Susan Was Always First

Insolence and Lust

"You can be so hopelessly pathetic, can't you Lust?" A woman Susan was unfamiliar with stood in the doorway, her arms crossed and a smirk on her face as she continued her words towards the prisoner of the captives. "Look at you. I've found you beneath men quite a few times, but never have you looked so defeated. Usually, you look a bit more pleased." 

Lust chuckled, opening his eyes. "I was wondering when you were going to show up, Insolence."

Insolence sent a look to Lucy. "Well, I didn't want to disturb you in case you managed to woo the little queen, but why should I have expected any sort of competency from you. Everyone knows I carry the team."

"You wound me, my friend. And here I thought we were becoming equals." Lust laughed, and Susan assumed this was a sort of normal banter between the two. 

Insolence rolled her eyes and entered the room, her eyes glancing between all of the royalty. "You keep telling yourself that if it makes you happy."

"We meet again, Lady Caralyn." Lucy hissed, and she moved to grab the woman. "Though I take it that likely isn't your name."

Insolence shook her head, merely glancing at the spot where Lucy held her arm. "No, it is my name. The title might be wrong, but much like Lust we both spoke our names true when we played our little game. We feared you might be wise enough to tell if we were using fake names, and since we knew you placed value in formality, we bet on you not being fully aware of the first names of your potential suitor and his company."

Susan watched the woman with a cautious eye. Something was off with her, though Susan couldn't quite place it. It was as if Insolence was trying to act, to keep a charade going. There was also something familiar about her...

"Why are you telling her that?" Lust asked, and Susan saw his eyes grow wide in nervousness. 

Insolence shot him a look, and Susan saw the woman drop the act she was trying to pull for just a flash of a second. "Why can't you trust me on this?"

"Because Greed will kill us if they find out what you just said!"

"We are going to be killed already!" Insolence shot out, and Susan saw a complete shift in the way the woman carried herself. No longer was she feigning confidence. "I've already accepted by fate. My sister's husband is dead, and Greed views my role, and yours, as unnecessary now. We've been pawns this whole time, Jesse. Everyone but Greed is disposable now." Insolence pulled a small vile from a pouch inside her dress. "I've already drank my half- the rest is for you. We'll have two hours before we drift off to a painless sleep we will not awake from." Insolence reached out her hand and gently caressed his face. "Please... it will be better than what Greed has in store, I promise."

"Pride is... dead? Greed killed him? Is Jealousy okay? Envy?" There was genuine concern in Lust's voice, concern that told Peter the man would not fight back or try to exit the room in this moment. He got up, letting Lust sit on the ground. 

Insolence looked to the ground. "Greed showed Pride's mutilated corpse to Jealousy, according to my sister. The poor child... And my sister has been trying her best, but I cannot say she will ever recover. She looks awful, Jesse. You wouldn't even recognize her now. You wouldn't either, your majesty. I know she's been seeing to you when she had time."

"You're Envy's sister?" Susan spoke as the pieces came together. That familiarity she had felt when she saw Insolence was due to some of the similar features she and Envy shared. However, she had not known that the child she saw all those months ago was Envy's daughter, and the man her husband. Envy had painted a much more tragic story for herself when she spoke of her family and past.

Insolence nodded. "Yes, miss second-in-command is my older sister. I take it you also didn't know she was that high up on the roster from the look on your face. I suppose I might as well tell you everything about that, if you want to know."

It was true. The revelation startled Susan. She had allowed herself to grow comfortable around that woman, but it would appear she should have listened to Peter when he warned her of falling into any sort of trust with her. "Please, if you would."

"My sister, whose name is actually Evangeline, and her husband Rupert were approached by Greed before their daughter Sarah was born. My sister has some...skills... that Greed wanted, and so they struck a deal: Any child that my sister had would take the throne after our little rebellion won. Greed wanted you all, as Aslan's chosen, off the throne and preferably living to make some sort of deal with the Lion, though Greed wanted your husband overthrown by the people and murdered before this deal took place. Greed never fully explained to me what this deal was, but I followed them anyways since my sister believed in Greed's words and ideas. We got close to getting the people to turn on Caspian until he was told by Wrath that you still lived, but since your brother has died, Greed has grown exceptionally cruel and seems to have thrown the plan away entirely. It seems your brother was even more crucial to them than you, Susan, who we were told was the first of you we needed to get. My sister was to make you trust her, Susan. She was supposed to win your sympathy so that even if something did go wrong, you would take her into the palace with you, and she and Greed could carry out their final act, whatever that may have been." Insolence seemed to struggle with her breath for a moment, but continued. "And that's a brief overview of what I know. Jesse, please, now that all this is out, just drink this. I... I do cherish our friendship and I do not want you to end up like my brother-in-law." 

Susan's mind was whirling. So many things had become clearer, but so much more was complicated. Why was she needed first? What connection did Greed have with Edmund? What would have happened if Envy had been allowed into the palace to carry out whatever she and Greed had planned? Her baby seemed to be unsettled as well, shifting and kicking while the new information played through Susan's mind. However, before anyone could ask Insolence anything else, Lust cleared his throat.  

"If I may." Peter let Lust stand when the man began to move, the king still trying to process all that he had just heard. Lust reached out the take the vile, a vile that had only hours ago held the last few drops of a love potion. "Very well, Caralyn. At least this way I suppose I won't have to live to see my looks fade."

"You don't have to do this." Susan said quietly as Lucy released her grip on Insolence's arm. All of the siblings looked shocked at the action these two had chosen to take instead of waiting for the upcoming rescue. If Greed were truly as cruel as they made them out to be, however, then maybe it really would save them quite a bit of pain. Still, it felt wrong to see even those who had taken part in their torture and imprisonment readily down poison. 

"Ah, your majesty." Lust shook his head. "I think we do." He tipped the vile and drank down each drop. "It was a pleasure to almost pleasure you, your majesties. Perhaps I'll see you on the other side."

Then, he gave a small bow and moved to close the door behind himself and Insolence, leaving it purposefully unlocked. 

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AN: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to ieatalotofbooks milwengreenleaf and findmeinfiction  as a thank you for all your comments and votes! You have been the driving forces behind my continued work on this fic, and as such I felt it only fitting I thank you :) Also, a huge thank you needs to go out to everyone else who has been supporting me while writing this fic! Only a few more chapters before we've reached the conclusion, and then I can start on a... you guessed it! Due to all the positive reactions I've had on this fic, I am pleased to announce there will be a sequel following this that plays with The Dawn Treader plotline, tying in a few characters from The Silver Chair as well! :)