Susan tried not to smirk as she saw where Caspian’s arrow hit the target. It had hit the center but it was at least an inch to the left of hers, which occupied the dead center. “Better,” she remarked.

Caspian sighed as he lowered the crossbow. “Do all girls in your England shoot so well?”

“No,” Susan replied, laughing. “In fact, few know how. And of those, many are just horrible at it.”

“A fascinating place, your England.”

“To you, it would be. But I much prefer Narnia.”

“Even this Narnia?” he asked with his dark eyes fixed on her.

There was a subtext in the question. There had been a subtext between them since shortly after their meeting. She was unsure how to answer the question.

Caspian was unlike any boy she had ever met. He was confident and every bit as royal as Peter. But unlike Peter of the past year, Caspian could still smile, tease, and tell a joke. His dark good looks didn’t hurt matters either.

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, Susan,” she thought, horrified at the direction her thoughts had taken.

“At times, any Narnia is preferable to England.” She quickly loaded another arrow into the crossbow. “Ready to give it another try?”

Before he could reply, there was a shout behind them. They turned and saw the high king approaching. Susan handed Caspian the crossbow before she moved forward to meet her older brother. She missed the annoyance that flashed across Caspian’s face.

“Susan, are you busy at the moment?” Peter asked.

“Yes,” she said, trying not to sound too annoyed. “What do you want, Peter?”

“I need your opinion on some of the archers. I doubt some of their skills. If they’re not competent, they can be used elsewhere in the battle.”

She flashed Caspian a brief smile of apology. He bowed his head and returned her smile. However, the smile vanished as he met her brother’s eyes. With a slight smirk, Peter was already guiding Susan away.

‘So, it was going to be that way,’ Caspian thought. He aimed the crossbow. He split Susan’s arrow with ease.