The Golden Witch || Peter Pevensie x OC

52. Keep Smiling

Feeling powerful is something very different to being powerful.

Valera had learnt that lesson a long time ago, when despite her power, she felt weak and helpless against Jadis' winter.

But now, as she exited the darkness of the tomb with Peter and Edmund at her sides, she felt powerful.

This was largely due to the chorus of energetic and raw yells coming from their people currently lined up outside to bear witness to the battle of the kings.

It perfectly entwined with the distant yells of the Telmarine army on the far end of the field ahead to create an atmosphere of inspiration and motivation.

Motivation to fight with everything you had to fight with.

Motivation to keep the clock ticking in time for Lucy and Susan to succeed in bringing Aslan to them.

Motivation to finally return Narnia to its former glory.

As the three titans of Narnia walked up the stone pathway towards the small open arena where Miraz and his council were already waiting, Peter, Edmund, and Valera all kept their faces a stoic mask void of emotion.

Their eyes were all focused onto the place the Telmarine king was sitting, anger festering behind their irises.

Valera was fighting an internal battle to keep her nerves for Peter down.

There was nothing she could do now.

This fight had to commence as agreed. With Peter and Miraz facing off against one another to the death in order to avoid the shedding of blood.

Valera couldn't get involved. It would break the terms of the deal, and all hell would break loose.

All she could do was stand aside and hope with all her heart that Susan and Lucy would locate Aslan.

She wouldn't hope that the Telmarines would play fair for once. That hope would go to waste.

Something would happen. Something that would initiate the war.

But it couldn't happen too soon. And when that something happened, Valera would be able to fight with Aslan and the Kings and Queens beside her to gain a victory.

That was the goal here.

Peter just had to hold out long enough, and Valera had to keep her power dormant for long enough.

"How are you feeling?"

Peter's voice snapped Valera out of her angered gaze towards Miraz as the three of them caught up to Glenstorm at their end of the arena.

"How are you feeling?" she retaliated.

It didn't matter how she was feeling.

She wasn't the one about to risk her life.

"As good as I can be, I suppose", Peter replied with a forced reassuring smile in a last-ditch attempt to calm her nerves.

Before Valera could continue the conversation, Edmund reached across her to hand Peter his sword.

Pulling it from the sheath, the crowd of Narnians behind them let out another round of supportive cheers at the sight of their High King prepared to fight for their future.

Across the stone floor, Miraz muttered some words to his lords before placing his golden helmet over his head and drawing his own sword.

"Whatever happens ... you can't intervene. You have to let this happen", Peter turned to address the witch.