A Dream of A King

by Nevelyna

When Aria Heart falls into a snow-covered forest, she knows that she must be dreaming. Navigating life in a kingdom that only has four thrones, and where she seems to have little use - Aria is tasked with discovering her purpose on her own. Along the way, she discovers talents she never thought she had, quickly finds a family, and slowly discovers feelings she's never felt before.

23. A Search for Secret Passageways

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Search for Secret Passageways

Peter shifted against his chosen column, free hand tugging at his sling in a vain effort to make himself more comfortable. Had he not been given a stern ultimatum earlier that morning by a rather foreboding Centaur that he, too, might be forced to stay behind from the campaign, he would never have agreed to wear the cursed thing.

Hearing a barely contained snigger next to him, he shot his younger brother a glare that could have boiled the tea he was currently drinking, and released the sling. Drinking deeply from his own cup, he chose to ignore Edmund and instead watched Madame Luvris making her way through the small crowd that milled about the entrance hall. The Narnians who would be accompanying the progress were saying goodbye to friends and loved ones, and the kitchen mistress had taken it upon herself to make sure that those who still had sleep in their eyes had sufficient caffeine to get them ready for the long day ahead.

For those that didn't need such help, there had been apple cider on offer, which his youngest sister had been very excited about, but had not paused long enough to drink.

"-and then, Winda showed us where one of the nests are hidden, and there were eggs in it!" She gushed, her current topic the exploration that she and Susan had done after dinner. "She said that they weren't there the day before, so we'll still have to wait for them for later in the spring. She also said that there might be more, too, but that none of the others have confided in her yet."

Edmund frowned. "Why would swans tell her if they had laid eggs or not?"

"Because she's a Nyad." Lucy said, her tone telling her brothers that such an explanation should have been all they needed. When Edmund's frown didn't stir, however, she shook her head at him with an exasperated smile. "She's the guardian of the swan's lake. She was born in it."

When she was satisfied that her brother now understood the importance of Winda's connection to the situation, she continued with the details of the tour. As she did, Peter spotted Mr. Tumnus making his way towards the trio, dodging an over-excited young Panther deftly. The Faun had personally delivered a delicious piece of cake the night before, mentioning that he was on his way to do the same for Aria. And since he hadn't seen any sign of his fellow invalid this morning, he was eager for word on how she might be doing.

When the Faun did finally reach them, smiling warmly at Lucy's rampant excitement, Peter greeted him with a continued thanks for the treat. "It was just what I need to remove the taste of that horrible tonic." He shuddered in remembrance. "I'll have to thank Madame Luvris for thinking of me, too. If she ever stops working for a moment and allows me." He smiled at the harried dwarf, who was just passing by them again to offer a beverage to Tumnus.

He only received a sharp harrumph in response, however, as she shifted the weight of the tray. "Thank the Lady Aria." She protested as Tumnus chose a cup of cider. "She's the one what made sure you weren't forgotten."

Before Peter could enquire further, there came the musical sound to laughter from the top of the grand staircase, floating above the murmur of the crowd around him. Looking up, he found the subject of their conversation arm in arm with the elder of his sisters, both giggling over something no one else was privy to.

When the two noticed that they now had the attention of the hall, Aria's blush was deep and instantaneous. Susan, however, smiled brightly and leaned in to whisper conspiratorially into her ear. Aria's blush made no sign of dissipating, but she straightened her shoulders, grinned at her cohort, and began pulling her new friend down the steps. As they descended, the crowd quickly lost interest in favor of their farewells. Their pace was slow, both taking care of Aria's ankle, though her limp was far less noticeable this morning than it had been yesterday.

Transferring his cup to his injured hand, Peter began to take a step towards the pair, fully intent on commandeering Aria's arm from his sister. But Edmund, eager to escape Lucy's continuous monologue, was far quicker, bounding up the stairs to the girls and placing his hand under Aria's book-bearing elbow. Her injured elbow. Her injured elbow that was decidedly not wrapped in a sling.

Peter frowned and straightened his own sling once more. As the trio approached, he opted to bury his frown in his mug with a muttered, "That's not fair."

This was met with another bell note of laughter that his frown could not withstand, melting into a smile as he finished off the rest of his tea. "Poor Peter." Aria smiled, extracting herself gently from her two escorts and joining Peter as he leaned against the wall, the soft fabric of her skirts swishing against his sword. "I would feel sorrier for you, but turnabout is fair play."

Peter chuckled, handing off his empty cup to a disappearing Madame Luvris. "Unfortunately, that's true. Tell me, did you have permission for this freedom, or did you manage to sneak off without it?"

Aria sighed, setting her features into a playful scowl. "Permission." She admitted. "You will be happy to know that Pristine isn't the type to allow me to get away with much of anything - yet."

Entertained by the sudden thought of just how interesting this duo was bound to become, Peter's smile widened. "Well, then, I suppose I won't have to worry about you getting into too much trouble until she becomes a co-conspirator. But do, please, let me know when that happens. Contingency plans might be necessary." This was rewarded with another laugh, which he was happy to join in before asking, "So, is Pristine the one you talked into giving you permission?"

"Oh, no." She explained, shaking her head. "She nearly had a fit. Brettaine, one of Fircil's apprentices, suggested that I didn't have to wear it for the morning." She then leaned into his uninjured shoulder, her voice dropping so the others might not hear. "And, if I can avoid her, and make sure that Susan is too busy to remember what time it is today, I can probably get away with it well into the afternoon, too."

Peter shook his head at her planned rebellion. "Be careful with that." He cautioned. "I learned yesterday that the payback for that defiance is a tea that turns your mouth inside out."

Aria shuddered. "Ooh." She grimaced. "Please don't remind me. I might just reconsider my plan if it means never having to drink that tonic again."

Before he could reply, the large front doors were opened, allowing even more light into the hall. A moment later, Oreius stepped into the room, his sharp eyes searching through the crowd. When he found Peter, he bowed his head to signal that all the preparations for their journey had been completed, and that it was time to go. Nodding back to his general, and straightening himself away from the wall, Peter cleared his throat, finding it suddenly rather tight as the crowd that he had merely been a part of a moment ago became the crowd that he faced.

"Narnians," He began, then halted when a new hush fell over the room, this time with all eyes turned upon him. Clearing his throat again, he felt a gentle hand at his elbow offering support. Suddenly picturing the earlier blush on its owner's face, he smiled and straightened to his full height.

"Narnians," He began again. "Those of you who journey with us to continue to heal the wounds of this country, the time has come to begin our progress." He swallowed, adjusting his arm within his sling so that he could take up Aria's hand, settling it into the crook of his arm. "For those who have chosen to stay behind, know that your support goes with us, and that your efforts here are no less important to Narnia's renewal."

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught his younger brother nearly bouncing on his heels with excitement, his shining eyes letting Peter know, in no uncertain terms, that he was quite ready to get on with their new adventure. Chuckling, Peter continued to address those gathered. "Now, before my brother can no longer contain himself and leaves us all behind, I suggest it's time to say our final farewells and begin our journey."

No sooner had he finished, than Edmund did, indeed, rush towards the doors to the courtyard, Lucy quick on his heels. The rest of the gathered Narnians were slower to follow, some escorting their friends out of the main doors with them, and others preferring to say their goodbyes indoors. Shaking her head at their over-excitement, Susan followed their younger siblings at a much slower pace, accompanied by the ever-indulgent Mr. Tumnus.

Satisfied, Peter turned back to Aria, whose features now bore a complicated expression. "Did you mean that?" She asked, her smile a bit concerned. "About people staying behind? Or were you trying to make everyone feel better?"

"Of course, I meant it." Peter assured her, squeezing her fingers with his elbow. "Just because you can't go, doesn't mean that you aren't with us."

His assurance must have worked, because her smile grew surer. "That's very poetic, Peter." She said.

He nodded, grinning. "It's been known to happen on occasion." He gently began to lead her through the hall as well, offering his support, although she truly seemed not to need it this morning. "Now," He continued. "I believe we were talking about cake?"

Aria's brow furrowed. "Cake?" She asked. "I think we were talking about medicinal tea that could very well be used as a torture device. How did you arrive at cake?"

"So, you did have to suffer through the same tonic that I did." He commiserated. "I thought I would never be able to taste anything properly again. Luckily, someone had been thoughtful enough to send dessert up to my rooms. A piece of cake that was both extremely delicious, and saved me from entirely losing my sense of taste." He smiled down at her as they passed through the doors and into the morning sunlight. "I understand that I have you to thank for that?"

Aria shrugged and ducked her head. "I was lucky that we happened to pass Madame Luvris as we left. I couldn't let some silly little injuries get between us and the first dessert we've had in... in who knows how long."

Peter paused, arresting their walk before heading down the short flight of steps into the courtyard grounds. He watched to make sure that he had her attention before continuing. "I wanted to thank you for thinking of me." He said. "I appreciate it."

Aria's smiled grew softer. "Of course, I thought of you." She confirmed, her fingers squeezing his, and only now did he realize that he was still holding her hand at his elbow, her fingers warm within his. "You're welcome."

Suddenly, every sense he had was being overwhelmed by roses - though not at all unpleasantly - and again, Peter felt the urge to clear his tightening throat. Trying to dislodge the sensation without giving away any hint of discomfort, he swallowed and continued guiding them down the stairs. "So," He started again. "Did your dessert work the same wonder for you?"

"It might have, had I remembered to eat it." She admitted. "Which stays between you and me. Madame Luvris is never to know that I didn't enjoy every bite of that cake."

Peter laughed. "I promise, she'll never hear about it from me." He assured her. "Tell me, though, what could have been so distracting that you could possibly forget about sugar?"

His answer came upon a wistful sigh. "A book."

"That book?" Peter indicated the tome still nestled carefully in the crook of her injured arm. At her nod, he continued to ask her what it was about, still amazed that any book could keep someone from remembering a very decadent slice of cake at their fingertips.

"It's a history on the creation of Narnia, and the development of all of our neighboring countries." She explained. "It's absolutely fascinating."

"It sounds incredibly helpful." Peter agreed, though he was still loathe to find it more important than dessert. "It would be useful to know a bit about the history of other countries before we have to start any sort of negotiations and such. Would you mind if I borrowed your book when you're finished with it?"

Now it was Aria's turn to pause, her brow furrowing in thought, and pulled Peter to a stop with her. As she had stopped on the last stair, and he was already on solid ground, he was able to look straight into her hazel eyes. "This journey you're all taking," She asked. "It's supposed to be all across the country, right?"

Peter nodded. "Yes," He said. "I believe so. Why?"

Gently, she removed her arm from his, leaving his hand rather unpleasantly empty. Instead, she flipped open the leather cover of her book to reveal a detailed map of Narnia and its surrounding countries. Carefully tracing the tip of her fingers along the southern border below Cair Paravel, she continued her train of thought. "So, you'll be travelling very close to Archenland, Calormen, and Telmar, yes?"

Peter nodded, eyes following her elegant finger. "Possibly." He agreed. "Although, we'll be heading North first, then around the other way to get back here." He traced a short version of their projected path for her instead, their fingers meeting at the fork of the Archen river. "But I don't believe we'll actually be crossing the border during this trip."

"That you know of." Aria pointed out, her fingers leaving the page and instead moving to capture her rose pendant.

Again, Peter nodded, removing his hand from the page as well. "That we know of, yes." He then continued to assure her, "I don't think that there will be any cause for concern while we're there, Aria. Please don't worry yourself."

After a long moment of doing just that, worrying the enameled rose between her fingertips, Aria nodded and closed the book with a gentle snap. "Why don't you take this with you, then?" She asked, offering the book to him. "You never know what you may run into, and it might help to be prepared for anything."

Shaking his head, Peter pressed the book firmly back into her hand. "But you're not finished with it, yet." He argued. "I don't want to deprive you of it until you're done."

Aria smiled at him, shaking her own head in an imitation of him. "Peter," She pointed out. "I have my own library. I won't be deprived of reading material, I assure you. Please take it with you."

Reluctantly, he allowed her to pass the leather tome back to him. Sliding her ribbon bookmark between the fingers of his injured hand, he agreed. "I won't lose your place, I promise."

Her answering smile bordered on triumphant. "Excellent." She said. "My only condition is that you are not allowed to talk to me about anything after my bookmark. I would like it to remain a surprise, please."

"Of course." He pledged, and smiled back at her. "But I can discuss anything before the ribbon with you, right?"

Aria nodded readily. "I would like that." She said. "And I hope that you won't really have need of it, but just in case-"

"Thank you." Peter offered before she could continue her train of thought and worry over him further. It was suddenly very important to him that Aria Heart shouldn't have to worry. About anything. Ever. Smiling, he tucked the book into his sling and offered her his arm once more.

When they reached the horses, he was surprised to find that Edmund's feet were still on the ground.

"I half expected you to be halfway around the country by now, Ed." He commented as Aria left his side in favor of joining his sisters as they said their goodbyes to Aslan. Lucy currently had her face buried in the Great Lion's mane, and Peter watched Aria's smile turn tender at the sight.

His brother sniffed. "Please," He started. "If I left you here, you'd get lost within an hour."

Peter scowled, arguing that he certainly would not, and knocked his good shoulder into his brother's. "Don't forget to say goodbye before we go." He ordered, nodding to the girls. "And be nice. At least one of them is putting on a brave face about not going, too."

Edmund grinned. "I'm going to guess that it's the tall one." He teased, indicating the girl in white who was, indeed, the tallest of the three.

"Taller than you, at any rate." Peter countered, clapping his good hand on Ed's shoulder and steering him to the girls.

His youngest sister, hearing their footsteps on the cobblestones as they approached, gave Aslan's mane another tug before stepping away and launching herself at Peter. With her arms securely about his waist, he bent to return her embrace. "Promise that you'll write to us every day." She begged. "I want to know everything!"

Her face was hidden, but he caught a small, muffled sniffle in Lucy's voice that confirmed the tallest of the three girls was not the only one attempting a brave face at their leaving. Peter smiled down at her, kneeling and squeezing her tightly. "I promise." He agreed. There was another sniffle before she started to let him go, turning her face up to look at him with a wavering smile. With his own crooked smile back at her, he continued. "Remember, I'm counting on you to keep our friend out of trouble. I doubt it will surprise you, but she's already planning a mutiny."

Lucy's smile grew even as a tear fell from the corner of her eye. "Don't worry." She promised, her voice growing stronger. "I can be very bossy if I have to."

"Oh, you'll have to." Peter confirmed, releasing her and wiping the tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Very sneaky, that one." Then, taking her hand in his, he got to his feet once more and handed her off to Edmund, who was just stepping back from Susan's encircling arms.

As he, too, embraced the elder of his sisters, he watched her expression turn serious, and readied himself for a lecture. "You'll be careful of each other, won't you?" She demanded as she hugged him close. "Just because you've won a few battles now, it doesn't mean that either of you need to go looking for trouble."

Edmund scoffed and grinned as he ruffled Lucy's hair, setting the bundle of cornflowers at her ear askew. "I don't know if you've noticed, Su, but I think trouble has a way of finding us." He pointed out, Lucy pushing his hand away with a grimace.

Still, Susan set stern eyes on Peter as she released him "No heroics." She ordered. "Lucy won't be there if-"

"Susan." Peter stopped her with a smile, placing his good hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. "We'll be fine, I promise."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You'll be careful." She reiterated, forcing her brother to agree. Only when he repeated the promise back to her did she let him go, her expression stretching back into a smile that was slightly more triumphant than he cared for.

"You'd better not let her boss you around like that while we're gone." Edmund turned his attention to Aria, who was watching the exchanges with an amused expression. "Someone has to rebel while I'm away, or else she'll be insufferable and think she's going to get her way all the time."

Aria grinned at the younger boy. "I'll do my best to live up to your example." She promised, though her tone was inscrutable enough that Peter couldn't tell the agreement was sarcastic or playfully serious.

Grinning, and obviously not caring either way, Ed wrapped one arm around her shoulders in a quick hug of camaraderie. Before releasing her, he tugged her braid over her shoulder, causing the long white ribbon holding the end to dislodge and slide to the ground at her feet. Without notice, he bounded away towards Phillip, eager for less farewells and more adventures.

"Speaking of insufferable." Peter muttered, not bothering to hold in his sigh at his little brother's reckless spirit. Before Aria could bend to retrieve the fallen ribbon, he stepped towards her, kneeling to pluck the soft slip of silk from the stones of the courtyard. He offered it to the girl as he rose, smiling an apology for Edmund's clumsiness.

Aria accepted the ribbon with a gentle smile of her own, the soft skin of her fingers brushing his briefly before sliding the silk from his grasp, tails slipping across his hand like melted snow. Entangling it within her own fingers, her expression once again became conspiratorial. "I do believe that you're going to have your hands full."

"So, it would seem." Peter agreed, her smile infecting his own. "Wish me luck?"

Aria's face softened, her head tilting slightly to the side as she made sure to meet his eyes. The green hidden within the brown of her eyes caught the morning light within the courtyard, sparkling and ensuring his captive attention. "Good luck, Peter." She smiled, her tone clearly conveying her wishes and worries for the expedition.

Again, feeling the need to prevent the latter, Peter wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, pulling her into an embrace that he hoped would reassure her against her worries and disappointment at being excluded. As she returned the hug, her chin tucking gently against his injured shoulder and arms folding around his back, his senses once more pleasantly filled with roses and morning tea.

"Come on, Pete!" Came Edmund's cry from behind them. "We'll never get anywhere if we never finish saying goodbye!"

Sighing heavily through his nose once more, Peter felt Aria's figure shiver with laughter. Her arms tightened around him for a moment before she let him go. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." She warned.

Peter, drawing back and smiling down at her, teased, "So, feel free to be as reckless as possible?"

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she playfully grimaced up at him, narrowing her eyes in a short glare. Then, taking a breath and pressing her lips together in a concerned half-smile, she reached up to brush the hair out of his eyes, her fingers warm and soft against his forehead. "Only if absolutely necessary." She conceded, her expression telling him that it had better not be, as her hand dropped back to her side.

Nodding his promise with another smile, Peter released Aria and turned back towards their horses. As she stepped away to again join his sisters a safe distance from any wayward hooves, he quickly stuffed Aria's book in his nearest saddlebag and adjusted his sling. Mounting the Unicorn was a bit more difficult without the use of one hand, but he managed it - hopefully without looking too foolish.

Once safely astride, he faced his impatient brother. "Well?" He asked with a shake of his head. "What are you waiting for?" And with a sudden grin, he kicked his agile mount into action, bypassing Edmund out of the courtyard with a rush of air.

Hearing a yelp of dismay from the brother who was now behind him, there was the clatter of hooves as Edmund turned Phillip to follow. Before another moment had passed, whoops of excitement followed as many of the Centaurs joined in on the chase, fleeing the courtyard to follow the kings without a backward glance.

A warm, amused chuckle rumbled from the Great Lion next to her. "I believe you are quite correct, little Rose." Aslan spoke to her. "'Hands full' indeed."

Aria smiled at him. "Well," She said, watching with a slight spark of envy as Susan and Lucy ran across the courtyard after the stampede, stopping at the railing just on the other side of the drawbridge to wave lingering goodbyes. "At least you can count on not being bored."

Aslan hummed deep in his throat. "A new home to explore, and new friends to find comfort in. Most would find enough excitement in such things." He viewed. "What still concerns you, Aria?"

"I don't-" She stopped, thinking carefully about what she wished to say. "I'm not - comfortable - with the thought of being - unhelpful?" It wasn't exactly the right word, but she worried that useless might have sounded too harsh.

"And you believe that staying behind at Cair Paravel is less important than our expedition?" The Lion asked, his query calm and gentle.

She shook her head. "Isn't it?" She countered. "Who knows what you'll all be facing out there? There could be more fighting - more, well, I don't really know what else there might be..." She sighed. "Peter said that everyone staying here was just as important to helping the country rebuild, but I - I just don't know how to believe that he's right."

Aslan hummed again, and Aria thought she could hear an intonation of pride in the sound. "What Peter said was true." He commended. "As its capital, and the new seat of power, everything that is done at Cair Paravel is now at the heart of Narnia."

Aria fought a losing battle against a sudden eyebrow raise and grimaced. "By searching for secret passages and sleeping in warm beds?" She argued.

The Great Lion chuckled once more, nodding deeply. "I believe that, very soon, you three will find that not all adventures are to be found away from home, or whilst wielding a sword. As for you, in particular, little storyteller, I believe there is a saying where you come from about pens and swords?"

Aria felt herself frowning. "That the pen is mightier?" She quoted. "Possibly, but I'm sure it's never quite as exciting."

"I believe that the saying is meant to show that it lasts longer." His great mane brushed against her arm, filling her with warmth as he smiled. "Promise to think on that in the days to come."

Aria slowly moved her hand up to tangle in the Lion's mane, finding it far softer than she had thought it would be. "I will." She promised, as he leaned into her hand. As his comfort calmed her uneasiness, she resolved to wait and see what the near future held and felt a smile return to her lips.

After a long moment, Aslan stepped away, nodding to the remaining members of the expedition caravan, those in charge of the heavily laden carts that had not leapt to action with the same gusto as the rest. "Enjoy your exploration, little Rose." Aslan asked of her as he preceded the Narnian's towards the drawbridge. "And take time to rest while you can. I promise that Cair Paravel will not be idle long."

When the last of the caravan had clattered over the drawbridge, Susan and Lucy made their way slowly back to Aria, who was just finishing retying the ribbon back to the end of her braid. The bow wasn't nearly as neat as Pristine has made it, but the girl was unconcerned as she tossed the braid back over her shoulder.

"So," Susan began, sliding her arm through Aria's uninjured one. "Now that the boys are out of our hair, what shall we do today?"

Lucy, who was already halfway up the steps to the castle doors, stopped and turned sharply, her eyes glowing. "Aren't we going to look for secret passages?" She asked, incredulous. Her expression was so utterly offended that Aria could not help her laughter. As she fought catch her breath, Susan wisely rephrased the question.

"Where should we start today's search?" She asked instead. "Just remember that you've already asked Madame Luvris about a picnic lunch, so we'll need to remember-"

"In the library, Susan!" Lucy interrupted, skipping back down the steps and pulling at her sister's free hand. "Where else would you look for secret passageways? They're always in the library!"

Susan frowned slightly. "I doubt that all twenty-three of them are in the library, Lu." She observed. "So, logically, we could start anywhere."

"Then logically we have to start in the library - that way we'll be sure to find at least one!" Lucy argued. "And Aslan said there were twenty-seven passages."

"No," Her elder sister corrected her. "Aslan said twenty-three, you said twenty-seven."

"Well, I'm sure one of us is right." Lucy smiled charmingly, her tongue between her teeth.

Susan gave a small huff before turning her attention from her sister to Aria, who had finally quieted her laughter and was watch the exchange with amused interest. "Aria, where do you think we should-" She stopped suddenly as the older girl's head tilted slightly to the side with a smile.

With a sigh, she capitulated. "What am I saying?" She asked herself, rolling her eyes towards the bright sky above in defeat. "Of course, you're going to want to go to the library."

Aria's smile grew into a grin to rival the youngest Pevensie's. "You know me so well." She agreed, squeezing Susan's arm with her own. "Besides, you know that you want to see the library as much as I do."

Susan's expression remained stubborn for a moment longer, before melting into a smile. "I'm not entirely sure that's possible." She pointed out. "However, you both make excellent points."

Unable to contain her excitement any longer, Lucy began to pull Susan up the stairs, only letting go at her sister's quick admonishment to be careful. Instead, she disappeared through the large doors before Aria and Susan has even finished ascending. Once inside, they found that she had managed to stop to wait for them at the bottom of the grand staircase, her hand already gripping the railing and bobbing up and down on her toes with impatience.

With her ankle no longer in as much pain as it had been the day before, Aria was able to turn her attentions to their new home. The hall was filled with delicate morning sunlight, the golden stained glass in each massive window painting the glistening white marble with a gentle hue. The golden vines that climbed the marble columns throughout the hall, as well as the balusters on the huge double staircase, glinted as if they were dancing in the light. And, while not quite as golden as it had been the afternoon before, the hall was still utterly magnificent as they stepped through it.

She allowed Susan to set their pace as they followed Lucy up the stairs, mercifully feeling only the same slight twinge up the side of her ankle as they climbed. "Where is the library, exactly?" She asked as they head towards the second stairwell and the end of the upper hall.

The little girl paused to allow them to catch up to her once more. "Don't worry, Aria." She grinned. "There's only one more flight of stairs to go. Mr. Tumnus showed me where it was yesterday. She took Aria's free hand in hers and pulled gently, still incredibly excited, but managing to stay mindful of Aria's all-too-recent injuries, as she had promised. "Although," She added, her eyes holding an amused challenge in her bright blue eyes. "There are so many books in there! I don't think you'll ever be able to read them all!"

Aria grinned and entwined her finger's with Lucy's. "That sounds like a challenge." As the little girl giggled.

Susan gave of an exasperated laugh. "One challenge at time, please!" She begged. "I'm going to start sounding like Edmund in a moment, but we're never going to find anything if we don't start sometime."

Her excitement once more getting the better of her, Lucy giggled again and withdrew her hand from the older girl's, racing up the staircase and beating them to the top. Once there, she leaned out over the railing to watch their slower progress, fingers dancing her impatience on the carved handrail.

The third floor was also familiar territory, as the door to Aria's tower was also located here, but Lucy led them in a different direction, following a bright, mural-lined hallway that Aria had not yet seen. The sparkling, gem-colored tiles depicted lovely scenes of Narnian inhabitants and locations that, though unfamiliar, were obviously celebrated in their artistic attention to detail.

As they passed, Aria trailed her fingertips of the waters of a glassy pool into which a fair-haired maiden gazed, the tiles near her showing the faintest reflection of her visage. "Come on!" Came the call from ahead of them, and she dragged her fingers away as they continued down the hall.

Lucy had stopped at another large pair of double doors, these carved from dark, rich wood and inlaid with etched, smoky glass. Before Aria could inspect the etching's details, Lucy threw open the doors to the grandest library that Aria had ever laid eyes on in person.

The large room seemed to stretch on for ages. The dark, gold detailed wood of its bookshelves made richer by the soft light of the stained-glass windows at the farthest end of the room. The light from which carefully controlled as to allow enough light to read by, but not enough to damage the art and books covers within the room. As to the precious art: on the walls separating each alcove along the room, above the tops of the massive bookcases hung rich, detailed portraits and scenes from what she could assume were, recognizing some from the first chapters of her history book, Narnian history.

At the end of the bookcase alcoves, the walls arched up towards the high ceilings, featuring carved wooden reliefs of Narnian flora and fauna. The highly detailed petaled hands of a dryad danced around a fox cub that had been carved with such energy that Aria's half assumed it might leap down from the wall at any moment.

At the far end of the room, up a short set of stairs, was a raised landing that featured a large, ornate fireplace carved out of heavy, rich wood that matched the narrowed shelves flanking it. From their position of frozen wonder still outside the doors, they could just make out the stained-glass windows next to them. In front of the fireplace, now empty with the comfort of the spring temperatures throughout the castle, stood a large, comfortable-looking sofa and a long, elegant chaise in matching rich blue with gold detailing.

Lucy, grinning from ear to ear, proceeded to push the older girls inside, breaking the spell their initial views of the dreamy room had cast over them. Susan allowed Aria's arm to drop from hers, allowing her to wander about on her own as she surveyed to wonder before them.

"Somehow, I don't think that we're actually going to be looking for a book in here." Susan mused, her eyes roaming over the massive room carefully.

Lucy, who had already begun randomly tilting books on the shelf nearest her, paused for only the slightest of moments to acknowledge her sister's mumblings. "Why wouldn't a book be a switch, Su? It's a library, after all!"

But Susan only shook her head. "There are just too many of them!" She rationalized. "Even if you did want to use a book in a library - which is altogether too obvious, if you want my opinion - you'd never be able to remember which book it was in this room."

Susan watched her sister nod absentmindedly, and knowing that Lucy wasn't truly paying attention, she looked towards Aria in hopes of like-minded logic - only to find her friend nose deep in a leather tome, absolutely oblivious to the task at hand.

Rolling her eyes with a smile, she prodded Lucy with an elbow until her sister paid attention. "Maybe we shouldn't have started with the library after all." She grinned. "I think we've already lost Aria."

As Lucy took in the scene, she began giggling. "I don't think there are any secret passages inside the books, Aria!" She called out, trying to get the eldest girl's attention.

Aria waved her free hand absentmindedly. "I'm listening!" She protested without looking up from the book. "Check the shelves for switches... I'm looking." And then she moved to lightly trail her fingers across the shelf next to her, grinning at something she was reading upon the page.

Susan crossed her arms, preparing to be stubborn. "Aria," She coaxed her friend. "You have all the time in the world to ogle all of the books in here, but need I remind you that you're the one who told the boys that we would find all of the secret passages before they got back?" She smiled. "How's it going to look if we haven't even found one because we let ourselves get distracted?"

Aria's nose wrinkled before she covered it with the open book, watching the sisters over the leather binding with a defeated yet pleading expression in her hazel eyes. Susan just shook her head with a growing smile as Lucy continued giggling at her side. Then, slowly sliding the book down her nose, Aria closed it around her finger and took a step towards them.

Susan raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you'll really be able to resist the temptation?" She asked, pointedly looking at the tome in her friend's hand.

Aria bit her lip, then slowly looked from Susan to the book and back again. She smiled balefully. "No." She sighed, and then moved back to put the book back on the shelf where she'd found it. Before replacing it, however, she pulled the white ribbon from the end of her hair and used it as a bookmark, letting the long tail drape down the bookcase to mark where the book could be found later.

Her fingers trailed affectionately over the dark blue leather before she joined the sisters on the other side of the room. "So," She conceded, smiling at the girls and pointedly not looking towards the marked bookcase. "Where are we starting?"

Satisfied that she at last had everyone's attention and they could really get to work; Susan folded her arms with another smile. "I was thinking," She explained again. "That we won't actually be looking at any books in here. It's too obvious and there are far too many of them."

Aria gave off a wistful sigh next to her. "Not the books?" She asked, her eyes roaming over the treasure trove before them longingly.

"Not the books." Susan confirmed, nudging shoulders with her friend in sympathy. "Why don't you go poke around that fireplace?" She then suggested, knowing that keeping Aria further away from the majority of the books was likely to be the safest place for her.

Pursing her lips in a slight grimace, Aria nodded and left the other girls to the bookshelves, hearing Lucy's giggles increase as she went. She ascended to the raised floor carefully, and found herself almost dwarfed by the massive wooden structure that was the fireplace. Above the mantle hung a tall piece of artwork, also carved out of wood. Near the top was a very large time piece, and around this were carved the flowing branches of a large tree. The trunk of this tree stretched down the thick plank it was carved upon, and at its base sat a lion whose expression was all-too familiar.

Knowing that this was likely depicting the now-extinct Tree of Life from the earliest chapter of her book, Aria smiled and reached up to trace the lion figure with her fingers. As she reached, however, the belt of pearls at her waist snagged on the claw of a rearing lion carved into the leg of the mantle. Fearful that the delicate girdle would break, she attempted to dislodge it, her hand pressing against the lion's paw as she did so.

The paw moved.

"Lucy!" She exclaimed, as the paw stopped with a sudden click. "Susan! I think I've found one!"

Sharp cries of excitement and quick footsteps sounded behind her as a fairly sizeable section of floor next to the fireplace popped up slightly, like a door suddenly unlatching. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Lucy excitedly gripping the back of the couch, watching the floor avidly.

When the wooden slats did nothing else, Aria, joined by Susan, reached down to tug the loosened section upward. It smoothly opened on a hinge revealing, of all things - a slide. With expressions of equal puzzlement, Aria and Susan looked at each other over the door. "That is-" Susan started.

"Not what I was expecting." Aria finished with a nod. Looking back down at the slide, she titled her head. "Can you see anything down there?" She asked. As far as she could tell, there was nothing but smooth wood curving around into dimness below.

Susan shook her head in a 'no', her lips pursed as she bit the corner of her cheek in thought. "We should be careful." She cautioned. "I'm not sure what might be down there."

Having explored even less of the castle than her friends, Aria stepped back from the edge of the slide. "Maybe we should go downstairs and see what-"

"Oh, let's just see!" Came Lucy's exclamation, just before she rushed past Aria is a flurry of yellow skirts. Before either of the older girls could stop her, she slipped down the slide with a shout of utter delight.

"Lucy!" They both cried as she disappeared. Aria's eyes flew back to Susan's, reading the same utter terror that she currently felt herself in their widened gaze. As she was closest, Aria dropped to floor, readying herself to follow to make sure the little girl was all right.

Before she could catapult herself, there came another laugh from below. "It's all right!" Called Lucy's voice. Thankfully, she still sounded rather close, and not as if she had been devoured by the unknown bowels of the castle. "It's not that far! And it's really fun!"

Taking a deep breath to relieve the sudden mini heart attack that Lucy had just graced them with, Aria shook her head and slid away from the wooden slide. "You can go first and check on her." She offered to Susan, who was releasing her death grip on the passage door.

But her new friend, who was, of course, used to her sister's impulsive nature, was far quicker to recover than Aria. Narrowing her eyes at Aria, she smiled. "And leave you in this library all alone?" She argued, shaking her head. "I don't think so." She then called down to Lucy to move away from the slide and gestured for Aria to go ahead of her.

Her own smile growing excited, Aria carefully tucked her injured arm into her chest and pushed herself into the darkness below.