Author's Note: Hello again. Well, we're finally winding down - only a couple of chapters left. I can't believe it's taken me over a year to finish this - sorry! But thank you everyone who's reviewed. As a first time writer here I didn't know what to expect. But you guys have been so encouraging I hope you know how much I appreciate it - it's what's made me determined to keep going, and now we're almost there. Cheers!

"So," Rupert began, trying to lighten the mood. "Have you and the Queen decided on any names?"

Rilian nodded, still a little distractedly. "Jill picked the name for a boy, and I for a girl."

"Are you not going to call it Caspian, then, if it's a boy?" Trumpkin asked. He looked honestly surprised.

Rilian shook his head. "No, I don't think so. We thought about it, of course. But then Dad was so well-known and well-loved, it'd be very hard to follow." He smiled then. "And I ought to know."

Trumpkin raised his glass to that. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Besides, your father thought that the throne of Cair Paravel could use a rest after ten Caspians. He didn't name you after himself."

"Exactly."

"What about for a girl?" Rupert asked.

"Ramanda."

"Your mother. She would have liked that."

"Thank you, Trumpkin." The men were finally settling comfortably together and Trumpkin was happy to at least see the king eat something that day, even if it was only a grape. Rilian was smiling again, and then their conversation was happily interrupted when the doors to the chamberopened again. The three men instantly rose to their feet. And to their relief, Eustace emerged with a triumphant smile on his face.

"Eustace!" Rilian ran to his friend and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Tell me!" he was beyond any pretention of ceremony by now.

"Congratulations, Rilian," Eustace beamed. "You have a son."

"I have a son," he repeated, not quite registering the information. "I have a son?" he started to laugh and clap his friends on the back as they came towards him with congratulations. "I have a son!" Trumpkin reached and shook Rilian's hand happily.

"How's Jill?" Rilian asked, although he knew from Eustace's manner that all was well.

"She's fine. Absolutely fine. I -" whatever Eustace was planning on saying slipped his mind, as his face broke into a huge smile. He could never remember being so proud. This is why he had been sent back to Narnia. He knew it. He suspected it from the moment he and Rilian had been summoned back to the castle. It was why he had run up to his rooms to find those blasted textbooks - no, it was why he still had those stupid textbooks after months in Narnia. This was what Aslan had wanted him to do. Not the islands, not their independence and not Lady Adelaide. All of that was so incredibly unimportant right now. Jill might have died, her baby too if he hadn't been there - but he was. He was, and thank the Lion that he was.

"Can we go in?" Trumpkin asked.

"She is still resting. Rilian can go in." Eustace stepped aside and let the king pass.

Rilian was practically walking on air as he entered the room. The scene before him was the complete opposite of what the room looked like before. The dark and gloom of the candles and drapes were completely gone. Instead he could see the late afternoon sun coming in through the windows. Jill no longer looked pale and breathless, but comfortable, while she enjoyed her well-earned sleep.

On the other side of the room he could see Rosaleen lift the baby from the sink they had been bathing him in, and the midwife wrapped him in a blanket before she brought him forward.

"Your Majesty," she said as she presented the infant to his father. The baby was the most perfect thing he'd ever seen. He had his own dark hair, but Jill's blue eyes. He fixed a sudden wide-eyed gaze on his fatherthat took his breath away. Riliancouldn't speak at all for a moment, and then he couldn'tthink of anything to say, except...

"Thank you," he said, taking his son into his arms. Thank you." He turned and saw that Eustace was standing behind him with a huge smile on his face. "Thank you so much," he said, and he meant it with all his heart.

"My pleasure, Your Majesty." Eustace smiled, made a small bow, and shut the doors behind him, leaving the royal family of Narnia alone together.