Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own characters and plots. The original universe and everything in it belong to C. S. Lewis. All photos used of film characters belong to Walt Disney Pictures. The content I have written is fanfiction and its only purpose is to inspire creativity and to further immerse oneself in the universe C. S. Lewis has created.
Author's note: This will be the last chapter in this part of the story, but the sequel is already up! Hope you enjoyed this little fanfic, and remember to take care of yourselves.
"Some journeys take us far from home. Some adventures lead us to our destiny."
- C.S. Lewis, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (1950)
Chapter 10 – The White Stag – July 1015 – September 1940 – Narnia – England
Bye, baby Bunting,
Father's gone a-hunting,
Mother's gone a-milking,
Sister's gone a-silking,
Brother's gone to buy a skin
To wrap the baby Bunting in.
Pippa hummed the old nursery rhyme quietly as she laid in bed, her slender fingers absentmindedly stroking her small protruding belly. It was early in the afternoon and Pippa was bored out of her mind. As much as she loved reading, no book could ever satisfy the need for a good, long walk to stretch one's legs. But, alas, she was stuck in bed, alone, as the rest of the kingdom went about their daily business.
She knew perfectly well why she had to stay in bed as she was four months pregnant and all her previous pregnancies had ended in miscarriages. The first miscarriage she had was a year after her wedding and she hadn't even known she was carrying a child at the time. She did not grieve much for she knew she would soon be pregnant again. It turned out conceiving was not the difficult part of their struggle to bring a child into this world. Time and time again she and Peter would celebrate expecting a little one, and each time, soon after, the little life would be lost.
Pippa would always be hopeful that the next time would be better, that this time they would get lucky. She was nearly seven months pregnant when Susan was kidnapped and assaulted by Prince Rabadash. This was the first time she had been able to carry the child for longer than a few months. She could blame no one when she went into early labour and the child, a daughter, was stillborn. She had grieved immensely, but she also desperately wanted to try again. Admittedly, her pregnancies were no longer as risk-free as they had used to be. During labour she had lost too much blood, and were it not for Lucy and her cordial, she might have died.
Peter was justly more terrified than her, and for a long time, he refused to touch her intimately in fear of not only losing a baby but losing his wife too.
Pippa sighed and stroked her belly as she stared up at the canopy. "Please, please, Aslan. Allow my baby to live this time." She prayed.
"Pippa, my darling?" Peter asked carefully as he approached the unmoving form buried underneath the soft duvet stretched across their bed.
Pippa made no sound but scooted over so that Peter could climb into bed with her. He kicked off his boots and crept under the duvet. As he stroked Pippa's brown curls, he could hear her sniffling and see her tear-stained cheeks.
"You cannot blame yourself." He whispered, a lump forming in his throat as his heart wrenched thinking about the baby they just lost.
Pippa rose abruptly from the bed. "But I did everything right!" She nearly shouted. "I laid in bed, I ate the terrible green food and I prayed every day!" Her gaze was wild as she stared at her husband.
Peter tipped his head back and shut his eyes, trying not to cry. He wanted to be strong for them both.
"I even spoke to Madam Astra again!" She continued whilst pacing back and forth between the wardrobe and the bed.
Peter raked a hand through his blonde hair. "The seer?"
Pippa nodded. "Mhm."
"Come on, Pip, not that again!" He groaned.
"What?" Pippa stared at him, daring him to finish his train of thought.
"We shouldn't listen to someone like that, we should listen to our healers! At least they know what they're doing!" Peter bit back.
Pippa crossed her arms. "Madam Astra said I would not have any children, but she said you would! How can you just ignore that?" She spoke hotly.
"I'm not going to listen to this again." Peter grabbed his boots and stormed out of their quarters.
"Don't walk away from me Peter!" Pippa cried out as she watched him slip out of the door. She made no move to follow. In a fury she chucked an empty goblet into the nearest wall before she collapsed on the bed, crying tears of bitterness and anger.
"Where are we going?" Lucy giggled as lord Peridan led her through the secluded gardens underneath Cair Paravel.
"It's still a surprise, Queen Lucy." Peridan winked as he helped Lucy cross the log of a fallen tree, the damp moss making the terrain difficult to pass through in casual clothing and impractical shoes.
Lucy felt giddy with joy as she allowed the older man to lead her blindfolded through the familiar gardens.
Lord Peridan was older, but by no means an old man. He was a few years older than Peter but had the face of a much younger man, and when he smiled wholeheartedly, Lucy thought he even looked younger than her twenty-five years.
Lord Peridan was born into a noble family in Archenland but spent most of his youth in Telmar as a squire before he was knighted by the King and the elected council in Telmar. He returned to serve as captain of King Lune's personal guard shortly after the death of Queen Selene. During the spring after Prince Rabadash's untimely passing, he met the youngest Pevensie during the annual spring celebrations at Anvard.
And whilst anyone with eyes could see that the fair-haired Valiant Queen was a beauty, it was her spirit that captivated Peridan the most. He had never known a person with such excitement and wonder for all creatures and people, and who treated everyone she met with kindness and respect no matter their social standing or upbringing. During her stay in Archenland Peridan had wanted nothing more than to hear Queen Lucy speak, and so he engaged her in conversation whenever the opportunity arose.
Lucy herself had found lord Peridan's attention deeply flattering, and as time passed after her visit to Archenland, she found she couldn't wait to see the former knight again. She had begged Peter to invite Peridan to join the Narnian court and she had even written to King Lune personally to ensure his approval. Both Peter and King Lune had relented, and soon lord Peridan joined their council as an advisor to the Pevensies, a position he seemed perfect for given his influence and knowledge of Telmar as well as his relation by marriage to lord Talon.
Lucy was thrilled, and her excitement affected the mood of all the residents at Cair Paravel.
"Here we are!" Lord Peridan proclaimed as he let go of Lucy's hand to remove her blindfold.
Lucy blinked a couple of times as bright sunlight hit her freckled face. Then she gasped as her eyes wandered over the display set before her. Peridan had led her to her favourite place in Cair Paravel; an overgrown, but beautiful apple orchard. The apples were in season and gleamed in vibrant colours of red, pink, yellow and green as they hung low on their branches.
A wooden table sat underneath the largest apple-tree. It was decorated with tall golden candlesticks waiting to be lit as they glittered next to the crystal chalices, plates, and cutlery. Next to the tableware sat dishes of crisp chicken, cooked potatoes, freshly baked bread and Lucy's favourite mustard and rosemary gravy.
The smell of the food made Lucy's mouth water.
"What's all this?" She asked as she stared at Peridan with a wide smile stretched across her lips.
"It's dinner." He replied simply. Lucy giggled as he led her to a velvet covered stool. He pulled it out for her and waited until she was fully seated before sitting down opposite her.
"It smells heavenly. How on earth did you manage this?" Lucy asked incredulously.
Peridan poured her a glass of smooth red wine. "Well, it was easy, my queen. The servants prepared the food, brought the table, procured the wine-"
Lucy giggled as she interrupted him. "That's not what I meant. This." She gestured delicately with one hand. "My favourite meal from England served by my favourite spot in the castle. How did you know?"
"Oh." Peridan blushed slightly. "I may have had help from Queen Susan and lady Philippa your majesty."
Lucy beamed. That explained the grin Pippa had sent her just as she saw them walk across the courtyard. These past few months, years really, had been hard on both of her sisters, and Lucy felt unimaginable joy at the thought of them helping Peridan plan this perfect evening just for her.
"Well I must thank you, my lord." Lucy grinned once more as they both began to eat. Peridan seemed to hesitate before tasting the gravy. Lucy giggled quietly. Famous English cuisine might not settle every stomach as well as it did hers.
Conversation flowed easily between them as they ate and enjoyed each other's company. Even though Narnia was at peace, Lucy felt it wasn't always easy to find the time to spend together just the two of them. She found it especially difficult as they weren't openly courting or officially engaged and therefore weren't privy to as much privacy as other royal couples. Now she understood why Peter and Pippa had hid in the library at all hours before they were married.
Lucy felt butterflies twirl in her belly as she thought of marrying Peridan. She looked up from her now empty plate to see Peridan watching her closely, his right arm stretched across the table. In his palm rested a freshly picked apple.
"Dessert?" He asked, a gleam in his light brown eyes.
Lucy flushed as her fingers brushed his, accepting the offer of the apple. "Yes, please."
Peridan watched intently as Lucy bit into her apple and blushed again as she sighed at the sweet taste flooded her mouth. He cleared his throat before speaking.
"I wish to thank you for spending this evening with me Queen Lucy. I sense it may be a sign we are living in stranger times when you'd rather spend an evening with this shabby, old knight than with your family." Peridan joked half-heartedly.
"You're hardly old." Lucy defended. "Perhaps more of an old soul." She pondered.
Peridan smiled. "I haven't ever heard of such a phrase. What does it mean?" He asked.
"Oh." Lucy laughed. "I don't actually know. It just sounds like something my mother or Susan would say."
"I shall take it as a compliment then." Peridan replied smoothly. He stood and offered Lucy his arm. "Would you take a walk with me by the beach before we head back, your majesty?"
Lucy eagerly accepted his arm. "Nothing would make me happier."
"So," Edmund began as he approached his sister. Susan was standing in the gallery overlooking the dancing and mingling crowd whilst drinking from a small goblet of wine. Her gaze moved from the celebrating Narnians towards her brother, a brow raised in question. "Think he'll propose soon?" Edmund nodded towards lord Peridan as he twirled Lucy around on the floor elegantly.
Susan snorted slightly as she too watched her dancing sibling. "He'd better make his intentions clear, that much is certain, or else I fear our dear Peter might challenge him to duel for her honour. Afterall, we cannot have a repeat of certain events." She added darkly.
Edmund drew in a sharp breath. He hadn't heard Susan mention Rabadash in any fashion in years.
"I jest." Susan added without taking her eyes off the dancing couple.
Concerned Edmund leaned closer to Susan. "Lord Peridan is nothing like Prince Rabadash."
Susan's fingers clenched around the goblet of wine at the mention of his name.
"I thought you were doing better now." Edmund stated as he noticed her stiff posture. When Susan remained silent, he spoke again: "You are doing better now aren't you?"
Susan sighed heavily and nodded. "I used to see him every time I closed my eyes. I don't anymore. I used to imagine his face every time I saw an unfamiliar person. I don't anymore." She smiled weakly. "But I still feel unsafe all the time. As if he's not really dead, just lurking in the shadows in Tashbaan, biding his time until he can attack us when we least expect it."
"Like at a banquet to celebrate our fifteen years upon the throne?" Edmund finished her thought.
Susan nodded thoughtfully. "I know it sounds mad."
"Not to me." Edmund declared. Susan looked at him in surprise. "I still wake in the night wondering if Aslan really finished off the White Witch. Sometimes, I wonder if the only way I could find peace is if I did the deed myself."
"But that's not possible." Susan added.
"What can I say, she got in my head." Edmund smiled wistfully.
Susan turned at the sound of the merry laughter escaping Lucy's lips as Peridan whispered something in her ear. "I don't want my misery to affect the joy of others."
"Lucy understands." Edmund spoke quietly. "Trust me."
Susan suddenly wrapped her arms around Edmund's waist in a tight hug. "I trust you."
Edmund nodded gratefully as he returned her warm hug.
"Don't tell Peter," Susan began as she pulled away to look up at him, a spark of playfulness lingering in her eyes. "But you might be my favourite brother."
Edmund laughed loudly. "Oh, please. I'm definitely telling him you said that!"
It was an ordinary day in August when Mr. Tumnus brought the Kings and Queens the extraordinary news that the fabled White Stag had been spotted near his home and close to the Beaversdam. When captured, the White Stag would fulfil any wish you uttered before him, and so the Pevensies readied themselves for the hunt in a hurry. The fastest horses were acquired, as well as the best sniffing hounds.
Just before departing for the Western Woods, Pippa approached Peter and pulled him aside.
"What is it, my darling?" Peter asked distractedly. "We're just about ready to leave. Have you not saddled Rollo?"
"No- I mean, yes, yes of course I have, I'm ready, I just need to tell you something first." Pippa took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm-"
The deep sound of Susan's horn sounded as she mounted her steed. "Hurry up! We might lose the trail!" She shouted as her horse impatiently stamped the ground.
Slightly panicked, Peter kissed her lips quickly before rushing to mount his mare as well. Susan and Edmund had already galloped off as Pippa and Lucy joined Peter's side. "You can tell me after we've caught this stag."
Pippa sighed as she knew why Peter was so anxious to capture the deer. If it could grant any wish, perhaps wishing for a child would be possible? Pippa looked back at Cair Paravel, noticing lord Talon waving farewell as he stood on the terrace overlooking the gate. He had offered to stay behind, explaining that he had already fulfilled his heart's deepest desire and could not think of a single thing left to wish for. Charmer, Pippa thought as she shook her head at the pompous man.
"Come on then!" Lucy said impatiently. Pippa laughed at her.
"Oh, shush you, I'm coming, I'm coming."
They followed the White Stag as it proved itself worthy of its legendary status. Never had Pippa encountered a creature more difficult to follow. The stag leapt through the thickest branches and over the sharpest rocks. It slipped deep into crevices in the mountains and crossed rivers their horses could not follow. After pursuing the stag at a relentless pace, their horses soon needed rest.
Edmund and his companion Philip slowed down first with Susan and Lucy coming to a halt in the nearby clearing. The woods had grown thicker all around them, and very little sunlight were able to penetrate the unyielding branches.
Pippa dismounted Rollo as Peter joined her. He picked at a tear in the seam of his red tunic as he tried to catch his breath. Pippa swallowed anxiously as she reached out to hold his free hand.
"Peter, my love. I have to tell you something."
"Right, yes you said so." Peter looked as if he'd just now noticed the apprehensive look on her face. "Hey, what is it?" He asked as his fingers brushed a single tear off her cheek.
Pippa choked out a laugh as she placed their joined hands on her stomach. Peter looked down, one hand still tenderly stroking her cheek.
He said nothing for a while, before swallowing visibly. "Are you certain?" He asked, his voice unsteady.
Pippa nodded eagerly. "Yes. It's early, but the healers confirmed it this morning."
"But, is it safe for you to be riding and hunting with us?" Peter looked concerned. "We've been through this so many times before Pippa. I don't know- I don't think I can-" He spoke in a hushed voice, tears threatening to escape his narrowed eyes.
"Don't worry." Pippa smiled reassuringly before stealing a kiss from his lips. "I'll take it easy. I promise."
Peter rested his forehead against hers before his lips split wide in a grin as he threw his strong arms around her in a gentle embrace. Pippa yelped and laughed as she wrapped herself around his neck. Worried she might have alarmed the others; she turned her head towards the clearing. Lucy, Susan, and Edmund didn't seem to notice them as they appeared to be mesmerized by the sight of a single, slender tree.
Pippa slipped from Peter's embrace as she joined the other Pevensies. She tilted her head and studied the shape of the odd tree.
"What's this?" Peter asked as he approached them. "It seems so familiar."
"I think it's a tree made of iron." Susan stated.
Edmund laughed. "No, my dear sister, this is obviously a pillar made of iron, not a tree."
"Look it has lit lantern on top it!" Pippa grinned at the peculiarity of it all. "It looks very old." She added thoughtfully as she stroked the cold iron.
Suddenly, Lucy, who had been standing there in silence, turned on her heel and disappeared further into the woods as if she knew of a path she needed to follow.
"Lucy!" Cried Edmund after her and quickly rushed to follow her.
"Not again!" Susan shook her head, picked up her skirts and pursued her brother.
Pippa and Peter quickly exchanged worried glances before running after their family.
Deeper and deeper they went into the woods, and as it got darker, Pippa suddenly felt warmer.
"Ugh, what's that smell?" Susan complained loudly.
"I think … it's mothballs." Pippa answered, the word strange in her mouth, as if she knew exactly what it was, but for an unknown reason. Her fingers no longer brushed against the prickly branches of the woods, but against something smoother. Was it fur? She wondered.
"Ow! Get off my foot Peter!" Edmund shouted.
"Stop shoving me Lucy!" Peter shouted back.
"That hurts!" Lucy protested.
Pippa felt a gentle pull on her clothes and before she knew what was and what wasn't she, along with the Pevensies, came tumbling out of Professor Kirke's wardrobe and into the spare room. She gasped as she stared at her clothes. She was no longer dressed in her silver and jade coloured gown, but in a dark blue knitted jumper and a grey skirt.
The Pevensies studied each other in wonder. Peter had lost some of his height and the golden beard he had been sporting. Susan was no less beautiful, but her face was rounder and more childlike. Pippa's curly hair was shorter, and a deeper shade of brown. Edmund had shrunk visibly, the muscles in his body long gone. Lucy looked perhaps the most different of them all as she was no longer a young woman, but a small child with buck teeth and chubby legs.
The sound of the door opening had the children dashing on their feet as they tried to smooth out their clothes.
"My, my. There you are." Professor Kirke exclaimed merrily as he appeared in the doorway. His eyes narrowed behind his shiny spectacles as he studied the children with interest. "Did you enjoy a stroll through the forest after all then?"
It was only moments later the bewildered Pevensies were led by a stiff-necked Mrs. Macready to the nearest sitting room. They were served black tea and freshly baked scones with marmalade by the steward, and as they ate and drank, they were joined by an eager professor Kirke. He wanted to know all about Narnia and their adventures, and Susan, Edmund and Lucy happily chatted away whilst the Professor uttered the occasional "hm" and "ah, of course".
Pippa desperately wanted to escape the room, and it was as if Peter read her mind when took her hand and delicately pulled her out of the room through the closest door. Only Edmund seemed to notice them leave, and he made sure to distract his sisters and the Professor long enough for them to disappear into the library unnoticed.
As soon as Pippa closed and locked the door, Peter sat down heavily in a tattered armchair as his head fell between in his knees. Pippa knelt in between his legs as she pulled his head towards her in a comforting embrace. When Peter pulled away to rest his forehead against hers, he had a troubled look on his young face.
"You don't suppose…?" He left the question hanging in the air, as if he was afraid of the answer.
Pippa looked down toward the smooth plane of her stomach. "I don't think that's how it works no."
"Are you certain?" It was the second time Peter had asked his wife that question in a very short amount of time. Last time he uttered those words to her he had been so very hopeful and excited for the future. Now that he was once again an unimportant sixteen-year-old boy, lost in a world for grown-ups, he felt nothing but anxiety coursing through his veins.
"No." Pippa finally answered. "But really, how could it be possible?" She stroked his hair and tried to catch his gaze as his eyes were avoiding hers. "We'll figure this out. I promise." She insisted. "Nothing will change between us. I'm still your wife. You're still my king."
Peter pulled her closer.
"And I still love you. So much. No matter what." Pippa looked at the golden rings still adorning the fourth finger on each other's left hand. She didn't understand how or why the rings hadn't disappeared when they left Narnia through the wardrobe, but she didn't care. The gilded circular bands now forever a symbol of their love for each other and the life they lived for ten years as husband and wife in Narnia.
"You can't give up hope. We need each other now more than ever." Pippa added as she tried to hide her pain of losing another chance at motherhood, as well as fear of once again becoming a helpless and voiceless child. Aslan hear me, she prayed from within, please, please, don't abandon us! We need you!
Lucy did not consider herself weak. She had always been short and petite, yes, but no one in Narnia would dare to call her weak. She had fought by her family's side in more than one war with her daggers and her healing cordial strapped to her hip, and she fought hard every day during her reign for the animals, beasts and beings who were ignored or mistreated simply because of their appearances or other people's prejudice.
She would willingly give her body and soul to Aslan and Narnia. But she had, in lack of a better term, been left behind. It frustrated her to no end that she once again felt like a scolded child locked away in punishment for no good reason. Why would Aslan keep her locked out of the country she had committed more than half of her life to?
It was out of frustration she walked up to the wardrobe that night. She had waited until everyone were asleep because she did not want any of them to judge her desperate attempts to re-enter her new homeland. Despite everything her older siblings seemed content with the fact that they were now once more children living in rural England.
"I don't think you'll be able to go through that way anymore." Professor Kirke spoke from his place by the moonlit window.
Startled, Lucy closed the wardrobe soundly.
"You see, I've already tried that. Many, many times." He explained further with a downcast look and a sad smile.
"But…" Lucy tried. "Oh, will we truly never return?" She complained like a child, but her question was posed with an adult's mind.
"Oh, no I expect you will return. But probably not for a while, and probably not if you put your life on hold to wait for it." Professor Kirke spoke wisely as he gently took hold of Lucy's tiny arm. "Come. Let's get back to bed."
Lucy let herself be led from the room containing the enchanted wardrobe by the old professor as she contemplated his words. If she could no longer get in through the wardrobe, then she simply had to find another way in. She knew in her heart she would not lose hope of finding the new gateway into Narnia.
After all, there is a saying; when one door closes, another one opens.
THE END.
Based on 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' (1950) by C.S. Lewis
Songs for this chapter:
Bye, baby bunting – Nursery rhyme
Sleepsong – Rolf Loveland, Secret Garden
Remember Me – Iván Torrent, Roger Berruezo
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald – James Newton Howard
Wake Me Up – Avicci (cover by Kurt Hugo Schneider, Emma Heesters, Jackie's Boy)
Peter Pevensie – Born 19th of January 1924 (31 years old) & (16 years old)
Susan Pevensie – Born 2nd of June 1925 (30 years old) & (15 years old)
Edmund Pevensie – Born 6th of March 1927 (28 years old) & (13 years old)
Lucy Pevensie – Born 25th of December 1929 (25 years old, turning 26) & (10 years old, turning 11)
Philippa Copland – Born 7th of July 1924 (31 years old) & (16 years old)