A/N: Narnia ficlets. 150 words each, exactly. Peter's came out more angsty than I wanted, Susan's made me sad, Edmund's was good, and Lucy's I'm proud of.
of the clock
i.
Peter is stuck in the past.
Peter remembers things like battles where horns were blown, where the glory of an entire nation was within his hall. He remembers things like the sword with which he killed the wolf, the shield he won, the crown he wore.
He goes to school, and realizes that to him, it means nothing. There are no more battles to be won here, no more crowns for those who wish to win—to earn—them, no more use for shields, horns, and the sword strapped tightly to his side. In jolly old England, knights are legends or entertainers, and mercy to those whom you have bested means weakness during war.
Peter lives in the past, lives for those things that he cannot reach for, not anymore.
The way is shut, and the door through the wardrobe is gone forever.
There is no use for High Kings here.
ii.
Susan wants the future.
Susan sees women on the street wearing lipstick and pantyhose, pearls and high heels, and covets it. She wants to grow up, and to grow up fast, to live during the peak of her life and stay there, forever and always.
When her brothers talk of battles and swords, she scoffs—"Don't you know, it's not real, are you still playing your little game?"—and when Lucy talks of queens, she covers her ears. School is something to be rushed through, because the best part is yet to come, but she wants to be there sooner rather than later. Waiting is for those who can't reach for what they want.
Susan lives in the future, lives for the things that are yet to come, things that her siblings don't want, but she does.
The way is shut, and she is glad of it.
Being Queen means nothing now.
iii.
Edmund stays in the present.
Edmund knows what has happened before this, knows about ruling countries and winning battles and traveling to places that most people have never heard of. He remembers the trials and glories within the wardrobe.
But he also knows of the future. He knows that he will eventually grow up, and needs to apply himself to his studies. So he works harder than his brother and sisters, studies French, learns of other countries and mathematics and music. He learns and learns, taking in knowledge like oxygen, thriving. He does not look forward, and does not look back, but stays firmly in the here, the now.
Edmund lives in the present, lives not for what has been or will be, but what is, right this second, just now.
The way is shut, and he doesn't mind, not very much.
A good King should be able to adapt.
iv.
Lucy doesn't care for past, present, or future.
Lucy knows what she's done, when she was royalty and stumbled through a labyrinth of coats to find a faun and join with him at teatime. She knows what she'll be, because she will be woman, someday. She knows what she's doing, here and now.
But none of these fit her, because Lucy is aware of the present (here she is, thinking) and remembers the past (there she was, in glory with all her gifts, her innocence, her love) and knows the future (there she will be, pretty because Susan will be beautiful, but strong because she will have to take on that role) as well as she knows her siblings.
Lucy lives in time and time alone, slipping between days and minutes, hours and years.
The way is shut, but she laughs.
Once a Queen, always a Queen.
Everyone knows that.
FIN
Review review review review. Please.
