Disclaimer: Narnia and Aslan are not mine (Bummer). Cheroom is electrum's (I just borrowed him), Ariella, Jaer, and Jaerin are mine (Don't you like them?).
The first speaker seemed to be female, though of what species Ariella never knew, and she simply thanked everyone for coming
"…on this most glorious night. I pray you all to listen to this tale that many of you have heard many times over, though a few will hear it for the first time, but which never loses its wonder in the telling. A tale of treachery and betrayal, of love and sacrifice, of endurance and honor, and—above all—the greatness and might of Aslan, our highest king."
Ariella stiffened at the name of Aslan but if Jaer noticed, he made no sign. All around the people burst into cheers and clapped heartily; a few were stomping on the ground. (One such person was very large and very near; Ariella could feel the ground shaking beneath its tread). An elephant's trumpet rent the air seconded by triumphant snarls and roars from the great cats. Birdcalls of every pitch sped through the air and over the crowd. It seemed to Ariella that all of Narnia must be here for the noise!
After a while, a hush fell over the crowd again and a different voice began to speak. Jaer leaned over and whispered in Ariella's ear, "That's Cheroom the centaur, Chief Recorder of the Four. He's served in that post since their reign began. He'll tell of how Narnia came to be ruled by the Four."
Ariella leaned forward to listen; to hear the tale of how the four siblings would become the four sovereigns should be interesting. And, though she scarcely admitted it to herself, the desire to be queen of Narnia still lived in her heart and she thought that maybe, just maybe, she could learn how that might be able to happen. To her surprise, the centaur did not begin with the conquering of Narnia by the four sovereigns. Instead, he began farther back in history than she had ever heard. He began with the coming of two strange children from another world into a world that was dying. One of the two woke a beautiful queen by the stroke of a hammer and the ringing of a bell and that, said the centaur, sealed the fate of Narnia.
As the night wore on and the centaur continued his story, Ariella forgot that she hoped to hear how to win her coveted queenship. She was enthralled by the tale of Narnia, Archenland, Calormen, and the lands beyond like she had never been before. Tales of self-sacrificing knights and humble maidens caught her imagination and filled her mind with thoughts that had not entered in many a year. Ariella had thought that she would grow tired as the night passed, but all thoughts of sleep were driven from her as she eagerly listened to the story told.
Eventually, the centaur's tale came to portions that she recognized: the hundred year winter, the rise of the current Tisroc, and the abduction of Archenland's crown prince. Then, once again, Cheroom launched into a story she had never heard: how the Four came to reign. The first portion of the tale did not surprise her, but when he spoke of King Edmund's betrayal, a sharp gasp escaped her lips and she spoke without thinking.
"The king of Narnia is a traitor to his family?"
"Was, Lady Ariella. Was," Jaer whispered.
"Listen, Lady," Jaerin added. "You will hear how a traitor can become the just king."
Now all of Ariella's attention was completely focused on the speaker. She dimly heard the gasps and cries of those around her as the centaur told of the long race from the Beaver's house, of Father Christmas' gifts, of the coming of spring. She felt tears pricking her eyes when he spoke of the party turned to stone by the wave of the witch's wand and winced at the thought of being whipped for not walking fast enough. And with the others, she felt a strange joy rush through her and cheered when he who was now the High King defeated the wolf and the centaurs and cats rescued the younger Son of Adam.
After the cheers died down, an expectant silence fell over the crowd once again. Only this time, it was not quite as eager as before. It seemed as though nearly everyone knew of something horrible that was about to happen and dreaded it, but at the same time, they knew that some great good came afterward. In slow words, the centaur spoke of the witch's coming and her demand for the life of King Edmund. He told of the private conference between the witch and Aslan and of the camp's moving from the Hill of the Stone Table.
And then, in a voice full of sorrow, Cheroom told of the queens' sleepless night and how they followed Aslan back along the path they had trod only that afternoon. He spoke of how they wept with Him and buried their hands in His mane. He told how Aslan commanded them to stop at a distance from the Stone Table and how the Great Lion went forward alone to offer Himself in the traitor's stead.
Tears were streaming down Ariella's face and she sobbed openly, for once heedless of what others might think. Two strong arms encircled her and she felt herself pulled into a loving embrace.
"Shh, now, Ariella, you need not weep."
"But He died! He died. I thought I hated Him but now I know I don't and just when I know I find out that He died! Why? Why!"
"But you've seen Him, have you not? He didn't stay dead, Ariella. He lives. That's what this whole celebration is about. If Aslan would give His life for a traitor, what will He not do for those who love and serve Him?"
Slowly Ariella's tears slowed and her weeping stopped. She looked up with tear-filled eyes to where she knew Jaer's face to be. "But how?" she pleaded. "How can such a thing be?"
"Listen, and you shall soon hear."
"I don't want to wait! Jaer, I need to know now! Please?"
There was a small sigh from above her before Jaer spoke again. "Just a little longer, Ariella and you shall hear the rest. Dawn is nigh."
Ariella opened her mouth to protest but stopped as the centaur began to speak again. With an irritated sigh, she pushed away from Jaer and turned her attention back to the speaker. Cheroom spoke calmly of the night of waiting that the two queens endured; how they wept over Aslan's body and tried to untie the ropes and remove the muzzle. The mice, he said, eventually gnawed through the ropes that numb fingers could not budge.
"…and so it came about that when Dawn's first light was glimmering on the eastern edge of the sea and the two sisters were looking out across the land to where Cair Paravel shone by the sea, there was a mighty crack and the Stone Table broke in two as death itself worked backward and Aslan lived again."
"Aslan! The highest king!" A mighty cheer rose up from all at the gathering place; a cheer so loud that the very air seemed to shake with the sound of it. At the same time, the sun leaped over the horizon in brilliant glory.
"And so it was," the crowd cried, "that when a willing victim who had committed no wrong was killed in the traitor's stead, that the Stone Table was cracked and death itself worked backwards. For though the witch knew the Deep Magic from the dawn of time, she knew not the Deeper Magic from before the dawn of time. Let us now celebrate the love of Aslan and the reign of our four sovereigns!"
There was more said, but Ariella barely heard it. She was crying again, but this time they were tears of joy instead of sorrow and hope instead of despair. What Jaer had said echoed in her mind. If Aslan would give His life for a traitor, what will He not do for those who love and serve Him?
"See, Lady?" Jaer said with a smile in his voice. "All is well. All will be well so long as Aslan is our good lord and we are true to Him. Shall we go now to the feast prepared for us?"
A/N—So Ariella has at last learned much of Aslan's greatness. As a Christian, I see Aslan as a portrayal of Christ in Narnia and thus his sacrifice is a parallel to that of my lord and savior, Jesus Christ. He died for me while I was a traitor to Him and now He lives.
To see how I sort of envision the beginning of this celebration, see The Broken Table, another story I wrote.
Chapter next: The End (I think)