The Choice

I eventually succeeded in making my decision last night before falling asleep, it was tough but I managed. I got out of bed and heard a knock on my door as I walked to my bathroom "Come in!" I yelled as I got into my satin bathrobe. Emma walked in "Good morning M, I'm here to prepare you for the meeting this noon!" "Good morning Ems, right well let's get started then!" I said as I walked up to my wardrobe, I opened it for the first time and was startled as I did. The wardrobe was filled with beautiful combinations of pants, blouses and jackets all in white. Emma must have noticed the grin on my face "Caspian picked them out for you. He figured you would like these." "Like?! I love these!" Emma laughed and shook her head, we picked an outfit and I got changed into it. After I changed I took place at my makeup table "Did you make your decision?" Emma asked carefully "Yeah I did, I thought a lot about it but eventually I was able to choose." "And, what did you choose?" she asked grinning "No, I'm not going to spill it until the meeting." I chuckled "Oh c'mon M, pleaaase?" I shook my head "No you curious little girl!" I said as I booped her nose laughing "I'm not that little" she said chuckling. After hours of laughing and doing hair and makeup, it was time to go to the meeting. "Okay let's do this," I said to Emma, I walked out of the room and went to search for Lucy, the rest of my siblings were already there together with Caspian and Aslan. I knocked on her door and heard her sweet and enthusiastic voice "Come in!" I walked in and as soon as she saw me she embraced me in a tight hug. "I missed you too Lu!" I chuckled as I pulled out of the hug, I looked at her from head to toe "Look at you Lu, you're beautiful!" "Thanks, sis, but not as pretty as you!" she said taking my hand. I laughed, Lucy looked at me with a grin from ear to ear "Soooo, how's Caspian" "He's good, he's happy now it is all over!" she smirked at me "What?" I asked chuckling at my sister's behaviour "You're sooooo in love with him, aren't you?" I laughed "Yeah Lu, I am!" "I'm happy for you Maria, you deserve this." "Thanks, sis, now let's go see the rest!" She nodded smiling and we left her room. We walked over to the square where everyone was gathered, I saw that my siblings, Aslan, Caspian, Trufflehunter, the professor, Trumpkin and the centaur were gathered on a platform around a tree. We joined them and Caspian began his speech "Narnia belongs to the Narnians just as it does to men. Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to. And for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers." A Telmarine Lord spoke up from the crowd "It has been generations since we left Telmar."

"We are not referring to Telmar. Your ancestors were sea-faring brigands, pirates run aground on an island. There they found a cave, a rare chasm that brought them here from their world, the same world as our kings and queens." Aslan explained as he looked over to me and my siblings, he continued "It is to that island I can return you. It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start."

For a minute straight there was complete silence but then the former general from the Telmarine spoke up "I'll go. I will accept the offer." Caspian's aunt followed "So will we." She said carrying her baby, and another Telmarine Lord followed them and they stopped walking once they stood before Aslan. "Because you have spoken first, your future in that world will be good," he said. Aslan breathed on them, and then the tree behind Caspian twisted, forming a round opening. The group hesitated for a second but walked through the door in the air anyway... and they vanished from sight. Everybody gasped and I could see some fear in the crowd, they were scared it was a fraud. A man from the crowd yelled, "How do we know he is not leading us to our deaths?!" Reepicheep turned to Aslan "Sire, if my example can be of any service, I will take eleven mice through with no delay." I saw Peter and Susan looking at each other.

Oh boy this is it

Aslan looks over at themand to me. Peter stepped forward "We'll go." Edmund looked confused at his brother "Wewill?" " Come on. Our time's up." Peter explained as walked over to Caspianand offered his sword. "After all, we're not really needed here anymore." he said ashe smiled at Caspian. Caspian took his sword "I promise I will look after it".Aslan spoke up "Peter and Susan will not return." "Why not? And what about us?"Lucy asked with a trembling voice, Peter grabbed her shoulder "You two will," hesaid looking at Lucy and Edmund. "But why? Did they do something wrong?" myyoungest sister asked Aslan. "Quite the opposite, dearone. But all things have their time. Your brother and sister have learned whatthey can from this world. Now it's time for them to live in their own." Peterturned Lucy around so she was looking at him "It's alright, Lu. It's not how I thought itwould be, but it's alright. One day you'll see too. Come on." Lucynodded and hugged her brother searching for comfort. "What about Maria?" Edmundasked, everyone, was looking at me now "Maria has a choice to make: stay herewith her true love or go back with her family." Aslan explained. I could feelmy knees go weak but I regained strength looking at the lion "I've made my decision"I turned to my siblings " I love you guys with my whole heart and I would neverever do anything to hurt you but I'm not happy in our world, quite theopposite, I'm miserable and you all know it. Here, I have a people, a kingdom,a love and a purpose, it would be a shame to turn that all down. I'm happyhere, I love it here! I'm sorry..." I said with teary eyes, my siblings walkedover to me and embraced me in a hug, Susan spoke up first "Oh Maria, I wouldn'tallow you anyway to leave. We all noticed how happy you're here and if you'rehappy so are we." "Thanks Su" Peter looked at me "She's right sis, you have tostay. You're future lays here, these people need you!" "Thank you Pete, you'reright. I need to stay..." we all pulled out of the hug "In that case..." I heardCaspian saying, I turned around to look at him and there he was, on one knee witha small box. "Cas.." I said grinningfrom ear to ear "Maria, from the day that I've met you I knew you wereextraordinary but I could have never imagined that I could call you mine, Inever thought I would be that lucky. You're the most incredible, selfless,brave, sweet, caring, beautiful woman I know. I want to spend the rest of mydays with you, I want to grow old with you, I want to rule with you beside me,I need to have you next to me every day. I can't live without you, so HighQueen Maria Pevensie the brave will you do the honour of marrying me?" "Yes!" Iexclaimed as I jumped into his arms and crashed my lips onto his, it was a longand passionate kiss. We pulled away as the crowd started cheering, he took theengagement ring out of the box and slid it around my finger. When I saw thering I started crying, it was a gold ring with a diamond surrounded by themother of pearl of my bracelet that I thought I lost. "How? I thought I lost it""I went back to the battlefield to look for it, after some searching I found itand let it made into a ring. I hope you like it" "Like it? Cas I love it, Ilove you!" I kissed him once more, the crowd started cheering "Long live ourKing and Queen!". I couldn't stop laughing, when I looked at my siblings theywere all sobbing and grinning at the same time. Lucy flew into my arms "I'm so happyfor you Maria! The next time I'll see you're going to be a married woman. I'llsee you soon sis!" she pulled away and walked to Trumpkin to say her goodbyes.Next was Susan that came over "You deserve this Maria, you deserve the world.Thank you for everything you've done for us, I'm lucky to have you as a sister!I love you so much, I wish I didn't have to say goodbye. I hate goodbyes!" shesobbed, I wiped her tears away "This is not a goodbye Susan, we'll see eachother again, don't worry! I will always be with you, I will never leave yourside! I love you Su!" I embraced her tightly and let go so that she could alsosay her goodbyes to the rest. Edmund came after Susan "I don't understand whyMaria but I trust you to have your reasons, I believe in you to make the right choiceso if you say this is the right one then I'll support that. I hope that I willsee you soon, I don't know how I'm going to survive without you. Peter can be anidiot and you're the only one who knows how to keep that idiot in check." hechuckled, I laughed and ruffled through his hair. "Thanks Ed, your supportmeans a lot to me! I hope I'll see you soon, I love you, Ed! Don't forget that!"he nodded and walked away. Peter was the last one to say his goodbyes to me "Heysis" I smiled sadly, this would be the hardest goodbye "Hey Pete" "I'm so happyfor you Maria, you deserve to be happy! I'm so proud of you, I mean look at you!You're a queen, a warrior, a fiancé and the bravest woman I know! I'll miss yousis, who's going to have my back or keep me in check when you're no longer around?"I laughed and hugged him tightly not wanting to let him go. "I love you sis,take of yourself!" "I will Pete, thank you, for everything! Please look afteryourself and our family! They need you!" "I will Maria, thank you foreverything!" I squeezed him another time and let him go after a couple ofminutes. This was it, I have to let my family go. I didn't want to but I neededto. I love them with my whole heart, they will always have a place in my heart.I saw that they all finished saying their goodbyes and were ready to leave, Ifelt tears running over my cheeks. I felt Caspian hand on my shoulder and Igrabbed it, it gave me comfort. My siblings walked to the tree and disappeared intothin air, they were gone and Peter and Susan were gone forever. Emma ran up tome and hugged me tightly "It will be okay, besides, we have a wedding to plan!"