â§
N E R I S S A
Some things never change. I woke up this morning, feeling better than I've had over the past few weeks. But that was not what brought a smile to my face. What did was seeing Peter fumbling around clumsily with his armour at the foot of the bed as he tried to put it on.
Stretching out my muscles, I let out a content sigh at the way they don't seem to ache. "Need some help?"
Peter startles, only seeming to notice that I've awoken. His lips stretch into a lopsided grin as he takes me in, his eyes filled with adoration.
"Yes, please." He chuckles as I get to my feet, shuffling my way over to him. "I didn't mean to wake you. I thought you'd appreciate some extra time to sleep."
Reaching around his shoulders, I tighten the straps before silently working down to his waist.
"I still remember the first time you offered to help me with my armour." He says with a wistful smile, "Do you have any idea how much I was already taken by you?"
I raise a brow at him teasingly, "That early on? We've only known each other for days."
He wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him before brushing his lips across my forehead in a gentle kiss.
"I hadn't realised it then, but you already had my heart." He whispers, "It has always been you, my darling. Always will be."
Peter lowers his lips to mine, kissing me gently in a way that makes my stomach flutter and my heart squeeze.
"I love you." He mutters against my lips.
"I love you, too," I reply, burying my fingers in his golden locks at the nape of his neck. "Promise me you'll be careful."
He answers with another kiss, one more fervent this time. One filled with promise.
"I promise I'll never leave you again."
Peter clutches my hand in what feels like a death-grip and guides me out of the room. Soon, we emerge outside and the field buzzes with energy from the sea of Narnians surrounding us, awaiting their King's arrival.
Peter and I come to a stop by the tall columns that act as an opening to the arena. Edmund stands by Peter, never leaving his brother's side as the crowd of Narnians cheered him on.
Giving my hand a final squeeze, he slips his fingers out from mine and I immediately miss the warmth of his hand intertwined with mine.
I pull Peter's helmet over his head, gripping onto the base to force him to look at me. "Don't die."
He chuckles, giving me a quick peck on the cheek. "I won't."
Miraz and his men stood across from us with a sea of troops behind them, and I can't help but notice how vastly outnumbered we were.
Peter gives my hand a tight squeeze before he takes a step forward, sheathing his sword as he steps into the battlefield.
"There's still time to surrender." Miraz taunts, stopping in front of my fiancé.
"Well, feel free."
"How many more must die for the throne?"
Peter's tone is deadly as he glares at his opponent, "Just one."
Peter charges forward, spurring Miraz into action and the two meet in the middle of the arena, blades clashing in a fight to their deaths.
*
"Has anybody heard anything from Susan or Lucy?" I ask, wringing my hands nervously as I keep an eye on Peter's battle.
My brother shakes his head beside me, a crease forming between his brows. "Nothing. Why?"
"Just a gut feeling," I mumble, worrying at my lower lip. "Maybe we should take a trip into the woods."
Caspian peers over my head, sharing an uneasy look with Edmund who stood on my other side. Whatever passed between the two in their silent conversation has Edmund shooting a worried look at his brother who was still engaged in a tense battle with Miraz.
As much as I hated the thought of leaving my fiancé behind, I also had too much faith in Peter's abilities to doubt that he would leave this battle victorious.
"He'll be fine," I say, levelling Edmund with a serious look. "You'll be here to make sure of it, right?"
A look of determination fills Edmund's eyes and he shoots me a sharp nod.
"I swear it." And I knew with every inch of my being that he would.
I turn to my brother, a sense of urgency filling me. My gut has never failed me, I wasn't going to start ignoring it now.
"Get the horses. We'll be back before Peter even realises we're gone." Knowing him, he'd be more focused on my whereabouts than the battle at him if he'd realised I was missing, and we couldn't afford that.
I rush off to the perimeter of the field as Caspian goes off to get us our rides, not wanting to distract Peter.
It doesn't take long for Caspian to return on horseback and with another in tow for me. I take the reins, pulling myself onto the back of the horse and snapping its reins.
It takes off into the direction of the path Lucy and Susan were supposed to take when we'd gone over our plans. If they were staying en route, we should have had no trouble locating them.
Speeding through the woods with Caspian close behind, I keep my head low to avoid low-hanging branches.
Seconds stretch on as we desperately try to find our way to the Pevensie sisters.
Finally, I duck just in time as a red-tipped arrow whirls past me and I spot Susan on the ground, desperately trying to fight off a band of Telmarines who had her surrounded.
"Help her!" I yell to my brother, thanking Aslan that I had listened to my gut. "I'll make sure Lucy gets through fine!"
I urge my horse faster as I spot a couple of Telmarines who had to manage to slip past Susan's defence and is now on a steady pursuit of the youngest Pevensie.
I charge forward, releasing my grip on the reins- no matter how scary it may be- and reaching back for my bow and arrows.
Nocking my arrow, I take a deep breath and zero in on my target before letting my arrow fly. It finds its home, embedded in the back of the first Telmarine soldier, sending him sprawling off his horse and onto the grass, where he laid lifelessly.
I focus on the last soldier left in my sights, still actively gaining on Lucy, coming too close for comfort and who was too far for me to shoot down with my arrows.
Frustration boils in my chest as I draw closer, only for him to inch forward and out of my range.
With a huff, I returned my bow to my back and grab my reins once again, advancing on the enemy with all that I had.
As soon as I was close enough, I flung myself off of my horse's back, knocking him off of his as I threw myself at him.
I reared back my fist, punching his straight in the nose, feeling the crunch of cartilage under my fist.
The Telmarine roars in pain, flinging me off his body before wrapping his hand around the hilt of his sword and raising it over his head, ready to end me.
I throw my hand out, sending fire bursting out from beneath him. He rears back and away from the flames and I seize the distraction, pulling Nikephoros from its sheath and stabbing its blade through my enemy's chest.
His limp body falls to the ground and I suck in a greedy breath, feeling like I've just ran a marathon.
Ignoring the dull pounding that was building at the base of my head, I push myself off the ground and onto my feet, only to have my knees buckle under me.
A sharp, agonising pain rips through my chest and I clutch at it, willing it away.
The pain only gets worse and my heart races. I'm not sure which was worse, not knowing if this was the end or the knowledge that if it was, I'd left without saying my last goodbyes to Peter.
Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, bile rises in my throat and I lurch forward, emptying my stomach onto the ground beneath me.
Black dots colour the edge of my vision as I frown down at the contents I'd just expelled from my body- the unmistakable petals of the fire-flower, swirling in a puddle of my blood- before the darkness finally claims me.