Hey guys!
I'm still technically with exams but I thought I could publish the scenes I have completed so you guys know I'm still alive. I will have the complete chapter soon enough!.
I'm thinking of writing a Narnia fic based on the events of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. If you have any ideas or want anything added to it, please let me know. Also, I have this line in my head: "I always knew we were going to reunite. I always saw it as happy ending of sorts, as the end of all struggles. I should have known better. I should have known we were going to reunite only so we could head into war together. I'm ready for it. I just hope we all make it through the night."
Somehow, I think that fits for a fanfic set during the events of "The Last Battle". What do you guys think?
Cheers for reading! I'll be back soon with the complete chapter!
Chapter 22. "There's a Place For Us." SNEAK PEEK
"There was no part of him that was not broken, that had not healed wrong, and there was no part of him that was not stronger for having been broken." - Leigh Bardugo, Six Of Crows.
"She'd laughed, and if he could have bottled the sound and gotten drunk on it every night, he would have." - Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows.
"Are you angry?"
It took a moment for Beth to snap off the fascinating tale contained in Adrien's book, but when she did look up, she encountered Adrien's nervous gaze with a frown. "Sweetheart, please. Why would I be?"
Adrien wrung his hands together in a sheepish manner. "Because I tried to hide it from you? Because I didn't tell you I started reading the book you gave me?"
Beth cocked her head as she stood, a smile forcing its way onto her lips because, more than anything else, her little brother looked adorable whenever he thought he could hide anything from her.
As they were relatively in public, being in the gardens that were open for all habitants of the castle, Beth knew she should behave as the High Queen of Narnia and refrain from all of her emotions for when she was in the comforts of her own private quarters, away from spying eyes. However, she was above everything a sister, and one who had a brother who needed her reassurance. And so, she carefully left the worn leather book on the bench she had been sitting on and walked towards her brother, who stood a few feet from her.
"Do you actually think I could ever be angry about this?"
Adrien tried to scoff, but his eyes betrayed his nervousness. "I suppose I don't."
Beth smiled at that. She grabbed her brother's face and placed two kisses on his forehead. "Of course I'm not angry, my dear brother. I could never be angry with you."
"Except for that time I ran away from Trufflehunter to release the River God, of course."
"I was not angry, I was scared." Beth paused for a moment before rolling her eyes. "But yes. I suppose you are right."
"High Queen Elizabeth. Lord Adrien."
Both siblings turned towards the entrance just in time to catch one of the gate guards bowing respectfully. Beth released her brother, but stood beside him as she smiled politely. "Yes, my friend?"
The guard stood straight, yet gulped as the High Queen's intimidating gaze fell on him. "High King Caspian has asked me to inform you that you are being expected in the courtyard."
Beth 's smile grew. "Are we the only ones missing?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Thank you, friend." Beth nodded her head. After the guard left, Beth looked down at her brother with a smirk. "How angry do you think they are?"
Adrien laughed at that. "That we have kept them waiting? The boys are furious, that's for sure."
"Peter wants to get to Cair Paravel as fast as possible. He is probably the angriest one. And Caspian wants to explore the site as much as we both do. He has to be quite anxious as well."
"I don't know. Edmund tends to get very upset whenever you are not beside him." Adrien shrugged. "Maybe we should walk slower."
"Agreed," Beth replied with a giggle. She clutched his hand affectionately. "Because it also gives me the time to tell you I understand why you didn't tell me."
Adrien's voice was small. "You do?"
"Of course. Sometimes, we have to process things that are way heavier than we expected. Even when it comes to your family, telling someone else sometimes means that we have to explain the situation, or even that we have to understand it. You deserved to understand it without any sort of extra weight or concern." Beth let go of Adrien's hand so she could exchange places with him as they reached the top of the stairs that led from their floor and straight to the main entrance of the castle. Leaving Adrien free range to reach the marble handrail, she wrapped an arm around his shoulders with a smile. "Besides, I got to read about your legendary bloodline now. That's more than enough for me."
Adrien frowned. "Bloodline?"
"Vocabulary lesson later," Beth replied before releasing her brother. She then opened the book, carefully flipping through its pages with a smile as they continued their trip down the stairs. "I think it's amazing you get to have a piece of your family. Learning about them, knowing the full extent of their mission, that must be relieving right?"
Adrien shrugged, eyeing the book almost with trepidation. "It's a lot, I admit. To know that my family has always served the Kings and Queens of Narnia…I mean, the first of our family - that history knows of -was the First General when King Frank and Queen Helen ruled, and was in charge of the defense against the supporters of the White Witch. Without Oreius, who knows if Peter and the others would have won against the White Witch. My father and sister were fundamental in the survival of the Narnians during our revolution against the Telmarines. Their fate was to protect Narnia. They have all died performing it."
"You threw Oreius' sword onto the river after the battle," Beth gently reminded him. "You do not have to follow your family's footsteps."
"But I became your brother. After my uncle died, anything could have happened to me. You didn't have to give me even a second glance. And yet, I became your family." Adrien took a deep breath. "What if this is part of it? What if I became your family because I am meant to protect Narnia?"
"You think I was forced to become your sister?" Beth looked down at him with bewilderment, yet tried to be as calm as possible in order not to fret Adrien. "That night, when I showed you our room and asked you if you wanted to become my family, you think I did that because of anything other than my love for you?"
By then, they had reached the bottom of the stairs. Two guards stood on either side of the closed main entrance, and made a move to open the large doors as they caught sight of the High Queen and the Narnian Lord. Beth shook her head imperceptibly and led Adrien towards the other side, away from any windows so their family didn't have the chance to catch sight of them.
"I don't know." Adrien's voice was small, his gaze on the floor as Beth knelt before him. "Maybe you don't know either. Maybe that was just part of my fate."
Beth sighed. She closed her eyes for a second before forcing herself to smile. As she opened her eyes again, she gently lifted her brother's face so he was looking at her. "I always believed coming to Narnia the way I did was part of my fate, even before Jack confirmed it for me back in the How. I could have met anyone in the woods, yet the one I met was Tor. My father, the King, could have hated me. He could have thrown me into the streets. Instead, he adopted me and made me a Princess even though I don't have one drop of his blood coursing through my veins."
Against his will, Adrien relaxed slightly. "So you understand my point."
Beth smiled in amusement. "I understand what it means to have unexpected turns thrown your way. But, while life may be unpredictable and even terrifying, I do know that we still get to make our own choices. We still get to choose who is part of our family. You are my family because I love you, because we are comrades."
"Are Ersan, Tor and Torin your family?"
Beth pursed her lips as she took a moment to think of her answer. Ersan's sudden departure still haunted her. What he told her in that letter was that Torin had escaped her confinements, and there were now rumors of retaliation from the Prince and his supporters. Ersan had thus left as swiftly as possible to Anvard in order to secure the realm.
Even as the hours passed and she received no word from Ancherland that spoke of war, treason or mutiny, Beth still felt as if time had run out. She could only pray to find Tor and bring him back before Torin managed to gather enough support to do something reckless.
Could Torin be her family after this? They had never been friends but he was her brother, her family, so their nonexistent friendship was of no consequence for her. Now, with her father, her brother, and her people in danger because of him…it was difficult for Beth to decide what was him to her now.
As she had said before, sometimes sharing things with others meant explaining them. She wasn't ready to do that just yet.
"They are. They will always be my family." Beth stood up, walking back towards the entrance and smiling at the guards who once again moved to open the doors. "But you are my home, brother. I chose to be your sister because I love you. We are all comrades, after all."
"Except for when you are being unnecessarily protective, of course."
Beth rolled her eyes. They had finally reached the main entrance of the castle, so she smiled as the morning sunlight gently danced across her features. "Dude, look at our family. Do you think any of them are not capable of taking care of themselves?"
Adrien pursed his lips but paused as he took in the sight before him.
By the courtyard, the griffins were ready to take them to Cair Paravel. As they waited for the Royal Family, they were talking amicably amongst themselves and ruffling their feathers. Around them, the Telmarine staff walked stiffly, as if fearing one sudden move would cause them to attack.
Peter was the closest to them, his gaze flitting between the map in his right hand, the sun above his head and the compass in his left hand. His gaze was furrowed, focused, as if he thought he could materialize a faster way to their ancestral home. From time to time, he would look towards the clear sky and nod to himself, as if taking into account the ideal conditions for flying.
Behind him, Edmund and Caspian stood next to each other, mimicking the Magnificent King's actions and giggling amongst themselves. For Adrien, it wasn't as comical as the kings must have reckoned, but it certainly seemed so for the two young men. Caspian was practically wheezing as he watched Edmund's antics. The Just King meanwhile, had put his hands on his hips and was performing quite a remarkable performance, though his reddened face spoke of his own hilarity.
Susan and Lucy stood side by side. They weren't talking to each other but their unimpressed expressions were identical as they watched Caspian and Edmund. As Adrien turned towards them, the two Queens suddenly looked at each other, and laughed despite themselves.
"Well?" Beth's own smile could be heard in her voice.
"I suppose not," Adrien grumbled, smiling despite himself. "Though the rest of the world should have protection when around us."
"That is a good point," Beth laughed before embracing Adrien by the shoulders. "We do not protect each other because we think the other is not capable. We protect each other because we love you. Your family loved you, Adrien. This family loves you as well. And legacy or no legacy, you will never have to face anything alone."
Adrien lit up at that. "So we protect one another."
"And we fight side by side when the time comes." Beth finished with a knowing smirk.
"My love!" Edmund suddenly yelled from the courtyard. "If we don't leave now, Peter's neck vein is going to explode!"
"Edmund!" Peter yelled, fuming when Edmund, Caspian, Susan and Lucy dissolved into laughter.
"That's okay, Pete." Lucy quipped. "It's better than Edmund dissolving into tears because Beth wasn't by his side."
"Hey!" Edmund yelled, his cheeks bright red with shame. "That has never happened!"
They all fell in silence, Beth included, as they stared at him.
"Fine, it has happened twice. But it was when you and I had broken up! I had plenty of reasons to be sad!" Edmund finally snapped, his eyes pleading as they fell on Beth. He then turned towards Lucy with a snarl. "You are supposed to be on my side!"
Lucy snorted. "Since when?"
Beth turned towards Adrien with a smile."Shall we go?"
Adrien nodded dramatically. "Let's protect our family before they kill one another."
oOo
If the feel of her bow in her hands gave her the sense that she was in control of the time she had left, then the feeling of flying had to be her definition of freedom.
The last time she had flown, it had been when they were on their way to the Telmarine Castle for that wretched raid. She still remembered how she felt that night, that night in which she could finally let go of her anger towards Peter, her jealousy towards Beth, and her fear for her feelings towards Caspian. That night, even when on the edge of battle, she was free.
That night, even under the threat of war, even as she flew towards the enemy, even as she willingly put her own life at risk, she was finally at peace. How could she not be? Under the silver moon, caressed by the gentle nocturnal breeze, far from her siblings' bickering. How could she not be anything but at peace?
As she flew with her family towards Cair Paravel, Susan couldn't help but think of that night.
Yes, she was no longer in danger. She was on her way towards her ancestral home. She was about to spend her little sister's birthday in the place that had been host to some of her happiest memories. What was awaiting her? Days spent under the sun, with the white sand between her toes and the elegant waves of the Eastern Sea dancing on their own accord.
At that moment, if she had the choice, Susan wouldn't have hesitated.
She would have chosen to go back to that night when she was headed for battle.
Taking her gaze off the forest below her, Susan carefully looked up at her companions, silently thanking her stars that she was by the end of the group.
Peter and Adrien were by the front of the group. The young centaur, who had for some reason chosen Peter as his personal hero, was watching the Magnificent King in complete rapture, his eyes wide with excitement as Peter told the story of his war against the Giants back when herself, Edmund and Lucy were in Calormen.
Lucy, Edmund, Caspian and Beth were flying relatively side by side a few meters before her. Lucy and Beth were passionately discussing the differences between their childhoods in the England they had come to know. Lucy told Beth stories of Britain overcome by the war, while the High Queen returned the favor with stories of modern England, where they had color tv, things called cellphones and laptops, and where girls were able to dress with much more freedom than during their time. Occasionally, Edmund and Caspian would pipe in with questions or their own stories about their own childhoods but were otherwise preoccupied discussing their shared passion for books and, as Edmund hadn't had much chance to read Telmarine books, Caspian was dutifully sharing everything he could think of his favorite novels.
Susan sighed. She shortly looked back, towards the direction of the Telmarine Castle.
If she turned her griffin around and went back to the castle, would they miss her? After all, they all seemed to be horribly alright with this turn of events. Or at least, they were all seemingly able to cope elegantly with their fate.
For Susan, the situation was perfectly clear. Therefore, she couldn't blame her family. Of course she couldn't. They were suffering as much as she was, for they were about to lose almost as much as her.
Peter, Edmund, Lucy and herself were going back to a world in which they were irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. No longer Kings and Queens, but normal members of the society. Susan would leave Narnia as the Archer Queen, leader of an army who would follow her every command, loved by thousands. She would reach England as a small girl, ignored unless she was ready to scream louder than all.
Her life had been split in two.
Half of her soul rested in England, with her mum and dad, with the coffeeshops she would go to with her friends for a session of gossiping, with the simple tasks such as tucking Lucy into bed, discussing a book with Edmund or cooking with Peter.
Half of her soul rested in Narnia, in the chess matches against Adrien, in the long rides she would go on with Caspian, the archery competitions she would have with Beth, the exploring of old corridors in the castle with Lucy, the debates with Edmund under the shadow of their favorite tree by the most hidden part of the gardens, the strolls she would take with Peter through the forest adjacent to the Telmarine Castle.
In Narnia, no one really understood what it felt to be divided in two except for her siblings and Beth. Not even Caspian understood completely what it felt to miss half of you regardless of where you were. But, in Narnia, she was accepted for who she was. They all knew her story and she was still loved by all. She was still deemed a heroine instead of a freak.
In England, she would only have her siblings.
And once they all went on their own paths? What would happen when they all embarked on their own quests to make their dreams a blessed reality? They all had different ideas of what they wanted in life, after all. Peter had always dreamed of becoming a doctor, so medical school would be waiting for him once they went back. Edmund still wanted to be a writer, although he didn't discuss it much. And Lucy, she wanted to be an artist. Susan could almost see her little sister in Paris, Vienna or Rome, praised and beloved by the most recognized critiques of their time.
And Susan? She wanted to be a lawyer. She wanted to make a positive change in people's lives, such as she had done it in Narnia. And her future did not seem easy, for starters because not many women managed to graduate from law school. Still, it was exciting. And lonely.
In England, she would be alone, a stranger to her own normal life.
Meanwhile, in Narnia, she would become a distant memory. She would slowly disappear, to her friends, to her subjects, to her loyal comrades in arms.
Even to Adrien and Beth.
Even to Caspian.
With that, Susan the Gentle finally managed to snap into her current reality. She gazed at Peter and Adrien, still talking by the front of the group. She studied Edmund and Beth, who were now talking in hushed voices, sweet smiles on their faces. She grimaced at Lucy and Caspian as they talked like the big brother and little sister that they were in all the ways that mattered.
She watched them all, and felt resentment brightening her gut with scorching, golden fire.
Aslan was to blame, yet again. He again had decided that they were no longer useful. They had done the job, they had risked their lives, they had mourned, laughed and cried. They had made their lives, yet again.
And again, they were shown to the door.
And the fact that no one else could see it made Susan feel terribly and desperately alone.
"Su?" Lucy suddenly spoke. She and Caspian had turned towards her, their gazes furrowed with concern. "Are you okay?"
Susan plastered a smile to her face. How could she tell the truth? How could she trust them entirely, when she knew none of them would understand them?
"I'm perfectly alright," Susan replied before gazing downwards, towards a forest that was more and more familiar to her the closer they got to Cair Paravel.
She would enjoy the days at her ancestral home. She would bathe in the Eastern Sea, feel the white sand between her toes and sleep under the moon and stars. She would celebrate Lucy's birthday, tease Edmund and Beth for their cheesiness and even exchange stories around the fire.
Then, she would go back to the castle.
And Aslan and herself would have a talk.
oOo
Under the sunset light, Cair Paravel and its surrounding grounds were even more stunning than normal.
Until then, the trip had been filled with joy and positivity, of course, but it had also been a farewell of sorts. A farewell to their current journey. A farewell to their lives as Kings and Queens of the Golden Age of Narnia.
As such, to say it had been filled with emotions would be the understatement of the year.
And so, in that afternoon by the beach with only the sunset, the gentle wind and the rhythmic dance of the waves as they neared the shore for company, Edmund felt peaceful at last.
Or, maybe they had nothing to do with it, Edmund thought as he smiled towards his right. Maybe it had everything to do with the girl skipping rocks by the shore, her feet naked as she gracefully continued her actions.
"I keep thinking of all the things we could have done, had Cair Paravel remained standing to this day."
Beth, who had crouched as she carefully chose a stone, smiled as her gaze lifted towards her beau. "I am unsure whether to be curious or apprehensive."
"I don't know why, you know me better than anyone else," Edmund replied. He reached for the High Queen in a manner as natural for him as breathing was, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Of course you should be apprehensive."
Beth laughed, her posture relaxed as she placed her hands on his arms. As peaceful silence grew between again, she rested her head against his chest and smiled with optimism. "It's not over yet. We haven't had the chance to have a life in Cair Paravel yet, but that doesn't mean we can't have one when you come back."
Edmund kissed her covered shoulder before hiding his smile against it. "Oh, really now?"
Beth turned in his arms, gazing up into his hazel orbs with a soft smile. "We will rebuild Cair Paravel again. I will spend every spare minute I have here, recreating our home. And when you come back, you and I will marry here if you still want to. We will marry and our family will live here for the rest of our lives and the next generations to come."
Edmund, who had been smiling fondly at his plans, sobered up as his love talked about their family. "Do you think we will have the chance to have a family? What if we come back and we are both really old or something prevents us from having our happily ever after?"
Beth lifted her hands, slowly caressing his chest, neck and at last his face. She watched closely as he closed his eyes, serene under her ministrations. When he opened them again, she smiled and pressed herself even closer to him.
"I don't know what is going to happen," she whispered. "But I know that you are my family, and that you own the biggest piece of my heart. We deserve our happily ever after and we are going to get it. I know we are."
Edmund smiled, his eyes bright with unshed tears. He rested his forehead against hers. "I believe that too."
Beth raised an eyebrow in a playful manner. "Even if you come back and we're both old and wrinkly?"
"You would still be the most beautiful woman alive, without a doubt." Edmund replied without missing a beat. He laughed when Beth merely leveled him with an unimpressed look and leaned down to kiss her longingly. "I don't think you understand the extent of my love for you, my Queen. I can wait hundreds of years if that's what it takes, because I know that all paths will lead me back to you."
Beth shook her head, her eyes spilling happy tears for the first time since that afternoon in the woods where they first met. She stood on her toes to kiss him as much as her smile allowed her, her hands burying themselves blissfully in his hair. "I'm so lucky. To adore you and be adored by you in return, I never thought I would even get to be this happy."
"I'm glad that you believe me," Edmund whispered, rolling his eyes playfully when Beth looked at him questioningly. "When you were angry at me at the How and the Telmarines showed up, I asked you whether you believed me when I told you I love you. I'm glad you do."
"I always did. Even when you were insufferable and I wanted nothing to do with you, I always believed that." Beth turned around in his arms to once again look at the setting sun, who was by now merely a spot of blinding light by the horizon. She sighed contentedly when Edmund continued to kiss her cheek, the side of her neck and her shoulder in a lazy manner. "Can we make a promise here and now?"
"Anything," Edmund mumbled as he continued laying lazy, loving kisses wherever he could reach on the beautiful creature that was his beau. He wondered whether he could leave a hickey on the side of her neck but rapidly decided against it, for it would be unbecoming of the High Queen of Narnia. He should have used the time they had when she was merely a Princess of Archenland and they were in the middle of the war.
Right then, he wondered whether she knew what kind of power she had over him. Truly, she could ask anything of him and he would agree in a heartbeat.
At that moment, Beth danced away from him. Edmund turned instinctively towards her, already feeling the pang at the loss of her warmth, but she stood merely a few steps away, her hand unstretched towards him.
"We promise that when you come back, we will marry in the forest at night. It will be a fitting ceremony for the High Queen and the legendary Just King Of Old, surrounded by the elements that we were both crowned after. Aslan will marry us and we will have a grand feast to celebrate our love and the continuation of the Narnian Royal Family."
"Okay," Edmund replied carefully. He slowly walked towards his beau, secretly confused, yet his arms already extended before him, for he craved the feel of her small figure against him. "I can promise that but I must admit I don't understand. I already kind of thought our wedding was going to be like that."
"Our wedding will be like that," Beth continued, her voice soft. She grabbed his hands and interlocked their fingers, her gaze never leaving his. "But the afternoon before, let's promise we will get married right here. Only our family and us. Caspian can be your best man, Lucy and Susan can be my bridesmaids. My dad and Tor will walk me towards you, Adrien can be our ring bearer and Peter may be the one to marry us."
Edmund smiled, the most beautiful smile he had ever uttered, for those plans where everything he wanted for his future. "And Aslan?"
"Aslan may marry us in our second wedding. The first one is for our family, for the people who love us and who we love the most." Not being able to contain herself, Beth pressed a small, fleeting kiss to the corner of his mouth. She laughed when Edmund turned it into a thorough kiss and by the time they pulled away, she was completely breathless. "Let's promise it will be small, beautiful and filled with the love we have for each other. Let's promise we will have that right here, in the first place we talked about our plans for our home and our family."
Edmund nodded eagerly, biting his lip as he snaked his arms around her waist. He kissed her forehead and her nose before smiling. "I swear, my love."
"Good," Beth replied, reaching up to kiss him, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck. "I love you."
"I love you," Edmund replied, immediately, reaching down for another kiss.
After what felt like an infinite amount of time, yet one painfully short, Edmund sighed as he rested his forehead against hers. "We should be going back."
"Or…" Beth trailed off, pausing to kiss Edmund again. She bit his lower lip, dissolving into merry giggles when Edmund let out a sound between a surprised gasp and a moan.
"Oh, you're mean." Edmund tried to grab her, intending to tickle her, but Beth had danced away from him again.
"Or, we continue walking. I want to plan our lives together some more." Beth extended her hand, biting her lips when Edmund only looked at her with blown pupils. "Think about all the snogging we can engage in under the cover of darkness."
Edmund looked behind him, where the ruins of Cair Paravel and their family awaited. Then, he turned towards his love, who looked even more enticing than normal with her rosy cheeks, her swollen lips and her tousled locks.
"Let them miss us," Edmund as last replied, running towards Beth, laughing as she squealed when he lifted her by the waist and spun them.
Now, the reader may wonder whether they had realized the sun had long ago set, the sky growing darker by the second. The writer wonders that as well.
Not to worry, though. As a couple very much in love, our protagonists had better things to worry about. The writer secretly thinks that the couple in question could not see the growing darkness around them, for their happiness was enough to light up their surroundings.
Am I going to use Six of Crows quotes for the rest of my life? Yes, yes I am.