I Fell in Love with a King of Narnia (book 3)

chapter 15. for Narnia

♟Charlotte

Gathering everyone onto the deck before entering the thick gray storm clouds engulfing the Dark Island, was Caspian's idea. He thinks he needs to give the motivational speech that several leaders before him always give before a battle commences.

I stand in the crowd with everyone else while Caspian stands on the upper deck at the front of the Dawn Treader. Edmund has his arm around me as we wait for Caspian to begin and Lucy stands with us along with Drinian. The crew gathers around him to listen and despite the dooming clouds looming over all of us Caspian looks confident and sure of himself and his crew.

"No matter what happens here every soul who stands before me has earned their place...on the crew of the Dawn Treader," Caspian begins his voice just as strong as he looks, "Together we have traveled far. Together we have faced adversity. Together we can do it again. So now is not the time to fall to fear's temptations. Be strong. Never give in.
Our world...our Narnian lives, depend on it. Think of the lost souls we're here to save. Think of Aslan," Caspian says and adds with bravado, "Think of Narnia."

"For Narnia!" One crew member shouts and Caspian looks at Edmund and me like he's surprised everyone is inspired by his speech.

"For Narnia!" The entire boat cheers then.

"For Narnia!" Lucy shouts above all the rest and I look to Edmund as we both start cheering for Narnia.

Eventually the cheering ceases and we are left to travel into the darkness alone. What waits beyond we haven't a clue only that it wants to scare us and manipulate our fears and make us want to quit, but we are Narnians and we never quit no matter how much we fear.

The fog grows thicker the deeper we sail into the Dark Island and it's making me grow even more worried. I stay close to Edmund and Lucy while Caspian and Drinian set camp from behind the wheel.

In the far distance I notice a green mist curling and moving towards the Dawn Treader. I frown as I watch it stretch and board the ship. I watch it carefully and start reminding myself that whatever appears while I'm at this Island it is not real.

I take Edmund's hand on instinct and I can feel myself squeezing his hand.

"I can't see a thing. This fog's too thick," Captain Drinian says from above us as he tries to navigate the ship.

Everyone around us seems to be seeing a ghost of their own because they are staring in various directions as if someone or something is there. Maybe it's because I am holding Edmund's hand that I hear a voice I don't recognize but he must because his grip on my hand begins to tighten.

"Edmund, come with me. Be my king. I'll let you rule," the voice says. It sounds like a woman. I try to look around and find the owner of the voice but I see nothing. Edmund however is staring in one spot and is following whoever he is seeing with his eyes.

"As long as you are with her, I will always be here," the voice says and I puzzle it together. The thing the green mist thinks he fears greatly is Jadis, the White Witch. The woman he met his first journey here and the woman who abused him for days. She almost killed him. She is also my very distant relative.

"Go away. You're dead," Edmund replies and around us more of the crew are speaking to someone who isn't even there.

"You can never kill me. I'll always be alive in your mind, silly boy," the White Witch speaks and I let go of his hand.