Hello and Welcome to my second Narnian Ed/OC fic (seems I cant get enough of a certain Turkish Delight enthusiast huh). So you may actually recognise this as "Once Upon a Star" published under my penname NarnianFairy before up until 10 chapters, and if you do heres a huge DISCLAIMER! that while the plot & storyline is more or less the same, there are so many new changes to the plot, so I would recommend you read from the start!
For new readers, there are a few things I would like to address before we proceed. Mainly on the ways that "The Curious Case of Elara Kirke" is massively canon deviant.
1. This is a completely modern AU, set in our present times. The first half of this fic is actually set in a modern high school setting. There are mobile phones, modern fashions, music and modern world events!
2. Diggory Kirke and Polly Plummer eventually fall in love and get married post the Magician's Nephew. They adopt one certain Elara Kirke after.. well I suppose you should read to know that little tid bit XD.
3. The Pevensie siblings never stayed at the Kirke's or found a Wardrobe through there to Narnia. Instead little Lucy enters Narnia for the first time during a game of Hide & Seek from in her Mother's old Wardrobe.
4. In fact, if I were to elaborate further I would say the only things that follow cannon are: the Pevensie siblings relationship, LWW after entry into Narnia, the events of Golden Age and Diggory and Polly's adventures during the Magician's Nephew remain as canon.
5. The Telmarine invasion and the events of Prince Caspian right up until the siblings are called back into Narnia remain the same.
With that said, all these changes might be a lot to take in or overwhelming to the usual Narnia fanfic enjoyer, so if you do choose to read this, my heartfelt thanks, I hope you find this enjoyable and up to your standards. Please don't hesitate to point out any inconsistences that you might come across or any questions that you need answered! Much love :)
The Prologue
Polly Kirke loved to host. And she was perfect at it. Few would disagree, but those scant few mostly consisted of people who had in one way or another caused some ruckus or chaos to erupt at her parties and was unceremoniously thrown out by her husband, Diggory Kirke.
Today, the party roaring downstairs somehow failed to hold the same allure it once did. Today Polly was tired, and in her exhaustion let the thoughts that she'd always managed to keep locked into some dark corner of her head slip out. The grim revelation from the doctors had arrived merely a month ago, dealing a cruel verdict to the couple- for which Polly unfairly held herself responsible. They were never going to be able to have children of their own. And it was her fault.
She ascended the stairs to the room where Diggory had recently placed the Wardrobe he'd specially commissioned for her. It offered a view of the garden, the very garden where the tree from another world once stood. Her heart ached at the memory of it. The ever thriving Apple tree from the lands beyond, where she'd met a young Diggory Kirke and gone on grand adventures with him. In time their friendship grew into a undeniable crushes which they'd amongst sneaking glances and stolen touches soon realized was returned and that in turn blossomed into love and eleven years of blissful married life, a smile on her lips at the thought of her best friend, her husband, confidante and soul mate.
Polly gently pressed her hand against the freshly lacquered wood of the Wardrobe. As often with things alive, the tree had fallen ill. Its evergreen leaves, once a symbol of hope and faith, had begun to droop as though they mourned a loss. Then they had turned orange, and, eventually, they had withered away. Polly and Diggory had spared no expense trying to revive it, even bringing in experts, but it had eluded all attempts at resuscitation. They had simply watched as it withered and waned and finally, somewhere between seasons, it had taken its last breath.
"Polly, my dear," a gentle voice beckoned to her, and, only then did she realize that tears streamed down her cheeks. Diggory came to her side, embracing her as their party bellowed downstairs without them. "It's alright. We don't have to leave," he reassured her and Polly only hugged her husband tighter in response, finding solace in his presence. She might not have had the one thing she yearned for most in life, but she had everything she needed right there, in her husband's arms. And she thanked Aslan for it.
Then, as if touched by a sprinkle of magic, the doors to the Wardrobe that she must've forgotten to securely shut rustled. And the couple rose stunned. A sharp cry cut through the silence. Polly looked to Diggory, her hearT beating fast for some reason as she rushed to open the Wardrobe.
There in it, bundled in layers upon layers of cloth, lay a miracle. Like Aslan's answer to all of their prayers. Golden letters embroidered the cloth telling her what to call her little miracle.
"Elara." Diggory read out aloud.
"My little miracle."
Chapter 01
Elara flung her bag into the backseat of the Honda Civic with careless abandon.
"What is up with you?" Alex's voice carried a concerned edge. "You've been crankier than usual. And that Lara is saying a lot."
She pointedly ignored her brother. And he noticed for he pointedly refused to start the car in return. "Hey, talk to me. What's bothering you?"
"Nothing. My migraines are just getting worse by the day." she murmured, kneading her temples. "And your incessant chatter isn't exactly helping. Just start driving already." Her eyes rolled in exasperation as the car shuddered alive and they began the twenty minute drive from the Manor to Brickfield High School. The drive was quiet, too quiet almost. Alex almost always chattered away with little care as to if she listened or not. But this newfound silence, it worked perfectly for her. She didn't need him to play the overprotective brother or ask her if someone said something to her so he'd have the excuse to pick a fight with anyone who dared bring up the unfortunate incidents of her past or, worse, ask if she'd taken her meds in that sickeningly kind, caring tone that only served to deepen her self-loathing.
With a thud, she shut the door and yanked her hoodie over her head. Alex caught up, as he always did, refusing to let her navigate the terrifying halls of high school all alone. Elara rolled her eyes before pivoting, flashing him a two-finger salute before veering sharply toward the girls' restroom. He wouldn't follow her in there, not unless he thought she was in danger.
inside, she sighed, pulling the hoodie back to reveal her unruly mane of brown hair. No amount of concealer could mask the dark circles beneath her eyes which only seemed to deepen with each restless night, her sleep perpetually haunted by the specter of the White Lady. No, not haunting. Nightmares, she corrected herself, running her hands under the faucet. The water felt ice-cold, much too frigid. Elara tugged the handle toward the red marker, only to realize it was already at its hottest.
"Mhmm, heard they're twins."
"And they're hot. You better stake your claim, Kayla, before Ashley swoops in and takes them both, that whore." Laughter echoed through the restroom, prompting Elara to steal a glance. Mikayla and Anais, flanked by Ashley, their ribbing banter masked with smiles and a sweet dripping tone did not mean that the girls never meant what they said to each other. If this was the definition of companionship in this day and age, she was content with her status as a social pariah. As if to prove her right, Anais rolled her eyes as Ashley turned to talk to Mikayla.
"What the hell—" The sharp expletive cut through the air as Elara spun around, finding the group of chattering girls now looming behind her. The faucet continued to drip, chillingly cold.
"Your... your hands! Jesus, it's steaming! Don't you feel anything?"
She jerked her hands away, startled. She hadn't noticed the heat, the scalding pain, yet there it was, her skin reddened, almost blistering. Her hands trembled as she hastily shut off the faucet.
"You're insane, Elara," came Mikayla's- or was it Anais's voice trailing behind her as she hurried off. She was already late for English, she realized.
"There you are!" Mr. Banner's voice cut through the air. Elara grappled with the urge to retort, biting back a sharp response to the Principal, willing her pounding headache to subside. "Great," he continued, undeterred, "you've heard about our new arrivals—"
"How could I not? It's all anyone's been talking about. You'd think Beyoncé just enrolled her offspring in this backwater hole," she interjected, her eyes rolling as she interrupted the Principal. She felt the weight of the new transfer student's gaze, as if he disapproved of her insolence. As if she cared what he—or anyone, for that matter—thought of her. Mr. Banner, as was his custom, chose to brush it off with a laugh, as though she had cracked a joke.
"True, transfer students here at Brickfields are a rare occurrence. Who'd choose to move to this forsaken corner, right? Anyway," he turned to the boy, "meet Elara Kirke, one of Brickfields High's star pupils. And Ms. Kirke will be your guide around the school—"
Elara rubbed her temples, "No can do, sorry Mr. Banner. I'm already late for Lit, and I can't give Keen any more reasons to hate me than she already does."
"That won't be a problem. I have English Literature with a Ms. Keen?"
"Cool. Follow me then," she mumbled, paying him no mind as she set off, her throbbing migraine demanding her undivided attention.
"Glad you could join us today, Elara," Ms. Keen greeted her acerbically.
Normally, this would be the cue for Elara to retort with something cutting, but not today. Today, she merely mumbled an apology for her tardiness, shuffling to her seat at the back of the classroom. She could feel Mikayla's gaze boring into her, yet Elara brushed it off, much like she did most things within the school's buzzing chaos. Resting her head in her hands, she attempted to soothe the relentless ache in her head.
"Hey," a voice cut through the cacophony within her mind.
"You... you can't sit here," she looked at him for the first time since their encounter. He was nearly as tall as Alex, with tousled raven-black locks that carelessly fell over his eyes. His features were striking, with full lips on a chiseled face, and a gaze that seemed to pierce straight into her soul. Elara bit her lip as the piercing migraine only grew more obnoxious inside the confines of the head.
"What?" she asked, turning away. He had said something, something she couldn't be bothered to hear amidst the relentless throbbing of her head and the distraction of his strangely familiar yet unfamiliar face. She had sweat through the hoodie now but why did everything seem just so cold?
"I said there's no other free seat. Would you please..." he gestured to her bag taking up the other half of the desk, strategically placed to deter anyone from attempting to sit beside her.
She moved it with a scowl.
"I'm Edmund. Edmund Pevensie," he introduced himself after a moment of silence, as Ms. Keen droned on.
"What?" she snapped at the mention of... what did he say?
The boy furrowed his brow at her, regarding her with a mix of curiosity and concern. Elara turned away as if his gaze were searing her.
"I am Edmund Pevensie."
There it was, that name—Pevensie.
Elara's hand shot up. "Bathroom, Ms. Keen. I'm not feeling well today."
"They ruined me," the lady sobbed. Elara drew nearer, "They killed me," she lamented.
Her dreams, or rather nightmares, were always different, but they shared a common thread: the Lady in White. Most times she was monstrous, the other times she simply glared at Elara but this was the first time Elara saw her be so.. vulnerable. Almost like she was weak.
"The Impostors!" she wailed as she crawled towards Elara. "They ruined my Kingdom."
"Our Kingdom."
Elara backed away. She was not going to be fooled by this form of the Lady. Not after the countless number of times she had turned her to stone, been plunged into a lake or worse. The last time- last night, she'd been trapped inside an ice prison until Elara begged and pleaded and screamed until her lungs gave out- to allow her to wake up. But the Lady in White only smiled at her, telling her this was only going to make Elara strong.
"Avenge me." her frail arms reached her feet as Elara found herself backed against a wall stuck with nowhere else to go. "Kill them all. Avenge me. And this all will stop. I will make it stop."
"Who?" she whispered. "Who should I kill?"
"The Pevensies. The Imposters. Kill them all and avenge me, Daughter."
A/N: If you've liked this, please consider leaving a review and also don't forget to follow and favourite! Thank you,
NF