Narnia – Fairytale

By Allyson

(A/N – All things related to Narnia belong to C. S. Lewis, I'm just borrowing)

Caspian's celebration ball continued well into the night. All the younger children had been sent to their beds while the adults continued to dance and eat merrily. Lucy had just whirled off the dance floor and had decided to rest for a moment. Heading towards a nearby punch bowl, she grinned as she watched Susan and Caspian waltzing together, seemingly oblivious to everyone around them. A figure nearby caught her eye and Lucy nearly choked on her drink with surprised laughter. Peter may have natural grace on the battlefield but on the dance floor his enemy were his own two clumsy feet. He now looked like he was trying to talk himself out of dancing with one of the female centaurs, constantly looking around in badly disguised panic for an escape route. Lucy had just decided to take pity on her brother and rescue him, when she felt a tugging at her skirts. Looking down, she found four young children aged between four and six looking up at her with huge pleading eyes. Lucy smiled as she knelt down to them.

"Shouldn't you all be in bed?" she asked them, kindly.

"We can't sleep," said the little girl still attached to her skirt. "Will you read us a story?"

One of the older boys lifted up an old book.

"Please?" the children chorused.

"Well, alright," conceded Lucy, as the children cheered. "But you must promise to go straight to bed afterwards."

The little band nodded eagerly and Lucy ushered them away from the dance floor and crowds and found a quiet little nook behind a pillar to sit down. The children scurried to sit either on her lap or close to her sides. The eldest boy handed her the book. It was old and well-used, with slightly torn pages, but what caught Lucy's attention was the faded picture of a lion engraved on the leather of the front cover.

"One story children," she told them kindly. "So keep quiet and keep your ears open."

Turning carefully to the first page, Lucy began to read out loud, "Once upon a time, in a place far away where the forest meets the glittering blue sea there stands a castle. A castle so beautiful that the sun always shone on it and everyone who lived there were happy and content. Then one day, a great storm cloud overshadowed the castle and the world was covered in ice . . ."

Lucy trailed off as she studied the small drawing near the words. That looked awfully like Cair Paravel . . .

The children urged her to keep reading.

"An enchanted thousand year winter imprisoned the fair creatures in sorrow. Until one fated day when two Sons of Adam and two Daughter of Eve arrived from Spare Oom to fulfil the prophecy and defeat the evil White Witch."

Once again, Lucy stuttered to a stop at the sight of the picture of herself and Mr Tumnus standing next to the lamppost under his red umbrella.

"Oh, Mr Tumnus," murmured Lucy, sadly, a tear slipping down her face.

The youngest girl squirmed in her lap to look up at Lucy in confused concern. She reached up a tiny hand and wiped her cheek.

"Wassa matta?" she lisped around the thumb firmly planted in her mouth.

Lucy smiled fondly and pointed at the picture.

"That faun is called Mr Tumnus," she told them. "He was a dear friend of mine."

"So it is you," exclaimed one of the children. "I knew it was all true!"

The youngest pulled the next page over and pointed silently at the next picture. Lucy couldn't help but shiver at the sight of the White Witch, painted with a magical evil air around her.

"Don't like," the child murmured, hiding their face into Lucy's arm.

"No," agreed Lucy, patting the child reassuringly on their back. "She wasn't very nice."

She gasped at the next picture of the White Witch with her sleigh and being led behind with a piece of rope around his wrists was – "Edmund!"

"Bad man," announced the youngest girl, thumping a hand on the picture. However the scowl on her face was undecided.

"No, he's not!" protested the eldest boy.

"He was bad," she told them.

"It wasn't his fault," the eldest boy responded.

"He was tricked," agreed the youngest boy.

"Was he bad?" asked the fourth child, staring directly at Lucy with big curious eyes.

"Edmund was . . . misunderstood," Lucy finally replied, after a moments thought. "Unfortunately, the White Witch was very cunning. But at the Battle of Beruna, he helped to save the day by breaking the Witch's wand."

The youngest girl pouted as she thought. "Hero?" she asked, though her tone showed she was still unconvinced.

"I think so," agreed Lucy, as she thought back over the previous days events.

Trying not to look back at the picture, Lucy opened her mouth to continue the story when the hesitant sound of someone clearing their throat caused her to stop in surprise. Looking up she found Edmund stood in front of her, his expression carved in deep contemplation. His eyes were fixed on the book.

"Edmund," she murmured, worried what his reaction would be. "You heard-?"

Edmund nodded; he glanced warily at the children. Lucy realized he was worried what their reactions would be to him. Her heart ached – it had been a long time since she had seen her brother in such a guarded state. Looking down at the children, she found they were staring at him in awe except for the youngest who eyed him suspiciously.

"When we left Narnia it started to feel like it had all been a fairytale. I never thought we'd be part of one," Edmund finally commented. "It makes sense though after seeing everyone's reactions to us."

Lucy managed a lopsided smile.

The eldest boy stood up bravely and, dragging the book from Lucy's loose grip, stood in front of Edmund. He held out the book at the page currently showing. Edmund kept his eyes on the boy, refusing to look at the picture even though the child was pointing at it.

"You're the hero," the boy declared.

Slowly Edmund took the offered book and flipped curiously through the pages.

"No," murmured Edmund, "I'm no hero." He gave a genuine small smile as he looked down at his sister. He turned the book around to show her the page he had found. It showed all four Pevensies on their coronation chairs with Aslan in the centre. "Lucy was our hero."

"Finish the story," pleaded one of the other children.

After a moments hesitation, Edmund crouched by Lucy's feet. He looked surprised when the boy sat down next to him and then the eldest girl moved to sit on his other side. Edmund passed the book back to the boy. Toning down the battle a little so as not to scare the youngest children, Edmund told them of Aslan's sacrifice at the Stone Table and the Battle of Beruna. Even Lucy found herself spell-bound, remembering the days spent listening to both her brothers telling her stories to ease her nightmares after leaving Narnia.

" . . . And they all lived happily ever after," finished Edmund. He watched as the last child's eyes sleepily fell shut. Looking up, he caught Lucy trying to stifle a yawn of her own and gave her a quirk of an amused smile. "Look at that," he murmured. "I've put you all to sleep."

Lucy grinned. "Are you alright?"

Edmund's fingers tentatively skimmed over the book's front cover. His eyes were once again guarded and Lucy made a mental note to find Peter later so that he could check on their brother.

"Aslan would say the past should stay in the past," Edmund finally responded. "I'm fine."

Lucy looked down at the sleeping children scattered around them.

"I think it's time these sleepyheads should be in bed," she whispered, as the youngest stirred.

As Lucy gently attempted to get to her feet without disturbing the two sleeping youngest lying on her, Edmund did the same. Pulling the youngest girl into her arms, Lucy glanced around to see if there was anyone who could help them. Jostled, the little girl made a disgruntled noise of protest. Lucy shushed her but she wouldn't settle down. Blearily the little girl stuck out two straining arms towards Edmund with pleading tired eyes. Startled, he looked at Lucy in panic. She grinned and pushed the girl into her brother's arms. The little girl's arms crept tightly around his neck as she stared tiredly at him.

"Not bad," she yawned, before falling back to sleep on his shoulder.

Edmund swallowed, stunned, ignoring Lucy's amused smirk. He could feel his cheeks heating in embarrassment.

Lucy reached down and picked up the youngest who held the book in their arms like a teddy bear. She was about to bend down and wake the two eldest when she felt a familiar presence by her side. The way Edmund visibly relaxed, she knew it was Peter. Without being asked, Peter picked up the remaining children. With a nod of his head he indicated to Lucy to lead the way out of the hall and to find the nearest available bedroom. Lucy and Peter tucked their charges into the large four poster bed but Edmund had trouble prying the little girl from his neck.

"Shh," he murmured to her as he gently released one little fist from his collar. "You're alright, go back to sleep. Time for sweet dreams."

With Lucy's help, Edmund was free and the little girl was finally put to bed. Lucy smoothed the cover over the children and placed the story book on the bedside table. Peter ushered his brother and sister out of the room and closed the door quietly behind them.

They stood in comfortable silence for a moment before Peter commented, "So . . . fairytales?"

Edmund stiffened. "You heard?"

"Pretty much all of it," grinned Peter, before turning serious. "You were right. The past is in the past. We have to move on and Narnia will hopefully get the happy ending that it lost."

Lucy smirked mischievously. "I know the perfect happy ending. Susan and Caspian were married and lived happily ever after." She blinked at the two horrified expressions of her brothers. "What? In the fairytales Mum reads us, there is always a wedding."

"No, not happening," Peter protested, shaking his head.

"They hardly know each another," pointed out Edmund.

"It could be like Mum and Dad – love at first sight," pouted Lucy.

Both boys' faces paled with nausea. They looked at one another before starting to walk briskly down the corridor.

"I think it's time for a word with Caspian," Edmund's voice floated down the corridor.

"I think it's time you danced with Susan," agreed Peter, distractedly.

"What? No . . . why can't you?"

"It will look less suspicious."
"Suspicious? Peter, what are you planning to do . . ?"

Lucy laughed in exasperation before trotting after her brothers. She loved a fairytale but sometimes reality was so much better.

The End.