The war is over; winter has ended.
The Pevensies have been crowned Kings and Queens of Narnia; finally allowed to enjoy their magical world the way the youngest Queen might have wished they had been able to from the beginning. It is here where they...
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With the passing days and the continuous letters from Athena to the palace, not one of the people in the private royal wing of Cair Paravel had time for anything personal. Lucy had to keep up with her letters and meetings with the other allies of Narnia. Edmund had to end up much busier than usual with matters of justice alongside his watch for messengers or letters. Peter kept himself training unstoppably and dealing with other royal matters, and even Juliet had not had enough time to worry about personal insecurities or doubts at any other time than the middle of the night.
It felt like the whole castle was in an uproar.
Unlike any commonly busy period of Cair Paravel life, though, the entirety of the council─Juliet now included─held daily meetings in order to keep everyone informed on the goings-on of Susan Pevensie and Athena Ashdown. The letters arrived every afternoon, and they were read by the familiar and hardy voice of the High King.
"Tension has arisen, and I dare not hope for the best," Her latest letter had said, bringing worry to everyone who listened. "May Aslan's will bring us all back home; though if it will not, I still wish your Majesty a very happy birthday."
No one had liked it. Not even for the gentle reminder of that day's celebration or the light mask of coy friendship Lady Athena had to plaster onto the parchment for the sake of anyone who might hijack her letters. And though everyone attempted to be glad for the High King's twentieth birthday, every member of the council had all instead worried about the tension the marchioness had spoken about.
For the remainder of the day, silence ruled the castle, until guests began to arrive and the celebrations of the High King's birthday began to take place. Anyone outside of the council smiled, ate, and danced within their blissful ignorance, but for the entirety of the night, twelve nobles and three royals had to pretend to not be on guard for any coming messages arriving for the High King.
No one would have been able to tell what outcome the council hoped for; to get a letter out of schedule, or to not get one at all. But whatever it was, no letter came, and by the end of the night, some semblance of mindless weariness—which was the only peace the palace could have in such a situation—had returned. All members of the council were able to smile again.
It was the next afternoon, though, when everything changed. Because the daily meeting came, but, for the first time since their departure, Peter didn't have a letter from the General to read. The worry from the previous night returned tenfold, and a brand new sort of tension spread all over the castle.
Though the monarchs went on with their lives, no one would have been fooled into thinking that everything was business as usual in Cair Paravel.
Worryingly, that day passed as well, with the halls silent, and all the dangerous outcomes flying above everyone's minds like unwanted moths. And when the night came, the nightmares began haunting the royals' heads.
