Sorry for the longer wait- I get busy mid-week and don't have time to write. I have a few school related things to get through this week, so not sure how long it will be until the next chapter, but encouragement helps!
Thanks for the reviews!
-----
The rest of the evening passed in a flurry of dance and music.
The Great Lion had slipped away soon after is dramatic appearance, but most were already too wrapped up in the festivities to take much notice. It had been a very haphazard and spontaneous celebration (the return of the kings and queens, after all, had been quite unexpected), but Helen could not recall the last time she had so much fun; a few of the fauns and centaurs had fetched instruments and begun to play an assortment of lively tunes while the rest of the court filled the large hall with enthusiastic dance and chatter.
Helen had been introduced to several people throughout the evening- two beavers, a rather large raven, a few dwarfs, several fauns…the list went on. Despite her fatigue, she had greeted them all warmly, though she knew that she would likely forget their names with all of the other excitement of the day still on her mind.
Although she had never been much of a dancer, she could not avoid being drawn into the celebration by her ecstatic children (who, she had observed, were all surprisingly skilled on the dance floor), and had been tossed between various partners throughout the night. It was all a bit of a blur really; she could vaguely remember dancing with her sons at one point, and could recall being pulled through a particularly complicated dance by a rather energetic faun. The entire experience reminded her of the time she had paid a visit to Dublin and attended a similarly fast-paced dance in a church hall, though the Narnian jigs and reels were all a bit different then anything she had heard before.
After what felt like hours, Edmund had pulled her aside (clearly noticing her exhaustion) and asked if she wanted someone to escort her too her room. She had said yes, thinking that it was best to make an exit before she collapsed, and had been led away from the noise of the great hall to a blissfully quiet room in the east wing.
Sleep overcame her the moment her head hit the pillow, and she quickly drifted away, exhausted, but content.
She must have slept for several hours, for when she awoke she could see that the sun was in a mid-day position in the sky. For a moment, all she felt was confusion. The silk sheets and tall purple canopy above her told her instantly that she was not in her bed in Finchley, but it took a few seconds before the events of the previous day came rushing back.
Her children.
The beach.
The castle.
The lion.
Yes, she remembered now, though the thought of what had gone on during the last little while still seemed incredibly surreal.
A few moments after regaining consciousness, Helen rolled over to see a young woman sitting patiently in the chair beside her bed. At first, she was not sure who the figure was but, again, her mind flashed back to the previous day and realization came.
"Lucy?" she asked quietly, turning towards the woman at her side.
She was so much older now; her darling little girl had been replaced by a beautiful young woman in an instant and, once again, the reality of it filled her with a now-familiar combination of sadness and pride.
Most mothers had the luxury of seeing their children slowly develop and grow over the years.
Helen, it seemed, would never have that chance and she knew that accepting this fact would take some time.
"Oh, you're finally awake." Lucy replied, smiling warmly. "How are you feeling?"
Helen hesitated for a moment, thinking about her answer. She felt alright, though her head was a bit hazy and her legs still felt tired from the pervious day's excursions.
"Okay, I suppose, just a little groggy and sore."
"Understandable." The young woman said with a quiet chuckle. "Yesterday was probably not the most relaxing day you've had."
Helen smiled as she pulled herself up into a sitting position and pushed her dark brown hair out of her eyes. "No, relaxing is certainly not the word I would use to describe it." She agreed.
There was a pause before she continued.
"So," the mother began, taking a glance around the room. It was large and far more elegant then any bedroom she had ever occupied. She could faintly remember being escorted there last night, though she had been so completely exhausted by that point that she could not recall it well. She had certainly not taken the time to observe her surroundings then. "This is really happening, isn't it. We're really here." It was more a statement then a question.
"It is, and we are." Lucy said, nodding.
Helen nodded back, fidgeting with the purple silk sheets as she tried to collect her thoughts.
She could no longer doubt the fact that she was, indeed, awake, nor could she deny that she and her children were now occupying an exquisite castle in a fantastical land. As strange as it sounded, the moment she had stared into the lion's amber eyes, everything had seemed to come into focus. The reality of the situation had struck her with such amazing force that all of the doubts which had been swimming through her mind had melted away almost instantly. She couldn't explain it, and found the experience hard to describe, but she knew that something inside of her had changed.
What Susan had said to her the previous day now made complete sense.
Sometimes, especially here, magic is the only explanation.
For now, knowing that was enough.
"I brought you some breakfast." Lucy stated, standing up to fetch a tray she had placed on the elegantly carved dresser near the door. "The cook assured me it would stay hot for awhile." she said, lifting the silver lid off of the platter, "But if it is cold I can have someone heat it up for you."
Helen smiled, trying to absorb the fact that they now had a cook and people who would heat up their food if need be. After years of caring for her family, she was happy that she would have a break from such mundane tasks, though she could not help but wonder what her role would be in this (extremely large) household if her regular chores were now done by the royal staff.
It would not be easy to go from doing everything to doing nothing, she mused.
"I am sure it is just fine." She said as Lucy placed the breakfast tray on her lap. Judging from the steam rising off of the eggs, warming the food would not be an issue. The meal looked and smelled fantastic (she realized as she looked down at it that she was absolutely starving), and she gratefully began to dig in.
Much to her pleasure, it tasted as good as it looked and smelled.
"This is fantastic!" She exclaimed between bites. The eggs were perfectly cooked, the bacon was expertly prepared, and the apple slices were wonderfully flavourful. After years of dreary war rations, this simple meal was a culinary delight.
"Good," Lucy replied, sitting back down in the chair beside Helen's bed. "Cair Paravel's kitchen staff is excellent. I am glad you are enjoying it."
"I am," Helen assured her. "I have a feeling that I am going to be terribly spoiled here."
Lucy grinned. "Oh, you will be, trust me. You are the royal mother and you will be pampered from now on."
She paused, watching her mother thoughtfully as the older woman continued her breakfast.
After nearly a minute of silence, she spoke.
"I have been thinking." Lucy began, her eyes still fixed on Helen. "About what Aslan said yesterday."
Helen placed her last piece of half-eaten toast back on the tray and turned her attention to her daughter. The food may have been good, but some things were more important then sensory delights.
Truth be told, she had not dwelled on the Lion's words too long after he had left. The relief of not having to leave her children had overcome her, and the festivities had drawn her in- nearly everything else had been pushed from her mind. The warmth and contentment she had felt when the Lion had spoken to her had not gone away, but the music, dance and conversation of the previous evening had been a distraction from more weighty matters.
Having little to say on the issue (yet, at least), she nodded for Lucy to continue. The girl seemed to have a close relationship with the Lion, and Helen was curious to get her take on the conversation.
"He said that you were the reason we had to return to our world for a bit." She said slowly, her expression thoughtful.
Her mind recalling the Lion's words with sudden clarity, Helen cut in. "He said he suspected that I might be the reason," She corrected. "Not that I was."
To her surprise, Lucy's face broke out into a wide grin.
"Aslan is all-knowing," She said, still smiling. "He was there when Narnia was created, and he will be here until the very end. There is nothing he does not know, and when his words seem unsure, it is purely for our benefit- it means that he wants us to reach our on conclusions, even though he has known the right answer all along."
Helen hesitated for a moment, increasingly confused by the nature of this strange being.
"If he knows everything, then why wasn't he more clear?" She asked, placing the breakfast tray on her bedside table and turning to face Lucy more directly. "Why not just say that you were sent back to England to retrieve me, and state why this was necessary? That would be a much simpler approach…" She trailed off, noticing that Lucy's conviction did not appear to be wavering.
Again, Lucy smiled. "Yes, but if he did that then he would not leave us much to think about. We would never look within in ourselves, or ever truly understand, if everything was made so simple." She stated. "Being a follower of Aslan does not require giving up ones free-thought. He wants us to think for ourselves and that is why, sometimes, he prefers to simply suggest an idea rather then give us a straight answer."
The older woman nodded slowly, surprised by the wisdom of her young daughter. It was still a confusing notion, but she could see the point Lucy was trying to make. Perhaps the Lion was even more astute then she initially thought.
"Alright then," She said. "What have you been thinking about? Have you managed to decipher his words?"
"Well, not completely." Lucy admitted. "But I have been contemplating them, and thinking about the way things were just before we left Narnia." She paused. "Things were generally good- Peter had defeated the giants, Susan, Edmund and I had subdued one of our enemies and cemented our alliance with another kingdom. Our citizens were content, and it did not appear that any battles or disputes were about to erupt (though one can rarely predict such things)."
Helen gave her a small smile, impressed (though she knew few of the details) by her children's capacity to protect and care for their kingdom.
"But then again," the young woman continued, a hint of sadness creeping into her tone. "Despite all of our successes, I am not sure if we were entirely content. No one, aside from the four of us and our closest friends, would have detected it, but there was a sense (looking back), that something was missing during our final years here. We had each other, of course, and dear companions like Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers, but there was still an emptiness that all of us felt. We discussed it sometimes, though it was a topic we liked to avoid." Lucy looked thoughtful again. "It was the worst for Peter." She said quietly. "It always was."
She stopped her musings for a moment, leaving Helen to contemplate what she had said. What had caused this void, she wondered, glancing up at Lucy for a brief moment. Surely she couldn't be talking about her; it filled her with such warmth to think that they had missed her deeply while they had been away, though she could not push the coldness of the last several weeks from her mind. Granted, she now knew that their moods back in Finchley had been brought on by their departure from this place (and not, thankfully, any doing of hers), but she would have expected a warmer reception, despite it all, if their separation from her was what had drawn them out of this world in the first place.
She didn't dare hope…
"What do you mean, exactly?" She asked hesitantly, not sure if she wanted to know the answer. "Why weren't you content?"
"Honestly," Lucy began again after another pause. "I don't think any of us were quite sure why we felt that way at the time."
Helen's heart sunk at her words, but she tried to keep her face stoic.
Don't be upset, she told herself, they were away for years, they didn't need you after such a long separation.
They grew up without you.
They could have carried on just fine…
"But, after thinking over what Aslan said, I think that, well-" Lucy stopped for a moment and looked up at her mother with a smile. "I think that it was you all along. I think we needed you here, even if we didn't necessarily know it."
The woman's head snapped up, and she met her daughter's eyes. She could feel a smile tugging at the side of her mouth and, this time, she was unable to hold back her emotion.
"Oh Lucy…" Helen breathed, unsuccessfully trying to ignore the lump building in her throat. Despite her sudden happiness, she could not help but voice her concerns. "You had grown up without me, though. Been on your own for fifteen years." Helen pointed out. "Why would you suddenly need me right then? You had been getting on just fine…"
"We weren't fine." Lucy cut in, interrupting before she could finish. "Like I said, we all felt this…indescribable void, and it had begun to grow. When we first came here we missed you and dad terribly, of course. But, I will admit, things did get easier after a bit. We never forgot you, though we did forget many things about England, and it always pained us to speak of you- but it was easier then the first little while had been." She paused and glanced out of the large eastern window for a moment, deep in thought. "In the months before we left, it was getting harder again. I cannot quite tell you why, but I also cannot deny how we felt. There was this painful yearning and, like I said, we couldn't necessarily identify what we missed, but we all knew it was important. Looking back, I should have realized that the feeling was familiar. It was the same way we all felt during our early years here. When we needed you most."
"I…" Helen began, trailing off. She was speechless as Lucy's words rang in her ears. She wanted to believe, so badly, that her children truly needed her. It was, however, still a hard notion to accept. They had pushed her away at home and here they were so regal and mature.
What role could she possibly offer them now that they were grown Kings and Queen's of a mystical land?
There was yet another long pause, and Helen did not know how to continue. She feared that she would become too emotional if she tried.
It felt like ages before Lucy spoke again.
"Aslan must have known what we needed, even if we didn't know it ourselves." She said, her voice full of conviction. "And I have also been thinking that…" She hesitated. "That maybe he knew we would get what we needed if we went after the White Stag."
The last comment was muttered more to herself then to Helen, and the mother's brow furrowed in confusion.
"The White Stag?" She asked.
She had never heard of such a creature before and wondered what it was.
"The day we left," Lucy began again "We were hunting the White Stag which, most believe, is a creature that will grant wishes to anyone that catches it."
"Did you?" Helen pressed. "Catch it, I mean."
The girl hesitated, glancing out the large window for another moment, deep in thought. "No." She said, quieter then before. "Or at least, I didn't used to think so. We had been chasing it, but stopped for a moment when we came across an area that seemed familiar. I felt myself being drawn towards something, and next thing we knew we had stumbled back through the wardrobe and become children again."
Helen was not sure what Lucy was getting at, but her daughter continued before she could ask for further clarification.
"There are many legends about the White Stag and, like I said, most think it grants wishes to those that can catch it. But now, looking back on everything that has happened, I wonder if the legends might be mistaken. Maybe you don't have to catch it to get your wish; maybe the mere pursuit of it is enough to give you what you desire."
"You mean you think that the stag granted your wish, even though you didn't actually capture it?" Helen asked.
Lucy nodded. "Exactly. We never would have gone back to England if we hadn't decided to hunt it."
"But I thought you did not want to return? How could that have been your wish?
"It wasn't." She paused. "But you were…even if we didn't quite know it."
Realization dawned on Helen's face, and she was filled with a sudden warmth. But still, there were doubts. "How can you be sure?"
"I can't." Lucy conceded. "It is just a theory really, but it makes so much sense. Aslan knew that you were needed here, to drive away the sadness we all felt and keep us strong, so he sent us on the hunt (not directly of course, but I suspect he filled us with the desire to pursue the stag). Our wish was, unknowingly, fulfilled, and we returned with you as soon as Aslan saw fit." She paused, a youthful gleam flickering in her eyes. "It's all so wonderful, isn't it?" She asked.
Despite herself, Helen smiled. Maybe Lucy was right, she mused. Maybe they had, and did, need her…and maybe Aslan had arranged for her arrival.
It all seemed so mystical…so confusing…and yet she could, somehow, see the coherence of it all.
"It is wonderful." Helen said softly.
She gestured for Lucy to come towards her, and the girl quickly joined her on the edge of the large bed. Drawing her daughter into her arms she placed a gentle kiss atop her head and held her close, relishing in the happiness of this simple moment.
"I am glad you're here, mum." Lucy said, her eyes closed and her face serene. "We all are."
Helen smiled.
"I am glad too." She agreed.
---
Lucy had stayed in her room for a long while, chatting and answering many of the questions Helen still had. When she had reluctantly excused herself (explaining that there was a meeting she had to attend that afternoon), she assured her that Susan would be by soon to help pick out some clothes for her that afternoon, and that she would see all of them at dinner that evening.
Sure enough, Susan arrived soon after the younger woman had left, accompanied by several servants and a massive collection of elegant dresses. After setting down their loads, the servants had departed, leaving Helen alone with her eldest daughter for the first time since her arrival.
"This one is lovely, and it looks like it is the perfect size." Susan said, holding up an emerald green dress for Helen to see.
Although the older woman could not disagree with this statement (it was, indeed, a lovely dress), she wondered if she would ever feel comfortable in such strange attire. She had seen outfits like these before, in the illustrations of fairy tales, history books and ancient legends, but she had never imagined actually trying anything like that on. Such fashions had long ago become outdated in England; but in Narnia, it seemed, long flowing medieval-style dresses were seen as proper attire for women.
She would have been much more comfortable in a plain tweed skirt and simple jumper (her usual daily attire), but she realized that she had arrived with only the clothes on her back and would have to wear something else during her time here…no matter how strange it may have looked.
"It's nice." She said, taking the dress from Susan's arms, noting the softness of the elegant fabric.
Her daughters, it seemed, were quite used to this sort of thing and both looked graceful in similar dresses. She wondered if she had the same poise necessary to wear such garments, and she knew there was only one way to find out.
"You can try it on over there, mum." Susan said, gesturing to the changing screen across the room. "Let me know if you need any help tying it up.
Wordlessly, the woman made her way to the screen and tore off her simple white nightgown. Pulling on the green dress, she was happy to find that it was much more comfortable then it looked (corsets, she remembered, were a later innovation and not required with dresses such as these…thankfully). The fabric was smooth against her skin and, as Susan had predicted, it fit quite well.
"How is it?" Susan asked.
Coming out from behind the screen, Helen smiled and noticed a similar grin forming on her daughter's face.
"Oh, it looks fantastic!" Susan exclaimed, rushing towards her to help her do up the lacing on the back.
There was a pause as the girl set about her task. After tying the final string, she spoke again.
"Lucy and I always wanted to bring you back some of these dresses." She said wistfully. "We thought they'd suit you quite well, and when we first came here we discussed getting some to take home after the battle."
Helen figured that she was referring to the battle against the White Witch, the one she and Lucy had mentioned yesterday.
She was happy to know that her girls, despite all of the excitement, had taken a moment to think of her during their first adventure here.
"But then we realised that we wouldn't be leaving. And, well…" Susan continued, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I'm happy you're here now at least, and you do look lovely."
With that, Susan guided her towards the mirror so that she could see for herself, and Helen's eyes widened at the sight. She had always thought herself to be a plain woman (despite her husband's assurances that he found her beautiful); not stunning, but not displeasing either. Standing in this strange gown, however, in the middle of a large and elegant room, she was taken aback by her own appearance, for the first time in a very long while.
Susan was right, as she often seemed to be, this attire did (quite unexpectedly) suit her very well.
"I like it." she said honestly, turning to face her daughter. "And it is unbelievably comfortable as well."
Susan nodded. "Narnian clothing is always comfortable. Never scratchy or stiff like formal clothes in England." She paused. "For the most part anyway. Peter and Edmund claim that their armour is not particularly comfortable, though I suppose that is a bit different."
At the mention of her sons' names, Helen was reminded of a question she had been meaning to ask.
"Where are the boys today?" She enquired, walking away from the mirror and taking a seat on one of the soft chairs near the fireplace. She had slept well, but her legs were still sore from the previous day and the chair was too tempting to resist.
With a quiet sigh, Susan joined her.
"Meetings." She said, pushing a lock of dark hair behind her ear. "That is not an unusual occurrence around here, and I imagine things will be particularly busy after our absence and the news that…" She trailed off, her expression darkening for a moment.
Helen wondered what this news was she had spoken off (it certainly seemed to trouble Susan), but her daughter spoke again before she could question her.
"Well, never mind that." she muttered dismissively, "There are always matters of state to deal with, even in times of peace, and Peter and Ed are always heavily involved in things. Lucy is too, more and more recently (despite Peter's protests), and I try to help." She paused. "But truth be told, battle strategy and legal matters are not my forte. Not that I ignore such things, but I know where my strengths and weaknesses lie. I don't mind diplomatic missions, but aside from that I am the one who focuses most on the running of Cair Paravel."
The mother nodded.
She had gathered that this was the case, and it certainly seemed fitting when one considered their personalities. She could not picture Susan wading through heavy law tomes or plotting meticulous battle strategies; it simply wasn't her nature. Providing for her people and ensuring that all guests to the castle were well looked after seemed much more fitting and, if her treatment of Helen that afternoon was any indication, she was certainly good at her job.
"I also consider it my job to make sure the others don't work themselves to death." Susan continued. "I sometimes wonder if Peter would sleep at all if I didn't force him to retire to his room most nights."
Helen frowned at this, not pleased to think that her little boy (or rather, not-so-little boy) was under such strain. It made sense, she realized, considering the importance of Peter's role here, though she still did not like the idea.
"Ed isn't much better." The young woman stated. "It is not uncommon to find him in the library late at night, leafing through an old book and making notes about various things. I find him easier to deal with though, because I at least have seniority on my side when I insist that he get some rest. Peter, on the other hand, can be much harder to convince."
The mother made a mental note to keep an eye out for such behaviour. Perhaps there was something she could do to help. Her children would be of no use to anyone of they worked themselves to the bone; even kings and queens needed a balance.
"Do you ever find time for recreation?" She asked, wondering if their work ethic had quashed all sense of fun. "You do make time for friends, and for doing things you enjoy, don't you?" She paused, another thought occurring to her. "And what about relationships? Have you had time for that?"
It was a bit odd to think about her children, who had been so young until yesterday, having significant others, but she reminded herself that it was not unlikely at their Narnian ages.
Susan gave her a small smile. "Don't worry, mum. It isn't so horrible. We still have fun, sometimes. We all enjoy riding trips, the boys often practice their swordsmanship together, and Lucy and I have been known to spend an afternoon by the water. Even simple things, like a good conversation at dinner or a few quiet moments together in the morning, keep us sane and allow us to be ourselves." She paused. "We do have friends, of course, and spending time with all of them is always a joy. As for relationships…"
She trailed off, and Helen noticed a look of discomfort on her face. She was not sure if this was due to her reluctance to discuss such things with her mother, or if she was thinking back to a particularly bad experience.
"I suppose the simple answer is that none of us have settled down as of yet." Susan stated, still looking mildly unhappy. "Peter was quite taken with a lady who visited several months before we left; I know they had been corresponding a bit, though with Peter being so busy and our sudden absence, I doubt anything will come of it. Most young women in the realm would be happy to be his wife," she mused. "But I know Peter often questions their motives. I do too, frankly. It is hard to tell who is simply attracted to his title and who is genuine. It is a problem we all face."
Helen nodded, once again saddened by this revelation. She had not yet had time to consider all of the complications which came with being royalty, and this seemed to be a rather unfortunate one.
"What about you?" She asked, curious. Susan was an undeniably stunning woman, and Helen (though she knew she was biased) suspected she must have had many suitors as well.
The young woman frowned, and averted her gaze to the fireplace for a moment.
Clearly, this was a sore topic.
Helen was beginning to wonder if she would tell her anything at all, when Susan finally began to speak.
"About a year before we left." She started quietly, "A prince from another kingdom arrived to court me. I was quite taken, at first. He was very charming, a wonderful dancer, and he always seemed to know exactly what to say. Ed hated him and Peter was wary, but I dismissed their concerns and told them they were being too overprotective of me. I agreed to visit Prince Rabadash (that was his name) at his own castle, and was convinced that he was the one for me. Ed and Lucy came along, but soon after our arrival things began to fall apart. He was so much different in his own home, a completely different person…" Her frown deepened as she spoke. "He had no respect for women, kept several slaves, and showed himself to be a generally horrid person. I felt like such an idiot then, and wanted nothing more then to return home, but by then he was set on marrying his "barbarian Queen," and escape was not easy."
Helen's eyes widened as Susan recounted the tale. She hated the thought of her gentle young daughter having such a terrible experience, and she hoped that the man had been put in his place.
"He called you a barbarian?" She asked, flabbergasted.
Susan nodded. "He considered all Narnians barbarians." She confirmed. "In Calormen, that is where he is from, they have a very different sort of society then we do here. They consider our talking animals, our freedoms, our respect for women…our entire culture…barbaric. Such things are beyond their comprehension." She finished with a note of bitterness.
This did not, Helen mused, sound like the sort of place she would want to visit and she was very glad that her children had (apparently) managed to escape.
It was clear, to her, who the real barbarians were.
"We managed to get to our ship." Susan carried on with the story. "And got away quickly. But Rabadash is not the sort of man who gives up easily, and he sent his army towards Archenland, a dear ally of ours. His eventual plan, I believe, was to take Narnia. Thankfully, his armies were defeated, and Rabadash himself was, well…" She paused, and Helen was happy to see a grin overtaking her frown. "He was turned into an ass by Aslan and told that he would only become a man again if he went to, and stayed in, his own country."
Helen could not hold back a laugh as she listened to the end of the story. Susan soon joined in, and the two were overtaken by their mirth for several moments.
It was nice to be able to unwind in such a way.
Both needed this release.
"Well, that is quite the story, darling." Helen noted, regaining her breath. "I am glad the ending was, at least, happy."
To her surprise, Susan's smile disappeared again. "Yes, we'll see if it is truly the ending, though." She muttered, her tone much more subdued then before.
The mother was tempted to question her daughter, but her desire to see the young woman happy once again made her decide not to push the issue. She would find out what that meant, in time, if it was something that she needed to know.
"What of the others, then?" She asked, curious to hear as much as she could about her children's lives during their time here. "Edmund and Lucy?"
Susan relaxed once again, and continued. "Ed has had no more luck then Peter." She explained. "There have been a few women, every now and again, who seem like they might be right, but something is always off. Plus Ed is convinced that ladies only show an interest in him once they loose hope of winning Peter. I have told him a million times that this is not the case, and that he is just as handsome and desirable as Pete but, because he is Ed, he always refuses to believe it." She rolled her eyes and she leaned further back into her chair. "He prefers to bury himself in his books and ignore the matter."
Helen could sense the frustration in Susan's voice as she spoke. "As for Lu, Peter has only just stopped being ridiculously protective of her. He still has a bit of a tendency to scare off potential suitors though, something which I have tried (unsuccessfully) to stop. He'll have to get used to the idea eventually, though he refuses to listen to reason on this issue."
The mother shook hear head, amused by this new information. She was beginning to get a glimpse of how the siblings interacted here and, although she had not been around to watch them grow, it seemed that they had developed in a way that she could have predicted.
Peter, always protective and never taking time for himself.
Edmund, protective in his own way, and never able to quash his self doubt.
Lucy, the most carefree and sheltered of them all.
And Susan, always wanting to see the good in people, and trying her hardest to care for those around her.
Yes, she thought, despite it all, they were still the children she had always known and loved.
"Maybe you'll have more luck then I have." Susan commented, looking thoughtful. "I have always tried my best to give everyone advice, but I don't have much authority. Peter is older then me, Ed rarely listens anyway, and Lucy isn't much better. I can only do so much."
Helen gave the young woman a small smile. "And you think I have more authority here?" She asked, her disbelief evident in her tone. "You are all Kings and Queens, and I am a housewife from Finchley. I think that I am terribly outranked."
After short pause, Susan laughed again; Helen was happy to see her glee return.
"But you're our mum." She pointed out. "And this is not political power we are talking about. We may be kings and queens, but we still need someone to tell us when we need to take a break, or when we are being too hard on ourselves. We still need someone to be there for us, and to love us unconditionally, no matter what. We have gone without such things for far too long."
Helen caught her daughter's eye, and the two shared a warm smile.
"We need you here, mum." Susan said, her voice full of love and conviction.
"We always have."
XXXXXXXXX
A/N That is all for now. My original intent was to incorporate scenes with all four children into this chapter, but it was getting too long. Next up, "A Mother's Sons"- if you want it.
Thank you for the reviews! I love reading what you think and am eager to see your thoughts on this.
There will be some action eventually (though I would not call this an action/adventure story). Things are brewing, though Helen will not be witnessing the very gritty action bits (…or will she?) Mainly an emotional story though; a mother rediscovering her children.
Some responses:
Lucy the Valiant- As far as height goes, in my mind, Helen is about 5'4, Lucy is similar, Susan is maybe 5'6, Edmund is around 6 feet, and Peter is about 6'2. I picture their father being fairly tall, and don't see it as too unrealistic. I picture Lucy as small, but movie-Ed grew so much that I can't help but picture him as rather tall, eventually. There will be more action, though I am not sure how much battle type stuff Helen will witness, sorry to disappoint!
RixxiSpooks- I love Peter and Edmund moments (as I love Peter and Edmund)- there should be more to come! I love the films too, especially William and Skandar as Peter and Edmund- they are perfect, in my view, and always in my mind when I write.
DarkPhoenix101- In my head, and I realize that I may not have been too clear (though I hope this chapter helped), Aslan does know everything, but he doesn't reveal it all. He knew when and why they would leave, when they would come back, and knows when they will leave again (though he will not tell them, because it would effect they way they live their lives…if he said they have 10 days or 5 years (etc.) it would change their approach to things, and he does not want that). Hope that makes some sense, and thank you for the comments- please keep me on my toes. I find Aslan hard to write, and had a lot of difficulty with that scene.
Anime Princess- Yes, I suppose Susan was close to Aslan at that point, but I didn't want too much dialogue in that scene so didn't have her address him. Doesn't mean she wasn't comfortable though :) Thanks again for reviewing!
Lirenel – thanks for pointing that out. In my head, he did know everything, but didn't want to reveal it. I realize I wasn't too clear, and hope this chapter helped. Thank you again, constructive criticism is great. I was reluctant to write Aslan, and struggled with that bit.
