The Chronicles of Narnia - Adventure continues [ book 1 ]

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I 5 | The Crown

"You all knew this was a coronation, didn't you?", Hope asked sarcastically as she saw royals nod their heads. "Why didn't you tell me?", she added in disbelief.

"Why, to dress nicer? Hope, you look absolutely beautiful!", Susan came in to comfort her.

"Thank you! I'm so happy to have a family like this.", Hope said with her eyes filling with tears. Susan hugged her first and them they all were in the hug like a big family.

"I though you have family back home.", Lucy questioned when they left hug.

"Well, I do. But love you all share just makes my heart warm.", she answered with a hand on her chest (on heart), at the edge of tears. They smiled at her, with Narnians already dancing in the rythm of music.

☯️

Hope looked as Edmund and Lucy were dancing around and simply having fun. She was sitting in a chair next to Susan and drinking tea. As the silence was present with girls, Hope felt sudden touch on her shoulder. She turned around her head and spotted Peter.

"Are you for a dance?", he asked after he slightly bowed infront of the girl and offered his hand.

"Of course.", she smiled putting her hand into his. When they reached dancing podium, she put her right hand onto Peter's shoulder as he put his left onto her waist.

"Why don't you think of me as an older brother?", Peter retorically asked as she nodded.

He then held her for one hand and spin her in circles and she closed her eyes. After she opened them, in front of her was not Peter anymore. It was dark haired boy, Edmund. "So, how you doing?", he sarcastically asked as she smiled.

"Great! I don't think I ever want to leave!", Hope stated, continuing to dance with Edmund. After a while of silence, her eyes began to glister and one tear appeared falling over her cheek. "I'm sorry.", she insecurely whispered leaving him, and she ran all way to her room.

She pushed the door closed after she got inside and sat on the floor with her body pressed to her bed. She took off the crow off her head and put it on the bed. Hope pulled her knees to her chest and took a pillow from the bed whom she put at the top of her knees, silently crying in it.

"Hope, are you alright? Hope, open the door.", Edmund yelled and knocked but there was no answer. "I know you're in there.", he said and she opened the door. Her eyes were filled with tears and many of them were already wetting her cheeks. "What's wrong?", he asked consurenedly.

She got back inside with him following and they sat on the bed. "When I remembered my family, I also remembered how they treated me.", she whispered through sniffles and tears. "I was never loved.", her tears flew even faster.

"It's fine, you don't have to -", Edmund started but he was not let to speak.

"I was the last in everything. I was black swan, white crow,..", she started trying to stop her tears.

"Black sheep.", Edmund finished her thoughts and she looked at him. He was already looking at her and put his hand over her back, embracing her aside.

She silently pitched her head into his chest and continued to cry. His grip became tighter as he pulled her close into his hug. "Mine thought of me as a traitor and a black sheep, too. But now they love me and I love them.", Edmund spoke after a longer break of words.

Hope stoped her tears as she got up from his hug. "What do you meam?", she asked with sniffs.

"Well, I used to be rude and they treated me the same way I did them.", Edmund said as their eyes met each other's. "But I believe yours shall forgive you as mine forgave me.", he whispered.

She looked at his eyes for a long time and calmed herself. Tears weren't wetting her cheeks any more. She continued to bite her lower lip as their heads got closer. At the moment Hope closed her eyes, their lips met. His kiss was gentle and soft. She accepted it with pleasure. In a second, she forgot about the whole world around them and like the time has stopped. Their lips separated and small smile appeared at both faces. She hid her embarrassment as she looked down at the floor.

"Thanks.", Hope smiled her hands tighting his arms as they embraced again.

"We should go back to the party.", Edmund nervously mumbled as they weren't moving eyes from each other. They got up and started to walk.

"Yeah.", she answered nodding few times. "Wait, are my eyes puffy?", she asked after beaking a stare and a walk.

"No, you look - gorgeous.", he complimented as she smiled.

"Yes, but they are.", she replied sadly.

"Maybe, but -", he stopped, taking a crown from the bed into his hands. "Noone will notice that because of your crown.", he added and placed her crown onto her head as she smiled.