for her shaking her head.

“No let them finish their war. They don’t need me anymore.” She told her as she began to see black dots appear in her vision.

“That’s not true!” Carissa protested pulling her sister’s head into her lap. “Peter needs you, Susan needs you, Yvainne needs you. We all need you! You are so precious to us all, Layla.”

But Layla insisted, “They don’t need me anymore.” She coughed then, blood coming out of her mouth, and decided that she was no longer going to speak, instead she succumbed to the numb feeling spreading through her. She wasn’t going to die yet, but perhaps she would allow herself to fall into a coma for now, and hope that by some miracle, somehow she would be saved before she was forced to walk into the light.

~*~

When the Telmarines made it to the river, Lucy and Yvainne were waiting for them. Slowly they began to walk forward. One positioned to the right, and one on the left leaving room for Aslan in the middle.

Peter, Edmund, Susan, Jared, Caspian, and Trumpkin stood at the front lines of the Narnian’s watching proudly as Lucy pulled her dagger out and Yvainne nocked an arrow to her bow before drawing it. Aslan padded forward between the girls, glancing at the both of them with a calm expression. The Telmarines charged anyways, but the girls held their ground, bow drawn, dagger out as the telmarines came at them. Finally once the majority of the Telmarines were in the water or on the bridge Aslan let out a roar. This caused the Telmarines to stop in their tracks as the water began to move rapidly.

Shouts of “Retreat!” and “Back!” were heard as what could only be described as Poseidon rose from the water and took out the bridge and most of the men that were still in the water by the time he reached them.

And with that the war was won.

~*~

Slowly the Narnian’s began to organize everyone, calling them to assemble and letting them know that no one would be harmed at this point.

Peter, Susan, Caspian, Edmund, and Jared crossed the water to where Aslan was stood with Lucy and Yvainne at his side. The five kneeled before him in respect and thanks.

“Rise, Kings and Queens of Narnia.” Aslan allowed, Edmund, Susan, and Peter rose, while Caspian and Jared remained kneeling. Aslan chuckled, “All of you.”

“With all due respect sir, I am not a king.” Jared responded kindly as he rose awkwardly beside the other four.

“Perhaps, but you will be one day, whether you are here to claim your title or not.” Aslan replied grinning when he noticed Susan’s blush.

Then Aslan looked expectedly at Caspian’s astonished face. Caspian swallowed before replying, “I do not think I am ready.”

“It’s for that very reason I know you are.” Aslan replied wisely. Caspian stood proudly before hearing the bagpipes of the mice-men playing as they rushed their captain forward. It was at that moment that Peter noticed someone was missing from this moment.

“Have you seen Layla?” he asked Susan who shrugged and shook her head in reply. He quickly turned and began to run his gaze over the opposite shore searching for the bright purple color that she had worn. When he couldn’t find her he began to panic, moving over to stand beside Caspian he repeated, “Have you seen Layla?”

Caspian also turned and searched to no avail. Peter was about to start moving back across the river when they heard a cry of, “HELP! SOMEONE HELP, PLEASE!” from the other side of the river, disrupting Reepicheep’s reuniting with his tail.

And then they all turned to see Carissa breaking through the trees on a horse, and in front of her was the bloody body of Layla.