ignite me / p. pevensie

chapter twenty-eight

With a heavy, deep gasp, Rowyn jolted awake and sat up quickly. Her brow dripping with sweat as she did so. Rowyn took in her surroundings. She was home, in her bed with Peter sleeping peacefully beside her, his arms laid out in front of him as if he had been reaching for her.

Rowyn shifted her bare body so her feet now gently pressed against the cold hardwood of their now shared bedroom.

"Wynne?" Peter's voice was laced with sleep as the bed dipped slightly behind Rowyn. Her spine twisted as he brought a hand to gently caress her tattoo—their shared tattoo. "Was it the same dream?"

Rowyn didn't respond. She didn't have to. Peter knew the answer and so he moved to sit behind her with his legs on either side of her and pulled her bare back into his bare chest.

After their marriage ten years ago, her horrible nightmares drifted away as her love for Peter grew and vanished the pain away, but recently--despite her love for him still being larger than even she knew--the nightmares drifted back.

She dreamt of her mother being killed by Jadis. Of her mother risking it all to save her. Those nightmares always left her shaking once she woke up.

"It's okay," Peter whispered as he held her tightly, caressing her skin in a way that helped calm her down. "It's okay, Ro." He kissed her scalp.

When her breathing morphed back to normal, Rowyn wiped her eyes and stood from the bed, shrugging on a golden silk robe. "I'm okay, Pete." She told him after he followed her into the bathroom while she leaned against the cold countertop. "I just hate those dreams." She mumbled.

Peter kissed her cheek lovingly. "I know, Wynne, I know." Rowyn smiled slightly at him and placed her hand on his jaw to lead him into a deep kiss. After a moment, once the pair reluctantly pulled away, a knock at their bedroom door sounded.

"Five bucks says it's Edmund complaining about the noise last night." She sent Peter a quick wink and walked towards the door. She was about to turn to Peter and laugh when Edmund was revealed behind the door, but the Just King cut her off.

"The stag!" He blurted out as he smiled wide. "The stag has been spotted in the Northwest."

....

"This stag is going to turn my hair gray." Rowyn said as she and the Pevensie's came to another dead end of chasing after the mystical creature. They had been searching for the beast for multiple days now and despite not finding him yet the family enjoyed their time away from their busy thrones.

"Oh my God, I think I see one already!" Susan covered her mouth as she spoke. Rowyn instantly panicked and flew a hand up to her hair.

"What where?" But Susan's quick laughter made the violet-eyed girl drop her hands and glared at her best friend. "I hate you."

Susan laughed more and adjusted her seating on her horse. "You love me."

Rowyn bit down a laugh and rolled her eyes while Peter and Edmund came to catch up with the three women who had gotten ahead of them. "Damn stag." Edmund muttered under his breath.

Lucy glared at her brother. "Language!"

"Sorry, Lu." Edmund said quickly, raising his hands in surrender. A sudden flash of white made everyone perk up. "The stag!" Edmund shouted and they all rushed after it on their horses.

Rowyn was quick to get in front of Edmund and find her place beside Peter, who rode in front of everyone. The couple shared a bright smile before Rowyn sped off in front of him. Her laughter filled the air when his curses of defeat sounded from behind her.

The family all rode for ten more minutes until Edmund's horse suddenly slowed and Peter and Rowyn had to turn around.

Rowyn shared a look with Susan. "What did Edmund say back at the castle?" Susan questioned Rowyn who came beside her.

"You girls wait at the castle! I'll get the stag myself!" Rowyn laughed along with Lucy and Susan until Lucy suddenly looked up and rushed to get off of her horse. "Lu? What is it" Rowyn asked, hopping off of her horse, following by the rest of her family.

Lucy turned to look at Rowyn briefly before turning back towards something else. "Have you ever seen this before?" The family all looked towards what she pointed at.

It was a lamp-post. An all too familiar lamp-post.

"It's like from a dream." Susan said.

"Or a dream of a dream . . ." Lucy chimed in.

Rowyn rose her eyebrows. "Or a dream of a dream of a dream." The siblings shared a quiet laugh at their in-law. Rowyn became sucked into her thoughts but was quickly pulled out of it when Lucy spoke up.

"Spare Oom?" Lucy looked towards Rowyn and the pair rushed towards something, but they didn't know what they were trying to find. "Come on!" Lucy urged her siblings with a smile as she pushed through branches.

Peter grabbed Rowyn's hand protectively as they all became cramped together. Rowyn squeezed it reassuringly, reminding him that she was there. "Ouch!" Edmund said as Susan stepped on his foot.

"These aren't branches . . ." Rowyn muttered sharing a confused glance with Peter.

"They're coats . . ." Susan finished for Rowyn.

That's when the realization set in.

That's when the family got pushed into the wardrobe so far until they all vanish.

Until Peter's hand was nothing but a distance memory in her mind.

Until the now fourteen again Rowyn fell out of the wardrobe and onto the floor of her home.

Panic set in like poison in her veins. Her eyes darted around the great room until she saw a mirror. When she saw her old body dressed in her old pajamas, the cries of pain began.

"No . . . no . . . no!" She said, rushing back towards the wardrobe and climbing back inside. "NO!" Her eyes let go of all the tears they had been holding back when she was met with the wood backing of the wardrobe. "NO! NO! NO!" She slammed her fists against the wood as sobs ripped from her throat.

"Rowyn?" Sam questioned as he and Charlie came rushing into the room and towards the wardrobe where their daughter was screaming in pain.

"Rowyn!" Charlie's voice was panicked as he pulled her out of the wardrobe and into his arms. "Baby, what's wrong?" He asked but the only response he got was her collapsing in his arms as more violent sobs escaped her mouth.

Rowyn fell limp in his arms and he held her tightly against his chest while she shook violently from her cries. Her small body growing weaker with each. "I can't--I can't . . ." She cried into his chest holding onto his pajama top for dear life. "No no no no no no no no!" She cried harder than before and Sam came to hold both of them tightly as his own eyes filled with tears as well.

Her father's held her tightly that night and in the morning then didn't pressure her to get out of her bed.

Or the next day.

Or the next month.

Or the next.