✿ ( 𝐈𝐃𝐘𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐂 ) ✿

❝ ✧ *  𝖜𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖇𝖞: 𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗻𝗮  * ✧ ❞

    EVERYONE STOOD AT the top peak of the mountain, where all of their guards kept watch. In the distance, the biggest army Astoria had ever laid eyes on was marching straight towards the How.

Thousands of men dressed in silver and blue uniforms emerged from the forest covering the bright green grass.

Astoria genuinely thought they were screwed, hearing the loud thumping of their feet from their marching as she felt the ground starting to shake. Large wooden weapons were pulled in by horses, and she felt her heart drop.

Hopefully their plan was going to be enough to outsmart them, because they were extremely outnumbered, and the Telmarine troops were only growing as more men flooded from the forest.

Everyone had an expression of worry on their face. They all knew that they were probably not going to make it, no matter how hard they tried.

And they all knew it.

***

The plan was to have Peter lead the army and try to hold off Miraz and his army for as long as possible until Lucy could find Aslan.

"Cakes and kettledrums. That's your next big plan?" Trumpkin asked, raising his voice. "Sending a little girl into the darkest parts of the forest? Alone!"

It's our only chance," Peter reasoned.

"She won't be alone," Astoria said. "I'm going with her."

Trumpkin scowled. "That's as good as sending her alone—" But he didn't have time to finish, because with lightening fast hand movements, Astoria flung one of her daggers, and it zoomed right past his head, brushing his cheek slightly, and it landed straight into a tree.

He froze, looking stunned.

"Don't ever underestimate my fighting capabilities again. I didn't go to the Telmarine palace because I had to stay back and finish the job in case you lot failed. Not because I'm weak. Do you understand?"

Trumpkin faltered and gulped, looking to Lucy fearfully. "Haven't enough of us died already?

"Nikabrik was my friend too. But he lost hope," Trufflehunter said. "Queen Lucy hasn't. And neither have I."

"For Aslan," Reepicheep bowed his head.

"We have to hold them off until Lucy and Ria get back. Susan is going to be leading the archers."

"If I may..." Caspian began, and Peter nodded, so he stood up. "Miraz may be a tyrant and a murderer, but as king, he is subject to the traditions and expectations of his people. There is one in particular that may buy us some time."

***

Astoria quickly packed her things into a small knapsack, which held everything she and Lucy needed for their short trip.

She was frightened. And no matter how much she wanted to deny it, she couldn't. Merely a week ago, she was just your regular school girl attempting to be a lawyer. Now she was fighting in war in which Astoria might die. It terrified her.

She climbed onto the horse behind the young girl with the help of Caspian's hand. He stared up at them with an odd look on his face, one that Astoria couldn't read to find out what it meant. "Destrier has always served me well. You are in good hands."

"Or hooves," Lucy joked, making the prince crack a smile as Astoria snorted. After gently clipping the bottom of the saddle together, his eyes met hers again, and the butterflies in her stomach made her queasy.

"Good luck," he wished, smiling softly at the two girls. Astoria refrained from letting the heat rise to her cheeks.

She smiled lightly. "Thanks."

She could feel his intense stare on her back as she lightly knacked the reins and rode the horse out of the cave, and into the woods.

They didn't make it very far into the forest when the sound of several more horses could be heard chasing them from behind, and Astoria spared a quick glance back to see at a few men on horses armed following after them. "They've seen us!" Lucy cried frantically.

The daggers hanging on Astoria's belt and the sword at her side were irking her to use them to save themselves. She slowed Destrier down long enough for her to jump off. "What are you doing?" Lucy asked.

"I'm sorry," Astoria breathed out. "But there's no way we're going to be able to get far enough ahead of them without... Just take the reins. I'm afraid you'll be going alone after all."

Maybe this was a chance to prove herself—to prove that she could do just as well as her parents. She promised herself that she would make them proud—even if she died trying.

As the Trelmarines got closer, she kept that thought in mind just as she threw her first dagger into one's chest, knocking him off his horse. One by one they kept coming in and she flipped out knife after knife, leading the soldiers to their deaths.

Suddenly a sword nearly collided with her head, and she had to duck. And before she new it, Astoria was pressed against a tree with a sword pressed against her neck.

The Telmarine grinned viciously. If she moved one inch, the sword that was held to her would slash her throat.

Out of nowhere, Caspian appeared on another horse, jabbing the Telmarine with his own sword, and the man fell to the ground. Astoria looked up, frozen with shock, for she had truly thought she was done for.

He breathed heavily and grinned at the girl still up against the tree."Your knight in shining armor at your service, Princess."

Astoria scoffed, and allowed him to pull her onto the horse. Her chest pressed tightly against his back and her arms wrapped securely around his waist as they rode back to the How.

When they got back, the Telmarine Prince gave her a hand to step down. Both their hearts were racing profusely in each other's presence.

He lightly brushed the pad of his thumb against her skin, and she resisted to urge to shiver as he showed a red stain lingering on his thumb. "You had some blood on your cheek."

Astoria's face flushed, and she stepped back. "I appreciate the knight in shining armor moment. Thank you for saving me your royal highness." She curtsied mockingly, as she strode away from the Prince to the back to join the rest of the army.