I was standing in front of a floor length mirror in the room I had just been shown to by one of the maids. Currently, two female fauns and a beaver were taking my measurements and draping all varieties of cloths over me.
That morning, after Edmund had left, Hylonome, the healer, showed up and looked me over and gave me the okay to leave the infirmary. A robe was put over my shoulders and I was led by a beautiful dryad, whose petals were bright pink and whose species I learned from asking her, to the room I was currently in. The dryad helped me bathe and then proceeded to style my hair for me.
"You will be pleased to know, Miss, that you must have the loveliest hair in all of Narnia. Never has a human been seen with hair such as yours." She had told me has she braided my strawberry blonde hair. "It is the color of the sunset. Fair, like the High Kings, and yet there is such an orange tint to it! Like Aslan's mane! And your eyes, Miss! Oh your eyes! Like the Great Lions they are!"
I was about to protest and say that my eyes were only blue when she pushed me in front of the mirror where the three creatures began to take my measurements. I saw my reflection and nearly gasped when I realized my eyes were no longer brown; they were a golden, honey, yellow color. The closet thing I could compare the color to was a cats eyes.
That's what consisted of my time as the fauns and beaver measured me and made me an entire wardrobe of dresses. I was so shocked by my eyes that I nearly forgot to ask one of the seamstresses to make me a pair of pants and a shirt.
"You want boys clothes, Miss?" The beaver asked incredulously. I blushed, and nodded my head.
"Just some pants and a a few shirts."
The beaver reluctantly nodded her head and told the two fauns she could do it on her own. So, the fauns left, leaving only myself, the beaver, and the dryad in the room.
"I swear, one would think you've never seen you reflection from all the staring you are doing at it." Mrs. Beaver commented as she began stitching some trousers and tunics together for me.
"My eyes, they are different." I responded, looking away from the mirror and towards the beaver. She gave me an understanding look.
"You gave everyone in town a right scare, you did. All bloodied and broken like that. And then you open them eyes and oh! They are the same as Aslan. You must have been born by him I swear, because I've seen them eyes only once before and that was on the Great Lion himself." She stated as she started finishing up her sewing job. "There! Try these here shorts and tunics on and see how you like them!"
I pulled the trousers on first, and was pleased to find that they weren't too loose. Mrs. Beaver however was not pleased and demanded I take them off so she could make them looser.
"It's fine, really. I'm used to tight pants and I don't think I would be comfortable in exceptionally loose ones."
She gave me an odd look and threw another pair of trousers at me. These went to about mid-shin, where they were tight around my calves. Around my thighs, the material was loose and I found the style rather comfortable.
Mrs. Beaver made me three tunics. One was really loose with sleeves that went to my forearms. Another was tighter than that one with the same style sleeves. That last tunic was big and fell over my shoulders. I decided its only use would be to sleep in.
I thanked Mrs. Beaver profusely, even though she claimed she had messed up all of the clothes she had made.
"I'm not used to making' boy's clothing. Merelda usually does that."
"It's fine. Really. I will enjoy them, I promise you." With that, she left, leaving the dryad and me alone.
"You should get dressed, Lady Ashlynn. The kings and queens expect you for supper in half an hour."
I nodded my head and allowed the young dryad to pick out a dress for me. She chose a silvery colored one and I slipped it on quickly. She found me a pair of ballet style slippers and I put them on in a hurry.
As the dryad was leading me towards the dining room, I stopped her for a moment and asked her who Aslan was?
"Oh, Miss, he's the most wonderful lion in all the world. But I think that is a question better asked for our kings and queens who are so anxious to see you well!" The dryad responded gleefully, before pushing me into a room. The room turned out to be the private dining quarters of the kings and queens, or so the dryad whispered in my ear as she led me towards the table where four humans sat, looking at me expectantly.
My eyes, of their own accord, darted towards Edmund first, who was staring at me as if he had never seen me before. Then, my gaze traveled over the beautiful lady sitting next to him, who bore a striking resemblance to him, and then to the oldest, blonde boy sitting at the head of the table. I also glanced at the youngest girl, who was smiling at me. I grinned back and walked forward as the dryad announced my presence and well-being.
"Welcome, Lady Ashlynn!" The blonde boy, who I assumed to be Edmund's brother, the High King Peter. "Please, take and seat and enjoy the meal our faithful cooks prepared."
I held back the urge to roll my eyes at his "splendor" in announcing that I was welcome to eat. I took a seat next to the young girl, and across from Edmund.
"Oh, I am so glad you are alright, Miss Ashlynn. I was so worried for your safety! I am Queen Lucy, but don't bother with the title. It usually takes to long to utter, and we are friends, so it needn't be!" The little girl, whom I could now call "Lucy" exclaimed as she filled her plate with food. When she noticed my hesitation towards putting food on my plate, she smiled kindly at me and filled it herself.
"Here, I will put all my favorite foods on your plate. Maybe you will love them too!"
"Lady Ashlynn," The beauty across the table called. I looked up at her expectantly. She watched me for a moment before continuing. "I would like to formally introduce myself as Queen Susan. Just Susan is fine." She smiled and I returned her smile.
"Oh how rude of me." Peter stated. "I forgot to introduce us. I am High King Peter, but, as my siblings have all offered it, you may just call me by my name. You've already met Edmund." He gestured towards the dark king and my eyes followed, only to be met by dark eyes as well. The dark king nodded his head in acknowledgment before returning to his meal. My eyes lingered on him longer than necessary before returning to my own meal.
After the meal, I had expected everyone to say their 'good nights' to me and then disappear. Instead, after I finished my dinner, I lifted my head and found myself being stared at by four pairs of eyes. They were all finished with their supper and they were waiting on me to finish as well.
"Yes?" I questioned, feeling nervous from all of their stares.
"Ashlynn," King Peter addressed me, "Ed has informed all of us of the conversation you two held in the infirmary this morning. As much I have already learned from my younger brother, I would like for you to inform us of what happened before you arrived in Narnia."
I didn't respond, but looked away instead. Before I could open my mouth to speak, Susan spoke first.
"Peter, is it really necessary at dinner?" Susan inquired softly.
"It is for me to ensure the safety of my country and its people."
"Give her some time, Pete." Lucy stated fiercely beside me. "She just arrived in Narnia. Allow her to adjust." She patted me on the arm and I looked back over at her with a small smile.
"It's all vague, anyway. I need some time to recollect my memories." I added truthfully. My memories of the attack were fuzzy in fact, but I also didn't feel like spilling my story in front of everyone at the dinner table.
After dinner, Lucy walked me back to my room, chatting amiably about all the fun things we would do tomorrow.
"How old are you, Ashlynn?" She asked with her arm looped through mine. I looked up at her, seeing as she was taller than me.
"I'm nearly twenty. My birthday is in December." I informed her.
"Nearly twenty! I could have sworn you were much younger. You're so short!" She exclaimed playfully. I shoved her lightly and she giggled. "I'm turning eighteen in a few months. Ed's birthday is in a few weeks, actually. He's turning twenty-one, though he doesn't always act like it.
"I can vouch for that." I muttered distastefully, remembering our first conversation.
"Oh, he wasn't nasty to you, was he?"
"He was a little more than nasty." I replied.
"I'm so sorry about him. He wasn't always like that. I mean, he was as a child, but he grew out of that when we took the throne. After recent events, Ed has become particularly nasty to everyone outside of our family, and even sometimes to us in his family. You can't blame him though, for all he's been through. As soon as he was getting on with it, you come along and bring such horrid memories for him."
"Me?" I exclaimed. "How could I bring him memories. I've never met the dude!"
Lucy gave me a confused look at my terminology but continued on. "Really, it's not your fault, Ashlynn. You just remind him of someone is all; someone he was quite attached to. She died just last year, only a mere day before he was going to propose to her."
I felt myself calm down immediately and my heart ached for Edmund.
"Oh." I said quietly. "Poor guy. Do I look like her or something?"
"Almost exactly. The resemblance was astonishing at first, almost more so than your eyes. Ed saw you being carried through the courtyard by Oreius and was certain that you were she. Everyone in the courtyard thought you were she as well, until you opened your eyes."
"But, I thought she had died?"
"Oh, well, it was assumed. There was never..." She paused and wiped away a tear I hadn't noticed before continuing. "Her body was never found. She went for a ride one afternoon in the Western Woods and didn't come back. Her horse returned, but she had become dumb. She could no longer talk, and there was blood on her saddle. We searched the woods for days and days and found nothing."
"That's awful." I muttered as we finally reached my door.
"Yes, it was."
"Was she from Earth as well?" I asked tentatively.
"We don't know. We found her in the very same field as you were found, only she had no prior memories. Aslan appeared and told us she was special, and we needed to take care of her. So we did, and Edmund fell in love." Lucy replied sadly.
"Aslan?" I inquired, hoping to gain more knowledge on the "Great Lion." Lucy misinterpreted my question, assuming I already knew who he was.
"Yes. We were very shocked, for he usually doesn't appear for such menial purposes." There was a pause in the conversation.
"Were you very close with her?" I asked, turning to her.
"Oh yes. She was like another sister. Susan and her were absolute best friends. Susan's very good at hiding her emotions, but I could tell when she saw you that she was hopeful." Lucy stared at me for a while.
"You really do look just like her. Except for you hair and eyes!" She smiled a watery grin and touched my hair softly. I felt bad for their loss.
"I'm so sorry for you all's loss. She seems like she was a good friend."
Lucy grinned and nodded her head, causing her curls to bounce. "Very much so."
There was a silent pause. "This was her room." Lucy whispered.
"Lucy, I don't have to stay in this room if you don't want me to. I can see how it would be offense or rude. I'll even sleep in the stables to avoid hurting any of you, especially Edmund, since he loved her."
"Nonsense. It's the only decent room we have available."
Lucy turned her head to look down the hallway.
"I better go to bed before Peter hunts me down and forces me to it. Honestly, I'm nearly a woman, and he treats me like a child. I doomed to forever be the baby in this family!"
I grinned halfheartedly at her.
"Goodnight, Lady Ashlynn." Lucy bowed and I copied her gesture.
"Goodnight, Queen Lucy." She smiled and left me.
As she was walking away, a question came to mind. "Oh Lucy!" I called.
She turned around and looked at me questioningly.
"What was her name?" I asked quietly.
Lucy paused for a moment. "Ashlynn. Her name was Ashlynn."
This story is longer than the others I've been posting. The story line is now starting to pick up some. The mystery of Ashlynn is now beginning!