Sorry will never begin to make up for how long it has taken me to update. All I can tell you is that I have been going through a rough time and school and work have been kicking my butt. It took me forever to write this chapter because I've been so stressed out that I haven't been able to sit down and write in a very long time.
This chapter starts the unraveling of the plot. The next few chapters are going to reveal everything the story has built up.
The grass beneath my feet felt like silk and reached my calves. I wiggled my toes, trying to absorb more of the sensation. The air around me was sweet, like apples, and the wind that blew the scent around played with the hem of my dress, making it dance around my knees. The gentle music of nature surrounded me, and I felt the urge to dance alongside the trees and grass.
I opened my eyes and saw the meadow. It was a perfect circle lined by trees and decorated by the greenest grass and vibrant flowers. The sun peeked through the trees, as though desperate to steal a glance of the meadows secrets.
I looked towards the middle of the clearing and saw the marble table. I approached it slowly; eagerly; desperately. This would explain it all. Everything that I was missing, this would replace.
I rested my hand against the cool marble of the table and shivered at its temperature. I looked up at the arch above the table. An engraved lion stared down at me.
"Aslan created the Light and she, the Light, will shine for all." I said aloud as I read the inscription below the lion. "Who is the Light?"
I stared at the canopy of my bed and listened to Edmund's methodical breathing. When I had first awoken, I hadn't been sure that the night before had actually happened. I was both thrilled and terrified when I realized that the weight resting on my waist was indeed Edmund's arm and that he had returned to my room after everyone had left from my birthday celebration.
The sun had not yet risen entirely, so I didn't wake Edmund up immediately. I knew he needed to leave before anyone could realize he had stayed in my room all night.
I turned my head and stared at the sleeping boy. He was absolutely painstakingly beautiful.
I rose from my bed and went to my bathroom to wash up. When I returned, Edmund was laying in my bed awake and staring at my canopy, just as I had been earlier.
"Good morning." I greeted quietly as I walked back to my bed, still nude. Edmund smiled at the canopy and turned to look at me. His eyes lingered slightly on my bare body before returning to my face.
"Good morning, Beautiful." He returned, reaching his long arms out to me and pulling me back into the bed. I grinned back at him and laid down on my back, the nervousness from earlier that morning dissipating.
"What are you doing up so early?" He asked, nuzzling his face into my neck.
"I just woke up. Also, I figure you're probably going to want to get out of here before anyone else in the castle realizes you are here." I responded, sitting up and pulling the sheets with me to keep myself covered. Edmund grinned wickedly at me and tried to pull the sheets away from my hands.
I laughed at him but didn't relinquish my hold.
"Come on," he whined, tugging some more, "it's nothing I haven't seen before."
I rolled my eyes at him. "It'll be something you'll never see again if you don't quit it." His actions stopped immediately and I couldn't help but laugh. He pouted.
"You're so mean." He grumbled, hiding his face in his pillow. I reached down and placed a kiss on his cheek.
"You should probably leave, love." I whispered. Edmund turned his head slightly so that he could look at me. His burning gaze halted me.
"I don't want to leave."
"I don't want you to leave either, but Peter will have your neck if you're discovered in here."
"Ugh. Blast Peter and his proprieties," Edmund groaned, rolling over onto his back.
"Not that he is any better than us. If you haven't noticed before, he does sneak some ladies into his rooms whenever he has had a little too much to drink at one of Susan's balls."
Edmund grinned and turned his head to face me. "Good. So if he discovers me in here I shall pull that on him."
"No, you will leave before you have to pull it on him," I corrected mockingly stern.
Edmund just grinned and stretched his arms high above his head. I couldn't keep my eyes from roaming over his chest and stomach as he did so, and then a little further as the blanket slid down. My heart raced and I felt myself fill will longing once again. I turned my dark gaze to Edmund who was watching me with amusement.
"Like what you see, love?" I pounced on him and shut him up with a passionate kiss.
"You look very lovely in that dress, Ashlynn." Lucy commented as we prepared for Father Christmas's arrival in her chambers. I smiled brightly at her.
"Not nearly as lovely as you in yours, Queen Lucy." Lucy shot me an annoyed look.
"Please try not to bother the queen on this day, Lady Ashlynn." Marie scolded playfully as she worked on my hair. I reached up and tried to pluck one of Marie's flowers and she swatted at me.
"You're in an awfully good mood today, Ashlynn." Susan commented as she stood ready by the doorway.
"Tell me about it, Susan. Whenever she's happy she's infuriating," Lucy groaned as she too stood up ready.
I pouted playfully. "That's not nice, Your Majesty."
"See!" Lucy exclaimed. Susan chuckled.
"What's got you in such a playful mood?"
"It's my birthday. And I get to meet Father Christmas. Who wouldn't be happy?" I answered. They smiled and seemed to believe my answer, which was only mostly true. I didn't tell them that their brother had ended up leaving my bedroom later this morning than I had planned because he was too busy making love to me and that was why I was in such a euphoric mood. I assumed they wouldn't want to know that, though, and kept it to myself.
"When does Father Christmas arrive?" I asked absentmindedly as Marie finished up my hair. She floated gently away from me and perched upon the vanity I was sitting in front of. I reached up to tug at a curly lock of hair that was bothering me and she sent me a stern glare. I made a scissor cutting motion with my hand towards her and she broke down in quiet giggles.
"He should be arriving in a half hour. Oh! I do wonder what he has brought us this year!" Lucy exclaimed, standing up from her seat. Susan stood up as well and thanked the faun that had finished her hair.
"We should probably head towards the courtyard and wait for him." Susan suggested.
"You coming, Marie?" I asked when I realized she wasn't following us. Her petals seemed to darken in a blush.
"No, Lady Ashlynn. The courtyard will be crowded enough as is."
"Marie, you're a dryad." I stated, my reasoning needing no further explanation. Susan and Lucy giggled and left my room. Marie smiled at me.
"Well, I suppose I'll accompany you." I beamed at her and ushered her out the door with me.
The courtyard was completely filled to every corner of it. Creatures from all over Narnia had gathered at the courtyard for Father Christmas's first stop in the kingdom. We maneuvered rather easily through the crowd because of the royal guards, however.
Edmund and Peter were waiting at the head of the courtyard for the queens and I. I didn't miss the cheeky grin Edmund shot my way when his eyes landed on me. I gave him a mock stern look and refused to make eye contact with him.
"Any news on his whereabouts?" Susan asked Peter as we walked up. Peter nodded his head.
"A scout just informed me that Father Christmas should arrive within a few minutes. He's ahead of schedule."
Susan nodded and Peter turned to me. "Good morning, Lady Ashlynn, and happy birthday." He grinned at me and bent down to leave a kiss on my hand. I returned his smile and thanked him. Not to be out done, Edmund approached me and mimicked his brothers gesture.
"Thank you all again for the birthday party last night. I loved all of my gifts." I said, my eye lingering on Edmund's a second longer than on every one else.
"You know what I didn't realize until this morning," Lucy started, turning to me.
"What's that?" I asked. Lucy turned to Edmund.
"Edmund didn't get you a birthday present!" she exclaimed as though the very thought were blasphemous. I felt my cheeks burn immediately and looked away, but not before noticing Edmund's wide eyes and bright red cheeks.
"You know, Ed..." Peter started, but, by some celestial and amazing force, was interrupted by shouting.
"He's here! He's here! Father Christmas is on the horizon!" a bird shouted flying towards Peter, a huge grin decorating his beak.
Lucy squealed in delight, forgetting the question she had posed almost immediately. The courtyard grew eerily quiet. I turned to look towards the horizon, and gasped when I saw a beautiful and ornate sleigh driven by reindeer approaching the castle. I took a few steps forward in my awe and felt a gentle hand grip my elbow to keep me from moving forward any further. I looked back at the soft, knowing smile gracing Edmund's face and stepped back beside him.
A booming voice reached my ears as Father Christmas called out for his reindeer to slow down and land. The sleigh came to a halt in front of the castle and dropped to the ground carefully.
Father Christmas stepped out of his sleigh and he was everything I had ever imagined as a child. He was plump and endearing. His smile was nearly masked by a fluffy white beard, and his small black eyes shone so brightly that I could see them from where I stood. His red suit was worn, a stark contrast to his immaculate sleigh.
Peter stepped forward with open arms and a wide smile, breaking me from my thoughts. "Welcome! Welcome! Father Christmas! What a joy it is to see you again!"
Father Christmas started laughing, and the sound brought joy to my ears.
"Oh, King Peter! It is always a pleasure to be back at Cair Paravel!" he boomed, walking towards Peter and enveloping him in a huge hug. It was funny to see High King Peter being pulled up into a hug by Santa Clause, and I had to try hard to hide my smile and laugh.
Father Christmas then went around greeting the rest of the Pevensie's and as many of the creatures standing in the courtyard as he could.
"I hope you've all been good this year!" He announced loudly, once he had greeted as many people as he could. He walked over to his sleigh and pulled out a giant red velvet bag. Shouts of joy went up all around me and I turned to smile at the rejoicing crowd.
"Now, let's see," he started, reaching into his bag and pulling out a tiny wrapped box.
"Is Raven Flyaway here?" He asked, searching the crowd with his rosy smile. A bird flew towards Father Christmas and eagerly landed on his outstretched arm.
"This is for you and your wife. Congratulations!" He said cheerfully.
"Congratulations on what, Father Christmas?" The bird chirped back, taking the small box in one of his feet.
"On the new expectant members of your family."
The bird sang in delight and leapt into the air, flying towards his home. Everyone in the courtyard cheered for his incredible news and eagerly awaited their turns for their gifts.
Father Christmas continued handing out gifts to families and individuals until noon, when he started presenting his gifts to the kings and queens.
"For Queen Lucy!" he called, holding up an ornate wooden box. There was a golden key hole on the front of the box and an intricate white design rushed around the sides of the box like water. The box seemed almost familiar to me, in a way, and I wondered where I had seen it before.
Lucy rushed forward and Father Christmas held out his gift to her. She received the box with confusion on her face and looked up at Father Christmas expectantly. He said a few words to her that I couldn't hear, but I could tell they were foreboding because Lucy frowned up at the now serious looking man. Lucy hugged Father Christmas and walked back towards where she had stood before.
"Lucy?" Susan asked questioningly. Lucy just shook her head and clutched the box tighter to her chest.
"For King Edmund!" Father Christmas called, holding up a cylinder shaped package. Edmund walked forward with a curious look on his face. Father Christmas handed him the gift and exchanged a few words with him that, once again, seemed as though they were foreshadowing something unpleasant that would occur in the future.
"For Queen Susan!" Father Christmas held out a long rectangular box. She spoke with Father Christmas when she reached him and bowed to him before turning back to stand next to me. Her face was deadly serious, and the box in her hand seemed to be about the length of an arrow.
"For King Peter!" Father Christmas held up long, thin package. Peter walked forward and lifted the box off his package. His eyebrows scrunched up in confusion as he gazed down into the box. I found myself extremely curious as to what he had just received.
"This is my sword?" Peter questioned, pulling Rhindon from the box. "I realized it was missing this morning, but I was unaware you had found it."
Father Christmas chuckled. "The sword isn't your gift, High King. The capabilities now bestowed upon it are."
Peter's eyebrows shot up to hide behind his messy, blonde bangs. "Oh? What exactly are these, um, capabilities?"
"When all seems most dire, Rhindon will call for help, and when help is on the way, Rhindon will glow bright enough to blind even the worst of foes."
"When all seems most dire..." Peter repeated to himself. "Dark days are soon to come, aren't they Father Christmas?"
Father Christmas didn't respond, and Peter turned and walked back towards his siblings, all of whom had looks of concern on their faces. Chatter erupted around the courtyard as everyone started to leave. Apparently the ceremony was over when the kings and queens received their gifts.
"Lady Ashlynn." Father Christmas called quietly. All four of the monarchs snapped their heads in my direction. I tried to contain my blush as I walked towards Father Christmas as he stood facing me with a small smile.
"Hello." I whispered to him shyly, unsure of what he could possibly have to give me.
"We meet again, Lady Ashlynn," he greeted warmly, putting a large hand on my shoulder. I looked at him curiously.
"I'm sorry, sir, I'm quite positive we have not met before." I replied.
"Ah, yes. You do forget every time. Ah, well. Aslan's got a reason for everything he does," Father Christmas commented, more to himself than to me. "Well, I suppose I'll go ahead and get on with it rather than keep you confused and waiting."
He turned around and reached into his bag and pulled out two items. I stared at them in shock and awe. Father Christmas chuckled at my reaction.
"Why does everyone keep giving me weapons?" I breathed as I gazed down at the exquisite twin swords before me. The blades were a brilliant black shade and the handles were blood red with gold trim. Engravings ran down the middles of each sword but before I could read what them said, Father Christmas began speaking again.
"I'm afraid King Peter was correct in assuming that dark days lie ahead." Father Christmas explained wearily. "I've been holding onto these for you for quite some time. It's about time they returned to your hands, Your Highness."
I realized immediately that there were several things wrong with what he had just said.
"I'm sorry? You've what? You just called me what?" I stuttered, immensely confused. Father Christmas bowed his head to me and gestured towards the swords. I looked down at the twin swords in his hands and read the engravings down the middles of each.
ASLAN CREATED THE LIGHT.
THE LIGHT WILL SHINE FOR ALL.
My heart stopped, and I could have sworn my blood ran cold. All of my dream came back and slapped me in the face. Images of a perfect meadow with a stone table flashed through my mind. I felt like I couldn't get enough air in my lungs. I looked up at Father Christmas in complete shock.
"What does this mean?" I whispered.
"Time, Your Highness, will help you recall everything." He responded. Before I could questioned him further, he announced loudly and cheerfully to the crowd that remained that he wished them all a merry Christmas and would see them again in a year.
While the Pevensie's said their farewells (all the while shooting me questioning looks) I snuck away from the courtyard with my new swords and tore through the hallways to my room.
I cradled the beautiful swords in my arms as I sat on my bed. I swatted the memories from my encounters on that bed the previous night and earlier that morning from my mind and tried to concentrate on what Father Christmas had said.
First off, he had told me that we had met before, when I had absolutely no memory of him at all. Of course, I was beginning to lose all faith in my memories.
Second, he told me he had been holding onto these swords for me for a while. He said it was time they returned to my hands. They did feel familiar in my hands, as though I had spent many years holding onto them. But, once again, I had no memory whatsoever of ever having used them or seen them.
Thirdly, Father Christmas had referred to me as, "Your Highness". That freaked me out more than any of the above. At this point, I was used to coincidences, memory lapses, and and not knowing what was going on. But, I had never, ever, in my time in Narnia been referred to as, "Your Highness." And I was called so by Father Christmas, no less! Father Christmas, who, according to Lucy, was closer to Aslan than anyone else in Narnia. He clearly knew something that no one else did.
Of course, none of the three things I got from my encounter with Father Christmas came close to amounting to the shock and confusion I received from discovering what the engravings on my swords said.
I rubbed my thumb across the engraving on the right handed swords. Aslan created the Light.
What did it mean? What was this "Light" that just kept popping up in conversations and dreams? Where was this meadow and stone table that I kept dreaming about? And what, in Aslan's name, did it all have to do with me?
I laid the swords neatly on my bed and shoved my face into my hands. I sighed in frustration. What was I going to do?
I'm not sure how long I sat in my room with my face in my hands, but, before the sun set, a servant knocked on my door with a letter.
"It's from Princess Rebecca." The faun explained, holding the letter out to me. I thanked him and took the letter, pleased to have some sort of distraction from all the unknown currently in my life. I hadn't heard from Bexxi since she had departed from the castle, and I was worried about why she hadn't been responding to my letters.
I sat down on the bed and opened the letter. Not a minute later the letter fell from my hands and floated gently to the floor. How contrasting the physicality of the letter was to the gut-wrenching and horrific details it contained.
My lovely and dearest Ashlynn,
I am displeased to inform you...
It is with great misfortune that I must tell you...
I don't know how to say this...
Ashlynn, I need you. Nicholas has passed away. The heir to the throne...my baby brother...he's gone.
I've been planning this chapter for a long time, and it was much harder to write than I was expecting. Tell me what you think, and please don't hate on me too much.