𝐻𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒜𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝐹𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝐻𝑜𝓂𝑒

11.

~*~*~*~

Cheers and shouts came from the people as their newly crowned king rides on his horse, with the rest of us following behind him. Throwing confetti at him, smiling, laughing, and finally once again not having to worry about another war. We spent the day in celebration for our win and for Caspian being crowned king.

During the celebration I felt eyes on me, so I turned to see Aslan standing there. He nods for me to follow and I quickly slip away from the crowd.
"Aslan, what is it?" I ask as I reach him
"Cora what do you think of Narnia?" He asks me suddenly
"It's wonderful, I don't think words could describe its beauty" I answer
"No, what do you think of it?" He asks me and I take a second before answering it again
"It feels like my home away from home. Or maybe even my real home." I answer
"Tell me why" he says
"I don't have anything back in my world. No family, no house, no where to go back to. Yes I have Lucy, Susan, Edmund and Peter. But they have a life and a home and a family there. I feel as if I'm intruding when I stayed at their house. But... my world has never felt like home in the first place, I never had the sense of being at peace about where I was. But when I came here, I felt something I've never felt before. I felt- I- I felt love, and hope, and I found joy again" I tell him and finally stop when I realize how long I had been talking
"Sorry-" I start to apologize
"You may stay" he cuts me off

"What?" I say in shock
"You may stay. There's a reason for the way you have felt your whole life, nothing is an accident. Just as how I know what happens here, I know what happens in your world. I've seen the pain and hurt you've suffered. And now, it may come to an end, you may stay here in Narnia. That is unless you change your mind in the near future, then you may return." He tells me
"Oh Aslan I don't know what to say. Thank you, thank you so much" I cry grabbing him into a hug
"You're welcome dear one, now come. We have things to do" he laughs as all I could do was give him a nod trying to stop my happy tears

Aslan gathers the crowd together, the Kings and Queens standing next to him.
"Narnia belongs to the Narnians, just as it does to man. Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to. But for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers" Caspian speaks
"It's been generations since we left Telmar" a man says in the crowd
"We're not referring to Telmar. Your ancestors were seafaring brigands. Pirates run aground on an island. There they found a cave, a rare chasm that brought them here from their world. The same world as our Kings and Queens." Aslan tells them as we all glance at each other
"It is to that island I can return you. It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start" he tells them
The crowd breaks into small whispers and talk before someone speaks up

"I'll go. I will accept the offer." Glozelle says
"So will we" prunaprismia says stepping forward with her baby in her hands
"Because you have spoken first, your future in that world shall be good" Aslan says the blow softly on them
Then he turned his attention to a tree which then twisted and opened up. And once they had walked through, they were gone, no trace of them left behind.
"Where did they go?"
"They killed them." The crowd says with gasps
"How do we know you're not leading us to our deaths?" A man asks
"Sire if my example can be of any service, I will take 11 mice through with no delay" Reepicheep says
But then Peter speaks up
"We'll go" he says
"We will?" Edmund asks
"Our times up Ed, we're not really needed hear anymore" Peter tells him
"I will look after it until your return" Caspian tells us
"I'm afraid that's just it. We're not coming back" Susan speaks up
"We're not?" Lucy asks
"You two are. At least, I think he means you two" Peter says glancing at Aslan
"But why? Did they do something wrong?" Lucy asks him
"Quite the opposite dear one. But all things have their time. Your brother and sister have learned what they can from this world. Now it's time for them to live in their own" Aslan tells her
"It's alright Lu. It's not how I thought it would be, but it's alright. One day you'll see too." Peter tells Lucy with his hands on her shoulders

Caspian makes eye contact with me and I could see the sadness and disappointment on his eyes that I was leaving, except he didn't know that I wasn't.
"But Peter" Aslan speaks up causing everyone to look at him
"You were only partially right" he laughs
"What do you mean?" He asks him
"Though it was true, Lucy and Edmund will return. But there is one who won't leave at all" he tells him
"Cora was meant to live in this world from the beginning. As everything here was to prepare you for your world, it has been the opposite for her, everything in her life there was to prepare her for here. And she's learned all she can there" he tells them and they turn to look at me

"I'm going to miss you" Susan was the first to speak tackling me in a hug
"I'll miss you to Susan" I cry tightening my hug
"Now don't let Peter hear stop you from finding a good husband, I know he's always been against it" I laugh as she does as well
"I won't. You take care ok?" She smiles wiping her tears
"I will, only if you promise to do the same" I smile as she gives me a nod

I turn to Peter
He quickly gives me a hug in which I return
"Thank you for putting me in my place when I needed it most Cora" he tells me as we pull apart
"I'll do it again if I need" I laugh
"I'll miss you Peter, don't go getting in more fights alright" I tells him
"I'll miss you too, and I won't, unless they start it first" he says and at that I give him a small shove to the shoulder

Then I turn to Edmund
"I'll miss you Edmund, you and that little sassiness of yours" I laugh pulling him into a hug
"You're hugs are much better than Peter's" he laughs
"See what I mean? Sassiness" I laugh again as we pull apart
"I'll see you soon" I smile
"I'll miss you for the time being, until we come back" he smiles

And lastly I turn to Lucy
"Oh how I'll miss you" she cry's pulling me into a tight hug
"I'll miss you truly Lucy, but I'll see you again" I smile
"When I come back he better have a full grow beard then" she laughs nodding towards Caspian
"Oh don't worry he will" I whisper to her
"Keep your heart pure and hopeful Lucy, your world truly needs it" I smile
"I will, I promise" she smiles back before she turns back to her brothers and sister

I give them one last smile before they turn away and walk through.
"Goodbye" I whisper as they disappear

Then I walk over to Caspian.
"You're here, you're staying. I don't know what to say or think" he tells me in shock
I look up at him as he wraps his arms around my waste and mine around his neck
"Then don't" I laugh
He looks at me with a bright smile before leaning in, his lips hitting mine.
Once we pull apart I smile up at him
"Now about that beard" I tell him
"Oh here we go" he rolls his eyes