The High Queen of Narnia
Disclaimer: Lucy Pevensie, along with Narnia and all associated characters are the creation of C. S. Lewis. I own only the plot
Chapter 2: Drizzlewoe
Lucy woke to the sound of curtains being pulled back in her chambers. A moment or two later and the drapes around her bed were also opened and she blinked in the bright morning sunshine.
Lucy smiled at the rather strange figure looking down at her. She had a very mournful, muddy face with long green stringy hair and was dressed in a greenish grey dress with long skirts. Her feet were bare, showing webbed toes that matched the webbed fingers on her long hands.
"Good morning, Drizzlewoe!" Lucy greeted the female marshwiggle who had been her lady's maid for the last five years.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," Drizzlewoe replied. "Although we'll probably be having rain later, I expect."
Lucy suppressed a grin. Susan had initially been rather disapproving at her choice of a marshwiggle as her lady's maid but Lucy had insisted. Not only was Drizzlewoe extremely capable but Lucy found the marshwiggle's perpetual pessimism hilarious.
"It looks like it's a lovely day," Lucy said as she yawned and stretched.
"I suppose it is quite sunny now," Drizzlewoe conceded grudgingly. "But that will mean thunderstorms and floods later, you can be sure."
"No doubt!" Lucy agreed cheerfully. Years of experience with marshwiggles had taught her it was best to just go along with their predictions of disaster most of the time. "I'd better get up and start getting ready. Tumnus is due back this morning."
"If his ship makes it to Cair Paravel," the marshwiggle said as Lucy got out of bed.
"Why shouldn't it?" Lucy asked, before realising this question was probably a mistake.
"He might have been shipwrecked," Drizzlewoe said dolefully. "Or attacked by pirates, or by dragons or sea serpents, or been becalmed in the middle of the ocean and running out of food and water, or…"
"Well let's hope none of that happens." Lucy said hastily, interrupting her maid before she could list every maritime disaster known to man or marshwiggle.
With her maid's help, Lucy shed her nightdress and quickly washed before putting on a slip followed by drawers and stockings. During this, Drizzlewoe kept up a running commentary about the latest events and gossip in Narnia, at least from a marshwiggle's perspective. Lucy was reliably informed that the forthcoming harvest was likely to be a poor one and that Narnia faced famine in the near future. She did not bother to mention that the reports she had seen at the Royal Council suggested it would be the best harvest in years. Of more interest to her was that all the Narnians had clearly noticed the High King's absorption with his betrothed, but Drizzlewoe seemed less concerned about Ravanna herself than that some enemy such as the Calormenes or the Telmarines or the Ettin giants or maybe even all three at once, would take the opportunity of Peter's distraction to attack Narnia without warning.
Lucy then gripped one of the bedposts as Drizzlewoe wrapped a corset around her torso and started to lace her in.
"Is that enough, Your Majesty?" She asked after a moment.
"Of course not!" Lucy replied. "You know I like to wear my corsets really tight."
"You might rupture your spleen!" The marshwiggle warned her, but she continued pulling on the laces anyway.
"I'm sure my spleen will be fine," Lucy told her, not bothering to suppress a grin, as her maid could not actually see her face.
Ever since Lucy had started wearing corsets Drizzlewoe had warned of dire consequences, everything from broken ribs to ruptured organs. But so far all her innards seemed to have escaped unscathed.
Once the corset had been tightened to Lucy's satisfaction she selected a green dress with matching shoes. After Drizzlewoe had helped her put them on, Lucy sat down on the stool in front of her dressing table to have her hair and make up done.
As Drizzlewoe started pinning Lucy's golden hair into an elegant coif, she continued talking about the latest gossip in the castle; Lucy didn't really pay much attention until she mentioned something about Ravanna borrowing ancient documents from the Cair Paravel Library.
"What was that?" Lucy exclaimed.
"The High King's betrothed has borrowed some of Narnia's most ancient historical records from the Library." The marshwiggle repeated. "Including the Scroll of King Frank itself. She had to get the direct approval of King Peter before the Librarian would allow her to have it. Not to speak ill of your brother my Queen, but that was hardly his wisest decision. It will probably end up lost or damaged."
"Yes, I suppose it might." Lucy agreed, although that was hardly her main concern on hearing this rather disturbing news. She might have dismissed it as mere gossip, except she knew Drizzlewoe often assisted in the Library when not occupied as her maid.
"So how do you want your make up done today, my Queen?" Drizzlewoe asked.
"Oh, well I suppose a green eye shadow to match my dress," Lucy said distractedly. "And I think a scarlet lip paint today, rather than light red or pink."
The marshwiggle followed her Queen's instructions, her long webbed fingers expertly applying the various paints and powders to Lucy's face, although she couldn't resist warning the young Queen that all these cosmetics were certain to poison her eventually.
Lucy barely heard her. Her mind was working furiously, trying to make sense of this new information.
The Scroll of King Frank was the most ancient and precious historical document in Narnia. It was considered sacred; not just because of its great antiquity but because it contained an eyewitness account of the actual creation of the world by Aslan, as well as His establishment of Narnia and its most ancient lineage of kings. Lucy wondered though why Ravanna had been so determined to obtain it. Knowing that woman she was sure it had to be more than just scholarly curiosity.
After her make up had been done, Lucy put on a pair of emerald earrings and a matching necklace. She then rose from the dressing table stool and walking across her chambers, stood in front of the cheval glass in the far corner.
As usual Drizzlewoe had done an excellent job and she looked stunning. Lucy smiled wryly as she admitted to herself that Susan had been right; Tumnus would struggle to recognise her. The last time he had seen her she had been a complete tomboy who cared nothing about her appearance, but fortunately Susan had then taken her in hand and changed all that. At first it had all been a ploy, a camouflage she and Susan had devised to hide Lucy's more clandestine activities from her brothers. But Lucy had found she rather liked looking like this, at least most of the time, and she certainly enjoyed all the attention it brought her. There had been a time when Lucy had been rather jealous of Susan, especially of all the suitors who came to Narnia to court her. She had thought she would never attract interest from any man with her sister around, but all that had now changed.
These days Lucy had just as many suitors as Susan. It was all very flattering of course and has done wonders for her self-confidence, although she doubted anything serious would ever come of it. All the princes and lords and nobles who came to Narnia to court her took it for granted that if they married she would leave Narnia to return with them. Whenever she had suggested that they might stay in Narnia with her they had taken it as a jest.
But Lucy would never willingly leave Narnia. She had sworn an oath at her coronation to always serve and protect her people and she would uphold that promise no matter what the cost. That was why she had been playacting the part of a proper lady and going behind her brother's backs for the last four years, although she could never have managed it without Susan's help. Closing her eyes for a moment, Lucy offered a silent prayer of thanks to the Lion for her sister.
"Well I'd better go down to breakfast," Lucy said at last. "By the time that's finished Tumnus should have arrived and be ready to meet me."
"Best not get too close to him, Your Majesty!" Drizzlewoe warned her.
"Why not?" Lucy asked curiously. She was sure the marshwiggle was going to come up with some utterly improbable reason why being close to her oldest friend might be dangerous and she was not disappointed.
"He's been out east for four years," the marshwiggle reminded her. "There's all sorts of strange diseases out there, I've heard."
"He hasn't mentioned being ill recently," Lucy protested.
"Ah well he's probably accustomed to the illnesses there by now," Drizzlewoe said. "But he could still be a carrier. Besides he's a faun and what's harmless to fauns might be deadly to humans. There'll be an outbreak of some sort of plague in Narnia before too long, you mark my words!"
"I'll bear it in mind," Lucy promised, managing to keep a straight face by sheer force of will.
Lucy was able to maintain her serious expression as she opened the door and left her chambers, heading off to breakfast. She managed to keep it up until she was far enough down the corridor to be out of earshot, and then she finally gave way to a fit of helpless laughter.
A/N I had intended to include Tumnus in this chapter but that would have made it too long, so I decided to make that the focus of the next chapter. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think.