The Snow is Melting
A Narnia Holiday
The snow is melting as the sun’s rays bounce around the forest.
Creatures are waking and smiling and glancing excitedly at each other, but a quietness has filled the country. Even nature has stopped whispering, as if to listen and watch closely the next few minutes of the day.
The trees are blooming; bright and colourful flowers dance upon leaves and branches. Lush, green grass springs out of the glowing snow. Rivers start to flow, and the lakes peak out of the ice as if to say, ‘Good morning!’.
Birds are singing a song in harmony with the insects that buzz and chirp and squeak. A butterfly leaps from flower to flower, basking in the warm sunlight.
The sun is barely peaking over the horizon and the country is alive.
Cair Paravel sits proud upon its foundations, overlooking the beautiful country. The sun shines upon the exterior, light bouncing around and making the walls seem as if they were glowing themselves. While the palace is usually already loud with sounds as creatures and humans alike bounce from place to place, the grounds, this morning, are silent. Sunlight is breaking through windows and landing in brightly decorated rooms, but there is no one in the palace.
Centaurs and fauns and creatures alike part to allow a party of horses and humans to pass through the forest. There is a solemn feel about the march, heading towards a hill.
King Edmund leads them, atop his friend and most trusted advisor, Phillip. His face is hard, but his eyes are soft.
Behind him, riding side by side, are Queens Susan and Lucy, riding so closely together that they are holding hands.
And behind them sits High King Peter, watching the backs of his siblings as they ride through the beautiful country at dawn.
The sun is barely shining on the surface of the broken stone when they meet it, a line of creatures following the royal siblings and spreading out to witness the event, only seen once a year on this very day.
The kings and queens were alone the first year, by their request. The beavers, Mr Tumnus, Oreius and Phillip all offered to accompany them, but the young monarchs chose to walk at dawn by themselves. By the second year, they had allowed their friends to join them. Now, the sixth year since the Battle at Beruna, the whole of Narnia has joined them.
King Edmund dismounts, followed by his siblings. The air is still. He paces forward to the stone table and then, in one elegant move, he kneels.
On his right, Queens Susan and Lucy do the same, and on his left so does High King Peter. Behind them, the whole of Narnia, even the trees and mountains, kneel before the stone table.
The sun finally lifts it’s final rays upon the cold, grey table, and shines upon the royal siblings with warmth that floods them to their bones.
When the sun has risen higher, the silent spell that had settled over Narnia breaks, and the inhabitants cheer in joy. For the next few hours festivals and feasts are enjoyed by all, and the royal siblings lead barefoot dances on the now warm and still wet from snow grass.
Children re-enact the battle against the White Witch. The war had ended six years ago, and Narnia is celebrating.
But more importantly, Aslan had risen from the table alive.
And the snow melted under the golden rays of the rising sun.
