Hey guys, back again 13 days later...sorry about that. Anyways, I hope you'll forgive me because I've been working very slowly with this story. It doesn't help that I have a good two or three more stories besides this I'm working on. Well, this is chapter two and I hope you enjoy it. Only the first two chapters will be similar to the ending of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to set the premisis of the story.
Without further ado, here is chapter two of Narnia: Winter's Return.
Disclaimer: Belongs to the wonderfully talented C.S. Lewis and any other people that made Narnia such an exquisite adventure. Ariah Serenata is the only character belonging to me.
Chapter Two: The Coronation at Cair Paravel
Notmany days passed since the Battle for Narnia before the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve were to become Kings and Queens of Narnia. Ariah stood with the rest of the respected animals of Narnia as they all crowded in the Great Throne Room of Cair Paravel. She stood next to Peter's second-in-command in battle, a centaur whose name was Oreius and wore a beautiful proper, celebratory gown. She had never had a gown like it in her life. A pale green silk dress which clung her body in an effortlessly beautiful way, the sleeves were slightly bunched at the end and gold string crossed over them several times. The neck was scooped with a light gold beading adorning the top. A thin gold chain encircled her relatively narrow waist and tied in the back, then fanned out with the rest of the pale green silk. Her usually wavy brunette hair was curled and the top half was pulled back and tied with a gold ribbon that matched the gold accents on her lovely gown.
But if she were simply stunning in the gown, it was nothing compared to what the two queens-to-be looked like in their gorgeous dresses.
Lucy wore a magnificent gown of the lightest silvery blue and beaded throughout and her sleeves, which ballooned slightly at her shoulders, were made of the finest silvery blue silk. The neckline curved slightly, and the entire dress was fitted appropriately to her young body. The sleeves were very fluffy and light, and her skirts also were light enough to move as she walked down the long aisle to the four, marble, white thrones backed by a beautiful stained glass window that depicted Aslan and the kingship of his days. She also wore a velvet orange-red cape adorned with a large flower and it was clasped under her throat with a broach with a lion head depicted upon it. Her hair was curled and left loose around her face, which made her look just as beautiful as ever.
Susan wore a light pale blue dress of crushed velvet with gold buttons down the front. The neck was scooped and trimmed with gold, and the sleeves were of a darker blue silk that cascaded across her hands like bells. She wore a dark blue velvet cape that also bore a large flower and it was clasped underneath her chin with the same golden brooch as Lucy's. Her brunette hair was parted along the right side into two sections, which were twisted together in a braid that cascaded down the middle of the back.
The boys wore very similar tunics, leggings and capes, only Peter's tunic was done in a rich blue with lighter blue, satin sleeves and his leggings were of a pale yellow with a matching yellow, velvet cape. Edmund's tunic, on the other hand was of a sea-gray blue with a darker blue undershirt. The leggings were of a silver white and his cape was of the same color, only velvet.
Ariah watched the four proceed up the parting in the crowd along with Aslan, the great yellow lion, and two beavers followed by Mr. Tumnus. For the first time in the past one-hundred years she felt a true smile form on her lips as she realized that the threat was really over. Winter is gone forever—thanks to these four here Narnians have hope again.
The four children stepped up the four stairs leading to the four thrones backed by a majestic stained glass window depicting a beautiful sunrise on a happier Narnia. Aslan prowled at the base of the stairs as the two beavers and Mr. Tumnus walked up beside him.
As soon as they settled off to the left-hand side, the great lion opened up his mouth and roared, "The crowns!"
Mr. Beaver, ever bashful as he was, quickly gave Mr. Tumnus the first silver crown to be placed upon Lucy Pevensie's head. The faun walked up to the littlest queen as she knelt and placed it upon her head of curls.
"To the glistening Eastern Sea, I give you Queen Lucy the Valiant!" Aslan cried in his booming voice as Lucy stood and beamed joyously.
Mr. Tumnus hurried back to Mr. Beaver and was handed the second silver crown to be given to Edmund. He hurried back over, the hooves clicking against the stone floor, and placed the crown on Edmund's head as he knelt low to receive it.
"To the great Western Wood, I give you King Edmund the Just!" Aslan boomed as Edmund straightened and faced the crowd with a small smile on his face.
Mr. Tumnus hurried back once again and received the first gold crown which was going to be Susan's. Susan knelt and bowed her head before Mr. Tumnus as he placed the crown gently on her head.
"To the radiant southern sun, I give you Queen Susan the Gentle!" Aslan cried as Susan put her shoulders back assertively and smiled benignly at the crowd assembled before her in what was to become her hall.
For the last time, Mr. Tumnus skittered back to the remaining child, Peter Pevensie, who would become the High King of Narnia. The faun placed the gold crown atop Peter's golden-colored hair and backed away as the four children beamed for the crowd of their people.
"And to the clear Northern Skies, I give you King Peter the Magnificent!" Aslan roared triumphantly as the respected animals and people of Narnia burst into cheers and applause.
The four children—now Kings and Queens of Narnia—turned in unison and walked to their thrones. Turning back around to face the people, they sat proudly in their thrones and the crowd's cheers garnered even more power.
Aslan let out a long growl and shouted, "Once a King or Queen of Narnia, always a king or queen!" over the crowds tumultuous hoots and hollers.
"Long live King Peter!" They all cried. "Long live King Edmund! Long live Queen Susan! Long live Queen Lucy!"
Ariah laughed gaily, easily and it made her overjoyed as she shouted along with the rest of the people of Narnia. She may not have truly been a Narnian, but there was no escaping a joy like this. To her it was the greatest moment on earth as she watched the two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve take their thrones and rid Narnia of winter forever. Clapping her hands together wildly and throwing them in the air to show her utter support and approval of the four currently on the throne she actually felt like she belonged somewhere.
And that was what she always wanted.
Ariah had finally escaped the crowded Hall where many of Narnia's inhabitants were blissfully dancing around to the wonderful music the fauns provided for them. Dancing wildly like everyone else for almost the entire time, it had finally gotten to her and made her slightly woozy and greatly hot. She stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the shining sea that Cair Paravel bordered. Out on the balcony at that exact moment she walked out, little Queen Lucy stood on her tiptoes looking over the rail as best she could to see something on the beach. Feeling polite, but not wanting to interrupt, Ariah let out a timid, "Hello."
"Oh hello," The littlest queen greeted with a smile, but she was still straining to see something that was evidently not Ariah.
"Queen Lucy," She said quickly, remembering formalities. She straightened quickly, as Lucy seemed not to have taken notice, and looked over the rail easily and saw what Lucy was trying so hard to see. "Aslan," She murmured gently, understanding the little girl's devotion to the proud, great lion that padded along the beach almost carelessly. "He does that you know; comes and goes all the time."
"Yes," Someone said from behind her. "That he does." It was Mr. Tumnus. "You see Queen Lucy, Aslan may be a wonderful lion, but he isn't tame," He joined Lucy on her other side.
"But he is good," Lucy said, now looking at Tumnus.
"Yes," Ariah said kindly. "Aslan is very good."
Lucy's eyes seemed to glisten in the setting sun as Tumnus pulled out a square piece of cloth. "My handkerchief," She mumbled through tears.
"Yes," He nodded with a wry smile as he handed it to her. "At the moment you have more need of it than I do."
Lucy's small hand took it and she quickly dabbed her eyes before looking back into the sunset. "He's gone!" She gasped in terror.
"Oh, but he'll never be far," Ariah soothed her. "No, he'll come back when he's needed."
"Really?"
"Oh yes; Aslan's very good about that you see, he's never left Narnia in danger for very long."
"But one-hundred years is a very long time."
"But in Narnian time it is very short."
"It still seems rather long to me."
"And it will seem long to you for awhile. You are not a bred Narnian my dear, but this is your place," She knelt so her eyes were level with Lucy's. "And this is the place that will always welcome you and rejoice over you. You have brought peace to this land and everyone thanks you immensely for it—even those who did not come today are out there rejoicing happily because winter's ice is long gone."
Lucy smiled as the joy was renewed in her. "I'm glad to have helped."
"You're going to be doing more than that Queen Lucy," Ariah replied with a happy grin. "You're going to lead this land into one of the best golden ages it's ever known."
After a moment of scrunching her nose up in thought, she nodded delightfully. "Of course I am—that's what my sister and my brothers and I are here for. We are going to rule over a Golden Age of Narnia and that's a promise."
"Yes, you are," She glanced back into the Dining Hall. "Now why don't you go join them now and dance and rejoin in the merrymaking?"
"I think…I think I will!" She gave Ariah an abrupt hug and whispered, "Than you for saving my brothers' lives," into her ear before vanishing and rejoining all of the happiness of the other room.
Dazed, she stood and rested both hands on the stone railing of the balcony and continued to look at the beautiful sunset which threw majestic colors of red, purple and pink across the once-blue sky. Not noticing that Mr. Tumnus was still with her, she jumped when he said something. "Beg pardon?"
"What are you still doing here Ariah?" He asked her in a voice that was unlike his own. "You can't get too attached; you know what your task is."
She looked away from the faun determinedly and even though she looked at the sunset, she didn't really focus on it. Tumnus had brought up what she feared most, and somehow she couldn't eliminate it from her thoughts.
"You have to go soon, else you're entire mission will be lost."
"There's no way Narnia can get on its feet in a day Tumnus," She responded sharply and finally turned her head to look at him. "I need to stay here and help out as much as I can."
"But you can't get attached to these children—you know you could forfeit entire worlds if you did that," He replied in the same brisk manner as before. "You have to leave as soon as possible."
"I'll be the judge of that," Her eyes flashed angrily as she continued to stare at his profile. "I am the one who has to do this, not you."
"There's always one in every world who just tries to give you a bit of advice, but you just won't take it will you?" He sighed exasperatedly and finally stared at her with pleading brown and gold eyes. "Can't you just do this for me? I don't want to see you hurt when you leave Ariah—you've been here for over one-hundred years, you need to go."
"I can't do that just yet Tumnus!" She hissed back at him as another faun edged out onto the balcony for a refreshing blast of cool air. Her gaze traveled back to the sun as it sank beneath the waves and twilight descended upon Narnia.
When the other faun left, Tumnus said, "What happens when you get too attached to these children Ariah? Other worlds will perish because of you, and you will become a lost person. You know exactly what you have to do—you've been doing it for hundreds of years and now is no time to jeopardize it."
Pressing her lips together tightly, she shook her head and curled her fingers into fists upon the stone.
"What Ariah? Don't tell me you've already gotten too attached to these children. You risk thousands of lives everyday you stay in this world. Look at you—you're deteriorating also and you have felt it for the past century—"
"I don't feel it anymore," She interrupted quickly. "It's not like that anymore, Jadis isn't here. A spring has erupted over Narnia and the joy from that has replenished what I have lost this past century. I'm alright now."
"You say that, but you don't know what's going on inside of you. Just because the outside seems—"
"I said I'm fine Tumnus," She cut across him irately and inhaled, then exhaled slowly to clear her head of the disturbing mental images of the past century in Narnia. From the first time she entered the cold place it affected her in such strange ways that she was so close to death for one-hundred years, yet she held on and refused to let Jadis take over her like that.
"Just...just be careful and don't push yourself Ariah," He said softly. "It may be the last thing you ever do."
And he left, leaving her alone on the balustrade of the Great Balcony of Cair Paravel. She wrapped her arms around herself in a comforting hug and let her eyes take in the beauty of a Narnian night. Slowly, her gaze began to glaze over and she truly became lost in the dark, inky black sky that poured itself over onto the rolling grass and crashing sea of the eastern horizon. Pulling her out of this comfortable trance was someone behind her who decided to make conversation with her.
"Hello?" The person ventured timidly, and stepped next to her.
Ariah whirled around in surprise and saw High King Peter standing there with a sheepish expression on his face. Realizing that she wore a scowl, she immediately softened her features into a light smile and knelt before the king. "King Peter."
Sensing that she wasn't as sour as she first seemed, Peter stepped up next to her and rested a hand on the rail near hers, but not too close to seem improper. "I've never really appreciated the beauty of a Narnian night before," He told her as he gazed into the blackness with a wistful expression in his eyes.
Ariah slowly turned back around and nodded. "There really hasn't been time to appreciate its beauty recently," She mused aloud. "But there wasn't really much beauty to it while the White Witch was ruling…unless of course you like the harsh, cold beauty."
"No…I prefer this," He agreed and glanced over at her. "I have to thank you."
"I beg your pardon?" Her eyebrows contracted slightly as she looked over at him.
"I said I have to thank you…" He repeated slowly, trying to remember what he was going to say. Opening his mouth again, he said, "You saved my life and my brother's; I really don't—"
"Oh that," She shook her head in modesty. "Please don't thank me; I'm sure you would have gotten along fine without me. I just happened to be in the right spot at the right time…" Hesitating slightly, she decided to throw all caution to the wind and say, "You are an excellent fighter."
His laugh was gentle, easy she noted as he shook his head, making the blonde hair shift in the breeze becomingly. "That was just a simpleton's training; you are far more skilled miss."
"Oh, right, I'm sorry," She extended a hand and grasped his as she gave him her name, "I'm Ariah Serenata."
"Miss Serenata…" He repeated softly, as if memorizing it for himself. Hesitantly, gently almost, he let her slim hand slide out of his, but it felt as though he wanted to cherish the slightly electric touch forever.
Feeling her cheeks flame under the moment, she stuttered, "Just call me Ariah," Shaking her head to clear it of the buzz that had suddenly filled it, she added, "I don't do well with the whole title-thing."
Barely registering that she was nervous, he smiled back and said, "Well then you can do without the whole kingship business. I'm not a fan of titles myself."
The heat of the unexpected moment past and she laughed gently while saying, "Ah, but I'm still going to have to curtsy to you k—Peter."
Sighing, he leaned on his forearms and looked over the balcony rail. "I never realized that Cair Paravel truly borders the Easter Sea."
Ariah didn't look over because she knew the layout of the castle quite well. Before, while Jadis ruled over Narnia, she had visited this long-lost ruin of sorts many times to retreat within herself for healing, or for thinking about things. "It is the jewel of the Eastern Sea as they will say. Aslan came from across this very sea, though many do not know where exactly. I'm not even sure of the land across the great sea."
"Yes, there is a land somewhere out there…" He agreed with a slightly concentrated look. "But I'm afraid I know nothing about it," Suddenly, as if all the grandeur he once held before her had vanished, he whispered meekly, "I've never been a king before."
"Peter Pevensie," She said firmly, forcing him to look up at her. "Don't you dare doubt yourself for one moment; you are the true High King of Narnia and it is as such," By some unknown force, she reached out and grabbed his hand. "Promise me you will never doubt yourself as king."
He looked more deeply into her eyes than she would have ever thought someone as young as him could. He held her intense gaze for longer than a moment, and squeezed her hand back. "I promise you my life Ariah Serenate, I will never doubt myself."
Feeling winded suddenly, she let out a whoosh of breath and dropped her gaze quickly. "Good," She muttered to offset her sudden feeling of weakness. "That's all you need to do."
"So we aren't the only children of Adam and Eve then," He said conversationally, pulling away from her and moving onto what seemed to be a safer topic.
She raised an eyebrow in response and turned completely away from him. "So you think me a Daughter of Eve then?"
Caught off guard, he stumbled over his words, "W-well yes, I mean you do look human enough—"
Laughing at the irony of the situation, she just shook her head and said, "Looking human isn't enough Peter. Never judge a book by its cover, remember?" She gave him a quick sidelong glance and realized he was staring at her intently. "Don't look into it any further than that either," She said quickly, putting all of her defenses back up. "I'm a friend and that's all you need to know."
Feeling miffed, Peter sullenly argued, "But if you aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover, then I do have to look further than what I see."
"I said don't," She snapped abruptly. "You won't like what you find."
A pregnant, awkward pause developed between the two of them and no one seemed to want to break it. For a long time they both just stared into the inky blackness of the sky and watched the stars twinkle as they appeared as pinpricks of light on the velvet black cloth.
Relenting, Ariah whispered, "I'm sorry, I just…I haven't opened up to anyone in years."
"It's…it's understandable," Peter replied quietly. "But just remember that the friendship door swings both ways Ariah; I'm not going to back down from someone I want to find out more about," Silently, he took her slim hand in his and wove his fingers into hers. "Because there's something about you that seems to be more than what I see."
Her mouth parted slightly and her vision blurred for a minute, but she didn't respond to him. She couldn't bring herself to snap at him one more time because she felt it might ruin him. For some unknown reason Ariah Serenata felt that she had the life of Peter Pevensie, the High King of Narnia, in her hands and that she could only bring him down.
"Would you like to dance Miss Serenata?"
The simple question—so simple that it shocked Ariah that she was startled by it—made her stare at him blankly for a minute, blinking her eyes a few times to grasp the meaning of what he asked. "D-dance?" She stuttered out after a minute.
Looking uncertain, he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand and nodded. "If that's alright of course?"
"I…" She hesitated for a long minute, wondering what on earth she should do in this situation. Its one simple dance Ariah…but what if it develops—no, it's just a dance for crying out loud! "I would love to dance with you if that is what Your Grace wishes."
"That I can answer truthfully: I do wish to dance with you Miss Serenata," With that he pulled her closer to him and they strode into the Dancing Hall purposefully.
Finally, they stood across from each other, smiling slightly as they waited for the next song to start. Soon, the next song began and everyone began dancing joyously around them. They stared at each other for a long moment before he finally extended a hand and she slid her slim hand into his. The touch was electrifying that nearly sent Ariah spinning. She gasped, but it wasn't loud enough for him to hear, and she didn't even think he noticed as he rested his other hand at her waist. Gently, so as not to shock herself again, Ariah placed the other hand on his shoulder and they began dancing in such a way it seemed as if no one else was in the room.
Reviews? Opinions/suggestions?
-Aprylle :)