Susan Was Always First

Two Gold Crowns

"What do you mean I can't torture her?" Wrath shrieked, blue eyes flashing with a steely anger. The teenager was standing, arms crossed as she glared at the woman seated across from her.

Envy's lips ghosted into a seemingly kind smile, almost serene. "I mean just that, child. I have learned something useful about that queen... she carries the heir to the kingdom."

"Huh?" Sloth cocked her head, eyes widening in shock. "You mean we kidnapped a pregnant woman? But we said-"

"I know what was said!" Envy hissed, looking towards her young daughter to make sure she was not listening in, thankfully too busy playing with Pride to overhear their words. "But plans have changed now with this information... we need to capture the other queen to set our plan in motion."

"I was told that I  would be wi-" Lust started, though Envy's gaze quieted him quickly, motioning towards her daughter and raising her brow.

"I know. You'll have to just make due with silver instead of gold."

"We've already got two gold crowns... how hard could it be to get a silver?" Pride asked, as he scooped up his daughter and moved towards the conversation.

"Harder than you think." Greed appeared in the room out of seemingly nowhere, their ethereal voice ringing out and filling the room, catching the attention of all. "That Lion watches those two with extra care...But do not fret- this is but a minor setback. After all, this itself will advance the pain that that fake king will suffer... And was that not our plan after all?"

"It was." Gluttony snorted a laugh, crinkling his nose. "Bloody fool thinks he has any right to this country..."

"Well, he will learn his lesson, won't he?" Envy smirked, "and then we will have what's our again."

---

"Peter, please wake up!" Susan's words were frenzied and hushed as she tried to shake her brother awake. She had already tried to clean the blood from his face, and even the icy water from the basin in the corner did nothing to stir him. "Please..."

Susan sat back on her cot, curling up into a ball on the mattress. Her hand rested on her lower abdomen, and although the baby's movements could not be felt yet, it reassured her.

"We're going to be alright, little one. I promise. We're going to be okay..." The tears leaking from her eyes said otherwise, but the words were not for her. 

The ripped gown Susan wore did little to keep the cool air from her body and she shivered. She did not remember how she got into this gown, nor did she really wish to think on it as the only one who had been in the room was that man, Lust.  The tattered blanket that rested on her bed gave only the slightest bit of added warmth and she wrapped it tightly around her, as she knew that if she were to grow ill or have extra stress placed on her body the baby could be lost.

Softly she began to hum, wondering what time it was and how long she had been gone. The lack of windows in the room made it impossible for her to guess the hour, and nearly as impossible to estimate how long it had been since she was snatched away. What she wouldn't give for a watch...

 What did these people want from her? Why were they after her family? The questions would not leave her mind... It seemed like hours passed as she sat on her bed humming, rocking back and forth and dreaming of being back at Cair Paravelle with her family and husband.

Caspian... her heart ached knowing how he must feel. She longed for him to hold her close and tell her this was all some terrible dream she had, that she was safe and warm at home with him. Never before had she so wished for one of his soft kisses, or the gentleness of his touch. He could always reassure her things would be okay, and she needed that, especially knowing that the embrace they had before she fell asleep and had been taken may be the last they ever share...

"Wh-" Peter stirred slightly, and this drew Susan from her plaguing thoughts. She quickly threw the blanket off herself and knelt on the ground next to him, brushing her brother's still-bloody hair away from his face.

"Peter? Oh thank Aslan!" Susan breathed as his eyes fluttered open.

"Su-Susan!" Peter sat up quickly and groaned with pain at the hasty movement. Susan had not checked to see if he was bruised anywhere other than his face, but from his pain-ridden movements she could see he was in much worse shape than she thought. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm... I'm okay. I'm not sure what's happened, but there are these people after all of us, Peter..." Susan's fear was evident in her voice, though she downplayed her own feelings as to not worry her brother. "But you... are you alright? I feared you wouldn't wake up."

"I feel as if I've been hit by a train." Peter winced as he rubbed his temple. "I was riding back from checking the borders and all I remember is hearing your voice..."

"Greed." Susan breathed in interruption, her hands shaking from nerves. "Peter, the one called Greed can throw their voice... they sounded like you before, to taunt me... What if they go after the others that way?"

Peter glanced towards the door nervously, as if he could find as way to escape and warn the others. "What do they want from us in the first place? Money? Power? And what else do you know of them?"

Susan made to answer when the door opened. "Ah, Lust was right. Lovely is your face indeed, and it does seem it will stay that way, dear Queen... And you, High King, good to see you've awoken..."

This man was unfamiliar to Susan, and he carried a small girl in his arms. A child mixed up in all this madness... "My daughter wanted to see the king and queen... I do hope you will accommodate her, seeing as you yourself will have a child soon, won't you, my queen?"

"She's so pretty, daddy!" The little girl rushed over to Susan as soon as her father set her down. But Susan was still frozen in shock. How did he know about the child she carried? What would they do to her now? Would they harm her child? Would she ever get to see her child? This is why she had yet to decide if she should tell them, this fear and uncertainty of what would happen. Now that they knew...

Realizing it would be in her best interest to do what the man wanted as to prolong the inevitable torture she knew would happen again, Susan shook these terrifying thoughts and smiled softly at the child. "Hello there, little one. What's your name?"

"I'm Sar- Jealousy." The little girl quickly changed her reply to her code name, which Susan did not miss. 

Peter watched the whole interaction with wary eyes, until the little girl turned to him, letting Susan return to her troubling thoughts as the girl spoke. "What does a king do? Daddy says kings rule lands and help people. Do you help people?"

"I look out for all the people of my lands and protect those closest to me as well." Peter replied, looking over to Susan and raising his brow. What was going on...?

"See, honey, I told you they would look out for all of us, because the good guys look out for the other good guys."

Jealousy grinned then, throwing her arms around the siblings. "I'm so glad you'll protect us! You're so cool!"

"Okay, darling, let the king and queen rest..." The man ushered his daughter out the door. He then stopped and glared at the two. "I have a feeling you two will settle in nicely...You wouldn't want to do anything to make my daughter upset, now would you?"

The vagueness of his words made Susan's spine shiver. 

Just what were these people going to do to her and her family?