Narnia: Prince Caspian & The Dark Angel

18 | The Great Divide

Crystalline is alive...

He saw the cold and deadly gaze of the terrifying Raven fade into the ethereal green and blues in a single moment. The slicing tone of the ominous presence warped so effortlessly into the melodious softness that he was never able to forget. It was her face, however that completely tore Peter to pieces. He remembered the light blush that always remained upon her faintly freckled cheeks and nose, and her brilliant rose lips that hid the most breathtaking smile rekindled the old flame that was burning him from within. Although her face was splotchy with the shining tears that mercilessly fell down her colored cheeks, Peter believed her to be most beautiful.

The masterpiece that stood before him was just as real as when he held her cold and lifeless all those years ago. Yet there she was, living, breathing, and staring into his eyes with fiery emotion that burned him to the core. It was no phantom, no magic. The woman standing in front of him was Crystalline. His Crystalline. Then just as he finally had her again, she ran off, leaving him to pick up the pieces she left in the wake of her deepest secret.

Crystalline is alive...

Peter couldn't breathe. His body was quivering under the incredible weight of the truth that was now embracing him. No consoling words from his siblings could drown out the loud thrumming of his frantic heartbeat in his skull, nor could any comforting hand take away the blaring pain that erupted within. It was an old pain, a familiar one that he effectively numbed for over a decade. It tore and twisted his stomach so terribly that Peter thought he would keel over if he attempted to utter a word, yet there were no words to be uttered but the ones circling his mind.

Crystalline is alive.

Lucy watched as Peter gazed off again, his eyes now misty with a haunting glaze that she hadn't seen since the beginning of their reign. She knew she fared better than her brother, but the same turmoil was raging within her lithe frame. It nearly distracted her as she sat in one of the many rooms deep within the How with generals of their new army; well, what was left of it. It was only moments after Crystalline's disappearance that their scout came running into the How with dreadful news. "The Telmarines have built the bridge! They are coming with weapons and armies far greater than our own!"

It was only a matter of time until they arrive at the How, and with the small amount of soldiers they had at their disposal the Pevensies knew that they needed to prepare. Yet, only Edmund was attempting to fully engage with the generals as the girls listened half-heartedly, their minds wandering elsewhere. Frustrated, Edmund glanced back at his quiet brother who continued to spiral in silence. With a sigh, he tuned to the generals. "Arm the Narnians and prepare the departure of those who can't fight. Do so as quickly as possible."

With a single bow towards the royals, the generals were dismissed. After they left the the Pevensies, the Telmarine prince and his professor sat in silence, seemingly trapped in their own worlds. The two Telmarines sat quietly in the corner as the professor bandaged the prince's injured hand. The deep and jagged cut on his palm had been cleaned, no longer bleeding as profusely as before, but still just as painful. Caspian could have been healed if he hadn't refused Lucy's cordial, but he dared not to change his mind. He felt partly to blame for the recent events that left the Pevensies in a state of limbo. He was far too ambitious in his quest to rescue Professor Cornelius from Miraz's castle, nearly costing Raven, or whoever she is, her life. As his eyes trailed to Susan who sat stoically against the far wall of the room, he winced. Perhaps he ruined that too.

Edmund turned to his siblings, dutifully ignoring the other two in the room as he addressed them. "I know we are not in the right state to deal with Miraz, but we don't have the privilege of time. At any moment the scouts could sound the horn of their arrival and if the Narnians are not prepared, it will be because we were drowning in our own self-pity. So I need you all to stop moping for a moment and start thinking of a plan of action."