#every second I’m not telling mother to look upon my throat infection it plagues my body further

[eggsbenedictinurmom]

I feel like absolutely DOGSHIT this week but at least I finally finished my Au’s 06 Sonic campaign timeline today

[eternityunicorn]

Love Me Apocalyptic: Part Ten - Finale +18

Author: eternityunicorn 

Genre: Romance/Drama/AU

Pairing: Elijah Mikaelson x OC

Warnings: Violence, Smut (*Smut chapters marked +18)

Summary:  AU of an AU - Elijah Mikaelson and Eternity had been lovers centuries ago. Betrayed, he had thought that he would never see her again. However, in present time, she has returned with a purpose, intertwining their paths once more. Elijah hates Eternity for the past, but finds his addiction to her is still as profound as it had been before and he cannot fight it, leaving him in a complicated relationship with his former lady - in an apocalyptic love.

NOTE: OC and original elements are from my up and coming novel series!

AUTHOR’S COMMENTARY: This chapter is an AU of TO Season 4, Episode 13. It is also the last chapter! Thank you to everyone who has been reading! I promise to carry on with ‘Wicked Game’ and ‘Cosmic Reset’, now that I have completed this fic. I also have been working on my new fic ‘Domestic Bliss’, though I’m still not sure when I’ll debut it. I’ll keep those interested posted on that. For now, please enjoy this last installment of ‘Love Me Apocalyptic’!

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Five years had passed by since Eternity helped defeat the prophecy against the Mikaelson family. Every day of her absence was agony for Elijah. It reminded him so much of when they had parted ways that century and half ago. It had gutted him then, making him feel as if half of him had been torn from him, as if the ethereal woman he had loved so completely had taken part of his heart with her. His feelings were the same now.

At first, he had been able to distract himself with recovering Rebekah’s body and helping Niklaus dismantle Lucien’s rather clever operation. They made sure that every trace of that lunatic’s experiments and discoveries had been destroyed. 

For good measure, Elijah went after the Strix, particularly Aya, of whom had carried on trying to break the sire bonds to no success. He killed her and the witch coven that had been behind the attempt, save for Davina Claire, whom had only wanted to resurrect his little brother Kol, an endeavor of which she eventually succeeded in. 

As for the Strix themselves, Elijah took command of them for a while, but eventually had made the decision to disband the group instead. The rotten poison that had been Tristan de Martel had infected the group too deeply to reeducate them into following a different direction. Therefore, the Original used his pull as their sire to scatter them to the winds, releasing them from their loyalty to the Strix and to him, with the threat that if they carried on violent ways of the Strix operation, he’d find them and kill every single on

Soon, peace had fallen upon the Mikealson family and the pain of loss Elijah felt could not be ignored. Eternity’s ghost haunted him everywhere he turned. He attempted to distract himself by devoting a lot of time to teaching his young niece Hope the piano and the works of Shakespeare, but even that wasn’t enough to keep him completely sane.

Speaking of his niece, Hope Mikaelson had grown into a beautiful little girl. She learned something from everyone. She learned magic with Freya and Kol, painting from Niklaus, and dancing and fencing from Rebekah. They all taught her how to play, taking time to play games with the young girl that she would normally participate in with friends her own age. Elijah’s brother refused to let the child out of his sight, as the threat of the Hollow was very real and Eternity had yet to return to them. Therefore, the Mikaelson family took up the slack, trying to provide the child with as much childhood fun as possible to fill the void.

Eternity....

As the years passed, Elijah waited for the ethereal beauty to return, with the promise to confess his love for Eternity as well as apologize for his behavior, the moment she came back, before he lost her forever. He couldn’t let that happen. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t do everything in his power to keep her with him. He knew now that the past didn’t matter and he wouldn’t let it rule him any longer.

Then one day, the Hollow appeared. 

The vengeful spirit came after Hope, infiltrating her little body and taking over. Eternity remained a no show and that lead the Mikaelsons to desperation. Vincent Griffin, one of the more powerful witches of New Orleans, had answer for them: he could divide the evil Hollow into four of the Originals, sending them away to different corners of the globe for the rest of their immortalities. It wasn’t a perfect plan, as the Mikaelsons had strong bonds that always forced them back together eventually, but it would save Hope. Therefore, Elijah, Niklaus, Kol, and Rebekah had all agreed to it. 

The four Originals stood together, standing on four sides of an unconscious Hope, whom was had chains upon her wrists to suppress the Hollow and was being held by Hayley. They were ready to preform this ritual of Vincent’s, prepared to be separated forever. 

“Hayley, when I tell you to, I want you to take the manacles off,” Vincent instructed. “Hold onto Hope. Do not let her go. Everybody else, when this spell is over, you got to get away from each other, and you have to stay away from Hope.”

“Just what is going on here?” Called Eternity suddenly. 

All eyes turned to where she stood in the distance behind Elijah. All the Mikaelsons were relieved to see her, standing there like the saving grace they had been hoping for. 

“So, the time has come at last,” The ethereal beauty said. “It seems I arrived right on time, before you lot did something incredibly stupid.”

Elijah was overjoyed to see her. He couldn’t believe his eyes, at first, though, none of them could. She hadn’t forsaken them, after all. She had come to fulfill her promise just in the nick of time. 

“It’s about bloody time,” Niklaus chastised her. “You have a nasty habit of waiting until the last second to show up. We were about to split up the family, thinking that you had abandoned us and that we had no choice.”

“Well, I am here now,” replied Eternity. “Therefore, there is no longer a need for you to scatter.”

“Just who the hell is this?” Vincent asked, having yet to meet Eternity.

The immortal queen turned to him and smiled politely, “I am the one who is to destroy the Hollow. My name is Eternity. Now...show me your enemy.”

The witch stepped away with his hands up in surrender, while Elijah moved aside to reveal Hayley holding the sleeping Hope. 

Eternity saw the little girl being held by her worried mother and approached swiftly, coming to kneel beside the female hybrid. “Do not worry anymore, Hayley,” she spoke softly to her. “I am here to save your daughter and rid this world of the Hollow, once and for all.”

“How?” Hayley asked in a small, shaky voice.

“I will extract the Hollow from Hope and then I will simply erase it from existence,” she answered as if removing something as powerful as the Hollow from existence was an easy task, when it sounded extremely difficult. “It will be over quickly and I swear no harm will come to your daughter in the process. She will be alright. I promise.”

“That easy, huh?” The worried mother tried to smile.

Eternity reached over and put a comforting hand upon Hayley’s shoulder, “It is that easy. Please, place the child on the ground and we shall begin.”

Hayley did as she requested and gently laid her daughter on the ground. Then she stepped back to stand by Niklaus, whom put a comforting arm around her. 

The procedure was quick. The ethereal woman put her fore and middle fingers together on Hope’s forehead, then closed her eyes in concentration. Almost immediately did the bright blue orb of the Hollow’s spirt rise out of the little girl’s body. With her other hand, Eternity reached for the orb, wrapping her hand around it and then squeezing it tightly in her fist. 

“Be gone,” she growled and in an instance, the vengeful spirit vanished. 

Everyone looked around them to see if the Hollow was truly gone, especially with how it seemed too easy for the immortal queen to snuff it out of existence so anticlimactically. When it was obvious that the creature was gone for good, they all let out sighs of relief. 

Then Hope woke and smiled at her family, bringing joy to everyone around her. 

Elijah was greatly relieved to see his niece healed, but none were not quite as much as the little girl’s parents, whom fell to their knees beside their child and embraced her tightly. The crisis was over and his family would remain in tact. It was all thanks to Eternity. 

Speaking of which, the older Original looked down to smile at the immortal queen, but found that she was no longer among them. It seemed as though she had vanished, just as the Hollow had in her hand. He looked around, but didn’t find a trace of her. Immediately, the feeling of devastating heartbreak welled up in him and he suddenly found it impossible to breathe. 

Had she truly gone? Out of his life just like that?

It would seem so.

Elijah tried to focus on the happy moment of victory, but found it had turned sour for him. Of course, he was so very glad that his niece was alive and well, no longer plagued by the evil of the Hollow, but it was still tainted with his bitter heartbreak.

He soon retired to his study, needing a drink...or ten. He was certain he was going to become the first vampire alcoholic in history, because he was going to need a lot of it to quell the emptiness he felt. He poured himself a bourbon quickly and sipped at it, finding it hard to swallow through the lump that formed in his throat.

Then as he stood before the fireplace, watching the flames as his mind reeled, Elijah heard her voice say, “Ah, there you are.”

His head turned sharply in disbelief to see Eternity standing in the doorway. He gazed at her, finding his words dying on his lips before he could speak them. He felt relief and anger and such incredible joy seeing that she hadn’t left after all well up inside him, until he felt as if he might burst with the mixture of emotions.

“I was only stopping by to tell you that I’m leaving...for good,” she told him, as she leaned against the door jamb. “My promise is fulfilled. The Hollow is defeated and your niece is safe once more. It is time I move on - it is time for us to move on. I will love again one day, as I know you will. I wish you nothing but happiness, Mr. Mikealson.”

Elijah shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. 

No, she couldn’t leave! He wouldn’t let her!

In that spilt second of hearing her parting words, he dropped the glass in his hand upon the two hundred year old carpet, effectively staining it with bourbon, and was across the room in a few short strides. He reached for her and kissed her soundly, clutching the back of her head as he did so. 

“You’re not going anywhere, Sweetheart,” he murmured to her with his forehead pressed against hers firmly. “You are going to stay right here with me, because I refuse to go another day without you by my side. These past years with your absence have only cemented just how much I need you - just how much I love you.”

As they pulled apart, Eternity’s eyes sparked with joy and her lips spread into a wide, loving smile. 

“The past doesn’t matter anymore. Just stay with me,” Elijah practically pleaded with her. “Stay with me...always and forever.”

“I was hoping you were going to say that,” she grinned, just as she leapt into his arms with her legs wrapped securely around his waist and kissed him breathlessly. “I love you, Elijah Mikaelson.”

“I love you, Sweetheart,” he responded, before the moment took him and he sped away to his bedroom, shutting them up inside.

He turned and pressed her against the door, kissing her fervently. He was feeling frenzied in his happiness. Therefore, he didn’t waste any time in disrobing her. As he had in the past, he used his vampire strength and tore the flimsy white dress from her body, tossing the pieces aside. Then he pulled Eternity from the door and carried her over to the large bed, dropping her down upon the soft surface gracefully. 

Elijah took a moment to admire her naked form, finding only perfection in it. In an instant he was hovering over her with his mouth immediately attached itself to her neck, nipping and suckling at the skin there. 

Soon, his lips began a journey downward. One at a time, he suckled at her breasts, taking a peak into his mouth while kneading the other in his palm. Then moving along, he trailed his mouth over her ribs and her stomach, her hips and finally the mound between her parted thighs. 

Eternity sighed when she felt his mouth there and her back arched slightly in anticipation.

He took a moment to grin devilishly up at her, before he pressed his tongue against her clit, lapping and suckling at it until the ethereal beauty was nearly bent in two and gasping his name on repeat. Her hand reached down to threat through his hair and pressing him closer to her still. 

With a cruel chuckle, Elijah pulled away completely, rising to stand by the bed above her. He licked his lips, tasting her delicious flavor, just as he growled playfully, “I’m going to enjoy making you scream for me, Sweetheart.”

In an unexpected move, he suddenly found himself pinned to the bed by Eternity with her straddling his hips and her hands holding his to the mattress in a firm, unbreakable hold. It was her turn to grin devilishly at him and to growl playfully. 

“Oh, my love, it is long over due for you to be the one made to scream,” she murmured, as she kissed his lips hotly, her tongue darting inside his mouth to taste the mix of him and her. 

Abruptly, the Original found his clothes vanished from his body, feeling the soft fabric of the bedspread against his skin instead of that of his suit. He pulled his mouth away from hers to stare at her in surprise, to which she responded only with a coy smile. Then he was attacked with her mouth latched onto his throat, biting and suckling at the skin, before moving on down his broad chest, his ribs, and stomach, just as he had done to her.

Elijah groaned in anticipation as Eternity moved closer to his hardened length, waiting and wanting to feel her wonderful mouth around him. However, the sensation never came. He was being denied.

“I’ll enjoy your cock in my mouth another time, I think,” the little minx told him as she smiled evilly and moved back up his body until her center was positioned over his hardness. 

He could do nothing, as he was held down by her powerful psychic binds. He was completely at her mercy. Yet, he couldn’t say he minded. At least, not much, aside from his slight irritation over her denying him the pleasure of her mouth. 

Elijah’s annoyance evaporated quickly as he felt her take him into her body, sinking down on him until he was buried to the hilt. He groaned at the sensation of her warm wetness encasing him. His eyes closed as she began to move over him, moving at a rapid pace right away. 

He ached to touch her, to reach for her, to caress her skin as she moved. He also felt the urge to take control away from her, to grab her hips and control her movements. 

Yet, the Original was powerless. He could only watch Eternity desperate and feel whatever she was willing to allow him to feel. Even so, in his growing madness, he growled at her and fought uselessly against the invisible restraints she had placed upon him. 

The ethereal beauty was a cruel lover indeed. She bounced up and down, taking him higher and higher in pleasure, until he was just about to fall over the edge. Then she stopped, smirked wickedly down at him as he groaned in agonizing disappointment, only to begin again. She did this over and over again, riding him hard and fast until he neared completion and at that moment, abruptly stop. 

It was long before Elijah was truly desperate, mad with his need to come. “Please...please,” he begged her, not caring how undignified it was. “I’m so close, Sweetheart. I need - I need....”

Eternity grinned at the way he trailed off and finally took pity on him. She let go of her cruel teasing and rode him, as hard and fast as she could muster, until they fell over the edge together. 

The Original’s climax was powerful. He arched and screamed in abandon as he spilled into her. The pleasure that washed over him was intense. It was incredible and it left him feeling weak beneath his lady - and she was his.

At last, the sated ethereal beauty let him go and he was free to move. 

Immediately, Elijah grabbed her hips and rolled her beneath him, while his still hard cock remained inside her. He grinned wickedly at her, while she giggled playfully. He pinned her hands on either side of her head by lacing their fingers together, as he hovered over her. As he stared down at her sweet face, he knew that he never wanted to be parted from her again. He no longer cared about the past nor was he worried that she might once more betray him. She had already proven that she wouldn’t by saving his family on more than one occasion. 

As he began to move inside her slowly, he kissed her lips tenderly and murmured, “Marry me, Eternity.”

She blinked at him rapidly in surprise, before she broke out in a wide, tender grin, “Yes, of course!”

Elijah smiled at her answer and kissed her more passionately. All the while, he carried on taking her slowly, unhurriedly. He showed her his love now without holding back, without being afraid. Nothing made him happier in that moment. Everything was perfect.

Soon, it would be more so as he would eventually be calling Eternity his wife. Then they would have all of their immortalities to spend together - in a love that was anything, but apocalyptic.

The End

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Tag List: @elejah-wonderland @missnmikealson @dendrite-lover @xanderling @elejahforever @inmylifeilovedthemall @elizamonet @freshsuitcasewinnereagle @lolelijahishot @loulouisa @mikaelsonwetdreams @x-memi12 @hawaiianohana31 @elijahandkollover @teekillerin @iamaquarius2

[temptation-narnia-chronicles]

From Upon the Golden Thrones

Episode 4: Outbreak, Part Two

      Galma was a land of antique charm with cobblestone roads and cozy little buildings backed right up against one another. Once the Splendor Hyaline docked, memories of childhood visits flooded Eilonwy's brain. Unlike those happy times, however, now all she saw was disease and despair. I guess the trouble living in such close quarters, she thought to herself, is the increased contagion. People wailed in the streets, faces pale and bodies bruised, as they clung to one another and prayed for a miracle. A collective silence spanned across the deck as the ship's crew began preparing the luggage for unloading. Eilonwy glanced to the kings and queen, instantly aware of exactly what they were thinking: we never should've come here. But Lucy. They had to get Lucy.

     Swallowing hard, Peter straightened his back and turned to his men, ordering them to lay down the plank so that they may depart. The wavering in his voice only emphasized his fear and uncertainty.       Peter clenched his hands at his sides as he and his confidantes waded through the sea of dead and dying. A cocktail of fluids puddled and trickled through the streets, swirls of crimson and pale yellow and snot green. Puss oozed from blisters and blood dribbled past chapped lips. It was a wonder how anyone would come here voluntarily, but Lucy did.       "I'm beginning to regret not wearing pants" Susan muttered, gathering her skirts in her arms so as not to stain the hem. Eilonwy rolled her eyes and trotted past her. Despite her cool exterior, however, inside the huntress was constantly restraining the urge to vomit. Not only the sight but the smell-- oh god, the smell!-- was enough for anyone to keel over and die. Galma was transforming into a mass graveyard of unburied bodies left to fester and rot in the summer heat.       Something churned inside Susan's chest at the sight of such terror, something far less brutal than disgust. Though the scene was hardly bearable, the gentle queen forced herself to see past the sores and the screams to the people behind them. She saw mothers cradling lifeless children, husband's crying over dead wives, children wandering aimlessly without a parent to steer and hug them. This is why Lucy came here. This is what Lucy needed to do: to help them. And perhaps it was what Susan, and even the others, needed to do, as well.       As they walked along steep, residential hillsides toward the estate at the very top, Edmund did his best to steer clear of everyone as best he could. The last thing he wanted was to contract the disease himself. The higher they climbed, however, the narrower the streets grew and soon Edmund's plan faltered, his elbow bumping into a mass of body on his right hand side.       "Oh! S-sorry!" he murmured, eager to rush off as quickly as possible. A gasp echoed from behind him as a hand reached out to grab his arm, keeping him trapped in his space. Edmund panicked, struggling to break free, but when he turned around, was met by a pleasantly familiar face. "Nefyn?!"       The young centaurette smiled, though it was clear she was incredibly weary. Her caramel skin had grown dull and dark circles had formed beneath her eyes. "I didn't expect to find you here, in such a place!" she exclaimed. She leaned in to hug him but then thought better of herself at the last minute. If she was a carrier, she didn't want to put Edmund at risk.       "...and then the duke ought to think rather highly of us by then, don't you think?" Susan spoke as her and the others trekked upward. "If anything, I'm sure Edmund can negotiate some sort of alliance, right Ed?" As she turned to face her younger brother, however, she panicked to find him gone.       "Oh, great" Peter muttered. Instinctively, he barreled back down the pathway in search of the just king. First Lucy, now Edmund. As is the apparent pattern. Finally, a wave of relief. "Nefyn?!"      "Good day, your majesties!" she greeted with a slight bow. "Edmund was just telling me of your journey here in search of Lucy."       Peter's attention was instantly captured. "Lucy! Have you seen her? Where is she?" he demanded.       Nefyn laughed coolly and shook her head. "Don't you worry, your highness. My father and I have had her well looked after. She's been of great assistance to us these past few days. Last I saw her, she was with my father down on the other side of the island" she explained.       Peter wasted no more time. Like a bullet, he scaled the mountainside to the very top, pausing to catch his breath at the summit. From the patio of the duke's estate, he could see all the way to the desolate beaches. His eyes frantically scanned the village below in hopes of finding any glimpse of Lucy but to no avail. If he was to have any luck finding her, he'd have to search on foot.       By the time Susan and Eilonwy reached the estate, Peter had already disappeared into the east side of the island, leaping over body after body and calling out Lucy's name. "Shouldn't we go after him?" Eilonwy inquired.       Susan shook his head. "Peter would only get frustrated if we imposed. I say we stay here and wait for his return" she said. Though she tried to keep her voice steady, it was obvious she was insanely worried. Perhaps she didn't have the strength to do anything but wait and pray. Clasping her hands together, she scurried into the estate to briefly greet the duke himself and alert him of their arrival. Eilonwy gazed out into the vast expanse for a moment before sighing and shaking her head.       "Please let her be safe..."       Down in the fray, Nefyn led Edmund through the tight alleyways talking of her adventure. "This is probably the worst epidemic I've seen, well, ever! I wish there was more we could do, though. It seems like all we've tried is never enough. Lucy's cordial has been of great use to us but even then, it doesn't prevent them from contracting the disease again. And unfortunately, the second hit is often worse than the first" she explained, motioning to a small pile of bodies heaped up against the wall like firewood. The centaurette pursed her lips and knitted her dark brows together in pity.       "Do you know what it even is?" Edmund asked, careful not to step on anyone. Nefyn shook her head.       "I wish we did, Ed. I truly wish we did. Even my father said he's scarcely seen a sickness the likes of this before and he's seen everything. Perhaps it's some new kind of disease taking hold, maybe contracted from the livestock here. That seems to be a common cause of these sorts of things-- pigs and chickens and the like" Nefyn explained. Ed nodded slowly. He had remembered reading about the Bubonic plague in history class, the way it spread through Europe from infested rats and wiped out nearly half the population. A shiver ran down his spine. In the midst of his thinking, however, his care in watching where he stepped faltered and he tripped over a rogue leg spread out across the path. In one swift motion, he went tumbling to the ground, extending his arms out before him to at least break his fall.       Nefyn squealed and whipped around, pounding her front hooves against the cobblestone in shock. "Ed, are you alright?!" she exclaimed. The just king sucked in a breath as he used Nefyn's flank for support in lifting himself up.       "I think so..." he mumbled. There's something significantly disorienting about tripping over a dead person's body part into the stickiness of unidentified bodily fluids. The smell as it stuck to his skin like mucus amplified his disgust.       Kicking into work mode, Nefyn cautiously checked the just king once, twice, even three times over to ensure he was truly alright. However, she was rather displeased to find a scrape on his knee that tore right through his hose.       "Bollocks!" she whispered to herself, immediately ripping a scrap of cloth from one of her saddle bags. "Here, we need to treat this immediately" she demanded, wrapping the wound in a panic.       "It's just a scrape. I'm fine, really" Edmund tried to reassure her, but she was unconvinced.       "Ed, if that scrape gets infected-- especially by all this gunk in the streets-- then I guarantee you, you will be in a world of pain. We need to get you out of here now" Nefyn explained. The urgency in her voice forged a lump high in Edmund's throat, as if highlighting the severity of the situation. His eyes panned to the heaps of bodies, their puss filled buboes and blood stained lips. His stomach flipped. Before he could dwell on his circumstance any longer, however, Nefyn had grabbed his wrist and hoisted him up onto her back in one swift motion. "Hang on tight!" she commanded. Edmund nodded once, dazed, and instinctively wrapped his arms around her bare waist. A shiver ran up his spine but not necessarily the bad kind. He could feel the hard muscles in her abdomen flex as she galloped toward the estate, determined to keep her friend safe.       From the other end of the island, Peter weaved his way through the narrow streets, cursing under his breath that apparently Galma wasn't build for quick pursuit. He swore he saw Lucy in every little girl he passed, his heart pounding at the sight of emaciated children who reminded him so much of the valiant. But Lucy wouldn't get sick. She'd be fine. She was fine. He had to be sure of it, constantly reassuring himself so as to not drive himself mad. Not that he wasn't already going mad. By now his lungs ached, numb legs forcing him to stop for a breath. The High King leaned against a pillar, gasping, scanning the hillside down toward the sea desperate for any sign of his baby sister. His thoughts were clouded with the horrendous coughs of nearby victims, blood spluttering from their mouths and contributing to the sea of fluid pooling in the streets. This was not the place for Lucy. Absolutely not. He had to find her if it was the last thing he did. There were only so many places on this island where she could be, anyways. He glanced back toward the estate, a beacon of safety and hope atop the hill, before sucking in a deep breath and proceeding down through the dirtied streets.       "Oh yes, we plan to do all we can to help your country retaliate from this terrible tragedy" Susan spoke, words cool and collected as she grasped the hands of the Galman duke. Eilonwy nodded vigorously, hands clasped tightly behind her back. Unlike the gentle queen, the maiden had remained silent nearly the entire time, unsure of what she even could say in such an instance. International affairs were never exactly her forte, after all. And besides, she was far too preoccupied with more pressing matters at hand. Eilonwy found it hard to believe Susan was so composed when her baby sister was down in the wreckage among so many diseased and dying. The huntress gazed down at the village below, the red streets cluttered with bodies, and shuddered at the thought of sweet little Lucy weaving through such a scene. Surely Susan was thinking about it, too.       As they spoke, the duke's eyes shifted from Susan to the doorway, then instantly interrupted with a "Miss Nefyn! What a joy to see you! How are things down in the fray?"       "No time to chat, your regency. We've got an urgent matter at hand" Nefyn said quickly, and as she galloped closer it became very clear that Edmund was upon her back.       "Ed, what on earth do you think you're doing?" Susan instantly exclaimed, rushing forward.       "We had a bit of an accident" Nefyn replied.       Susan's eyes instantly drifted down to Edmund's injury, eyes widening and a gasp escaping her lips. "Ed, what the devil--?! How?!" she panicked.       "Well..." the just king began. "I may or may not have tripped over a dead guy's leg and scraped my knee." The gentle queen stared at him with wide, panicked eyes for a moment before sighing and slapping her palm to her face.       "I suggest quarantine. That's the only certain way to ensure the scrape remains well cleaned and void of any risks of infection" Nefyn replied matter-of-factly. All the color drained from Susan's face as she slowly sunk into the nearest chair. It was bad enough she had Lucy to worry about, but now Edmund, too? Fantastic.       "Wait, what about the cordial?" Eilonwy finally spoke up. All eyes turned to her, surprise painting the duke's face. By now he had probably just assumed the huntress was a mute.       "We can't do anything until we find Lucy" Susan added. Eilonwy nodded slowly, eyes drifting from the gentle to the just. Nefyn gave a single nod before turning to the duke, who ushered the centaur and the king back to the residential hall.       Edmund rested a hand on Nefyn's back for comfort, staring at the abundance of oil paintings in hopes it would get his mind off of what was to come. No matter how many serene scenes of pottery and verandas at sunrise, however, all he saw were corpses and blood.       "It isn't much" the duke stated, swinging open the door to a guest suite, "but it should suffice." Great windows lined the far wall, the rest of the room occupied by frescos and potted plants. It was nothing like the marble beauty of Cair Paravel-- rather, this place was more earthy and warm. It reminded him of photographs he had seen of Venice and Tuscany, an old world charm filled with hospitality and seasoned culture.       From upon the balcony, Susan gazed across the island and to the horizon. "Peter ought to love this" she murmured.       "When do you think he'll return?" Eilonwy inquired. The gentle simply shook her head. They both knew well enough that Peter wouldn't stop until he found Lucy, but he had been gone for so long that the waiting had given them each ample opportunity to overthink. What if Lucy had disappeared? What if she was kidnapped? What if she was dead? They both willed away the thoughts.       As they stood in silence, suddenly an idea sparked in Eilonwy's brain. She turned to face the balcony itself, the little mosaic dinette and their most significant belongings. On the back of one of the chairs hung Susan's bow and quiver and, along with it, her horn. "Hey, Susan..." Eilonwy said slowly. "What did Father Christmas say again about that horn?"       Susan furrowed her brow a moment before piecing together what Eilonwy was getting at. "Oh, no you don't!" she exclaimed.       "But why not? He said to use it if we're ever in danger, correct?" Eilonwy argued.       "Yes, but--!" Susan began but was quickly interrupted.       Eilonwy skated toward the table and ran a finger along the length of the horn. "Well, you would classify this as an emergency, wouldn't you? Your baby sister gone, your younger brother hurt. Peter is bound to respond...and so should Lucy."       It was a tempting offer, certainly. The quickest way to get everyone back together, but Susan couldn't help but fear it was a misuse of power. They weren't in any danger as far as she was concerned. If they were to blow the horn, then Peter and Lucy would surely think there was some imminent emergency, a life or death situation. Not that Edmund's injury was any less important, but certainly not life or death. Or at least Susan prayed it wasn't.       Eilonwy eyed the queen expectantly, eyebrow raised and finger lightly caressing the ivory. "Well...?"       Peter huffed as the sun set on the island, reaching the edge of town with little success. His eyes burned from the sweat dripping off his brow and the stitch in his side made left his lungs screaming for air. Dammit, Lu, he thought to himself, if this is meant to be some sick game of hide and seek, you win. In his effort to track Lucy down, he quickly realized the trouble with little girls: they had a serious inability to stay in one place. Surely if she had rooted herself in one spot, he would've much more easily found her but he knew Lucy well enough to know that's never the case, especially when on a mission. She was no doubt overflowing with determination to heal every person she could find, meaning she'd be buzzing through the streets with cordial in hand like a hummingbird, impossible to catch.       As he leaned against the dock and sighed, an alarming sound suddenly reached his ears. Faint, echoing from a higher altitude, but distinct all the same: Susan's horn. Without a second thought, Peter's immediately jolted back through the streets toward the estate. Maybe Lucy went back, maybe she was hurt or ill and needed immediate attention. Peter didn't know and he didn't care. All he was certain of was that he needed to follow the sound.       "Where's Lucy?!" the High King gasped, skidding to a halt at the estate's entrance.       "I thought she was with you!" Susan shrieked. Her dark hair was in minor disarray, a surefire sign of her distress.       "I've been looking for her all afternoon but she's nowhere to be found" Peter replied. His voice wavered at the admission, hating the way the words felt in his mouth.       "Well, now we've got more than just Lucy to worry about" the gentle said. Peter's heart skipped a beat, looking Susan over before turning his attention to Eilonwy and then back. The huntress twisted her arms around her waist in anxiety, shaking her head softly and averting her eyes. Unhurt.       "Edmund...?" Peter murmured. Susan nodded. The magnificent cursed under his breath before barrelling toward the hall.       "It's no use. He's on quarantine" Eilonwy called after him. Her words stopped Peter in his tracks, whipping around to face her in terror. "It's not as bad as you think. Promise. He just got a little scrape and Nefyn suggested quarantine for his own safety" she continued. She figured someone might as well give him the full story, and Susan didn't seem in any condition emotionally to explain.       "Not as bad as I think? Lucy is still missing, Edmund's sick, and I'm losing my head!" Peter shouted.       "Peter, please try to calm down..." Susan murmured, hesitantly skating forward. A bejeweled hand reached out in comfort but at the last second, the gentle thought better of herself and retracted.       "I can't calm down! This was all a huge mistake. Lucy never should've come here" Peter raged. Then, much quieter, voice strained: "This is such a mess." Defeated, he sunk into the nearest chair and buried his face in his hands.        "What's a mess?" a small voice then called from the doorway. Everyone recognized it immediately. Lucy.       Without a second thought, Peter and Susan unanimously leapt from their seats to take her in a massive embrace. The valiant was drenched in shouts of Don't ever do a thing like this again! and Thank Aslan, you're alright! and even an I can't believe you'd do such a thing! You had us worried sick!       "If I knew I'd come back to this kind of celebration, I'd run off more often!" Lucy joked, wrapping her arms around her siblings. They both stared at her unamused before she shook her head and pulled them close. "I'm kidding! But it is such a relief to see you all here. But...where's Edmund?"       Peter and Susan's faces fell at the inquiry. How were they supposed to tell Lucy her big brother was sick? Or at least at a higher risk of getting sick, that is. After a moment of silence, Lucy knew something was definitely up, cocking her brow in suspicion.      "Ed had a bit of an...accident" Susan said cautiously. Lucy stepped forward, urging her to continue. "He was out helping Nefyn when I guess he fell and...scraped his knee. He's perfectly fine! Just kind of...on quarantine for the time being. Nefyn was scared the cut might get infected if he doesn't stay put."       Tilting her head to the side, Lucy looked at her siblings in great confusion. "I don't understand. I can just use my cordial on him and he'll be fine! You're all so dramatic" she chuckled, swatting away their insecurity. Peter nodded, dumbfounded, as Lucy then asked, "I'll go take care of him. Where is he?" and with that, Peter, Susan, and Eilonwy led the littlest Pevensie back to Edmund's chamber.       A light knock and the door creaked open to a rather indulgent scene. Edmund laid back in the luxurious bed, pillows abound, as Nefyn sanitized the scrape with utmost precision. A silver platter of fruits and cheeses rested beside the just king, sucking grapes off the vine and sipping a goblet of the finest wine.       "Is this what happens when you get hurt in this country? If so, count me in" Eilonwy joked, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorway.       "Ed, what the bloody hell is going on?" Susan exclaimed. Edmund paused mid-chew to look up at them, a cheesy grin spreading across his lips.       "The duke felt so bad about my getting injured that he offered me this great room with around the clock service and all I can eat!" Edmund gushed. Susan narrowed her eyes.       "It's a minor scrape!" the gentle shouted.        "It's an unexpected injury at risk of infection" the just corrected. Susan rolled her eyes and groaned, yet again slapping a palm to her forehead.        "Don't you worry, your majesties. The duke has appointed me Ed's personal servant and nurse. Anything he wants or needs, it's my duty to give it to him. Bandages, sponge baths, snacks. Anything!" Nefyn stated, raising a hand in salute.       Peter rolled his eyes, exclaiming "No sponge baths!" before Lucy rushed forward, cordial in hand.       "It's alright, Ed! I'm here. One drop and you'll be good as new!" the little queen reassured. She uncapped the bottle and tilted it toward Edmund's lips but there was serious panic in his eyes as he covered his mouth and shook his head. "Edmund, what's wrong?" she asked in great confusion.       "It's just..." he stammered. "Your cordial! Look how low it's gotten! Do you really want to waste a valuable drop on a kid with a little scrape on his knee?" he explained.       "I thought you said it was 'an unexpected injury at risk of infection'?" Peter prodded. Ed glared, whispering at him to shut up, before softening his gaze to Lucy.       "But you're my brother! It's no trouble, really!" she protested.       "No, Lu, I wouldn't dream of it! I'll be fine. Save it for the others. The ones who need it far more than I do" Edmund replied. He rested a hand on Lucy's and smiled softly, but Peter knew better.       "You're just doing this so you can get the royal treatment, aren't you?" he accused. Edmund's eyes widened, a dramatic gasp spilling from his lips.       "Peter! I am offended you'd think such a thing!" he began but before he could say more, Lucy interrupted.       "It's alright, Edmund" she said. "I understand. I understand completely." Underneath the sweetness, there was something conniving about her tone, eyes glancing from Edmund to Nefyn and back. "Take all the time you need to get better and rest yourself." She kissed him on the cheek before backing away from the bed, motioning for the others to follow her, explaining that they had lots of hard work to do and were wasting time. Ed watched wide-eyed and, to be honest, slightly unnerved, as the door creaked shut. Once fully alone, his cheeks burned bright red, a nervous chuckle escaping through his awkward grin.        "Little girls. They're just so dramatic!" he joked to Nefyn, as if it would ease his discomfort. Nefyn eyed him suspiciously before slowly turning back to her cart of lotions and salves to reorganize the bottles. When she wasn't looking, Edmund buried his face in the pillows and sighed.       Moonlight cast the island in an ethereal glow as the Pevensies sat around the balcony in collective defeat. "What are we supposed to do now?" Susan asked, glancing to each of her present company.       "What do you mean 'what are we supposed to do now?' I think it's very clear what we're supposed to do" Peter replied.        "Peter's right. We really only have one option" Eilonwy spoke. "Edmund can't leave until the quarantine is lifted. The quarantine can't be lifted until the epidemic is cured. And the epidemic can't be cured until we find the source of the sickness and beat it from the root." It was this last sentence that truthfully took everyone by surprise, fully capturing everyone's attention.       "Where did you come up with that plan?" Susan questioned. Eilonwy shrugged.       "What about my cordial?" Lucy asked. "I've been rushing around the entire island trying to cure everyone, you can't tell me all that effort has gone to waste!"       Eilonwy shook her head. "It hasn't, Lucy. But if we don't defeat the source of the sickness, no matter how much you use your cordial, people are just going to keep getting sick over and over again" she replied. Lucy frowned, eyes downcast, at such a harsh slap of reality. Perhaps all her effort had gone to waste, then. Perhaps this entire trip was a waste. All she wanted was to help people, but hearing it that way, she began to feel like nothing more than a hamster on it's wheel: constantly running but getting nowhere.       "Alright, then. So how do we find the source of the sickness?" Peter asked. Now this was a question Eilonwy didn't have an answer to. She averted her eyes, studied the grout in the flooring, chewing on her bottom lip.       "Face it, Pete, she has no idea. She's all talk" Susan then said. Peter didn't want to believe her, but as Eilonwy's silence dragged on, it became harder and harder to have faith in the huntress.       "You really don't know, do you...?" he finally asked, quietly, cautiously. Eilonwy glanced at him, unable to maintain eye contact, with a sorry shake of her head.       "Oh, well that's just brilliant!" Susan erupted. "We've come all this way only to get stuck here without any idea of what to do! Perfect! We should've just grabbed Lucy and gone back to Narnia while we still had the chance."       "Hey!" Eilonwy shouted, finally breaking. "None of this is my fault! It's not like I cast some sort of curse across the entire island like some sort of witch! Maybe if I wasn't the only one coming up with ideas, then we'd be getting somewhere!"       "Stop it!" Lucy interrupted. All eyes turned to her. "Arguing isn't going to help anything."       "Lucy's right" Peter sighed. "If we yell and fight, we're just going to make matters worse. We need to work together to figure this out. All of us." A small smile touched Eilonwy's lips as her and Peter locked eyes for a split second. Something fluttered inside her at his defense, a notion of care and respect. She shoved it deep down inside of her. There were more important matters at hand.       As the sun peeked over the horizon, the Pevensies suited up to enter the fray. Lucy babbled on about protocol and all that she had already experienced alongside Nefyn and Aesop, but deep down she was terrified. All she could think about was how low her cordial was getting and of all the sick, helpless people in the streets below. What if she really couldn't save them all? Her breath hitched.       Wading through the streets absentmindedly was one thing but diving straight into the sea of death and disease was another entirely. Rather than just bodies, now they saw people. Real, living people with lives and hopes and dreams and families. Eyes clouded over with mucus and cold hands clammy to the touch. The Pevensies were like angels to those desperate for their help. As they wandered through the streets, the beggars reached for them in desperation.       I can't believe Lucy voluntarily immersed herself in this, Susan thought in disbelief. The stench was what tortured her the most, the smell of dead bodies hanging in the air and constricting her throat until she thought she'd suffocate. But the further they walked, the more saddened Susan became. So many pale, sickly faces and tear-stained cheeks. So many children left to fend for themselves, naked and emaciated and afraid. One bumped into her as he crossed the street, eyes wide as he profusely apologized to the woman he could only imagine was an archangel herself. Susan's heart broke at the sight of him and she instinctively just wanted to wrap her arms around his frail little body and hold him close, show him the comfort and care he so desperately deserved. How many more children were like this? She choked back her tears.       Back at the estate, Edmund gazed out to the village below. Something within his chest began to stir, an unsettling feeling like an itch you can't scratch. He thought of his siblings down there among the dead and dying, of how helpless he felt trapped up there in that room. The novelty of it all had worn off rather quickly, much to his displeasure.       "You alright?" a voice called from behind. Ed turned around to find Nefyn at bedside, pouring various liquids into a small beaker and stirring with a glass stick until the colors combined into a dark sludge.       "I've been better" Edmund replied, trudging back toward his friend. "And apparently so has that. What is even in that?" The closer he came, the more powerful the smell grew until he had no choice but to cup his hand over his mouth.       "I've been working on a new remedy for those god-awful buboes. This is just one of the many attempts" she explained. The centaurette stared at the beaker with great concentration, as if at any moment it would explode or vanish into thin air. "Fingers crossed this time it actually works!"       Edmund chuckled as he sat adjacent, crossing his legs at the edge of the bed. "How many other mixtures have you tried?"       "Eighteen" she said bluntly.       "And none of them worked?"       Nefyn shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. Buboes seem to be a rather tricky thing to get rid of. Not that there isn't already a way to get rid of them. I'm just trying to create something more...effective."       A small smile graced the just king's lips. "I'm sure you'll get it this time, then."       "You think so?" Nefyn asked, finally looking up from her work. Edmund nodded. The sincerity in his eyes made her heart skip a beat, filling her with great joy. "Thank you, Edmund. That really means a lot to me" she then said, resting a hand on top of his knee. Blood rushed to Ed's cheeks but he tried his best to hide it. "You know" she then continued, "I'm really grateful the duke assigned me to look after you-- and that my father approved. It feels nice to be in charge of something for once."       Edmund cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"       Nefyn cheeks reddened as she shook her head. "It's nothing. Just that...sometimes I feel like my dad doesn't trust me enough to take care of things on my own. Like he doesn't think I'm good enough, always needing constant supervision and strict direction. He doesn't believe in new achievements in the medicinal community, which means my experimentation really ticks him off. My father is very...by the book, so to speak."      "But what about illnesses without any cures yet? I thought finding treatments for stuff like that was a good thing" Edmund inquired.       "It is" Nefyn nodded. "I guess with my father, that sort of stuff falls into a bit of a grey area. For ailments without any known cures, he tends to focus more on treating the symptoms rather than the cause, as if that's going to cure people. He tries his best to stick to the ancient ways which is great and all-- if it's not broken, don't fix it, you know? They've worked well enough for centuries, so he doesn't see any point in changing them. What he doesn't understand is that there are so many better ways we can do things, so many great advancements and more effective medicines to mix. After all, we can't live in the past forever, you know?"        Edmund nodded. "I know what you mean. There are people who think the exact same way in my world, too. Or at least, the world I came from. People who hate progression and want to keep living in the past."       "It's so frustrating!" Nefyn replied. "It's one of the many things my father and I disagree on. I think my passion for it all makes him rather nervous."       "How so?"       The centaurette sighed and ran her hands through her thick, dark hair. "I'm my father's only child. He's getting older and I know he's grooming me to take over the family business after he's gone. I'm the only possible heir, he's counting on me to carry on the family tradition. But in his eyes, progress and tradition don't mix. I think he fears I'll screw things up, ruin the constant plateau of a reputation we've upheld for centuries. I don't know, I just wish I could make him understand. I just want him to see that change isn't necessarily a bad thing."        "Then prove it to him" Edmund replied. "Show him you know what you're doing, and that what you're doing is for the greater good. He can't argue with something that benefits everyone. If he does, he's not very good at his job then, is he?"        Nefyn smiled and grasped Edmund's hand in hers, squeezing it lightly. "You're right, Ed. I need to really show him what I've got." Resting her free hand at the back of his neck, she leaned in close and rested her forehead against his. "Thank you again, Edmund. For being such a good friend. I really cherish your companionship."       By now, Edmund's cheeks were burning hot. With Nefyn's face so close to his, he could feel her breath on his bottom lip and fingertips against his bare skin. A strong tingle filtered down from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, like nothing he had ever felt before. He pasted a cheesy grin against his lips and laughed softly. "I'm glad to have been of service" was all he could say before Nefyn pulled away.       In a flurry of inspiration, she began gathering up her potions bottles and jotting things down on scraps of parchment beneath her cart. "When my father returns for the night, I'll present him with this medicine and the recipe for it and show him what I'm really worth. If it does actually work, there's no way he can deny me!" she rambled excitedly.       "Why stop there?" Edmund replied. "Why not try to treat the whole sickness, not just a part?"       Nefyn's face grew sallow. "Oh, Ed, I don't know if I could do that. It's too huge. I'm not skilled enough to manage a task so great."       "Nonsense!" the just king explained. "I think you can do it."       "...I think you must have a fever" Nefyn replied, jamming the back of her hand against Edmund's forehead. The just wrinkled his nose and ducked his head out from under her hand.       "I don't have a fever, Nefyn. I feel fine. And I know you can do this!" he said. The centaurette eyed him suspiciously. "You can do this. I'm sure of it. You're smart. You can figure it out."        Nefyn sighed and rolled her eyes, not convinced. "Will you be alright here on your own if I leave you for a while?"        "Where are you going?" Edmund asked. Panic suddenly bubbled up from deep within his chest, terrified he had upset her in some way. He really didn't want her to leave because of something so petty and stupid.        "I have some things to sort out, Ed. I'll be back soon, though, I promise" she replied. "Unless you don't think you'll manage alright on your own?"       "I'll be alright. After all, it is just a scrape" Edmund replied.        With a roll of her eyes, his friend replied, "I know that, smartass! I mean mentally. Are you going to be bored if I leave you?"       Edmund blinked and shook his head. "I think I can manage. I'll find somehow to keep myself occupied. You seem to forget you're talking to the same person who spent a good chunk of time in the White Witch's prison. At least this place has a fully stocked bookshelf, and I can always sneak out to the common room to take a crack at that chess table" he replied.       A half-grin graced Nefyn's lips as she nodded. "Good, I'm glad. I wouldn't want you getting too bored and trying to break out of here or something. I don't plan on losing any patient of mine, runaway or otherwise!"       As the days wore on, the Pevensies committed themselves to helping Galma. They rose and set along with the sun, spending many an hour in the heat trying to treat the sick and properly dispose of the dying. Peter's heart broke for the loss of so many people, getting to know some of them personally. He began truly rooting for them, encouraging them to stay strong and keep going. Despite the grin pasted on his face, however, he had a hard time encouraging himself to stay strong. Every day was filled with grave tragedy and it was slowly beginning to chip away at him.       In the privacy of the duke's estate, Peter didn't have to be strong for anyone. He let himself crash into nearby chair and buried his face in his hands, exhausted.       "Long day?" a voice called from behind. Peter picked his head up to find Edmund in the doorway, a book tucked under his arm.       "Yeah" the magnificent nodding, ushering his younger brother to join him. "I thought you weren't supposed to leave the room?"       "Well, technically it's the estate I'm not supposed to leave" he explained. "But being stuck up here has given me a lot of time to think about things and, well, I might be able to help you guys without actually going down there with you all." Peter cocked an eyebrow in interest, urging his brother to go on. "Eilonwy said the only way to really cure everyone would be to get to the root of the sickness, right?" Peter nodded. "Well, Nefyn said her father has never seen a disease like this before--"       "That's concerning" Peter interrupted.       "--But that doesn't mean we haven't!" Edmund exclaimed.       "What do you mean?" asked Peter.       "Think about it, Pete: the Galmans have puss-swelled buboes, fevers, and lethargy, right?" Edmund began. The eldest nodded. Edmund rose his brows, waiting for the magnificent to catch on, but to no avail. Peter was far too tired for critical thinking. With a sigh, Edmund explained, "Those are the same symptoms as bubonic plague. The plague was transmitted through rats, which there are apparently a lot of on Galma."       "Okay..." Peter said with uncertainty. "So what are we supposed to do? We can't just get rid of the rats, there's too many. We'd never be able to pull that off."       The just king shook his head. "Of course not. We need to kill this at the source. The source being fleas. Infected fleas live on rats which spread the disease to the people who then die. In order to stop the death, we need to stop the fleas."       The High King simply nodded, furrowing his brow in thought. "What about pesticides?" he asked after a moment of contemplation. "Pesticides should work, right? Spread them through the island, kill the rats and the fleas on them, then cure the people."       "Nefyn is going to work on something like that" Edmund added. "I've shared my findings and talked with her about it in the past few days while you've all been gone, and I fully put my trust in her. She knows a lot about medicine, maybe even more than her father does. I'm sure she can come up with something great."        "Good" Peter nodded. "I'll go find the others and see what they think of all this. I'm sure they won't be able to argue with your research. Thanks again, Ed." Peter spoke as he rose and made his way toward the hall. Edmund simply nodded before settling into a nearby chaise and propping open his book.       As the Pevensies returned from another day of making the rounds, Nefyn rushed out to the common room, face painted with urgency. "Lucy! I need you to do me a massive favor" she exclaimed, skidding to a halt beside the valiant queen. "I need you to bring me a rat."       "A rat?" Peter questioned. Nefyn nodded.       "I need a live rat to test on. The only way I'm going to find out if my concoction really exterminates the source of the problem is if I test on a live, infected rat. We're just that much closer to ending this epidemic once and for all" the centaurette replied. Peter was wary, but her tone was so full of hope he had a hard time denying her request.       "I'll do it" a voice interrupted, and Eilonwy stepped up. "I'd rather risk my own health rather than Lucy's. She's done enough hard work, she doesn't deserve to go into the fray and nearly kill herself like that. Let me do it."       "Whoa, wait, Eilonwy--!" Peter shouted but the huntress cut him off before he could finish.       "It's alright, Peter. I'm a big girl. I can do this."       Lucy looked up at the huntress with wide eyes. "Eilonwy, you don't have to do this. I can manage just fine on my own."       Eilonwy rested a hand on the valiant's shoulder and shook her head. "Don't worry, Lucy. I want to. Please, do I have your permission?"       Reluctantly, Lucy nodded and wrapped her arms tightly around the huntress's waist. "Please be careful, though!" she replied, voice muffled in the huntress's skirts. "And here, please take this" Lucy then added. She unfastened her cordial from it's spot on her belt and handed it up to the maiden with gleaming eyes.       "Oh, Lucy, I couldn't possibly--" Eilonwy protested but the littlest Pevensie insisted.       "I'd rather you keep it just in case. You don't deserve to nearly kill yourself, either" said Lucy. A soft smile spread across Eilonwy's lips as she leaned down and hugged the young queen, awkwardly but a hug nonetheless, murmuring a thank you in her ear.       "I'll be back by sunrise. Don't wait up for me" Eilonwy replied, fastening her cloak around her neck. The red hugged her body as the exterior cloaked her completely, thinking it best she try to be as invisible as possible. The darkness could only do so much.       "You're sure you want to do this?" Peter asked. His blue eyes were filled with worry, hands unsteady as he gifted her the cordial.       "Sure as ever" the huntress replied.       "Stay safe out there" Edmund said, arms crossed in concern. He knew this wasn't the most ideal mission-- for anyone-- but he had great respect for Eilonwy's volunteering. And from what he had seen of her ability, he had faith she could certainly handle this.         "Remember, Eilonwy: all we need is an infected rat. You'll likely find them in sewers and lurking through allyways. Dark places. Use as little light to navigate as possible" Nefyn instructed.        "Believe me, with this cloak, I don't think I'd be stupid enough to draw attention to myself like that. I've spent way more years than you can imagine hunting things. I think I'll be fine" Eilonwy reassured. She glanced to the centaurette and each of the Pevensies before sucking in a deep breath and giving a single nod. "Alright then. Here goes nothing. I'll be back by dawn, and if not, don't search for me. I'll either make my way back on my own or you'll find me dead in the streets. Either way, you'll see me" she spoke, only half joking. Not knowing what else to say, Eilonwy awkwardly smiled, saluted goodbye, and turned to depart into the dark village below.       As she descended the stairs, however, a voice behind captured her attention. She whipped around to find an all too familiar figure rushing toward her. Before she could reject the advance, a strong pair of arms embraced her, warm breath on the back of her neck. "Please stay safe..." Peter whispered, squeezing her tightly before withdrawing.       "P-Peter, I'll be fine. Don't...don't be such a sentimental idiot" she whispered back, but not because she was afraid of making noise. She whispered more because she had no other choice. The surprise encounter left her disgustingly breathless-- she didn't have the strength to speak any louder. She prayed he couldn't feel her heart racing from against his chest.       The high king reluctantly released his grip but before leaving, she felt his breath against her skin and then, hesitantly, his lips brush against her cheek. All the blood rushed to her face as he whispered a soft "Take care of yourself" and then ran off.       Fucking great, Eilonwy thought to herself, watching his shadow saunter off in the moonlight. Just what I need: a big, fat distraction. Heaving a sigh, she turned on her heels, threw her hood up over her head, and descended into the abyss of death and darkness.       "Why hasn't she come back yet? What could possibly be taking her so long? How hard can it be to capture a stupid little rat?" Peter argued, pacing the room.      "I'm sure Eilonwy's fine" Susan reassured. She extended a hand to rest upon his shoulder but he walked away before she could reach him. Lucy peered back over her shoulder, frowning at her brother's panic. She, too, was worried about Eilonwy's safety, but knew the only thing they could really do was wait. Like Eilonwy said, she'd return or be dead but either way, they'd find her again. She truly hoped for the former.       Peter's eyes crossed the room to land on his younger brother leaning back in a dining chair, one hand stuffing pastries in his mouth while the other held a worn leather book. "Ed, how can you eat at a time like this? And what on earth are you reading?" he asked, almost accusatorily. Edmund glanced up from his novel, eyebrow raised.       "I can eat because I'm hungry and I'm reading because there's not much else to do when you've been on lockdown" he replied sassily.       "Edmund, what are you reading?" Lucy asked, tone curious, cocking her head in hopes of making out the title. Her efforts were to no avail, however. The title had worn off long ago, nothing left but the imprint of words she couldn't quite decipher.       The just king shrugged, licking the powdered sugar off his fingers. "Some spy novel. Not nearly as good as the ones in England, though. The detective is some mole who can't even see. Kind of like Sherlock Holmes but blind and stupid" he replied flippantly. The littlest Pevensie chuckled softly before gazing back out upon the village below. It was then, however, that she noticed something approaching from the distance.       "Peter! Susan! Edmund! Look!" she shouted excitedly, pointing toward the base of the stairs. The three rushed forward to find none other than Eilonwy trudging up to them, cloak hanging off her shoulder and face pale with exhaustion. Peter immediately pushed past everyone and raced down toward his friend, elated to see she was really alive.       "Cut the happy tears, Peter. I'm sick and I'm tired. Just take the stupid rat and let me sleep" Eilonwy muttered as she ascended. Despite Peter's desperation to just wrap his arms around her and hold her close, she shoved him away and didn't even so much as look at him. As she reached the top of the stairs, she unfastened a little cage hooked to her belt and threw it toward Nefyn in aggravation, the little rat squealing from inside and gnawing at the wooden bars.      The centaurette grinned wildly as she inspected the little beast, the perfect specimen, before thanking Eilonwy profusely. "There must be some way I can repay you!" she rambled, but Eilonwy simply shook her head.    "Just let me sleep for fifteen billion years and we'll be even" she replied tiredly, uncapping Lucy's cordial and taking a dramatic sip for good measure. She handed the bottle back to the valiant as she trudged toward the residential hall, slamming her chamber door shut at the end of the corridor. Curled up in bed, she prayed that she would never have to hear of or speak of such a night ever again.     Nefyn spent the entire rest of the day monitoring and experimenting with the little rat in her chamber, logging the medicine's effects in hopes that she was successful in her scientific endeavors. As night fell over the island, she took one last test and...   "YES!!"    Uproarious shouts and the pounding of hooves echoed down the hallway as Nefyn barged out of the room squealing in a half-horse-half-human manner. Her shouts and bellows woke up everyone in the estate, some to much chagrin, all trudging sleepily into the common room.      "Mmm...Nefyn? What's this all about?" Susan murmured, rubbing her eyes awake. The centaurette grinned wildly, stamping her hooves. In her hands was a blue glass bottle with a wooden tag tied around the neck.      "I've done it! I've finally created something that works!" she squealed.       Edmund's eyes lit up and a soft chuckle broke free from his lips, overflowing with happiness and pride.       "But how do you suppose you'll manage to administer it to every rat on the island?" Eilonwy questioned. Nefyn's smile quickly dimmed.       "Oh...okay, well I didn't think of that" she muttered, eyes downcast. Edmund shot the huntress a glare before slowly approaching his friend. He hoped he'd figure out some comforting gesture on his way over but by the time he reached her, he still hadn't come up with anything, so he settled on just standing beside her somewhat awkwardly.       "What about the sewers?" Lucy proposed. "Rats live in sewers. You could spread the medicine through the sewers, or in whatever it is that rats eat, and then when they consume it, it should cure them of whatever disease they're carrying, right?"       Now the centaur's smile brightened and she tightened her grip a bit more on the bottle. "That might just work, your majesty!" she spoke. Chocolate eyes leapt from each of the Pevensies tired faces in search of approval but all she really received was exhaustion. "You know what? Why don't you all go back to sleep? I'll have a plan to present to you all by breakfast" she added. Without hesitation, everyone nodded and headed back to their chambers but as they departed, Nefyn reached out to grasp Edmund by the forearm. The just king gazed back at her in surprise, unsure of what she was going to say. A soft smile unlike the one before touched her lips as she whispered a tender, "Thank you, Ed, for believing in me" before kissing his cheek and releasing him from her grip. Edmund floated back to bed in a haze, his skin tingling where her lips had touched. As he fell asleep that night, he dreamt of nothing but happy things.

     "It is with great pride and immense pleasure that I issue the highest of honors to our phenomenal new friends" the duke announced. His round cheeks shined in the sunlight, deep creases forming at the corner of his lips from smiling so wide. The Pevensies, in their finest attire, stood beside him on a brick-laden stage before the citizens of Galma, laying eyes upon their newly brightened faces. Flowers fell across Nefyn's collarbone and breast, baby's breath and plumerias braided into her hair, as she proudly watched from the sidelines. The duke extended a hand to the other end of the stage, ushering a small, stout faun to approach carrying a thick pillow in his hands. Atop the velvet sat five gleaming medals embossed with the Galman crest, each strung onto a different colored ribbon. The lord raised the orange one first and motioned for Lucy to step forward, whose eyes lit up as she scampered near.       "For her acts of unwavering valor and compassion, I present unto thee, Queen Lucy of Narnia, our medal of honor" the lord announced. He draped the token around her neck and smiled brightly upon her, his fat face like that of the sun itself, and squeezed her little hands in his. Then, his beady eyes turned to Nefyn, ushering her forward. The centaurette gazed back at her father first, uncertain, but with arms crossed he nodded approvingly and his young protege sauntered up.       "For her astounding scientific advancements and resilience to improve her craft, I present unto thee, Miss Nefyn of Narnia, our medal of achievement" the lord announced, then presented the young medic with her own medal strung along a purple ribbon. Nefyn bowed her head in respect, whispered a soft thank you, and returned to her father's side beaming.       The rest of the Pevensies were presented with generic medals of freedom to signify their new alliance, the crowds cheering in gratitude for all that they had done. Looking upon the Galmans now happy and healthy, however, Peter felt a shred of guilt twist in his chest. He hadn't done anything even remotely heroic. He didn't deserve such an award. It was meaningless to him. Lucy and Nefyn were the real heroes, they were the ones worthy of such praise. As he glanced to Susan and Edmund at his side, they shared a familiar expression, silently signifying that they, too, felt the same. However, there was no way they could reject the duke's gifts. They were signs of respect, tokens of friendship. Should they refuse to accept them, they would be refusing the lord's hospitality and future help. As an executive decision, the Pevensies would shut up for their own good.       The setting sun painted the sky like rainbow sherbet as the duke's men loaded the Pevensie's luggage back onto the Splendor Hyaline. The High King gazed out upon the ocean from the highest deck, Narnia's shores just hazily visible in the distance.       "Well, this was quite an adventure" Eilonwy approached from behind. Leaning against the boat, she looked to Peter in hopes of a response. His eyes were so stony and concentrated, deep in thought. The corner of his mouth jerked upward with a shake of his head as he turned his back to the Great Eastern Sea.       "Yeah, I suppose" he replied, tone stale.       "Something bothering you?" the maiden asked, not skipping a beat.       "I hate how you're so goddamn perceptive" Peter chuckled, rolling his eyes. Then, with a sigh, continued, "It's just all been a very wild past couple of weeks. It's difficult to let sink in, I guess."       "Understandable" Eilonwy nodded. "We have kind of been through hell and back. But no more so than Lucy." The huntress jerked her head toward the littlest queen, still down on the dock saying goodbye personally to a select few people. Peter recognized them as some of the deathly ill she had helped care for on their rounds through the village. It was so strange seeing them all so healthy and bright-eyed now. He desperately hoped things would stay that way. He didn't think he could stomach a repeat of the past fortnight.       Down below, Edmund watched as the men loaded the last of their trunks aboard the Splendor Hyaline. The just's eyes frantically scoured the crowd for his good friend, wishing to see her one last time before his departure. Just as before, Nefyn and her father were assigned to travel elsewhere in order to help yet another needy country. Though he knew it was selfish of him, he was terrified of never seeing her again, especially after all they had been through together.       "Coming aboard, your majesty?" a voice called from behind. Edmund nodded to the crew member on deck, a sigh escaping his lips as he slowly forced himself to come to terms with the fact he may not get to say goodbye. As he trudged up the ramp, however, something soft suddenly thwacked the back of his neck. Turning around, he found none other than Nefyn waving at him from amidst the crowd.       "We have to stop meeting like this!" she called to him jokingly. Edmund shook his head with a laugh and grinned.       "I thought I wasn't going to see you again!" he replied back.       "And miss all this? Not in a million! I couldn't stand not to say goodbye to a friend!" she shouted. The ship's men urged Edmund aboard as they raised the anchor and began prepping to set sail.       "When will I see you again?" Edmund finally blurted.       "Just call on me next time you trip over a dead guy!" Nefyn yelled, now cupping her hands over her mouth to better project her voice. Though growing further and further apart, she could see Edmund's cheeks redden and a wide smile spread across her face.       "Stay safe out there!" the just king shouted back, praying she could hear him. She shouted something in reply but by now was far too distant for him to make out the words. He kept his eyes locked on her until she disappeared, contributing to the mass of faceless shapes crowding the marina. The corners of his lips turned downward as he kicked at the end of a coil of rope, defeated. His scrape, now barely visible, was all he had left of his time spent on Galma with her. Turning toward the bow of the boat, he saw his family gathered together to admire the sunset. Heaving a sigh, he straightened his back and rushed to join them. Though his situation was not ideal, he would never have traded his time in quarantine for anything else in the world. Now that was all finished, however, and as he stood beside his siblings gazing out to the sea, he had to remind himself that this may have been the end of one adventure but was only the beginning of many more.