I Believe (Sequel to 'Believe in Me')

Four: Heart Broken

Four: Heart Broken

Lilith stayed in the shadows of the How as Caspian and the Raiding Party returned. She had heard that the Kings and Queens of old were with the party, although she was wary to believe such a thing. She did not wish to bring her hopes up only to have them shattered. 

Staying hidden amongst the forgery, she listened over the sound of the metal on metal as Narnians worked to create what weapons and armour that were not gained during the raid. Daraya stood beside her, ears trained on the entrance of the Forgery where the sounds of the party could just be made out. A night scout had announced Caspian’s approach when he returned to the How at the end of his shift. He had informed the Centaur left in command of nothing new save for the fact that they had been joined by five others along the way whom he suspected to be the Kings and Queens. 

Sighing, Lilith turned away and moved further into the How, Daraya following dutifully behind her, hooves muffled by the dirt coating the ground. 

~*~

    “It may not be what you are used to, but it is defensible,” Caspian informed Peter as he gazed around the dark cave, listening to the sound of weapons being made. It most certainly wasn’t what he was used to but he did know that war often meant sacrificing luxury, even in his world that was true. 

     “Peter,” he turned at Susan’s voice from a tunnel off to the side. “You may want to see this.”

Both Peter and Caspian made their way over to her, weaving around fires and Narnians until they reached the tunnel. Procuring a torch Peter followed Susan into the tunnel, hovering the flame over the paintings on the wall. Paintings that resembled the story of their last visit to Narnia. It portrayed their entire reign. Swallowing he held himself back from running his fingers over an image of Lilith dancing with him at their coronation, in her dress of green and white, her wings open and seeming to  glow. 

     “It’s us,” Susan stated as Peter glanced once more at the drawings. 

     “What is this place?” Lucy asked Caspian, who gave them an incredulous look. 

      “You don’t know?” He asked, staring at them all for a moment before removing a torch and walking further down the tunnel. 

The group walked a short way before entering a large cavern. Caspian touched his torch to a channel, lighting a fire. Peter watched as the flames traced the channel, all the way around the cavern, illuminating carvings of Narnians and a picture of Aslan. The broken stone table rested in the centre. Lucy walked towards it, placing her hand on the stone. 

     “He must know what he’s doing,” she muttered glancing at the carving and then at Susan. 

     “I think it’s up to us now,” Peter exclaimed, gazing at Aslan. Their eyes all followed his to settle on the image. 

Peter stayed for a time, after everyone had left to go get settled before they discussed Miraz’ army and the impending battle. He leaned against the table, staring up at the carving of Aslan. He wondered whet had happened to Lilith and if she had survived the battle which destroyed Cair Paravel.

      “Peter?”

He thought he imagined it at first. He was thinking about Lilith and had imagined her voice as a way to console him. 

     “Peter?”

He heard it again and slowly turned, his eyes landing on Lilith. She looked only slightly older than the first time he saw her. She wore clack breeches and a black blouse, her quiver strung over her back and her hair up in a knot on top of her head. She didn’t have her wings out which struck him as odd for a moment as she had often kept them out during his reign. 

     “Lilith?” He questioned. She looked so similar but her eyes were so dark. The bright green no longer held as much of a spark as it had when he last saw her. She was the same but different. “Is it really you?”

She nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. Peter was truly in front of her. He was in Narnia once more, hardly anything had changed about him, although his face was more defined and he was a bit taller, although so was she. 

     “I didn’t think I would ever see you again,” she stated, stepping back as he stepped towards her. She wanted to go up an kiss him. She wanted to feel his arms around her once more, but while the pain of him leaving had faded over the centuries, seeing him had brought it all back as if he had just left her. He was reopening a wound that had never healed properly. 

      “Lilith, what’s wrong?” Peter asked, holding a hand out to her. She shied away from it, sending a stab of pain through his heat. He wanted nothing more than to hold her again. He wanted to tell her how much he had missed and how much he still loved her and yet she kept moving away as he kept trying to get close. “Why wont you let me touch you?”

She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears that she refused to let fall. “I can’t,” she muttered, backing away more. Peter finally stopped, his hand dropping back to his side as he regarded her with sad eyes.  “It… it hurts to much.”

Peter looked at her in confusion. Was she not happy for him to be back. “Why?” He asked, not liking seeing her in pain. 

      “You…you left,” she stated, her eyes wide as she stared at him, trying to get her point across. She could feel Daraya moving through the tunnels towards her, having sensed her distress. “You just left me here for hundreds of years.”

Peter could feel his heart constricting at her words. It was true and he was always regretting it. 

      “Why didn’t you come back sooner? Why didn’t you take me with you?” She cried, although the tears had still yet to spill over. “I can’t do it Peter. I have gone so long knowing you weren’t here, it has been centuries for me. I can’t simply go back to how things were.”

      “But I didn’t choose to go. We didn’t want to leave.” Lilith held up her hand, shaking her head as she turned away from him. 

       “That doesn’t change what you put me through,” she stated as Daraya entered the room with the Stone Table. She walked over to Lilith, giving her her shoulder to lean on. She could see her companion was closed to collapsing. Not once did Lilith look back as she walked out of the cavern and through the tunnels, letting Daraya determine where they were going. Finally she stopped where Lilith had set up a bed. It was there that Lilith buried her head into the horse’s mane and started to sob. 

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A/N: Sorry I haven't uploaded in so long. First I had writer's block. I wasn't sure how to go about the chapter (I'm still not sure if I like it all to much). Then I had school work, still do as a matter of fact, I have a Biology test on Homeostasis tomorrow. However I am posting the chapter now, so I guess now is better than never. 

Although, bad news is that I wont be able to post for a week or so since I am going on a week long boat trip for school marks and willhave no electronics and then I will have to catch up with all the works the trip is going to make me miss. However I will try and post the next chapter as soon as possible. It will contain the Castle attack. Yea!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and sorry that Peter and Lilith are not straight away going to be all lovey dovey. I mean he did kind of leave her for hundreds of years. There needs to be some conflict other than that which is alreday in the movie/book. 

-Z