.

.

.

.

.

TWENTY - FIVE | THE CORONATIONS OF A NEW AGE

.

.

.

.

.

The departure of the Pevensies left an empty hole in the hearts of all the Narnians but none were more affected than the hearts of Caspian X and Angelina Murphy. Both had lost so much so quickly and it was hard for them to be hit with the reality check that the Pevensies really were gone and there was no certainty of them returning anytime soon.

Their departure was also bittersweet as they didn't get to give Caspian any wise words towards his coronation, an event that had been planned for the next day in order to give the Narnians time to plan some festivities. Neither had ever seen a coronation in their life time or was old enough to remember the Lord Protector rising to the throne so this was an entirely new experience to them. Angelina was glad for the distraction as this way she didn't have to think about the loss she had experienced the day before of the Just King and his family.

Caspian in all honesty was scared shitless. He couldn't imagine being King especially following in the shoes of the High Kings and Queens of Narnia and the tyranny of his uncle. He questioned whether this was truly the right decision, if he was even ready to take the throne. Honestly, he had been under the jurisdiction that the Kings and Queens of old would help ease him into the transition rather than just leave the day before.

But sadly, that wasn't the case.

"I can't do this." Caspian sighed as he threw himself down onto his bed and buried his head in his soft feathered pillow. 

"Yes you can." Angelina insisted as she sat down next to him and ran her hand through his hair. "You're more deserving than anyone."

"You deserve this too," Caspian replied as he turned himself around so he was staring at the ceiling utterly defeated. "perhaps more than me."

"You know I couldn't do this," The girl moved so she laid next to him on the bed, the two staring blankly at the ceiling as they contemplated their thoughts. "not with her."

"I still think you'd do a good job." Caspian chuckled as he nudged the girls shoulder. "You're good at everything."

"Everything but being a normal sixteen year old." She joked, raising her arm before covering her eyes to block out any light in the room and taking a deep breath.

"I'm not sure there's such thing."

The silence was deafening, the two just laying their is silence and enjoying each others company. It was then the two started to grieve, to remember the events of the day before and finally allow themselves to feel. Angelina was trying to present herself as stoic but inside her heart was breaking. Emotionally she was all over the place and she didn't quite know what to do with herself. She didn't want to cry but she also didn't want to just smile and pretend like it didn't happen. She was sad, hurt, angry and overwhelmed all at the same time. 

But she felt most of all that she had to be brave for Caspians sake. He needed her more than anything right now. He was about to become King, to run a country and he had already been let down in the fact that he was being given no prior guidance beforehand. They were in this together and she was the last bit of family he had left.

The two needed each other more than anything.

"How are you holding up?"

"He'll be back, I know he will. What about you?" Though Angelina sounded confident, Caspian could still sense a bit of hesitation in her voice. "That kiss was heartbreaking."

"I'm surprisingly okay..." He admitted as he turned to look at her. "I don't think she was the one."

"No?" She asked in confusion, turning tomlay on her side and face him. "How come?"

"I think I need to find someone with a little bit more spunk." Caspian laughed but it was clearly forced, the smile on his face falling slightly before he sighed again.

"it's okay Cassie, I can see you're hurting."

"It just wasn't meant to be..." He drawer off before giving the girl a hopeful gaze. "I'll find mi amor eventually."

"Cheers to that!" The two pretended to clink goblets together before pure, beautiful laughter filled the room. "To the future of Narnia!"

"To Narnia."

.

.

.

.

.

"To the Great Eastern Ocean, King Caspian X!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as the crown was placed onto Caspians head at the order of the Great  Lion himself. Everyone had gathered for the momentous occasion, Narnoans and Telmarones alike who were finally ready for Caspian to take the throne and reunite their lands once again. It was a beautiful ceremony, there wasn't a single sour face in the room, the rejoice was real and Caspian couldn't be happier to see all the smiling faces in the crowd.

"Speech!" Angelina screamed from the crowd gleefully, Caspian laughing before he stood up to address the crowd.

"It is a great honour to stand among you all as your King. Though I am not perfect and I shall never claim to be, I promise to do all and do the best by Narnians and Telmarines alike." His voice was strong and confident, his promise genuine and raw. "This is the dawn of a new age. An age where all beings are equal and shall be celebrated as such. I have big plans for our country and I intend to rebuild the trusts with our fellow countries that were ripped apart from past tyranny. I cannot promise the Old Narnia back to the Narnians and I also can't promise Telmar but I can promise something new, something exciting and something real. For Narnia!"

"For Narnia!"

Angelina had expected that to be the end of his speech for it had been strong and confident and genuine. But it wasn't. As the crowd died down she watched as the King exchanged a look with Aslan, the Great Lion nodding at him before Caspian cleared his throat to address the room again.

"Though this new age wouldn't be possible without the help of someone very dear to my heart. She has been judged, hunted and hurt by all of us. She was shunned out of human society for a mistake she made as a child and has been haunted by it ever since. But when the time was right, when she should have just left our country to fall to a terrible war she stood up and fought. When I was chased out of this castle by assassins and landed in the woods she could have just left me to die but instead she took me in, nursed me to full health and helped me get back on my feet." Caspian began to walk forward, the crowd dissipating around him before he found himself stood in front of Angelina. "She has been the best friend I could ever ask for."

"Caspian..."

"Please Lina, let me finish." Caspian insisted as he extended his arm for her to take. "I need you to trust me"

"Okay." Angelina accepted his arm as he directed her back towards the throne before Caspian turned to address the room again.

"I have been conversing with the Great Lion himself about our future as a country and he agrees that if I am to ever to be a Good King to you all, then I would need some help along the way. So if you would all let her, I'd like to propose that she join me on this journey to building a better life for all of us."

There was a gasp in the crowd, almost a disbelief at the events that were beholding before the,. Trufflehunter was clapping his paws in delight while Trumpkin and Glenstorm were grinning from ear to ear. Angelina merely stood staring at him in disbelief. This wasn't part of the plan. He hadn't mentioned any of this to her and now she was being put on the spot.

What was his plan here? What did he gain from this? Angelina didn't quite know.

"Caspian, what are you saying?"

"She has sacrificed so much in her life all because as a little girl her biggest dream was to be a Princess." Angelina flinched at the distant memory, Caspian merely taking her hand in his and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Now I have no means of marrying her and I'm sure she's holding back a huge laugh from me suggesting such a thing but that doesn't mean that we can't make her dream come true."

"I don't understand." She muttered as her gaze fell upon Aslan, who simply bowed his head the girl and shook his mane.

"All will come to light soon enough. You have proven yourself again and again that you will do all you can to protect and love everyone around you." Aslan told the girl, Angelina smiling at this words. "I see no better fit than the pair of you to bring Narnia to a new age."

Hearing the Great Lion speak those words gave Angelina more guidance than anything. There was a greater reason that Aslan wanted her at Caspians side and she knew it. Perhaps it was the deal that she made with the Enchantress, maybe Aslan was under the philosophy of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. 

Or maybe Aslan just knew how much the two depended on each other.

Either way, Angelina was so in.

"So?" Caspian faced her with that cheeky grin on his face. "What do you say?"

"Well I'm not going to marry you." She stated as if it were obvious, Caspian chuckling at her as he nodded his head.

"I think that was a given."

"And you're certain you want this?" Angelina questioned him again, Caspian nodding before giving her hands a reassuring squeeze.

"I couldn't do this without you.*

It was as if there was an immediate shift in the air.

Music echoed through the room, bouncing effortlessly off the walls as cheers erupted from the Narnians at the acceptance. Then a shimmer of blue engulfed the room, a velvet pillow with a dainty gown that was designed to imitate the look of vines and branches. It was one of the most beautiful things Angelina had ever seen. The pillow was being escorted by her dear blue fairies, the flock of them singing gracefully towards her before placing the crown above her head.

"To the Grand Shuddering Woods, Princess Angelina The Warrior."

And it finally sunk in.

She was no longer just Angelina Murphy, the Enchantress' warrior and pawn in her game.

She was a Princess, a distant dream she thought would never come true.

And best of all? She got to do it all with her best friend.

A New Age truly was upon them

.

.

.

.

.

The night was young and magnificent.

Angelina had heard stories of royal balls but never once had he ever considered that she would be apart of one. The atmosphere was overwhelming but in a positive way. The music was like heaven, the food was to die for and Angelina had danced so much that she was afraid that her feet were going to fall off before the night ended.

Everything felt so magical. Angelina Murphy never knew that life could be this good. A life where she didn't have to fend for herself in the forest, where she didn't have to hunt for her food or run from soldiers who deemed her a threat to society. It was nice to feel welcome and free, to be seen and recognised as an individual and not for a poor choice she made ten years ago. 

As the night drew closer to a close the Princes of the Shuddering Woods found herself in her new temporary chambers in Caspians castle. She was dancing around in the room to the faint music she could still hear from the ballroom, living in the moment as if it were the last time she would ever feel like this. She was so engrossed in her dancing that she hadn't heard the knock on the door.

"Angie!"

Angelina screamed as she physically jumped from fright, holding a hand to her chest as she tried to catch her breath following being jump scared from whoever had spoken. She turned herself to look in the generally direction of the voice and visibly relaxed upon seeing Trumpkin stood before her. 

"Dad," She sighed in relief. "You scared me."

"I did knock." He promised, Angelina nodding as she once again started twirling around the room. "You keep spinning and you'll make yourself dizzy."

"I can't hep it, I'm just so so happy."

Trumpkin smiled at her as he took everything in.

The little girl he had saved ten years ago wasn't the same girl that stood before him. Its like she had slipped right through his fingers so quickly and she wasn't so little anymore. He remembered a time when he used to tuck her in every night and tell her daring stories of the Narnians and her eyes used to light up in anticipation. He remembered the first time she shot a bow and how she jumped up and down in glee when she got a perfect bullseye or the time she beat him at chess for the first time. All these little things he held so close to his heart and yet here she was now, all grown up and a Princess of the land.

"How do I look?" Angelina asked him as she turned around a struck a pose, hoping to break him out of the trance he was in. 

"A little bit too grown up." He admitted as tears began to fall freely down his face.

"Oh Dad... please don't cry." Angelina muttered softly as she embraced the dwarf, something that was much needed for the both of them after the events of the last couple days.

It was nice to have the normality and to feel like a real family.

"I'm so proud of you." He whispered into her shoulder, Angelina shaking her head at his swords as they released ftom the hug and she sighed.

"You shouldn't be."

"Whatever you've done, there's no changing it now." Trumpkin told her, taking her hand in his and giving it a squeeze "We'll just work through this together."

His word was genuine, his smile real and for the first time since she made a deal with the Enchantress Angelina felt at ease. He was right, whats done is done and she couldn't change it no matter how hard she tried. She just needed to accept it and live her life to her fullest, cherish every moment for as long as she could. 

"I love you Dad."

"I love you too Pumpkin." Trumpkin replied before he stood up and began to walk towards the door. "Get some sleep, you have a big day tomorrow.

And with that he left, leaving Angelina alone once again.

She knew that Trumpkin was right and that she should get some rest but she just couldn't quite yet. The music from the ball was slowly fading away, the festivities coming to a close as the sky was engulfed by a black velvet. Angelina found herself wandering to the balcony, staring up at the night sky and feeling the wind blow softly through her hair.

It was then she allowed herself to really grieve.

"Please come home soon, before its too late."

Her whisper was lost to the wind as she held the gold King piece close to her heart and watched a single star shoot off into the distance. She wondered if perhaps Edmund was watching the same starry sky and wishing the two were together again. Selfishly she hoped he was, she hoped that his heart was hurting as much as hers was so that they could feel that little bit closer to each other even if they were apart. A single tear fell from her cheek and she wrapped her arms around herself wishing more than anything that it was his arms that were around her.

But they weren't.

Nobody knew when or if the Pevensies would ever return to Narnia nor did they know what lied ahead for the new King and Princess but there was one thing that was for certain. As a new dawn settled across the land of Narnia a new age was beginning and as Aslan departed once again across the shorefront something new brewing.

A timer was running dangerously thin and was cracking.

And Princess Angelina, The Warrior would be the first to break.

.

.

.

.

.

END OF ACT ONE

.

.

.

.

.