Salvus
Latin
Secure
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slumbering are the mountains, crest and chasm,
ravine and precipice,
and every creeping thing on the earth's dark breast,
beasts in their forest lairs and the tribes of the bees,
and monsters within the depths of the purple seas:
slumbering too are the birds
their swift wings laid to rest.
-
"She won't take him away, Moonshine." Edmund whispered soothingly as an orange-skinned fae maiden led his wife and he into the Faerie Queen's throne chambers.
Sanya, quite uncharacteristically, was close to crying, and even her reminders to herself that 'Queens didn't cry' wasn't helping, "Sh- she better not."
"You love him so much, truly." He said, pausing on the way.
"He's my son." She whispered, her voice full of emotion. "He may not be my blood- I may not have carried him in my womb- but he is mine. He is ours.”
He smiled slightly at that, and took her hand into his.
“You know, I used to worry I couldn’t love anyone who I hadn’t grown up with- whom I hadn’t known for most of mine or their lives. I was wrong.”
“Is something else the matter?” Her husband asked worriedly- he may have forgotten about her existence during the beginnings of their marriage, but he knew her now.
She sighed, and wiped her eyes, "I- it's that time of the month. And- and- I don't know, perhaps being in the Faerie Really is affecting my emotions somehow. I hate it, I hate it, I wish I could go back to surly and as-emotive-as-a-brick Sanya."
"I'm sure you'll be back to normal in no time, Moonshine." He said, now amused instead of worried, and they began walking once more, arm-in-arm.
She snorted, "Bold of you to assume I was ever normal."
"I meant what is normal for you, of course, my wife."
She hadn't any time to agree nor to retort, for they were faced by the Faerie Queen right then.
"My son-"
"Is happy. Healthy. He has a good life." Sanya ended immediately, fighting the urge to turn and run. Something about this place didn't sit right to her- she could feel no essence of water, which was obvious- faeries weren't human and they didn't have humanlike needs or bodies- and it was disconcerting. "He's safe, Your Majesty."
Edmund gave a quick nod in addition, otherwise saying nothing.
"I wanted to see him." Kudos to the Fae Queen for keeping the tremor of feeling out of her voice, and hiding everything she felt. "Graeme. But it would've been unwise."
"He might have remembered this was his home once." Sanya agreed, though now she felt terrible. Here she was moaning and groaning about Jem being taken from her, while the woman in front of her had willingly given him away to protect him. "You can always- come to Cair one day to see him. If that's alright." She added hastily, looking at Edmund.
"It is." He nodded. "You will have to come disguised, of course. For everyone's benefit."
"I might. One day, when the castle stands more lonelier than it had thought it would ever be." She agreed, her words being the definition of ominous. "I have some other queries. Are you planning on telling him his heritage- his true heritage?"
The married couple shared a look.
"Look, I hate the idea of lying to him." Sanya started honestly. "But he's too young to deal with such a knowledge."
"So if we tell him- when we tell him-" Edmund corrected himself, "it’ll be when he’s older, more rational, and capable of understanding such a revelation.”
The Faerie Queen raised her eyebrow, but kept silent.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" The Rihaayan Queen asked, perturbed. In her limited interaction with her, she had learnt that the Faerie Queen always had something to say.
"You are his parents. If I approve or I do not, is of no consequence." Ivory eyes stared at them resolutely, the splenetic look hardly masked. "As it is, my next query does not consider Graeme- or James, as you people call him- but you yourselves."
"Us?"
"Show me the love, I had said." The Fae ignored the King as she spoke. "Almost three years ago, now. And while your act was praise worthy, it didn't fool me. Your marriage was a lie- a falsehood- something concocted for the sake of your nations, not for your hearts."
"I-"
She held up a hand to silence her. "It was an untruth."
Sanya and Edmund shared a look.
"What?"
"It no longer is. I can see that. The colours of ruby and rose bind you more than those of sapphire and cerulean."
“I’ve never studied or read about colour symbology.” Sanya said, feeling oddly nervous. Or- something. Something was happening in her heart. She hoped her husband could not hear it.
“Red and pink stand for positivity- passion- romance- lo-care. Dark blue- stands for sadness and aloofness. Light blue stands for friendship and reliability. Blue in general stands for tranquillity.” Edmund said slowly, looking up to the Queen, sure he was right. He was doing his best to not look at his wife, lest his eyes betray him. “Is that not so?”
Her lips curled up into a smile as hard and cold as frosted earth, "Yes, that is so. I'm glad my child is being raised by parents who care for each other."
Sanya fought a blush, and managed to say as calmly as she could, "Haan, it's always good for a child to grow up with lo- caring parents."
Edmund was rather tired of this conversation, and he was worried for Sanya, lest the Faerie Queen lose her curious composure and say something cruel.
Hiding his impatience, he asked diplomatically, “Is there anything else Her Majesty wishes to discuss with us?”
"The rumours of those old crones and gorgons being on the hunt for fae blood." Her demeanour changed, as did her topic- from personal and familial to political. "To resurrect the White Witch."
The Rihaayan Queen cleared her throat and said, "Those rumours have some basis in fact, indeed. But there have been numerous attempts to bring back Jadis- and all of them have failed."
"They need the pieces of the Witch's wand, which are-" As the Just King spoke this, his wife looked at him sharply, wondering if he was about divulge the secret information but she needn't have worried, "lost. It has been, for- for nearly a decade now, ever since the Battle."
Almost a decade? Golly, time sure did fly.
"Hm. I shall take your word for it, King Edmund."
"Honoured to be trusted, Queen Fae." He bowed his head as a show of respect, belatedly remembering he was supposed to be charismatic as well as polite with her.
Sanya had no such scruples- or maybe she didn’t care about the formalities of associating with the Faerie Queen- or perhaps it was because she felt a kind of kin with the other Queen who was born of the Gods.
Or perhaps she simply saw no reason to be polite to someone who could take away her child.
But whatever the reason, she asked casually and without any of the tact her husband had employed, “Can we go now, then?”
They immediately found themselves on the balcony of their chambers- night having fallen already.
"I wonder if I- uhh- can do this tle- telele- teleportation thing." Sanya said, her head spinning at the sensation- it was like an angry Anemoi had wound her like a spring and thrown her across the field. "It would be fun to moth-materialise all around like that."
"I think the traversing abilities you have which are a result of your ancestry are confined to swimming, actually." Edmund, much less disoriented, helped her through to the inside of their room- where they were nearly thrown over by an overexcited, black-haired and green-eyed son of theirs, who had come running at full speed.
"Where did you two go?" Jem, now four, demanded. "You missed riding time! Philip was mad at you, Daddy." He added to his father, frowning in a way Sanya thought was adorable.
"You'll learn someday that Philip is always mad at me, baby." Edmund laughed, scooping him up in his arms. Holy Aslan, he was getting too heavy for him to carry now.
"Did you have fun, though?" Sanya asked, smiling as the two settled on the bed.
"Yes! Auntie Su put a muzzle on Uncle Pete!"
Sanya choked as Edmund started laughing madly.
"Wh- wha- what? Why?"
"Said he talks too much." Jem shrugged, picking a bright leaf out of his mother's hair. "Aunt Lu took it off."
"Oh, Lu's always a spoilsport because she likes Peter." His father rolled his eyes.
"I like Uncle Peter, too." Jem piped up innocently, looking up at his parents. "Where you two go?"
"Office work." They replied in unison, before looking at each other in surprise- not that the excuse was too unusual. It was probably the most common and the easiest excuse to use. In addition, it was usually true.
"Can I go?!" He asked, green eyes wide with excitement. "I'm the Prince! I want to help you!"
"When you're older, sweet boy, you'll help us all you want." Edmund promised, after sharing a look of amusement with his wife.
"You can even do all my work, while I do nothing but laze around." Sanya added, grinning as her son laughed at the idea apparently too ludicrous for him- when, in truth, it would suit her very well if that future came to be true. She loved lazing around.
"But as for now-" Her husband looked out at the night sky, before looking back in. "Bedtime, my little Prince."
He pouted, "Five more minutes?"
"How about you sleep now, but you sleep with us tonight, my sweetling?" Sanya didn't think she could bear to have him sleeping in another room that night.
His face brightened, "Yes!"
"Settle in, then." Edmund removed the blanket which covered the bed, and Jem instantly snuggled in. "Here." He added, picking up a faintly battered dolphin toy off the bedside table and handing it to him.
"That's sort of like a blanket my brother used to have. Couldn't sleep- couldn't survive without it." Sanya mused, as Jem clutched the stuffed mammal to his chest and curled into himself. She bent down to kiss his ear, before smiling as she heard his soft giggle.
She was still smiling as she looked up at her husband, “I had very many stuffed animals, all of whom I adored, but Sameer’s attachment was on another level.”
"A security blanket." Edmund laughed, tucking the blanket over him- he already seemed halfway to the land of Dreams. "Lucy had this puppy- or was it a teddy doll-"
"Teddy?" Sanya asked, cocking her head in confusion.
"Like a really cute and cuddly and small bear."
"Oh." She decided not to point out that most wild bears were not that like that. "Well, I'll just change and clean myself up-" Sanya gestured vaguely to the lower part of her body, "then we can sleep too."
"Good night, good night- parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.." He murmured as a reply, shedding off his cloak and tunic and going over to look for his nightshirt. It wasn't often he wore something to sleep nowadays- the nights were warm, and besides. Sanya didn't usually let him wear much.
It interfered with their nightly activities.
“Edmun’, my husban’?” A drowsy voice asked, bringing Edmund out of his almost-asleep stupor- though he didn't open his eyes.
"Hm, Sanya, my wife?" He replied softly, an arm thrown protectively over Jem's body. Sanya's arm was across the little boy’s, too- both his parents protecting him.
"I like this." She whispered, and he felt a hand slipping into his. "I like us. You and I- and you and I and Jem. I like us being a family."
"Me too, Moonshine." He blearily opened his eyes- not that he could see much except for silhouettes and shadows, as the only light was that of the Moon and two candles lit in the room. "Now go to sleep. Everything and everyone is dormant and resting now, you should be as well."
"As you wish, Your Majesty." Retorted the drowsy voice.
Edmund didn't know if he laughed next, or if he fell asleep.
It was probably the latter.
--
"I'm sorry, Sanya, I've to go!"
"But where?" Sanya asked Lucy, who really did look like she was in a hurry.
"Mr. Tumnus's!"
"Why?"
"To help with wedding planning- oh no!" The Valiant immediately clamped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with horror. "I shouldn't have said that!"
"Why not?" Sanya questioned, not seeing why she was so bothered. The fact that the faun was getting married was sweet, but surely nothing secret?
"It was a secret!" She near wailed. "He trusted me to keep it- and I have, for months- six whole months- oh, sod it all."
"Why is it a secret?"
"Oh, because he's in love with and marrying a male faun- no!" Lucy's eyes grew wider and she slapped her forehead, looking stricken. "I'm an awful friend!"
"It doesn't matter if he marries a man or woman." Sanya said firmly, though perturbed. What did it matter if people knew? If Tumnus was in love, and the marriage was consented to from both sides, it shouldn't matter who knew. "Does it?" She asked, now unsure- she had been a sheltered child, and despite having grown up much, still wasn't entirely aware about the ways of the world.
"No, well- it's just not- such a marriage isn't common." Lucy said lamely, not understanding how to explain. "There have been relationships between those of the same gender, of course- but as far as I have seen and heard- marriage has been between a woman and man in love.”
“I didn’t love the man I married.” Sanya reminded her- though those feelings had changed later on. They still were changing. “And why shouldn’t a man marry a man, or a woman marry a woman? Gender cannot be a restraint when it comes to love.”
“They should, but- alas, that is not often how humans see it.” Lucy supported Tumnus- she truly did- with her whole heart. And it was true that Narnia was far more accepting and open than- than Spare Oom was, probably, she hardly remembered it.
But it was- it was still worrying, to her. She did not want anything bad to befall her friend.
"Things should change, then." Sanya felt very angry at this lack of equality. She knew for a fact that Gods and Goddesses had paramours of the same gender, and some animals were homosexual in nature. Why wasn't it included in the way things was done? How did it matter which gender you love? "I- I myself had feelings for a girl once."
The Valiant's eyes bugged. "What? But- but Ed-"
"I used to like her about five or six years ago, I didn't cheat on your brother." She waved her off.
"But Ed is a man-"
Oh, she knew.
“And I like him, too.” It was odd- after months of denial about her feelings for her husband- that she could say the words so easily. “A girl, and a boy, both. Multiple, really, for there are other genders as well.” She read a lot. “If I can like multiple, surely Tumnus can like one? Why shouldn’t he tell people that?”
"That's not what I mean." Lucy got what she was aiming at. "I just...never mind. You're right- it doesn't matter what the world says about anything, about someone's gender- or whom they marry- as long as there's love."
"Or, at the very least, consent." Sanya shrugged. Consent was very important, and she knew that well- her heart still got palpitations when she thought of 'surely by now you know that I care nothing of if you consent or not'. “And yes. Love is love- whether between two males, or two females, or a male and a female, or people who are neither or both, or something else entirely. It is all love.”
"Yes." She nodded before quickly adding, "But still- you won't tell anyone, will you? Tumnus does wish it to be a secret still."
"Tell him such happy news shouldn't be a secret." She rolled her eyes, before adding reassuringly, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I'm not that kind of person."
Lucy looked very relieved.
"Thank you!" She exclaimed breathlessly, leaning forward to kiss her cheek before dashing away, saying over her shoulder, "Bye, see you later!"
Sanya waved in reply, before turning around to continue where she had been off to. Well, it appeared her trip to the beach would be solitary, after all.
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-✧･: °*✧*°:･✧-
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Yes, Tumnus is gay and will remain so. Sanya is a bi icon. Deal with it.
And, as always- I humbly and unashamedly ask you to vote on the chapters, and perhaps comment, too :)