The Forgotten (Peter Pevensie x OC)

Chapter 9

"Sir?" Orieus bowed his head as he entered the red and gold tent. "Am I interrupting?".
"Not at all, Orieus." The great lion bowed his head. Noah turned in his seat across from his father to face the centaur.
"I have some unfortunate news." Orieus glanced at Noah as he said this. "I am afraid that..." Here he took a deep breath, as if to prepare himself. "The witch has...um..." He trailed off.
"Who has she killed?" Noah worry crashed through Noah like a tsunami, and his voice shook with fear, but he didn't bother to hide it. What if it was one of his friends? Dulus? Fireheart and Stormbringer, the two centaurs? Icus and Sirus, the satyrs? Or...what if it was...
He stopped the thought. Evelyn was fine. She would be okay. He would know if she wasn't...wouldn't he?

Orieus pulled him from his spiraling mind with one words that Noah hadn't expected to hear at all.
"She got...Hunta."

Hunta

Of all the names on the planet, he had expected that one least. Hunta was so careful, and such a good actor. How could the witch have found him out? A single tear trailed down his cheek. Hunta had been his friend. He had helped Noah settle into Aslan's Camp, and get used to being royalty. He had coached him in swordfighting (from the sidelines, of course, having no thumbs and being unable to hold a sword), and stayed with Noah on his worst nights, when he couldn't sleep for his nightmares. He realised that he had never truly understood Evelyn's nightmares until he got them himself. Dreams of Evelyn, tied up and tortured, of Lucy, all the hope and magic drained out of her by her siblings. If she could see him now. A Prince in a magical land! Who would've thought? He laughed despite the occasion.

Aslan smiled sadly at his son, who had tear crawling slowly down his tan face. He knew what his son was thinking. He, too, had trouble adjusting to becoming king when he was a young lion. Hunta had been such a good friend to Noah, so Aslan was glad that Noah was seeing some light.

Orieus was alarmed at Noah's laugh. Their friend had just died! Shouldn't he be in mourning?!

"Maybe he's gone, but he died protecting Narnia, which was what he had always wanted to do." Noah smiled sadly. "He went out the way he wanted, and he wouldn't have had it any other way, we both know that. I have know doubt that when Hunta died, he did so on his terms."

"Thank you, Orieus." Aslan smiled gently at the centaur, who bowed and left, a small smile on his face after Noah's words. He was very wise, definitely Aslan's son. And they would see Hunta again someday, in Aslan's country.

Orieus was so caught up in his memories and thoughts that he didn't notice the eight figures approaching until they were at the foot of the small rise before Aslan's tent. There were three daughters of Eve and one Son of Adam, as well as two beavers and two rather large white wolves. Immediately he understood who they were, but where was the second Son of Adam?

However his mind completely emptied as he spotted the tall girl standing on the right of the blonde boy. She had brown ringlets that fell to just past her shoulders, tan skin, and chocolate brown eyes. She looked young, but her eyes held centuries of wisdom and sadness. That wasn't what caught his eye though. It was the ring on her middle finger.

Evelyn had never taken the ring off in her entire life, save for the day that she entered the wardrobe. She didn't want to lose it in the snow and so had shoved it into her pocket, completely forgetting about it until her mother - the witch - had reminded her. Evelyn had never much thought of it, except for when she thought of her supposed 'dead' parents. The true story was that the witch had given it to her daughter when she was born. It was a ring passed down through the family for centuries, and when Evelyn had her own kids, she had every intention of gifting it to them. (Refer to the image at the beginning of the chapter to see what it looks like)

Orieus had never understood why so many people were afraid of the ring before. But now that it was in front of him, he knew. It radiated power and magic, but it was nothing like Aslan's magic. It felt dark, cold, and evil. Everything about it seemed sinister, from the way the two silver moons gleamed in the light, to the unnaturally dark color of the amethyst. The ring was beautiful, but it was full of such dark magic that he was sure only a stone heart could wear it. Terror washed over him as he realised...

That ring belonged to the witch, and only a member of the witches family could wear it. That meant that the third daughter of Eve was actually the daughter of the witch! He gave nothing of his fear or suspicion away as the blonde boy raised his sword, demanding to see Aslan. Instead, he turned to the tent, keeping one eye on the girl as he bowed his head. Two of the girls and the boy bowed, and Orieus saw the witch's daughter roll her eyes when the girl with long dark hair motioned for her to join them, but the she bowed anyway. Anger flared inside him. How are she show such disrespect to the king?!

"Evelyn?!" Orieus looked up at the Prince as he stepped out of the tent alongside his father.
"Noah?!" The girls face showed nothing but shock.
"What are you doing here?" They both asked at the same time, smiles gracing both of their faces. Peter and Susan exchanged glances at the sight of the tall, tan boy standing with Aslan.

"Noah!" Lucy cried, racing towards him and throwing her arms around him.
"Lucy?!" Noah's face became more confused every second. "Susan?! Peter?!" He faltered. "Wait, where's Edmund?"

"That's why we're here." Peter sighed, stepping forward. "We need your help."
"We had some trouble along the way." Susan explained.
"Our brother's been captured by the White Witch." Lucy looked at the great lion bashfully. She had forgotten to ask permission to come up, but the lion smiled at her before turning to Peter.
"Captured? How could this happen?" His voice carried reassurance and calm, but he couldn't hide the tiniest bit of worry in his eyes.
"He...betrayed them, your majesty." One of the beavers stepped forward.

That was it for Orieus. First of all the daughter of their enemy is allowed to enter their camp, then one of the four prophesied children is missing, and then it turns out that he wanted to ally himself with the witch, and help the very person he was meant to stop! The anger burst out of his mouth before he could be bothered to stop it.

"Then he has betrayed us all!" He shouted.
"Peace, Orieus." Aslan soothed. "I'm sure there's an explanation."
"It's my fault really," Peter looked down. "I was too hard on him."
Susan laid a hand on her brothers shoulder as she said,
"We all were."
"Sir, he's our brother." Lucy looked sadly at the lion.
"I know, dear one, but that only makes the betrayal all the worse. This may be harder than you think."
Lucy looked like she might cry.
"Do not worry, we shall get him back." he assured the siblings. "But you must be tired. Will you show them to their rooms please, Windbloom." He turned to a female centaur standing just behind the Pevensies.
"Evelyn," he called. "Come inside, we have a lot to talk about."

Evelyn grasped Noah in a hug as soon as she could.
"I'm so glad you're safe." She whispered.
"Noah." Aslan looked at the boy, who smiled and nodded, stepping out of the tent and heading off to find Peter. He had a few words to say to him about how close his hand was to Evelyn's.

"Little one," Aslan sighed. "It is good that you have come to your senses."
"I'm sorry Aslan." Evelyn bowed her head. She didn't completely trust the lion, but she felt she owed him, especially since he was right and her mother was wrong. "I did not understand the full story."
"That is okay, little one."
"Actually, I'm fifteen, and rather tall for my age."
Aslan chuckled at her petty protest. "I know, but old habits die hard, and this one seems to be quite the fighter, just like you." He sat down, and she followed suit. "But I have some bad news."
Her eyebrows furrowed.
"I think I know what you are going to say." She bowed her head. "I know I betrayed myself, and my mother, and I shall have to face the consequences, but I want to do all that I can to help before I am sentenced to death."

Aslan's eyes were full of sorrow.
"It's not just that." He whispered. "Little one, I am afraid that you are in more danger than anyone, even me, could've ever known."
She frowned again.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"I had no idea, or I would've cut it off at the source when you were younger, but it's very well hidden. I only just noticed it now."
"Yes, but," Evelyn frowned, absentmindedly fiddling with the ring on her middle finger. "What is it?"
"Well, it appears that ever since you were a baby your power has been contained. And, strong as it is, when it felt trapped, it immediately began looking for a way out, and in doing so, it started to slowly turn against you."
"So..." Evelyn frowned. "What does that mean?"

Her body felt as if had turned to ice at his next words.

"You are destroying yourself from the inside out."