So I had a request to post a picture of Natani's character. So I made a blog so I could post the link on here.

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And there it is. Now back to the story.

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EDMUNDS POV

The day I entered Narnia nearly ten years ago I would never have imagined I would be doing what I was doing. I was a king, not just a king but the HIGH King, I had an entire army at my command, I was married to a beautiful, not to mention foreign, woman, and I was just about to change my own daughter's diaper.

I had come a long way.

"Tani, I have NO idea how to do this!" I whined, hoping she would take pity on me and do the dirty little chore herself.

"Oh, Edmund, you are so pathetic sometimes!" Natani put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes at me.

"I lead armies into battle, I've killed hundreds of men, I run an entire kingdom! I am NOT pathetic." I was honestly just annoyed that such a small task seemed like such a big deal! After all I had done and been through this shouldn't be so difficult!

"Edmund, honestly!" Natani's hand replaced mine for a moment and she laid Endirah out straight. Geez, I couldn't even straighten out my own child! "There, now just take the diaper off, clean her and then put a new one on. It's such a simple concept."

"Sometimes concepts are simple but carrying them out…not so much."

"Ed…man up."

Ouch. Ok if this was her way of testing my manliness she sure was stooping pretty low. I took a deep breath and pulled away the diaper. Oh thank Aslan, just wet.

Putting the dang diaper ON was something everyone failed to mention how HARD it is! I looked at the square of cloth, perplexed.

"Natani…" I said, not wanting to ask for her help now, but wanting to get a hint.

"Make a triangle." Natani stated, I could hear the laughter in her voice and I scowled as I folded the cloth.

Ah, this made much better sense to me! With my tongue sticking slightly out in concentration, I wrapped the cloth around my tiny daughter and nodded when it actually fit right. I pinned it together and sighed as I held her up and gave her a kiss on her itty bitty cheek.

"Very good for the first time," Natani stated, taking Endirah and giving me a hug. "I'm pretty proud of you, you wonderful man you."

I smiled. Was it weird to feel accomplished for changing a single diaper? Well…I guess not because I sure did feel pretty dang good.

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Endirah was my pride and joy. Nothing except Natani had a bigger piece of my heart than that bundle of baby fat, black hair and assorted pieces of food (usually IN said black hair). Her brown eyes just melted me and I had a feeling she would have me wrapped around her finger as soon as she could start manipulating her parents. I would be the one to give in all the time, I could just see it.

Natani and I both spent a good deal of time around her and we had lately begun to wonder what her first word would be. I was sure it would be 'daddy' and Natani was positive it would be 'mommy' and we had begun to have playful arguments about it.

"I'm the one who feeds her and changes her more often and talks to her a lot more," Natani's argument was convincing.

"Well since I'm not THAT close to her, apparently, my presence is more special to her," I would counter.

And so it would go.

But none of us would have imagined what her first word would actually be!

It happened when we least expected it. I had gotten into the habit of taking her out on horseback rides with Philip so she would get the feel of riding before she could even walk. Something I felt was important although…I don't know why.

I would talk to her about anything and everything around us and tell her stories of Aslan and war heroes and my siblings who she would never meet. I knew she didn't understand, but it was something I wanted to continue when she got older. Our special time.

Well this specific day, Natani had joined us on our ride and we had stopped along the beach to give Endirah her first feel of the sea. Philip stood watch over her as she crawled around in the sand, happy as a lark. She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it Philip's leg and laughed out loud, Philip nuzzled her with his velvety nose and she wrapped her arms around it.

"Philip!"

Natani and I looked at each other in shock! We ran over to the pair of them and begged her to say it again, wanting to be sure if we heard right.

She looked at us like we were crazy as we cooed at her but she pointed a chubby finger at Philip's nose and said: "Philip." Clear as day.

Natani looked at me and I looked back at her…and we burst into laughter!

"Oh, Edmund we sure were wrong!" she giggled, burying her face in my chest as she laughed.

"Goes to show who has first place in her heart!" I said as I watched her gaze adoringly at Philip, who gazed back at her with an amused and loving look.

I saw right away that my little girl was going to be a horsewoman and something about that fact made me proud.

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"Come on, Dirah!" Natani called happily, clapping her hands together to keep Endirah's wandering eyes on her. I stood behind her with my hands holding her on her small feet as she swayed unsteadily.

Her gaze snapped back to where her mother was clapping for her and she gurgled happily and my heart skipped a beat as she lifted a tiny foot and placed it slightly in front of her other. She leaned on it and lifted her other one…and plopped back into my waiting hands. I let the breath I had been holding out.

I didn't really know why this was having such a harsh affect on me but every little step she attempted made me want to snatch her up and not let her down again, but I resisted the urge, knowing it wasn't for her future good.

"Let her try again," Natani said with a smile, "She almost had it! She'll be walking in no time."

"That's what I'm worried about," I mumbled out loud to myself as I lifted my daughter once more to her feet.

"Now, let her do it herself," Natani stated, giving me a serious look. Did she know what I was feeling? It sure looked like it.

I hesitantly pulled my shaking hands away from Endirah's back and let her wobble all by herself. Natani caught her eye again and I held my breath once more as she shuffled her uncoordinated feet toward my wife. This time, she made it two steps before she went plop down on her butt. She stuck her fingers in her mouth and sat there happily. I sighed.

Natani looked at me for a moment and then stood and approached me slowly. She stood next to me and put her arm around my waist, pulling me to her…or herself to me I guess.

"You don't like seeing her become independent, do you?" she whispered.

And I knew that was it. I was watching her grow up before my very eyes and I knew I was losing her bit by bit. Walking would turn into running, talking to arguing and telling me I was unfair, giggling to tears of a teenager…I didn't want my baby to grow up. But I had no choice. She would grow. She would make mistakes and get hurt. She would reject me and my advice. She would endanger herself and do foolish things. But I would always be there for her to come back to when she needed a shoulder to cry on and ears to listen and a heart to love her unconditionally.

And at that moment, I realized that this is how Aslan felts, and still feels, about me.

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Awwww, the years are getting on. Seriously, reviewers, if you can think of any more important life milestones please do tell! Because I need ideas. Thanks!