DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis

Author's Note: Hello everybody, this is the beginning of Part 2 and jumps a couple years into the future. I hope you enjoy!

PART 2

Chapter 6

Seven years later...

I gazed into the mirror and saw Liliana grinning.

"What is it?" I asked with a smile playing on my own lips. The question made her grin even more.

"I can't believe this is it! This is the day my little sister comes of age." The emotion in her voice seemed to tell me that she wasn't very far away from crying.

"I'm not so little anymore am I though?" I laughed. At that moment my mother walked into the room and as she saw me she cried out, "My baby! Look at you; you're so beautiful! Lili, you've done a wonderful job with her dress." she dabbed her eyes and sniffed.

I stood up, walked over to my mother and tried to comfort her. Unfortunately it only seemed to make her cry even more.

When I gave up, Liliana took me by the shoulders and guided me to the mirror where I saw my whole body. The traditional "before" yellow dress was long and flowing and my hair was loose and untouched. All Lili had added was a lovely yellow flower which she had tucked behind my ear.

It was a tradition that a water nymph girl coming of age wore a yellow "before" dress with her hair loose and simple. This was what the girl would wear for the actual coming of age ceremony. For the night-long celebration afterwards, the girl would change into a shining gold "after" dress with her hair done up. It was a custom that had been around for centuries.

Liliana had made both of my dresses and Jardia was going to do my hair for the celebration afterwards. When my father called the family, Liliana checked me once more before we all gathered inside the living room. When we were all ready, they would walk out first, with me following. Outside would be friends and other family and they would lead the procession down to the river, to a spot that I had picked where the ceremony would take place. I saw Queen Lucy in the small crowd and was so glad she had been able to come. When we arrived at the river, the crowd parted and my family led me into the river until we were standing up to our waists in water. They formed a circle around me and slowly began to sing. After the first few lines, the rest of the crowd who were standing on the banks watching joined in. As they sang the old song, my father; as the head of the family; dunked me under the water and when I came back up, everyone applauded me. My family then led me back out of the river where I was greeted by my friends. After many congratulations, Lucy came up and hugged me. She was older, nearly eighteen, but still as kind and as good a friend as always. Her golden brown hair was immaculately done by Liliana, her lady-in-waiting, and her dress was beautiful. She and I were best friends of seven years and we knew each other so well, we often knew each other's thoughts.

"Congratulations! I'm so happy for you Mi!" she grinned with her familiar smile.

"Thank you, Lu, I'm so glad you're here." Our conversation carried on until my sisters and mother came to take me to get re-dressed as the crowd made their way into the trees until they came to a large clearing which had been decorated and had tables full of food and drink. My family and I walked back to our house though where they helped me out of my yellow dress and into my golden one. Jardia did my hair into a beautiful up-do and when we were finished we walked to the clearing and joined the others; me as a fully come of age adult.

As was tradition, the dancing only started once I had arrived. I was allowed to choose the dance and the music began. I chose my favourite and everyone joined hands to form a large circle. The fauns, who were the best musicians for that particular dance, started to play and we began to dance. As we danced around and around the circle, spinning, jumping, laughing and clapping, I felt happier than I had for a long time.

The party went on until the next morning. People had come and gone as they pleased but many were still around when the celebration, unspokenly, ended. Lucy, who had stayed the whole time, helped along with a few others to carry the presents I had received back to my house. There were all placed in the living room and I was touched to see how many presents there were. Lucy hugged me, said congratulations once more, and then sleepily left. My parents and sisters each gave me a kiss and a hug and then we all headed straight for our beds.

The next week, after seven glorious days of being an adult, Lucy and I met as we had almost every day for seven years by the bend in the river which we had claimed for our own.

"Mr. Tumnus is coming for a visit in two days' time, he wrote to me the other day to tell me he's bringing a whole group of friends." We sat on the bank of the river with our legs in the warm water. I had met Mr. Tumnus, the faun, many times. He and Lucy were great friends and he had often come to visit her and the other Kings and Queen at Cair Paravel before. He was a very friendly faun who was easily likable and I enjoyed his company very much so the news that he was coming to visit excited me as well as Lucy.

"How wonderful, how long will he be staying? Longer than last time I hope, I hardly had a chance to see him."

"I made him promise to stay for a least a fortnight and I intend to have a large feast."

I giggled. As Lucy and I had become better friends, she had begun inviting me and my family to the many feasts and events that were held at Cair Paravel. With my sister also being Lucy's lady-in-waiting and my father an important water nymph, we spent a lot of time at the palace.

"How exciting! Do invite that minotaur from last time, everyone seemed to enjoy his company very well!" We both laughed at the funny memory of an awkward occasion with a minotaur at the last feast.

"Of course, Mr. Tumnus will love meeting him!" We laughed and joked for a while longer before Lucy had to go.

The next two days were spent helping Lucy to organise the large feast which would be held the day after Mr. Tumnus was to arrive. Queen Susan normally organised the feasts, balls and events but this time Lucy said that she was going to do it. She hadn't realised how much work it entailed and so she asked me and Liliana to help her.

Mr. Tumnus and the group of friends he brought with him arrived in the early evening after Lili and I had already left the palace.

Lucy sent a messenger before breakfast the next morning asking me and Lili if we could come a few hours early to help make sure everything was ready for the evening's feast. We sent a few lines back saying of course we would.

At about three o'clock in the afternoon, Lili and I made our way up to the palace where we found Lucy standing in the middle of the kitchen talking to the chef about the food for that evening.

"I told you days ago that we would need three hundred of these," she pointed to a tray of sausage rolls that the chef had in his hands, "and now you tell me; on the day of the feast; that you only have ingredients for one hundred?!", Lucy was a serene and joyful girl by nature but even she got stressed sometimes. The chef tried to speak to her in a calming voice but both Liliana and I knew that only we could calm her down properly. Lili nudged me towards Lucy and I acted quickly.

"Hello Lu!" I tried to act as if I hadn't seen her and the chef speaking. She turned when she heard her name. She looked weary and relieved at my appearance, "Oh, Mi, Liliana! Please help me! I should have let Susan organise this stupid feast, I cannot handle it anymore." her shoulders drooped even lower as she spoke. Liliana stepped forward and said, "Don't worry Lucy, I'll take care of it. Mi, take Lucy to go and rest." I was happy to oblige and so grabbed Lucy by the hand and pulled her out of the kitchen, leaving Lili standing in the busy kitchen talking to the chef.

We spent the next two hours in her bedroom. She took a nap, at my insistence, while I sat on a sofa and read. Lili, at about five, knocked on the door and entered when I called out, "Come in!" She flopped down onto the sofa next to me and sighed, "I spent half an hour talking to that chef! He's extremely stubborn, but I think everything's set. We had better started getting ready. Where's Lucy?"

"She's sleeping, but you can wake her up if she needs to get ready." Lili got up and I followed her into Lucy's bedroom where she lay on her bed and slept peacefully. Lili and I felt bad as Lili gently shook Lucy awake.

Soon after, we were all sitting around Lucy's bedroom getting ready for the feast. Lili did Lu's hair first and then mine. Lucy and I finished Liliana's hair and after another look in the mirror, we left Lucy's rooms and made our way down to the great hall.

The feast was going to start at half past six and it was six when we arrived.

Half an hour later and a few people started to arrive. By seven, almost everyone was there. Mr. Tumnus and his friends had come over to where Lucy, Lili and I were standing to say good evening and introduce his friends. His group of friends included a few fauns, the two famous beavers and one water nymph, Lairk. He had blonde hair and wonderful hazel eyes that sparkled with intelligence and playfulness. From the first look, it was clear that he was immediately taken with Liliana. They couldn't keep their eyes off each other and at the first opportunity, struck up a conversation and wouldn't leave each other's sides for the rest of the evening. To everyone it was clear that they were in love, but later that night, on the way home when I asked her about it, she laughed and tried; unsuccessfully; to deny it.

The next week they spent almost all their time together. Liliana spent a lot of time at the palace normally, but since Lairk arrived, she practically lived there. She would leave early in the morning, making excuses to coming home late at night and always seemed to be hopelessly distracted. After the first time I tried to talk to her about it, she didn't put up much of a fight and soon admitted that she was in love with the handsome water nymph.

I was, of course, happy for her but as time went on and Lairk stayed behind after Mr. Tumnus and the others left, they spent every waking moment together. Lairk become a regular visitor at our home, Lili talked about nothing but him and he talked of nothing but her; I realised things were becoming serious between them. For the first time in a long time, I worried about Liliana marrying him and leaving me.

"Lili, are you and Lairk going to marry?" My question was blunt and Liliana looked surprised as we walked along the beach. I was lucky to even have five minutes with her anymore since she spent all of her time with Lairk.

"I hope so." I didn't know whether I was glad or annoyed that she had been so truthful. The fact that she wanted to leave made me even more worried and sad.

"But if you marry him, you'll have to leave."

She looked at me and smiled sadly, "Oh, Mi, yes. I'll have to go and live with him along the Great River near the Lantern Waste."

Some part of me became angry with Lili and as hard as I tried, I couldn't suppress it as my words came out harsher and louder than perhaps I had meant, "You're happy about this? You want to leave me?" Lili looked taken aback by my outburst and tried to calm me down with a soothing voice, "Mitha, of course I don't want to leave you, but I love Lairk." Tears sprang to my eyes and to cover my embarrassment I continued shouting.

"You mean you love your precious Lairk more than you love me! If you leave with him, I will never see you again, but maybe that's what you want." My voice was becoming hysterical.

"Mitha, stop it! Stop making up things, of course I don't love him more than I love you!" I had heard enough though and after screaming at her with tears pouring down my face, "Stop lying to me!" I turned and ran from the beach as fast as I could. I thought about going to see Lucy up at the palace, but I knew she wouldn't understand. She adored Lairk and thought that Lili and him falling in love was an absolute fairy-tale.

All of the seven years after the winter had thawed, I had never really been down the river that flowed to the west of my house. Cair Paravel was to the north, woods to the south, the ocean to the east and the rest of Narnia to the west. The bridge across the river that allowed us to go to the palace was on the beach side of my house and whenever I went for walks, I always headed east to the beach or south to the woods, but never west along the river. But this time, as I ran away from the beach I didn't really think of where I was going until I found myself past my house, on the western side, next to the river. I continued walking and walking until I came to a large rock that overlooked the river. I approached the rock to climb up onto it and sit down until I noticed that there was someone already sitting on it. He was looking out over the river and so all I could see was the back of his black-haired head. Meaning to quietly slip away before I was noticed, I turned and walked as quietly as I could towards the trees.

"Mitha?" I was caught by surprise and quickly turned at the sound of my name. The man on the rock had obviously heard me and turned. I sank into a low curtsy when I saw who it was.

"King Edmund." Being Lucy's best friend, I knew her siblings better than most, but I wasn't as well acquainted with them to be able to call them by their first names, though they had told me to.

At this he sighed and said, "Mitha, how many times have I asked you to call me Edmund?" He jumped down from the rock and walked toward me.

"I like to be respectful of my King." I didn't feel comfortable enough to call him Edmund any more than I was to call Queen Susan or King Peter Susan and Peter to their faces.

He looked exasperated as he continued walking towards me slowly.

"You're practically Lucy's sister. That would make us brother and sister." He held his hand out for me to shake but when I didn't take it, he asked, "Will you not shake my hand?"

The four monarchs had a strange custom of sometimes shaking people's hands when they said hello. It was strange to Narnians at first, but after seven years, we had grown accustomed to it.

"Shaking your hand and calling you Edmund would make me feel as if we were almost equals and that would be far too presumptuous of me."

He laughed and said, "Mitha, you amuse me with your views on Narnian society. Will you walk with me?" I suddenly thought about how I must look. Red blotches always appeared on my face when I cried so I knew my face and eyes would be red and swollen. My hair was probably wild and untamed, but regardless, I nodded and replied, "If you would like."

We began to walk along the river going further west.

"How are you, Mitha?" In the seven years I had known Lucy, I had never really been alone with any of her siblings and so was feeling slightly uncomfortable. Edmund was a good King. While Peter was known for being very great and strong, Edmund was known for being more serious and very just. He was shorter than his brother who was extremely tall but not by any means a small man, or unhandsome. All the time I had known Edmund, he had never been as outgoing or openly friendly to people in general but he was never mean or unfriendly. He was just less approachable than his siblings.

I didn't ever think of telling Edmund about my troubles about Liliana and so responded, "I'm well thank you. And yourself?"

For half an hour or so Edmund and I made polite conversation as we strolled along. Never having had a proper conversation before, it was slightly awkward at times. Edmund, not being as open or talkative as his siblings, made me more nervous but he never let the inevitable awkward pauses get too cringe worthy. After the half an hour had passed, he made his apologises and told me he must get back to Cair Paravel. He offered to escort me back to my home, like a proper gentleman, but I declined and he left soon afterwards.

As I walked home, all I could think of was Edmund. I knew it wasn't because I had fallen for him; I would never have been that stupid- he was a King; but I had enjoyed his company and half wished he had not left.

It wasn't until I got home and saw Lili in the living room that I realised I had completely forgotten about the fight I was having with her while I had been with Edmund. When she saw me she didn't do anything and I was relieved that I wouldn't have to speak to her so soon.

It was only after a few days that she cornered me and apologised. She said that although she loved me and didn't want to leave home and the rest of the family, she loved Lairk and when or if he proposed, she would accept and go and live with him. I gave a curt response and left quickly before she could see my tears or anger.

Everyone; Lucy and her siblings, my whole family including Lili and even me; now completely expected Lairk and Liliana to marry. It was only a matter of time.

We didn't have to wait long, it was a week and a half later that Lairk came to visit father alone. They went for a walk and when they returned and Lairk left, my father announced to the family that Lili and Lairk were going to get married. That night, I snuck into Lili's room to talk to her.

"Lili?" I whispered.

"Yes Mi?" she had clearly not been asleep.

"I'm happy for you and Lairk. You'll be happy together, I hope." As much as I didn't want her to go, I wanted Liliana to be happy because she was my sister and I loved her dearly. After a few tears and many hugs, I left and felt much better as I returned to my room.

A/N: Okay, so first meeting with Edmund! Yay! I hope no one thinks that Mitha is a Mary-Sue because I know that there are SO many fanfics with Edmund/OC and I really don't want this one to be just another one. Anyway, next chapter...soon! -Cloey :)