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✩.･*:｡≻───── ⋆♡⋆ ─────.•*:｡✩🗡Castle Attack🗡✩.･*:｡≻───── ⋆♡⋆ ─────.•*:｡✩

Charlotte proceeded soundlessly with the professor through the dark halls. The silent atmosphere was akin to tiptoeing through a minefield. She treaded cautiously, and even held her breath occasionally to add to her silence, especially when guards were spotted.

They hid behind a wall, as she peeked at two guards conversing with each other at a corner. To her dismay, the professor staggered as his legs gave way to the uneven ground. She held his arm, only to have her sword by her waist lightly scraping across the surface. Her eyes widened, and her heart stopped as adrenaline rushed through her vessels.

"Who goes there?" One of the guards barked, echoing across the hall.

She could hear their footsteps draw closer, matching the quickening pace of her pounding heart. Their heavy breathing grew to a crescendo by the second, and she stood rooted to the ground like a deer in headlights. Her mind was empty, out of ideas. How could she possibly fend herself and the feeble man against these guards?

Then, a horrific scream echoed across the halls.

"The queen," one of the guards nudged the other, "let's go."

Without another word, they bolted off in the opposite direction. Charlotte, only realising that she had been holding her breath, exhaled deeply in relief.

"Queen Prunaprismia," the professor deduced, his features trembling with trepidation, "Miraz's wife."

The cries were instantly followed by men marching and hollering orders to one another.

"We're under attack!"

"Sound the alarm!"

"The whole castle is rising," he inferred, with trembling hands, "you don't have much time."

"Professor, we've got to get you to safety," she tugged on his arm.

"No, they need you, my dear," he insisted, "I can manage. Tell Caspian to meet me by the stables."

Charlotte nodded, bolting off to find the rest.

✩.･*:｡≻───── ⋆♡⋆ ─────.•*:｡✩

Meanwhile, Edmund tossed his torch in his hand, flipping it incessantly as he stood by for Peter's signal. Sinking into his thoughts of Charlotte, he felt somewhat relieved after pecking her on the cheek. Seeing her dazzling smile was all the joy he needed in the world.

He was soon shaken out of his thoughts when a scream echoed from the master chambers. Startled, the torch left his hand, tumbling down on the lower level of the tower.

A guard marched over to investigate the artefact. He wore a perplexed expression, grabbing the torch. He tampered with it in an attempt to comprehend its function. Unbeknownst to him, his thumb landed on its button, before his eyes were harshly greeted by a beaming ray of light.

"Ah!" He exclaimed, waving the torch in all directions.

Edmund peered out the open window as he travelled down the spiralling stairs. He was vaguely unimpressed by the guard's inexperience with advanced gadgets. When the guard shone the torch up in his direction, he quickly hid out of sight.

Just then, a thunderous tolling of a bell rang in his ears. With his eyebrows knitted together, he glanced at its direction. His stomach churned, and his heart began to race. His chest rose and fell deeply, trying to counter the stress spreading through his mind. This was not part of the plan. Should he be worried?

The light shone in all directions, stirring perplexity among the Narnians. Glenstorm and Nikabrik exchanged glances with each other, baffled by the signal.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nikabrik questioned, peering intently at the untamed ray of light.

Edmund boldly leaped out the window and onto the guard, knocking the torch right out of his hand. The grown man instantly swung out his sword at Edmund.

Edmund deflected and struck back, causing the guard to stumble back and fall onto the ground. Orders and chaos erupted from across the castle and Edmund turned around, alarmed that the whole castle had awoken.

Before he could register what was happening, the guard had already stood and swung his sword forcefully at him. Edmund was backed up against the edge of the tower as he blocked the attack, his back pressed hard against the wall.

He struggled to push against the guard so much that his veins popped. He could feel sweat forming on his forehead, all his strength being drained. In the midst of his struggles, Peter's frantic voice echoed in his ears, from below the tower.

"Now, Ed, now! Signal the troops!"

"I'm a bit busy, Pete!" Edmund yelled back in frustration.

He hit the guard head-on, causing the guard to stumble backward. Then, he swung his sword, only to be blocked by the guard. The guard succeeded in knocking Edmund's sword out of his hand, forcing Edmund to duck in defence.

Desperate to fight back, Edmund reached for his torch lying on the ground between his legs. He slapped the guard upwards with an uppercut, knocking his chin hard. Once more, he slapped the guard again by his left jaw, knocking him out instantly.

"Oh..." Edmund mumbled, examining the dead torch.

Susan and Caspian rushed after Peter, not long before they caught sight of Charlotte sprinting towards them.

"Charlotte, there you are!" Susan exclaimed in relief, "where's the professor?"

"He said he'd be at the stables, he's asked Caspian to meet him there," she reported, panting, "did you get Miraz?"

"He escaped his chambers," Susan shook her head.

"What?" Charlotte shifted her focus to Caspian. "What happened? Your shoulder.."

"I'm fine," Caspian assured her, "we'll explain everything later."

"There's no time!" Peter barked.

"But the whole castle's awake," Charlotte argued, "the guards are preparing their men to fight."

"Peter!" Susan exclaimed, "it's too late! We have to call it off while we can!"

"No!" Peter protested, frantically turning the wheels that held the gates down, "I can still do this!"

Charlotte glanced over at the Telmarine soldiers swarming the castle grounds with fire torches and weapons. In the dead of night, bright flames emerged with their enemies, charging at them.

"Help me!" Peter bellowed.

They exchanged glances, rushing over to his sides reluctantly.

"Exactly who are you doing this for, Peter?" Susan demanded, fuming at him.

Peter fell silent at her question, failing to come up with a response.

"Come on," Edmund pleaded to the dead torch.

He knocked it incessantly on the palm of his hand before a ray of light finally shot from it. He flashed the torch immediately, giving it a flicker.

"Charge!" Glenstorm roared, leading the troops in ferociously.

"For Narnia!" Peter howled, charging towards the oncoming soldiers.

Charlotte, with the sword in her hand, charged at the Telmarine soldiers. With the first strike, she seized a crossbow, splurging her arrows at the rest. When one got close to her, she resorted to slapping him hard with the crossbow and resumed shooting.

Realising she had run out of arrows, while a soldier charged towards her, she ducked swiftly as the soldier swung his sword over her head, narrowly missing her scalp. Desperate to overpower him, she jabbed him in the lower abdomen with the crossbow, causing him to groan in agony. She took the opportunity to swing out her sword, slicing him instantly.

Using him as a shield, she protected herself against many attackers. Seeing them clustered together, she tossed the injured guard over to them spontaneously, instigating a short chain of falling soldiers.

She turned around, her eyes widening at another soldier striking. She swiftly whipped out her sword, blocking his attack. Then, the man groaned in agony, falling to her feet with an arrow stuck to him. She glanced at Susan, with her bow at the ready.

Edmund climbed over the roof of the lower tower, his eyes landing on utter chaos between Narnians and Telmarines before him. To his horror, soldiers began swarming the level below him, positioning themselves with crossbows, ready to fire at the Narnians on ground.

"Archers!" A man yelled above the chaos, "Pick a target!"

"Take aim!" He ordered again.

Edmund's eyes scanned the ground. He then noticed the soldier directly underneath him taking aim at Peter. He slid down the roof without hesitation, kicking the guard off the level.

"Charlotte!" He warned.

Charlotte glanced up and rolled over immediately. She dodged the guard's fall by a mere centimetre, who took out the one fighting her.

Peter glanced up at Edmund worriedly.

"Ed!" He warned.

Edmund peered to his left, meeting many pairs of menacing eyes. He bolted towards the door to his right, tripping clumsily at the end. They all shot their arrows at him, which all seemed to have missed him by miles. He finally kicked the door shut with his leg, and the arrows poked through the door, impaling it.

"What terrible aim," he groaned, picking himself off the ground, "Charlotte can take them."

He proceeded to find his way out, locking door after door behind him.

Figuring out his location, he peered over the edge of the tower, only to be met with nothing. A great abyss stared back at him, surrounded by thick mists underneath the tower. Only then did he realise that he was cornered in a tower on the farthest end of the castle.

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Meanwhile, Peter trailed behind the rest of the Narnians climbing from roof to roof, inching closer towards their sole target who stood on a balcony. Miraz simply gazed down on the battle, with an eerily calm expression. The minotaur clung onto the balcony, ready to swing his weapon. Then it let out a groan as an arrow struck its shoulder.

Miraz's general appeared by his side with a crossbow. Inching closer towards the tortured creature, Miraz met its gaze. The creature clung helplessly to the balcony, staring right back into his eyes. Miraz simply pushed it off the balcony, sending it plummeting to the ground.

Peter was horrified at his ruthless nature.

"Get that gate closed," he ordered.

"Peter!" Charlotte cried out, gesturing towards the gates.

The gatehouse had been taken over, as the soldiers tackled Trumpkin off the edge of it and towards the ground level. One of the minotaurs rushed to withstand the gates unwinding down. He roared with all his might, struggling to lift it in place.

Peter gulped in fear, his attention shifting from Charlotte, to the troops, to the archers on the higher level who took aim. The plan had gone wrong. Stealth was completely thrown out the window from the beginning, sealing their downfall.

"Fall back!" He yelled, rushing down.

"We need to retreat now!" He ordered, barely keeping his balance as he hurried down the stairs.

He gestured Glenstorm towards Susan and Charlotte, "Go! Get them out of here!"

"Come on!" Susan prompted Charlotte, grabbing hold of her hand and pulling her onto Glenstorm's back.

"Back to the gate, go!"

"Caspian!" Susan called.

"I'll find him!" Peter assured her, ensuring everyone got the message to retreat.

"Edmund!" Charlotte reminded Susan, "We have to get him!"

"He can take care of himself!" Susan insisted, "we'll meet them outside!"

Peter heard Caspian's voice, realising that he had gone to meet the professor by the stables. They were mounted on horses, with Caspian clinging onto the leash of an unoccupied horse. Peter mounted it successfully, and they immediately galloped towards the gates.

Glenstorm galloped at full speed, and they soon reached outside the castle. Peter and Caspian successfully escaped the gates narrowly missing them. The sound of the gates crashing towards the ground, followed by a roar, caught their attention.

Charlotte's eyes widened seeing the minotaur laying lifeless on the ground, its bones completely crushed by the gate. Reepicheep, being one of the few tiny creatures left, slid underneath the tiny gap, glancing worriedly at his companions.

"No!" She cried, leaping off Glenstorm's back.

She sprinted, hesitantly halting in her tracks.

"Run! Save yourselves!" They urged.

"Peter! The bridge!" Reepicheep prompted him, bolting to beat the bridge winding up.

"No! We have to help them!" Charlotte cried out, tugging on Susan's arm.

"How?" Susan asked softly, her eyes brimming with tears.

Charlotte shut her eyes, breaking into sobs. She looked at the Narnians, some of which retreated back to the castle to keep fighting. It reminded her of her father, fighting for England. She simply could not let them die fighting for their own freedom. She wouldn't.

She glanced up at Susan, exhaling deeply.

"Tell Edmund I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Charlotte?" She asked worriedly.

She bolted to the nearest gryphon, hopping on its back.

"Charlotte, wait!" Peter called, galloping as he attempted to make it past the bridge.

Charlotte ignored their pleas, ordering the gryphon to fly back to the castle.

Susan heard a drop on the ground as soon as the gryphon launched into the air, and she rushed towards the sound, realising that Charlotte's bracelet had slipped. She grabbed hold and held it close to her chest.

*****A/N: Hi!! Omg I was so busy yesterday, I meant to upload it then but lacked the time to make a last edit before publishing.

I hope y'all are coping well, seeing that your schedules are taking up your time! ⏰Remember to allocate some time to care for yourselves and wind down, I don't want you to burn out 🥺❤️

I appreciate you a lot if you're on this journey up to this chapter, I really hope it's a good read for you! Do vote and comment if you enjoy it, it means a lot to me ❤️

And most importantly, stay safe! 🙌