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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"I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees." - Euripides
Narnia, 2557.
Olivia tied the laces of her boots hurriedly. Darn boots and their long laces.
She hurried and changed into something more comfortable, a dress more adapted for walking and long rides. Her assistants piled into the room, hurrying from side to side as they prepared her a bag, sharpened her blades, and helped her prepare for war.
That rush of adrenaline was back, and it was the first time Olivia felt alive in two years. Wars, battles– it always got her blood pumping; the way her stomach crumbled in anxiety when she gripped her weapons and danger made her feel powerful.
Perhaps it was a tad masochistic on her part to get so excited about bloodshed— but hey, nobody was perfect, right?
There was no time to wait for dawn: she needed to reach Tirian as fast as she could; this was conflict. There was no waiting in wars. Violence didn't wait— it was its own God, and obeyed His rules only.
As soon as she was ready, the small crimson red skirt reaching her knees and bodice covered by the silver armoire, arms secure under a layer of sleeves, two daggers strapped around each of her elbows (and about a dozen hidden in other places), Olivia called Fairn the Centaur, hurriedly adjusting the brown saddle over her shoulders and strapping the spear around her waist.
"... and I need you to take care of the Narnians, too. As soon as a messenger returns with Tirian's response, likely telling you to gather for war, you leave for the hunting lodge, leading the army I have told you to prepare, understood?"
Fairn nodded proudly. "Yes, Your Majesty." She bowed, a hand to her chest and a tear in her eye. "Thank you for bestowing me with such great responsibility. I shall not let you down."
Olivia smiled. "I know you won't." The girl hopped on the grey horse, the animal (which was a non-talking one this time) sneezed, and she gently patted his horsehair. "Farewell, my friend. Next time I see you, I'll be happy to see your comforting figure by my side in battle."
"Thank you, your majesty."
Fairn saw with a tight heart as Olivia galloped her way into the horizon, looking at the Queen until she was no longer in her vision. She wiped the tears from her eyes and allowed the words of the living saint to be a boon in those troubled times.
━ ◦ ❖ ◦━
Deep into the woods, Olivia found solace in the presence of the stars above.
It was calming knowing they were all there, looking at her from their little corner in the sky. It made her feel a bit more safe, even if they couldn't ascend to the point she was.
