[ten: my father would have liked you]

The Narnians, led by Peter and Caspian, walk through the forest towards the armies fortress - somewhere that Caspian claimed that the six children should feel accustomed to due to the memories they had there - even if Ronald's was only through the stories Genevieve had told them. At the end of the pack walked the newly reunited Trumpkin, Nikabrik and Trufflehunter, who smiled at each other as they spoke.

"So, what are they like?" Trufflehunter asked his friend, who huffed at the mention of what they were like.

"Complainers..." Trumpkin stated as he continued to walk. "Stubborn as mules in the morning."

"So you like em?" Nikabrik asked and Trumpkin only shrugged.

"Well enough."

They see Aslan's How on the distance. Centaurs stand on either side of the entrance and raise their swords. Caspian stops and lets the Pevensies go first. Lucy smiles at a child centaur who is holding his sword too low and they enter the How and find Narnians making weapons.

"Woah." Ron whispers as he walked into the fortress, his hand clutching Peter's who gives him a small smile

"It may not be what you are used to, but it is defensible." Caspian said as his eyes lingered to the gentle Queen who stared at a wall.

"Peter, you may want to see this." She says as the children, carrying torches, look at the carvings on the walls, which show them as kings and queens. "It's us."

"What is this place?" Lucy asks Caspian and the young Prince's eyes widen.

"You don't know?"

Caspian picks up a torch and leads them down a dark tunnel - Ron still clutching Peter's hand due to his fear of the dark which Genevieve was thankful for. At the end, he lights a fire and it spreads around the room, revealing carvings of Narnians and Aslan... and the cracked Stone Table. Lucy looks at the carving of Aslan and slowly walks forward before she turns back.

"He must know what he‟s doing." She muttered and Ronald nodded, fully believing that Aslan would come to help them again.

"I think it's up to us now." Peter says as they all look at the carving of Aslan with sad but determined looks

+++

A little later on, Peter stands Stone Table room with as many Narnians as possible as he tries to come up with a plan on how they were going to strategise a plan.

"It's only a matter of time. Miraz' men and war machines are on their way. That means those same men aren't protecting his castle." Peter states towards the crowd of Narnians who allowed discreet murmurs to surpass between them.

"What do you propose we do, Sire?" Reepicheep asked.

"We—"

"Our—" Peter looks at Caspian and Caspian concedes as he allows Peter to speak to the army.

"Our only hope is to strike them before they strike us." Peter states and Caspian only shakes his head.

"But that‟s crazy, no one has ever taken that castle." Caspian counters and Genevieve was quick to agree with him.

"I agree Peter, it's crazy unless we thoroughly plan." Genevieve said and he looked at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"There's always a first time."

"We'll have the element of surprise." Trumpkin agrees with Peter and there is a murmur of agreements among half the crowd.

"But we have the advantage here." Caspian exasperates as he holds his arms up in frustration.

"If we dig in, we could probably hold them off indefinitely." Susan suggests in favour of Caspian who smiles fondly at her.

"I, for one, feel safer underground." Trufflehunter agreed and yet Genevieve didn't like that plan either.

"Look, I appreciate what you've done, but this isn't a fortress, it's a tomb." Peter directs towards Caspian who rolls his eyes at the high King.

"Yes, and if the Telmarines are smart, they'll just starve us out." Edmund muttered in favour of Peter and Genevieve couldn't help but agree with that statement. 

"We could collect nuts!" A squirrel stated and Reepicheep only laughed.

"Oh yes, and throw them at the Telmarines! ...Shut up!" Reepicheep sneers before he turns to Peter. "I think you know where I stand on this, Sire."

"If I can get your troops in, can you handle the guards?" Peter asked Glenstorm who thought for a moment before a smile came to his face.

"Or die trying, my liege." Glenstorm said and Lucy and Ron shared a look before she spoke up.

"That's what I'm worried about." Lucy speaks up and everyone turns to her in confusion - their eyes pressing her to carry on.

"Sorry?"

"Well, you‟re all acting like there are only two options: Dying here, or dying there." Lucy states as she motions with her arms, a sad look on her face.

"I'm not sure you've really been listening, Lu." Peter says as he turned away, unaware of the anger that was pursing though both Genevieve and Lucy.

"No, you're not listening." Lucy shouts as she looks her brother in the eye. "Or have you forgotten who really defeated the White Witch, Peter?"

"I think we've waited for Aslan long enough." Peter states, about to speak again before Genevieve rises from her seat.

"And I think you've forgotten to believe Peter." Genevieve says before she tuns and walks out of Aslan's How, Caspian following behind her as he saw the sad look on her face.

The night comes with such a bitterness that the rutted brown fields take on the appearance of a sugared cobbler under the moonlight. The cold steals every bit of water from the air it can in its frenzy to frost over the countryside. Caspian watches as Genevieve sits on the grass before pulling her knees to her chest as she tried to hold in a sob and before he knew it he had sat down beside her.

"Hey, what's happened between you and the others? You seem so disconnected compared to what I was told in the story." Caspian asked and Genevieve only sighed as she looked forward in the bitter air.

"It takes a lot to build a bond with people who broke your heart!" Genevieve whispered and Caspian looked to his left in confusion.

"Yet you seem so close with Susan, Lucy and Peter."

"It hurt me less when they left because they didn't have a huge responsibility just around the corner." Genevieve admitted and Caspian nodded as he tried to press her for more.

"And Edmund?" Caspian asked only to be met with a sigh as he watched a tear fall down her cheek.

"The day they left Caspian was the day I was going to tell Edmund I was pregnant." Genevieve whispered and Caspian's mouth made an 'O' shape as he thought of what he was going to say next.

"But they claim they left accidentally, why can't you forgive him if it was a mistake?" Caspian asked and she sighed again before she turned and looked Caspian in the eye.

"The point isn't that they left, if that was an accident then I can't blame them for that. The point is that my son never got to meet his father; that I had to raise him on my own and tell him stories of his father in his youth even though I didn't even know if he was still alive or not. I can't forgive him for leaving me as he left me in a bad position and whilst I wouldn't trade Oliver for the world Caspian it still hurts that he put me in that position without a goodbye and taking the last thing that reminded me of my mother and left me feeling alone. I can't forgive him for that!" She whispered and Caspian felt sympathy for her before and after a moment he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You know my father would have liked you. Your soul is pure." He said and Genevieve turned to him with a small smile on her face.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

"It made you smile didn't it?" He asked and she nodded as she pulled her legs to her chest.

"I suppose. Thanks Casp." She says and Caspian only laughed.

"Casp? Of all the nicknames in the world you chose Casp?" He teased and she rolled her eyes at him as she also started laughing.

"Well its sticking, I'm not changing it now." She said before they settled to silence again, looking up at the starry sky. 

"Have you even told him about Prince Oliver yet?" He asked warily, hoping that he wouldn't hit a nerve on the poor girl who only shook her head.

"No, I'm not ready too."

"Maybe you'll never be ready but he deserves to know before he finds out another way. I think he'd much rather find out from you than anybody else." Caspian spoke and Genevieve nodded before she turned to smile at him.

"You're the second person to tell me that today." She admits and Caspian smiles.

"Well maybe that means something." 

"Someone wise once told me that you can't live a good life if you can't learn to forgive." Genevieve said, Aslan's words sinking into her as she bit her lip before letting out a smile.

"Maybe they're right but it depends if you want to live a good life or not." Caspian said and Genevieve nodded. She wanted to live a good life.

"He deserves to know doesn't he?" She whispered and Caspian nodded.

"Of course, its his son."

"Thanks Casp." She whispered with a smile on her face as she knew she had to tell Edmund sooner rather than later.

"No problem." He mutters as they stare ahead into the night.

Caspian puts him arm around the girls shoulder as he pulls the latter into a comforting hug - unaware of the raven haired boy who had just walked out blood boiling as he looked at the two as jealousy coursed through his veins.

"I suppose I don't know her as well as I thought." Edmund whispered before he turned back into the How - anger coursing though his veins once again.