ignite me / p. pevensie

chapter fifty-eight

 "You wanted to speak to me?" Rowyn said to Adeline as she and Peter came walking into the throne room of the new Cair Paravel.

Adeline smiled and hooked her arm with Rowyn's. "Do you see this?" Rowyn looked forward at the single marble throne. Rowyn turned to her mother and nodded. "Rowyn, you saved the Narnians again. If anyone deserves this throne . . . it's you."

Rowyn's eyes widened and she turned back to it. "I-I had help—I never saved anyone without help—in Calormene and here, I had help."

Adeline squeezed Rowyn's hand. "You deserve this throne—it's your birthright . . . if you want it." Rowyn looked back at Peter who smiled softly and the rest of her family who watched her with a smile. They all must've known about this.

Rowyn gently pulled from her mother's hold and walked up the stairs leading to the throne. Her silver dress brushing around her as she did so. Rowyn leaned forward and touched the left white marble arm of the throne. Rowyn relished in the cold touch of the marble before moving her hand away and turning back towards her mother.

"I don't want it." She told her mother. Rowyn picked up the ends of her dress and walked back towards the shocked woman.

"But-"

Rowyn rose her hand. "I think after everything I've been through . . . I just want to be with my family for awhile—not have to worry about ruling a Kingdom." Rowyn took a deep breath and smiled. "Besides . . . if anyone deserves this throne it's you, mom—you're the best ruler that Narnia ever had and I know you loved doing it, so take it."

Adeline looked back at the throne with her eyes gleaming. She hadn't expected Rowyn's offer. "If you ever decide you wish to have it you may." Rowyn nodded and then looked back at Peter.

"If I did, we'd need another four added—ruling alone doesn't appeal to me." She winked towards the Pevensie siblings. Adeline squeezed Rowyn's hand before leaning forward and kissing her forehead.

"Sam and Charlie raised you well." Adeline brushed Rowyn's cheek.

Rowyn smiled and agreed. "Just promise me you'll make time for your daughter while you rule?" Adeline laughed and then pulled Rowyn into her arms.

"I will make all the time in the world for you—we need to make up for lost time, remember?" Adeline told Rowyn while holding the back of her head. Rowyn smiled with a nod and held her mother tighter before they finally pulled away. "Now let's start by having that family dinner we've been talking about."

....

Rowyn laughed heavily beside Susan—who was also laughing loud—as they took more sips of their wine. The sound of a fork hitting a glass made them take a few deep breaths and calm down. "I would like to make a toast!" Charlie said as he stood from the table with his glass of wine in hand. "First, I just want to thank you all for welcoming Sam and I into your lives-" Edmund shouted out in approval and sipped more from his glass. "And I just want to thank Peter for being the best man that I could imagine for my beautiful daughter. Finally, to my loving baby girl . . . Heaven was boring without you." He rose his glass as Rowyn snorted and rose her glass as well.

Then Peter stood from his spot at the end of the table beside Rowyn. "I never realized growing up that I would fall in love with someone from an entirely different time. I never imagined that she would be the warrior by my side in battle, the face I wake up to every day, and just the person who gets me out of bed in the morning . . . being without her was rough to put it lightly-" Peter let out a small laugh. "Thank Adeline for creating such a wonderful human and thank you Sam and Charlie for dealing with her horrible temper as a child." Rowyn kicked his shin from under the table and he called out and then laughed. "And thank you Rowyn for being my wonderful wife."