I think I needed a reality slap.
It's not everyday that such a thought crossed a person's mind, someone like Susan Pevensie, for example.
Except when staring at the mirror at her stunning reflection, at her simple white, square neckline wedding dress, which she had handpicked herself, in an attempt not to make the wedding too grand an event, Susan could not help repeating the line over and over in her head.
"I think I need a reality slap," she said, fingering the delicate dress she had never dreamed of wearing, especially in a marriage to a King.
Busily tidying up behind her in the dressing room was Lucy, whose ears perked up at the sentence her sister had just muttered, "What did you say, Su? A reality slap? Why is that? It's your wedding!"
Turning back to face Lucy, Susan sighed, "That's why, Lu, that's why. This whole thing is just so surreal…so grand a thought to me…"
Lucy replied by turning the bride back to her own reflection, putting out Susan's veil, "And you said we'd keep this the simplest wedding ceremony ever. It will be. I'll—we will—be with you all the way. It will be ok, Su, trust me."
Susan gave Lucy's hand a small squeeze, "Thanks, I could never have asked for a better sister, Lucy."
Wordlessly they hugged, understanding what each was going through…
"Will you, Caspian X, cherish and take care of Susan Pevensie, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
This was it, the day the Pevensies had been waiting and preparing so anxiously for, all looking like they were about to burst out with happiness from their seats in front of the gazebo, the moment Susan had in her rare waking dreams ever since that sad fleeting kiss, the sentence Caspian longed to be asked, to join their two lives into one, to live as one love, one couple…to live with his Queen.
"I do, sir," answered Caspian, smiling at Susan's face as he held her hand, their small audiences, only their family members, the Professor (who had explained the rest of Caspian's 'history' to Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie) and Anna's family, sitting nearby, clapping.
"Will you, Susan Pevensie, cherish and take care of Caspian X, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
"I do, sir," said Susan of the sentence she had longed most to answer.
"Then I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
The kiss they shared that day was none like the other Susan had experienced in her life, soft, gentle, yet passionate and full of feelings, of promise. Her whole world disappeared, being in his arms, and barely hearing her siblings' whoops and cries of joy.
"So how was it?"
They were in the garden, having lunch after the formal ceremony was over, when Edmund strolled to where Anna was sitting with her family.
"How was what?"
Edmund shook his head in disbelief at Anna's innocent act, saying, "You know…the wedding," his voice slow and understandable, just like a kindergarten teacher, "Where there's food," as he listed items out, his hands panned around their surrounding, Anna, nodding, following his 'tour.'
"Music," True to Edmund's word, she had noticed the mini-band of classical instruments and their players at the corner of the garden, where a couple of dancers, including Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie and Peter and Lucy started to take their place at the floor.
"And dancing," at this word, Edmund's hand was before her, Anna asking, "Ed, this thing's blocking my sight of the band, and it's called your hand?"
Edmund shook his offered hand once more, "Silly, do I really have to make it clear that I'm asking you to dance? With me?"
Smiling at his fond voice, with a tinge of (mock) annoyance, Anna placed her hand on his, "I thought you've always liked my jokes, no?" and finally said, "Of course you may have this dance, Mr. Edmund Pevensie," getting up to the dance floor with him.
"I thought you can't dance," remarked Anna, as they were doing simple waltz steps across the floor, and almost laughed when his face twitched a bit at her sentence, "No…just don't like to."
Another turn, another smile, "But who told you that?" he asked, searching the other Pevensies' faces for answers.
"Just a little birdie near the window," said his date, grinning in amusement, Peter winking at her from his dance with Lucy across the floor.
"Oh, very funny," muttered Edmund, feeling almost lightheaded, "Now what would you prefer as a form of punishment?"
"Who said anything about punishment, Ed?" laughed Anna, "For knowing your secret?"
"I guess," Edmund said awkwardly, "How about a kiss?"
"Uh huh, you think you can get it that easy, do you?" Anna shot back, face unreadable as ever. "Not."
Life is a path of decisions, comparable to trees spreading out branches everywhere, of which, once chosen, cannot go back…
Decisions, good or bad, were judgmental and clearly up to people's opinions. A good for some might mean a terrible one to others.
Despite the sobs and tearful hugging from the Pevensies siblings in front of the wardrobe window in the very same spare room where all their adventures and connections to this wonderful world of Narnia began, Peter was more than sure than Susan's decision was a good one, a perfect one, a balance between the best of the two possible worlds…
"Don't forget to come back and visit us sometimes, Su," cried Lucy, keeping a tight hold on her sister, not letting her go.
"I said I'm not going to cry, and here I am," sniffed Edmund, "I just can't believe you're going, really going away," Peter patting his back.
Susan and Caspian were standing, hands linked, backs to the wardrobe now, their brothers and sister in front of them waiting to see them go.
"I will miss all of you dearly, Peter, Edmund, Lucy, I promise," said Susan, gathering all of them in a big family hug.
"Oh, don't start acting Queenly now," squeaked Edmund from under the hug, "You're not in Narnia yet."
Even Caspian had a chuckle at that one.
When they broke apart, the boys shook hands with Caspian, Peter saying, "Take care, Caspian. Call us anytime with the horn, if you ever need us."
"Thank you," said Caspian, "My Kings and Queens," starting to open the wardrobe.
"We'll—we'll be going now, Peter," said Susan in a shaking voice, trying with all her might not to cry, "Don't cry. If you do, I will cry all over again."
They hugged once more, the rest of the Pevensies whispering, "We'll miss you no matter what, Su, and Caspian."
In a flash, or so they felt, Susan disappeared with Caspian through the wardrobe, and they were standing there, all alone, hearts beating in a sad rhythm…
In the end, decisions and choices left us with gain and loss.
It's natural, wasn't it?
To gain something and lose another?
A/N: One word: sob.
It's quite a parting…
THANK YOU to all my readers, reviewers, whoever you are, for supporting me to this…the almost the end…
Your ever humble fanfic writer :)