I seriously have a difficult time trying to keep from crying every time I read y'alls reviews. Seriously. You guys make me so happy! So, I needed to choose a Reviewer of the Month, but I found it was too incredibly difficult to actually choose just one person. So, I've pretty much narrowed it down to three reviewers: Sarah (xXrebel-angelXx), Emily (.narnia), and Leah (grahamcracker -xx). You guys have posted reviews that have melted my heart and helped me out greatly.
Sarah: You are HILARIOUS. You brighten my day with your reviews.
Emily: You have been reviewing my chapters faithfully from the start. I appreciate your support SO MUCH.
Leah: First off, WELCOME TO MY STORY! I'm so glad you found it and I'm even more glad that you are enjoying it! Second, damn girl! You know how to leave a review! Your ideas helped me a TON. It completely flew over my mind to think about having Ashlynn explain what she used to look like. I am definitely going to incorporate that into the story.
So, since all three of you all have been so helpful and supporting, I'm going to incorporate EACH of you into my story somehow. :) it may take a while to write each of you in, but don't worry. I WILL NOT FORGET!
Leah brought up a good point in her review about Aslan. He is a vital character in this story even though he hasn't actually appeared yet. Everything that is Ashlynn seems to be Aslan. Her eyes, her hair, her demeanor. This will all be brought to light later on in the story.
So, there is some "Edmundy-goodness" in this chapter, as I promised. Not too much, but enough to satisfy, I think. ;)
I found myself thinking constantly about the dreams I experienced during my comatose state. I couldn't escape the vividity of the dreams. They were so real that I felt they were memories, and that thought alone left me will chills. If those dreams were real, and if during my fevered state I had relived them, then where along the path of my life had I experienced them? The more and more I stayed in Narnia, the more and more I was convinced that I was the same Ashlynn that the Pevensie's were convinced I was.
The weeks after my illness had been difficult for me; adjusting to getting well and regaining my weight and body. Not only was I overwhelmed with the stress of getting better, but added onto that stress was the pressure from Narnian citizens about my identity. They were convinced that I was a sort of "Aslan-reincarnate". They kept speaking about the story of Light, and how she would appear in Aslan's image in order to spread his will and love. They had themselves convinced that I was Light. What frightened most about these claims was that I had been dreaming about the marble table with the inscription about Light since I had woken up from my coma.
Becky, much to my relief, could sense my uneasiness and stress. Not yet a week into her stay at Cair Paravel, we were best friends. She and Lucy had grown quite fond of one another as well.
Becky approached me one day and demanded that I swim with her. We had been expecting the return of the three monarchs any day at that time and she was tired of me sitting around waiting on them like a lost puppy; her words were something to that extent at least.
"I've been living in this castle by the sea for nearly a week and you have yet to take me swimming, Ashlynn Peterson!" Becky shouted at me as she dragged me from my room. In our excitement, we forgot to put on swim suits. We decided instead just to swim in our clothes. We had a marvelous time swimming and splashing one another. Becky was a devious creature and she never failed to attack me the moment I wasn't giving her my full attention.
"Bexxi!" I shouted at her after she throgged me in the face with sand. She giggled and flounced away, running up the beach towards the castle. I had taken to calling her Bexxi when she acted childish. I felt that Becky was too harsh a name, and she agreed full-heartedly with me.
I chased after her merrily. We both halted in our chase when royal horns blasted out the nearing arrival of the missing monarchs. My heart lurched in my chest and Edmund's face filled my thoughts. After nearly two months, I would finally see him again. Of course, there was a part of my heart that ached for Susan and Peter as well, but not nearly as big of a portion as the part that yearned for Edmund. Becky and I exchanged a look of mortification at being so under dressed before we took off for our chambers to change.
I burst into my room and saw Merie pacing back and forth. She let out a shriek of horror when she saw me in such a disarray. I had to hold back a laugh at the look on her face.
"You decide to swim in your dress the day the monarchs return home to Cair Paravel after having been gone a month!" Merie cried, staring at me as though I were a child. And like a child, I started laughing at her reaction.
"It's not like I knew they would be here today!" I protested with a wide smile. Merie's hard expression diminished at my happiness and she returned my gleeful expression.
"Come here ,dear Ash. Let us fix you up. King Edmund wouldn't want to see his love soaking." Merie teased, ushering me towards the wash room.
"Hey!" I protested playfully. "I'm not his love." On the inside, I knew what I said was false. I was beginning to love Edmund, and the thought didn't frighten me as much as it should have.
Nearly twenty minutes later, I was bathed and dressed and in front of a mirror with Merie brushing my hair. I was watching her with an overwhelming sense of affection. She had been my first friend in Narnia, and incredibly loyal and caring. I found myself admiring her pink petals, which were softly rustling with the wind blowing from my window.
"How old are you, Merie?" I asked her as she fixed my hair.
"I'll be 300 this winter moon." She replied. I laughed and she smiled at me.
"Is that young or old in dryad years?" I asked.
"In human years, that would be about seventeen years." She explained.
"Ah." She finished my hair and playfully shoved me out of the chair.
"Come, Ashwood. Let's go see our monarchs!" She floated out of the door and I ran after her. I followed her towards the throne room. Before I even reached the doors, I heard a commotion coming from within them. It seemed like most of Narnia had arrived to welcome there kings and eldest queen. Merie and I entered the room and my eyes drifted up to the dais, where Peter, Susan, and Edmund were standing, looking exhausted, and smiling at their subjects. Lucy was beside them, looking at them with adoration and relief in her eyes.
I felt my heart speed up as my eyes landed gently on Edmund. His hair was much longer and shaggier. He seemed to have lost a bit of weight, and there were bags under his eyes. His smile was slightly dull, but he seemed relieved to be home. I looked over Peter and Susan and saw them in similar conditions. I found myself sighing in relief that they were okay and well.
"Thank you so much for the welcome!" Peter shouted with a tired smile. "There will be a ball tomorrow evening in celebration of the peaceful agreements between Narnia and Ettinsmoor. All of Narnia is invited. As for now, my siblings and I are exhausted and will rest tonight and see you all tomorrow!" He and his siblings left the dais and I lost sight of them in the crowd.
"Ashlynn!" I heard Bexxi call. I turned my head and saw the young girl in a pretty pink gown.
"Hello, Becky." I greeted as she quickly hugged me.
"Isn't it wonderful for them to finally be present in Cair Paravel?" She said happily.
I smiled widely and nodded my head in agreement. "They've been gone nearly a month, and it's been two since I've personally seen them."
"Thank Aslan they're alright." Merie added as she hovered beside Bexxi and I.
"Oh, hello Merie!" Bexxi greeted with smile.
"Princess Rebecca." Merie greeted with a bow.
"I ought to water you." Bexxi threatened teasingly. She hated it when Merie referred to her as princess, and despised it even more when she used her full name.
Merie and I burst into giggles.
"I'm glad to see you all are enjoying yourselves." A hoarse voice commented from behind us.
"Your Majesty." Merie greeted, bowing as we turned to see who it was.
"Peter!" I shouted, jumping into his arms for a hug. He chuckled, hugging me tightly.
"I am so relieved you are okay, Ashlynn. I was so worried. When we received word from Lucy that you had awoken, I had to fight off Edmund's pleas to come see you." He stated, pulling away from the hug and looking me over. I blushed at his statement about Edmund.
"I'm so glad to see you all well." I replied with a smile. The bags under his eyes were darker up close, and his hair seemed longer and messier too. Peter smiled at me before hugging me again and pulling away.
"Princess Rebecca." He greeted, bowing his head at her. She returned the greeting with a curtsey.
"I'm pleased to see you well. How long will you be at the Cair?" He asked, sounding more king-like than he had with his greeting towards me. Bexxi shot me a questioning look.
"Through the next week, Your Highness. I'll leave before Christmas to stay with my family." Peter nodded.
"We are pleased to have you staying here, Princess." He stated. This time, the look Bexxi gave me was of annoyance. I had to stifle a giggle.
"Ashlynn!" A voice shouted. I turned and saw Susan approaching me with a bright smile.
"Susan!" I cried back as she reached out to hug me.
"Oh Ashlynn! I was so worried! Don't you ever do anything like that again! When you are injured, you go to the Infirmary!" She chastised as she pulled away from me. While her words were angry, her eyes were relieved.
I smiled at her. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Su."
She grinned at me. "It's been too long since we have spoken, so I demand that you come to my room for lunch tomorrow before the ball."
I agreed and introduced her to Bexxi.
"Susan, this is my friend Becky. She came to visit Cair Paravel when she heard of my illness." Susan curtsied and and Becky did so as well.
"It's good to meet you, Princess. Would you like to join us for lunch as well tomorrow?" She asked. Bexxi's eyes lit up.
"Of course, Your Majesty." Susan smiled politely at her.
"I'll have someone send for you around noon." Bexxi nodded in understanding, before taking her leave to greet other Narnians.
Susan watched me for a few seconds before speaking. "You had us all torn up in grief and worry, Ashlynn."
I sighed. "I know. I'll be sure to have all my scratches looked after from now on."
Susan dismissed my statement with a wave of her hand. Her lips frowned in sadness. "We've already lost you once, Ashlynn. To lose you again would be...overbearing."
I looked down at my feet. I found myself wanting to contradict Susan on her statement. They had never lost me. They had lost their Ashlynn. But, something inside me agreed with Susan; I was the same Ashlynn. Something inside of me told me so.
"Don't look now, but a determined king is making his way over here." Susan stated with laughter in her voice.
My head shot up and I looked around quickly. My eyes finally landed Edmund's approaching figure and were captured by his dark and demanding eyes. He wasn't walking quickly towards me, and he wasn't rudely shoving people aside. His strides were even, balanced, and flawless. His features were relaxed and polite. His eyes were dark and fixed only on me. There was nothing urgent in his appearance, but something about the way he approached me seemed desperate. His eyes never left mine, even when Susan told him not to make a scene before she walked away.
He didn't speak to me for several minutes. He just stared.
"Hi." I greeted, my voice soft and quiet. Instead of replying, he grabbed my hand and led me away from the throne room. He wasn't dragging me away, or forcing me to follow him. We weren't walking away from the room quickly. He was leading me away from the room as though he had something to show me, but it wasn't urgent enough to drag me along.
When we exited the throne room, Edmund gently pushed me against a wall in the dark, empty hallway and proceeded to kiss me urgently. Everything in that kiss contradicted his outward appearance in the throne room. He was calm and collected in front of his subjects. Alone, with only me, he was desperate and urgent.
His body pressed against mine, pushing me tightly against the wall. His hands held my face, forcing me to kiss him back. He gave me no choice, not that I would have honestly objected to kissing him. His kisses were demanding and hard, just as our first kiss had been.
His mouth opened wide and worked against mine in such an intoxicating manner that I felt light headed and high. He pushed his hips against mine, lifting me up slightly off the ground and holding me there with his body. His hands worked their way down to my neck and he cupped it lovingly. I reached up and tangled my fingers in his hair. He gasped and kissed me harder.
He finally pulled away, lowered me to the ground, and looked me in the eyes. His lips were swollen and open slightly because of his heavy breathing. He closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose before taking a step away from me. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"I..."He started. He didn't finish. His eyes found mine again, and I found myself lacking breath at the emotion held within them. Where was the emotionless man I had met on my first night in Narnia? This could not have been the same boy.
I gave him a small smile. "I'm glad you're okay." I whispered.
He grinned and looked at the ground. "Me too. I mean, for you. I'm glad you're okay."
I laughed at him. "I'll see you tomorrow?" I suggested, noticing the exhaustion evident in his eyes.
"Yeah." He whispered back, his voice hoarse and shallow. His intense eyes locked onto mine and the urgency in them frightened me.
"Ashlynn," He whispered, staring at me softly.
"Yeah?" I questioned, taking a step towards him. He leaned in towards me and closed his eyes. I was sure he was going to kiss me again, but instead of attacking my lips, he dropped his forehead to my shoulder and pulled me close to him. His left hand rested on my hip and he turned his face into my neck, just as he had done the time before. My heart nearly stopped and I found myself holding my breath. Everything that boy did was beautiful.
"Sleep well." He whispered into my skin. He nuzzled my neck before pulling away. He walked away from me slowly, his hands in his pockets, and my heart somewhere within them.
*sigh* I just love Edmund. Soooo, who alls going to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader tomorrow? Americans, I mean. We had to wait. *sob* But, whatever. I get to see my man on the big screen. *squeal* I LOVE Y'ALL! REVIEW AND I'LL SHOW MY LOVE. ;)