I do not own the characters or setting, but I do own the plot.

In Their Dreams

Two short knocks coming from low on the door startled Caspian from his pacing. He stared at the door wondering if he had made the right decision. Two more knocks came again. He moved to the door and opened it swiftly.

"Your majesty," Trumpkin said lowering his head further. The dwarf was dressed in the clothes of a Narnian commoner, even though he is now considered a nobleman. His beige dress shirt was tucked loosely into his brown, deer skin leather pants with matching shoes. "You called for me, just me?"

"I have called for you to come alone before." The young king said waving his hand for the dwarf to enter. Before Trumpkin could really look at the king's face, he turned and stalked toward the outlandish four poster bed. Studying Caspian, Trumpkin noticed his king was in the same clothing he had been in three days ago at court. His shirt was tattered and untucked from his black cloth trousers. The king's feet were bare.

"Never alone to your bed chamber," Trumpkin mumbled under his breath. He shuffled into the bed chamber and shut the door behind him.

Caspian sat onto his bed ungracefully. Resting his elbows on his knees, Caspian hung his head to stare at the floor. All the years of hunting told the king that Trumpkin was standing just inside the door staring a hole into the top of his crowned head.

"Caspian, what is troubling you? You have been here, yet absent of late. Those of us in your private counsel are beginning to question your sanity or lack of since the return of the Dawn Treader."

The young king lifted his head to look at the dwarf in the eye. He saw a flash of shock cross Trumpkin's face when he finally truly took in Caspian's appearance. He knew how dreadful he looked. His hair was tangled from not having been brushed after a few nights of fitful nights of sleep. The circles under his eyes have become almost as dark as midnight. His normally sun-darkened skin had become almost pale and sickly.

"I haven't been sleeping well." The dwarf huffed. "I try to sleep, but the same dream comes every night. I wake up tangled up in the sheets and blankets. Once awake, I am unable to find sleep again. I do not know how much longer I can go on like this."

"Caspian, you have barely spoken about the voyage accept to say that Reepicheep has crossed to Aslan's land by his own choice." Trumpkin said worriedly. "The men have told us that you saw Prince Edmund and Queen Lucy on the voyage. They dare not say more than that because they fear it will grieve you more."

"That it would," Caspian replied to himself more than the dwarf. "That would most definitely grieve me more."

"Sir, I can tell that this is not what you needed me for."

Caspian sighed, "You are correct, Thumpkin. I am going to take a trip."

"But, sir, you just returned!"

"I am not going by sea, I am going by land. I am going to roam Narnia." Caspian said as he stood. He walked to his wardrobe and continued talking. "I am going to fulfill my promise to the people of Narnia."

"What promise is that exactly? You have already made it possible for us to come out of hiding. You have helped this kingdom become what it once was in the golden age of the kings and queens of old." Thumpkin stopped talking quickly when he saw the king tense at the mention of the kings and queens of old. The air in the room seemed to become solid with the weight of Caspian's anger and sadness. Thumpkin realized what his king really meant to achieve with this trip. "You do not want the kingdom to be like the days of the kings and queens of old. You mean to bring back the kings and queens of old themselves."

Caspian did not answer. He threw open the cabinet doors of his wardrobe to begin preparations. He made a great attempt to ignore the dwarf's insight.

"Aslan told all of the Pevensie siblings that they are no longer of this world. They need to find him in their own world."

"What if Aslan was wrong?" Caspian shouted back as he twirled around and stalked toward the dwarf.

"Aslan is never wrong." Trumpkin said firmly standing his ground.

Caspian crumpled into a heap on the bare floor. "But I cannot be having these dreams for no reason. I cannot keep dreaming of a castle by the sea filled with love and laughing children."

"The reason will come, Caspian. Aslan's reason will come."

DREAMS

Lucy Pevensie stood at a crosswalk waiting for the ability to make up her mind. She felt that she was back in the dream that had plagued her since she had returned to England with Edmund and Eustance. Her tall, statuesque body was clothed in whatever way her mind went at the moment.

If she was to go left, she would be married and become the lady her mother wanted her would be. When she looked left into an imagined mirror, she was dressed in the cream wedding gown she and Susan had seen in the shop window just yesterday. The sleeves were tight to her arms down to her elbows edged with a fine lace. The creamy silk formed a low V on her neckline and gathered under her breasts with the same fine lace as her arms. Then, the fabric skimmed along her body accentuating her curves. It seemed to hover angelically just above the floor, covering her feet, but allowing her to walk easily.

If she was to go right, she would go the way of Narnia to be the queen and warrior she felt in her bones that she was. Lucy would be valiant, courageous, and a healer. A smile was immediately on her face when she saw her crown placed gently on her head when she looked into an imagined mirror to her right. She saw herself in a silvery white, satin gown. It was a scooped neck that was fitted down to her hips with gold delicate and looped design in her chest. A sash was tied around her hips and then, laid down the front of the flowing skirt that spilled out to a train that trailed several feet behind her. The sleeves started with a satin cuff just below her open shoulders. From the cuffs down, the sleeves were elongated sheers down to the middle of her hands and then, from her wrists down to the floor.

Aslan would want her to go left. He had told her that her path now lay only in this world. He would want her to become a woman of courage in this world. He wants her to do the right thing, to uphold her family's honor, and live true in this world.

Lucy's heart wanted her to go right. She wanted the wonder and adventure of Narnia. She wanted the bravery, grace, beauty, love, and friendship she had once had in Narnia.

Her head whipped from left to right and right to left never truly making up her mind.

Edmund pulled Lucy out of her confusing thoughts. "Lucy, the restaurant is just ahead. Why are you standing at the street corner? Come on, Lucy. We are going to be late for dinner."

"I cannot go to the dinner, Edmund." Lucy said as she lightly squeezed his hand that was holding hers.

Edmund stopped trying to pull her foreword to fully look at her face. There was a sad desperation evident in her eyes. It was the same look as when she talked about Narnia. "Lucy, you cannot go back. Aslan said that we need to find him in this world and we have. We have come to love him in a new way. You even found a man who loves you while working in service to this new Aslan."

"But I do not love him!" Lucy said just loud enough for Edmund to hear over the noise. "I cannot love a man here when my heart still belongs to another in another world."

"Lucy, you have to let go of this silly, school girl fantasy of Caspian. He has surely moved on as you must do." Edmund said forcefully. She winced and he hated making her, but she needed to see sense.

Lucy recovered from her brother's well meaning, but harsh words. She pulled her hand from his with more force than was necessary. She stumbled back a step and placed her foot on the curve of the curb. She fell flailing backwards into the street and the bicyclist that was about to turn the corner had no option of stopping or swerving away from the falling young woman into the moving traffic.

Note~

I am writing this story because it popped into my head when I was subbing in a class that was reading it out loud. I love the characters that C.S. Lewis has created. I just wanted to put my own little spin on this tale.

These chapters may not be long or fast coming, but I am making them up as the plot comes to me. Let me know what you think.

DuckiBelle

1940's wedding dress: www. Circa brides collection_ lotty. Php

Medieval wedding dress: www. Wedding hairstyleshq consider- medieval- wedding- dresses- for- your- ceremony/

In the picture the dress is bright white, I picture it as more of a silvery white in my head.