Telmarines and Narnians alike stood united together in the Throne Room at the castle in order to witness the crowning of their new king.
With a short musical refrain from the trumpets, the Kings and Queens of Old entered from the back and regally walked through the aisle of soldiers and generals where they met Aslan on the dais and stood in front of him. Next, Cassia entered and slowly made her way through the aisle and stood off to the left side of the dais.
The trumpets sounded again, and Caspian entered the room with his head held high. Dressed in his finest robes, he looked especially handsome as he humbly walked down the aisle.
When he reached the dais, Aslan softly padded forward and addressed the gathered crowd, "To the swift Beruna rivers and beyond, I present to you, Caspian X, King of Narnia."
Peter and Elaine stepped forward to stand in front of Caspian. A young centaur nervously clopped up to the dais and presented Peter with a large golden crown. Peter carefully picked the crown up as Caspian knelt down before him. Then Peter slowly placed the crown onto his head.
"Once a King of Narnia, always a King," he stated.
Elaine put her hands in the crook of Peter's arm. "May your wisdom grace us until the stars rain down from the heavens."
Caspian smiled and stood back up to face his people.
The crowd collectively bowed to their new king. Then they rose and shouted, "Long live King Caspian! Long live King Caspian!"
Caspian held his hands up and the crowd quieted. "As your new king, there are two orders of business I would like to take care of immediately. First, a knighting."
Drystan entered the room and slowly made his way down the aisle. When he reached the dais, he knelt in front of his new ruler.
Edmund held out a sword for Caspian.
Caspian took the awaiting sword and held it in front of him. "For your unwavering loyalty to Narnia, for your faith in the kingdom, for wisdom in the face of adversity, and for your service to the princess and myself." Caspian lightly tapped both of the guard's shoulders with the sword. "I hereby name you Sir Drystan, Knight of Narnia, and grant you full command of my army and calvary. Arise."
Drystan stood back up and moved to the right side of the dais.
"And now one final ceremony."
Outside the Throne Room, Eva took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm her erratic nerves. After everything she'd done in the last week, going through with this ceremony should be a cinch, but the thought of all those eyes on her and the possibility that she might trip on the floor-length dress and fall on her face made her want to forget about accepting her title and just bolt out of the castle.
But as Caspian announced her, she knew there was no turning back.
With another deep breath, she slowly walked through the door and into the Throne Room. Hundreds of eyes turned to stare at her, and her heart beat so wildly that she was almost sure it was going to burst right out of her chest at any moment. But then she met eyes with Cassia who discreetly motioned for her to lift herself up so as to appear confident. Eva straightened her back and lifted her chin, then began to walk down the aisle of soldiers.
At the front of the room near the dais, Edmund had to keep his jaw from falling to the floor the moment he watched Eva step inside the room. She wore a ruby-colored dress with long sleeves that went past her hands in traditional Narnian wear, and her hair had been curled and tied into a very fancy bun with two loose pieces resting on both cheeks. The faintest traces of eyeshadow and lipstick adorned her face which made her green eyes shine even brighter than usual. She looked so much older and wiser than the fourteen-year-old girl who had appeared on the beaches of Cair Paravel only about a week ago.
He barely recognized her.
Very carefully, Eva approached the dais and slowly knelt in front of Caspian.
"For helping to defeat enemies both seen and unseen, for exhibiting faith even in the darkest hours, and for extraordinary bravery in times of hardship." Caspian lightly let the sword touch her left shoulder. "I grant you the title of Lady Eva…the Lion-Hearted."
Eva let out a light gasp at the official title, and she smiled as Caspian held out his hand to help her stand. "Cool," she said quietly.
Edmund looked at his feet to hide the fact that he was smiling.
There was the girl he knew.
The Kings, Queens, and Lady walked back down the aisle and out the Throne Room door where Glenstorm met them to lead them down to the stables.
Once inside, Caspian mounted Destrier and stood first in line next to Aslan. Behind him, Peter and Elaine rode up on their provided horses. Following them were Susan and Lucy.
Edmund held his hand out for Eva. "Lady Eva."
Eva smiled and accepted his help in mounting up onto Saragon. "Thank you, King Edmund."
After Edmund and Eva had mounted and joined the line, Caspian rode out into the streets of the lower towns where his people eagerly stood outside their houses and threw rose petals in their path while shouting their praises for him, Aslan, and the Kings and Queens of Old. Ahead of them walked little Telmarine children excitedly leading the way and behind them walked the entire Narnian army who relished in their victory and the peace it would bring.
That night, a great banquet took place inside the castle to which Narnians and Telmarines alike were invited. Everyone ate and drank and danced to their hearts' content, and it was almost difficult to believe that just a week ago, the Telmarines had believed the Narnians to be nothing more than a children's fairy tale.
Edmund walked up to Eva and held out his hand with a small bow. "Lady Eva, may I have the honor of dancing with you?"
Eva blushed and took his outstretched hand. "Sure."
She allowed Edmund to lead her around the ballroom and tried her best to follow all of his steps in the traditional celebration dance. To her immense relief, she didn't trip on her dress for its duration, but she was sure that she didn't look very graceful either.
At one point, she made eye contact with Cassia on the far side of the room, and she smiled when the elder girl winked at her.
Meanwhile, across the dance floor, Elaine slowly waltzed inside Peter's arms. "Do you remember the last time we were at an event like this? When you first told me how you felt about me?"
"Right," Peter smiled. "It's hard to believe that was over fifteen years ago."
"But it's also 1,300 years ago. Well…no, it's only a year ago. Peter, how are we ever going to celebrate our anniversary?"
Peter laughed. "How about we just do the date we walked inside the wardrobe? If it wasn't for that day…"
He didn't say it, but Elaine knew. If they hadn't gone through the wardrobe, or if even only one of them had while the other hadn't, they never would've fallen in love or gotten married. Narnia was what brought them together.
"The day we walked through the wardrobe it is."
Peter gently pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you so much, my beautiful wife."
"And I love you, my darling husband."
He closed the gap between them and softly kissed her. Perhaps it was inappropriate to do so in the middle of a ballroom, but after a year of having to deny their marital status, it was beyond refreshing to be free to show just how much they loved each other again.
When the dance ended, Edmund took Eva's hand and led her out onto one of the balconies surrounding the castle gardens.
"You, um…you look beautiful tonight," Edmund stuttered.
Since when did he have such a difficult time talking to Eva?
"Thank you," Eva smiled shyly as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You know, I spent all morning thinking I wasn't ready to accept the title of a Lady. I didn't want the Narnians to put their trust in me if it was undeserved."
Edmund looked at her surprisingly. He hadn't realized just how much Eva had matured during her time here until this very moment. She understood that a title was so much more than a few meaningful words, and she also understood exactly what came with those titles.
He remembered experiencing similar feelings on the day of his coronation. He had felt unworthy of taking the throne after all of the traitorous things he'd said and done. But Peter had been there to assure him that he was the one who had helped defeat the White Witch by breaking her staff and that Narnia needed him just as much it needed his siblings.
"It wasn't until Caspian announced why he was presenting me with a title and gave me my official name, the Lion-Hearted, that I truly felt like I was ready to take on everything that comes with being a Lady. I made a serious mistake and I regret it, but now I know what to do to make sure that no one is deceived by the White Witch or her followers." She looked up at him and smiled. "I love this place. And I want to always do what I need to in order to protect it."
Edmund suddenly felt his face warm and he nervously cleared his throat. Such simple words and yet they carried so much weight. It wasn't enough to just say you wanted to protect Narnia, one had to actually do it. A week ago, he might've doubted that Eva truly would do all that was required to really protect Narnia, but now, he knew that she spoke the truth. Just as he had made a promise the first time he had been here when he was crowned king to be a fair and just ruler, she took on the promise to be a lion-hearted Lady.
"You know," he said, thankful he somehow managed to keep his voice steady, "last time we were here, our coronation was when Peter and Elaine told each other how they felt. Something about coronations just makes it a little easier to confess things."
Eva smiled a little, amused at his uncharacteristic nervousness.
"Uh, I think in the last few days, we've both seen different sides of each other. And that sometimes can bring about certain feelings. I, um…"
"Edmund," Eva said, deciding to put him out of his misery. "I like you too."
Edmund laughed lightly and put his hand to the side of her face, his thumb lightly tracing her jawline.
Eva decided she'd done enough hesitating lately and stood up onto her toes to kiss him. His surprise only lasted a second before he gently kissed her back.
Fireworks suddenly exploded above them, bathing the night sky in sparkles of white, green, red, purple, and pink. Eva rested her head on Edmund's chest as he wrapped his arms around her, and the two of them stared up at the sky to enjoy the remaining celebration together.
Early the next morning, Peter, Elaine, and Susan met with Aslan in the courtyard at his request. However, none of them were prepared for the news he shared with them.
"You all have grown up since the moment you first stepped into this world," he said in his low but gentle voice. "And you have learned much in your time here. That is why you will not be coming back to Narnia."
Elaine felt like someone had punched her in the stomach, and she couldn't breathe. "Not coming back? We won't ever be able to return here?"
"This world has given you all it has to offer you. The time has come for you to learn what your world has to offer you."
Peter gently took Elaine's hand. "But what about you, sir? Will we not ever see you again?"
"I will still be with you in your world. I have another name there, and you must learn to know me by it."
"Will we…still be able to keep our Narnian wedding rings?" Elaine asked.
"Yes, dear one. There is nothing more sacred than the vows and the bonds of marriage. Not even the magic that helps you travel between worlds can erase them."
"I don't understand," Susan said quietly.
"Things may not make sense now. But there will come a day when every question is answered and every thought is complete." Aslan turned his head and saw Caspian watching them. Just as the young king turned to leave so as not to interrupt them, he gently called, "Your Majesty?"
Caspian met Susan's eyes and his heart panged when he saw only pain and sadness in them. He didn't know what had caused such unpleasant emotions, but he also knew that now was not the time to ask. "We are ready. Everyone has assembled."
Aslan nodded, and Caspian reluctantly walked back into the castle.
"Come," the Lion said gently. "It is time."
He padded in the direction of the lower towns, and Susan and Peter began following after him. Peter stopped when he realized Elaine wasn't next to him. He turned around and saw her staring into her old silver mirror.
"Why can't this thing be more explicit?" she muttered.
"What do you see?" Peter asked as he moved to stand behind her.
On the mirror, the image was of their wedding day as they exchanged vows and rings.
Elaine sadly ran her finger over the silver lining. "What is this supposed to tell me? How is this supposed to explain to me what to do about how I feel right now?"
Peter stepped in front of her and took her free hand. "You know, if Aslan had told me we wouldn't be coming back the day that we arrived on that beach…I don't know what I would've said or done. But now…I'm okay with it. I'm disappointed, of course, but I know Narnia is going to be okay without us. I know that we're going to be okay." He gently brushed away Elaine's falling tears with his thumbs. "We're going to be okay."
Elaine knew why the mirror had shown her their wedding day. It was reminding her that on that day, they had vowed to love and protect each other forever, and that promise extended to their life in England as well. It was telling her that she and Peter were husband and wife no matter where they were. As long as they had each other, they would be able to face every challenge head-on regardless of which world brought them.
Peter was right. They were going to be okay.
Elaine sighed and hugged him tightly. If it was true that they were leaving soon, then they only had a few more moments where they could be husband and wife and she planned on soaking up every single one.
With bittersweet hearts, the two of them made their way to the lower towns to join Aslan and their siblings.
Telmarines and Narnians had gathered at the edge of the neighboring village. Caspian and Aslan stood in front of the crowd by a large sycamore tree perched against a cliff. Peter, Elaine, Susan, Edmund, Eva, and Lucy stood off to the right side while Cassia, Alaesa, Trumpkin, Reepicheep, Trufflehunter, the Bulgy Bear, the Professor, and Glenstorm stood on the left side.
"Narnia belongs to the Narnians, just as it does to man," Caspian said to the crowd. "Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to. But for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers."
"It's been generations since we left Telmar," one man in the crowd said.
"We're not referring to Telmar," Aslan told him. "Your ancestors were seafaring brigands. Pirates run aground on an island. There they found a cave, a rare chasm that brought them here from their world. The same world as our Kings, Queens, and Lady. It is to that island I can return you. It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start."
There was uneasy chatter from the Telmarines in the crowd until a voice said boldly from the center of the throng, "I will go."
Everyone turned to look at who had spoken and saw that it was General Glozelle.
"I will accept the offer."
Caspian nodded his head towards the man. Glozelle stepped to the front of the crowd before Caspian and politely nodded back.
"So will we," Prunaprismia announced. She stepped forward with her infant child in her arms and with her father, Lord Scythley.
The three of them walked up the steps of the village's terrace.
"Because you have spoken first, your future in that world shall be good," Aslan stated. He gently breathed on them, giving them protection from what they would soon face in their new land.
The sycamore tree slowly unraveled itself which created a small opening big enough for an adult to walk through.
General Glozelle, Lord Scythley, and Prunaprismia climbed the remaining steps onto the terrace.
Cassia walked up to her aunt and gently stroked her cousin's tiny head. "You will…tell him of us?"
Prunaprismia smiled at her niece and nephew. "Of course."
Cassia softly kissed the little baby's head before tightly hugging her aunt. Then she moved to stand next to Caspian, and the two of them watched as Glozelle, Lord Scythley, and Prunaprismia walked through the tree and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Where did they go?" someone asked.
"They killed them!" another exclaimed.
"How do we know he is not leading us to our death?" yet another accused.
"Sire," Reepicheep said to Aslan. "If my example can be of any service, I will take eleven mice through with no delay."
Peter, Elaine, and Susan shared a sad glance as Aslan looked over at them expectantly.
With a resolute sigh, Peter took a step forward. "We'll go."
"We will?" Edmund asked.
"Come on. Our time's up." He walked over to Caspian with a small smile. "After all…we're not really needed here anymore." He took his sheath off his waist and held it out for Caspian.
Caspian put his hand on the sword. "I will look after it until you return."
"I'm afraid that's just it," Susan said. "We're not coming back."
Caspian's face fell.
"We're not?" Lucy asked.
Peter stepped back next to Elaine. "You three are. At least, I think he means you three."
Lucy looked at Aslan crestfallen. "But why? Did they do something wrong?"
"Quite the opposite, dear one," Aslan said gently. "But all things have their time. Your brother and sister and your brother's wife have learned what they can from this world. Now it's time for them to live in their own."
Lucy looked at him sadly.
Peter gently took her hand. "It's all right, Lu. It's not how I thought it would be, but it's all right. One day you'll see, too. Come on."
All of them stepped to the other side of the terrace where their friends and soldiers stood.
Peter shook Glenstorm's hand while Elaine curtseyed to Alaesa, Edmund bowed to Trufflehunter and Trumpkin, Lucy curtseyed to Reepicheep, and Eva curtseyed to the Professor, all of whom bowed back in return.
Elaine threw her arms around Alaesa. "I'm so thankful I was able to see you again."
"As am I, Your Majesty. You have my word that we will not hide again and we will give all of our loyalty to King Caspian."
Lucy turned and curtsied to Trumpkin who did his best to look expressionless as he bowed towards her. Overcome with emotion, Lucy tightly hugged Trumpkin and even if he later wouldn't admit it, Trumpkin tightly hugged her back.
Elaine slowly walked over to Caspian and took her satchel that contained her staff and mirror off her shoulder then handed it to him. "Keep it safe for me?"
Caspian took the satchel from her. "It will be my honor."
"I know you're going to be a great king, Caspian."
"Thank you."
Elaine curtseyed to him and he bowed to her.
Eva stepped in front of Cassia. She wanted to say something, but at the same time, words seemed unnecessary. So instead of speaking, she tightly hugged the princess for several moments.
When she pulled back, Cassia gently touched the side of her face. "I hope we meet again, Eva."
"Me too."
Susan slowly approached Caspian. "I'm glad I came back."
"I wish we had more time together," Caspian said.
"It would never have worked anyway."
"Why not?"
"I am 1,300 years older than you."
Susan smiled sadly and turned towards her siblings. She paused for a short moment then quickly turned back around and kissed Caspian, much to the amusement of the crowd and Caspian's sister who already knew that she was never going to let him live this down.
Caspian tightly hugged Susan, cherishing every second he still had before she left Narnia forever.
"I'm sure when I'm older I'll understand," Lucy whispered.
"I'm older and don't think I want to understand," Edmund said.
Eva smiled bashfully and blushed as she recalled the previous night by the gardens.
Susan finally pulled away and forced herself to join the others in front of the sycamore tree.
Elaine took a deep breath as the fact hit her that this was the last time she would ever set foot in Narnia. Peter, feeling the same way, took her hand in his and lightly kissed it.
Edmund held out his hand to Eva, and she slowly took it, saddened that her time in Narnia had come to an end so soon but also ready to take the next step in her own world to prepare for her eventual return.
Cassia walked up to Caspian and put her arm around his waist while he put his arm around her shoulders. Together, they watched their friends walk through the portal and wondered if and when they would ever see them again.
Hand in hand, Edmund and Eva walked through the portal first. Hand in hand, Peter and Elaine walked through next, followed by Susan. Lucy took one last look at the land she loved so dearly. Aslan met her eyes and gave her a warm and tender smile before she finally made her feet walk forward and passed through the portal herself.
The next thing they knew, all of them were back in the train station in England as if they had never even left. Looking behind them, there was no evidence that they had just traveled between worlds or experienced a life-changing adventure.
Now dressed back in their school clothes, they quickly tried to remember what they had been doing before they'd been transported to the beach.
Elaine sighed when she recalled that she and Peter would be separated shortly at their respective boarding schools, but after being in Narnia and reaffirming their love for each other and the vows they had made, she knew that they could now handle being apart for a just a little while.
Edmund looked at Eva with a melancholy smile. He was sad about leaving Narnia, but he was thankful that she had been allowed to come with them and would be able to return someday with him in the future.
A train stopped in front of them and the door opened. Several people got off while the students going to school began to board.
One of the boys boarded the train then turned to the Pevensies and Eva. "Aren't you coming, Phyllis?"
Everyone looked at each other in confusion, wondering who he was talking to. One look from Susan told them it was her. They'd have to ask about the fake name later.
Remembering what they were supposed to be doing, everyone grabbed their suitcases from the bench that had helped pull them into a different world and quickly boarded the train.
"You don't think there's any way we can get back?" Edmund asked as he looked through his bag. "I've left my new torch in Narnia."
Everyone couldn't help but laugh which felt good after the bittersweetness of the last several minutes. Peter put his arm around Elaine's waist and kissed the top of her head while Edmund draped his arm over Eva's shoulders. The doors closed, and the train began to move.
As they rode off to a new school year, Elaine thought about what lay ahead. While her time in Narnia may be over, she knew that she would continue to have many different adventures with Peter by her side every step of the way. It wouldn't be the same—not even close—but this world still had much to offer them, and she was excited to learn what that was.
Eva thought back to everything she'd experienced in Narnia. She had learned so much about herself and about Edmund, not the least of which was her feelings for him and his feelings for her. She was disappointed that she wouldn't get to go with Peter, Elaine, and Susan again, but she was thrilled that she would still be able to return with Edmund and Lucy. There was no telling how long they would have to wait until then, but regardless, Eva planned to continue growing and living up to her title as Eva the Lion-Hearted until the day that Aslan called them back to Narnia again.
And we have now reached the end of the second part of the story! Again, my sincerest thanks to MsRosePetal for the lovely reviews on every update. It always warms my heart. And thank you to everyone else who took the time to read my story so far!
~fanwriter1245