The Magnificent

XVII

Inside was a large room, the walls lined with book shelves that were practically overflowing. A huge floor to ceiling window stood majestically adjacent to the entrance that led to a small marble balcony. Sunlight pouring into the room beautifully as I stepped in. There was a smooth, mahogany desk in the middle of the room, a pile of papers already waiting for my attention on the left side. I dragged my fingers lightly over the gorgeous furnishings, astonished that such a room had been made just for me.

Oriphone and Semestra excused themselves, curtsying and shutting the door in their wake. Leaving me to explore the hidden wonders of my office alone. I reveled in the silence, slowly walking about the expanse of the space with a look of pure wonder on my face. The books on the shelves possessed every topic a queen should study up on. I pulled off a thick green bound about the different languages of Narnia and after thumbing through a few pages, I set it on my desk. Deciding I would read it later. 

A smooth, brown leather chair stood elegantly behind the table and I lowered myself into it. Suddenly feeling extremely regal as I took in the contents of my workspace. Something glinted in the sunlight as I settled in. It caught my attention and drew my eyes to the space above the large wooden door. My breath hitched in my throat as I took in the gorgeously majestic portrait of my mother, wings spread, hair wild, and hands glowing with magic. Her eyes pierced mine yet there was a deep kindness buried in the ocean of blue and green. I smiled softly to myself and took a deep breath, trying to stop the tear that appeared in my eye at her memory. Wiping it away with a flick of my finger, I reached for the stack of papers sitting tall on the edge of my desk. 

The day passed extraordinary slowly as I read page after page about my new duties as queen. My hand was cramped from how many signatures I'd written and I made a fist a few times to hopefully fix the issue. Peter had stopped by not too long after I had started, asking how I was doing and exchanging tales about the strangest papers he'd read so far. "I have a marriage proposal from some princess in a kingdom miles away." He chuckled, fiddling with his sleeves and looking at the ground. My heart pinged at the mention of marriage, knowing damn well that I didn't want Peter with some princess from far far away. 

"Hey, you ok?" He stepped closer to my desk, sitting just across from me on a stool he'd snatched from one of the bookshelves. "Yeah, fine." I mumbled, quickly looking for something to distract me as I cursed the fact that my expression gave me away. Peter sat in silence, staring me down with his thumb pressed lightly against his bottom lip. "You don't want me to get married, do you?" He smiled at his discovery, obviously proud of himself. I slammed the drawer I was digging through, "What?! No! You can marry whoever you want! Or not get married at all! I don't care!" My words came out quickly, loud and scrambled as I felt blush rise in my cheeks. Peter chuckled again, the sound rumbling in his chest as he stood from his seat. He browsed around my bookshelves as I tried to calm my heart that raced in my chest. 

I had just regained my composure when he spoke, not looking up from the pages of a small book he held in his right hand. "You're cute like that you know. Flustered." I froze, pen in my hand as the words fell from his lips. "Since when are you so straight forward?" I retaliated, copying his choice to not look up. Peter scoffed, what I said had obviously struck a chord. "Have I not been?" He was smiling now, slightly laughing through his words. I practically slammed the pen on the table, "You're kidding me, right?" He looked at me clueless. "Peter, you are nothing but confusing!" I tried to be serious but the childish grin on his face made me lose it. I giggled after speaking and saw a look of complete admiration wash over Peter's face. He had gotten so lost in thought he nearly dropped the book he was holding. 

"As much as I hate to say it, you'd better get back to work. Mr. Tumnus would throw a fit if he knew you were in here." I sighed, gazing at Peter as he pulled himself together. "Yeah, right. I'll see you later? In the gardens?" He questioned, his hand on the door knob. "Sure, I'll meet you there as soon as we're done." I beamed at the idea, swearing to not procrastinate on my work any longer. "Sounds like a date." Peter smirked before slipping out the door and back to his office.

Somehow, I found that after Peter had left, I was more productive than before. No matter how hard I tried to calm myself, my heart beat faster than normal at the thought of being alone with him. It was hard to focus on the complaints already pouring in of animals wanting their land and houses back after Jadis had been defeated. Once those were finished I nearly slammed my head into the desk when Mr. Tumnus brought in another stack. Smaller than the one I had finished this morning but still, it meant more work and more waiting to meet with Peter. 

"Sorry for barging in like this your majesty but, we've just received some exciting news." The faun scrambled over to my desk, his arms full of papers that were starting to slip. "Do tell." I smiled at his awkward happiness as he pulled up a chair. "I know this may sound a bit overwhelming." He fumbled with the pages as he tried to organize them, "These are marriage proposals from all around Narnia and beyond!" He beamed, setting the papers on my desk proudly. My mouth almost dropped open. I knew Peter had mentioned one proposal, how could I have so many? "Shall I go through them with you? It's all rather exciting isn't it?" Mr. Tumnus beamed, his hands already ready for the first sheet. I nodded, leaning back into my chair as he put on a pair of silly circular glasses that perched just at the tip of his nose. Clearing his throat, he began to read. 

"Alright, Prince Reginald Tudor of Archenland, known as Prince Reggie. He's... oh dear." Mr. Tumnus stopped and I looked up, "What is it?" "I'm afraid he's not the one for you ma'am. He's 34 years old." The faun looked up at me and we both burst into laughter. "No thank you." I managed through giggles as Mr. Tumnus quickly pushed the paper aside and marked it so he could right a refusal letter. "Next one then, Prince Albert Bryson of Calormen. It says he enjoys hunting." Mr. Tumnus frowned at this, his eyes flicking up to me. I shook my head quickly, knowing that would never work with all the talking animals in Narnia. As the faun rambled on through the stack of eligible bachelors, I couldn't help but space out. I stood from the desk to look out the window, my thumb tracing my lower lip as Mr. Tumnus giggled at some Prince from Aldonia who had written a poem for me. How on earth word of my coronation had reached so far in only a day, I had no idea. All I did know however, was that declining proposal after proposal was going to give me lots of unwanted attention. 

Just as the sun kissed the trees on the horizon, Mr. Tumnus finished with the last paper. Seemingly disappointed that all of the suitors had ended up in the decline pile. "Ahh well, there's always tomorrow my queen. If you'll excuse me." He bowed, hands pressed to his chest to keep the papers from spilling everywhere. I smiled, still not used to everyone bowing before me. The second the door clicked shut, I whirled around, back towards the window, this time pushing open the clear doors to stand on the balcony. 

There, not too far from the palace, sat Peter. Practically glowing in the setting sun as he stared off at the land before him. I felt a smile creep across my cheeks at the sight of him. No more was he the silly teenage schoolboy from Finchley, the boy who sat just below my window carried himself with the maturity of a man. Although he was far, I could see that his eyes swam with the burdens he now carried on his shoulders. The duties of a king, a figurehead for all of Narnia, the memories of battle, witnessing death everywhere he looked. He and I were too young to experience that, yet we made it through. Side by side, and if that wasn't a sign then I don't know what was. I flicked my fingers gently, causing a small cloud of golden light to circle Peter's head for a second before directing his focus to the ledge where I stood. His brow furrowed for a second before he caught my eye. His devastatingly handsome smile quickly returned to his face. The gesture was contagious and I found myself grinning back at him. He beckoned me to him with a wave of his hand and I whirled around, practically racing out the door with excitement.

A/N: Hello everyone! I'm sorry this update took so long but I am so glad you are enjoying the story! I love reading your comments, they make my day whenever I see them :) Remember to stay hydrated, be kind, and in case you haven't heard it today, you're absolutely fantastic!