𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 | ❝Hope is good, Hope will never disgrace, but make no mistake, Hope will hit you in the face!❞
In which the Just King becomes betrothed to a princess from a neighboring kingdom, only to fall in love with the prin...
WALKING IN THE WIND ix. A REPRISAL OF A PROPER PRINCESS'S PLIGHTS
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WHEN ODETTE FIRST LEARNED of Narnia's golden rulers, she only heard wonderful things.
It gave her chills hearing about how four children were called upon by the Great Lion to purge the winter that cursed the land, and how their success was so powerful that spring swallowed the kingdom and forced the snow to melt. Their castle was so esoteric and whimsical that it even had a given name — something she'd never heard of, not even in her best friend's fairytale books. These rulers governed the land so wisely and prudently that the Narnians never again witnessed corruption or calamity once winter passed. They only knew joy in the land where animals spoke and trees danced. This was the story she knew.
And when she met them, the stories became her reality. She fell in love with Narnia and its rulers. She got to know them in a way others could only dream of. She learned how the first of the four was as mighty as his famed blade, the very blade he used to bring down the White Witch. But he was golden and warm, too, replacing the sun in the northern skies. He was human, but his smile could rebirth spring again and again. He was given the ultimate crown to honor his magnificence.
She learned how the second exceeded all other beauties, both in appearance and in her psyche. Her mind was as sharp as her words, but her touch was tender. Even as her calloused fingers grazed her bow in war, she was gentle.
She learned how the third was wise beyond his years. His counsel was a prized possession. Despite once walking an icy path of darkness, he shined luminous enough to blind even himself. As the finest swordsman in the land and the owner of the most intricate mind, the Just was both adored and feared. He was capable. Perhaps too capable.
She learned how the fourth was a gem among pebbles. Her smile could cure all ailments. To underestimate her was to seal your fate, for she was as delicate as a flower but braver than a lion. She was peculiar like that, an ocean that pulled you in until you were drowning in her. There were rumors that the youngest was a lioness in disguise.
Odette always wondered what would happen to Narnia if something were to happen to the Pevensies. If life could be so wonderful because of them, then could it be horrible, too? Would the stars fall from the heavens? Would the sun burn out of existence? Would the world end by fire and ice?
In short, the answer seemed to be yes.
For the first time, the Pevensies weren't these godly legends. They were just children, just boys and girls. They were mere humans, ones that bled scarlet and cried salty tears. They were just like her, and oh how it made her cringe to think that she was anything like the people this land worshipped. A lifetime ago, these people were everything she aspired to be, and now, they were just like her.
