✿ ( 𝐈𝐃𝐘𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐂 ) ✿

❝ ✧ * 𝖜𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖇𝖞: 𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗻𝗮 * ✧ ❞

ASTORIA managed to make her way back towards to city where the the townspeople had grouped together and were all cheering loudly.

"Tori!" A voice shouted, and she looked over to see Peter holding the reins of an extra horse. "Hurry! You surely don't want to miss out on being in the new King's entourage, do you?"

King. Caspian was to be crowned as king?

Astoria hopped on the back of the horse sitting behind Peter. She could barely see Caspian's head through the large crowd, the only thing that she could see being the large golden crown atop his long raven hair. The crowd continued to cheer as they made their way into the castle, and Astoria grinned at them all.

***

The festivities were truly wonderful. The fireworks going off all night and the party itself was splendid.

Astoria eventually managed to worm her way through the crowd to Caspian, wishing to congratulate him on his new title.

"If you are going to be ordering me to feed you grapes or whatever, I think I'd rather fight Miraz again," Astoria laughed heartily as she approached Caspian. "Congratulations. You would make a wonderful king."

"Well, you're going to be going to wherever you are from, so no need to worry about that," Caspian said sadly.

"Erm—that's the thing, Caspian. I'm... I'm staying."

"What? What about your home?"

"London is lovely, yes. But, Aslan told me that my Narnian blood only permits me to go to Earth once. And well, my one chance is over now that I left. But Narnia was the home of my birth parents. It truly is wonderous here you know. Being here in Narnia makes me feel happy, I suppose."

"So... so you're staying?"

"Yeah, I suppose so." She smiled lightly at him.

Caspian tried to brave it, stepping forward to Astoria, leaning in to kiss her when someone interrupted them.

"Ria!" A voice called out from behind her. It was Lucy who was beckoning Astoria to dance with her.

"I-I'll see you tomorrow, Caspian." Astoria said, still dazed, her heart racing, knowing that she and Caspian were just about to kiss as she drifted away.

Caspian couldn't help but feel, well, happy. It was selfish of him to want Astoria for himself and to deprive her of her home and friends, but his wish came true. He now had Astoria, and it felt like the shooting star that he had been chasing was now finally in reach.

***

The next week day, everyone was gathered before the new king as he readied himself for his speech.

"Narnia belongs to the Narnians," Caspian started. "Just as it does to man. Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to. But for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers."

"It's been generations since we left Telmar," a man spoke up from the stampede of people.

"We're not referring to Telmar," Aslan stated. "Your ancestors were seafaring brigands. Pirates run aground on an island. There, they found a rare chasm that brought them here from their world. The same world as our Kings and Queens. It is to that island I will return you. It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start."

A huge tsunami of tense silence rushed upon everyone, until a man called out diffusing the tension. "I will go."

Astoria widened her eyes in shock, realizing that the man who had spoken had been the Telmarine general. "I will accept the offer."

Caspian slowly nodded his head, and the man pushed through the sea of people to the front of the gathering.

"So will we," Caspian's aunt announced, her newborn baby wrapped up in her hands.

"Because you have spoken first, your future in that world shall be good," Aslan told them, turning to look at the large tree. It's branches suddenly twisted, pulling the trunk of it apart to form an whimsical-looking archway. Astoria gaped in awe. The three Telmarines walked to it, and disappeared immediately.

"How do we know he's not leading us to our death?!" Someone demanded in the chorus of exclaims and confusion from the crowd.

"Sire," Reep spoke. "If my example can be of any service, I will take eleven mice through with no delay."

Aslan hesitated, but Peter stepped up. "We'll go.

"We will?" Edmund asked, clearly not having expected this.

"Come on. Our time's up," he insisted. "After all, we're not really needed here anymore. Narnia has got a new king now." Peter glanced towards Caspian with a smirk handing him his sword. "And a potential new queen."

"Shut the hell up Peter before I slice you with that sword." Astoria hissed.

"Totally barbaric, Astoria." Caspian chuckled shaking his head as he took the weapon from Peter's grasp with a firm nod. "I will look after it until you return."

"I'm afraid that's just it," Susan said sadly. "We're not coming back."

"We're not?" Lucy asked, and Astoria's heart sunk, knowing that this was coming.

Peter and Susan wanted a life outside of Narnia. Away from all the fantasies and a real life with a real job. Not running around with swords and now and arrows all the time.

"You two are," Peter informed. "At least, I think he means you two."

"But why?" Lucy questioned, frowning. "Did Astoria, Peter, and Susan do something wrong?"

"Quite the opposite, Dear One," Aslan replied. "But all things have their time. Your brother and sister have learned what they can from this world. Now it's time to live in their own."

"What about Tori?"

"Astoria's Narnian blood will prevent her from going home, little one. She is to stay here in Narnia, her birth home."

"It's all right, Lu," Peter assured. "It's not how I thought it would be... but it's all right. One day you'll see too, come on."

He began to pull her to the tree, but Lucy broke away from him, and darted straight over to Astoria, wrapping her in a tight hug. "Why do you have to leave us, Tori? When will we see you again?"

"Come on, Lucy," Astoria whispered. "Part of me wishes I could go back too, y'know. We will see each other again one day."

A light laugh escaped the youngest Lucy's lips, and Astoria's eyes started to water knowing that they wouldn't be seeing each other in a very very long time.

"I'll miss you, Lu."

"Me too, Astoria."

When Astoria looked up, she saw that Susan had stepped over to them as well.

The two friends immediately went to embrace each other as the two sobbed into each other's shoulders. "I'm going to miss you. It hurts that I'll never see you again. You've been a great friend, Astoria."

"Look at that. The Susan Pevensie crying. I never thought I'd live to see this day." Astoria joked to try to numb the pain over the fact that this would be the last time Susan and Astoria would ever see each other again.

Susan choked on a laugh. "You're ridiculous." Susan let go and turned on her heel towards her siblings.

Astoria ran over to Peter and Edmund and hugged them tightly. "I'm going to miss you guys."

The two hugged the girl back tightly. "We'll miss you too, Astoria." Edmund said.

"Too bad I won't be invited to yours and Caspian's wedding. You better name your kids after me, Ria." Peter said jokingly. Astoria playfully slapped Peter. "Okay! Okay! Joking! But I'm sure you'll make a great queen."

"Shut the hell up, Peter."

Astoria let go of the two and the four siblings walked to the tree and she watched as they evaporated into thin air, as she bursted out into tears knowing that that was one of the last times she'd ever see Edmund and Lucy again and the last time she'd ever see Peter and Susan.

She felt a comforting hand place on her shoulder, and turned to see Caspian. The sight of him staring at her like that again made her stomach fill with butterflies again.

She wiped away her tear-stained cheeks and managed a smile that she hoped would be enough to convince him that she'd be okay.

"Y'know we never finished what we started last night now, did we? Now that Lucy isn't here to interrupt us, and Peter isn't here to mock us anymore... "

"H-Here?" Astoria stuttered, heart racing as she glanced to the crowd, knowing that he wanted to kiss her since they almost did the night before.

He nodded. "Caspian, not in front of-"

He cut off her protests and crashed his lips onto hers and wrapped his hands around her waist bringing the surprised girl closer to his body. Astoria's eyes went wide in complete shock, but eventually gave into the kiss, her heart still fluttering.

When they broke apart, the people of Telmar cheered and hollered at the love struck couple as Astoria's cheeks turned a crimson red.

Caspian smirked down at her with that smug glint in his eyes again.

Astoria glared at the amused Caspian. "You are such a git."

Caspian was clearly confused by her terminology, and Astoria bursted out into laughter.

"Come again?"

She just grinned and shook her head instead of responding, and he lightly took her hand in his as they both turned to stare at the crowd that had started to lessen as more and more people began to enter the archway leaving Narnia forever.

As Caspian glanced over to the beautiful girl next to him, her cheeks still red from their kiss earlier, he realized that all his worries of becoming a king had disappeared because he wasn't alone anymore. He had Astoria Fauxwood by his side, and he couldn't be any happier than he was in that moment as long as she was there with him.

And that's all that really mattered.