Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to The Chronicles of Narnia. Only original characters belong to me.

AN: Here it is: the new story! Sorry it's late; my computer decided that it needed to be fixed while I was writing this, so I'm using a back-up. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this story as much as the first two. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

Chapter 1: A Queen's Work Is Never Done:

Sadly, there was more to being Queen just wearing the crown.

Everyone knows that, after every coronation, days of feasts and parties follow. People eat, dance, toast their new monarch, and are merry until they go back to their everyday lives

As for the newly crowned king or queen, things are hardly normal for many days to come. There are new rules of etiquette to learn, as well as laws of governance, and how to properly handle situations that require royal attention.

Then there's the legendary paperwork that needs a signature (or three). Fortunately, I had a fondness for paper, and could scan documents quickly to get the gist of them. I also had some very good teachers, and it was with their help that I managed to learn the basics of being Queen of Narnia.

Another bit of luck was the fact that the crown Aslan had transformed for me was actually comfortable –to a point. A person can only go for so long with something crafted from gold and silver sitting atop their head, but if my hair was done right, my crown could rest atop a thick layer of hair and not cause a headache. So at least I was relatively comfortable when my new royal lessons began, three days after my coronation.

Back in my world, I'd spent years watching television programs on England, and how their monarchs had been buried in paperwork and politics.

I knew how the old kings of England had been forced to fight tooth-and-nail to keep their kingdom safe from invasion and war with other countries. I'd marveled at how most of Europe's royal families were connected thanks to Queen Victoria, who had married off her children and grandchildren to European royalty, as well as Russia. And with all of those monarchs had come paperwork in the form of laws, treaties, and proclamations that had been the bane of their existence.

Thankfully, being Queen of Narnia was going to be much easier that being Queen of England. Narnia was at peace with its neighbors, as well as within itself, so there was no need to worry about invasion from any direction. There was also no need to make political alliances through marriage, and we already had treaties with the nations bordering ours, so that kept trouble to a minimum.

No, the only thing Caspian and I had to worry about were the internal machinations of Narnia, which still needed quite a bit ironing out. As we were the central figures, it was up to us, as well as the Council, to keep things peaceful and running smoothly.

I had always been a great believer in keeping peace, and told not only Caspian this, but also Professor Cornelius and Trumpkin. They knew from past experience that I was willing to charge into battle for the good of Narnia, but they were quite relieved that I was more of a fan of peace rather than war. In that regard, their lessons centered on teaching me how to keep my composure while in public, how to think clearly in any given situation, and to consider what was best for the majority of the people.

"You will likely never please everybody," Professor Cornelius warned me constantly. "If you try to make everyone happy, you will only drive yourself mad. Therefore, you must think of what will be best for as many as possible."

And so I tried. My three tutors often put scenarios before me (all of which were mere examples that had already happened in the past), where I would have to make some kind of judgment. After puzzling through the situation, I delivered my decision on the matter, and waited to see if I was right.

More often than not, my three teachers thought my choice a good one, because I had come up with the same solution as the one that had been delivered, and because they thought I had done well. I did mess up on a few, but no one was perfect, and it allowed me to learn from my mistakes.

After a solid month of training, Trumpkin decided to put a few real documents before me, asking what I thought about their contents. These turned out to be petitions from various people, asking for a ruling on something; or for permission to farm certain lands; or to see if they would be allowed to build a mine on some piece of land or another. I carefully read through them, considered all of the information given to me, and asked numerous questions before coming to a decision.

Trumpkin, meanwhile, was pleased at my asking questions, and when I told him what I thought of the matters, he seemed satisfied. "You're coming along well, Ali," he said. "Soon, you'll be ready to start holding Court with the King."

Yup, that's right –holding Court with Caspian. I had wanted to start earlier, but the others hadn't wanted to put an inexperienced Queen on the throne before the people. I'd gone along with it, if only because it was the smart thing to do (though that didn't prevent people from occasionally stopping in the hall to ask for help with their situations). I didn't want to look like a complete idiot in front of everyone, and Caspian had agreed with the idea, so it was a good arrangement all around.

But it would figure that the very day I decided to try sitting upon my throne, the unexpected happened.

"It has to be nerves," Trumpkin said. "The girl has rarely been ill the entire time she's been in Narnia, so I don't believe for a minute that she's sick with something."

Helen, who had decided to become my personal attendant, glared down at the Dwarf. "She's been sick in the basin all morning," she snapped, losing patience with him. "It's clear that she won't be able to be with the King in the throne room today, so why don't you go off and tell him that?"

If I hadn't been so miserable, I'd have laughed. Helen was a stubborn woman in her late-thirties, with long brown hair and brown eyes. She was what most people would consider plain, but there was an appealing look to her that kept her from fading into the background. Helen was also a magician with not only a needle (like her sister), but also with food, hair, and herbs.

She had also very subtly wormed her way into my personal household. Though Helaine, her sister, was now widely known as my seamstress, Helen had decided weeks ago that, since she was not married and had no children of her own, she would become my personal maid. She was now my personal assistant, nursemaid, and whatever else I needed her to be. I adored her for it, too, and paid her just as well as I did Helaine.

Trumpkin scowled, his face turning as red as his beard and hair. "The King is going to want a very good reason for her not going down," he warned. "I doubt he'll believe this as an excuse."

Helen returned his scowl with one just as angry and frustrated. "Well, he'll just have to accept it. The Queen is ill, and that's all there is to it!"

Muttering curses under his breath, Helen saw him out and shut the door soundly behind him. "Males! Really, they certainly are quite maddening!"

I gave her a wan smile. "Well, some of them are," I said quietly.

Helen gave me a concerned look. "Are you alright? Do you need the basin again?"

I shook my head. "I would like some water, though."

She obligingly brought me a cup of water, flavored with lemon and mint. I tasted a bit of sugar, and was grateful for it. Hopefully, the sweet would take the vile taste of vomit out of my mouth!

After I emptied two cups, I felt better and more clearheaded. Helen sat beside me and put a damp cloth on my forehead, her hands gentle as she tended me. After a while, she had a servant bring up a platter of toast and light jam, along with some mint tea with honey. I was able to choke down a bit of toast, and some tea, but the effort seemed to exhaust me for some reason. Seeing that I was tired, Helen immediately tucked me into bed (I hadn't changed out of my nightgown yet), and pulled the curtains over the windows, blocking out most of the bright early summer sunshine.

I don't know how long I dozed, but it had to have been a good amount of time, because the next thing I knew, Caspian burst into the room, his face full of concern as he came to sit on the bed beside me. Since he was still wearing his crown and ornate clothes, he had to have come directly from the throne room, where he'd been holding Court.

"Are you alright?" he asked urgently, gently pressing his right hand to my cheek. "I came as soon as I could."

I gave him a smile and reached up from under the covers to run my own fingers through his short beard. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "I didn't mean to worry you. I'm just not feeling well today."

He nodded. "Trumpkin said as much. Helen has been taking good care of you, I hope?" Brown eyes looked at me closely. "You do look pale, Ali. Rest for a while, and if you're well enough, I'll come have lunch with you."

The idea made me smile. "I'd like that," I replied. "Go on, I'm sure you've got work to do."

Caspian actually grinned at me. "Actually, I don't. But as much as I would like to spend hours taking care of you, I know that you will need your rest, so I will let you sleep for a little while longer, at least until lunch."

He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead and reluctantly headed off, leaving me to catch some sleep.

After I woke, we had a nice, simple lunch together, and talked quietly about what had happened that day in the throne room. Caspian told me of the issues that had been brought before him, and asked for my opinion on some of the verdicts he'd passed. I told him my thoughts, and he noted them, saying that they were good points, and would be sure that they were passed along and recorded in the record books that were kept on the matters.

On into the night we talked, until it was time for supper. Our evening meal was spent quietly in our rooms, and when the dishes had been taken away, Caspian pulled out a book and read to me. The sound of his soothing voice made me smile, and I immediately felt at home and safe. I could see the blissful look on his face, and knew he felt the same.

That night, our rest was peaceful, the two of us snuggled together under the warm covers as we dreamed. When dawn came, however, my stomach decided to rebel, and would have done so fully if Helen hadn't been there to pour some kind of herbal remedy down my throat.

Beside me, Caspian looked on in worry. "I thought you were better last night," he murmured as Helen pressed a damp cloth to my head.

My very loyal caretaker smiled at him. "Do not worry, sire," she replied. "I will have a doctor see to her at once. I've no doubt that she will be fully well again soon."

That didn't seem to pacify him, though he did get up, dress, and leave to have breakfast with Professor Cornelius, since I obviously couldn't join him. I could tell that Caspian wanted to stay with me, if only to hear what the doctor said, but there might be important matters that he had to take care of, so off he (reluctantly) went.

Within an hour, the doctor arrived. He was human, and I guessed that Helen had sent for him because she felt a human would have the best grasp on my physiology. For half an hour, I was checked over, and asked various questions, all of which I answered as best I could. The doctor hummed and hawed the whole time, and when he was finished, I got some news I did not expect.

I was pregnant.

Normally, pregnancy is a fantastic thing, especially in the case of Kings. Helen was thrilled, and when Felicia came to check up on me, she gasped and wouldn't stop smiling at the news. Both of them wanted to send for Caspian at once, but I told them to wait.

"I don't want to take him away from his duties or distract him from them," I said as an excuse. "There will be plenty of time to tell him afterwards." I then dismissed them so that I could get some rest.

In truth, I was panicking. If I remembered the Narnian timeline correctly, Rilian wasn't due to be born for at least a decade. How could I be pregnant now? I hadn't thought that Caspian and I would need to be careful, but I should have. It was incredibly stupid of me to not think ahead, and now I'd seriously messed up.

"Aslan is going to kill me," I muttered, leaning back on my pillows and closing my eyes.

The next thing I knew, I was awake and with the Lion in his own Country. I was seated on the grass in my nightgown, with Aslan laying beside me, fully relaxed and showing no signs of anger or disappointment. That was a good sign.

"You worry too much, Ali," he said to me, his tone full of amusement. "Why should I be angry that you are to have a child?"

"But it's too early!" I cried, wringing my hands. "Rilian isn't supposed to be born for years!"

"And so he shall be." Aslan merely looked amused at my shocked expression. "You shall have your little prince in time, Ali. For now, this little one is but another child for you to raise and love. You might think of it as a reward for all that you have done for me, and for Narnia."

I wasn't quite sure if this counted as a reward or not. I wasn't exactly ready to be a mother yet, but it was too late now. I was pregnant, and whether I liked it or not, this child was going to be born and I was going to have to do my best to raise him/her the best that I could –though it did help that I'd have Caspian along for the whole thing.

I swallowed hard. "Will it be a boy or girl?" I timidly asked, though secretly I hoped it was a girl. I'd always wanted a daughter of my own, though I had honestly thought it would never happen.

Aslan smiled. "You will have to wait and see," he replied as the world around me began to fade. "Take care, Ali, and always know that I will be watching over you and your loved ones."

I woke to find bright sunshine pouring into the room, and Caspian's handsome face staring down at me in worry. "Ali?" he whispered. "Are you alright? Felicia said you needed to speak with me."

Blinking, I looked him over. His crown was missing, and he was in his casual clothes; he'd already seen to the realm's business for the day. Good. That meant I had him all to myself.

Smiling, I reached up for him. He was puzzled, of course, but when he saw how happy I was, Caspian allowed me to pull him down for a warm kiss, which he eagerly returned.

When we parted, I looked into his eyes and whispered, "I have some news for you." He gazed at me in puzzlement. "You're going to be a father."

When Ali had agreed to marry him, Caspian thought that he could never be happier. He had firmly believed that every moment following his wedding was going to be far better than his life before he'd become King.

He'd been right. For months, he had been able to spend many happy hours with her, passing the days in her warm company and teaching her what he knew about ruling. That time with her had been bliss for him, and Ali had soaked up what information he'd given her, doing her best to become the Queen that Narnia both wanted and needed. He loved her for that, and for the first time in his life, Caspian felt truly complete.

But to hear this! He was going to be a father! He and his beloved wife were going to have a child!

A broad smile painted its way across his face. He imagined a strong, healthy boy he could teach to ride and hunt, and to be a knight and warrior for the realm. Caspian could easily see a strapping young man on a great horse, grinning broadly as he relayed his adventures to his parents.

Caspian's imagination suddenly shifted, showing him a sweet little girl who smiled happily at him as her mother brushed her hair before bedtime. The sweet scent of her hair was in his nose as she grew into a beautiful, gracious young woman who could be a great queen, just like her mother.

Ali chuckled. "I can see you're happy about this," she teased, pressing a kiss to his nose.

He laughed. "How can I not be? A child! Oh, Ali, I can't believe it!"

There was a commotion outside the door, and into the room tumbled Professor Cornelius and Trumpkin, who both had excitement and desperate curiosity written on their faces.

"Is it true?" Professor Cornelius asked, looking at us as he closed the door behind him. "Felicia told us, but I wanted to be sure."

Trumpkin gave me one of his rare, small smiles. "It's true. Look at the boy's face! That says it all, no question about it!"

He was right; Caspian had the biggest, happiest grin on his face, and that made it all quite obvious. Of course, we still had to confirm it out loud, so I carefully sat up in bed and moved so that Caspian could sit beside me.

"Yes, it's true," I replied, smiling. "I'm sure we'll make a formal announcement soon, possibly tomorrow, as I doubt this can be kept secret for very long."

Professor Cornelius chuckled. "Too true, Ali. And with that announcement will require you to be in the throne room as much as possible. People will come bearing many gifts for the little one, and more will come to see you as the child grows inside you. It will give the people much joy and hope, seeing you both so healthy and happy."

Caspian reached over and pressed a gentle hand to my belly. "I know it will make me very happy watching him or her grow," he muttered.

I laughed. "Well, I hope that you'll be ready for what will happen between now and the day the baby is born," I playfully retorted. "It certainly is going to be quite interesting for everyone."

My husband grinned and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I wouldn't have it any other way, my love."

AN: Review?