Definitely Not Christmas Presents

After almost 10 years, or, in actuality, 1600 years, the question still burned in Lucy Pevensie's mind. Even when she had ruled as a Queen of Narnia, she had had numerous opportunities to fulfill her curiosity, but the subject had never come up. Now, itching with anticipation, she believed the time had finally come.

Lucy found her friend where he often sat in the garden that was the Real Narnia, by the stone wall that overlooked the other "real worlds." She tried to walk up to him silently, but she forgot that fauns have very good hearing. Tumnus heard her and turned around.

"Oh," he cried, clearly startled, but pleased at the same time, "hello, Lucy…er, um…I mean…Your Majesty."

"Please, Mr. Tumnus," Lucy sighed, "you're one of my dearest friends. You needn't be so formal."

"Well," he replied, "then isn't it time you stopped calling me Mr. Tumnus?"

Lucy smiled. "Oh I will always call you that, because I always have."

"I suppose that's the way parents bring up their children in you world," Tumnus answered. "But anyway, was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes," Lucy replied, giggling the way she often did. "Actually, it's something I've been wondering ever since we first met."

"Go on," Tumnus said, though afraid he knew what it was she was going to ask.

"Mr. Tumnus," she went on, "when we first met, you were carrying some packages. I have always been curious; what was in those packages?"

"Ummm," the faun stuttered.

"I mean," Lucy continued, "at first I thought you were Christmas shopping, but then you told me that you hadn't had Christmas for 100 years. When we first got to your house, I noticed you placed them away in your bedroom. We had top rush out of your house for fear of being caught by the Witch, and I didn't get to ask. Nor was I able to bring up the topic when again I visited you, on the same day that Edmund first came to Narnia. And then you were captured by the Witch and turned to stone–oh, sorry; I didn't mean to remind you of that."

Tumnus was visibly shaking, and looking as if he would cry. Lucy instinctively brought out her handkerchief, for she knew that possibly another secret was to be revealed. She let her friend cry silently for a bit while she waited for him to be ready. Finally, after what seemed like many minutes, Tumnus spoke.

"My dear Queen and friend," he began, forgetting to not be formal, "I hope that you will forgive me again for yet another mistake I have made in my past."

"Mr. Tumnus," Lucy replied, "you know that I will forgive you no matter what it is that you are about to tell me."

"Yes, thank you," he answered. "Well, dear Lucy, you remember that the reason I originally brought you to my house was because I was supposed to tell the Witch about you."

'Yes, and then you saw how humans really were, and you chose to go against your orders and save me," Lucy said.

"That's right," Tumnus replied. "Well, here comes the difficult part." He took a deep breath. "You see, when I worked for the Witch, was also in league with some of her dwarves. The day we met, I was just on my way back to my cave from picking some things up from one of those dwarves. Inside those packages were some things that I was supposed to use to help me search and capture Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve like you. There was a telescope, some rope, and a few pills that the Witch had enchanted with the power to make the victim sleep until the right time came."

Lucy saw that the faun was still quite upset, and she went to comfort him.

"Mr. Tumnus," she said softly, "it's okay. I understand."

"I never did use any of that stuff," he replied with a sniffle. "It stayed in my bedroom until the Witch captured me, and then after she was gone, I threw the stuff out."

"Well see," Lucy cried cheerfully, "you don't have to worry. I truly mean it when I say that I forgive you, and I know Aslan will forgive you. We all make mistakes, so it's perfectly okay."

"But," the faun started, but he was quickly hushed.

"We shan't speak of it anymore," Lucy said. "Please."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Tumnus replied with a smile, and they both laughed.

In a few minutes, the two friends heard the unmistakable sound of a horn, letting them know that they were wanted in the court of King Frank. They departed from the wall together, Lucy's curiosity finally settled.