Susan Was Always First

Alone

It was antagonizing to be alone, Caspian now realized. Solitude had never bothered him until now, when the corridors were void of laughter and the only sound he heard was the continuous weeping of Ell, the faun still blaming himself for not seeing through the schemes that got Lucy stolen away. 

Shortly after discovering Lucy and the 'Calmorene' entourage missing this morning, a letter had arrived from the real Duke Cellino apologizing for not writing sooner and informing them that he would no longer be arriving in Narnia due to finding a suitable partner in his own court to spend the remainder of his years with. Once Ell had read the letter, he had rushed to Caspian with the realization that they had allowed the enemy into their home as guests. The palace guards and their most trusted generals had been sent out, but there were no more leads than when Susan had gone missing. 

Pacing did little to help either. All it did was leave his feet sore and add to the headache that plagued him. To fight an enemy that could slip beneath all of them, could continue to hide the most well-known rulers Narnia had ever seen, one of whom was near delivering the heir...

Susan. Aslan above, he missed his wife. It had been far too long since he last saw her, and it was growing closer and closer to the date that their little one would be born. He longed to just hold her close for a few moments, just to know she was still alive. He would give anything for that small moment, give anything to have Susan and her family safe within the palace walls once more. 

Lucy's room had yet to be searched for clues of her whereabouts, not wanting to disturb her things should they have found her. But now, Caspian felt it long enough that search her room would be forgiven by her should she arrive home shortly unharmed. With that resolve, he set out.

The corridor felt unsettling, and Caspian felt himself pausing to look behind him every few seconds. He was not alone, though he could not see anyone there. He just knew there was someone watching him, could feel the presence of another. 

"What are you?" The king growled, head swerving around trying to locate whoever was following him. He would not miss an opportunity to speak with this entity that seemed to have singled him out, waiting for a moment when there was no one else around him to appear. "And where is Susan!"

A voice laughed, echoing throughout the hall and reverberating through the room which Caspian had just exited. "Patience, dear king. It's not your time yet. No, we aren't expecting you for a long time."

At the sound of a voice replying to him, Caspian rested his hand on his sword. He could not tell if the voice was male or female, or the age of the speaker. Looking around once more, he could not see where their voice was coming from. 

"Tell me where my wife is!" He narrowed his eyes as his face scrunched up in rage, letting out the emotions he had long wanted to release upon those who took his wife. "And Lucy, and Peter!" He dared not mention Edmund, as he did not want this being to know his brother-in-law lived.

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" The voice changed pitch, becoming that of a young female. "I am them."

"You lie!" He shouted, clenching his fists. That had been Lucy's voice... If this being was a biloquist and could change their voice, was that how Susan was lured out of their room without him waking? Had Peter been drawn in by the sound of someone needing helping? 

"Do I?" The voice questioned, still Lucy's tone. Suddenly, it sound was much too familiar to Caspian. Her voice. Susan. "Please, be patient. When your time comes, everything will be revealed. And then, you'll see." 

The voice laughed cruelly, a sound ill-fitting of Susan's gentle voice. Caspian's hands clenched into a fist, eyes narrowing as the feeling of the figure remained though it was still unseen. 

"As long as I breathe I will not give up on finding them! I will not give up on Susan!"

"Susan went first...Isn't it fitting you should go last?" They mocked, now taking on Peter's tone. "The only king who hasn't ruled for years? The one who knows so little of the world, yet pretends he knows all? No, that is why you must wait. Wait until we need you, until you are ready. Goodbye, King Caspian. Remember, she went first. How human do you think she'll be when you find her?"

"You monster!" He drew his blade and swung at the air, feeling nothing connect. The king buried his head into his hands and sunk to the ground right outside of Lucy's room, giving himself a moment to compose himself after that unsettling encounter. If that being could enter the palace with no one being aware, if it could have snuck up on him, would that being take him next? Would Narnia be ruler-less? But, it had said that he was to wait... perhaps time would be on his side? 

"I swear Susan," he said quietly, resolving to find those he loved before the being could capture him as well. "I will free you and your family from those beasts!"

Standing, he opened the door to Lucy's room, where his eyes were drawn right to a note...

---

Susan was startled to wake up and see that she and Peter were no longer alone in their cell. It was still dark, as her child often woke her through the night with movement, but even in the faint light that filled the room Susan knew that Lucy had joined them. How had her sister been captured? Was she uninjured? Was she okay? It appeared to Susan that she was sleeping peacefully, though she would no doubt be frightened in the morning. Did Lucy know what fate had befallen their brother? And was it bad that she was oddly relieved to see her sister again, even if it was in these terrible circumstances? 

If Lucy was here, and Edmund dead, then Caspian was all alone and likely driving himself to exhaustion searching for them. Caspian. It had been so long since she had last seen her husband that she feared she would forget little details about him. Was it odd for her to fear forgetting a freckle on his shoulder or a scar on his back? Was it odd to worry she was remembering the shade of his hair one tone too dark? When things grew too stressful, as the news of Edmund passing had been, she found herself seeking comfort in imagining her husband's embrace, or his hand gently caressing her face and wiping away her tears. 

Why must her family suffer such terrible things? Had Aslan abandoned them to this fate? Were they alone to suffer while the Lion watched on? Or was He planning to help her husband rescue them? 

Before she could let any more doubt of Aslan creep into her mind, her child kicked her, drawing Susan away from such thoughts. She felt herself falling back asleep, and she knew that when she woke, Lucy would have much news she could share with them.