The Queen's Tales

Chapter 22: The Lone Islands

After giving Lucy a more 'on the sea' appropriate attire, they both met up with the boys in the study. Chloe watched their faces light up in awe as they looked around the room, she'd taken the reigns when it came to decorating. There was a gold bust of Aslan in the middle of the room propped up on the wall, and a painting of the Pevensies when they were older the day they'd first left Narnia.

"Who did this?" Edmund asked curiously as he looked at the painting.

Caspian smiled to Chloe who watched bashfully, "Your girlfriend has acquired quite a few talents since she's been here."

Chloe blushed before turning to Lucy who found Susan's bow and arrows propped up respectfully. She turned to Caspian and nodded to the cabinet where the other items were, "That's not all we saved," she smiled.

"My healing cordial and dagger," Lucy beamed as Caspian showed them to her, "May I?"

"Of course, they're yours," he offered them to her while Chloe reached into the other cabinet.

Edmund, however caught his eye on something else, "Peter's sword," he walked over.

Caspian nodded, "I held onto it as promised," he grabbed it from the stand and offered it, "Here."

"No, it's yours. Peter gave it to you," Edmund politely refused.

Chloe grabbed something else from the cabinet,"Edmund," she giggled showing him what was in her hand. She laughed as she handed him the torch, "It still works and everything."

"Thanks," he laughed as he turned it on, squinting his eyes, not having expected it to be so bright. Chloe snorted and he kissed her cheek before looking between her and Caspian, "So where are we exactly?"

Chloe walked out of his grip over to the desk where the map was, "More or less here," she pointed to an empty spot on the map, "You lot have missed a little being gone for three years."

"Since you left, the Giants of the North have surrendered unconditionally," Caspian pointed to the Wild Lands of the North on the map, "Then we defeated the Calormen armies at the Great Desert."

Chloe smiled, crossing her arms proudly, "For the first time in over a thousand years, there is peace in all of Narnia. All it took was three years," she looked to Caspian with a smile.

Edmund looked between the two of them skeptically, he didn't like the way they looked at each other; Lucy, however saw nothing out of the ordinary and took the moment to practice what she'd seen that girl in Cambridge do. She lightly moved some of her hair behind her ear and batted her eyes at the king, "And have you found yourself a queen in those three years?"

"No," Caspian smiled, "Not one that can compare with your sister."

Chloe held in some laughter, "There was the Duke of Galma's daughter, that day we visited, but..."

"She squints and has freckles," Caspian retorted.

Chloe rolled her eyes at his picky nature, "At least her father didn't try to marry you instead. Could practically see the cobwebs on the man at dinner," she shivered in disgust before standing closer to Edmund.

That small action made the lad feel a bit better, he smiled down at the girl before looking back to Caspian, "So if there are no wars to fight, and no one is in trouble, then why are we here?"

"Maybe you just missed me too much?" The girl joked with a serious tone.

Caspian sighed, looking to the map, "It's a good question. I have been asking myself the same thing."

"Well where are we sailing to?" He asked looking at the table.

Chloe waved Caspian on, "Go on, this was your idea."