Accidentally Falling | Narnia

08 | prophecy

PETER LED THEM TO Cair Paravel's throne room. And when the Pevensie siblings got inside, they couldn't help but freeze in the middle of the aisle and stare at each other as they took in the room's (if one could call it a room) details.

The domed ceiling was a glass roof. The floor was polished beige marble. Huge stone pillars lined the either side of the room. At the end of the aisle, on the opposite end of the room, there were a flight of stairs. And at the top, there nestled two maroon-colored high-backed chairs with gold arm rests.

The thrones of the Kings of Narnia.

All in all, the room made the Pevensies's jaws dropped.

But what really took the siblings' breath away-- especially Susan's-- was the creature standing between the two thrones, illuminated by the light of the setting sun.

A lion.

Somehow, the Pevensies weren't afraid of it. If anything, the familiarity of home when they first stumbled into Narnia increased tenfold when they laid eyes on the golden lion.

Immediately, they knew that this Lion is the creator of the land. The King over all Kings. The aura around Him was enough to bring His enemies down to their knees.

As the five of them reached the bottom of the stairs, Edmund and Lucy reached Susan's side. Edmund, eyes fixed on the Lion, had his mouth slightly open in amazement while Lucy had a feeling of uneasiness. Susan gave her hand a reassuring squeeze which the youngest Pevensie felt grateful for and returned.

"Aslan," Peter said. "These are the Pevensies."

Overwhelmed by the powerful aura that the Lion was exerting, Susan knelt with her head bowed. Her siblings, who both had the same feeling as hers, did the same.

And when the Lion spoke, his deep, majestic voice vibrating powerfully around the throne room, the three Pevensies wasn't even surprised.

"Rise Edmund, Son of Adam. Rise Susan and Lucy, Daughters of Eve."

The siblings stood up and looked at the Lion. Aslan, in return, met their gazes one by one.

Then his gaze stopped on Susan's.

"Welcome to Narnia." Aslan's cat lips dissolved into a smile.

Susan released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She slightly looked at her siblings on her right and the bright, smiling expressions on their faces mirrored her own. "Thank you, Aslan," she said.

Aslan turned his cat-eyes to Peter. "You have my thanks, Your Majesty, for bringing them safely to the castle."

Peter bowed gently.

"Now," the Lion continued. "I'm afraid we have something dire to discuss." Susan could see his smile fading from the Lion's face. "Follow me."

Caspian and Peter shared a look. Then they turned their gazes back at the three Pevensies, gesturing for them to go first. As the siblings passed them, Peter and Susan's gazes met for a moment. Peter thought of what he had unraveled on their way back to Cair Paravel and his heartbeat sped up slightly. Susan's stomach was twisting nervously but she couldn't quite wrap her mind around the reason why.

The five of them followed the Lion through a door just beside the raised dais of the thrones to a room which Susan easily assumed was the council room. A big round table was in the middle of the room with about ten cushioned high-backed chairs around it. Behind the table, another huge floor-to-ceiling glass window showed the sea outside, glistening in the setting sun.

"Take a seat," Aslan said.

Edmund and Lucy sat on either side of Susan while Peter and Caspian sat opposite them. Susan's heart was pounding slightly in her chest. Her mind flashed back to what Peter had said about the Witch sending that Minotaur to kill her. Suddenly, she remembered the word she had overheard back at Mr. Tumnus's house when the faun and Peter were talking. About a prophecy.