Author's Note: Okay, after this chapter, everything will be my work. (With suggestions from you guys, of course, if you have any.) Anyway, I have surprises in store for you. Some of them, you'll never see them coming.
Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to someone very close to me: Mr. Carpenter, my late teacher who passed away exactly a year ago. He's the one who got me more into reading for enjoyment. If you're reading this, Mr. C., this is for you.
Quote from Chapter: "You'd be surprised. I can hear both of them from down the hallway back home. It was a miracle I could sleep at all!"
Chapter Fifteen: Before, During and After the Coronation
The three weeks later, it was time for the coronation.
"What do you think Cair Paravel will look like?" Lucy said. They--the five of them--were riding horses on their way to the castle.
"You shall see once we get there," Aslan said, who was walking beside the horses. The blonde girl nodded. Aceline paid no attention, but instead made her horse nudged Peter's (a Dumb Beast named Eamon) and mouthed, "I need to talk to you in private." He nodded, looking at her quizzically.
"Bloody hell," Edmund said suddenly. No one reprimanded him for swearing.
They were much too busy staring at the castle in front of them
Thousands of arches were visible and seemed to pop out of nowhere, making the castle look like gigantic maze. Beige stones that looked to be built of marble stretched as far as the eye could. Balconies were draped with emerald green vines. Some even had chains of flowers hanging over them. Cair Paravel looked quite enormous and none of the children doubted that it covered the whole cliff. From where she was standing, though it was rather hard to see, Aceline could see a gold flag with the red lion emblazoned on it fluttering in the breeze from the highest point.
"Blimey," she whispered. Instinctively, they dismounted their horses, their hands still on the reins.
"I think I could get used to this," she heard Susan say quietly. So can I.
"Welcome to Cair Paravel, castle of the four thrones," Aslan said. Lucy looked at him.
"Four?" she asked.
"Lucy, only you and Peter, Susan and Edmund are being crowned. I'm not," Aceline said, her eyebrows furrowing.
"That's not fair! You fought too, you should be crowned Queen like Su and me!"
"She shall not be crowned Queen," the Lion said. The ebony-haired girl couldn't help feel a stab of disappointment at the calm statement. She lowered her head, staring at the lush grass beneath her riding boots.
"But she shall be crowned Princess." Her purple eyes grew wide as she looked up at the Lion. He was smiling at her. She looked over at the siblings, wanting to know their reactions.
The sisters were looking quite excited. Lucy even hugged her around the waist. Edmund was grinning. He clapped her on the back and said, "Well done, mate." Peter offered more or less of the same congratulations. He draped his arm around her shoulders and whispered, "Congratulations, Princess." A grin formed on his face as he emphazied the last word.
As they walked in the castle, two nymphs came to meet them. One had dark green skin. Her slightly lighter green hair seemed to entwine with the clothes that she wore. The other had light blue skin and white blonde hair. Her clothes seemed to be made of whisps of dark white smoke. They fluttered slightly in the breeze. They both to the group.
"Good morning, Your Majesties," one of them said. She was the green one. "My name is Miliani."
"And I am Kalila," added the other.
"Come, we'll show you to your rooms," Miliani said. The children left Aslan and followed the nymphs through flights of stairs. Aceline thought it was impossible for her to take it all in. Tapestries depicting the stories of great heroes hung on the walls. The smooth floor beneath her feet made her wonder if she walking on ice instead of marble or stone or some type of element that wasn't found in England. In fact, she even surreptiously tapped the floor with her foot.
It wasn't ice.
"Sons of Adam, your rooms are on the right," Kalila said, stopping in a hallway with five doors, each of them a good distance apart from each other. "Daughters of Eve, yours are on the left." She had a brief vision of Mrs. Macready saying almost the exact same thing. It suddenly dawned on her that she may never see her mother or sister again. She clenched her fist tightly and closed her eyes briefly.
"If you require any assistance, just ring the bells beside your fireplace. We live right outside." They both bowed and left. Each of them walked to their respective room.
"Thank God I don't have to share a room with Peter," Edmund said. "He snores at night."
"If anyone snores in this family, Ed, it's you," his brother said.
"Oh, do stop bickering," Susan said, playfully admonishing them.
"Yes, I don't think either of you snore," Lucy added.
"You'd be surprised," Aceline said, feinting graveness. She was rather enjoying the whole joke. "I can hear both of them from down the hallway back home. It was a miracle I could sleep at all!"
"I resent that," the brothers said in unison. The girls laughed, which only caused them to grin.
"We'll meet in my room after we bathe. Agreed?" Peter said. They all nodded.
Once in her room, her mouth dropped open.
A soft, blue carpet covered every inch of the floor. She bent down and touched it. The material was wonderfully soft. She straightened up and observed the rest of the room.
Sunlight came in from an arched window to her left. The sea air blew in through the open, glass double-doors. The doors led to one of the balconies she had seen from outside. She breathed in the refreshing breeze, remembering the time when her parents had taken her to the beach back home.
To her right was a large couch with a blue shawl draped over it was in front of a fireplace. Two chairs were on either side of it. Tapestries hung on some of the walls. The closest one showed a tall, good-looking man brandishing a sword and standing over a dead dragon. He looked like a true warrior. She tore her eyes away from him and instead laid them on the three doors directly in front of her. She grabbed the handle of the center one. She lightly pushed it open.
Inside lay a comfortable-looking canopy bed. Aceline walked over to it and laid down on the plush, deep indigo sheets. Half of dozen white pillows laid on the space above her head. Rich gold curtains hung from the wooden posts on her bed. Unconsciously, she touched one of the curtains. Her hand met velvet combined with silk.
She sat on the edge of her bed, surprised to see a foot rest touch her boots. Aceline peeled them and stood on the carpet, enjoying the softness against her bare feet. She walked to a door next to an open window. Inside was a walk-in closet. Dresses hung on the walls on either side of her. Sandals, boots, and flats were carefully organized on the floor. She studied her clothes critically, thinking they would cost a good deal of pounds back in England. Emilia would kill to have one of theses. Maybe I'll bring her one back... She finally chose on a hunter green one with a pair of black flats and laid them on her bed.
Back in the main room, she opened the door to the left of her bedroom. This one led to the bathroom. In the very center of it was a giant, circular bathtub. She thought it was as big as a swimming pool. Her feet sounded against the floor, creating echoes in the room.
"Your Majesty?" Aceline nearly jumped out of her skin at this new voice. She turned around and saw Kalila staring at her.
"Yes?" she asked hesistantly.
"I am one of the Naiads in charge of drawing your baths," she said. Aceline watched her as the nymph drew water for the bath.
"Kalila?"
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"What's it in the other room? The one next to my bedroom?"
"That is your study." Her eyes widened at the words. A study? Blimey! Dad didn't even have a study!
The nymph looked at someone over the girl's shoulder as she poured bubbles into the tub.
"It's about time," she said quietly. The girl whirled around and saw two other Naiads looking at her. She was a bit suspicious when she noticed that one of them was most definitely male.
"Your Majesty," they said in unison, bowing to her. They introduced themselves as Balari and Nirav. Nirav turned his back on them as she undressed and slid into the water.
Goosebumps rised on her skin as the water touched her skin. Kalila washed her hair with what smelled like lavender and jasmine soap. Balari massaged her shoulders and Nirav drew more water and filled the bath with more bubbles. Aceline nearly snorted as she realized something.
The bath was fit for a princess.
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"That'll be all, thank you," she said with a nod. The Naiads bowed. To her utter amazement, they turned into water and flew out the window. Aceline rubbed her eyes to make sure she hadn't been hallucinating.
She hadn't.
Slightly shocked, she took off her white bathrobe and slipped on the hunter green dress and black flats. Her hair had been pulled into three braids and plaited together to form one single braid. She made sure that she looked alright before walking out of her room. Her feet instictively went to Peter's. She knocked first before entering. She met Peter, who was out on the balcony.
"Peter?" she said tentatively, but loudly. The boy turned and gave a her a small smile. He wore tan breeches with a white shirt.
"Hey, Ace," he said. "You said you wanted to talk me?" She nodded and joined him on the balcony.
"Peter, do you remember what I said a couple of weeks ago?" He gave her a puzzled look.
"What about?"
"When I said that I had something else to do?"
"Oh, that. Yeah, I do. What do you have to do?" Aceline hesistated for a moment. Then it all came out.
"Peter, I have to fulfill another prophecy. I have to free the Lone Islands from the Witch's followers. I know I should have told you guys earlier, but I didn't know how and I'm sorry." Those three sentences came out rather quickly, so that she could barely register what she said. She stared at his blank expression.
"Oh."
That was the only sound heard for a good two minutes.
"When-When are you leaving?" Her eyes snapped onto him, surprised to hear his voice waver.
"When I have a dream about Aslan," she said quietly.
"How long are you going to be there?"
"I'm not sure. Aslan told me I have to come back when I have another dream of him."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Oh." They stood like that for about thirty seconds when suddenly, she heard him swear under his breath. Her eyes widened for she had never thought that he could say such colorful words.
"I'm sick of all these prophecies," Peter said, leaning on the balcony, his head in his hands.
"I am too. And what's worst, I have to do this alone." Her voice quivered as it dawned on her that she wasn't going to have the Pevensies with her like she had been with them. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"It'll be alright," he reassured her. But his voice sounded like someone trying to reassure themselves.
"I really hope so," she said.
"Peter? Aceline?" As suddenly as they had been close, they broke away like a bad relationship.
"Yes, Lu?" she asked, looking at the blonde girl. Behind her stood the rest of the Pevensie siblings. Susan and Lucy wore similar dresses, Susan in blue and Lucy in red. Edmund wore black breeches with a light gray shirt. Though dressed differently, they gave Aceline and Peter questioning looks.
"What were you two talking about?" Susan asked. It took nearly all of her strength to not look at Peter nervously.
"We were talking about how we can't wait for the coronation," Peter said. His siblings seemed to believe this excuse.
"I can't wait either!" Lucy said enthusiastically.
"That reminds me," Edmund said. "Miliani told me we have to get fitted for our coronation clothes tomorrow."
"I wonder what they'll look like," Susan said, a dreamy look on her face. Her younger brother's snort made her focus.
"I hope they aren't uncomfortable like those clothes we had to wear to church," he said.
"I hope not," the blond brother shuddered. Aceline smiled at them.
"Do any of you want to go to the beach?" she asked. The siblings nodded eagerly. Lucy and Edmund went straight out the door, creating a blur of red and gray. Susan followed a moment after, running in an undignified way. Aceline and Peter were the last to leave, casting each other uneasy looks.
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Five days later, it was time for the coronation.
"Come out, Aceline," Lucy said, gently rapping on the door.
"No, I feel perfectly silly," she answered. She was standing in her bedroom while the Pevensies waited in her sitting room.
"I'm sure you'll look fine," Susan said. A sigh came from her lips, one loud enough for all the siblings to hear.
"Alright, alright. But if either Peter or Edmund laugh, I'll kill them." Her hand grabbed the door handle and she stepped out.
"Well?" she asked to the open-mouthed amazement. A moment passed and she said, "I don't look that bad, do I?"
"Not bad at all," Peter said in a tone that made his brother smirk.
And he was right.
Aceline wore a deep rich lavender dress. The velvet was decorated with a white thread and exposed her pale neck and shoulders. It stopped a good three inches from her wrists where a lighter lavender silk flowed down to the tip of her fingers. A cloak of off-white cotton went down from her shoulders, stopping two inches from the ground. A circular, golden-lion clasp kept it on. Her hair lay in ringlets around her shoulders, the ends of it making a contrast against the white of the cloak.
"You look so pretty, Aceline," the blonde girl said.
"Thank you," she replied, blushing. "So do you. All of you do." She observed the siblings' clothes.
Lucy wore a shimmery dress of aquamarine velvet. Pearls of a slightly darker color decorated the neckline, ends of the sleeves and hem of the dress. Her blonde curls framed her cheery face and her cerulean eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. A cloak of a deep rich red material hung her from shoulders, fastened with the golden-lion clasp.
Susan looked pretty in her silver-blue dress, that shimmered when she moved. The sleeves fanned out from under her elbows, making the effect regal and majestic. Bands of the lightest silver, nearly white, were wrapped around her upper arms. Her cloak was a dark indigo that was held by a golden-lion clasp.
Edmund stood next to Lucy, his clothes contrasting against his black hair. He wore a tunic of silver velvet that bore a leafy design marking him as King of Narnia. A pair of silver leggings and black boots rimmed with white covered his legs. He wore a thin band of cloth that matched with his leggings around his waist. His cloak was a deep silver that seemed to illuminated against his dark hair.
Peter looked similar to Edmund, except he was clad in gold and blue. He wore a collared, dark blue velvet tunic. The leaf design on his tunic was slightly different from his brother's. It marked him as the Narnian High King. The tunic's sleeves were slit, exposing his light blue silk shirt. Around his sleeves and waist were thin bands of gold. He was finished off with a deep gold, velvet cloak, black boots rimmed in gold and matching golden leggings.
This, of course, takes a long time to write down, but it took only a second to see. And took only another second for Susan to suggest for them to go down.
The children walked down in silence, too nervous to speak. Aceline clutched her hands in anxiousness. Edmund nudged her as they came into Aslan's voice. They bowed simultaneously and Lucy rushed forward to hug the Lion.
"It is good to see you too, Dear Heart," he chuckled, gently licking her forehead. He smiled at the rest.
"Aceline," he began, "You shall go in after the others are crowned." She nodded in agreement.
"Sons of Adam on my left, Daughters of Eve on my right," he said. The siblings scrambled to their places. There was a burst of fanfare and they walked in, getting a thumbs-up from Aceline. The girl peeked in through the door as the others walked into the hall. Centaurs made the sides of the aisle, lifting their swords in respect as they passed. They stopped to observe the thrones. She immediately knew which one belonged to what person.
At the far right was a throne with the image of a cordial carved into it. This was obviously Lucy's. Next to it was a throne with the image of a horn. That was Susan's. Beside Susan's was a throne with a sword's image. Peter's. But what she found most interesting was the throne on the far left, for this one had the image of a broken wand and a sword. She smiled at Edmund's throne, remembering the battle.
"To the glistening Eastern Sea." Her eyes focused on Aslan, who stood in the very center, between Peter and Susan. "I give you Queen Lucy, the Valiant." Out of nowhere appeared the Beavers, carrying two pillows with crowns on them, and a Faun wearing a dark green scarf. Lucy's words rang in her head.
And I met a Faun called Mr. Tumnus.
Mr. Tumnus picked a crown that seemed to be made of silver juniper flowers. He placed on her blonde curls and Lucy beamed at him.
"To the great Western Wood, King Edmund, the Just." A silver crown of oak leaves was placed on the boy's head. He straightened up, looking at his brother with an astonished expression. Peter gave him one back.
"To the radiant Southern Sun, Queen Susan, the Gentle," Aslan said. Susan smiled as a gold crown of daffodils was placed on her dark tendrils.
"And to the clear Northern Sky, I give you King Peter--" Here, the new High King straightened up, the sun making his gold crown illuminate. "The Magnificent." Aceline stared at Peter as the siblings sat down on their respective thrones. He truly is magnificent.
"Once a King or Queen of Narnia, always a King or Queen. May your wisdom grace us until the stars rain down from the heavens. Bear it well, Sons of Adam. Bear it well, Daughters of Eve." Cheers exploded from the spectators, all looking happily at the new Kings and Queens. It was cut off almost immediately as Aslan said in his clear voice, "And now, let us greet our future Princess!"
Behind the door, her face paled. They opened and it seemed that nearly all eyes were on her. She walked up the aisle, smiling hesistantly at them and was glad to receive the same cordial welcome. Too soon, she stood beside the Lion. He briefly placed his paw on her shoulder and looked directly forward. Her eyes traveled up the aisle. Reulel was coming up it, dressed elegantly in shining armor. He carried a dark green pillow on which rested her crown. The Dwarf was grinning at her. From his smile, she concluded that he had made her crown, just as he had made her sword. She bit back a snort at the sight of her crown
It was made of silver violets.
Violet. The color of her eyes.
She went down on one knee as soon as the Dwarf stepped onto the dais. Mr. Tumnus came forth and picked the crown. She felt him place it on her head.
Glee rushed into her head, making her feel dizzy. She gulped, smiling as the Lion said, "In my name, rise Aceline Hethers, Princess of Narnia." She straightened up and almost immediately, cheers of "Long live Princess Aceline" came from the crowd. She laughed, grinning widely as she glanced over her shoulders at the Pevensies.
They were all grinning back.
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"Hey, Ace, you want to dance?" Edmund asked. It was the after-coronation party and all around him, people were dancing. The Princess nodded, walking with him to where people were sprinting gaily. They followed suit, dashing back and forth and grabbing hands to twirl. Aceline spun, holding her arms aloft like the nymphs around her. They looked pleased that she could pick up the steps so quickly. The Just King grinned from ear to ear as he managed to dance in a Faunlike fashion. By the end of the dance, they were panting but laughing.
"Look at Peter," he said, pointing at his blond brother. The High King was dancing with Kalila. They were both laughing as Peter twirled her.
"He looks like he's enjoying himself," she giggled. "I wonder when's the wedding." Edmund laughed along with her. They kept chuckling until the fair-haired boy walked over to them, looking a bit pleased.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"You," they said in unison. He opened his mouth to ask why when Lucy appeared. One look at her face said that she had been crying.
"What's wrong, Lu?" the Just King asked.
"He's gone," she answered woefully. "Aslan's gone." The good humor dimmed down as glum expressions appeared on their faces. The Princess bit her lip to keep from sighing sadly. She knew that would only make the Valiant Queen feel sadder than she already was. Instead, she wrapped her arm around her shoulders.
"Don't worry, Lu, he'll come back. You'll see him again." Her tone of voice was an echo of Peter's when he had reassured her that her prophecy would turn out alright.
"Yeah, don't worry. Remember, he's not a tame lion," Peter said. The blonde girl nodded.
"I'm going to tell Su," Edmund said. He left Aceline alone with his brother and sister.
"Your Majesty?" They turned and saw a young Faun bowing to Aceline. "May I have this dance?" She nodded, casting a I'll-be-right-back look. Peter nodded at her, taking up the post of comforting Lucy. As the first note was strung, the Faun bowed to her and she curtsied in response. They held hands in a way that you would if you pressed your hands on a mirror. The dance proved complicated, for the steps seemed to change at every note. Twice she nearly tripped over the hem of her own dress that made her glad that she had removed her cloak. She twirled and joined hands with her partner.
"What's your name?" she asked, making a brave stab at conversation.
"Feoras, my lady," he replied.
"That's a nice name," she said as they twirled together.
"Thank you." They made small talk, ending with the same way they had started: Aceline curtsied and Feoras bowed.
"I hope to see you again, Your Majesty," he said.
"I hope so too." She had barely walked two feet when Peter appeared.
"Do you want to dance?" he asked.
"Sure." She gently placed her hand in his. Her other hand found his shouder. She was surprised to see the color rise in his cheeks. His free hand was on her waist, where it felt, to her, like it was burning right through her dress. Or did it feel like that because her skin flushed?
She had no time to wonder about it as they danced. She felt like his eyes burned into her. She tried hard not to look him, a task that was harder than it seemed because of his dazzling clothes.
"Penny for your thoughts, Princess?" he asked, looking at her under her bowed head.
"Just thinking about what the professor might be doing back home," she lied. "Peter, do you think we'll ever go back?"
"Only if Aslan wants it," he said, twirling her after a short pause. She nodded, finding courage to look at him. Her eyes stared directly into his.
She felt like the song ended too soon. He bowed in a mocking English fashion. He took her hand and kissed it.
"I'll see you later, my lady," he said with a wink at her. The expression on her face was priceless. To her horror, she felt her face burn and goosebumps rise on the hand that he had kissed. She gulped, unsure if she could move or not.
She couldn't.
Don't you love the longness of it? And what's great is that I have all of next week off! I'll update pretty soon for I've finally decided on what to do after this chapter. But I'm open to take any of your suggestions.