༄ 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦 (𝘗𝘊) ༄

Chapter 26: A Coronation and Departure

As the sun began to rise, everyone was awoken. Several Narnians had disappeared in the night, returning home to tell those still in hiding what had happened and that Aslan had returned. Some Telmarines seemed to have left as well, but only Aslan knew where they went. They didn't have anywhere to go as far as I knew. The rest of us marched towards the castle. It wasn't just Narnians that needed to be informed of the outcome of the war. And then, we had to figure out what would happen next.

A majority of the townspeople seemed rather receptive to the news. They did seem a little nervous of the Narnians—likely due to all the false stories that had been told about them. But judging by the way Caspian was welcomed, it was clear they saw and accepted him as their true King. If he didn't believe the Narnians to be dangerous then the people could perhaps learn to accept them as well.

Within just a few days, Caspian was crowned King in a glorious ceremony. Both Telmarines and Narnians alike were overjoyed. It had been a long time since an Aslan-crowned King had ruled over Narnia and many seemed pleased with the chosen King. After the ceremony—which had been held outside—the royals rode through the city and towards the castle so all the townspeople could greet their new King.

Aslan and Caspian led the procession, followed by the Kings and Queens of Old on horseback. Peter and Susan were first, with Edmund and Lucy directly behind them. Cornelius and I walked beside each other, leading the crowd of Narnians that followed. It consisted of Glenstorm, his son, Trumpkin, Trufflehunter, and others I hadn't gotten to know. I assumed Reepicheep might've been among the procession, but I didn't have the chance to see him.

Everyone was grinning or cheering for King Caspian. Narnians waved to the people, and there wasn't a single fearful face in sight. For the first time in centuries, the Narnians and Telmarines were united under one King, one leader. And while I didn't doubt there were reservations among the Telmarines—especially the noblemen—this was a good step towards peace. I knew Caspian would keep his word in that regard.

That evening, a celebration was held in honor of the new King at the castle. There was a lot of feasting and dancing as well as performers putting on a show. But these celebrations were different from the ones held at Cair Paravel. For one thing, they were a lot more people involved as the Telmarine castle was not made to accommodate the Narnians. For another, it lacked the feeling of freedom and magic that Cair Paravel had. But some of that would be resolved over time; the return of magic wouldn't happen all at once.

I had been asked to dance by several Telmarines and by some of the Narnians present. I felt a little embarrassed for turning them down, but I preferred not to get too involved in the celebrations. It was the same way I behaved during the Golden Age. I always had to keep an eye out for threats and it was easier to do that when you weren't right in the middle of all the action. But with Aslan around, there was no need for me to do so now. Everyone seemed perfectly content to just enjoy themselves. Even Peter and Edmund—who did very little dancing at their own hosted celebrations—were dancing. Granted, it was mostly with their sisters but they were enjoying themselves nonetheless.

I kept a close eye out for anyone moving suspiciously or lurking in the shadows. Those were the ones that often proved to be a threat. Aside from myself, no one appeared to be hiding at the edges of the party. Anyone would be foolish to make an attempt in the presence of Aslan anyway and I sighed.

Pushing myself off the wall, I made my way around the crowd towards where Aslan was sitting. He was speaking quietly with King Caspian and I was careful not to get too close so as not to eavesdrop. I felt the need to speak with Him but didn't want to intrude on the conversation. Fortunately, Aslan always knew what I needed and whatever the two Kings were discussing ended as I drew closer to them.