She Dreamed of Paradise ❈ Suspian

Decode

"The truth is hiding in your eyes
And it's hanging on your tongue
Just boiling in my blood
But you think that I can't see
What kind of man that you are
If you're a man at all
Well, I will figure this one out
On my own."

- Decode by Paramore.

Several hours after the first wave of the fog hit; Susan, Caspian and various other members of the high court were in the king's study, debating what they should do next. They were given a list of guessed victims – 13 in total; Helena, the king and his wife were included. It seemed that Caspian and Susan were on their own now – nobody was going to come in and save them from the fog, they had to do it themselves.

Susan wrapped her arms securely around herself, giving slight glances to Caspian once she looked away from the large map spread across the table with the lands of Narnia, Archenland, Calormen, Telmar, Ettinsmoor and the Wild Lands of the North. Many of the members of court were telling Caspian to lead an army into battle against the fog while another group lead civilians into the mountains and into Narnia's greatest ally – Archenland.

Caspian shook his head, taking his place beside Susan. "It's too risky; more people could die from travelling to Archenland alone – it's a dangerous road even without the threat of this fog."

Susan nodded her head, placing the palms of her hands on the table. "I agree with Caspian with the danger to going to Archenland, but we can't just let all those people die here. I just wish there was another way. It seems there's only one thing to do; die here, or die there."

After Susan had spoken, the room fell silent and she quietly excused herself from the room. She felt like she was on a verge of a panic attack, the images of what happened to Helena still fresh in her mind. Almost sprinting to her room, she locked the door once she reached it and almost ripped her dress from her body, letting out a scream of anger before she sat on the floor with her head in her hands.

It wasn't until almost an hour later that Susan finally stood up and draped a thick blanket over her shoulders before pacing around her room, her fingers tracing over her necklace as her eyes focused on the floor. She didn't quite know what to do with herself in that moment – her mind was in a blur over the events over the past few hours, it made yesterday seem like a lifetime away.

With a sudden idea, she marched towards her mirror, knocking on the glass a few times before Suzanna's face appeared in the glass. But before she even had a chance to question why she was summoned, Susan started speaking with no hesitation. "The fog has arrived, it took Helena. This wasn't in the book, I don't understand. The fog wasn't supposed to kill people; it didn't say it in the book.

Suzanna took a long time to answer, thinking things over in her head before replying with a calm voice. "The book is useless now, Susan. You coming to Narnia has set off a new turn of events – it's all part of the butterfly effect. We really are on our own now, I'm sorry."

Susan's eyebrows fused together in confusion, her arms folding tightly over her chest. "I don't understand; I did everything like you did in the book."

"You must have done something differently, think, Susan. There has to be something I never did in the books but you did and it's set off a new turn of events."

Susan's heart almost fell out of her chest; the realization of what she had done suddenly hitting her. It was her fault the fog was so violent, it wasn't Aslan's – it was hers. She brought on Helena's death and would kill maybe hundreds more because of her selfish and foolish nature. "I kissed Caspian, and I saw that maid in the woods. That has to be it."

"You must find a way to fight this, sister. Time is running out for you, you must make sure Caspian takes an army to fight against Jadis in Ettinsmoor – then maybe you could get things back to how they were in the books. I will be waiting for your answers," and with that, Suzanna disappeared and Susan was alone once more.