Finding the Queen of Old

Revelations

Isabela's head hurt. Bad. Just how much had she had the night before? Groaning, she stretched and stumbled to her small 'kitchen', if it even had the right to be called that. She started water boiling for tea, then hopped into her shower, the smell of bar having clung onto her from yesterday's incident. It had been a week and he had still not come. Aslan help her, was he really that clueless? 

The tea kettle whistled, and she stepped out of the shower, grabbing her robe. Why wouldn't Aslan just let her tell him that they were to be together? Why did he have to figure it out on his own? She was going mad waiting for him, waiting for just the slightest inclination he wanted her as much as she wanted him, and when Aslan told her last week that they... well, she just wanted him to love her as she had grown to love him. 

True Narnia was in need of the Kings and Queens. With them there, the country would be balanced: North, South, East, and West. But no, not until Edmund could see that infatuation and love were two different things.

Which would take a long time, it seemed...

-

"Ed, get up already!" Peter called with a laugh. "Your snoring has made for lovely ambiance these past few hours, but I'd rather not hear it during lunch."

"I don't want to!" The raven-haired man groaned, burying his face into the pillow. "I don't feel good..."

"Get up you lazy head!" Peter tossed a pillow at him.

Edmund sat up slowly. "Ugh, why didn't Susan wake me? She's not so cruel as you."

Peter crossed his arms."She's being a productive member of the family and helping with lunch, and also taking care of Alistair."

"She wouldn't make me be productive when I don't feel good!"

"Yes, well, I'm not Susan. And you look fine to me."

Edmund fell back against his pillow dramatically. "Cruel fates, please give me a few more moments so that the last words my brother says to me are not those!" He was laughing by the end.

Peter shook his head and started out the door. "Get dressed, will you?"

-

"-can't even bother to let me sleep in," Edmund grumbled after lunch. Susan had asked him to run to the market for her and pick up a few things, and when he asked why Peter couldn't do it, his elder brother had cheekily retorted about already having gotten in more exercise than he that day.  Lucy and Tumnus had already left for the library, and Caspian was going to let Susan relax while he looked after Alistair. Which left him.

Edmund was brooding...again. He was unsure what had set him off this time, but he suspected it was that Isabela had been in his dream the night before, and her words about him needing to learn his lesson had played on repeat. He had thought that by now they would be in Aslan's country... was he the reason they had yet to return?

A woman with blonde hair passed by him, and for a moment Edmund was completely taken with her. She looked so much like Leah... but wait... 

Leah... Leah... had he loved her? She had harbored a crush on him, and in turn he had developed a crush on her... But he had not let go of it when she had long pushed it aside. In fact, he had no right to try and kiss her. They had not dated, it had only been subtle flirtation and coy glances. He was smitten...but love? He was not longer sure if he knew the definition of love. No... he did know it. Love was what he saw in the actions of Susan and Caspian, the word love stemming from them and connecting them even when they weren't saying it. He was a fool to act as if a crush was love. Yes, he had the right to mourn her, but he had not even thought of Peter's pain at Felicity's betrayal, so absorbed with himself.... Perhaps...Perhaps later he could speak with Isabela. She at least knew how to give good advice, even if things had become a bit awkward between them now.

-

"Do you think I could stay here?" The words from Tumnus's mouth as he and Lucy were browsing for books startled her so badly she dropped the book she held.

"What do you mean stay?" Her eyes were wide, and she almost looked hurt.

Tumnus looked around, then sighed. "I... I like it here. It feels more of a home right now than true Narnia ever has... Not that I wouldn't want to go back," he added quickly, seeing Lucy's eyes almost being to tear up. "I do enjoy spending the days there with you, but there are a million more days in True Narnia, and so few here in this land. Imagine how you felt when you first discovered all the new things in Narnia. Well... I think that's how I feel about England."

"But you can't stay! Aslan said he'd bring us all back together..."

"Well, perhaps he will have to accept one less Faun in True Narnia for a few years."