[twenty-four: There's still hope!]

The Narnians triumphantly enter the castle and fireworks are set off above them. Caspian walks down the steps at the courtyard, and sees Aslan talking to Peter and Susan and Caspian finds himself staring at the Pevensie girl. They look over at him and Caspian smiles meekly.

"We are ready." He tells them and Aslan only sends him a nod.

Everyone assembled outside the castle. All the Telmarine people and the Narnians have gathered in hopes of seeing their New King and the Kings and Queens of old.

"Narnia belongs to the Narnians just as it does to man. Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to. And for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers." Caspian states over the crowd, who begin to mumble worriedly at the mention of what they assumed to be Telmar.

"It has been generations since we left Telmar. "

"We are not referring to Telmar. Your ancestors were sea-faring brigands, pirates run aground on an island.There they found a cave, a rare chasm that brought them here from their world, the same world as our kings and queens." Aslan begins as he looks over at the children. "It is to that island I can return you. It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start." 

"I'll go. I will accept the offer." Glozelle steps forward after a short pause, all eyes training on him for a moment before he looks to the former queen with a nod.

"So will we."

 Prunaprimsia, carrying her baby, and another Telmarine Lord follow Glozelle and stand before Aslan who smiles warmly at them. 

"Because you have spoken first, your future in that world will be good."

Aslan breathes on them, and then the tree behind Caspian twists, forming a round opening. They walk through the door in the air... and vanish from sight - the sight in itself making the people gasp. 

"How do we know he is not leading us to our deaths?!"

"Sire, if my example can be of any service, I will take eleven mice though with no delay." Reepicheep directs towards Aslan with a noble smile. Peter and Susan look at each other and Aslan looks over at them. Peter steps forward.

"We'll go." Peter says and the four youngest look at him with wide eyes.

"We will?" Edmund asks and Peter only nods.

"What?" Ron asks and Peter just gives him a sad smile.

"Come on. Our time's up." Peter walks over to Caspian and offers his sword. "After all, we're not really needed here anymore."

"I will look after it until your return. " Caspian assures as he takes the sword from Peter with a smile, only for Susan to give him a sad look.

"I'm afraid that's just it... We're not coming back." Susan states and Caspian's face falls immediately. 

"We're not?" Lucy asks with wide eyes and Peter only sighs. 

"You four are." He says as he looks at Aslan. "At least, I think he means you do."

"But why? Did they do something wrong?" Lucy asks and Aslan only chuckles at the young girl.

"Quite the opposite, dear one. But all things have their time." He states, his eyes briefly flickering to Genevieve who looks away. "Your brother and sister have learned what they can from this world. Now it‟s time for them to live in their own."

"It's alright, Lu. It's not how I thought it would be, but it's alright. One day you'll see too. Come on." Peter shakes Glenstorm's hand. Edmund, Ron, Genevieve, Lucy, Trumpkin, and Cornelius bow. Lucy curtsies to Trumpkin and he nods. Genevieve then embraces Caspian.

"Thank you Casp, I'll miss you." She murmurs and the new King laughs before hugging the girl back with a smile.

"I'm sure I'll see you." Then they embrace again and Genevieve walks away before Susan walks up to Caspian. 

"I'm glad I came back. " Susan says as she looks at the man who was smiling sadly at her. 

"I wish we had more time together." Caspian admits and Susan only smiles at him.

"It would never have worked anyway." 

"Why not?"

"I am 1300 years older than you." Susan starts to walk away, and then turns back. Before she knew what had come over her she kisses Caspian, whose eyes widen before he wraps his arms around her waist - her arms interlocking around her neck.

"I'm sure when I'm older I'll understand." Lucy mumbles and Peter just places his hand on her shoulder.

"Me too Lu, me too." Peter says before Ron stands beside them and Peter grabs his hand softly in a comforting gesture as a tear falls from the younger boys eye.

"You know Peter we could always get married." Ron says and Peter only smiles as he gives the young boys hand a squeeze.

"As eligible of a bachelor you are Ron I'm afraid I may be a little old for you." Peter states and Ron sighs before he looks over at the two sets of couples with a weak smile.

"Do you think I'll ever find a boy like Edmund and Caspian?" Ron asks quietly and Peter's eyes widen for a moment before a smile forms on his features.

"You'll find someone who is perfect for you Ron and I bet he'll be amazing to you." Peter says and Ron only turns and hugs the older boy.

"Thanks Peter. I'll miss you." 

"I'll miss you too." He says as Susan finally walks away and joins the group. Genevieve then turns to Edmund with a sad look on her face. 

"Ed, I can't keep doing this.  What happens when I go back? I'm being forced into this stupid engagement and I don't know what to do. What if I never see you again or next time it's too late." 

"Gen," Edmund whispers as he cups her face. "It's okay. I know you've done your best to get out of it and that's all I could ask for. Even if we never meet again at I have the fact that you love me to keep me going until the end of my days and no matter what I will always loves you."

"I did tell them about you Ed, they think you're fictional." Genevieve mutters and Edmund only chuckles as he caresses her cheek.

"Well Narnia sounds like it's straight out of a book so that doesn't surprise me at all." Edmund says before he reaches to his own neck and pulls off the locket. "Suppose I should give this back to you."

"Keep it," Genevieve says as she reaches her hand to place it around his neck again. "to remember me by. My mother would have wanted it this way anyway."

There was silence for a moment as the two embraced, his arms placing themselves around her waist whilst hers settle around his shoulders - a singular tear falling from his eye.

"Ed?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you promise me something?" She asked the familiar question that they hadn't said in a while and Edmund only laughed as he placed his hand to her cheek.

"Only if you promise me the same thing."

"Be safe." The two whispered their words together before their lips finally connected.

Edmund and Genevieve kiss causing the crowd to cheer and a small smile to light up on Genevieve's face as she kisses Edmund with enough passion to last her a lifetime - if only it wasn't their last for a while. She starts to cry as they pull a breath, foreheads leaning against each other.

"Why are you crying love?" Edmund asked her as he wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I just wish we had more time. There's so much I need to do, need to say." She admitted and Edmund only smiled at her.

"There will be time to say it Gen, I promise."

"I love you." Genevieve mutters as she presses a kiss to Edmund's cheek, the boy smiling at the sudden gesture.

"I love you too."

Edmund, Peter, Susan, Genevieve, Ron and last of all Lucy start walking away. Lucy takes once look back at Aslan, and then walks through the door in the air, and back to London. Ron reaches a tree and stops for a moment, before turning to look at his cousin.

"You coming Genny?" He asked and Genevieve nodded as she urged her cousin forward.

"Give me a minute Ron." She pleads and Ron nods as he gives Caspian one last smile before going forward into the tree - disappearing from sight.

Edmund and Genevieve take one last look at each other as Genevieve holds Edmund's hand and gives it a light squeeze.

"You ready?" Edmund asks and Genevieve only nods as she smiles warmly at her husband.

"As I'll ever be."

They both walk through the door, hand in hand as they walk back to their own lives. Genevieve holds on as tight as she can to Edmund's interlocked hand until she feels her hand being released from the tight grasp like magnets repelling against each other and sighs as she closes her eyes and then opens them again.

+++

Genevieve opens her eyes and finds herself in front of the mirror again, her hair in curls and the familiarly beautiful pink dress cascading down her body. She stared at her reflection as she lightly grazed the mirror in hope of it taking her back to the place she was only moments ago. She sighed as she let a salty tear fall from her cheeks as she thought of what she would have to do in a few minutes time. She felt arms wrap around her and she looked town to see Ronald attempt to comfort her and she bent down and hugged him as she let a couple more tears fall.

"It'll be okay Genny, you'll see them again." Ronald comforted the crying girl who only shook her head as she bit her lip to stop herself from crying.

"I know Ron, that's what I'm worried about." She whispered as she touched up the make-up around her red eyes to ensure she looked presentable.

"Why?"

"Because next time I see them I'm going to be at engaged maybe even married." She whispered as she looked into the mirror again with a sad smile. "I won't be able to face him then because I'll have changed Ron. I'm not ready to put him or myself through that pain."

"There's still hope." Ron stated as he hugged the girls torso with a hopeful smile only for Genevieve to send him a sigh.

"I don't think there is this time Ron."

"Yes there is, remember there's only one way to stop the wedding." Ron suggested and Genevieve only scoffed as she ran her hands down her dress with a sad expression.

"I know but it's impossible." She replied and Ron only scoffed.

"No it's not Genevieve. I'm certain we'll see him before the wedding and then we can make arrangements." Ron stated hopefully but Genevieve only shook her head.

"It's not going to happen Ron," She whispered before there was a knock on the door and a pair of footsteps entering. "he wouldn't make it anyway."

"You ready for this Genevieve?" Her father, John Potter asked from the door as he looked at his only daughter staring into the mirror with his nephew by her side - a small smile settling on his features for a moment at how beautiful she looked before he cleared his face to look emotionless again.

"Ready as I'll ever be for this father." Genevieve replies as she takes one last look in the mirror and takes her fathers arm as they walk into the ballroom arm in arm, tears falling from her face.

Ron followed shortly behind but stopped one last time to look in the mirror, where the lion stood sending the small boy a nod as he smiled at him happily.

"Goodbye Aslan."

+++

The train arrives at the familiar station, the four Pevensie children standing in the exact place they had been before with their hands intertwined and their eyes closed. Edmund held on tightly to the person on his left, thinking that the hand was his wife's for a moment before he realised the difference in size. 

He knew it was Peter's.

The all familiar geeky boy boards the train before looking back, his eyes looking to Susan with a smile and a light blush on his rosy cheeks.

"Aren't you coming, Phyllis?" He asked the girl with a smile.  Peter, Edmund, and Lucy look confused for a moment before they all get their luggage and board the train.  In the last moment Edmund looks in his bag as a chuckle escapes from his lips.

"Do you think there's any way we could get back?" He asks and the others look at him before Edmund looks up. "I've left my new torch in Narnia!"

They laugh, and the doors close. The train pulls away and disappears down the tunnel as the four Pevensie children find a compartment to sit in. Once seated by the window, Edmund puts a hand into his pocket and pulls something out - a note presumably with familiar writing across it.

Be safe, be happy and be you. I'll love you till the very end

Till we meet again,

G.

Edmund smiles as he looks at the piece of paper and then out the window as he pulls it to his chest with a contempt sigh leaving his lips.

Despite the circumstances and despite his wife being currently engaged to against her will, Edmund was happy and contempt with life. Because despite all those things he knew Genevieve loved him infinitely, and that was a treasure in itself.

End of Part Three