Father of Narnia

Finding a peaceful yet beautiful spot under a willow tree, she set to work. Using her hands, she started to dig the outline of the grave, and finding a suitable rock the started to dig. Once it was all dug the used the last of her strength to place the body carefully into the hole. But, before she covered up the hole she said a few silent prayers and the wish for peace. She also performed some funeral rites, as per her home customs.

Upon completion she covered the body, touched the dirt and closed her eyes. Instantly, wildflowers and grass sprouted from the dirt and once satisfied she walked away, leaving the knight to rest in peace.

And, he waited -- There was no impatience in him, nor any trace of doubt. Aslan had never needed haste. Time itself seemed to move differently in his presence.

His deep amber eyes remained fixed upon the distant path that wound through the forest. Somewhere beyond the trees, footsteps would soon break the silence: Rosalie was approaching.

he's heard rumors. it seemed no matter what he did to protect them from giants, it didn't seem to be enough. peter's tried peaceful letters. he's even tried sending others to negotiate. but it didn't seem to work. though he had a feeling that this would be an issue that peter would have to solve himself by force. he was willing to fight for narnia. that was never a question. but he knew the damage that giants can do with a simple swing.

"i've heard. and i tried to stop it from here, aslan. i really tried." he didn't want aslan to walk away thinking he didn't attempt to save lives. but he nodded. it wasn't surprising, him having to go. edmund would go with susan, peter would go north, lucy would stay here to keep everything together. he was already forming the strategy in his head like everything was right in front of him. "i will. i promise." and he'd do it with all he had. "i'll ride out tomorrow." he'd go tonight if he could. but he needed the people and a skeleton of a plan, which he can pull together in one night. "unless you need me here before i leave."

"Do not set out yet. I had spoken with Lucy before I came to you, and I told her everything that you must know. First have a talk with her, and after you have spoken with her, begin your journey, do not wait for Edmund and Susan to return from Calormen."

The sun had gone down, and the moon and the stars shone with such brightness that they even lighted the Western Wood. Below, dwarfs and fauns danced, centaurs sang with clear and noble voices, little knowing that peril was drawing near. On the balcony, Aslan turned towards Peter and stepped near to him, then he gently touched the man's brow with his tongue, afterwards he looked upon him.

"he's always been like that." ever since she could remember, peter was the leader. he was the brother she went to for help for everything. he was her closest brother since she could remember. "and this is him being relaxed." like all of them, he seemed happier and relaxed in narnia, like he was right before their father left to fight. in a way, narnia gave her both of her brothers back.

she's heard of calormen before. no one here had a good impression of it and for good reason. sometimes lucy was sure if anyone mentioned it, one of her brothers' heads would explode. her heart always ached for their people and how she heard they were treated. and she couldn't do anything about it. it was always made out to seem dangerous to have her there by herself or even with an escort. maybe that's why she wasn't allowed to go. she nodded. "they wouldn't let me go." she was needed here was what she was told when she asked to come along. with every word, her stomach was turning with fear. it was too late to warn edmund and susan. she couldn't drop everything and go either. she felt stuck. and she couldn't do anything to protect anyone or anything. "what do we do, aslan?" like always, he knew exactly what to do. and, from what it sounded like, it would just be her. could she even do anything to help without the others?

it seemed like everyone had a part except her. one sibling was in one place while two were in another. where did that leave lucy? was she just going to be a sitting duck? "what can i do?" if she was brave enough, that is.

“My heart aches for them as well. But they do not know my name, for they serve and worship Tash, who is altogether my opposite…” A low rumble stirred deep within his chest at the very speaking of that name. “And yet, there shall come days - far-off days - when some will say that he and I are one and the same. But even so, there are those who serve me without knowing it. For every noble deed done in Tash’s name is counted as done unto me.”

Nevertheless, Calormene was not a right place for Lucy, indeed. It was shaped by a culture altogether different from Narnia, what's more, they even believe that Narnia was inhabited by demons in the shape of talking beasts. Though Edmund and Susan tried to build a good relationship with the Tisroc, it was all in vain.

“Do not fear for your brother and sister. They shall return home in safety. I shall be with them, as I have always been," he reassured her in his deep, velvety voice. "When your brother and sister have returned, tell them all that I have spoken to you. Prepare yourselves for the battle that is to come, but do not set out yet. A boy will come to you when the time for battle is at hand. You and Edmund shall go; but Susan must remain in Cair Paravel, for thus she will be less easily sought by the enemy. As for Peter, he cannot go with you now; duty will call him to Ettinsmoor.”

The Great Lion stopped for a moment, and looked into Lucy's eyes,

"Very good, my daughter," said Aslan, his amber eyes meeting hers and searching deep within them, as though examining the very depths of her soul. Then he glanced at the body of the dead knight, and his expression visibly changed. He knew him too, his story, his life. Also, he fought tenaciously and gave his life for the princess. He deserved the last honours.

"Then do as you have said, my child," the lion looked at her again. "Go now and lay him to rest, but be gentle and do not trouble his sleep. Let him find peace within My Country."

Aslan stood up, and in his deep, velvety voice, he added,

he knew edmund was wise, despite being the younger one. he seemed to be the one that had to calm down peter during his decisions he relied on emotion rather than logic. he trusted edmund. but it was hard to practice leaving him out of his sight. he hated thinking about when edmund went to jadis. he learned from it, no matter how brutal the lesson was. of course, getting older and more mature helped.

peter was silent. he didn't want aslan to think he doubted him or edmund. he was terrified something would happen to him again. he knew edmund wouldn't betray narnia. but the mere thought of something happened to him again made him anxious. peter may not be able to be there forever but it was his little brother. he wanted to have his back for anything and everything.

he trusted aslan. he didn't say anything that wasn't true or lie to make him feel better. it was times like these he felt like the teenage boy he was when he got here. a teenager with a sword that was too big for him and no clue what he was doing more than half the time in a world he didn't know.

"if you think he's ready, i will too." he couldn't keep edmund in narnia forever. he was king of narnia too. though peter was the high king, his siblings still helped run it. he trusted all their judgements. "that means...something happens somewhere else in narnia." peter was trying to think of every issue he could think of that would take him away from the others. "is it soon?" peter had a feeling he knew who would take him away from the others.

For, once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen.

Aslan trusted Edmund, just like he trusted Peter as well. When they once had their talk, the lion had asked Peter to take care of the Narnians, because Aslan, too, wanted his family safe. And Peter had defended Narnia from Jadis in those old days, yet the time to protect the kingdom was coming once again.

it was like aslan to be vague. it was also like lucy to overthink about it. but she knew he was saying it for a reason. if she needed to know now, he would tell her. "someday soon?" that was as far as lucy would push. it wasn't much.

it was a small smile on her face and she resisted to giggle. "peter hesitates to send any of us five miles outside of cair paraval." if it was possible, lucy would joke, he'd put them in protective bubbles. but she knows edmund: edmund was just as stubborn as peter. peter would see sense once he got over himself. it's happened before. it happened more often than either of them would say it. "i think i can do it." peter would listen to her, she knew that. especially if she said it came from aslan.

but her ears perked up. she and edmund? surely he meant susan. but aslan wasn't wrong and he doesn't seem to be starting now. "i'm hoping i'm brave enough by then." it seemed like an impossible task. the two of them? edmund she could see. herself? it was hard to picture.

"Peter is just concerned about you and wants to make sure you all are safe, for his fear is rooted in the experiences of the past and those earlier experiences have left a lasting impression on him, and I know that," Aslan explained, then continued,

"Verily I say unto thee, the new threat is coming from Calormen. Its prince who has the heart of a donkey," - here Aslan predicted that one day he would turn Rabadash into a speechless donkey for the deeds he will have done, - "will become inflamed with lust for Susan. Edmund and Susan are in Calormen now to visit the Tisroc, yet they must soon flee, for the prince, consumed by wrath and wounded pride because of the refusal, will swear revenge and plan to lead a raid to conquer Archenland, and then use it as a staging post to later conquer Narnia as well and capture your sister," prophesied the lion about the upcoming times, however there was no sign of concern in his voice. As he continued walking, his amber eyes found Lucy again,

There wasn't much that she could remember of the bloody battle that took place. The last thing she remembered was watching the dark outlines of her precious siblings dissappear into the night on horseback after convincing them to flee to safer lands while she stayed to protect her home. Her parents were no more, their bodies taken to rest in the depths of Cardell Castle that even the intruders could never reach. She had attempted to fight, to protect, to preserve what was left of her home and her kingdom. As the skies burned red it was evident that this was a battle that she could not win. Beaten and bruised into submission she lost the final battle and fell into unconsciousness.

The brave knight that fought and brought her to a safe place succumbed to his injuries, but knowing the princess was safe he felt peace. The sun hit her face and Rosalie roused from her sleep, her whole body ached as she silat herself upright. It took a moment for her eyes to settle and take in her surroundings. She spoke softly to herself before she jumped at the voice which answered her question.

Aslan glanced at the girl with calm eyes, and with a gentle inclination of his head he greeted her.

he nodded in understanding. every time he's talked to king lune, it was in support of each other. he held nothing against him or archenland. it was a great alliance, especially after the white witch. "he's been wonderful. he's a great man." his people, on top of it, were loyal to him. it was helpful to have an ally that he genuinely liked.

peter's always been like this, with all of them. he didn't like sending his siblings somewhere else, out of his sight. he couldn't control what other people said or did to them. he couldn't protect them forever. ed was a wise king. he was the one that sometimes had to talk his brother down from unwise decisions or choices caused by emotion rather than logic. sometimes edmund brought him back down to think things through. on top of it all, despite everything he's done or even how he was before narnia, he grew into a wise and thoughtful ruler right before his eyes. edmund could do this. peter knew that. but that protective instinct he's had since he was a kid and they promise he told both of their parents was always in the back of his head.

"anyone out there that doesn't have his best interest." he couldn't not be honest with aslan. "i'm scared that i can't keep them safe when they're not here or i'm not with them." he felt he could take care of them best. oreius would give his life for edmund. but, like peter, he couldn't be everywhere all the time. "what if something happens to him and i'm not there to stop it or help him?"

"Forget not, Son of Adam, what title your brother was given when you were crowned in Cair Paravel. He has been given the title of the Just, and it was I who bestowed it upon him. For he walked through the shadow of his own sins of the betrayal and has learned from them, and by that wisdom he has become worthy to judge rightly."

Yes, it was Aslan to whom Edmund confessed his sins after Orieus had rescued him from the White Witch. It was Aslan who knew what they were talking about that time, and Aslan saw something in Edmund's eyes that Peter didn't. And in doubting Edmund, Peter were also doubting Aslan himself - and it weighed upon the lion's heart.

aslan had this skill and he probably knew he had it: he treated lucy just like the other three. he didn't dumb things down or hide the truth on her because she was the youngest and the most optimistic. her stomach flipped slightly at the thought of narnia ending, the place she felt happiest. but aslan didn't seem worried. if he wasn't worried, lucy shouldn't be either. "but we'll know? someday?" it almost sounded like a silly question.

but lucy slowed next to him, looking at the water with aslan. it was moments like this that she wondered if this sun was the same one her parents saw back in england. did they miss the four of them? think something horrible happen to them? were they aright at all?

it was a warning. she could feel it. she wondered if aslan told the others or even anyone else. she knows calormen. peter and edmund have spoken about them before. not in the best way but they were still being watched. the last thing she's heard was that their prince had heard of susan, her beautiful, gentle older sister. "another human? like us?" she assumed he was a son of adam. "does peter know?" he was high king above the other three. he was usually the one in charge of battles, knew any news before them. should she tell him? "i hope i'm brave enough, when the time comes." though she was named the valiant queen, she sometimes wondered if she had the courage still.

"Peter will know as well, for I shall tell him soon," replied Aslan. Nevertheless, he allowed Lucy to perceive more of him because she approached him with a deeper faith and a more open heart. While others often hesitated with doubt, Lucy's trust allowed her to recognize his presence and understand him more profoundly. That's why Aslan often revealed things to her that remained hidden from the others, speaking to her with a quiet closeness that reflected the sincerity of her belief.

he's been going back and forth inside his head for days. he trusted ed with his life, which was leap and bounds from when they were kids. it was the others he didn't trust. if something happened to edmund, he'd never forgive himself. over the years, he's shown maturity, the ability to be a great king. not that he already was. he didn't want him to be taken advantage of, for edmund and narnia's sake.

"i want him to practice diplomacy without feeling like i'm breathing over his shoulder." sometimes he felt, as high king and an older brother, he could hover or be asked for an opinion afterwards. "i trust oreius and so does ed." and he'll go if peter asked him to. he'd protect all of the pevensies, just like he has since they got here. "it's not edmund and oreius i don't trust, aslan." he sighed as he felt the knot in his stomach grow tighter at the possibilities. "i don't want someone taking advantage of him or of narnia either."

Though Peter did not yet know why such preparations were needed, because a threat had already begun to stir far from Calormen: Rabadash would one day want to conquer both Archenland and Narnia. And Peter would not be able to be there, duty would call him elsewhere - to the harsh and distant conflict at Ettinsmoor. So it would be Edmund and Lucy's task to relieve Anvard, and before any of this could come to pass, the younger Pevensie king must build and strengthen the bonds between the two kingdoms.

"Who is it that you trust so little?" Aslan asked, looking at the High King questioningly.

it seemed very narnian, walking next to a lion on a beach with her shoes in her hand. and she didn't feel any fear. maybe it was selfish but she was going to take her time with aslan. she knew the rest of her siblings would want to speak with him too. but lucy needed the guidance, the assurance that she didn't do anything wrong in his eyes. there were times she'd ask susan if they did something wrong, if she did something wrong and that's why he didn't come as often as she wanted him to.

"we're trying. but...there are times i know we need you." they would have to ask each other that before making a decision: what would aslan do? what would he tell them to do? sometimes it helped. sometimes it just resulted in the four of them looking at each other with blank expressions. the word rebuild caught her attention. "like right now?" some called it a golden age, the happiest narnia's been in years with the pevensies ruling. didn't they already accomplish it?

she looked at her feet for a moment, kicking a shell to the side. did she want to tell him? then again, he probably already knew what was going on. "i suppose i'm just wondering if...you're proud of us. i always wonder if we're doing the right things and making the right decisions."

"My dear daughter, that whether you stand on my right or my left will only be revealed on the day when the stars fall, when the mountains crumble into ruin and the land of Narnia turns into a frozen sea of ice - on the final day," spoke the Great Lion, yet not a trace of anger stirred in his voice. "This is only the time of ripening; the time of harvest has not yet come."

Aslan now turned his huge head towards the horizon that met the blue ocean in the distance, his golden mane caught the rays of the sun, each strand elegantly dancing in the wind. His great paws pressed gently into the sand, leaving behind faint, fleeting impressions that the sea would soon reclaim.

When the lion saw the tears in Elora's eyes, he stepped unto her and touched her forehead with his tongue. "My daughter, thou shalt understand everything in time," came the soft voice that then turned into harsh when Elora mentioned Uther's name.