7) Coronation
Liz was wandering the gardens, as she had started to do lately whenever Peter was gone. It was only three weeks since the battle, and after the first week (lots of funeral, she now hated the color black) it was blissfully peaceful. Liz liked to wander the gardens (she still hadn't seen all of them) barefoot and observe the gate. The gardens were built around the gate so she could immediately be by Peter's side when he came home, or see a messenger from Peter immediately, or any new visitors. She saw when the lion walked in. He was majestic, powerful. She walked up to him, hoping to find the reason he was here.
"Hi, I'm Elizabeth Cullen, but you can call me Liz." She said introducing herself.
"I know who you are." The lion said, in a deep warm voice.
"So who are you here to visit?" Liz asked.
"You, and the Kings and Queens." The lion replied.
"Well, King Peter's away for the moment…" Liz trailed off, thinking about Peter.
"I know he is, and you don't have to call him 'King' around me, I know he means something to you." The lion said with a smile.
"Who are you?" Liz asked
"Aslan," the lion replied.
Liz's eyes widened and she hastily bowed. "I'm sorry for being disrespectful. "
"Rise Elizabeth, Peter will be home soon." Liz stood up and looked toward the gate. The horns sounded, saying that the High King Peter was home. He rode in on his horse, immediately spotting Liz standing next to Aslan.
"Aslan! It's good to see you! I'm glad you got to meet Liz." Peter said, hugging the lion. He hugged Liz, picking her up, and spinning her around. "I've missed you Liz."
"I've missed you too Peter. You've been gone for four whole days!" Liz said hugging Peter close to her. Susan, Lucy, Stephen, and Edmund came down from the castle; laughing.
"You guys can't even be separated for four days without going through withdrawal." Stephen said, clutching his stomach for support.
"I'd like to see separated from Susan for that long," Liz accused. Stephen turned red and decided to stay quiet.
"Aslan! I haven't seen you in forever!" Lucy yelled, jumping all over the big lion.
"It's good to see you too Lucy, and Susan, Stephen, and Edmund." Aslan replied happily.
"How do you know my name?" Stephen asked in awe.
"I'm Aslan."
"Wow, nice to meet you!" Stephen said. "You are seriously like the awesomest, from what I've heard." The seven of them walked up to the castle, and Aslan pulled Liz aside.
"Elizabeth-" Liz cut him off before he could finish.
"It's Liz."
"Liz, you need to continue to duel with Peter, and if another war or battle comes along, I command you to fight." Liz nodded, not objecting with Aslan's requests.
"And I need you to go to Archenland for a year." Liz's jaw dropped.
"Why?" She breathed.
"I need you to help rebuild. First, I want to make you Princess here. You will leave in three months time," Aslan said, taking in Liz's devastated expression.
"Can you tell the others I'm not up to dinner tonight?" Aslan nodded at Liz's request, and she fled the room, tears building in her eyes. She threw herself onto her bed, crying her eyes out. After approximately fifteen minutes, there was a knock on the door.
"Go away Susan," Liz ordered.
She heard the door open, but she ignored it. "It's not Susan," a quiet voice from the door said. Liz sat up and looked, even though she already knew who it was.
"Peter!" She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed. "I can't go away for a year!"
He wrapped his arms around her, attempting to comfort her. "We'll all be waiting for you to come back. And we'll visit you when we can."
She looked up at him, her big blue eyes searching. "But you won't be able to. You won't have time."
"I'll make time." Liz just buried her head in his shirt in response.
"Oh my god Liz! Peter will love it!" Susan said, looking at Liz in her coronation dress. It was gold and white, and looked absolutely beautiful on Liz.
"He'll probably pass out," Stephen joked. Susan hit him on the head for the comment. He was also being crowned Prince, and he had on blue and silver clothes. "Can I get out of these clothes?" Stephen whined.
"Princes do not whine about clothes." Susan said.
"This Prince does." Stephen said, sticking his tongue out at Susan.
"Let's change and go to dinner," Liz suggested. At the dinner table, everyone was joking about the upcoming coronation. But Liz and Peter were silent; the coronation marked that Liz only had another month in Narnia.
An hour later, as Peter and Liz walked along the shoreline, they talked about her upcoming departure.
"I don't want to leave Narnia." Liz said, "Or you."
"You'll be back in a year, and I'll have business to discuss in Archenland at least every three months, sometimes more." Peter said softly. "And when you come home, we'll take a walk just like this, and talk about what we missed."
"Promise?" Liz whispered.
"Promise. Now we have to get back, I'm sure Susan and Lucy are trying to spy on us, we are so lucky it's dark out." Peter smiled. They walked back to the castle, hoping for the coronation to never come.
A week later, Susan and Lucy were preparing Liz for her coronation, as Peter and Edmund were preparing Stephen.
"What if I'm not a good Princess?" Liz stressed.
"Doesn't matter, Peter loves you, so will the rest of the country." Lucy said nonchalantly.
"Exactly, and you're going to be a great Princess…" Susan drifted off and muttered to Lucy, "And High Queen, when Peter gets around to purposing…"
Liz turned sharply. "What was that?"
"Nothing, I was saying how much I'm going to miss you," Susan lied, badly, but Liz was too worried to notice. She was pacing, looking so distressed it made Susan want to laugh. "It's time, c'mon." Lucy had already left; she was sitting on her throne, as was Edmund.
Susan met with Peter and walked through the door. Stephen was bouncing up and down nervously on his heels. He turned toward Liz and flashed her a smile.
"Nervous?" He asked.
Liz nodded, "More like anxious, terrified, edgy, and tense. I'm about to throw up." Stephen nodded, seeming to understand. "Do you think Susan is going to crown me? Because that would be the logical thing to do."
"And it was logical of Aslan to make you sit by Peter and make me sit by Susan." Stephen laughed. The horns that told them they were supposed to enter sounded, and Stephen flashed Liz one more smile before the doors opened. They walked to where Susan and Peter were standing. They turned to face the crowd, and Peter came to stand in front of Liz.
Aslan was talking about Stephen, and then Stephen would have to give a speech. Peter was holding a crown, but it was facing towards him and Liz couldn't see it. She must've had a disappointed look on her face because Peter turned the crown around for her to see.
The crown was silver, but it was so beautiful it might as well been made of diamonds. It was of the stems of a flower, interlaced with a sword. At the front the sword came to a high point, with the actual flower at each side. They were amaryllises, Liz realized, and they stood for pride. Liz smiled gratefully at Peter, right as Aslan walked over to them.
"I give you Princess Elizabeth," Aslan paused, and Liz growled in disapproval at her full name. "But you may call her Liz." Peter shook with laughter at this comment; "She will be leaving for Archenland in a month's time." Peter quickly became silent, as he placed the crown on her head. Liz knew she was expected to make a speech, but she just felt like she was going to throw up again. She looked to Peter, who nodded in encouragement.
"I was never good at speeches, so I'll make this one short. I love it here in Narnia, and I'm going to miss it so much when I'm away. I will do everything I can to help this country," Liz said, turning to Peter. Everyone clapped, with various shouts of "Long live Prince Stephen" and "Long live Princess Liz".
Peter looked at her with a sad look in his eyes, and they clearly said, One month left.