Family Bonds -STORY UNDER REVISION!

What's going on?

The youngest of the Pevensie siblings, Lucy, was sitting out on large boulder overlooking a clear stream. The breeze blew her copper brown hair, pushing it into her face. She had a smile stretching onto her lightly freckled cheeks, and her bright eyes glinted with a peaceful shine. While she appeared to be completely happy, Lucy was actually worried. For one whole year since the train accident that brought her and her family to the land they were in now, Lucy had to watch her sister grow more and more depressed. 

She had glimpsed more than once into the world she had once lived in, sneaking into the Howe when Aslan was gone so that she could see how Susan was doing. She was quite concerned when her sister would stare out her window with a pained look, seemingly in thought. Lucy didn't dare imagine what those dreadful thoughts would hold. 

Her sister, however, was not the only one feeling depressed. A young man with dark hair and eyes the color of chocolate was leaning on a small tree at the base of a hill, near a gate to a castle. Lucy shook her head sadly as she saw him sigh and walk off. She knew for a fact that he was also thinking of Susan. 

"Lucy?" A voice called. Lucy turned to see Tumnus, a faun with curly brown hair and his signature red scarf, standing a few feet away from her. He was youthful here in True Narnia, as youthful as she was. It had taken her a while to grow accustomed to it, though he had been able to easily strike up conversation with her as he had already known her as an adult once before. He trotted over and placed his hand on her shoulder, contact between them increasing in the past few months. Lucy blushed at this gesture, not knowing exactly why. Things between them had shifted slightly, and Lucy was unsure as to what this meant, if their friendship was growing stronger or if something else was blooming.  Anyway, the faun seemed not to notice this and continued with what he was going to ask her. "Do you think that there is anything at all we could do to try and cheer him up?"

"Only Aslan knows the answer to that," Lucy replied with sad smile. 

"Well, then. Why didn't I think of that! Oh Lucy you're a genius! We could ask Aslan to help him," The faun praised Lucy's comment that was not meant to be taken as that, but still worked.

Lucy giggled at his happiness. Giggled? Since when did she giggle? Lucy didn't know what was wrong with her today, what was wrong with her recently. Actions confused her, words made her mind muddle. Anyways, she got back on track and followed the faun to the Howe where the Great Lion spent his days when he was not at Cair Paravel or wandering Narnia.

"Susan you must come home," a voice whispered in a velvety tone as the two friends entered.

Aslan had his back to them, standing tall. He shook out his mane and turned around. 

"Greetings, Queen Lucy. Tumnus," The Lion nodded his head in greeting. "I know why you have come. King Caspian will not be able to be helped, at least until tomorrow. You see, his bond with Susan was greater than could be measured at the time of her departing from him. He longs for her nearly as much as she longs for him."

"You-you know Susan's thoughts?" Lucy asked, thinking that he could only tell the thoughts of those in this country. If he knew her thoughts... he knew those which she feared ever learning. She knew her sister had pined for Caspian, had wanted to stay to be with him before she treated the world of Narnia as one of make-believe. She too knew Caspian had been struck with love for her sister, if the telling portrait of Susan near his bed on the Dawn Treader had been anything to go off of. Yet, as far as she knew, he was still technically married... 

"Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen," Aslan used as a vague explanation, and for once Lucy was content to let it rest. She did not wish to push for answers to questions she should not be prying into anyways. 

"Well, is there anything we can do?" Lucy was determined to help in some way. If she could try to speak to Susan, try to tell her to come home... 

"We shall know within the hour," Aslan's voice was a low roar.

Tumuns cocked his head. "An hour?"

Aslan nodded. Lucy started to speak but Aslan cut off her question. "Gather the others first. I'll tell you when they arrive."

 Lucy and Tumnus swiftly left, Lucy going to Caspian and Tumnus going to Peter and Edmund. Lucy knew Caspian was likely in Cair Paravel, as he had left the gate she had last seen him by. She made her way into the castle, climbing stairs to reach the room in which they all normally gathered.

"Lucy?" Caspian asked as the girl approached. He had been lost in his own thoughts that Lucy's footsteps has startled him. The king looked oddly disheveled up close, as if he had not taken time to straighten out his clothing or fix his hair yet that day. 

Lucy smiled softly, wanting to reassure him that all was well. If he looked this troubled, she could not imagine what plagued his heart. Well, she did have some idea. "Aslan called for all of us."

Caspian sighed a bit. "Do you know what it's about?" He stood up from his chair in the sitting room of Cair Paravel. 

"Susan." Lucy said quietly.

Caspian grew still for a moment, then hopped out of his seat. He was out the door faster than Lucy could even turn around, footsteps echoing as he raced down the stairs. Around her, Caspian was much more open about his feeling towards Susan than he ever would be around Peter or Edmund, which is why he allowed himself to race off in hope. Lucy knew how he felt, and she feared it causing him and Susan only more pain since he was committed to another. 

Yet, she just chose to smile knowingly and followed the king out of the castle and up the hill toward the Howe instead of dwelling on that. 

Peter, Edmund, and Tumnus were already there and waiting when Caspian and Lucy arrived. 

"What's going on?" Peter asked in his authoritative voice. The eldest still held on to the power he had been granted as king, and it took longer for him to relax when situations were unknown to him than the others took. 

Aslan chuckled. "Peace, dear one. It is pleasant news I bring."

Lucy squealed, and grabbed Tumnus's arm out of joy. "Yes!"

"So does this mean Susan has found Narnia again?" Caspian asked hopefully, while Edmund and Peter were still confused as to what was happening. Clearly, they had not questioned Tumnus as Caspian had Lucy. 

Aslan nodded, and Lucy saw the tension leave Caspian, joy blossoming on his face in a grin she had not seen in a very long time. 

"Susan's coming home?" Edmund asked, still confused.

"She's coming back!" Caspian exclaimed. Peter shot the man a questioning look that also served as a slight brotherly warning, and Caspian calmed himself. " I mean, it's great to hear Queen Susan is returning."

"When?" Lucy asked giddily.

"Less than an hour," Aslan grinned.

"Our sister's coming home," Peter smiled widely, forgetting the harsh words he had spoken when she first rejected Narnia, the taunts of makeup and lipstick flying from him mind. "Well, come on you lot! Let's go get things ready for her!"

They left the Howe, and Aslan watched them fondly as they went off happily. 

"Susan," Caspian whispered once he thought Peter and everyone else were out of earshot. "I can't wait to see you again, my queen."

Lucy looked back at him, knowing in her eyes. He had never gotten over her sister, and even though their time together was short, they were meant to be together. She could not wait to see her sister, and she could not wait to see how it would be when those two reunited, hoping deeply that Aslan would let them have that, even if Caspian was technically wed. 

Susan would be home soon! There was a joy in her heart, and the warmth of it filled her bones. 

Only an hour to go...