"O-Oh my… really, Queen Lucy, must you go to all this trouble on my behalf? I'm r-really very thankful, but…"
Mr. Tumnus was not a very extravagant Faun. You might see others of his race indulge themselves here or there, buying great, big things that they can't carry home without help, but he certainly wasn't one of them. As his words died in his mouth he thought once again of his modest origins, and he knew then that he didn't quite fit in with the grandness of Cair Paravel.
The young Queen had busied herself with fixing up his lodgings, a guest room all to himself. He could come there anytime he liked, whether it be for tea or conversation or any reason at all. Lucy had arranged all this for him, on the one condition that she might come to his home whenever she liked. This was a silly request, for that already was her habit and had been for years, and that was exactly why she asked it.
"It's no trouble, Mr. Tumnus. None at all!" She stopped reassuring him for a moment as she adjusted a curtain. She turned around to smile at him, but was surprised to see her poor Faun looking quite uncomfortable. Afraid he would cry, she wrapped her arms around him. "Why, what's wrong, Mr. Tumnus? Don't you like it?"
Well, he did cry, and began wiping his nose on his scarf so that he might still look a little presentable. "That's just it! I like it very much. Oh, but little Queen Lucy, I don't deserve it, I really don't!"
This puzzled young Lu very much. "Why not? I'd say you deserve it more than anyone!"
"That's very kind of you, but I don't belong here. Look at me - I'm just a humble Faun! I'm not quite fit for a castle." Here he sobbed for a bit before adding, "or Your Majesty."
Lucy was aghast at this, and made certain that he knew it. "You mustn't say that!" The girl looked wildly about before a grand idea came into her. "Come on!"
She dragged poor Mr. Tumnus along the hallways, his hooves echoing across their walls. Her friend struggled desperately to keep up with all the sniffling he was doing, but he managed despite. Lucy continued to pull him along until they came to the throne room.
Tumnus had seen it during the coronation, and he had not yet grown accustomed to it's splendor. There were great windows in the sides that looked down upon the Eastern Sea, looking all the more magnificent for a lack of curtains. The ceilings appeared as though they could touch the sky, and Tumnus was sure that they did. The floors were inlayed with intricate patterns (he felt rather guilty for stepping all over them), and the entire room shone with color. However, it all paled in comparison with Lucy, he felt.
"Get on my throne, Mr. Tumnus!"
"W-What?"
Lucy put on a face of playful indignation. "I order you to go up and sit on my throne." When she heard how forceful her tone sounded, she added softly, "Please?"
Poor Tumnus looked very distraught. How could he refuse an order from his Queen? There was nothing to be done but obey, so he climbed up to the throne and sat on it as she told him. It was not very comfortable, he found, and wondered how Lucy could stand it all day. She probably did not like it very much.
Lucy grinned as he clambered up there, and her eyes twinkled. "Well, I now hereby declare you, Mr. Tumnus, King for a day!"
The Faun looked very shocked to hear this, and began stammering wildly as he sought words with which to reply.
Lucy continued on. "A King is always fit for his castle, and for the company of a Queen!" She smiled brightly. "And you know what is said; 'Once a King in Narnia, always a King in Narnia!'"