Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing Narnia related (though I wish I did!). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Last one! The next story will be up in a week or so!

Epilogue: To Crown a Queen:

Days of celebration followed our return to Narnia –there were feasts, music, and welcomes from our friends, as well as from the people. Many were thrilled that Caspian had finally married, and some of those who had doubts remembered what I'd done for the good of Narnia (including saving Caspian's life), and accepted their King's choice. Those with more serious objections remained muted, though I did see flickers of approval when they saw how well and properly I conducted myself.

In between celebrations and feasts, Caspian met with his Council. He was eager to see what he had missed, and to find out if there were any matters that he had to attend to. The Councilors had earlier assured him that nothing needed his attention, but Caspian wanted to be sure, anyway.

And lucky me, I was involved as well. This I didn't mind, since I was also curious as to what had happened during our absence. The problem was, in regards to anything legal or significant, I wasn't really allowed to do much until after I was officially crowned Queen. Once that event occurred, anything I put my signature on was to be carried out whenever I demanded it.

As can be imagined, I was pretty annoyed at being useless, but at least I could familiarize myself with what I felt needed attention, and go back to do something about it once I had the ability to do so. I think the Councilors were torn between being amused at my impatience, and worried about it, since they didn't know what to expect from me. I had gone against the 'rules' of etiquette for years, and now they wondered what I would do once I became Queen. It was fun watching them squirm.

During my free time, I made sure that Gael and her family members were happily settled in their lovely suite of rooms, tucked in a hallway near mine. Watching Helen, Helaine and Rhince's mouths drop open at the sight of their quarters was hysterical, especially since Gael took it all in stride. As her parents stood gaping at the fine rooms, Gael went to pick out her own room, and to tell the servants where to set her things. Once she was satisfied with where her belongings were settled, she came to ask where the library was. I offered to show her while her parents saw to their own unpacking. By now, the small family had settled into their new home, and all of them were as eager for the coronation ceremony as anyone else.

But my time wasn't entirely spent at parties, in council sessions, or with showing Gael around the castle and city. Rather, I found myself holed up with Helaine, who decided to become my own personal seamstress and gown designer.

"If it's all the same to you, Ali, I would rather work for you than open my own shop," she told me, several days after our arrival in Narnia.

I had first made an offer to help finance a shop for her –then, once she was established and had a line of steady customers, she could pay me back. But after talking with her husband, they decided it would be best to see if I would hire her on as my personal seamstress and wardrobe mistress. I happily agreed, since it an excellent opportunity for everyone, and Helaine was thrilled with the idea of working with extremely fine materials. Rhince, meanwhile, had found a job as a sort of consultant to Drinian, who wanted a life-long sailor's advice and knowledge at his disposal.

And so, today, I was being fussed over by my personal dress designer. It was three days before my coronation ceremony, and we were in my personal quarters, my own little "getaway" inside the palace. Although we had a shared set of rooms, it was traditional for a King and Queen to keep their own suite for a bit of privacy, so Caspian had his own set as well.

As I stood on a nice little pedestal, Helaine was pinning, unpinning, snipping, measuring, and either sighing or muttering over me. She had solemnly declared that she was going to make my coronation gown a thing to remember, even if I told her to not make it overly gaudy. Now she was trying to make it gaudy without it appearing to be gaudy, and it wasn't going well for her. Poor Helaine had her sister helping her, and both women were insistent on using cloth-of-gold in my outfit.

"You can use it, but don't make it tasteless or anything," I constantly reminded them. "If I don't like it, I won't wear it."

That always made them grumpy, but Helen and Helaine knew that I meant what I said: If I don't like it, I won't wear it. True, I hadn't liked gowns in the past, but now that I was Caspian's wife, I knew I'd have to bite the bullet and deal with wearing them. Besides, if I liked the feel of the material and the look of it, I had no problem putting a dress on. If I didn't think it suited me, it wouldn't be allowed near me. Caspian was no help in my clothing matters, either, because he thought I looked wonderful in anything I put on.

"I wish you would let me use the silver satin, Ali," Helaine said as she picked up a length of the material to show to me.

"No," I said firmly. "I'm letting you get away with the cloth-of-gold and gold embroidery. It's either one or the other, so you'll just have to make do with that."

A feminine chuckle preceded the entry of Felicia, who gave my seamstresses a sympathetic look. "Really, Ali, it's your coronation! You should want to look your most spectacular! I know I would."

I rolled my eyes as the sisters looked hopefully at me. Felicia gave me a smile as she took the silver satin in her hands. "You should look like the Queen people expect you to be –shining like the sun and the moon, and the stars! The people will likely never see such a thing again in their lives and the least you can do is make it special for them."

As I made to protest, Felicia reached out and gently placed a hand over my mouth. "Do not disappoint your subjects with this, your first act as Queen," she whispered. "Helaine wants to make this special for you, especially since people will be looking to her to make you appear as the great Queen they expect. Caspian may not care what you wear, but everyone else will have high expectations, which they will look to Helaine to meet. Do not make this about just you."

Sighing, I nodded towards the sisters. "Alright, but don't make it too heavy or too hot! There's supposed to be a ball afterwards, and I don't want to be sweating through the material when I'm halfway up the aisle to the thrones!"

The glint in their eyes gave me the feeling that I was going to regret this.

The day of my coronation dawned bright, sunny, and warm. Everyone was excited, and the air around Cair Paravel hummed with emotions –I could feel it even in my rooms. To my disappointment, Caspian had gotten ready in his own suite, so that he wouldn't see me in my coronation gown. I had hoped for a bit of encouragement from him, but there had still been a lot to do before the ceremony, and he'd been busy with that all morning.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to remain calm as I nibbled through the breakfast that Helen brought me. There was a lot of food, much more than I wanted to eat, but I managed a mouthful of eggs, bacon, and sausage without too much trouble.

My gown was, as expected, more extravagant than I wanted it to be. The entire thing was crafted from silver and gold materials, and I felt uncomfortable wearing something so opulent.

There was a silver, silken under-gown with a lighter silver design woven into it. Looking at it, the design resembled trees waving with the wind. Over it was the cloth-of-gold material –sleeveless and open at the front of the skirt, to show the silver under-gown, and embroidered into the gold was a gold-and-silver design of swirling waves that made the material look as though it were liquid. Matching gold-and-silver braid decorated the sweetheart neckline and hems of the dress, while shining crystals and beads shone along the gold bodice. The cut of the dress was flowing, falling downwards until it fluttered along the ground and back in a short train.

Around my neck was one of the necklaces that Caspian had given me, one of gold and diamonds that went perfectly with the outfit. On one of my wrists was a matching bracelet, a coronation gift from Trumpkin. My head was bare, and my hair hung loosely down my back, the strands along the sides near my temples gathered and twisted simply until they were gathered at the back of my head, they were braided and allowed to fall downwards.

"You look lovely, my lady," Helaine said, giving me a courtesy as she finished and stepped back. Her sister and daughter did the same, making my stomach quiver with nerves. I didn't like the idea of people bowing to me, but now I would have to get used to it –at least until I broke my friends of the habit.

A knock came on the door. "Ali, it's time," Professor Cornelius called as he poked his head inside. When he saw me, he smiled proudly. "You look beautiful, my dear."

Smiling, I stepped forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Professor," I said as he took my hands in his. "Well, let's get this over with, shall we? I don't relish the idea of wearing this gown longer than I have to."

There was another dress for me to wear at the ball this evening, but it was far less ornate than this one, and much lighter. That dress I was excited to wear, because it was in blue and silver, my favorite color combinations, and was both simple and elegant at the same time.

Professor Cornelius chuckled and released my hands so that he could offer his arm. I managed a smile as he led me from the room, the others trailing behind me.

As the throne room doors swung open, Caspian almost choked at the sight that met his eyes. He had thought Ali to be breathtaking in her wedding gown, but she practically shone in the one she wore now.

Up on the dais, dressed in his own finery of blue, silver and gold, with his crown upon his brow, Caspian was very thankful that he wasn't holding a thing in his hands, or else he would have dropped it. His eyes followed Ali's shining form as she walked up the length of red carpet that had been unfurled for the occasion. The Centaurs of the Royal Guard had drawn their swords for her to walk beneath, as they had once done for the Kings and Queens of Old, and every pair of eyes watched as Ali slowly walked past them, the image of dignity and royalty.

Swallowing harshly, he saw her come close enough to have her gaze meet his, and the sparkle of amusement that shone there almost had him grinning, in spite of the seriousness of the event. Ali always did have a way of lightening a situation.

At the foot of the dais, she stopped, waiting patiently as Caspian made his speech. He talked of he'd discovered his love for Ali, and to his great joy, wedded her before those he trusted and held most dear. He then declared that his union with Ali was the will of Aslan, the Great Lion, and from this day forward, she was to be his Queen and Consort, to rule with him until the end of her days. Any who desired to object to this should speak now, and be prepared to challenge not only Caspian himself, but also the wrath of the great Lion.

When no one voiced any protests, Caspian motioned for her to kneel. Turning, he retrieved Ali's crown from the red velvet pillow being held by Trumpkin, who looked immensely proud (though whether it was pride at Ali or at being the bearer of her crown, Caspian couldn't tell). For now, it was a simple circlet of gold, as it was all that could be found in such a short time period. Caspian would ask the Dwarves to craft something more suitable later.

Holding the crown above her head, he proclaimed, "I crown thee Alandra, Queen of Narnia! May your grace and wisdom rule over our land for many long years!"

As he placed the circlet upon her head, the most incredible thing happened. Right under his fingers, the crown began to glow with a bright golden light, causing many to gasp. As he watched, the simple gold band shifted and changed form, and when the light faded, in its place was a magnificent crown crafted of entwining silver and gold vines, adorned with shining flowers and leaves.

Stepping back, Caspian reached down to help Ali to her feet. Looking at her puzzled face, he knew that everyone but her had seen her crown glow and change. Smiling, he leaned forward and kissed her soundly, causing everyone to burst into cheers and applause. When he pulled back, Ali gave him a questioning look.

"What was that all about?" she asked, just loud enough for him to hear her.

"I'll tell you later," he replied, taking her hand and leading her up onto the dais.

Once they stood before their respective thrones, he raised a hand, effectively silencing the room and gaining everyone's attention. "I give you Queen Alandra the Fair, for she is as honorable and truthful as she is fair in face!"

Again, the crowd burst into applause and cheers Caspian signaled for her to sit, which she did. "So, how fare you, my queen?" he teased, earning a mock glare from his wife.

"Quite well, my king," she replied, smiling at several courtiers who came up to bow and congratulate her. "Though I would like to know why everyone is staring at my head."

As musicians appeared and struck up a lively tune, Caspian explained what had happened in regards to her crown.

As he spoke, Ali looked surprised, but relieved. "Well, at least now people can see that Aslan really does approve of our marriage," she said as Helen appeared with a small plate of finger foods and a goblet of chilled sparkling cider.

"Of course, tomorrow is when the real work shall begin," Caspian warned. "You are queen now, and have a great deal of responsibilities. I hope you're ready for all of that."

She turned and smiled at him. "With you there to teach me, I'm sure I'll learn. Now, I rather like this song. Would you care to dance with me, Sire?"

He grinned and held a hand out to her. "If you wish, my lady."

Gliding out onto the floor, the two of them proceeded to dance the entire night and early morning away.

AN: End of this story! Next one will be up in a couple weeks, at most. To keep up-to-date on when I post, add me to one of the Alert lists on your account.

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