~By the Lion's Mane: See You Again~

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

I stood behind the heavy oaken doors, waiting for the two faun footmen to open them to let me enter into the Great Hall while I nervously studied the elaborate floral carvings in the ancient wood. When I could hear the muffled but delicate music of flutes and lyres and bells, the doors swung open to reveal me to the entire hall filled with guests.

My heart was pounding hard, and my eyes were misting with tears, both from the tragedy and happiness. For I was heartbroken that I could never have Edmund, but this was my wedding, and I would be married to a good man whom I did love a good deal.

I waited for the four flower children-- two little female fauns and two little Telmarine girls-- to walk ahead and lay pale flower petals on the marble floor. Then the little male faun who was ring bearer clopped after them, his pudgy little face smiling brightly.

Then the bridesmaids. They were the princesses from each of the surrounding countries: Archenland, Terebinthia, Galma, the Seven Isles, and Calormen. They all walked down the aisle, smiling serenely, to line up opposite Caspian and the groomsmen, who were all the princes of the same countries. And finally it was my turn.

I smiled softly, walking slowly and as gracefully as I could manage down the aisle made between the rows of pew-like benches that had appeared in the Hall that morning. Two maids straightened out my long veil and the train of my dress so that they flowed behind me elegantly. The people and Animals and other Narnians packed into the rows on either side of me murmured to each other, smiling brightly, some dabbing at their eyes with handkerchiefs.

The Narnian wedding music accompanied me down the long, seemingly endless aisle. I had to force myself to take deep breaths and slow down. I focused on Caspian to help me. He gave me a reassuring smile, and I took a deep breath, returning it.

I finally reached the altar and Caspian, in his wedding finery, kissed my hand. His shoulder length hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail with a ribbon, and for once he was clean-shaven and had no shadow along his jaw. I stood across from him, still smiling mistily through the lacey material of my veil.

Narnian weddings were different from weddings in England in that there aren’t really any priests. There are no churches and no one reads from a Bible. The Narnians pass stories about Aslan down by word of mouth, and they are written down in history books now for children in the schools to learn. You simply love and believe in Aslan, or you don’t. So since there were no priests to marry us, we had Drinian ask us to say our vows and to declare us husband and wife in the name of Aslan.

As Drinian began, I looked to Caspian. “Are you sure?” I mouthed silently. My heart pounded. I should never have agreed to this, it isn’t fair to him... I thought bitterly to myself.

Caspian’s nod and strong smile stilled my panic. He was so sure.

I glanced out over the crowds of foreign dignitaries, royalty, nobility, and friends. I would be lying to them all by marrying Caspian. Deceiving them by presenting my child as the true heir to the Narnian throne.

I closed my eyes briefly and sent a prayer to Aslan for forgiveness.

The rest of the ceremony went quickly, and before I knew it, we had exchanged rings and Drinian was saying, “And now, by Aslan and for Aslan, you are now King Caspian the X and Queen Rosaline, soveriegns of Narnia and servants to her people, and loving husband and wife. May you have a long and fruitful marriage. You may now kiss the bride.”

Caspian stepped forward and gently lifted my veil up over my head and took my face in his hands. He kissed me gently and lovingly, and then the Great Hall erupted into cheers and the bells in the tower began to ring, pronouncing to all outside that Narnia now had a new queen.

I turned to face the rows of happy people, smiling as genuinely as I could muster. But it wasn’t hard to smile, because everyone looked so sincerely happy for me, and Caspian strong and solid presence was at my side. It made me feel warm, even though there was no going back now.

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We walked back down the aisle and went out to the front of the castle, standing at the top of the huge stone steps. People and Animals were tossing flower petals and birdseed over our heads.

I clutched my bouquet of delicate blue flowers tighter when I saw how many Narnians had come to the gates of the castle to catch a glimpse of their new Queen. The joyous crowd stretched from the courtyard out through the opened gates, all the way down the tree-lined stone road that led to the country.

When I emerged on the steps on Caspian’s arm, they went wild, making every kind of sound imaginable, the roar filling my ears. I smiled until I felt like my face would split and waved until my arm was about to fall off. Just before we went back inside for the wedding feast and dancing, I tossed my bouquet out into the crowd.

We waved one last time, and then went back through the huge oaken doors into the banquet room, where three long wooden tables, covered in snow-white table cloths, were set in the finest china and silver of the castle, waiting for the honored guests to sit down.

Caspian sat at the head of the table with me on his right and Trumpkin on his left. Drinian sat on my right, for which I was grateful. I wouldn’t have to worry about making conversation with some princess from the Seven Isles who would want to babble on about dresses and ribbons and lace.

We ate until I felt I was going to burst out of my dress and corset, and then the music started up. Caspian stood and offered his arm to me, and I took it. I

Soon the rest of the guests joined us as well, and the floor was filled with the swishing skirts of the ladies, the polished black boots of the men, the furry hooves of the fauns, the short little Dwarfs and Animals. I smiled up at Caspian, who grinned back at me. I leaned into him a little more, letting him guide me surely across the polished marble floor.

I nervously made my way out to the floor, hoping I wouldn’t embarrass myself in front of all of the guests. Caspian paused, then took up the beat of the music gracefully, and guided me skillfully across the floor. It turned out that I had nothing to worry about, because Caspian had been taught how to dance since he was a little boy, and my feet seemed to remember the steps from the many balls that I had danced at before.

“You seem... happy,” Caspian said in a low voice as he spun me around.

“You sound surprised,” I noted with a small smile.

“Well, during the ceremony, you looked as if you were going to either faint or bolt back down the aisle,” he chuckled.

“I considered it,” I admitted.

“What changed your mind?” he asked, bringing me in close for a lean.

I mused on this for a moment as he spun me again before guiding me back and dropping my hands as we circled each other as the dance required. “I don’t know... Everyone just seemed so happy for us. And then I looked over to see you, and you seem so sure about everything. And I suppose I realized that it would be okay, and everything would work out,” I said finally.

Caspian smiled. “I’m glad that you came to see that,” he said and bowed as the dance came to an end.