wis·dom
/ˈwizdəm/
noun
the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.
Narnia had always been a free country, until she came along. Jadis was the devil in disguise, and she brought to the kingdom an eternal...
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"Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality." -Jules de Gaultier
Narnia, 1015/England, 1940
All chapters have an end. But when one is ending, another one is just beginning.
Their glorious years of rule in Narnia came to an end the day the white stag had been spotted in the Western woods, and the five Kings and Queens of Narnia went out for a hunt.
It was a happy moment, for they would eternally remember the day they laughed as they rode horses and chased the creature with bright smiles and glorifying thoughts on the morning of another regular day, where their lives would forever change the moment Mr Tumnus came barging inside the castle with the news that a white stag had been spotted near the Western woods.
"Your majesties! Your majesties!" He bowed. "I bring news. The folk say a white stag has been spotted in the Western woods!"
"What is all this fuss about a white stag?" Asked Lucy, who had just entered the throne room, now complete with all five monarchs.
"A white stag has been seen in Edmund's territory, Lu." Answered Susan.
"Really?" She smiled brightly. "Haven't you heard about the legends of a white stag?" Lucy asked.
"What legends?" Asked the high king, adjusting his robe.
"The white stag is said to grant wishes to those who capture him." Continued Lucy. "Oh, but let's not catch it! Poor animal."
"Edmund decides." Stated Peter. "The western woods are his territory, after all. The forest is his to take care of and use as he wishes."
Edmund licked his lips. "I say we go and find it. Not to hunt, but we ask nicely for him to grant us wishes. Narnia is a free land, and that applies the same to wishing animals. If he doesn't want to, we let it go." the king gave the final word.
"But don't worry; you three stay in the castle. We'll catch the stag ourselves." Edmund said proudly.
"Actually, I do worry." Olivia raised an eyebrow in response. She stood on the tip of her feet and kissed her husband's cheeks before rushing to the stables.
"Last one to get to the stables is a rotten egg!" She declared, giggling. They may be adults, but they never put aside their jokes and young spirit.
Before they knew it, the five monarchs were chasing the white stag through the western woods. Olivia was secretly racing them all, letting her competitive side take over. That meant she was leading the group.
"I'm not as young as I once was." Answered the horse shortly. Olivia's horse, Horacia, moved over to him and used her nose to nuzzle his face.
The neighing sound of the other horses came to reach Susan, calling for her brother and sister-in-law. "Come on, Ed, Lia!"
"Just catching our breaths." Olivia replied with a smile.
"Well, that's all we will catch at this rate!" She replied, making a funny face and earning a laugh from the couple.
"What did they say again, Susan?" Lucy taunted.
"You three wait at the castle; we'll get the stag ourselves." Susan mocked Edmund's voice, earning a laugh out of them all.
The High King's eyes diverted to something odd— an unidentified item, covered in vines and flowers. Peter got off his horse, questioning himself what it was.
The other four did the same, stepping closer to it and running their hands in the structure.
"It is not old." Olivia said, examining the plants. "These vines do not show any signal of being here for too long."
"Well, it seems familiar." Peter pondered questionably, looking at its small flame that did not stop on its top.
"As if from a dream." Susan whispered.
"Or a dream of a dream." Lucy widened her eyes, stammering in her thoughts. "Spare 'oom."
The girl tugged on the hem of her dress, running away, and the other four quickly followed after her. "Lucy, wait!"
"Come on!" She giggled.
Their path started to become narrower and narrower, getting thick enough as they stumbled into a line. Soft textiles brushed their arms and legs, something unusual for trees.
"These aren't branches." Peter murmured grumpily.
"They're coats." Susan whispered in shock.
They each started bumping each other, and the room suddenly became very dark and hard to see.
"Stop shoving!"
"You're on my foot!"
"I'm not on your foot!"
"Who pinched me?"
With a loud thud, the five people fell to the hard wooden ground of the spare room, now in the bodies of children once again.
They looked at each other in astonishment, trying to process what was happening. Memories came flashing back, the day they found the wardrobe, the battle of beruna, the Kirke mansion.
The front door was opened, revealing an older man reading a book with white hair and a beard, with similar traits to Olivia.
"Oh." He said. "There you are. What were you all doing in the wardrobe?"
The siblings shared curious looks as Olivia kept staring at the ground with tears pooling in her eyes.
"You wouldn't believe us if we told you, sir." Peter replied with a small laugh.
The professor let out a smirk. "Try me."
Digory's gaze moved to his granddaughter, with her breath heaving up and down, her chest swelling up and down uncontrollably, and her tears falling desperately.
Edmund went ahead to hug her, but the girl's crying kept on. She willed free from his grasp, touching her abdomen with guttural pain.
Lucy and Susan shared troubled gazes, before moving to the girl and gently lifting her shirt up. The mark on her skin was burning, and the white injury stained on her abdomen was still evident and clearly causing pain.
"We left." Susan murmured. "Why is it still there?"
The girl cried out as Edmund reached for her hand in desperation. He rubbed circles on the back of her knuckles, whispering comforting things. The mark burned on her skin, before fading away and leaving nothing but a scar.
"No matter the world." Olivia whispered. "I can't escape the magic."
