Reeeeeeally not a long chapter here, and I'm very sorry for not updating sooner! But I'm afraid this is the end of the road...the final chapter (sob sob). Thank you to so many people for your wonderful reviews and faithfulness in following my story. I really hope I haven't disappointed you. As always, please review, it'll make me happy and be a lovely end to I Couldn't Leave Her! Enjoy it like never before!

Esha was spread out on Edmund's bed, staring at the ceiling but seeing nothing.

She was exhausted physically and mentally, her energy seemed to drain out of her body with her tears, leaving tracks across her cheeks and red-rimmed eyes.

Two flaming torches lit up the room. Caspian spent most of his time with Esha now, comforting her. The Pevensie children all had each other, Esha had no-one.

Feeling like she was being watched, she turned her head to the side, sitting up as she saw Edmund standing in the doorway, waiting for her to notice him. He looked happy. He was smiling at her and he wore elegant clothes, his hair falling in one eye.

"It's gone now. The pain's gone." He told her.

"And so are you." She murmured, closing her eyes.

Silence followed her words.

"Are you going to haunt me now, Ed? You did when you were alive so you might as well now you're dead." She said indifferently, opening her eyes and raising as eyebrow as she stood up.

He chuckled, pushing himself off the doorframe and sauntering over to her.

"Only you can see me Esha, but you don't need me to tell you that." He told her with a crooked smile. "I just came to tell you that I love you. With all my heart. And I will never leave you."

There was a pause as they both stared at each other. "But you have left me." Esha whispered. "Why?"

"Aslan explained it to me. You never realise what you had until you've lost it." He said quietly. Esha was unable to reply, speechless in horror that she could be the reason for Edmund's death.

His face was sad and he leaned forwards, placing his hands either side of her face.

They both leaned forwards and their lips touched in a gentle kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to make another rip in Esha's already broken heart.

She clutched him to her, burying her face in his chest.

"Please come back." She begged him, the tears that she thought she'd run out of flowing again.

"I can't." He whispered to her, knowing she needed him now more than ever, but there was nothing he could say to comfort her.

"Please." She pleaded desperately. "I need you."

"I'll come back one day." He promised as he gently pulled away, unwrapping her arms from around his waist.

He bit his lip and with one last look at her tearful face, turned and walked away.

Esha lay back on the bed, curled up on her side, hugged his pillow to her chest and cried herself to sleep.

They stood on the podium yet again the next day. Edmund's body had disappeared hours after his death, vanishing completely out of Narnia. Aslan had revealed to the Pevensie's that he was alive in their world, and Esha took some comfort knowing this, but at the same time she was still faced with an undeterminable amount of time without him.

She was but a shell of what she had been just yesterday. She spoke to no-one and avoided eye-contact. Her feelings of love had been so intense in their last few minutes together that when he had been killed, her world had shattered so loudly that no amount of crying could drown out the sound of it breaking.

Esha curtsied to Peter and he gave her a reassuring hug and tried to smile, but her obvious distress prevented it.

The three left with their heads bowed, leaving behind the world they loved without a backwards glance.

The tree re-twisted itself, and just as quickly as that, they were gone.

THE SEQUEL, 'LAVENDER MOON' IS OUT NOW! CHECK IT OUT!