Hello to you all, again again! Here it is! The third and final installment of the Goldenflower-trilogy: Goldenflower 3: The Last Return!
Is it okay to feel a little emotional right now?
To eventual new readers, welcome! Wonderful to have you here, but I highly recommend you read the first two installments, but welcome! :D
I've been working really hard to plan everything out for both this and my new Marvel-franchise based story called "Storm Warning", which also will be up shortly. I know, I know...I told you that it might be awhile before I published anything again, but I feel really confident and good about these stories, and I've begun growing impatient (laughs). I've written a few chapters for each stories - but with that said, I can't really promise any regular updates days as some do - other than I promise to try to prevent not updating for several months like the last time :P.

Here's a link to a playlist for the story: youtube dot com slash playlist?list=PLJKPr4nzBppfAa5Mn9oCvAScD-QwnlqxJ

Finally, I've taken a few artistic freedoms as you'll see right below. I've chosen a three year gap between G2 and this: 1) To show the characters' maturity further, which hopefully also will come across in the story itself, and 2) To fit with the movie's spirit of growing up, which also is one of my central themes in Goldenflower among others.
Finally, finally - sorry :P. I've gotten a request to write a story based on Cornelia, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy's adventures in the Golden Age. It sounds really interesting and something I'd definitely want to do sometime, just not right now unfortunately :)
Without further ado, let's join in on the next adventure of Cornelia and co. (:

Goldenflower 3: The Last Return

Prologue:

March, 1945 – Finchley, London - England

"Mum, Dad, I'm going for a walk!"

A fifteen-year-old Cornelia Pevensie rolled her eyes seconds after her comment to her parents, as the latter could be heard arguing. Silence however followed when the teen slammed the door rather purposefully hard behind her. As she walked out of the garden gate, she stopped and turned to look at the house that had miraculously survived the war mainly unscathed. There were some small repairs here and there, but her parents didn't want to spend lots of money on repair to the house before the war was over. It was her childhood home, where they had lived even before she was born. These days, it rarely felt like a home anymore. Gods know that her parents tried, but the tension around the dinner table in the evenings was an ever-present, uninvited guest that had dined with them since shortly after Andrew being reported missing in action over Europe. The stress, heartbreak and strain of Andrew's disappearance were slowly causing her parents' marriage to crumble to pieces. It had become close to too much for them after nearly five years. Cornelia honestly wasn't sure how much longer her parents could endure their pain, or how long she herself would be able to keep up the façade and be strong for them. She had been feeling so much better since she and her cousins had returned from Narnia the second time around. Her sessions with Vincent had stopped after she had convinced her parents and Vincent himself by becoming the smiling, positive girl she had been before Andrew disappeared. Cornelia had at the same time been sad that she wouldn't see Vincent anymore if she didn't continue with her sessions. The psychiatrist had against all odds grown on Cornelia, and it would be as if she would be leaving a friend when her sessions stopped. That is until Vincent with a soft smile and glint in his eyes had suggested that she could become his new office girl on a part time basis if she wanted. It was an offer Cornelia had taken gratefully as it would mean that she still could come to the office and talk to him. And it would also mean that there were certain days in the week that she would be away from home longer besides from the school hours. Her parents had also been beyond happy for their daughter getting her first job, and for one day it felt like she remembered when Andrew had been there. They had celebrated by going to a fancy restaurant (the few that were still open), and Cornelia had for once been happy to spend the night with her parents. They weren't fighting so frequently in front of Cornelia anymore – she suspected that they had noticed their daughter's anguish, but she could still hear them at night when she was supposed to be sleeping. Though she felt much better than roughly three years before, she still felt responsible for keeping up the façade, feeling obligated to stay strong for her family's sake. That also included her cousins on her father's side.

Cornelia silently scoffed at the sight some meters across from her. A young, homecoming soldier was completely surrounded by several young girls, gushing and swooning over the young man in uniform. Her heart clenched whenever she saw a young soldier, who had come home. 'Why couldn't that be Andrew?' her brain screamed each time, silently envying the soldier. Her envy quickly turned into shame when she saw that he was missing a limp from the knee and down. This soldier had clearly lost something that never could be replaced, and who knew how he was coping mentally.

'At least he's still alive.' The selfish part of her argued. She cursed at herself for being so selfish. She didn't know this man or of what he had endured and lost, and here she was indirectly wishing him to be dead in her brother's stead. It had taken some time, but Cornelia had, as she got older, realized that Andrew might not come home. He had been missing for five years, and from the little information they had received from the Royal Air Force, the odds weren't good. Andrew's squadron had been spread, several planes shot down, others diving into the ocean, a few clear survivors accounted for. Andrew's squadron's fate had become an example of the worst case scenario for the new cadets. Her heart clenched, and a ripping pain suddenly went through her when these thoughts went through her head. Yet, there was still this tiny part of her that still held on to the belief of Andrew being alive and hopefully well somewhere.

'He's strong and a survivor. He'll come home to me. He promised.' A tiny voice reassured her inside her mind.

A roar of an engine made her jump as a long shadow passed overhead. She looked up, seeing the belly of one of the British airplanes patrolling the airspace over Finchley.

"It's that pilot's sister." One of the girls gasped rather loudly as Cornelia passed them, her cheeks immediately flaring into a red-ish color.

"Him who's been missing for five years?" Another questioned with a gasp.

"Poor thing." A third gasped.

Cornelia silently clenched her hands into fists as she tried to keep her anger and hopelessness down. She had realized a long time ago that she was different from other girls her age. Her breathing had suddenly become rapid, it almost felt like she was suffocating. Finchley had slowly become one big gossip machine. It had becomed cramped. The pitying looks she received every now and then haunted her and caused anger to flare up in her. Some of it were directed at the gossipers, though she knew most of their intentions were good. Another part of her anger had fallen upon Andrew, who wasn't there to receive it. Why had he felt the need to enlist voluntarily instead of waiting to be drafted like most of his friends had done if he even had to go and fight at all? He had left her all alone to fend for herself and slowly break at seeing their parents' marriage crumble right before her eyes.

"That's enough, ladies. Leave the poor girl alone. I'd imagine she's suffering enough already without all the gossip behind her back."

Cornelia exhaled, feeling air filling into her lungs again at the soldier's firm voice. He had clearly seen her discomfort through her body language or he was simply not one for gossiping. He and Cornelia knew from two very different worlds that war was not a game. It was brutal, gritty and rarely – nearly never had a complete happy ending. There was always someone who would have to pay the ultimate price. War was about survival, rarely any luck though it was more than helpful.

She didn't encounter more comments on her way. She did however receive those pitiful looks that made her sick to her stomach. It made her worst scenario more real, causing her to become more cynical about her brother's life than she wanted to be. But it was her way of protecting herself, her only way of coping and coming to terms with the godforsaken war and what it had and may still cost her. Again, she felt another unexplainable rip close to her heart. After another hour and a half's walk, her feet once again had found their way home to her house. It had begun to darken in the horizon and blackouts were still in effect after the clock had struck six.

"I'm home!" She called, closing the door softly behind her before she got rid of her scarf, coat and shoes.

"We're in here, sweetheart." Her father said softly from what sounded like the kitchen. Cornelia's eyebrows furrowed at the softness in her father's voice. It wasn't strange in the way that he would always shout at her, but he and her mum would often snap at each other or at her if she second-guessed their requests.

"What's going on?" Cornelia asked concernedly as she entered the kitchen. Her mother stood with her back turned to her, looking out of the window like she was waiting for someone to emerge. Her father sat at the dinner table. He looked so tired like he had seemingly aged twenty years that in reality only was five. Cornelia looked sadly at her parents. It had been so hard on them all, the strain clearly taking its toll. A once seemingly perfect family suddenly wasn't so perfect anymore. Instead, every day was a struggle with the same arguments and emotions running high, although her parents each had tried to create a normal everyday life once again. But it just wasn't the same without Andrew.

"Nothing serious, darling." Her father replied with a soft smile. "Why don't you sit down for a minute?"

Cornelia sat down swiftly without hesitation. Her father then looked at her mother who hadn't moved an inch since she had entered the kitchen. She hadn't even acknowledged that their daughter was in the same room as them.

Her father then sighed quietly, having watched his wife, waiting for her to begin speaking. But when she didn't, he looked softly at their daughter. "Your mother and I have talked, and -."

Her mother's snort suggested otherwise. In return, her husband closed his eyes regrettably before looking at his only daughter with a soft look. "And we wondered if you'd like to go with Edmund and Lucy to Cambridge and stay with their aunt and uncle for a while, like an extended vacation to get away from the many bombings around here?"

Before Cornelia could answer, however, her mother had turned abruptly and was staring her husband down, angry tears in her eyes. "If you really want to send our other child away like you did with our first, be my guest. But I'll have none of it!"

"Honey, please…" Her husband begged. Cornelia's heart sank when her mother sent her father a spiteful look before she marched out of the kitchen. Her eyes flickered back to her father, who's shoulders had slumped as he was sighing sadly.

Cornelia's hand then placed itself on top of her father's, causing the older Pevensie to look at his daughter, obviously surprised.

"It's okay, Dad." Cornelia smiled, softly squeezing his hand. "I know that you wouldn't do it if you thought you had another choice. You only want what's best for me."

Her father's face it up into a grateful smile before she then asked. "What about Peter and Susan?"

"Peter's going to Professor Kirke to study while Susan's going to America with your uncle and aunt. They didn't think that Edmund and Lucy would be old enough to get something out of it." Her father replied and smiled as he stood up, looking at her softly.

Cornelia frowned softly at her aunt and uncle's reason for leaving Edmund and Lucy back in England. Edmund was seventeen, almost an adult while Lucy recently had turned fourteen. Nonetheless, she shook her thoughtfulness off her so her father wouldn't question it and instead sent him a soft smile. "I'd love to go, Dad. Mum will come around. She always does."

Her father smiled softly, leaning down to press a kiss on the top of his daughter's head, leaning close to her ear before saying softly, "Thank you, sweetie. You're my trooper."

Cornelia smiled softly at her father before he reluctantly left the kitchen, leaving his fifteen-year-old alone with her thoughts. A lot had changed. She and her cousins were growing up and this time they would be split up. She could only hope as she sat there and looked out at the darkening skyline that it wouldn't be long before their return to Narnia.

RIP Technical Sergeant Donald G. Malarkey, Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne (July 30, 1921 - September 30, 2017) - another Screaming Eagle has fallen, who's company's achievements, heartbreaks and bravery were captured in Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg's award-winning mini-series "Band of Brothers" (2001).