𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐘 || peter pevensie [3]

chapter three ~ legacy

As a right of the People, Maria was allowed to make one visit, on the day before her scheduled execution. And the only place she could think of going was the orphanage.

Maria arrived at the front door accompanied by two Elite guards. Mrs Poplawski greeted her at the door with a warm embrace. The guards were extremely reluctant to let Maria go inside by herself, perhaps in fear that she might try and get away, but they seemed even more repulsed by the idea of entering a home for the rejected children of the People, and so stood just outside the entrance.

"They don't know about this, do they?" Maria walked alongside Mrs Poplawski.

"I've tried to keep it from them, but they might have heard something. I don't know."

The two of them exited the orphanage building by the back door, went down the stone steps to the pebble shores of Lake Kibo. A group of children sat in a row with their feet at the edge of the water, giggling each time the waves got so high as to wet the bottom of their clothes. Maria lifted her head and took in a deep breath. She didn't want them to have a single thought that anything was wrong.

These were the same children who had encouraged her to swim out into the Lake on the day that she had returned to Narnia after five years of trying to stay away. A fair few years had passed on the Island since then, and they seemed to have grown up so quickly.

"Maria!" A girl of about thirteen, by the name of Katerina, scrambled to her feet.

"Maria's here?" The others got to their feet.

"We haven't seen you in so long!" A boy, Alexander, ran up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He couldn't have been more than ten.

Maria patted him on the head and tried her best to smile as the children gathered around her. "It has been a while." Mrs Poplawski rested a hand on her shoulder and started back up to the orphanage. Maria followed the group down the pebble shore.

"I have heard all of your speeches," Katerina said excitedly. "I have a friend who has been to your rallies with that Elite girl and recorded them. You're very brave, both of you. What's her name?"

"Aliona. And yes, it was very brave of her to stand up with me." But Maria wanted so much to change the subject. "Who is this friend of yours?"

"Roza, she owns a dress shop in town. I'm going to stay with her when I'm of age, and I'll work in her shop."

"That's good. And the rest of you should begin looking for a place to go as well, and jobs too."

"What about what you said in your speech? About everyone being equal, Elite and otherwise?" said another girl, almost sixteen.

"You must keep yourselves safe," Maria said firmly. "You are the future of this world."

"What about you?" Alexander asked.

"I will do what I always do. I'll keep fighting until the very end."

"Like in Narnia?" Katerina giggled.

"Yes," Maria mused, "just like in Narnia."

She remembered what it had felt like when she had ventured back out into the water. How, when it had touched her feet, it had drawn her in. But as the sapphire substance tickled her toes now, she felt nothing. Aslan himself had told her that she could never return to Narnia, that she no longer needed it. So even if she wanted to escape from the fate that she would face the following morning, she couldn't.

➳

Maria's guards made the mistake of marching her up the main street of the People's village on the way back from the orphanage. She supposed it was a sort of power move, and it was a good one. Until a young boy emerged from the greengrocers with an armful of fruit, covered in mould and devoured by rot, and began firing them at the Elite guards.

The first couple missed, but the third struck the closest Elite in the temple. He made to draw his sabre.

"I wouldn't," Maria said, without turning her head.

It seemed that this small gesture of potential aggression had caught the trained eyes of more of the People. They hurried over from the market stalls and out of the shops. The greengrocer came out into the sunshine with two baskets filled with more rotten goods. More children gathered up the fruit and veg, passing them to their parents and friends.

Now, the crisp, white uniforms of the two guards were besmirched with splashes of red, green, and yellow. The second had fully drawn his sabre, begun cutting the food in the air, and was advancing on his attackers.

Maria tilted her head towards him and muttered. "You harm a child and you further fuel their fire." The guard halted in his tracks, turning back to her with a glare, but she only let the glimmer of a smirk play on the corner of her lips. "You'll just have to stand here and take it. Don't worry, you have plenty of time to get used to that."

Both Elites returned to their positions at Maria's sides. She caught a little splatter on her cheeks but didn't flinch. She didn't move. She didn't have to.

Maria just stood, hands clasped in front of her, with a pleasant smile and glistening eyes. If this was the legacy that she was to leave behind, then she welcomed her execution with open arms.