Susan Was Always First

Long Live the King?

Susan watched each labored breath her brother took, applying salves and bandages tirelessly each day as Envy provided them for her. She carefully poured water down Peter's throat, making him swallow by coaxing it down much as one would do for a wounded animal. The food that she could soak and make soft she attempted to feed to him, though that was few items. He just would not wake up...

He looked like death. Susan had seen death and knew that this as how it started. Her brother was pale, body still discolored from the bruising that took place with his wounds. His hair was matted and looked off color, and his body was gaunt from lack of proper nutrition. Though she could not think of that, could not imagine that her dear brother was reaching his end.

 She had lost count of how many nights had passed, of how many hours she sat on that small cot and feared sleep lest she wake up and find her brother still and breathless.She could not tell for how long she slept, nor if she really slept at all. The only reason she made herself sleep was for the child she carried, the small little life that fluttered softly inside her. 

The sun seemed a far-off memory, the idea of nature just imagination. She had only the walls of the room to stare at, only the glow of the candlelight to show her anything. The only interactions she had were with Envy, who also seemed to be concerned about the fact Peter would not wake. 

Envy was... Susan would not call her friend, but she was at least kind. The white haired woman came to her more often, with new things to try to get Peter to wake. Each time, Envy told her she was more worried that it would be discovered she was helping her, and that she was willing to take that chance to save the two of them. Envy wanted Peter to wake, she said, wanted him to live and have a long reign. She wanted to see them back on the throne, but only if they opened their eyes to the cruelties of the world.

The woman told her of a harsh life, and of being kidnapped and forced to work for this group of thieves and criminals. She told her of the horrible acts she had been forced to watch, of the crime and lies that took place right beneath the noses of the royal family. Susan had not realized such horrors still took place in Narnia, having thought the worst of the crimes all prevented easily...

Peter coughed, drawing Susan's attention. Was he waking? Would his eyes finally open? She knelt beside him and cradled his head, praying that her oldest brother would finally awake...

---

"I told ya, I didn't know I'd stress the poor bastard's body out so much he wouldn't wake up!" Wrath shouted, her arms crossed as she glared at Envy.

The members of the sins were all gathered in the dining hall, minus Greed. Sloth was watching the interaction through her lidded eyes, trying to keep awake. Lust was trying to hold back a smirk, knowing quite well Wrath would not win this argument. Pride and his daughter played in a corner of the room, the young girl not even paying attention to the argument her mother was having with Wrath. Gluttony, meanwhile, was trying to catch up on the argument, having missed the most of it. He knew it was about the prisoners, and about the king in particular.

Envy's voice remained in a tense state, the words coming out without so much as a change in tone. "It has been over a week, and he will not wake. He only lives due to the fact I've been treating him with the best of our supplies, ones that were to be saved in case it should come to bloodshed when the plan is fully set in motion, and due to his sister's constant watch."

The woman adjusted her curls and motioned for the others in the room to leave, which they all quickly did. Once they were gone, her demeanor changed. She curled her lip, eyes narrowing. "Now, tell me what you used on him or so help me..."

Wrath didn't even flinch. "I told you-"

Envy's hand flew, striking the teen across her cheek. "You had better quite lying and remember, or I'll involve Greed in this matter. This is your last chance to get away with no repercussions. What did you coat your blade with?"

---

The bracelet sat on the table before them, no one able to speak.

Lucy had woken everyone with the terrified scream she let out upon seeing the bracelet. She had helped Caspian pick it out, had known it was to be Susan's birthday gift. To find it now, stained with dried blood...

The sob Caspian had let out when he first saw the gift he had given to his missing wife was heartbreaking. All those who had been around to hear it would never forget the echo of the deep pain that struck the king as he tenderly picked up the bracelet, would never forget the ache that followed the uttering of his wife's name and how he had to lean against the very tree that it was discovered under until the sobs had stopped shaking his body. 

Now, they all sat; Edmund with his eyes dark and face blotched from tears, Lucy with her face white as a ghost and arms crossed as if to hold herself together, and Caspian with the look of a man who had just had his heart ripped from his chest.

"She... she's got to be okay! They've both got to be fine!" Lucy was talking to herself, having thought for sure that Aslan would have led her to something good, would have given her news that they lived and not presented her with this token of what could only be Susan's death. 

Edmund, who had been silent since seeing the bracelet, stood quickly. "We can't just sit around here mourning while they still could be out there! Peter and Susan are both fighters, and they are probably out there somewhere! I'm going to go look."

"Edmund," Caspian's voice broke and he reached out and grabbed his brother-in-law's arm. "I-"

The man began to sob again, and Edmund sunk down, his tears being his acceptance.

There was no use denying it anymore. Peter and Susan Pevensie were dead.