Disclaimer: Five months had passed, but the Harry Potter series and the Chronicles of Narnia are still not mine. They belong to J.K. Rowling and C.S. Lewis respectively. But oh, of course, I own Ardon! The other recognizable characters aren't mine, but oh, I own Ardon (you have no idea how that claim makes me happy).
A/N: SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE!
Haha, I know, I know, "When Two Worlds Collide" already officially ended five months ago but what's this, I'm updating it :D This is a bonus chapter for all of you. A lot had voiced out their interest in Lucy and Ardon's relationship, so BAM, I was able to formulate a one-shot out of it. I hope you'll like it :D
I HAVE A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE END!
Without further ado, I present the bonus chapter of "When Two Worlds Collide". Please read and then review afterwards. ENJOY!
Bonus Chapter: Lucy and Ardon
Queen Lucy Pevensie blew a frustrated breath. "Peter," she said, making sure to lengthen the syllables. Her lips twitched, despite the frustration she felt, because she could see how her older brother cringed with the way she called him. High King Peter Pevensie used to tell her that he despised the way she addressed him sometimes, and well, it gave Lucy all the more reason to use it.
"Lucy, we've talked about this," Peter said, expelling a soft sigh. He gave her a withering look and frowned. "I know how Narnian fairs excite you, but don't you think you have other things to do rather than gallivant around?"
Lucy rolled her eyes. "You're forgetting something, Pete," she said, pointing to herself. "Self-confessed procrastinator, remember? That is why you are reluctant to give me huge responsibilities." When he sheepishly smiled, she chuckled, in spite of herself. "I fixed my bed, ate my breakfast, greeted the castle attendants, and even volunteered to water the garden! I have nothing to do here, Peter. Come on; Susan and Caspian are busy ogling at each other to even notice me. And Edmund – that battle fanatic brother of ours is busy devising more strategies with the other soldiers." She petulantly crossed her arms and pouted. "I am bored and I swear to you, if I do not do anything within the next few hours, I'm going to die."
Peter looked at her in amusement and shook his head. "Must you be so melodramatic?" he asked. Lucy softened her features and earnestly looked at her older brother. She widened her eyes and protruded her bottom lip, making sure to perfect what her siblings fondly called as her 'puppy-dog eyes'.
Finally, the High King expelled a soft, defeated sigh. "Oh, all right," he then replied. Lucy grinned widely and even comically released a loud whoop, earning another amused stare from his brother. "But, I have two conditions for you."
Lucy frowned. She never liked conditions. "Okay, do tell me," she said.
Peter lifted his right, index finger. "First, some of the knights must accompany you." She was about to protest but he sternly looked at her, prompting her to tightly close her lips. "You're still the queen, and people all over the village know you. I do trust our people, but sometimes, there are emotions and thoughts instilled in them that even the royals of Narnia cannot control."
"Fine," she petulantly said. Peter could be awfully overprotective sometimes, but then of course, she knew he only worried for her safety. Nonetheless, that still did not mean she was thrilled with the idea. "And what is the other one?"
This time, she was startled when a lovely smile appeared on the High King's face. "Do have fun," he said, lifting another finger. "May things be, let's say, interesting for you today."
Lucy grinned back and gave Peter a one-armed hug. "Hmm… let's see," she said, giving him a sweet kiss on his cheek before pulling away.
She had been to numerous Narnian fairs before, but dear God above, she was still amazed at how lively the village becomes whenever there was a fair.
She kindly smiled at those who recognized her and stared at her, wide-eyed. Lucy, although still aged sixteen, was well-liked by the people of Narnia. It amused her one time when Peter proclaimed to her one dinner time that most of the village people voiced out their gratefulness whenever they see a glimpse of their beloved queen. That was why she never deprived them of such opportunities to see their queen. After all, Lucy loved her people very much, too.
Staring around, she somehow forlornly looked at her clothes. Although she had chosen the simplest dress she could ever find in her wardrobe, she still stuck out in the crowd like a sore-thumb. Having three, palace guards accompanying her around didn't help either.
Sometimes, she longed to dress up as a commoner and simply mingle around. She had tried it once, and well, let us just say Peter hadn't talked to her for a whole, excruciating week.
Did she forget to mention that Peter could be overprotective sometimes?
The village was transformed into a lively fair, with stalls and carts scattered in each and every corner of the village. Wonderful trinkets and clothes were displayed to attract the attention of the consumers and there were times when Lucy would find herself stopping at one stall, unable to suppress the awe she felt whenever a fawn or a centaur would endorse their products.
The air was already filled with the sweet smell of perfumes and scrumptious delights. One time, Lucy even tried what she perceived as apple-coated chocolates and declared that she had never tasted such a wonderful thing for ages. She bought quite a lot, even offering to her knights, who all embarrassedly accepted the queen's generosity.
Lucy had also bought numerous souvenirs for her siblings. A nice saddle for Stardust, Peter's beloved horse; more parchments and battle books for Edmund; perfumes and some scarves for Susan; and leather gloves for Caspian. It wasn't a wonder that although she hadn't stayed in the Narnian fair for an hour, their hands were already full with small bags and baskets.
"Err… I'm sorry," Lucy sheepishly said, turning to her three guards. She gave another bag, this time filled with necklaces and bracelets, to the nearest knight to her left. Through his helmet, she saw how the corners of his grey eyes wrinkled a little – he was smiling, and somehow, that made Lucy blush in embarrassment. Even her guards think she was amusing!
The queen silently told herself that that would be her last purchase, but when her eyes landed on the most beautiful jewellery box she had ever seen, she scowled. It was tempting her, alluring her, and in the end, she guiltily walked to the cart where she had seen the box and sighed.
"This will be the last, I swear," she said, turning to her knights-turned-servants with wide-eyes and an honest-to-God look.
Turning to the vendor, who was a sweet-looking beaver that made her fondly remember Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, she asked, "How much does that cost?"
The beaver flushed, realizing she was talking to the valiant queen, before grabbing the jewellery box and presenting it to the queen. "Five lions and four trees [1], my queen, but for you, I can give it for a lion," she said with furious haste.
Lucy's eyes widened and vigorously shook her head. "Oh no, oh no, there's no need for a discount," she said, fishing out her small purse from her hidden pocket. She opened it and kindly smiled at the beaver. "I'm going to deduce that you are working for a family. Besides, one lion cannot be the prize of a lovely box!"
She pulled out seven lions, much to the beaver's surprise. Grabbing the slightly trembling beaver's hand, she placed the lions on her palm and smiled once again. "May your children be thankful for their mother's hard work," she gently said, prompting the beaver's eyes to water with gratitude.
"Oh, bless you Queen Lucy! Thank you!" she exclaimed, hugging the lions against her chest. "Bless you and the other majesties!"
Lucy's heart swelled and her grin widened. Sometimes, it only took a smile from her people's face to make her know that everything she was doing for Narnia, whether dangerous or frivolous, was worth it in the very end.
"You are most welcome," she replied back.
With her eyes solely focused on the beaver, she was unable to see a passing fawn who'd roughly grabbed the wallet away from her palm. Aghast, Lucy turned around and stared at the retreating back the rogue fawn.
"HEY!" Lucy exclaimed. Her knights then had pulled out their swords and dashed after the thief.
The queen lifted her hem and ran behind them, silently gritting her teeth in annoyance with the fact that her layers and layers of skirt were prohibiting her from running faster.
Some of the curious villagers looked at the mad chase, but Lucy ignored all of them. All she focused on was her goal to catch the thief.
Before, she would have tolerated such actions. After all, she knew that thieves steal from the others because of poverty. But then, years of being a queen had produced this certain maturity in her. Along with it was the realization if wrongdoings were tolerated, they would persist; hence, no change would be brought about.
Perhaps, if the thief apologized, then she would gladly give up her money. But for now, she had to run after him first.
They were reaching the outskirts of the village, but the fawn was still persistently running. It was a relief that her knights were gaining momentum. Finally, one of her knights then grabbed the arm of the running thief.
Everything happened too fast afterwards. To her utmost horror, the fawn pulled out a sharp knife and slashed the arm of the unsuspecting knight, catching him off-guard. The knight was thrown on the ground, his helmet flying off his head and toppling beside him.
Lucy's heart ran cold and she urged her legs to go faster, ignoring the fact that the hem of her dress was already dirtied with dirt. It was a good thing her other knights were quick to respond, for they immediately grabbed the arms of the thief and threw he knife away.
The queen, on the other hand, quickly walked towards the injured knight and fell on her knees. "A-are you quite all right?" she asked, breathless and slightly trembling. When her eyes landed on his injury, her eyes widened in horror. "Y-you're hurt… I… um… what to do? What to do? Are you quite all right?"
She left her vial back in the palace and blanched. She never thought that something dangerous would have happened to her in the Narnian fair.
To her utmost astonishment, the injured knight softly chuckled in amusement. He then turned his face to look up at her, the expression on his face an odd mixture of amusement and pain. "I've had worse, your highness," he answered back, managing to give her a small smile.
And in that moment, with her eyes connecting with his startlingly gray ones, Lucy thought that she had never seen such a beautiful pair of eyes before.
The gray-eyed knight suddenly became horrified and flustered. "I… um…" he blubbered. Confused, Lucy blinked and that was when she discovered she was crying. The salty tears streamed down from her eyes and she touched her cheeks, surprise. "I am quite all right, Queen Lucy. Y-you don't have to cry."
A strange sound – a sob and a chuckle combined – escaped from her lips and she shook her head. "I-I'm glad," she said, softly sniffing and wiping her tears away.
The handsome knight then gave her a small smile, his beautiful eyes shining right before her eyes.
Lucy then swore her heart had stopped beating for a moment.
"How was your trip?" Peter asked, lifting his head from the document he was reading when Lucy strolled inside the room. Upon seeing her dazed expression, though, Peter couldn't help but frown. "Lucy?"
She snapped off from her dazed stupor and lightly blushed. "Yes, Pete?" she asked.
"I asked you how your trip was," the High King asked.
To his utmost surprise, a small, dreamy smile appeared on Lucy's face.
"Oh," she answered. "It was, let us say, interesting."
Peter lifted an eyebrow at her answer, and watched amusedly as his sister once again walked out of the Throne Room, the smile not leaving her face.
A soft yawn tore away from her mouth and she lazily stretched her arms above her head. A complete week had passed ever since the Narnian fair and once again, the valiant queen found herself with nothing to do.
Today, she could not pester the High King, as much as she wanted to. Some diplomats from the neighboring countries of Narnia arrived, and Peter had a meeting with them about the peace treaties and such. Although the royals of the other countries fascinated Lucy, she knew she was not needed in the meeting. Susan and Caspian were out in the village, discussing plans about their marriage; Lucy was still in disbelief that they were already getting married, but then again, she couldn't deny the fact that she saw this coming.
Which then left her with Edmund, and from what he had declared during their breakfast, he would be in the Place of Arms for the whole day, practicing his swordsmanship lessons.
Lucy grinned, already predicting Ed's annoyed look. He hated it the most when people distract him during lessons like this, which made him visiting all the more tempting for Lucy. After all, it was Edmund who was secretly her favourite; she sorely missed the times when they would both fool around.
The Place of Arms came into view and Lucy walked inside. The smell of sweat and blood reached her nose and she slightly scrunched up in disgust. Thankfully, the room was an open one for there was also a hint of fresh air from the outside.
Her arrival had attracted the attention of the sole occupant of the Place of Arms, but to her utmost surprise, it wasn't Edmund. Her eyes widened a little upon recognizing the same grey-eyed knight that had helped her back in the village, who got injured in the end for doing his job.
"Oh, um, hello," Queen Lucy said, hesitantly taking a step forward. "Have you seen King Edmund?"
The knight who, to her amusement, stared at her in surprise for a full minute, snapped off from his musings and hastily bowed down respectfully. Lucy could not help the small smile that grew on her face, noting how his cheeks grew red with embarrassment. "Pardon me, your highness, but your brother excused himself for the day for he has to do some errands in the village," he answered, his cheeks now returning back to its normal color. His disarming eyes met hers and this time, she felt herself growing red instead. "Rest assured, though, that King Edmund would be back before night time falls."
Lucy nodded in reply.
For a few minutes, they merely stood awkwardly facing each other, silence heavily hanging in between the two of them. The knight had chosen that time to fidget with the hilt of his sword, still thoughtfully looking at the queen.
Lucy, then clearing her throat, offered him a small smile. "Back in the Narnian fair," she started, absentmindedly tucking a stray strand behind her ear. "I… err… I-I've never really properly thanked you for helping me back then."
The handsome knight gave her a small smile. "It is my duty to always help the queen," he said, bowing once again. "There is no need to thank me, your highness."
"Oh, but you deserve it!" she interjected a little too loudly. When his eyes flickered back at her, slightly bewildered, she sheepishly smiled and chuckled. "Goodness, it was, by far, the most exciting fair I had ever gone to, albeit a little dangerous. But, thank you for accompanying me into the fair. I don't know what would have happened to me if you weren't there."
Was it merely her imagination, or did his look softened?
"Then, I must receive your gratitude wholeheartedly," he replied back. "And for my answer, you are most welcome, Queen Lucy."
When he said her name, she realized with a jolt that she didn't even know his. Embarrassed once again, her cheeks grew red and shyly, she asked, "Silly me, talking to you when you're supposed to be practicing. And, I-I'm sorry, but I don't even know your name."
"Ardon, your highness," he answered with a smile.
"Ardon," she repeated, returning the smile.
His name was Ardon.
It was a lovely name.
"Well then, Sir Ardon," she said, nodding her head, "I'm afraid I've deprived you from your rightful time to practice. I believe I must leave now."
She was bewildered when he suddenly took a step forward, as if wanting to say something. She watched with strange fascination as Ardon's eyes widened a little, before his cheeks once again grew hot with emotions Lucy could not understand.
"O-of course," he replied, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck.
Lucy smiled and nodded, before bidding him a soft farewell. She then turned around and strode out of the Place of Arms, but not before briefly glancing back at the knight. What her eyes saw made her smile, the image of the smiling, handsome knight etched in her mind's eye.
Somehow, Lucy thought it was the second time her heart stopped beating for a moment.
She saw Edmund in the gazebo he loved and smiled. Sauntering quickly, her footsteps prompted Edmund to lift his head and look at the newcomer. Upon seeing Lucy, he brilliantly smiled, which Lucy returned with an equally brilliant one of her own.
It had been a while ever since she spent time with her favourite brother and really, she sorely missed him. Ever since that incident back during the first year of their arrival in Narnia, Edmund grew apologetic of everything he had said and done to Lucy. He made up with his shortcomings and become a wonderful brother and king. In the end, he managed to become Lucy's favourite among all of her siblings and sometimes, it annoyed her how Edmund would constantly use this to his advantage.
"What are you doing?" she asked, finally entering the gazebo.
Edmund gestured at his book and Lucy sighed.
"When will you get a life, Ed?" she teased, sitting down beside him to give her brother a hug. She grinned when she saw him scowl. "I still pray at night that a beautiful damsel will one day sweep you off your feet."
Edmund sighed and shook his head. "I have no time for frivolous relationships," he lightly said, bookmarking his book and placing it down on the table. "Besides, I'm quite sure no female will be able to successful, and I quote you, 'sweep me off my feet'. It doesn't sound… manly."
Lucy chuckled in reply and fondly patted his back. "One day, you will eat your words," she said, grinning once again when he scowled.
"Well, what brings you here then?" Edmund asked as Lucy comfortably settled herself on the seat beside him. When Lucy frowned, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Bored, I see. Is the valiant queen, I don't know… lonely?"
Her cheeks warmed into a lovely shade of red, prompting Edmund to chuckle once again.
"You, lot, don't have time for me anymore," she replied back, petulantly crossing her arms. "I know a lot of things are happening in Narnia nowadays but, you know, it wouldn't hurt to have more bonding times together. It's starting to get dreary inside the castle and if I'm driven more into this insanity, then I might run away."
"Don't be such a child, Lu," Edmund said, fondly patting her hand. "All right, since I love you so, I'm permitting you to pester me for the whole day." Lucy flashed a huge grin and somehow, his smile wavered a little. "Although, right now, I think I'm starting to regret the words that escaped from my lips."
Lucy giggled and shook her head. "Sorry, my ears perfectly heard them; therefore, for the whole day, I will incessantly badger you," she said. Edmund sighed in defeat, although there was an unmistakable smile on his face.
Thus, for the whole day, they animatedly conversed with each other. Mostly, it was Lucy who did the talking while Edmund listened, the amusement on his face seemingly permanently plastered on his face. Lucy could be magnificently talkative if she wanted to and although they had talked for hours already, it seemed like she never ran out of things to say and ask.
By the time it was nearing tea time, their conversation had steered into an interesting topic. After meeting him a few days ago, the thought of Ardon had been niggling at the back of her mind. One reason as to why she sought for Edmund was to ask him about the handsome knight, even though she fervently denied that fact.
It was a problem as to how she would ask him to his brother. Lucy knew from some knights that Ardon worked under Edmund, and had been doing tasks for him ever since the end of the Telmarine War.
She found herself more intrigued by the knight as days passed by. She hadn't seen him for days already, and there was a part of her that wished to see at least a glimpse of him. Such desires baffled her so, and although she wondered as to why such feelings now grew in her heart, Lucy was too horrified to dwell deeper into this topic, afraid of what answers she might unravel.
"You're suddenly awfully quiet," Edmund said, breaking her reverie. Lucy warmed under his amused gaze and shifted her eyes away from his curious ones. She heard him sigh, before saying, "All right, what is it?"
"Well… remember that incident back in the Narnian fair?" she asked, unwittingly blushing. When Edmund looked at her, this time with a frown, she sighed. "Fine, fine, I know I've been reckless during that day, but you should be fervently glad some knights were accompanying me." She discreetly swallowed and absentmindedly played with a loose thread of her dress. "I-I discovered it was um, Ardon, who rescued me and got himself injured, and well… I thought it would be best if I properly, you know, thanked him."
It was a lie, seeing that she had thanked him ages ago. But if it was the lie that she needed to know more about him, then so be it.
"Oh, Ardon, yes," Edmund said, grinning at the mention of the knight. "Brilliant young man and very persevering too."
"Has he been a knight for ages already?" Lucy carefully asked, trying to mask the immense interest that she was feeling.
The just king tilted his head for a bit, thoughtful. "Well, he became a knight after the end of the Telmarine War," Edmund continued, oblivious of her silent anticipation. "He was the son of one of the generals of the Telmarines under Miraz, and well, he was one of the firsts who pledged his allegiance to us when Miraz' reign had fallen."
'A Telmarine,' she thought, unable to hide the smile on her face. That explained the reason why he exuded this exotic beauty that most Telmarines seemed to have. Remembering his gray eyes once again made her smile widen, prompting her to look at her hands in embarrassment.
"He is a hard working knight," Edmund continued. "I believe he is one of the most able of all the knights of Narnia. Oh, you should see him with a sword, Lucy; even people that have no clear knowledge about swordsmanship will still be able to deduce that he handles his sword well. Because of his ability, I took it upon myself to train him sometimes." He darted his eyes at Lucy, and that was when he realized the odd expression on her face. "Why are you suddenly showing some interest on a knight?"
Lucy flushed redder and averted her eyes away from Edmund's searching ones. "H-he saved my life," she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I want to properly thank him."
"Oh," Edmund said. Lucy thanked the gods above that King Edmund the Just could be dense sometimes.
She was saved from further humiliating herself when a servant arrived in the gazebo, announcing that they were being summoned by High King Peter for their afternoon tea.
Lucy hesitated in front of the door of the Place of Arms, debating to herself whether to go inside or not. Edmund was currently away, having travelled to the East to handle a dispute that had happened over there. Therefore, she knew that Ardon would be all alone in the Place of Arms, presumably training his swordsmanship skills. Seeing that his teacher was away, Lucy deduced that Ardon must probably be alone.
The thought made her heart madly pound inside her ribcage and she could feel her face flushing. The emotions that had stirred in her heart for the past few days regarding a certain knight were already becoming too ridiculous for her to handle. Lucy longed for the days when her eyes would merely sweep all over the soldiers that passed by the Throne Room, mild interest at those who came or went. Nowadays, though, her eyes would roam around the soldiers that would come, silently hoping against hope that he would be there. And during times when Ardon would truly come, she would feel herself slowly crumble into an inarticulate mess.
It was maddening, having these weird feelings inside her chest. She had never encountered such a beautiful, wonderful man in her whole life before and these feels that now sat atop in her heart, awakening whenever he was in the vicinity, was slowly driving her insane.
She was, without any doubt, sporting a huge crush over a Knight of Narnia.
Somehow, the thought was hilarious to Lucy. As a young woman of sixteen, such feelings were new to her, especially because she had been a queen over a wonderful kingdom, forcing her to push away such frivolous things in order to reign over her kingdom. She had been old before, yes, but such feelings never overwhelmed her senses before.
"Oh, for heaven's sake," she exasperatedly muttered under her breath, darting another nervous look at the door. 'Maybe just a little peek…' a little voice whispered inside her head and she felt herself flush once again. It had been a while ever since she saw Ardon and well, a part in her, the one that held feelings for the knight, longed to at least see his face.
Hence, here was she now, flustered and excited at the same time.
'All right, just a peek,' she said, chastising that niggling voice inside her head. Slowly then, she grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open, making sure not to make any sound. She also made sure that she would not fully open the door. She had considerably opened it until she could see inside, and the image inside the Place of Arms made her hitch a breath.
Inside stood Ardon, who was, dear God above, shirtless. He was swinging his sword to and fro, making complicated patterns with his foot. With every move he made, his muscle would flex and under the scorching sun, his chest almost gleamed with perspiration. Lucy found herself flushing deeply in embarrassment, but goodness, how come she couldn't tear her gaze away from him?
He was like a walking statue, a Greek god sent from above, what with that glorious face of his and well… perfect body. His beautiful grey eyes were squinted with concentration, framed with lashes that brushed gently against his smooth cheeks.
Lucy thought she must be in a dream. Her knees started to turn wobbly and she could feel herself becoming feverish. A soft sigh escaped from her lips, her forehead leaning slowly against the door.
She was suddenly brought back into the present when Ardon's gray eyes then landed on hers. His eyes widened upon seeing her and mortified, Lucy closed the door with a loud bang. She became the envy of all the roses in the garden, with a hand placed against her racing heart. She stared at the door, wide-eyed and nervous. She knew she must run now before Ardon could come outside and reprimand her for staring, but she was frozen. Her knees were still wobbly and she had an idea how she would be a messy heap on the floor if she tried to at least run.
A minute passed and the door was suddenly wrenched wide-open. Ardon stood before her, this time, ('Thank the gods above') wearing his tunic and chainmail. Lucy noted the redness of his cheeks, too, and if she weren't mortified herself, she would have cracked a smile.
"U-um, your highness, I apologize I d-didn't - "
"N-no! It was me that was s-supposed to apologize - "
" – should have noticed you soon and paid my respects - "
" – s-should'nt have stared rudely at all… I-I shouldn't be here at all - "
" – forgive me for my impoliteness. I promise that this will not happen again - "
" – I-I apologize for the impudence. I promise that this will not happen again - "
The words died down from their lips upon realizing they had spoken the same sentence at the same time. From another observer's point-of-view, it would be comical to see a flustered Queen Lucy the Valiant and a sheepish Ardon.
A soft chuckle then escaped from Lucy's mouth, much to Ardon's surprise. More followed and soon, Lucy was a chuckling mess. Tears of mirth and embarrassment gathered at the corner of her eyes and she shook her head, unable to understand what had transpired in between the two of them.
Ardon had his lips quirked up in a smile, amused himself.
Lucy soon composed herself and brushed the tears away from her eyes. "I-I wasn't supposed to be caught," she said, hiding her face behind her hands. Her cheeks reddened, a chuckle once again escaping from her lips. "I didn't even know what made me… um, stare."
Oh, who was she kidding? Of course she knew the reason!
And really, it was Ardon's fault.
A sudden weight on top of her head prompted her to remove her hands away from her face. She then realized that Ardon was hesitantly, yet comfortingly, patting her head. Her cheeks grew hotter, especially when he was sporting such a dazzling, albeit small, smile on his face.
"It's all right," he said, slowly retrieving his hand back to himself. It fell limply against his side. "You do not need to be distraught."
She chuckled and absentmindedly rubbed her right, red cheek. "May I… may I visit again?" she suddenly asked. When his eyes widened in surprise, Lucy realized what she had said. "I-I mean, it's becoming lonely in the castle when all of my siblings are busy and I… um… am not even doing anything. Of course, you can refuse. I mean, I-I can understand if I'd be disrupting your training - "
Her nervous babbling was then halted when Ardon chuckled.
"Of course, your highness," he said, his lovely eyes twinkling. "If you wish to visit, then you may."
Lucy bit her bottom lip.
For the third time, she felt her heart momentarily stop.
"May I come in?" Lucy asked, peeking inside the room. Ardon was seated on one of the windowsills in the room, thoughtfully polishing his sword. Upon seeing Lucy, he smiled and nodded his head.
Lucy then fully walked inside and softly closed the door behind her. Her eyes never left Ardon's form, who once again returned back to polishing his sword. Although they had been secretly meeting in the Place of Arms for days already, she still wasn't used to the weird somersaults in her stomach or the erratic pounding of her heart every time her eyes would befall upon him.
"You're not practicing today?" the queen asked, unable to mask the disappointment in her voice. This meant she would not have an excuse to stare at him.
Ardon shook his head, his eyes still not straying from his sword. "I thought I should take a break for now, Queen Lucy," he said. The valiant queen strode closer to him and stood beside him.
She absentmindedly nodded, her eyes once again latching on his form. He was cleaning a particularly hard spot on his sword and it was ridiculously endearing to see him frown in annoyance at the stubborn stain. Lucy slightly smiled at the refreshing display; it had been a few days now, but she reckoned that her feelings for him still stayed and perhaps, even grew.
Although Ardon most of the time practice with his sword and Lucy contentedly and quietly accompanied and watched him, she was still able to know a lot of things about him. Sometimes, when Ardon would train, Lucy would talk – she would tell stories of wonders and adventures. One time, she even commented that maybe she was distracting him but Ardon, with a lovely smile, would say that he would love to hear more stories from her.
Hence, it became a habit to them: Ardon would train and Lucy would talk. Sometimes, Ardon would tell stories about himself, too, when he wasn't practicing at all or he was resting.
Lucy was thankful her siblings were too busy to notice that her sneaking off was becoming frequent. She wondered how Peter and Edmund would react if they discover that she was seeing Ardon in, of all places in the castle, the Place of Arms. Not that they were in a relationship, of course, but then again, they might misunderstand.
"I heard an old woman barging in last night," Ardon suddenly said. He lifted his gray eyes and looked at the stunned queen. "Did something happen?"
She blanched and averted her eyes away. The memories of last night, with the woman declaring a prophecy about the future of Narnia, came crashing back into her. Unwittingly, she swallowed. Last night was terrifying, and the fact that the White Witch was to return scared Lucy immensely. Her siblings never voiced it out loud, but they were troubled, too. Whoever was the Daughter of Eve, destined to defeat the White Witch, Lucy still fervently prayed she would arrive soon and show herself to the royals.
"I-I'm not sure I can disclose it to you, Ardon, I'm sorry," Lucy regretfully replied. She very much wanted to assure him that everything was all right, but she was afraid her voice would shake or falter in the end.
To her relief, Ardon reassuringly smiled. "I did not mean to pry," he said. "If you do not wish to speak about it, then I will not pester you so, your majesty."
Lucy sighed, steadily growing tired of the way he was addressing her. They had been friends for days already! Somehow, Lucy thought they were already past the queen-subject relationship. "Please," she said, a hint of exasperation at the tone of her face. "Can't you call me by my name?"
Ardon was surprised with her request. "I-I'm afraid it's protocol to address you as such, your majesty," he said, noticing how she lightly winced.
"Well, I think we are already friends and… and blast protocol," she exclaimed, much to Ardon's amusement. She slightly blushed at the way she almost lost her composure. Lucy straightened and cleared her throat. "I just… think it will be better if you just call me 'Lucy', Ardon."
He thoughtfully looked at her, his lovely eyes once again shining with amusement. Under his gaze, she grew flustered, and she looked away from him.
"If you wish it," he softly said. "Lucy."
The queen softly gasped, swearing that once again, her heart had momentarily stopped beating.
"A Supreme General?" Lucy asked with a gasp, looking down at Ardon with unconcealed surprise. Once again, she and the knight were found in the Place of Arms. Ardon was slashing his sword to and fro, perfecting another technique King Edmund had taught him, before revealing to Lucy his intentions for training harder these past few days.
"King Edmund knows," Ardon said, halting from his training to look down at Lucy, who was sitting primly on the ground. "And… well, he kind of supports the idea of me becoming one."
Lucy absentmindedly scratched her chin, smiling distractedly when Ardon offered his hand to pull her up. As soon as she was back on her feet, she strode towards one of the windowsills in the Place of Arms and sat down on it. Her eyes thoughtfully looked back at Ardon's form. "I'm sure you'd be brilliant," she said with a kind smile that did not seem to reach her eyes.
Ardon noticed it and frowned, now stepping closer to the queen. "What is the matter, Lucy?" he asked. The queen couldn't help but slightly smile at the way he addressed her. After coaxing him to address her by merely her name, he finally agreed to and had started using it without any hesitation.
"A Supreme General," Lucy said, followed by a soft sigh. "It's a huge… responsibility."
As queen, she knew of the different jobs a Supreme General of Narnia must hold. This meant Ardon's work would be more dangerous and arduous, especially because he would be frequently leaving Narnia to travel to the other neighboring countries as a delegate for the peace treaties. There were countries, though, who were still wary of becoming an alliance with her beloved kingdom, and the thought of Ardon becoming injured or worse tortured because of this made her heart turn cold.
"It had always been my dream," he said, an unreadable expression on his face. When Lucy curiously looked at him, he lightly smiled. "After the Telmarine War, I thought I should redeem myself by offering my services to the royal family of Narnia by becoming a knight. You and your siblings had done wonderful things to this kingdom and I promised myself I would do whatever I can just to return your good deeds with gratitude."
"Oh, but you already do," Lucy said with a small frown. "I mean, becoming a loyal knight is enough."
To her surprise, a somehow exasperated laugh escaped from Ardon's mouth. There was something about his look, something she could not understand, that seemed to be permanently plastered on his face. "Oh, you won't understand," he said, followed by a long, exasperated sigh.
"Pardon me?" Lucy asked, her frown deepening. She had never seen Ardon like this before. He could be flustered at times, of course, and it always made her heart flutter, wondering if it was because of her. But the expression on his face was something new, something different, and she couldn't really place a finger on it.
"I've controlled myself for days already," he muttered, seemingly talking more to himself than to her. It was as if she wasn't even in the room. "I don't think I can control myself anymore."
Before Lucy could even question him of his baffling mumblings, Ardon surprisingly swooped down and placed a quick kiss on her lips. He immediately pulled away and sheepishly grinned down at her expression, his cheeks coloring in embarrassment.
Lucy's eyes had widened beyond comprehension and the workings in her inner mind were momentarily stopped. And once again, for the nth time, her heart beat managed to stop for a few moments, before resuming its pounding, this time louder and faster than before. She flushed darkly as what had transpired a while ago finally registered in her jumbled mind. Lucy gasped and was brought to her feet, her mouth opening and closing, but there were no words that escaped from her parted lips.
Her lips clamped shut when Ardon finally chuckled. The redness on her cheeks seemed to heighten, prompting the knight to chuckle once again.
Ardon then strode closer to Lucy and hesitantly clutched both of her hands. When she did not pull them away, he fondly smiled and squeezed them tight.
"I-I'm not entirely sure if you notice it, my lady," he whispered to her. His voice ran loud in the Place of Arms for Lucy, though. "But, whenever you needed protection, whether outside the castle or outside the country, I am always, always part of the group of your protectors." He sheepishly smiled and looked away from her widened eyes. "I… always volunteered, if you must know, and I always do, hoping that at least you will notice me."
She took a sharp intake of breath, astonished with his confession. She then racked her brain for any remembrance of his wonderful face. In her mind's eye, she saw glimpses of a knight with a helmet, gray eyes peeking behind. If it was possible, her eyes widened and a gasp escaped from her lips. This prompted Ardon to look back into her eyes and slowly, a blossoming grin appeared on her face.
How could she miss out such a handsome man back then? How could she be so oblivious? How could her eyes overlook the same man that would momentarily stop the beating of her heart or single-handedly fluster her with just a mere smile on his face?
"From the moment I laid eyes on you," he quietly continued, matching her smile, "I already liked you. Is that even possible? I'm not even sure. But one thing is for sure, though – you make me feel things I have never felt before, Lucy."
The way he said her name sounded like the songs of angels in her ears.
"T-that is why I want to become a Supreme General," he added. "To prove myself worthy of you. You are the queen of this country and I am a mere knight. I believe that if achieved the position as one of the Supreme Generals, then I can be worthy of you."
A chuckle escaped from Lucy's lips and she vigorously shook her head, much to Ardon's surprise. She then retrieved her hands back and threw her arms around his neck. Judging from the way he stiffened against her hug, he was surprised with her actions. Gradually, though, he relaxed, and even wound his arms around her petit waist.
"Idiot," she fondly muttered, placing a kiss against his cheek. "You've proven yourself worthy enough."
Ardon slightly pulled away to look down at her with unsuppressed mirth. "My… my feelings aren't one-sided?" he asked, the surprise clearly laced at the tone of his voice.
Her cheeks flushed once again, but she was unable to suppress her smile. "I've made up stupid excuses just so my siblings would not know I've been visiting you in the Place of Arms, Ardon," she said matter-of-factly. "What do you think?"
Grinning, he held her tight. Lucy matched his smile leaned closer to him. Ardon met her half-way and pressed his lips against hers once again, a start of a wonderful relationship already echoing inside their rejoicing hearts.
As one of the Supreme Generals of Narnia, Ardon was required to accompany the other royals and the chosen Daughter of Eve to have the destined fight in Beruna. Lucy was tasked by Peter to stay behind in the castle, to temporarily rule as the High Queen, while her siblings and Hermione were away to fight against the White Witch and her minions.
Currently, she and Ardon were once again inside the Place of Arms. Instead of training with swords, Ardon's arms were tight around the distressed and frightened queen. Night had already befallen upon Narnia, and the open roof of the place already showed the glittering stars and the full moon. Despite its beauty, the couple ignored the scenery, their attention solely focused on each other and the fear of what tomorrow would bring.
"You know I must go," Ardon softly whispered, placing a kiss on one of her temples.
A soft sob tore away from her mouth and she buried her face deeper against his chest. Lucy was trembling with emotion and Ardon, at loss of what to do, merely held her against his arms.
"Please c-come back to me," she then cried, lifting her tear-stained face to look up at the knight she came to love. Ardon still did not know what emotions she bore in her heart, but she refused to say it today. She wanted to reveal it to him when things were finally well in Narnia.
He gazed down at her, unbeknownst to the queen that the pale moonlight that cast over her face made him think she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Ardon then lifted his right hand and gently wiped away her tears. Lucy leaned against his palm and sniffed.
"I will," he whispered, dropping a kiss on her forehead. His lips lingered against her skin for a while before he lowered his lips to kiss one of her closed eyes. "I promise you." His lips then travelled and kissed the tip of her red nose. "I will be careful." For a moment then, his lips lingered a hairsbreadth away from her lips. "Lucy, I think I - " But then, he caught himself and swallowed.
Slowly, then, he pressed his lips against her quivering mouth, relaying all the feelings he held dear for the certain queen through the kiss that they shared.
Lucy scowled and Ardon couldn't help but to chuckle.
"You should have seen this coming," the Supreme General replied, fondly smiling down at the queen. "They are, after all, your brothers."
The queen's scowl darkened and she shook her head. The war against the White Witch had finally been done and thankfully, all of her loved ones came back in one piece. There was a little fiasco with Hermione being turned into stone, but with Aslan's breath, she soon became well.
Things had been slowly going back into normal in Narnia. The snow had melted already and spring came back once again. The Narnians were slowly returning to their normal routines and the village was busy once more with activity.
The monarchs took it upon themselves to restore Narnia back into its prosperous and peaceful country it once was. Hermione was then crowned as the Resilient by Aslan, and she and Edmund revealed to the others that they were finally engaged. Rejoices and congratulations were exchanged and Lucy thought that everything was happy and normal once again.
Until, of course, her infuriating brothers had to interfere and call upon Ardon to be interrogated.
Her cheeks slightly coloured, remembering her little outburst on the day they were to fight against the White Witch. She knew she had to restrain herself; she knew she had to control her emotions. But seeing Ardon, who was about to participate in an unpredictable war, sent her into a bundle of frazzled nerves and revealed right there and then that they were in relationship.
"After that, we must talk," Peter had warned when Lucy passionately threatened for her brothers to bring back the man she loved in one piece. Lucy thought he was merely jesting, especially because after he came back, he had a lot of things in mind. But then, of course, Peter and Edmund, being ridiculously overprotective, summoned Ardon into the Throne Room.
The Supreme General actually kept it to himself at first, and Lucy was enraged when she discovered this supposedly secret meeting from Hermione herself. Ardon was sheepish, and assured her he could handle the kings very well.
"They throw monumental fits, remember?" she growled to him as an answer. Thus, here was she now, about to accompany her boyfriend towards a pair of bumbling idiots. If they weren't her brothers she immensely loved, she would have snatched Ardon's sword and duelled with them 'til her heart's content.
"Calm down," Ardon's soothing voice then reached her ears, trying to mollify her with that handsome smile of his. "I'm sure everything will be all right."
Lucy sighed and shook her head. Ardon had no idea what consequences he might face if he answered the wrong things to her brothers.
Before she could even retort something back, the doors of the Throne Room were thrown open. Inside stood her stoic brothers, their eyes immediately narrowing upon seeing the Supreme General. Lucy glowered back at them and pleadingly looked at the only sane person inside the room. Hermione apologetically sighed and shook her head; even the resilient queen was powerless to control her brothers.
"Ardon," High King Peter welcomed. "Sit."
In front of the thrones was the same chair Hermione had sat on when she revealed her true identity. Obediently, Ardon strode on the chair and sat down. Lucy followed suit and stood beside him, crossing her arms and defiantly looking at her brothers.
"Pete," Lucy said, looking at her oldest brother. "Ed, this is ridiculous."
"Silence," Peter commanded, his eyes never leaving Ardon's form. "We are here to interrogate the Supreme General; not to listen to your petty complaints, Lucy."
The valiant queen scoffed in reply.
"Ardon of Telmar," Peter started, his stare hardening. "You are dating my sister, correct?"
Lucy could not understand why he could be so collected. Where was the Ardon that adorably flushed whenever he was embarrassed or nervous?
"Quite right, sire," he said, even smiling a bit.
"For how long now?" Edmund then butted in, crossing his arms.
Ardon shot a quick look at Lucy before returning back at the kings. "A few months," he answered. "Perhaps six."
Peter and Edmund's eyes simultaneously widened at the revelation.
"That long?" Edmund said, his astonishment heard. "Bloody hell, and you managed to keep it from us!"
"Edmund," Hermione admonished with a light glare. "Language."
The just king frowned at his fiancée. "They hid it for a long time from us," he reasoned out, turning to look at Peter. "Six months, Pete."
Lucy sighed and shook her head. "I am a grown woman already," she said, which received bemused stares from her brother. "Mummy met Daddy when she was sixteen and fell in love with him!"
"This is different," Peter retorted back with a sigh. "You're not our mother."
Lucy silently bristled. "Look, I know that you worry about me, but Ardon is wonderful," she said. At the corner of her eyes, she saw him flush red. Unwittingly, she smiled. This was the Ardon who became dear to her. "Ed, you've trained him for months and I'm sure you can vouch for that. He will not hurt me. Intentionally, of course."
Her words were met with silence for a while and she sighed yet again. "I love you both, okay," she said, this time smiling slightly at her brothers. "And I am happy with him."
"You're too young," Edmund said.
Lucy rolled her eyes. "And you are too annoying," she retorted back. Her eyes landed on an amused Hermione and glared. "How can you tolerate such an… an annoying mushroom, Hermione!"
"Because she loves me," the just king said, slightly offended. "End of story."
"All right, all right, stop," Peter said, raising a hand to stop his siblings from having another bickering session. The High King waited for his siblings to settle back down before coolly looking back at Ardon. "Ardon of Telmar," he continued, "how can you promise to make my sister forever happy?"
All eyes settled on the Supreme General and he grew a little uncomfortable under their intense gazes. Even Lucy was expectantly looking at him. "I have only one proof, and I deem it as enough already," he replied back, smiling slightly at the young queen beside him.
"And what is that?" Peter asked.
Taking a deep breath, he determinedly met Peter's eyes. "I love her," he said, without unwavering or trembling.
His confession was met with Peter's widening of eyes and Edmund's unmistakable soft gasp. Even Lucy, to their surprise, was flabbergasted by his confession. It was plain to see it was the first time she had heard those words from him.
"E-excuse me?" Peter asked, trying to compose himself.
Ardon grinned widely. "I lo - "
"NO!" Lucy suddenly cried, placing a hand against Ardon's mouth to stop him from repeating his words. All of their eyes then landed on a flustered Lucy, who petulantly frowned in return. "Y-you haven't told it to me yet and I was hoping you would have told it to me alone."
Ardon's cheeks reddened and lightly kissed her palm. He then lifted his hand to gently remove her hand against his mouth. "I'm sorry, Lucy," he whispered, smiling gently at the queen. "I had no choice."
Lucy sighed and leaned down, wrapping her arms around his neck and placing her chin on the crown of his head. "If that's the case," she said, a small, fond smile growing on her face, "then I love you, too, Ardon."
The silence was almost deafening, but the happy couple seemed to be already lost in their own little world. It was when Hermione suddenly laughed that brought them back into the present.
"All right, boys, I think you lost," the brunette said, leaning towards Edmund to hold his hand. The just king sighed and Peter seemed to be sporting a small, amused smile.
Lucy sighed in relief.
"Congratulations, love," the valiant queen said, placing a small kiss on top of Ardon's head. "It seemed like you were able to outwit my stubborn brothers."
Both Peter and Edmund chuckled.
"Sorry, Lu, overprotective, remember?" Edmund said, pointing to themselves. His eyes landed on Ardon and gave him a warning stare. "If you hurt my sister, all hell will break loose, Ardon."
Ardon grinned. "I'll keep that in mind," he answered back, clutching Lucy's hand. He gave it a squeeze and stared up at her, his unspoken devotion towards the queen loudly proclaimed to all the occupants of the Throne Room.
Two years passed, and they were married. Aslan, by then, appeared once again and bestowed upon Ardon his rightful title.
Henceforth, he was famously remembered as King Ardon the Gallant.
[1] Lions are the main unit of currency in Narnia, further divided into Trees. AMAZINGLY enough, I had no idea that they were called as such. Hihi, I still do my research, my dear readers :D
A/N: End of chapter! So, was it good? Bad? Eh? Meh? Tell me in your reviews!
I know I promised an epilogue, but I really couldn't bring myself to write about it. Before writing a chapter, I usually make a detailed outline as to what to put, but every time I try to write the outline of the epilogue, my mind becomes an instant blank.
Therefore, Lucy and Ardon's story was born. If you clearly remember from one of the a/n's, Ardon wasn't really supposed to be part of the story, but seeing that I dearly love Lucy and I wanted her to be happy, I paired her up with a man who would make her happy.
Which then leads me to another problem – High King Peter's own happy ending. Some of you told me in my reviews to at least give Peter someone who would make him happy. At first, I haven't really thought of anyone, but then, I was able to envision Peter's lady love. I already have plans, of course, but it might take ages before I type the chapter, seeing that classes will once again resume this coming Monday.
HENCE, MY MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT:
Is anyone interested to take up a challenge? Formulate a story with Peter's happily ever after with another. It is up to you whatever she would be – a Telmarine, another human being that perhaps stumbled upon Narnia, or even a familiar face to Hermione. Anyone, as long as he will be happy.
Rules:
- Just a one-shot is fine, as long as it is more than 1000 words. There's no maximum word limit, though :D
- I want the other Narnian monarchs to be included, even Ardon, too! You know, just to see their comical reactions once they discovered that Peter found his one, true love
- The setting will only be in the fictional world of Narnia and its neighboring countries. Peter can find his lady love in Calormen or Ettinsmor, for all I care, just as long as he will be happy. No other worlds, please :D
- At the end of the one-shot, Peter's love should be crowned too! Hence, bestow upon a title that is based on her personality :)
- IN ORDER TO JOIN, send me a PM first so I will be informed. The deadline of telling me is on Sunday, November 11. You can post the one-shot within the next two weeks. And then, once you post it, send me the link - you can put it under the category of Peter/OC or Peter/some character in the Narnian or HP world, it depends on you. After then, I'd read ALL of them and I even promise to drop a review to ALL of your works :D
- Of course, state in your one-shots that it is a challenged from me. Else, I might mistake it as another awesome Peter/Character story.
- The winner will be announced on November 22. By that time, I might already post the Peter/his lady love story as another bonus chapter in "When Two Worlds Collide" and whoever won, I would dedicate the story to you and even shamelessly endorse you to my other readers :D
WELL, if no one wants to join, then okay XD But I'd still post the bonus chapter, with Peter's happily ever after, as another thank you gesture to all those who reviewed, followed, and favorited "When Two Worlds Collide".
I don't really know if I'd still write a future Edmione fic. Perhaps, I will with this time, it is the Pevensies who would go Hogwarts to help. It'd be interesting to see the siblings surrounded with a different kind of magic. I'm still working on two of my other fanfics, so I'm sure I'd leave the Narnian world for now.
I REALLY WISH SOME OF YOU WOULD JOIN! I'd love to see more interesting fics of this lovely crossover because frankly, there are a few.
That's it for now! Once again, join the challenge, pretty, pretty please? :D Oh, and drop a review!
With love,
WickedlyAwesomeMe