Hey, guys! This is, by the way, my first fan fiction. I'd really appreciate reviews so I'll know what to improve. Enjoy!
Avalon and Edmund made their way back to a wooden bench which rested beneath a giant oak tree. There, their personal items were stowed away including a jug of water. Avalon offered it to the boy as she tied her dark hair up in a ponytail with a ribbon. Taking a drink, Edmund watched her as she did this and thought of how they became friends.
After the defeat of Miraz, Narnia started to prosper again under the reign of Kings and Queens of Old and King Caspian. Its citizens, Telmarines and Narnians alike looked to the future with hope, especially after the marriage of Queen Susan the Gentle and King Caspian the Seafarer. Nothing more inspired the two races to live in unity than the bond of their King and Queen.
Edmund took the backseat once more, letting Peter and Caspian take the reins and choosing to be the calm, level-headed diplomat and just ruler that he is known to be, only stepping in when one of them had a clouded judgment or was away. He instead devoted his time to training soldiers and charity work with Lucy.
While his older siblings and Caspian dedicated their time to reaching other lands and establishing laws, Edmund and the Valiant Queen spent their efforts on being one with their people and getting to know this new world they were in; they became the bridge between the old and the new, the peasants and the royal family. This division of work between the six rulers resulted to a swift and peaceful recovery of Narnia.
A year of peace passed. Edmund was alone, riding his horse along the beach below the then-ruins of Cair Paravel when he spotted a figure on the sand, waves rushing back and forth over it. He hurried to it and found it to be a girl, dressed in a floral dress, kind of like what Susan used to wear in England. She was lying face down and unconscious., absolutely drenched.
Edmund immediately pulled her out of the water and checked for signs of life, Feeling a faint pulse, he pushed down on her chest rhythmically, pumping the water out of her and praying hard to Aslan that she would live. He didn't know her, but he had to save her. After a few minutes, she gasped hard and coughed up a lot of water. Edmund, filled with relief, put his arms around her, smoothing her hair and whispered
"You're safe. You're okay. Everything is going to be okay." She shook in his arms and he wrapped his cloak around her.
When she gathered her wits, she inquired about where she was and who he was in a soft voice.
"I'm Edmund." He said, carrying her unto his horse.
"You're in Narnia"
At this, her green eyes lit up with confusion. But fatigue was getting the best of her.
"I'll explain everything later. Rest." The dark-haired boy said, leading the horse and the girl back home.
Blue and gold. Those were the first colors she saw when she opened her eyes. She found herself on an enormous bed, enveloped by soft, warm sheets, supported by cloud-like mattresses and pillows. The ceiling above her was painted a deep blue with gold streaks spiraling around and around, like shooting stars across a night sky. She plucked up the strength to sit up and surveyed the scene around her.
She was in a spacious room, elegant, yet simply furnished. The bed was on the south left side of the room, the door to the northern right side. There were wooden tables on both sides of the bed with a black lamp, a regal-looking desk was positioned near a wall directly opposite the bed. The entire left side of the room was glass, partly covered by sheer white curtains with glass doors opened as an entrance to the terrace outside. She could see evergreen trees and mountains far away with the sun high in the clear sky through the glass panes.
She ran her fingers thoughtfully through her hair, recalling the events that led up to that moment.
"I was on a beach, then there was a boy. Yes, a boy," she thought, closing her eyes, trying to grasp the memory.
"Edward, was it? It was definitely an E. Ed...Ed...Edmund! Yes, Edmund. And he had a horse. But what came after that?" She furiously shook her head, remembering nothing.
Then, two girls, one looked about her age while the other was quite significantly younger, entered the room.
"You're up." Said the older girl with a delicate smile.
"We were quite worried about you." Murmured the younger one, concern was written all over her face.
They were obviously sisters, both dressed in long gowns with their hair pulled up in elegant bun. The older girl sat on the chair by the bed while the younger one stood next to her.
"I'm Susan Pevensie" the older one introduced herself, pressing a pale hand to her chest.
"And this is my sister, Lucy." She said, pointing to the younger one.
Susan spoke slowly, unsure if the girl on the bed was still dazed or fully aware. The sisters waited for a reply as the watched the girl look them over, then to the scenery outside. Finally, the girl whispered in a hoarse voice
"Where am I?".
"Not to worry. You're safe, in Cair Paravel." Replied Lucy, excitement lacing her voice.
But the girl just stared back blankly.
"You're in Narnia!"
Another blank stare.
The sisters exchanged looks and Susan began thinking of ways to explain Narnia to their guest.
"Excuse me?" said the girl "What in the world is Narnia?"
Susan gently took hold of the girl's hand and whispered
"Please, please, just listen to what we are about to tell you. It will be strange for you but keep an open-mind. In time, you will understand, I think. But for now, simply accept that what we say is true. Do you understand me?"
The girl shifted her glare from Susan to Lucy and back. Then, she slowly nodded.
Susan and Lucy then began to tell her of Narnia, of the Telmarines, the Narnians, the talking animals and native creatures. When they finished, the girl stared at them with a bewildered expression on her face.
"What? This is crazy. Absolutely crazy." She wanted to say how she thought the sisters were crazy, but she didnt want to be impolite to her hosts.
But before she could dismiss the thought of Narnia, a half-woman half-goat creature walked in shyly with a lavender colored dress in her arms. The girl felt numb, unsure of how to feel or what to believe at that moment. She felt Lucy take her hand and snapped her gaze to her.
"All that we told you, although it wasn't nearly enough, was to try and prepare you for...well...that." Lucy said.
The girl simply nodded, processing what she just saw.
"Here." Susan said, laying the dress on the chest at the tip of the bed.
"You must get dressed. Everyone is waiting to see if you are well."
With that, they left the confused girl to change her clothes and perspective.
Walking through the halls and led by a faun, Avalon had a floating sensation, almost dream-like state. She noted the grey floors and walls of the castle, it all looked so medieval to her.
The faun stopped in front of two gigantic doors and said "They wish to see you now."
Before she could enter, she heard a voice behind her
"There you are!" It was Susan, followed by Lucy.
Both of them smiled at her brightly.
"Come, everyone is excited to meet you."
They pushed the double doors open and revealed a magnificent room. Although it was grey, like the rest of the castle, sunlight poured in through the glass windows, lighting up the entire room.
It was thrice as long as it was wide and had 6 banners of different colors, 3 on each side, hanging from the ceiling and covering the length of the room. Each of the banners contained different characters : the first showed creatures unknown to her, the second and the third both showed girls with crowns on their heads. They had stark resemblance to Susan and Lucy. Avalon looked at them curiously.
The fourth showed a boy with dark hair and silver crown on his head, he looked so familiar to her. The fifth was that of another boy, Mediterranean looking, older than the last with equally dark hair though twice as long with a bronze crown. The sixth portrayed a golden haired boy, about as old as the previous with a gold crown on him.
There were 5 thrones at the end of the room, with a gargantuan yet majestic scarlet banner behind it with a golden lion embroidered across the entire thing.
Three boys were standing in front of the thrones, facing one another and deep in conversation. As the girls neared, Avalon looked at their faces then back to the banners, trying to put the pieces together. Before she could comprehend everything, the golden haired boy spotted them and acknowledged their presence.
"Finally! We were scared you wouldn't come around." He said in a light tone.
"We were worried when Ed brought you in." Avalon looked at the two brunette boys, the older patting the younger on the back.
Before she could properly thank her savior, a line of badgers entered the room, carrying pillows of some sort. They offered the pillows that carried the crowns to its respective owner and respectfuly bowed.
"Your Majesties, your council awaits you." One of them said.
"Yes, we will be there soon." Replied Susan.
Shock overtook Avalon as she fell on her knees. She felt so stupid! Of course! Those banners were of them, they were banners of the Kings and Queens, they were the Kings and Queens.
"What...what are you doing?" implored Edmund.
"Your Majesties, I am so sorry. I didn't know!" Even though she was not of that country, Avalon knew how royalty was supposed to be treated and they were definitely not to be called crazy like she did in the room.
"Hey, it's okay." Said the blond boy as he helped her up to her feet.
Looking back at the others, he said
"But should we tell her? I mean, she should know, right?" he asked them.
The older dark haired boy stepped forward and extended his hand to her.
"I am King Caspian, the Seafarer." He introduced himself. There was an aura of regality about him, but a warmth as well that made him approachable.
"You have met Queen Lucy, the Valiant," she waved her tiny hands
"And Queen Susan the Gentle, my wife" he said this with a delicate tone in his voice, that made Avalon smile.
Nodding to the blond boy who stood tall and proud, knowing he was next, Caspian said
"I introduce High King Peter, the Magnificent"
There was deep respect in Caspian's voice that sent goosebumps up her arms. Peter burst into a smile and offered his hand to her. Everyone then turned to the last one in the line. He was fiddling with his sleeves, uncomfortable. Noticing their stares, he said
"I'm Edmund. Just Edmund." He said quickly, offering his hand as well.
Caspian rolled his eyes and retorted in his thick Spanish accent "Don't you mean Edmund the Just?"
"That's King Edmund the Just." He said, patting his brother on the back.
