Tales of the Narnian Monarchs: Home Wasn't Built in a Day

An As-Perfect-As-Possible Christmas

"A colour scheme IS necessary."

Lilith backed Susan up as they reentered the flat that Saturday.

"They're just balls to hang on a tree!" The Magnificent half groaned as he dropped the numerous bags he'd ended up carrying.

Shopping was not the way he'd wanted to spend his first day off after his first week post-quitting his clerk job to assist at the surgery full time.

"You're back!" Lucy spoke, diving into the bags and pulling out a string of tinsel, "Oh! It's all so sparkly! Okay, okay! Edmund's got the tree up, ready."

Inside was a scene which would be an absolutely wonderful picture for a Christmas card, and Lilith clicked a picture with her phone.

Edmund was holding Alec up to the top of the tree as Sanya navigated the baby's hand to put the star on the top of the tree.

The trio watched as, after many attempts, Alec finally got the star properly placed and he immediately burst into giggles as his mother started clapping and his father swung him around in a dance.

"Imagine this scene when they have their own home, with many more children at their knee." Susan said softly and eyes still glued to the happy little family, no one said that that future was extremely unlikely.

"Well, that's one gift sorted." Lilith decided quietly as she edited the photo slightly, brightening the tree lights on the photo.

She was more than certain Sanya would appreciate it printed out and framed.

"It looks amazing!" Lucy declared, looking around their newly decorated flat in awe.

Some might say they'd gotten a little carried away, but the Valiant couldn't help add another small snow globe to the TV stand as she spotted the gap.

"Then we'll have the joy of taking it all back down in two weeks." Peter added sarcastically, gathering up the shopping bags that'd been scattered round the room once the decorations had been extracted.

"We could just leave them up until next year." Susan joked, settling in the sofa, appreciating their handy work.

Edmund, having immediately stopped his swaying with his son as he heard the others, retorted as well, "No one would ever think this is possibly the second most dingy flat in all of England."

"The first being our old one, of course." Sanya, taking Alec from him, added, smiling- exhausted but happy- so very happy.

"I got a small microwaveable turkey too." Lilith said, savouring the even happier looks on their faces.

"No mistletoe though." Peter added, mock sadly and she hit him.

"You know I've never actually celebrated Christmas before." Sanya said, breathing in the wonderful smell of Alec's head- she was being addicted to it.

"Well, you'll have one hell of a good one for your first, then." Susan said, smiling. "Let's cook, then!"

And cook, they did.

Well- attempted to.

Bottles of sherry were produced from the depth of the alcohol cupboard, Susan declaring it was too traditional to avoid.

The bottles didn't last long.

Spirits were as levelled as high as laughter, a Christmas playlist and joyous baby gurgles filled the flat for the next hour or so.

"Okay. I think that's everything! Oh! We forgot stuffing!" Susan looked as if she were about to cry.

"I'm sure we'll survive." Her eldest brother reassured her from where he'd been set the task of setting the table.