Awaiting Redemption

"I still think you cheated," Caspian said, as he led his horse into a stall in the barn. I smirked triumphantly and did the same. The sun had fully set by the time we arrived back at the castle.

"I didn't, but come on, Trumpkin and Trufflehunter should be waiting for us," I said, avoiding the temptation of staying in the darkened room with Caspian longer than we had to. He looked good by moonlight and I didn't trust myself. Not since I remembered that feeling I got from Peter's kiss. I feared I wanted that feeling back more than I wanted Peter back. And that just wasn't true to me.

The dining hall was completely cleared out and only a few maidservants were left cleaning up. I took a good look around and saw no signs of Trufflehunter or Trumpkin. While Prince Caspian walked towards the kitchen in search for some leftover food, I made an attempt to ask one of the maidservants if she had seen either the badger or the dwarf but had no luck.

"M'lady," I heard a voice speak from behind me. I turned around and spotted Reepicheep standing on a table with a piece of white cheese in his hands (or front feet, whichever you prefer to call them).

"Could I be of any assistance?"

I tilted my head and smiled, "Yes, actually. Have you seen Trufflehunter or Trumpkin around? We're supposed to be meeting tonight in here but they're nowhere to be seen."

Reepicheep took a moment to look around the dining hall, even getting on his tippy toes to see around me and tripping over cheese that fell on the table surface. I giggled at the sight as Reepicheep straightened up and brushed off his fur.

"They were here a while ago, I'm sure of it. They musn't have gotten very far... Peepiceek!"

From under the tablecloth of the next table, another mouse emerged.

"Yes, sir?"

"Have you seen Trumpkin and Trufflehunter?"

"They left about 15 minutes ago with a few centaurs. Something to do with Aslan.." murmured the mouse, as he disappeared back under the tablecloth.

I raised my eyebrow and curtsied, mocking the awfully sudden departure of the mouse known as Peepiceek. Turning back to Reepicheep, I bowed my head and said, "Thanks for your time, I'll leave you to your meal."

Reepicheep swiftly bowed and picked up the piece of cheese once more. I turned around and spotted Caspian exiting the kitchen with a rather large plate in his hand. I made my way over to him and together we walked down the nearest stairwell into the very same quad he confided to me in earlier that day.

"No sign of the two, then?"

I shook my head no and took my seat on the bench. Caspian sat himself on the other side of the bench and placed the platter between us. On it was a few bunches of grapes, cheese, and a slice of cake with two utensils sticking out of the middle. I sighed and broke off a branch of grapes right before I leaned against the edge of the fountain and made myself comfortable.

"So..."

"Tell me about you and Susan," I requested, though it probably sounded more like a command.

"Only if you tell me about you and King Peter."

I contemplated while eating a grape and consented.

"On one condition, though," I started, "Never mention anything said here ever again. It'll be our little secret."

"I think I can live with that arrangement."

I tilted my head to look at him. Before popping a grape into my mouth, I spoke, "Ok then, you first."

Caspian took in a deep breath and then let it out. "After Peter and I had clashed swords for the first time and Lucy stopped us, Susan came running out from behind her. That's how we met. See, Peter had thrown my sword away and his ended up being stuck in a tree. While we each looked for other ways of harming each other, Lucy screamed at us to stop. We stood confused for a moment. Just as Peter discovered that I was Prince Caspian, the underground King of Narnia, Susan and Edmund ran to the scene."

"She seemed rather angry," he laughed. "After I returned his sword, I discovered that he was the High King. They were younger than I had expected, much younger. That's how I came to notice Susan. She had a different type of beauty, one I hadn't seen before. When I told them they weren't exactly what I had expected, she gave a small smile. It may have been a small smile but it was enough to make my heart smile."

I raised an eyebrow. This was going to be good...

****

"Later that day, we arrived at Aslan's How. The Kings and Queens of Old were skeptical but it was what was available to us and it was a good defense-"

"Aslan's How?" I asked. I've never heard of such a place, even since my last visit...

"We'll visit it tomorrow, it was built over the stone table to protect it from the Telmarin people."

I nodded and picked up a utensil. I took a bite out of the slice of cake and motioned for Caspian to continue.

"Well, then Susan came over and told Peter that there was something he had to see. It sounded really urgent so we both went with her. The younger Pevensies' had discovered cave paintings of the last time they had visited Narnia. They too, like you, did not know what Aslan's How was. When I showed them the stone table, they stood in awe for a good minute or two. That was when I first saw Susan for what she really was. She had a radiant glow to her face, a caring side to her as she looked over at her younger brother and sister and made sure they were fine, she was magnificent."

Oh, boy. This was sort of following along with what Trufflehunter and Trumpkin were assigned to tell us every night, but I didn't want to be rude in case Caspian just needed someone to vent to. So I sat there patiently and listened while eating away at the food left on the plate.

"Then the siege on the castle took place. You'll find out more about it tomorrow, but from the beginning she had my side on things. She was the one who helped convince Peter that finding my tutor was important, even though it may have jeopardized the siege in the end. My tutor chose then to tell me that it was Miraz who had killed my father. I ran to Miraz's chamber and demanded the truth."

"Susan and Peter met me there and my Aunt awoke and pointed a crossbow at me. In the end, my aunt shot me in the arm and Susan missed Miraz, allowing for him to escape-"

I snorted. Immediately after, I wish I hadn't.
Caspian gave me this hurt look.

"What was that sound for?"

"No, don't get me wrong," I said, "It's just typical Susan to miss a shot."

When Caspian didn't say anything, I continued. "The bow that she was given by Father Christmas is... 'special.' It's charmed so that as long as she believes in herself and her cause and all that she is fighting for, she'll never miss a shot. As long as she has faith, she's good to go. But she's lost faith in the world, if I remember correctly, so she misses shots a lot."

Caspian remained quiet.

"I did not know that," he confessed.

"Well I suppose you learn something new every day... continue?"

"Oh, yes... then Susan said something to Peter when we were opening the gates. Something I didn't understand until now."

"What would that be?" I said, placing the finished plate on the ground and laying down on the rest of the bench, with my head just barely stopping short of Caspian's legs. I rested my eyes and prepared to tune out from Caspian's vent session.

"She said, 'Exactly who are you doing this for, Peter?' I wasn't quite sure what she meant until I met you."

My eyes popped open. I took a deep breath and sat back up. Exactly who are you doing this for, Peter. Could she have meant... me? I shook my head slightly at the thought. As I closed my eyes and laid back down, I felt a cushion of fabric beneath my head. I opened my eyes a little to see that Caspian had scoot over for my own comfort. Regardless, I closed my eyes once more, prepared to disregard what Caspian had just told me for a little while longer, and complained: "Enough about the siege, more about you and Susan."