Tales of the Narnian Monarchs: Home Wasn't Built in a Day

'My sister Susan is no longer a Friend of Narnia'

"That's a bold claim, Lu-" The Just began, pushing aside the fact that he agreed with her.

"But she HAS! It's obvious!" Lucy cried. "Haven't you?" The Valiant demanded, turning to her sister.

"I- of course, not Lucy! But- I just reckon it's time we moved on! It's not like we're going back! Peter and I got an extra chance but that's- that didn't even make sense! Aslan doesn't make sense! NONE of this does, so I don't see why we can't just move on! We haven't even mentioned it in months!"

A strange, unexplainable atmosphere hit the other occupants of the room at the mention of the Lion's name.

A sadness, an anger, a feeling which made both the eldest and youngest feel nothing but desperation for hope.

"So you have- given up. Haven't you?" Lucy concluded, incredibly quietly as she looked to Susan with a trembling lip, suddenly feeling very young again.

"Narnia gave up on me... on us long before I started to." Susan replied even more quietly and the mood of the room was so quiet and sober someone might just have been murdered.

"Fine!" Peter exploded so loudly Sanya and Lilith jumped. "Stick with this shit with no money or prospects- fucking random, abusive guys with no worth! Yes, Su! I saw the marks they left on you, Your Majesty!"

"Peter." Edmund said warningly. "Do NOT go-."

"No, let him go there." Lucy said icily.

Susan looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"You- you don't have the right to say that." She replied after a moment, feeling her chest tighten.

"I do. And I will." He replied, taking a stride towards her.

"Peter, stop." Lilith hissed, but to no avial.

The redhead reached out and caught his wrist which he snatched back, but stayed where he was, his eyes locked on his sister.

"You take it. You lay and let them fuck you and hurt you and you TAKE it. Why?"

The Gentle Queen shook her head quickly, trying to shake her tears away, lost.

"I don't! I- that's not- you don't understand!"

It was then, she saw she'd simply thrown fuel on a fire.

"I- WE DON'T UNDERSTAND? Are you JOKING?"

Sanya watched the scene, wishing nothing more than to be back in London. She saw Susan both physically and emotionally backed into the corner, and felt terrible.

"Perhaps you-"

Yet she didn't have chance to finish her sentence as the once-High-King spun to face her, his eyes darkened.

"Don't you-"

"Don't YOU." Edmund was immediately on his feet, between Sanya and his brother, protectively.

"Back off, Pete. She's not involved in this."

The Kings' eyes met one another's, their challenging glares only broken at the sound of the front door opening and slamming shut.

Lucy had left.

Lilith, who the Valiant had just passed, surveyed the scene in front of her.

Susan was stood where Peter had backed her up, her eyes on the floor and looking utterly broken.

The brothers stood face to face, Sanya looking as torn as she did. Goose cowered by the sofa.

She shook her head at the idea of Lucy being out alone.