"I say, isn't that the armor you wore in the great tournament in the Lone Islands?" Peter pointed at a rather imposing figure guarding one of the myriads of shelves in the treasure chamber. Turning from my contemplation of the piles of jewels, I shook my head in disbelief.
"It's hard to believe I actually wore that." Peter smirked and punched me in the shoulder.
"Oh!" Lucy giggled. "That was the one where Jaerin hit you so hard in the jousting match that you nearly flew out of the ring! He was so very excited that Verit had accepted his proposal. Do you remember how profusely he apologized—only to do it again in the next bout?"
I grimaced. "Yes, Lu. How could I forget? You and Peter and Jaer rubbed it in for weeks. Years in Peter's case."
"So many memories." Lucy trailed her fingers along the dust coated shelves. She picked up a small necklace and smiled. "Do you remember making this for me?" The jewelry dangled from her fingers and glittered in the beam of my torch. It was a necklace I had made during our first year of rule.
"La, Queen Lucy, that I do."
"Lucy, isn't this your old violin? The one Jaer gave you because he got tired of you borrowing his?"
Lucy darted a few steps further down the aisles to Susan's side. I dropped back to be near Peter, smiling at my sister's delight.
"I wonder what happened to everyone. After we were gone." The familiar look of pain at our leaving creased Peter's face. I sighed and draped my arm across Peter's shoulders.
"So do I."
All thought was fled from my mind a moment later as the sweet notes of a violin reverberated in the chamber. Lucy stood a few meters away, her eyes closed, as she coaxed an almost-forgotten tune out of the ancient instrument. It was the song that the Narnians had sung at our coronation and so many other times. An echo of the song by which Aslan brought Narnia into being. A strangled sob came from my left and I saw Susan staring at Lucy, one hand covering her mouth, tears coursing down her face. Dragging an equally dumbstruck Peter with me, I moved closer and wrapped my arm about her. We three stood there, listening as years of memories poured through our hearts. The song ended all too soon and left its tones still whispering in the air.
"That was beautiful, Lu," Peter whispered.
"It's been so long," Lucy said, lowering her bow. "I don't see how I remembered it."
"So much has been lost since our time." An unwanted image of the ruined castle above rose before my eyes. "I wonder what Narnia still remembers."
Lucy turned to put the violin away. "Don't we all." Her fingers stroked the worn velvet of the lining. "Wait, what's this?" She pulled open a small compartment in which was stored a surprisingly thick scroll. "I didn't leave this in there."
I stepped closer, bringing the light of my torch to bear on the yellowed parchment. "How do you know?"
"I never stored music in there. I always carried it in my satchel—or in my head."
"It's sealed with the Peridanson mark. The eagle and the bear. Open it, Lucy."
I could feel Peter's breath on my ear as Lucy broke the seal with trembling fingers. The ancient wax crumpled under her hand and the brittle cord almost disintegrated at her touch. But the parchment did not tear as she carefully unrolled the outer page.
I knew that handwriting. Knew it as well as I knew mine and Peter's. Even without the bold salutation I would recognize it. Jaer Courage Peridanson Farsight, knight of the Most Noble Order of the Lion and friend second only to my family had written this.
"What does it say?" Susan asked. Distantly, I recognized that her voice was still teary.
"It's from Jaer." Somehow my voice stayed steady. "Read it Lucy."
"I can't." Lucy shoved the parchments into my free hand. "Oh! I cannot."
My hand trembled slightly and I forced it still. It was just a letter.
"Jaer Courage Peridanson, Lord of Beruna, knight of the Most Noble Order of the Lion, Councilor of Cair Paravel, sometime called Farsight
To Peter, High King over all kings in Narnia, Emperor of the Lone Islands, and Lord of Cair Paravel, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Lion, etc. sometime called the Magnificent
To Susan, Queen of Narnia, Marchioness of the Dancing Lawn, Chatelaine of Cair Paravel, Lady of the Noble Order of the Arrow, etc. sometime called the Gentle
To Edmund King of Narnia, Duke of Lantern Waste and Count of the Western March, Knight of the Noble Order of the Table, etc. sometime called the Just
To Lucy, Queen of Narnia, Empress of the Lone Islands, Lady of the Noble Order of the Vial," (despite the gravity of the situation, Peter still snickered over the name of Lucy's order) "etc. sometime called the Valiant: Greetings in the name of Aslan.
"This day marks the nine and ninetieth since you rode in pursuit of the White Stag. It is also the first Christmas day since I and my brother had the good fortune to come to Cair Paravel that we have not been able to celebrate with one of you. But though we weep, we also rejoice. For we know that Aslan would not have called you from this land without good cause and that the Great Lion is able to guard your steps in all worlds.
"Enclosed herein is my final farewell, a token, as it were, of my love for you. I had meant it for your Christmas present. I know not if you will ever see it—Aslan has not granted me sight that far off—but I leave it here, in Lucy's violin box in the joyous event that Narnia is graced with your presence once again. The last passage is Jaerin's writing. Without his steady hand, I fear I would not have been able to complete this symphony.
"Now my friends, my brothers and sisters, I find I can write no more. My eyes cloud with tears. I miss your friendship so. We miss it so, for Jaerin leans over my shoulder as I pen these words. May Aslan grant us this—that our last token will be seen by the eyes of those we love, by whose side we have fought, in whose arms we have wept, whose joy doubled ours, and whose pain we shared.
"Written at Cair Paravel this XXV of the month of Yule in the first year of the Stewards care."
No one spoke or moved for a long moment after I finished reading. Memories of these two friends like brothers swept through my mind. Jaer with his brown hair hanging into his eyes as he swept Fahdane in a deadly arc, his face grim and deadly. Jaerin laughing, his pale blond hair flying in the wind as he sent arrow after arrow unerringly to its mark. The four of us lounging in chairs in our quarters discussing some harebrained scheme of Jaerin's or listening to Jaer's newest composition. And they were gone. I bowed my head as the sorrow of a year ago when we had first left Narnia came over me afresh.
Peter was the first to break the silence. "What is the music, Lu? Can you play it?"
Lucy turned through the thick sheaf of parchment slowly. "No. It is for an orchestra, not a single violin. And…" she sniffled. "It's too complicated for me now."
"What of this?" Susan pulled the last few pages out of the scroll. Unlike the others, this portion of Jaer's symphony had words sketched between the notes. Susan turned my torch toward it and began to read.
"There is grief we cannot speak of
A pain lies deep within
Empty halls and empty chambers
Where our friends will come no more
Here we laughed and wept together
Here we spoke of greater things
Here we planned a bright tomorrow
A time they never saw
O! My friends, my friends and family
How I weep that you are gone
Narnia lost her sovereigns
But I have lost my friends
And now the thrones are empty
Empty, cold, and bare
Narnia's sword and shield are lost her
Her jewel and song are gone
O! Aslan, lord I ask you
What you took them from us for
I thought their home was with us
Now they dwell with us no more
O! My friends, my friends and family
How I weep that you are gone
Narnia lost her sovereigns
But I have lost my friends
Peace! My child, he answers
Can you see my will in this?
Through broken hearts and broken hopes
You must trust me still
Now sorrow cannot claim me
While the Lion reigns here still
Though hall and throne be empty
And the Four be here no more
O! My friends, my friends and family
I weep no more this day
I have not lost my sovereigns
I will yet see my friends"
For a long time we were silent again. What could one say after such a tribute? There was pain, great pain, there but hope lingered still. I was glad to know that Narnia had been left in such capable hands.
Susan moved first, placing the song she held with the rest of the music and sliding it gently back into its hiding place. Lucy nestled her beloved instrument into the case and shut it gently. The click of the lock jolted us all out of ancient memories. My gaze fell on the spot of light that my torch cast on the floor and I realized that it seemed slightly dimmer than when we had entered.
"Look here," I said. And if my tone was abrupt, my siblings must have understood why. "We mustn't waste the battery: goodness knows how often we shall need it. Hadn't we better take what we want and get out?"
Lucy nodded softly and packed the music away again until we could safely retrieve it. The click of the case closing
"We must take the gifts," said Peter.
And so we did.