Proxena's Joy
Disclaimer: I do not own CS Lewis or any of his characters.
This was inspired by elecktrum's The Voyage of Dawn Treader (imagine the title in italics, since the stupid site won't add them for me!), which I highly recommend. You needn't read it before reading this, however, you should read it in order to understand all the subtle references made therein. Read one, then the other for the full effect. I do have permission to play in elecktrum's sandbox, so no worries there.
Found in the Archives of Cair Paravel...
Proxena's Joy
In
the Beginning, there was a song.
It
brought the world into being.
Each
creation melody bound,
Each
soul expressed by singing.
This
world, O Narnia!
The
Moon, The Sun,
All
of Creation
Daughters
and Sons!
With
Joy unspeakable,
They
danced in glory
These
Children, the Stars–
This
is Proxena's story...
A
Mother's love,
A
Father's watchful eye,
Millions
of children
Across
the starry sky
With
song and dance,
They
move through all space
Giving
Praise to Aslan
For
giving them Grace.
Watching
us watch them,
Their
dance never ends
Moving
the oceans
Caused
by the waves, caused by the winds.
At
behest of the Sun,
Moon
Dog Sterno did call.
Three
days with joy
He
spent telling names all.
The
Spear Head,
Son
of the North
The
Cat's Eye,
Of
Leopard, of course
The
Little Sisters
Of
the Veil
The
Youngest, Proxena,
This
is her tale.
Since
her birth in time
She
has done as the others
Spreading
her joy
With
her sisters and brothers.
Shining
through long Winter white,
She
sang despite Jadis' terror.
Until
the end of Beruna's long fight,
When
four foretold retake the Cair.
Aslan's
return,
His
death by sacrifice,
She
saw His Love
Melting
the ice.
And
now...A shadow
Falls
upon the sky
And
young Proxena has
Weakened
by the by.
What
can this mean?
To
whit? Portend?
The
arrival of Dawn Treader.
The
Emperor did send
A
message to all--Draw
near to hear:
"O
Narnia! O Narnia! Tidings I bring.
Eve's
Daughters, Adam's Sons,
Gentle
Queens, Good Kings...
Proxena
is passing soon to be no more
Joining
the Emperor-beyond-the-Sea on His shore.
Youngest,
Brightest, yet never as strong,
She
has lived, danced and sang ere this long.
In
her Joy, she brought beauty, giving her all.
Proxena
exhausted her span. Soon, she must fall
To
the sleep of a moment. And now, I must go.
A
Mother's tears I escort though it will not show.
In
darkness, the Moon will grieve.
No
tides, no moonlight, no phases to see.
Mourn,
O Narnia!
Mourn
the loss of Beauty!
A
voice silenced in the night!
Mourn
the Sun and the Moon!
Gone
will be their Beloved Light!
Mourn,
O Narnia!
Mourn
Proxena, Daughter of Moon and Sun!
Remember
her forever, until Time is undone!"
With
sheen of purple and green,
Dawn
Treader did take flight,
Drawing
the Moon into mourning
Beneath
a veil of night.
To
the North!
To
the South!
Wave
upon Sea!
Merfolk,
Naiads,
Creatures
that be!
Take
note of Proxena
'Ere
she ceases to be...
Spread
word to all,
Let
everyone hear:
This
Time is for mourning
And
not Time for fear.
Three
days of waiting,
Holding
one's breath.
Three
days with no Moon,
Sadly
waiting for death.
In
the night, all watched
Scarcely
blinking an eye
And
it came as a BURST
Glorious.
Brilliant. Filling the Sky,
Large
as the Sun,
She
burned on and on
Casting
stars into shadow
And then...she was gone.
Proxena
was gone,
Much
like she came
Filled
with Love, Praise, and Joy
The
song she always sang.
In
the darkness that followed,
A
voice started to hum a wordless lament.
Soon,
all Creation joined in.
None
moved. None spoke. Our grieving was sent
Across
all of Narnia,
Mourning
Daughter fair.
We
remember Proxena's Joy
Our
words we do share.