Part Three of

Narnia: When Children Cry.

My first fanfic, so be merciful, I beg of you!

SUMMARY:

Part One: Basically, Tumnus' story of his friendship with Lucy.

Part Two: Their friendship after Lucy becomes Queen Lucy the Valiant of Narnia.

Part Three: Lucy and Tumnus reunite many years later, and how their friendship progresses into love.

And then we'll have a little Epilogue.

Disclaimer: I do not own Lucy or Tumnus or Narnia. I do own (sort of) Chrystmay the Dryad, who may or may not appear in Part Three.

Author's Note: I'm trying to get 100 reviews before the story ends. It's still a long way off, but please review, and I'll... I don't know. I'll give you all a Mr Tumnus that you can keep for yourself! How's that? And I'll give you Oreos! (Disclaimer: I don't own Oreos, either.)

Thank you to A Amelia Black for pointing this out (and anyone else who's read The Horse and His Boy). In this chapter, I'd previously written that Corin was one year older than Lucy. I'd thought that could work out, but really, it would make a total mess of things. So I've changed it, and now he's 'several years her junior'.

Chapter Nineteen

Prince Corin

It had been forty-seven hours, and the process was nearly complete. Reslev kneaded his fingers together in anxiety as he watched the White Witch's face slowly gain colour again. In gradual time, the decaying flesh on her body mended and the stench of death was melting away.

Reslev's breath caught heavily in his chest as her eyes flew open. A Witch never really dies, said the triumphant voice in his head. He watched in awe as Jadis sat up and flexed her fingers. The people in the room with her, mainly dwarfs, gasped fearfully as she stood and took in blissful breaths. She walked to the nearest dwarf with her black, endless eyes fixed in a frightening manner. Before he knew what was happening, Jadis had wrapped her white fingers over his throat and was stiffening her icy grip.

Jadis' lip curled as she pried her hand from the lifeless creature and threw his body on the floor.

'General Reslev,' she murmured, and he came forward timidly. 'Where are we?'

'In the old Ice Palace, my lady,' he said, bowing deeply.

'Fool!' she hissed. 'If we are planning an attack, they will search here first! Do you have any battle tactics in that swollen head of yours?'

'All attempts have been unsuccessful for your bidding, Majesty,' said Reslev in the most respectable voice he could muster. 'That is why we called you.'

'We shall first need to find a better headquarters,' said she. 'Remember this, Reslev. And I am no longer a slave to Ice.'

'Please, Majesty, what do you mean by that?'

'She who they called the "White Witch" is forever gone. I now seek from my life the Flight of Death. We are no more allies of all Ice creatures, but with the vultures. The birds of the sky will be our slaves. Does that tell you where we shall now seek hideout, slow-thinking dwarf?'

'I believe, Majesty, that you seek dwelling in... in the sky,' said Reslev, 'but that cannot be –'

'It is the sky indeed where we'll build out fortress,' said Jadis, 'but only for a while. Upon conquering Narnia, we shall kill the Kings and Queens to take their thrones and castle. Our spies will be our slaves, the birds, and our fortress will be on a black storm cloud. See to it at once, Reslev.'

'Yes, my lady.'

'And I,' said Jadis, lifting her neck up in a queenly fashion, 'am henceforth the Winged Empress.'

She flung open the heavy doors to reveal a roomful of anxiously waiting subjects. They all arose.

Reslev called out loudly, 'All hail Jadis, Winged Empress!'

The chamber rang out: 'All hail the Winged Empress!'

❦

'Lucy, why are you dressed for court?'

That was the first thing that came from Tumnus' mouth when he entered Cair Paravel.

Lucy heaved a sigh that sent her hair fluttering. 'I have a new suitor. He's supposed to be coming today.' She folded her arms across her chest and flung herself backwards into a chair. 'I hate them. Hate them all, those suitors.'

A short-lived and forced smile flickered on Tumnus' face. 'Are they all so bad?'

'Every last one of them.' Lucy pronounced each word with stern solidity.

'Perhaps this one will not be so...' Tumnus searched for the right word. '...vexing.'

'Oh, I am vexed!' She sat up forcefully and paced about the room. 'It's proper that I should marry, but I don't have to. Why then, do they bring these vexing (as you so aptly put it) suitors?'

Tumnus smiled. 'I've never been to court, I wouldn't know.'

Lucy moaned and buried her hands in her face. Her siblings were scattered about the room, all of them looking nervous, but none so much as Lucy. Long ago had she reacquainted Tumnus with her sister and brothers, and they had invited him many times to Cair Paravel. It was in this openness that he assumed the proclamation of his exile had been done away with: he was now permitted to the castle grounds. He didn't mention the matter to Lucy, because he imagined it might make her upset. It would make him upset, too, though he didn't know it.

'What's this one's name?' Tumnus asked, meaning, of course, the suitor.

'Prince Corin of Archenland,' spat Lucy. 'And I'll bet you anything he's a perfect beast.'

In the past three months since they were reunited, Tumnus learned quickly that it was best to keep his distance when Lucy was due for a suitor. True enough, Susan was the beauty of the family, but it did not stop scads of noblemen wishing for Lucy to be their bride. She, too, was a long mile more than plain, although she was not called to such attention as her sister. It was because of Lucy's boyish behaviour that won her fewer hearts.

'And... what do you know of this Corin?' Tumnus asked timidly.

'That he is several years my junior and a boxer,' huffed the queen. Then, sarcastically: 'Doesn't he sound promising.'

'You might like this one,' Tumnus said, though he silently knew their wishes were alike. If Lucy married, she would have less time for their friendship and would have to attend court, oversee political issues and planning – be a slave to queenship.

Arising from beyond the great entrance doors was the sound of blasting horns. Lucy's head shot up as a herald's voice rang out from behind the walls: 'Announcing His Royal Highness Prince Corin of Archenland!'

In anxiety, Lucy clutched Tumnus' hand for comfort. The faun felt a jolt run up his arm. Susan straightened her elaborate skirts, and Kings Peter and Edmund gave a look to Lucy before heaving open the oak doors. Tumnus' breath was caught motionless in his chest as the prince entered.

He was carried in on a litter with the curtains drawn, so no one got a good look at his face. Then the litter was set down and a servants pulled back the blue drapes. Corin stood slowly, lifted every part of his strapping body before his own head.

Lucy gasped and wrenched her hand unawares from Tumnus' fingers to cover her mouth. Corin peered at her from under his golden hair and smiled.

'Queen Lucy, I presume?' His voice was gallant, holding a round and curious accent. In answer, Lucy could only nod deeply. His smile grew wider and whiter as he turned his eye to the other nobles. 'Queen Susan the Gentle, Kind Edmund the Just, and High King Peter the Magnificent.' Corin bowed low from the waist, and he was received with a flourish of bows and sweeping curtsies. Tumnus bowed as was tradition for fauns: one knee bent and the other leg straight in front. Corin continued: 'It is an honour to be in your presence.'

Tumnus waited to be introduced by Lucy, as she'd done with all her previous suitors, but it never came. He looked up at Lucy to see her gazing raptly at Corin, and he at her. It seemed that neither of them would be speaking anytime soon.

Tumnus suddenly felt very small.

Review and I'll give you a Tumnus