She watched them as they stood before Aslan. If she was being honest with herself, the children before him was not at all what she expected, nor were they what she believed Narnia needed. And yet, her father had gone through the trouble of returning to Narnia, gathering an army and finding her. All for the sake of the supposed destined kings and queens. Well, she noted with a frown, king and queens. The word of their brother's betrayal sent a wave of disbelief and distrust through the gathered soldiers and Adeline felt scars from hundreds of years back ache. A traitor. Her father had to be wrong. Surely, if one of them could betray Narnia, they were not the four that the prophecy spoke of? But her father defended them as Oreius voiced the thought passing through all of their minds. He has betrayed us all.
To Adeline's surprise and intrigue, the tallest of the three, the one her father had called Peter, took the blame for his brother's desertion. She was only further intrigued when the one her father had called Susan insisted that they were all responsible. They were no leaders, she thought as a small smile started to play on her lips. But with proper tutoring, perhaps they could be. No matter the inevitable affection her father would develop for the humans, he did not excuse the fourth's treason. For that, Adeline was relieved. Her father had some sense left.
She hid in the background, fitting herself into the throngs of Narnians to avoid being seen, carefully slipping into the shadows as they grew long with the setting sun. She watched them, the king and queens to whom her destiny was tied. She learned which of them was the youngest, that the missing one was named Edmund and that the dynamic between the siblings was unstable. They loved each other, they even loved the traitor one, but there was friction between the two oldest. Susan was pragmatic, to a fault, and Peter carried far too much responsibility for a boy his age. While Adeline herself was about the missing sibling's age physically, she had lived for many centuries. She had seen Narnia through its brightest and darkest times. She could only pray to the Deep Magic that the arrival of the Pevensies would not be another dark time. After the Witch, the Narnians needed light.
Then, as she quietly oversaw two fauns fencing, the sound of Susan's horn reached the camp. Adeline took off before anyone else could react and from the corner of her eye she could see Peter tearing away from her father. She slowed down slightly, understanding that her father would want for the oldest sibling to prove his worth as a king by saving his sisters.
Hiding in the shadows created by the sinking sun, Adeline watched as Peter confronted two of the Witch's wolves. Susan and Lucy had wisely climbed up a tree, though the former of the two was dangling perilously close to the ground. Still, Adeline had to roll her eyes slightly as Peter actually looked up at Susan when she shouted a warning at him. Honestly, taking his eyes off his enemy, what was he thinking? But the blond quickly regained what little composure he had and turned his attention back to the circling canines. It was difficult for him though, as there were two wolves and only one of him. One misstep and either one could have had him dead in seconds.
Luckily for him, Aslan and a myriad of Narnians came to his rescue. Adeline knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that her father would reprimand her for not assisting. But she wanted to know if she could trust the little king to make the right move at the right moment. So when Aslan ordered everyone to stay back, she knew that she was about to find out. The wolf Maugrim, she knew from a previous encounter with him, continued to circle Peter, mocking his title. Before anyone could react, the beast pounced and Peter fell to the ground at the weight of him. Susan and Lucy screamed while Adeline's heart, though she would never admit it, stopped for a brief second.
Quickly, the sisters jumped down from the tree and ran to their brother, pushing the dead Maugrim off of him. With the weight lifted, Peter sat up, staring in shock at the dead body. Then he turned to his sisters, embracing them tightly and Adeline felt the scars in her soul ache again. Once, she had been in their shoes, loving her family. All she had left was her father. Said father released the other wolf, ordering for Oreius and the other Narnians who had left camp to follow him. Adeline stayed behind, trusting that the soldiers were strong enough to bring back the traitor king to his family. She stepped out of the shadows and reached out a hand to Peter. It didn't occur to her until that moment that she had not yet actually allowed the siblings to see her. The three of them stared at her, gobsmacked at the sight of what they likely thought was another human. After a moment of staring incredulously at her, Peter accepted Adeline's outstretched hand and allowed her to help him up.
At Aslan's bidding, Peter cleaned his sword and knelt before the Great Lion, who proceeded to stun his own daughter when he dubbed the blond Sir Peter Wolf's-Bane. A tiny flicker of jealousy passed through Adeline's heart. She had fought for Narnia for centuries and yet, he had not deigned to make her a knight. But the flicker died as she caught herself, remembering that she had sworn off titles a very long time ago. Instead, Adeline allowed herself to believe, even if it was only for the briefest of moments, that maybe the Pevensies could save them after all.
When the Narnians returned to camp, Edmund safe in their company, the three Pevensie siblings had already turned in for the night. Adeline took initiative, nodding respectfully to her father as she did so, taking the dark-haired boy to get a small bite to eat before giving him a place to sleep for the night. Having been tasked with watching over him, the blonde daughter of Aslan sat down in the grass outside his tent, using the momentary relief from training the soldiers to sharpen her daggers. Thankfully, she had quite a lot of them and, by the time the sun was starting to rise, she was working on her last one. Oreius arrived to relieve her from her post and Adeline sunk into her own cot at the edge of the camp grounds to sleep for a few hours.
Adeline woke up when the rest of the camp did, just as the sun finally pulled itself fully from the horizon. She doubted that the Pevensie siblings would be rising from their blissful slumber just yet, so she stepped up beside her father where he sat on a hill, overlooking the camp. "Good morning, father," she murmured, running a hand through his mane, "Do you have any tasks for me today or shall I continue honing the skills of our noble warriors?"
"Today, my dear, and every day until you receive a new order, you shall be taking the siblings under your wing," Aslan replied steadily, gaze shifting to her before turning back to the many tents spread out before them, "You possess the abilities and experience they will need in the upcoming battle as well as during their rule." Adeline nodded, knowing better than to protest. Aslan regarded his daughter out of the corner of his eye. Past grievances had hardened her, made her cynical and closed off, but in her stance and in her determination he could still see traces of the queen she had once been. "I wish, child," he continued after a moment, finally facing her fully, "that you speak with Edmund. I imagine he will be quite coldly regarded for a while and he could use a friend who understands. You shall take up tutoring them today and when you are not… find time to help him open up about what happened. I will advise his siblings not to do so."
Adeline nodded again before taking her leave. She still had some time left to sleep and elected to do so. If she was going to be watching over the Pevensies all day, she had a feeling she would need all the energy she could get.
Upon waking up for the second time that morning, Adeline was served breakfast with the other warriors. She resumed her observations as she ate, watching her father converse with Edmund Pevensie. The sound of someone calling his name turned Edmund's and, subsequently, Adeline and Aslan's attention towards the rest of the sibling quartet, where Peter stopped Lucy from running to embrace the younger of her two brothers. Adeline had to admit that she did not quite understand it, the way they loved him despite his actions. Maybe, once she had spoken to him, she would. Her eyes followed the dark-haired boy as he left Aslan and walked over to his siblings. The lion followed him and said something to the other siblings before leaving them to reunite with their lost brother. Once again, the emotional scars Adeline carried ached as she watched the Pevensies embrace each other.
It was only a few hours later, after the siblings had eaten breakfast and Edmund had caught a little more sleep that Adeline sent word with a badger that she demanded their presence on the field a bit farther away from camp. She chuckled slightly, already knowing that the day was going to be trying for all four of the siblings. "Welcome, your Majesties," she greeted, bowing her head as a sign of respect, "to your first day of training." The siblings all exchanged confused looks and Adeline knew why. Physically, she looked no older than Edmund. "My name is Adeline," she continued, "and I am going to be your teacher."
"Um… excuse me, miss," Lucy spoke shyly, raising her hand slightly, "but what exactly are you going to teach us?" Peter and Susan looked from their sister to their supposed teacher, raising their eyebrows expectantly, while Edmund just studied Adeline warily.
Adeline chuckled. "Well, Your Majesty," she started, drawing her sword, "I will teach you as much as I can." She pointedly ignored Susan's whispered comment to Peter about how their training would pass quickly and approached them. "You are all going to be gifted in different styles of combat, but any good ruler ought to be proficient, at the very least, at most of them. Today, we will be going over fencing." Waving over a faun, Adeline demonstrated the proper stance for a duel. The faun, Argus, matched her, raising his sword. "Stance is very important in close combat. If you lose your balance you could very well lose your life. Now, why don't each of you head over to the armoury and have Oreius help you pick out a sword suited for you? Granted, Peter already has one, but you are going to need practice weapons." The Pevensies did as they were told, albeit somewhat reluctantly. Argus and Adeline were both amused at the distaste on Susan's face as she held a long blade in her hand. Upon their return, both Adeline and Argus helped the four siblings hold their swords correctly before having them take the proper stance. Over the course of the morning, the siblings followed Adeline's instructions, occasionally correcting their positions when they slipped. Once noon rolled around, all four of the Pevensies were exhausted. "Very well," Adeline finally conceded, lowering her sword, "Go get something to eat. We will resume training afterwards." None of the kings and queens were able to hold back their groans and their teacher laughed. "Please, loosen up. Our next lesson will be theoretical."
"What do you think of her? She's a little," Peter paused, mulling over possible word choices, "intense." Susan nodded, looking back a little warily at the blonde girl who was sitting far away from them. "She's brilliant, it seems, and she has the respect of everyone here…"
He was cut off as Argus came up behind them. "As she very well should. She is older and far more gifted than anyone in this encampment can say for themselves. Half of the soldiers gathered here have been taught by her at one point or another since arriving here," he told them, looking each and everyone of them in the eye, "And she is brilliant. As old as she is, she is in possession of methods of warfare long since lost. Respect her and she might just return it." He sat down with the kings and queens, holding his own plate of food.
"Mister Argus," Lucy started hesitantly, "just how old is she?" Susan started to admonish Lucy for asking such a question, as one should never ask a lady for her age. Peter and Edmund just looked at Argus, who seemed a little upset by the question though, for the life of them, they couldn't figure out why.
Argus cleared his throat. "Well… no one except Aslan knows. When you ask Adeline, she will tell you that she cannot recall and Aslan will tell you that she ought to be judged by her wisdom rather than the age that comes with it." Taking a thoughtful bite of his bread, Argus chewed for a moment before speaking up again. "Some speculate that she came to Narnia when the Witch did. Others say that she is older than Narnia itself. But the history books holding her secrets, if there ever were any, have been lost, or hidden, for a very long time."
Adeline started her academic lesson as soon as the plates were sent to wash. She gathered the four in Aslan's tent, where she began tutoring them in diplomacy, strategy, history, and even etiquette, though Susan vehemently insisted that they had been raised well. Once Adeline started going through Narnian history with the four, she could tell that they were taking an interest in her words. They sunk deeper into their seats, making themselves comfortable as they listened intently to the stories she told them. She told them of Narnia's creation and the lamppost in the Lantern Waste. The siblings all looked at each other as she spoke of how the lamp had come to the-before-Narnia when a boy named Digory Kirke and a girl named Polly Plummer had arrived there, alongside the Witch. She explained about the mirror world, where the gates to other worlds met, and about the Lion's Song that brought Narnia to existence. She told them of King Frank and Queen Helen, the first rulers from the Pevensies' own world. When she spoke of the wardrobe that had been created, the siblings once again shared a look and Adeline allowed herself a small smile.
She continued their tutoring alongside their training, sometimes asking academic questions when they failed to complete their physical tasks while other times demanding that they complete a physical task if they could not remember an answer. It quickly became clear that the siblings were differently skilled. Peter was a wonderful strategist while Edmund excelled as a diplomat. Both showed potential to become masterful swordsmen but Adeline could not deny that Edmund, in a pursuit to make right his past wrongdoings, fought harder and therefore better than Peter. Susan outshone all of her siblings in etiquette, something Adeline had already known she would do. Lucy was far more advanced in their studies of Narnian history, often asking her tutor questions even when they were not in a lesson. Adeline noted that Susan and Lucy preferred passive weapons that did not require close combat and so, once she deemed the four of them proficient enough at all weapons she presented to them, she had Argus and a dwarf friend of his focus on archery and knife-throwing with the queens while she herself helped the kings with their swordsmanship. Oreius, once Adeline asked her father to ask him, took up teaching them how to fight on horseback while Adeline returned to her duties as general for the soldiers.
Then, one morning, the sun was hidden behind grey clouds. The Pevensie siblings were training, as Adeline had instructed them to do so at least three hours every day, when mister Beaver came running. Peter and Edmund ceased their training-duel and Adeline looked up from the dagger in her hand as the animal warned them of the Witch's arrival to meet with Aslan. Edmund couldn't help but bite his still healing lip and Adeline quickly stood, gesturing for them to follow her back to the encampment. She left them standing to the side, joining her father outside his tent.
Edmund shifted his gaze between the blonde girl and the Witch. He had spent enough time with the supposed Queen of Narnia to recognise some of her expressions. While her face remained passive there was a sharp glint of something akin to fear as she regarded Aslan and Adeline. Though Edmund was aware that the Witch was afraid of Aslan, she also seemed to be wary of the girl at his side. Then again, he thought, Adeline was a skilled warrior. The Witch probably knew that if Aslan decided to kill her, she would have no defence. Adeline was far too quick to stop. Edmund couldn't help but cower as the Witch reminded Aslan of his treachery, glancing around as murmurs arose. "Have you forgotten the laws upon which Narnia was built?" The Witch lifted her chin defiantly as she spoke, keeping her eyes trained on Aslan.
"Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, Witch," Aslan growled, "I was there when it was written."
The Witch was taken aback by his outburst, but continued none the less. She was there to claim her right and her vengeance. "Then you'll remember well that every traitor belongs to me. His blood is my property." Though her gaze never left Aslan, she could see the Great Lion's daughter moving forward and had to fight not to react. Her henchmen did move though, taking a step back.
"You forget, Witch," Adeline spoke, voice clear and unwavering, "that I, too, was there when the Deep Magic was written." More whispers broke out amongst Aslan's army as her true age was finally revealed. Shaking her head patronisingly, Adeline directed a small smirk in the Witch's direction. "You also forget, it seems," she continued, "your own betrayal. You usurped the throne, it is not yours to keep. All traitors belong to you, this much is true. But your treachery has gone unpunished for a long time. Why should we give you this traitor, when you have yet to answer for yourself?"
The Witch seemed equal parts amused and unsettled, Edmund noticed, as she regarded the pretty girl standing strong before her. "Because not even you are above the Deep Magic. His blood and his treachery," she pointed at Edmund, "belongs to me as it is written."
"Try and take him then." Peter stepped forward, sword in hand. Adeline rolled her eyes as Jadis turned her attention to the blond. She absently made a note to, once again, go through the general rules of diplomacy with him. And etiquette. Thinly veiled threats, expressed through words and body language was fine. But weapons was poor form, plain and simple. Jadis faced Peter, looking almost bored as she stated that mere force was not enough to deny her claim on Edmund's life. She continued by announcing the consequences of breaking the law, declaring that the young king was to die on the Stone Table as tradition demanded.
Adeline felt her heart beat faster as her father announced that he was to speak with the Witch alone. She was not comfortable, in the least, with leaving her father unattended in the sorceress' company. But she trusted her father enough to force herself to let it go, and instead she walked over to the Pevensies. "Your Majesty," she murmured to Edmund, bowing her head respectfully, "might I have a word?" Edmund nodded warily, waving to his siblings as Adeline led him away from them and the other spectators. Once they were alone, out of hearing range, she faced him, gesturing for him to take a seat in the grass. "Treason," she began carefully, "is not always punished by death. I have faith, Your Majesty, that my father and the Witch will reach an agreement she sees fit." Adeline sunk down beside him, legs crossed.
"You didn't have to bring me all the way out here to say that, did you?"
"No," Adeline admitted, picking at the grass absently, "I brought you here to tell you about when I was declared a traitor." Edmund's eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly as he turned to look at her properly. The incredulity in his gaze would have been comical, if not for the dire situation. "When I was a child, father created Narnia," she divulged, shifting to bring her knees to her chest, her arms wrapping around them, "He gave it to Frank, a son of Adam, and Helen, a daughter of Eve. They ruled fairly and their descendants continued to do so for many years once they passed. Eventually, the last of their lineage could not bear an heir. When the bloodline ended, father appointed his children to rule Narnia. My oldest brother, William, became known as the Great King. Edith, my sister, was known as the Generous Queen and our brother Fabian became the Wise King. To this day, some call me the Warrior Queen. We ruled together, side by side, for years, never wavering. Until, one day…" Adeline frowned and tried not to think too hard on the details of the increasingly bloody story. Sighing heavily, she tilted her head to meet Edmund's eyes. "One day, something changed. The Great King became a tyrant. The Generous Queen became greedy. The Wise King succumbed to madness."
Edmund felt his heart clench as he recalled Adeline's words to the White Witch. "You usurped the throne, it is not yours to keep." Even though questions burned in his mind, Edmund remained silent, waiting for Adeline to continue.
"It became dangerous," she whispered, closing her eyes, "They became dangerous. Negotiations went sideways, wars were started. Wars we could not fund, as Edith refused to part with the gold. William wanted to rule more than Narnia, wanted to be emperor not just over the Lone Islands but over everything. Fabian turned the people against us, believing everyone to be our enemy. I was the only one left with my mind still unmoved." With another heavy sigh, Adeline carefully unsheathed the dagger she kept by her side at all times. She held it out to Edmund, hilt first, allowing him to take it. "I did what I had to in order to protect Narnia," she regaled quietly, pointing to the blade in his hands, "and I used that to do it."
Edmund dropped the silvery weapon as though it had burnt him. "You killed them," he whispered, horror seeping into his voice, "You killed your own siblings." Adeline nodded sadly, tears gathering in her eyes.
"I killed Fabian first. He was in charge of the negotiations that brought Narnia to the brink of war. I hoped that his death would bring William and Edith to their senses. William could not conquer other countries without the armies that I controlled and Edith was mostly interested in money so she was not interested in fighting battles. Until they found out what I had done. They declared me a traitor to my own throne, as though they weren't contemplating killing each other. I knew then that they were too far gone, beyond saving. I killed them too and left."
Edmund could understand her reasoning. Narnia had been well on its way to implode. "What happened? You are here now and even the Witch has some sort of respect for you. How do you go from traitor to famed warrior?"
"My father found me," Adeline explained, expression a little lighter, "and explained that the Witch had cast the curse and taken the throne. He told me that even though I had done what needed to be done, I was still considered a traitor by the Deep Magic. But he gave a chance to redeem myself. He tied my life to a prophecy. The Traitor Queen will find redemption by aiding the future to be better than the past. Only once the four have gone, will she be free at long last. At first, it was as though time turned back. I was a child again. My life is tied to yours, Edmund. I am the past…"
"And I am the future," Edmund cut in, realisation settling on his face, "Because I'm a traitor too. You have to help me and my siblings do better than you and yours." Adeline smiled, pleased that he had understood. "For how long do you have to help?"
The blonde shrugged. "I was never given a limit. It seems as though I have to continue to aid you and your siblings until your rule is over." The two rulers, one former and one current, sat in silence for a while, contemplating the story she had told. It had opened old wounds Adeline did not want to admit were still there. Edmund couldn't help but wonder if his treachery could be redeemed too. "You should go find your siblings, Your Majesty," Adeline suggested, breaking the silence, "I am sure they are very worried about you."
At long last, quite a while after Edmund and Adeline returned to the camp, the Witch left Aslan's tent. The Great Lion announced that she had renounced her claim on Edmund's blood and Adeline felt hope return to her, making it easier to breathe. Cheers rose around them, but the Witch was not satisfied, questioning whether or not Aslan would keep his promise to her. Adeline was not at all surprised to see her father roar, effectively silencing the Witch as more cheers rose. But Adeline could almost feel her father's heavy heart as the Witch and her henchmen left. What had he promised? Due to the emotional turn the day had taken, Adeline dismissed the Pevensies from their tutoring, bidding them to go to bed. She could not shake the sense that something was to change drastically.
Argus roughly shook her awake before dawn broke, sorrow and fear clouding his grey eyes. Adeline was out of her tent in an instant, almost running straight into Edmund. He gave her a saddened, pleading look before turning his head to Aslan's tent. Adeline understood immediately what had happened. Though pain seared through her, she collected herself before barking orders to Argus, telling him to have the army prepare for the battle to come. Edmund, taking a chance by placing his hand on her shoulder, led her over to Aslan's tent and waited for Peter to exit. Oreius and Edmund filled her in on the dryad's message from Lucy and Susan and Adeline felt relieved. The Deep Magic would do its part. Peter left the tent, confirming that the dryad was indeed correct.
Edmund turned to his brother. "Then you'll have to lead us," he stated firmly, "Peter, there's an army out there and it's ready to follow you."
"I can't" Peter protested, missing the way Oreius and Adeline shared an incredulous glance.
But Edmund insisted. "Aslan believed you could," he argued, gesturing to Adeline, "She taught you how. And I think you can do it too." And Edmund's faith in him was enough to motivate Peter, the two brothers sharing a slight smile that neither spectator could quite understand.
"The Witch's army is nearing, sire," Oreius announced, breaking the tender moment, "What are your orders?" Adeline, Edmund and the centaur all looked to Peter expectantly. Edmund was right after all, Adeline had prepared them for the battle as well as she could with the limited time. His orders would determine the outcome of the war.
The army gathered on the plains beyond the Great River, clad in their armour. Adeline stood by Edmund's side, ready to protect him for as long as she could before they were inevitably separated in the battle. Oreius had taken the same position by Peter. A griffin came back to report the enemy's position to Peter, but from their vantage point on a cliff above him, Adeline and Edmund had already seen them coming. The brothers exchanged a nod, a silent conversation passing between them that Adeline could not interpret. Before a moment could pass, the enemy was upon them and the Witch let her army attack. The Narnians on Peter's side of the battlefield waited with a bated breath for the signal. The blond king swept his sword downwards, sending dozens of griffins to attack. Arrows flew, rocks dropped from the sky. Some griffins fell, crushing the enemy below them. The surviving creatures flew to safety and Adeline knew it was only a moment before they would all be in the middle of the battle. Peter let out a war cry and took off with Oreius. And the battle had begun.
Adeline raised her bow, nocking an arrow in place. As the battle raged below them, the Witch and the rest of her army moved forward. Edmund acted accordingly, issuing the order for one of the archers to fire. From the arrow, a phoenix rose, sweeping down to create a barrier of fire between the Witch and the ongoing fight. But the Witch's magic cut the barrier down and they continued as though it had never been there at all. Peter called for his army to fall back to the rock and Edmund led the archers into their new formation, lifting his sword in a silent command for them to take aim. Adeline drew back the string of her own bow, focusing her aim on those who were in pursuit of Peter. In time with Edmund's sword being lowered, all archers released their arrows, letting the sharp projectiles soar through the air. In quick succession, following Adeline's directions, bows were reloaded and fired, the Witch's army falling slowly with each hit of an arrow.
For the second time in far too few hours, Adeline's heart broke. Peter's horse had been hit with an enemy arrow and Peter had fallen to the ground with his stallion. So Oreius and a rhinoceros took it upon themselves to keep the Witch away from him while he regained his bearings. Peter shouted for them to stop, but neither Oreius nor the rhino heeded his words. Adeline could do nothing but watch as they barrelled into the Witch's army. The rhinoceros fell soon enough, but Oreius went for the Witch herself. A tear slipped down Adeline's cheek as the stupidly brave and loyal centaur jumped over Jadis, only to be turned to stone while in midair. Adeline had finally had enough. She left Edmund and mister Beaver and jumped down from the cliff with the catlike grace having a lion for a father had given her. Edmund was not far behind her as they rushed to meet their enemy. But their numbers were rapidly shrinking and Adeline had a sinking feeling in her chest that if a miracle did not occur soon, they would all be dead. At Peter's command, mister Beaver pulled Edmund away from the battle, as Peter had told Adeline he would.
When Edmund, seeing the Witch approach his brother with her sceptre, disobeyed Peter's orders and went after Jadis himself, Adeline did not know whether to be proud of him or exasperated. But then he shattered the magic object, pride blossomed in her chest. He had rid the battle of one of the enemies' greatest advantages, just like she had taught him to. Adeline's pride washed away not even seconds later when Jadis jammed the damaged sceptre into Edmund's torso. Anger flooded both Peter and Adeline, both of whom immediately launched towards the Witch. Adeline was distracted though, as a minotaur attacked her. By the time she had managed to kill her adversary, Peter was already engaged in close combat with the tyrant. A sudden roar had the whole battlefield pausing to look up. Adeline grinned at the sight of her father and silently thanked the Deep Magic. Several Narnians followed him, led by Lucy and Susan. They even had a giant. In her moment of distraction, Adeline did not see the troll running past her. It knocked her into a rock, upon which she hit her head before she fell to the ground, unconscious.
She woke to the taste of Fire-Flower juice, little Lucy kneeling above her. So they had won. Sitting up, Adeline came face to face with Argus. Her faun friend smiled happily as she raised an eyebrow at him. Shaking her head with a chuckle, Adeline drew both Argus and Lucy in for a hug. Lucy went off to continue healing those who were still clinging onto life while Argus helped his blonde friend stand.
The next time she saw the Pevensies was during their coronation. She had crammed herself into a little nook, hidden from sight while able to overview the throne room. King Peter the Magnificent. Queen Susan the Gentle. King Edmund the Just. Queen Lucy the Valiant. Smiling softly, Adeline slipped through the throngs of people unnoticed. She left the hall without a sound, disappearing into the forest. She had things to do, after all, and would see the kings and queens when the time was right.
Unbeknownst to Adeline, Lucy saw her leave and when the newly coronated queen stood on the balcony, watching Aslan leave too. She turned to mister Tumnus, eyes watering.
"We'll see them both again" he reassured, not knowing that, for him, the statement was not true.
"When?"
"In time. One day they'll be here and the next they won't. But you mustn't press them. After all, Aslan is not a tame lion and Adeline has always been a restless spirit. They will roam, untamed by anyone or anything, until they are needed again."
Adeline did not roam, per se. She travelled all over Narnia, preparing for the future her father had told her to watch out for. She never settled, moving quickly and undiscovered through the land. Sometimes, if she was nearby, she would check that the kings and queens were taking care of their people properly. But neither of the Pevensies ever caught sight of her. They wouldn't until many years later.