Disclaimer: Narnia and the Narnians are not mine. I'm just stuck with Ariella.
There were seven small screams followed by an equal number of muffled thumps as Lady Ariella's maids promptly fainted away. The lady herself turned slowly in the direction from whence the voice had come. Her jaw dropped and she scrambled back against the cushions for there, standing in the middle of her room, was the largest, fiercest, gentlest, and most majestic lion she had ever beheld in life or in pictures. (Truth be told, she had only seen one picture of a lion anyway. But still, this lion was a Lion of lions, a real King of the beasts). As the Lion paced softly forward on its great, velvet paws, Lady Ariella slid back further and further on her bed until she could go no further. She was terrified beyond imagination and yet, at the same time, longed to go closer to the great Beast. The Lion stopped when it was only a few paces away from the canopied bed.
"Ariella." The rich, golden voice came again.
"Yes…Sir?" For the first time in years, Lady Ariella felt herself to be inferior to another being, and that being was a Lion. (The strangeness of it all would strike her later; it certainly did not now.)
"Why do you weep, Child?"
"I…" Lady Ariella hesitated. "Because…because of that awful Codex Consors law… decree…thing." Her voice trailed off.
"Why does it trouble you?"
Lady Ariella had the horrible feeling that this Lion knew more about why she was crying than she did and the thought terrified her. All her pent up fury and frustration suddenly came pouring out—accompanied by more tears, of course.
"Because it means that I can never be queen of Narnia! Because it keeps ME, Lady Ariella Thalia Raven, from becoming High Queen Ariella Thalia Raven Pevensie. Because that Saera lady beat me in a duel. Because everyone but Queen Lucy defeated me in archery. Because all my dreams are being dashed to pieces. Because I can't even find the High King. Because King Edmund wrote that decree to be foolproof. And because I WANT to be QUEEN! I SHOULD BE QUEEN!!!!"
Lady Ariella's voice rose in volume, pitch, and intensity throughout her tirade and by the end, she was standing on the bed, one shaking fist raised to the canopy. Her face twisted with rage until she did not look much like a lady any more. When she finally stopped for breath and looked down again, the Lion had not moved. He was looking at her with great sad eyes and the lady found that the longer she looked at them, the harder it was to be angry at the king and queens for all that had happened that day. Slowly, she slid back down until she dwindled to a small, frightened girl.
"And I do so want to be a queen. Everyone says I'd make a perfect one," she said in a small voice. "It would be so lovely."
"Child, there is more to being queen than a pretty face. It is not an easy task."
"I know that it's more than being pretty. A queen must be more than pretty, she must be beautiful. And I am. I can fight, I can ride, and I can shoot. I can dance, sing, sew, and paint. I know the geography and laws of every country for a hundred miles around my castle. I would be a perfect queen." Suddenly, Lady Ariella realized who this strange Lion must be. Though she had only heard the name, she was certain that she was correct so, without thinking, she plunged on. "And it's your fault isn't it? It's YOUR fault that I can't be queen. You're that 'Aslan' person they're always talking about. You're the one who has to revoke the decree. And you will won't you? Even you must be able to see that I would be the perfect queen. Better even that that Susan; my name is even more elegant."
"No."
The Lion's voice was deeper now and there was a hint of a growl in his voice. Lady Ariella, however, was not paying attention and simply flipped her golden hair back over her shoulders with an impertinent toss of her head.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because I choose not. The Four are My chosen rulers; none shall replace them. They are Narnia; you are not. They are My shield, sword, bow, and cordial, My summer, spring, winter, and fall. They are the heart of Narnia, her soul, spirit, and voice.
"No, Ariella, you will never be queen of Narnia for so I have willed it. You have your own land to rule. Choose your path wisely lest you regret your actions forever."
Lady Ariella blinked in surprise at the Lion's words and looked away for a moment. When she looked back, the Beast was gone leaving behind no evidence of his presence but a faint perfume and golden radiance. She looked around her room for any way for the Lion to have entered or left, but the doors and windows were still shut. Her maids were picking themselves up off the ground and rubbing their eyes; they looked around in a rather dazed manner.
"Well? What are you standing around for?" Lady Ariella demanded. Uncertainty made her sharper than normal (which did not bode well for her ladies-in-waiting). "Dinner will be served soon and I wish to dine with the others. Pick yourselves up and get my hunter green dress."
The maids complied and soon Lady Ariella was dressed in a fitted dress of dark green velvet. It was sleeveless and wrapped around her so that the ends overlapped in the front. The edges of the dress were trimmed with a wide gold braid and embroidered flowers in various shades of gold and green. She finished the outfit with high-heeled golden shoes (set with emeralds), a gold and emerald necklace, and a net of emeralds in her hair. A plan more devious than any others yet formed for the winning of her queenship was slowly forming in her mind. All that remained was to address the High King tonight and insure his willing cooperation in the plot to overthrow the Codex Consors. A slow, sinister smile spread across her pretty face. This should work.
Just as the final touches were made to her adornment, a knock sounded at her door. One of the maids opened it to reveal the same massive centaur who had brought the Codex Consors on the previous evening.
"Their Royal Majesties, Queen Susan and Queen Lucy, wish to invite you to join themselves and their Royal Brothers for dinner in the Great Hall tonight. I am to escort you if you wish to accept the invitation."
"Of course I will come. I have prepared myself for this very occasion. Lead on, Centaur."
Lady Ariella found that the Four had not yet entered the Great Hall as the centaur led her to a place on the dais. A great assortment of creatures filled the lesser tables that lined both sides of the Hall. Moments after she entered, and much to her annoyance, the other ladies, two knights who appeared to be their husbands (Lady Saera's husband was rather plain, much to Lady Ariella's surprise), and the visiting princes were also led in and seated at the dais table. The younger of the two princes sat to Ariella's right and she knew that propriety would dictate that she maintain a little conversation with him throughout the meal. However, before either of them could speak to each other, trumpets sounded and the doors at the end of the Hall opened wide. The four sovereigns of Narnia, splendidly arrayed in green, red, blue, and silver, walked down the center of the Great Hall greeting the peoples of Narnia as they came. After they mounted the steps and took their places but before they sat down, all four raised one hand high and cried "For Narnia and for Aslan!" The others echoed; even the visitors cried out with the rest. Only Lady Ariella was silent; Aslan was the last person she wanted to praise right now, even if his appearance had afforded her another opportunity for winning the crown she coveted.
Lady Ariella waited until they were in the middle of the third course before setting her great plan into action. It started with casual small talk to Queen Lucy, who happened to be the nearest of the monarchs and then, just when desert was being served, she said that which she knew would garner everyone's attention at an instant.
"Oh, Queen Lucy, I nearly forgot. I saw someone today whom you admire very much."
"Who?" answered the curious and slightly confused queen.
"He was a lion. I believe you call him 'Aslan.'"
A/N—There you are. Sorry it took so much longer than I said it would. You'd think that you'd have more time to write when out of school than while in! Anyway, I hereby guarantee that there will be no more guarantees of when this will be done. It keeps getting longer. I had originally planned for three chapters!
