The Choice

a new adventure

I woke up in a panic, the memories of what happened before I lost consciousness flooding back like a storm. My breath quickened, my chest tightening until I felt as though I might suffocate. I sat upright, trembling uncontrollably as tears streamed down my face.

Then—two firm hands gripped my shoulders. Instinct took over, without even looking, I swung and struck hard.

"Ow—" a familiar voice groaned. "I expected you to be happier to see me."

The sound stopped me cold. I turned, my vision blurred by tears, and the moment I saw his face, guilt and disbelief crashed over me like a wave.

"Caspian?" My voice broke. "Caspian—wait—what?"

I fell to my knees before him, sobbing.

"Hey, hey," he said gently, lowering himself beside me. "Calm down, it's alright. You're safe now." His hands cupped my face, warm and steady.

"Oh gods, did I hurt you?"

He smiled faintly. "No, don't worry about it. I should've known better than to sneak up on you."

"I thought..." I choked, my voice trembling. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"It's alright, my love," he whispered, pulling me into his arms. "You're safe. I'm not going anywhere."

"Please," I gasped, clutching his tunic. "Never leave me again."

"I won't," he promised. "Not ever."

I buried my face against his shoulder; my body wracked with sobs. He held me tighter, his hand gently stroking my hair.

"It's alright," he murmured. "Let it all out."

And I did, I cried until my body gave out, until exhaustion won and the world faded to black.

When I awoke again, sunlight was spilling softly across the room. I was still lying in Caspian's arms, his chest rising and falling in calm rhythm beneath me. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt safe again.

"Don't we have duties to fulfil, my king?" I teased weakly, looking up at him.

"There's that laugh," he said softly, brushing a strand of my hair from my face. "The one I love most in the world."

"How do you feel, Maria?"

"Mentally?" I took a breath. "Better. Physically...sore, bruised, beaten up. But healing."

"I'm happy to hear that," he said with a smile. "What would you like to do first, my queen?"

I looked down at myself. My clothes were stiff with blood. "I'd like to wash and put on something that doesn't look like I've walked through a battlefield."

"Then let's get you cleaned up."

He helped me to my feet, steady and patient, and guided me to the washroom. The warm water stung as it met my wounds, but it also washed away the grime and horror of those days in captivity. When I looked up into the mirror, I hardly recognised myself—pale, tired, hollow-eyed. But I was alive.

Then my gaze fell to my arms.

For a long moment, I couldn't breathe. Sopespian's carvings stared back at me in cruel, jagged letters. One arm read: Murderer. The other—Queen, struck through. Tears welled again, unbidden. But as they fell, something shifted inside me. The words were ugly, yes—but they no longer felt like marks of defeat. They were proof. Proof that I had survived. Proof that I was still standing.

I wiped my eyes and straightened. "You know what?" I said, turning to my husband with a trembling smile. "I look rather badass with them."

He blinked, surprised.

"These," I said, lifting my scarred arms, "they're not my weakness. They're my strength. They remind me that I can survive anything."

Capsian's expression softened into something between pride and awe. "And that," he said quietly, "is why is love you. You're stronger than anyone can imagine, and the most fearless woman I've ever known."

I laughed softly as he pulled me into another embrace. "So, my king," I murmured against his chest, "what's next for us?"

He chuckled. "You tell me, my love."

"Well," I began stepping back and looking up at him. "Remember those lords you once told me about? The ones who were close friends of your father?"

"Yes," he said slowly, his curiosity piqued.

"What if we went to find them?"

He raised a brow. "Truly?"

"Why not? We've brought peace to all of Narnia. Perhaps now it's time to uncover what's left of its past."

Caspian laughed—a sound full of light and life. "Gods, I love you," he said, sweeping me into his arms and spinning me around.

"Then it's settled," I said between laughter. "Our next adventure awaits."

And together, we began to gather maps, scrolls, and stories—tracing the faded lines of memory and legend. Whatever lay ahead, I knew one thing with absolute certainty: we had already survives the worst. And now, we would write the rest—side by side.