The Chronicles of Narnia; The Lost Queen

Chapter Ten

Narnians started leaving the room and so did Edmund with Susan and Lucy on his side. I was still sitting on the Stone Table looking at Peter, waiting for him to say something.

"Do you think that I do the right thing?" Peter asked when everybody else came out.

"I think that whatever is supposed to happen, will happen." I said to him in the nicest tone I possibly could and he walked slowly towards me.

In Peter's eyes there was uncertinty and fear which caused my heart to melt completely.

"But do you think that it's too dangerous?" he kept on asking as he sat next to me.

"Of course it is but isn't every battle too dangerous?" I asked him and raised my eyebrows.

He was silent for a moment and then a shadow of a smile appeareed on his lips.

"I think you're right, we will just see what will happen." he said and looked at me.

"Yes, everything happens for a reason." I said to him and smilled calmly.

"Aren't you afraid?" he asked me and only by then I realised that I actually will fight the day after with a real sword in my hand. 

I gulped slowly starting to panic.

"Yes, I am." I almost whispered not looking in his face.

"Everything will be fine, don't worry. Like you said before, I will help you to prepare tomorrow." he said in a gentle voice and put his hand on mine.

I felt a thrill going through my body and so I allowed my cheeks to become red.

"Thank you. I only hope that my hands will remember what my mind forgot." I said to him with despair in my eyes.

"Even if not, I can spend the whole day teaching you how to fight with a sword. Of course you don't have to fight, if you don't feel ready." he added.

"No, no. That's out of the question. I am the Queen and as a Queen I have to keep my word to my people." I said to him seriously.

"Of course. Now..." he said and stood up putting his hand in front of me "Shall we go and take a rest to allow sweet dreams come into our minds?" he asked like a real gentleman while I was taking his hand.

I smilled to him and whispered: "I won't allow them, I will make them to come.". Peter laughed and so we started our slow walk through the hall.

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I didn't have dreams that night but I woke up very early in the morning. Everyone else were still asleep. 

I stood up and changed my clothes to a white shirt which I put into my brown trousers with a wide leather belt around my waist. I took my sword and put my precious necklace on.

I came out of the room as quietly as I could and headed to the Stone Table. 

When I was already in the hall I stopped suddenly, hearing something that made me to jump from both shock and excitement.

I heard the sound of the cello. During the time I was in Narnia, I almost completely forgot about me being a cellist, I even forgot to tell Pevensies about that. 

I heard the Suite Nr.1 in G Major for Solo Cello, Prelude composed by Bach. It went through me like a knife through the cake.

Immidiately I started walking towards the sound which was getting form the Stone Table room. 

When I came in and turned the light on with my torch, I saw a cello, standing by itself with a bow on its strings and an empty chair behind it. 

The bow itself was gently jumping on the strings making the most wonderful sounds for my ears.

I went towards the cello and sat on the chair behind it, then took the bow in my hand and the cello between my legs.

I closed my eyes. I put a bow on the string. And in this very moment I could feel the music diffusing through my soul.

I started playing not thinking and not feeling anything except the music.

I played Cello Concerto in A Minor Op. 33, one of my favourite pieces.  

What was happening in my soul, I cannot describe. It was a feeling as if every worry, every bad feeling, every bad word vanished from the Earth's surface forever.

Then I finished the piece and slowly took the bow from the strings. I opened my eyes and I felt how the whole of my face turned red.

The Pevensies, Caspian and many other Narnians were standing around me with their faces full of pride and their eyes full of... tears. 

When they started claping and shouting: "Bravo! Long live Queen Julia!", I felt tears coming down my cheeks like small rivers.

I stood up and bowed "Thank you all, very, very much!" I shouted back with no worries or fears in my heart. 

Then just as suddenly as it appeared, the cello disappeared along with the bow and the chair standing behind me. 

"Go back to work, you all!" said grumpily Trumpkin and Narnians came out of the Stone Table room leaving the Pevensies and Caspian with me.

"Oh, Julia! I have never heard more beautiful thing in my life!" said Lucy in ecstatic voice and she hugged me.

I hugged her back and smilled "Thank you, Lu. It is the best compliment that a musican can receive." I said to her.

Susan, Ed, Peter and Caspian were all smilling at me not knowing what to say or do. I laughed and then said to them: "Aren't you surpirsed that I actually play cello?" 

"No, of course not. It was always obvious to all of us." said Edmund "At the time of your reign, you didn't forget your cello." Edmund smilled to me in a special way.

"I would never forget it." I replied and grinned to him then I turned to Peter and said: "Now... Where is your sword Peter?"