High Queen Layla, It Has a Nice Ring to It

Memories came rushing back to her about those days, the days she had been here when she wasn’t supposed to have been, the days where she and Peter actually began to get along, the days she and Peter loved each other...

When she somehow was dragged into Narnia after her and Dylan’s...

“That’s why I had dreams about this place. They weren’t dreams... They were memories!” Layla exclaimed.

“But if you were here before then how come we don’t remember you?” Edmund asked.

“I erased your memories using my magic, and Aslan covered the rest of my tracks before he helped me bury my own memories and go back.” Layla explained as she remembered Aslan explaining to her that she hadn’t been meant to stumble upon Narnia yet, how she had needed a place of solitude and cried for help, and Narnia had responded, pulling her into the world.

“So does this mean...” Yvainne asked turning to Peter. “She’s you’re queen.”

“No. She’s not. If Aslan covered it up, he must’ve destroyed the documents. We aren’t married legally. She isn’t my queen.” Peter said in a matter-of-fact tone, and though nobody else knew, he wanted to put one little word to the end of the sentence that would fix the hurt that suddenly appeared on Layla’s face.

The three letter word that was, yet.

“So... What is this place?” Lucy asked Caspian then, trying to diffuse the tension and the awkwardness.

Caspian was shocked. “You don’t know?” He asked confused. When they all gave him blank looks he grabbed the torch off of the wall and led them down a hallway. Layla made to stand next to Peter both anxious and nervous about where Caspian was leading them. Now that Layla knew that he had loved her—that they had been serious enough to get married before—she found comfort in being next to him.

They entered through a door way and Caspian walked over to something, lowering his torch to it. Layla jumped when whatever it was lit on fire, her hand finding its way to Peter’s.

When the room was fully lit Layla couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Jared? Carissa?”

Layla stared in shock at her long lost brother and sister.

She knew it had been coming but she still couldn’t believe it. With a happy cry Layla ran to the arms of her brother and sister, as did Yvainne. Tears began to fall from Layla’s eyes as she looked at her brother. He had aged but thankfully he still looked about the same, as did Carissa, who looked almost exactly the same as before.

Then came her anger.

“Where the hell have you two been for the last 6 years?” Layla shouted at them, almost jumping out of their arms, they looked at her surprised, having never seen this side of her. “Do you know how worried we’ve been? Mum almost had you two declared dead because they couldn’t find you or your bodies!” The tears falling from her eyes showed that she had been pushed to her limit for the day. She began to back out until she backed into someone.

She turned to see it was Peter, and that was when she broke. She ran.

Just like that day, 6 years ago when they had disappeared.

~*~

Lucy turned to look at the table and then at the lion on the wall, “He must know what he’s doing.” She said, nobody else seemed to catch the double meaning.

“I think it’s up to us now.” Peter said. His words had double meaning as well, but he hoped that no one picked up on it.

“I’ll go after her.” Yvainne muttered but Lucy shook her head.

“Let me.”

~*~

Layla had ended up climbing onto a ledge on the outside of the Howe, and was sat with uncontrollable tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to stop herself from crying. Her eyes, were void of emotions as she stared at the forest that was in front of her.

How did they end up in Narnia of all places? When had they gotten here? Why had they left in the first place? Why hadn’t they come back?

And why did Peter seem to go back to hating her all of a sudden when he found out they had been married before? Was it all in her head? She now knew it wasn’t her going insane, because apparently they had loved each other before.

It was all just too much for her.

That was how Lucy found her, sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, head resting on them, staring into the forest, tears streaming down her cheeks, and eyes blank.

“Layla?”

Layla didn’t respond, so Lucy decided to go on, “Look, I know that it’s overwhelming, and I know that I have no idea what you’re going through, but you can’t always run away from things when they get like this.” Lucy told Layla, who again didn’t respond. “If I had run away the first time I had come to Narnia and Mr. Tumnus had told me about it, we would never be here. So please stop running, it doesn’t help anything.” Lucy paused a second for a breath before starting again. “I think of you as my other sister, Layla, and I don’t like seeing you like this, just like I hate seeing Peter when he’s in a mood, and I hate seeing Susan when she’s being blown off, and I despise seeing Edmund when he’s...” she trailed off and shuddered causing Layla to let out a chuckle as she turned to look at Lucy.

“He doesn’t like me like he did back then. I changed when I came to Narnia last time.” Layla told her turning to look back out at the forest. “It was almost like it was a cure, and you’re brother was the biggest part of that.” Sighing Layla ran a hand through her blonde hair and turned to Lucy again. “That was actually my biggest argument with Aslan when he told me I had to erase your memories, I told him that you guys had cured me from whatever rut I had gotten myself in, and I didn’t know if you’d be able to do it again if you didn’t remember all the things we’d been through. He told me that I had to have more faith in you guys than that.” Layla laughed as she wiped the remaining tears that had managed to escape when Layla had stopped crying finally. When we went to school, I realized that even though I couldn’t remember why exactly, I had friends in you guys; that you were all people I could trust. All of you except for Peter, who seemed to some reason just keep to himself when I was around. And then he began flirting with me, horribly if I may say, and everything just kind of got confusing from then until now when I understand it all, but—”

“He loves you, but that’s all I can tell you. And you’re brother and sister, they’re your family. Give them a chance to explain before you freak out at them alright?” Lucy asked her with a smile. Layla smiled back as she pulled herself up. Then she pulled Lucy into a hug.

“You know, don’t tell you brothers and sister this, but you’ve always been my favorite Pevensie.” Layla told her with a laugh. Then with a very soft smile Layla pulled away and thanked the girl before they headed back in.

~*~

When Layla and Lucy walked back into the Stone Table room, they found everyone gathered. As soon as Jared saw Layla though, he was over beside her giving her a hug.

“I promise we’ll explain everything later, alright?” he asked her. Layla agreed before seating herself next to Lucy on the stone table. Once everyone was settled Peter began.

“It’s only a matter of time. Miraz’s men and war machines are on their way.” He told everyone. “That means those same men aren’t protecting his castle.” He said with a spark in his eye. Layla knew this couldn’t be good.

“What do you propose we do, Your Majesty?” Reepicheep only put a question out there that everyone else was already thinking.

“We need to get ready for it.” Peter said at the same time Caspian was saying, “To start planning for...”

Peter turned to glare at Caspian as though trying to dare him to say anything else. He had that look in his eye that wasn’t exactly egotistical, but it was powerful, telling any man who dare challenge him that he ran this ship, and nobody else could question it. Caspian nodded softly realizing he had stepped out of line, and offended Peter.

“Our only hope is to strike them before they strike us.” Peter announced. Layla shook her head in annoyance.

“But that’s crazy. No one has ever taken that castle!” Caspian protested.

Layla had to put in her two cents as well. “And besides, that’s like saying that the only thing we can do is go there and fight or wait here and fight, there are other ways to make peace.”

As usual, Layla was ignored. “There’s always a first time.” Peter responded to Caspian, though it was more out of spite, then in seriousness this time.

“We’ll have the element of surprise.” Trumpkin added agreeing with Peter. Layla continued to shake her head, as a pain grew in her temple. She could feel a vision coming but she had to hold it back, she had to concentrate on what they were saying.

“But we have the ad-tage-ere...” Layla was fighting a losing battle, and she knew it, so with those last mangled words she gave in and fell back onto Lucy’s lap.

~*~

Creatures were dying. So many deaths.

“Get that gate closed!” Layla heard from above her as she shot spell after spell at the soldiers. She saw Trumpkin fall, and the soldiers began cutting the only thing hold the gate up.

“Peter!!” Layla called out to get his attention. She knew she would be giving her position away by doing so, but she had to warn him of the gate. He looked over just in time to see the soldiers cut the thing off, and the gate begin to fall. A minotaur began to hold the gate up, and Layla muttered a spell to lend him strength and heal any injuries he had.

It was then that Peter realized they had to retreat, and called out, “Fall Back!” It was like her heart began to break at seeing so many deaths, and all for nothing now. People began to do as they were told as Layla heard Peter shout, “We need to retreat! Now!”

“Go! Get her out of here!” He told a centaur motioning to Susan. With that Layla reversed her invisibility spell and found her way to Peter.

“Back to the gate! Go!” Peter shouted for their troops. Layla grabbed his free hand to let him know she was with him as they progressed back to the gate, still shooting spells left and right trying to keep the soldiers away.

“Caspian!” Susan shouted back to Peter as she rode away with the centaur.

“I’ll find him!” Peter called out.

“I’ll help!” Layla told him but he stopped then.

“No, you need to get out!” he tried to tell her but she wouldn’t have it.

“No! Peter, I—”

“Go!” he told her, releasing her hand and pushing her towards the gate. Then she heard him call to one of the cheetah’s, “Make sure she gets out!” And before she knew it she was on the cheetah’s back and they were on their way to the gate.

Layla wasn’t sure what she would do if Peter didn’t make it out, but all she could do now was hope.

~*~

Layla passed out on the table, and thankfully Lucy was there to catch her. Peter flinched, wanting to go to her and make sure she was okay, but knew he couldn’t.

“If we dig in, we could probably hold them off indefinitely.” Susan offered, helping Caspian. Peter couldn’t believe that his own sister was turning against him now, it really hurt, almost as much as Layla’s protest...

Almost.

“I, for one, feel safer underground.” Trufflehunter, the badger, told them. It was an understandable statement, seeing as badgers were underground creatures.

“Look. I appreciate what you’ve done here, but this isn’t a fortress. It’s a tomb.” Peter told Caspian. He heard a mumble from behind him that was Layla’s.

“No... Peter... I...” she mumbled causing Peter to turn to look at her, confusion clear on his face.

“Yes. And if they’re smart, the Telmarines will just wait and starve us out.” Edmund pointed out. Peter was happy at least someone was on his side.

“We could collect nuts!” a squirrel said.

Layla laughed a bit as she sat up, “That’s one hell of a line to wake up to...”

~*~

“We could collect nuts!” was what Layla first heard when she awoke.

With a laugh she sat up, “That’s one hell of a line to wake up to...” It was a mumble but she knew Peter heard it because he smiled a bit.

“Yes! And throw them at the Telmarines!” Reepicheep suggested sarcastically.

“That’s actually not to bad an idea, those little buggers hurt.” Layla announced with a laugh. She wasn’t lying, they really did hurt.

“Shut up!” Reepicheep told the squirrel, Layla had a feeling he was talking to her as well, telling her not to encourage the squirrel. Then he turned to Peter. “I think you know where I stand, sire.”

Peter nodded and then turned to Glenstorm, the centaur. “If I can get your troops in, can you handle the guards?” He asked him. The centaur looked torn, and Layla couldn’t help but hope that he would protest, and tell Peter that it was a bad idea, since she knew they were some of the best divination experts ever, but to no avail.

He simply replied, “Or die trying, my liege.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” Lucy said then. Layla nodded in agreement, as did Yvainne.

“Sorry?” Peter asked confused as he turned towards Lucy.

“You’re all acting like there’s only two options.” Yvainne said then.

“Dying here,” Lucy listed.

“—Or dying there.” Layla finished softly, her eyes trying to portray to Peter what she had seen in her vision, though she knew he wouldn’t get it.

“I’m not sure you’ve really been listening, Lu, Yve. And you just missed half of it, so I know you haven’t heard it all.” Peter said, and Layla almost smacked him—didn’t he get that she was trying to save him from what could be his death—but Lucy spoke before she could.

“No, you’re not listening!” Peter was surprised at his sister’s outburst, even though she sounded calm. “Or have you forgotten who really defeated the White Witch, Peter?” Now he just looked down right insulted.

“You’ve been hanging around Layla too much.” Peter muttered. Then with a stern face, one that was trying to hide the hurt and betrayal Layla could see in his eyes, he said, “I think we’ve waited for Aslan long enough.”

With that last word he turned and left.

“Remind me why I loved him again?” Layla asked Lucy. Lucy just frowned as she watched everyone go to prepare for the battle that was ahead. Layla sighed as she stood up and began to head out as well. When she reached the forge she saw Peter, Susan, and Edmund picking armor up. “Alright what do I need?” Layla asked as she approached.

The three looked at her for a second before Peter said, “You need to stay here.”

Layla scoffed. “You know very well that there is no way in hell I’m staying behind, I can fight just as well as anyone here.”

“Well we just thought, that Lucy—” Susan began but she was cut off by Layla.

“Lucy will have Yvainne. Now I’m going to ask again, and I swear if y’all don’t tell me the answer I want, I will go just the way I am. No armor, no weapon.” Layla told them sweetly. “What do I need?”

With that they all prepared for the raid.