The Lost Legacy

Chapter 13: Certain Goodbyes

It was a day of uncertainties. 

Everywhere she looked, Sophie saw another person she had to lie to. Her heart didn't sit right with what she was about to do but this was what her lessons had all been about. She would have to make hard choices if it meant that Narnia would be safe. 

She walked all around the castle that evening and spoke to everyone possible. She stood before the Pevensies' tapestry and wondered how they would have felt when they first came to Narnia. They were only children, much younger than her, and they were bombarded with the responsibility of the end of the White Witch's reign. Sophie could imagine Peter's worries. He had to protect all his siblings while leading Narnians into the war for freedom. Over that, he had to face his younger brother betraying him for the White Witch. 

The Pevensies ruled well after that, but even their time came to an end.

How long would it take for Sophie and Caspian's reign to end?

Sophie looked at the lion statue in the front garden. "Please. Give me a sign." All she wanted was to hear His voice again. She wanted Him to tell her that everything was going to be okay and that Narnia would be safe once again.

But there was only one choice in front of her.

Sophie went to the kitchen later and hugged everyone, leaving them confused as to what was running in her mind, but she was in an either/or situation. She had to choose what was right.

She had an archery lesson with Trumpkin and a session with Doctor Cornelius where they talked about the prophecy and how she was moving on from the life that she could have had. 

It was when she had to go to sleep that she was scared. She was surrounded by an empty direction when the image of the village and Freya's face came to her mind.

There was still one person left.

She knocked on Caspian's door and he opened, expecting her to stop by. He had been thinking about how he had let her down that day. He should have tried better and being the king that he should be. If Miraz had been here, he would have sacrificed Sophie's safety if it meant that his crown was safe, but is that the sort of king he wanted to be? Then why couldn't he make that decision?

"Can I come in?"

He gave her way to enter. "What happened?" 

"Caspian, I...." Why couldn't she say it?

He walked closer and cupped her face with his hands, taking her breath away. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know." She held his hands that were still cupping her face. "Caspian, I want you to know that-"

He closed her mouth with his hand. "Not yet," he said. "How the tables have turned."

Sophie smiled. First, it was her who told him not to say goodbyes and now, she was going to do the same thing. "We have tonight."

"And tomorrow and the rest of our lives." 

It took everything in Sophie to not tell him what she really wanted to, what she was going to do in a matter of few hours. He was the only person that she had ever- 

"Do you want to stay here for tonight?" 

"I would like that."

They lay down on his bed and faced each other. "We need to sleep sometime," he said after the two just looked at each other for some time. He sighed, brushing the hair that Sophie deliberately let to fall on her face. "We have a big day ahead of us."

"Okay." She forced a smile and closed her eyes.

After some time once she knew that Caspian was sleeping, she tip-toed silently up to his table. The bird was looking at her and she shushed him for some reason. It was as though he was meant to keep a watch on her. Sophie pulled out a parchment and a pen from the drawers and started writing.