Chapter 22:

A/N: Most P.O.V. scenes will be from Penelope's point of view. Thank you guys for reading!

Xoxo

-Susan's P.O.V.-

I slipped on a pale yellow dress with a sparkly bodice as I rethought the process of me obtaining an assistant-like woman.

Really?

I understand that I will soon become Queen, but still. I assumed once you become royalty you have your own power and you do things yourself. But, then I didn't realize it was the complete opposite. People fed us, served us food; heck even delivered it to my room. I wouldn't dare ask Mum to bring me food to my room.

Mum would just look at me like I was insane and grew three heads. Unless I was sick of course; which as you expect Edmund had tried to fake a temperature once right when the war started and Dad had left.

Ed had taken the metal thermometer and set it in scorching water, placed it directly in his mouth afterwards (which he regretted instantly) as he completely blustered out profanities about his tongue being burned. Once Mum had calmed him he still played the sick act, such as groaning uncontrollably and saying "Oh Mum! The pain! The pain!"

Finally Mum just looked at him and touched his forehead, and kindly walked out of the room. It in fact was quite funny at the moment, so we all crackled in snickers but slowly the woman walked back in, glared at us, and grounded us all. In her defense she proclaimed, 'We had wasted her day off dealing with our silliness', but Mum knew it was funny and wound up laughing also at Ed's terrible attempt.

A smooth knock came on my door and I turned from the mirror wondering if I should say "Come In", commandingly or softly like a feather, or even stern to show power. But soon I spoke and instantly regretted speaking while my confidence dwindled as my voice cracked as I allowed whoever to enter my room.

Penelope stood there at the door looking at me while shaking her head. All she could muster to say was, "Wow, Su. Just wow."

My best friend came to stand behind me and urged me to sit and started to play with my brown locks of hair. She kindly combed it in complete silence knowing that I silently begged her to do something with it.

I couldn't allow a complete stranger to touch my hair. Such as the "assistant" I had acquired.

I just couldn't. It would feel completely awkward.

"Su?"

My eyes darted up to the large lit mirror in front of me as I watched Penelope's reflection. "Hmm?"

"I think I really like Blake, but I'm scared. I don't want to ruin the way everyone is now. If we go farther, any farther-"

"Everything will be alright," I finished for her.

Penny's brows furrowed in confusion, "How could you say that? It would be basically me splitting the entire lot of us up. I could NOT do that to you, you are my family."

My right hand touched hers that was placed on my shoulder, "Penny. Everything will be okay. Yes it may be weird that you care about Blake, but we all will adjust. We did it when we all met and you hated his guts, when we arrived here we adjusted, and we can do the same now."

Her eyes darted away quickly before she came down to my level and hugged me tight, "Thank you for understanding, Su."

Squeezing back, I spoke softly, "I always will. Don't worry."

-Blake's P.O.V.-

Glancing around the unfamiliar area of the large castle my eyes widened as I took in my surroundings.

A courtyard buried deep inside the garden held a small door that led to this sanctuary that I am in. The walls were a deep bronze, and throughout the years this structure stood here, green ivy grew among the walls and made a surprisingly nice pattern making it feel as if you had stepped into Nature itself.

Before me stood a huge tree that had songs singing out as if it were a soft lullaby being sung and golden sap leaked from the thick branches. The smell had made me wonder if it was honey suckle or that sweet smell Penelope always smelled like.

It took me quite a few moments to understand a scratching that was on the tree and a seat had sat inside the large sap column.

This place.

This was Penelope's.

Slowly walking along the circular structure as different scenes played out like a story was being told. But, as I tried to interpret the drawings and the scribbles of a different language, I realized I couldn't read it because it wasn't English.

An eerie feeling came over my body in a flush as I slowly drifted my hand to the hilt of my sword as I noticed I wasn't alone in this chamber.

Quickly I turned noticing a small girl there that looked like she was made from a tree itself. Her dark complexion and deep green eyes made me come to assumption she was a tree nymph.

Fear traced in her eyes as she realized I wasn't a magical being. I was a stranger who didn't belong here.

Speaking of that…how on Earth did I even get here?

I was just trying to pick some lilies to surprise Penelope. I guess it wouldn't be a surprise after all.

The girl's slowly transformed darker as she raised her hand towards me. Oh no. "Who are you?"

Stuttering I looked towards the panels behind me of past Mother Nature Queens. "Agh. Um- I- You see-, the flowers-, and ahem-"

Quickly the woman, who you envisioned to be really weak, practically dragged me out of the room and hauled me out of the sacred chamber speaking in a different tongue. Some words made sense while others I just stared blankly.

"Jedi, Yuoil!"

Utter confusion etched onto my face and I blinked slowly while she still dragged me up above the surface, "Could you speak English? Or Narnian if you prefer? I just have remarkably no clue as to what you are saying."

The small tree nymph- well… tree dryad? Anyways, she slammed me onto the surface, but soon I realized where I was and looked up at the Queen of them all.

"This man! Or WHOEVER he is?! Snuck his way into the sacred chamber, mother! I fear he may have stolen something and upset the balance between the species, and caused a ruckus. And how can he not speak Elliptical?! Is he mad or crazy, or just plain boring? Oh mother! Shall I send him to the Water Nymphs?! I feel like he will have a splendid time there! You know how there are!"

Penelope just stood there with huge eyes at the mere shock that I somehow got into the sacred chamber I guess.

She slowly moved to place her hand on the tree nymph/dryad's forehead and golden aura came and placed itself inside the girl. "Calm, Neversa. Calm. Thank you for alerting me, I will deal with the intruder. You may go, and please obtain a little more golden sap to calm yourself please."

The girl, supposedly Neversa, bowed towards Penelope and Susan who just sat in her stool shocked; and left the room but without sending me a shooting death stare before exiting.

Geesh remind me to not upset a Tree Nymph/Dryad. I feel like they could hold a temper and I think I suffered the wrath today of one.

Lucky me.

-Penelope's P.O.V.-

Still in utter shock I had to pinch my nose a few times to realize Neversa was gone. The girl made me laugh whenever I came in contact with her, or matter a fact any Tree Dryad that inhabited Cair Paravel for my arrival. They had a short temper and I wouldn't want to be on the end of that stick.

"Um. Penny."

I swiftly glanced down at the blondie on the floor still. Smoothly I snickered while glancing towards Susan. "Blake. How on earth did you manage to enter the Sanctuary?"

His eyes just widened as he looked towards the floor and started to scratch his head in confusion.

"Uh. I don't know actually. I was looking for-. Oh never mind."

My eyes bore into his, "Looking for what? A secret wand?"

"What no. Wait. Huh? There is a wand?!"

Susan just couldn't hold her straight face anymore and started laughing uncontrollably. "How-. How?! Why!?"

An eyebrow rose as I stood in confusion for a moment but then my mind clicked, "Blake. I wouldn't advise to go looking for flowers in the East Garden. That's where my supposedly secret sanctuary is. Only inhabiters of the nature is allowed inside, not even Pete is allowed to. If you do. Well… good luck with that because Neversa is the sanctuary guard. Obviously you have seen her strength. She is the head warrior in case of some problem."

After my small excerpt I felt completely dry of information that I could actually say,

In that sanctuary is where the Mother will be crowned and where she passes her legacy onto her heir. All dryads, naiads, nymphs, and mermaids come to see the crowning as a passing of Nature is transferred. There I will obtain my full power and become stronger.

Blake scratched his head once more before looking up towards me, "I can't hide anything from you. Can I?"

I gave him my hand helping him up and whispered in his ear, "If it evolves Nature, then no."

He smirked and kissed me lightly on the cheek before leaving and allowing me and Su to be alone.

Once the door closed, I faced Susan and we shared a look that said everything and laughed for minutes on end until our eyes watered and we had no more laughter in our bodies. Afterwards, we both laid on the comfortable rug that laid in her room.

Susan glanced at me once more before silence and said, "You two are perfect for each other. I can already tell."

With her words leaving an impact on me I laid there speechless.

Perhaps we were.