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It was a splendid feeling to have the sun on her face once again but it was cut short when Lucy splashed Anna with salt water, her echoing laugher breaking the silence. Anna pealed her blue eyes open in shock and almost fell out of the longboat and into the water.

"Girls!" Edmund scolded as they both glanced as one another sheepishly, it was clear that the lack of sleep everyone had experienced the night prior was evident. Caspian who was seated in front of the two with Joe as they worked together with Edmund and another crew member who had never introduced himself to Anna rowed the boat all chuckled slightly.

Before Anna could say anything back to Edmund, Reepicheep's longboat sailed past theirs, "I doubt the Lord's stopped here my liege," Reepicheep confessed to Caspian.

Although Anna could see where Reepicheep was coming from as the Island looked nothing but a clump of rock and volcanic smoke, she knew that they couldn't give up hope, at least not yet when they were so close.

Caspian continued rowing his oar in sync with the others as he called out, "Right once we get to shore take your men and search for food and water. The four of us will search for clues!"

"Hang on!" Eustace called from behind Edmund, "Don't you mean the five of us?"

Everyone within the longboat paused (they had even stopped rowing the boat) and turned to send looks of disbelief at such a question in Eustace's direction had given him his answer.

No.

"Come on please," He pleaded like a child, although he technically was, "Don't send me back to the rat!"

"I heard that!" Reepicheep called from a little ways away on his on longboat full of the crew.

"Big ears," Eustace mumbled under his breath with a huff.

"I heard that too!" Reepicheep called back.

Chuckles rang around the longboats and Anna and Caspian shared an amused look before the were at the shoreline.

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Anna's boots dug into the dry crumbled stones as she raced with Lucy and Edmund to keep up with Caspian who bounded ahead of them.

"Look!" Caspian called, "We're not the first ones on this island!"

"The Lords!" Edmund suggested.

"Could be," Caspian admitted although his voice wavered with doubt.

Anna peered down the hole and glanced to the aged rope, "I do not shy away from adventure but I don't know if that would be safe."

As if to prove a point whilst the two shared a long glance, Caspian held up a small rock and threw it down the hole. Anna's voice dripped in sarcasm, "Oh, now I know how many seconds it would take for me when I fall to my death. Thanks, your royal smartness."

Caspian sighed and rolled his eyes, whilst Edmund cracked a grin.

"What do you think could be down there?" Lucy asked curiously.

"A booby trap," Anna answered crossing her arms over her chest as they all peered down the hole as she spoke with a spooky voice, "With arrows laced in poison that will kill you as soon as it slits against the skin. There's probably secretly buried treasure with diamonds and rubies–––"

"Anna," Edmund muttered clamping his hand over her mouth to shut her up, "We get the picture. You have an imagination. Let's just go down the hole."

"Be my guest, why don't you go first?" Anna spoke as soon as he removed his hand from her lips gesturing to the hole with a prideful look etched upon her face.

"Fine. I will," Edmund snapped fixing the rope and lowering himself down the hole.

As soon as he disappeared for a bit Anna yelled, "Are you dead?!"

"If I was dead would I be able to speak?!" Edmund yelled his dripping with sarcasm as it echoed.

"What did you two have for breakfast?" Lucy asked with a roll of her eyes.

"I had porridge thank you very much!" Anna answered.

"Who's next?" Caspian asked politely, his dark gaze shifting between Lucy and Anna.

Anna seemed to think about it before she answered him, "You go first because you are so brave and care about your people –– and also so then if I fall you can catch me."

This time Lucy was the one who was sarcastic, clearly having enough of everyone's endless playful bicker, "How romantic."

"Thank you," Anna mumbled before realised what the Queen had said and she hit Lucy's arm, "Hey! That was uncalled for! I don't like him like that!"

Lies. Anna was telling lies and it seemed she and Lucy already knew and because of that ——Lucy dipped her head in laughter whilst Caspian had already disappeared and made his way down the hole of doom.

"Lucy, it was nice knowing you," Anna said wiping away a fake tear as her friend disappeared too down the hole, "I'll always remember you."

"C'mon, Anna!" Caspian encouraged, "I'll catch you!"

Anna laughed before she called back down the hole, "Did you say I'll crush you?!"

"What! No! Of course not!" He yelled back in protest, although Anna could tell that he was worried he offended her before she realised she needed to calm the waters, "Just playing!"

The King furrowed his eyebrows as he looked up to see Anna peering down at him, "Are you stalling?!"

"What else would I be doing?!" Anna answered lowering herself down the hole, her fingers gripping the rope so tight her knuckles grew white.

When her feet touched the bottom of the cave, Anna dramatically glanced around with her hands on her hips quite impressed with herself and the cave as she turned to Caspian who had waited patiently for her and was there if he actually had to catch her, "Impressive isn't it?"

"Very," He mused with his hands on his hips too.

"I just love what they've done with the place, they even carved teeth for a skull pirate sort of vibe. Lovely."

Lucy laughed from beside them before they all moved across the sandy rocky surface after Edmund who was peering over a body of water.

"What's that?" Caspian asked.

"I don't know," Edmund admitted honestly.

"It looks a bit like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz," Anna muttered under her breath.

"I love that film!" Lucy said.

"I have no idea what you two are talking about," Caspian admitted.

"It's this wonderful story about a girl named Dorothy and her dog Toto-–," Anna began to explain but was cut off by Edmund.

"It looks like a gold statue," Edmund empathised as he turned and walked breaking off a root of the wall as he dipped the stick into the water and poked at the statue only to find the stick turning to gold.

"Gah!" He screamed throwing it back into the water.

"See I told you treasure and a booby trap," Anna drawled with a knowing smirk as they all peered closer to the edge, "That tin man fell in or he was put here in the first place, but with my knowledge, I highly doubt that."

"Poor man," Lucy mumbled sadly.

"You mean poor Lord," Echoed Edmund, pointing to his shield.

"The crest of Lord Restimar," Caspian noted.

Anna smiled and added while she pointed to the shiny gleam under the surface of the water, "And look it's his sword!"

"We need it," Caspian admitted in a desperate tone.

"Be careful," Lucy warned her brother. Anna remained quiet as she peered down as Edmund leaned down with his sword lunging it into the water and under the hilt of Lord Restimar's blade and lifting it out of the magical gold turning water.

"Your sword hasn't turned to gold," Lucy noted.

"It's a magical world equals a magical sword," Anna mused with delight, although she assumed that there probably would have been more to it. 

Caspian latched onto Edmund's arm to ensure that he didn't fall and took Lord Restimar's sword from the hilt of Edmund's blade. Edmund settled his sword down and peered into the water with analytical eyes, "Maybe he was onto something?"

"What are you talking about?" Caspian questioned.

Edmund peered over the water and touched a shell to its surface, brought it to the banks and watched as it turned into glittering gold.

"Whoever has access to this pool could be the most powerful person in the world," He drawled, a change within his eyes.

Anna frowned and shared a confused and baffled look with Lucy and Caspian. Was Edmund being delusional?

"Lucy," Edmund began still crazed, "We'd be so rich, no one could tell us what to do or who to live with!"

"You can't take anything out of Narnia, Edmund," Caspian told him calmy, still clinging to his sanity.

"Says who," Edmund said softly with a grumble, his eyes fixated on the shell.

"I do," Caspian deadpanned and Edmund turned to him one hand with the shell and the other with the sword.

"I am not your subject!" Edmund roared.

"You've been waiting for this, haven't you? To challenge me. You doubt my leadership," Caspian jabbed, his own sanity falling into shambles.

"Well if it means anything, I both think your two wonderful Kings. Can we go now and sort this out later?" But they both ignored Anna.

Anna bit at her nails and turned to Lucy with worried eyes.

"You doubt yourself!" Edmund sneered.

"You're a child!" Caspian sneered in the same tone.

Edmund shook with anger, "And you're a spineless sap!"

"Edmund!" Lucy roared at her brother and stepped towards him but he pushed her away.

Anna stepped forwards towards to stop them both as it clearly had gone too far but Edmund pushed her back and roared, "You are nothing! Know your place!"

When Lucy turned to Anna to comfort her, although she could see her expression was blank —— her blue eyes told a different story. What Edmund had told her hurt Anna, even if he was bewitched and didn't mean it.

"I'm tired of playing second fiddle! First, it was Peter and now it's you. You know that I am braver than both of you! Why do you get Peter's sword?! I deserve a kingdom of my own! I deserve to rule!"

"If you think you're so brave then prove it!"

Anna seemed to be baffled and in shock at what was happening when clashed their swords together and then Lucy dived in between them, holding both her hands out in a pleading manner, "Don't! Stop it both of you! Look at yourselves! Can't you see what's happening? This place has tempted you!"

The starred at one another their gazes softening in apologetic realisation.

"It's bewitching you! This is exactly what Coriakin was talking about!" Lucy finished as Anna stepped forwards, tore the shell from Edmund's grip and threw it far far into the pool with a small echoing splash.

"There that ought to do it. Now we can go. No more temptations and silly enchantments," She said with a dust of her hands as she moved to leave with Lucy before turning to Caspian and Edmund, "We've all learnt our lessons. Stop dilly-dallying and quit starring at one another as you've just seen each other for the first time or something. Let's go!"

Anna was the first one to leave the cave and she didn't even wait for Lucy as she stormed back towards the shoreline, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if to hold herself together.

But there was a change in her, Caspian had noticed —— as if something has snapped within her and almost broke her spirit.

"Anna!" He called darting after her but she continued to forwards ignore him. When he put a hand on her arm, pulling her to stop with him, he noticed that her blue eyes were blurred with tears.

"Please Anna," He pleaded softly, "Talk to me."

"I-I can't. I can't tell you anything because —— because I've just been deluding myself for far too long now and I was foolish to think. . . that I-I could——," She drawled cutting herself off mid-sentence unable to meet his eyes as she was beginning to reveal far too much.

"Let's talk about this never alright?!" She pressed with a half-hearted laugh and darted forwards towards the shore.

"Was it what Edmund said to you?"

Anna whirled around blinking slightly at his words as she halted to a complete stop and turned to look at him, this time meeting his eyes as he stepped forwards towards her to brush away twig that had found its way into her golden hair.

She had the courage to meet his eyes.

"No. Not exactly. It's the thought of what he said that came with it. What it made me realise. . . something. I don't want to talk about it. Can we please put that bloody damn cave behind us?"

Caspian nodded gently as Edmund and Lucy had caught up them and all together they walked towards the shore.

"What food did you find?" Caspian asked.

"It's volcanic your majesty. Not much grows," Rhince confessed as he peered at the little food they had managed to gather.

Lucy glanced around as she pondered out loud, "Where's Eustace?"

"I believe he is out not helping us load the boats," Reepicheep told Lucy.

"Eustace!" Lucy called with worry on her features, "Eustace!

Lucy turned to her brother, "Edmund, I've got a bad feeling."

Edmund let out a sigh as he began to move away, "I'll go find him."

"I'll come with you," Caspian told Edmund as a look Anna couldn't read washed over his face.

Caspian offered the sword to Lucy and casting one last look at Anna who was already preocipied by helping to load the boats, he trailed after Edmund to look for Eustace.