Chapter 2 – Not So Little Anymore

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff; it all belongs to Mr. Lewis, of course. However, I am proud to say that I own a very helpful book by Brian Sibley, called The Land of Narnia, which has a cute little timeline and other cool things that are helping me a lot with writing this!

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Narnia – May, Year 1002

-During the time in which Peter was 15, Susan was 14, Edmund was 12, and Lucy was 10.

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Lucy awoke late that Tuesday morning. She could tell that it was at least ten o'clock by the light streaming in through her curtains.

She was slightly annoyed that no one had bothered to wake her for breakfast, but then again, they rarely ever did. Peter and Susan still viewed her as a child, despite the fact that she was only two years younger than Susan was when the four siblings entered Narnia, and the same age that Edmund had been. And so they let her sleep in late every morning, while they went about their morning business, figuring that a child should be allowed to sleep in as late as she pleased.

Lucy would rather be up with the sun, along with everybody else, as she usually was. Her internal clock usually awoke her around seven-thirty in the morning. However, she had had a tiring night – there had been a grand feast to celebrate the beginning of the summer games, and Lucy had stayed up later than any little queen should.

The summer games were an event held yearly, which Peter had instated the previous year, after the White Witch's reign had ended. The games involved much jousting and other tournaments among the men, and much less gaming among the women, who preferred hosting tea parties and merely observing the activities. During the games, competitors from Archenland and Calormen traveled to Cair Paravel, and it was a very grand party.

So Lucy had ended up sleeping in late, and now she had probably missed breakfast. She hopped right out of bed and pulled on the first dress she found in her wardrobe. After slipping on some shoes and placing her crown on her head, she hurried down to the dining hall.

No one was there! Not a single soul. Usually there were a few remaining cooks lurking around the kitchen after breakfast, but there was no one to be found.

She continued down the hall, in hope of finding one of her siblings or at least someone familiar. Still, after opening door after door, the castle was deserted.

Usually on Tuesdays, since Lucy was free of much duty, seeing as her elder siblings saw her still as a child, she would walk around the castle and chat and observe the goings-on. Tuesdays, Lucy thought, were the best days to observe the castle in its everyday life – the day before, Monday, everyone had just gotten back to work, but it wasn't yet the middle of the week, Wednesday, when almost-weekend glee started to set in.

Most Tuesdays, Lucy would awake and get dressed, eat her breakfast, and then head to the large library in the center of the castle. She could usually find Susan there, seeing as even queens have to be schooled at some point. She would look in on Su for a few minutes, and then leave for the meeting room, where she would usually find Peter and Edmund and several other men in council. Usually, these councils were quite casual, seeing as there wasn't much going on in peaceful Narnia these days. She would peek in through the windows to see what was going on there. Then, around noon, she would go to tea with Mr. Tumnus. This was Lucy's Tuesday schedule.

So Lucy tread the familiar path to the castle library. She pulled open the heavy oak doors and entered. She inhaled a big breath of the library-smelling air. Lucy loved that old smell of libraries that she associated with books and knowledge. She glanced around the library for her sister.

No Susan to be found.

"Now, this is very strange indeed," she thought to herself. She left the library, closing the doors behind her.

She walked down the remaining length of the hall, checking rooms as she went. Still, she came in contact with no one. Lucy was starting to panic, but told herself to be calm. She descended the four stairs at the end of the hall, turned left, and was at Peter and Ed's usual meeting room. Just by peeking in the windows, she could tell that no one was there.

Lucy slowly climbed the stairs back up to her bedroom, which was on the top story of the castle, between Edmund and Susan's rooms. She closed the door behind her, and went over to the windowsill. She stared out the window at the ocean view blankly. Lucy knew that her siblings had let her have the slightly larger room with the prettiest view.

She sat down on her bed sadly. Where was everybody? Why hadn't they woken her up that morning? Why hadn't they –

Her eyes caught sight of her night table, next to her bed. There was a small piece of parchment, which Lucy could tell was written on. She picked it up immediately. Susan's neat cursive curled across the page.

Dear Lu,

We're all in a meeting in the large meeting room on the very bottom floor. Whenever you wake up, you should come down there right away. We didn't want to wake you. We're afraid there is some bad news.

Love from,

Peter, Susan, and Edmund

The meeting room on the lowest floor? Lucy had never even known this room to be used! It was underground, and also gigantic – they never needed a room that big for a meeting or council. She didn't bother to ponder this for long, she rushed downstairs instead.

"I'm here, I'm here!" she cried, pushing through the doors. It was suddenly apparent to her where everyone had been. Every seat around the seemingly never-ending table was filled, and more chairs, against the walls, were filled as well. The inhabitants of the room were not only Narnian creatures, but Archenlanders as well.

She had obviously disturbed something very important, because the room was silent and all eyes were on her.

"Sorry," she whispered, taking the seat that Susan quietly offered to her.

"As Narnia's youngest queen has just arrived, now would seem like a marvelous time to recap the situation," Peter mentioned from the end of the long table. Lucy's cheeks burned. It would have been nice if they had warned her to enter the meeting hall quietly in the note, before she came barging in and disturbing the meeting!

"I really wish that one of you had woken me up this morning," she whispered in Susan's ear. Down the table, Mr. Tumnus caught her eye and winked at her. Lucy felt slightly better, knowing that her old friend was here.

"So, as we all now know, the representatives that have come from Calormen are not peaceful. Rather than coming to participate friendly in the games, they are waging war." Peter spoke calmly to the crowd.

"Oh, by the Lion…" Lucy thought.

"Something must be done about this, and seeing as the Calormenes are not willing to reach a peaceful agreement, the only option appears to be battle. While we were all dreading it coming to this, it seems that it has. Does anyone have any suggestions?"

The room was silent.

"Then it is war." Peter's voice rang throughout the room, a tone of finality resounding off the walls.

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Only a week later, Lucy was sitting on her horse, preparing to ride into the battle camp. Peter and Susan had not wanted her to go, but Edmund had made them see reason. He understood about being treated like a child, and he knew that Lucy was growing up.

Susan sat nervously on her horse, next to Lucy. "How are you doing, Lu?" she asked, smiling, but the smile was shaky. Lucy knew her sister was on the edge.

"All right," she lied. She wasn't worried about herself – she was worried about Narnia, and about her siblings. Oh, how much she was worried about her siblings!

Susan's bow was slung across her back. She took it off, and laid it in her lap, running a finger across the smoothly carved wood. Lucy instinctively put a hand to the cordial at her hip; just to be sure it was there.

"I'm scared, Lu," Susan whispered, a hand still on her bow.

"Me too, Su," Lucy replied.

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All too soon, they were riding into battle. The Archenlanders had taken the side of the Narnians, as was expected. The large group arrived at the battle camp just before sunset.

Lucy entered the tent that belonged to Susan and herself, and sat down in the hammock-like bed. She took deep, shaky breaths. This was all too much like the event two years ago – the Battle of Beruna, where Aslan was killed and then resurrected; where Edmund almost died. Lucy was doing her best to stay put-together, but deep inside her was the fear that what had not quite been accomplished at the previous battle (the death of her brother and Aslan) would be fulfilled at this one.

Lucy was alone in the small tent. Susan was off being fitted for armor or something of the like. She wished that Susan would come back, or someone else would come in to see her. She didn't want to be alone.

As if he'd heard her thoughts, Peter walked in. "I thought you might like some company," he said quietly to her.

"You know me too well," she replied with a smile.

Peter sat down next to her and rubbed her back comfortingly for a moment. "Oh, Lucy…"

"Yes, Peter?"

"Nothing," he replied, but Lucy could tell he was hiding something from her.

"Really, Peter, what is it?"

He looked at her and smiled. "You won't let it go, will you, Lucy?" She shook her head to say 'no' by way of response. "Our Little Lu… Our little Queen…" Peter said, putting his arm around her and pulling her into a hug.

"I'm not so little anymore, Peter," she reminded him, as she often did.

"I know, Lu. But I'll always see you as my sweet little baby sister."

She didn't know how to feel about the comment. Lucy really was growing up – she was eleven, after all, and not a baby anymore. She didn't want to be looked down upon, just because she was the youngest of the Pevensies! But at the same time, she found herself smiling. Maybe she didn't mind being their 'sweet little baby sister' quite as much as she thought she did.

"I know," she finally replied, in a whisper.

"That's why I didn't want you to come, Lu. Too bad Edmund is so persuasive," Peter said, smiling.

There was a short silence, and then Peter continued. "I won't let you get hurt, Lucy. You're going to be safe. After all, I promised Mum. Promise me you won't get into any trouble, Lu. Because… I can't watch you all the time. So you'll have to be safe, for me, Lu. Promise me you'll stay safe."

"I promise, Peter," she whispered, but she felt like she was lying. How could she control her safety in a battle? Persuade the enemy not to hurt her? Hide? Simply not go into battle at all? She was Queen Lucy the Valiant after all, and she was going to fight!

So she couldn't exactly guarantee her safety. However, she had just promised this to Peter.

He took the expression on her face as tiredness, when it was really worry. "Well, I'll let you get to sleep, Lu. Big day tomorrow…"

Peter stood up, and was about to walk out the flap of the tent, when Lucy called to him.

"Promise me that you'll wake me up tomorrow!"

Smiling, Peter said, "I promise." He was half-way out the flap, when he turned around. "I really do know that you're growing up, Little Lu. Like you said, you're not so little anymore…"

"But I'll always be your sweet little baby sister," Lucy replied with a smile, lying down in her hammock.

"That's right," Peter replied softly. "Goodnight, Lucy."

"Goodnight, Peter."

Peter walked out of the tent, when he heard his sister call, "Peter, wait!"

He entered the tent again. "What is it, Lucy?"

"I love you, Peter," she said quietly.

"I love you too, Lu," he replied, his eyes watering a little as he left the tent.

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The morning of battle, Peter went into the tent to wake Lucy, just as he'd promised, but she was already up.

Susan and herself were dressed and ready for the battle. Silently, they left the tent, following Peter. He led them to a long table, where Edmund was already eating breakfast. They sat down to join him, and several others, including Mr. Tumnus, came to the table as well.

There was no conversation. The only thing to be heard at the breakfast table was chewing along with silverware colliding with plates.

Lucy pulled a small, white handkerchief out of her pocket and slipped it to Mr. Tumnus under the table.

It felt good to pass it off to him, even if they both probably needed it equally as much. He smiled nervously at her, taking the handkerchief.

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Lucy was standing with the archers, next to Susan, looking out at the battlefield. She caught sight of Peter down below.

His sword gleamed in the rising sunlight.

Somehow, Lucy knew that everything was going to be alright. Her brother was King Peter the Magnificent, and not for nothing! With him leading them into battle, surely everything would turn out just fine. She wasn't nervous anymore.

After all, she was Queen Lucy the Valiant. She would surely do fine in the battle. And while her sister Susan was the Gentle, Lucy knew that she could shoot a fierce arrow. Edmund had helped create the battle plan, and he always knew what was going on and was in control of the situation. And with Peter leading them all, she was sure Narnia would do just fine.

She knew that she wasn't so little anymore, and her siblings knew that too, now. She had their respect, along with all of Narnia, and their love, which was even more important. And as the battle broke out, and Queen Lucy began to fire arrows from atop the cliff, she was sure she would be able to keep her promise to Peter. She was Queen Lucy the Valiant, and she felt that nothing was going to bring her down. She would keep herself safe, for Peter, and for Susan and Edmund and all of Narnia as well.

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Author's Note: Not so sure about this one, not so sure at all. I don't like this one nearly as much as the chapter before… I don't like the ending much at all… Hmm…

I had a big debate with myself over naming this chapter Promises or Not So Little Anymore. What I really had to decide, therefore, was whether this chapter was about Lucy's relationship with Peter or about Lucy growing up. I decided it was really just more about Lucy, so I picked Little.

Well. I shall definitely need your reviews. So I can know how I did with this one.

Also – my biggest trouble is deciding on whom to write each next chapter about, so if there is anyone you'd like to see, just tell me in your review. Like: "Oh, I'd really like the next chapter to be about Susan," or something like that. Or maybe you just really don't care, in which case I will have to make up my own mind::sigh: Oh, the indecisiveness.