The Gallant Queen

Chapter 1

1300 years ago, the Pevensies disappeared. I always assumed that they went back to England on accident. At least I kept telling myself that it was an accident. I thought they would've come home by now. But they didn't. And to say it caused problems was an understatement. When they left, I somehow became the age when we first got here. I was 17 all over again. For the first couple of years without them, it was ok. The Narnians still recognized me. It was after that when we started having problems. Narnians would see me but not recognize me. They didn't know who I was. So when the Telmarines invaded our land, the Narnians had no idea who to turn to. I was no longer recognized as a leader. I had no status and frankly, as a woman, I was no longer even considered as someone to lead an army. The Narnians who survived the attacks from the Telmarines went into hiding, but most of the Narnians died trying to protect our country. I fought alongside many of them, though there was no hope for us even at the beginning of the war. The Telmarines had far larger numbers than us and their weapons were far more advanced than we could have imagined. We weren't prepared. And that's why we fell. That's why we went into hiding.

Cair Paravel was in ruins. And I hadn't been back since the war started. I had gone rogue. I wore a crown on my head, a pair of leggings and one of Peter's shirts with minimal armour but it was all covered by a black hooded cape. No one knew who I was anymore. Just like the Pevensies, Queen Anastasia had disappeared. Who replaced her was someone quite different. Ana Kirke. The surname meant nothing to the Narnians now. I was lucky if I even came across a Narnian. The trees didn't talk anymore. Most of the animals stopped being able to talk as well and were wild like in England. Everything had changed and not for the better. The Telmarines had driven us underground, almost to extinction. We were a lost race.

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My hood was still covering my head as I looked around the woods. I needed to make sure no Telmarine soldiers saw me. When I saw and heard no one, I raced across the empty path-like part of the woods, knocking on the door of the tiny home, that was hidden to most. When the door opened, I walked inside slipping my hood off my head, staring down at the dwarves that stood in front of me. "Good evening Trumpkin." I gave him a small smile and then looked at the other dwarf, giving him a curt nod. "Nikabrik." He gave me a half smile. Neither of us were very fond of each other. Nikabrik wasn't a very trusting dwarf and I had this awful gut feeling that there was something off about him. Trufflehunter was one of the last talking animals I knew of. He was a badger. They were the last of the Narnians that I knew of. I smiled at him as Trufflehunter walked into the room. "Hello Trufflehunter." We didn't get past the pleasantries because of the groaning we heard outside. That and the parade of horses that were running through the forest.

I was the first person to step outside, seeing a man lying in the floor. He looked up to me and then past me at Nikabrik and Trumpkin. I looked back at him. He wasn't Narnia. "He's seen you. Get inside." I ordered the dwarves. Trumpkin ignored me, drawing his sword and running towards the Telmarine. I looked at what appeared to be a Telmarine soldier, his face scared as Trumpking ran towards him. As I ran to stop Trumpkin, I saw a horn. My breath hitched in my throat as I stared at it. It was Susan's horn. I heard more horses approaching and I looked up at Trupkin, pulling out my sword. I rush forward, trying to get to the horn first. But the Telmarine reached for it also and he grabbed it first, blowing into the hron. I feel a wave of magic radiate from the horn. I look at the Telmarine, both of us staring at each other oddly before Nikabrik hits him in the head, knocking the man unconscious. I hep drag his body inside before running back outside, trying to help Trumpkin. But it was too late. One man had already grabbed him and started to run off in the direction of the Telmarine castle. I fought off two more men, killing them both before a third man, who was behind me, stabbed me. I groaned as I fell to the floor. I felt his arms grab me harshly but the pain was too much for my weak body as the darkness took over and my eyes shut.

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My eyes were forced open by a loud noise. As my eyes adjusted to the unlit room, I saw Trumpkin beside me. We were in a cell, or something like that. I reached forward, grabbing onto the cell bars, trying to shake the bars free. But it didn't work. And my body was too weak to continue standing. I let myself fall to the ground, refusing to close my eyes. The prison doors opened and I saw some of the guards walk down, opening our cell. They bind me and Trumpkin, our arms behind our back and our mouths shut. They pulled us both to our feet and dragging us into an open spaced room. There sat dozens of Telmarine men, staring at us in shock and horror. "We forget, my lords... Narnia was once a savage land. Fearsome creatures roamed free. Much of our forefathers' blood was shed to exterminate this vermin ... Or so we thought. But while we've been bickering amongst ourselves, they've been breeding, like cockroaches under a rock. Growing stronger. Watching us. Waiting to strike!" The man glares at Trumpkin, striking him in the face. I gasp and struggle in my bounds, aching to break free. The gag on Trumpkin's face falls a little as he looks back at the man.

"And you wonder why we don't like you." Trumpkin mumbles. He looks at me for a split second, his eyes reassuring me that he was ok. I sigh as I look down, feeling useless.

"Well I intend to strike back. Even if I have to cut down the entire forest. I assure you. I will find Prince Caspian, and finish what our ancestors began." With that, the man summons the guards and they grab me and Trumpkin, dragging us away from the Telmarine men.