༄ 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒉𝒐𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒙 𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓 (𝑽𝑫𝑻) ༄

Chapter 26: Growing Pains

Asking Aslan to break the curse was not easy. It was the more painful of the two choices. For several days Ana awoke daily from sharp pains rippling throughout her body. Some days the pain was so intense she couldn't even make a sound. Other times it took everything in her not to cry out and draw attention to herself. But everyone knew something was wrong. She would go hours without moving, without eating. If she wasn't in such agony, Ana would've tried to ignore it and pretend that everything was alright. But it was too much effort to do so.

She couldn't even keep track of how many days had passed. It could've been weeks since she had been outside the room. All she knew was the daily, agonizing pain.

Sometimes the pain lasted only a few hours. Other times, it lasted the whole day. Those were the worst as Ana oftentimes found herself crying from the pain. And she would spend the whole night awake from it. The mornings brought her no relief and she silently pleaded for the pain to end.

The other women tried to help, tried to figure out what was wrong, but there was nothing they could do. Nothing would take this kind of pain away. The pain of having something stripped from you and forcing your body to undergo several changes at once. This was something she had to go through alone. She couldn't move, couldn't leave the room, and therefore hadn't seen Caspian in days. Ana knew he had to be worried but he wouldn't barge into the room just to see her. She thought his presence might bring her some comfort. A little reminder that this pain was all worth it. But she couldn't bring herself to move and seek him out. So she continued to suffer on her own, her mind hazy from the pain.

In her moments of clarity, she wondered what the women had told Caspian, what rumors had started to spread about her. She knew people tended to gossip so he had to have some idea what was going on. How much was said and—more importantly—how much was true Ana couldn't say. She wished she could explain things to him, but she didn't have the energy to move. Her mind was only clear long enough to focus on one problem at a time. An explanation would just have to wait until things were better. Ana hoped he would understand that she wasn't purposefully avoiding or keeping secrets from him.

After what felt like an eternity, Ana awoke to no pain. The pain had started to subside overnight and she was finally able to get some decent sleep. So when she opened her eyes the following morning, she was pleasantly pleased to be pain-free. She sat up slowly and cast her eyes about the cabin. Several women were still present, but many had left the room already. Those present noticed her slight movement immediately, all heads turning in her direction. Embarrassed, Ana cast her eyes to the blankets in her lap but felt a small smile tugging at her lips. A bunch of strangers had been concerned about her and were now watching her critically.

Ana let out a small sigh and slowly started to stretch. She was testing herself. Trying to gauge how much she could move about before feeling discomfort or pain. Nothing happened so she stretched a little more. Again, nothing. But the action felt wonderful. She was so stiff and achy from not being able to move much the last few days. So she continued to stretch and when she felt she was suitable, Ana stood up. She didn't feel wobbly or unsteady so she carefully started to move about the cabin, cautious of the other women present.

She found her boots, ready to make an appearance outside. Some fresh would do her good. But Ana halted before she even made it halfway across the cabin. She realized what she really needed was a good wash and a change of clothes. She felt dirty and knew she couldn't look the best after spending several days in bed. Embarrassed, she looked around again wondering just how she was going to manage that. They were on a ship in the middle of the sea with absolutely no privacy. Ana wasn't one to care too much about her appearance but did appreciate basic hygiene. She also suddenly felt super self-conscious about making an appearance outside the cabin in her current state.