So, chapter 15 isn't completely done...but it's close and I can't bear to make you wait more than a week. So here comes chapter 14. Beware...it's a bit odd.

The Naiad Trilogy

Part 2: The Naiad and Her King

Chapter 14

The water felt like silks as Ava moved through it. Fresh water was so different than salty sea water. Fresh water smelt, and felt better; it left Ava's skin feeling cleaner and smoother than sea water. If Ava had to choose between swimming in fresh water or swimming in the sea, it would be no contest. Ava would choose fresh water every time.

Ava was so glad she found this fresh water river, though she wished she knew where she was exactly. Ava thought that swimming in this river was almost like swimming in the Great River in Narnia. Wait! That's where she was! She was swimming in the Great River! How did she not see it before? It was so obvious now. Strange. Ava could have sworn that she was in a different river, but the moment she thought about the Great River it was suddenly clear that she could be nowhere else.

Oh well. Ava wouldn't question it now.

Ava rolled over on her back so that she could see the Narnian sky. It was a bright summer day and the sky was a clear robin's egg blue with fluffy white clouds. While sailing the great Eastern Sea, Ava had seen sunsets unlike any other. The sky would be flooded with rich royal purples and majestic magentas, but there was something so heartwarming and comforting about the simple Narnian blue sky that Ava loved so dearly.

Ava stretched her arms out to her side to soak up the warmth of the sun and felt the soft grass beneath her. Grass? "I thought I was swimming? Hmm…" She must have gotten out of the river without realizing it. Oh well. Water, grass, it really didn't matter much to Ava at the moment; she was home.

Ava curled her toes and rubbed her arms over the soft grass, sighing contently as she did. It felt great to be home once more. She loved sailing on the Dawn Treader, but nothing beat being home. From the corner of her eye Ava saw a flashing light, so she sat up to see what it was. Her heart swelled with pride, joy, and love. Just down the hill from her, at the mouth of the Great River, and on the edge of the Eastern Sea, sat Cair Paravel glistening in the sun light like a brilliantly cut diamond, no diamond could shine greater. Waves crashed on the shore and gulls squawked over head. How had she missed these sounds before?

Ava got to her feet and was about to run down to the beach and follow it to Cair Paravel, when someone called her name. Ava looked over her shoulder and saw a large gathering of Narnians. Voltinus and Mentius were there along with Tavros, Kobar, Selenius, Trufflehunter, Patterwig, Glenstorm, why even Trumpkin was there. Chérie was there too, and she had been the one who called Ava's name.

There were many other Narnians present as well. Ava could hear the Dwarfs on their drums and the Fauns and Satyrs playing their flutes. Some of the great Willow trees plucked their taut branches like a harp. There was a great festival being held on the Dancing Lawn where they were gathered.

Ava looked back and forth between the Dancing Lawn and Cair Paravel. She didn't think the two places she loved the most were that close, in fact, she knew there weren't. "Then why…?"

Oh well. Ava shook it off. Did it really matter? She was home.

Ava turned towards the Narnians and sprinted over to the Dancing Lawn where she entered into the festivities at once. She joined a dance she knew and loved well, the Dance of the Blooms which celebrated the start of Spring. The Dance of the Blooms in summer? It was odd, but... Oh well. Ava's bare feet moved effortlessly over the soft grass hardly touching the ground at all as she jumped through the air. Ava was free and alive; nothing could make this day better. Scratch that. If Caspian were present then things truly couldn't get better.

Just as Ava thought about Caspian, one of his strong, familiar hands wrapped around her waist while his other grasped her right hand and spun her around to face him. Ava immediately placed her free hand on his shoulder and they began to dance around together. Ava wasn't as familiar with the traditional Telmarine dances as she was the Narnian ones, but she let Caspian lead her around the Dancing Lawn nonetheless. They were a perfect team, and they danced together with ease.

As their dance ended the Narnians erupted with cheers. Caspian laughed loudly before bowing in thanks to Ava; she bowed back. Her eyes never left his though, for there was something that she had been longing to do again for some time. Now there was nothing to stop her and nothing holding her back. Caspian seemed to be thinking the same thing she was, and simultaneously they wrapped their arms around each other. His went around her waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Their lips met in a passionate kiss and their tongues began an intricate dance of their own. Their kiss was natural, effortless. It was like they'd been doing this sort of thing for years. Their bodies blended together in perfect unison. Her hands locked around his neck while his traced patterns up her back before tangling in her hair. This kiss was needy, full of passion and hungry desire. The feel of his kiss was…different than she remembered it to be, but spectacular in its own way. Maybe she just remembered it wrong.

Oh well. She didn't want to question it now; she just wanted to enjoy their connection.

After several minutes, Ava reluctantly pulled back and broke the kiss. She would have stayed longer if she could, but she needed air. Caspian didn't let a thing like air stop him though. He cupped her face in his hands and showered it with kisses. His beard tickled and Ava laughed angelically. The sound of her laughter drew his lips back to hers where he gave her several small, hungry kisses before pausing and leaning his forehead against hers.

"I need you, Ava. Be my Queen?" he asked breathlessly.

Ava thought maybe she should be surprised at his confession, but she wasn't. And she knew she should probably consider his proposal seriously before answering, but she didn't. "I love you too, Caspian. Of course I'll be your Queen."

All of a sudden several things seemed to happen at once. The first thing Ava noticed was that a ring had appeared on her left ring finger. It was a delicate woven band made of the finest gold and crafted by the most skilled Dwarf. The second thing Ava noticed was that the music and the dancing had stopped abruptly. Ava found this to be very peculiar. Usually the dancing and festivities would last until the early morning, and now the sun had barely begun to set. Ava looked around at the startled faces of the Narnians. Chérie was the closest one to her, and she looked to be on the verge of tears.

"Chérie, what's wrong?" Ava asked.

"How could you say such a thing?" Chérie responded.

"What do you mean?"

"How could you choose him? Do we mean nothing to you?"

"You mean everything to me, Chérie, you know that."

"Then how could you betray us so?"

"I—I love him, Chérie. I love him. How can I keep from doing so?"

"Then you have betrayed us, Ava. You cannot be our Princess anymore."

"No! No, I don't want that to happen. I will find a way to do both, to be the Princess and to love Caspian. I swear I will not abandon you."

"It is too late for that, Ava. You have already decided. The magic is lost; once it is lost it cannot be regained."

"That—that can't be true," Ava refused to believe Chérie's words. "I can still feel it. I can still feel the magic within me. It's not too late, Chérie."

"If that is so, then heal Voltinus; he is wounded."

Chérie pointed to her left and Ava noticed, for the first time, Voltinus lying on the ground. He had a strange enemy arrow, with a green feathered end, sticking out of his chest; he was quickly losing blood. Ava did not hesitate to begin moving to his side, but she did not get far. Caspian held her hand and pulled her back.

"Ava you can't," he said.

"Caspian, I must," Ava insisted as she pulled her hand free and rushed to Voltinus' aid.

A bowl of water sat on the ground next to the wounded Narnian. Ava quickly began to try to heal the Faun, but the water would not move as she willed it to; she could not direct it as usual. And when she tried scooping it up with her hands it slipped through her fingers. She could not contain it. Her magic wasn't working properly.

"No, Ava," Caspian said softly as he stepped up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I mean you can't heal anymore. Chérie is right. Your magic is lost."

"NO! No that's not true! I don't believe it! I still have my magic. I know I do. I can feel it!" Ava said franticly, tears streaming down her face. Caspian lifted her to her feet and pulled her to his chest.

"I'm sorry, Ava, but it's too late. Voltinus is dead."

"No, no he can't be. I know I can heal him," Ava cried.

"It's too late. There's nothing you can do for any of the Narnian's now. You are not their Princess. You are my Queen. You gave up your magic when you fell in love. You can't save any of the Narnians now."

Ava pulled away from Caspian as she heard the cries of other Narnians. All around her, Narnians were falling victim to the same green feathered arrow that had slain Voltinus. Ava's beloved Dancing Lawn was becoming a graveyard of dead or dying Narnians.

"Caspian, we're being attacked," Ava said as she turned back to face him. "You have to leave. You have to get out of here while you can. I have to stay with the Narnians. I have to try to help them. I know I still have my magic; I can't abandon them."

"And I can't abandon you." He gripped her arm painfully hard.

"Caspian, you must leave and I must stay." Ava fought to free herself but he wouldn't let go.

"No! Not without you. You are mine now!" he snarled almost cruelly. "I won't leave without you." His grip tightened causing Ava to wince in pain. Ava began to struggle harder but Caspian grabbed both of her arms and pinned them by her side.

"Caspian, what are…?" Ava's question faded away as she noticed Caspian's eyes flash green. All of a sudden she noticed distinct differences in Caspian: the coldness of his eyes, his hard features, the cruel tone with which he spoke, treating her as a possession. This wasn't her Caspian!

Recognition dawned on her and flashed across her face. The evil Caspian knew his ploy was up and he grinned wickedly. He loosened his grip but didn't let her go freely. He didn't really have to take her along with him. He'd done what he had intended to do. He made Ava confess her feelings and lose her magic. She was useless now.

"Let her go!" a voice, Caspian's voice, suddenly called out from behind Ava.

A new Caspian ran up beside her. He placed his left hand on Ava's shoulder and pulled her back while his right hand curled into a fist and came around to punch the evil Caspian. The evil Caspian stumbled backwards away from Ava, while the new Caspian was already setting his next plan of action into motion. He withdrew his sword and with a great thrust he sliced clean through the evil Caspian. The evil Caspian's body turned to a green mist and floated away on the wind. The new Caspian turned to Ava; his features were softer and showed more concern and emotion than the other Caspian ever could have. How could she have been so blind?

"Are you alright, Ava?" the new Caspian asked; even his voice was gentler.

"How do I know it's really you?" Ava asked.

"Because I love you, Ava."

Love! The other Caspian had never said he loved her; he only "needed" her. Ava ran forward and threw her arms around the real Caspian's neck and hugged him tightly as she cried. He hugged her back and rubbed her back soothingly.

"Caspian…the Narnians…they're dead. I couldn't heal them. I tried but…"

"I know, Ava. I'm sorry. But it's alright. I'm here now. You'll always have me." He pulled her face back slightly so that he could bring their lips together in a gentle kiss.

Suddenly his body tensed up and before Ava could question what was wrong, she could feel a wetness seeping through his clothes onto hers. Caspian fell to his knees before falling back onto the grass. Standing behind Caspian with a bloody sword was the slaver Pug. As Pug walked away triumphantly, Ava dropped to the ground beside Caspian and grasped his hand firmly. She could feel his life fading quickly.

"What have you done, Ava?"

Ava turned to see who had spoken and saw a lion standing beside her. She knew it had been him that had spoken, but he sounded nothing like what she remembered. Could this really be Aslan?

"You have betrayed the Narnians. You have chosen love and lost your magic. Now you shall lose everything," the lion said.

"Please, I didn't mean to. The Green Mist, it tricked me. I thought it was Caspian, but it wasn't."

"The mist only made you confess what was already true."

"Please, don't let Caspian die. Please, you can save him."

"It is true that I can save him. But why should I? You chose this fate. You abandoned the Narnians. You are not my child anymore."

Not his child? But Aslan would never forsake his children; whether they were Narnian or not, all were his children. Ava knew then that this was not the real Aslan just as the first Caspian was not the real Caspian.

"This isn't real. None of this is real," Ava said standing up and shaking her head. "I'm not in Narnia. I'm not on the Dancing Lawn. This isn't Caspian. And you're not Aslan! None of this is real!" Through tear-filled eyes, Ava watched the features of the lion turn cruel; it moved as if it were about to attack her. She cried out.

"Aslan! Aslan please free me of this spell!" Suddenly there was a great lion's roar, the roar of the real Aslan, and the bloody scene before Ava faded from view.

XOXOX

Ava sat up in bed with a start and found herself back in the cabin she shared with Lucy aboard the Dawn Treader.

Disclaimer: No handsome Kings of Narnia were really harmed in the making of this chapter :D

Told you it was a bit weird. At least you got not one, but TWO kisses between Caspian and Ava; though, nether one was the real Caspian, but still...

So, I've got a favor to ask of everyone. The other day I was hit with a new story idea and I would like to know what you all think about it. On my profile page you will find some details of this potential story under the My Stories section of my bio. Please read it and take the poll at the top (if you don't mind). I would greatly appreciate any input you may have. And thanks for sticking with me. Hopefully chapter 15 will be up within a week.