A Queen of Narnia - Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian fanfiction NEW VERSION

Era

iii.

I stood only a few metres away from the duel and watched as Peter finally stroke Miraz in the stomach, not an instantly fatal wound but it meant that Miraz was as good as defeated. Finally, the horrible combat was over, and I knew that Peter would live and maybe, just maybe, there wouldn't be a battle after all.

Miraz knelt in front of Peter who stood with his sword in hand, ready to strike the final blow which would kill the King of the Telmarines once and for all. I held my breath, waited painfully for the stroke to hit, but I wasn't certain that I could watch as Peter executed Miraz.

Though this man had killed Caspian's father and ruled Narnia cruelly for years, it did not mean that we had to act as he had done. Peter was a better King than Miraz would have ever become and I hoped somewhere deep inside that he would spare the Telmarine and show all people that victory did not lay in death but in life.

"What's the matter, boy?" Miraz managed to say through the pain of his wounds. He was awaiting his doom, but Peter took his time. "Too cowardly to take a life?"

"It's not mine to take," Peter said and turned around where Caspian was standing. He offered the sword in his hand to Caspian instead, indicating that he wanted him to execute the deed himself. For who deserved to end Miraz's life more than he did?

Caspian neared Peter slowly, not taking his eyes off the sword in Peter's hand. Eventually, he grabbed the handle, but I could clearly see that his hand was shaking. I wasn't sure if Caspian would be able to do it after all this time, because even if we had planned Miraz's death for so long it had never actually included Caspian actually facing him alone and executing him in this way. Caspian had the courage and the anger to do it, but at the same time, I knew him better than to think he would kill his own kin.

Caspian raised the sword to prepare to hit Miraz and I could no longer breathe.

"Perhaps I was wrong," Miraz said to Caspian as he looked him in the eye. "Maybe you do have the makings of a Telmarine King, after all." Miraz bowed his head to accept defeat, and Caspian let out a cry and then jammed the sword into the ground instead of at Miraz.

He kneeled in front of his uncle who looked at his nephew, surprised that he was still alive because Caspian had not killed him yet, and he wouldn't do so ever.

"Not a King like you," Caspian hissed to Miraz.

He let Miraz live despite everything since he was a fair and just person. This act alone made me realise that he was ready to become King, that he had done the last thing needed to earn his right to the throne.

"Keep your life, but I'm giving Narnia back to the Narnians. Withdraw your troops."

A cheer erupted from the Narnians and I allowed myself to smile when his eyes met mine. I looked at Glenstorm who lead the way as we made our way across the combat field and toward our people once more. We were free and so were the Narnians because of Caspian and Peter and all of the Pevensie siblings. Caspian welcomed me with an embrace, and we turned to our people together and enjoyed the love they gave him.

When I turned back around again, I saw that Miraz was being helped by Lord Sopespian to stand up and walk back to his men. Miraz was no threat anymore to Narnia for he was defeated, old and weak. We would be able to live out our lives in peace knowing that Caspian's uncle was no threat to his realm any longer. Though something caught my attention as Lord Sopespian held his arm around Miraz's back with an odd grin on his face. Somehow, Lord Sopespian had one of Susan's arrows in his hand and I didn't have the time to react before he had shoved it into Miraz's back - killing his own King. It was no accident, nor was it something that he had done out of nowhere.