'Why do you love danger so much?'

'It's not dangerous if you're not scared.'

Raina and Caspian were seated comfortably on the grass, having a debate over her decision to challenge Coriakin to that fight earlier. Caspian could never understand why Raina would do that voluntarily, while Raina found it pretty obvious why.

'I'm High Queen, Caspian. If I can't accept a challenge this way, no one would ever take me seriously.' Raina explained.

'Raina, I find it hard to believe anyone could ever not take you seriously.' Caspian challenged. Raina sighed.

'I know last time I was here, I was good. I knew what I was capable of..well, mostly.' The two shared a laugh.

'But this time, I feel like a liability when I'm supposed to be an asset of sorts. Not being able to control my powers only makes all of us susceptible to losing against what might be coming. If I can't protect Narnia, what did Aslan bring me here for?' Raina asked, rhetorically, while plucking some grass. Caspian looked at Raina, sympathetically. He knew how strong she was, but he also knew that if she didn't believe in her abilities, she would not go far.

'Hey. Don't think of yourself like that. You were, are, and will always be a strong, powerful, no-nonsense Queen. No amount of shadow creatures, or slave traders, or Telmarines will change that. You've come so far, Raina! Give yourself a little credit.' Said Caspian, earnestly. Raina looked up and gave him a small smile.

'Well, at least someone has faith in me.' She joked, as Caspian cocked an eyebrow.

'Well, literally everyone believes in you but alright.' He sassed, when Raina smacked his shoulder lightly, prompting a laugh from him.

The two royals were seated some distance from Coriakin's mansion, when a voice was heard. Raina turned around to see Edmund and Lucy coming forward in their ship attire.

'We're going to leave soon. We should probably get everything ready.' Lucy explained, as Raina and Caspian nodded. Neither seemed to notice Edmund's nostrils flaring at the sight of Caspian and Raina together. Just then, Raina caught wind of his reddening face, and spoke up.

'You guys go on. I need to talk to Edmund.' She whispered, as she grabbed Edmund's hand and pulled him away from the other two. Lucy and Caspian exchanged confused glances before walking away. Once Raina and Edmund were out of earshot, she turned to him.

'Hi.' She said, softly.

'Hi.'

Raina took a deep breath.

'I'm sorry I've been avoiding you.'

Edmund's head snapped up, surprised. He did not expect to hear that. Raina sighed as she continued.

'After the whole mind reading debacle, I didn't know how you felt about it. I couldn't imagine anyone doing that to me, let alone being around that person after it. I didn't know how to act around you, and I thought I should give you space.' Raina explained, quietly, not meeting Edmund's eyes. It was true, of course, if not entirely, but a large portion, no doubt.

Edmund sensed her honesty, but he also sensed her hiding something. He figured that this was a step, and he probably shouldn't push it.

'Hey.' He whispered, as his palm went to her face. She looked up, surprised and flushed. That made him smile a little.

'I'm alright, and you didn't have to do that. I understand why, but it's me, Raina. There's nothing you could say or do that could ever make me want to stay away from you. I promise.' Edmund reassured.

That cut Raina in ways she didn't know existed.

The guilt was so strong, she felt sick.

Suddenly, she heard his voice in her head.

'Look at you. You call me heartless and cruel, and here you are manipulating this boy like it's nothing.'

Raina froze as she heard that voice, the same ancient voice, like dust billowing from an old tomb. Just as chilling, terrifying and haunting.

'You've got him wrapped around your little finger. I know you, and you don't deserve him, and he'll know it soon enough, I promise.'

Raina retaliated with her mind as well.

'I may not deserve him, but I am protecting him. Something you know nothing about. All you do is hurt people.'

There was silence on the other end when Edmund looked worried that Raina went still.

'Raina? Are you alright?' He asked, placing a hand on her arm.

He spoke again.

'And how is that different from what you're doing? As I see it, this boy confessed his love for you, you didn't speak to him for the better part of 3 years, and now, you're acting like a stranger to him. To protect him? What a load of bullshit. You're leading him on. You took his love, and stomped all over it.'

'No. I'm not, because he doesn't love me.' Raina maintained, as she felt her anxiety bubble, and her heart crumble.

'Maybe so, but you do.'

Raina went still.

'Wh-what?'

'It's just as well, because when he finds out what you're doing, he could never love a liar such as yourself.'

He vanished from her mind, leaving Raina in a mess of her thoughts. Edmund grew concerned as her silence continued.

'Raina? What's going on? Raina!'

Raina jolted out of her little mind battle with the Umbra Regem, and faced Edmund with a worried expression.

'Ed...something's going to happen soon.'

**********

'The Umbra Regem invaded your mind? Out of nowhere?'

'Seems like it. I'm worried, Coriakin. I have a bad feeling something sinister awaits.'

'Unfortunately, I have to agree.'

Raina and Coriakin stood in his study, as the crew bustled about to get the ship ready for departure. Venus' Crux sat comfortably on Raina's head as she wore a navy blue gown, her swords strapped to her hip.

'Raina, if you're suspecting something, I'd believe it, because it's another power Aslan bestowed upon you, the ability to detect danger to any Narnian, or even Narnia in the near future.'

Raina nodded as the gravity of the situation set in.

'Well, we've done all we can to revive my powers, so hopefully it should go alright. Right?' Raina asked, internally hoping he would agree. Coriakin paused for a moment before nodding in agreement.

'We have, indeed. However, you must find a way to revive your powers of life, Raina. You must know that without it, things may well be rocky ahead.' Coriakin warned.

Raina watched the crew load crates of food and weapons aboard the Dawn Treader, as Caspian conversed with Drinian, and Lucy and Edmund facepalmed themselves watching Eustace stumble to get on the ship.

'Blimey, I've never seen anyone with two left feet such as you, lad!' Reepicheep exclaimed, prompting a very deep scowl from Eustace as he finally surfaced on the ship's deck.

Raina shook her head as she turned back to Coriakin.

'Raina, I have faith in you. You can restore Narnia's future. But I have to warn you that the Umbra Regem isn't to be taken lightly. He will stop at nothing to overturn Narnia at his will.'

'I know, Coriakin. I..' Raina trailed off, remembering exactly how powerful the Umbra Regem was, especially when it came to mind manipulation.

'I won't let him get away with it.' She concluded, resolute.

Coriakin held a hand out to Raina, who shook it, nodding to him.

'Oh! Lest I forget..' Coriakin rushed to a side room, and pulled out a different set of clothing for Raina. It looked like a dress? With tights? It also had a belt for her weapons, and it looked like it was good for movement.

'Gowns are too tedious to move around in, I figured this would be better.' He explained.

'If you'd like, in my world, you'd be a fantastic personal stylist. You'd get paid for this.' Raina joked as Coriakin stared at her in confusion.

'Oh never mind.'

Raina changed into her new look, and quite liked how she looked. It was simple, but it held a certain aura of power. Raina reached up and fixed Venus' Crux on her head, so that it was secure, before walking out. Coriakin gave a smile of approval.

'You look fierce, my Queen. I have full faith in you.'

'Thank you, Coriakin. I will need it.'

Raina then left the mansion and made her way to the port where the crew seemed to have covered all bases, readying themselves for departure. Lucy, Caspian and Eustace were already on board, while Edmund stood on the ground, possibly waiting for Raina.

Just as she reached him, he turned around and stopped dead in his tracks. She was always beautiful, always radiant, but it was the determination in her eyes that made his breath get stuck in his throat. Those brown eyes he had grown to care more about everyday, were shining the same way they used to. Her maroon tunic dress billowed in the wind, as her half tamed brown hair looked golden under the sun, while Venus' Crux shone brightly.

She really was a goddess.

Raina couldn't help but grow warm at Edmund's expression upon noticing her. She couldn't help but tease him slightly as well.

'Yes yes, I know, I'm very pretty. You're not so bad yourself.' She said, dismissively as Edmund grew flustered. He pasted on an amused expression as he leaned against a crater, next to her.

'As long as we agree I'm the handsomest, we'll have no problems.' He said. Raina cocked an eyebrow.

'You do know that people say 'you're not so bad yourself' as a nicety? That they don't really mean it?' Raina mused, as Edmund's eyes widened.

'N-no they don't say-' He began when Raina chuckled.

'Whatever you say, pretty boy.'

Raina said in a sing-song voice when she moved to his side and hefted the large crater that Edmund was leaning on, making him stumble and fall. He let out a surprised squeak at the sudden fall, looking up at Raina with surprised, annoyed eyes. The crew on board the ship couldn't help but burst into laughter, as did Raina.

'Watch where you're going, pretty boy.' Raina cooed.

'Stop calling me pretty boy.' Edmund whined as he got to his feet. Raina placed the crater on the ship's deck, and turned back to him.

'Alright, I'll do this instead.'

She leaned and pecked him on the cheek, catching him completely off-guard. His cheeks turned red as Lucy, Caspian and Reepicheep snorted at the sight. Caspian crossed his arms and laughed to himself, glad that Raina and Edmund are getting back to normal.

'Wh-wha-what I-um I'm- I don't-' Edmund began sputtering, absolutely not expecting Raina to do that. Raina had a cheeky smile on her face observing him.

'How's that?' She asked, tilting her head.

Edmund leaned in close, so much so their lips were a breath away. That flustered Raina more than anything ever could.

'I'm not sure, I think though-'

'AHHHHHHH!'

A shrill scream broke the couple's moment, as they sprang apart. They turned to see Eustace cringing and looking utterly disgusted.

'STOP IT OR I'LL TELL MOTHER!' Eustace squealed.

'Oh shut up Eustace.' Lucy smacked her cousin's arm, as Caspian glared at the boy.

Edmund was this close to going full godzilla on his cousin. His nostrils flared and he breathed out through gritted teeth, as his palms were in white-knuckled fists. He was about to go off on his cousin, when Raina stopped him by holding her arm out.

'Eustace.' Raina called out as she got onboard the ship, Edmund following. Eustace faced her, confused.

'Grow up. You're not a 7 year old kid. Stop acting like one.'

'You're being disgusting!' Eustace exclaimed. Raina made her eyes flash blue just then, making Eustace stumble back.

'You want to run that by me again?'

Eustace couldn't string a sentence together.

************

'Where are we headed?'

'It's hard to say. The wind has left us, it's getting harder to go on ahead.' Drinian replied.

Caspian, Drinian, Edmund, Lucy and Raina were gathered in the map room to figure out the ship's voyage. Now that Coriakin has filled them in on what lies ahead, they feel better prepared for what's coming.

'Shouldn't we keep going East? That's where the mist is, right?' Raina proposed.

'Without knowing exactly what we're going after, we could be lost at sea for days.' Caspian explained, gravely.

Edmund walked towards the window, and jumped back in surprise when he felt a strong wind blow by.

'Uh Drinian? No wind, you say..' Edmund joked, as everyone gathered on the deck to see a strong wind blowing the ship ahead. The crew exchanged confused looks, before turning to Raina.

'Your Excellency, are you doing this?' Asked a crew member. Raina furrowed her eyebrows, confused.

'No, no I'm not.' She replied.

'That's strange. It's a clear day..' Drinian said, unsure.

The wind got stronger, as it made an audible rushing sound. The ship was jolted forward with its force, as the crew stumbled to stay upright.

'Whoa!' Raina exclaimed, as she tripped forward. Edmund caught her by the waist before she could reach the ground. She looked up at him, with wide eyes, while he had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, and a playful smirk on his lips.

'Watch where you're going, pretty girl.' He smirked. Raina's eyebrows shot up, while pasting on an unamused expression, trying to hide the growing redness on her cheeks.

'Shut up.'

Edmund leaned in close, his arms around her.

'Make me.' Edmund smirked as he whispered.

Raina felt confident in the moment, and decided to go with it.

'Oh really? How's this-' She was speaking when someone cut her off.

'Raina? Edmund? Priorities please.' Lucy said, annoyed and amused. Raina straightened herself as Edmund glared at his sister.

As the royals observed the sudden change in weather, Eustace stumbled out of his quarters, glaring at everyone.

'Is there absolutely no one who can help me find some food? Are all of you so uncivilised that-'

Raina barged over to him, her eyes flashing blue, and her right palm glowing with blue light.

'Do you want to hang in the air upside down? If not, shut up.' Raina hissed as Eustace recoiled. Even with the growing storm of sorts, Edmund clapped.

'This is why I lo-like you.' Edmund stuttered out, causing everyone, and I mean everyone to look at him in shock and delight. Lucy and Caspian smirked while Raina looked at him, gobsmacked.

'You-what?' Raina choked out, vaguely paying attention to the fact that the clear blue sky is slowly, but surely growing dark, but not from clouds, from shadows.

'Guys?'

Caspian said, distantly causing everyone to look at the darkening sky, the shadows pulsing menacingly. Raina pulled away from the group and went towards the prow of the ship. There was something eerily familiar about this which was too close for comfort. The sky had grown deep grey, shadow wisps pulsing red. For a moment, Raina swore she saw a pair of red eyes at the center of the sky, which disappeared after a split second, but that didn't stop her from getting a chill down her spine.

She knew who was the bearer of those eyes. So she knew what he might be planning.

'Everyone!'

Raina called out as she turned to the crew, Lucy, Caspian, Edmund and Eustace standing some ways away, worried.

'Something's about to happen, and all of you need to get below deck, and keep the ship upright.' Raina boomed. Everyone looked at each other confused, as the royals and Eustace stepped closer to the Queen.

'Raina what's wrong with you? We have to fight this, and we can't leave you alone.' Lucy urged.

'We're fighting this with you.' Caspian assured.

'To the end, alright?' Edmund added.

Raina felt panic growing in her chest. She knew this wasn't going to end well, but there's nothing changing their mind. Might as well warn them of what's coming. Raina thought. She got to a higher part of the ship and faced the crew.

'Everyone, keep your cool. Something is going to try and convince you of the worst possible situation, and you need to have faith that it won't end that way.'

'Do not give in to the fear.'

Raina warned just as a sudden wind rocked the ship, throwing everyone off balance. Wisps of shadow made their way towards the ship. Once again, those red eyes made an appearance, but this time, Raina just stared back in anger as her palms began to glow.

'Not again, dumbass.'

The light in her palms grew brighter, as she fired bouts of her power at the wisps of shadow, eviscerating them. She quickly turned back to the crew, arming themselves.

'NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, STAY FAR AWAY FROM THE SHADOWS!' Raina screamed, as the crew nodded frantically. Her eyes met Edmund's frantically, warning him and the others. Edmund nodded, resolute as he unsheathed his sword. Raina eyed Lucy who unsheathed her dagger, while Caspian hefted his crossbow, while tossing a dagger to Eustace, who looked slightly more at ease this time around. Raina nodded to him, as he returned the gesture, terrified.

Raina turned back to the sky, as the wisps of shadow grew larger and more sinister, as they pulsed black and red. They began rushing at the ship, crowding around it, before formulating into menacing creatures of shadow. They looked quite terrifying. Raina's heart was racing as Edmund, Lucy, Caspian, Drinian and Reepicheep joined her at the prow.

'We're with you, Raina.' Caspian whispered, as Drinian unsheathed his dagger, and Reepicheep unsheathed his blade.

Raina turned to see Eustace cowering in fear some ways away.

'Stay with us. Don't go anywhere. We're fighting with you.' She said, softly as she reached him. He nodded profusely.

The creatures of shadow formed a circle around the Dawn Treader, as the crew warily eyed them, armed with swords and daggers, with archers posted at the top.

Raina stepped forward just as those red eyes came into view again.

'Oi! Umbu! Reg! Stop being such a wuss and face me!' Raina called out, snarkily. Even in the tense situation, chuckles were heard all around the ship.

Then he spoke.

'Interesting choice of nickname.' The voice boomed from the sky, but it was only a whisper from the sinister red eyes. Chills ran down Raina's spine as her palms began to glow, and so did her headpiece.

'I'm known to be ingenious from time to time.' Raina retorted, earning an evil laugh on the other end.

Back on the ship, the shadow creatures charged ahead, as the crew fought valiantly. Lucy evaded two creatures who came at her, slicing her dagger at them. It injured them deeply, as they let out blood curdling screams. Same went for Caspian and Edmund, but the rest of the crew couldn't land any hits on the shadow creatures. Raina watched the scene unfold, as she tried to piece together why, but she couldn't focus much because she turned her attention to the Umbra Regem, watching closely. The creatures overwhelmed the crew, and too soon, shadow auras began to form around the crew.

'NO!' Caspian screamed as he and Drinian began to fight their way towards their crew, to try and help. The crew members were suddenly rooted in place as shadows swirled around them, dropping their weapons. It was as if the crew were trapped in their own minds from the looks of it. They started screaming in agony, letting out incessant 'no no no's. Caspian and Lucy tried to help them snap out of it, but as they got closer, they sensed darkness coming closer to them.

'Caspian?' Lucy said distantly, as a shadow aura began to formulate around her.

'LUCY NO!' Caspian screamed, just as Edmund fended off two shadow creatures with his sword. He turned around to see his sister, as his heart dropped.

'LU!'

Edmund bounded over to his sister, but as he got closer, a wisp of shadow came to him and swirled around him and Caspian, trapping them in place.

She's a liar..She doesn't care..She doesn't want you..She never cared in the first place..

Voices swarmed Edmund as he fell into the pits of his mind where his anxieties were ten-fold. Everything he imagined was unfolding before his eyes. Raina being painted as a liar, a person who pretended to care, a person who cut him off because she didn't care about him. He screamed as the voices in his head grew louder, as he clutched his head, stumbling to the ground. Life was being squeezed out of him, as the Umbra Regem whispered warningly in his mind.

She's a liar..She takes you for granted..

'NO SHE IS NOT!' Edmund screamed in retaliation.

Remember the magician's words..He speaks truth.

That hit Edmund like a truck. His mind was taken to Coriakin's mansion, when he explained that Raina lost hope. That Raina is going through a loss.

She doesn't tell the truth to people she doesn't care about..She doesn't care about you.

Edmund froze in place, as things clicked into place. She shut him out because she didn't care about him enough to tell the truth.

He felt his will weakening, surrendering himself to the Umbra Regem. So did Caspian, Lucy, and Drinian. Reepicheep and Eustace were frantically trying to help the crew snap out of their delusions and hallucinations, to no avail.

Raina was much higher in the air fending off shadow creatures herself, and just as she eviscerated the last one with her swords, which glowed with her power, she sensed something wrong. The moment she turned around, a shadow blade whizzed past, avoiding her by half an inch. She jumped away, to see the red eyes staring back at her with an evil glint. She turned back to the ship, and her heart dropped to see everyone losing their will and power to the Umbra Regem.

'Here's something you don't know about me.'

Raina turned around to the origin of that awful voice.

'For everyone puny human that surrenders to me, the longer I live, and harder for you to fight against.'

'The fact that you need others to help yourself survive shows you're nothing.' Raina spat. Her palms glowed blue, as did her eyes and she fired a powerful bout of light at hind blinding him. She summoned a shield in front of the ship and flew back down, and summoned a ball of pure blue light. Her hair was levitating, her headpiece glowing, and so was The Imperium. She violently jerked her arms down and the light washed over the ship, and all around. Light came from her entire body, as the entire oceanscape was engulfed by the Goddess of Narnia's light. The light expelled the shadows, as the crew members came back to themselves, heaving from exhaustion and confusion. Caspian, Edmund and Lucy practically stumbled to the ground as the shadows left them.

Raina stood on the prow of the ship, a figure wreathed in pure blue light, creating a ringing sound. The tendrils of light wrapped around her body as she directed her gaze to the crew, fearfully clutching their weapons.

That's when she realised why they weren't able to fend off the shadow demons.

She made an arm gesture, as her palm began to glow, and so did every single weapon clutched by the crew members on the ship. They jumped at the sudden blue glow.

'Only weapons blessed by Aslan or possess my light can kill these creatures. They'll protect you.' Raina said in a powerful voice.

Despite being shaken up, the crew made their way to Raina, Caspian, Edmund and Lucy leading them as they stood by Raina's side.

The red eyes of the shadow king stared back at this display with anger so strong, the entire ship could crumble.

'I'm getting a little tired of the darkness here to be honest.' Raina snarkily said, as she summoned her light again, and stretched her arms to the sides. Her head tilted slightly back, as the power rushed out from within her, all around the ocean and sky. The dark shadows were wiped from existence, and just as the light reached the shadow king, he just smiled before communicating with Raina telepathically.

'Farewell for now. But I suspect you will have some difficult conversations with that boy of yours.'

Just as the sky returned to its previous blue, Raina turned to see Edmund looking at her in a way she had never seen before.

Hurt. Betrayal. Anger.

That's when Raina knew.

The Umbra Regem did to him, what he did to her.

please do vote on the chapters guys, it would really help my fanfic!