The Queen of Narnia

Chapter Three

~ Lucy ~

  Susan was even more stunning than I remembered. The moment I saw her moving towards us, I was frozen with shock and excitement. Her long chocolate brown hair was tied into a side braid that hung in front of her, and her eyes were bright as the sky above. She wore a dark purple tunic, beige breeches and knee high riding boot, but still managed to look effortlessly beautiful in such simple clothes. All of her remaining child-like features had vanished, leaving a queen in their place.

  During that split second, I feared she wouldn't see us, and the chill from my soaking clothes set in. For some reason, panic set in and I thought the Susan I loved was gone, replaced by such queen. But as a warm towel was placed over my shoulders, she finally reached us.

  "Caspian, who-" she started before gasping, her hands flying up to cover her mouth. I grinned, seeing the wonder in her eyes as she said, "Lucy? Edmund?"

  I hadn't even realized I had moved until I was suddenly in her grasp, pulled tight against her chest. I squeezed my eyes closed, holding on to my older sister for dear life.

  God, I missed her so much.

  She pulled back a fraction, just far enough to cup my face and stare intently at me, her blue eyes brimmed with joyful tears. "Oh my, look at you! Lucy, you're so much taller, and you look brilliant." She smiled widely, giving me a dazzling grin. "Goodness, my baby sister is all grown up."

  She is my Susan. She may be older, but she sounds the same. She feels the same; warm and like home.

  I laughed, sniffing back my own tears of joy. "I've missed you so much, Su."

  "And I've missed you too," Susan tugged me in again, squeezing me once more before we released each other. That was when Edmund stepped forward, and my older siblings flung into a tight hug. Susan leaned back, placing a hand on his cheek to examine him the way she did to me.

  "And, Ed," She smiled. "You're taller than me now. Quite handsome too."

  A full smile crossed his face, something I hadn't seen in a while. "It's been too long, Susan."

  "Believe me, I know."

  An arm dropped across my shoulders as I watched them, and I looked up to see Caspian pulling me in for a hug while leading me across the deck. A quick glance over my shoulder showed me that Susan was pulling Edmund along behind us.

  "How in the world did you end up here?" Caspian asked, with the same accented voice I remembered from the last time we were here.

  "I have no idea," I admitted, shaking my head.

  "Caspian!" Edmund called, causing him to stop and turn, a grin on his face. Caspian walked up to my brother, throwing an arm around his shoulders to half-hug him.

  "It's great to see you," Edmund grinned. Susan kept walking, moving to stand next to me, and then linked our arms the way we used to. The gesture alone made tears spring to my eyes, but I blinked them back, refusing to cry when everyone was so happy.

  "Didn't you call for us?" I asked when the boys rejoined me and Susan.

  Caspian exchanged a look with my sister, who frowned slightly as she shook her head. "No. Not this time."

  Edmund shrugged, not missing a beat. "Well, whatever the case, I'm just glad to be here."

  Before anyone else could speak, a sharp cry caused the four of us to turn. The sailors on the deck parted, giving us a visible path to the ruckus. I wasn't even surprised at what I saw. Eustace was writhing around on the deck, screaming bloody murder as a small figure climbed around him.

  "Now, calm down, sir!" A familiar voice said.

  "Get that thing off me!" Eustace screamed, flinging the small figure towards us. I grinned at who I saw.

  "Reepicheep!" I exclaimed, causing the rodent to snap his gaze up, quickly polish his fur, and then give us his signature bow.

  "Oh!" He bowed deep. "Your majesties."

  "Hello, Reep," Edmund said, smiling. "What a pleasure."

  "The please is all mine, sir," Reepicheep said, as polite as ever. "But first, what to do about this hysterical interloper?"

  Our gazes returned to Eustace, who was coughing and rolling around still. Susan moved to stand next to Caspian, who automatically slipped his arm around her waist. First I was filled with happiness to see my sister in such a relationship, then a little jealousy. Still it didn't have time to set in, because Eustace was screaming again.

  "That giant rat thing just tried to claw my face off!" He shrieked.

  Reepicheep took a step towards my cousin, hands out in surrender. "I was merely trying to expel the water from your lungs, sir."

  "It talked!" Eustace's face truly couldn't get any redder. "Did you see? Did anyone just hear that?"

  "He always talks," a sailor commented.

  "Actually," Caspian spoke up, tone playful. "It's getting him to shut up that's the trick."

  Snickers rippled through the sailors as Reep turned around, a smirk on his face. "The moment there is nothing to be said, your highness, I promise you I will not say it."

  Susan let out a laugh at that, bringing my attention back to how close she and Caspian stood, her head skimming the top of his shoulder.

  Not now, Lu.

  "I don't know what kind of prank this is," Eustace continued his tantrum. "But I want to wake up right now!"

  "Perhaps we could throw him back?" Reep offered, looking up at us. I glanced over at Edmund, who was nodding thoughtfully.

  "Edmund!" I exclaimed, elbowing him.

  Meanwhile, Eustace was shoving through the sailors. "I demand to know just where in the blazes am I!"

  "You're on the Dawn Treader, the finest ship in Narnia's navy," A Minotaur sailor approached my cousin, and I winced, knowing what would happen next.

  Eustace promptly passed out before the poor Minotaur could finish his sentence. The sailors laughed at that, along with Edmund and Caspian. Even Susan was holding back her laughter. Still, I watched as she turned to Caspian and inclined her head towards where Eustace had fallen. Caspian gave her a small smile before walking forward, putting a hand on the confused Minotaur's shoulder.

  "Was it something I said?" The Minotaur asked innocently, genuinely confused.

  "See to him, will you?" Caspian asked.

  The Minotaur nodded. "Your majesty."

  The king of Narnia walked back to us, moving past to hop up a couple steps that lead up to the ship's wheel. "Men!" Within an instant, the ship was silent, everyone's gaze on their king as he spoke. "Behold our castaways. Edmund the Just, and Lucy the Valliant, High King and Queen of Narnia!"

  All of the sailors immediately knelt, and I glanced back as Susan, who had a soft smile on her face as she stepped back and watched. That smile said it all, and I turned back to the sailors, taking a deep breath. Yes, this was the world I loved.