I don't own Narnia or the Pevensies. But I almost gave them a rest in this chapter.


It took them three days to reach Cair Paravel. Lucy caught sight of it first – a strange twinkling on the horizon, which at first confused her, but then she realized that it was the light reflecting off the hundreds of beautiful glass windows. At this sight, something inside her leapt up. She lifted an arm to point towards it. Susan and Edmund brought the horses around to face it more directly, their shadows falling in front of them as the sun slid to meet the horizon at their backs, and Lucy could practically feel the little tingle of anticipation that ran through all four.

"It's been a while," mused Peter.

"Two weeks is hardly a while," said Susan. But her cheeks suddenly seemed to glow eagerly, and she pressed her heels to into her mount's flanks to set them off at a brisk trot. When Edmund brought his own horse to match the pace, she gave him a competitive glare before glancing down at Lucy, winking, and suddenly they were taking off at full speed, their tired horses apparently just as keen to reach home as they were. Lucy heard Ed give an indignant yell and within seconds they were racing neck and neck. Peter was shouting something, she couldn't hear what as it was lost in the pounding of hooves on the plain, but suddenly the two sisters were pulling ahead. Lucy glanced back for a moment, craning her neck to see around Susan's shoulder.

" Susan, stop!" she said suddenly, and Susan pulled up sharply on the reins. The horse did a bit of a prancing maneuver to turn about-face. Edmund was hurriedly hopping down from the saddle to rush over to Peter, who was sprawled on the ground a fair distance behind them, looking rather dazed. Lucy and Susan quickly dismounted and hastened over to their brothers.

"You ruddy git," Edmund was saying, easing Peter into a sitting position. "Have you broken anything?"

Peter attempted to check himself for injuries, his eyes slightly unfocused and his motions fumbling. Impatiently, Edmund brushed his brother's hands aside and did it himself, their sisters hovering nearby. But Edmund seemed satisfied that there was nothing severe, so Susan and Edmund together helped Peter to stand up between them. When they let go of his arms, he staggered to one side, at which Edmund rolled his eyes, slid an arm up and around the elder king's shoulders, and half-led half-dragged him back over to their horse.

"M'alright," mumbled Peter incoherently, as Edmund helped him back up into the saddle. "Jussa little…" The instant Ed had remounted, Peter slumped forward over his brother's back, his head lolling over Ed's shoulder.

"Dolt," muttered Edmund.

"What happened?" asked Susan worriedly.

"Idiot didn't hold on properly," said Ed, looking down at them. "Fell off as soon as we started moving faster."

"Are you sure he's all right?" asked Lucy, peering over at Peter. He groggily lifted his head up, blinking a few times.

"…be fine," he attempted to say. "Just want to…to…go…" He trailed off.

"Home," completed Susan understandingly. "And so do we. Come on, Lu, let's get a move on. And Ed, make sure he doesn't fall off again. I think he's still a little addled."

Both sisters returned to the mare and mounted, Susan checking that Lucy was comfortable before they again set off towards the castle. The sun was warm upon their backs while the sea became increasingly visible, glinting beautifully in the distance beyond the Cair. The last few miles of their journey seemed slower than the rest, but it was a pleasant sort of slowing, like things were winding down just to welcome them back in.

Almost a half hour later, they passed through the golden gates to the proud, brassy ring of trumpet calls. In the courtyards, people and Beasts of all shapes and sizes were hurrying outside to greet the horse-mounted monarchs, crying out welcomes and inquiring as to the details of their journey. Lucy waved back, as two of her siblings were preoccupied with guiding their steeds and the other was still only semi-conscious. She felt a little strange, knowing that they all must look a bit of a mess, but she smiled and acknowledged their subjects as merrily as she could. At last they were back at the stables, where several stable hands helped them to dismount and took away the horses. Peter stumbled forward the instant he was on the ground. Susan was ready, and managed to hold him upright until Edmund nimbly hopped down off the stallion and took up their brother's other arm. Lucy stepped forward, eager to help, but Susan fixed her with a look.

"Don't you even try," she said warningly. "One Peter in the family is bad enough."

"Thanks," muttered Peter darkly, doing his best to stand on his own. The four of them slowly made their way back out to the main courtyard, where several servants hurried out to greet them and all began to talk at once. When they managed to get organized, the head of staff stepped forward to address the Pevensies.

"Your Majesties," he said, sinking into a deep bow. "Welcome home. It is good to see you are safe and…er…relatively well. I should invite you to your personal chambers to rest. You must be weary."

"That would be perfect, Laslow," said Susan gratefully. "If you could have someone run ahead and run hot baths, we would be most appreciative."

"It will be done, Your Highness," said Laslow, bowing again, and he motioned to another young man who scurried off to do as had been said. The four monarchs continued up the steps and into the main hall, trailed anxiously by their subjects, who seemed curious but afraid of disturbing tired royalty. Lucy caught glimpses of people through doorways and arches, pointing and whispering, looking excited and inquisitive.

It took a good ten minutes to ascend to the tower where their chambers were. When they finally reached it, there were several more servants waiting for them, who took Peter from Ed and Susan and escorted all of them into their private chambers. Lucy found herself in the company of a rosy-cheeked dryad who kindly pulled the cloak from her shoulders and helped her to undress. In the tiled bathroom there was a deep tub full of steaming water, and the warmth emanating from it filled her with an inexplicable sense of eagerness. When she finally slid into the bath, she could have sworn she had died back in the castle, because this had to be what heaven felt like. The water lapped gently at her bare skin, easing all the tension from her muscles, wrapping her in euphoria.

She was dimly aware that the dryad was carefully washing her dirty hair, massaging oil and fragrances into her tired skin, changing the bandages on her hands. But really, it was all irrelevant compared to the feeling that she had. It was a combination of many things, prominent among them warmth and safety and satisfaction. They were home. They were alive. There wasn't much more to wish for. Lucy's tired mind finally began to swirl down into a comfortable darkness, and the next thing she knew, she was in a blue silk nightgown and crawling up into the fluffy depths of her enormous bed. Just before she drifted off to sleep, the door creaked open and Susan poked her head in. She smiled warmly at Lucy, stepping inside and coming to sit on the edge of her bed. Gently brushing some newly dry, clean, soft hair away from Lucy's face, the elder queen leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead tenderly.

"Just wanted to say good night, Lu," she whispered, knowing that her sister was quite close to sleep. "You really were stupendous. I'm so proud of you."

"Love you, Su," Lucy mumbled with her eyes closed, snuggling deeper into the wonderfully silky, warm blankets. Everything felt so very soft and light against her body at the moment.

"Love you too, Lucy," said Susan, and Lucy felt the bed give way as her sister got up, crossed the room and left. The door clicked dimly, leaving her in a moon-drenched room. Her room. Home. And this marvelous thought was the last one to make itself known before she succumbed to a deep, restoring slumber.