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FOURTEEN | THE FALL OF THE WARRIOR

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THE NIGHT RAID WAS AFOOT!

Those partaking in the Night raid of Miraz' castle had barely half an hour left until they would need to leave and Angelina would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. As if the fact that she was a confused teenager wasn't enough, the girls emotions had been all over the place recently and not just because of the sorceress that hid inside her.

Angelina couldn't explain it but as soon as Peter told the girl that she was set to work with Edmund during the night raid, the anger within her calmed down and instead had been replaced with a new, uncertain feeling that she didn't understand. But the feeling excited her, her face beginning to grow hot at the thought and her heart rate intensified in a way it never had before.

But it made her happy.

She and Edmund had been preparing for battle a little way into the How and the two had been in a comfortable silence for a while. Angelina was more than prepared, a sword planted to her side while she had a bow in her hand and a set of arrows in her quiver. Although she didn't agree with the idea of raiding the castle, she knew that they needed as big an army as possible to even have a chance at succeeding so it was only logical that she tagged along.

Even if she was doomed to fail.

Angelina sighed in frustration as she aimed one of her arrows at a nearby target and it just missed the bullseye, a grunt leaving her lips as she ran her hands over her face and took a couple deep breaths to calm herself. Edmund watched her as a frown settled on his lips, noting the tired look on Angelinas face as he stopped what he was doing and gently moved Angelinas hands away from her face.

"You sure you're ready for this Princess?" Edmund asked her softly, Angelina flinching at the choice of name as she shook her head and sighed.

"Don't call me that." She whispered back to him, Edmunds eyes widening in realisation as he squeezed her hands.

"Sorry Angel," He replied sheepishly, bowing his head in shame and sighed. "I forgot."

"You're terrible." Angelina lightly chuckled as Edmund lifted his head to look her in the eyes, the king intertwining their hands properly as a smirk settled on his face.

"Tell me something I don't know." He whispered, the King leaning his forehead against Angelinas and subtly planting his hands on her waist, noting the small blush that had formed on her face at his actions.

"Your chainmail's twisted." Angelina whispered back, Edmund quickly stepping back and looking at himself to find that as she said, the chainmail on his armour was in fact twisted and left an easily accessible place for a sword to pierce through him. Angelina chuckled as she watched him fiddle with it, failing to unravel it before she walked over and sorted it out for him. "Here."

"Thanks." He muttered as Angelina successfully fixed his armour, hesitating for a moment before she moved her hands away from him and stood awkwardly in front of him. Edmund rose an eyebrow at her as she took a step back and refused to meet his eye, the King taking her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "You sure you'll be okay?"

"I literally have a witch trapped inside of me." Angelina laughed as she looked up at him, her voice soft and comforting as she gave him a smile. "I think I can handle a little sword fight."

"I know you can but I also know you." Edmund replied seriously, taking a moment to grab her other hand to stop her from walking away as the space between them began to grow smaller.

"You barely know me Ed." Angelina insisted as her gaze went to the ground, her cheeks continuing to flush as she refused to meet the eyes of the raven haired king who was given her a look she had never been given before.

"Regardless," Edmund sighed as a concerned look settled on his face. "I know that you're putting on a brave face and ignoring what you're really feeling."

"And how would you know what I'm really feeling?" Angelina questioned in barely a whisper, her gaze momentarily remaining on the ground until his soft hand planted itself on the side of her face, turning her to look at him as he sent her a small smile.

"Because I feel it too."

In the next few moments all Angelina could do was stare at him.

Never before in Angelinas life had her heart skipped a beat and yet standing there, alone with Edmund and hearing him speak to her in such a way made her heart go crazy. Before meeting Edmund she felt like she was alone, like she was a burden to the world and that all she did was bring misery to others. She thought that nobody would ever want her, that she was such a terrible being that even her own sister had grown tired of her and left her to die in the woods because she was too much of a monster to look at.

But now it was different.

Upon meeting Edmund she found someone who understood her pain, understood what she was going through and understood exactly why she felt like a monster and she found someone to help her. She found someone to relate to, someone to bond with who wouldn't judge her for the mistakes she made as a child and would instead treat her as if she were a normal girl, a friend or something more.

Edmund stared down at the girl, keeping one hand on the side of her face as he took a moment to move a piece of hair out of her face and place it behind her ear. Never before had he felt so confident in his actions, the king smiling softly at her as his heart told him to go for it and finally tell the girl in front of him what had been plaguing his heart since he met her. Angelina offered a weak smile back to him, the blush on her cheeks prominent now as both anticipated what would have happened next.

Angelinas smile grew as Edmund bent down so that their foreheads could press against each other once again, the two staring softly at each other as they waited for either to make a move, though neither quite had the courage to do so. It was then that Edmund began to lean in further, Angelina closing her eyes as she prepared for what was about to happen as her heart skipped a beat once again upon feeling his hot breath barely centimetres away from her lips..

"Are you two ready to go?" Edmund and Angelina quickly jumped away from each other as an all familiar voice entered the room, the two turning to see Lucy stood at the entrance with a knowing smirk on her face. "Sorry was I interrupting?"

"Uh, no Lucy you weren't." Angelina stumbled over her words, the blush on her cheek clearly given away the fact that Lucy had in fact interrupted as she cleared her throat and turned to Edmund again. "I'll meet you outside?"

"Yeah, okay." Edmund agreed as he ran a hand through his hair, the king also having a faint blush on his cheeks as he watched Angelina walked away. As soon as the girl had left the room, Edmund groaned loudly as he rose an eyebrow at his sister and sighed. "Really Lu?"

"Had I known I wouldn't have interrupted." Lucy insisted as she smirked at her brother and wrapped her arms around her brother, hugging him tightly as if she were worried that he wouldn't be coming back.

"No wandering off." Edmund spoke to her sternly, Lucy rolling her eyes as she unwrapped her arms from around him and smirked again.

"Don't get distracted." She spoke in an equally stern voice, Edmund raising an eyebrow at her in confusion.

"What?"

"Oh I'm sorry," Lucy apologised sarcastically as she smiled at her brother, looking him in the eye as a smirk settled on her face. "I thought we were naming things we need to remember."

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Angelina made her way outside the How, a growing smile on her face as she thought of what had almost happened just minutes ago which had lifted her mood entirely. The girl had never felt so normal as she did in that moment, felt like any normal teenage girl who became flustered so simply in the presence of her crush. Angelina was certain that nothing could bring down her mood.

That was, until Nikabrik stopped her in her path.

"Follow me." Nikabrik demanded as he latched onto the sleeve of her dress, Angelina raising her eyebrow at him in confusion as she pulled her arm away from his and settled it across her chest.

"Can't it wait?" Angelina asked him as she looked towards the exit of the How where everyone was gathering to leave. "We're leaving any minute."

"Just trust me, please." Nikabrik asked the girl as he gave her a smile, Angelina not quite understanding the need but nodded along anyway.

"Fine." Angelina sighed as she allowed for Nikabrik to lead her away from the exit of the How. 

Soon enough Nikabrik had led her towards the Stone Table, the girl not having looked up as soon as she got there as she was sorting out the arrows in the quiver on her back, which ahd begun to fall out. 

"Angelina," Angelina looked up abruptly as she saw Ares sat on the table, a sincere look settled on his face as he smiled at the girl. "thank you for coming."

"Nope, I'm out of here," Angelina declared as she looked ot Nikabrik and glared. "Think of your trust revoked."

"Hear him out." Nikabrik insisted as he grabbed the girls arm, Ares standing up as he walked towards her with a pleading look on his face.

"Please, I need to apologise." Ares begged the girl, Angelina looking for the truth in his statement as she contemplated her options. 

Then she sighed.

"Make it quick faun." She muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest, Ares smiling widely as he thanked her and began his apology.

"Look, I'm sorry for how I've treated you." He started with a sigh, a sincere look on his face as he spoke. "I know I haven't been the nicest person to you and that's all on me but I wanted to tell you why."

"Alright," Angelina accepted as she nodded towards him. "I'm listening."

"The Enchantress killed my family." The faun blurted out, Angelinas eyes widening as the colour in her face faded. She then surveyed the look on his face, the sadness that overtook it as she was almost certain that his statement was true.

"What?" She asked, her voice small and frail as she tried to keep herself calm and not cry at what she had been told.

"The fire that burned your village, my family lived in the outskirts of the woods there." Ares clarified, his voice equally small as tears welled in his eyes at the memory of his late family as he tried to keep himself together. "When the fire started, I was the only one to escape."

"Ares, I'm so sorry." The girl made a move to apologise but the faun only shook his head as he placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly.

"No, I'm sorry." He tried to speak calmly and sincerely. "Ever since I found out what you were, I always blamed you because she's apart of you and that made you evil. I never took the time to really get to know you, to realise that you were just a child who had no control over what happened. I was a fool and I'm sorry for not differentiating between the two of you and for treating you so badly ever since."

"Well I appreciate you saying that," The girl smiled sadly at the faun, a sigh leaving her lips. "and I need to apologise myself."

"That isn't necessary-"

"I'm sorry that I never gave you a chance to explain yourself and always acted so rash towards you without knowing the reason behind why you were so hard towards me." Angelina clarified sincerely, holding her hand out to him. "Truce?"

"Truce." Ares smiled at the girl as he took her hand, shaking it as the two smiled at their new found civility. 

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"Are you okay?" Edmund quickly asked Angelina as he watched her walk out of the How with Ares by her side, not trusting the faun with how he acted only days ago. "Did he say anything to you?"

"I'm fine," Angelina smiled at him as she took his hands and gave them a comforting squeeze. "I promise."

"Get on." Edmund told her as they approached a singular griffin, the King smiling at her as she rose an eyebrow in confusion.

"What happened to the other griffin?" She asked him, noting the smirk that had formed on his face as he leaned wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I thought it would be easier if we shared one so the other could search the perimeter." He looked down at the girl with a smile, Angelina laughing as she pushed Edmund away as the two settled themselves on the griffins back.

"Oh how thoughtful of you." She muttered in his ear sarcastically, the two chuckle before Edmund looked back at her and smirked.

"Hold on tight love."

Angelina quickly wrapped her arms securely around Edmunds waist, the griffin then soaring into the sky as they flew towards Miraz' castle to partake in the night raid that had been planned over the last few days. The girl smiled as she looked at the wonders from the sky, saw how splendid the world was from different angles as if it were a whole new world completely.

She then smiled as she looked forward at Edmund, the girl burying her head in his shoulder as she tried to keep herself steady and ensure she didn't fall off the griffin. Edmund smiled at her softly before training his eyes forward as he noted the castle in the distance and shrugged his shoulders to alert Angelina.

"Get ready to jump." Angelina told him as they neared the tower of the castle, Edmund nodding as he took her hand and steadied themselves in the position to jump.

"I was born ready."

The two looked at each other before they jumped off the griffin, the two immediately landing on the top of the tower with ease, out of sight of a guard that stood below where Angelina would be stationed. Upon hearing the noise, the guard looks up, and sees nothing which made him turn back to his station. Then, the griffin grabs him and pulls him up,  Edmund taking the moment to use his electric torch to signal the others.

"Don't drop the torch." Angelina told him as she looked to the lower tower, preparing herself to jump down and do her part.

"What do you take me for?" Edmund asked her as he stopped signalling the troops to look at her, the girl immediately wrapping her arms around him, much to his surprise as a sigh left her lips.

"Please be careful." She whispered towards him, Edmund chuckling as they pulled away, the King smiling down out her.

"I will be."

"Call if you need back-up." She joked as she settled herself so that she could jump, Edmund stopping her for a moment as he leaned down and pressed a small kiss to her cheek.

"I probably will."

Without another thought Angelina jumped down to the lower tower, the girl hiding behind the door as a new guard rushed through to his own station - much to her dismay. There was silence for a while as Edmund and Angelina remained undetected, the two trying not to bring attention to themselves as Edmund signaled the troops.

That was, until Edmund dropped the torch.

Angelina watched as the torch fell from Edmunds level to the floor of her own tower, the guard stopping what he was doing to pick it up. His eyes then went up to the higher level, not seeing anybody who could of dropped the strange device he had never seen before. The guard fiddled with it for a moment before he accidentally turned it on, an unfamiliar signal lighting the sky.

"Is he serious?" Angelina muttered as she looked up and saw Edmund above her who didn't know what to do. The girl sighed as she motioned for Edmund to get ready to jump down, the King nodding before she took herself out of hiding.

"What are you doing here?" The guard asked her as he raised his sword and pointed it at her, Angelina pretending to flinch as she played her part.

"Please sir I'm lost," Angelina pretend to cry, the guard raising an eyebrow at her as she played the part of a damsel perfectly. "I don't know how I got here and I'm frightened."

"Calm down, it's okay." The guard insisted as he put his sword away, smiling reassuringly at the girl as he handed the torch to her. "Hold this."

The guard went to take off his overcoat and hand it to the shivering girl but before he could Edmund jumped down from above onto the soldier, immediately knocking him out. Edmund sighed as he looked to the blonde girl sheepishly, Angelina not looking impressed by the fact that he had dropped the torch in the first place.

"Nicely handled." He complimented as Angelina handed him his torch back.

"Well I wouldn't have had to handle it if you hadn't of dropped the torch in the first place." Angelina muttered before she looked over the edge of the tower.

"My apologies." Edmund smiled as he looked at the girl, but Angelina didn't smile back.

"Incoming!" She shouted as she noted that she ahd been spotted by some soldiers down below who were making their way towards the tower. Edmund began to shake the torch to try and get it to work but it refused to turn on. "The signal!"

Edmund continued  shaking his torch, trying to get it to work but it was too late. Inside teh castle, Trumpkin and the mice had already turned the wheel to lower the drawbridge and as soon as Edmund flashes the torch, the army entered the ground. The two teenagers on the tower watched as a guard on the level below raised a crossbow to Peter and immediately Edmund slides down and knocks the soldier over. Peter looking up as soon as Angelina joins Edmund.

"Ed! Ang!" Peter shouted as he pointed to their left. The two follow his gaze and spot the other Telmarines with crossbows but instead of being aimed at the high King, they were aimed at themselves. Edmund quickly grabs Angelinas hand and dives into a room, kicking the door shut just in time.

Edmund sighed in relief before his eyes turned to Angelina who had slumped herself against the wall, her eyes wide as she held her hand to her chest to try and contain the pain that flooded her body. It had started with her heart pulsating at a quicker race than she expected as her breaths became more ragged and distorted without reason. Edmund kneeled in front of the girl in worry.

"What is it?" He asked her softly, a concerned look on his face as he placed his hand to her forehead which was burning up.

"I don't know." She muttered between breaths as she squeezed her eyes shut, a piercing pain shooting up her arms. "I feel weird."

"Can you stand?" He asked her, though the answer had already been clear to him as she attempted to move her arms but instead winced much to his dismay. "We need to go Angel."

Edmund took it upon himself to pick up the girl, carrying her in his arms as he walks onto the tower where he first landed, putting Angelina down before he uses his torch to lock the door. He then looks over the edge, noting that the griffin was nowhere in sight but the soldiers were on the other side of the door, trying to break through.

"E-Edmund." Angelina muttered weakly as she looked at the King, Edmunds eyes widening as he looked at her and saw her hair turning charcoal and the runes on her neck becoming darker.

"Angel!" He shouted as he kneeled before her, pulling up her sleeves to see that the runes on her arms were not only as dark as charcoal but were also sizzling, smoking as if they had just been placed there by a hot poker.

"It burns!" She screamed as an immense amount of pain overtook her, the area around her heart beginning to emit unpredictable green rays that told the girl that something was happening with the Enchantress rather than herself.

"I've got you," Edmund promised as he lifted her onto his back, the king scared of what was to come as the torch her left on the door broke before his eyes and soldiers flooded in. "just hold on to me."

Edmund quickly looked over the edge, a smirk falling upon his face before he looks back at the soldiers before jumping over the edge. The two teenagers land safely on the griffin, Edmund sighing as he held Angelina in his arms and tried to keep her calm despite the fact that she was burning up rapidly.

"It hurts," Angelina weakly spoke as Edmund held her securely, the girl barely having the strength to look up at him as she pleaded. "make it stop."

"Help is coming," Edmund promised as he held her, looking at all the falling soldiers as he shielded her gaze from seeing. "I've got you love."

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"What happened?" Lucy asked as a smaller army of Narnians arrived back at the How, her eyes going to Peter who looked far angrier than he should have done as he shoved Caspians shoulder.

"Ask him." He grunted, Caspian shaking his head as he glared at Peter.

"Me?" He scoffed as he stood up to Peter. "You could have called it off. There was still time."

"No there wasn't thanks to you." Peter shouted back at the Prince, a sneer leaving his lips. "If you'd kept to the plan, those soldiers might be alive right now."

"And, if you'd just stayed here like I suggested, they definitely would be!" Caspian retaliated, Peter scoffing at him as he rolled his eyes.

"You called us, remember?"

"My first mistake." Caspian spoke through gritted teeth.

"No." Peter asked bitterly as he approached Caspian and continued to glare. "Your first mistake was thinking you could lead these people."

"Hey!" Caspian shouted angrily. "I am not the one who abandoned Narnia."

"You invaded Narnia. You have no more right to it than Miraz does! You, him, your father..." Peter paused as the anger overtook him and he got in Caspians face. "Narnia's better off without the lot of you!"

"Stop it!" Caspian screams and they both draw their swords, Edmund rushing onto the scene with a crying Angelina in his arms and glares at the two for being so petty.

"Lina!" Caspian dropped his sword as he rushed over to her, watching as she squirmed in Edmunds arms as more tears continued to fall from her eyes. "What happened?"

"She just collapsed and started screaming," Edmund insisted, his voice full of worry. "I don't know what's happening."

"I'll take her inside." Caspian stated as he went to take her from Edmund but the Just King only stood back, shaking his head at the Prince.

"No, I need to stay with her." He stuttered, tears welling in his own eyes as he looked down at the girl in his arms.

"Edmund, she needs medical attention that you can't give." Susan placed a hand on her brothers shoulder. "He'll look after her."

"I-I'll be fine." Angelina promised as she weakly raised a hand to place it upon Edmunds cheek, the king smiling down at her as he nodded and handed her over to Caspian.

Angelina let out a raw cry as her body once again burned, Caspian running inside with her in her arms to find anyone that could help. Angelina stifled a sob as she willed herself to look t her left, the girls eyes widening as she noticed who was laying lifeless in Glenstorms arms and let out another cry.

Trumpkin, her father, was dead. 

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