♘

         THE SIBLINGS AND TRUMPKIN hid behind a log as they exited the woods. Telmarine soldiers were preparing for battle and building machines. They were also cutting up the Dryads for wood to build a bridge as well. It made Dorothy sad as she always used to dance with Dryads back in the Golden Age and it broke her heart seeing the soldiers cutting them down. As soldiers rode on horses near them, they quickly ducked down to stay hidden and not get caught.

Susan, who was next to Peter, looked at him. "Perhaps this wasn't the best way to come after all," she whispers.

They glanced back over the log and watched the soldiers carefully as they kept building. Making up his mind, Peter got up and headed back through the woods. Everyone got up quickly and followed after him.

♘

"So, where exactly did you think you saw Aslan?"

They were back at the cliff again and Dorothy was standing at the edge, looking across the gorge. Hearing Peter's question towards her, she turned around and glared up at him.

"Will you all stop trying to sound like you're grown-ups?" the young Queen snapped, looking between Susan, Peter, and Trumpkin, who all looked surprised at her outburst. " I don't think I saw him. I did see him." She then walked away from them.

"I am a grown-up," Trumpkin muttered as he blinked in surprise.

Behind him, Edmund stifled a smile as Lucy giggled quietly. Dorothy ignored him as she walked past the three and stopped near the edge of the cliff.

"It was right over--" She let out a scream when the ground beneath her fell.

"Dorothy!" Susan and Lucy screamed as they ran to the edge with everyone else. They peered over and saw Dorothy sitting on a small ledge beneath them, causing them to release a breath of relief.

". . .Here," she finished, looking up at them with a sheepish but cute smile. Her siblings cracked a smile as well before looking down and seeing a narrow path that led deep into the gorge.

Dorothy led the way through the gorge and she stepped on a rock, she let out a surprised gasp as she almost slipped. She would've fallen if Trumpkin, who was behind her, hadn't caught her and steadied her up. The youngest queen gave him a grateful smile and he nodded softly in return before they continued.

♘

That night, Dorothy was the only one awake at their campsite and looked up at the stars with a small smile. The Narnian sky was beautiful during the night and she was thankful Aslan crowned her to the stars. To most, stars were just stars, but to Dorothy, stars were one of the most magnificent things in the world and she hopes to be an astronomer when she grows up.

"Dottie, are you awake?" Dorothy heard Susan whispering to her.

In response, Dorothy hummed quietly before turning around on her side to face her eldest sister.

"Why do you think I didn't see Aslan?" Susan questioned as she sat up as well.

"You believe me?" Dorothy asked hopefully.

"Well, we got across the gorge."

"I don't don't know," Dorothy shrugged, looking at her older sister. "Maybe you didn't want to."

"You always knew we'd be coming back here, didn't you?"

"I hoped so."

After a few minutes of thinking, Susan sighed before lying back down. "I finally just got used to the idea of ​​living in England," she said rather annoyed.

Dorothy furrowed her eyes in confusion. "But you're happy to be here, aren't you?" she asked her sister in concern.

"While it lasts."

Quietly, Dorothy laid back down as well before turning on her side so her back was facing Susan and closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.

♘

A few hours later, Dorothy woke up to soft growling. She sat up and looked to see that it was dusk and also noticed that her siblings and Trumpkin were still sleeping. Grabbing her dagger, Dorothy stood and walked away from the campsite to find out what made the growling.

As she walked through the forest, petals flew around her and she the sound of giggling as the petals turned into a Dryad. She smiled softly, feeling happy that the Dryads were alive once again. She stopped in the middle of the forest as another Dryad made the trees move and created a path for her.

Slowly, Dorothy began walking again before hearing her name.

"Dorothy. Dorothy."

Her pace quickened as she followed the voice and when she rounded a corner, she spotted a large, majestic lion on top of a rock.

"Aslan!" She giggled as she ran towards the Great Lion and hugged him as he chuckled softly. "I've missed you so much!" Dorothy pulled away and smiled when she noticed that Aslan had grown in the past year. "You've grown."

Aslan smiled softly at her. "Every year you grow, so shall I."

Dorothy continued smiling until her smile dropped. "Where have you been? Why haven't you come to help us?" She questioned sadly.

"Things never happen the same way twice, Little Cub."

♘

Dorothy's eyes snapped open when she heard a twig snap in the distance. She sat up and realized that her talking to Aslan was only a dream. She then looked over at her older sister.

"Susan! Wake up!" She whispered-shouted, trying to wake Susan.

"Huh? Certainly, Gin," Susan mumbled in her sleep.

Sighing, Dorothy turned to Lucy. "Lucy? Lucy, wake up!"

However, Lucy didn't wake up and continued to sleep like Susan. Dorothy sighed once again before giving up and heard another twig snapping in the distance. The young queen stood up and grabbed her dagger before wandering off through the woods. Dorothy walked up to a tree and placed a hand on it with a sad look.

"Wake up," she muttered before continuing. A few minutes later, a soft growling could be heard and Dorothy smiled hopefully. "Aslan?"

Suddenly, a hand covered her mouth and pulled her down into the bushes. Noticing it was only Peter, Dorothy calmed down as he let go of her mouth and they both peered over the hedge of the bush. A Minotaur was spotted walking through the trees, causing Dorothy to gasp softly as she and her eldest brother ducked back down.

Dorothy looked up at Peter as he signaled her to be quiet before slowly walking towards the Minotaur. He drew his sword quietly and before he could attack the Minotaur, a young man had attacked him first. From the bushes, the courageous queen watched as her brother and the unknown soldier clashed their swords together.

Dorothy watched as Peter swung at the man, who quickly ducked and pushed Peter to the ground. The man grabbed the sword, which was plunged into a tree and her eyes widened when Peter grabbed a rock.

"No, stop!" she yelled, coming out from her hiding place as Peter and the man looked towards her.

Soon, Narnians came from their hiding place and Dorothy looked around in amazement and shock. She then looked towards her brother, who was staring at the soldier with furrowed eyebrows.

"Prince Caspian?" He questioned carefully.

"Yes? And who are you?"

"Dorothy! Peter!"

Upon her name being called, Dorothy looked behind her as her other siblings and Trumpkin ran next to her. The man, known as Prince Caspian, looked toward Dorothy and her other siblings in surprise before noticing the golden lion hilt of Peter's sword.

"High King Peter," he realized and Dorothy could barely hear the Spanish accent.

"I believe you called," Peter said, his voice filled with sarcasm.

"Well, yes, but. . . I thought you'd be older."

"If you'd like, we could come back in a few years."

"No! No, that's alright. You're just. . . You're not exactly what I expected," Prince Caspian explained, looking around the other young kings and queens, his eyes lingering on Susan longer.

Noticing his lingering eyes on her, Susan smiled softly and blushed a little. Dorothy, who was in between her and Lucy, giggled quietly, noticing the exchange.

"Neither are you," Edmund retorted, staring at a Minotaur.

"A common enemy unites even the oldest of foes," A honey-badger wisely says and Trumpkin looks towards him, rolling his eyes.

"We have anxiously awaited your return, my liege," A large mouse says respectfully to Peter. He then bowed. "Our hearts and swords are at your service."

"Oh, my gosh, he's so cute," Lucy whispered to her sisters.

"He's adorable," Dorothy whispered as well, agreeing with Lucy.

"Who said that?!" The mouse snapped, drawing his sword out, and waved it around.

The girls flinched as Dorothy apologized to both of them. "We're sorry."

Noticing it was the young queens, he softened. "Oh, uh. . . Your Majesties, with the greatest respect, I do believe "courageous", "courteous", or "chivalrous" might more befit a knight of Narnia," the mouse said, placing his sword back in his sheath.

Peter smiled down at the mouse. "Well, at least we know some of you can handle a blade," he says in an impressed voice.

"Yes, indeed," the mouse nods proudly. "And I have recently put it to good use, securing weapons for your army, sire."

"Good," Peter thankfully, turning towards Prince Caspian. "Because we're going to need every sword we can get."

"Well, then you will probably be wanting yours back," Prince Caspian retorted, handing Peter's sword over to him. With a rude gesture, Peter grabbed his sword and placed it in his sheath before turning away from the young prince before he led the way.