tremendously stunning as both the Narnians and the Telmarines gathered around the podium, the backdrop of a river and Narnian forest glittering in the sun behind them. They chattered, happily amongst themselves as the Pevensie children stood on the stage, talking in hushed tones to Aslan and Trumpkin.

Behind the stage, secured by a small line of olive-trees, Caspian was beginning to think he wasn't quite ready.

He was breathing in and out, quickly and deeply in an attempt to ease his nerves and clear his mind. He was going to be King. How could he do it? How would he do it? He was only Caspian, he was a Prince not a King.

At the starting of an overwhelming panic, a petite figure appeared behind him, her shadow making an appearance and moulding into his, making him spin around and sigh in great relief.

'Cas.'

He breathed out once more, instantly rushing into her arms. Surprised by the sudden affection, she began to chuckle, awkwardly patting his back and wishing that he would stop trying to crush her, as she was starting to have trouble breathing. Caspian was evidentially very worried, and whenever he seemed so stressed, it was a coincidence that on the verge of his panic, his little sister was always nearby to help calm him down.

He let her go with a major reluctance before stepping back to admire her.

'You look , Cath.' He said, with a genuine, soft smile. 'You look like her.'

Catherine blushed at the compliment, her eyes beginning to turn glassy as she realized that she did, in fact, resemble her mother the day that she was crowned Queen. She wasn't sure about how she felt about this sudden realization, and it churned knots in her stomach; many of excitement and many of nerves.

'It's about time I looked good for once.' She teased. 'After all those days running around in the forest and getting myself all dirty, I deserve a pretty dress and some pretty flowers in my hair.'

Her brother laughed, lightly and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side.

'Are you ready?' She asked, quietly.

Caspian breathed in. Could he ever be ready?

He ran a hand through his long, obsidian hair and swallowed, turning pale.

'I'm going to be the King of Narnia.' He said, a simple response that made Catherine explode into a fit of giggles.

'And a good one, at that.'

He turned to her, surprised and his features softened, clouded by an undiminishing worry as she reached out to fix his robes, his tie loosely knotted around his neck after he had made a nervous habit of pulling it down. 'You think so?'

She nodded. 'Oh, I know so.'

Caspian flashed a grin forwards, looking out onto the stage. 'You do seem to know an awful lot, sister.'

'Have I ever been wrong?' She smirked before nudging her head towards a certain dark-haired Queen that stood upon the stage, conversing with her brother. 'And I know for a fact, that I'm not wrong about that.'

Caspian turned to her, his eyebrows furrowed. 'What?'

'You. And her. Both of you.'

'Us?'

'Well, not us. I'm not a part of this. But yous.'

Caspian frowned. 'That's not grammatically correct.'

Catherine let out a loud sigh, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose in pain.

'Just go do your thing.' She announced and watching him grin, triumphantly. 'I'll be right next to you.'

Caspian gulped, nervously before handing her a strict nod and walking forwards onto the stage. Catherine grins lazily and looks down at her dress, smoothing it out before regaining her posture and following him, her expression turning formal and much less-teasing than she wore with her brother.

'Oh, lets get this over and done with.'

just as it does to man. Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to, but for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers.'

Catherine thought it was a kind gesture; recognizing that the Telmarines may not be comfortable with living alongside unfamiliar creatures they had spent their whole life learning were uncivilized and malicious, only to find out that these characteristics were held by their own King. The whole situation was quite barbarous.

'It's been generations since we left Telmar!' A villager called, confused and slightly more aggressive than necessary. Catherine shot him a glare.

'We're not referring to Telmar.' Aslan spoke up. 'Your ancestors were seafaring brigands, pirates. There, they came across a cave, a rare chasm that brought them here from their world. The same world as out Kings and Queens.'

The Pevensies shared a shy look.

'It is to that island that I can return you.' Aslan continued, making the crowd murmur. 'It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start.'

A hand was raised almost immediately.

'I will go. I will accept the offer.'

Catherine snapped her head up at the voice, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Glozelle stood up from the crowd and began to walk towards the stage. Upon his appearance, Catherine began to grin, happily, and she nodded towards him. He nodded back, his own smile appearing on his face. Behind him, her Aunt, Prunaprisma stood forwards, a Telmarine Lord and her baby, Catherine's cousin, by her side and in her arms.

'So will we.' They announce, much to Aslan's pleasure. Catherine smiles, pleased that they were offered the opportunity of a new start.

'Because you have spoken first,' Aslan says, nodding. 'Your future in that world will be good.'

He breathes out, deeply casting a spell onto them and the trees behind Caspian behind to twist, forming a round, magical opening. Catherine catches a smell of something she doesn't recognize, sensing magic almost instantly as the openings glitters protectively from his spell. Hesitantly, the trio walks forwards, uncertainty clouding their minds. Aslan nodded towards them in reassurance, and this seems to give them more motivation as they each step into the tree, vanishing from sight.

Gone.

Catherine pouted. She had blinked.

The villagers began to gasp in horror, accusing Aslan of holding the tree as a threat and attempting to murder the last of the Telmarines. Caspian frowned at the accusations and the knowledge that the Telmarines still felt they were at war. But the war was done. He made sure of it.

'How do we know he is not leading us to our death?'

Valiantly, Reepicheep took a step forwards, his sword flashing against the light in his hand.

'Sire, if my example can be of any service, I will take eleven of my mice through with no delay!' He announces, swinging his sword with an elegant strike. Catherine grinned at this enthusiasm and noble commitments.

Aslan responded by silently turning towards the Pevensies. Catherine felt her stomach flip. Peter stepped forwards. It was like they had rehearsed. The thought made her bubble with an uneasy anxiety.

No. No. No. No.

'We'll go.'

Edmund snapped his head up, appalled and shocked at the idea. Suddenly, Catherine felt his hands reach over to hers and entwine their fingers together.

'We will?' He asked, disbelief and a small anger laced within his words.

'Come on.' Peter says, turning back to his siblings. 'Our time's up.'

Catherine felt her teeth grind against each other. She had grown fond of Peter over the past few days, despite his rational decisions and the daunting hero complex that made her want to burn our her eyes and slash open her skin with her sword. But he was now taking away something that made her happier much earlier than they had agreed.

It wasn't fair. She didn't have enough time to say goodbye.

She had so many plans on how she and Edmund were going to spend the next week together, she wanted to show him all of the castle's hidden passages and take a picnic down at the river they had previously went to. She wanted him to show her all of the beautiful parts of Narnia, his favourite secrets that she had never seen, but desperately wanted to. It wasn't fair. She didn't have enough time.

Peter walked towards Caspian with commanding, decisive strides and offered him his sword. 'Afterall, we're not really needed here anymore.'

Caspian felt himself swell with pride at the compliment he knew meant much more than just what Peter had said. Although he never admitted it, he always craved the High King's approval. It made him flush and turn away, euphoria sweeping through his heart. Caspian accepted the sword with a polite nod.

'I will look after it until your return.' He announced.

'I'm afraid that's just it. We're not coming back.'

Caspian felt his heart fall.

Not only did it fall, but on the way down, it hit everything it passed, causing it to bruise and crack, but never break. Never shatter. For a minute, he wish it would have. It would have been better, easier, than dealing with the broken pain.

Catherine knew exactly what that felt like. Edmund's hand curled tighter around hers, transmitting a message. I'm not letting you go. Peter can tear us apart, for all I care, I'm not letting you go.

Lucy faltered, squeaking out shyly. 'We're not?'

'You two are.' Peter says, gesturing towards Edmund and Lucy. 'At least, I think he means you two.'

'But why?' Lucy cried out, appearing in pain. The tone made Catherine wince. 'Did they do something wrong?'

'Quite the opposite, dear one.' Aslan says, in a calming voice. 'But all things have their time. Your brother and sister have learned what they can from this world, now it's time for them to live in their own.'

'It it's alright, Lu. It's not how I thought it would be, but it's alright.' Peter said, reassuringly. As he flinched at his own words, Catherine wasn't quite convinced that he meant them. 'One day, you'll see too.'

He nudged her forwards and she looked down, sadly. Edmund's feet stayed on the ground.

'Come on, Ed.'

Edmund had no choice. He let go of her hand.

Peter shook Glenstorm's hand before turning around to face Catherine, who hadn't moved from her position. He smiled softly towards her, walking down to say goodbye.

'I'm sorry.' He said, admitting he was wrong. 'I'm sorry.'

'It's alright.' Catherine replied, but her words came out so dryly that neither of them were convinced. She sighed and he grabbed her arm, pulling her in for a tight hug. She closed her eyes, desperately trying to keep the warmth of him until he pulled away. She sniffled, slightly.

'I'll miss you, indefinitely.'

Catherine snorted and rubbed her nose. 'In that case, I'll try miss you too, you pompous git.'

Peter chuckled, a sad melody before Lucy arrived at her feet, sniffling at the goodbyes.

'I'll think about you all the time, Princess.' She said, her voice muffled from Catherine's dress. 'I never got to make you those muffins.'

'And I you, my Queen.'

They gave each other one last look before letting go, unlocking from their tight embrace. Lucy nodded before turning towards her brother.

Edmund couldn't stay away, and instantly replaced his sister, jumping into her arms and breathing in deeply. Vanilla and Rose. That was what she smelled like.

Vanilla and Rose.

'You can come with us.' He said, his eyes urgent and glassy as he quickly flicked between hers, their noses almost touching. 'You could stay here, everyone in Finchley would adore you. They would love you-'

Catherine looked down, soft tears beginning to run down her face and she shook her head. Edmund hated to see her cry, and fought to resist the urge to catch them with his lips. Instead, he cupped her face and wiped them with his thumb. He took notice of her lips, rosy with a small, shimmering tint.

He took comfort in the knowledge that she had found the perfect lipstick, afterall.

'I would want nothing more.' She said, her voice cracking. Edmund grinned. 'But I must stay here.'

But. He felt his heart shatter, fragments littered upon the podium for the crowds to see.

'It is my duty, as Princess.' She said, finally locking his eyes. 'How would Caspian lead without me?'

Edmund stood up straighter, matching his original height. He cleared his throat, loudly, as he voiced his decision.

'Then I will stay here. In Narnia.'

Catherine let out a sad laugh, salty tears dripping onto her tongue. 'You can't. Your family needs you.'

'And I need you.'

Catherine shook her head, her smile faltering and he felt a pang in his chest, resounding throughout his body. He took a step closer towards her, begging her not to push him away. He wrapped his hands around hers, soft and gentle. He clenched his jaw, pressing his forehead against hers. Catherine could feel the breath rush out of him, the tension in his shoulders not seeming to leave. His voice turned into a whisper.

'Tell me to stay.'

Catherine swallowed and moved her hand to cup the back of his neck, the other wrapping his hand in hers. She felt all of her emotions at once, flooding through her. And it stung her. It stung her.

Princess Catherine had always been smart. She had been good with numbers, and with words, and yet King Edmund the Just had found a way into her heart, a secret opening she usually reserved for herself.

And the worst of it was that she let him in.

She had been hoping, with all her strength, with all her hope, with all of her romantic, problematic love, that he would never leave her. That he wouldn't stray and that he would stay by her side so they could rule together and get married together.

She gasped for air between them, and softly said, 'Go.'

Edmund snapped his own head up, his eyes desperately scanning hers as he felt her heart close and she pushed him away. She pushed him away.

He was in a fluster, his eyes widening and he found himself confused and dazed by her words, wishing that he had done something sooner because now that she had said it, she couldn't' take it back. He knew that she was far too stubborn for that.

So, when she pushed him, he was forced to fall.

And he fall away from her.

'Take this.' She said, pushing her hair aside and taking off a necklace, placing it in his hand. She looked up at him with her brown, doe-eyes. A plead at her lips.

Don't lose it.

'May we meet again.' He said, his own voice seeming foreign as he forced himself to remain calm, but how could he remain calm?

She dropped her head, not meeting his gaze, because she knew if she would, she would just reel him back in. She couldn't. It wasn't fair.

'May we meet again.'

As he walked into the portal, he disappeared just like Glozelle, and the Telmarine Lord, and her Aunt Prunaprisma. He had disappeared, back to his Kingdom in Finchley.

Catherine pouted. She had blinked.

Hello. This is sad.

I'm feeling quite depressing today, so I thought I'd give you this and break all of your hearts. Don't worry, there's and Epilogue coming soon - which doesn't really make sense because I didn't right a prologue but don't mention it, I'll survive - and then I'm hoping to write a sequel pretty soon.