The Telmarine Wife

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

London, 1958

Edmund looked down at Ileana where she lay motionless and barely breathing, the same way she had been for nearly twelve hours. The early morning sun was beginning to filter in through the shade. The birds were chirping in the trees outside. It had the makings of a very lovely day, weather-wise, but Edmund felt a dark cloud looming over him. He paced around the small room with memories and thoughts flying through his head.

"You're doing what?"

"I'm leaving Narnia..."

Edmund couldn't believe what he was hearing. This didn't make any sense. They were supposed to expand their family, not break it up.

"...it's why Aslan wanted to see me alone, or partially why at least," Lena continued.

"No. No this isn't right; there's been some mistake."

"Edmund, please, don't make this any harder."

He could hear the grief in her voice. Still, he tried to fight it.

"Edmund. Edmund, please look at me." She placed her hands on his cheeks and turned his face towards hers. It didn't register to him that he was crying until he felt her wipe away tears.

"I love you, Edmund. And the time spent with you has been more than I could ever ask for. I know..."

He tried to pull away; he didn't want to hear her say goodbye, but she pulled him back in.

"I know you want to fight this. I know you would spend every last hour going toe-to-toe with the Lion if you could, but...be angry with Him tomorrow. As for tonight, please, just be here with me. Then, when the time comes, you... you have to let me go." She swallowed her own tears. "You have to let me go, Edmund."

Edmund returned to Lena's bedside.

"You have to let me go, Edmund."

"No." He shook his head. "You're wrong. When You told me to let you go, you were wrong, Ileana." He bent over her body and caressed her cheek. "I will never let you go, mi amore, but I..."

He closed his eyes against the tears that threatened to fall. And when that didn't work, he wiped them with his sleeve.

"But I... I will let you... begin the next phase of your journey without me. 'In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.'*"

Edmund tried blinking away more tears but failed again. "Go. Prepare our rooms and one day... I will join you there." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead.

The first thing Meri noticed when she opened her eyes was that her oversized fluffy bed had been traded out for a much smaller, more uncomfortable one. The second thing she noticed was that the dim glow of electric light was harsher and more abrasive than the warm Narnian sun. The third was though she still woke up sore it was a different kind of soreness caused by poor sleeping conditions rather than the general aging of the body.

Meri rolled on to her side as she adjusted to her surroundings. She saw a young girl sitting atop the bed next to hers; she was playing with a toy doll and a wooden horse. She turned her head towards Meri, dark curls falling in her face, and smiled.

"Sara!" Meri jolted upright. Sara giggled as Meri floundered over to her and hugged her tight. "Oh, Sara! I've missed you so much!"

"Missed me? I just saw you yesterday in Narnia," Sara replied with more giggles.