Fearless • P. Pevensie

The Loyalists

"Let me see her, let me see!" A voice speaks from seemingly nowhere. My eyes dart around before the minotaur stands. He turns around, facing his back to me as I can see who's speaking.

It's a tortoise. Old as could be, staring back at me. He's strapped to the minotaur's back, being carried around by the creature.

"Ahh. There she is." He smiles, head craning to look at me. "Your Majesty, it is an honour to serve you once again!" He laughs.

"Once again?" I ask him. "I-I apologize, sir. I haven't a good memory of this place. You'll have to forgive me."

"Me forgive you? Me forgive you! My Queen, it is you who'll have to do the forgiving." The minotaur lets the tortoise down, the old creature slowly hobbling towards me. "Ah. You were just a young thing back then." He tells me.

"Again, I apologize. My memory of this land has largely been taken from me." I tell him.

"Very well. I served your mother and father. Back when I was a young thing, so full of life. I was a spy. And a good one, too." The tortoise tells me. "My name is Xavier. This here is Beetee, descended from Reesmucheen." He introduces.

"She doesn't remember, Xav." The minotaur, Beetee, tells him. "Not all of us can have your grand memory. My great-great-great-great-great grandfather was your father's head commander in his army after the war."

"He had an army after the war?" I ask, tilting my head in confusion.

"The history books may have...embellished the truth a bit." Xavier tells me. "There was a peace time, yes. But there is always conflict. Even in a time of peace." He explains.

I look at the two. What a pair, huh?

"Well, I thank you. For remaining loyal to a throne through all these years." I nod to them, giving them a smile.

"It is our deepest pleasure, Queen Rosemary." Xavier bows his head.

"Uh, call me Rose." I tell them with a smile. "If we're to win this war, win back our Narnia so that I may sit on a throne at the Cair Paravel, then formally addressing me will only waste our time."

"As you wish, ma'am." Xavier tells me.

"Rose." I smile.

"As you wish, Rose." Beetee corrects him, smiling down at me.

I glance back at the rest of the army, before looking back at the two who've come to greet me.

"Okay, listen. I am going to be honest with you." I sigh, the two of them looking at each other with worry. "I haven't got a clue what I'm doing. I...this sword? I've only used it once. And-and I didn't even kill the thing! Just wounded it. And...I'm not great at long, drawn out speeches. I'm not elegant, graceful like my mother. I'm not sure of myself, or headstrong, like I'm sure my father was. But I am brave. And I love this country more than I could ever describe in words. I don't know what you were all expecting me to be, but I promise you, I'm not it. But you have my word that I will not fail you."

There's a pause. Wind sprites continue to dance around me, playing with my hair and ruffling my skirt as they do so.

"Oh, love." The tortoise is the first to speak. "We're not expecting you to be anything. We're just glad you're home." He tells me.

A smile spreads across my face. I let out a pathetic laugh, wiping away a stray tear that somehow fell. I take a shaky breath to calm myself before crossing my hands over myself.

"Do you think they saw that?" I laugh, looking out to my troops.

"Not at all, Rose." Beetee comforts me. "Come on. There's much to discuss with you."