Disclaimer: I do not own C.S. Lewis' works.

A/N: I know this is a short chapter – sorry. I promise I will try to make them longer in the future. Thank you to all my reviewers: arabesquesunset, Kasndy, piccologirl, Nini the Electrocuted Sheep (I love your name), The High Queen of Narnia, Korean Pearl, mis.mira and GAKdragonMCP. Here's chapter 2:

Chapter 2

Coral rocked her baby to sleep, humming gently for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"It's okay, Baby… Daddy's going to get home and everything will be all better…" She crooned, trying to convince herself as much as Baby. Coral couldn't bring herself to name her child either. That should have been a shared duty with the baby's absent father. The baby gurgled happily, before drifting off to sleep, soothed by her mother's voice. Coral sighed and placed the baby in the little old-fashioned crib that she had found in the cave.

She sat on the floor and allowed her memories to soothe her.

She had visited the Narnian monarchs many times, though her chief purpose was to see Lucy. Lucy had really impressed her with her childlike innocence and beauty. Of course, Queen Susan was considered the most beautiful, but secretly, Coral thought Lucy far more beautiful than Queen Susan. King Edmund was rarely around – he toured the country frequently, trying to meet all his subjects. King Peter, on the other hand, was frequently around. Lucy and Peter spent so much time together that it was hard not to see him.

Once, on a cool summer's night, Coral had attended the first party at the Narnian palace.

"Edmund, please do dance!" Lucy exclaimed, upon seeing her brother standing in the corner.

"I'm afraid I don't know the steps, Lu." Edmund replied gravely, though his eyes sparkled. "And I'm afraid I will disgrace you and Narnia by standing up there with you." Lucy made an impatient gesture with her hand.

"Oh Edmund. I don't know the steps myself!"

Coral laughed. It was a typical 'Lucy' confession. Yet, no one could possibly tell, watching Lucy move on the dance floor, that she had never performed those moves before. Edmund glanced up and his eyes twinkled at her.

"You performed them admirably, Lu." A deeper voice sounded from behind Coral, who jumped and looked around. King Peter was standing behind her.

"Thank you Peter!" Lucy cried. "But Edmund won't dance with me." She adopted a childish look of petulance and stuck out her lower lip. "Pretty please, Edmund?"

"Oh come on, Ed." Peter laughed. "Oblige her or we'll have no peace."

"It's easy for you to say." Edmund grumbled. "You're not the one who has to dance!"

"Fine." Peter said. "Coral, would you like to dance with me?"

Coral's breath caught in her throat.

"Me, sire? I don't know the steps!"

"Good. Then we can be complete novices by ourselves." And with a gallant bow, Peter had seized her hand and led her to the dance floor.

Coral's thoughts were interrupted by a gasping noise from just outside the cave. She froze, and ran to her baby's side, shielding her from view of any intruder.

"Coral…?" A rasping voice whispered. A bloodied Faun limped into view and collapsed onto the stone floor.

"Mr. Tumnus!" Coral breathed, running to the Faun.

"Coral… Narnia has fallen…" Mr. Tumnus raised his eyes to her. His eyes were a pool of despair and disbelief. "Coral… your daughter… is our only… hope now. Look after her…" His eyes closed.

"No, Mr. Tumnus…" Coral whispered brokenly. "Stay with me! Comfort me as you did Lucy! Just one more time… please!"

"I'm sorry…" His breath was ragged now, and coming slower. Coral closed her eyes and wept. When his breaths stopped, she opened her eyes.

"Lucy… why did you have to leave? Why did you have to go? Why?"

As she looked in the face of her last friend, a tear slid down her cheek.

The silence was suddenly broken by the sound of her baby crying.

"No, Baby, no!" Coral hurried over to the child's side. "Please don't cry. You have to be quiet. You have to be quiet!"

The child looked at her out of those vivid green eyes and made a small whimper, and then was silent.

"Thank you Baby…" Coral smiled tearfully. "I can't keep calling you Baby, can I? Oh… Baby… I name you… Rhiann."

The baby blinked.

"Rhiann… the hopes of all Narnians lie on you now. It is a heavy burden. Bear it well… oh do bear it well."

Coral slumped down on the floor with Rhiann in her arms. Over at the entrance of the cave, Tumnus lay.

At rest.