Chapter Twenty-Three
The Lone Islanders were extremely grateful. Ralon had been horrible to them, taking any rebels as prisoners and selling them to the slave traders of Calormen. His army had enforced harsh new laws, and anyone who broke them would be executed or tortured, without a trial.
We had to decide what to do about the new Governor. We asked the civilians if he had had any children, and we learned that he had had one son, who had been tortured and imprisoned. They didn't know what had happened to him.
We searched the dungeons, which were severely overcrowded and filthy with innocent people. We freed them, and finally found the Governor's son. His name was Lamon, and he was thirty-three. He was chained in one of the filthiest corners of the dungeon, and rats scurried over his sleeping form. I sent a faun in to wake him. We broke his cuffs, and led him up to fresh air.
I gave him several days to recover from his ordeal, and sent a letter to Cair Paravel. I wrote that we had dealt with Ralon and everything was under control. Then I met with Lamon.
He was still thin and a little bit weak from his imprisonment, but I could still see he was quite handsome. He had blond hair and blue eyes, and he had smile lines on his face, which told me he was a cheerful person. "I would like to thank you, my lady, for dealing with the tyrant who killed my father and for freeing me." He said. I nodded. "It was my duty, sir. I am glad to have served well." I changed the subject to what was important. "I understand that you are the son of the late Governor?" He nodded. "Then I assume that, by law, you are rightfully his successor?" He hesitated. "I…suppose I am." I nodded. "Will you take the oath in front of the people of the Lone Islands?" He nodded again. "All right then. Let's get it done."
The next day, a crowd gathered in the town square, and on a raised platform, Lamon swore the oath to become the Governor of the Lone Islands. The Islanders were very joyous, and there was a feast at the manor that evening. I attended it, dressed in the only gown I had packed, which was pale pink. The food was good, but it made me long for Cair Paravel's feasts and balls. I danced with Lamon and several other men.
I sent most of the Narnian soldiers back on the ship, staying behind to help reconstruct the government and undo the damages of Ralon's seizure of power with Lamon. We grew to be good friends, and the more I knew him, the more I liked him. He was always cheerful, very friendly, loved to laugh and smile, and he was a good-looking man. His eyes were as blue as the ocean, and sparkled like it did in the sunlight.
After I had spent two weeks on Doorn, Lamon asked for my hand in marriage. He took me out onto a balcony and knelt onto one knee, holding my hand. He looked at me in earnest and said, "Lady Rosaline, in the past few weeks, I have come to have great affection for you. It would be a great pleasure and honor if you would consider taking my hand in marriage to be the lovely Governess of the Lone Islands." I told him I would think about it. So that night, I spent my time sitting in my chamber, mulling it over. I had come here to get away from the mainland and the Cair, and Edmund. I had hoped to find someone to replace Edmund in my heart. Lamon could do that. He was perfect, and I liked it here in the Islands. But…I wasn't in love with him. When I looked at him, my heart didn't leap and flutter. He never appeared in my dreams. But I had to make a decision. Lamon was the easy choice. He would be easy to get along with, he would take care of me, and he was always pleasant. He was perfect. Edmund, however, I fought with often, didn't love me back, and was moody and quiet. But I knew him. I had known him for fifteen years. And even after all that time, I still loved him, even though I knew his flaws and how he felt about me. Could I ever feel that way about Lamon?
Finally I reached my decision. I knew it was what I would decide all along, and to tell the truth, I was disappointed in myself. I hadn't accomplished anything by coming to the Islands. I turned Lamon down. I told him that I just couldn't see myself here, with him as my husband. He nodded and said he understood. But I had also decided that when I got back to Narnia, I was going to confront Edmund. I was going to tell him how much I loved him, all these years, no matter what he said. I had put it off long enough. I set sail two days later.