Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Once I was done with my bath, I headed out to my bedroom, where I found Andra waiting with my coronation dress. It was a lovely gown of light pink. There was floral embroidery on the hem of the skirt, and the bodice, and a large embroidered flower on the left side of the skirt, all of it done in green, white, purple, and a dark pink. The sleeves were short, ending just above my elbow, where there was a band of embroidered flowers. Where the band ended, there was a long sleeve, which flowed down to the ground. It was more a strip of cloth than anything else, as it didn't really cover my arms at all. Around my waist was a simple belt made of silver. I had a silver necklace on as well, with a flower pendant. The stud earrings in my ears matched the pendant. On my feet were comfortable silver flats. Andra did my hair. When she was done, my thick brown hair looked amazing. Half of it was pulled back, while the rest was left to hang down. Part of it was braided, and part was twisted. I'm not sure how she managed to do it, but it looked amazing. Once she finished, I stood in front of the floor-length mirror hanging on the wall. Andra and I inspected my outfit, just to make sure it looked ok. Once Andra declared me "beautiful," I headed out to meet with the others. Peter and Edmund were standing in the hallway when I came out, and both of them looked amazing. Peter had on a forest green tunic with golden embroidery, brown pants and boots, and a golden cape. Edmund was wearing a dark blue tunic with silver embroidery, black pants and boots, and a silver cape. They saw me as I entered the hall, and Peter's jaw dropped.
"Wow, Alexa," Edmund said, sounding slightly impressed and looking amused at his brother's reaction, "You look amazing!"
I smiled at them. "Thanks, Edmund. Peter, close your mouth. You'll end up eating a bug or something."
The blond boy shook his head and opened his mouth to say something, but just then Lucy came out. She was dressed in a bright red dress with silver accents and a silver cape, with her short hair curled slightly. She looked awesome. Susan came out a couple seconds later, and she looked stunning. Her dress was a deep purple, with golden accessories and embroidery, and a golden cape. Before any of us could say anything, Mr. Tumnus came hurrying down the hall. He took us to the entrance of the throne room, where we were guided into position. Peter and Susan were side by side at the front. Edmund and Lucy stood next to each other behind their older siblings, and I stood alone behind them. As soon as we were all ready, the doors opened, and the ceremony began.
The first thing I noticed was the golden Lion waiting for us at the dais in the front of the room. There were lots of people staring at us from either side of the aisle, but I ignored them, instead choosing to focus on the golden Lion. The walk up to him was short and silent. As soon as we reached the dais, we separated, each of us headed to our own seats. Peter and Susan stepped up to their thrones first. They had the two thrones in the middle of the four. Peter was on the left and Susan was on the right. Edmund and Lucy stepped up next, each of them going to their thrones. Edmund sat on Peter's right, and Lucy sat to her sister's left. My chair was on Lucy's left. We each stood in front of our seats and waited as Aslan spoke. As he announced each name and title, Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers came forward to place the proper crown on each person's head.
"To the glittering Eastern Sea, I give you, Queen Lucy the Valiant. To the great Western Woods, I give you, King Edmund the Just. To the radiant Southern Sun, I give you, Queen Susan the Gentle. And to the clear Northern Sky, I give you, High King Peter the Magnificent."
The crowd cheered, and Aslan let them for a moment. When it became clear that the crowd would happily continuing cheering for some time, Aslan held up a single paw, and the crowd instantly quieted.
"Dame Athaleyah," Aslan called, "Come kneel before me."
I silently did as ordered and knelt before the Lion. He solemnly asked me if I promised to advise the Four Royals to the best of my ability, and if I would always keep Narnia's interests at heart. I promised to do so, and he named me Lady Alexa the Loyal, Royal Advisor of Narnia. Mr. Tumnus presented me with a golden ring with the crest of Narnia on it as a symbol of my new station, and Aslan told me to stand as he presented me to the crowd, and then to the Royals. I curtsied as best I could to each of the new Kings and Queens as the crowd cheered my name, and then I went back to my chair. Aslan finished the ceremony with a reminder to us.
"Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen," he said softly. He looked at me, "And once a Royal Advisor of Narnia, always a Royal Advisor." I bowed my head in acknowledgement, and then smiled at him.
As soon as the ceremony ended, I made my way to the Lion. I guessed that he would be leaving soon, and I wanted to say my goodbyes before he did. I spent a good ten or fifteen minutes in his company, simply reveling in the joy of being with him. I buried my face in his mane, and gave him hugs. He laughed and smiled, and before I left, he gave some advice about my new role.
The celebration feast included dancing and a huge banquet, and went late into the night. The Royals and I retired to our chambers before the party ended, and after we got ready for bed, we all ended up falling asleep in Lucy's bed. She didn't seem to mind. The next day, Blossom got us all up for our first day in our new positions.
The first few years were busy. The boys and I trained with Oreius everyday with different weapons. Later, the five of us would attend lessons or hold court. Those in charge of our schedules made sure to let us have some free time to ourselves so that we didn't get too stressed or overworked. I took on most of the work of ruling the country at first, since I didn't have as many lessons to go to. Peter and Susan helped where they could, and as the years passed, they started doing a lot of the work. Edmund began to help where he could, and as Lucy grew up and matured, she did her part as well. Within ten years of our arrival in Narnia, the four of them were ruling together, with me advising them as well as I could. The four of them were capable rulers, and the country prospered under their reign.
Peter quickly became known as a strong leader. He was an incredible warrior with most weapons, but he was at his best with his sword and shield. Peter had a temper, which sometimes got him into trouble. Edmund was one of the only ones who could calm Peter down long enough to get through whatever situation he was in. Peter never married, although women threw themselves at him at every opportunity.
Edmund had a reputation for being a just king. He was the Chief Judge of Narnia, and he was good at it. He was level-headed and usually merciful in his rulings, which made the people love him. He was also a great warrior, and he fought best with dual swords in his hands. Edmund didn't have a huge temper, and it took a lot to make him mad. Once he was angry, though, he was nearly unstoppable. Peter was pretty much the only one who could singlehandedly calm his brother down. Edmund never married either, although there were one or two girls that he dated over the years.
Susan truly embodied her title of "Gentle." She was the peacemaker, mediator, hostess, and diplomat. She was also known for being the most beautiful woman in the world. Many, many suitors came to ask for her hand in marriage, but all of them came to gain a trophy wife, and so Susan turned them all away. Susan rarely went to battle with us, despite being the best archer in Narnia. That didn't mean she wouldn't fight, though. Susan was fierce when it came to protecting her family, and more than a few times, an enemy would harm one of those people that she considered family. The enemy would then discover exactly how protective Susan was of those she loved, and why it was a bad idea to make her mad.
Lucy was always smiling and helping people. She genuinely loved people, and they loved her in return. Lucy was also a formidable warrior. She excelled at fighting with pretty much any projectile weapon, although she preferred using her dagger or bow. She started riding to war with her brothers and me when she was 18. Her siblings and I were extremely protective of her, and none of us would let her come before that. Lucy never married either, although I know she was courting someone when we left Narnia.
As for me, well, I tried my best to do well in the role Aslan had given me. I advised the Royals as best I could. I wasn't perfect, and I gave bad advice sometimes, but I learned what I could from my mistakes, and life went on. I became a decent warrior as well, although if you ask Peter or Edmund, they'll say I was as good as, if not better than Oreius. I always accompanied the boys when they went off to battle, unless I absolutely couldn't go with them for some reason or another. Peter, Edmund and I learned to fight as a team when we battled. Over the years, we got to the point where we could hold a completely serious conversation about some topic that had nothing to do with the battle, and still not lose our focus. It was a good tactic for us, as it completely terrified our enemies, and we actually got stuff done at the same time. It didn't take long after our coronation for the Pevensies to become my brothers and sisters. For a few years, it was just the five of us, but about seven years after the coronation, I married a knight from Archenland, and Bran became a part of our family. By the time we left Narnia, Bran and I had had five kids.
Oreius stayed with us at Cair Paravel as the General of the army. He got married about ten years after we arrived in Narnia, to a very nice Centauress who was a skilled archer, and a Captain in the army. She retired after they married.
During the first few years of their reign, Lucy asked me to tell them my story. In detail. So I did. They were surprised to learn that I was from a different time, but they didn't treat me any differently, and they didn't ask what had happened in between my time and theirs. I don't think they really cared anymore. I was their sister, and that was all that mattered.