CHAPTER 25

POSTED 2/9/20

A/N: NOT PROOFREAD AT ALL so feel free to point out any mistakes if there are! There are some terms and names in this chapter that you might not know because they aren't in the movies (based these off of the books and wiki bc I don't remember everything in the series okay HAHA), so you can just scroll down to my later A/N for the definitions if you need to :>

2 months after the War of Deliverance, Narnian Year 2303

Aslan chose to stay in Narnia for just around a month longer after the Pevensies' departure. The lion guided Mary and Caspain, the successors of the Pevensies, for a short while as they brought an end to the Dark Ages and the war, and thus, kickstarted the beginning of a new age. Mary soon further realized why Aslan was so loved and respected by everyone. He was wise, understanding, caring, and both a good mentor and friend. Mary admittedly found it a bit difficult to adjust to living in Narnia, more so in a castle which was a far cry from her simple home back in Finchley, but she had formed close friendships with those she had met that helped make life there easier.

Aslan was there to guide her during his stay, frequently going on walks with Mary when she wasn't busy. He spoke of the Golden Age, how the Pevensies ruled as both a guide and warning, and generally helped Mary keep a level head amidst everything. He must have known how strange it must be for her to be alone in Narnia when she had depended on the Pevensies practically the entire time they were still there. Eventually, Aslan had to leave, and without much of a reason. Mary knew better than to question him, believing that he had some sort of perfect plan and timing all laid out in his head.

Despite Aslan's departure, Caspian had become a good friend of Mary's as well. The two bonded and worked with one another so well that it was almost like two siblings ruling a country together, and Mary was grateful for that dynamic they shared. Initially, she was actually afraid that they wouldn't get along together as leaders seeing as he was much more knowledgable about Narnia, but she was pleasantly surprised when it was the opposite. With the two of them both being royals and knighted with the title of Order of the Lion, there was a need to designate their roles.

Mary was assigned as the head of the Narnian Army and was given the task to assist the Narnians in the physical and social aspect of rebuilding their homes and livelihood. On the other hand, Caspian focused more on the relocation of the remaining Telmarines and the economic aspect of rebuilding the nation. The two of them worked together the most when it came to creating alliances with neighboring countries.

Reepicheep and his fellow mice were assigned to officially be part of the army, too. This was probably the biggest reason why Mary's friendship with the witty mouse grew over time. It was always refreshing to have someone share the same kind of humor with her when things got tough, especially now that Edmund and Lucy, who she was closest to, weren't by her side to joke around and bicker with her.

Trumpkin was also around very often. He was declared the regent of the king and queen in the event of their absence. Mary and Caspian felt that there was no other man who had the same amount of grit and loyalty that Trumpkin had to become their regent. However, the two royals had yet to leave the castle long enough for Trumpkin to take their place, so the dwarf was also one of their advisors and did his job extraordinarily.

Doctor Cornelius became the Lord Chancellor. In line with that, the council of nobles had to be entirely revamped. It did not consist of purely Telmarines anymore, but a mixture of those that could still be trusted from their lot together with the most intelligent Narnians. Clearly, drastic changes had been made within the country, but they were all for the best.

While things were going well, Mary missed the Pevensies on most days. She knew she would eventually see them again, but she also wished she got to spend more time with them in Narnia a bit longer. It would have been nice to travel with them in this land, with them telling their tales from the Golden Age while Mary learned and explored. It was a shame that Peter and Susan said they would most likely never come back again when Mary was just starting her journey there. More than that, who knew when she would return to her world? And once she did, who knew when she would return to Narnia, then?

It was questions like those that made Mary despise being alone with her thoughts. And so, she liked to immerse herself in as much of her duties as possible.

Aside from relocating the Narnians into proper homes in contrast to living in hiding for the past hundreds of years, one of the first few tasks Mary and Caspian sought to was rebuilding Cair Paravel. On one of those days, Caspian stayed behind in the castle for a meeting with the representatives of Archenland while Mary and Reepicheep headed to the site of Cair Paravel where construction was ongoing.

"I do hope Cair Paravel turns out much better than the Telmarine castle," Reepicheep commented as they rode Mary's horse through the woods.

"What's wrong with the Telmarine castle?" Mary asked in amusement. Of course, she had never seen the actual Cair Paravel aside from its drawings in the books Doctor Cornelius hid from the other Telmarines over the years but were now freely displayed in the castle's library.

"It's cold. Quite boring, too."

"It does seem a bit cold," she laughed. "Can't forget that someone as vile as Miraz ruled there, too."

"That is correct," the mouse said, puffing his chest out. "Your Majesties deserve a brighter place to rule properly. That cold castle will only hold you back."

"I agree," Mary admitted. "But it's still pretty. The gardens make it more welcoming and the library has a warm feeling to it."

"Yes, but Cair Paravel is set atop a hill and overlooks the sea!" Reepicheep said enthusiastically, making grand arm gestures. He looked extremely insistent on making it known that the Telmarine castle was awful. "Now that's a recipe for a beautiful kingdom."

Mary grinned and had to nod in agreement.

"I think you're right, Reep," she said as the beach she landed in when she first arrived came into view. "As much as the Telmarine castle is fascinating, I'd love to stay in Cair Paravel one day with a view like that."

Mary had been down this route before, having gone many times to assess the progress of Cair Paravel's rebuilding. But, she had always gone with Caspian and a group of other advisers. Today, she had only gone with Reepicheep since the others were busy with different tasks. The valiant mouse almost always seemed to be in tune with her; he kept quiet for the rest of the trek, which Mary was thankful for since she found herself reminiscing the time she played on the beach with the Pevensies as well as imagining how stunning their old castle will be once it has been completed.

Mary and Reepicheep eventually made it up the hill where Cair Paravel was being rebuilt. The group working on its construction was quite an eccentric mix: esteemed Telmarine architects and designers, strong minotaurs and bears who could lift almost any load, and wise centaurs who gave insights on the best possible structure of the castle in the event of attacks or disasters since they had consulted the cosmos many times. Mary never thought she would see the day that they were all working together in harmony, but there they all were. It was one of the little things that told her that despite her inexperience and uncertainty, small steps were being made to bringing Narnia back to its glory.

"Queen Mary," a Telmarine architect named Nicolas first acknowledged her. "Have you come to see the progress of Cair Paravel again?"

"I have," she said with a small smile, hopping off the horse with Reepicheep doing the same. "Sorry we came unannounced. We were supposed to cancel this inspection, but I decided to go through with it while Caspian meets up with our Archenland neighbors."

"No need to worry, Your Majesty."

"How is it going?"

"Construction of the main tower is going quite well." At his words, Mary looked at the stable-looking structure and was impressed by how quickly they had progressed in the last few months. "It will be done soon thanks to the Narnians."

A bear passed by and patted the old man's shoulder. Mary guessed it was supposed to be a light and friendly one, but with the strength of the bear, Nicolas still stumbled. She fought the urge to giggle as the man regained his composure.

"The centaurs suggested bringing back the stained glass ceiling and windows as well. They claimed that it would be desirable for a number of things: watching the stars, telling the weather, and tracking the seasons."

"That's an amazing idea," Mary said, thinking back to how drafty the Telmarine castle's throne room and main hall were since most of it were just stone walls and ceilings or plain windows. "It would be beneficial and helpful for a lot of reasons."

"I'll inform them of your confirmation when they return here next week, then," Nicolas said with a polite smile. "With that, we were wondering what design you would prefer. Of course, Astrid and Joseph have designs for the windows on hand, but it is all up to you."

Mary paused, pondering his question. She knew Astrid and Joseph, two of the designers, were extremely talented and would create beautifully designed stained glass windows, but she wanted to add something personal to the castle. After all, this was a castle built on where both the Pevensies made so many memories, and where she would one day do the same.

"For starters, I'd like to put the Kings and Queens of Old in the design," Mary started off.

"We must include you and King Caspian, too, of course," Nicolas interrupted. Mary laughed and nodded at his eagerness.

"Sure. But, I would also like to depict the Narnian Revolution."

Nicolas raised his eyebrows in surprise but nodded determinedly.

"That would mean hiring more workers, but I give you my word that it will be done beautifully."

9 months after the War of Deliverance, Narnian Year 2303

Though Caspian was a Telmarine by blood, he had never been there in his whole life — yet. With the war between the Telmarines and Narnians now over, Caspian, who was now associated with the latter group, wanted to form a peace treaty and alliance with his home country.

He and Mary were finally on the ship on the way to Telmar. It wasn't that long of a voyage, so they only had a small crew with them. But because they weren't sure how Telmar would react to their terms and agreements, they brought the best advisors and and fighters. Trumpkin had to stay behind as the king and queen's regent, but Reepicheep and his fellow mice tagged along.

Orion, a centaur that worked as one of the top advisors, was currently speaking to Mary.

"The stars have told me over the last few weeks that this alliance will be successful, Your Majesty," he said, glancing at the clear morning sky.

Trusting the wise man, Mary nodded with a smile.

"Thank you, Orion. That's a relief to hear."

"We should be looking at facts, not the stars," someone muttered in passing.

Mary narrowed her eyes at that now familiar, gruff voice. It came from Lord Drinian, one of their advisors and an excellent seaman. But, he was also a very stubborn man. Caspian trusted him for his loyalty, but both he and Mary knew all too well that he did not always agree with everyone and when he didn't, he made sure to voice it out loud.

"Watch your words, Drinian," Mary called out, causing the man to slow his steps.

"My apologies, Your Majesty," he said almost, though she couldn't hear the sincerity in his voice. Mary fought the urge to roll her eyes, knowing it would only make him dislike her more.

The thing about Drinian was that he was undoubtedly a very intelligent man with only good intentions. He was of great value during meetings and discussions and many, including Mary, respected him for that. However, it soon became apparent that for some reason, he didn't quite like Mary. Perhaps it had to do with her being such a young queen who lived in Narnia for not even a month before being coronated. Or maybe it had to do with him having been by the late Caspian IX's and Miraz's sides all his life, so he naturally favored Caspian X. Whatever the true reason was, Mary was just sure that he wasn't too fond of her, and while she did respect him, the feelings eventually became mutual. After all, how could you continue to like someone if they clearly didn't like you?

"Take a walk too cool your head, Drinian, " Caspian said with a small laugh, walking out of the cabins to stand by Mary and Orion as they overlooked the waters.

With more sincerity in his voice, Drinian said, "Noted, Your Majesty." Finally, he left without muttering another unnecessary noise, choosing to go up on the deck to take over steering the ship.

"I shall take my leave as well, My King and Queen," said Orion. "I would like converse with my intellectual peers in the cabins in the event that someone else passes by to make an uneducated comment."

Mary snickered at the centaur's passive-aggressive comment. He gave a knowing smile and a small bow to her and Caspian before walking away to join the other advisors on board. It was odd how both Drinian and Orion were advisors and both gave sound advise, but they didn't always see eye to eye either. They never fought, but Mary had a feeling that the Telmarine still didn't fully trust the judgment of Narnians.

"I've been telling you, Drinian doesn't like me," Mary said with a sigh, though there was some humor laced in her voice.

Caspian folded his arms and sat on the ledge with no fear of falling into the water whatsoever.

"I'm not denying that I don't notice him... not getting along with you at times," he said, trying to phrase his words well. Mary sent him a pointed look and he sighed. "Alright, so he has less of a filter when he speaks to you, but he's not a bad person."

"I'm not saying he is, but you know how differently he acts around me. He treats me like a child who doesn't know any better."

It was evident even to Caspian that Lord Drinian didn't like Mary very much, but he didn't know what to do. Drinian had been a valuable member of their council for a long time and Mary was queen. It was hard to find a compromise.

"You know," he said instead. "Lord Drinian opposes me sometimes, too."

"I don't believe you."

Caspian chuckled. "Well, believe it. That man served my father and respected him a hundredfold compared to what respect he shows me now. He may favor me more than you —"

"I told you."

"I never said you were wrong," Caspian clarified, sounding entertained at her childishness. "But as I was saying, even though he favors me, he disagrees with me at times, too. He tends to bring up what my father did or would do, and while it can be helpful sometimes, I do understand why you resent him. It can get irritating when he does things like that."

"I don't resent him, per se," Mary tried but the look on Caspian's face told her that he didn't believe her.

"Aside from that, the two of you actually work fine together. I honestly think he questions you to test you."

"Why does he even want to test me?" Mary grumbled. "It makes me feel incompetent. Who knows how many others doubt me?"

Caspian bit his lip, realizing that maybe Drinian was being too hard on Mary. While it didn't shock him since he was a very experienced lord, he had to admit that he should be kinder, especially since Mary was doing a good job as queen, anyway.

"I'm sure that's not his intention — to make you feel that way. Give it some time," he advised. "Honestly, he seems to still be hung up on my father's reign. He might just be taking a long time to warm up to the idea of not just his son ruling so soon, but someone he had never even met until recently."

Mary decided to drop the topic, actually agreeing with most of Caspian's words.

"You may be right," she eventually said.

Caspian smiled softly before saying, "Now, let's go up to the deck. I heard we're arriving at Telmar a bit sooner than we planned."

1 year after the War of Deliverance, Narnian Year 2304

Mary and Caspian's proposed alliance with Telmar was a success, as predicted.

It was hard to believe that twelve months had gone by since the War of Deliverance. That also meant that it had been an entire year since Mary had last seen the Pevensies. It was amazing how it had already been so long and so much had happened in Narnia since their departure, but she still couldn't wait to see them again. She still missed them dearly. The thought of them still being in the train station by then always crossed her mind and she wondered if they were thinking about her, too. Besides, not much time would have passed by the time she rejoined them, but who knew when that would be?

Caspian was off courting the daughter of the Calormene Empire's Tisroc. This was probably the least eventful period for Narnia since there had been no new threats since the war, so Caspian took his time to socialize and eventually met a woman who caught his eye when he was attempting to create a trade partnership with Calormen. The two royals decided that it wasn't time to create an alliance with them just yet, but this — a trade and courtship — was a good starting point. Mary had even jokingly told Caspian to try styling his hair differently to increase his chances, but he insisted on growing it out.

At the moment, Mary was having tea and playing cards with Elena and Antonio, the children of Sara who was the only Telmarine female in the council. The other females were Narnians, but it seemed that humans even in this world still tilted towards a patriarchy, so majority of the council remained to be males. Mary was grateful to have Sara, and though she was much older, it was nice to see another woman at meetings voicing out her thoughts.

Eventually, Mary and Caspian befriended her children. Both Elena and Antonio wanted to become part of the council like their mother in the near future, so their studies took up a lot of their free time. They were well-off, so they had many private tutors as well. However, Mary was at least glad to have people around her age, the two of them being only a few years older than her, to interact with.

"Elena, how's Julian?" Mary asked.

Elena blushed visibly and smiled the mention of her fiancé.

"He's actually been spearheading our wedding preparations, which still surprises me," the woman said.

"He's on a trip, though, isn't he?"

"He's coming back by the end of this week," Antonio interjected. "Elena wouldn't stop blabbing about it the past few days."

"Antonio," Elena grumbled in annoyance at her younger brother. "I can't help it. He's been away for months to make trades for his job and for the wedding."

"It's understandable," Mary reassured, sending a pointed look towards the girl's brother. Antonio cleared his throat to hide his amused smile.

"Maybe you should be looking for a relationship," Elena shot at her brother.

"I'm only twenty."

"It's the perfect age to start looking for someone."

"Then why isn't Caspian married yet?"

"He's literally off courting a royal from Calormen right now."

Frustrated, Antonio laid down his hand of cards on the table and turned to face his sister, clearly ready to bicker with her.

Not wanting to ruin the nice afternoon, Mary quickly said, "There's no need to worry about things like that. You can do things at your own pace."

"Thank you," Antonio said exasperatedly.

"I know, I know, I was just saying," his sister defended, raising her hands up in mock defense.

"Besides, who's to say I haven't found someone who caught my eye already?"

"Well, update me if you really do find someone who catches your eye," said Elena, not believing him. Noticing that they were out of tea, she stood up and offered to get a new batch since she didn't want to trouble anyone, leaving Mary and Antonio alone.

"She's a handful, isn't she?" Antonio joked.

"She sure is, but Julian is lucky to have her," Mary replied politely.

"I agree. They haven't been together for long, but I can tell he loves my sister very much. I'm relieved."

They lapsed into a silence that, on another day, should've been comfortable, but was tense at that moment.

"Queen Mary," Antonio eventually began after a while. "Have you ever thought about looking for a husband?"

"I'm sixteen," she deadpanned. "It's the last thing on my mind. My duties keep me busy as well, so I'd rather spend my free time relaxing like this."

"Well, yes, but it's not abnormal for women your age to start getting married."

"It is for me. Besides, I'm not exactly... available."

Antonio bit his lip. "It's King Edmund, isn't it?" Mary nodded stiffly, not exactly pleased where the conversation is going. "How are you still in contact with him?"

"Uh, I'm not."

"Then how are you sure he still feels the same way? He's not even here."

"Antonio, you stop this instant."

Mary and Antonio stood up simultaneously at the sound of Elena's voice. They hadn't even noticed her re-enter the room.

"Elena," said Antonio, sounding like he had been caught doing something he shouldn't have done. Elena set down the tray with the new batch of tea on a side table and marched over to them.

"My greatest apologies, Your Highness," Elena said, mildly surprising Mary. She had stopped sounding that formal ever since they became friends.

"I —"

"This is the woman who caught your eye?" Elena hissed at her brother.

"Well —"

"Have you no respect for her? Or King Edmund, for that matter?"

"He isn't even here to be with her," Antonio finally got a word out amidst his sister's outburst.

It seemed like Elena had so much more to say but decided to finish her scolding later on. Attempting to compose herself, she took a deep breath and faced Mary again.

"We'll be on our way now, my Queen. Thank you for having us over. Come on, Antonio."

Mary was speechless, not quite sure how to react. Elena tugged on Antonio's sleeve to ensure that he followed her on our way out. The latter stood his ground for a few more seconds before he eventually locked eyes with Mary with what she interpreted was a look of both hesitance and an apology. And then, he caught up with Elena out the door and left.

2 years after the War of Deliverance, Narnian Year 2305

It seemed as if a new problem kept coming up after one had just been resolved. Mary barely saw Elena and Antonio after that incident, save for the few dinners they had together, but both Sara and Caspian, or even other members of the council, were usually present. She maintained her friendship with the older sibling, but it was a little bit awkward with Antonio. However, Mary didn't have much time to dwell on that, because only two years after the War of Deliverance, a new threat arose.

The Northern Giants, who had already made peace with Narnia previously were beginning to rebel. Nobody knew why just yet, but they were making their presence known across the nation. Evidence ranges from destroyed bridges to pathways blocked with boulders or actual pieces of land that only creatures as large and strong as giants could create and do. It was negatively impacting the Narnians who lived close to where the giants resided — causing troubles with their travels, destroying their crops, and the like. And, more recently, some Narnian troops who were sent to patrol the borders were found injured. They were said to be attacked in the dead of the night by a supposed natural calamity, but there was no reported earthquake of any sort.

"What's the latest news about the Northern giants?"

Mary looked up from her table where papers filled with battle strategies were scattered. Before her stood Caspian and Trumpkin, watching her expectantly for her answer then glancing down at her table alternately to take a peek at what she was writing. As the head of the Most Noble Order of the Lion, it was up to her to make decisions like this. She had gotten more strategic at it over time from reading on Narnia's history as well as from actual experience, but she still felt the pressure. This was a real life-threatening situation, not unlike the War of Deliverance she took part in almost a year ago.

"To put it simply, they're rebelling," Mary replied, looking up from her defensive plays to eye the men before her. "I first heard of this after the Order was sent to investigate on our injured men. But just last night, I got word from Glenstorm when he and the other centaurs returned from their trip all too soon — the one where they were supposed to meet with the Northern Giants to renew our alliance. Apparently, this is the bad news we got instead."

"Aren't we supposed to be at peace with them?" Trumpkin said frustratedly. "It's been thousands of years since they were our enemies."

"Supposedly," Caspian said, deep in thought. "We need to find out the reason. Perhaps we can talk it out with them soon? Schedule another discourse with them before it's too late."

"With all due respect, Sire," Reepicheep interjected. "Giants aren't exactly the brightest, and they're quite violent in nature. They've already made some damage. I'm afraid speaking to them will only anger them further."

Caspian hummed thoughtfully, eyebrows furrowed. Not having an answer to the mouse's words, he glanced at Mary.

"What's your plan?"

"I have a strong feeling they'll be attacking us soon," she admitted. "They're offensive — they won't wait for us to make the first move. I don't want to battle, but I've been making plans and plays already to defend ourselves."

"We'll call for a meeting with the council and Order," Caspian said.

"That would be great. We can try to send representatives to speak to the giants, but I still think that won't be very effective at keeping them at bay. We can discuss this with the other advisors altogether, but I think it's inevitable that we'll be waging war with them soon."

A/N: LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE BUT BEAR WITH ME. WHEW WHAT A LONG CHAPTER. Some of these events are more or less canon based on the books, but of course, a couple of things have been added, removed, or adjusted in this fanfic.

Here are a few definitions of names and terms if you didn't understand them:
- Narnian Revolution (War of Deliverance): the Narnian-Telmarine battle that took place in the Prince Caspian book and movie
- Most Noble Order of the Lion: Narnian honorary title of nobility given only to those who proved themselves to Aslan
- Northern Giants: distinct from Narnian/Southern giants
- Calormene Empire: empire to the south of Narnia, populated exclusively by humans
- Tisroc: title of Calormen Emperor

Edit (9/20/21): It was fun to write scenes about Mary and what she's been up to in Narnia on her own but ahhh I sort of wished I split these into 2-3 chapters :') Oh well, I hope you guys enjoyed this anyway!