𝒩𝑜 𝒩𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝒯𝑜 𝒮𝒶𝓎 𝒢𝑜𝑜𝒹𝒷𝓎𝑒: 𝐸𝒹𝓂𝓊𝓃𝒹 𝒫𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃𝓈𝒾𝑒 ~ 𝒫𝒞

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒪𝓃𝑒 - 𝑀𝒾𝓇𝒶𝓏 𝒜𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓂𝓅𝓉𝓈 𝑀𝓊𝓇𝒹𝑒𝓇 [Revised]

I didn't expect my life to take a turn tonight. But safe to say, I saw it coming.

Screams pierced through the silence of the night as they echoed through the halls of the Telmarine palace.

Prunaprismia, Queen of the Telmaries was giving birth. This meant my uncle, King Miraz, was coming to kill me and my brother Caspian, to ensure his son's claim to the throne.

Great. I was hoping to get a good night's rest tonight, but I suppose not.

Luckily I had planned for this. 

Through listening in on whispers between the servants, I had learned that the child would come any day now. And here he was.

In the evening, I went to bed fully dressed in case I had to make an escape.

And the shrill cries of my newly born cousin alerted me to flee.

Just as I was collecting my sword and the small pack I'd put together, my brother and our professor, Dr. Cornelius, burst into my room.

"(____)! Our Aunt has-" Caspian whispered.

"I know! I was just about to come get you. I've already prepared to leave." I interrupted, grasping my sword at my side.

"Smart girl." Professor Cornelius said.

"We have to leave now." Caspian urged.

The three of us rushed through a secret passage in my closet out into the barren hallways of the palace.

We rushed down a winding staircase to the armory and stables. Caspian grabbed a sword for himself, and each of us leaped onto a horse.

"You must make for the woods." Cornelius ordered.

"The woods?" Caspian asked.

"They won't follow you there." The professor explained.

The professor then handed Cornelius something wrapped in cloth, "It has taken me many years to find this." He said.

"Do not use it except at your greatest need." Cornelius heeded.

"Will we ever see you again?"I asked, suddenly feeling any resolve I had starting to slip away.

"I dearly hope so, my students..." Cornelius then looked towards Caspian wistfully, "There is so much more I meant to tell you."

I felt a pang in my chest as he continued, "Everything you know is about to change..."

At the sound of soldiers nearing us, Caspian shot off on his horse.

I nervously look back at the professor, gripping onto my horse's reins, "But professor, what about-"

Cornelius quickly took my hands, "I am so sorry (____)... I wish I could have understood it better, but I fear your... condition may be an affliction you face on your own, at least for a while."

The voices of soldiers drew closer to our position.

"Now, go!" Cornelius urged.

With one last look at our professor, and one of my dearest friends, I rode out of the stables.

As I made it towards the entrance of the palace I could just barely see Caspian ahead of me. Leaning forward, I attempted to catch up with him, but it was in vain.

"Close the drawbridge!" I heard a soldier shout.

I flicked my horse's reins, and we sped up. The gust of wind blew my hair out behind me, and I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

But just as we neared the exit, the drawbridge creaked shut firmly locking in place, and sealing my fate.

A large group of soldiers flooded in between me and the drawbridge. 

One man pointed his crossbow at my horse, striking it in its left leg, sending both of us to the ground.

Almost immediately I was pursued by two others who began to haul me back towards the castle, and then likely the dungeons.

I thrashed against the soldiers, but my struggle was to no avail.

"You can't do this!" I protested.

"Keep quiet!" A soldier shouted.

I continued on, hoping to find some way out of my plight "Let go of me! I am a princess! I am next in line to the throne!"

"Not anymore you're not." Another soldier added sternly.

I was dragged to the dungeon and thrown in a cell, the door closing behind me with a loud clang. I jumped to my feet, grasping onto the bars of my chamber.

"Please! There must be another way!" I pleaded, pressing my forehead to the door.

Despite my cries, nobody was listening, and I was left alone in the darkest corner of the palace.

By now, General Glowzelle had likely chased Caspian all the way to the forest's edge. I just hoped that King Miraz's men were smart enough not to follow him in.

I shook the barred metal door in an attempt to open it, but there was no way I could escape on my own.

"You're not getting out." A gruff voice sounded through the darkness.

I turned to see a small man sitting in the cell beside me.

"You're a-" I began hesitantly, finally releasing my hold on the door.

"A dwarf." He finished, "Obviously."

"Well, I thought-" I stuttered. Hadn't all Narnians and magical creatures died out?

"W- what's your name?" I asked.

Though I was tempted to question him about his very existence, I thought starting with a name might be a more polite approach.

"Trumpkin." He replied, "And who are you?" Trumpkin asked.

"I'm (____). Princess of the Telmaries and next in line to the throne... formerly." I answered.

"So you're one of the ones they're out to kill?" Trumpkin replied.

"One of the ones they're going to kill." I corrected.

"If you don't mind me asking. Why are you- what are you-... how do you exist?" I asked.

"Excuse me?" Trumpkin responded.

"Sorry. That sounded bad." I stumbled.

"Uh-huh." he replied.

I sat down across from him, "I mean, I've only ever read about Narnians. I thought they went extinct after- you know." I explained.

"Well princess, despite the Telmarine's efforts, we're still around. But I don't feel like leading storytime. You're better off getting some rest." Trumkind said, looking away.

Right, rest. I do have a big day ahead of me!

First, breakfast. Second, be executed. Third, be dead!

But I figured Trumpkin was right.

So I got as comfortable as I could on the dirty, cold, grimy floor, and squeezed my eyes shut hoping I might fall asleep soon.

I heard the loud boom and crackle of fireworks and the muffled sound of cheering in the Kingdom.

All this celebration for a child that will only rule at the death of my brother and I.

Tears began to roll down my face, but I took a deep breath and forced myself to drift off into slumber.