The Golden Witch || Peter Pevensie x OC

56. Missed It

The Telmarines no longer had a leader.

They no longer had a foot to stand on and a command, nor a will, to fight.

And so, when the Narnians spread out along the river to round them up, commanding them to surrender their weapons and assemble on the bank, they adhered.

Each Telmarine, covered head to toe in silver chain armour, was no longer an enemy soldier.

Their future was unwritten, and placed in the hands of the reinstated rightful rulers of the land.

The very rulers who were all regrouping to one side of the destroyed bridge.

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Caspian had all waded through the shallow waters to cross the river in order to reach the place where Aslan, Valera, and Lucy were stood.

The witch was still trying to wrap her head around a few things.

Naturally, the fact that the war was won and her suffering at the hands of the Telmarines were not only over, but had been avenged, was one of the main things.

What came from that is everything that laid ahead in her own future.

A future she would be spending with her husband.

That certainly needed a prolonged time frame to be discussed.

But the one thing that still stuck out was that she had not only been reunited with, but spoke to her father again.

Never thinking it possible, having 'spoken' with her sisters not too long ago to have them disappear right before her eyes, it was a gift more than she could fathom being grateful for.

Which only added to her gratitude for Aslan, having returned to assist her.

That particular gratitude and respect was not only hers to have, but was shared among each of her fellow rulers.

As Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Caspian approached, the four of them came to a stop a few feet away and lowered themselves to kneel.

An open display of their continued respect and loyalty to the great lion.

"Rise, Kings and Queens of Narnia", Aslan commanded.

At his word, only three of them moved to stand.

Caspian remained knelt.

"All of you", Aslan added.

Caspian raised his glance upwards, first looking into the eyes of a lion he had only ever heard about in stories, and then into the eyes of the witch stood beside Lucy.

Valera offered him a reassuring smile, knowing his title of king would be officially set in stone with the agreement of both herself and Aslan.

But it didn't seem that Caspian's heart allowed him to believe they were right in their decision.

"I do not think I am ready", he admitted.

"It's for that very reason I know you are", Aslan replied.

The boy held a more convinced look in his eyes as he glanced back down to the stones below him.

However, he still didn't move.

He still didn't think he was ready.

"When we first met, you made a keen observation", Valera spoke up, getting the conflicted boy's attention.

"You looked ahead into the cell holding me captive and you called me a girl."

Chuckles came from both Caspian and Valera as they dwelled on the memory.