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'Su!' Elvira's soft voice rings in my ears as I slowly wake up. I hear the servants rushing through the hallways and excited voices echoes through the air when light hits my eyelids. I groan and turn around, covering my head with one of the pillows on my bed.

'Susan,' I hear Elvira state again.

'Hmm?'

'You do know it is your wedding day?' I hear her chuckle and her footsteps through my room.

By the mane!

I open my eyes and turn around, lifting my head from beneath the pillow. Elvira stands, already dressed in a beautiful purple with emerald dress. The emerald compliments her brown eyes, which are sparkling with joy.

'Lucy is on her way. Come on, sleepy head.' She laughs again and pulls the heavy blankets off me.

I shiver when the morning air creeps up on me and I dangle my feet over the edge of the bed.

Today I am going to be married to Caspian. Today we are going to be husband and wife.

'Su!' Lucy comes rushing in, the door closing hard behind her. She is dressed in blue and silver, her silver crown on her head and her auburn curls dangling on her shoulders. She looks rather shocked when she sees I'm still in my nightgown and she gives Elvira a curious look.

'I tried.' Elvira sighs dramatically and Lucy clacks her tongue.

'Are you having second thoughts?'

'What? No!' I shake my head. 'No, no!'

'Why are you still sitting on the edge? Come on, Su!' Lucy says, sounding slightly irritated. 'We are getting late.'

I let my feet hit the cold wooden floor and Elvira and Lucy rush me into my wardrobe room. Lucy opens one of the blue doors and reveals my wedding dress; it has a high neckline, with pearls on the bust and lace sleeves, a tulle skirt and a long veil which holds my golden crown. It is a beautiful dress, fit for a Queen. Even Peter said so.

Lucy helps me with my make-up and Elvira does my hair, making a half up-do. When they are done, Lucy wipes her tears away and embraces me tights. Elvira also embraces me as I hold both of them close. The three of us smile at each other. I turn back at the mirror and look at the woman. The marking on my head is still slightly visible but I wear it with pride.

'Su?' Lucy takes my hand and leads me out of the wardrobe room where Peter and Edmund are waiting. When we come out of the room, they smile brightly. Elvira kisses Peter happily and he slides his arm around her waist.

'You look beautiful, Susan!' Edmund exclaims as he embraces me and kisses my forehead.

'Look out for her make up, please!' Lucy cries out and I chuckle.

Peter holds out his hand. 'Are you ready?'

I nod. 'Ready as I ever be'

'Come on then.'

Edmund, Lucy and Elvira leave. Edmund is the best man and Lucy is my maid of honor and as a new tradition, Elvira is my second. That is more because Lucy was too excited to arrange everything and Elvira had to step in to help.

I squeeze Peter's hand as we walk down the halls towards the grand stairs that lead down towards the throne room.

'I want you to know, Su, that I am so proud to be your brother.'

I swallow my tears away as I look at him. It is six months after the fight and some scars are still visible. But his blue eyes shine brighter than ever before. Elvira makes him so happy!

I hear the trumpets as the guards have announced our arrival and the doors of the throne room open.

'Pete,' I whisper quickly as we walk farther. 'I love you so much!'

The smile he gives me, makes my heart jump in joy and I squeeze his hand. I look up and see all our friends smiling at us and at the end of the aisle. Edmund next to Caspian with a very big smile on his face. And my Caspian has the biggest smile of all. He is dressed in a royal blue tunic decorated with jewels.

When Peter and I arrive at the end of the aisle, Peter lays my hand in Caspian's waiting one. The sun shines brightly through the windows behind the thrones and suddenly he stands there, in all his mighty glory.

I knew he would come, that he was the one to marry us. I hear gasp all over the room, but we are his children and we can only smile when the great Lion looks at us.

'I am not too late, I hope,' he jokes and his voice thunders through the room.

Peter kisses my forehead and together with Elvira, Edmund and Lucy, they sit down behind us.

I take Caspian's other hand as we stand before the great Lion.

'My children,' Aslan begins. 'I have never seen a love like yours, you truly belong together. Say your vows and begin a new life as husband and wife together.'

I swallow and Caspian smiles warmly at me, his brown eyes shine happily as he begins: 'My love. Today I pledge to you what has already been yours for so long, my eternal love. As we have always done, I promise you to walk hand-in-hand with you through life's journeys. No matter what lies in our path, it will be our path, together. In the joys and troubles that lie ahead of us, I will be faithful and loving to you.

You are blood of my blood, and bone of my bone. I give you my body that we may be one. I give you my spirit 'till our life shall be done. You are blood of my blood, and bone of my bone. This is my solemn vow.'

Oh, Caspian. A silent tear rolls down my cheek and he bows forward to wipe it away. I take a deep breath as I start my own vow.

'Caspian. You cannot possess me for I belong to myself. But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give. You cannot command me, for I am a free person. But I shall serve you in those ways you require and the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand. I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night. And the eyes into which I smile in the morning. I pledge to you the first bite from my meat, and the first drink from my cup. I pledge to you my living and my dying, equally in your care. I shall not slander you, nor you me. I shall be your shield for your back and you for mine. I shall honor you above all others, and when we quarrel we shall do so in private and tell no strangers our grievances. I pledge to you my everlasting love. This is my wedding vow to you.'

Now it is his turn to cry and I laugh as I wipe his tears away.

Aslan looks at me and then at Caspian. 'And with that said, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your queen,' Father says with a smile as Caspian slips his hand around my waist and pulls me against his chest. He laughs as his lips find mine and we kiss.

My head spins as we pull back and the crowd cheers.

I am his!

✦✧✦

The night is still young and the alcohol flows richly while everyone is dancing. The Fauns are playing songs of old and Lucy is dancing with the dryads. She looks so happy!

'Look at Lucy,' Edmund sighs happily, standing next to me with a goblet of wine.

'And look at Pete!' I point to our older brother, happily dancing with a healed and shining Elvira; her purple with emerald dress flows with every step she takes as Peter spins her around. His eyes sparkle with love as he holds her close by the waist, never letting her go again.

With the battle ending, he never left her side. He was so afraid that she would be taken again, hypnotized by Jadis.

The same was for me; Caspian was so afraid. Like all of us, the weeks after the battle were full of crying, talking and a lot of hugs. Also our people were happy that we were alive and well and especially with the news of the wedding, things were very fast back to normal.

'Su, you know. I never thanked Aslan enough to bring you back,' Edmund stutters.

By the mane... I know he drank too much. His face is red and he slurs a bit as he talks.

'Yes, you have, Ed. Like ten thousand times already. Father even said it was enough and he did it because he loves us,' Isay.

Edmund smiles and when a girl, who dances by, holds out her hand; he takes it and together they dance away from me. I shriek a little when I feel two hands on my waist, who turns me fast but gentle around.

I look at his brown eyes that are sparking from joy and a little bit too much alcohol. He kisses me softly but passionately and I laugh.

'Caspian,' I warn him but I still wrap my arms around his neck.

'Are you ready to retire to our room, my wife?' He is trying to be seductive but failing miserably.

'I am, yes,' I chuckle and kiss him again. I am so ready to wear something more comfortable.

'Su!' Peter exclaims shocked, knowing fully well what I meant. He and Elvira are standing next to us, Elvira hushes Peter as he too drank too much.

'By the mane,' she sighs. 'Are they all drunk?'

I giggle at her words.

'Susan, you too?'

'I am not drunk!' I exclaim a bit offended, but by the sight of Elvira's smile I know she is joking.

'Go, be with your husband! I'll watch him and Edmund. And maybe Lucy.'

I look in the same direction as Elvira and one of the younger guests is talking with Lucy.

'He is in training, to be a knight,' Elvira says knowingly.

'Thank you!' I embrace Elvira tightly. I give one last look at my siblings, dancing the night away.

Caspian takes my hand and leads me away from the feast towards our bedroom.

✦✧✦

'Susan.' Caspian kisses me passionately as we enter our room.

I giggle as I gently push him away.

He takes off his jacket as fast as he can and his tunic as well.

I quickly take off my crown and veil and rush towards the bathroom. My heart is almost beating out of my chest; I really want this, but I am so afraid. I look at myself in the mirror; my cheeks are flushed and my eyes sparkle. I feel so alive. And happy. Above all happy.

'Su?' Caspian stands in the doorway, dressed in only his pants, his worried face looks at me. 'Are you alright?'

I take a deep breath. Suddenly he is next to me, taking me in his arms. He lifts me from my feet and carries me towards our bed. Still worried he sets me down on the bed.

'It's just, I am afraid. That it will hurt again.' The last sentence is a whisper but he did hear it. His face drains from every colour and he takes my hand tightly in his. 'Susan. I am not him. And by the mane, I cannot forget what he did to you. But what he did was not love. I only want to love you, my Gentle Queen.'

The silence that follows is pressing heavily on my chest. I look at him and only see him, not Rabadash. Not the man who ruined me. I am not ruined, Father healed me. My body and my spirit. But sometimes I feel that my soul is still trapped with him, but then. There is Caspian, my saviour, my everything. My husband.

'Susan.' I am pulled out of my dark thoughts by my dear Caspian.

'We don't have to, you know. I love you. Susan, I love you.'

'But,' I try.

'If you don't want to, if you are not ready. . . you don't have to.'

I silence him with a kiss. 'But I want to. I want to make love to you, Caspian. I want you, only you. Rabadash may have had me. For a moment yes. But you have me, forever.'

The smile he gives me matters to me more than everything in the galaxy combined, and all of my fears flow away.

Caspian kisses me again, softly, lovingly.

This is the beginning of forever.

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