𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐄, 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 ✯ 𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑎 𝑓𝑎𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ✓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎: 𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐈𝐑𝐀

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I sit exhausted in the armchair of my sleeping chamber, my head resting against the back and every once in a while I feel my eyes closing. I have attended the wounds of the Pevensies and the Narnian soldiers who had already been hurt during the rebellion. My hands are shaking from strained labour now, but luckily they never do so when I'm helping others.

'Elvira?' I hear my brother ask, and I hum, not bothering to open my eyes. I need a breather.

'Are you all right?' Salvador asks and the door creaks as he opens it further.

'Yes,' I answer. 'I just need a good night's sleep.'

I open one eye when my brother clears his throat a bit awkwardly.

'I'm guessing that means I can't go to bed yet?' I ask with a sigh, and I straighten my back in the chair.

'Caspian is gathering the Kings and Queens of Old in the throne room, and he wants us there too while they try figuring out why they've been called to Narnia,' Salvador explains.

'Right now?' My eyes wander to the stained glass window. The sun is already slowly sinking towards the horizon and the surface of the sea sparkles as if hundreds of diamonds are hidden just below it. It isn't that late yet, but it feels as if I have been up for days straight.

I reach for the ceiling, loosening my stiff muscles, but then I stand up. 'Very well,' I say. 'Let's go then, we cannot keep them waiting.'

Salvador smiles apologetically. 'I tried asking Caspian if it couldn't wait till morning, but the Pevensies are feeling much better thanks to you, and they want to try and figure out what is going on.'

'Don't we all,' I mutter. I know from the legends and stories that they only appear when Narnia is in danger, but so far the only known threat was the Calormene rebellion. Caspian stopped it before it could get out of hand, though, so why did they appear? Could it have something to do with the warning of the rebel leader?

I look down at my clothes, I haven't even changed out of my battle gear. The sand of the Great Desert is still woven through my hair and dried blood sticks to my hands and clothes. I'm far from dressed for a meeting of Kings and Queens.

'Caspian really wants us in the throne room right now?' I ask with a small voice, lingering in my pace and Salvador follows my gaze towards my dirty purple dress.

He shrugs. 'Caspian knows you've been busy attending to the wounded. I'm sure he'll forgive you.'

'I'm going to make a lovely impression, then,' I say sarcastically as my mind involuntarily wanders to Peter, the High King. A part of me wants to look at my best when I meet him again.

Salvador laughs and takes my wrist for a moment, dragging me out of the chambers with him. 'Don't be so dramatic. They're all grateful for your help, they'd be the last to judge.'

'If you say so.' I take a deep breath and walk next to my brother as we make our way to the throne room of Cair Paravel. Our footsteps echo between the white, marble walls, amplifying the sound as if there are a dozen of us.

Salvador pushes open the great doors and the rays of the setting sun fall in a beautiful pattern on the floor due to the glass roof. Columns support the heavy architecture and on a platform at the other end of the room stand four thrones; a not so silent ode anymore to the Kings and Queens of Old. In the middle of the room rests a round table; Caspian's idea as he believes everyone is equal during the meetings. There is no head at a round table and he values everyone's opinion, whether they're from me: a simple healer, or a Lord of Narnia. Most seats are unoccupied now, as it's only a meeting between me, my brother, Caspian and the Kings and Queens.

The five of them already sit at the round table, bathed and changed into clean clothes. I fight the urge to uneasily shift from one feet to another when I feel all eyes turned on us.

Caspian sits on his usual chair decorated with silver lines and Susan sits on his left side. She wears a beautiful blue dress with silver embroidery in the shape of constellations. Her dark hair falls in curls around her shoulders and a smile plays around her lips as she looks at Caspian who beckons for us to join them.

Salvador sits down in the empty chair by Caspian's right hand and I decide to sit next to Lucy, who sits next to Susan. The young Queen smiles at me and I grin as well. There's still a bit of dried blood on the back of her head, between her auburn hair, but it seems as if she feels much better.

'Thank you for joining us, Salvador, Elvira,' Caspian starts, and like the others, I turn my attention to the King.

'The honour is all us, Sire,' Salvador says, immediately falling in his role of respected general.

'Now, I hate to be so blunt,' Caspian continues, 'but we need to know why Aslan brought you all back to Narnia.' He crosses eyes with Susan for a moment when he says this, but focuses on Lucy when she frowns and shifts in her chair.

'Maybe it wasn't at all on purpose,' she says, frowning even deeper as if she's trying to remember something.

'Yes,' Peter adds. 'Our house. . . It collapsed underneath us, and bombs fell out of the sky.'

'I think we're dead. . .' Susan whispers. 'In our world, at least. Aslan brought us here to save us.'

'Dead?' Caspian repeats breathlessly, and he takes Susan's hand when he notices how pale she has become.

'If I may,' I say carefully, and Caspian nods.

'I do think there's a reason why the Kings and Queens of Old have returned. Remember what the rebel leader of Calormen said? "They're coming". I think there's something going on, something we don't quite understand yet.'

'You do think Aslan meant for us to come?' Peter asks me and I hum in agreement.

'It cannot be a coincidence. It doesn't add up,' I say.

At that moment, however, a harsh wind swings open the heavy doors and with a bang they collide with the walls. A shadow falls over the glass roof and the wind blows out the few burning candles. The throne room is covered in darkness and the sound of wood scraping over stone travels through the air as we all stand up from our seats, pushing our chairs away.

The shadow above us merges into a dark silhouette and moves through the ceiling like a ghost. The figure lowers to the round table and hovers a few inches above it as the shadows swirl around it in a whirlwind.

The darkness of its face seems to deepen when a gaping hole appears in it and goosebumps appear on my arms when a deep voice rolls through the air. The dark shadow laughs maniacally and the sound seems to grow louder with every passing second until it thunders throughout the throne room.

Then, without a warning, it stops laughing and it disappears, leaving us all stunned and shocked.

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