The Rose Amongst the Thorns

Edmund, Peter, Susan and Lucy suddenly appeared to be on an abandoned beach. They smiled beamingly at one another, running toward the water. They were finally back in Narnia, after all those centuries.

They splashed water on each other as bursts of gasps and laughter filled the air.

Lucy tore her eyes from her siblings, to take in there surroundings.

Her dark brows knit together in confusion, causing her brothers and sister to follow her eyes.

''What is it?'' Peter asked, as they stood on the shore. Edmund looked up at the cliff in front of him, wondering the same thing.

''Where do you suppose we are?'' He asked of them.

''Where do you think?!'' Peter shrieked, a smile forming around his lips.

Edmund replied with ''Well, I don't remember any ruins in Narnia.'' They all followed his gaze to the top of the cliff, where castle ruins lay carelessly about.

They climbed the rocky, grassy cliff to take a closer look.

They reluctantly concluding that the ruins were the scraps of Cair Paravel, there home for many years.

While fleeing the remains of their castle, in search for answers, they stumbled through the wooded area not far from Cair Paravel.

Edmund stopped dead in his tracks, not only because there was a sword prepared to lodge itself in his upper stomach, but also because the most beautiful creature he had ever seen stood before him.

''Who are you?'' Her melodic, airy voiced breathed, her soul searching blue eyes bewitching him. Peter spoke first, he couldn't exactly do anything about the sword just inched away from his younger brothers stomach.

''P-Peter Pevensie. This is my sister Lucy, Susan... and...'' He gestured to the boy she was using as leverage. ''...Edmund.''

She lowered her sword, surprise evident on her beautiful face.

''Best be quiet. Telmarines have been spotted in these woods.'' She lightly pressed a long, pale finger to her swollen scarlet lips.

''Telmarines?!'' Peter shrieked, earning an irritated look from the lady. She dark, wavy curly locks swaying as she shook her head, annoyed.

Just then an arrow flew past, missing her head by an inch. ''Down.'' She instructed, just as yet another arrow speed through the air.

They crawled through the high risen grass and leaves, hiding behind trees. The mysterious beautiful girl released an arrow from her own bow, the sharp tip boring into the Telmarine soldier's chest.

Susan soon joined her, and when no more Telmarines were in sight, they cautiously stepped out of hiding.

''Who are you?'' Edmund asked, enchanted.

''Mirabelle.'' She smiled sweetly, her plump lips pulling back to expose her pale teeth.

''You're not a daughter of eve... are you?'' Peter asked, her appearance looking non mythical at all, well aside from her abnormal beauty.

''I'm only actually half daughter of Adam, my Mother was a star.'' She dreamily looked at the sky above, smiling slightly.

''Wow!'' Lucy smiled widely, looking up at the sky as well.

Mirabelle was even more beautiful than their sister Susan, and that marveled them all.

''That's a beautiful necklace!'' Lucy smiled sweetly, reaching up to touch it. Her eyes wide with amazement.

''Yes, well, too bad I have know nothing of it.'' She bit her full lip, her eyes deep in thought as she stared at the M.P that was engraved into the silver locket, vines adorned with thorns and roses surrounding the two letters.

She quickly snapped out of it, looking behind the four. ''We should be going, but...'' She dark eyebrows knit together as she stared off.

''What is that sound?''

They looked at each other, confused.

She quickly walked in the direction of the noise she heard, her sword drawn.
In the river were two Telmarine soldiers, preparing to dump a defenseless dwarf into the water, bound and gagged.

''Drop him!'' Susan shouted at the two, her bow and arrow aiming for them.
They did as she said, dropping him into the water, before jumping in themselves.

Edmund and Peter dove in, Peter bringing the miniature man up from the water and bringing him to shore as Edmund pulled the boat onto the sand, tripping in the water several times before succeeding.

Mirabelle laughed softly.

Peter put the man on the sandy shore, leaving the man to take the gag out himself, couching water up.

''DROP HIM?! IS THAT THE BEST YOU COULD COME UP WITH?'' The small man bellowed in anger, despite his size he sure had an intimidating shout.
*
They laid on the grassy, flowery Terrain, sleeping soundly. A light blue glow woke Edmund up, his dark brows risen in curiosity. He cast a glance around, seeing a sleeping, not to mention glowing Mirabelle sprawled out on the forest floor.

He was enchanted once again, staring bewildered at her.

She spoke, answering his unspoken question.

''If I consecrate hard enough, I can glow.''

Then, the glow began to fade, leaving her just as pale as she was upon their first encounter.

She smiled at him as he stared unblinkingly, she of course oblivious to the situation.

They fell asleep, facing each other as she would lightly glow randomly, like beautifully flickering lights.

Susan woke them up, telling them to hurry as they followed.

''Prince Caspian?'' Peter asked, earning a confused look from the boy. ''Yes. Who are you?'' He asked in a thick Spanish accent.

Edmund, Mirabelle, Susan and Lucy stopped at the sight of a long haired boy, crossing blades with Peter.

''Stop!'' Lucy begged, tripping up the small hill.

The stranger boy looked in awe at them, lowering the sword that was just inches from Peter.

*
They made the rest of their way to Beruna, for they had no where else to go.

Edmund couldn't help but stare at Mirabelle as she talked and walked alongside Susan. Lucy and Trumpkin trudging behind, their little legs didn't match the speed of the rest.

''The way she walks is perfect!'' Lucy gushed from not far behind. ''She's SO beautiful. I wish I were beautiful.''

''But you are beautiful, Lucy.'' Peter smiled at his small little sister, to which she replied with a toothy grin.

Finally, they made it to Beruna, the Kings and Queens of old entering first.

*
After Edmund helped Peter defeat the White witch, without a thanks, he walked outside. He needed some fresh air as the memories of Jadis came to flood his weary mind.

Edmund spotted Mirabelle outside, staring out in front of her as she sat on a large rock.

He nervously approached her, biting his bottom lip.

''King Edmund the Just.'' She smiled when he made his presence known.

''Edmund is okay.'' He smiled, blushing slightly.

''Edmund.'' She corrected, looking at the field down below, a small smile lingering around her lips.

He looked up at the sky, which reminded him: ''Have you met your Mother?'' He asked, wanting to know all about this beautiful mysterious girl.

''No.'' She frowned, before adding: ''But I do know shes...'' She looked up at the sky, searching for the right star. ''that one.'' She pointed to a bright blue twinkle high up in the night sky.

Edmund smiled, looking at the star with wide eyes.

''She's beautiful.''

Mirabelle smiled, but it soon turned downward. ''I wish I could met her.'' She sighed, remembering all her Father told her about her Mother.

''Maybe you will one day.'' Edmund tried comforting her, taking a seat a few feet away.

''Yeah...'' She smiled hopefully, casting a glance into the sky.

She looked over at Edmund, her swollen lips slightly parted as she prepared to speak.

''What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be discussing strategy and such?'' She smiled.

''Nah, Peter can handle it.'' He waved it off, not caring at all at the time.

She played with the locket hanging loosely around her temple-like neck.

''It's beautiful.'' He commented.

''Thank you.'' She smiled. ''I wonder what's inside.'' She sighed, glancing down at it. Edmund's dark brows came together, displaying the feeling of confusion.

''You mean, you don't know?'' He asked.

''Unfortunately.'' She pursed her lips briefly, a shaky quiet breath expelling from her full lips.

''I can't get it open and Aslan will not help. he says: 'All will be revealed when the time comes.' or something.'' She shrugged, wishing she could understand.

''Aslan and his secrets.'' Edmund shook his head.

''It's a bit cold.'' She stated after a comfortable silence, trying to warm her hands. Edmund held out his own, shaking visibly.

She took it, despite her confusion.

Her hand was almost all the way covered by his, the warmth of his hand consuming her near frozen one.

''Oh...'' She didn't quite get human traditions and customs, but this was sensible.

His heart was pounding in his chest as he fought to ignore the shooting shivers hastily climbing up his unsuspecting spine.

She smiled bewitchingly. ''Thank you, Edmund.''

He stuttered out a: ''No problem.'' Smiling beamingly.

''We should probably go inside.'' She suggested, her lips turning a faint blue. Edmund nodded an agreement. ''Yes, we probably should.''

He stood, still holding her soft delicate hand.