Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia nor any of the characters and places associated with it.


Chapter 18: Unexpected

Everything around me suddenly goes quiet, or so it feels like it anyway. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I feel my entire body starting to shake with grief as my eyes start to well up with tears. Bella died? She can't have. There must be a mistake!

"What? Mal, what happened?" I whisper so softly that I'm not even sure if she hears it. Tears are flowing freely down my cheeks now, landing on my lap with small splashes.

"I'm so sorry, Ashley! I'll explain what happened later, but right now I think it would be best for you to lie down," I scarcely hear Malina suggest while Peter leads me inside. I barely register the time when we reach our room. I lay down on our bed before he lies down next to me and softly starts stroking the hair away from my face.

"I knew I should've left as soon as I had that gut feeling! I'm such an idiot! My little sister just got tortured and killed while I sat down on my bottom and did nothing! It's my entire fault for leaving and not protecting her! Why am I such a big idiot?!" I exclaim without taking a breath before breaking back down into continuous sobs and tears. My husband seems a little taken aback by my sudden outburst before he starts re-assuring me and promising to hunt down the culprit and kill them as soon as possible. The tears don't stop, but I suddenly feel a lot better as I think about the offender getting their head chopped off. I hear the door open then before Malina's sitting on the edge of the bed, her goat legs dangling off the high mattress.

"Would you like me to tell you what happened?" she asks gently and timidly, as if those few words can be the cause of her death. I sit up slowly against the headboard and nod for her to continue once Peter has me encircled in his arms. She takes a deep breath in before starting.

"It was a few days after you two had left; Bella and Lucy were playing with Bella's dolls in her bedroom. Lucy had left Bella alone for a few minutes to get a snack for the two of them, but, when she got back, she couldn't find Bella anywhere. She asked the guards outside the room, but they told her that no one had gone in or come out besides her. We all tore the castle apart looking for her, but found nothing; no evidence to tell us where she was, no note, no body, nothing. The guards went into the forest and went to see if Starstone had kidnapped her and taken her to the dungeon again, but no one was there. A few weeks passed with no signs of her anywhere – until a few days ago. They found her body lying on the rivers bed. She was gone. I'm so sorry, Ashley! I wish we could've found her in time," she explains sadly, her voice hoarse from crying. I nod weakly as I wipe the tears away from my cheeks before leaning my head on Peter's shoulder and burrowing my head into the crook of his neck. I have no reply for her. My mind is blank. Peter's arms wrap automatically around my waist, holding me close to him, as I feel my eyes water some more.

The next week passes by in a depressing blur. I spend every day curled up in a warm ball under the cotton covers of our bed, only ever getting up when I needed to use the bathroom or eat. Peter has court meetings to attend to, so I've been alone most of the time, wrapped up in a bubble of my own grief. My friends occasionally come and say hello and try to cheer me up with funny jokes, but they never stay with me for long in fear of getting caught and fired for not working. Susan, Lucy, and Edmund all keep their respected distances. Peter had told them when they came to visit me the day we got home to leave me alone so that I can get over Bella's death in peace. The following Wednesday we have a funeral. To say it's one of the worst days of my life would be an understatement. I can't stop crying the entire day. Peter ends out having to read my speech for me because I'm so choked up. That night I fall asleep quickly.

The morning after the funeral I'm awoken by the feeling of my head spinning around in dizzying circles. I sit up quickly and suddenly feel a giant headache come out of nowhere. My head feels as if it's about to burst at any second. The faint sound of a dripping tap isn't helping anything either. I lay my head back down onto the pillow in hope that it might go away. It does at once. I vaguely hear the door open as I lay there, trying to figure out why I have a steaming headache all of a sudden.

"Room service or should I say breakfast in bed," Malina chimes as she walks in happily. I look up at her and notice her carrying a large tray of food and drinks. It's pretty much sausages, eggs, and bacon with some fruit and fresh juice. I sit back up again slowly, trying my best not to think about the pain in my head.

"Thanks, Mal," I whisper as she places the wooden tray in front of me. Maybe some food might make me feel better.

"No problem. It was actually your husband's idea though. He said that you didn't eat at all yesterday morning and for dinner you only had a pear. What are you trying to do, Ash; starve yourself to death?" Her question catches me by surprise. I have to think for about three minutes before actually answering her.

"I just haven't been very hungry," I state simply. She frowns at me.

"Ashley, I know you've been upset over Bella's death, but there's nothing we can do about. She's dead! We can't bring her back to life and starving yourself isn't going to help anyone," she argues while pushing the food closer to me. I sigh in defeat and pick up a fork before taking a piece of sausage and placing it in my mouth. I take one bite into the beef before spitting it back out onto the plate. The fat in the sausage is starting to make my stomach swirl in nauseating circles. I suddenly can't even stand the smell of the food in front of me. I push it away quickly and lay back down before closing my eyes. "Are you feeling alright, Ash?" Mal inquires worriedly. I open my eyes and nod.

"Yes, I'm just feeling a little sick," I tell her. She smiles weakly before running out of the room and coming back in with a large glass of water.

"This might help," she says. I smile and scull it all down. Hmm, that's nice water!

"Thanks," I say before jumping up out of bed and giving her a hug. Malina pulls away suddenly, holds her nose, and pretends to die. "Do I really smell that bad?" I ask surprised. She stands back up and smiles sweetly.

"Let's put it this way, I suddenly know why Peter has been sleeping downstairs for the past few days," she replies with a gesture of her hand towards the bathroom. I grimace before grabbing a dress and undergarments before walking over to the bathroom and taking the warm bath to clean myself off. I get dressed once I'm done with my bath, into a light-blue dress, and head down stairs. Once I'm down stairs I head straight to the Great Hall. I open the double doors and am immediately covered in warm sunlight. I sigh lightly before looking up at the four thrones expectantly. Sure enough my entire family are sitting on their individual thrones. "Good morning," I exclaim happily. The entire room goes silent at once and looks at me. Shock and surprise are the main expressions on the creature's faces as I walk up to my husband's throne.

"Good morning to you too," he answers; looking a little surprised himself that I'm down here and not upstairs bawling my eyes out. I smile before I give him a short kiss and turn around so that I can sit on his lap. His muscled arms wrap around my waist immediately. "I'm glad you're back," he murmurs while placing a loving kiss on my shoulder and then on my neck. I smile.

"I'm happy to be back. Malina's right, I have to move on. Bella died, there's nothing I can do about it now," I explain. He looks relieved as I tell him this, making me suspect that he was starting to get worried about me. Secretly, I actually think it's sweet that he was worried over me, but I don't dare say that out loud. "Did you get the breakfast I sent up for you?" he asks curiously once his surprise wears off. I nod.

"Yes I did, but I couldn't eat any of it. The smell of the food was making me a little queasy in the stomach," I explain. He frowns in disapproval.

"Ashley, you've lost at least five kilograms since we got back. It's not healthy. You need to get some food into your system," he argues. I shake my head.

"I'm not hungry though."

"I don't care whether you're hungry or not, you need to eat something. If you're feeling nauseous after smelling beef sausages then eat some fruit instead. Just please, for my sake, eat something." I frown.

"Fine then. I'll go and get some fruit once I'm done in here." I look around the room then, frowning. "What are you talking about?" I ask curiously, as I take in all the faces of the guards and public who are in the room.

"Starstone. She got sighted last night holding a very long, sharp, and bloodied knife. We have guessed that she stabbed Bella to death after torturing her, we can't be sure though as we don't have any actual evidence. We had some doctors' look over Bella's body while you were upstairs and there were obvious lacerations to her. It also looked like she had broken both arms and legs which is why we assume that it was torture and not some freak accident. This whole scenario does make sense after the few incidents that you've had which is why we're expecting that it's Starstone's doing. We are worried though that she might want to kill you next," he explains. There's something in his tone of voice that I do not understand. It sounds like he's...scared? He must read my facial expression for he slowly adds, "Don't worry I won't let anything happen to you. I couldn't live with myself if I ever lost you." The assurance in his tone makes me smile. I know he'll protect me from her, that doesn't mean that Starstone won't try getting to me next though.

I sink further into Peter's chest as one of the guards start to say something. I grit my teeth together as the headache comes back suddenly and I start feeling woozy in the stomach again. I think about what I have eaten lately, which is very minimal. There's nothing that would make me sick. I only ate a pear yesterday and today I haven't eaten at all. I think about the out-of-the-blue headache I have gotten twice. I've drunk plenty of water. There's no need for me to have a headache. "Ashley, honey, are you feeling okay? You look a little green," Peter asks worriedly. I feel my head start spinning as the contents of my small dinner last night starts making its way up my body.

"Excuse me," I choke out as I jump off Peter and run to the closest bathroom, which is in the hallway outside the Hall. I slam the bathroom door closed and start to throw up in the chamber pot. Why am I sick? I haven't eaten anything that would make me sick. I suddenly get hit with the most logical reason of all. I can't be. I wipe my mouth off with a cloth and run speedily outside into the town. I can't be! I can't be! I chant in my head as I head straight to the sick room. "Hi, Solivia, I need to see Doctor Hedrick immediately," I exclaim swiftly. She checks her notebook quickly and looks back up to me.

"Sure," she agrees readily after a few minutes. "Doctor Hedrick, I have Mrs. Pevensie here to see you," she tells a messenger bird. The bird nods. It flies out of the reception room and comes back a few minutes later holding a small, blue note. "Alright, Ashley, Doctor Hedrick will be out in a second. Would you like to take a seat?" she offers as she gestures to one of the few, black seats that surround the room. I nod and sit down. My headache comes back again and I instantly feel myself starting to black out. Just then the doctor walks in. He smiles when he notices me and gestures me into the small hallway that leads into the check-up rooms. I grimace and follow him into a plain, white room that's covered with charts and medical equipment. There's also an uncomfortable looking white bed in the middle of the room.

"Would you like to take a seat on the bed for me?" he asks. I nod and carefully sit on the edge of the bed while trying my best not to think about the awful taste of vomit in my mouth. "How can I be of service, Ashley?" he inquires, smiling. I take a deep breath in and begin.

"I just came to get a check-up done. I've been getting a lot of headaches this morning and I've been extremely tired and not very hungry. I also had morning sickness so I just came to make sure that I didn't catch a disease or something," I explain as he writes the symptoms down in on a parchment with a quill. He nods his head as he reads each of them over again and then gets out a little dictionary. He reads something and frowns. He then looks back at the notebook and then to me then back to the dictionary. It goes on like this for about five minutes before he finally stops at me.

"Tell me, Ashley, when did you last eat something healthy?" he asks. I don't really need to think about that question.

"Yesterday evening," I state. He checks his note book again.

"Have you been drinking water?" he asks curiously.

"Yes, I have drunk a whole glass of water this morning," I tell him. He suddenly checks the dictionary for the hundredth time. I'm starting to get sick of his sudden movements. "Ashley, can you lay down for me? Nothing to worry about, it's just so that I can quickly have a check-up done on you," he asks. I nod and lay down on the uncomfortable bed. After about an hour or so of blood tests and stomach measurements, I'm finally allowed to sit up. I jump up off the bed eagerly and sit down on a comfy chair that's in front of a desk. The doctor comes back into the room, wearing a huge smile. I feel my insides churn in worry as I lean on the maple desk in front of me. The doctor sits down on the chair behind the desk before he writes my name down on a small piece of paper and starts writing different symptoms and results. I should've learnt how to read writing that's written upside down!

"Have I come down with a disease?" I blurt out before I can even think. The doctor laughs a booming noise and shakes his head.

"No, Ashley, you have not come down with a disease," he promises me. I sigh with relief. "But there is something I have to te-" he starts to say, but gets cut off abruptly.

"Are you okay? I heard you came straight here after throwing up. Are you very sick? Have you got cancer? Are you going to die?" Peter rambles on panicky.

"No, I'm fine, but the doctor was just going to tell me something before you rudely interrupted," I say as I watched him pull out a chair and sit down next to me. He puts his arm around me and starts to draw soothing circles on my back. I turn my attention back to the doctor and nod for him to continue.

"Congratulations, Ashley! You are pregnant!" My jaw falls to the ground and my eyes go wide. I turn to Peter and notice that he's wearing the same expression as me.

"I'm pregnant!" I exclaim in shock. The doctor nods looking guilty. "But you told me-" He cuts me off with his hand.

"Yes, it seems I accidentally mixed up your results with someone else's when I told you. I apologise if I made things complicated for you and Your Majesty for any amount of time," he apologises professionally. My face of shock changes to a face of utter joy. I'm going to have a baby. I feel happy tears starting to well up in my eyes. The one thing that I thought was never going to be possible is now happening.

"You may leave now, if you wish," the doctor says slowly after a very long silence. I feel Peters arm leave my back at the same time I hear his chair move out. I grab the hand that's now sitting on my shoulder and stand up myself.

"Thank you, Doctor Hedrick," I manage to choke out. He smiles at me and Peter before standing up himself.

"Not to worry, I will need you to have a check-up in about a month though, just to make sure that the baby is going okay," he says. I nod before heading out the door hand-in-hand with Peter. I feel a tear escape my eye and roll down my cheek. I wipe it away secretly as we exit the sick rooms. We walk out into the fresh air and through the busy town. I can't help but start worrying about Peter. He hasn't said a word since the news came out. I wonder if he's in shock. That single thought makes me anxious. I have no idea how to get people out of a state of shock. Maybe some ice cold water will do the trick? We reach the castle stairs slowly because of Peter's state. I don't mind though; it gives me plenty of time to let the news sink in. Once we're inside I look over to Peter. He's smiling so much that I think he's going to crack his jaw. I grab his hand before dragging him quickly up the marble staircase. Once we're at the top of the staircase, I lead him into our bedroom. I close the door quickly and am instantaneously picked up and spun around. Peter and I laugh together joyfully. He puts me down after a few spins and pulls me into a tight embrace.

"I'm guessing you're not in shock anymore," I whisper. He smiles and kisses the top of my head.

"Your guess would be correct," he answers me. I sigh and move one of my hands automatically to my stomach. "I have a question though, pregnancies in Narnia, are they the same as the one's in my world. I mean do they last for nine months or is it different?" he asks, his gorgeous voice full of curiosity.

"It takes nine months in your world as well? Well, that's good to know. I was worried that it would be different," I explain with a shrug. He smiles at that and pulls away to hold my hands.

"Oh well I'm glad it's the same. It would've been too confusing otherwise," he says. I look up at his face and smile when he's grinning down at my stomach. I'm so glad I'm pregnant. At least Peter's not upset anymore. Thank Aslan for that!

"Yes, it would've been," I laugh out after a minute. He smiles at me happily and leans down towards me slowly. I meet him half-way. I sigh into his mouth as soon as our lips meet. The kiss is slow and passionate, the type of kiss that screams out joy and happiness. I chuckle against him when he starts to pull me closer to him. He is always so eager. I lean away after a few minutes and give him one last peck on his luscious, warm lips before going and sitting in front of the open fire. I know he's smiling at me; I can feel the projectile of it on my back. Pete comes up and places himself down next to me. I feel his warm arm wrap around my back and pull me closer. I lay my head on his shoulder and cuddle up into his side.

"So I'm guessing that you are going to want to start shopping immediately for the little bub?" he guesses. I nod and lay down so that my head is on his lap. He lightly pushes a strand of hair out of my face before I hear the door open. I glance up only to see goat hooves of, who I guess is, Malina.

"Are you alright, Ash?" she asks as she sits down next to Peter. I sit back up and smile brightly at her.

"Yes, I'm good. Can I please talk to you outside for a second though?" I inquire. She nods and stands up before heading back out into the hallway. "I'll be two seconds. I just want to tell her about the baby so that someone at least knows and can cater to my every need," I explain to Peter in a teasing voice. He laughs and makes a large gesture towards the door.

"Go." I smile and give his cheek a kiss before standing up and running outside. Mal is standing outside our bedroom waiting patiently for me as I come out. She smirks at me. I suddenly don't trust Malina one bit.

"I need to tell you something," I say as I grab her hand and pull her over to the lounge in the lounging area of my apartment.

"Alright, go ahead. What do you need to talk to me about?" she poses as she falls down onto the seat before grabbing an apple from the fruit basket sitting on the small, coffee table. She takes a large bite out of it before looking at me and patting the seat next to her. I smile and sit down before hesitating for a second. Can I really tell her that I'm going to have a baby? I'm not sure whether I can even get the words out. It still feels so surreal that I'm carrying a brand new life inside me.

"Um...well...I have some...um...news," I stutter out unhelpfully. I groan inwardly at my stuttering. Who knew it's this hard to tell someone that you're going to have a baby. Malina seems confused. She looks at me like I'm crazy before taking a bite of her apple and then looking at me again. It goes on like this for about five minutes before the silence becomes awkward.

"You have some news..." she encourages once her apple is finished. I take a deep breath in slowly.

"Well...Peter and I are going to be parents in nine months." She squeals excitedly before she pulls me into a huge hug. I smile happily, glad that my best friend knows now.

"That's amazing news, Ash. Congratulations!" she exclaims as she pulls away from me. I chuckle softly.

"Thanks, but you're the only person that knows for now, and even then the only reason I've told you is in case I get any strange cravings, so keep your mouth shut," I command. She smiles and nods.

"Sure, don't worry; your wonderful little secret is safe with me," she promises. I smile and give her another hug before standing up. "I've got to go, Ashley, but I'll see you tomorrow," Malina says as she stands up and walks towards the door before suddenly gasping and spinning around quickly. "I forgot to do something," she tells me before yelling at the top of her lungs, "Congratulations, Peter!"

"Shh, Malina, be quiet! There are guards outside our room," I whisper furiously.

"Whoops! Sorry, Ash," she whispers back.

A soft, quiet, "thank you" rings throughout the whole apartment suddenly and I can't help but giggle softly. Malina giggles a little bit too before she waves goodbye to me and leaves. I grin and skip happily back to our bedroom. I open our bedroom door slowly before glancing at the bed. Peter's already in bed reading – a dictionary? I raise an eyebrow before I get into my pyjamas and hop into the already warm bed.

"Honey, why are you reading a dictionary?" I ask inquisitively. He puts it down on the bed, making sure that it's open to where he is, before shuffling over a little bit to cuddle up to me.

"Because I wanted to," he answers truthfully. I stare at him before shaking my head and cuddling into his warm arms. My husband is officially a nerd. Great!

"Is there a better reason than you want to?" I ask. He chuckles and grabs the book again.

"You want a better reason. Fine then! There are some servants and guards who talk Narnian all the time to me and I can't understand what on earth they're saying. So I'm reading the dictionary to understand the language," he explains while reading the word, 'wiernaml' which means waterfall. I smile and start to kiss his neck. I may as well tease him if he prefers reading a dictionary over talking to me. I hear the book being put down immediately. I chuckle and lean away to look into his sparkling, blue eyes. "Tease," he says. I smile innocently at him before giving him one last peck and lying down next to him.

"I would never do such a thing!" I exclaim while putting a hand on my heart. He pulls me tightly into his side.

"Of course not, darling, because you're far too innocent for that." He smirks slightly before laughing at my narrowed eyes. "So would you like to go out shopping tomorrow for baby clothes?" he asks casually, changing the subject. I beam at the word baby. It still seems so surreal that I'm pregnant, as if I'm dreaming or something. He reads my expression and gives me a kiss on the nose. "I'll take that as a yes," he says. I cuddle up deeper into his broad chest while he tightens his grip around my waist. I sigh and close my eyes. It's silent for what seems like ages. I'm almost asleep when..."Wait!" he exclaims, making me jump with fright.

"Goodness, please don't do that! You are going give the innocent, little baby a heart attack before it's even born," I accuse. I feel his warm hand go to my stomach at once.

"The baby's fine, but I just remembered that something is happening tomorrow. We can't go out," he explains. I sigh again and feel my eyelids starting to droop. "I'm sorry, Ash. You can go to sleep now. I forgot how late it is," he tells me. I nod my head slowly and lay down on his chest. He gives my head a kiss and closes his own eyes.

"I love you," I tell him tiredly. I feel him smile.

"I love you too, sweetheart," he tells me honestly. I close my eyes and quickly fall into a nightmare.

It grows closer. The blood-thirsty look in its red eyes scares me to no avail. I'm not worrying about myself in this horrible moment though, I'm panicking for the safety of the gorgeous little, blue-eyed angel hiding behind my leg. The creature haunts forward causing the little boy behind me to quiver with fright. I keep my eyes trained on the menacing creature as I put my hand behind me to hold the tiny boys hand. He grabs hold of it with both of his. The creature is dangerously close. I hear a tiny whimper from behind me and feel little nails digging into my skin. I ignore the pain as the creature stops dead in its tracks. It grins wickedly before it pounces at both of us. The little boy wails from behind me then...

I scream and startle awake. I sit up quickly. My body is dripping in sweat and is rather rigid. I feel tears falling down my face as I put my hand instantly to my stomach. The last time I had a dream like that was before I married Peter. The dream was so vivid that it seemed real. A soft hand touches my shoulder gently and I jump with fright.

"Are you okay?" Peter's soothing voice asks. I turn around stiffly and nod my head. He pulls me carefully down until I'm safely snuggled up against his chest. I feel myself shaking. It looked so real. Peter's hand starts drawing comforting circles on my back.

"I just had a nightmare. It's fine," I assure him in a shaky voice.

"You don't sound fine. Are you sure it wasn't more than just a nightmare?" he asks protectively. I nod my head and snuggle back into the warmth of his chest. I hear him sigh before he kisses the top of my head. I close my eyes in total relaxation. "Put aside your nightmare for a moment and listen to me," he says after a few moments of peaceful silence. I open my eyes back up and look up at his face. He's smiling brightly down at me. What have I done to earn that? "I forget to tell you last night that Aslan is coming today." I gasp.

"Aslan's coming?" I shout at him, suddenly stressed, as I immediately sit up and try unsuccessfully to pull the sheets off my sweaty body.

"Ashley, it's two in the morning and I wasn't done!" Peter interjects while pulling me down quickly. I sigh and nod for him to continue. "Aslan is coming today to...wait for it..." he says teasingly. I fight back the urge to slap his chest for making me wait in anticipation. Goodness, he knows how to torture me! "To crown you High Queen!" he finally tells me excitedly. I freeze and my eyes grow wide. I was expecting this eventually, but it just seems so sudden, after everything that has happened yesterday. He reads my face for a second and then frowns sadly. "Aren't you excited?" he asks upset. I smile up at him reassuringly.

"Yes, I'm very excited, but it just caught me by surprise. I wasn't expecting this day to come so quickly," I explain. He smiles at me and gives me a gentle kiss on the lips. I sigh into his mouth. I can kiss Peter all day and would never get sick of it. There's just something about the way his lips move against mine that seems inviting. Just as things start to get heated, I feel a twinge of morning sickness start to make its way up my body. I pull away instantly and put a hand over my mouth before jumping out of bed and running for the bathroom. I start throwing up in the chamber pot at once. Peter comes in at some point to hold my hair back for me, but I'm not exactly sure of the time he arrives. Once I'm done, I stand up and wash my mouth out with the goblet of grape spiced wine that Peter had gotten for me. It tastes good, much to my surprise.

"Thank you, Peter," I say before I make my way back to our bedroom.

"Susan is going to do your hair today. You'd better get going before she goes off at you," Peter warns me as I get up in the morning. I nod in agreement. Susan can get fierce when it comes to hair and makeup and I'm not really in the mood for her to scream at me for being late. I give Peter a quick kiss before heading out of our apartment and down the stone stairs. I walk down to Susan's level and continue down the hallway until I hear her voice.

"Ashley, get in here, now!" Susan warns me in a deadly tone from her bedroom door. I groan and walk into the purple room. Why oh why does Susan have to be the one to get me ready? As soon as I enter, I'm immediately attacked by Susan and Lucy. They make me sit down in a chair so that Susan can do my hair while Lucy helps me decide what dress I'm going to wear.

It takes us three hours, but I'm finally ready. I look into the mirror and gasp a tiny bit when I see my reflection. My hair is loose and curled. My dress is long and silver with hints of gold in it. I'm wearing gold flats on my feet and have a diamond necklace on with a matching bracelet. I actually look pretty for the third time in my life. I turn to my side and smile when I can see the tiniest little bump on my stomach. "Whoa, Ashley! I think you need to cut back a bit on the junk food. You know eat something healthy," Susan observes. My eyes grow wide. Whoops! I totally forgot that we haven't told anyone besides Malina about the baby yet! I turn around to face Susan. I start to debate whether or not I should tell them now or wait for Peter, when I hear the door open.

"Ashley, are you ready, sweetheart?" Peter asks from the door. I nod and walk up to give him a hug.

"Yes, I'm just nervous. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever guessed that I was going to be crowned High Queen. I don't know what to do," I whisper quietly into his ear. He pulls back a bit so that he can look in my eyes and smiles.

"Don't worry. We'll help you," he promises. I grimace. "Relax," he adds as he holds out his hand for me to grab. I take it gracefully. He leads me out of the room slowly, obviously giving me a little bit of time to collect myself. We go down the marble staircase and eventually arrive at the front stairs. A sudden thought occurs to me; one that makes my eyes start to water the tiniest bit with tears.

"Ashley?" my husband's questioning tone brings me out of my thoughts. I shake my head and look at him.

"Yes," I answer him. Please don't see past my shield.

"What's wrong? You seem a little pre-occupied. The only times I have ever seen you blank out is when your focusing on something and usually it's quite important," he asks with a hint of worry in his tone. I look straight up into his blue eyes.

"I'm fine. I promise, I was just thinking about my family. I'm just wondering whether my parents would be proud of me at the moment. I don't think my father ever would've suspected that I would become High Queen of Narnia," I explain to Peter. He smiles gently at me.

"They would be so proud of you...just like I am," Peter tells me, his voice dripping with pride as he puts his arm around my waist and starts walking me down to the throne room. I feel myself starting to shake with nerves as we get closer and closer. I feel Peter's grip on my waist tighten as he feels me shaking. "Relax, love, it's going to be great," he promises me quietly. I smile at him nervously. "Okay, are you ready?" Peter asks once we make it to the golden doors. I nod my head, before Peter kisses my forehead and enters through the doors leaving me alone outside in the hallway. The butterflies in my stomach have started doing back flips now.

"Ashley," I hear a gentle, velvet voice call from behind me. I immediately spin around to come face to face with Aslan. He grins happily at me before slowly walking forward to stand next to me. "Just relax and stand in front of your throne once we're at the end and make sure that you don't sit down until the chants are over, okay," he directs me. I nod in understanding. "Right, now come along," he commands me as he goes through the double doors. I quickly follow through the doorway.