Beyond My Control Book #5

Chapter 15 She Is Mine

We all continued fighting. I looked around, Armand seemed to be doing well with the sword. I smiled to myself, it would have been bad if I hadn't taught him.
I fought off my opponents, pushing past them and heading for Alaric.
I heard my sister Lucy scream, "Fine if you won't give us Queen Verity, how about her sister," chuckled Alaric; he held our youngest sister with his iron grip, leading her to a boat, sitting her down, and he followed. Fear was written in her eyes.
"Lucy!" All five of us cried.
"Take me!" I exclaimed, "Don't you dare hurt her!"
I ran to the boat, which was being lowered; when it reached the water, I jumped overboard and swam over to it. The boat sailed pretty far out.
"Verity!" I heard Lucy cry.
"Don't worry, Lu!" I shouted, swimming faster.
"Verity!" Peter yelled, "Lucy!"
I reached the boat, clinging onto its side."Oh, look who we have here!" Chuckled Alaric."I guess I won't need to..." I rocked the boat vigorously.
"Lu, jump!" I cried.
"But, Verity!" She exclaimed.
"I said jump!" I replied.
She did as she was told, I let go of the boat as Alaric lost his balance. I grabbed my sister's arm, but someone else already had her.
"Peter!" I cried.
"Come on," Peter motioned, "I ordered our troops to head for the shore. The ship is just too small."
The three of us swam to the shore. I saw our first longboat reach the shore carrying Ruth, Susan, Edmund, Armand, Irvin, and Tumnus.
"Fire!" I heard someone shout, as we three reached the shore.
"The cannons!" Shrieked Lucy, Peter pulled us both to the ground beside him, shielding us from the munition Alaric's men fired at us.
I held Lucy's cold, trembling hand and squeezed my eyes shut, expecting to die.
"Please, Aslan, save us," I whispered.
At that moment, it stopped; we looked up, and they weren't firing the cannons anymore.
"Why didn't you bring more munition!" Yelled Birsha frustrated.
We all laughed as we stood up to dust off our sandy clothes, and then we made our way to our crew and siblings. No one was hurt, but we still had a battle to face. Lucy grabbed a sword from one of our longboats as she had lost her bow and arrow.
We watched as the Raven's men came to shore.
"Get ready!" Peter shouted raising his sword, as our enemies came off their boats.
My brother looked at me and nodded, I raised my sword and yelled, "Charge!"
We met our opposing army, my sword clashed against Birsha's. He chuckled, "I'll defeat you and then this battle is over."
"I'd like to see you try," I retorted.
"You have a lot of nerve, Queen Verity," he sighed, "But you won't win."
"How about we end this battle with a duel," I suggested.
"No," Birsha shook his head abruptly.
"Suit yourself, coward," I answered. I swung my sword at him but tripped. He pinned me down with his.
"Guess it's over, milady," he chuckled.
I picked up my sword and pushed his sword out of my sleeve, springing to my feet. I kicked him in the stomach.
He groaned in pain, "You..."
"There is no point in fighting!" I looked up to see Alaric soaking wet, "Your Queen and sister are still ours. According to our law, all spies must be put to death."
I glanced over at my siblings, it was true I had to die. But my thoughts were interrupted by a roar.
I turned around and there was Aslan. Alaric fell to his knees in fear.
"It has been done," Aslan answered, "For when I died for her brother's offence, I died for hers. You cannot touch her for she is mine. Justice has been done."
Alaric stared at Aslan, "She knows information that...."
Aslan roared, "She is mine!"
"But...." Alaric trembled, he got up from his knees trembling.
"Surrender!" Birsha gritted his teeth, still holding his stomach."Surrender!"
"Fine," Alaric sighed, "The Tisroc will have my head though."
"That was your fault," Birsha mumbled.
We all cheered and I ran over to Aslan and hugged him, "Thankyou," tears filled my eyes,
"Thank you."
"It's alright, Daughter of Eve," he said, "I died for everyone remember that."
"I am forever in your debt," I stroked his mane.
"Just follow me," he answered, "Which you already have been doing faithfully."
I grinned as I stood up again, I was drowning in Peter's embrace.
"I just about thought we'd lose you," he said, kissing my cheek.
"But you didn't," I replied, hugging him just as tightly.
I could feel the arms of my other siblings around me. I felt safe, I was safe.
After our embrace, I came face to face with the two young men who had a fancy for me. I realized it was time to tell them.
"Irvin, Armand," I said, "There is something I need to tell you."
They both smiled at me, I turned to look at Peter and Susan. This was going to be more difficult than I thought.
"It's alright," my brother whispered.
"I know you both like me, it's obvious, but I don't think I have been clear about how I feel," I began.
"Yes, your majesty," Irvin nodded.
"I don't feel like either of you is the right kind of man I want to marry. Second thought, I don't intend to ever get married," I stated.
"Oh," Armand's face broke.
"That doesn't matter," Irvin replied," I began to catch on." He walked over to Susan and took her hand, "I realized it's Susan I love." He kissed her and she back.
Ruth coughed, Edmund whispered something to Lucy, who laughed. I looked over at Armand.
"I'm sorry, Armand, for breaking your heart," I replied.
"No, you didn't," Armand answered sadly, "Perhaps you have helped me." He shook my hand, then kissed it, he turned to Peter, "I shall return for Archenland immediately."
"I suppose that means home," Edmund said.
"Yes," Peter nodded, he took my hand, squeezing it, "You made the right decision, Verity," he whispered, placing an arm around me.
I felt like a burden had been taken off my shoulders.

We were home! Oh, how good it was to see Cair Paravel again. To see the garden and the Beavers and Anwir and to show Cliff our castle.
The bear and I were best friends, we walked and talked together and sometimes I got along with him better than my siblings.
One day, while we all were in the garden together, including Irvin.
"It's such a beautiful day to waste just sitting here," I climbed down from my perch on the paper birch tree.
"I agree," Susan replied, "You'll tear your dress."
"I don't think Verity cares about that," Peter laughed, I sat down next to him, leaning my head on his shoulder.
"I have news," I began, "Alaric has been imprisoned."
"Why?" Ruth asked.
"He attempted to assassinate Captain Coral," I explained.
"You didn't tell us about that," Edmund said.
"Is that the thing you couldn't tell us?" Lucy asked.
"Partly, you see, he also planned on invading Narnia while we were gone, but when he heard I knew about their plot, they followed us," I explained.
"The whole time!" Susan gasped.
I nodded, "And those poor fellows, their whole plan fell apart when they decided to capture me first."
Everyone laughed.
"So about Birsha, where did you meet him?" Irvin asked curiously.
"He pretended to have an interest in me," I answered. So I told them the whole story. It had been the first time and I was glad to tell them.
I got up, "I feel like taking a walk down to the beach, anyone care to join me."
"Four of my siblings joined me, but Susan and Irvin stayed behind. I suppose Susan knew what I had in mind.
We raced down to the beach, I let my hair down.
"Last in is..." But I was interrupted by Peter, who pushed me into the water.
"Peter Pevensie!" I fumed angrily, "I wasn't expecting to go swimming today."
He shrugged his shoulders, "Well, now you are."
I shoved him and he fell in. Me and my other siblings laughed.
"Everyone against Pete!" Lucy shouted.
We sprayed our brother till he begged for mercy. Then it was boys against girls.
I looked up at the sunset, illuminating the water. Sometimes it felt good to just be a child for once. To leave yesterday's and tomorrow's trials inside and just forget. It was beyond my control anyway.