means in Latin: deal
Over the course of a few months, Danialla decided to go live with nauerva and Koa after her mother’s passing. As the days had progressed, it didn’t mean how hard it was for Danialla. She was better than what she was when her mum first passed away. Koa, naurvera, Cor, and the Pevensies had helped her through it though.
She started to work at the palace multiple hours a day. She didn’t really speak much to anyone. Time by time she had spoken to others outside of the palace. Most of her time was spent in the sewing room of Cair Paravel. She made dresses for Susan, Lucy, and other Princesses and Queens of different countries; she also made outfits for Peter and Edmund and other Princes and Kings. She was considered one of the best seamstresses and sold her work once and a while to the shop in the town. Her work became so popular that Ettinsmoor even started to take her work.
Everyone had figured that Danialla seemed to be back to normal, but she was far from it. Having your whole family die in a year and a half span is something very mental breaking. She was only eighteen and her grandparents, mum, dad, brother, and a close friend had died. Her grandparents hadn’t made it to see the Golden Age.
She was walking through the halls of Cair Paravel to take a lunch break, eating an apple in her hand and humming to a song her mother sang to her often, when Edmund came out of a room. He was speaking to Narnia’s courtier, Lord Peridan, so she hid behind a pillar.
“It seems that our ally and foe seem to have a war soon. Thus, since you’re amazing at planning this sorts, I’d like to have your opinion,” Lord Peridan told the young king.
Edmund thought for a moment, “Write back to King Lune and tell him we’ll give him as much resources his army needs. We can’t afford to have a world war happen now.”
Lord Peridan nodded, “Of course, My Majesty.” he walked away to his office while Edmund stood still. After the Narnian courtier’s footsteps were now out of echo, Edmund turned right where Danialla hid.
“You may come out, Bridge.”
Danialla looked around and walked out of her hiding spot. “Sorry.” she blushed from embarrassment. “How’d you know I was there?”
“Saw you from the corner of my eye when I came out.” He replied, smirking so slightly.
“I was just taking a lunch break.” she added, motioning the apple in her hand.
Edmund looked at the apple that had a few pieces of it missing. “It’s been a while since you’ve joined my siblings for meals.”
Danialla seemed to inject, saying she was fine, but to cause suspension of where her roundabouts were. Edmund could see the hesitation from the girl. He knew she was still grieving.
“Where are you going?” he asked, almost able to know the answer.
“A place I haven’t been to in a while,” she answered. She didn’t say a lie, she hadn’t been to the garden for a while. When Derek and her father died, she spent much time at the place, exploring the flowers and all.
“Let's go to the garden,” he told her. The girl, once again, looked hesitant. She knew what he meant. Truthfully, she thought he’d forgotten all about it. Eventually she nodded. Edmund smiled softly.
Edmund let the girl walk beside him. It was silent most of the way down. A few snarking remarks from both parties and hidden chuckles. The quietness from the girl was still mysterious to the boy.. He knew how grieving happened and the process. He just wished Danialla would open up and let people in. Then again, it took him months after the White Witch to open up to Peter.
“How have you been?” he asked, breaking the silence.
Danialla shrugged and looked slightly up. “Holding up.” It came at almost a whisper.
After that it was silent. It was just the echoes of their footsteps until they reached outside. The chilly spring air hit Danialla, reminding her that she forgot a cloak to keep her warm. She instantly shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.
“I hate that my birthday is in two weeks. It’s always still. It's too cold to play outside but too warm to have snow.” Edmund lightly chuckled. He knew that April was the worst time of year for rain. The girl grumbled as she went over to a bench and sat down. Edmund followed but kept a good distance from the girl when he sat down himself.
“You've been quiet, did my good looks make you flustered?” he teased, lighting up the tension.
Danialla scoffed. “You wish, Pevensie. I’m just not talkative today.”
“And when you say today, you mean the past three months?”
Danialla didn’t answer. She looked down and started playing with her fingers. She hadn’t realized that he noticed. “It’s hard. I just feel like everyone I love and care about the most, bad things happen to them. Almost as if I’m bad luck.”
Edmund glanced at her, he never realized that the girl would think those things. She was always so happy and energetic. Always positive and outspoken. The girl now was the opposite. She was always gloomy, sad, negative, and quiet. It made Edmund question how he and his siblings never picked up on it. He then thought of the logical reason. She acted and they were all too busy to see through.
“Why didn’t you ever tell anyone, Bridge?” he asked.
“Everyone seemed to be too busy to not care. So I acted and it worked.” she let out a muffled cry. “I just miss them. I miss dad, Derek, and mum.
Edmund sighed sadly. “We would’ve listened, we will listen.”
Edmund didn’t think that the girl’s response would cause the girl to tear up. He heard her muffle. His eyes landed on her and she sadly smiled.
“Sorry, I just haven’t felt like someone’s cared for me since mum died.” she sobbed quietly. Edmund didn’t know what to do after that except to sit there as Danialla calmed down. As she sat there, still her face red from crying, she looked at Edmund.
“Please don’t tell anyone about this.” she pleaded.
Edmund looked at her, unsure because he knew his siblings and her sister-in-law needed to know. “Bridge, at least naurvera should know.”
“No!” she spoke instantly. “I don’t want her or anyone else to know. Even Aslan himself.”
Edmund grew quiet as the girl stood up. “I apologize, but I need to get back to work.” she started to walk back towards the castle before Edmund called her.
“Bridge,” she stopped and looked at him, “Don’t hold back. You tell or or I will,” the girl went to speak, “I’ll give you three days.”
“Why are you doing this to me?” she asked.
“Cause, I know how this feels,” he replied, standing up. He walked past her, his long locks of hair gently hitting his skin. Danialla stood there thinking. She didn’t know what he meant. The events after the White Witch, him paralyzed and seeing one of her friends die in front of him? She wasn’t sure.
Suddenly a cold breeze hit the girl, sending shivers up her spine. She then walked back inside and to the sewing room.
⚀⚁⚂⚃⚄
Over the week, Danialla thought often of what Edmund had told her. Everytime she saw him, he kept looking at her. He knew that she was eventually going to do it ever since he mentioned it.
She hated the fact that she knew that she’d have to tell Nauvera. Everytime he looked at her, she saw that he was serious about it all. She finally decided that she was going to tell nauvera.
“vera?” Danialla asked, walking into her sister-in-law’s house.
“In Koa's room!” she hollard back.
Danialla walked over to her nephew’s room where she saw nauvera playing with Koa and his little stuffed monkey that used to be Derek’s.
“Auntie Dani!” The year and a half old boy gleamed with happiness. Danialla smiled and bent down to give him a hug.
“How’s the big boy today?” she asked.
“G…goot?” he replied, trying to say the word. Danialla chuckled slightly. He had said his first word not too long ago, saying ‘Aslan’. nauvera and Danialla were talking about when they would see the Great Lion next and Koa caught on to something that nauvera said and repeated the word.
“So, what brings you here?” nauvera asked.
Danialla hesitated, “I wanted to talk to you about something.” nauvera nodded and whispered something in Koa's ear. The boy nodded and left the room.
Danialla sat down on Koa's bed and looked at nauvera. “I’ve kinda not been the best recently…What I mean to say is…I feel like no one cares for me anymore since Mum died.”
nauvera nodded, she had known what the girl felt. Her magic could sense it. “Danialla, listen to me. I love you, the Pevensies’s do, Koa does, many other Narnians do too. What would you think would happen if you just left and never came back? People would be searching for you everywhere and mourning. Many sleepless nights would occur. Then we’d cry, thinking we’d lost you. So please don’t say that no one cares for you. You need to take a break from work for a few weeks.”
“No.”
“Danialla, listen. You are in no condition to go back to work. You’re in no condition. Just take a few weeks, please.”
Danialla sighed and looked up. “Edmund said something, didn’t he?”
“Edmund? Possibly a few little things, but he is worried about you. I am too.” Danialla rolled her eyes, thinking that Edmund had cared for her.
“Seriously, vera. I’m all right.”
“I will go to Cair Paravel and tell the High King and Queen that you are ill and can’t go to work. Along with telling your babysitting parents if you don’t take at least a week.” nauvera told her.
Danialla sighed and finally nodded. “Fine.”
All of a sudden Danialla started to sob. nauvera pulled the girl into a hug. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay.”
Koa stayed outside for a while, playing with his monkey. He knew, even at such a young age, that his Aunt Danialla was sad. He didn’t know the reason, but he knew that he shouldn’t ask.
⚀⚁⚂⚃⚄
Later that day, Danialla visited the castle, telling Reilight (the head seamstress of the castle) that she wouldn’t be at work for the rest of the week and part of the next. When she had asked why, Danialla just replied with ‘personal issues’. Reilight understood and told the girl that she did deserve a break. Danialla had figured that since she wouldn’t be in Cair Paravel for a little while, that she would visit the Royals.
She had no idea where the Pevensie’s would be, so she started with the Royal lounge. She had become such great friends that the guards would allow her in the room without complaints. She asked one of them if the Pevensie’s would be in there and got a reply of ‘yes’. She opened the door and saw Edmund sitting on the couch, reading a long paper. It seemed to be an old document from The Age of Conquest Ages. She cleared her throat to get his attention. The boy’s eyes never left the paper.
“Yes?”
Danialla walked over closer to him and sat on the fireplace rim. Edmund’s eyes followed the figure. “Bridge, such a new way to intrude on my royal duties.”
Danialla raised her brows. “Duties? You’re reading a document that looks like it was from the Conquest Ages. That was the very beginning of Narnia.”
“Someone like you wouldn’t understand why this document is from the Old Dynasty Age would be a royal duty.”
“It’s still the Conquest Ages, Pevensie.” Edmund glared at her and looked back at the paper.
“What are you here for?” he muttered.
“I just wanted to say that you won’t have to see my face for a few weeks. vera is forcing me to take a break from work.”
Edmund put down the document. “You actually told her?”
Danialla rolled her eyes. “Of course I did, you threatened me that if I hadn’t said anything, you would.”
Edmund nodded his head. “Interesting. What about your birthday? Isn’t it next week?”
Danialla looked away from the window and made eye contact with him. “Yeah. How do you remember?”
Edmund shrugged his shoulders. “It’s almost April and the ice is finally melting.”
Danialla stood up. “Do you know where your siblings are?”
“No clue, I’m not their stalker. Also, Corin would like to see you. It’s been too long for you guys. He should be in the library. Last place where I left him two hours ago for him to learn about King Frank.”
Danialla chuckled, “Poor boy.”
She started walking out of the room and Edmund called after her. “Danialla? Happy early birthday.”
“Thanks, Ed.”
When the girl left the room Edmund looked back at the paper. Sat up and stared at the door, hearing Danialla thank the guards. He knew then that he was going to give the girl a special birthday, even if it was just eight people.
⚀⚁⚂⚃⚄
Over the week, Edmund was planning a small birthday party at a waterfall for Danialla. He made sure that no one knew it was him planning it all except for meriel (who he had been in charge of getting everything together). meriel had promised that she wouldn’t tell anyone that it was Edmund’s idea, which he replied by saying that she’d be the best sister-in-law that would ever exist. To him, that’s the best thing that you could get.
On the other hand, Danialla was doing a lot of walking time and visiting friends around Narnia. She had agreed with nauvera that it would be good to go live with the Beaver’s for a while. They had a way to make everything seem alright. They had sent a letter for them to receive and allow.
It was the day of Danialla’s eighteenth birthday. The birds were chirping outside of the cottage. Danialla had gotten slightly better, but she felt something was missing. She sat up and looked around the small room. There was a small bed with a desk with a hairbrush and a small mirror. Danialla usually kept her long hair down, it had made her figure more stable. If she had to put it back, she would put it up in a low ponytail with a ribbon.
She hadn’t realized that it was her birthday until she walked out of her room and Koa jumped on her. “Hahhy bihdey, Auntie Dani.”
She smiled. “Thanks, pal.”
nauvera was already making breakfast. She had known about the party over at the waterfall. It was boiled eggs and toast, the cheapest foods in Narnia.
“Morning, Dana.”
“Morning, vera.”
Danialla sat down at the small square table and Koa wanted to sit on her lap. She picked up the young fae. He started to grow wings. Just the ends of them.
nauvera smiled, “So, what are you planning to do for your birthday?”
Danialla shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know. Maybe go to my favorite place with you two and have a picnic.”
nauvera smiled. “How about we do that for a late lunch?”
Danialla nodded, “Yeah, sure. Is it a nice day, though?”
The fairy nodded. “Birds are chirping all over this morning, it should be a beautiful day.”
The girls chatted all morning, talking about nonsense. About Derek a few times and Kaitlyn and Driscolon. It would be the first birthday that none of her bloodline family would be there. She tried to not think about it too much. It was going to be a long process, but she knew that eventually she would heal from it.
Soon enough it was time for the three to go to the picnic. nauvera packed the gift without Danialla seeing, and Danialla packed some cookies. Danialla and nauvera, with Koa on Danialla’s hip, headed for the river.
It would take about fifteen minutes to reach the waterfall. Danialla didn’t know about what was to take place, but she was happy to know that she’d be able to spend her birthday at a place where she loved with the two most people that she loved.
As soon as they stepped over the hill, Danialla saw blankets laid on the ground and the willow tree decorated with small pieces of pretty paper. She looked at nauvera.
Suddenly people came out from the trees or rocks. “Happy Birthday!”
Danialla turned around and saw the Beavers, the Pevensies, Corin, meriel, and Al. She smiled and looked at nauvera.
“Did you do this?”
nauvera shook her head. “No, meriel got it set up. I’m not sure who’s plan it was.”
Danialla looked around again. It was beautiful. The flowers growing made the scenery even more pretty. Koa hugged his aunt’s leg. “Hatty birthday, Auntie.”
She walked over to Susan. “You planned this, didn’t you?”
Susan shook his head, “No, actually we don’t know who. meriel just told me about it and I started to help her.”
Danialla furrowed her brows. She suspected Susan right away after nauvera said it wasn’t her who planned it. She dropped it quickly and gave Susan a hug. “Thanks for coming, though.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t miss this. And you’re EIGHTEEN! In England, that’s the legal age…basically you’re called an adult.”
meriel and Peter walked over to Danialla. “I see that you were surprised,” Peter chuckled.
Danialla slapped Peter. “Shut it.”
She turned to meriel. “Thank you for doing this. May I ask who brought the idea? I want to thank them.”
meriel put her fingers to her lips and zipped them. “Not saying, they asked me to not tell anyone.”
Danialla still gave her a hug. She let go and gave Peter a hug. “Where’s Lu?”
“Talking with Corin,” meriel replied, motioning towards Lucy and Corin. Danialla nodded. She looked behind her friends and saw an unexpected figure go up to her.
“Am I seeing right, or is that Edmund here?” she muttered to Susan.
The three friends chuckled. “He actually volunteered to come and help.”
Danialla peered at Peter. “Really?”
The three nodded. Danialla shrugged her shoulders. Edmund stopped next to meriel. “Happy birthday, Bridge.”
“Edmund.”
It was a great afternoon for everyone, laughing, playing, and just talking around. Al and Danialla hung out for most of it, since it had been months since the two friends were able to have a conversation. It was different now since Tracae wasn’t there with them anymore. They weren’t the Trouble Trio anymore. It was more like a normal old friend’s duo. They both knew that Tracae didn't want them to become so distant, but he was the ‘glue’ of the trio.
“How have you been, Dani, really?” he asked.
She hesitated. “Honestly, not so great since Mum passed.”
He frowned. “Sorry, I will be there, but duties come first. I don’t even have time to write a letter home.”
Danialla smiled sadly, “I understand, Al.”
He just nodded. They changed the subject quickly, talking about how they’re now ‘adults’. It sounded odd to both of them, just six years ago they were children; running around in the cold and talking about the future of Narnia. Another reminder of Tracae.
Edmund watched from a distance, watching Al and Danialla talk on a blanket. He knew that it meant a lot to the girl to have a small birthday. He could tell that she seemed to get back to normal, but he also knew that she would never be that same sarcastic, crazy girl that he knew when he first arrived at Cair Paravel. She had been broken more than once, and just one time and can break someone forever.
“You’re staring,” meriel whispered in his ear.
The boy jumped, not expecting the sudden voice. The boy looked at her. “No I wasn’t.”
meriel sighed. “Ed, you like her. I can tell, especially after you asked me to plan this,” she motioned the setting, “for her.”
Edmund sighed. “I just wanted to see her happy, she’s been struggling lately. Can’t I at least do something kind like that?”
meriel laughed, “Mundy? Do you do this for anyone else?”
Edmund bit his cheek. He knew that he couldn’t hide it forever. “Don’t say anything, please.”
meriel nodded. “Of course.”
Edmund smiled thankfully at the girl, as he watched the girl again, talking with her childhood best friend. He could tell that Al and her missed Tracae, but they both knew that they had to keep going, because that is what he would’ve wanted.
⚀⚁⚂⚃⚄
word count: 3291
I sincerly apologize. The last few months of school was draining; preparing for AP tests and trips. It seemed like an never ending cycle. Then finals was two weeks this year for me! Now, I'm taking college classes for this summer and my English class is making me not want to write more than what I have to when I do. You guys can send a digital slap across the face if you want. Hopefully, I will post more soon.
-narniasprophecy