Kind and Brave // Tales of the Traveling Queen Book 1

11) .A Traitor's Blood.

(Edited)

.A Traitor's Blood.

~Tuesday Prince~

I wake to find my head resting on some sort of pillow. The pillow is moving up and down and the pillow has their arm around my waist. I realize it's just Peter and start to fall asleep again. Then I realize it's Peter and I shoot up, pulling myself away from his arms, butterflies bouncing wildly in my stomach. I had fallen asleep with my hand in his, not in his arms. My face goes bright red and I stand slowly, picking up my sword and start to walk away. I can't help but look back at the boy who is now stirring and sitting up, clearly confused. I walk away quickly down the hill, my face on fire.

It's early in the morning, but I know Aslan is awake so I go to his tent, seeking advice. I call his name through the tent and he bids me enter. I come in and find the lion laying down on the grass as though he expected me to come. I carefully sit on his lion skin rug and I am suddenly at a loss of words, not sure what to say. Why did I come to Aslan for help? I suppose the lion had always been like my father figure, giving me advice through dreams, though never face to face, and leading me to Narnia. However, why I came to him now to talk to him about falling in love, I'm not sure. I suppose it was just a first reaction. Aslan smiles at me as though he is reading my mind.

"Speak, child," he commands, kindness in his voice. "Speak your mind and the words you need will come."

"Why is this so hard?" I ask suddenly, the words coming to me like he said, but not the question I was expecting to ask.

"Why is what so hard, Tuesday?"

"I think I'm falling for someone and I'm not sure what to do. He's a close friend. One of the only ones I have. I'm almost afraid. I've never been one for relationships, you of all should know that, but now I've come close to Peter, and I'm not sure I want to move on from that. Why is it so hard to know that the man you're falling for with doesn't like you back? In that sort of way, I mean."

"How could you possibly know how hard that is when you have never lived through it?" Aslan wonders, cocking his head to the side slightly. I immediately find myself in a pit of confusion. Why would he ask that of all questions? What did he mean when he said I had never felt the pain of not being loved back? So many questions fill my mind and I'm not sure how to handle them all and I'm not sure what to say next. Aslan waits patiently, his smile never failing. "There is something that I told Peter that you must know, my child. There is a Deep Magic more powerful than any of us that rules over Narnia. It defines right from wrong and governs all our destinies. Yours and mine. This power is called love. This love in your heart is shaping the path you take and where it will lead. Do not fear when I say that this is meant to happen. Do not be afraid of it. Destiny is not something that you can avoid." 

My eyes shoot up to his and my jaw drops slightly. "Aslan, I never said I was in love." 

A laugh vibrates through the lion's throat. "Perhaps not yet, young one, but there is only one feeling that can grow from falling, and that is letting the person who tripped you help you back up again." His words are wise, but to me they don't exactly make sense. Perhaps I'm not meant to understand them now, but later. 

I nod, not in understanding, but in acceptance. Now is not my time to understand that, but when I get older, I will. So I don't ask anymore questions, give Aslan my thanks and head out to breakfast.

*~~~~~*~~~~~*

Edmund stuffs toast into his mouth like it's the last meal he will ever eat. I laugh at him slightly and give him my toast as well, again not hungry. To think of it, I haven't eaten at all during my time. I'll have to remember to ask Aslan about that. For now, I just sit around the table, enjoying breakfast with the Pevensies, laughing and talking like we had the night before as if we hadn't finished our conversations.