Once a Queen

The Stone Table

That night, Elise is awoken by the sound of Lucy whisper-shouting across the tent at her and Susan. She blinked, blearily rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she sat up. She noticed the large lion-shaped shadow cross the side of their tent just like Lucy had, and followed her sisters out cautiously. She wondered what Aslan was doing out of bed so late. Or was it early?

They darted behind trees, ducking under bushes and doing what they could to stay out of sight. They should've known it wouldn't be enough.

Aslan paused in his step, looking back at where the three girls were cowering behind the trunk of a large tree. "Shouldn't you three be in bed?" he asked tiredly.

Elise noted the exhaustion in his voice with a frown. What could have caused him to sound so... defeated?

"We couldn't sleep," Lucy told him. It had been true. Elise had only barely fallen asleep before Lucy had woken her up, and she knew her youngest sister had been tossing and turning all night, both worried about Aslan and their brother.

"We saw you leaving, and we were worried about you," Elise confessed quietly. Aslan gave her a sympathetic look.

Susan piped in with her own answer. "Please, Aslan. Couldn't we come with you?"

Aslan looked at the three girls, their eyes wide and trusting, yet filled with sadness for whatever they believed he was going through, or would go through. He sighed and gave in, unable to say no to their request.

"I would be glad of the company for a while. Thank you."

Susan and Lucy came up on either side of the lion, their hands grasping his mane as they walked alongside him. Elise stood just behind Lucy, her hand resting on Aslan's back and struggling to hold back her tears for reasons unknown to her.

A few minutes passed, and Aslan stopped again. Elise's heart dropped: she knew what was coming next.

"It is time," he told them gently. "From here, I must go on alone."

Lucy gripped his mane a little tighter, and Susan started to protest.

"But Aslan-"

"You have to trust me," he told them all. "For this must be done." He turned to look at them one last time. "Thank you, Susan. Thank you, Elise. Thank you, Lucy. And farewell."

And with that, he turned his back to them and kept walking, leaving them behind to wonder. And wonder they did, though not for long. They shared glances, mutually agreeing that they were not going to leave Aslan.

Elise spotted a break in the trees and underbrush, grabbing her sisters' hands and leading them over to it, gesturing for them to stay quiet as they watched. Aslan approached the Stone Table, horrible creatures of either side of him jeering and taunting him all the way. Some held torches and staffs, while others simply shook their fists and hissed at him. And in the center stood the Witch, wearing a black dress that looked to be made of some kind of fur. In her hands, she held a long dagger, and Elise caught her breath at the thought of what she had planned.

Despite the yelling around him, Aslan remained calm, making his way down the path. Elise almost felt proud to have such a brave lion on their side. When he got to the steps of the Stone Table, he stopped, his eyes somehow infinitely more sad as he looked at the White Witch.

"Behold," she called out, her voice echoing despite the loud cheers from her followers. "The Great Lion."

More taunts and cries rose up from the crowd, and Lucy gasped when a minotaur, the Witch's general, poked Aslan with his ax before bellowing and slamming it into him, knocking the lion to the floor. Susan's eyes watered at the treatment, and Elise held her sisters close to her chest, refusing to look away. She didn't want it to feel like Aslan was going through this all alone.