"My dear, you look beautiful," Her mother said from behind her. The Queen looked very beautiful herself. Her golden curls were pinned in an elegant updo. The crown on her head looked much more prominent with that hairstyle and her cream dress really made her green eyes pop.
"Not as beautiful as you, mother," Rory smiled sincerely.
"Nonsense," The queen said as she put a hand on her daughter's shoulder.
Rory was wearing a simple blue dress, making her turquoise eyes seem bluer. Her curly hair was for once straight and styled in a ponytail. The door opened up, revealing her father in a dark navy robe. The silver crown in his head beaming as he bowed.
"My ladies," He said solemnly, "I'm in awe with the beauties in front of me."
Rory giggled at her father's atnics while Dorea rolled her eyes fondly.
"Hi daddy," Rory greeted as she twirled, "What do you think?"
"You look magnificent Ror," Stephan said, "I'm only sorry for all the boys at the ball."
Mother and daughter raised their eyebrows in identical quizzical looks. Moments like this, it was clear that despite sharing Stephan's coloring (in hair, eyes and skin), Rory was her mother's daughter where looks were concerned.
"There's no way I'm letting a boy near you tonight," Stephan said solemnly, " They are all stupid and have no idea how to take care of a lady , especially my daughter."
Rory giggled while Dorea but her lip to hide her amused smile.
"Don't worry, daddy," Rory said, "I just want to play tonight. No boys involved."
"That's what I said years ago," Stephan said ," And look at me now."
"Stop being dramatic, Stephan" Dorea chastised her husband , "Besides it's our daughter's debut as a lady to society. She must dance with every available man."
Rory immediately sobered up. Oh yes, her debut. She forced a smile trying to hide her apprehension from her parents. Be a good girl, be a good daughter, where some of the things running through her head. Before the King could defend her honor, there was a knock on the door. Stephan opened up and a very regal satyr was waiting on the other side.
"Your majesties," He said, "It's time."
"Thank you Sahar," The Queen said kindly.
The family departed from the room and followed the satyr into the ballroom. They announced the King and Queen's arrival, which was met with warm applause and cheers. Rory was introduced next. All eyes on her, she miraculously managed to walk without tripping. She spent the rest of the night dancing with man after man.
Exhausted, Rory finally escaped and joined the band. After a particularly difficult piece on the flute, Rory stepped away towards the refreshment table.
"I knew I would find you here!" A female voice called.
Rory turned around and saw her three godmothers: Flora , Fauna and Merryweather. With a squeal she greeted each one of them with a big hug.
"Well you know me," Rory said, "I follow where the music goes."
"Huh, where have I heard that before?" Fauna teased.
"Hardy har," The youngest brunette rolled her eyes, " Just one dance. I want to spend one dance doing something for myself. Not pleasing princes and lords and dukes who don't care about me."
"It's not so bad," Merryweather consoled, forever being the more emphatic out of the sisters, "One more dance and it be over."
"Who is it this time?" Rory groaned.
"Prince Leif ," Flora commented with a scowl. All four of them knew they were talking about the snobbish, self absorbed prince from Galma. Last time Roy had seen him, the prince had drawn on and on about his accomplishments and whenever Rory tried to say something, he dismissed her. The cherry on top, was when the prince referred to music as a hobby for the commoners not for royalty.
Rory's face, which was resigned before, turned into panic.
"I'm not here," Rory stammered, " Tell him I moved to Ettismoor and became a nun."
" He is standing right here," Flora rolled her eyes.
"She is right, he is not buying that," Faryn agreed.
"Oh please," Rory rolled her eyes, " He is too busy staring at himself to notice me."
With those words, Rory ran away into the nearest doors. The faeries watched in amusement as their goddaughter ran away from her problems.
"She learned that from you Flora," Merryweather said, "And you are going to explain that to Dori and Stephan."
Rory found herself on the balcony alone. Nobody will notice her presence here. She admired the beautiful blue moon and the ethereal glow it casted on the sea and the sand. A light summer breeze caressed her gently washing away the hands of the men she previously danced with. The smell of salt permeated the air and Rory inhaled. Here with the best view at Cair Paravel, she felt at peace.
Her sanctuary was disrupted by someone tripping. Rory squeaked in fear. The boy stood up rapidly, and shifted his weight in embarrassment. Rory finally looked at the intruder and she frowned. She couldn't really make out his features despite the bright moon glow. Only thing she noticed was sunflower blonde hair.
"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," He stuttered , "It's just so loud out there... I need fresh air. And you looked so peaceful , I didn't want to disturb you so I tried to go back ... with very interesting results."
Rory covered her mouth with her hand. Trying hard to conceal her giggles. The poor boy was scared to death but darned , he was adorable.
"It's alright," Rory smiled "I just nearly died of a heart attack, nothing new."
"Now you are trying to make me feel awful," He smiled back, gaining a bit more boldness with each barb exchanged.
"Is it working?" Rory teased.
"Well," The boy said exaggeratedly , "I don't like scaring pretty girls with my carelessness."
Rory flushed pink but raised her chin proudly. If the man wanted wit, he would get it. She stepped closer, never taking her eyes off the boy.
"I bet a handsome lord like you uses that line all the time," Rory said.
The boy raised his eyebrows, accepting her challenge.
"So you do think I'm handsome?" The blonde asked, smirking.
He stepped closer to the girl with pure confidence. By now, they were standing so close to each other but despite the lack of distance, Rory still couldn't make out any of his features aside from the blonde hair.
"So you think I'm pretty?" Rory retorted. She, too, took another step forward. Never admitting defeat.
By now they had realized how close they were. Embarrassed, they both looked away and gave themselves a bit of space. Rory stared at the beautiful moon avoiding to look or touch her companion. She bit her lower lip hard. Her words. His words. The entire situation. It felt like remembering all the words to her favorite childhood song. Or perhaps, a very good dream that in the morning one couldn't quite recall. But that was impossible.? Was it? And yet -
"Have we ever met before?" the boy inquired bravely echoing her heavy pondering.
"It feels like we have," Rory said.
"Perhaps, we did,"he said, "Once upon a dream"
Rory snorted in a very unladylike manner. Her mother was going to have a fit if she saw her now.
"You can't possibly believe that?" She asked incredulously.
"No, just trying to be romantic," He said sheepishly, "Is it working?"
"A bit," Rory admitted, "You know what would make this even more romantic?"
"What?" He questioned trying hard to disguise the eagerness in his tone.
"A dance," Rory said simply.
Music and dancing had always been a passion of hers. She'd be damned if she allowed a few lousy experiences from Lords and Barons to ruin it for her. And this boy, though she couldn't quite see him, had made her feel more at peace than ever before.
He seemed to agree because he extended his hand and bowed. She grabbed his hand which seemed to be much bigger than her small petite and curtsied. With small hesitant moves he placed his arms on her hips, in turn Rory placed her hands on his shoulders. And so they began dancing.
The pair glided all through the balcony. The music played at the ballroom was loud enough that it could be faintly heard from the outside. The moon casted an ethereal glow on the couple. She moved gracefully and effortlessly. The epitome of beauty. He danced confidently and led strongly. Both of them seemed to be born to dance with each other.
"Rory," A female voice called.
She tried to ignore it, thinking it was her mother, but the youthful childlike voice was the farthest thing from her mother's regal voice.
"Roryyyyy," The voice chanted again.
"This is the farthest thing from proper!" A female voice hissed.
"Oh Susan, don't be such a spoilsport," a childish voice replied.
Rory seemed a lot more aware of her surroundings . That was Lucy. Little Lucy Pevensie but what was she talking about? The Browning girl groaned and buried her face further into her pillow. She could hear Lucy's giggles and Susan's scoffs but she really didn't care. Rory closed her eyes again wanting to go back to sleep and continue living that wonderful dream.
"Good morning," Lucy said mirthfully, " Are you comfortable?"
"Very," Rory said dryly with her eyes closed.
"I'm glad you think so," Lucy smirked, "My brother might just agree with you."
Wait what?! Rory groggily opened her eyes and realized just where she was. She was on Peter's arms covered by his thick fur coat as a makeshift blanket. Feeling her face flush pink, she quickly untangled herself and sat. Lucy was giggling madly as she saw her friends try to act natural.
"I was cold," Rory explained weakly.
"Sure," The youngest Pevensie commented with the smallest hint of sarcasm. Lucy then shoved Rory's coat into her arms.
"Oh shut up!" The Browning girl replied with a smile as she put the coat on.
"Girls," Mrs. Beaver chided as she prepared toast with jam, "Go and wake Peter. The journey's long and we want to have breakfast before we go."
"Rory can wake him," Lucy said mischievously, "With a kiss."
Susan's scandalized gasp and Rory's indignated squeal were drowned by the Beaver's and Lucy's laughter.
"Betrayal stings Lucy Pevensie," The Browning girl said dramatically.
"Go and wake your prince Rory," Lucy rolled her eyes.
Rory grudgingly started nudging Peter. He was smiling in his sleep and Rory almost felt sorry for waking him up. Almost. She had been startled from her really nice dream too, maybe in some karmic sense, waking Peter from his was her revenge.
Reluctantly, Rory nudged him but she only received a tired groan as an answer. Rory tried to nudge him again but it didn't work. Instead , she decided to shake him awake.
"Lucy, go away," Peter grunted.
"I'm not Lucy," Rory said with a smile.
That seemed to be the key. Peter sat up with a snap realizing just exactly who was trying to wake him up. He grinned sheepishly, his blonde hair sticking in odd directions.
"Hi," He smiled.
"Hi," Rory said shyly.
They stared into each other's eyes, neither sure of how to proceed after last night's heart to heart and a midnight cuddled sleep.
"Do you lovebirds want breakfast?" Lucy teased them from a distance as she took a bite from her toast.
"Lucy!" Mrs. Beaver and Susan chastised the youngest Pevensie but Mr. Beaver was not so discreetly cracking at Lucy's remarks.
"Look what you created," Peter joked as they both walked closer towards the rest of the group.
"She was always a bit of a smart mouth," Rory commented lightly, "I just helped her polish those skills."
"And now she uses them against you," Peter remarked ironically as he took a seat next to Susan.
"The student must always surpass the master," Rory said, sticking her tongue out to Peter. The brunette sat next to Lucy who nudged her playfully.
Mrs. Beaver offered the older teens slices of toast for breakfast. They ate as quickly as they could, since Mr. Beaver was constantly urging them to eat fast. Mr. Beaver reminded them , they were still being hunted by the White Witch's secret police. They needed to move as soon as they could to avoid another incident like last night.
"Let 's go!" Mr. Beaver said excitedly once everyone finished their food and had packed everything.
Mr. Beaver took the lead followed by his wife. Occasionally one of them will shout an instruction like 'watch your step, it's slippery' or 'mind your head' but the Beavers mostly directed the group into the right direction. Susan followed them just a few feet away. She was wrapped in her coat and submerged in her thoughts, barely talking to anyone.
Lucy being the shortest couldn't really walk at the same speed as anyone especially in snow. Peter and Rory decided to stay at the very end of the group to keep Lucy company. Well, Rory had no physical condition so she used that as an excuse to trail at the very end and as slow as they could. Peter just joined to keep both of them safe in case something happened.
The journey was painfully slow. At the very beginning, Lucy and Rory convinced the group to play a game of 'I spy' but that got old soon when all they could see was snow, ice and trees covered in snow AND ice.
And so, nobody else talked for hours: each one inversed in their own thoughts. This gave Rory the opportunity to finally dwell on her dream. It was the first time she wasn't in the forest but instead in a beautiful palace. It was rare for her to exchange words with her parents in her dreams but this time it was a full interaction. One where she got to talk and not just listen and question her parent's cryptic words. Her aunts were also there. And the weirdest thing was, she could actually tell them her thoughts and feelings instead of avoiding or dismissing them as an inconvenience. And the boy. She couldn't quite recall his face, but everything about their interaction screamed familiarity and trust. It was strange. It felt like something that could have happened, perhaps in another life.
Next to her, Peter was concentrating on trying to recall his dream last night. The palace, the dance, feeling awkward and out of place in a room full of royals and nobles. He decided to take fresh air, trying to avoid attention to himself. And then ... a beautiful girl. Her features were still a mystery for him but her wit and charm had made her the most beautiful girl in the world. Well except for Rory, no one could ever hold a candle to her. He thought to himself with a small smile.
They were both so distracted that Peter didn't notice a rock on his way and tripped. The blonde regained his balance quickly but he had accidentally bumped into Rory. Before she could fall however, Peter wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him avoiding what would be a painful fall.
"Sorry," He apologized with a red flush on his neck.
"That's okay," Rory smiled, " You caught me just on time."
Before either of them could say anything else, Mr. Beaver called them out. They separated quickly and mumbled apologies. They both seemed afraid of contact between each other.
"So close," Lucy muttered in defeat, "So close!"
The group jogged towards where Mr. and Mrs. Beaver were standing.
"Now, Aslan's camp is near the Stone Table just across the frozen river," Mr. Beaver explained, pointing out the direction to follow.
" River?" Peter questioned, never taking his eyes off the frozen woods.
"Oh, the river's been frozen solid for a hundred years," Mrs. Beaver dismissed Peter's fears.
"It 's so far!" Peter exclaimed, surprised.
" It's the world, dear. Did you expect it to be small?"Mrs. Beaver asked kindly.
"Smaller," Susan commented dryly.
"Oh c'mon" Rory replied cheerfully, "How many people get to explore a whole new magical land?"
Rory started walking again, following the Beavers who were oblivious to the human's discussion.
"Yeah Susan," Lucy teased, "Don't be so grumpy."
Lucy quickened her pace to follow the Browning Girl. From the distance, Peter and Susan could observe the girls teasing and playing with each other as they walked behind the Beavers.
"Your girlfriend is such a delight," The older Pevensie girl remarked sarcastically.
"She didn't say anything bad Susan," Peter defended, "You know if you stop acting so defensive , you'll realize she really is a good person."
Peter then seemed to have fully processed Susan's words and blush harshly.
"And she is not my girlfriend," The blonde said, then to himself he whispered, "Yet!"
With that, Peter decided to follow the group. Susan, not wanting to stay behind, quickly followed the rest of the group.
The journey to Aslan's camp was long, tiring and very draining. It was worse in the harsh Narnian winter, the snow and ice made the trek steeper and slippery. By lunch time, everyone was exhausted and in a bad mood. Mr. Beaver didn't want to stop for fear of running into the white witch or her secret police. Eventually, after many complaints from Rory and Pevensies as well as a reprimanding from his wife, Mr. Beaver agreed to give them a twenty minute lunch.
They ate silently, the only thing heard was munching and chewing. Mr. Beaver didn't give them time to breathe. As soon as they finished eating, they were back on track to Aslan's camp. Everyone refused to speak; too tired, too angry and too cold. For a little vivacious girl like Lucy, silence was unbearable. So she decided to put a plan into action.
"Roryyyyyy," Lucy chanted tugging on the older girl's coat.
Rory, who was absentmindedly humming and remembering her dream, barely acknowledged her with a small nod.
"We should sing something," Lucy said, "To pass time."
"Huh?" Rory asked stupidly. She took a while to process Lucy's words but when she finally did, she turned to face the little girl.
"I don't think it's appropriate Lu," The Browning girl said, dragging her feet as the group continued walking.
"Weren't you the one who said singing makes everything better?" Lucy inquired with an impish smile.
"You cannot use my words against me!" Rory gasped indignantly.
Peter, the eavesdropper he was, bursted into laughter. Rory punched the blonde playfully on the shoulder but his laughter never ceased. Instead, he encouraged his youngest sister, chanting that they needed entertainment for their long walk. After her two favorite Pevensies joined forces, Rory had no choice but to grudgingly agree.
"Let's do our duet!" Lucy suggested excitedly.
The Browning girl agreed with a small smile as the group continued their trek through the woods. After counting to three, Lucy began singing the first lines of Irving Berlin's song; Easter Parade. Her voice was chirpy and childlike but it was pretty and light. Clearly , her lessons with Rory had paid off. Rory then joined in singing the second verse. Peter nearly forgot his ability to breathe when he heard her. Her voice was smooth and silky. She caressed each word she sang with a sweet and controlled vibrato. But not only that, the way Rory's eyes sparkled when she was concentrating on singing, there was a glow of happiness in what she was doing and it was breathtaking.
Peter was so captivated by the view, he nearly forgot he was walking until he ran into Susan. Sheepishly, the Pevensie boy apologized to his sister before resuming his pace. When Rory and Lucy finished their songs, the Beavers cheered and the remaining Pevensie's clapped. (We can all guess who's claps were more enthusiastic.)
Lucy beamed back at the small audience while Rory faked a small bow as she walked. The little girl seemed to brim with excitement and tugged on the Browning girl's hand.
"Oh Rory, you should sing on your own!" Lucy requested enthusiastically.
"I don't know," Rory said, playing with her fingers. The group seemed more perked up after Lucy's and Rory's musical demonstration. The idea of a long walk seemed less stressful when they were entertained.
"C'mon deary," Mrs. Beaver encouraged her. Mr. Beaver too grunted his approval.
"You have an amazing voice Rory," Peter said sincerely.
Rory tried hard to hide her blush but everyone could notice her flushed cheeks. She thanked Peter and began singing softly the first song that came into her mind.
"Once upon a time, I dreamed we'd be together," Rory began singing shyly with her eyes closed, " In love forever."
The Beavers stopped dead in their tracks when they heard the song. The married couple shared a confused look. Peter nearly tripped with his own feet. He had heard that song before. He just couldn't exactly pinpoint where exactly.
"Once upon a night I was wishing for a never, a never ending," Rory continued singing this time more confidently. Even daring to skip her steps remembering her strange dream: Her parents, her aunts and a handsome boy dancing forever all in one magical night.
"Once upon a time
Once upon a night
Once upon a wish
Once upon a dream"
By the time she finished that verse, she had begun dancing while she walked and sang. She was completely enthralled in her own melody and in the hidden dream behind it. Rory only realized she was still in Narnia when Lucy clapped animatedly. Susan was clapping, though less enthusiastic than Lucy. Peter was staring at her with an unreadable expression but there was awe and wonder in his cerulean blue eyes. Before Peter could say anything, Mrs. Beaver interrupted him.
"How do you know that song, dear?" Mrs. Beaver inquired.
Well that was the dilemma. She couldn't exactly say she had been dreaming of that song since she was a little girl. And now her dreams were complemented by the appearance of her dead parents (who looked to be royalty?) , her aunts dressed in medieval dresses and a boy whose identity was still unknown. That will make her look crazy. So instead, Rory settled for a half lie.
"I've known it all my life" Rory said vaguely, "Why?"
"It's a narnian classic song," Mr. Beaver informed her, "The White Witch forbade its performance once she assumed the throne. I haven't heard it in years. Where did you say you learned it?"
"Somewhere," The Browning girl answered absemitedly with a small frown.
The Beavers shared a conspiratorial look but said nothing. Rory nearly rolled her eyes. Great, it didn't matter if it was back in England or a magical land like Narnia, people were always withholding information. She kept her face blank as she usually did back home and continued walking trying to entertain Lucy with a game of name the color.
It was fun for an hour, but as the day transpired and they still hadn't reached their destination, Lucy looked ready to collapse. The older kids were no better. Susan seemed to be on autopilot, not really thinking, just mindlessly walking. Rory was dragging her feet and taking small pauses to catch her breath while Peter every now and then stretched his back.
"Come on, humans! While we're still young," Mr. Beaver called ahead from the group.
All of the kids grumbled their complaints. Peter bent down to give Lucy a piggy back ride, knowing his sister needed it. The little girl climbed and Peter started walking. Susan and Rory were not far from them.
"If he tells us to hurry one more time," Peter warned , " I'm gonna turn him into a big, fluffy hat."
Susan and Lucy smiled at Peter's attemped of a joke but Rory looked dead serious.
"I'll help," Rory said.
The kids resummed their walk albeit a little slowly, showing how tired they really were.
"Hurry up! Come on!" Mr. Beaver hollered.
The kids all shared a look of annoyance.
" He is getting a little bossy!" Lucy agreed.
They laughed hysterically for a moment; forgetting they were on a magical land on a quest to rescue their brother (and friend in Rory's case.) and that said magical land's fate rested on their shoulders. Their little bonding moment couldn't last forever, it was abruptly interrupted by the Beavers.
"No! Behind you! It's her!" Mrs. Beaver screamed frantically,
The kids turned around to see what had the Beavers so worried. From the distance, they could see a sled speeding closer to where they were standing. Peter dropped Lucy from his back and grabbed her hand.
" Run! Run!" Mr. Beaver exclaimed.
At that moment, Rory forgot how tired she actually was and began running. Susan and her were a little behind from the beavers and from Peter and Lucy who had a considerable advantage in distance.
Rory saw this and grabbed Susan's hand. The Pevensie girl nearly had a heart attack. She tried to tug her hand off but Rory's grip tightened as they continued running.
"You want to be the witch's next prisoner?" Rory snapped angrily.
Susan glared but agreed. Together, the girls began to run even faster, finally catching up with Peter , Lucy and the Beavers.
"Inside! Dive! Dive!" Mr. Beaver ushered them
The kids dove down into a little cave, Lucy and Susan were at the very back of the cave. Peter and Rory squashed in the middle and moments later, Mr and Mrs. Beaver joined them at the edge. The cave's space was claustrophobic, breaths and pants intermingled as the group remained still. watching the shadow on the mound of
snow in front of them. Snow drops down as someone moves about over them and walks
away.
"Maybe she's gone" Lucy suggested.
" I suppose I'll go look," Peter said, trying to stand up.
" No!" Mr. Beaver and Rory exclaimed in unison. Rory even went as far as to grab his hand and tug him down. Peter was yanked down to his place and nearly hit his head with the top of the cave.
"Are you crazy?!" Rory asked hysterically.
"You're worth nothing to Narnia dead!" Mr. Beaver added determined, he looked ready to climb up and face the witch if necessary. But to Rory that made no sense, Mr. Beaver knew where Aslan's camp was, without him the group would be lost.
" Well, neither are you, Beaver," His wife told him gently.
"She is right," Rory agreed, " You are the guide, they still need you. I think I should go."
This time it was Peter's turn to stop Rory from doing something stupid and interwined his fingers with her. That way if she climbed up, Peter would go too. Rory turned to face him and he sent her a look 'together or nothing,' Mr. and Mrs. Beaver looked terrified at the prospect.
"Me crazy?" Peter asked incredulously, "What about you!"
"Well, I'm not part of the prophecy and I don't know where Aslan's camp is located," Rory explained simply, with no trace of self pity in her tone , "I am expendable."
Peter looked ready to snap, angry that even after their conversation last night Rory still believed herself to be a burden. Was this how she felt when he ignored her advice regarding Lucy?
"Sweetie," Mrs. Beaver said gently ," The white witch won't be merciful to a daughter of eve."
"It's best if I go," Mr. Beaver assured the Browning girl.
He took his wife's paw in his and kissed it before scrambling towards the top. The group stayed in the cave, anxiously. Peter hadn't let go of Rory's hand, terrified that if he closed his eyes, the girl would do something stupid... like sacrificing herself.
The tension in the cave was excruciating. Nobody wanted to move or breathe too loudly in case the witch discovered them. They were all waiting for Mr. Beaver, when suddenly he popped his head down. Lucy shrieked at the sudden noise.
"Come out! Come out!" He said excitedly, "I hope you've all been good 'cause there's someone here to see ya!"
Peter raised his brows puzzled at Mr. Beaver's words, Rory shrugged not knowing what to make. The group made their way out of the cave and saw the elegant sled and the reindeers but no sign of the witch, instead it was ... Father Christmas? This was getting more and more bizarre.
Lucy squealed in delight.
" Merry Christmas, sir," Lucy beamed.
" It certainly is, Lucy, since you have arrived," Father Christmas smiled back.
The teens in the back were still trying to come up with terms with the entire scene, but nobody was more overwhelmed than Susan. She was flushed and it wasn't due to the cold and shaking her head in anger.
"Look, I've put up with a lot since I got here, but this..." The eldest Pevensie girl ranted.
"We thought you were the Witch," Peter interrupted her before she could finish. There was a hard edge in his tone at his sister who would have accidentally ruined Lucy's innocence with her frustration.
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry about that, but in my defense, I have been driving one of these longer than the Witch," Father Christmas said good naturedly.
"I thought there was no Christmas in Narnia," Susan said smartly.
The two eldest teens shared a dismayed look but to their surprise Father Christmas didn't seem offended.
" Not for a long time, but the hope that you have brought, Your Majesties, is finally starting to weaken the Witch's power," He said kindly, " Still, I dare say you could do with these. "
Father Christmas reached into his sleigh and pulled out a huge brown sack. This only encouraged Lucy's excitement as she ran towards him.
"Presents!" She exclaimed.
Father Christmas pulled out a red cordial with gold embellishments.
"The juice of the fire-flower. One drop will cure any injury" Father Christmas explained.
Lucy took the cordial in her hand while Father Christmas once again looked into his sac.
"And though I hope you never have to use it..." He said as he presented Lucy a small dagger.
"Thank you, sir, but I think I could be brave enough," Lucy said solemnly as she cradled her presents close to her chest. At that moment she sounded far older than a ten year old would have.
"I'm sure you could," Father Christmas reassured her, "But battles are ugly affairs."
He then called Susan, who hesitantly stepped forward.
"Trust in this bow and it will not easily miss," Father Christmas assured her.
"What happened to 'battles are ugly affairs'?" Susan retorted as she took the bow and admired it.
"Though you don't seem to have a problem making yourself heard," Father Christmas chuckled as he showed her an ivory horn with lion detailing, "Blow on this horn and wherever you are, help will come."
"Thanks," Susan said, surprised as she grabbed the horn.
Father Christmas gestured for Peter to step forward. That's when Peter realized that him and Rory never stopped holding hands. He blushed and mumbled a quick apology before stepping forward. When Peter dropped her hand, Rory instantly missed the feeling of Peter's hand on hers. Call her a hopeless romantic but it felt their hands were meant to puzzle pieces waiting to be joined. But she couldn't, Peter was her friend, her good friend. To get rid of those traitorous thoughts, Rory started playing with the hem of her sleeve as she watched Father Christmas and Peter.
Father Christmas had gifted him a bright silver shield and a gold sword in its scabbard. Peter unsheathes the sword out admiring it.
" Peter, the time to use these may be near at hand," Father Christmas said.
" Thank you, sir," Peter said gratefully as pulled the sword back to its scabbard.
"And for the princess," Father Christmas announced as he, once more, looked into his gift bag.
There was a loud pause. Father Christmas had already given a gift to the Pevensies and the Beavers had said themselves they were no royalty, so that left....The entire group stared at Rory. The Browning girl, who had been drumming her fingers into her leg, felt the weight of heavy stares.
"Huh?" She asked stupidly.
"He asked for the princess,"Peter smirked, remembering heir old conversation under the willow tree before .
"Me?" Rory asked, surprised.
"Of course dear!" Father Christmas said good naturedly, " Your name is Aurora Browning, isn't it?"
The brunette nodded faintly and with jelly legs walked towards Father Christmas.
Hooray! She got presents too , she thought as she admired the beautiful carved flute and the elegant sword in her hands. Not so hooray, she got called Princess. What the hell did that mean?!?!
"This sword used to be your mother's," Father Christmas said as he showed Rory a sword nearly identical to Peter's except this one was made of silver instead of gold and its scabbard was blue rather than red. Rory numbly grabbed it, hardly believing Father Christmas's words.
"And this was your father's," Father Christmas continued oblivious to Rory's inner turmoil. He presented her with a beautiful wooden flute. The brunette nearly gasped when she saw it: she had seen it before in her dreams!
"These are tools, not toys. Bear them well and wisely," Father Christmas warned.
He then climbed into his sled as if he hadn't single heartedly broken Rory's idea of her life.
"Now, I must be off. Winter is almost over, and things do pile up when you've been gone a hundred years. Long live Aslan!" He said as the sled began flying away.
Rory was so deep into her thoughts she barely heard her friends bid goodbye to Father Christmas. She heard everything they said but she couldn't exactly process it. It felt like she was underwater, hearing things but in a sort of distorted version. She? Rory Browning? Maid Disaster? A Princess?
She didn't notice she was trembling until Peter gently put his arm around her shoulders. She nodded gratefully, still in shock but at least more aware of her surroundings.
"Told you he was real," Lucy smirked at Susan who rolled her eyes.
" He said winter was almost over," Peter said, "You know what that means?"
"No more ice," Rory said grimly.
Soooo! Rory finally knows she is a princess. She is one step closer to fullfilling her role as the sleeping beauty. I am so excited, we are finally getting to the whole fairytale aspect in the story. Peter's going to be so smug knowing he (jokingly) predicted Rory's origins back on the Midnight conversation chapter.
Thank you for reading. Don't forget to comment or vote if you like this story. And remember I'm always open to suggestions and comments. Have a great day guys!