True to his word, Rilian remained just outside the chamber, where he was occupied in staring helplessly at the door. He was not there long before Eustace appeared, carrying the bag he had first arrived with over one shoulder.

"Going somewhere?" the king asked, somewhat concerned. However, one look at Eustace's face told him better.

Too out of breath to answer right away, Eustace shook is head no. He was well winded from running up the tower stairs and it had obviously been a struggle for him to find that bag and whatever was in it. When he finally caught his breath he asked one question after another. "What are you doing out here? Is Jill in there? What's happening? Is she alright?"

"She's alright… For now… I think…" Rilian looked back at the door for a moment, but when he looked back at Eustace's concerned face he finished quickly. "I've been told to wait outside for now - but you go on in if you like."

Eustace took a step toward the door hesitantly. "Um, are you sure? She's okay? I would like to just check on her."

"Go on. She'll just send you right back here, but she might like to know you're here. Come," he led him towards the door and knocked before he opened it. Peeking inside he nodded and said something quietly to whoever was inside. He then opened it wider and allowed Eustace to go in.

Eustace entered the room to check on his friend. She was on the bed, looking completely winded. "Jill?"

"Eustace," she smiled. "Have you and Rilian made up?"

"Don't worry about that now. Are you alright?"

"Just ducky," she answered, giving him a look. He couldn't help smiling.

"You haven't changed," he observed.

"Pardon me?"

"You're exactly what you always were. I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner."

She looked at him surprised, then patted his arm. "Thank you, Scrubb. I'm alright now. Go on," she nodded to the door. He smiled, kissed her hand, and left.

Outside the room he again joined Rilian on the bench. The guards were gone - Eustace realized this must be because the king himself was doing a fine job of guarding on his own. Nobody would get into that room without his permission, that was for certain. Eustace thought for a moment, then decided to ask Rilian what he truly wanted to know.

"Do you love her?" he asked the king. Rilian didn't flinch, but slowly turned towards him.

"More than anything in the world," he answered. Eustace nodded and looked away, but Rilian continued. "No matter what the dream may have meant - I truly think that she was sent here to be with me. I knew that from the very beginning."

"She was a child when you first met," Eustace observed.

"Yes, and somehow someone arranged it so that we would meet again as peers. There was no explanation for how we ended up the same age, except that something wanted us to be together."

"Aslan?" Eustace asked.

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Tell me about the dream you had. Aslan tried to send you away-"

"He did send me away. When the Lion tells you to do something, you do it."

"Except that you didn't marry the princess. Didn't he tell you to do that?"

"Well… he never actually said for me to do that though. The dream itself was pretty vague."

"Aslan always is," Eustace smiled.

"It was speculation, really. He said I had to leave Narnia and Jill had to let me go."

"How is that speculation? Sounds to me like he didn't want you to marry her."

"That's what we thought too - but if he had been truly against it, he would have said so, do you not agree?"

"Well -"

"I mean to say that he could have stopped it if he truly wished to."

"That's definitely true."

"But we haven't heard from him since. He never said anything once we became engaged, the wedding, or since Jill's pregnancy."

"That's a good point. If you had really angered him, you definitely would have heard about it," Eustace summed up. Rilian nodded and the two men fell into silence. A minute or two passed before Rilian spoke again.

"I'm sorry, Eustace. I know I've been an ass." Eustace smiled at the king's accurate apology.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't try and tell you how to run your country," Eustace said truthfully. Rilian smiled and offered his hand. Eustace shook it, and they both instantly felt better.

A scream from inside the chamber brought them both back to reality.