The Faded Portrait of a Bygone Era

Diaries and Duels

A/N: Time to meet Eustace!

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Margaret strolled out onto the deck the next morning, feeling bright and refreshed. Things seemed to be getting back to normal now, thank goodness. It would be quite unfortunate if she were to suddenly start acting the fool, spouting indecipherable nonsense from her world. The Narnians would think she'd lost her head.

But everything felt alright now, some still, small voice within her set her at ease.

She had done her best to sew Caspian's clothes to fit her, but Lucy had always been the best seamstress of all the sisters. Margaret would have to ask for her help later... Her red curls had been hastily braided in her eagerness to get out of the cabin and bask in the Narnian air.

As she strode along, she happened to spot a young boy, dressed in clothes that were very obviously not Narnian, and she recalled Edmund mentioning something about a cousin named Eustace who had been brought along as well. In fact, she did remember seeing him yesterday, on one of the longboats as they left Doorn. He sat tucked behind a barrel scribbling in a little notebook.

Margaret leaned against the barrel, looking down at him.

"You must be Eustace. I don't believe we've met just yet."

The boy jumped, looking up at her with wide eyes.

"You... you're that woman they rescued yesterday.

Margaret laughed, startling him.

"What a way to be known to someone. I'm a Queen and a warrior, and the first thing you associate with me is that I have been rescued. Though, if you must know, I am perfectly capable of rescuing myself. Caspian and Edmund just so happened to show up at the right moment."

She gave him a smile, and he looked most perplexed by her.

"Why exactly are you so bloody happy?" he snapped, sounding more disgruntled than angry.

"What haven't I to be happy about?" she replied. "I'm back in the world where I'm a well-respected Queen of a people who love me dearly, my foretold death has already passed and can bring me no more grief, and I've confessed my heart to the man I love. Now, if I may ask, what have you to be so miserable about?"

Though he seemed taken aback by her answer, he responded nonetheless.

"Why for starters, I've been kidnapped by- by the most unruly gaggle of roustabouts, dragged all over this infernal, foreign place against my will, and forced to abide with my cousins and that annoying mouse-thing!"

"Ah yes," said Margaret. "Reepicheep has wonderfully high-spirits, doesn't he? As for all the rest, I daresay you're looking at things rather backwards. Of course you're not here by your own will, for the only way anyone can get here is by the will of Aslan. And from what I hear, you've been given a place aboard this ship, an honor not afforded to many. She's a beauty, this ship... Reminds me of the vessels we used to command on our visits to the Lone Islands in the Golden Age."

Eustace made a noise of disinterest.

"Ah, so you're the one my cousins won't shut up about. We simply must find her, I wonder where she is! Even before we got here, them with all their fairy tales about red ladies, and, and wars and talking to stars and other such rubbish."

"Just one Lady," Margaret mused. "Several wars, and plenty of stars, though none of it rubbish."

"What nonsense!" Eustace declared, though he studied her a bit more carefully now, as though he were putting the pieces together as to her true identity.