Well, it would seem that I am back. After conferring with my good friend Jane L. Black, I decided to expand this story. This is a sort of filler, to give some idea about what will happen over the course of this story. I don't know how long it will be nor do I know how long this will take. Enjoy!
It was strange, how big a part destiny played in the royal family of Narnia. Destiny spoke of four kings and queens. Destiny spoke of the man who united Narnia. Adeline herself had been subject to destiny and its whims. After all, she would never have met her husband had it not been for destiny. Yet, she never anticipated the role destiny would play in her future. Nor did she expect that it would not be her destiny.
She had only just returned from her honeymoon. Edmund was off spending time with his sister and Caspian, leaving Adeline alone in their chambers. He had attempted to convince her to join him but she had excused herself by claiming to be fatigued from their travels. She did not lie to him often, if ever. That particular night though, she had been plagued with the intensity with which her instincts were telling her that she should stay in their chambers. Never one to ignore such intuitions, she had remained where she was. She was proven right when a light knock on the door reached her ears. Her old centaur friend, one whose sons she had taught, trotted into the room upon being bid to enter. Diapalus had always been an avid supporter of her place on the throne, yet his presence deeply concerned her. He was a star-reader, much like Glenstorm.
That night, she learned that she was with child. A son, destined to be among the greatest kings Narnia had ever seen. Adeline had known that. Any child born to her and Edmund could never be less than what their people needed. It was Diapalus' next prophecy that left her stunned.
"The stars speak of two lovers, a child of gold and a child of dust," he had whispered, "A princess and a soldier, a reflection of history."
A part of her had wanted to deny his words. While love predicted by the stars was the greatest and deepest one could ever feel, it rarely came without worries and heartache. She knew that from experience, having been forced to bid her own lover farewell with the belief that she would never see him again. They had nearly lost each other on several occasions, they had faced wars and the greatest of all evils together. She did not wish to subject her daughter to that pain. Yet, she did not want to keep her daughter from loving someone as deeply as she loved Edmund. It had been her salvation, her lifeline for hundreds of years. Diapalus had left the conflicted queen in her chambers, his words hanging heavy in the air.
The only thing Edmund knew of Diapalus' visit was that he had made Adeline aware that she was carrying a son. She never told him of the predictions regarding their future daughter. No matter how many times she had attempted to convince herself that Diapalus might have meant Lucy's children or even Caspian's, she could only deny them for so long. He had spoken of a reflection of history. A princess and a soldier. When she had met Edmund he had been a prince and she had been a soldier. A child of gold and a child of dust. Adeline knew that if her husband was to learn of the prophecy, he would lock their unborn daughter away in an attempt to protect her. He still flinched whenever Lucy mentioned that she was enamoured with someone. With the knowledge of how painful destiny was, he would never allow their daughter to live hers. When Sabina was born, four years after the arrival of Bennett, Edmund was none the wiser.
As their children grew, Adeline always kept an eye out for her daughter. All of the girl's passing fancies had been for boys who were a part of the nobility and it was enough to make the worried mother let her guard down. She still watched, all parents do. But Sabina's first kiss had been with a nobleman's son, her first flirt. Secure in the belief that her daughter was the proper young lady she had raised her to be, Adeline completely forgot that, for all the rules of propriety that had been instilled in both her children since birth, Sabina was still her mother's daughter. All it took was one unsupervised moment and the security that Adeline had felt came crumbling down around her. In all honesty, she blamed her husband. He had been the one to convince her that they should have children. He had also been the one who had suggested that it was a wonderful idea that Sabina come with him on his daily ride through the surrounding forests.
True to the restlessness she had inherited from her mother, Sabina had ventured off the trails while her father told her stories of the world from whence he came. In a span of twenty minutes, she managed to get lost, meet the boy who would become the young man she had no idea she was destined to fall in love with and find her way back to her father. She had left the forest and returned home, believing that she would never see the boy again. At ten, she was far more concerned with driving her brother mad than she was with matters of the heart.
Not until three years later did Adeline learn of the incident. Sabina had come home from an outing with a potential suitor with the most peculiar look on her face. Being the concerned mother she was, Adeline had quietly inquired if something had happened. After a few gentle encouragements, Sabina admitted that she had seen a familiar face during her stroll through the village with the Valiera of Goldheight Isles' son. Curious, the queen had asked her daughter who she had met, upon which she was informed of the time Sabina had gotten lost and met a boy in the forest. Now, Adeline knew the stars. Having her daughter meet the boy she was meant to be with while she was old enough to remember but young enough not to question it sounded precisely like something they would do. With some trepidation, the woman asked her daughter what she felt about seeing him again. For the time being, Sabina had said that it had been a little strange but that she was sure it was nothing but a coincidence.
But that would not be the last time the two met. At least not until Edmund, as High King of Narnia, knighted a man named Rook. A loyal soldier who had served in the Narnian infantry for nearly as long as Caspian had been king, Rook was deserving of the title. After the ceremony, Sir Rook had introduced his son to the kings and queens, proudly proclaiming that the young man had taken his place in the infantry. Seeing the blush spreading over Sabina's cheeks as Marius kissed her knuckles, Adeline immediately knew that the boy her daughter had met in the forest was standing before them as the soldier the prophecy had spoken of.
As previously stated, Sabina was very much her mother's daughter. The princess spent countless hours practising with the weapons provided by the extensive armoury. She sparred with the soldiers, many of whom had trained under Adeline's strict tutelage. Her time spent with the soldiers meant time spent with Marius. Slowly and steadily, they fell in love to the sound of swords ringing and hearts beating. She would sneak out of her chambers to visit him when he was on sentry duty at the palace. Even at fifteen, he was a strong and trusted soldier. They found ways to steal moments together when Sabina was visiting the village. Eventually, the two lovers approached Adeline with the request that she allow them to court. Sabina had been stunned to see a knowing, bittersweet smile on her mother's face before they had even said a word to her. Marius kneeled before the High Queen of Narnia, fully prepared to defend his love for the princess at his side.
"Rise, Marius," the queen had said, "You will find that my permission was granted long ago."
And so he courted her. Somehow, the High King and the prince remained unaware of the courtship for many months, during which Bennett did all in his power to keep his sister from meeting the soldier. His efforts went largely ignored, even as he increased them after finding Sabina and Marius in an affectionate embrace. When Edmund learned of his daughter's relationship, Adeline finally stepped in and admitted to being aware of the blossoming romance, an admittance upon which the High King deflated.
But behind her back, Edmund and Bennett kept plotting for the downfall of Marius and Sabina's involvement. And the stars never took kindly to being ignored.