A/n:
Many thanks to elomeno, EC, Artemis-hunt-goddess, Emma, Emily, GoldenAgeNarnian, PeterCaspianRlz, QueenElenaofnarnia, CairParavel, Narniafan, QueenLucyfan, Connors, Aslanmane, Hermanote, and the other guests for being here for us! ;D
Since Caspian and the Pevensies (lol that sounds a lot like the name of a band) are, after all, rulers, HQP and I have decided to show a more kingly/queenly side of them through a discussion at dinnertime. Check it out. ;D
(Telmarine Castle, Narnia)
~Chronicler's POV~
The King and Queen of Archenland had gone back to Anvard after the celebrations for the New Year, still in belief that their daughter would soon find herself in a happy and fulfilling marriage with the Telmarine King. Little did they know how wrong they were.
For the five rulers of Narnia and the Archenlander Princess, it was during dinner when they came up with a few new domestic policies to introduce.
"I was speaking with Lord Castleroy the other day, you know, since he's in charge of the taxes, and he discovered something that requires our attention," King Peter began.
"What is it?" Queen Susan inquired.
"I found out that everybody pays the same amount of tax, no matter if their rich or poor or even unemployed," Peter said, shaking his head. "It was what Miraz had considered 'fair', but I should think it's hardly."
"That's not alright at all," King Edmund frowned. "It's not fair to any of them."
"How do we fix this?" Queen Lucy chimed in.
"Well I've drawn up a new tax policy, so that it's progressive. It'll be expressed as a percentage of each individual's income. It's in my office right now but I'll show it to you all, and to the council, tomorrow morning," Peter explained. "I believe it aligns well with our other strategies to ameliorate negative effects on the economy."
"That's good. It means the rich will pay more and the poor will pay less. But what about the unemployed?" King Caspian enquired.
"I think I have an idea," Princess Gilda piped up. "I think there's something we can do to lower the unemployment rate."
"Go on," Peter nodded as they all listened intently.
"Well I'm guessing out of the unemployed population, a high percentage is women?" Gilda began.
"Correct," Susan nodded. "But why?"
"Well, previously it was fine for women to not work because their husbands, or the men in their households, could provide for them. But after the war, this isn't the case anymore. So many men died on the battlefield, and now it's up to the women, the widows, to earn their own income. We need to find a way for them to make a living," Gilda said analytically.
"But how do you propose we do that?" Lucy frowned.
"How about the textiles industry? I believe it would be easier for women to find work in factories until they find other jobs," Gilda suggested.
"That could work. I'm sure the factories could use better capacity utilization anyway," Caspian replied.
Edmund said nothing. He only beamed at Gilda. He was quite proud of her? His smile said it all. She smiled too, in return.
"I figured I might as well start contributing to Narnia. Since I'm going to be Queen consort," Gilda explained.
"I think you're doing a great job," Peter said in approval.
"Better than the Queen I once was when I was your age," Susan giggled.
"Thank you. Your support and encouragement means a lot to me," Gilda said to everyone, but chuckling specifically at Edmund.
"Then we'll be sure to keep doing that," Edmund reciprocated with a smile.
"Another matter has also come to my attention," said Susan.
"What is it?" Caspian inquired.
"I find that there are seriously too few libraries in Narnia. There's a really grand one here in the Telmarine Castle, but not many people have access to it. In the towns there's only a handful that our common people can go to. There's one in Kinross, one in Selby – but I didn't know of the existence of the one in Newport until Tyrone told me – and maybe a couple more scattered across the suburbs in Millville, but that's it. That's really not enough," Susan explained. "I want to do something to increase the literacy rate in Narnia."
"You know what? Blame my uncle for that. He burned them all down because he thought it would be better if the public were uneducated, so it was really suppressing intellectual discourse to unify thought and political opinion to get more people on his side," Caspian said with a scornful tone.
"That's detestable," Gilda pursed her lips in displeasure.
"Each district needs one library at least," Lucy stated.
Susan nodded. "Indeed. I'm going to flesh out a proposal for the council."
"Good idea," Peter said in agreement.
"In addition to that, I know the richer people could afford private tutors and governesses, but there aren't enough public schools in the villages as well," Edmund pointed out.
"You're right. So, why don't we just have a public school next to each library that we build? It's more convenient; both tutors and pupils could have easier access to resources," Peter added.
"Precisely. And the libraries don't need to be very large. That way, we can keep costs low, but still we're doing something substantial for the villagers," Caspian nodded.
"So, if everybody agrees, I'm going to write up a proposal as well," Edmund concluded.
"Yes, that's good," said Lucy happily. "Now I believe it's my turn to present to you this thing that I've been thinking about. I want to teach the children how to draw."
"Elaborate," Edmund said interestedly.
"I feel like it'll be really fun, and it's a nice…well, extra-curricular activity for them as well, don't you think?" Lucy added. "I'm also doing it for free."
"I do agree. So it's like Susan's archery classes, right?" Edmund enquired.
"Exactly," Lucy nodded.
"Good. My archery students are usually teens, but you could teach the younger kids, Lu. We could just take a carriage to the villages together," Susan suggested.
"That sounds fabulous," Lucy giggled.
"Oh, that gives me an idea," Caspian piped up. "I'm planning to implement first aid course training. This can be jointly organized by the nurses in the infirmary too. It's easy to contact the hospital wing staff."
"And who's your target segment in the population?" Gilda queried.
"Anyone who wants to learn would be welcome," Caspian answered.
"That would be a useful skill. It should really be funded," Peter said.
"Yes indeed. Will it be a little bit like the ladies in training program as well?" Susan inquired. "Because I'm aware that all the trainees do have to learn first-aid."
"Well, a little, but I just think that we should let the nurses go to the towns instead of arranging for whoever is interested to come to the Telmarine Castle," Caspian replied.
"That could work. Caspian, do you have anybody specifically in mind who could, well, coordinate the course?" Edmund enquired.
"Yes, I do. You'd be happy to hear that it's Katrina. She's a wonderful nurse," Caspian answered nonchalantly, while Gilda bit back a sigh in disapproval.
"And how, may I ask, did you come to know that she's a good healer?" Edmund queried, frowning.
"You'll find out in due course," Caspian answered mysteriously, taking a sip from his goblet.
"I quite like Katrina. She's an agreeable girl," Lucy added. She'd been thinking about appointing Katrina as her lady in waiting, but of course she was going to wait till the end of the year to make a decision. There was plenty of time for her mind to be changed.
"Me too," Susan beamed.
"It seems everybody likes her," Gilda said critically.
"Some even like her more than others do," Edmund said, using an admonitory tone and staring at Caspian a bit accusatorily.
"Well it's good that she's likable, right?" Lucy queried hesitantly.
"It is, but in some particular cases, it is not wise to like her more than platonically," Peter said, and Caspian, who looked uneasy at this point, surely picked up on the underlying message.
A few days later, the council had confirmed a pass in the aforementioned policies Their Majesties proposed. Queen Susan was very delighted. She was going to prepare the necessary documents for her siblings and Caspian to sign as a confirmation, but before that she needed to make sure the official papers regarding the funds and capital required for the new libraries to be built were readied. To obtain budgetary figures, she knew just the right person to go to. And she would have gone to said person whether or not she had a purpose or reason, simply because she wanted to see him and be around him all the time.
Baron Tyrone was in his new office with his two assistants, busily finalizing the figures for the budgets of a few new projects, when the guard at his door announced, "Her Majesty, Queen Susan!"
Tyrone snapped up from his work upon hearing Susan's name. A smile grew on his face. He got up from his chair and rushed to the door to kiss Susan. His two assistants quietly finished their work and exited the office.
"I've quite missed you, Susan," Tyrone said, beaming.
"But you've seen me just this morning," Susan laughed.
"But it was at council. Not just the two of us. It's different," he chuckled.
"Is it?" She giggled.
"It is," he nodded.
"How different?" She teased.
"Well it makes all the difference in the world, frankly. Because when we're in council, we can't interact with each other like a couple, but here, we're alone and we can do this," he finished his answer with a soft kiss on her lips.
"Ah, I see the difference now," she joked. "Need any help with your work?"
"No, my assistants are working so very efficiently. So whatever budget you need, it's all here," he said, pointing at the documents neatly placed on his desk, instead of scattered and sprawled all over.
"I always appreciate tidiness in a man's office," she said teasingly.
"Then I'm glad I'm doing a good job," he chuckled. "For it pleases me to see you smile as well."
"Thank you! Now I have all I need, and I think my siblings and Caspian will be either pleased or shamed or impressed to see how efficiently and diligently you, I mean we, work, compared to them," she laughed.
"So you're the most efficient worker out of them all?" He inquired.
"Well, yes. I mean, at least that's what I'd like to believe," she giggled.
"Ah, so though they call you Queen Susan the Gentle, you're actually Queen Susan the Efficient?" he enquired jokingly.
"Well, let's just say that I am a woman of many talents," she replied playfully. "After all, I'm allowed to be both Gentle and Efficient, right? And a lot more."
"I love you for that, and so much more," he said as he affectionately nuzzled his nose lightly against hers.
She beamed. "So, how are you liking your new office?"
"It's quite capacious. I like having this bookshelf here," he remarked.
"And I believe it's an exceptionally good thing that we share a love for reading. We read to know we are not alone," she commented.
"But tell me, why do you love reading so much?" He inquired.
"Well, when I read a book, I put in all the imagination I can, so that it's almost like writing the book, as well as reading it. Or rather, it's like living it. It makes reading so much more exciting, but I don't suppose many people try to do it," she answered earnestly.
"Well I do try to do it," he replied sincerely.
"You do?" She enquired.
"Yes," he nodded. "Otherwise, what is the thrill of it?"
"You're right," she beamed, nodding.
"But then, life is too short to read books that I'm not enjoying," he added.
"I feel like reading suits me on so many levels. You know, I've kind of lived two lives ever since my age was reverted 15 years the first time I left Narnia – hopefully the last time as well. I believe that for me, when I read, there is no limit to the number of lives that I can live, for fiction, biography, and history can offer an inexhaustible number of lives, in all periods of time, in many parts of the world, or in more than one world," she explained.
"And that is why you like best to have one book in my hand, and a stack of others somewhere near you?" He asked.
"Yes, indeed; that's correct," she nodded. "You've grown very observant, haven't you?"
"I can't but pay attention to you. You always catch my eye and capture my full and undivided attention. I don't know how you do that," he chuckled.
"Do you want me to tell you how I do that?" She teased.
"Well, yes," he answered. "But I know you'd never reveal your secrets. You'd keep me wanting more, and you know exactly how to accomplish that, don't you?"
"Yes, of course," she said airily, kissing him softly. "Less is more. And that's just how I am."
"It's exactly what I love about you. You're never afraid to be yourself, and you don't try to be someone you're not," he praised her, holding her hand. "Now tell me more about your views with regards to reading. I love hearing your voice, and I love listening to whatever you have to say."
"I'm very delighted to have you as my listener," she smiled.
"Like I said, you'll always have me," he beamed.
"To me, what reading does, ultimately, is keep alive the dangerous and exhilarating idea that a life is not a sequence of lived moments, but a destiny...the time of reading, the time defined by the author's language resonating in the self, is not the world's time, but the soul's. This is something I've come to understand over the years. Isn't that brilliant?" She said philosophically.
"It is," he smiled heartily.
"Now it's your turn to tell me your deeper inner thoughts," she nudged him gently.
"Are you ready for some really profound answer? Because I haven't found the right person to share this with yet and I want you to be my one and only," he replied.
"I would very much like to be your one and only in more ways than one," she beamed endearingly. "Tell me."
And so he did, but afterward, he remarked, "But please tell me I'm not…weird for thinking that way, for saying things that are too philosophical or even boring. It's just the way my thoughts are wired and sometimes they're just stars that I cannot fathom into constellations," he said, lifting his glasses.
"You're not weird for thinking that way. I appreciate that you're willing to tell me your thoughts though," she said, holding his hand.
"But tell me, Susan, when it comes to endings of love stories, would you like them happy or would you like them sad?" He queried playfully.
"Love stories?" She answered mysteriously, taking a few steps forward to stroke the mahogany material of the bookshelf. "True love stories don't have an end."
"Like ours?" He asked, scooting closer to her.
"Like ours," she nodded, smiling sweetly at him. "Now kiss me."
He most certainly did not need to be told twice.
A/n:
Aw, those two. Can't help but love 'em, eh? ;D
The next chapter is gonna be good too! First kiss for one of the couples! This is making us authors really elated too. Can't wait! ;D