Lucy was completely and finally confused. She was baffled, befuddled, and bewildered. She was dazed, disorganized, distracted, and perplexed to the fullest. Needless to say, she was in love. But it was different that she thought it would be. You see it was the purest sort of love, that came from her heart, though she was frustrated to no avail with the insufferable fact that she could not control her heart, nor could she ignore it. She found it unfathomable that an organ inside of her could be responsible for such disarray. But then it must be her mind, that was putting the follies and ridiculous feelings to work, spinning her head whenever Caspian entered a room. Love was madness, and if this was love, it did not interest Lucy in the least.

But she could not help but be in raptures; it was Aslan's design, after all. Though Lucy was not to know of this yet. And the fact of the matter was that Caspian was becoming quite infatuated with Lucy himself, he had been for a while now, even back when the Dawn Treader first sailed. Something was restraining him however, from telling Lucy that she was unprecedented and fascinating and that he was hopelessly in love with her, and that she was really putting a wrench in his kingdom running because every time she appeared he found it rather difficult to concentrate. But he didn't know what it was. Perhaps her zealous and excessively vigilant older brothers, or that he was but a fool in love, or even that he thought Lucy far too exceptional for a mere king such as he.

The ordeal at the ball had passed and Lucy spent her days wandering the castle, reading books for hours or visiting Alysa in the servants quarters or traipsing about the countryside and forests. But all was in vain, she was too full of anxiety to be distracted for long. She missed her siblings dearly and worried constantly. Caspian and she spend many days sprawled out on the floor of the library, studying maps and plotting places the lost Kings and Queen could be found. Caspian sent messengers to the far reaches of Narnia, to Lords and Dukes and Nobles, but nobody seemed to have found a trace of them. Lucy was beginning to despair.

She told Reepicheep as much; the mouse had become her confidante in the absence of her siblings. He told her that same thing he had advised every time she informed him of her fears.

"Trust Aslan, Lucy. Do you remember back on the train, when you died and came back to life again?"

"Yes."

"You said you saw Aslan and followed him, even though you knew not where he led you. And even when you couldn't see any more, you continued after him, did you not?"

"I did."

"Trust him, child. Trust him as if you were a child, which is to say, blindly. Why did you follow him in the first place?"

"Because he seemed right. Just… unbroken, unlike everything around me. Why wouldn't I have followed him?"

"Exactly." said the mouse, winking.

These conversations only succeeded in frustrating Lucy even more than she had been previously. One night, after a particularly depressing dinner with Caspian, who had told her the most recent inquires of her family that had returned with unfavorable responses, Lucy decided to turn in early. She looked miserably at her brothers and sister's doors, that she knew only led to unoccupied rooms. She didn't think of her nightgown and slid into bed fully dressed. She lay in between silk sheets thinking of things, probably things that didn't matter very much, because she fell asleep quickly.

Lucy dreamed. Not of parties and balls, but of a great lion with a golden mane. He was Aslan, Lucy was sure of it. She was in a very dark tunnel, but even though the lion did not radiate light, she could see. She ran to him, and flung her arms around his soft and wild head. He chuckled and smiled, at least as well as a lion can smile anyway.

"Dear one, how I have missed you."

"And I you, Aslan." Lucy said, beaming. "Are you really here? I feel as though you are, but this is only a dream, isn't it?"

Aslan laughed again. "Do not confuse yourself, Lucy. Trust me."

He began to walk down the tunnel, but with each paw he placed in front of the other it was not he that moved, but the walls and the floor. Faster and faster he appeared to be running, and her surroundings blurred and rushed past as Lucy stood still, watching in awe. A blinding light appeared ahead, and the brightness and rushing and bewilderment were a bit much for Lucy as she closed her eyes and felt the world spin beneath and around her. When the light died and she opened her eyes, she found herself standing in the middle of a clearing. All around her were trees, towering above her head as though they thought themselves peaks, such as those from the tallest tower of Cair Paravel. Lucy peered about her apprehensively, not knowing quite what she was searching for. Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw a boy. He was Edmund. Lucy shrieked and rushed at him. He was laying just off to the side of the clearing, his eyes closed as though in a trance. Lucy kneeled at his side and pressed her ear to his chest, listening closely for a heartbeat. She heard a steady thumping in his ribcage, it was slow and passive, like he was sleeping.

"Edmund?" Lucy said tentatively.

He did not answer. Lucy repeated herself, louder this time, and shook his shoulder gently. When his breathing did not even waver, Lucy shook him again, urgently.

"He cannot hear you, Dear Heart."

Lucy turned, tears sparkling in her eyes, to see Aslan coming to stand next to her.

"What's wrong with him, Aslan?"

"He is only sleeping, do not be distressed child."

"Why won't he wake up? Why can't he hear me?"

"So many questions." Smiled the lion. "This is but a dream, remember dear one."

"Where are we, Aslan? Is Edmund here in real life as well?"

"These are things you need to find out for yourself. I must leave you now, I have done all I can. And remember, do not fear love, Lucy, it is an adventure all it's own. And I can hardly claim to know a greater adventurer than Queen Lucy the Valiant."

As Aslan finished talking his voice became fainter, and very soon Lucy could not hear anything at all. Her surroundings faded with the noise and she choked down a strangled sob as she tried to cling to the paling image of her dreaming brother.

A/N: Sorry again for the long update. I had to do a bit of planning for where I wanted the story to go, but I've got it all sorted now so the updates should be coming quicker. Happy holidays and Merry Christmas! Review it you feel like giving me a present. :)