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. I was actually thinking of having a Part 4 to sum up things after the war.

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.

Thank you everyone for my 100 reviews; I was not expecting to get them that fast! I love you all and hope you guys like Part 3 a whole lot better now because there's a war (plus a little, teeny bit of romance).

Chapter Twenty-One

From A Closing Distance

At the castle Cair Paravel, all were rejoicing in the engagement of Lucy and Corin. The wedding would take place in one month, time enough for the preliminaries to be dealt with. Following the ceremony at the Archenland palace, Lucy would have to leave forever her throne at Cair Paravel and rule alongside Corin.

Lucy did very much like Corin. At any rate, he was much better than any of her other suitors and nevermind that he was far younger. She did not love him, but you must remember that in those days, not everyone (and especially not royalty) married for love. It wasn't pleasant thinking of leaving her family, but it would preserve peace between Narnia and Archenland – for that, she would marry.

But those worries were for later. Now was a time to get away from worry. That was why she was just entering the library.

'Oh!' she gasped.

Tumnus turned around and saw Lucy there in the doorway. He gave such a start that he dropped his book.

'Y-y-y... Your Highness,' he stuttered, and bowed. Of the book he paid no notice.

'Mr Tumnus, I – I'm sorry, I didn't see you.' Lucy looked down at her hands. They were sweating and clammy.

'Your shriek,' Tumnus smiled, 'would suggest otherwise.' Then he hastily added, 'Your Highness.'

The sad thing about that was this: when Tumnus called her 'Your Highness', she did not correct him.

Both of them stood there for a while, until Tumnus whispered, 'I should go... Excuse me, Your Highness.' Then he bowed and walked out of the library.

'Mr Tumnus!' Lucy called after him. Tumnus reappeared in the doorway, one hand resting on the frame. 'I – would you like to go for a walk this afternoon?'

His head bowed slightly. 'As you command, Your Highness.' When he left, Lucy wondered as to why she felt so alone.

❦

The first few moments of their walk were spent in vast, uncomfortable silence. A stray hair meandered from beneath Lucy's silver crown; Tumnus had a great urge to tuck it behind her ear.

No! hissed a voice in his head. That would be showing improper conduct toward a queen of Narnia!

Tumnus frowned. I've touched her plenty of times before. Why should it make such a difference now?

That was before she was engaged.

So? Tumnus asked. That shouldn't matter. I'm just her friend.

Oh, really?

'How are you?' Lucy asked, muting Tumnus' voices.

'Quite well, thanks. And how are things between you and Prince Corin?' When Lucy didn't answer, Tumnus said quickly, 'I'm sorry, Your Highness. It's not my place to ask.'

'No, that's all right,' said Lucy, and forced a smile. 'Things are going wonderfully. He isn't like I first imagined him to be at all, but a good person. He'll make a fine king.'

There was a short silence.

'It's peculiar,' said Tumnus after a while. 'I've always imagined you getting married in summer.'

'Have you?' Tumnus didn't get a chance to make an excuse before Lucy continued. 'No, I suppose I never thought of winter, either.' She shrugged. 'Corin's timing wasn't excellent, but it doesn't matter when we get married, so long as we marry at all.'

'I suppose,' Tumnus said. 'I wouldn't know, Your Highness.' And for some anonymous reason, Lucy felt very uncomfortable at that.

A bright, red-coloured leaf floated down from a shedding maple and landed tranquilly atop the crown of her head. Her eyebrows creased slightly as she plucked it out of her hair. Smiling, Lucy traced the veins of the leaf. An old faun proverb crossed Tumnus' mind.

'They say,' he began slowly, 'that when a leaf falls, someone's thinking of you.' A fern beech leaf fluttered across his nose. Then he remembered his place in society, and said hurriedly, 'Your Highness.'

That was the first time she noticed his stiff attitude. 'Mr Tumnus,' she said, and gave an expression that was partway a smile and partway a frown. 'do you remember years ago, when I was still a child?'

'Why, yes,' he said, surprised at this.

'I distinctly recall saying something to you. It's something that you seem to have forgotten.'

'Pray, Your Highness, whatever is that?'

'Dash the formalities!' she grinned, and nudged him slightly in the ribs.

'But you are a queen, Highness, and I must acknowledge you with proper respect.'

'Before today, you never called me anything but Lucy.'

Tumnus frowned. Yes, that was true enough. Why had the change taken place?

Corin.

'Then I must ask you, Highness,' Tumnus said slowly, 'that if I am to call you Lucy, you must know me simply as Tumnus.'

'But... Mr Tumnus –'

'Tumnus,' he emphasized. 'I am only Tumnus.'

Lucy looked into his eyes and saw something. It wasn't something she could identify, and she wasn't sure if it was there before or if she'd just never noticed it. But it made her smile like she never had. 'Tumnus,' she whispered.

There was yet another silence, but this one was not so ill at ease. Hand in hand they strode, footfalls alike, with barely the space of a foot between them. In time, Lucy came to rest her head upon his shoulder.

'It just occurred to me now,' Lucy said, and without thinking: 'Why did we ever stop being friends? You know, years ago, when I was only a little girl.'

Tumnus felt infuriated towards her. How could she not remember? 'Beg pardon, Your Highness, but you signed an official document that stated the matter clearly! I was banished from Cair Paravel and castle grounds!'

Lucy's head snapped up from its perch on Tumnus' shoulder. 'I did nothing of the sort!'

'I believe, Highness, that you bloody well did.'

'Tumnus, why would I? I'd have no reason to; you were my best friend! When the dwarf told me that...' She gulped. 'that you never wanted to see me again –'

'But I didn't say that!' Tumnus protested. 'I never... what dwarf?'

'A guard at the gate. He told us – my brothers and sister and I – that you stopped by to deliver a message and... and that was it.'

'The dwarf was a guard at the gate?' It wasn't a question so much as a statement, but his words were cold and hard as stone.

'Yes, but –'

'The one that showed me the document of my banishment... he was a dwarf of the Cair Paravel guard.'

Lucy frowned for a moment, then her eyes grew rather large.

They both turned around and raced back to the castle.

❦

'Tell me, Reslev,' the Winged Empress Jadis said sternly to the dwarf general, 'what measures did you take to weaken Narnia?'

'If it pleases you, Majesty,' said Reslev, bowing, 'I disguised myself as a Narnian guard at the castle Cair Paravel and convinced them to alter some of their defences on the Western border that would be to our advantage.'

'Is that all?' the Empress snarled.

'No, not all,' said Reslev. 'I've sent a few troops to disguise as Narnians as well, in case they find any vital information to use for invading their land.'

There was a pause. 'That's it?' Jadis hissed.

'No, there was one thing more,' said Reslev. 'I took steps to weaken the Kings and Queens as individuals.'

Her eyebrows lifted. 'Such as?'

'Many of them were unsuccessful, but I did manage to separate the youngest queen – Lucy, that was it – from a friend of hers: a faun by the name of Tumnus.' Jadis' head shot up, alert, at the faun's name. 'I know it does sound insignificant,' Reslev continued, 'but she became much weaker after the loss, and she was so easily broken. Her brothers and sister softened upon seeing her waste away, so they, too, are frailer.'

'That is good, Reslev. I see that you're not utterly without use.' Jadis stood and closed her eyes, taking deep, icy breaths. 'We are nearly ready for attack.'