"He is all yours." Peter said firmly, sheathing his sword and backing away so Caspian could face Vellum. His sword drawn, Caspian studied Vartan's spawn. The man who had almost succeeded in killing him. He had no idea what he was going to do with Vellum.

Caspian contemplated his options. He could end the man's life in seconds. The Narnian law clearly states that no creature guilty of attempting assassination to a Royal should live. It is the law. But on the contrary, did the man know any better? It was not Vellum's fault that he was raised by a father whose mind was poisoned into seeking revenge.

He saw slight movement out of his peripheral vision and looked over. Lucy, Edmund, Eustace, and Elwyn were all standing next to Peter. As Caspian looked into each of their eyes, he had no doubt that they would support any decision he would make regarding Vellum and his army, but he could clearly see that they all knew what the right decision was. He looked at Lucy again who slowly nodded at him, giving her support. But Caspian knew what Lucy would do, which was the right thing. And if Lucy had taught him anything, it was that forgiveness is far more powerful than justice.

He drew a deep breath before speaking. "Vellum, today your life will not be taken from you. You and your men will be escorted out of the country and are banished for a minimum of ten years, which I believe is generous. This will provide you the opportunity to live a peaceful life. The life you never had the privilege of having. So I tell you, be at peace. Raise a family. Be content. However, if my scouts, messengers, or any loyal Narnian hears even the faintest whisper of a rebellion forming under you, that will be the last thing you will ever do. Do you understand?"

Vellum nodded gratefully.

"Safe travels Vellum." He said with finality as he sheathed his sword.

Vellum nodded and began walking toward the Northern borders. Caspian knew Vellum had a long journey ahead till he reached the Wild Lands, but he knew that Vellum would be smiling the whole way. It would be the first time the man had no one pressuring him, and for the first time, he could make his own decisions in life. The reinforcement troops primarily escorted the Harfangians north, leaving the wounded soldiers behind. There was a serious and quiet environment that hung in the air. Caspian slowly turned and faced Lucy, Peter, Edmund, Elwyn, Trumpkin, and Eustace. He took a slow deep breath.

"It is over," Caspian stated. "And I am grateful you all were by my side."

Lucy slowly walked towards him and into his arms. They held each other for several moments, not saying a word.

"I am so proud of you." She finally whispered. Caspian responded by squeezing her tighter and was about to respond when he heard someone clear their throat.

"Oh really Caspian, where is my hug."

"My apologies, Eustace." Caspian smiled as he embraced the young man. "You know, we would have been victorious far sooner if we had had a dragon to scare those soldiers away."

"Yes indeed, but though as 'tempting' as that may be, it appears you were able to figure something out." Eustace chuckled.

"Well I believe you were apart of the victory. I am assuming you were sent here?" Caspian asked.

"Yes, Aslan sent me." Eustace replied. "And, as I am sure all of you know," he turned and faced the rest of the party, "I am not the best swordsman, so Aslan sent me to the Lone Islands to first learn more about battles and fighting and such. He told me that these skills may be important at a later time. But anyways, I spent almost four weeks out of Narrowhaven and that's how I met Elwyn."

"You know Elwyn?" Lucy asked.

"As I live and breathe." He replied before continuing. "She was sent to help you, while I was sent here to gather an army. She was far more advanced in battle by the time I met her, but I learned quickly. To be honest I believe I am a better fighter than her if I do say so myself." He said proudly.

"Oh come now Eustace don't be daft." Elwyn snorted.

"Oh don't beat yourself up for it Elwyn," Eustace smirked. "It will be our little secret."

Elwyn rolled her eyes, making Eustace chuckle, while Edmund maintained a serious look on his face. "But Eustace, if you were sent to Narnia, then to be perfectly frank, why did our reinforcements take far too long to make an appearance?"

"Ah yes." Eustace said seriously. "When scouts reported to the Lone Islands and Seven Isles that there were over twelve thousand enemy troops, the allies immediately got cold feet and began sailing east towards the islands until I met them. That is perhaps the main reason Aslan sent me. He told me I was to remind them to have courage. And you better believe I made them feel courageous, either that or they were too afraid of me letting the 'British council' loose on them."

"That would frighten them indeed." Peter retorted.

"We are glad you are here Eustace." Ed said genuinely and clapped his cousin on the shoulder.

Everything all seemed to be perfect until reality felt like a slap to Caspian and he stiffened.

Rilian

Where was he?

As if reading his mind, Lucy placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"He is fine. I made arrangements for him and he is waiting in the castle, untouched." Lucy smiled warmly, before turning serious. "I am going to start looking at the wounded, there are many." She whispered and started walking away but was stopped when Caspian reached for her arm. She turned toward him, but realized he was not even looking at her. She followed the direction of his gaze and found herself looking out to the shores of the Eastern Ocean near Cair Paravel.

She saw a figure on the sand and her heart leapt when she recognized who it was. It was only a matter of moments before the whole group was on the shore, evidently eager to meet their King.

They formed in a semi circle subconsciously, and kneeled. Those who had swords removed them from their sheaths, planted the blades firmly into the rich brown sand, and lowered their heads onto the handle, waiting quietly to hear His voice.

"Greetings, sons and daughters." Aslan said warmly. "You have fought well, and I am well pleased with your courage and valor. You will be rewarded, but first, rest, celebrate your victory. I will speak with you all at midday tomorrow." He smiled gently.

"Will you not join us Aslan?" Lucy blurted, "We have missed you."

"I cannot stay tonight daughter, but soon, we shall have all of time together."

Lucy got the distinct feeling that what he had said would make sense one day, but she did not know what was going to happen to make her understand his words.

However, they did not need to be told to rest twice. After giving a farewell to Aslan, the group began to walk towards the castle. Caspian was walking next to Trumpkin and General Thatch, when he realized he did not see Lucy anywhere. He looked around and saw her figure floating around and realized she was checking on the wounded.

She always has to be helping someone.

Caspian thought proudly as he approached her.

"Lucy, let the reinforcements take care of the wounded." He told her gently. She paid no heed and continued to analyze the wounded, to see whether their wounds were serious enough to use her cordial. Seeing she was not responding, Caspian reached out and gently grabbed her hand, once again stopping her.

"You need to rest."

"No, I need to search in the forest and retrieve a variety of herbs to brew before I may even think about resting."

She said stubbornly, but her yawn gave her away.

"Lucy, our reinforcements are trained and know how to care for the wounded, though not as skilled as you, they will get the job done I promise you. But you must rest, you have not slept in almost two days." Caspian stated firmly.

She looked up at him for a long moment before letting out a stubborn sigh.

"Alright, but only for a few hours."

•••

One could not deny that there was an excitement in the air in all of Narnia that night. After a refreshing four hour rest, all of the wounded were brought in and looked after by the Lone Islands and the Seven Isles. There was a total of four thousand wounded and two thousand casualties of various creatures and humans. Caspian announced that there would be a service for the fallen in the morning.

But as Aslan ordered, Caspian announced that there would be a celebration for Narnia's victory. Although there were many families and species affected by the battle, the whole country celebrated with delicious foods, laughter, and dancing. It made the battle seem like a faint dream, and for a few hours, everyone forgot that there had just been a war and that Aslan had important business to discuss the next morning. There was a grand dance, and creatures big and small participated in the ball room. Lucy especially took notice that Peter never left Elwyn's side while she and Edmund stood on the outskirts of the dancing circle.

"Ed, have you seen the way Peter looks at Elwyn?" Lucy asked. Her brother rolled his eyes. "Of course I have. A blind person could see the way he looks at her."

"Do you think she fancies him?"

"I cannot say."

"Well I say he has fallen for her."

"Perhaps."

"Now we just need to find someone for you." Lucy said sweetly.

"Whatever you say, Lu." Edmund shook his head.

Lucy normally loved dancing but could not get her mind off of what Aslan was going to say to them in the morning. After dancing briefly with Caspian, Peter, Edmund, Trumpkin, General Thatch, and Drinian, she bid her goodnights and was about to turn in for bed, when Caspian approached her. He offered his arm. "Come with me."

They walked in silence as they journeyed to the peaceful courtyard gardens. Caspian knew that Lucy was thinking the same thing he was: and that was trying to decipher what Aslan was going to do with them tomorrow. His somber thoughts were interrupted when they reached the majestic gardens which held a variety of trees and flowers. They walked to a nearby bench which was under a shade tree, and sat close to each other, completely alone. All was quiet, except for the muffled sound of music and laughter coming from the ballroom.

"So what do we do now." Lucy whispered hollowly.

"I do not know." Caspian shook his head, looking at the ground.

"You know I do not wish to say it, but surely you know what happens every time peace is restored, Caspian."

Caspian slowly nodded, his throat beginning to burn.

She sniffed her nose. "How am I suppose to just go back to England and act like this never happened?" She looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears. "Do you have any idea what it is like having to move on and forget about you? Everytime I get to the point where I know I am not coming back, and I try to make something of my life, I always come back, and it's great, but I always have the feeling I have to go back to England, and every time I go back, it gets harder and harder."

"Are you trying to say every time you go back to England you start to forget like Susan did?"

"Well, no it's sort of different." She responded thoughtfully. "For Susan, I believe she was mad at Aslan when she found out she would not be returning to Narnia. When we got back to the train station, she was different. At first, Susan acted like we never went to help claim your throne. Ed, Pete, and I all thought she was just trying to move on. But then it got worse. When we would talk about Narnia, she started telling us Narnia did not exist. That it was just some stupid game we used to play as children. In the beginning we argued with her, but no matter how much we begged for her to believe, she wouldn't.

'But if I have to go back to England again, I have no idea how I'm suppose to just move on. I do not think I can. Thinking about what it would be like to have to leave you and Rilian, breaks my heart."

"Lucy," He whispered and pulled her into his embrace. Caspian could feel the burn in his throat, and he knew it would take everything in him not to break down and sob with her. Instead, he held her in arms, cherishing every second she was with him.

"I have to believe that whatever is going to happen, it must happen for a reason."

They held each other that night, not knowing if it was their last, and

It was evident at breakfast the next morning that everyone was anxious, agitated, and exhausted. They all wanted to know what Aslan had to say.

The group ventured down to the bay after breakfast, and were not surprised when the saw the beautiful lion standing on the beach.

They walked up to him, but Lucy found herself struggling to come to Him. When she stood before the Lion, He asked her immediately. "Beloved, why do you hesitate coming to me?"

Some may have lied, saying everything was fine, but Lucy had never considered lying to Aslan. She could not think she could ever bring herself to do that. He was her best friend and they had gone through far too much and Lucy knew the Lion knew her far better than she knew herself. "Well, I suppose I hesitate because I have a feeling I know what is going to happen next." Lucy said sadly.

Aslan sighed. "Daughter, you must not think of Narnia and where you are from as two different worlds, for they are connected in more ways than one."

"But they are two completely different worlds." Lucy argued, making Aslan chuckle.

"And yet here you are." He smiled.

As much as she hated to admit it, Lucy knew He was right. She was heavily involved in both worlds, and although they were very different, her life had been crossed over multiple times into both realms. Now it was Lucy's turn to sigh. "You are right Aslan, but I do not know if I can recover." She said sadly, looking straight at Caspian. Aslan chuckled, knowing exactly what had passed between them.

"You shall recover Dear One, but before you return to your world, I believe Narnia is going to enjoy having their Kings and Queens of Old reigning once more." Aslan spoke with a smile.

The whole group stared at the Lion completely dumbstruck. Lucy felt her jaw drop and she saw that Peter and Edmunds had done the same. Peter finally broke the silence.

"Well, what if Caspian is not okay with that." Peter grinned.

"No please stay as long as you wish. You are always welcome." Caspian responded quickly.

"Yes. You may stay and get rooted here, but do not forget you still have a mission to finish when you go back to your world.

'Sons and daughters,' Aslan continued. 'Live loudly, live humbly, live happily. Continue to remind Narnia who I am and you will find yourselves in another Golden Age. Seeing Narnia flourish brings me great joy as I know that my servants whom I have appointed as rulers are taking care of my people. But listen well, Sons and Daughters of Earth. After ten years, all of you will find yourselves back in your world as if you have never left it. When you return to England, I have a mission for you. Eustace, your time is coming. Do not forget about me. Narnia will be in need of you. Peter and Edmund," He called them out and faced the brothers seriously. "Hold yourselves accountable and never forget who you really are. You are my warriors and leaders, you are THE Magnificent and Just Kings of Old. Train each other, guide each other, for Narnia will depend upon you one last time." He then turned and faced Lucy. "Lucy Pevensie, your courage shall never be forgotten. Your belief has never wavered, and it was you who made your brothers and sisters believe in me. Your families story will inspire generations to come to believe in me. When you return to your world, I want you to find a writer by the name of Clive Staples Lewis in Cambridge. He will be waiting to hear your story."

"Oh but what shall I say to him?" Lucy asked.

"That is for you to decide." Aslan gave her a reassuring smile before readdressing the group.

"Now, all of you, I do not wish for you to dread leaving. You will only be in your world for a short time before you are called back one last time, and then we shall be together forever."

"May the promises you make come to pass as you say." Peter stated as he knelt before his King.

Everyone bid their goodbyes to Aslan with hugs and tears, but everyone was happy nonetheless that they were staying in Narnia. They journeyed back to the castle, Caspian and Lucy lagged behind, enjoying the fresh sea air, but still in earshot of the group.

"Well Elwyn, I guess you are stuck with me." Peter teased and put his arm over her shoulders. Elwyn wittingly responded. "Why did I not ask Aslan to take you back when I had the chance."

"I believe she will be good for Peter." Lucy whispered to Caspian as they walked next to each other on the path to the castle.

"I still think she could do better. But someone needs to keep him in line." Caspian teased.

"Oh yes that is also what people say to me too." It took Caspian a second before he got the joke, but the face he made was priceless to Lucy. She burst out laughing, unable to keep it in. Caspian sighed and comfortably put his arm around her waist as they continued walking.

"This is going to be a long ten years." Caspian smirked.

"I think more like the best ten years." Lucy grinned as she looked up at him, but Caspian was not laughing.

"Without a doubt my dearest Lucy, without a doubt." He stated firmly and leaned in slowly giving her a soft kiss on her forehead.