"How are you feeling today, Aibhistín?"
"This child moves quite a bit. Their father's blood runs in their veins. Aslan is not a tame lion. How much longer do I have to go?"
"You are at the five-month mark, your highness."
"I hope Aslan will be back in time for the birth of his first child."
"I am sure it is something he will not want to miss."
Aibhistín had mainly occupied herself with choosing names. She liked names that have a good meaning. Her name means venerated.
Though she knew never to question his timing, Aibhistín wondered why Asian would come back to Narnia when big things happened. To everything there is a season, she remembered.
"You're not wanting to choose names with Aslan?"
"I don't know when he'll be back in Narnia. I have to choose them on my own. But I don't think he'll be disappointed with my choices. I'm still deciding. I don't know if this will be my only child. I don't know if this baby is a boy or a girl. Either way, I'm choosing names with a good meaning, and I know my husband will want the same."
Aibhistín often wondered what life was like in the other world, the world her ancestors King Frank and Queen Helen came from. She often wondered why Aslan chose humans to serve the people of Narnia.
"Princess Aibhistín, a letter for you from your old friend Lady Gyda, daughter of Lord Gunnvaldr, the human ambassador at the court of the giants at Harfang."
"Thank you, Valnus."
"You are most welcome, Princess."
"Dearest Aibhistín, my father has given me in marriage to King Angnar, a man old enough to be my father. But, he treats me better than my father. There is only a sixteen-year age gap between Angnar and I; thank goodness I am only eighteen. We have not consummated our marriage yet. He wants to when I am ready, and I do not know when I'll be ready. Unlike my father, Angnar respects me, values my opinion, and he is beginning to trust me, as I am him. Also unlike my father, Angnar does not beat me senseless. Whenever my father visits, Angnar does not want him in the same room with me alone. I did not expect him to take care of me in such a way. Seems of the three of us, Mallaidh was the only one to marry for love. But I am sure, and I hope and pray that my marriage and yours both turn to love. I am sorry to hear about the death of your mother, Queen Ránallín. She was the mother to me I wish I had. With love from one of your dearest friends, Gyda."
"Is everything alright, Aibhistín?"
"Yes, Frank. I just got a letter from Gyda. That's all, Duana."
"How is she these days?"
"She just got married to King Angnar of Ettinsmoor. She said he treats her better than her father does."
"I can believe that. With all the times that Mama requested that Gyda be a lady at our court, I can for sure believe that."
"The three of you were attached at the hip when you were little, sister. And none of you ever thought about what would happen tomorrow. You always cared about the present."
"And now we do need to think about tomorrow. The three of us are married, at least one of us is with child, and two of us are queens. All three of us have a nation to look after. And an evil to defeat. None of us ever wanted to think about when so much weight would be placed on us, brother."
"Of course you didn't, sister. You were children. Children are supposed to think about dancing in the leaves and playing in the sea. We always think that childhood is the longest part of our lives, but it truly seems the shortest."
"Childhood often seems the most worthwhile."
"I would not doubt it if Aslan saw something in you besides the fulfillment of a prophecy."
Aslan was in the land of the Underground, where Jareth, son of King Dolan and Queen Fionnabhair, a princess of Terebinthia, had just been crowned king.
"Thank you for being here, Aslan. I hear you are to be a father soon."
"I am, Jareth."
"Word spreads fast in this world, despite its vastness. And my dear cousin Mallaidh has been crowned Queen of Terebinthia. And she married Ionatán, the son of the worst Terebinthian lord to ever sit on the Comhairle na Lóchrann."
"Thank goodness for Mallaidh, Ionatán actually loves her."
"I swear if his father tries to influence Mallaidh, I will for sure turn him into a goblin, and he will have to answer to me. Then after he turns into a goblin, I'll throw him into the Bog of Eternal Stench."
"Easy, Jareth. Don't act too rash too quickly."
It was in every one of the Terebinthian bloodline's nature to be rash, it just could not be controlled.
"Your cousin Mallaidh is not one to be controlled, as are the rest of the women of the Terebinthian bloodline. If I recall, your mother was not one to bend to the wills of your goblins."
"Terebinthian women are mountains that not even the gods themselves would want to destroy. When do you intend to be back in Narnia? I don't want to keep you from the birth of your first child."
"Do not worry Jareth, you won't keep me away."
"So, your grandchildren will be the ones to bring down the White Witch?"
"Yes."
"I can't wait to hear that ending. She lays claim to every land she steps foot in."
"None more so than Narnia."
"I admit, I may be evil sometimes, but what I do is mere child's play compared to what she does. And I still can't believe that my cousin Maiali actually fell in love with a prince of Charn. And how anyone from that family besides Jadis still remained is beyond me."
"Her youngest brother was sent away as a child to Gondolin, and when it fell, he was sent to Rivendell. He married a common-born woman who lived around the outskirts of the Hidden Valley, and together they had Diolun. The Terebinthian queens have never married for anything but love. Though the common-born woman wasn't so common-born. She was Targaryen princess in hiding."
"And it wasn't until Diolun married Maiali that Vaesanne's family welcomed her back with open arms. Westeros and Valyria weren't enough for the Targaryens, so they wanted Terebinthia as well."
"But when Vaesanne left her family, she never reached out to them again. She stood with her new family, a family that actually loved her."
Aslan had begun to think if that was what his marriage with Aibhistín would turn into.
Aslan returned to Narnia a few months later, just in time for the birth of his first child. King Frank carried his sister to the birthing chamber where Queen Duana and the midwives were waiting.
"Princess Aibhistín, your husband is back from the Labyrinth Underground."
Aslan walked into the birthing chamber, seeing Aibhistín's look of fear on her face. She felt that if she had to go through the pain of childbirth to bring down the White Witch, then so be it.
"Push, Aibhistín! Come on, just one more push!"
Aibhistín pushed with all of her might, and then she heard the cries of a new life. Duana took the child to get her cleaned up, and then brought her back to her mother.
"You have a healthy daughter."
"I suppose you were thinking on names while I was gone."
"I was, but I hadn't decided on any yet."
Just then, the two alpha male and female wolves, Omen and Mallo, walked into the room, anxious to be the guardian of the new royal babe.
"We have come to be the child's bodyguards."
"If a little lady like this one has the power to bring wolves into her presence, then that shall be her name. Faoiltiama. It means wolf lady."
Little Faoiltiama squeaked at the first sound of her name.