Secret Santa: Day 3

[metonomia.livejournal.com]

Happy Boxing Day, aka Day-After-Christmas! :D  Isn't it lovely when Christmas is over but the gifts just keep on coming?  Kate and I definitely think so; below, find the next three Secret Santa gifts!

 


A fic for The Quill Danced:

Bittersweet Cookies

Christmas was always Lucy's favorite time of year in Narnia. She loved everything about it, from the garlands on the mantel, to the castle being filled with guests, to the six enormous Christmas trees that lined the Great Hall. Father Christmas would show up every year with gifts and she knew that while she slept, Peter would wait up for the older man and they would share a glass of wine to ring in the season.

Christmas in England was still her favorite season, but it had become bittersweet. Instead of fauns dancing in the snow around a campfire in the lawn of Cair Paravel, there were automobiles driving down the street outside her house. Instead of a glorious feast, there would be a rather scrawny chicken and wilted vegetables taking center stage.

The only things that seemed to stay the same were the sugar cookies. Every year in Narnia the four children would invade the Cair Paravel kitchens to bake sugar cookies together. Susan was the one who could remember the recipe and the boys would take turns beating the batter smooth. Lucy was in charge of the cookie cutters. The first year they had to teach the Narnians about cookie cutters and within a few hours of explaining what they wanted, several dwarven metalworkers had a star, bear, pig, owl, tree and of course, a lion cookie cutter ready for use.

This year would be different. Lucy was all alone baking this year since she was the only one who seemed to have the time. Susan was off helping a friend set up for a party, Edmund was out shoveling the walks up and down the block as a courtesy to the elderly neighbors, and Peter wasn't expected home from university until later that night.

The Pevensie family had saved their ration stamps for months in order to have the necessary butter, sugar, and flour for the extravagant cookies, but it was always considered to be worth it. Lucy couldn't help but heave a wistful sigh for the abundant ingredients that could be found in the kitchens of the Cair, once the first year of recovering from the hundred years of winter was over and the land yielded up its bounty for the first time in a century.

Apron firmly wrapped around her waist, Lucy searched high and low through every cook book that the family had looking for the recipe, to no avail. “Oh, for goodness sake,” she muttered. “It's got to be here somewhere.” Then she nearly flung the cookbook across the room when she remembered that their mother had always baked their cookies from memory, as did Susan. Lucy could vaguely remember the ingredients but not how much of each was required.

A single tear of frustration seeped from Lucy's eye as she sat down in the empty kitchen and wished with every fabric of her being that she was back home in Narnia, where she belonged, where they all belonged. It looked like there would be no cookies this year after all.

She could hear the sound of the door opening then closing and she guessed that it would be her father coming home from a shift at the hospital. She knew that she should get up and greet him, but she couldn't bring herself to move. He would want to know why she was upset and she didn't feel like trying to explain. To her surprise, she felt a hand gently fall on her shoulder.
Susan had quietly entered the kitchen and was softly rubbing Lucy's shoulder with one hand, and reaching for an apron with the other. No words were spoken, but Lucy got back to her feet with a watery smile. The two girls fell into the rhythm that they had practiced for over a decade, Susan measuring and Lucy making sure that Susan had all the ingredients and bowls ready at hand.
Lucy paused for a second. Something was missing. She looked around the table; bowls, measuring cups, flour, sugar, vanilla...

The door opened again, and a soft blast of cold air sent the flour on the counter swirling. Edmund and Peter, who had apparently taken an early train, came in stomping their feet and shedding coats. With a squeal of glee Lucy abandoned her cookies and ran to give her eldest brother a hug.
Peter looked into the kitchen, giving Susan a smile of greeting. Then he looked back down at Lucy, and said simply, “Sugar cookies?”

She nodded, “Sugar cookies.”
The two young men shared a knowing glance and after shedding their snowy boots, made their way into the kitchen. Peter took the mixing bowl from Susan and got to work. Edmund was at the oven, turning knobs and arranging the cookie sheets, then carefully putting his hand in the oven to test the temperature.
Few words were spoken, but the silence spoke volumes. I miss Narnia. I miss Aslan. Christmas just isn't the same here.

The mood in the kitchen started out somber and almost bittersweet. But as each exiled monarch did their part as they had every year before, the atmosphere lightened. Their minds turned to more happy thoughts. We still need to put up the Christmas tree and now we can do it as a family. Aslan said that he has a different name in our world... I wonder if that name is the one I think it is? I wonder if they still make sugar cookies in Narnia? I would hate for the recipe to be lost forever there. We're here and not there, but we're still together.
Even though they all baked in silence, glances would pass between them, and the same thought passed through their minds one by one. We're here and not there, but we're still together.

With that thought providing comfort, when the last batch was pulled out of the oven and each of them had a cookie in hand, somehow Narnia didn't seem that far away. Lucy looked around the kitchen at her siblings and suddenly the cookies that she had originally found bittersweet, melted in her mouth like Narnian snowflakes.



A fic for animus_wyrmis:

A/N: This Christmas present for animus_wyrmis uses the part of her prompt where she says, “fic
of my fic always makes me smile”. My story starts towards the end of her story A Year in Their Courts.

And What Happened After

Alambil was standing next to Hermione. Lucy had just left them to go to Aslan – she had said that she was sure that he was close by. Alambil was shivering with excitement. She had never been so close to the Great Lion before. She didn't expect him to have any message for her, but she very much hoped that she might have a chance to see him.

Alambil knew that Hermione would like to see Aslan as well. They were hoping that he would come to the wedding – the High King Peter had made Hermione a Duchess of Lantern Waste, and there was no doubt that he meant to marry her. Today, for the Midsummer Festival, he had given her some of Queen Helen's ancient jewels – but not the ring, not yet, and Hermione had said that he had told her that he would wait until the evening. Alambil thought that it was too romantic for words.

Would she be the first lady-in-waiting for the new queen? She almost was, already. She was staying with the Duchess in the east wing of Cair Paravel, close to the High King's quarters. There would be more responsibilities for her when Hermione had official duties, but already Alambil was doing things like helping her to choose her clothing and making sure that she had everything she needed for occasions like today.

Someone came out from the trees. Queen Lucy, back already? No, it was the High King, speaking to Hermione.
And everything crashed to pieces around them.

Aslan had spoken to the High King. He was not to marry Hermione – Aslan had a different destiny for her back in her own world, where she had come from a year ago. She was called to walk and talk with Aslan – he was there for everyone to see, and they all knelt to him, but Alambil would rather have been a mile away – and Hermione only had time for a hurried farewell with King Peter before she disappeared. Alambil knew that she couldn't expect to see her again in this world.

They had been dancing, but nobody went back to the dance. Queen Susan came over to her brother and embraced him, none of them saying anything. After a while she turned to Alambil, who tried to wipe her eyes and look as if she were coping. The queen shook her head and put her arm around her.
"Don't be afraid to weep," she said softly, "not all tears are an evil. And as Hermione told my brother, maybe we will meet her again somewhere."
Alambil could only sniffle and nod, and then they all turned to the trees because someone came out from them again. And this time it really was Queen Lucy. She stopped, looking at them all, finally meeting the gaze of her eldest brother.
"She has left," she said, "I brought her the magical items that we locked away from her, she's sure to need them in her own world. She is in Aslan's paws now – and within his will."

The High King closed his eyes for a moment, and the knuckles of his fists were very white.
"It is his will," he said, barely audibly. "What must be accepted, shall be accepted."
"I found these after she had left," Lucy said, holding forth Queen Helen's jewels. "Should they – should they go back to the royal treasury?"
"Yes, please," Peter said, indicating with his hand that he wasn't going to touch them. "And when you take them back – there's this to go with them as well."
He put his hand in his pocket and came up with a small box. Without opening it, he handed it over to Lucy. She took it and put both the box and the jewels back into the pocket where she had been carrying them. Then she flung her arms around her brother's neck.

"We will see her again," she said quietly. "Some day, we will."

"Lucy is right, you know," King Edmund said. "She knows these things."
She does, Alambil thought. She knows Aslan better than anyone else – if he has told her so, then it will happen. But oh, how much I'm going to miss Hermione until then!

oOoOoOoOoOo
Queen Susan had suggested that Alambil should return to her former position as one of her ladies-in-waiting, and Alambil had come back, grateful that the High King had agreed. Her cousin Helen was still there as well. It had been because of Helen that Alambil had wanted to work at the Narnian court all those years ago – Helen had told the younger girl about the lovely country where she worked, and Alambil had pestered her father until he allowed her to join her cousin. She had been too young to be a lady-in-waiting right away, but she had worked as a hand-maiden for the first years, before she got her final position.

She had been in Narnia for seven years now. The best year had been the one before this – the year when she had that friend from a different world – Hermia, if she could still remember the name rightly. It was strange how she could only remember her in broad terms now – the details were fading. She never dared to ask Queen Susan whether the same had happened to King Peter, who had meant to marry her. The topic was too delicate to be opened.

Today there was plenty to do for the ladies-in-waiting. Over the last year, one particular suitor had come several times, and King Lune had hardly been to Cair Paravel at all. This suitor, Prince Rabadash of Calormen, was much closer to Susan's age, and he had done well in the tournaments when he had been visiting.

And now it was Queen Susan's turn to return the visit. King Edmund would be accompanying her, together with a group of courtiers and advisors. And – possibly to show that there were no hard feelings – King Lune had sent his son, Prince Corin, heir to the throne of Archenland, to go with them. He said that it would be educational for the boy, and it would be easier for Corin to go to Calormen for the first time in a less formal setting than if he had been accompanying his father on a visit of state. Those would come later, when the Prince had grown up some more.

Alambil liked Prince Corin. On occasions, he could seem quite grown-up already – but she had to admit that at other times he could be rather childish. She was the one of the ladies-in-waiting going on this journey who was closest to him in age, so she wouldn't be required to have any responsibility for him. Two fauns came along as his personal attendants.
The last items of luggage were loaded onto the ship, the royal travellers came on board, and the Splendour Hyaline set off for Calormen.

oOoOoOoOoOo
Alambil ended up spending a lot of time with Prince Corin. Whenever something was deemed to be educational for the Prince, Queen Susan thought it would be educational for her youngest lady-in-waiting as well. And most of the time it was interesting as well as being educational. They were shown around in the Tisroc's palaces ("Why do they have an heir to the throne at all," Corin whispered to Alambil, "if they really believe that he might live forever?"), visited the Tisroc's kennels (where Alambil advised Corin that he probably shouldn't take too much interest in any one dog, in case someone thought they were then obliged to offer it as a gift, without really meaning it), and were told about all the different flowers of the Tisroc's gardens (neither Corin nor Alambil even tried to remember all the names, but Alambil thought that the abundance of colors was lovely).

It was almost like having a younger brother. She already had an older brother, but he had been away most of the time, either in the army or on business, as he was learning the trade of his father and would one day take over the family business. In the evenings, after she had done whatever she might be required to do for Queen Susan, she often talked with Prince Corin about what they had seen that day. Again and again they talked about the slaves they had seen. Corin vowed that like his father, he would never allow slavery in Archenland when he was king.

"Do you look forward to being king?" Alambil ventured to ask one day.
"Not particularly," Corin answered, "there's so much to do, and so many difficult decisions to make, and so much responsibility – I don't understand how Father can bear it all. Besides, you know, when I become king – that means that Father has died."

He closed his eyes for a moment and blinked a few times. Alambil made sure not to mention his mother.
The next day Prince Corin went missing. Queen Susan feared that he had been kidnapped, and said that it had been uncommonly stupid of him to run away. But nobody approached them to ask for ransom, and the day after, he turned up again – after having been confused with his double.

"Shasta thinks that he is a Narnian," Prince Corin told Alambil after supper, at a small break in the preparations to secretly sail off. "I hope he is – I should make enquiries about him when we get home, and invite him to visit me at Anvard, if he doesn't come on his own accord. Such fun we will have, getting mistaken for each other all the time! I feel that he is a friend already, even though we only had a few minutes together."
"Do you think he will be able to find his family?" Alambil asked. "He must have been stolen away – from a rich family, perhaps, and then put with ordinary people. If he said he was nobody in particular."
"I hope so," Corin answered, "although I haven't heard anyone talking about any Narnian noble missing a son. Father might know more about it, though."
"What did that other boy say about Queen Susan?" Alambil said. "It must have been rather bad for you to attack him."

Corin's face darkened.
"You don't want to know," he muttered, "you really don't want to know. And I'd rather not repeat it anyway."

Alambil left it at that – even without any details she could guess what kind of joke the boy must have made.

oOoOoOoOoOo
When the Splendour Hyaline reached Narnia a couple of days later, there was a messenger there calling Narnia to aid because Calormen had attacked Archenland. Prince Corin was really excited. He told Alambil that he had never fought in battle before, and fighting to defend his own castle really must be the best way to go to one's first battle. Alambil wasn't too thrilled at the idea – she could well understand Queen Susan, who immediately took over as monarch-in-residence while Queen Lucy joined King Edmund to go to war. Of course, when your country is attacked, somebody has to defend it – but Alambil (and Queen Susan, too) would much rather leave the actual defence to someone else.

When the first messengers came back to tell about the victory and about how King Lune had found his lost son, amongst all the letters they brought there was even one for Alambil – from Prince Corin.

"You will have heard by now," he wrote, "how Shasta turned out to be my brother! We didn't only look like twins, we really were! And he is the eldest, and he is going to be king, and I won't need to be a king, I shall always be a prince!

“At first Cor was worried because he had taken the kingship from me, but I told him to shut up – I don't want it. And I believe he's going to be a far better king than what I could have been – he's more responsible, I think, at least he looks like that when he's facing education and all such things that he will have to put up with now.

“I didn't even know that I had lost a brother. Nobody has talked about it – I guess they thought it would have been too painful for father to hear. But now that Cor is back, I have heard the whole story. I'll tell you all about it next time we come to Narnia – if you don't come here first."
Alambil didn't come. She loved Narnia more than ever, especially after those months she had recently had in Archenland – and there might still be the threat of her father nagging at her to find a husband. So she preferred to stay in Narnia, and Queen Susan respected her wishes and chose other ladies-in-waiting whenever she went to Anvard. But there were letters going back and forth – Alambil told Prince Corin about the goings-on at the Narnian court, and Corin told her more about what it was like suddenly to have got a brother. And almost a sister as well, he wrote, since Lady Aravis also was living at the castle of Anvard. Sometimes there would be visits from Archenland to Narnia, and Alambil met both Prince Cor and Lady Aravis, and found that her "educational" visit to Calormen hadn't given her all that much useful information. Aravis could tell a lot more.

They would all write to each other and send greetings for Christmas, but it was only to Prince Corin that Alambil continued to write regular letters. The years went by, and she told him about the Narnian kings and queens – there had been less suitors to Queen Susan lately, perhaps because they had misunderstood the fight against Rabadash and been scared away. On the other hand, there had been more suitors to Queen Lucy, as if to make up for the loss. But none of them seemed to favor any one suitor more than anyone else these days. She didn't know much about the kings in this respect, only that most of the time there weren't even rumors going. She tried to tell about her friend Hermia, and how the High King had made her a countess and wanted to marry her all those years ago, but she found that there was so little she could remember now.

Corin told her about his training – even though he was not going to be a king, he would need to be a warrior, and he learnt how to use a sword properly ("even though I already knew enough to kill an enemy in my first battle – but I realize now that I was a bit lucky then"), and he perfected his boxing skills.

They always spent a lot of time talking when Corin came to Narnia, and their friendship grew until Alambil felt that he was her best friend. And he always – on the night before he would be going home – asked her whether she would come home soon. And she always answered that she had settled down in Narnia now, and that it was becoming her new home.

One day in Spring, during a tournament when Corin had just unhorsed his opponent, Alambil was cheering for him when it suddenly struck her that of course he was not a boy any more. Prince Corin was a young man, just like his brother. Why hadn't she noticed before? And when they talked that evening, she was a little shy at first. But Corin was just as friendly as ever, if possible even more courteous than the last time they had met, and soon they were talking freely again. But they didn't make as many jokes this time as they often had done.

He asked as always, and she refused as always. But this time he asked again.

"Are you completely sure? You still have family in Archenland, it's not as if you would be a complete stranger. I would really like to have you a bit closer."
She thought about it – but refused again, and this time he accepted her answer.
He came back for the Midsummer Festival. He sought her out for dancing even more than he used to, and she enjoyed dancing with him, even though it made her a little shy sometimes. But it was nice having his hands supporting her back and whirling her around, even nicer than the hands of the other men she was dancing with.
Perhaps it would be nice to be a bit closer to him? Perhaps – oh, what was this? He was her best friend, he had been so for a few years – was that changing now? There was something else as well ...

On the last night before the Archenlanders would leave, there was a ball in their honor. Prince Corin hardly danced with anyone other than Alambil. When he had to let her dance with others, he chose to just stand by the wall, his arms crossed, following her with his eyes, ready to grab her for the next dance.
Alambil had noticed. She chided him for it, gently.

“There are others who might like to dance with you as well, you know,” she said. “You should spread your favors.”

“But I don't like so much to dance with them,” he protested. “And as for my favors – no, I don't want to spread them at all.”

For some reason this made Alambil blush and not know what to say, so she just let him whirl her around again, and enjoyed the dance. And his hands.

After the last dance Corin suggested that they go down to the gardens for a bit of fresh air, and Alambil agreed – she was feeling quite warm. They walked for a while in silence, just sniffing at the fragrance of the evening flowers, and finally sat down on a bench underneath a lamp-post.
He turned to her.
“Won't you come home soon?” he asked.

She had expected the question, and she had expected to turn it away as always, but suddenly she wasn't so sure, and she couldn't find the right words.

He pounced on her hesitation.
“If you're not sure, then you should come,” he declared.

"I would so much like to have you closer. Don't you think that would be a good idea?"
"It's not that," she whispered, "it's just ... I like being here. Narnia is such a lovely place. It's almost a new home to me now."

“Almost,” he repeated. “But not quite, then. Archenland could be your home again, if you let it. And if you let me. I don't want to spread my favors, Alambil, I want to give them all to you. I want to build a new home with you as my wife. Will you marry me?”

Alambil was sure that she was gaping. Marriage? To her best friend? But ...

"See, you're not refusing me straight off," Corin said with a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Won't you at least think about it?"
"Yes, I'll think about it," Alambil repeated, unable to find other words.
That evening, she couldn’t sleep. What was going on? Corin was still her friend, wasn’t he? Her best friend? Why hadn’t she realized that he wanted something more than that?

Because she had been shutting her eyes very firmly?

She wouldn’t mind being closer to him, she enjoyed his company every time they met, although she had preferred that he come to Narnia rather than she go away. But would it be a good idea to be his wife? Would it change their friendship?
It needn’t, she realized. Yes, it would make it different, if they met every day, and there were all the tedious details that were part of everyday life to enter into their friendship – but those details needn’t ruin that friendship. Perhaps the details would be easier to bear for them, because they were already friends and willing to help each other.

Then if they met every night …

She suddenly remembered his hands touching her back when they were dancing, and she got all warm inside by the memory. Was this what had made her shy, too? Had she been falling in love with him – and not seeing it?

Because she had been shutting her eyes very firmly?

She toyed with the thought of being Corin’s wife. Not his friend. Not just his friend. And she realized that being married to one’s best friend might actually be a good thing.

In the morning, she tried to get a moment alone with him, but in the hustle and bustle of breaking up and getting ready to leave, it was impossible. He seemed to be holding back, not making an effort to be alone with her – knowing him, she thought he probably didn’t want to put undue pressure on her.
Finally, the party from Archenland were taking their leave. Alambil curtsied to King Lune and embraced Cor and Aravis, and when Corin was about to embrace her, she spoke hurriedly, knowing that people around her might hear what she was saying.
“May Aslan give you a safe journey,” she said, “and, just so you know – what you mentioned to me last night – I think it’s a good idea.”
Corin gaped. Then he embraced her and swirled her around.

“You will?” he asked. “You really will?”

“I will,” she answered, smiling. “And now, set me down, before you hit anybody.”
oOoOoOoOoOo
They were married the next summer, three months after the wedding of Cor and Aravis. While Ram was born a year later, Corin and Alambil didn’t have their first child – a son – until a year after that. King Peter was his godfather, and he chose the name Frank for the boy, hinting back at his distant ancestry.

Two years later, Ram got a brother, and the next year Frank got a sister. Alambil named her Hermia, after her friend of long ago. Queen Susan was her godmother – although Susan admitted that she didn’t remember the Baroness very well any more.

“Nor does my royal brother, I think,” she said, “although I haven’t actually asked him for a long time. But I don’t think he will ever marry anyone else.”
Two months before Frank’s fifth birthday, King Edmund came to visit. He brought with him documents from the four sovereigns of Narnia with an offer to make Frank their heir. Corin admitted that it would be an honor, and Alambil, who still missed Narnia sometimes, thought that it would be a good way to strengthen the old connection. More documents were set up, some of them stating the exact order of succession should any of the current kings and queens ever have offspring, and others stating what rights Frank’s descendants should and shouldn’t have to the throne of Archenland – and on his birthday the final agreement was signed by the four Narnian sovereigns, by King Lune, and by Princes Cor and Corin. Frank was appointed a Prince of Narnia, but as he was a Prince of Archenland already, it didn’t make much difference to him.

For his tenth birthday, Prince Frank was given a small estate close to Beruna. The High King Peter thought that it would be good for him to be able to live in Narnia for longer periods of time, and that it would be easier to give him a Narnian education that way. Alambil was thrilled at the chance to live in Narnia again, and over the years she and the children came to spend more of their time there than they did at Anvard. Corin, on the other hand, had to travel back and forth quite a lot, as he still had duties in Archenland – like when the farmers close to Stormness complained to Cor (who had become king by then) about the Lapsed Bear who wasn’t behaving like a Talking Bear any more. King Cor asked Prince Corin to deal with it, as he was hoping that it might still listen to reason – and Corin found that although it wouldn’t listen to reason, he was able to beat some sense into it, after a boxing fight of thirty-three rounds without a time-keeper. At the end the Bear couldn't see out of its eyes and became a reformed character. Corin was called Corin Thunder-Fist after that.

Prince Ram of Archenland was sworn in as heir to the throne on his fifteenth birthday. A year later the turn came to Prince Frank, and in the Great Hall of Cair Paravel, in front of the four sovereigns, he pledged allegiance to Aslan and to the High King, and swore to protect Narnia and her inhabitants with his life. It was a solemn occasion, and the boy was both thrilled and a little scared to be made a knight by King Peter himself.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Prince Frank was just over seventeen, and he now lived in Narnia, but went to visit his relatives at Anvard quite often. Alambil didn’t always go with him, only when Hermia also came and they could all go together. Frank had been to some battles already – the Giants of the North had started to stir up trouble again a few months ago, and King Peter had beaten them soundly (although it took some weeks). Prince Frank had been added to his council, and Corin had been pleased to hear that the young prince showed great skills of strategy. Frank could even beat King Edmund at chess sometimes.
This week they were visiting at Cair Paravel. There had been a grand feast last night, and today they would mainly rest – but Prince Frank still went to the training grounds in the morning as usual. The kings had sparred with him yesterday, and said that his swordmanship was better than that of most young men his age – being called a “young man” had meant almost more to him than the praise of his skills.

This morning there were two fauns there to spar with him, and they had been at it for nearly an hour when Frank tripped over a root and sprained his ankle. After they had ascertained that nothing was broken, the fauns helped him into the castle, where he settled down with a book in his room. Alambil was worried, and insisted on sitting with him to make sure that he didn't get any worse, but he said that there was nothing to worry about, all he needed to do was to rest for a couple of days and after that he would be right as rain again. But she was welcome to play the mother-hen if she liked.
Frank was able to join the others for lunch, and after the meal King Edmund joined him for a game of chess. King Peter came as well, just to watch, and to gloat at the end, as he said.

Alambil, still feeling that she ought to be around, took her embroidery over to sit by a window where she would have better light.

A few years ago I didn't need so much light, she thought. My eyes are getting older – I am getting older. I have an almost grown-up son – just look at him, on an equal footing with the kings – and a daughter who is almost a young lady, older than I was when I first came to Narnia. How the years have flown by!
Frank started the game fairly well, but he soon lost his first advantage. Edmund had just beaten him when a Faun, Queen Lucy’s friend Mr. Tumnus, came in all excited, the queens in tow, telling that he had come down the river expressly to tell them that the White Stag had been seen up in his parts of the country.

“The White Stag?” King Peter said. “Who would give us wishes if we caught him? Now there’s an adventure for us! Prince Frank – what about you?”
“Not now, I’m afraid,” Frank said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice, “I might hurt my ankle if I don’t give it some rest. But don’t let that stop you from going – such an adventure isn’t something you should miss out on unless you must. Just tell me all about it when you come back!”

Alambil was pleased to see her son showing such responsibility. It was a good sign for his future.


Also a fic for animus_wyrmis:

In the fifth year of the reign of High King Peter and his Royal Siblings, Queen Lucy received a very unwanted gift from a very unwanted suitor. The present came at breakfast wrapped in red silk with a gold ribbon and carried by two doves. Despite the rather sweet sentiment, the young queen was not at all pleased. She did not appreciate having a gift deposited in her eggs and she most certainly did not like that it was delivered in the presence of her subjects. Her only consolation was that her brothers were away trying to resolve a quarrel in the Shuddering Woods and were therefore not present to witness the humiliating affair. The same could not be said for her sister.

“Oh Lucy, honestly, it’s not that bad.” For the past six hours, Queen Susan the Gentle had been trying to calm her rather irate sister out of her current state. “He was just trying to impress you with his knowledge of our culture.”

“Susan,” the thirteen-year-old girl said. “He sent me a brick.”

The older queen rolled her eyes at the statement and added more sugar to her tea. “He did not send you a brick, Sister. I think he was being rather thoughtful.”

“Thoughtful?” The fair-haired girl leaned back against the divan. “He sent me the one gift <i>no one</i> ever wants to receive! What in the world am I supposed to do with it?”

“It’s a traditional Christmas gift, Lucy. He probably went through a lot of work to discover it. You know they don’t celebrate Christmas in Terebinthia.”

“Yes, but of all the gifts, why this one?” The young girl let a whine enter her voice and her older sister raised an eyebrow.

Placing her tea on the table, Susan crossed her arms and gave her sister a disapproving look. “You should be happy he sent you anything at all, little though you seem to deserve it right now!”

“That’s not fair!” Lucy narrowed her eyes. “I didn’t ask for a gift and certainly not one from a twenty-year-old prince.”

“Sister,” Susan sighed, “You will find very quickly that rarely are the presents asked for and even rarer by wanted suitors. The only thing you can do is nod and accept the gift with a gracious smile and a politely worded refusal.”

“That’s all well and good, but didn’t you once tell me that rarely does that tactic work?”

Susan, knowing she was trapped, just sighed and nodded. “Yes, but unfortunately it’s all you can do without causing and international incident. Eventually, he’ll catch on and the presents will begin to dwindle before you never hear from him again.”

“Alright, but you know that doesn’t tell me what to do with <i>this</i>.” The Valiant Queen gestured towards the object between the two.

“Well…” the older girl drew out, trying to think of something. “Have you tried giving it to the Dogs?”

Lucy sighed and nodded. “Yes, but they didn’t want it. They kept saying that it smelled like a dead rat and that it was impossible to chew.”

“What about the Centaurs?” Susan tried again. “They have two stomachs.”

The youngest sighed again and put her chin in her palm. “Yes, but unfortunately they don’t have diamond teeth in which to bite it with.”

“The Cats?”

“Tried it.”

“The Satyrs?”

“Twice.”

“The Dwarves.”

“They tried to break it with their hammers.”

“Fauns?”

“I don’t want to kill anyone, Su!”

“Well goodness, Lucy, I’m fresh out of ideas!” Susan threw up her hands in dismay. “At this rate we might as well just throw it in the fire and use it as a log.”

“I tried that at noon.” She put her head in her hands. “Not even a burn.”

Susan sighed again and glanced at the gift. “Well, why don’t we try eating it? It might be good. The letter said he even made it himself.”

Lucy slowly raised her head to stare at her sister as if she had gone insane. Everyone knew that the Prince of Terebinthia was a horrible cook. Rumour had it that he almost poisoned himself when trying to make his own dinner. What in Narnia would make Susan think that eating the thing would be a good idea?

After a moment’s staring contest, the older girl deflated. “Well we can’t just throw it out. It would be far too rude.”

“Probably wouldn’t even decompose,” Lucy said with a slight laugh. “Plus I don’t think the Dryads would be overly happy with us if we were to do so.”

“No, I suspect not.”

Both girls looked down at their hands with a sigh. The gift really had been thoughtful; it was just that it hadn’t been <i>thoughtfully</i> planned out.

Suddenly, Lucy was struck with an idea. “I’ve got it!” Susan looked at the girl, excited. “We could wrap it up again and give it to Peter or Edmund. They surely wouldn’t refuse it!”

Susan slouched (a rare posture for her) and raised an eyebrow. “Lucy, it’s not called the ‘gift that keeps on giving’ for no reason. We want to get rid of it for good to make sure that it never makes its way back to Terebinthia. Even Peter and Edmund wouldn’t accept <i>this</i> gift without doing the same thing. It would be a never ending cycle!”

“Do you have a better idea?” Lucy crossed her arms. She thought that it was actually a pretty good plan, but she was willing to bend on it if Susan could come up with something better.

The young queen waited for a few moments as her older sister began to think. She didn’t have to wait long, however, and she grew excited when she saw that rare gleam of adventurous scheming enter her sister’s eyes. Susan, for all her gentleness and ladylike ways, was not afraid to play dirty when the situation required it and Lucy took great delight in such rare moments.

Her sister had a plan, and Lucy would be willing to bet every diamond she owned that it would be brilliant.

“Lucy,” the older girl smirked, “how long do you think we have before Peter and Edmund get home?”

~*~~*~~*~

“Well, what do you think?”

Four hours after the initial planning began, the four siblings could be found in the kitchens. Peter and Edmund had arrived not but an hour before and the girls had taken it upon themselves to see to it that their brothers received a proper meal before they retired to their rooms. It really was all the queens could do not to burst out into laughter upon seeing the looks on their brothers’ faces, but they managed to hide it well. The kings, on the other hand, were just staring at the item on the table in front of them, looking for all the world like two frightened boys.

“It, uh, looks…lovely, Lucy…thank you.” Peter managed to stutter out. He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. It wasn’t that he was scared or anything, it was just that while his sisters were almost everything the ideal woman could be, they couldn’t bake to save their lives. Quickly, he stole a desperate look at his younger brother only to find that he was in the same predicament.

The youngest queen caught the look but pretended not too, and instead pasted on the brightest, most innocent smile she could muster. “Susan and I spent all day preparing this for the both of you! It took a few tries, but I think we finally got it right.” Her older sister coughed into her hand, but Lucy paid her no mind. “Of course, the both of you will have to tell us what you think, but I think we managed perfectly!”

Edmund, already feeling his stomach begin to knot, asked, “And did Diddy help you with it by any chance?” A small pleading tone entered the question as both of the kings began to pray that said pastry chef had done most of the work.

Lucy, feeling rather mischievous, just continued to smile and shook her head. “Nope, Susan and I made him promise not to interfere. We wanted to surprise the both of you. We decided that it would be your early Christmas present.” Both girls made sure to look as innocent and earnest as possible in order to make their brothers feel guilty enough to pick up a fork.

“Well, Lucy…that’s, uh, great!” Edmund laughed nervously. “I’m sure we’ll, uh…love it!” And with a sudden move, both boys picked up their forks and turned to the food on their plates. Without giving themselves time to back down, they stabbed the rock solid item with their forks and stuffed it in their mouths.

Time seemed to stop as the flavor and texture hit their tongues, but when it did both kings struggled not to blanch and spit the thing out. Seeing the joyful and earnest looks on their sister’s faces, they fought back their reflexes and swallowed the offending food.

“Well…,” Susan drew out, “what do you think?”

Now, let it be known that both Peter and Edmund did not like to lie. But the fact of the matter remained that these were their sisters – their very loving and firm sisters who seemed to have more power over them than even their swordmasters. There was also the fact that neither king liked, or knew how to deal with, very disappointed or sad girls. When faced with having either sad and/or angry sisters, or having to lie, they, like every other self-preserving male would make the correct choice.

“It’s wonderful, girls, thank you,” Peter said with a grimace. Edmund might have said something in kind but he was too busy trying not to be sick.

Susan, while trying to contain a mischievous smile, beamed and clapped her hands together with Lucy. “Oh how wonderful! We’re ever so glad you like it! Well, eat up, there’s plenty more where that came from.” Both boys paled even further, but the queens pretended not to notice.

Lucy, gasping as if remembering something important, grabbed a hold of her sister’s sleeve and said, “Oh, Susan, I almost forgot! We must go and thank Diddy for letting us use his kitchen all day. I simply don’t think I could sleep tonight knowing I hadn’t thanked him.”

The older girl, also gasping, nodded and grabbed the younger girl’s hand. “Oh you’re right, Lu! We must go thank him before he goes to bed.” Turning to her brothers (who, by the way, had yet to take another bite) she smiled and said, “Now you both just finish that up while we go and find Diddy. We’ll be back in bit!” With that, she kissed the both of them on the cheek and began to leave the room.

Lucy just smiled and hugged them both. “I am ever so glad you like it!” Then, she turned and left the two very guilty kings to finish eating their food.

~*~~*~~*~

“I think that went well,” Susan whispered from the other side of kitchen door. “I don’t know about you, but that was much more entertaining than just wrapping it up again and giving it to them as a present.”

“I agree,” Lucy nodded. She had to keep placing her hands over her mouth in order to keep herself from laughing out loud.

Susan too was having a hard time preventing herself from breaking out into laughter, but she was better able to hide it than her younger sister. “If nothing else, we can consider this payback for last year. I don’t know about you, but I did not appreciate having snowballs thrown at me while I was still in bed.”

The younger queen could only nod at the statement, herself none too pleased about the prank their brothers had pulled on them last Christmas.

“Well, I suppose suitors a good for something.” The older girl could only nod. It was true.

“Oh yes, if nothing else, they are good for a laugh.” Both girls giggled before the fair-haired young queen turned a serious and happy gaze towards the older girl.

“You know, Su, I’m really glad you’re my big sister.” Susan’s eyes softened and a small smile graced her face.

Putting her arms around the younger girl, she gave her a gentle hug and a kiss. “And I could never ask for a more wonderful little sister, Lucy.”

For a moment, both girls just stood by the door content to be just sisters. Soon, though, they broke from their hug and Susan took the younger teen’s hand. Tugging her along, she said, “Come on then, let’s go get ready for bed before we come back to check on their progress.”

Lucy, feeling much better than she had that morning, smiled and let herself be guided towards the stairs that led towards the upper floors. The last thing either girl heard before they exited the hallway were the twin groans of their brothers as the boys tried to eat the Prince’s fruitcake.

This time, the queens didn’t try to hide their laughter.


A fic for Silvereyed:

Title: A Train Ride Home

Rating: G

Characters: Edmund, Peter, Lucy, Susan, Mrs. Pevensie

Wordcount: 1,100

Summary: Fall found the Pevensies headed home to London. [Takes place between The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian ]

***

The change of seasons with its nippy days and brightly color leaves finds the Pevensies in a railway car, heading back to their home in London. Unlike their trip to the Professor's country manor the train is dismally quiet, free of the yelling, pushing, and chatter of the other children fleeing London and the air raids. Edmund tries not to think about why they aren't heading back to London as well.

Were they dead or were their parents simply too afraid to let them return? Edmund wouldn't have cared before he went to Narnia, but now he understands war in a way that true children shouldn't, couldn't.

He doesn't regret this understanding though, or at least he tried not to. Narnia changed him, but for the better. No matter how painful those changes make his life he refuses to ignore them. To do so would be to betray Aslan and that is something he will not do.

"This is so great! I can explore the whole train car!" Lucy yells from where she’s hidden herself behind the far train bench. She's been trying to get them to play hide and seek since they first got on the train, but none of the elder Pevensie children have felt like it.

It brings back too many memories of finding their way into Narnia. Edmund sometimes wonders if that is the reason Lucy is so insistent on playing hide and seek whenever she gets the chance. Does she think that they can find their way back to Narnia if they find the perfect hiding spot?

Perhaps she does. It is like her to be so optimistic, but Edmund doubts it will be that simple. They will not return to Narnia until Aslan calls them back.

Even then, it will probably be too late for Narnia, though he doesn't dare tell Lucy that. She has never been in charge of the armies or diplomacy; she doesn't know what waits for them upon their return. The Kings and Queens of Narnia have been gone for over two months. The Tisroc wouldn't have waited this long to take advantage of their absence. He will have his army marching for Narnia within the first week, and even with their strength, the Talking Animals and other Beasts of Narnia won't be able to hold the Calormen off. Not without their leaders, and Edmund doubts Aslan will step in to lead, not after he allowed or perhaps even sent their family back to England.

Peter has been ignoring him and the girls for most of the train ride, for most of the summer. Of the four of them he seems to be having the hardest time adjusting to their return to England. He still expects to be listened to and he rebels whenever an adult order him to do something.

He refuses to accept that at least in this world they are just children who have no choice but to follow the decisions of the adults around them. Edmund just hopes he grows out of his rebellious stage soon.

Edmund is getting far too good an idea of what Peter has been going through when Edmund is being rebellious. If nothing else this experience will help him forgive Peter for all the yelling he did during the months before their trip to Narnia. Edmund is sorely tempted to do some yelling of his own. Something he never liked to indulge in, even when he was King Edmund the Just.

More and more often he finds himself falling back into childish habits and he suspects that the longer they spend in England the less their memories of Narnia will affect them.

He tries to talk to his siblings about Narnia, in order to keep the memories fresh, but Peter grows sullen at the mere mention of it, and Susan hides her memories behind pointless prattle about fashion and dresses. Only Lucy still speaks about their experiences with any vigor and even she prefers to dwell on the happy times, the Golden Age, rather that the lessons they learn under Aslan's watchful gaze.

"Come away from there, Lucy, it's time for lunch." Susan calls. She digs into the small picnic basket Mrs. Macready packed for them.

Edmund found Mrs. Macready more and more amusing as the summer progressed, and now he finds himself missing her. She reminds him greatly of a Marsh-wiggle, with her portents of doom and tragedy as well as her insistence on mothering them all, in her own abrasive manner. He understands why the Professor decided to keep her on as his housekeeper, given the fact that he suspects the Professor traveled to Narnia at some point.

The four of them eat their lunch quietly, none of them willing to bring break their tentative peace. Peter doesn't even dare to look them in the eyes, to busy glaring at the English country-side.

After they clean up the food and pack away the brown paper wrappers and leavings, Edmund challenges Lucy to a game of hide and seek. It's better than sitting around while Susan and Peter ignore each other, and him.

***

Mother is waiting for them at the London railway station. Edmund can't believe how young she looks to him. He remembers at the beginning of the summer how she had seemed so old, like she couldn't understand any of his problems. Now he finds himself feeling for her. What must it have been like for her to send her children away to safety, knowing that there was no guarantee they or she would live to be reunited?

How strong she had to have been. He remembers the strength it took for him to leave the girls at Cair Paravel when the time came for him and Peter to go to war. He would not wish that kind of pain on anyone, and it must have been so much worse for his mother, to let all four of them go.

Peter and Susan stand apart from her, acting like adults who are seeing a friend again after a long journey. Mother stares at them, heartbreak in her eyes, while she cuddles Lucy to her chest. Edmund does what he could to lessen that pain, hurrying to hug his Mother as soon as she lets go of Lucy. She gives an amused chuckle, like she can't believe he will actually hug her. She probably can’t, as much of a prat as he was before his journey to Narnia.

She holds him tight to her chest and presses kisses to his hair and Edmund does his best to hug back as tightly as he could. He vows then and there that he will do whatever it takes to protect his family, to hold them together as the war and their memories of Narnia tear them apart from each other.

He is the betrayer, the dark son, and he will pay the price for his sins, by protecting his siblings from themselves.

Comments

[snacky]

Oh my! "Bittersweet Cookies" was such a perfect Christmas fic - sad and hopeful at the same time.

I loved "And What Happened After" - great continuation of a wonderful story, and such a nice expansion on the world and history of Narnia.

"A Train Ride Home" was a nice glimpse at Edmund at a difficult time. Perspective changes so many things.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Cookies! A very sweet, and bittersweet story! As for the fic of fic, huzzah for long and detailed worldbuilding and a great use and story for Alambil! And oh Edmund, yes you were the betrayer and the dark son, but not anymore. Whack Peter on the side of the head for all of us, would you?

Lovely fics, Santas!

[silvereyed101.livejournal.com]

WHEEE. I love my fic.

[animus-wyrmis.livejournal.com]

::gasps:: What a story, Santa! I love it. :DDD I love how Alambil is so AWESOME and how she and Peter forget (Hermia! The Baroness!) and then CORIN MARRIES ALAMBIL ALSDKJAKSDALKJD PRINCE FRANK. SLKDJASD NARNIA FINALLY RULED BY DESCENDANTS OF FRANK AND HELEN. And the last line! Oh, my goodness! (I love the ending too, that we know it is this pivotal moment for Narnia but it is her story and it stays that way.) Thank you, whoever you are! This was wonderful!