Slight TLB spoilers. What do Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie think when they see their children standing on the hill in such nice garments with crowns on their heads? Read and Review, please. It makes me happy when people review !
Truth at Last
Prologue
Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie had figured out quite some years ago that something had changed with their children. They seemed to mature, to adult. Mrs. Pevensie had sent them away so they wouldn't grow up too quickly, and when she got them back, it was like they were adults, trapped in children's bodies. She had seen the secretive smiles; the sad glances, heard the screams from nightmares, and heard snatches of conversations. Heard names like Aslan, and Narnia. She had even, once, heard Lucy, her sweet little girl Lucy; admit to Edmund that she missed the feeling of being able to carry around a dagger. Why Lucy had ever even come in contact with a dagger, she did not know. At first, she had tried to convince her kids to tell her what happened to them, but they wouldn't budge. They just looked at her, as if saying: 'you would never understand what we've gone through.'
Part 1: What?
Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie had been on a train 5 minutes ago. They were now in some sort of field. They somehow knew, instinctively that they were dead. Across the way from where the couple was standing, stood of group of impeccably dressed, regal looking people. As soon as they took notice of this, one of the youngers in the group turned and waved to them. She was dressed in a lovely deep blue gown with hints of sliver running though it, with a marvelous silver crown resting on her head. There was a belt slung across her belt holding a middle-sized dagger, and a strange cup. It took Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie a while to realize that this person, wearing a crown, was their Lucy, who was, as far as they knew, merely 17 years old, and no princess, or queen. Just when Mr. and Mrs. P (now going to be called Helen and Jack) thought they had had enough surprises, they took in who was standing around their darling daughter. There was a tall, handsome young man with a golden crown upon his golden-brown hair, in a crimson red tunic- with a golden lion emblazoned on it. In a scabbard by his waist was a long sword. Next to him was a slightly smaller, yet stockier young man with a smaller golden crown upon his raven hair. He too held a sword. Then, next to this smaller boy was a simply gorgeous woman. She had long black hair, tied up to make room for her bow and quiver. She, like the others had a crown upon her head; it was silver, like Lucy's, but slightly bigger. (A/N: it's always bothered me that Susan never got to go back into Narnia. In this fic she never lost faith) It was Peter, Edmund and Susan, but they were dressed as royalty. Helen and Jack really didn't understand what was going on. What shocked them the most, and almost made them think they were dreaming- except they very consciously knew they were dead, was the huge, golden lion standing a little bit behind their four children. Thinking that her children were in danger, Helen was about to shout out a warning before the lion roared and started running further up the hills. Her children, instead of looking frightened, merely smiled, and took off running after the lion. Not wanting to lose the sight of these people that looked like her children and relatives (for Eustace and his girlfriend Jill Pole were there as well, along with Professor Kirk and Polly)
Part 2: Questions
Helen and Jack had finally reached a magnificent castle. They had been running after the group for a while now, and had gotten a bit behind. They walk into the castle, following some sort of creature with what looked like goat legs and a red scarf to the great hall, where they hoped their kids would be. Trailing behind this odd-looking creature (who was really Mr. Tumnus), they walked through two grand doors into a court room. Near the end of the hall stood four thrones, with many other thrones in a U shape behind them. Sitting in these chairs, were their children. They looked not the least bit disrupted by the fact that they were sitting on thrones, in a castle, wearing crowns. In fact, they looked relieved to finally be in that scenario. Peter- for Helen and Jack were assuming that these were indeed their children, no matter how different they looked, dressed or acted, saw them at the doors and began to speak.
"My good Mr. Tumnus, thank you for leading our beloved parents into the court room here at Cair Paravel." Peter stated, very formerly, speaking directly to the creature, Mr. Tumnus.
"It has been my pleasure, your majesties. Whilst thou make known to me whom they might be?"
"So sorry, my good cousin, may I have the honor of presenting to this so noble of a court Sir Jack Pevensie, and Lady Helen Pevensie, Lord and Lady of Finchley." This time it was Lucy who spoke, startling her parents. Not being able to take any more of this curiosity, the now knighted Jack Pevensie spoke up.
"Pete, Ed, Su, Lu" he started, but was almost drowned out in the gasps resonated throughout the hall. Although he did not know what he did wrong, it was because of the informal, almost rude way he had addressed their majesties. Ignoring the crowd though, Jack continued. "Guys, what, in all things holy, is all of this? Where are we, and why are you guys wearing crowns!"
Susan was the one who ended up answering her father's rude question, trying to make sure the people of Narnia did not try to arrest him for not speaking in the proper manner.
"My good siblings, I propose we adjoin to a side room to converse. Follow us, our dear parents." And all four of them stood up and filled through a door on the right. Helen and Jack, now beyond confused, followed behind them.
Part 3: Answers
"Okay, I know you guys are very curious as to what is going on, so we are going to explain it to you. I want you to try to listen through the whole story before you ask any questions, okay?" This was Edmund. As Helen and Jack nodded their shocked approval, they were secretly thanking god that they did not need to decipher their previous archaic language.
"It all started when you sent us away from the war mum," Lucy started. "It was raining one day, and we had decided to play hide and seek-"
And so the story went on, describing Lucy's original journey, her sibling's disbelief, Edmund's betrayal, Aslan's sacrifice, the battle, their coronation, and the multiple other small battles and wars they had gone through in their 15 years rule. They heard of training accidents, of Lucy's cordial saving all their lives at least twice, and of the white stag, and stumbling back through the wardrobe, and finding out that not a minute had passed in their world. There was a lengthy pause at this point in the story, lengthy enough for Helen and Jack to think that that was it.
Jack was the first one to gather his wits of the two, and stuttered out, "Is-is that all? The end of the story?" His hope dropped when he saw the glances between their children, he knew there was more.
Throughout the previous story, the children had taken turns telling their own views of how things happened, and occasionally correcting each other. This time though, Edmund started.
" A year had passed before we went back to Narnia. We were already back at home with mum, and we were waiting on the train station to go to school when we all felt this odd pinching sensation. We knew we were being called back." And so they heard about finding a ruin of a castle, saving a dwarf, finding out that they had turned into legends, helping a young boy overthrow his evil uncle, Peter's nearly fatal duel, Lucy being the only one to find Aslan, of how some of the animals had become animals, lost all power of speech, they heard of the battle at the evil uncle's castle, the battle at Aslan's How, Peter and Susan not being able to come back, and the portal back to the English train station. Lucy then continued to talk about how Edmund, Eustace and her had gone back to Narnia a third time, but didn't actually see the country, as they were instead on a sea voyage. So we heard of the magical islands, of almost being sold to slavery, of Eustace being turned into a dragon, of the monopods, the magic book, the beginning of the end of the world, watching reepicheep, a talking mouse take the plunge, and Lucy and Edmund not being able to go back to Narnia.
There was a moment of quiet until Peter finally spoke up. "So, do you guys have any questions?" The other three siblings visibly tensed at this, just waiting for the accusations, the denials, the screaming to start, but it never did.
"H-how did you manage t-to keep all of-of this" Helen motioned around to their crowns, the beautiful room they were in with the spectacular view of the country "a secret from us? How did you manage to act like children?"
Part 4: Truth
"Mum" Lucy said quietly, "We didn't manage. By the time we came back home for our first adventure, we had had three months to train ourselves to speak regularly, to not try and pull a weapon out at any disturbance, to curb our nightmares. For the first month back in England, we all slept with daggers under our pillows. I know you figured something had happened with us when we got back home. We were much closer than a group of siblings sent away for the war should've been. Keeping the secret has been hard, but we've always had each other to talk to. We knew it was real. There was not a doubt in our minds that it was not. Our bodies may have reverted back into children, but the scars of our battles still remained. And after our first trip, we all knew we were going to come back again. Aslan said, on the first day of our rule: "Once a king or queen of Narnia, Always a king or queen of Narnia." We were sure that one day, we would be able to come back, somehow."
Both Jack and Helen were struck by how mature their children were. Sure, it was one thing to hear about all their adventures, and they did believe they were telling the truth, their attire and stature spoke to that, but to hear the maturity and devotion in Lucy's voice when talking about her country was something else.
Jack took Helen's silence to mean that she had asked her most important question, and was satisfied. He had often been kept awake in the late hours of the night, trying to help her figure out what was so different about their kids. She knew she was…satisfied that she finally had that answer. He took the next question, the one he'd been bothering to ask since he heard the '15 year rein' bit of their story.
"How old are guys, how many years have you lived?" Jack asked, a bit afraid of the answer. He and Helen had married and had their kids early in their life. By the time Lucy had been born, Peter had been 6, Susan 4 Edmund 2, and Helen 28. He was, before he died, 47.
Peter, seeing where his father was going with this question, hesitantly answered him.
" I am somewhere around 38, but might be a bit closer to 39. It is hard to calculate how long we were in Narnia the second time, but it was less than a year. Susan is 36/7, Edmund 35/6 due to his extra adventure, with Lucy following with 33/4."
There was silence as the Pevensie parents absorbed the fact that there was less than a decade between them and their oldest child.
(A/N: this is the math assuming that Lucy went into Narnia when she was 8, and all the other adventures were roughly a year, and that she was 17 when the train crashed.)
Before Helen and Jack could ask another question, there was a knock on the door.
"Enter" spoke Susan. And in walked the creature that had led them into the hall; the one their children had told them was Mr. Tumnus. "Oh, hello our cousin good." Susan continued, slipping easily back in the formal language that Narnia used. "What service might we bestow upon thou?"
"Oh Susan!" Lucy interrupted before the faun could answer, "there is no need to address Mr. Tumnus in such a cold manner! He hasn't seen us in who knows how long! He might think that we don't like him anymore!" Turning directly to Mr. Tumnus now, Lucy continued, "It truly is good to see you, fair sir. I apologize for my sister; the Gentle queen is still adjusting to being back in our fair nation. What may I ask has captured your interest to venture toward thus meeting?"
"Your majesties," the faun started, with a little bow, "the people of Narnia wish to enquire how long you might be. They are worried that thou might disappear again. In fact Reepicheep is trying to console the beavers as we speak. I beseech you, if it is possible, to postpone the conclusion of yonder meeting until a later date."
"My dear good cousin," Peter began, " we will emerge in a but a moment." At this, the faun said his thanks, bowed again and left the room. Peter than turned to his parents. In the space of time it took Helen and Jack's eyes to follow the faun out of the room, all four siblings had stood. Peter was in the front, with his siblings spread behind him, it made quite the sight. "My good consorts- I mean, mum, dad, we've got to go. Country to run and all. We'll continue this later, okay?" Peter was the one who spoke. It made Helen a little sad that he, for lack of better words, dumbed down his language so they could understand. At Jack's nod, the four of them left the room, to help govern their country once again, except this time, Helen knew, they would never leave it again. At least, she thought to herself, she had finally learned the truth. They both knew that death would not be boring for them, they had a lot to learn about Narnia, and they knew they would enjoy every moment of it.