A/N: So this is the end, you guys! Like I mentioned way back in Chapter 1, this is my first fanfic. I'm really happy with the way it turned out, and hopefully you are too. It's always so nice to see so many readers from around the world :)
As always, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…
CHAPTER 14
Today is almost exactly a year since the Pevensies left. In that time-frame, he has fulfilled everything that he set out to accomplish. He has waited for a year to be crowned in order to show the people he wants peace. He also managed to rebuild Cair Paravel to its former state of magnificence, and he also figured out what to do about his marriage.
We have been living in Cair for about a week now. And now that we're settled in, I have fallen in love with it even more. I just got finished helping Molly set up her new house that she shares with her family, and I decide to go up to my room. I call it my room, but it really belongs to Caspian and me. I greet the guards that are stationed at the end of our hallway, and then enter the room. Security is heightened for us both now, since our coronation is coming up very soon. Tomorrow, actually.
I'm greeted with light of late afternoon spilling in through the large windows of the balconies and the warm glow of the fireplace. Even though Caspian did most of the planning for our room, he did a lot of it with me in mind, so that makes it even more special to me. Even miniscule details hint of our love and understanding of one another. I'm pretty sure that I could live anywhere and it would feel like home if Caspian were with me. I wonder if we'll ever get sick of each other. I highly doubt it. He's standing by his large wardrobe, rooting through his clothes. There are already some clothes laid out on the bed. He turns and gives me one of his best smiles. I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist.
"Well, hello my love," he says.
"Hi! What are you doing? Are you playing dress up?"
"Unfortunately for you, no. I'm going through my clothes so I can bring some options to the seamstress. That way, we can finalize my outfit for the coronation tomorrow. I'm not sure if what I have will work or not. If not, they'll make whatever I need. And that reminds me, you can come along too. They have several dresses for you to try. Molly gave them your measurements already, so it might not even take that long for you."
"I get new things too? Fun!"
He laughs at me. "Well, you are going to be queen, you know."
"We'll be quite the pair," I say, then release my hold on him and pull him into a kiss. Then I go to inspect the clothes on the bed. That's when I see an unfamiliar big wooden box sitting on the bed as well. "What's in the box?" I ask.
He looks excited and has me sit down on the bed next to him while he puts the box between us. "In here, my love, are our crowns."
Now I'm really excited. "Can I see them?"
"Of course you can." He puts his hand in his pocket and pulls out a key. I hadn't even noticed that the box is locked. He unlocks it and opens the top, revealing two magnificent and beautiful crowns sitting on a padded bed of red velvet. I can tell right away which one is mine because it's slightly smaller and is more jeweled. They are both made of solid gold, and have numerous diamonds displayed on all sides. It's hard to even see any gold from the front of mine, except for the prongs.
"Caspian, they're beautiful."
He picks mine up and hands it to me. It's about as heavy as it looks, although the weight is worth its beauty. "Do you recognize the gems on here?" he asks.
There are three large gemstones on three of the highest peaks on the crown. One I recognize immediately and I think I know what the other two are. "This one is a black sapphire, right? To represent Telmar?" Black sapphires are the stone representing our people. I've always found them quite beautiful. They're so dark that they look black. But when held up to the light, they are clearly a lovely dark navy.
"Yes. I wanted to make sure that Telmar is represented on our crowns. And that one," he says, pointing to a lovely green gemstone on the opposite side, "is an emerald. That is the stone to represent the Narnian people and their ties to nature."
"That's wonderful. So what is this one for?" I point to the last one, which is a vibrant red stone in the very center of the crown.
"That one I got to choose. It will represent our lineage as king and queen. It's a ruby, which is my birthstone. But it's also the month you moved into the castle and started a life with us. It was just a few days before my birthday. I don't think either of us remembers it because we were so young, but the Professor told me that the other day. Anyway, the color red so often represents love, so it is rather fitting for us in that way too."
"Caspian, I absolutely love it. You put so much thought into everything. That's another reason you'll be a great king."
"Well thank you. I'm just glad I'll have you by my side. Are you still nervous about being queen? I haven't heard you say much about that lately."
"Yah, a little I guess. But really, you'll be with me the whole time. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up about it."
"It's ok to have feelings, even fear. We'll take it one day at a time. Together."
"Okay," I tell him as I put the crown back in the box. He locks it back up and places it on his dresser. "So now what?" I ask.
He has a devilish smirk as he runs to the bed and gently pushes me back on the bed under him. I part my legs so he can fit between them, and he starts kissing all the skin on my face, neck, and chest that he can see. I think he's going to keep going, but he pulls back.
"I don't want to stop, but we have to meet with the seamstress really soon."
I pull his head back down to mine and mash my soft lips against his again several more times. "Are you sure?"
He kisses me hard again, then lays his head against my neck and groans angrily. "I wish I wasn't. But I think we're already a little late."
"Well, that's too bad, Princey," I have to call him that since this is his last day as Prince. "I really wanted you," I say seductively in his ear then smack him on the butt.
He yelps then gets off me and stands next to the bed. "Oh, I'm going to get you back for that."
I sincerely hope he means that.
We make our way down to the room in the castle where the seamstress is waiting. Molly comes with us to help carry Caspian's clothes. He has a pair of pants and a shirt that end up being okay, since he will wear an intricate robe over them during the ceremony. She makes a few tweaks to the robe, and then it's my turn. I try on all of the dresses she made. They all fit pretty well, since she had my measurements beforehand. I can't decide which one I want, so Molly and Caspian help me choose the best one. I end up agreeing with the heavy red and gold one, since red is the symbol of our reign anyway. It's more ornate than my typical dresses, but it's quite appropriate for the purpose of the ceremony, and it will be fun to wear something so different for one day. It has large rounded shoulders and a high collar, but the bodice fits tight and it dips down in the back. Thankfully it's at least somewhat fitted around my waist, so it still feels very feminine.
We finish faster than we thought we would. Molly helps us bring our wardrobe pieces back to our room, and then leaves us since she's still on duty. I'm just finishing putting my dress away when I feel Caspian's arms snake around my waist and he holds me in place.
"Where were we?" he purrs in my ear.
"Hmmmm. This seems about right," I say as he sucks on a spot on my neck. He loosens his grip around me and drops his hands to my waist, but still stays behind me. Then one hand moves to the back of my dress and he unties it all the way down. He surprises me when he spins me around and pushes me against the wardrobe, then he takes my dress and pulls it down from the shoulders. I only move enough to step out of it, and now I'm only left in my underwear, since I don't wear a bra with that dress. He puts his hands on my breasts, palming and gently kneading them. Then he quickly removes his tunic, and then pushes his naked chest against mine back up against the wardrobe. We kiss until we can't breathe and our greedy hands roam all over every inch of flesh that we can reach.
I'm feeling sneaky today, so I duck out from under his grasp and then run towards the bed. Only, he's faster than I am, so when I jump up onto the bed and start to make my way across it, he's able to grab my legs and I collapse on the bed, giggling. He grabs my ankles and pulls me towards him at the edge of the bed. I turn over so I'm on my back, and I sit up, opening my legs so he can stand between them. We pull each other close again, chest to chest, and kiss again for what seems like forever. I can feel the familiar wetness of my desire forming from my lust for him. I drop my hold from around his shoulders and break our kiss to reach down and undo his pants, and then he steps free from them and is now completely naked. He puts his hands on the waistline of my underwear and I help him maneuver them off.
I move so I'm towards the middle of our huge bed and he comes overtop me. I just start to run my hands down his muscular chest when he suddenly grabs my wrists tightly with one of his hands. It doesn't hurt, but I definitely can't get out of his grasp. I look at him and he looks pleased to watch me try to struggle free. He leans down closer to me as he lifts my arms above my head. I'm completely helpless, and I've never been so turned on by one single act. I try to raise my head up to kiss him, but he backs up enough that he's just out of reach. I then lock my knees around his waist and try to rub myself against him, but he holds me down with his free hand. I need friction and I need it now. He's reduced me to begging. "Please?" I plead.
His eyes look extra dark as he looks down at me with a smirk. "What do you want?"
"You. I need you. I'm so wet."
"Mmmm. You're wet for me?"
"Yes. I need you inside me."
He stares into my eyes as he takes his hand from my waist and guides himself to my entrance. I moan as he slowly pushes into me because it feels so good. Even though I can't use my arms, I still like it. I wouldn't want to be dominated in this way every time, but it makes me feel powerful to know how desirable I am. Even though he's slow with his movements at first, I'm so turned on that it doesn't take me long to cum for the first time. I can feel his hand tighten around my wrists as my walls constrict around him, and then he starts to thrust in me a little faster.
"Don't stop," I whisper in his ear.
It's only another minute or two before my second orgasm starts building again. I start to whimper and I close my eyes.
I hear Caspian say, "Look at me."
I open my eyes and stare into his beautiful brown eyes. "Come for me my love."
It's intense as we stare into each other's eyes, and I've never felt more connected to him. My body is finally ready and I come around him hard a second time. He presses his lips hard against mine in the same moment. Then he lets go of my wrists and holds himself above me as he also climaxes. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and hold him close as he empties himself into me. He pulls out of me then goes to move beside me, but I tighten my arms around him.
"No, stay," I say quietly in his ear, and he settles back down over my body. Of course he's heavy, but I love feeling him over me. I kiss his forehead and run my fingertips through his soft hair.
He turns his head slightly so he can look up at me. "Was that okay that I did that? I didn't mean it to be demeaning in any…" he starts to say.
I stop him with a passionate kiss. "That was amazing and I know you weren't doing it in a demeaning way. It made me feel wanted. Desirable."
"Mmmm. Good. Because you are desirable. And I love you more than anything."
"I love you too. And maybe I'll return the favor someday," I tell him. He looks excited by the idea.
This game of payback is quite fun.
I wake up the next morning to a certain Prince's lips pressing repeatedly against my own. I have to agree with what he said the morning after our wedding. This is a wonderful way to be woken up. But he doesn't quite continue like I think he's going to. I slowly open my eyes and realize that it's still very dark outside. There's only a slight navy blue glow that hints at the approaching sunrise.
"What time is it?"
"It's early my love, but I want to show you something."
We both climb out of bed and get dressed. He grabs my hand and we entwine our fingers as we walk down into the castle, and we don't stop until we get to the huge doors of our throne room. It's still fairly dark, but there are several torches lining the room, causing the natural orange, flickering glow that can only be produced by fire to fill the space. The marble of the room is still prominent, but our coronation colors of dark blue, green, and red are displayed everywhere. Tapestries are hanging in rows, and there is a wide carpet that extends all the way to our thrones. Giant round flower pots several feet in diameter are filled with assortments of flowers, which are also our chosen colors. It's breathtaking and there aren't even other people in here yet.
"I wanted you to see the room before we have the ceremony later. What do you think?"
"It's beautiful. It's actually like an extravagant version of our wedding," I think out loud, although I felt like our wedding was already extravagant enough. This definitely even outdoes that. Still, I wouldn't want to change even the tiniest detail of our wedding day.
"Ha! In a way, I guess that's true. But that will still be my favorite day," he says with a sincerity that I cannot deny.
"Hmmm. Good answer, Princey," I say, then stand in front of him for a kiss.
"I'm so glad that nickname is almost done," he says then smiles and lowers his neck to eagerly press his lips against my own. I still savor every moment, glance, and touch from him. Just a few short moments of closeness, and my heart is already quickening. I reluctantly pull back and I tug on Caspian and pull him up to our thrones. We sit down on the cushioned seats and survey the room. I look over at my love, on his throne right next to mine. I really hope that no one comes in here right now. We both look fairly ridiculous. Our hair is still messy from sleep and we are in clothes that aren't really appropriate outside of our bedroom. But even dressed and groomed the way we are, I can see the pride shining on Caspian's face. Our wedding day might be his favorite day, but I know this one will be a very close second. He is still somewhat reluctant of his approaching responsibilities, but he has already exceeded everyone's opinions. He is wise and fair, and will be a great king.
We head back to our room to make ourselves a little more presentable then make our way down to the kitchens for breakfast. We still have a few hours before the ceremony, so we thankfully have an easy morning. I'm a little on edge though, knowing how many people will be at the ceremony and thinking about what today really means. I relax a little, though, when I think of how my life really changed when I married Caspian. It was then that I had truly committed to this life together with him. Already my fears have been lessened because life is already greater than I expected.
After breakfast, we find Molly and bring her up to our room. We spend the rest of the morning talking and getting ready for the ceremony. She leaves us around noon, when we only have an hour left to go. We decide to go down to our office, which is where we will wait since it is adjacent to the throne room. We find that Dr. Cornelius is already there, and Molly joins us a while later.
Finally, it's time to start. Like our wedding, music is played to indicate the start of the ceremony. Dr. Cornelius walks in front of us, and I hold onto Caspian's arm. We go to the throne room door and my heart starts pounding. I take one last look over at my husband, and his smile gives me all the confidence I need. Guards open the doors for us, and I am astonished at the hundreds of Narnians and Telmarines in the room. There is a palpable positive energy in the room, reflected in the rows of smiles of the people we pass. I look forward to our thrones and see Aslan standing behind our chairs, looking quite majestic himself. We finally reach our thrones and take a seat.
Aslan starts the ceremony. "My dear people, we are gathered here today to witness the coronation of the next King and Queen of Narnia. This is a sacred ceremony, and I will begin with my blessing on the couple."
We continue to listen and look out over our people as Aslan says kind words and blessings upon both of us and the country. Then Aslan walks around close to Caspian's throne and begins the short coronation part of the ceremony.
"Will you, Caspian X, promise to govern the peoples of Narnia, according to the laws and customs? And will you rule with justice and courage all the days of your reign?"
"I promise to do so."
Dr. Cornelius comes around front and also stands next to Caspian. He holds up a large bowl of ceremonial oil, which Aslan dabs on the tip of his paw. He places oil on Caspian's head, hands, and over his heart to symbolize his lifelong promise to rule in every aspect of his life. Next, Dr. Cornelius puts the bowl down and brings the crown forward. I can't stop the tears from forming in my eyes at the beauty of this moment. I've never seen Dr. Cornelius look so proud of Caspian. He picks up the crown and holds it steady over Caspian's head as Aslan says one final remark.
"Caspian X, with the power of the deep magic, I bless your reign and I officially pronounce you High King of Narnia." At that moment, the Professor places the crown on his head, then steps back. Caspian, now King, stands and looks out over the cheering crowd.
Caspian takes a seat as silence slowly falls over the crowd again. It's my turn next, and I go through the same motions that he just went through. I'm pronounced Queen and with the weight of my crown on my head, I also stand and look over the people I just swore to rule and care for. I thought that I might have fear and possibly regret in this moment, but now that I'm experiencing it, I feel none of those things. I only feel hope and joy and a sincere love for these people and this country. I stand with Caspian, the Professor, and Aslan at my side, and know that our future is bright.
Caspian then stands and takes my hand. "Ladies and Gentleman, your King and Queen!" Aslan says, and the crowd cheers louder than ever. We process back down the aisle and then return to our office. Our coronation feast is next, and we wait for everyone to filter into the main dining hall. I help Caspian take off his robe since it's cumbersome and hot. We keep our crowns on, though.
We make our way down to the feast and we get another round of cheers from the hundreds of people as we make our way to our head table. There are rows and rows of tables displaying traditional Narnian and Telmarine foods showcasing the best of food that each has to offer. I sit down in my chair, and then realize Caspian is going to say a few words when he remains standing and looks expectantly over the crowd. They quiet down quite quickly, and then he speaks.
"Ladies and gentleman, I am truly thankful that you are all here to bear witness and celebrate such a wonderful occasion. Let us now eat and drink in thanks of the many wonderful blessings in our lives. Thank you and enjoy your time this evening."
The people waste no time in getting up to take part in the feast. Caspian sits in his chair and pulls it close to mine. Molly comes to us to find out what we would like to eat. When she leaves, I turn and kiss Caspian passionately. Then we both pull away smiling.
"I just wanted to know what it was like to kiss a king," I say to him.
"Well, kissing a queen isn't so bad," he retorts. We are so alike.
We spend the rest of the afternoon eating, dancing, and mingling with the people. More people want to talk to Caspian than they do with me, but I'm fine with that. I'm a little taken aback by a few comments about providing an heir to the throne. We haven't even been married that long, and people already want royal children. Apparently it doesn't take long for every detail of our lives to be scrutinized. It's a strange notion, but I remember that I knew some of the sacrifices that I would have to make. So much of my fear stemmed from the unknown of what the royal life would be like. But now that I am living it, I know that I made the right choice, even if there are things about it that I don't always like. Besides, Caspian is so worth it. I also think about how tomorrow will start our real duties. These past few weeks have been like a vacation, since we visited Cair Paravel, got married, went on our honeymoon, and then prepared for our coronation. Even though it will take some adjusting, I know that we will settle in to our duties.
I'm pulled from my thoughts when the musicians start warming up with their instruments. And I'm surprised when Molly approaches us, and she's not alone. She's holding the hand of a handsome Telmarine gentleman whom she is courting. We talk for a few minutes, and even Caspian comes up to join in. His name is Harman. He's fairly new in town from Telmar, and just started working for the blacksmith in Cair Paravel. He is somewhat reserved in personality, but he is respectful and speaks well of Molly.
We spend the rest of the evening dancing, eating, and drinking. It really couldn't have gone any better. Plenty of women swarmed around Caspian throughout the evening, but none of them overstepped any boundaries.
It gets later in the evening, and it's clear that the remaining people will be partying for a while longer. Caspian and I are tired, since we got up early and had a busy day, so we get a few guards to escort us up to our room. Another benefit of the position of our room in the castle is how far it is from the noise in the main part of the castle. We can't hear a thing.
I go straight to the bathroom and am happy to find our hot bathwater that I requested is already drawn in the tub. I walk back into our room to find Caspian undressing and nearly naked. I can't help but smile every time I see his body. I walk over to him and turn so he's at my back. I move my hair to the side, revealing the strings on the back of my dress.
"Help me next?" I ask him.
He places a kiss on my back on the exposed skin in the middle of my shoulder blades, and then starts to untie the strings. With each layer that gets loosened, I get instant relief. The bodice is quite tight on this dress, so it feels good to finally breathe when the strings are all undone. I then turn around and hold onto Caspian so I can step out of my dress. Then he helps remove the rest of my clothes, making sure to touch me in intimate and loving ways. Now that we're both naked, I head to the bathroom with him right behind. We get into to the tub together. I thought we were going to wash up first, but we always get so distracted by each other, so I end up on top of him and I ride us both to climax. Then we wash our hair and bodies with our favorite mint soap, and we dry off and get into bed. I snuggle up to Caspian and kiss his chest.
"Well, today was wonderful. But I don't really feel any different as king," he says.
"Yah. I don't feel too different as queen."
"I'm just so glad you're with me, Anna."
I pick up my head and rest it on one of my hands so I can look at him. "I can't imagine not being married to you. You're everything to me."
"You're everything to me too, my love. We'll get through anything together."
"Yes, we will."
A/N: That's it, ya'll! Thanks for reading! Now, I'm not saying that there will or won't be a sequel because I'm just not sure yet. I have a few ideas, but I need to have a definite storyline that I'm excited to delve into. It might take me some time to develop it. Plus, I'm just beginning the process of getting into nursing school, so if I get in sooner rather than later, life will get pretty darn crazy for me at times. Anyway, feel free to review ;)
