"Edmund," I whisper gently, moving his shoulder, "Edmund, we need to meet the others soon,"
Edmund's eyes flutter open and he sleepily looks at me as he wakes up. I smile at him and kiss his nose as he gets his bearings. A cheeky grin spreads across his face as he looks at me, both of us still naked from our night together.
"I'll never get used to waking up to this," he says, running his fingers over the love bites on my chest and neck. I lightly grab his hand and bring it to my lips and kiss his hand.
"We need to get up, Ed," I tell him, "we're supposed to be meeting the others soon."
Edmund sits up and reaches over me to the nightstand behind me to check his watch. I scratch his back lightly as he does so and look up at him.
"Mm. Yes, we do need to get going," he says with a stretch.
I grab my slip off the floor and throw it on over my head, and Edmund grabs a towel and wraps it around his waist on the way to the bathroom. I also make my way to the bathroom and brush my hair and wash my face as Edmund prepares to shower. I watch him sneakily in the mirror as he gets ready, but he catches me staring and smirks.
"You know you can join me," he says as he steps in.
"If I did that, we'd never get out," I say back with a laugh.
"Suit yourself," he smiles at me and we finish getting ready.
———————
We walk down the hallway and run into Caspian.
"Good morning, King and Queen," Caspian says.
"Morning," I respond with a smile. "What's on the agenda today?"
"Aslan has asked that I gather everyone this morning, and we are to all meet him in the courtyard," Caspian explains.
The three of us make our way to the large, black, metals doors. Ed and Caspian open them, and we see Aslan walking with Susan and Peter on the far side of the lawn. We pause, not wanting to interrupt them.
"Your majesties," we hear Aslan say.
Susan and Peter have very solemn looks on their faces, and Caspian notices and dawns one as well.
"We are ready. Everyone has assembled," Caspian says evenly.
Susan looks like she might cry. Her eyes shift from Caspian, to Edmund, to me, and back to Aslan. Peter keeps his gaze in front of him on nothing in particular.
Edmund places his hand on the small of my back as we follow Caspian back inside. I look over my shoulder one last time as Sue, Peter and Aslan walk away.
——————
"Narnia belongs to the Narnians, just as it does to man," Caspian speaks with ease and conviction over the large crowd gathered before us. The Pevensies and I stand to his left, and Aslan and a few Narnians, including Trumpkin are to his right. Behind Caspian stands a beautiful curved tree, and before him stand his new subjects.
"Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to," he continues. "But for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers."
Whispers move across the crowd, and one man states that it's been too long since they've left their motherland to return.
"Your ancestors were seafaring brigands," Aslan explains. "They were 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."
Everyone turns their head towards us. I look at Edmund, who stands to my right in confusion. He briefly looks back at me, equally confused before turning back to Aslan.
"It is to that island that I can return you," Aslan says to the confused people, "it is a good place for any who wish to make a new start."
Silence hovers over the crowd for a moment.
"I will go," one of Miraz's former generals speaks up. "I will accept the offer."
As he walks forward, another speaks up.
"So will we."
Miraz's wife steps forward holding her son, and a man walks with her. Caspian bows to them.
"Because you have spoken first, your future in that world shall be good."
Aslan breaths over them and the large tree behind Caspian twists, opening its trunk into a tear drop shaped hole. Those who offered to venture into the other world, our world, walk with ease into the trunk, disappearing from sight. The crowd shouts in shock and fear at there vanishing.
"Sire," Reepicheep steps forward before Aslan, "if my example can be of any service, I will take eleven mice through with no delay."
I smile at the mouse's bravery, and Lucy giggles quietly next to me. I see Peter look to Susan in my peripheral vision, and I know exactly what is about to happen.
"We'll go," Peter steps forward, partially speaking to the crowd but mostly to us and Caspian.
"We will?" Edmund asks.
"Come on, our time's up," Peter says, his voice dripping in sadness. "After all, we're not really needed here anymore."
Peter approaches Caspian and hands him his sword, his gift. Caspian looks at him in shock and eyes the sword in his hand.
"I'll look after it until you return," Caspian says earnestly.
"I'm afraid that's just it," Susan steps forward and looks at Caspian sympathetically. "We're not coming back."
"We're not?" Lucy says, tears brimming in her eyes.
"You three are," Peter gesture to Ed, Lucy and I. "At least, I think he means you three."
"But why?" Lucy says to Aslan, "Have they done something wrong?"
"Quite the opposite, dear one," Aslan soothes, "but all things have their time. Your brother and sister have learned what they can from this world, and now it's time for them to live on their own."
Lucy's face rests in its downcast expression, and Peter walks toward her.
"It's alright, Lu," he says sweetly. "It's not how I thought it would be, but it's alright. One day you'll see too. Come on."
Peter waves us all forward, and we shake hands with the Narnians standing by Aslan. Lucy hugs Trumpkin tightly, and he hugs her back with tears in his eyes. I feel my chest tighten at the sight of the Pevensies, specifically Sue and Peter, saying goodbye to their friends.
Susan walks towards Caspian as the rest of us stand by the tree trunk.
"I'm glad I came back," she says, hardly making eye contact.
"I wish we had more time together," Caspian whispers, looking at her face sadly.
"It never would have worked anyway," Sue says, a sad smile playing across her lips.
"Why not?" Caspian says in confusion.
"I am 1300 years older than you," she jokes lightly. Caspian smiles at her joke and pulls her into a hug. Susan breaks away from him after a few seconds and walks toward us, making eye contact with me. I subtly glance back at Caspian and nod to her with a small smile, and she knows exactly what I mean.
Susan turns around quickly, walks to Caspian confidently and kisses him. Her kiss catches him off guard at first, but he quickly brings his hands to her face and kisses her back. I crack a huge smile and feel a bittersweet empathy for my best friend.
"I'm sure when I'm older I'll understand," Lucy says watching her sister.
"I am older, and I want to kill him," Peter quips jokingly, watching his little sister.
Edmund takes my hand in his and squeezes it, and I briefly glance up at him and smile.
"Im thankful you get to come home with me," he whispers to me.
"I am too," I reply, briefly resting my head on his shoulder.
Susan turns around and walks towards us blushing. I light breeze blows past us as Susan returns to standing by Peter and Lucy, and the five of us look at Aslan, Trumpkin, Caspian, and the Narnians before us. We hold each other's gaze for a moment before Aslan nods to us, signaling our time to leave.
Edmund walks ahead of me, holding my hand so I follow him. Peter, Susan, and Lucy follow me as we walk into the tree trunk. Just like that, we're back at the train station where the whole journey began. It looked exactly the same as we'd left it, down to the exact moment in time we'd left all those weeks ago. Our world hadn't changed, but I was a changed person in it.
I look down at my clothes, and I'm back in my uniform. I adjust the uncomfortable blazer and tie, and Edmund looks at me with a sad smile. I smile back at him and take his hand as we find our way to where we were waiting for the train before we left.
The train stops in front of us, and we come back to reality as people dressed like normal exit the train on their way to work. We all glance at each other as we process everything.
"Aren't you coming, Phyllis?" A familiar voice asks.
I can't help but laugh. I look at Susan, who can't believe that the same boy from before is here. Though, it makes sense that he would be. Ed and Peter look at us confused, and Lucy looks up at her sister. We grab our things from where we'd left them quickly and board the train.
Peter and Susan stand by each other with Lucy to Sue's left. I stand closest to the door by Edmund, and he's fumbling through his bag.
"Do you suppose there's any way we could get back?"
He asks, urgently moving things around in his bag. I look in his bag confused at his actions, and his siblings watch him with equal levels of perplexity.
"I've left my new torch in Narnia," Edmund says disappointed.
We all laugh at his words, and I grab his arm with my hand as the doors to the train shut. I look at the smiling Pevensie faces around me, and I feel very safe and content with the new experiences we have bonding us together. I look up at Edmund's smiling face, and he looks back at me. The train begins to move, and I know that I will be forever in Narnia's debt for the lessons it taught me and the people it gave me.
Until Next Time....