An Unexpected Romance

Chapter 25

As Susan goes to spend time with Caspian, I decide to enjoy some time to myself before going to bed with Edmund. I go to my own chambers, though the last few nights I haven't slept in there, and I decide to take a relaxing bath. I wait for the tub to fill and open the doors to my balcony. I look out over the kingdom below me, and I think about all the time I could spend here. After all, I was just recently crowned Queen, and I already feel as though my time here is over.

I enter my chambers again and take down my hair in the mirror in front of me.

"Why must a leave such a wonderful place so soon?" I mutter to myself.

"Do not worry, dear one," I gasp at the sudden voice. I turn and look behind me only to see an empty room. I spin back around to my reflection and see my reflection is not the only reflection there.

"Aslan?"

"I know your official reign has been short," Aslan's reflection says to me, "but your time as Queen is forever. You may not always be present in this country, but your example of leadership will do more in your absence than a thousand years of you here might do."

"There's still more for me here than I feel I've gained," I tell the Lion's reflection, once again checking behind me to see if he's in the room with me.

"There's more to your life than just Narnia," he replies. "Narnia and I are with you always, even in your world, dear one. It is a part of you now. You may leave Narnia, but as long as you remember your time here it will never truly be gone from you. "

I keep my gaze on Aslan's image in front of me.

"I'll never forget my time here, Aslan," I say quietly.

"I know you won't," the reflection says soothingly. "It is for that very reason I know you're ready to go home."

Somehow, Aslan's reflection disappears before me even though I never quite saw it fade. I feel calmed from his presence, though still sad at my impending departure from a place I've come to love.

I take my bath and dress for bed. I decide to take a few more minutes to myself outside and simply enjoy what's around me. I breathe in the scent of the air around me and watch an owl glide through the air above me. A light breeze tugs at the loose strands of my hair around my face, and I close my eyes and take in this moment.

I take a deep breath and open my eyes once again. The doors behind me squeak behind me in the breeze, and I walk back into my room and lock the doors. I turn around and am startled to see Edmund leaning on the wall by my dresser behind me.

"Edmund!" I gasp and jump a little. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Only a minute or so," he says. "I was wondering why you hadn't come to bed yet, and I wanted to make sure everything was ok."

I lean back onto the doors behind me and look lovingly at Edmund standing in front of me.

"Everything is just fine, Ed," I smile at him. "Thank you for checking on me in the most startling way possible, though. I sincerely appreciate it."

"Anything for you," he smirks.

Edmund walks over to my bed and jumps back on it, patting the space next to him as a signal for me to come lie down next to him.

"Are we sleeping in here tonight?" I ask him as I head to the bathroom to brush out the tangles in my hair from the breeze outside.

"I'm sleeping wherever you're sleeping," Edmund says with a yawn.

"I assumed that much," I giggle and glance at him from the bathroom. "Go ahead and get in bed, love. I'll be over there in a second."

I finish with my hair and wash my hands and face before crawling into bed next to Edmund. Ed has already dozed off lightly next to me and is snoring very quietly. I prop my head up with one arm and graze my fingers over his cheek. I brush his soft, dark hair away from his closed eyes and kiss his forehead.

My eyelids get heavier and heavier, so I lightly sink into the mattress so as not to wake Edmund. I pull my soft pillow against my face and start to fall asleep when I feel Edmund roll over to me and rest his arm over my waist.

I rest my arm over his and sigh contently.

"Iwuhmu," Edmund grumbles incoherent sounds into my neck.

"What?" I giggle.

"I love you," he sighs. "I love you very much."

"I love you too," I whisper as I squeeze his arm.

Edmund pulls me into him and nestles his head in my neck, tangling his legs with mine and kissing behind my ear.

"Goodnight," he breathes out.

"Goodnight, your majesty," I respond with a smile as we doze both off into a deep sleep.