A/N: This is the sequel to 'It's My Time'. I just fell in love with Lucy, Wendell, Wayne, Lilyanna and the rest that I just had to do another fic on them! For readers who have already read 'It's My Time' please read this and review. For readers who haven't read 'Its My Time' please read that and review, after which you can read this!
X and O,
SashaWPevensie
Lord Wendell Durham ran a tired hand through his hand. It had been a busy day, what with the meeting headed by King Peter and King Caspian, where he and King Edmund were the advisors for the matter of housing for those victimized by the flooding of the Great River the previous month, and being the organizer for the ball held in the honour of Queen Susan's and King Caspian's anniversary just a few days back. Wendell smiled at the memory. The ballroom had been in a golden splendor, celebrating 15 years in matrimony, of cherished memories and passionate love shared by King Caspian and Queen Susan. They are truly made for each other, he mused. Just like me and Lucy.
"Wendell, honey! Can you please help me here?" Lucy's voice came floating down the hallway. He was sure it was the kids. He turned around. "Coming dear!" he yelled.
Wendell followed Lucy's voice and entered his children's room. Lucy stood next to their now fifteen-year old daughter Wayne, wearing an exasperated expression.
"Dad!" she whined at the sight of her father. Lucy sighed again and went to join her husband at the room entrance, leaning against him. He put his hands around her waist to steady her. She turned around and laid her head against his chest.
"Empty eyed," she mumbled.
"Huh?" asked Wendell, eyes wide. "I said…I'm tired," replied Lucy, her face buried in his chest. Wendell ran his hand over her long, chestnut hair. He stroked her back comfortingly as she threw her hands over his neck.
"Help me out, Wendell!" she cried.
"What's the matter? And where's Lucinda?" Wendell was referring to the children's nanny, though Wayne and Lilyanna considered themselves too old for one.
"Well, Lucinda was having a splitting headache, so I sent her to her quarters with the hope that she would catch some rest," replied Lucy. And as for the matter of our dear daughter here, well, you can get the news right from the horse's mouth."
Wendell's eyes twinkled. "I'm pretty sure that this is about your birthday ball, isn't it?" Wayne nodded while her mother groaned.
In Narnia, it was customary to 'introduce' a young woman to society at the age of fifteen. Wendell and Lucy, with the help and support of King Peter, Queen Susan, King Caspian, and King Edmund, had finally
decided upon the date and day for Wayne's entrance to society. Hereafter she would also take some responsibility for the running of Court and would be allowed to make decisions based on certain issues.
Queen Susan, having no daughters and only one son, Rilian, was as excited for Wayne's upcoming birthday ball as Wayne herself. She shouldered the responsibility of decorating the entire ballroom, deciding the guest list, making sure that the napkins matched the deco, so on and so forth. Much to Caspian's surprise and contradictory to Lucy's prediction, Susan hadn't 'crashed'. She didn't even seem daunted at the prospect of managing the huge event. She wholly enjoyed every moment planning what was to be the most magical night of her niece's life.
Wendell looked at Wayne, trying to put on a straight face and failing miserably. "What is it this time, Wayne?" he asked. His daughter's preparations had been the joke of the castle for many days now, and Wayne's patience was thinning out. Only her aunt Susan seemed to understand her. "Look, Dad," she began irritably. "I've been trying for hours on end to make mom understand this simple matter of a gown, but she just WON'T' understand!" Wayne nearly yelled.
"Keep your volume down, young lady," said her mother sharply from Wendell's arms. "Remember that it is your father you are talking to!" Wendell hugged his wife tighter. She really was tired, or else she wouldn't have yelled. "Wayne, don't you see that your mother is really tired now?" he asked her. "Has she ever scolded you like this before? Even when you have been very trying, it is I who has lost my patience with you and not your mother. Just look at her. She is in need of some love, care and support, and she doesn't need to take this from you."
Wayne looked ashamed. "Sorry mother, sorry father," she whimpered. She nudged her mother away from her father, on whom she was having a tight grip, and cupped her face in her hands. "Mum, I'm very sorry for my bratty behaviour. You honestly don't deserve this! It's just that…this is such a great event, mom. A large portion of my life depends on this. I just want everything to be perfect, you know? It becomes very difficult when you have grandiose plans and nothing seems to fall in place. Do you realise that there are but five days left?"
Lucy looked deep into daughter's deep pools of blue, which she had inherited from her father. The long silky chestnut hair was from Lucy. It seemed like yesterday that she was a baby, tugging on Lucy's dress and making those goo-goo eyes, begging for some more Turkish delight. How like her uncle Edmund.
Today, her baby was all grown up and ready to make and entrance into society. Being the strong and independent spirit that she was, Lucy had complete faith in her eldest daughter's capability.
"Wayne," she began. "Sweetie, I totally understand what you're going through. Every girl has her one great moment and we all want it to be perfect for us. I'm just very stressed out too right now; one event after the other has been coming up and I've not taken care of myself well. Let's call Aunt Susan and decide on your ball gown. Shall we now?"
Wayne nodded her head in delight, too thrilled for words.
Wendell shook his head, gave Lucy's shoulders a final squeeze and left the room. Girls will always be girls.
"Susan! Susan! Come here for a moment, please? Susan!" That was Lucy. When they got no response, Wayne called out to her much-loved aunt. "Aunt Suuuusaann!! Where are you? We need your help, don't desert me!"
17-year old Rilian came by with an impish look on his face. "Wayne, Aunt Lucy! Practicing a wolf-call, are we?" Wayne stuck her tongue out at Rilian. Rilian clicked his tongue. "Tut, tut," he said, pretending to be very sagely. Wayne playfully smacked his arm. "Rilian, where's Aunt Susan?" asked Wayne. A worried look crossed his face. "I thought she would be with you! Isn't she?"
"Rilian, stop teasing Wayne! You very well know that I sent you to convey my message to her. I told you tell Wayne and Aunt Lucy that I would be late. Apparently I sent the wrong person." Queen Susan's voice came floating down the hall. Wayne looked livid. "You...You…evil, mean, stupid…." She spluttered. Rilian looked taken aback. His cousin had never been so high-strung before. His tone softened and he threw an arm around his sister. "Hey, sorry sis," he said softly. "I'm sorry too, Ril," she said. "It's just that…this night is going to one of the most special days of my life, just for me. I don't want anyone or anything ruining this. It's in 4 days! I'm sorry again. Friends?" Rilian blew a sigh of relief. "Ok," he replied, smiling.
Susan came walking down the corridor with an army of seamstresses, tailors and what nots in tow. They held a plethora of equipment in hand, enough to give Rilian nightmares. "Uh, bye, everyone. All the best for your fitting, Wayne!" With that, Rilian ran out the doorway to find other means to occupy himself.
Meanwhile, Wayne was in heaven. So was Susan. What with materials in a variety of colours, textures and designs, Wayne was in heaven. "Make up your mind about the colour first, dear," Aunt Susan advised. "Then we can move on to decide what material you are looking for." Wayne nodded.
Swathes of materials on every shade of colour imaginable lay on the floor of Wayne's room. She walked around, running her hands over some of them. Though every one of them was gorgeous, Wayne was looking for the perfect one. Which was, as of yet, not in sight.
She moved aside two bundles and looked at what lay under it. Wow. It was a dazzling deep blue with elegant gold embroidery over it, made of a light, silky material. "Luella?" she called out. "Mom, Aunt Susan? Can you come here please?" They scurried over to where Wayne stood. "Luella, can you take this one out, please?" she pointed at her selected fabric. Luella obediently took it out. Lucy and Susan took in s sharp breath.
Lucy was the first to speak. "Oh, Wayne!" she cried out. "This will suit you perfectly!" she held the fabric up to Wayne. "It will compliment your lovely eyes, too!" Susan was speechless. Suddenly, she caught her niece in a bone-crushing hug. "This is it, honey," she said. "Shall we get this stitched?" Wayne nodded, sudden tears springing into her eyes. She brushed them off. I'm so lucky to have these wonderful people around me who care about me.
Wayne was in a chariot, speeding towards the ballroom. The guests cheered as she entered the room. Wayne nodded in delight and proceeded towards the tables. But it was not to be. "May I have the honour of this dance, your majesty?" Wayne whipped her head around in distaste. She HATED dancing. But the young man who stood before erased her unhappiness. He looked like someone she actually dance with. "I cannot dance all that well,your majesty," he added, looking nervous all of a sudden. "That's even better, then," she added brightly. "I'm not much of a dancer myself." "Wayne!" Wake up!
Huh?
"Wayne, Wayne! Are you dead?"
It was her younger sister Lilyanna, and her fantasy had just been a dream. All good things always come to an end.
"Look up at the sky, sis!"
The day of the ball had dawned…well; let's say it was a tragedy. At least that's what it seemed to Wayne. The sky was overcast with rainclouds and a there was already a light drizzle. Wayne was dismayed, and felt like yelling at the top of her voice.
"Great," replied Wayne, crossly. The sisters walked together towards the window and looked at the sky. "It'll be alright, Waynie," she said, using her childhood name for her beloved elder sister. "I hope so, Lily." And with that, she gave her sister a huge hug while trying all the while not to cry.
Thankfully for Wayne, not a member of the castle seemed daunted by the weather. Lucy had already warned all the staff, from the cooks to the handmaidens to the servants not to give even one look of sympathy to Wayne. She knew her emotional daughter all too well. Even Wendell stood warned.
"Wayne!" Susan and Lucy called her. "Coming!" Wayne ran off to her mother's room, trying to put on a brave face. But the sisters saw through her façade. "Come here, you," said Aunt Susan, enveloping her in a warm hug. "Nothing's going to go wrong, dear. We'll ensure that. Not even the weather can mess with Queen Susan the Gentle and Queen Lucy the Valiant!" Wayne gave a watery smile.
"Now, do you want to see your gown or not?" Amidst all her worries about the weather, Wayne had completely forgotten about her gown. She nodded eagerly. "Yes, please!"
Susan signaled to Luella and her assistant who were near the door .They came in, holding a wrapped package. Wayne took it from Luella and un-wrapped it enthusiastically. She was speechless.
If the fabric was a crystal, then this dress was a diamond. It was just exquisite. Wayne ran her hand down the cool satiny skirt. A sash had been fastened at the beginning of the skirt, with a single gold rose in the middle.
"What do you think?"
Tears fell freely down Wayne's cheeks. "Thank you," she managed. Susan gave a satisfied smile, while Lucy hugged her sister. They had succeeded.
"Presenting, Princess Wayne Helena Durham, esteemed daughter of King Wendell Durham and Queen Lucy the Valiant of Narnia."
The crowd went speechless as a shy Wayne descended down the staircase. She glittered like a diamond in her painstakingly made gown. Her long hair was pulled back in an elegant knot and a jeweled hairclip held her hair in place.
Rilian held his arm out to her as she reached the bottom of the staircase. She held her cousin's arm and glided elegantly to her place at the table with her cousins. Rilian sat next to her and waited for the toast that was to come.
High King Peter toasted his niece. "To Princess Wayne, the first girl child of our family, my beautiful niece daughter of my dear sister Queen Lucy and King Wendell. May she live a long and successful life as our Princess. May Aslan give her all the strength, courage and compassion in the world. To Princess Wayne Helena Durham!" All the royalties looked misty eyed as Wayne stood up and gracefully acknowledged the toast.
"Now, it's time to dance!" That was King Edmund. And much to Wayne's displeasure, she was whisked off to the dance floor. I don't know anybody! Who am I to dance with? She looked desperately around for anybody who could save her from this embarrassment.
A young man interrupted her thoughts. "May I have this dance, your highness?" Wayne stared at him in shocked recognition. He was the one in my dream!
A/N: Readers, you know the drill…now is the time to review! ! I may do a sequel to this too, if I get enough response. Still in the deciding stage. Meanwhile, PLEASE REVIEW…it totally makes my day!