Hey guys! I know these waits keep getting longer, but I need you to know that I'm doing this for a reason. I want to make sure that I am at least two chapters written ahead of what I am posting. I've been really busy this past week. I'm an English major and I've basically been working on a twelve page dissertation on Dante. :) No worries. After this week, I'll have a little bit more time on my hands to keep writing.

First, I want to address a few issues with the story. :) To Court1410: I COMPLETELY understand what you are saying about rapists. I feel like the first chapter is a horrible appetizer to the rest of the story and I've known that from the beginning. I've been meaning to rewrite it, but I probably won't do so until after I've finished the story. There are so many issues with that scene that it seriously just needs to be redesigned. I feel like the more I get to know Ashlynn as a character, the better I will be able to write that scene and understand and recreate her emotions, because it should be one of the most important in the story. I'm in on this ride with you guys. Ashlynn as a character just seems to fall out of my hands and onto my computer screen as if I have no control over her. She astonishes and surprises me as much as you all. :)

To ShadowEmpire: Eek! I'm so sorry about that mishap! Sometimes things like that happen and I forget what I've previously written. I think the more I write, the better I'll get about remembering the details I incorporate in my chapters. Thank you SO much for pointing that out. That way, when I rewrite Chapter One, I'll remember to fix that detail. For now, let's just go with the guitar is Ashlynn's fathers. :) Oh, and I think that bit about Edmund waking up in bed next to a lion is hilarious. lol. I got a good kick out of that one.

To Everyone else: Thanks for the support! It feels good to know your work is appreciated and I wouldn't be continuing with this story if it weren't for all your loyal reviews!

Stormie, here's your chapter! I hope you like the character I gave you. It seemed sort of fitting considering why I chose you for R.O.M.

I found myself lying in a field of green grass staring up at a clear blue sky. My hands were behind my head and my right leg was crossed over my left one, tapping in the air to a silent rhythm in my head. The weather outside was perfect. A slight breeze played with my hair and dress and caressed my skin until I was nearly put to sleep.

I had woken up that morning before Edmund had and quickly snuck out of his room, fearing an awkward morning had I stayed.

I had returned to my room and found a letter from Princess Becky sitting on my desk. I had quickly opened it and was pleased to read what was inside.

Dear Lady Ashlynn,

I spoke with my father about working on growing up and accepting my responsibilities as a princess. I told him about our conversation and he was very pleased to hear that you had spoken with me and helped me understand that I needed to mature. He was even more impressed that I had taken your advice seriously.

I made a bargain with my father. We have decided that I will spend one year away from the Archenland castle receiving an extensive and private education on the duties of a princess. After that time, if I have not improved, I will agree to an arranged marriage. If, however, I have improved, my father has agreed to allow me to choose when and whom I marry.

I want to thank you, Lady Ashlynn, for opening my eyes about the duties of those with power. When I told my father about what you said, he was impressed with your wisdom. I truly hope we can correspond with one another. I could really use a friend such as yourself.

Now that I have updated you on what is now happening in my life, please, Lady Ashlynn, tell me about yourself. We didn't have the time to talk as friends when we were sitting together at the Fall Ball. How old are you? What is your position is Cair Paravel? Are you associated with any of the Narnian monarchs?

Please write back, dear Ashlynn.

Sincerely,

Princess Becky

I found I couldn't fall back asleep once I had returned to my room and read my letter. So, I had opted instead to change dresses and enjoy the nice morning weather.

I turned my head to the side and rested it against my left shoulder on the ground. Memories from the previous night evaded my mind and I found myself blushing and smiling at them. I kept thinking about what had happened. Clearly, I had enjoyed. But, I knew the only reason Edmund had started anything was because he was emotional, and he was missing his love. I looked like her. So, naturally, he took comfort in me.

But I couldn't forget what he had said to me.

You don't have to be my Ashlynn to be loved by me. You are admirable just as you are.

I shivered at the memory and turned my head to the right. I unconsciously scratched my torn fingers. The blood from them had clotted over night, leaving my fingers swollen and itching. I figured it would go away in a few days and left my fingers alone, save for my insistent scratching.

I allowed my thoughts to stray and cringed when my thoughts returned to Edmund. I tried to ignore the warring concerns in my head over Edmund and instead tried to focus on the beauty of Narnia. It was so different from Orlando. Orlando was beautiful in its own sense, but Narnia was beautiful in every sense. I felt as at home in Narnia as much as I felt out of place in it. I felt like I belonged, but something seemed to be holding me back. I couldn't tell if it was my family, or my friends, or my life back in Orlando; or if it was something bigger; something bigger than myself and the world I came from. Was I waiting on something monumental to give me comfort in such a wonderful place? Would this monument ever arrive, or would I be forever stuck in Narnia just waiting?

I turned my head back to the left and opened my eyes. Cair Paravel stared at me from across the field and I smiled. She was a beautiful castle, no doubt created by someone glorious. I closed my eyes and inhaled the sweet Narnia air. Would I ever be so glorious?

"Ashlynn, wake up." A sweet voice whispered in my ear. I stirred and opened my eyes. The sun was much higher in the sky and I felt a sweet burn on my cheeks from being exposed to it for too long. At some point that morning I must have fallen asleep as I lay in the grass. I shifted my eyes to the person who woke me and blushed when I saw a sweaty Edmund. The tunic he wore was loose and white and untied, leaving his chest and neck exposed. His hair was wet with sweat and his face was flushed red from exercise of some sort. He was slightly out of breath, as though he had just been running. He was squatted next to me, his arms leaning against his knees as he balanced on the balls of his feet. He smiled when he saw me awake and brushed the hair out of my face.

"Why do you always miss breakfast?" He asked teasingly. I grinned at him and sat up. He stood and offered me a hand. I accepted it and allowed him to pull me up.

"It just happens that way, I suppose." I responded, brushing off my dress.

"Why were you out here sleeping? We looked all over the castle for you before one of our guards told us he saw you out here sunbathing. We decided to let you be. Of course, when I saw you sleeping out here after practice, I figured you might want to be woken before you were cooked by the sun." He laughed at himself and I grinned.

"I was soaking up the good weather and fell asleep." I said simply, shrugging my shoulders and stretching. Edmund watched me for a few moments.

"Have you ever ridden a horse?" I looked at him oddly.

"Once or twice. Why?"

"Come with me." I followed him as he walked briskly towards the stables.

We entered the stables and he immediately walked towards a stall. I followed him and inside the stall I saw a beautiful brown horse. Let me also mention how luxurious the stalls for the horses in the stables were. They were huge and pristinely cleaned. There wasn't hay or straw on the ground, but carpet; thick, velvety carpet. Each stall could have fit a small herd of horses instead of the one they each held. Needless to say, these horses were spoiled.

"This is Phillip." Edmund introduced, gesturing towards the brown horse. I noticed how he didn't touch the horse as I was expecting.

"Is he your horse?" I asked observing it. The horse snorted angrily at me and I started and took a step away from it.

"I don't know where you're from, Miss. But in Narnia, horses don't belong to anybody. We aren't slaves like the horses in Calormen or Archenland, brute countries." The horse said in an irritated voice. I really wasn't as surprised as I could have been. After all, I had heard other animals talk before in my presence.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, looking at a chuckling Edmund out of the corner of my eye. "What I meant was are you two traveling partners?"

The horse nodded his head. "On occasion. I don't always want to go gallivanting about as much as the young king likes too. But, he is the only rider I have."

I nodded my head in understanding. "Not many talking horses will allow more than one human to ride them." Edmund explained.

"Well we aren't common whores!" The horse exclaimed. Edmund laughed loudly and I grinned at the horse.

"How are you feeling about a ride today, Phillip?" Edmund asked coolly, leaning about the stall door. The horse seemed to contemplate the idea.

"Well, I haven't had decent exercise in a while. So, I suppose a ride today would be good." Edmund nodded and slapped the stall door.

"Right then. I'll send someone to ready you, Phillip. I need to find a horse willing to let Ashlynn ride 'em."

Phillip whinnied and looked at me oddly. "Ashlynn, you say? She does look an awful lot like Storm's human."

A look from Edmund made Phillip shut up as I turned and walked away. I walked down the hall between all the stalls, looking in at all the talking horses. There were several empty stalls. After walking past about five stalls, I came upon a separate hall that branched off from the main walkway. I turned onto the hallway and walked down a little ways until I came upon a stall at the end of it. The stall, unlike all the other stalls I had seen, couldn't be looked into. The top door of the stall gate was closed. On the top part of the door, the name 'Storm' was written in elegant letters. I could hear movement from within the stall, so I knew there was a horse inside.

Overcome by curiosity, I knocked on the stall gate and the movement inside the stall hesitated. After a few moments of silence, I heard the sound of hooves approaching the stall gate. The top part of the gate swung open and the coutanence of a very angry black horse appeared. The horses eyes were bright blue and I found myself gazing into the angry orbs with awe and shock. I knew those eyes. I don't know how, but I knew them as though I had all my life.

The horses eyes widened in shock as well and its angry expression dropped. A gleeful expression replaced the angry one and the horse started stamping its feet. He reached its black nose out towards me and I found myself reaching up to stroke it.

"Hello. My name is Ashlynn. What is your name?" I asked the horse, cautiously stroking its face. The horse looked at me with sad eyes and didn't respond.

"Can you not speak?" I asked sadly. The horse shook its head and whinnied sadly.

I remembered the name on the stall door and decided to ask about it. "Is your name Storm?"

The horse's blue eyes filled with joy and it whinnied and stamped its feet. I smiled at her reaction and lifted my hand up to stroke her face, taking care to keep my scabbed fingers away from her immaculate coat. I was surprised when she allowed me, but gently stroked her face regardless. Something about her was hauntingly familiar. Her blue eyes seemed to demand my memory, but I couldn't meet up to her standards.

"What am I forgetting?" I asked quietly. Storm's eyes seemed sad as she gently nuzzled my face with her nose.

"I see you've met Storm." I heard Edmund say from behind me. I whirled around, being caught off guard, to look at him.

"Yes. She's probably one of the most beautiful horses I've ever seen." I stated. I heard a whinny of approval behind me and turned to smile at the mute horse.

"Yes, and the most impossible one. She only ever let one human ride her and, when she could speak, was quick witted and harsh. Isn't that right, Storm?" Edmund asked almost teasingly.

The horse seemed mildly fond of Edmund and whinnied softly in acknowledgment of his teasing, but quickly returned her eyes to me. I turned to the horse and resumed caressing her face.

"Interesting." Edmund said behind me.

"What?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at him.

"Storm doesn't usually let humans touch her." Edmund gave me a strange look. "Ashlynn was her rider."

I stopped my motions, overwhelmed with the continued irony in the situation. I could not escape Ashlynn. Storm's eyes flashed as she looked at Edmund angrily. She snorted her disapproval.

"Just saying!" Edmund stated defensively, holding up in hands. Storm glared at him a bit longer before turning to me. I saw myself reflected in her blue eyes and, as though I had been seized by a vision, I no longer saw myself in the white cotton gown I had adorned that morning. Instead, the reflection I saw in Storm's eyes were of me with much longer hair and fiercer eyes wearing what seemed to be some sort of medieval armor. Instead of standing still right in front of Storm as I was actually doing, I was running towards her, fear and blood decorating my face. I had a sworn drawn at my side and I was shouting. Around me, a battlefield was decorating with creatures dressed in the same color as me. They were dead. From behind me, a horrific looking creature was approaching as if to strike me down.

As soon as it came, the vision left. I heard myself shout out in terror and felt myself falling. Before I could hit the ground, however, heavy arms caught my fall.

"Woah. Ashlynn, are you alright?" Edmund questioned, panic in his voice. I didn't respond, but instead found myself staring in at Storm with a look of horror.

The look on Storm's face was of understanding. She knew what I had seen and didn't find it unnatural. Edmund saw the look shared between Storm and I and looked up at the beautiful horse.

"Ashlynn, what happened? What did you see? What made you start?" Edmund questioned, worried. When I didn't respond, he turned to Storm.

"Stormie, what did Ashlynn see?" He demanded as he pulled me closer to him. My eyes never left Storm's, but hers drifted over to Edmund. They stared at each other for a few moments before Edmund sighed.

"She cannot speak." I finally muttered after a few moments of silence.

"Not since she returned from the Western Wood." Edmund replied, helping me stand up. Storm's eyes were back on me and she seemed mildly worried.

"What did you see, Ashlynn?" Edmund asked quietly. I noticed he had not let go of me since he had helped me up and my inner girl squealed. As it was, instead of squealing, I blushed and pulled away from him before answering.

"Um, I'm not sure. I saw myself, I think." I answered, the memory quickly fading before I could recall it.

"You saw your reflection?" Edmund questioned further. By the time he had asked me this, I had already forgotten what I had seen.

I looked up at Edmund in confusion. "Edmund, I can't remember."

Edmund gazed at me for a few seconds before lowering his head and sighing. "Oh well. Sometimes we start for no reasons."

I gave him a strange look for trying to justify my forgetfulness, but shook it off, along with his arm that was still present on my waist. A blush crept up my face as a memory of the previous night tickled my mind. I stepped away from him, causing a brief hurt look to pass over his face.

"So," He started, looking away from me. "Would you like to see if Stormie here will let you ride her?"

I smiled at him and turned to Storm. "May I ride you, Storm?"

The horse whinnied happily and stamped her feet on the ground, clearly agreeing to my proposition. Edmund smiled at her and clapped his hands together.

"Well, it's been a year since you've ridden, Stormie. So, I'm going to have to go dust your saddle so that Ashlynn can ride you." Edmund stated before turning his smile on me. "I trust you can brush Stormie down, then?"

I nodded my head and watched as Edmund tossed me a brush from a shelf beside Storm's stall and then walked off to get Storm's saddle. I turned to Storm and opened her stall and entered it. She seemed very happy to be brushed and also couldn't seem to keep her eyes off me.

"I don't know what it is, Storm, but something about you is so familiar." I commented as I brushed down her flank. When I reached her face, I couldn't help but find myself captured in her gaze.

"What is it that I'm forgetting, Stormie?" I asked her quietly, halting my motions. She snorted pitifully at me, staring back in my eyes with wisdom that did not fit a dumb horse.

"Why can't you speak?" I whispered. Storm shook her head back and forth, slapping me in the face with her black mane. I giggled and stepped away from her.

"I think you've been properly brushed."

"Here we go." I heard Edmund exclaim behind me. I turned around and saw him setting an ornate saddle on the railing of Stormie's stall. He shot me a smile before entering the stall.

"Is that..." I started, staring at the saddle.

Edmund watched me for a few moments before nodding softly and continuing his process of saddling up Storm. "Yes." Was all he said.

"I don't have to use the same one." I responded.

"It's the only one Stormie will use. She's a stubborn horse." Edmund laughed lightly. Storm shook her mane and glared at Edmund playfully. When he was done saddling her up, Edmund patted her neck. They shared a look of understanding and I couldn't help but feel saddened by the tragedy that surrounded both of them. I also couldn't prevent myself from wondering if I really was who everyone else thought I was. Storm's eyes met mine and I found that the idea of being the Ashlynn who had so enraptured everyone's hearts in Narnia not to be such a bad thing. Maybe I could have been her. But, when I saw my reflection in Storm's eyes again, my orange hair and golden eyes deterred that thought from my mind and set in stone my belief that I could never be that Ashlynn.

"Ready to go?" Edmund asked with a smile. I found myself returning the smile shyly and grabbed the reins Edmund held out for me. Edmund left Storm and I to go fetch Phillip and I found myself caught in her blue gaze for the hundredth time.

"Who am I?" I asked her. She didn't respond.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I just want to forewarn you, the next few chapters are going to be slightly slow. I feel like there are a few characters and relationships I want to develop more before continuing on with the Edmund plot. So, Edmund may disappear for a while, but don't worry. I'll make sure he comes back with a bang, or something like it. :)

I have something to say: WDE. If you can tell me what that means without negativity, I'll love you forever. :)