Chapter five – "We are such stuff as dreams are made of"

The five children and the highly regarded guests were seated around a large, wooden, circle shaped table, on golden-brown, wooden chairs, which had red cushions on them. They were flawlessly dressed in the most stunning tunics and gowns you have ever laid your eyes on, and were enjoying the copious and delicious repast. The royal kitchen personnel had been cooking and baking the entire day to prepare a lovely feast meal. On the table, you could find the most beautiful dishes. Animals, which you only knew from fairytales and of which's unreality and fantasy you had thought to be convinced, were served with the most colourful and mouth-watering sorts of fruits and vegetables. Each piece of food tasted like a tiny piece of heaven, melting on your tongue and the fruity wine was a sweet as the nectar that the ancient Roman and Greek gods drank to quench their thirst. Regrettably, not many of the invited guests had been able to be present at the dinner. They had been only recently informed about Leonora's miraculous mending, since the banquet was organised on such a short notice. Nobody had ever expected Leonora to wake up.

They did, however, have the pleasurable presence of King Oriander and Queen Dandelion of the Southern Woods, who represented the dwarfs of Narnia. King Oriander was a rather plump and small gentleman with round, glowing cheeks. He wore a light, ornamental body armour on top of his dark green tunic. The dwarf king had a long, grey beard and on his round, balding head, rested a bronze crown. He was an exceptionally witty and pleasant person, who had a beautiful story-telling-voice. He loved to tell about his courageous adventures and everyone took pleasure in listening to him. He had gone through a lot of antics during his three hundred ninety-seven-year-old life. Those adventures sounded even more audacious and dangerous, because he told them with so many details and from time to time, he would add a new anecdote, to enhance the story.

Queen Dandelion, who was seated next to her other half and Edmund, was also rather chubby and small. She had long fair hair, despite her blessed age of three hundred fifty-nine years, and wore a circlet made of daisies on her head. Her long, blue gown made her sapphire eyes twinkle even more than they usually did. She was an incredibly sweet woman. She was someone, who was always concerned about your welfare and took her time to listen to your problems and predicaments. And as she looked at you, with her steady, but sparkling, eyes; you would always feel at home, wherever you were. She and her husband seemed like the perfect couple. They finished each other sentences and their long-lasting marriage had not let the adoring gazes fade away. Although they respected each other deeply, they had a liking for teasing each other rather often as well, which led to a lot of humorous situations.

Princess Alegria, lady of the mountains, who was seated next to Susan and Leonora, had also found the time to attend the little dinner. The Princess wore a white gown, made of the everlasting snow from the peaks of the towering mountains of Narnia. She had long, golden locks with mauve flowers in it and the same hypnotizing mauve eyes. Her glistening wings and pointed ears, made the fact that she was an elf, impossible to hide. She had come to the castle countless times before, because she was about the same age as Susan was. In human years that is, because the fair lady had already seen two hundred seventy-three summers. The two girls took pleasure in spending time together and their close friendship had grown with every visit. Alegria was a remarkably spontaneous and kind someone. Once she smiled her sparkling smile, you could not help yourself from smiling as well. And the sound of her voice when she spoke a word or chanted a note, reminded you of the sparkling sound of a clattering stream of water.

Leonora was marvellously dressed in a long, powder blue dress, on which the royal tailors had carefully embroidered a delicate flower patron with white yarn. The gown was bejewelled with millions of minuscule rhinestones and because of that; it seemed to be made out of stardust. On top of her long, dark brown hair, Leonora wore a fine tiara. The headdress consisted out of slender, silver leaves and little, blossom shaped aquamarines. She looked enchanting. She looked like a queen. Peter could not help but observe this. He had not tasted one of the delectable raspberries on his plate, nor had he even touched one slice of the appetizingly grilled meat. He was fonder of staring at Leonora, than he was of eating. Susan slightly kicked his shins to remind him that such behaviour was not appropriate for a king. Her gorgeous, silk green dress made her mesmerizing, emerald green eyes make an everlasting impact on every person that was present on that lovely evening. Peter also saw the anger in his sister's eyes and tried to keep himself from staring at Leonora too noticeably. But Leonora had a hard time keeping her eyes of the charismatic king as well. And every now and then, their admiring gazes would meet.

Peter thought it better to distract himself from Leonora; therefore he started a conversation about Aslan. The High King had mentioned him earlier in his tales about the glorious land of Narnia, but he had never talked about him in detail, as he had been silent about so many more things. "Aslan is the true king and leader of Narnia. When we were at war with the Witch, He was the one who had appeared, to save us from despair and defeat", Peter told her. "His name sounds like a walk in a fresh meadow, on a bright spring morning", Leonora said, surprised by her own words. Peter smiled. He had just remembered how he had felt when he had first heard about Aslan. He had sensed like he was the most valiant man who had ever set foot in Narnia. Aslan had given him the bravery to lead an army into battle. "He has plans with you, as He has with all of us. I can declare, without any uncertainty in my heart, that He shall expound them in the near future. However, we cannot force Him in His actions. After all, He is not a tame lion", Peter continued. "A lion? Did my ears hear well? The true king of Narnia is a lion?" Leonora asked incredulous, convinced that she had misapprehended him. "Indeed, He is a lion. I am aware of the fact that it appears to be out of the ordinary. I still bear in my mind how I had felt when I first discovered this most anomalous piece of reality. But He is good. He would never bring harm to anyone of sincere heart", Susan intervened. "Everything Aslan does, has a reason, my sweet Leonora. And each person He calls, has a purpose of the essence. This has always been the fashion by which He has acted", Peter said. He had seen the disbelieving look in Leonora's chocolate brown eyes. He had recognized that look. He knew precisely how she felt. He and his siblings had felt the exact same way, three years ago. They had questioned Aslan's knowledge, convinced that He had called the wrong persons. He and his siblings had doubt the fact that they were the ones who would save and later on rule Narnia. But Peter trusted that Aslan had called the most perfect human being he could find. He knew that Leonora was there for a very important purpose.

Leonora pondered about what Peter had told her. She had no idea at all, about what Aslan could possibly desire from her. However boundless her imagination appeared to be, it did not reach far enough to think of any reason for her presence in Narnia, let alone a sane reason. "Has the thought of another battle drawing near, entered thy mind? Are you of believe that that is the very reason why Aslan has called for her?" Edmund asked his elder brother with fright in his voice. He, as well, had thought of the previous war, as his elder brother had done, and it worried him that his precious land would have to endure another horrible battle, yet again. "Honestly, my brother? That frightening idea has undeniably tormented my thoughts. I am of opinion that we ought not to lose any precious hours of sleep on that prospect so far. But if that is indeed the reason why Leonora is in our midst, the entire kingdom should be prepared for it." "Dear Leonora, do you possess any knowledge about exploiting a sword or shooting with a bow and arrows? I am certain that my siblings and I would be pleased to enlighten you with this art, if you desire it", Lucy asked her excitedly. Her rosy cheeks and azure eyes were brilliantly elicited by the rose-tinted colour of her charming velvet dress. "No, I was not given the chance to learn how to fight with weaponry, for the reason that, where I live, we have had the providence of not having to bear the dreadful chaos, terrifying threat and immoral lunacy of a war, for about thirty years", Leonora answered, "But I am prepared to become skilled at it, if that is thy wish." "Do you imply that the warfare has finally ended? Would you be so gracious to tell me which land has prevailed in the horrible war of 1940?" Peter asked. He was eager to know what had happened while he had spent a wonderful part of his childhood in Narnia. He had not realised until now, that his loved one had lived in another period of time than he had. "If it is the Second World War you refer to, which I presume it is, my dear king, then the Nazism was defeated. However, I do not think that one can truly be the victor of a war. Whether one is victorious or whether one suffers defeat, both ways, one loses people dear to one, families are tore apart, left in despair and blossoming societies are destructed for no worthy cause ", she answered. The four siblings remembered their father who had fought in the war and their mother who had sent them away, to make certain that they would not get caught up in a war. They hoped that both their parents had survived the warfare and that they were together, safe and sound.

During the rest of the evening, they talked about more light-hearted affairs; after all, it was a feast. After dinner, they were in the mood for some piano music. Susan had been taught how to play the piano by a musical faun and whenever a get-together or a feast took place at the castle, the guests pleaded her to play some of her wondrous music. Princess Alegria was so kind to chant along with Susan's notes. The gracious melody of Susan's brilliant music and the mysterious sound of Algeria's crystal clear voice mingled perfectly. Their harmonious music filled the ballroom and their listening ears with enchantment. After a wonderful evening, full of joyous laughter, delicious food, refreshing drinks and melodious music, the few guests left with a great deal of cheerful goodbyes and convivial promises about invitations for other banquets. The siblings and Leonora stayed a bit longer in the grand ballroom to talk and therefore, it was already awfully late in the evening, when they departed to their sleeping quarters.

Only Leonora did not feel like sleeping yet. She had undergone a good deal of startling surprises that day and she needed some time alone, to clear her mind of thoughts. "Are you coming, dear Leonora?" Susan asked, yawning and already half asleep. "Yes, I shall join you at once, my sweet Susan. But you do not have to delay thy departure", she answered. Susan nodded; she was too tired to even utter a single word. She stood up from her seat and carried Lucy, who had already sunk into a deep sleep, to her bedroom.

Leonora fancied a calming promenade in the castle. At this tardy hour, she believed it to be nearly unachievable to meet any more persons in the gargantuan palace. Leonora had strolled around for a while, alone with her thoughts and with no sounds but the hollow echo of her bare feet walking on the marble, the luxurious stroking of her long dress against her legs, the reassuring resonance of her exhaling breath and the peaceful beating of her tranquil heart, when she arrived at an elegant, open doorway, which led to a balcony.

She was stunned, because there on that beautiful balcony, stood the High King, in the dreamy light of the full moon. He was staring in the distance, staring at his magnificent kingdom. He had not noticed her, for the reason that he himself was lost in an endless world of thoughts as well. She sauntered to the balustrade and chose a place near to him. The panorama was absolutely breathtaking. Narnia had proved once again, to be magical. In her mind, Leonora searched for words to describe it. Enchanting, magnificent, sparkling, glorious, outstanding, impressive, wonderful, enthralling, stupendous, marvellous, glistening, gorgeous, spectacular, fantastic, striking, dazzling, lustrous, shimmering, miraculous, phenomenal ;… These words did not even come in the vicinity of expressing the emotion, that she had felt when she had laid her eyes on the scenery in front of her. Immense, soaring mountains, emerald green forests and jade meadows of grass with the most gorgeous flowers and gigantic trees in them and a deep, blue sea filled the horizon.

Regardless of the late hour, the temperature was still very mild. Leonora cherished the warm breeze that caressed her fair face. Peter looked up and seemed to have awoken from his deep thoughts. He granted her a dazzling smile, which she answered with a shy one. "How has thy first day in Narnia been, milady? Did my brother and sisters grant you the warm welcome you are more than worthy of?" He asked sympathetically. Leonora nodded with a huge smile around her lips as she looked back on her dynamic day. "Certainly, my good sir, they have made my stay here like a fantastic reverie. I am already lucky enough, to name Lucy and Susan my friends and, although I did not yet have the pleasure to speak with him to a great extent, Edmund has been really forthcoming and friendly towards me. You, my sweet sovereign, have acted, without a doubt in my mind and no end of gratefulness in my heart, the same way. And how could I not be in love with Narnia? I worship every stick and stone. With every breath I take, I taste the magic suspended in the air and everywhere I look, I discover another beautiful part of this amazing place! I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it", she said enthusiastically.

Once again, Peter thought about his first impressions of Narnia. He had felt the same way, thinking he was blessed that he had been given the opportunity to be there, believing his life to be a sweet dream. But his happiness had lasted less long, for the reason that he was soon informed about the dreadful events in Narnia. "It pleases me to see that you are in high spirits here, milady. And yes, Edmund is indeed an extraordinarily friendly person. He has not always been like this, though. He used to be quite a nuisance, really", Peter said in an informal and conspiring manner. Leonora laughed, she could barely imagine Edmund being a nuisance. "It is the truth I speak. When we had walked out of that wardrobe and entered this radiant land, he has betrayed us by joining the White Witch. But his reliance lied with us. Aslan forgave him his actions, as did we, for he was still our brother. He was nearly killed in battle, Leonora; my little brother was almost slaughtered, because he was trying to save my life. I would never forgive myself, if anything would happen to him; to anyone who is close to my heart", Peter said while his eyes filled with sincere tears. He tried to wipe them away, since he did not want Leonora to see him shedding any tears. Peter was used to stay strong, stand up straight, for his siblings' sake. He was the eldest brother, the leader, the High King. Now he had the opportunity to say what was distressing him; but it still felt bizarre. He immediately regretted that he had burdened Leonora with his, in his eyes, insignificant troubles.

It was then that Leonora understood that the High King would do anything to save his siblings from harm. He loved them and cared for them; they had a special place in his good heart. She realised that the High king was someone with a sincere and loving heart. She embraced him, to comfort him and caressed his fair hear as she felt his warm tears dripping on her shoulder. She hardly knew the man and did not know why she had decided to hold him close, but when she had laid her head on Peter's chest, her heart had told her that she had done the right thing. They stayed in each others arms for what seemed to be a whole century. It was as if time itself stood still, merely for them. As if all others on that wonderful green earth, in Narnia and in the real world, had disappeared. The comforting sound of Peter's heartbeat made Leonora quieten down and the sweet smell in the air made everything give the impression of being a bit dreamlike and perhaps even unreal.

"I am afeard, being in night, all this but a dream, too flattering-sweet to be substantial", Peter whispered with a soft voice, breaking the soothing silence. Leonora looked up; gazed in those captivating eyes. "I thank you and your eloquence, Peter, for making this moment even more precious", she whispered. They were caught in each others eyes, mesmerized as their lips drew nearer.

Suddenly the oasis of silence was once more disturbed by an unexpected sound. Surprised by the harsh noise of shoes, tapping on the marble floor, they broke apart. It was Susan who had come seeking for Leonora. She was worried that Leonora could not find her way back to her room on her own and, although she was exhausted, Susan had found it her responsibility, as a thoughtful hostess and as a caring friend, to make sure that Leonora was all right. "Oh, there you are, my Leonora. Forgive me my disturbance and inflated concern. I came to seek you, for I did not know whether you were able to find thy sleeping quarter unaccompanied. However, I was not aware of the fact that my beloved brother was with you. Be that as it may, the hour is rather late. Shall I join you to thy room?" Susan asked, trying to keep herself from yawning. She had not seen their embrace and was wondering what her elder brother and Leonora were doing on the balcony at this tardy hour. However, she had the courtesy of not posing a too great amount of private questions that late in the evening. "You deserve all my gratefulness and requests for forgiveness, dear queen. I am truly grateful. It was not my intention to cause you any worry. Indeed, it is fairly late. I shall join you. Good night, my dear High King. I hope thy dreams may be sweet", Leonora said and she reluctantly followed Susan to her sleeping quarter. "Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow", Peter answered Leonora's goodbye with a smile on his face as he watched her follow his sister to her room. He decided to walk to his bedroom and try to get some sleep as well. He absent-mindedly closed the double door, which led to the balcony, while he daydreamed about holding Leonora in his arms.

The thought of her serious conversation and tender embrace with Peter on the balcony that night, flew around in Leonora's head. She did not manage to think of anything else, even if she would have wanted to. After the two girls had arrived at Leonora's room and she had wished Susan a good night sleep, she had slowly put on her pink, silk sleeping gown and had climbed in her comfortable four-poster-bed. That night she slept like a rose and dreamed the most blissful dreams about magical worlds, beautiful princesses in a desperate need of help and courageous knights in shining armour with fair hair, seated on white unicorns…