Susan Was Always First

Jadis

The vile figured grinned, and the ghostly form of the White Witch appeared. Susan breathed in, her face paling, while Lucy froze. "It is lovely to see you again, my dear Edmund." 

Edmund raised a brow nonchalantly, crossing his arms. "I would say likewise, but then I would be lying. Now, how about we see to you staying dead?"

"Oh, but I am still dead." As if to prove her point, the woman vanished for a few seconds before reappearing. "I am still but a remnant of what I once was, a glimmer of a great and powerful being." She reached out her hand. "And all I need is one drop of that beautiful blood that runs through your veins to be living again."

Caspian stepped forward and drew his sword, putting himself between Susan and the witch. "And you wanted to use my wife to become whole again, you bi-"

"Language, boy. Is that any way to speak in front of your child?" Jadis's eyes glanced behind him towards Susan's stomach. 

Peter's sword was drawn now, and he too moved to step in front of Susan. "We know about all about your plans, witch, and you will not be using my sister or Susan's child for any of your schemes." 

"Oh? I do not think either of your beloved sisters were aware of my plans, from the looks on their faces." Jadis gave them a grin before shifting her voice to that of Caspian. "The identity of the one called Greed will come as a shock, brother. We are dealing with the white witch... she wanted to kidnap Susan and have that man-Jesse- force himself on her so that a child would be produced. She then planned to use the blood of labor to pull her soul into the child's body and possess it, using Eve's blood to be reborn. The process...it would have killed Susan, made it seem as if she had died in childbirth. With Susan being pregnant already, her scheme fell more neatly into place, though she had to pretend otherwise and promise Jesse he could have Lucy... Peter, you and Lucy's kidnappings were all to get the others to believe in her lies of wanting to overthrow the kingdom. That witch wants us in power still, solely for her schemes. She planned on having the woman named Envy travel to the palace with you after freeing you, so that you would see Envy as being your savior and let her near enough to start her plan into motion. All she wanted was to have a body tied to the royal family so that when her time came, she could rule in her own cruel manner." Her voice shifted back to normal, dropping the magic that masked it so often. "There. Now you know."

The startled look on Lucy's face was indeed from lack of knowledge, though the look on Susan's was more from labor pains, realizing that her water had in fact just broken. Then, her eyes went wide in realization of what the witch had said. Susan pulled an arrow out of her quiver and strung her bow, pointing it at the witch. However, she could not aim with the increasing pain in her stomach. Lucy was at her side in an instant, though no one else noticed, too transfixed on the witch. The sisters carefully exited the room when Jadis's eyes were no longer on them. 

Her gaze flickered back to Edmund. "My dear Edmund, you know I can give you anything you heart desires...

"Or you can piss off." Elda spoke, once again stealing a comment geared towards Edmund. 

The witch's eyes narrowed on her. "You have been a thorn in my side since day one, girl." Moving her hand slightly, the witch pushed Elda against a wall, stunning her. "Stay out of this." 

With the witch distracted, Edmund lunged forward with his sword. However, the blade went through her. The witch flicked her wrist again, and Edmund's blade fell to the ground without a sound. 

"I am already dead, my dear Edmund. Did you really believe you could kill my spirit? I've been tied to these ruins since Aslan killed me, lingering in hopes of one day being set free by the blood of a king or queen. As the years went on, I found myself able to cast my form to others, and lured them here with promises I never intended to keep, and in turn they lured more and more followers, my powers increasing with each new soul working under me. I chose seven of those whose hearts were already filled with doubt and pain, and worked it for my own advantage. I taunted and teased, tortured and tormented, until all had a healthy respect for me."

"You're a monster!" Peter cried out, though the witch just laughed.

"Do not think I do not see the blackness that is now in your heart, King Peter. I see all the hatred and cruelty that has grown there in these past few months. I watched as you wasted away in your anger, as your hunger was replaced with a thirst for blood, my blood. You are just as monstrous as I, Peter. Never forget that."

Caspian's eyes narrowed. "He is no monster!"

Jadis laughed again. "And what of you Caspian? Wallowing in your grief until vengeance consumed you. You would have killed a fourteen year old girl just to feel the satisfaction of seeing your skewed justice take place. You're more beast than man at this point. What kind of father can a beast be? Your wife was tortured, captured, and still retained her humanity better than you, wishing to be with her kindhearted husband. But, I do not see a kind man before me. All I see is hatred. What does that say about your character, Caspian?" 

The king chose not to react at her words, though his body language shifted. He stood less firm in his stance, more insecure due to the witch's stinging words. 

"Ignore her, brothers. She just wants to see you lose yourselves. But I see your character, I know you better than she, and you are not that which she says. You are much greater, and much stronger, than a being like her could ever hope to be. But," Edmund stood, his blade no longer in his hands but sheathed. He turned to the witch and held out his hand where there was a clear slice down the center. Red drops of blood pooled in his palm, and his eyes seemed to lock on a figure just past her, out of sight, "she is right in the fact we can not kill a spirit. We would exhaust ourselves trying to fight her, and then we would be killed. However, we can kill a creature of flesh and blood."

With those words, Edmund touched his hand to the spirit form of the witch, and a burst of blue light filled the room.