She turns a corner one day, taking a shortcut down an alley way to make her return home quicker. The air picks up around her, tugs at her hair, pulls at her clothes, everything she remembers, and she closes her eyes.
"Not again," she whispers, and stays as still as she can until everything around her goes quiet and still.
She had been told - threatened - promised - forever in the world she came from.
It's not Narnia as she knew it that she opens her eyes to. It's Telmarine, in so many ways, but there are enough Narnians at her first glance that she is not completely alone.
She pulls herself higher, taller, and tries to ignore those who clearly want to handle her. Her clothing is wrong, but she is still a Queen and she will not cease to be so.
He hadn't, in truth, expected to ever see her again. He's in his study, bent over a map of the Eastern Isles when there's a knock on the door and a guard enters, barely having chance to open his mouth before she's behind him, before Caspian sees her. He blinks.
"King Caspian." She curtsies, not as thorough as it could have been but still sufficient to not be disrespectful. Her hands she keeps tidy and neat behind her back, her gaze as even as she can make it.
She should never have returned here. She was told she never would.
"I don't know why I'm here." It comes in a rush, faster than she means, and she tries to keep herself as she should be. "Caspian, I don't know why I'm here."
She curtseys to him, and there's a wrongness to it - if anything, they're
equals. In respect of that, he sketches a bow to her. He knows her well
enough to read the disquiet in her eyes and, with a gesture, dismisses the
guard that brought her.
"Neither do I," he says, gently, coming around the desk, holding out his
hand to her. "But Aslan will, and you shouldn't fear it. You're safe.
Narnia remains a home to you, Susan. I promise."
It is a sign of respect that she at once has missed and finds unbearable to see again, especially from him. And yet, it is still something. His words are kind, his face as gentle as she remembers.
She takes his outstretched hand and grips it, too tight for a moment before she loosens her grasp, and the smile that comes to her face is not entirely happy but it is not sad either.
"Regardless of the reason, I find myself happy to see you again." Her clothes are still the dull office wear of a London woman, perfectly respectable and polite and even fashionable there, but nothing like the garb she's used to here. She is drab. She is nothing Narnia should even want to accept anymore. Aslan himself had told her she would not ever return.
His hand is warm in hers. She pulls her away, glances around the room.
"I am - Aslan informed me I would never return. It is not that I don't trust that you will welcome me, but rather that I am unsure how else I would be returned here when his promises are so absolute."
The pressure on his fingers awakens something at once forgotten and all too
well remembered, and it's a moment before he can gather himself enough to
reply to her. When she takes her hand back, he feels an inexpressable sense
of loss.
"We do say that, when the Lion moves, he does it in mysterious ways," says
Caspian, the corner of his mouth ticking in a smile. "If you are here, it
is because Aslan wills it, even if we can't quite see the reason why." He
tilts his head, still smiling. "I am glad to see you, though, Susan."
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2022-09-11 08:03 pm (UTC)"Not again," she whispers, and stays as still as she can until everything around her goes quiet and still.
She had been told - threatened - promised - forever in the world she came from.
It's not Narnia as she knew it that she opens her eyes to. It's Telmarine, in so many ways, but there are enough Narnians at her first glance that she is not completely alone.
She pulls herself higher, taller, and tries to ignore those who clearly want to handle her. Her clothing is wrong, but she is still a Queen and she will not cease to be so.
"I would speak to your King."
no subject
Date: 2022-09-11 08:18 pm (UTC)"Susan?"
no subject
Date: 2022-09-11 08:26 pm (UTC)She should never have returned here. She was told she never would.
"I don't know why I'm here." It comes in a rush, faster than she means, and she tries to keep herself as she should be. "Caspian, I don't know why I'm here."
no subject
Date: 2022-09-11 08:30 pm (UTC)She curtseys to him, and there's a wrongness to it - if anything, they're equals. In respect of that, he sketches a bow to her. He knows her well enough to read the disquiet in her eyes and, with a gesture, dismisses the guard that brought her.
"Neither do I," he says, gently, coming around the desk, holding out his hand to her. "But Aslan will, and you shouldn't fear it. You're safe. Narnia remains a home to you, Susan. I promise."
i told you i was irregular but i hope this is a good wake up present
Date: 2022-09-16 01:06 am (UTC)She takes his outstretched hand and grips it, too tight for a moment before she loosens her grasp, and the smile that comes to her face is not entirely happy but it is not sad either.
"Regardless of the reason, I find myself happy to see you again." Her clothes are still the dull office wear of a London woman, perfectly respectable and polite and even fashionable there, but nothing like the garb she's used to here. She is drab. She is nothing Narnia should even want to accept anymore. Aslan himself had told her she would not ever return.
His hand is warm in hers. She pulls her away, glances around the room.
"I am - Aslan informed me I would never return. It is not that I don't trust that you will welcome me, but rather that I am unsure how else I would be returned here when his promises are so absolute."
Re: i told you i was irregular but i hope this is a good wake up present
Date: 2022-09-16 05:34 pm (UTC)The pressure on his fingers awakens something at once forgotten and all too well remembered, and it's a moment before he can gather himself enough to reply to her. When she takes her hand back, he feels an inexpressable sense of loss.
"We do say that, when the Lion moves, he does it in mysterious ways," says Caspian, the corner of his mouth ticking in a smile. "If you are here, it is because Aslan wills it, even if we can't quite see the reason why." He tilts his head, still smiling. "I am glad to see you, though, Susan."