Trainings and preparations

"What do you want to do today? Can we practice some more?" Corin asked Lucy at the breakfast table. Susan and Edmund burst into laughter.

"Beware, once you have started, he won't let go of you easily, believe me, I know," joked Edmund, but from the way he ruffled Corin's fringe it was clear he didn't really mind. Lucy also laughed. She liked the company of their new, cheerful friend, it was good to rest from her overwhelming emotions sometimes. The weeks without her family were lonely after all and now, when Cair Paravel was full of laughter, she felt more like home. Susan got another love letter and was reading it out loud. Peter, Edmund and Corin had tears in their eyes from too much laughing.

Oh, Suse, my Dearest, greatest

Muse

Thee, whom I desire

Thee, who put my heart on eternal

Fire

I pray at your feet

So you could be my sweet

Goddess of... (here were two words Susan couldn't understand, however they disturbingly resembled something like "naked attire").

Lucy had to put away her food and she laughed so hard her stomach hurt.

"Sweet feet! Someone hold me, I am dying of loooove," Corin sang with high, soprano-like voice.

"Oh, great Aslan, how can you allow so bad poetry," sighed Susan, wiping her face with a handkrief.

"I am sure Aslan has a sense of humor," added Peter and took the letter to the hand. Lucy was silent. Lately, the name of Aslan didn't fill her with joy like it used to. In the meantime, her brothers read the letter from Rabadash once more and started discussion regarding the incoming annual Great Tourney, to which, of course, the calormenian aristocracy was also invited.

A busy time started for the Queens and Kings of Narnia. The preparations for the Great Tourney always required lots of work, but this was the tenth one and was expected to be more spectacular than ever. The tourney itself was in the beginning Susan's and Peter's idea. In those days Lucy was still a child and busier running through the woods with fauns and beavers, helping to rebuild Narnia after the Era of Winter. Peter, or rather King Peter the Magnificent, looked for something that would give Narnians not only a joy of freedom, but also a motivation to create art, tools (also weapons) and all kinds of items that could be traded and would make Narnia an independent land, having something to offer to its neighbors. The neighbors were the little Archenland on the West, which, also happy because of the temperature change in the area, very quickly became the best friend of Narnia, the troublesome Ettinsmoor on the North causing lately the constant King's Peter absence, and of course, Calormen on the South. The empire of Calormen reacted at the changes on the North with a great enthusiasm. Already in the first years of their ruling, narnian Kings and Queens received calormenian delegations. They came with many gifts: richly ornamented carpets, fine silk, embroidered with flowers and real jewels, knives, swords and also the most sophisticated spices. After the first one, those delegations became regular, although neither Peter, nor Edmund, Susan or Lucy ever visited Calormen. They were simply too occupied in Narnia. The post-war Narnia had also many goods for a trade - the countless treasures found in the White Witch's castle. Most of them (at least Peter hoped so, for there were many who took the full advantage of the chaos that occurred after the last battle and secretly took some jewels with them) were transported to Cair Paravel and the new Kings and Queens had their hands busy with arranging the exchange some of those goods for the iron, food supplies and everything the land needed after the war.

Apart of rebuilding the country, defense strategies and other military issues, Peter and Edmund were constantly involved in long lasting post-war investigations who fought on the side of the White Witch openly and who was a secret traitor. All the creatures and humans proven as enemies were banned with the sentence to be killed if they ever come back to Narnia, or Archenland for that matter. Little Lucy was kept away from those persecutions. So she didn't know until recently that most of the banned creatures were dwarves, foxes, wolves and white bears. And some village men and women and (particularly) wizards that escaped on ships towards the Seven Islands, which belonged to Narnia only on the map and, in fact it had much more in common with Calormenes.

So the Tourney, commonly called the Archery Tourney, was not only about the archery of course. It was a great festival, with various kinds of martial arts competitions, the Great Horse Race (on regular horses, using Talking Horses was strictly forbidden), fauns and faeries music contests, dance performances, embroidery exhibitions - all kinds of crafts that could be presented or sold. Not only Narnians, but everybody from the neighborhood was welcomed to show their talents. The festival was getting bigger with every year and from merely hundred participants from the first time, it grew to several thousands. Another Queen Susan's idea was the Royal Balls, organized at the beginning and at the end of the tournament, to honor all the guests.

The villagers and fauns were constantly working on the supplies of bows and arrows, the centaurs were famous from their swords, spears and knives. Thanks to this, Narnia had a truly great amount of weapons, although, for fifteen years now, they were using it only for sports.

"I have an idea", Lucy said to Prince Corin as they finished sorting the new delivery of bows, brought to Cair Paravel. "I don't want the archers to train only for the individual target shooting in the tournament. I want to create a new category. A group, the most effective coordinated shooting."

"Like in a real battle?" Corin immediately got interested.

"Something like that," Lucy admitted.

"Great! Will you teach me how to lead an army?"

"An army?" She laughed, but then her amusement got replaced by a disturbing feeling that Narnia really didn't have a proper army anymore. The vast forests and mountains on the South led to a huge desert, separating Narnia from Calormen. They said the desert was deadly to anyone trying to trespass it and therefore the empire's delegations were coming around, over the sea. So they didn't even think about guarding those forests, although the villages were full of gossips about disappearing horses and children being kidnapped by calormenian slave traders. Lucy heard about the slavery still present in the empire and on the Eastern Islands, but "Narnia cannot fix the entire world.", Peter used to tell her.

"First I need to learn it myself," she replied to Corin.

Then the young prince asked a question that made Lucy's heart beat faster.

"My father said he once saw the White Witch passing the mountains. I am so curious how she looked like! He said it was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. How do you think? Was she really so beautiful? You must have seen her too?"

"She is... I mean, she was beautiful," Lucy corrected herself quickly, hoping her voice didn't shake. "But you better not mention her around here," she added. "For Narnia it is still... complicated." As she said it, sadness overwhelmed her and Corin intuitively stopped smiling. "Come on, dinner is waiting!" Lucy broke the subject and rushed the horse back towards the castle. Corin was an intelligent boy and he never repeated that question again.

"You need to work more on the strategy," said Edmund the next day as she shared her idea about the group archery training. Unfortunately, he didn't have much time for her, since Peter asked him for help in dealing with the giants. Again. The guards were sending more and more alarming letters. The villages however remained untouched. Peter repeated it was due to the effective protection, but the centaur, who was the usual messenger mentioned some strange happenings in the mountain woods.

"One of my men swear they saw bears on top of the hills. The bears were throwing rocks at a giant, forcing him to retreat. People in the Eastern Village also said every time before the earth shook, the trees seemed restless. They even claimed some of them moved. They now believe that the forest and the bears protect them and they think it is thanks to queen Lucy, who went to the mountains after the first attack and must have asked them for help."

As Lucy heard that, she used her entire self-control to not show how thrilling were this news for her. That evening she was particularly stubborn in her attempts to create the portal, but to her disappointment, the mirror got only a little bit colder.

But nevertheless, something was up in the mountains. People felt the earth shaking and that wasn't a natural earthquake. They said it was more like the sound of giants marching in groups. Or training. Peter was worried. Edmund was worried. And Susan was frustrated because the organization of the tourney was therefore mostly on her shoulders. So she demanded Lucy's and Corin's help, to the despair of the last one. He dreamt about going on a quest with Peter and seeing a real giant.

"I need to talk to her." Lucy repeated to herself, sitting before the mirror and concentrating. Slowly, something like a plan, or more like a dream emerged in her mind, growing with more details every day. Lucy imagined, how she would thank Jadis for sending the help to the Ettinsmoor border and how she would talk her around and everybody would finally know, who protected Narnia and who, from the biggest enemy, now turned into the greatest friend. And then Susan could also be invited to the Sanctuary. And eventually even her brothers and Mr. Tumnus would forgive her and everybody would be friends and...

"Lucy, Lucy! Are you there?"

It was Corin's voice. She refrained a sigh. The mirror was as transparent and reflecting her own face, as always.

"The ships are coming!"

The ships! Of course! She almost forgot about them. Normally it not necessarily had to be the queen or king to welcome a new vessel in port, but these two were made especially for them - a gift from the Barons of the Seven Islands for Narnian rulers. Many of the islanders were also not so fond of the Winter before. It was said, those ships were the fastest and safest ever made and even the calormenian fleet couldn't compare. Lucy and Susan had to welcome them and, according to the old customs, give them names.

"Finally! Where have you been?" Susan welcomed her impatiently between the bows and smiles at the all "Long Live Queen Susan!" "Long Live Queen Lucy!" cheers.

The two beautiful ships were indeed slowly approaching the dock. The welcoming line of boats lit with torches and candles created a shining line on the water, there was music and dancing on the pier and it all looked like a little festival already. It seemed like Narnians were taking the full advantage of every occasion for celebration. They had a great need to make up for all the years when public parties were forbidden and slowly the phrase "Free Narnia!" started to apply to everything, including (or especially) drinking huge amounts of wine.

That night in haven was indeed magical. The two vessels finally docked. They were decorated with flowers, looked as shiny and new as if they hadn't just sailed their first miles. The sailors with their captains on the front stood in line before the queens. Susan, as the older one, approached the first one.

"I name this ship Splendor Hyaline. May Aslan bless her."

Lucy had a few ideas about the name before, but now the only thought she had in her mind was how beautifully the light of the candles and torches reflected in the water and how much brighter would be now the moon and the stars reflecting in the ice field in the Sanctuary. She took a deep breath.

"I name this ship Splendor Starlight..." she said slowly and clearly to everybody's delight.

After the ceremony they sat at the long table, among all the noble guests. Enthusiastic and excited Corin took place between the two captains and seemed to be the happiest boy in the world, asking them hundreds of questions.

"Finally we have some peace" commented Lucy. She didn't mind the boy's company, in the evenings however she would rather be left alone.

"He is very fond of you", agreed Susan and giggled. "It's a shame he is not a few years older."

"Susan!" Lucy protested, slightly irritated. Sometimes she thought the possible love affairs were everything her sister was thinking about. To change the topic, she also giggled and asked. "Speaking of love, how is your favorite poet?"

It was a good idea. Susan laughed and quoted her the two of her next letters, in which she was compared to the night sky and a black, wild horse the prince Rabadash wished to ride on. The last one made Lucy almost choke over her cake. But under the amusement and making fun of Rabadash's bad writing Lucy noticed Susan did enjoy his attention after all. It must have flattered her to be so desired and cherished. Those feelings were unknown to Lucy. She dreamt about friendship and having everyone she cared about, beside her. She stared at the ocean and her thoughts wondered to the icy silhouette constantly present in her dreams. "I was in her mind. I knew, I know how she felt. Is she my friend? Did the spell make us friends?"

"What's the matter, little sis?"

Occupied Lucy didn't notice Susan watching her for some time already.

"Nothing." She sat more straight and smiled.

Susan gazed at her inquisitively. "I know this expression. You are thinking of someone. You are!" She shouted triumphantly, watching how Lucy's cheeks reddened and how she nervously grabbed the glass of wine and took a big sip. Susan was very intuitive when it came to the emotions of others. Especially her family. She was also the first one to notice the subtle changes in Lucy's behavior. The change of hair style, the white, silver or lightly blue dresses on the parties, the shining eyes and somewhat different smile. There was something going on in her "little sister's" life and she was dying to find out, what.

"Come on. You can tell me." She nagged.

"I don't know what you mean. I was just thinking about all the friends I have, that's all." She said it with such a certainty that Susan nodded.

"But if a friend makes you nonstop thinking about him, so much that you can't really focus on anything else, no matter what you do, if your mind is always occupied with this one person, is it just a friendship? "

"Is Rabadash occupying you in this way? Lucy asked, sensing her sister equally well.

"I don't know... yet. I guess I will when I see him on the tournament." Susan also drank more wine and this time it was Lucy who noticed quite clearly, how her older sister blushed.

"I need to see her." After that supper Lucy was thinking of what Susan said. The more she wondered, the more she realized she indeed was thinking about Jadis constantly. She missed her more than she was willing to admit. That night the mirror opened.