Well I'm glad you all enjoyed my canon ending, because I really wanted to write a story with a canon ending. However...if you know anything about me as a writer, you know it's difficult for me to not write in trilogies. ;)
So, to satisfy my desire for a trilogy and my need for a happy ending, here is a little different version of how The Water is Wide could end. Please note that this end completely, and I do mean completely, ignores the "4 Years Later" portion of chapter 30. Hope you enjoy!
The Water is Wide
An Alternate Ending
4 Years Later
"It is in my expert opinion," Salinus began, "that you are perfectly healthy, Aaralynn. I can find nothing amiss."
"Ugh," I grunted. "Are you certain?"
"Quite certain. Most would be pleased to hear such news."
"Surely there must be something wrong. I can think of no other explanation. What sort of wife am I, if I cannot bear my husband a child?"
Salinus sighed softly and moved to sit next me on the long bench he used as a patient bed. "You should not think such things, Aaralynn. Perhaps the aliment is not a physical one, but a mental one. You are a queen now, and I am certain that comes with many new responsibilities and worries. Frequent worrying is not inducive to a pregnancy. You need to relax and stop worrying about when it will happen and just let it happen."
"I know, and I try not to worry about such things. And believe me, when Edmund and I are…together…I'm thinking of nothing but that moment with him; all thoughts and worries cease to exist. He is very good at making me forget." My cheeks warmed a little at the confession but even thinking of such moments with Edmund helped me forget a little.
"Well that is a start." Salinus sighed again. "I know you are frustrated, Aaralynn, but you must be patient. Such things take time."
"It's been four years, Salinus. Isn't there something you can give me that will speed the process along?"
"Have you been taking the herbs I gave you?"
"Yes, and I'm eating them just as you told me. I feel great, but I don't feel pregnant."
"Then I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do for you. There is no magical remedy to procure a pregnancy. It will happen when Aslan wills it to."
It was my turn to sigh. "Thank you, Salinus, for looking so thoroughly and for listening to all my nonsensical worries. You are a true and great friend," I said as I hopped down from the bed.
"It is always a pleasure to see you, Aaralynn. You can stop by anytime."
I gave Salinus a parting hug before leaving his work room. I hadn't made it far when Edmund walked around the corner.
"Aaralynn, I was just looking for you," he said. Then he looked over my shoulder and saw Salinus standing in the hall. I saw the recognition come over his face as he realized where I had just been. Suddenly his face showed great concern and he turned his eyes back to mine. "You just left Salinus'. Are you well, my wife?"
"I'm fine," I replied as I tried to hold back the bitterness I felt. "Perfectly and completely fine. There is absolutely nothing amiss about me."
My bitterness leaked out anyway and Edmund was confused by it. "That's…good?"
I just gave him an exasperated look that said everything I couldn't and he knew instantly what was bothering me.
"You're not pregnant."
"No more than I was last week, or the week before that, or the week…"
"It will happen," Edmund said, cutting me off. "I know it will. I'm not upset, or hurt, or disappointed, or anything you may think I am. I am, however, in love with you, and that will never change."
I heard his words, but they were the same words he said every month. My eyes remained on the ground below us until his hand gently lifted my chin.
"And until it happens, we'll keep trying. That's where all the fun is anyway, right? I mean, look at Peridan. His wife just gave birth to their first, and we never see him anymore. And when we do see him, he's certainly not as fun; he sleeps mostly."
"Careful, Edmund, you're beginning to sound as though you don't want children."
"Of course I do!" he said adamantly. "But be realistic, Aaralynn." His voice dropped several decibels and turned alluring. "Do you really think we could continue our dueling lessons as we do, when you are with child?"
The corners of my mouth twitched into a smile against my will. Our dueling lessons often ended in a fiery passion that left us breathless and that had less to do with the actual duel and more so with marital business.
"Oh, I will miss those lessons," I replied softly.
"No more than I." Edmund pulled me roughly against his body as though he were trying to show me just how much he would miss the lessons. I draped my arms across his shoulders and toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck.
"I think I could use a refresher. Care to give me another lesson now?" I asked.
"Actually," he whispered, "I'd love to bypass the lesson and skip straight to the end."
"Hmm," I moaned softly.
"But," he sighed with regret. "It will have to wait. Mr. Tumnus has arrived and claims to have something to share with us. Everyone awaits us in the great hall."
"Mr. Tumnus is back!" I exclaimed as I pushed off Edmund. "Well why didn't you say so to begin with? Come on!" I sped off down the hall, eager to see an old friend.
Mr. Tumnus had retired from his work in the court about a year ago and now he spent most of his time in his den in the Western Wood. It had been several weeks since Mr. Tumnus had last visited the Cair, when Ella and Emma had turned twelve actually, and I had missed him dearly. I hurried ahead of Edmund into the great hall to find everyone waiting for us as he claimed. I bypassed my siblings and Edmund's and went straight to embrace an old friend. Edmund arrived soon after and did the same.
There was a brief moment where good friends connected, and then Mr. Tumnus told us what he had come to tell. The White Stag had appeared near his den. The White Stag was a creature of myth. It was a creature of great beauty that was rarely seen. The White Stag was a creature of great power. It was said that whoever had the fortitude to catch it, would be granted their greatest wish. Salinus had said there was no magical remedy that could procure a pregnancy, but surely a mystical creature with powers such as the White Stag could grant a simple request.
It didn't take much convincing or encouraging to get the others to agree that we should go after the White Stag; they were nearly as eager to find it as I was, though for different reason than my own. Shortly after hearing the news I was in mine and Edmund's quarters preparing for the hunt. I knew I needed to wear something that would be as comfortable now as it would be in ten days. It was unlikely that we would spare much time for changing or primping.
"Well the party is nearly ready, are you?" Edmund said as he walked in.
"Just about," I replied as I closed the wardrobe door. "I laid some clothes on the bed for you to choose from; I thought they might be the best options." I moved behind the changing screen with my own clothes.
"Aww, come on. You're not going to let me watch? And here I thought I was good today."
I smiled at his jest. "Edmund, you know neither of us can just watch without getting involved, and we don't have the time now."
"We'll someone's eager to find the White Stag. I thought you didn't like hunting defenseless animals."
"The White Stag is far from defenseless, and we're not hunting to kill. We're hunting to hunt."
"And I suppose the opportunity of having a wish granted has nothing to do with your desire to join the hunt?"
He knew me too well. "Oh Edmund, this could be our chance!" I exclaimed as I came around the screen. "Think about it, we have the advantage. How many nights have we slept on the forest floor and dined with the Dryads?" Edmund had been titled to the Great Western Wood upon his coronation and as such we had spent much time there over the last four years as he acquainted me with his land.
"Many nights," he said solemnly as he moved forward and placed his hands on my shoulders. "I just don't want to see you disappointed if things don't work out as you wish them to."
"I know, and I understand your concern, but something great is going to come from this hunt. I can feel it. This is our chance to have a family of our own."
"This is our chance," he repeated as he thought it over. "All right, I'll take that wish, under one condition though. He must allow us to still partake in the child's creation."
I smiled seductively. "Well I wouldn't want to take the fun out of it."
"Now, I expect you three to listen to Heulyn; he's in command," Aaralynn said in a motherly tone. The thought of Aaralynn as a mother warmed me greatly. "And, Heulyn, I expect you to listen to Lord Peridan and General Oreius."
"Yes…Your Majesty," Heulyn replied with a hint of sarcasm.
I chuckled only to keep Aaralynn's anger at bay. "Come on, Aaralynn. I'm sure your siblings will be fine for a few days; Heulyn will keep them safe." Aaralynn had been reluctant to leave her siblings for even a day since she once left them for six months; our trip to Tashbaan had been really hard on her, but I thought it would help prepare her for the day they decided to leave. Apparently, it wasn't enough as she was still reluctant to leave.
"You could always stay here and I'll just catch the stag myself," I suggested; that seemed to do it.
"You most certainly will not!" She turned to me. "We will do this together."
"Then let's go already." She threw one last annoyed look at me before giving each of her siblings one last kiss on the head, and then she walked away and mounted Brenna.
"Thank you, Edmund. I didn't think she'd ever leave," Heulyn said as he discreetly rubbed a hand over the top of his head.
I restrained my laughter. "Just try not to get into too much trouble while we're gone"
"I promise to keep it to a minimum."
"You've been spending too much time with Corin."
"Strange," Heulyn mused. "Queen Susan says I spend too much time with you, Sire."
I laughed whole heartedly as I mounted Philip. "In that case, I'll resume my teachings when we return." With a last wave of farewell, the five of us rode off with a hunting party to find the White Stag.
Mr. Tumnus had said the White Stag was heading east, so we first headed south to Glasswater to try and cut it off. We caught sight of it on the second day. It turned and headed west once more and we followed after it. For days we tracked it deep into the woods. At night we slept on the forest floor with the stars peeking through the branches above us, and with Aaralynn tucked into my side.
One morning, we awoke to find the White Stag grazing just a few paces from our camp. My siblings, Aaralynn, and I silently and stealthily saddled our horses and made to leave while the rest of the party packed up camp. The five of us stole off after the Stag caught sight of us. We quickly left the party behind and chased the Stag alone. The Stag led us into an area known was Lantern Waste, though no one quite knew why it was called that. Peter led the chase with Philip and I close behind him and the Stag just before him. We raced around a tree and into a bit wider area when Philip pulled to the side. Susan, Lucy, and Aaralynn passed us by while Philip slowly came to a halt.
Concerned for the wellbeing of a friend, I leaned forward and placed a hand on the side of Philip's neck. "Are you all right, Philip?" I asked.
"I'm not as young as I once was," he replied through deep breaths.
"Edmund? Philip? Is everything all right?" Aaralynn called out as she turned around and came back towards us.
"We're fine, just catching our breath," I replied. "Go on ahead, we'll catch up. Don't let the White Stag get away; this is our chance, Aaralynn."
She smiled and continued coming towards us. "I'm not going anywhere without you."
"What about our wish?"
Aaralynn and Brenna stopped beside Philip and me. "It's strange," she said.
"What is?"
"Being here with you, on this hunt…I don't know. It's like for the first time in three years that I've finally felt fully free. And I realize, I have everything I need for that wish to come true now, and even if it doesn't, I'll be happy."
When Aaralynn smiled this time it was a smile I hadn't seen in years. It was free from all fear and doubt. It was a smile that spread across her whole face and stretched deep into her soul. And it was as she smiled that I too realized we didn't need the White Stag to grant us a wish. We would accomplish it someday. I leaned over and softly kissed her lips.
"What was that for?"
"Nothing. And everything." I kissed her again.
"Ugh! They're just kissing again," Lucy called out suddenly. I looked up to find her, Susan, and Peter joining us in the clearing.
"Where's the stag?" I asked Peter teasingly.
"He got away from me."
"I was thinking we should circle back and meet with the party before continuing on. We were so close," Lucy said.
"I'm for it. What do you say, Ed?" Susan asked.
"I think I've already found what I was looking for," I said as I turned to Aaralynn who had moved around to the other side of me. She didn't seem to hear me, so I called to her. "Aaralynn?"
"What a strange tree," she said. I looked to the tree that had caught her attention and I too marveled at its uniqueness. It was skinny, and not very tall, and at the very peak of it sat a strange fruit which seemed to glow of its own accord. The very sight of the strange tree seemed to stir a distant memory of trees very similar to it lining a road of stone.
"I've never seen the likes of it before," Aaralynn continued.
"I have," Peter whispered as he dismounted his horse.
"It's as if from a dream," Susan said as she too dismounted.
"Or a dream of a dream," Lucy added. I left Philip's back and joined my siblings on the forest floor as we all stood and looked at the new tree. Images of a large house on a hill and an empty room began to flood my mind.
"Spare Oom," Lucy whispered softly after some time.
"What?" I turned to find a look of such wonder and awe etched on my younger sister's face.
"Come on," she called for us to follow as she headed on foot beyond the tree and into thick over growth. Peter called after her and when she did not respond he followed her into the thicket.
"Lucy! Peter!" Susan called and when neither of them answered she turned to me. I shrugged and we both followed after our brother and sister. We pushed our way past branches as the forest around us seemed to only grow denser. I could just make out the top of Peter's head and the flash of Lucy's cloak as they moved ahead of us. We quickly moved past the orange autumn leaves and into an even thicker growth of evergreen pine. Then that too faded into something softer.
"These aren't branches," I heard Peter say.
"They're coats," Susan replied.
Suddenly the space around us grew very tight indeed and we began pushing on each other.
"Susan, you're on my foot," I cried.
"Peter, move over!"
"Stop shoving!"
"I'm not on your toes!"
Our cries all seemed to come out at once as we scrambled to get our bearings. Then quite suddenly our way ahead opened up and we stumbled onto a floor not of forest leaves and dirt but of hard wood. I slowly pushed myself up, and as I did I noticed my hands were no longer those of man of twenty-four, but they were the hands of a young boy. I looked around at my siblings and saw the same change in them. Peter's golden beard and crown were gone, and Susan was no longer the Gentle Queen of great beauty; she was a school girl.
Had it all been a dream? Had none of it been real?
Footsteps echoed outside the door before the latch lifted and an old man stepped through. He carried with him a cricket ball and tossed it from hand to hand. He had white wiry hair and gold rimmed glasses. I remembered him to be called simply the Professor by something named a Macready.
"Oh, there you are," he said as he approached us. "What were you all doing in the wardrobe?"
As I looked around at my siblings again, I knew that Narnia wasn't a dream. Every moment we had spent there was as real as the moment now. And the experiences we had would forever change our lives.
"Oh, and who are you?" the Professor asked suddenly as he looked beyond us to the wardrobe.
I looked around quickly as well and saw a young girl I didn't know stepping out of the large wardrobe. She was no older than Lucy was now with long, dirty blond hair, and soft brown eyes. She wore clothes that seemed odd on her. And yet, as I looked at her there was something vaguely familiar about her face. Her soft eyes found mine, and she seemed to be thinking the same thing about me. I looked at my young boyish hands once more and that's when I saw the silver ring on my left hand. I stood and slowly made my way over to her. I showed her my ring and she held up her left hand to show a similar ring.
Nothing had been a dream. I took a deep breath and swallowed roughly before turning back around; the professor was still waiting for an answer. Unsure of what to say, I looked first to my siblings, but they could offer no help at a moment like this. So, I said the only thing I could think of at the time.
"She's…she's my wife, Sir."
So hows that for an ending (to this story)? I won't torture you with the original end I had in mind in which Aaralynn actually marries Silas and not Edmund. There's just no happiness there.
Anywho... as you may have gathered, Aaralynn and Edmund's story can't end here, after all where's the happily ever after and the kids they wanted? So, here' a quick look at what's coming up in the Alternate Universe continuation of The Water is Wide.
Never Say Goodbye
"And what, Aaralynn? You didn't think I'd care?"
It's been four years since Edmund and Aaralynn stepped through the wardrobe doors into Professor Kirk's house.
"No, I didn't think you'd care. I mean, let's be real, Edmund. What are we? We were married once, but then we were only children. And I know we both forgot such marital things."
Now, Narnia is in its greatest time of need and they have returned.
"The stars have long foretold of your return, Your Majesty."
"And what do they say of the return of the Sovereign Four?"
But this Narnia is different from the one they ruled.
"Telmarines? In Narnia?"
"Caspian is the rightful heir; we must support him."
"This isn't our Narnia anymore."
"You invaded Narnia! You have no more rights here than Miraz does!"
"You do not need to remind me, of the lives that were lost."
"We did not come to regain our thrones, but to put him on his."
With a war looming and relationships strained at every end, will the Pevensies and Aaralynn overcome the insurmountable odds against them? Can new friendships be forged while old ones are mended? Saying goodbye to things you once knew is never easy.
"You are my wife, Aaralynn. Though my body is too young to show it, my heart knows it."
If I could take this moment forever
Turn the pages of my mind
To another place and time
We would never say goodbye