𝐒𝐡𝐞 - A Narnian Prophecy || Peter Pevensie

Chapter 28 ~ Who We Lost

'No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.'

- C.S. Lewis

Lilith awoke disorientated, but she was safe. When checking whether she was safe or not had become her first instinct when waking up, she was unsure.

Blinking the bleariness from her eyes, she realised that it was daytime, too- a bonus. There's nothing worse than waking up confused in the darkness of night, as she had many mornings in Narnia. The sun stretched through the suddenly familiar windows of her Cair Paravel chambers, blanketing Mrs Beaver, who was snoring softly, curled up in a chair beside her bed.

Then, Lilith registered her pounding headache and stiff limbs. Was this a hangover? She didn't remember drinking- no.
She didn't taste old alcohol, either. Instead, she tasted, ever so faintly, salt. Sea water.

It was at that taste that Lilith Moore remembered everything.
Everything of Narnia, that is.

"Mrs Beaver." She spoke, sitting up as fast as she could, the world spinning more violently that ever as she reached to shake her caregiver lightly, "Mrs Beaver."

"There's eggs in the cupboard and- oh! Lilith, you're awake!" Mrs Beaver realised, opening her eyes to see not her husband, but the Crown Princess, "Lie back, you must lie back. Oh, thank Aslan you're awake! I was beginning to worry-"

"I'm fine." The redhead lied, "How long have I been out?"

"Barely two days-"

"Where's Alia? Is she okay?" Perhaps she had imagined it. She'd been victim to two days of nothing but nightmares, the death of her friend could have been a mirage amongst the rest...

"You have to trust your memories on this one, I'm afraid, Dear." Mrs Beaver spoke gently, doing her best to keep the girl from leaving her bed, "Alia was my friend, too. A kind, kind soul but you must be comforted knowing she'd have wished to leave this life no other way-"

"No- she was too scared." Lilith spoke helplessly, grief filled, but with no tears left, "Mrs Beaver she was too scared-" Bring her back. "she died pain," please- make her okay- "I saw her- I held her-"

"But with honour, too." Mrs Beaver spoke calmly, "With her friend."

Not once had Mrs Beaver left the Crown Princess' chambers over the past two days. She allowed no one in and even the Monarchs knew there to be very little point to arguing with her.

She had sat by as the girl tossed and turned, never waking but still, she would she sound as if she were in inescapable distress. Mrs Beaver spent hours whispering soothing words and humming quite tunes, soon deciphering exactly what settled the girl. Like balm on a wound, Mrs Beaver tended to Lilith as if she were the delicate, misused and exploited cub she saw her to be at that moment.

But Lilith no longer seemed so delicate, but instead quite stubborn and adamant in leaving the chambers.

"Now, now, Dear. You must settle down, you're not fit enough-" Mrs Beaver tried all she could, but in vain.

"I can stand." Lilith argued- well, she could- kind of. "I have to go and see her-" She urged, doing her best to quieten the fussing Beaver, but it was too late.

Mrs Beaver had called for the guards.

"No!" The Crown Princess shouted in protested with all her might, writhing as the two Fauns retrained her, doing their best to get her back into bed, "Stop! No! I have to see her- let me go!"

"What's going on?"

Lilith had never been so relieved to hear Peter's voice. Not lately, at least. But here he was, striding in and the Guards stood to attention, dropping their hold on Lilith and giving her chance to stumble forward.