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 1: Queen Lucy Writes a Letter
"That woman is quite unbearable!"
That was what Queen Lucy shouted as she stormed into her chambers, closely followed by her sister who had a rather concerned look on her face.
"Lucy, calm down!"
"Calm down?" The now eighteen-year-old Queen glared balefully at her sister. "Susan, you heard what she said. That wretched woman thinks that as soon as she marries Peter she'll be High Queen and can boss us all around."
"Well I doubt she thinks that anymore," Queen Susan replied, in a very sardonic tone. She seated herself on an ornately carved chair. "Not after you've given her a lecture on the Narnian Constitution!"
"Someone had to do it!" Lucy retorted. "If she does actually marry Peter it won't bring her the power she imagines. She certainly won't be High Queen of Narnia. She won't even be a Queen, just Princess Consort and the sooner she realises that the better."
Walking over to her four-poster bed, Lucy pulled open the drapes and flopped down on it, glaring upwards at the richly decorated canopy.
"Lucy, don't lie down in that dress, you'll crease it," Susan chided her.
"Oh bugger my dress!" Lucy snarled.
"Lucy!"
"I'm sorry, Susan." Sitting up, Lucy gave her sister an apologetic smile. "I know I shouldn't swear but that bloody woman aggravates me so much I can't help it."
"Obviously!" Susan rolled her eyes. "Lucy, why do you dislike the Lady Ravanna so much?"
Getting off her bed, Lucy started walking up and down, her hands clasped behind her back. She was pacing so furiously her high heels were in danger of digging holes in the plush carpet.
"The real question is why everyone else is so enamoured of her," the young Queen replied. "I can understand why the ordinary Narnians are delighted by her betrothal to Peter. They're desperate for at least one of us to marry and produce an heir, to secure the succession to the Narnian throne. But even you and Ed were taken with her within a few hours of her arrival from the Seven Isles and now she's got practically the entire Royal Council eating out of her hand as well. It's as if she's bewitched you all!"
"Oh don't be silly, Lucy. Ravanna is really a lovely woman." Susan regarded her sister with a rather odd expression on her face. "You're not jealous of her, are you?"
"Jealous?" Lucy spluttered indignantly. "Why in Aslan's Name would I be jealous of her?"
"Because she's marrying Peter, perhaps?"
"Don't be disgusting!" Lucy gave her sister a rather horrified look. "I'm not sure if I even want to marry at all, and I certainly don't want to marry my own brother!"
"I didn't mean that! I meant that now Peter is betrothed he'll have less time for you, and less still when they marry."
Sighing, Lucy sat down on the stool in front of her dressing table, facing Susan.
"I'm not a little girl anymore Su. I don't need constant attention from my siblings. Anyway it's not as if I spend much time with Peter apart from the official duties we share. I spend a lot more time with you nowadays than either of our brothers."
I suppose that's true," Susan admitted. "But Lucy, even if you dislike Ravenna please try to be polite to her at least."
Lucy shrugged. "I'll try but I'm making no promises. Cair Paravel is almost unbearable with her around."
Susan shook her head, realising she was not going to change her sister's mind.
"Well maybe you'll be in a better mood once Tumnus is back."
Lucy smiled at the thought of her friend returning in less than two weeks. It had been a long time since she had seen him, as he had been Narnia's ambassador to the Seven Isles for the last four years. She reflected that at least his return would be a more welcome arrival from those islands than her prospective sister in law. Then Lucy suddenly realised that this might be a way to get more information about Ravanna.
Lucy was convinced the woman was only marrying Peter for the sake of gaining power. She might now realise she would not be High Queen, but Lucy was sure Ravanna would not give up her ambitions. If Tumnus could dig up something scurrilous about her past then she might get at least Susan and Edmund to take her suspicions seriously.
All these thoughts flashed through Lucy's mind in an instant, and when she looked up again she saw Susan grinning at her.
"What's so funny?"
"I was just wondering how Tumnus will react when he sees you," Susan told her sister with a smirk. "He'll barely recognise you!"
Lucy snorted. "I haven't changed that much!"
"Oh yes you have!" Susan replied with a chuckle. "When he left you were still a wild tomboy and now look at you. Thanks to me you're a perfectly proper lady."
"Not quite perfectly proper," Lucy said drily.
"Well no, not quite," Susan admitted with another grin. "But that's our little secret."
"For now!" Lucy said with a smirk of her own. "Our brothers are bound to find out eventually."
"You sound as if you're actually looking forward to that?"
Lucy shrugged. "Their reaction might be quite entertaining!"
"Entertaining is not the word I would use," Susan said with a grimace as she rose from her chair. "Maybe an erupting volcano can be entertaining, but only if you're a safe distance away and not right next to it!"
Getting to her feet as well, Lucy walked over to her sister and gave her a hug.
"Thank you for supporting me!"
"My pleasure," Susan said, hugging Lucy back. "Well maybe not exactly pleasure because I sometimes worry myself half to death about you, but I know how important this is to you."
Releasing Lucy from her embrace, Susan walked over to the door.
"I'll see you at supper Lu."
Lucy nodded, watching as her sister closed the door behind her.
Her smile faded as her thoughts returned to Tumnus. He was due back in less than two weeks and the sea voyage would take a few days. If he was to have enough time to obtain any useful information about Ravanna she needed to send a message tonight.
Walking over to her desk, Lucy sat down and after finding parchment and ink started writing. For the next half hour the only sound in her chambers was the scratching of her quill as she wrote. Finally satisfied she sealed the message using the signet ring embossed with her royal seal and carefully laced it into an oilskin pouch to protect it against the elements.
Rising to her feet, Lucy left her chambers and headed towards the North Tower where the Royal Messengers were stationed. She had gone only a few yards before she ran into Edmund.
"Lucy!" he exclaimed. "Peter wants to have a word with you."
"Well it will have to wait." Lucy replied. "I have a message to send off."
"And who exactly are you writing to?" Edmund enquired.
"Tumnus," Lucy told him. "Not that it's any of your business who I correspond with."
"All right, all right!" Edmund gave her a rather provoking grin. "No need to get your corset laces in a twist!"
"Kindly leave my underwear out of it," Lucy muttered. "You can tell Peter I'll speak to him later."
Quickly leaving her brother before he was able to distract her any further, Lucy walked on until she reached the base of the North Tower and started ascending the winding stairs. Pushing open the door at the top she stepped a wide circular chamber with open windows and numerous perches, about half of which were occupied by birds of various kinds. Walking up to one of the largest, Lucy smiled at the large bird of prey resting on it.
"Swiftwing! I'm so pleased you're on duty tonight!"
The Talking Falcon inclined his head. "How may I be of service, Your Majesty?"
"I need this message carried to Ambassador Tumnus in Redhaven as soon as possible," Lucy explained, holding up the oilskin pouch. "It's important that no eyes except his see it!"
"He shall have it by sunrise, my Queen," Swiftwing promised.
"Thank you, my friend, " Lucy murmured.
Reaching up she stroked the falcon's proud head for a moment before passing the pouch to him. Taking it in his beak, Swiftwing spread his wings then flew off his perch and out of one of the windows, quickly disappearing into the night.
Lucy stood in silence, watching him go. Now all she could do was wait until Tumnus arrived back in Narnia.