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Special thanks to My Beta-Reader WriterOfRhymes.

And now without further ado...



II: Damaged By Time

"It didn't look so bad when we left," Lucy murmured, almost mournfully, as she stood looking at the castle that had been, and was to be, her home.

She had retreated a short distance to survey the outside of the castle after the convoy had finally stopped. She was saddened to see the condition of what was, once upon a time, a beautiful building which had been home to many beasts and men during the Golden Age. In her mind's eye she saw the place as it had been, and a smile crossed her lips as it struck her that part of Aslan's plan for her lay before her eyes at this moment.

She was to help in the restoration of Cair Paravel.

"Your Majesty?" An adolescent Faun came trotting up. "His Majesty sent me to see if you were well."

"I'm fine." She smiled, knowing it was true. "I needed a little space to think things over but I am fine now. Thank you, …" she paused, waiting for his name.

"T-Tumnus." The Faun bowed sheepishly.

Lucy's eyes widened. There was a resemblance between this young Faun and her first friend in this world. "Are you…?"

"I was named in honour of my ancestor," he nodded. "I'm a direct descendant of his son Lucien."

Lucien was the eldest of Mr Tumnus' two sons and was named, of course, in her honour.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Tumnus," she smiled. "Your namesake was a good friend to me."

Young Tumnus smiled back and offered his arm with an awkward blush. "M-may I escort you back to the castle, your Majesty?"

"Thank you," Lucy accepted the arm, and girl-queen and Faun returned to the castle.


"Lucy!" Caspian grinned when he saw her; the boy king was standing with Reepicheep and Pattertwig at the entrance to the castle. "We were just about to head inside to see if anything might be salvaged for
rebuilding. Would you like to join us?"

"Of course," she nodded, slipping her arm out of Tumnus' and moving closer to Caspian. "Thank you, Tumnus."

"My Queen." The young Faun nodded to her before trotting away

"I was thinking…" she began as they entered what used to be the great foyer of the castle.

"Dangerous," Caspian teased, poking his tongue out at his new friend and co-ruler, thus earning himself a light thump on the arm. "But go on."

She told him about her epiphany. "I mean, I'm the only one here who knows what Cair looked like before it fell to ruin."

"Queen Lucy might be onto something there, Caspian," said the small man whom Lucy hadn't noticed until he spoke. "It might help old Narnia to resurface faster if their King and Queen lived in a classic Cair
Paravel."

"Thank you, Doctor Cornelius," Caspian nodded to the small man, before he turned to Lucy. "My old Tutor, you know."

"You mentioned him last night at dinner," Lucy replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor. I believe you met my brothers Peter and Edmund?"

"The pleasure is all mine, my queen." Cornelius bowed over her hand.

Then, introductions over and done with, the small group set off to explore the ruin.


Sad to say, very little of the castle was salvageable due to centuries of weather damage. Lucy was placated by the fact that Archenland, in recent years, had produced some wonderfully talented architects, who would, according to Cornelius, be able to draw up plans for the castle
to Lucy's specifications in a trice.

"Thank you, Doctor Cornelius," Lucy grinned at the half-dwarf. "As soon as it's possible we need to send for an architect. I would like to see Cair restored."

Caspian agreed. "Is it possible to have some of the lower rooms restored before summer ends?"

"I suppose it depends on how quickly the plans are completed," Lucy noted. "But, until then, there is room for us all to stay dry. There's plenty of space in the grand ballroom, and the treasure chamber is
secure. We slept in there after our return from England."

"Only our closest should sleep in there with us," Caspian nodded. "But what of Wimbleweather? It wouldn't be fair to make him camp out while we sleep in the castle."

Lucy pondered this, but it was Doctor Cornelius who supplied the answer. "Why not ask him where he would prefer to sleep? Giants are hard wearing people, used to the mountain conditions."


As it was, they did not need to worry about the giant's lodgings. He had been planning his departure, not wishing to cause more of a nuisance than he already had. After a hearty meal a runner was
selected to take the request for an architect to Archenland. By the time this business was taken care of, it was late afternoon; so it was decided that the runner should head off at first light (to this the
runner had no real objections).

Lucy, Caspian, Doctor Cornelius, the mice, Squirrels, Trumpkin and Trufflehunter were the only ones who did not bed down in the Ballroom. There was enough room, despite the squash, for the whole
company to sleep in the Ballroom.

With the new day the restoration of the old ways would begin in earnest.


AN: It has been pointed out to me that in the book Lucy and Cornelius may have met; however as it has been a while since I have even seen my copy of the book- any major deviation in this manner is accidental.

Until next time

Myra