Hello, all! This is one of a few other projects I've been working on. (It's still being written, but I've got a good start on it.) Note that I skip a chunk of years at points, which I might write one- or two-offs to fill, if there is any interest in them.

Requests and REVIEWS, therefore, are both encouraged and welcome!

Golden Narnia: New Beginnings

In the days after the coronation, there was much cheerful confusion at Cair Paravel. The four child-monarchs had little notion of what was really expected of them. The Talking Animals had no idea what to do with four rulers who'd never ruled anything, not even themselves. When the Pevensies had, for the second day in a row, found themselves sitting staring bewildered at one another in Peter's sitting room, it was Lucy, wriggling and impatient, who broke them out of their haze.

"Well, we can't just sit here all the time," Lucy said. "I'm quite sure Aslan didn't crown us to just do that."

"No," Peter agreed, somewhat morosely, "but what do you suggest, Lu? No one wants to tell us what to do. We're the kings and queens! But I have no idea where to even start."

"Perhaps they're only waiting to be asked," Lucy suggested. "How about we start with General Orieus? He seems to know what's going on."

"That's a good idea, Lu," Edmund said, pulling himself out of his slouch. "Anyone know where we can find him?"

"Let's do as Lu said, and just ask," Susan smiled, and stood, pulling Lucy up with her. The boys rose, and, happy to have struck on something they could do, they all headed toward the doorway.

It seemed Lucy's thought was correct. The Faun whom they encountered was all too happy to lead them through the Cair's many hallways and levels until they emerged onto the training ground adjacent to the armory.

"Oh, I am never going to remember all these hallways," Susan said fretfully.

"Don't worry about that right now, Su," Edmund replied. "I'm sure it'll just take some getting used to. Now, where's General Orieus?"

"Were Your Majesties looking for me?" Came a deep voice behind them, and they all turned to see the centaur emerging from a doorway. He bowed. "Here I am. How may I be of service?"

They all exchanged a look, and then Peter sheepishly said, "We're trying to figure out what, exactly, it is we're supposed to be doing, you see. There wasn't a copy of Kingship for Beginners in the library."

The centaur's stern face smiled a little at that. "I suppose your seneschal hasn't caught up with you, yet?"

The four shook their heads. "Not that we've noticed." Edmund volunteered. "Er. What's a seneschal?"

"An organizer. He is arranging for tutors for Your Majesties, and there are several worthy individuals willing to stand as your advisors while you are learning. Although," he added, "they are new to their roles, as well. While you've never ruled before, most Narnians have never been ruled before; only tyrannized and terrified."

"I suppose we'll all be learning together for a while, then," Susan said wryly, and Orieus nodded.

"It is as you say, Queen Susan. But I have every hope that with the prophecy fulfilled in you four, that peace and happiness will come to all Narnia soon enough."

"And speaking of peace," Peter said, frowning, "I've been thinking it over, and there have got to be other places around here that have noticed all of the ice melting, and are wondering what is going on. And I'm wondering if they're all, well, friendly?"

"It is difficult to say," Orieus replied. "Narnia has been so isolated for so long, it is possible there are few friends to Narnia left. Or it is possible there are many enemies of the White Witch who would welcome Narnia's emancipators as allies. But it is well for you to be thinking in this way, High King. For Narnia, though blessed by Aslan himself, is a small land, and there are great empires whose hunger for small lands never ceases.

"As the general of your army," he said, turning toward the practice yard, "I suggest we continue your arms training, which will have to be worked into your daily schedule. But as you say you have nothing in your itinerary at the moment…" he gestured expansively toward the armory door. "You, Kings, go fit yourself out with practice arms and armor, and you Queens, hie you to the archery yard with bows."

"Oh, can't we learn sword-work, too?" Lucy asked.

Orieus tilted his head to look down at the 8 year old, whose head barely came up to his waist. His face did not betray the hint of a smile as he answered. "One day, perhaps," he said gravely. "When the sword does not weigh more than you."

Lucy rolled her eyes a bit, but acknowledged the point, and went after Susan toward the archery butts.

The general turned as Peter and Edmund emerged from the armory, looking a bit overmatched by their helms, shields, swords, and all. They were so young. But he'd trained boys as young as these before, and if nothing else, he could place his trust and faith in Aslan, who had chosen these four children to save them all. More than chosen, he reminded himself: they had been pulled straight from another world for Aslan's purpose!

And Orieus would do his part to make them ready to bear the burden of ruling.

"All right, Sir Peter Wolf's-Bane, and Sir Edmund of the Table… start running the perimeter of the training yard!"

Obligingly, Peter and Edmund started to run. When they'd passed Orieus for the fifth time, Peter called, "Er, General? Is there a certain number of laps you want us to do?"

"I'll tell you when to stop. Keep going."

Twenty minutes later, he called them to a halt, gesturing for them to get water. "Drink slowly," he cautioned them. They nodded, too breathless to reply in speech, though Peter listened intently as Orieus delivered a quiet lecture on the importance of physical wellness in a King of Narnia. Edmund was a bit more focused on his water, but the Centaur caught the gleam of understanding in the younger boy's eyes as Orieus listed the followers of the White Witch who surely were itching to stir up trouble: the lesser Witches, and Hags, and Grims, and the like. When he judged them cooled down enough, he bade them each take their weighted practice swords and follow him in drills… and their first lessons commenced.

Two hours later they reconvened in Peter's sitting room, all of them looking tired. The boys had taken the simple expedient of plunging into the sea momentarily to remove the dust and sweat from themselves, while Susan had insisted she and Lucy take the more genteel route of washing themselves out of a basin. "Besides," she pointed out. "The sea is bound to be freezing right now, what with all that ice just having been melted into it."

"Ooh, I hadn't thought of that," Lucy admitted, shivering.

And now they were staring at one another, seeing joy and purpose in one another's faces, not the dull and weary uncertainty that had been there before.

"And did you hear, we're going to have tutors?" Edmund asked excitedly, then checked himself. "Gosh, I can't believe I'm so excited about lessons."

"I have a feeling they'll be far better lessons than those in that Other Place," Lucy said.

Peter, who was stretched out along one of the couches, turned his head toward her. "I think you're right. But I do hope I get used to running with all of that armor on. I hurt."

"I hope I get used to pulling the bow back for so many hours," Susan replied. "I feel like I was pushing rocks, not pulling some wood and gut!"

"I'm rather hoping I'll get some calluses on my hands quickly," Edmund said. "That, or I'll get to find out how painful training with blisters is."

"Blisters?" Lucy said. "Do you want me to get my cordial?"

"No," Edmund said. "They don't hurt, and you don't want to waste even a drop of cordial on something so silly and commonplace."

"Mind you keep them clean, and don't pick at them," Susan said, and Edmund rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Mu—" he started to say, and stopped, looking struck. "Oh. Oh. That's right. Mum …and Dad. We—we're not very likely to see them again, I suppose."

They all quieted.

"No, I guess not." Peter said, after a little while. "But it's not like they've died. It's—it's more like we're at a boarding school very far away."

"Or visiting a foreign country," Susan said. There was another pause. "Well, we have got an awful lot to learn."

"I think if we just stick together, we'll be all right. After all, Aslan did crown all of us, so he must want us to work together, right?" Lucy offered.

"Right." Edmund said, smiling at her. "And that's just what we'll do."

Chapter 2 is also up. (I told you I'd been writing!) R&R!