My thanks to Almyra for allowing me to borrow the Cair's chapel! I've lifted it directly from her most excellent story 'For Ever Kneel'd.' If you haven't read her stories, you should!

Lion Chapel

Ten weeks had slowly passed since Peter departed into the Western Wild. It felt like much, much longer to me, especially now that I didn't have anything as interesting as a royal decree to distract me. Being torn apart nightly by magical means was taking its toll. I had lost weight and I was always cold. For some reason my body decided now was a good time for a growth spurt and my legs ached with pain as I gradually grew taller. In simpler terms, I was perfectly miserable.

Aslan was with me almost constantly from the moment the sun set. At first I didn't notice, but he was spending more time with me at night because I started having trouble sleeping when nightmares began to plague me. Perhaps it was her blood in me, growing restless and working its evil, but I was having the most vivid and graphic dreams of the White Witch. Memories of events I had worked hard to forget wormed their way to the forefront of my mind as soon as I drifted asleep and I was made to relive my time with her over and over again. Some nights I saw more - unspeakable things Jadis had done deep in the past, flashes of barren mountains and bones and a cold red sun. That last terrified me more than anything else my nightmares showed me. I would wake up looking desperately for Peter and then fear would be replaced with the crushing disappointment of loneliness.

Getting up wasn't much better. I was so miserable I couldn't even be beastly in the mornings like usual. I just dragged myself upright and got down to the training grounds. There were fewer officers and teachers now - Oreius dismissed them until Peter returned simply because he didn't want word to get out that I was less than capable of leading the army. I threw myself into swordsmanship whole-heartedly and I was willing to exhaust myself for the rest of the day by keeping pace with my teachers. Training was the greatest outlet for my fears and frustrations and Oreius and Celer knew it.

One frustration amongst the many was my sword. Shafelm, Blade of the Western Wood - if not Rhindon's brother than its first cousin - had been presented to me by the Centaurs under my command before the Battle of Beruna. Though I thought the world of this blade, I was growing and it was not. Oreius, however, refused to allow me another.

"What?" I demanded, standing in the middle of the courtyard like some petulant toddler about to throw a tantrum. "Why not?"

He folded his arms and looked down at me with that fathomless calm and patience that sometimes made me want to scream. "Sir Edmund, Shafelm will do very well for you right now. You are exhausted. A larger sword will weigh more than your arm can bear."

"It will make me stronger!" I argued.

"Majesty," he countered, "a heavier sword will only exhaust you further in your present condition."

Meaning I was even more deteriorated than I believed. Despite myself, I glowered. Oreius returned the look. I lost.

Celer was smiling as he brought me a goblet. "Pick your battles, Sir Edmund. Here," and he waved a hand at the courtyard, "every battle is fought up hill."

"So I'm learning," I grumbled, taking the goblet. I drank a large mouthful and almost choked, expecting water and not mulled wine. I swallowed and coughed, glaring at Celer as I wiped my mouth. He had the good grace to look guilty, realizing he'd handed me the wrong cup.

To top off my aggravation, Cheroom decided to cut out my evening classes. Usually they were only an hour or so long but they made up for time lost to sleep and training to be a soldier. He said he didn't want to overburden me. I argued long and loud, but arguing with a Centaur is like arguing with a rock. I usually ended up in the library instead, reading the books I had marked for further research and talking to Irel and Aslan.

I know my teachers meant well and they were probably right, but I didn't want to be coddled. I had always been the kind of person that had to learn lessons for myself. I'd rather have the heavier sword and exhaust myself and I'd rather continue classes far into the night until I couldn't remember anything I'd learned. Routine was all I had now. Routine, nightmares, and a lot of pain.

Seventhday dawned cold and too wet to go riding. Besides, I'd just get harassed by the Dogs if I tried it. After breakfast with Aslan and my sisters I returned to my room and added another layer of clothes to what I already wore. I took the clothes from Peter's closet partially because they fit better as an outer layer and partially because I just wanted something of him with me. While I was in his closet I also hid half the shoes all about the room and took his crown. Making sure the rooms were empty, I snuck into my own chambers and hung the gold crown in the far reaches of my own closet. That would keep Silvo busy for a day or so. He'd been looking glum lately and it would give him a chance to lecture me later.

I planned to spend the day exploring. Cair Paravel was huge and had hundreds of rooms and even after a year I wasn't certain I'd seen them all. When Peter and I did this we picked a direction and decided up or down and just went that way. After a few minutes deciding, I headed east and down.

"Edmund!"

Lucy. She'd spotted me. As I turned I to her realized that I really did want company. I waited as she rushed down the stairs and I smiled despite myself because she really was turning into a very pretty thing. People always say Susan was the beauty of the family, but Lucy struck me as being beautiful in a completely different and more enduring way.

"Where are you going?" she asked, a little out of breath.

"Exploring the palace."

"Can I come?"

"Course. It might be cold, though."

She looked down at her velvet dress with a little frown. Then she brightened. "I'll ask to borrow the cook's cloak. Come on!"

Seizing my hand, she dragged me into the kitchens. We greeted everyone and Lucy asked to borrow a cloak. One of the Dwarf chefs volunteered his own cape and moments later she was enveloped in wool and fur. Thus prepared, we set out.

Since the eastern side of the Cair faces the both the rising sun and Aslan's Country there was in incredible number of stained glass windows facing that direction. We found many pretty rooms that stood empty or were used for storage. One room was completely lined by full suits of armor for all kinds of Animals and Creatures, set up on wooden stands. I looked, but I didn't see anything that might fit a Rooster. Lucy found a helmet for a Giant. It was so huge she could sit curled up inside it, and her giggles echoed. When she came out I fitted her with a helmet for a Dwarf and she giggled even more.

"How can you hear out of these?" she wondered.

"You get used to it. Here." I put the visor down and she grouped about blindly.

"I can hardly see!"

"You get used to that, too. Besides, Peter and I use different style helmets from this."

We left the old armory and headed further down. The next room that held our attention was filled with tapestries of all sizes. They were very dusty and we both got dirty and sneezed uncontrollably as we unrolled some. They were brilliantly colored and beautifully done, showing scenes of Narnia's history. Lucy was particularly ecstatic over one she found of Aslan done in glittering gold thread. At my suggestion we laid that one in the hall and I told her we could have the weavers clean and restore it for her room.

I was starting to get hungry and I was about to suggest we turn back when Lucy pushed open another door and let out a little gasp. Though she didn't sound frightened I hurried over and looked past her into the room and I could understand her reaction. I eased the door wider and gave her a little push into the chamber so we could both see it better.

It was a long, rectangular room, not very wide but well-proportioned and with a high, vaulted roof with lines that interwove to make geometric designs like flowers. Several gilded rosettes adorned the points of the vaults with hooks for hanging lamps. My eyes moved downwards to carvings along the edge of the ceiling like lace made out of stone. Opposite us, at the far end of the room, a few steps rose up to a dais and on the wall behind it was a tall, arched window. Though the day was overcast I could tell that when the sun shone the room would be filled with golden light. Even to my untrained eyes I could tell the glass in the window was older than most other stuff here in the Cair. It had a distinct yellowish cast to it.

I felt Lucy's hand curl around mine and I drew her in closer to my side as we gazed about us. A candelabrum, taller than either of us, stood off to the side. My time with the Blue River Dwarfs had given me a great appreciation for metalwork and I could tell it was masterfully made, elegant and intricate and in need of a good cleaning.

"It's beautiful," whispered Lucy.

I nodded, unable to form an answer, imagining the room as . . . what? It was serene in here, a place for comfortable silence and thought. A refuge from the world of kings and courts and suitors.

"Edmund!" Lucy exclaimed, her eyes aglow. "We could make this a chapel!"

That was the word I wanted. I continued to gaze about me as she went on.

"We could clean it and - and the tapestries! We could hang them or have some made! That's it!"

I pointed. "There are hooks for lamps."

Eyes wide with delight, she nodded, still gripping my hand as she turned around. "We can clean it and have seats and carpets and candles and oh! Look how pretty the door is!"

I looked. It was heavy, carved oak with beautiful iron hinges reaching across its width.

"And it can be just for us," finished Lucy. "We can come here to be alone and pray. It even looks towards Aslan's Country!"

I blinked. It hadn't occurred to me that any of us might want a place to go to pray. I normally prayed wherever and whenever the desire or need arose. She gazed up at me with all the patience of an indulgent sister.

"Every king, queen, or noble knight needs a place to go and pray," she said firmly. "Didn't you pray before you were knighted?"

I snorted, recalling rogue Animals and Hags and Boggles and a whole pantheon of Fell Beasts, all of whom tried their best to kill me and Peter that day. "Who had time? We were fighting to stay alive, Lu. But you're right." I looked up at the vaulted ceiling, imagining glowing lamps and the warmth of summer spilling into the chamber. "This would make a very good chapel."

Her smile was nothing short of dazzling. "Let's go tell Susan!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Susan delicately lifted her skirt to step into Lucy's chapel and let out a little exclamation of, "Oh!" Dropping her skirt, she looked around in wide-eyed delight. I turned to Aslan, wondering how he could possibly fit through the door, but he just shook his mane and slid through the portal effortlessly. He smiled at my confusion and joined the girls in the center of the room.

"What do you think?"

"It's so beautiful!" breathed Susan, transfixed by the intricate carvings.

"Wouldn't it make a wonderful chapel?" pressed Lucy.

Susan nodded, her eyes filled with delight at the notion. I wandered too close to her and she seized my hand. "Oh, Ed, what do you say?"

I followed her gaze to the ceiling. "I wish Lucy had thought about this months ago."

"I know what you mean!" She smiled and squeezed my hand. "Well, Lucy?"

"Tapestries," answered Lucy, indicating a blank stretch of wall. I could tell she was thrilled that we approved her idea. I knew the feeling. "And here and here and here. Maybe by the door, too. And the carpet the Tisroc sent us for the anniversary right here." She paced the floor around Aslan.

I pulled free of Susan and went to examine the candelabrum. "Another one of these would be nice. Two would balance out the arch."

Susan leaned close and blew at the dusty metal. There was a gleam of gold underneath. "Can another be made?"

"It's Dwarfish," I said, unconcerned. "If we can't find another in the Cair I'll challenge Brickit to make one just like it. When he's done you won't be able to tell which one is the original, Su."

Lucy stood before the Lion, smiling. "What do you think, Aslan?"

He purred. "I think it's a very good idea, Dear Heart, and all the better because it can be a refuge and sanctuary for each of you when you desire peace."

If that was the case, I wondered if any of them would mind if I just moved in.