Hi there! So the beach was very nice! I had a great time with my mom! I've got a bit a good news and bad news for ya.

Bad news first: I'm going away again this weekend. Leaving sometime on Friday (July 29) and returning sometime on Sunday (July 31).

Good news (if you want to see it that way): I'll post the final chapter before I leave!

Wow! I can't believe we're finally almost there! Feels like this part has been going on forever! But I'm so excited to start part 3! Hope you all join me there! And I'm so glad you have all stuck with me through this part! Through all the cliffies (beware there's a slight one at the end of this chapter too), and the kisses, and the almost kisses, and the fake Caspians.

This chapter is all about Ava. Hope you enjoy!

The Naiad Trilogy

Part 2: The Naiad and Her King

Chapter 20

Ava opened her heavy eyes to find herself lying on soft green grass. She could hear a small babbling brook nearby, and she knew the sun was shining brightly but she was well shaded by the trees around her. A soft but strong and steady purr made Ava sit up and look around quickly. Her smile grew just as quickly.

"Aslan!" she exclaimed before rushing forward and throwing her arms around his neck. "Oh Aslan! It's been so long. I am glad to see you."

The Great Lion chuckled. "I am glad to see you too."

"Where are we, Aslan?" Ava asked as she crossed her legs and sat before the golden Lion. Her surroundings looked vaguely familiar, but she could not place where she had seen them before.

"Do you not recognize this place, my child?"

Ava looked around again and gasped. "The Dancing Lawn! We're on the Dancing Lawn!" Aslan nodded his head. "Narnia! We've returned at last. Has the rest of the crew returned safely as well? Is Caspian here? Caspian…"

As Ava said her King's name she suddenly remembered where she had been moments ago. Sights and sounds of the battle with the sea serpent flashed through her head, as if it were all a dream. She saw the serpent pull Eustace under the water as it tried to drown him. She saw the Dawn Treader ram the serpent into a rock as it tried to free itself from the serpent's deadly coils. She saw the serpent spread its body. She saw Caspian rush to her to push her out of the way of the serpent's venomous fangs. And she saw the fear in his eyes as she struggled for breath.

"Caspian's not here, is he Aslan?"

"No, my child, he is not."

"Aslan, am I…dead?"

Aslan sighed. "No, you are not dead Ava. I have brought you here for another reason. You are confused my child, why?"

"I am not sure why I am here, Aslan. You are the real Aslan. I look at you and I feel it in my heart and I know it is true. But, how…why have you returned me to Narnia alone? I do not understand."

Aslan chuckled. "I meant with your heart you are confused. Why is there conflict within you between your magic and Caspian?"

"Oh, that," Ava eyes dropped to the ground as her cheeks colored. "You know about that?" The Lion merely looked at her knowingly. "Oh of course you do."

"What troubles you, child?"

"I love him, Aslan. I love Caspian. I'm not really sure when or how it happened, but I love him."

"I can see that you do, my child. I can see that you love him very much. Why does this grieve you?"

"Because, Aslan, I am the Naiad Princess, and I cannot love a man and keep my magic. And how could I leave the Narnians? How could I leave them without a Naiad Princess?"

"It is true, my child, that you cannot have both, but why do you believe you would leave them without a Princess?"

"Oh! Aslan, do you mean that there would be another to take my place?"

"Child, you know I can tell you no other story than your own."

"Oh, right." Ava's shoulders dropped. "I don't suppose there could be another Princess anyways; I am the last in the direct line from the River God. Could you at least tell me if Caspian would be happy with Liliandil as his Queen?"

"You know I cannot."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Ava sighed heavily. "Aslan, I don't know what to do. I don't know what I want."

"Perhaps that will help," Aslan said as he looked to his left. Ava followed his gaze and saw an ancient looking well that she had never seen before.

"Where did that come from?"

"Go to it, my child. Look into its waters and it will show you. I must leave you to examine the waters alone, but when you are ready, I will return you to the Dawn Treader."

Ava asked no further questions of Aslan, and went silently to the well. When she gazed into its still waters she saw only her own reflection at first, but then the waters began to stir and an image formed there. It was of a young girl sitting alone in a stone courtyard. Ava recognized the courtyard at once; she had walked by this courtyard everyday while performing her chores. It was the dull and lifeless courtyard of the King's Castle at Beaver's Dam, only a little less dull in the image. It took Ava a moment to recognize the young girl as her younger self.

Ava sat on the small stone wall of an unused fountain. Her head was bowed and she was nervously playing with the sash of her dress. The dress was very uncomfortable, and Ava hated wearing it, but it was the nicest thing she owned and her father insisted that she wear it to their visit to the castle. Ava was both in awe of being in the King's Castle, and in fear; what if the Lord Protector somehow knew their secret? How much trouble would Father be in? What would happen to her? Ava was absorbed in her thoughts and did not notice the young boy approach her.

"Who are you? I've never seen you here before. Are you new to the castle?" the boy asked.

Ava jumped at the boy's presence before looking up at him. He had long dark hair that fell about his eyes; he had to keep tossing his head to keep it away. His eyes were a deep brown, but soft and warm. He was dressed in nice clothes, and Ava thought he must the son of one of the Lords. He was taller than Ava would be if she were standing, but he couldn't be more than two, maybe three, years older than her. If Ava herself had been a little older and to the point where she fancied boys, she just might fancy him, but as it was, she was only seven.

"Sorry," the boy apologized sheepishly. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's alright," Ava said shyly before hastily adding, "My Lord." The boy flinched a little at the formality of the title. He was hoping she might be different. "And to answer your question, yes, I am new to the castle. Father was summoned to a meeting with the Lord Protector. Miss Concettina could not watch me, so Father had to bring me along with him."

"Could you not stay with your mother?"

"Mother…mother died many years ago." Ava tried very hard to keep her voice from wavering; she wasn't sure how well she succeeded though.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. My mother is dead too."

Ava saw that the boy's eyes seemed to grow very distant and sad, like he was lost in some memory. "You may sit if you like, Sir."

"Thank you."

"Do you miss your mother very much?"

"I do," the boy nodded.

"You're lucky then."

"How do you mean?"

"I don't miss my mother. I never knew my mother; I have no memories of her, so how can I miss her?"

"I suppose I can understand that logic." The boy smiled faintly and Ava returned it. "Do you know why your father was summoned?" Ava shook her head. "It probably has to with the Prince."

"What would Father have to do with the Prince?"

"It is rumored that Miraz…I mean the Lord Protector is looking for a new tutor for the Prince."

"Oh, well then he would be wise to choose Father. He is the most learned man I've ever known. The Prince would learn much from Father."

"Of course you would say that; he is your father."

"Well, yes, but I judge him fairly. I promise you." The boy's smile grew and Ava giggled. "But Oh! What would happen to me if Father became the Prince's tutor?"

The boy shrugged a shoulder. "I suppose you would have to move into the castle too, and then perhaps…we could become friends."

Ava's smile broadened and she felt her cheeks flush; she bowed her head so that her hair would hide her reddening cheeks. She had never had a friend before. She'd tried to make friends with the other boys and girls in her village, but they all seemed to think her too different and they kept their distance.

"Well…Sir, what do two…friends…do to entertain themselves in this castle?"

The boy grinned; he was eager to have a friend, even if it was a girl. "Well, they certainly don't sit in some boring stone courtyard. Come; let me show you some of the passages of the castle."

The boy stood up and held a hand out for Ava to take. She really didn't know why, but she trusted the young boy fully and accepted his hand.

Ava sat back. It was a memory. The scene she had just seen, just relived in the well was a memory. It was memory she forgot she had but it was a memory nonetheless. Ava didn't know it at the time the scene first happened, but the young boy she had agreed to be friends with was none other than His Royal Majesty Prince Caspian. Of course, Ava and Caspian never got to become the friends that they'd so desperately wanted be, because when she moved into the castle she was assigned chores and was kept away from the Prince.

Ava marveled at how easily she had come to trust Caspian back then. She recalled vaguely the ridicule she would receive from the kids in her village, at how difficult it had been to make friends with anyone. But that wasn't so when it came to Caspian. They had sparked a friendship instantly. She was relaxed around him, free to be herself.

What did this mean? How was this supposed to help her choose? Ava needed to see more, so she gazed back into the well.

XOXOX

Ava saw many more memories; some were shorter than the first and some were longer. Many of them pertained to Caspian in some way. Ava may have forgotten about the first time she met Caspian, but she remembered the other times she had seen him around the castle. Sometimes she would watch him practice his sword fighting while she was cleaning; other times she would see him riding Destrier in the fields or brushing his coat. Always though, Ava remained silent and hidden as a servant was meant to be. It wasn't until Ava had been in the wrong place at the wrong time—or perhaps it was the right place at the right time—when the Senior Maiden called her to help with the linens that Ava and Caspian had direct contact again.

Ava left her father's quarters in a hurry, almost forgetting to say goodbye or curtsey. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, and she knew he must have heard it. How could he not? Ava feared it was about to pump right out her chest it was so loud; surely it had at least gotten closer to the surface. She seemed to even be able to feel it constraining her lungs for she was finding it harder to breathe. Ava knew she could not be seen like this in front of the other cleaning maidens, so she quickly ducked behind a suit of armor. She dropped the dirty linens on the floor and grasped her chest, urging her heart to steady.

"He touched me," she whispered softly to herself. "He touched me, and he knew my name. The Prince touched me."

Ava could not help but smile at the thought. She closed her eyes and she could almost feel his soft hand cupping her chin, and she could hear his voice as he spoke her name. Oh the sweet sound of it! She wished she could hear him say it a thousand times.

Oh! And his eyes! What eyes they were! They were so intense and yet so gentle and so very, very warm. She could easily become lost in them. Their warmth flooded her when their gazes locked, and she nearly forgot how to speak, how to breathe even.

"Oh, get a hold of yourself, Ava," she scolded herself. "He is a Prince. You are a cleaning maiden. He will marry some beautiful princess, and you…you will be lucky to feel the grass again. Oh! But he touched me, and he knew my name. And that is something I can always cherish."

"Ava!" the Senior Maiden called her name harshly and Ava looked about quickly. She had not been spotted yet. "Where is that foolish girl?"

Ava quietly gathered the lines again and left her hiding place; there was work to be done.

Ava smiled peacefully to herself. How different she seemed back then. How insecure, how obedient, and how…hopeful but sad she had been. As Ava closed her eyes now, she could still remember the way Caspian's hand had felt on her chin and how warm his eyes had been. He had changed over the years too, but not for the worse.

Ava looked back into the well. She relived again the time she and Caspian shared a conversation on the ledge of the How. She remembered how easy their friendship had come, and she remembered the feelings his smile stirred within her. Then she saw him lifting her onto Destrier's back behind Lucy; she remembered the feel of his hands on her hips. She saw him at his coronation, promising to treat every man and beast equally. She saw him fighting alongside his people, protecting them from the Giants of the north. And she saw him injured; she remembered the wild emotions she felt as her hand grazed over the skin of his chest. She saw him defending her honor on Glama and fighting for her life at Narrowhaven. She felt again his kiss and the heat that it caused. She heard him whispering how beautiful she was in her ear. She saw their fight on Coriakin's island and she saw them make up, remembering how easy it had been and remembering what reason she gave for fighting. And she remembered how desperately she wanted to kiss him again, and how close she had come. And she saw him cry when he thought she might die from the sea serpent's poison.

"STOP!" Ava shouted as she jumped away from the well. Tears were streaming down her face. With every memory she saw she felt the feelings as if they were happening all over again. She couldn't take it any longer. She didn't understand how reliving all these memories was supposed to help her get over her love for Caspian. Ava wiped the tears from her eyes before crawling back to the well.

"Please," she begged with a sob. "Show me something from my Naiad memories. Remind me of those feelings."

The well obeyed.

XOXOX

The well showed her memories from her childhood when she lived with her father in the hut outside Beruna and she would pretend to play with Chérie in garden. The well showed her dancing before the How, reminding her of how it felt to feel the grass under her feet, and the sun on her skin, and the wind in her hair. The well showed her meeting Aslan for the first time and she remembered the life he had given her.

Ava saw next the greatest Naiad memory she had, her decent into the river and the releasing of the River God. Ava saw her days of training with the Naiads where she learned to wield and control her magic. She saw not only when she learned all the Narnian dances, but also when she performed them for all of Narnia. She remembered the feeling it would give her, complete freedom and happiness. She didn't have to hide a thing.

She remembered the feel of her magic flowing through her. She remembered healing the wounded Narnians and the joy it gave her to see them smile, and to know that they would return to their families. She remembered what it was like to fight for the Narnians to ensure that they could return to their families. She remembered how it felt to make them happy and to see their joy. Memory after memory showed her what she asked for, but then they began to change.

Ava stood on the fighting top keeping watch; Reepicheep stood next to her.

"I'm in love, Reepicheep…with the idea of love," Ava explained. "Before I knew I was the Naiad Princess, I was just a girl. And like any other girl, I dreamed of falling in love. I dreamed of what it would be like to love a man and to have a man love me. I dreamed of marriage and raising a family with my husband. As the Princess, all those dreams are impossible; I cannot love a man and keep my magic. I miss those dreams Reep, and I long for them again. But I'm afraid I long for them too much; I love the idea of love so much, that my magic has begun to fade and weaken. I feel awful for betraying the Narnians in such a way, but…"

"Betraying the Narnians?" Reepicheep interrupted with astonishment. "Sweet Princess, how have you betrayed the Narnians?"

"I'm losing my magic, Reepicheep."

"Losing it for love; Princess, that is not such a terrible thing as you have made it out to be. I, myself, have never known the wonders of love, but I do know that it is a most honorable cause. To love someone, to give your heart fully to them is, I think, the bravest and noblest thing one could do."

To hear Reepicheep speak of love being brave, noble, and honorable was not what Ava had expected. She thought for sure that he would find a way to persuade her to keep her magic for the sake of the Narnians. Instead, it seemed as if he thought there should be no question on it and that love was the obvious choice. Of course, Ava had concealed the truth a bit; she was not in love with the idea of love, she was in love with her King. Would that have changed the noble mouse's mind at all?

"Thank you, Reepicheep. You have indeed given me something to think about," Ava replied earnestly.

Hearing Reepicheep's thoughts on love were no less shocking the second time around.

Ava stood alone in the forest; a small brook ran alongside her to the left and an old, large oak tree sat to her right. This had been the spot that Dr. Cornelius had found her basket. She had come here, hoping to find some answers at last. She wanted to know why. Suddenly, the water began to bubble beside her, and the River God emerged. Like Ava, he could travel easily any body of water and walk the dry land without limitations.

"You wished to speak with me, my daughter?" he asked; his voice was just as deep as when she first heard it.

"Yes; I was told if anyone could help me, it would be you."

The River God looked around at their surroundings and knew at once why the young Naiad before him had asked to meet him here. "This is about your mother, isn't it?"

"Yes. I was told you knew her best."

"I know all my children equally."

"But they don't always know each other equally," Ava replied.

The River God smiled. "That is true. What would you like know?"

"I want to know why. Why did she give me up? Why didn't she want to keep me? Not that I wasn't happy on land; I was. Dr. Cornelius has been like a father to me and I am certain I shall always think of him as such, but did I do something to make her want to give me up?" Ava could not stop the tears from falling down her cheeks.

"Daughter," the River God promptly dried her tears. "Your mother loved you very much. She was never happier than when she became a mother. She would have given anything to be the one to teach your magic."

"Then why did she do it?"

"Let us sit," he indicated to the bed of heather beneath the oak tree. "Your mother was very special; the last in my direct line before you. She too was the Princess, or she would have been if we could have been free to roam the land. Your father was equally special; he was one of the rare males among my children. He also had the gift of foresight. Your parents fell in love at once, and they spent many years together.

"Then one day, your father had a vision. And in that vision he saw his beautiful daughter bringing peace to Narnia. It wasn't long after that, that your parents decided to have a child. You mother was sad to see your father go, but at the sight of you her heart was once more filled with joy.

"None, not even myself, knew what your father's vision really meant. Your mother though, believed it meant that you would play a great role in restoring Narnia, but she didn't know how. She would often swim, with you, along the private streams and brooks. This brook was one of her favorites. It was while she was swimming this brook that she came across Dr. Cornelius. She knew at once that he was different than the other men. She knew him to be a half Dwarf. She followed him for many miles and saw that he was looking for something."

"The Old Narnians. He was looking for any sign that they might still exist," Ava explained.

"Yes, he was and your mother saw this. She knew then, that she could trust him to take care of you. She believed, in order for you to restore Narnia you must live above the river. So, she fastened a basket from oak leaves and twigs and she sent you to the surface. She watched long enough for the professor to find you and then she returned home to tell me of what she had done. Her magic only lasted long enough to do this, and then she passed on to reign in Aslan's Country."

"But I didn't restore Narnia. Caspian and Peter led the fight. Aslan awoke the trees just as he awoke you. I did nothing."

"Then perhaps your mother was wrong. Perhaps you were not meant to restore Narnia. The trees have been awoken and our magic has been restored fully, but we still have a long road to travel before there is peace between us. Perhaps you will find a way yet to bring about that peace."

Ava looked away from the well. Her head was swimming. She knew at last what she must do.

"I'm ready, Aslan."

What's her decision? What choice is going to make? Will she follow her heart? or keep her magic? Find out later this week (Friday morning at the latest).