𝐒𝐡𝐞 - A Narnian Prophecy || Peter Pevensie

Chapter 29 ~ Who We Found

'To love is to be vulnerable.'

- C.S. Lewis

"Lilith's still not back from Oreius'." Lucy announced as she let herself into her eldest brother's chambers.

Much to the young Queen's frustration, Peter hummed an uninterested hum as he continued with the document he was writing, only before looking up a moment later and saying, "It's past your bedtime, Lu."

"Peter." Lucy demanded, "Didn't you hear me? Lilith's still not back. We've had no word from the Cenaturs- It's almost the middle of the night!"

"She'll be in the gardens, Lu. You need sleep, do you want me to light you a torch?"

"I'm 16! Of course I don't want-" She shook her head, there was a more important matter at hand, "It turns out she never even left the castle earlier with any guards. She could be anywhere, alone."

Finally, the High King looked up from his candlelit desk, brows furrowed as he asked, "She's out there alone?"

Lucy gave her brother an exasperated look, which answered his question wordlessly. He'd jumped to his feet, grabbed his cloak and Rhindon and had rushed past her within seconds.

"Where are you going?" Susan cried as her elder brother passed her on her way up to her chambers, the High King taking two stairs at once in the opposite direction.

"Lilith's still not back!"

"I'm sure she'll be back soon, the guards said that she'd claimed to know the way-"

"You knew she was alone?" Peter stopped in his tracks, looking back up to his sister, "You knew she was alone after the past few days and didn't send anyone after her?"

"I was just about to bathe," Susan defended herself. Dear Aslan, if her brother would only let other's speak before he opened his self-righteous gob. "I saw her through the window when she left and I suspected you weren't far behind."

Peter shook his head in frustration, "We've barely spoken since- in a while, apart from yesterday until Mrs Beaver sent me out- why would I be leaving into the woods with her in the middle of the night?"

The Gentle Queen shrugged, "It really wouldn't have been my business. But I hope you find her soon, no one should be out in that." Her eyes fell on the window as she shook her head- the poor girl must be out of her mind to stay out in such torrential rain. Her brother must be equally as out of his mind to go out in it intentionally. "I'll send some guards out if you're not back by sunr-"

The High King had already left.

~~~

Aidren, who seemed unbothered by the rain, cantered into the woods under Peter's command.

The High King had not taken time to find guards to accompany him, not even Edmund, and nor had he packed any supplies in case is search lead him further than the woods. The one thing he had grabbed was a spare cloak, in which he stashed under his own to keep it dry.

He was impulsive at the best of times, Susan had once told him. But only because he cares so much, Lucy had replied, and she'd been right. Or at least, this situation proved the Valiant Queen's claim to be accurate. He was, undeniably, being impulsive as he rode straight through the treeline as thunder clapped above him and lightening lit the surrounding woodland up for a moment, but he wouldn't be doing so if he didn't care as much as he did for who he was trying to find.

Peter had expected to, and been willing to, ride around Owlwood for hours in search for the Crown Princess, and even then, perhaps begin further out. But his expectation and willingness to do this certainly didn't hinder his relief as he spotted a figure hunched over a horse, which was stood stationary, only a few meters away.