It wasn't that Lucy was obsessed with trees, or found them remarkable at all, but the trees she dreamt of hadn't been the ones back home in Finchley, or the ones that continued to haunt Narnia, only appearing as dead corpses of ones that used to sing and move freely alongside the wind.

She had dreamt of the Narnian trees that used to dance, how she knew them before, with elegant branches that reached out towards the sky, and leaves that would never seem to falter, no matter how cold it got in the winter. She missed these, indefinitely, and it reminded her of a past life she had lived, where everything she ever wanted was at her fingertips in a country she ruled through peace and prosperity.

But now, the trees had returned to their lifeless slumber, and Narnia had slowly returned with it.

She sighed, deeply and turned to her side, where Susan was sleeping. She extends a hand in an attempt to shake her awake, wanting company as she would explore, hoping desperately that her dream could have been a symbol, that the trees were beginning to come to life. Lucy Pevensie lived off of things like hope.

'Susan.' She whispered, gently as a tired, half-awake Susan rolled over. 'Get up!'

'Certainly, Lu.' Susan said, barely registering her words as she spoke in her dreamless sleep. 'Whatever you like.'

Lucy sighed again, upset and shook her head, deciding to get up and explore herself.

...

Lucy's hope was drained as her mouth was covered by a palm, dragging her back down towards the hill and hiding behind the bush. She thrashed in the kidnapper's grip, begging to scream and shout and draw attention to herself because she was in danger.

It was only when she heard a soft shushing sound that seemed far too formal and bossy to be a kidnapper that she realized her kidnapper was in fact, her brother Peter, who pressed a finger to his lips quietly and ignored her as she rolled her eyes. He explained by pointing towards the source of where they had heard a low growl, watching a Minotaur sneak through the leaves, a scowl on his face and a sharp, axed blade on his back.

Peter signalled that Lucy should stay still, keeping silent as he slowly drew his sword, the metal swiping against the case on his hip with a metallic whisk. He swiftly began to walk towards the Minotaur, his feet padding experiencedly quiet along the leaves, carefully not to crunch them or crack any stray twigs that may have been placed to prevent his silent attack. Before he can lift his weapon, he is blocked by another, metal and metal clashing together with a distinctive clang and silver fury.

Caspian pushed Peter back with the same force, swinging at the other with a brutal passion and grinding their teeth along with each lunge towards their attacker, the light hitting off their shining metal weapons they held in their hands.

The Narnians began to reappear, watching the battle as the remaining siblings ran up the hill beside Lucy, their eyes wide in confusion and slightly tired from the disruptance. The youngest runs down to help his brother, drawing his own sword at the sight of a possible threat.

On the other side, behind Caspian and Peter, Catherine frowns and squints at the clashing of metal, bewildered at who they had come over in the woods. Had the Telmarine's passed over them already?

She began to walk towards her brother, protectively, and placed a hand on her hip to draw her own sword before freezing, stuck in place. The sharp tip of metal gently touches her back, pressing against her spine and her face pales, turning blank and surprised as she slowly pivots around to greet her new attacker.

A boy, around the same age as her, smirks smugly towards her, lifting an eyebrow as he takes in her appearance. At the confident look on his face, Catherine feels her anger begin to bubble upwards and matches his expression, swiftly pulling out her own weapon. Edmund frowns.

Caspian and Peter continue to fight, the blonde King missing a wing and accidentally lodging his sword into a tree. Caspian takes the opportunity and instantly kicks Peter in the chest, making him fall back and groan, growling irritably.

The new sound of clashing swords turns Lucy's attention as she gasps, turning Susan's face towards her brother, Edmund, who was currently duelling a soft brunette, who had begun to smirk as Edmund's confident expression had begun to falter, a frown on his face as he struggled to defeat her, the first challenge he had struggled with in a long, long time. Catherine had managed to push him backwards, swiftly swinging her sword towards him, but never getting close enough to touch his skin before he retaliated and she would be forced to lift her defences once more.

Peter recovers, throwing himself at Caspian instead, a rock in his hand making him appear as a Neanderthal, rather than royalty. Caspian picked up Peter's sword and lifted it high as Peter prepared to throw the rock, snarling-

'No, stop!'

Catherine and Edmund freeze at the voice, Edmund's sword piercing gently against her throat as she continues to glare at him, furiously. Her eyes flare from the unsuccessful loss and Edmund clenches his jaw, his chest heaving up and down from the struggling challenge. He had almost been humiliated. Almost.

Peter gently dropped his rock, causing Caspian to lower his sword, glaring daggers at each other. Peter scoffs and turns away, focusing on the Narnians instead, who stared at him in curiosity. Peter, breathing heavily, furrows his eyebrows in confusion, before turning back to see Catherine against Edmund's sword. His eyes flickered back towards Caspian and the realization flooded over him.

'Prince Caspian?' He asked. 'Princess Catherine?'

Caspian squinted, suspiciously. 'Yes?'

Edmund frowned and turned to Catherine, analysing her features. He looked her up and down, taking her in before hesitantly lowering his sword. They continued to stare at each other, brown eyes against blue, blank expressions hiding their thoughts.

'And who are you?' Catherine shouts out, not breaking eye-contact from the strange fighter opposite her.

There is a silence as nobody responds and Catherine frowns, turning to Caspian who is running Peter's sword gently through his fingers, analysing the lion head on the handle. He looks up and tenses, straightening his posture, respectfully.

'High King Peter?'

Peter smirked, smugly. 'I believe you called?'

Catherine's breath hitched, lodging itself in her throat as she blinked.

Of course. She thought. If the stories were true, then of course they would be.

She grinned, brightly, feeling slightly giddy and full of enthusiasm as she kept her eyes trained on Peter, Lucy and Susan, as if she had met a celebrity. Opposite her, Edmund studied her expression with knitted eyebrows, confused as to why she seemed so excited to see them.

'I thought you'd be older.' Caspian said, confused, making Catherine sigh, deeply at his social skills.

Peter smiled, feeling confident and smug as he turned away, as if to walk back into the woods alone.

'If you like, we can come back in a few years-'

'No!' Caspian yelled out in despair. 'No, that's alright. You're just not what I expected, that's all.'

He turned to Susan, who blushed and turned away. Catherine raised a suspicious eyebrow. She scoffed, rolling her eyes at her brothers' expression and chuckled, slightly, looking back up at the fighter in front of her. She smiled, gently to herself, his soft features and deep brown eyes beginning to form a picture in her mind, one she had analysed through textbooks and bedtime stories.

His eyes caught gera and a shiver ran through her spine as his brown eyes scanned her down, suspiciously. She never broke contact, even as he extended his hand for her to shake.

'I'm King Edmund the Just.'

King Edmund the Just.

Catherine pursed her lips, warily but took his hand regardless. 'I know.'

'A common enemy unites even the oldest of foes.' Trufflehunter said, smiling in achievement and puffing out his chest.

Reepicheep scampers away from his previous position beside Catherine and instead appears in front of Peter, who looks down at him with a surprised expression, his eyebrows raised to his forehead.

'We have anxiously awaited your return, my liege.' Reepicheep announced. 'Our hearts and swords are at your service.'

He bowed, making Lucy blush and whisper into Susan's ear.

'Oh my gosh, he is so cute.'

Reepicheep spun around, offendedly holding out his sword, flicking through the people to fight an unknown enemy. 'Who said that?!'

Edmund chuckled and smiled from his position, absentmindedly turning towards Catherine, who supported a new smile that painted itself upon her freckle-dusted face. They grinned at each other, seeming to forget about their previous resentment and battles directed towards the other. Edmund flushed and turned away, coughing gently as he averted his attention back towards his siblings.

Lucy jolted up, frightened and upset that she had been scolded by the mouse. 'Sorry.'

'Oh, uh... your majesty,' Reepicheep blushed, somewhat embarrassed he had threatened one of his rulers. 'With your greatest respect, I do believe that courageous, courteous or chivalrous would more befit a knight of Narnia.'

From behind, Edmund watched the scene with a bewildered expression. He frowned, squinting towards the mouse, who had begun to bow and jump around with excitement.

'Is that a rat with a sword?'

Catherine let herself grin, brightly, turning around to the boy with a gleeful expression. She was glad that the mistake earlier she made had been made by another, and it let her feel much more at ease.

'I think he prefers the term valiant mouse.' She told him, a smirk on her rose-pink lips seeming to illuminate the rest of her face, accented by the dappled light of the forest.

'Well, at least we know some of you can handle a blade.' Peter addressed him, his tone jabbing towards Caspian, who scowled.

'Yes, indeed.' Reepicheep nodded, grateful for the praise. 'I have recently put it to good use securing weapons for your army, sire.'

'Good,' Peter said before turning back towards Caspian with a pointed look. 'Because we're going to need every sword we can get.'

'Well, then.' Caspian smiled, sassily. 'You will probably be wanting your back.'

Catherine chuckled, a soft sound that made Edmund smile and Caspian smirk, knowing that his sister was able to see his intentions to humiliate the High King. Peter frowned and snapped it from his hand, clicking it back into his pocket. He shook his head, walking off with long, determined strides and Caspian followed close behind, marking the beginning of their journey.

Edmund smiled and put his hand out in front of him, to indicate that Catherine should go ahead before continuing behind her with a cheerful expression.

..

through the forest lead by Peter, who appeared to be entertaining a semi-civil conversation with Caspian about their strategies and tactics to claim back the Telmarine throne.

'It's good that we have enough troops, but we need fortifications.' Peter was saying with a concentrated look. 'Somewhere to train.'

Caspian smiled, eager to know something that the High King had not already been told. '

'Don't worry, we've got that covered.'

'So?' Trufflehunter was saying, speaking in a hushed whisper as he turned around to Trumpkin, whom he had just reunited alongside, greeting him with a large hug that he enjoyed immensely more than the dwarf had. 'What are they like?'

Trumpkin took little time to reply. 'Malcontents, complainers, stubborn as mules in the morning.'

Trufflehunter hummed and gave a small smile. 'So you like them, then.'

'Well enough.' Trumpkin grumbled before glancing towards Catherine, who was walking behind them. 'What about the Telmarine loyalty? Just as bad? Or worse?'

Trufflehunter jumped forwards, excited to discuss his newest acquaintances and guests.

'Oh, they're very different from us.' He explained. 'The boy is very uniform, determined and impatient, he is, but the girl seems awfully dreamy. You would like her, Trumpkin, she's got the kindest heart.'

Trumpkin grunted in response, doubtfully, but didn't reply. Behind them was another pair, the aforenoted girl walking alongside the aforenoted boy, who was watching her bright, excited expression as he showed her his torch. He held it gently in his hand, holding it out for her to see, and she picked it up in awe, her eyes wide and doe-like. Edmund grinned, amused as he continued to watch her squeal after accidentally turning it on, emitting a bright light from the tip and earning a grumble from Trumpkin that was almost blinded. She didn't seem to mind, her eyes trained on the new technology.

'You seriously don't have these in your castle?' Edmund repeated once more, his voice laced with amusement and disbelief.

Catherine grinned again, her cheeks beginning to redden. She shook her head, causing her hair to run down her face and she hopped a little, animated.

'I don't know why! This is much more efficient than candlelight!'

The boy chuckled and Catherine gleamed, nodding ecstatically and tapping his shoulder to look over his shoulder. 'Show me what else you have!'

Edmund complied, easily, and searched through his satchel, hoping to find more things to amuse her with. While he rushed through it, Catherine let out a large sigh and tilted her head up towards the sky, watching the leaves cascade towards them. Her hair tumbled down her back.

'Isn't it ?' Catherine cooed.

Hearing her, Edmund looked back towards her and followed her gaze back towards the sky. He squinted from the brightness and nodded. 'Yeah, I suppose.'

There was a long silence as they stared up at the branches, the improvised melody of bird songs fluttering through the air like butterflies. The sky was sparkling with a shade of blue Catherine had never been exposed to, the verdant hues of green clouding her vision and making her forget the grey tones of the Telmarine castle walls. Catherine truly believed that the forest itself was a work of art; that no artist could accurately pain the beauty it portrayed. It was a muse for all, that the same shades of blue that littered the sky during the day and the illuminated sun was obviously trapped in the paintings hung on the walls of the castle, deciphering the way the flowers bloomed in the waking summer.

Edmund had stopped staring at the sky he couldn't describe as anything other than blue, and turned his attention to the girl beside him. He used the time to look back over to her, a dainty, petite beauty that perfectly resembled a soft damsel in distress. Edmund knew better.

After their sword fight, Edmund realized that while Princess Catherine had a golden, pure heart, she was perfectly capable in taming the cruellest man with her persuasive tongue and eyes made of glass. Tanned, sun-kissed brown skin that easily resembled a doe, Edmund's eyes drifted to her rosy-lips, that were curled into a delicate, tiny smile as she admired the nature of his home. Quickly, he found his eyes flicking over every detail in her face, the small freckles that lined her nose and cheeks, to the unfamiliar magical glimmer that appeared in her eyes after she scrunched up her nose to reveal a mischievous smirk that he felt she was all-too-familiar with.

Suddenly, the girls' gaze peered up at him – blue connecting with brown – and Edmund bashfully altered his stare towards the clumps of leaves they stepped over. Catherine smiled at him, her cheeks beginning to redden and she giggled, making him hide a smile as he turned his head away from her.

She opened her mouth to speak-

'Catherine? Can you come up here and help me?'

Catherine's head instantly whipped around in direction of her brother and turned back to Edmund with a small, sympathetic smile before running towards the front of the line. Edmund watched her as she left, his lips pressed into a soft, tight-lipped smile as he was left to walk the rest of the way alone.

He couldn't help but frown in disappointment when he couldn't study her features anymore.

Princesses, huh?

And so it begins...

They've met, whooo! Celebration!

Now I get to add in some of the good stuff, it gets much more interesting I promise you. Edmund is such a baby though, aww.