Disclaimer: I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia. That belongs to C.S Lewis. However, I do own the character, Annette, and her personality.

THE HIGH KING'S QUEEN:

A CHRONICLES OF NARNIA FANFICTION

PART ONE

CHAPTER ONE

Annette Fielden arrived at the old professor's mansion three days before the Pevensies did. She looked up at the large sprawling building with discomfort. It definitely looked like a place she could get lost in and she hated getting lost anywhere. Her mother placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and started, "You'll will stay here while…" she trailed off. Nancy Fielden had rode the train with her daughter so she wouldn't feel lonely and had even traveled to Professor Kirke's with her, but she knew she couldn't stay with her youngest daughter. No, she had to stay with Annette's older siblings: the twins, seventeen year old, Rose and Paul. Her father and other older brother, twenty-one year old, Charles, had gone to fight in the war.

However, the fourteen year old, Annette, wasn't allowed to stay with her family, but was sent to the country like every other unfortunate child in London. She had sulked the entire way despite her mother's words of assurance. "You'll have fun, Annette. Dear, don't look that way. The professor told me himself that other children will be there soon." Annette's ears did prick up when she heard about the other children, but she still felt like she was being abandoned by her family. Yes, Annette didn't want to see her home blown to bits and she did want to be in one piece, not several, but she did want to be with her family during this time, when she needed them most. TO her, family was the most important thing in the world, and she couldn't bear it if anything happened to them, and she suddenly panicked.

"What about Dad and Charles? What if they want to write me? How will they know where I am?" Annette demanded of her mother.

"I will send the letters to you, love," Mrs. Fielden told her daughter, now putting both hands on her shoulders. Then, she attempted to smooth down Annette's curly black hair absently. "Now, can't have you looking a fright when you meet the professor, can we, my little queen?"

Annette, in spite of herself, laughed at her mother's and hers, old joke. As the youngest, Annette was the most pampered one and thus her parents called her their little queen, and sometimes Annette truly dreamed that she could be royalty one day, but the only way that could happen is if she married the prince or something, and that would never happen.

Mrs. Fielden held her daughter's hand tight and led her up to the professor's door and rapped on the door with the door knocker. The ornate door opened immediately and a stern looking elderly woman with brown hair streaked with grey and cold brown eyes. She could tell almost immediately that this woman probably did not like children, though her employer might. "So, this is young Annette, is it?" the woman asked, looking down her nose at her. Her mother nodded and pushed Annette forward a little. Remembering her manners, Annette dropped down in a curtsey. The old woman seemed not to notice. "I'm Mrs. Macready, housekeeper of Professor Kirke's estate. You may enter." She turned and started walking down the hallway.

Annette gave her mother a look, which she didn't see(or chose to ignore), and followed Mrs. Macready. Annette sighed and went after her mother. A maid behind them shut the door. Annette looked around at her surroundings. The house's halls seemed to twist and turn behind them as they walked. She would probably have to leave bread crumbs or rocks behind her like Hansel and Gretel had, but then again, leaving anything untidy in this house would most likely bring her face to face with the witch.

She then tuned into her mother and Mrs. Macready's conversation as they walked up some stairs and came to a large bedroom with two beds. "This will be Annette's room along with the two sisters that will be here on Friday. Annette will have her own bed and the sisters will share a bed." Mrs. Fielden nodded her approval and Annette surveyed the room. There were two canopy beds and it seemed the professor was trying a little hard to make the girls feel at home. The blankets on the beds were pink as well as the newly refurbished carpet.

"The boys' room will be adjacent to yours," Mrs. Macready said. She and Annette's mother had moved on and Annette rushed after them, not wanting to get left behind and be lost. "You may go to the library, and there will be another room set up for you children. and you may play outside. Touch nothing but the things that belong you or the books in the library. And, you must keep your room as tidy as possible."

"That's never been a problem for Annette," Mrs. Fielden told her, pleasantly. "Annette's always been very tidy."

"Good," Mrs. Macready said, shortly. "Also, you will not disturb the - Professor?" She had stopped in front of a closed door that had just opened, and a man with wild white hair emerged from it. Annette's eyes widened at the sight of him. His manner of dress and style seemed eccentric, different than what she was used to. "I didn't know you had finished your work, sir." The housekeeper kept her eyes cast down when she addressed him.

"Yes, I've been done for quite a while, Mrs. Macready," he said, nodding to her, and he then turned to Annette and her mother. "Well, hello, you must be Annette and you her mother." He took her mother's hand and kissed it, and then did the same to Annette. "I'm sure you will like your stay here. Did you know your father was one of my students?" Annette shook her head. he again turned to her mother. "How is Jack and your eldest son?"

"They're faring well," Mrs. Fielden said, sadly. "But tell us more about these other children. Who are they?"

"The Pevensie children," the professor replied. "Their names are Edmund, Peter, Lucy, and Susan."

"And their ages?" Annette couldn't help but ask.

"Eight, eleven, thirteen, and fifteen," he told her, "However, I am not wholly sure which child is which age. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough." Annette was pleased. She should be able to fit in well with the fifteen and thirteen year olds and since she had no younger siblings herself, that would most likely be the role the eleven and eight year olds would fill. Annette actually couldn't wait to meet them.

The professor led the way back down the stairs and Annette was quiet as they walked. She knew the inevitable was coming very quickly. Now, she would have to say goodbye to her mother.

They reached the foyer and Professor Kirke took Mrs. Macready's arm, saying to the Fieldens, "I think it would be best if we leave you two alone. Mrs. Macready, accompany me to the kitchen, will you?" The woman simply nodded and followed the professor to the kitchen.

"Now," Annette's mother said, trying to flatten Annette's black hair once more, "Annette, I'm sure you'll behave and not cause the professor, or Mrs. Macready for that matter, to have heart attacks."

"I won't," Annette said at once. Though she did have a mischievous streak in her, she knew well enough not to cause a ruckus in someone else's home. Her mother seized her in a tight hug and a tear slipped out of her eye and onto her cheek. "Don't cry, Mum, I'll be fine," said Annette, tears running down her own face. Mrs. Fielden kissed her youngest daughter on the cheek and opened the door of the professor's estate. With one backwards glance, she left, closing the door behind her, leaving Annette all alone.

With nothing to do until dinner was called, Annette decided to head back up to her room where she had put her things to read one of her own books or maybe head to the library to read one of the professor's books. How can anyone find their way in this house? There are so many rooms! Annette thought to herself. She headed up the stairs and down the hall that she hoped her room was in. Looking for the pink room, she peeked in every single room that her eyes saw, and everyone was different: There was a room full of statues, a room full of paintings, and, now this one was very strange. This room was completely barren, save for a wooden wardrobe in the center of the room. However, that wasn't the strange things about it. The strange thing was that this wardrobe seemed to be calling to her, and she entered the room, as if in a trance.

Annette continued forward, and held her hand out when she reached the door to open the door, starting to open it when…

"Miss Annette?"

Annette snapped out of her reverie and turned to see a girl no older than sixteen with dark red hair and brown eyes, carrying a feather duster. "Yes…what is your name?"

"My name is Ivy, miss, and you must get out of this room. You'll be in trouble. Mrs. Macready said no one is to come in here, except when it needs to be dusted," Ivy mumbled, keeping her eyes down. Annette couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl who was most likely brought up like a third class citizen, but her curiosity piqued when the girl told her being in this particular room wasn't allowed.

"Why aren't we allowed to be in here?" Annette asked, curiously.

"The professor is said to be keeping something secret in that wardrobe," Ivy said, mischievously. Annette smiled. She definitely liked this girl. She was imaginative and reminded her of her sister. Well, almost.

"Like what?" Annette asked in interest as the two girls started leaving the room.

"Like a body or two…" Ivy told her outside of the room.

"You're joking," Annette laughed.

There was a moment's pause.

"You are joking, right?"

Annette had eaten dinner with the professor and Mrs. Macready without much trouble, except that there were too many forks and spoons on the table. She had no clue which one to use for which meal. After dinner, she went back up to her room, and lighted a candle which was on the nightstand. However, after a couple minutes of reading, she fell asleep, the book laying across her chest.


"Children, I have something I must tell you," Mrs. Pevensie told her four children as they sat down at the dinner table. Peter, Susan, and Lucy immediately looked up, rapt with attention, while Edmund continued shoveling peas into his mouth. Helen Pevensie looked distraught and she could not find the words she was trying to say.

"What is it, Mum?" Peter asked, concerned, while kicking Edmund's leg under the table to make him pay attention.

"Ow!" he yelled before glaring at his older brother.

"Because of the recent London bombings, they have ordered us to send all of the children in London away to the country," their mother told them, sadly, and she waited for their reactions, which came as quick as she thought.

"You're sending us away?"

"Dad wouldn't make us leave!"

"I don't want to go!"

Peter was the only one who did not respond. He looked quietly at Lucy's tearful face, Susan's look of disbelief, and Ed's angry glare. His mother looked to him for help, so he gave it. "It makes sense," he acknowledged, even though he didn't want to go anywhere any more than his siblings wanted to. "Where are we going?" he asked, ignoring his siblings' questioning glances.

"To Professor Kirke's estate," Mrs. Pevensie answered him. "It's far enough away that there are sure to be no bombings or attacks or any incidents such as last week's." At this, she looked pointedly at Edmund, whose face grew red.

"Will there at least be any other kids there?" Susan asked, trying to digest what her mother had informed them.

"Yes," Helen Pevensie smiled at her oldest daughter, "A girl about your age. Her name's Annette."

"A girl?" Edmund complained. "Don't we have enough of them here?" Lucy giggled and stuck her tongue out at him despite her tears and he made a face at her.

"Edmund, Lucy, please," Mrs. Pevensie chided them.

"When are we leaving?" Peter asked the question none of them wanted to ask, and Mrs. Pevensie hesitated before she spoke. "Mum?"

"You'll be leaving Friday," she said, steadily.

"Friday?! Mum, that's only three days away!" Susan exclaimed, shocked.

"I know, Susan, I know, but the sooner you leave the better," her mother replied, giving her a sad smile. "Now, get ready for bed all of you, and I'll be upstairs shortly." They nodded and the four children headed upstairs. "Wait, Peter, I would like to speak with you." Peter stayed behind while Susan herded Lucy and Edmund upstairs.

Mrs. Pevensie led her eldest child into the sitting room and he set the logs in the fireplace alight. Mrs. Pevensie sat in the rocking chair that her husband had built for her while she was pregnant with Peter. "Peter, you have been a big help around here since your father left." He smiled broadly, pleased at his mother's compliment. "While you are gone, I have no doubt that you will look after the others. I have a feeling something may happen while…" Mrs. Pevensie broke off, and dissolved into tears. Peter strode over to his mother and hugged her tightly.

"I won't let anything happen to the others, Mum," Peter tried to stop the tears from falling from his own eyes. "I swear."