CHAPTER 21

POSTED 8/8/19

On one morning just a few days after the battle, Mary took a trip to the Telmarine castle's library. She was never much of an avid reader back in Finchley, but with her eagerness to learn about Narnia, she couldn't help but want to go to the library often. Doctor Cornelius recommended more books to her as well, glad to have someone interested in learning seeing as Caspian had been his only student for the longest time.

She was just on her way back to her room with a stack of books in hand when Aslan turned the corner, startling her. She nearly dropped the books but recovered quickly, releasing a breath she didn't know she held.

"Mary," the lion said with a soft smile. "What are you up to on this fine morning?"

"I was just going to do a bit of reading," she replied, showing off the books she held.

"Could you spare a bit of time with me?"

Mary raised her eyebrows, mildly surprised at his request.

"Oh, sure. Of course."

"Let's take a walk, then, shall we?"

Aslan guided her to one of the castle's gardens in a peaceful silence, the only sounds being the soft padding of his paws, the breeze passing through the trees, and the faint chatter of people inside the castle. While Mary found his presence calming, she was also extremely curious as to why he wanted to speak to her anyway.

"How has your stay in Narnia been?" Aslan asked.

"Wonderful," Mary said truthfully. "I'm glad that even though the Narnians had been in hiding for years, they've finally regained their freedom."

Aslan smiled. "You speak very highly of Narnia."

"It's not difficult to. It's a beautiful place with beautiful creatures."

"You must be worried that you won't get to see much of it, I suppose."

Mary paused. It was like he knew exactly what she was thinking of. It had been bothering her a bit, the thought always at the back of her mind. How long was she allowed to stay in Narnia? As many years as the Pevensies? Only a few days?

"Well, yes," she said slowly. "I've asked Edmund how one gets in and out of Narnia. He supposed it was whenever one was needed, and when their job was done."

"He is more or less correct," Aslan confirmed. "You enter Narnia for a reason and leave when you've accomplished what you are meant to do."

Mary recalled Aslan's words the day the battle: You have only just started what you are meant to do.

"You feel like you haven't done that yet, don't you?" Aslan smiled knowingly.

Mary nodded. "I've only just gotten here," she elaborated. "I know you told me not to dwell on the prophecy, but — but, it's not just that. I feel like I want to genuinely help the Narnians restore Narnia's glory and participating in that battle wasn't enough. I feel like I could do more if I stay here a bit longer."

"It would do you well to not discredit your achievements, young one," Aslan reminded her. "I do understand your sentiments, though. But I must tell you: you do have other responsibilities in your world. It's your decision what you want to prioritize."

Mary had thought she wanted to stay in Narnia for sure, but it was almost as if she was living in a good dream and Aslan's words brought her back to reality, reminding her that she had a life back home, as well.

"One thing is for sure, though," he continued. "This certainly won't be your last time here."

Hope filled Mary's chest at his words. With a creature as wise as Aslan, she had a feeling he wouldn't ever answer her questions directly and would instead guide her to the right answer. So, she let his words sink in, wondering if that meant that he wanted her to stay longer or she would just come back again sooner or later. Either way, she was glad to hear from Aslan himself that this wouldn't be her last visit to Narnia. While she enjoyed her life in Finchley, she knew it would be a waste not to stay in Narnia for a good amount of time.

"Your Majesty."

Mary looked up when Aslan called someone else's attention — Caspian's. The Telmarine man was walking across the courtyard at a quick pace as if he had somewhere to go but halted in his steps upon Aslan's call.

"Aslan, Mary," he greeted, walking towards them.

"Would you care to join us in our walk?" Aslan asked him kindly. Caspian was busy, having to take up the responsibilities as king as well as prepare for his own coronation. He also had to oversee the Narnians who were temporarily staying in his castle before he set out to help them rebuild their own homes now that they were free. He was torn, but he knew he shouldn't refuse the opportunity to speak with Aslan.

"Of course," he eventually answered, discreetly waving off one of the Telmarine lords following him to a meeting.

"I presume you're quite busy," said Aslan as the three of them continued to walk.

"Yes. Frankly, I've been thrown into the position as king without preparation — mentally and emotionally, at least," Caspian admitted.

"Do not fret. I believe you'll do excellent as king."

Caspian smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Aslan."

"I was just telling Mary here that this is just her first visit to Narnia and she doesn't have to worry about it too much."

"Wait, are you all not planning on staying?"

"That is up to them," Aslan replied vaguely.

"You are welcome to stay as long as you like," Caspian told Mary. "It would help a lot, too. You are a Queen of Narnia now, are you not?"

Nobody had really brought up her being a Queen of Narnia since the day of the battle, so it was foreign hearing someone say it out loud. She knew Aslan had declared her one, but it didn't quite feel real just yet.

"I, uh, well —"

Aslan laughed fondly at her stuttering and answered, "She is."

"That's a relief," said Caspian. "I was just on my way to tell the organizers about your coronation as well."

"What?" Mary spluttered, suddenly nervous. "I don't think that's necessary."

"It would be wonderful for them to acknowledge a new queen," Aslan voiced.

"It wouldn't hurt to have someone else ruling with me," Caspian said kindly.

"This is your kingdom, though," Mary said. "It wouldn't be right to intrude."

"You're not intruding at all. Narnia needs all the help it can get and it won't be a quick and easy task."

Mary bit her lip, feeling more confused than ever. Did that mean it was better for her to stay and rule? The mere thought of it made her feel heavy and flattered at the same time.

"So," Caspian faced Mary again. "Any ideas on how you would like your dress to look like?"

✧ ✧ ✧

That night, Mary visited the physician once again to get her bandages changed. He informed her that she was healing well, so she was allowed to leave right after a short check-up. She headed to her room immediately, wanting to be alone in her own thoughts. Her conversation with Aslan and Caspian echoed in her mind nonstop.

She was in the middle of reading the second chapter of one of the books Doctor Cornelius recommenced — albeit, she wasn't really absorbing the words anymore — when someone knocked on her door. Mary grudgingly stood up from her bed and unlocked the door. She didn't know who she was expecting, but she was pleasantly surprised when she found Edmund waiting on the other side.

"Oh, Edmund," she said. "Uh, what are you doing here?"

"I heard you stopped by the doctor again. Are you okay?"

"I just got my bandages changed, dummy," she rolled her eyes, stepping aside to let him in. "Is that all?"

"I — well, yes," Edmund said sheepishly but closed the door behind him anyway.

"You worry too much."

"You can't blame me. You tend to do stupid things all the time, so I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up getting hurt again over something simple."

Mary scoffed and plopped down on her bed, Edmund following suit. The two sat in a comfortable silence for a while until Mary couldn't take it. She hated keeping her thoughts to herself, always wanting to voice them out at one point or another or else it would eat her alive.

"I talked to Aslan earlier." Edmund hummed in acknowledgment. "He was basically telling me that it's my choice to stay in Narnia or not."

"I didn't know we had a say in that," Edmund admitted. Upon seeing her troubled face, he then asked, "Why, do you not want to stay?"

"I do," she reassured him right away. "It's just... Aslan was a bit vague. He said it's my decision on what I want to prioritize for now: Narnia or our world. But he also said this wouldn't be my last time here, anyway, so I shouldn't worry regardless of what I choose."

"That's actually pretty direct for him," Edmund joked to lighten up the mood.

Mary chuckled before continuing. "Caspian also brought up my coronation. It's a bit overwhelming."

Edmund had almost completely forgotten about the need for a coronation. While they were all relaxing in the Telmarine castle for the time being, it slipped his mind. But now, he was excited for her. It was only fitting that they officially declare her as a Queen of Narnia.

"Coronations are fun, don't worry," he told her. "It may be a bit awkward to be the center of attention, but the Narnians deserve to acknowledge their new leader."

"Are you and the others going to stay?" Mary wondered out loud.

"I wouldn't mind staying at all. I know Lucy would love to stay, too. But Peter and Susan..." Edmund trailed off. "They haven't said it, but I feel like they wouldn't oppose the idea of going home soon."

It felt odd for him to say all that out loud after those thoughts had been on his mind the past few days. He knew his older siblings loved Narnia, but something about the way they were acting recently told him that they weren't quite keen on staying anymore.

Eventually, Mary leaned back to lie down with a sigh. Edmund copied her and lied down next to her, the two of them looking up at the bed's canopy in the dark.

"Try not to overthink it too much," Edmund spoke again when he could sense her uneasiness. "There isn't exactly a guide book to all of this, so if you mess up, then you mess up."

Mary sent a glare sideways towards Edmund and he cowered back.

"Okay, I was kidding," he said quickly. "In all seriousness, though, I know you'll do great — whatever happens. You're honest, loyal, smart, and always think about others before yourself."

Slightly taken aback by his compliments, Mary could only mumble back a quiet, "Thank you."

Soon, they lapsed into a comfortable silence. Edmund turned his head ever so slightly, admiring how Mary looked as bits of the moonlight seeped into the room. He could see that she was still deep in thought, her lips in a small pout and her eyebrows furrowed, but she still looked cute to him.

Even though Mary was reflecting, she knew Edmund was staring and therefore must have had something important on his mind, too. With a knowing sigh, she shook her head away from her previous thoughts and asked him, "Why are you staring?"

Edmund quickly looked away, flustered from being caught.

"Nothing."

"Fine. What are you thinking about, then?"

Edmund almost didn't answer that but decided that it was her turn to fluster her.

"Just thinking about kissing you again."

Mary sat up abruptly, a bit startled at how frank he was. The sudden movement made her groan as she felt the soreness around her torso spread.

"Are you alright?" Edmund asked, sitting up as well and placing a hand on her back. Mary nodded embarrassedly, her face beet red.

"It's your fault. Why'd you have to say that?" she grumbled. Edmund smirked triumphantly at her reaction.

"I was just telling the truth." She huffed and folded her arms over her chest. "So, can I?"

"Oh, so now you ask?" Edmund shrugged innocently at her question. "Fine."

He grinned at her attempt to look nonchalant and raised a hand to brush her cheek. The kiss he gave her during the battle was a just quick peck, but this one felt more sincere and less rushed. She took note of his captivating brown eyes and the freckles dusted across his cheeks. He, too, admired the way her soft lips were slightly parted and how her eyes sparkled whenever she was happy or curious just like they were at that precise second. And then, with both of their hearts racing and their breaths shaky, Edmund leaned down to connect his lips with Mary's.

A/N: I really wanted to look for outfits that you might wanna picture Mary wearing in the last few scenes/chapters, so I've attached some photos below. They're all from the TV series Reign bc I'm obsessed with it, but ironically enough, Adelaide Kaine isn't even my face claim for this book bc I'd rather let the readers imagine my OC's face :>