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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"While I thought I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die." - Leonardo Da Vinci
Narnia, 2318
The next morning, the crewmen readied themselves to leave the island.
A solemn Caspian bid Lilliandil a goodbye hug while her sisters snickered in the background. Olivia watched with an ache in her heart as the hugs and kisses were exchanged.
She felt the heavy weight of responsibility on her shoulders. Lives could actually be lost; Tash would never be forgiving. In fact, he would love it if blood was shed upon the rocks, dead bodies floating in the dark waters.
Edmund's tender arms were suddenly grabbing her waist, his nose adjusted in the crook of her neck. Her hands covered his as her eyes flew to the horizon sadly, a desperate tear trying to escape her eyes.
"The crew is waiting, love." He murmured with a deep tone of voice Olivia only heard before a battle. Clearly, he didn't want to flee the moment either.
"She is not going with the crew," Coriakin spoke, startling the couple by appearing behind them. Olivia reached to slap his face ( which the star dodged ) while Edmund jumped away.
When he snapped back to it, Edmund frowned. "I don't think Olivia will agree to stay behind in a battle. I've already tried that several times, trust me."
Coriakin raised an eyebrow. "Your wife has a prophecy to be fulfilled. On her own." His words were paused cautiously and warningly at every syllable.
He seemed taken aback. His steps faltered slightly, and he frowned. His gaze moved from Coriakin to his wife, who looked at the ground with shame. "Prophecy? What prophecy?"
Like a chant, the stars' eyes turned completely white, and they chorused:
Where sky and earth meet, a ruler shall ascend, A celestial force, her power to mend. When all seems lost in the night, With the weapon in hand, against evil's grip she'll stand and fight.
A beacon in the night, Guiding lost souls towards hope's radiant light. Through the darkened skies, her destiny unfolds, A saviour to return, as ancient prophecies foretold.
Through trials and battles, she'll endure, Her strength and wisdom, forever pure. A ruler of the stars, a Queen of the lands, All she will save, with destiny in her hands.
Edmund, though, seemed happy. "That's good, right? It seems the outcome of the battle will be positive."
"But this prophecy isn't about this battle; it's about another, one in the future. The battle will be won, but the path will make you wish for death."
━ ◦ ❖ ◦━
Olivia hated discussing. Still, she couldn't escape the arguing that came after for not telling her husband about the prophecy.
But the thing about being a mature and loving couple was that they hugged it out in the end. They repeated their finger vow of before a battle, hugged each other, and she waved goodbye as she watched the dawn treader sail away with a broken heart.
She stayed on Ramandu's island. She remained quiet as the stars dressed her in armour. She remained quiet when the stars kneeled before their ruler as she sat down on the throne of flesh and bone once more, a flash of her fears and worst memories invading her mind as a reminder of what she was fighting against. She remained quiet as Ramandu himself stretched out his hand and divided the waters, making passage for her to walk towards the dark island.
And when she stepped on the wet sand of where the ocean had once been, everything felt so right. It was like she was high on magic, on the sensation of victory at bay. The mermaids stuck their heads out and waved at their Queen, the waves almost covering her figure. Little fish appeared on the margins to see what all the fuss was about, why the ocean was parted in half– something supposed to be impossible.
At first, it was amazing. It was power, raw and pure and magical. Olivia felt like she could do anything, control anyone. But it turned into a nightmare, living and breathing and torturing. Olivia felt like she wanted to reach her hand inside her throat and rip herself from the inside just so she could rid herself of the pain and the tears.
In one moment, she was walking in the middle of waves in an ocean literally parted in half, standing in a miracle. In the next, she was kneeling in the black grass of the dark island, crying and tormented by her memories. It was almost magical how, despite the distance, the walk was short.
Weak. Pathetic. Foolish, whispered the voices of Rabadash, Jadis and Gally. Mossy green and faded, eerie voices amidst the chaos and confusion of the cave. She didn't know when she started screaming or when she stopped.
Did you ever have the kind of moment when everything seemed to stop? Where life and problems were so overwhelming, a rush of emotions that made everything go blank? Something so strong and potent that made you want to crawl inside a cave and never resurface?
That was the moment. Olivia crouched in the grass and closed her eyes. Suddenly, all she could hear was her own breathing, heavy and uneasy. The voices were gone, and so were the emotions, the problems and the past.
When she opened them again, her safe space was before her. The white piano she grew up playing in her grandfather's house, intricate in gold and delicate as always. But around her, instead of the living room, was snow. Snow. Snow. So much snow. Everything was white, except for her and the ground she stepped in. She was red: pure red, blood red. And every step she took, actual blood decorated the snow like a veil.
Everything was ignored. She didn't care whether she was bleeding, whether her soul or consciousness was simply projecting her emotions. She walked towards the piano, sitting down on the little bench before it, and her fingers hovered above the keys.
Her emotions crashed in a wave. She didn't know what song she was playing, where she had heard it, who wrote it. And she didn't care. She played it with so much passion, the notes mixing with the sound of her sobs, but she couldn't stop playing. It was an ardent urge to keep playing, or she would crash down and become a pile of sad ashes.
Olivia felt all of her energy being drained, sweat running down her forehead urgently. Her hands were tired, her fingers and arms aching. But it was like she was not in control anymore, like she couldn't stop playing.
Help,... said the small voice inside her head in a breathless whisper. I can't take this anymore.
Below her, the small bench supporting her body broke. She fell into the dark pitch black of nothingness like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. Her back hit the grass of the dark island once more, feeling the eery weight of the green mist slowly fleeing. Olivia could swear she heard a roar in a corner of her mind.
She closed her eyes and lay in the sand just as she heard a screeching sound piercing her ears.
