Chapter 3

It was hard burying Mr. Tumnus. It was hard seeing his face, uncreased and peaceful being covered in earth. From dust to dust. From earth to earth. As the last clod of earth was shovelled into place, a single tear fell on the smoothened mound. She stood there for a moment, saying a silent prayer... then she went back inside.

Rhiann woke to the sound of horses' hooves trampling up and down the dirt track just outside their home as she did every morning. She sat up on the mound of grass that was her bed. Looking around the cave, she could see that her mother had already left to look for food for them. As she did every morning. Her hair fell down her back in a long molten gold river and her aqua eyes glistened with a lively fevour. Upon hearing her mother come in, she sprang up from her 'bed'.

"Mother!" Rhiann smiled, relieving her mother of her burden: a basket brimming with berries and a bucket of sweet spring water. Her mother smiled fondly after her as she set them down on the rock that they had made their table.

"Good morning, Rhi." Coral smiled back at her daughter asRhiann hurried away from her. It had been seventeen years - seventeen long years - that had taken her to get to this point. The point of no return.

Rhiann glanced back at her mother. She was just standing in the middle of their cave unmoving, a tender smile on her lips, lost in memory. A cool breeze snaked in from the gash in the cave - its entrance - and coiled around her mother, tugging her soft hair loose. Rhiann breathed in the cool freshness, relishing the sudden break from dank cave air. She had never left the cave for more than five minutes and even then it was only at the safety of night's blanket. Her mother had forbidden it, telling her of all the dangers of the outside world and the evil creatures that roamed it.

"Rhiann..." Her mother's voice was soft and tender.

"Yes Mother?" Rhiann hurried to her mother's side. Although her mother had retained her youthful appearance from days long past - or perhaps not so long past - she had grown tired as of the late. Listless and less active. Gradually her stories of the past days had ceased. When Rhiann was younger - or rather, when her mother was younger - she used to listen to her mother tell her of her life as a princess of Archenland.

"I was a princess, my dear. But I was never crown princess, so you, as my daughter,are not true Archenland royalty."

She had never truly understood her mother's reasoning. After all, if her mother was a princess, shouldn't she be one too? But then again, perhaps things worked strangely in that world outside, full of horses' hooves. She had never actually seen a horse before - only pictures her mother had drawn in the dirt floor for her. Rhiann had learned everything that way. She had no idea why - after all, she would never leave the cave. It was her refuge, her safe haven. Yet her mother persited in teaching her all there was to know about the outside world.

"Come sit by my feet."

Rhiann looked at her mother. They hadn't done this for so long. She moved slowly over and sat down by her mother's feet.

Coral looked at her daughter for a long moment, feeling a pang of misgiving. Rhiann was so naive, so innocent, so trusting. Was it really right for her to do this? Then she felt that immense exhaustion wash over her again and realised that she really didn't have much longer. She closed her eyes and thought back to some of their early days in the cave.

"Mother... I'm cold." A small voice whispered in her ear. Coral jerked out of her sleep and smiled at the small child in front of her. She patted her mound of grass invitingly, gesturing for her daughter to climb up. Rhiann did so, yawning childishly.

"Will you tell me a story, Mother?"

Coral laughed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"A story, cariad?" She asked, trying to remember.

"Yes Mama, a story!" Rhiann lay her head on her mother's knee. "The best sort: the ones that begin with 'once upon a time' and end with 'happily ever after'!"

Coral tooka deep breath. Fairytales. Funny, she couldn't seem to remember any fairytales.

"How about I tell you about Lucy?"

"Queen Lucy?" The child's eyes were wide with anticipation.

"Yes, Queen Lucy." Coral closed her eyes.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful queen. She had two brothers and a sister. They were all Kings and Queens and they lived together at a beautiful palace called Cair Paravel. They were happy together. Many princes came to ask for Lucy's hand in marriage, but she declined laughingly, though apologising profusely, for she knew that she was young yet, and had not fallen in love with any of them.

It became a challenge amongst the princes. One by one they would visit Lucy and shower her with lavish gifts, but to no avail. Lucy loved all of them, but was not in love with any.

Then one day, when she was out by ariver with her friend, her friend fell in. Lucy screamed, but being Valient as she was, she jumped in after her friend and tried to save her. She managed to drag her friend to the surface and thrust her towards the bank, but her dress caught on a waterlogged tree trunk. As she tried to free herself, her leg became wedged between rocks at the bottom of the river. Her friendran to get help, butwas rather slow, and in no state to run, in any case. Lucyknew she was going to drown.

Then, when all seemed lost, a man happened to ride by on his horse. He saw what was happening at once, and leapt in to save Lucy, who at this point, was almost unconcious. He took her on his horse and carried her back to a cottage where he was staying. He looked after her, though he had little inkling of who she was. When she woke up, he carried her back to the palace at her request. As he was about to leave, she called after him, asking him who he was. He turned and smiled.

"I am your mystery rescuer." He told her.

"Will I see more of you?" She asked.

"Perhaps." He said, and turned away.

Lucy was rathersubdued that day, though her siblings put it down to her recent recovery and illness. Peter observed her andsaid she was lonely. Susan observed her and said she was spurned in love. Edmund observed her and said she was missing someone. Her friend - the one who had nearly drowned - observed her and said she wished to talk to the man who had saved her. They were all right in their own way.

Nevertheless, the next day announced the arrival of yet another prince in search of Lucy's hand. Lucy sighed, but dutifully made her way to the receiving room. The herald - abrown bear - announced the prince of Kilmere.Lucy braced herself for a prince attempting to win her heart through numerous gifts and riches, but in walked a man. Alone.

He was tall and broad-shoulder. His dark hair was mussed, as though he had just been riding a horse. His blue eyes twinkled as he walked towards Lucy.

"For you, my Queen." He said, holding out a red, red rose. Lucy reached out slowly and grasped it. It was him: her mystery rescuer.

Of course, Lucy didn't just marry him like that. They spent long hours in each other's company, getting acquainted with each other. His name was Josiah and he was the Crown Prince of Kilmere. Lucy and Josiah got along very well... and with time, fell in love.

It was at sunrise when he proposed to her. They were walking along the banks of the river where they first met, hand-in-hand. Neither was saying anything - there was no need for words. Then Josiah turned to Lucy.

"Lucy." He said, holding her hand. Lucy raised her eyes to his. "Lucy?"

There was no question as to what he was asking.

"Yes." She answered, and a smile spread across his face.

"Forever?" He asked.

"Forever and a day." She replied.

And they lived happily ever after."

Coral glanced down at Rhiann's sleepig form.

"Or at least they would have." She whispered to herself. "Had Lucy not disappeared with the other monarchy days before their wedding. Josiah refused to believe she was dead. He simply refused. For all I know.. he's still looking for her."

"Mother?" Rhiann's voice roused Coral out of her thoughts. Coral blinked.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. "Rhiann... I have told you so many stories. So many stories. Have you ever wondered what it was for?"

Rhiann looked at her mother, then nodded slowly.

"Rhiann... let me tell you a story once again." Coral looked pleadingly at her daughter. "Once more, and then once no more."

"Yes mother." Rhiann said dutifully.

"The best type of stories..." Coral whispered.

"The ones that begin with a 'once upon a time'" Rhiann smiled, waiting for her mother to finish the sentence. But Coral didn't. How could she, when she didn't know how this story would end?

"Once upon a time," Coral started. "There lived a princess. Unlike most princesses, she was not particularly beautiful, nor was she particularly special. But she loved the kingdom with all her heart, knowing that it could never be hers, as she was not the heir to the throne.

One summer, two queens and two kings came from a neighbouring land to visit them. The princess welcomed them and entertained them for the summer. She became particular friends with the youngest queen, a beautiful girl, both inside and outside. When the summer was over, the two were loathe to part.

"You must come and visit us." The queen told the princess. "Or I will miss you so."

The princess agreed to visit them in the winter, and so she did so.

The queen was particularly close to her oldest brother, the High King and the princess found herself continuously in his company. Not that she minded, for he was always a perfect gentleman, and very engaging.

Then one summer's night, the four kings and queens threwa party. There were fauns and badgers and bears and they were all having enormous fun. The princess' particular friend had been dancing with all the fauns and now she ran over to her brothers and friend and tried to persuade them to dance. She seized her elder brother and insisted that her oldest brother dance with her friend. And so they did.

After the dance, the king and the princess wandered out to the terraces together.

"It's a lovely night." The king commented. The princess only nodded. She suddenly remembered all the time they had spent together and suddenly felt rather self-concious. The moonlight played across their faces as they stared at each other.

The king reached out in a bold move and took the princess' hand.

"You are..." He tried. "You are.""

Coral sighed, breaking the spell that her voice had woven around Rhiann.

"They were in love, weren't they, Mother?"

"They were indeed. They spent lots of time in each other's company and eventually the king proposed to the princess. It was a cloudy day and the two were standing looking out to the sea.

"I wish everyday was like this don't you?" The king asked the princess, not looking at her.

"Yes." The princess answered.

"Do you really mean that?" The king turned to face her. "Would you wish to spend everyday for the rest of your life with me?"

The princess realised what he was asking and looked directly at him. She could see the truth in his eyes.

"Yes." She said again. "Yes!"'

Coral broke off again.

"They lived happily ever after, didn't they, Mother?" Rhiann smiled.

"The king was High King Peter and the princess was me. And no, they did not live happily ever after."