The night was a thing that Aramis respected more than any other. The peace that came with the darkness, and twinkling light that aligned with the moon and stars was unparalleled. That sense of serenity made his long and winding life seen bearable. He could see his family whenever it was convenient to him, because all he had to do was look up. There they would be.
It must have been hard for the Pevensie's. Narnia to them was a world unknown, only sharing the same skies. Their family was so far away, uncommunicable and practically lost to time.
Aramis felt bad for them. He wished that there was some out her way, but there wasn't. Even in the same world, all of his brothers and sisters were out of sight and mind. They had to be, otherwise he would go crazy. There was nothing he loved more than his family: he assumed the same for the Pevensie's.
But this night was going to be the worst of them all. With the events of the day before, Aramis was aware of the trials to come. He couldn't avoid them, no matter what he tried.
The stars seemed more dim now, their glow having dulled out in the last few hours. Under them, Aramis walked to the main tent at the edge of the camp. Before it happened, he had to see Aslan.
Inside of the yellow and red big-top tent, Aslan was curled in the middle, looking up despondently. Aramis sat by him, barely moving. There were tears in his dark eyes, but he never let them fall.
When it came time for Aslan to stand and leave, Aramis stood too. There was a prick in his heart about to tear it wide open.
"For what it may be worth..." The star paused, unsure of any boundaries he might have been breaking. Being uninterrupted served as a good sign. "It has been both an honour and a privilege to serve you in this life."
Aslan offered a slight chuckle. "My dear friend, you talk like this is the end."
"It is the end of an era, certainly, I can feel it." There was a lump in his throat. It wasn't what he wanted to feel. "But I know what must happen."
"And that is why I have trusted you to see it through." The lion had a ghost of a smile upon his lips. "There is nothing you wouldn't do to fulfil your duty."
Aramis bowed his head. "That includes you, my King."
A chuckle left him. "I think, my friend, your time for serving me has come to an end also."
"Aslan..." It felt as if his very soul had been ripped from his body. An emptiness that was overwhelming.
"You must see us as equals."
"But we are not."
"We serve the same purpose, and that makes us equals." The King allowed Aramis to raise his head, a final act of kindness perhaps. In return, he bowed his own. "I will say goodbye."
"Goodbye, Aslan." His lips upturned at the corners, despite the redness of his eyes. "It truly has been an honour."
Aslan left the tent. There was no need for him to stay, knowing that what was coming was inevitable. All it did was allow Aramis to overthink everything.
It was no secret that after such a long life, the mind was both a comfort and an enemy. There were times when the only thing available to him were his thoughts, and drove himself mad. Now having a physical being for the foreseeable future, Aramis had to keep his body busy. Otherwise, his life would only spiral downwards until there was nothing more to do.
Returning to his own tent seemed pointless as sleep would not come natural tonight. Staying was not an option either: it get wrong. Instead, a walk would have to suffice.
For the most part, he pondered in circles, hugging his white cloth shawl closer to his shoulders. Sometimes, he wondered why he didn't wear something warmer, or more inclined to the Narnian way of life. His white robes were nice enough, and smart, but nothing more than traditional to the spirits.
But Aramis was the last to ever reach Narnia, and his sacred uniform seemed to lose meaning. If it meant nothing to anyone but himself, then it's tired and scathing beauty would go to waste completely. It was far too pretty for anything like that to happen.
There was still much time until morning, but thankfully, the warmth had started to seep into the air. He would be able to watch as the purples and pinks of the sky washed overhead bringing on their new day. Aramis would be grateful for it.
The first person to find him came as a surprise. He had suspected it to be Oreius, or even Peter, but Edmund seemed unlikely. Though, in the short time they had known each other, they had grown close. Aramis was protective over all of the Pevensie's, but the younger ones most of all.
Edmund had run to him, his freckled face bright red from the exercise. His eyes were red, and his face stained from the tears.
Clearly, he had been told of the news.
"Edmund." Aramis blinked, offering a soft smile. "I assume you have heard."
"Yes, I did." His voice cracked. Tentatively, he walked over to the star, and was encouraged by his black haired companion. They sat on the grass, side by side, waiting for something else to be said. It wasn't going to be Aramis. "Did he have to go?"
"I'm afraid that he did."
"But it's not fair."
"No, my King." With sad and solemn eyes, he apologised. "But not all of life will be fair."
They stayed together for a short while before the rest of camp began to wake. Finally, the sun was rising. Edmund had fallen asleep in retaliation to his sad awakening. His head was resting upon Aramis' lap. The level of trust that came about to form a comfort like this made his day. For someone as old as Aramis, this meant the entirety of his wait to meet the Pevensie's was worth it.
He was able to take care of them now. His priority was them, and it always would be, especially with everything that was coming up. Aramis was able to feel the tension in the air.
A battle was coming. A battle that was apart of a greater war.
But the rest of camp was awakening, and there was no time to think of it. Instead, they were gathering every weapon and defence that they could. The unrest spilling from their minds proved that now was the time.
Peter and Oreius soon joined Edmund and Aramis, who were now battle ready, at Aslan's tent. There, the strategic pawns had been caged away until the time was right to utilise them. A map had been lain out flat, and the pieces placed in their legions.
"She's right." Peter huffed, his hands clenching at the sides of the table. He was referring to the woman made of blossom who had delivered the god-awful news to him. "He's gone."
In a small voice, his brother spoke up, earning the gazes of those around him. "Then you'll have to lead us." Peter said nothing, and only offered the slightest hint of fearful expressions. "Peter, there's an army out there and it's ready to follow you."
He gulped. "I can't."
"Aslan believed you could." The younger of the two brothers persisted with a proud intent. "And so do I."
Those words alone were powerful enough to raise an army in any land. The trust of family was enough to keep anyone glad. However, there still seemed to be a hesitance from Peter's part. Going into what was the greatest battle that Narnia had ever seen, they couldn't afford it.
"If I may, my King..." Aramis spoke up, hoping that his words could be heard. With nothing being done to disrupt him, he continued. "Your life has lead you to now. Please, do not be disheartened."
"I'm sorry, but it's very hard not to right now." The blonde stressed, running a hand through his hair.
"Aslan knew this was going to happen, and you must trust him." He promised. "You were born for a moment like this one."
With a strong sense of command, he pondered. There was no way to know exactly what was going through his mind, but it was easy to guess.
"The Witch's army is nearing, sire." Oreius raised his brows, expectantly. "What are your orders?"
With that, they looked to the map. It seemed that Peter had made a decision. Thankfully, it was the one they had all been hoping for.
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Disclaimer!!!!
I do not own these characters. I do not own the Narnia series. I do not own the actors, or the characters. The only thing I own is my adaptation of the story, and my original character.