Chapter Two
Meeting the Lion
Elizabeth blinked open her eyes and started to look around her. For a second, it almost seemed as if she was soaring in the clouds. She smiled looking at the clouds beside her. Then her eyes began to widen and she bolted up until she realized she was flying on the back of the gryphon and gripped the creature tighter so she wouldn't fall off after jumping up.
She had fallen asleep, for who knows how long. Of course, it wasn't as if she could recognize anything either, she had only been in this world for a couple of days. How long had she been asleep? She began to panic a little on the back of the gryphon. Where was it taking her? Who was it taking her to? It wasn't like she could just get off either; she would have to stay on the gryphon until it decided to let her off and this frightened her.
The gryphon began a descent below the clouds and now she was able to see the view down below. To say it was beautiful was an understatement, the view was absolutely incredible. Crystal blue water raced below along with lush green hills covered with all different types of flowers along with various trees. The snow must not have affected this area. They must have flown for a long time to be far away from the Witch's winter storm. A strong gust of wind sent flower petals shooting straight into the sky towards where Elizabeth was soaring on the back of the gryphon. The petals, once having reached them, looked almost humanistic as they giggled and waved to Elizabeth. At first, she just stared at the creatures wondering what they were before smiling at them and waving back. The flower petals giggling once more and then left Elizabeth and the gryphon before coasting along with the wind back towards the ground. Looking beyond the clear blue water, Elizabeth could barely make out what looked like a castle on a cliffside. From what she could see the castle was enormous and quite a sight to look at. It contained numerous towers, looking like it covered most of the mountain side. She wondered who possibly lived there.
Suddenly, the gryphon shot towards the ground in a rapid descent and Elizabeth had to grip the creature's feathers tight in order to stay on. It seemed as if the creature was flying towards the castle. Her heart began to beat faster the closer they got. What if the Queen was there? The gryphon noticed her squirming on his back and tilted his head to look at her. "Don't worry, you'll be safe here," he reassured her.
Elizabeth almost fell off right then and there. Did this thing just talk? Immediately she began screaming and trying to hop off the animal, at least she was closer to the ground now so she might actually survive the fall. "Will you stop squirming?" The gryphon begged. "Honestly, I fly you all the way here and all you can do is thank me by shrieking at me?"
Elizabeth's eyes were as big as saucers. "Y-you can t-talk...?" She timidly asked him while she stopped squirming for a moment.
"Of course I can talk, where have you been for the last thousand years or so?" The gryphon said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
She couldn't believe her ears. This creature could talk, she wasn't just imagining things. "I'm s-sorry, I've never met a t-talking animal before, I mean apart from the wolves," she apologized.
The gryphon frowned before wincing out of pity. "I forgot you're not from here. Sorry, Your Majesty, Aslan will explain shortly."
Aslan? Elizabeth wondered who on earth that was. She had never heard the term before. The gryphon continued flying and didn't say anything else to her on the flight. This just left her confused as to who Aslan is and why an animal just referred to her as his majesty.
The gryphon continued flying closer and closer towards the castle. Elizabeth could only assume that was where they were headed and she soon turned out to be right. Instead of stopping at the front door, the gryphon soared through the magnificent double doors and flew directly into the main hallway before landing in the center of the room. "Here you are, Your Majesty," He swiftly told her while she just stared at him curiously.
"Thanks?" She asked and genuinely thanked him for taking her all this way. Even though she had no clue where she actually was. She stepped off of his back and onto the marble floors. As soon as her feet hit the floor the gryphon turned on his feet and began to leave the castle. "Wait, where are you going?" Elizabeth asked him.
Completely ignoring her, the gryphon unfolded his wings and began flying off the ground. Elizabeth ran after the gryphon, he couldn't just leave her here. "Wait! Stop!" She pleaded as she ran after him. No matter how hard she pleaded, the gryphon continued flying through the hallway before it was out of the castle and back into the wild. The front doors slammed shut with the absence of the gryphon and Elizabeth stood in dismay at her sudden abandonment. He completely ditched her and left her in this seemingly empty castle. Or at least that's what she thought.
Slowly, she began turning around and peering at the hallway she was in. It was completely empty, there was absolutely nothing. No lights, no decorations, no furniture, no nothing. Natural light pouring into the room from the stained glass windows were the only source of light filling the room. Why would a beautiful castle such as this one be empty? It certainly didn't make sense.
Elizabeth began to wander down the long hallway until she reached the end and was greeted by a great throne room, or at least that's what it appeared to be. She didn't know what it was, but something about this room seemed almost magical. The hall appeared to be made of marble stone in a plain sandy color with a grey patterned tiled floor. Peacock feathers were also aligned along the western wall and on the eastern wall, there was a door that lead out to a balcony looking out to the sea. Four rows of gigantic columns lined this great room. Windows were lined up all along the walls following the columns. Oh, those columns. At least fifty columns were in this one room. The columns were decorated with gold on the tops and bottoms of them. All these columns seemed to lead to a specific platform at the end of the room.
The platform contained several steps which, walking down the room towards the platform and when she was close enough, Elizabeth could see five seats along the middle of the platform with an enormous stain glass window behind them. Above the platform, there was also a glass roof that was absolutely stunning. Stepping onto the platform she could get a better view of these magnificent chairs. The seats all had a cushion on them and appeared to be made of marble. Each chair had their own individual little platform with two steps leading up to them and they had a head etched on them with what appeared to be real gold used for the heads. No face was on them, just a head and golden hair. Above the heads were an emblem etched into the back. The one on the far left contained what appeared to be a sword breaking what must have been a wand or a stick, Elizabeth couldn't really tell which. It also had a pair of scales etched in the back. Walking up to the chair beside the far left one, there was just a sword etched into the back.
Then going to the last chair on the right she could see it contained what looked to be a pouch or cordial containing something inside it. The chair beside the far right one contained a horn etched into it. But the fifth chair, the one in the middle was different than the others. Not just because of the emblem, but it was also seated higher up than all the others and therefore caught your eye as you looked at all the seats. Etched in the back was what appeared to be a pair of hands held together with what looked to be animals, flowers, stars, fire, and water flowing from their hands. It looked like magic to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth took a step back to admire the seats once more. They truly were a sight to see. She wondered again whose all of this belonged to. It must be whoever the owner of the castle is. What if the middle chair was the ruler and the chairs beside it were the advisors or children of the ruler? That would definitely make sense, but she didn't remember of any rulers in the past, back in her own country of England, that had a throne room like that.
"It really is magnificent isn't it?" A deep voice behind her asked.
Elizabeth quickly spun around to face this person who had just addressed her. Only, it wasn't a person. A lion stood below the platform, only it didn't look terrifying like it was going to attack or kill her. Instead, it appeared soft and gentle, like it was here to help her. The lion was bright and so real. When she looked at the lion it looked so magnificent that everything else in this beautiful room seemed dull in comparison. She couldn't quite explain it, but something about this lion made her feel like she could trust it.
The lion smiled up at her. "I'm sorry for intruding upon you like that. I must have given you a fright."
Elizabeth gave a soft smile back to the lion and shook her head. "No, it's quite alright. I was already intruding somewhere I probably should not be."
The lion started to walk up the platform. But not towards Elizabeth, it seemed to sense that she was still a little weary of it and seemed to keep its distance as to not frighten her. Facing towards her, the lion introduced himself, "I am Aslan." He said before he nodded towards her.
Elizabeth's faced lightened up at these few words. So this is who the gryphon was referring to earlier on the flight. This was who was supposedly going to explain everything to her. Why all this was happening and he could possibly even help her.
Before she could say anything, the lion cut her off. "I know what you must be thinking now; you must have so many questions that need answering. But for now Elizabeth, let's try and take a walk outside, we have much to discuss."
She couldn't even respond. Anything the lion asked or said to her she wanted to do, without thinking twice about it. She felt obliged to him and felt she owed it to him to do as he asked. Following him off the platform, they began walking through the long hall and back outside through the double doors, which were now open. Aslan must have opened them when Elizabeth was looking at the chairs.
She had no idea how long they walked. The pair walked away from the castle side by side, strolling through the grass along the cliffside. Aslan lead Elizabeth towards a staircase made of stone that lead to the beach below and once making it down the tremendous amount of stairs, they arrived along the beach. They walked in silence across the beach at first. Elizabeth was taking in all the surreal imagery while Aslan seemed to be enjoying the sunlight and the company. He looked over and smiled at Elizabeth, she was looking at everything so excitedly and her face was just beaming. Aslan almost forgot what it was like to have a Daughter of Eve or Son of Adam with him.
As Elizabeth's excitement died down she let out a short sigh and hung her head to the ground, watching her feet walk along the sand. Aslan looked over at her and Elizabeth looked up at him not able to hold it in any longer. "Aslan, what is this place?"
It was an honest question, in all her time spent here no one had explained to the Kirke's what this place was. Every time Elizabeth came, she came knowing it was somewhere other than England at least.
Her innocence to this knowledge made Aslan give her a warm smile before answering. "This, my dear one, is Narnia." He stated as he tilted his head to the sky, rocks, sea, grass, and trees.
Elizabeth looked at everything once again with more excitement and happiness fluttering inside of her. Narnia, what a quaint name for this place, it seemed to fit it marvelously. "Narnia," she repeated looking around and smiling a toothless smile.
"Everything you see from the castle on the cliff all the way to the lantern is Narnia, as well as the lone islands and my country." Aslan continued teaching.
Elizabeth frowned at this. "From here to the lantern? But it's snowing over there while it is warm and sunny over here." She then stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes growing wider and wider. "So that means that castle belongs to the Witch! If she controls this land that means she can come here anytime soon! That means she'll be coming after me!"
Elizabeth starting tearing up just thinking about it. The Witch coming back to gain what she thought was rightfully hers and would come back to kill Elizabeth. What if the lion was here to help the Witch?
Aslan stopped walking as well and turned around to face Elizabeth. "No one is coming to get you. The Witch wouldn't dare to cross over and come here. As long as you stay with me, you are safe."
Elizabeth started breathing more normally at this. But she still felt a little uneasy. "Why you?" she asked him.
Aslan gave a small smile at this question. "Because Jadis knows better than to cross blades with me."
Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows. "Jadis?"
Aslan nodded at her. "The White Witch. Jadis believes that she has control over Narnia and that is why it has been winter over near the lantern for almost forty years now. I banished her to the North and she returned nine hundred years later and overthrew the throne from the original royal family. Then, as a curse upon her Narnian subjects, she began the long winter using her sorcery."
Why would Jadis want to do this to anyone? The poor people of Narnia have suffered like this for years. "So it has been winter in Narnia for forty years?" Elizabeth asked and Aslan solemnly nodded at her. But Elizabeth was still confused. "But if she fears you, then why don't you stop her?"
Aslan sighed at this question. He knew it was coming. "Because it is not yet time." Elizabeth frowned in confusion. "It is not my place to stop Jadis, there is a prophecy."
"A prophecy?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes, a prophecy. It goes like this:
Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again."
Elizabeth continued to frown upon hearing the prophecy. "But it's about you stopping the Witch, so why can't you?"
Aslan nodded at her. "There is another half to the prophecy,
When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone,
Sits at Cair Paravel in throne,
The evil time will be over and done. "
Elizabeth stood thinking it over in her head once more. "So...you can stop the Witch once humans come to sit on the throne?"
Aslan nodded and then shook his head. He turned around and motioned for Elizabeth to follow him. They began walking once more side-by-side along the beach. "More or less, more specifically two Son's of Adam and two Daughter's of Eve come to sit on the throne."
Elizabeth's heart fell. Her family was once two Son's of Adam and two Daughter's of Eve. Her head hung low and she looked at the ground out of heartbreak remembering what had occurred previously in the Witch's castle. "Of course," Aslan continued. "Some Narnian's thought your family was the one spoken about in the prophecy."
She looked away from the ground and up to Aslan in a frown. "So the prophecy is not about my family?"
"No," Aslan assured her. "It is about another. But unfortunately for your family, Jadis did not know this, and that is why she killed your oldest brother and sister."
Elizabeth turned back to the ground her chest feeling heavy all of a sudden. "Because they thought we were the ones to stop her."
Aslan nodded again. "Yes dear one, I am so sorry it had to end this way. However, there is the last prophecy that others do not know about." Aslan stated changing the subject, knowing it was hard for Elizabeth to hear about her siblings. Elizabeth looked intently at Aslan waiting for him to continue.
"The prophecy is about a girl, a Daughter of Eve to be exact." They continued walking along the beach and Elizabeth placed a hand on top of Aslan's back, wanting to hold something.
"Why do others not know about it?" She asked curiously
Aslan nodded, understanding her train of thought. "Because others do not need to know or understand it just yet." Elizabeth continued to look forward not quite understanding what he meant just yet. "It goes as such:
Once the Witch will slain, her family that remains,
A Daughter of Eve, will be whisked away,
Until the time is right, to rise up and fight,
And shall replace the missing crown, back into its place. "
This wasn't making any sense to Elizabeth. What was this prophecy explaining? Aslan, who sensed her confusion immediately, began to explain. "The Witch has killed your family, yes. You are a Daughter of Eve taken away from Jadis to safety and you will remain hidden from her and trained in Jadis' ways. She is a sorcerer, and you are as well, you just don't know it yet. One day, you will fight the Witch and when the time comes and the Witch is gone, you will be the fifth crowned ruler of Narnia."
"What?" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I cannot possibly be the one the prophecy is talking about! I mean sure, I lost two of my siblings to the Witch, but I couldn't possibly be a s-sorcerer?" Elizabeth stuttered out, barely even able to say it. "Certainly I am not fit to rule. Why I'm only fourteen-years-old!"
"And the innocence of a child allows them to remain pure and leaves no judgment in their eyes. Elizabeth you were born to be a Queen, you just don't know it yet."
Elizabeth still couldn't believe what she was hearing. This couldn't possibly be right. The idea of her ruling made her feel sick to her stomach. Wanting to change the subject, she looked back up at Aslan. "What about my brother Digory? I think he made it back home, but I couldn't get home."
Aslan looked genuinely sorry he had to be the one to tell Elizabeth this news. "Your brother did make it home safe. However, because he went back without you, by no intention whatsoever, he has sealed the gate shut and trapped you in Narnia until it can be reopened."
Elizabeth's heart did a little skip. "So once he comes back here, I can go home!" She smiled at Aslan, that shouldn't take too long.
Aslan however, did not return the smile or excitement back to Elizabeth. "I'm afraid not. The gateway from your world to this one doesn't just open on command. It has a mind of its own and opens whenever it pleases. You found Narnia as an accident, and now the gateway will probably not open again for another few decades or so. Whenever you return home, time resumes as if you were never even gone. But now since one of you has returned and the other has not, time is going to resume with your brother back home."
"What?" Elizabeth nearly screamed. "You mean I'm stuck here until the gateway opens to let someone come in? And even then, when it does and I go back, it could be years from when I left as well?" Aslan sadly nodded at her.
That could be years from now. Elizabeth would be stuck here until the gateway opened up again. Her brother could grow old before the wardrobe decided to let someone else in. From what it sounded like too, it seemed the wardrobe wasn't planning on opening anytime soon either.
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A/N:
Yay! You got to see Aslan after that slightly confusing beginning to the chapter!
I hope y'all like that I'm going to have Aslan really involved in this story because I feel like most stories only include him where he was in the movie. AKA halfway through the book! Plus, not that I'm biased or he's my favorite character or anything (but he totally is), so I'll be having him all over this book :)
How do y'all feel about Elizabeth's current predicament? She's stuck in Narnia unable to return home. Do you think she'll ever actually be able to go back home?
I hope you all liked it!! :)
Please comment and vote, your support is much appreciated xxxx