An Ace among Kings and Queens

Partings and Greetings

Ace's Point of View.

The breeze is cool as it passes through my hair and the sun is warm as it hits my skin. I can hear the ocean waves crashing against the rocks below, but my focus is on the people around me. In front of me accumulates a crowd of Telmarines and Narnians. Their stares aim up at the platform on which I stand on. Glenstorm, Trumpkin, Trufflehunter, and Reepicheep are on the far right, while I'm on the far left with Edmund and Lucy.

"Have you seen Susan or Peter?" Lucy asks us.

"No. And I haven't seen Caspian either," I reply.

Right on cue, he emerges from the town streets and joins us on the platform, throwing a worrying glance to us. He's soon followed by Aslan and the older Pevensies.

Edmund raises a brow at Peter, but he just shakes his head in response.

"Thank you so much everyone for gathering here," Caspian states to the crowd, silencing all the chatter around.

"Narnia belongs to the Narnians, just as it does to man. Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to. But for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers."

Voices rise again and a villager calls out, "It's been generations since we left Telmar."

"We're not referring to Telmar," Aslan replies. "Your ancestors were seafaring brigands. Pirates run aground on an island. There they found a cave, a rare chasm that brought them here from their world. The same world as our kings, queens, and duchess..."

Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd and a jolt of panic runs through my body at the announcement. It took me three years to tell a handful Narnians where I was truly from and in a matter of minutes, Aslan told all of the Telmarines.

"...It is to that island I can return you. It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start."

Now a quiet query takes over and I can tell a few want to take the deal, but are just too scared to.

"I will go," a clear voice sounds. The Telmarines move aside to reveal Glozelle. "I will accept the offer."

He looks to Caspian who nods in approval and makes his way forward, a few other Telmarines joining and following behind him.

"Because you have spoken first, your future in that world shall be good," Aslan tells them, proceeding to blow a breath.

The tree behind him begins to move, the trunk twisting out to reveal a split that's large enough to walk through. One by one the Telmarines hesitantly walk through and disappear.

"Where did they go?!" a villager exclaims.

"They killed them!"

"How do we know that he is not leading us to our death?"

"Sire, if my example can be of any service, I will take eleven mice through with no delay." Reepicheep steps forward to Aslan.

Susan and Peter look to each other knowingly.

"We'll go," Peter states.

Hold on. What?

"We will?" Edmund asks.

"Come on. Our time's up," he turns to Caspian now. "After all, we're not really needed here anymore." He extends his sword to Caspian as a gift.

"I will look after it until you return," he nods.

"I'm afraid that's just it," Susan mutters sadly. "We're not coming back."

What? Who said?

"We're not?" Lucy asks in disbelief.